Oh, It's the Hardy Party

Just got back from the 33rd annual Hardy Party.  This family-reunion of sorts, started out as just a family Christmas party with my Grandma Hardy and my Hardy cousins held in our basement in 1979.  At that time, the Hardy count was at 30 - total.  I did a quick estimate this year, and I think we are close to 140 now! 

Every December, the descendants of  Grandma Vera and Grandpa Dudley Hardy gather the Saturday before Christmas and party! This year Uncle Glen's family was in charge.  We had breakfast and then had a wonderful program honoring Grandpa Dudley Hardy who died before most of us were born.  (My dad was 4 when he died.)  We learned a lot of interesting things about Grandpa Dudley.  My sister Jill commented to me that it was sure interesting the things that our dad (Mike) inherited from his dad (Dudley); things, which to some extent must have just been inherent, because afterall, Dudley died when my dad was just four, presumably before he had much time to teach or influence my dad. We noted Grandpa Dudley's stubbornness, his thriftiness (NEVER borrow money for ANYTHING), and the fact that he built and rented out home after home-all things that my dad would do/does.  We also thought it was interesting that Grandpa Dudley's two "professions" were farmer and builder and that Uncle Glen became a farmer, and my dad became a builder. We sang this song honoring Grandpa Dudley written by Cindy (Uncle Glen's daughter-in-law):

Dudley Leavitt Hardy
Tune: Davey Crockett

1.) Heber and Betsy lived in Bunkerville.
They had 2 sons and more rooms to fill.
Dudley Leavitt Hardy arrived from heaven,
January 14, 1897.
Dudley, Dudley Hardy born in Bunkerville.

2.) Dudley walked through his Uncle's melon field.
He found a nice melon for his evening meal.
When he told his dad, Dad took him right back,
Dudley apologized and paid for his snack.
Dudley, Dudley Hardy learned that you never steal.

3.) Heber bought a suit from the Moapa store.
Dudley didn't like it, wouldn't wear it he swore.
His parents begged, scolded, threatened a whipping he would get.
Dudley stood his ground, his jaw was set.
Dudley, Dudley Hardy was a determined child.

4.)His dad bought a house from Joseph Earl.
It was right across the street from the Wittwer girls.
He picked out one who seemed a lot of fun.
For Dudley and Vera, courting had begun.
Vera, Vera Wittwer, Dudley has his eyes on you.

5.) Dudley worked hard all of his life,
Farming and State Highway to take care of his wife.
Soon children started coming, Elaine, Glen and Mike.
And then came Bertha, a pretty little tyke.
Hardy, Hardy children the cutest and smartest in the world.

6.) Dudley Leavitt Hardy didn't stay here long. 
We are here to remember him through stories and song.
He was a hard worker, faithful, loving father too.
Grandpa Dudley Hardy we're here to honor you.
Grandpa, Grandpa Hardy we all really love you too.

The party culminated with each of Grandpa Dudley's children and grandchildren receiving a beautiful bound book (made by Lana-another of Uncle Glen's daughter-in-laws) of Grandpa's  history all the way back to the 1600's when the Hardys came to Massachusetts from England.

Grandpa Dudley Hardy.  This is just about the ONLY picture we have of him, but Lana "unearthed" a few more "seldom-before-seen" photos and included them in the awesome book we received.

I went back and tried to find a pic of the first Hardy party, but I couldn't.  However, for the sake of "vintage" photos.  I am including this one and the one below of the "fab-5"  Grandma Hardy's 5 great granddaughters all born in 1992.  (These photos were taken at the 1992 Hardy Party.)  Left to right:  Alyssa, Analise, Betsy, Heather, and Megan.  (Analise is the youngest of the 5, born on June 19th-Uncle Glen AND Aunt Bertha's birthday! Obviously, she was not too happy about getting her picture taken.)

The "Fab 5" 2012.  Heather, Megan, Alyssa, Betsy, Analise.  In Analise's words, "We're pretty much famous." :)

Santa delivers a gift to Grandma Vera Hardy.  Hardy Party 1994 in Cedar City. (That's Alyssa watching.)  The gift was probably a doll.  Grandma Hardy LOVED dolls, and usually got a pretty collector's doll at each Hardy Party. 

Dallin 4, Analise 2, and Kaylee 11 months with Great Grandma Hardy- Hardy Party 1994.  (I LOVE that Grandma is wearing a fruit loop necklace and bracelet-presumably made by one of her great grandchildren at the children's craft table.)



Grandma and Grandpa's 4 children with Dudley Hardy books:  Elaine, Glen, Mike, and Bertha. (Note: Mike (Dad) had eye surgery - thus the dark glasses.)  Hardy Party 2012

Ok I put SEVERAL of these in, just so you can see what I have to deal with when trying to get a family photo.  Kent is often the biggest problem.  Here he is "flexing" while Kaylee tries to keep Luke from escaping.

