A Day in the Life--November
I didn't take pictures . . . that's actually why this post is appearing in December--I kept thinking that I should document a certain day, and then I'd forget to take pictures, so I'd skip it with plans to document another day.
But now November is over, and I want to write about a day. The most recent day is November 30th, a Sunday. Not a school day, but really, one of the reasons we homeschool is so that we are free to teach our children in faith about our faith:
The morning started quietly. I sat down at the computer to upload pictures from our camera and to write our weekly homeschool post. As I worked, children woke one by one, served themselves a breakfast of the final dessert leftovers from Thanksgiving, and joined me at the computer to look at pictures.
Dad woke up and began to organize shower times. (This is when I really love having two hot water heaters!) I told him to go first so that I could finish the pictures and post. Kids went their own ways to either play or get ready for church, depending on age and interest.
S12 was giving a talk in church that day, so after I finished my projects, I turned the computer over to her to do a final edit and print the finished product. She'd been remarkably independent, researching scriptures and writing on her own. Her assigned subject was "Go Forward with Faith." While I was in the shower, she got Dad to look it over. He made 2-3 small suggestions to help tighten it up, but really the talk remained her own.
No Young Women's presidency meetings for E14 and M12 meant that E14 elected to go to church with Dad and I3. The rest of us piled into the van at 10 am to head off for choir practice before church. Once we got our coats hung up and our bags settled on a large-enough church pew, M12 picked up the choir director's baby, J10 and H5 waited for another family's baby, and S12, A7, and I headed in to practice.
We worked on a medley of Thanksgiving hymns. S12 had a small solo in one of them.
Choir practice ended 10 minutes before church officially started. I headed out to the bathroom and to hand out some snacks to the kids (and for me!) because there'd be no other break for lunch in our day. As we snacked, Dad arrived with E14 and I3. We filed into our seats just moments before church began.
I3 got really wiggly. I've been working on training him to at least get through the sacrament before handing out quiet toys and drawing paper, but he was having none of that this Sunday. I whispered, "Jesus loves you!" This bit of heavenly truth worked magic on his little heart, and he giggled and whispered back, "Jesus loves YOU!" to me. We made a game of it, and before we knew it, it was our turn to take the sacrament, and our hearts were brim-full of joy in our Savior.
S12 did a great job on her talk! She was nervous, so she forgot to smile, but her talk was well-researched, well-written, and well-delivered. She also did a great job on her solo! Many people commented on how well she did both jobs.
I am very thankful for people who take the time to express gratitude and encouragement for my children. They make a world of difference in our lives!
After sacrament meeting the family scattered to Sunday School/Primary (the children's ministry)/Nursery. The nursery was short-staffed, so I stayed to help out. Dad went to primary with A7 and H5 because he had been asked to substitute for A7's teacher. She was so proud to have her Dad with her. It was H5's turn to recite a brief part of The Family: A Proclamation to the World, and as she'd refused to memorize it during the week she got to have Dad help her out.
I think she liked having Dad help her more than she would have liked being able to do it on her own.
Once church was over, Dad met me at the Relief Society room to tell me that E14 was staying with him after church for her interview for her patriarchal blessing. It was a bit of a struggle to gather everyone up because M12 and S12's Young Women's class ran a bit long, and then there was an impromptu meeting to organize this week's youth activity, but eventually we made it to the van and home.
Though it was only 3:30 when we got home, I started dinner (spaghetti with meat sauce) immediately because we're always hungry after church. Dad and E14 came home once her interview was over, Dad had finished recording and depositing the tithing, and they'd stopped to take the sacrament to a church member who lives in a nursing home and can't get to church any more.
We ate dinner early--and had our usual family prayer and scripture study at that time. Most of the time we have Family Night on Sunday nights, but this week we switched it to Monday night so that we could set up our Christmas tree and put out Christmas decorations, so we had a long evening on our hands. I didn't want to fritter the evening away, so I mentioned doing something together. The kids wanted to watch a movie, but that didn't feel like a good choice for a Sunday. I talked it over with Dad, who agreed that the movie idea felt not-quite-right, but we felt at loose ends.
I finally pulled Twister and Uno out of the game cupboard.
I suggested Twister first. That annoyed some of the older kids so much, that by the time we'd played a few rounds with the younger kids, the older kids were thrilled when I pulled out Uno. We played two rousing hands of Uno--I3 won the first round; H5 won the second--before the little kids were too wired for another game, and the older kids were starting to lose interest.
The kids wanted to watch a movie so badly that they finally all agreed on watching a VeggieTales DVD borrowed from the library. How could we say no to Lettuce Love One Another? So Dad popped popcorn while the rest of us rearranged the living room to turn it into a theater. Most of us watched--Dad snoozed. After the movie we separated to get ready for evening reading and bed.
After stories and prayers we all went to bed early in preparation for a new week that included a return to our (almost) normal academic schedule.
It was a Sunday much like many others . . . busy and peaceful at the same time. I am grateful for the Sabbath Day. I am grateful for the privilege of teaching my children of Christ and His gospel on Sundays and every day.