Another try....and another fail.  The girls are fairly cooperative, but the boys....well....apparently Dallin is giving Luke what he had coming since the photo on the cover of this blog.

The best we could do.  (I won't torture you with the MANY other "fails")  If they would just cooperate, it could be done so quickly...sigh.

cooperative girls



UNcooperative boys
What I got when I asked for a "boys" pic to "match" the girls.

The Mike and Ann Hardy posterity in attendance at the 2012 party.

Wow, what an amazing family I have.  I love being a Hardy, and I love the Hardy Party!

*I obviously didn't make good on my promise to deliver a "shorter" post, but I DID post soon and I did include lots of pics.  And...it might not have been too long had I not included the song.

Run, run, run

Yesterday was the 2nd annual Bowler Elementary "Reindeer Run."  And for the second year in the row, Luke took first place in his grade!  He is one speedy guy, handily beating the next closest competitor.  This year, being the fastest boy in the 5th grade made him presumably the fastest kid in the school. Congrats to Luke. (Unfortunately, he did not get a t-shirt.  They ran out of shirts for the winners before they got to him.  The top five male and female runners from each grade got t-shirts.  The only group that did NOT get shirts were the 5th grade boys, ironically the fastest runners in the school.  He wore his last year's "Reindeer Run" shirt to school today in honor of his victory.)

Luke after winning the 2011 Reindeer Run.  (I don't have any pics of him this year-and wow, I can't believe how much he has grown since 2011-I don't think I realized it until I posted this 2011 pic.)

*I'm realizing that I have not posted in almost a month-gasp, and also that my last few posts are quite long, philosophical, and picture-less.  I will try to do less philosophizing and more photographing for near-future posts-but don't hold your breath; this is a busy time of year.

Product

My children are the "product" of me and Kent.  (Duh-what else would you expect?) But this truth was re-affirmed to me by two observations over the Thanksgiving Holiday.

 1- I was continually tripping over children (young and old) doing homework and various laptops and textbooks.  (I wish I would have taken a pic of the living room floor scattered with laptops, calculators, and the following text books: Physics, Differential Equations, Dynamics and Statics, Pre-calculus, and Algebra.  But...alas I didn't- you'll just have to take my word for it.)  Yes, these home-work doing offspring are definitely MY children. See this post.  (Homework was not a top priority for Kent until after we got married :) 

2-Additionally, my children went shooting after Thanksgiving dinner as is the tradition with the Barlow family. (My family sings songs after Thanksgiving dinner-guess which after-dinner activity my children prefer?)  Offspring that find pleasure and enjoyment in firing weapons did NOT inherit this trait from me.  (I am a "closet gun-control advocate"  Shhhh...don't tell my in-laws.  Guns scare me.  And I always hold my breath until they all come home alive after a "shooting" outing.)*  So ya, this boy (Trent) who seems to find great joy in firing a semi-automatic weapon is definitely KENT'S offspring.  (Where did he learn to fire a weapon like that?!  Maybe I need to limit his week-end Black-Op games with his friends.)

 

 

 

* I think I may have inherited my "worry" gene from Aunt Elaine, but I can take comfort in the fact that both of her sons were/are "gun fans," and neither were harmed by this hobby.   (Of course, my gun/shooting phobia was not helped when Dallin and Kent were gone deer hunting (ie: gun-carrying/shooting) and a police officer showed up at my door at 10:30 p.m. asking if I was the mother of Dallin Barlow....but that is at story for another post-just know that I have never fully recovered from the near heart attack I suffered in the moments it took the police officer to explain that he was trying to track down someone who had run from him on a yellow 4-wheeler, and he was told Dallin had a yellow one.  Of course, it WASN'T Dallin he was after, since Dallin was gone deer-hunting, but the police officer almost got some excitement anyway because I came very close to passing out. Because, come on, why on earth would a policeman come to my door at 10:30 p.m. asking if I'm Dallin Barlow's mother?  There is only one logical answer, and I'm starting to get a little faint just writing about and remembering that feeling, so I'm closing this post RIGHT NOW!  No wonder I dislike guns!)

Cliche

I've resisted posting a "thankful" post this entire month, because it seems....well....cliche.  I mean shouldn't we be thankful ALL the time (not just in November.)  However, I have spent a lot of this month trying to notice the little things that I have to be thankful for.  I mean, isn't everybody thankful for the "big" things:  health, family, food, clothing, shelter, and freedom?  And not that we SHOULDN'T be thankful for those things, because we should and I am. (These items top my list when I count my blessings.) But sometimes I think we fail to feel gratitude for or even notice the little things, the coincidences or "tender mercies" that bless our lives.  In a fairly recent conference talk, President Eyring suggested recording those items on a daily basis.  I haven't done that.  However, I have tried to THINK about what "tender mercies" or "little blessings" I receive each day.  During this month, each morning when I run, I try to think about the previous day:  the things that "went right"; the things I enjoyed; the personal interactions and exchanges that were fun and uplifting; those items that might be classified as a "happiest thing."**    Last Friday, as I sat in my "explicit phonics" training class (part of my job as "instructional coach" at the elementary school), I jotted down several items from the previous day.  So since I actually have a record of one-day's worth of these "little blessings," I thought I would record some of them here.  Enjoy.