But now November is over, and I want to write about a day. The most recent day is November 30th, a Sunday. Not a school day, but really, one of the reasons we homeschool is so that we are free to teach our children in faith about our faith:
"And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins."Our worship is part of our education, so, Sunday it is.
The morning started quietly. I sat down at the computer to upload pictures from our camera and to write our weekly homeschool post. As I worked, children woke one by one, served themselves a breakfast of the final dessert leftovers from Thanksgiving, and joined me at the computer to look at pictures.
Dad woke up and began to organize shower times. (This is when I really love having two hot water heaters!) I told him to go first so that I could finish the pictures and post. Kids went their own ways to either play or get ready for church, depending on age and interest.
S12 was giving a talk in church that day, so after I finished my projects, I turned the computer over to her to do a final edit and print the finished product. She'd been remarkably independent, researching scriptures and writing on her own. Her assigned subject was "Go Forward with Faith." While I was in the shower, she got Dad to look it over. He made 2-3 small suggestions to help tighten it up, but really the talk remained her own.
No Young Women's presidency meetings for E14 and M12 meant that E14 elected to go to church with Dad and I3. The rest of us piled into the van at 10 am to head off for choir practice before church. Once we got our coats hung up and our bags settled on a large-enough church pew, M12 picked up the choir director's baby, J10 and H5 waited for another family's baby, and S12, A7, and I headed in to practice.
We worked on a medley of Thanksgiving hymns. S12 had a small solo in one of them.
Choir practice ended 10 minutes before church officially started. I headed out to the bathroom and to hand out some snacks to the kids (and for me!) because there'd be no other break for lunch in our day. As we snacked, Dad arrived with E14 and I3. We filed into our seats just moments before church began.
I3 got really wiggly. I've been working on training him to at least get through the sacrament before handing out quiet toys and drawing paper, but he was having none of that this Sunday. I whispered, "Jesus loves you!" This bit of heavenly truth worked magic on his little heart, and he giggled and whispered back, "Jesus loves YOU!" to me. We made a game of it, and before we knew it, it was our turn to take the sacrament, and our hearts were brim-full of joy in our Savior.
S12 did a great job on her talk! She was nervous, so she forgot to smile, but her talk was well-researched, well-written, and well-delivered. She also did a great job on her solo! Many people commented on how well she did both jobs.
I am very thankful for people who take the time to express gratitude and encouragement for my children. They make a world of difference in our lives!
After sacrament meeting the family scattered to Sunday School/Primary (the children's ministry)/Nursery. The nursery was short-staffed, so I stayed to help out. Dad went to primary with A7 and H5 because he had been asked to substitute for A7's teacher. She was so proud to have her Dad with her. It was H5's turn to recite a brief part of The Family: A Proclamation to the World, and as she'd refused to memorize it during the week she got to have Dad help her out.
I think she liked having Dad help her more than she would have liked being able to do it on her own.
Once church was over, Dad met me at the Relief Society room to tell me that E14 was staying with him after church for her interview for her patriarchal blessing. It was a bit of a struggle to gather everyone up because M12 and S12's Young Women's class ran a bit long, and then there was an impromptu meeting to organize this week's youth activity, but eventually we made it to the van and home.
Though it was only 3:30 when we got home, I started dinner (spaghetti with meat sauce) immediately because we're always hungry after church. Dad and E14 came home once her interview was over, Dad had finished recording and depositing the tithing, and they'd stopped to take the sacrament to a church member who lives in a nursing home and can't get to church any more.
We ate dinner early--and had our usual family prayer and scripture study at that time. Most of the time we have Family Night on Sunday nights, but this week we switched it to Monday night so that we could set up our Christmas tree and put out Christmas decorations, so we had a long evening on our hands. I didn't want to fritter the evening away, so I mentioned doing something together. The kids wanted to watch a movie, but that didn't feel like a good choice for a Sunday. I talked it over with Dad, who agreed that the movie idea felt not-quite-right, but we felt at loose ends.
I finally pulled Twister and Uno out of the game cupboard.
I suggested Twister first. That annoyed some of the older kids so much, that by the time we'd played a few rounds with the younger kids, the older kids were thrilled when I pulled out Uno. We played two rousing hands of Uno--I3 won the first round; H5 won the second--before the little kids were too wired for another game, and the older kids were starting to lose interest.
The kids wanted to watch a movie so badly that they finally all agreed on watching a VeggieTales DVD borrowed from the library. How could we say no to Lettuce Love One Another? So Dad popped popcorn while the rest of us rearranged the living room to turn it into a theater. Most of us watched--Dad snoozed. After the movie we separated to get ready for evening reading and bed.
After stories and prayers we all went to bed early in preparation for a new week that included a return to our (almost) normal academic schedule.
It was a Sunday much like many others . . . busy and peaceful at the same time. I am grateful for the Sabbath Day. I am grateful for the privilege of teaching my children of Christ and His gospel on Sundays and every day.
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