•  I texted to set up visiting teaching and was able to coordinate with my partner and the two sisters I visit, setting up appointments on the first try for later that SAME DAY!  (Do you know the odds of that working out, when you are trying to work around 4 busy ladies' schedules?  I might have just as easily won the lottery-However, I don't gamble.)

• I got not one, but TWO "fun" things in the mail:  A wedding announcement and an order form for our Hardy Party family reunion Christmas shirts. Both were pleasant little "surprises" as I flipped through the mail-pile consisting mostly of bills, catalogues, and other "junk" mail.

• I smothered my 14-year-old son with kisses and called him "my baby bumblebee," and he "allowed" it.

• I stayed within my weight-watchers point limit without even consciously trying.

• All the kids in the family got up without TOO much trouble for a.m. family prayer, scriptures, and breakfast.

• I woke up to a clean house.

• I called to schedule an appointment for a haircut before family pictures and there was an opening that worked with my schedule for the next day.

• The article I submitted to the paper for the elementary school was published.

• I had NO interruptions at school and was able to get all my work done AND all the work from the previous day which had "stockpiled" when I had an unexpected meeting.

• Luke was cooperative during his piano practice time.

• I made PB and J's for dinner and no one complained. 

I'm sure there were more "happy things," but these are all I recorded:  It was a "Happy Day!" (as probably is every day, if I will just take the time to notice and appreciate "happy things.")

So there you have it, my cliche "Thanksgiving Post."

**When I was little and my mom tucked me into bed each night, she would always ask, "What was the happiest thing about your day?"  She recorded my answers in a small notebook.  It is now one of my prized possessions.  I have asked my children the same question each night when I tuck them in.  However, I'm not as awesome as my mother-I have not recorded their answers.

RIP football season

Tonight all three of my children (who still live at home) were HOME!  Football is over for Lynae, Trent, and Luke as of Saturday.  Basketball starts tomorrow, but we had ONE night where NOBODY had to go ANYWHERE.  (Cheerleaders even had a "break" with no practice today)  Everyone did their evening chores, put away their clean clothes, and we ALL ate dinner together.  Lynae and Trent both spent time playing the piano, and our clean home was filled with beautiful music.  Our house is "technology-free" on weekdays (no TV, movies, video games, etc.) so after dinner, the kids were all lounging in the living room reading, and it was soooo AWESOME!  We had family home evening, and everyone went to bed early.  RIP football season.

Logical Lyrics????

I don't DISlike country music. In fact, I actually enjoy most of it, which is a stretch for me since when I was a teenager, country music was really "twangy" and red-neckish, but in recent years there has been quite a change, and I find that I enjoy a lot of it - no screamo stuff, and the lyrics and messages are often interesting and inspiring, but sometimes they are not logical.

Case in point, Tim McGraw's song "Live Like You Were Dying" (Listen to and read the lyrics here.) tells the story of a man who finds out he only has a short time to live and he decides, among other things, to focus on those things that really matter ("love deeper," "(speak) sweeter," and "(give) forgiveness"). This is a great message and very inspiring....But....he also decides to go "sky-diving" and "rocky-mountain climbing" and even bull riding! Now my question is, if this man is sick enough to be close to death, how does he have the energy and strength to participate in these strenuous activities, and even if, by some miracle, he has the strength, don't these seem like rather dangerous activities for a dying man? Does he really want to risk cutting the time he has left even shorter?! Ok, I hope I haven't ruined this song for any of you fans, but come on. I don't think anyone would REALLY do those things if he were terminally ill.

One more case in point: The song "You Lie" by The Band Perry (Listen to and read the lyrics here.) tells the story of a girl who realizes her man is a liar. I actually really like this song. I like the beat and the pace. It is good music to run to. I even like almost ALL the lyrics.* The use of simile and the play on words is clever ("You lie like a priceless Persian rug on a rich man's floor. You lie like a penny in the parking lot of the grocery store...." etc.) What I don't like is the ending where she drives to the "big old muddy river" (I can relate-the "big old muddy river" is right behind our house.) and then, after a few last tears, takes off her ring and "gives it a big old fling" to it's final resting place where it will "lie" "until the Lord comes back around." So why, you may ask,  don't I like this ending? It does symbolically state how OVER the relationship truly is, and it cleverly ties back in the second meaning of the word "lie." .....But .....every time I hear this song, when it gets to this part, I think, "NO! Don't do it!  Do you know how much money you could hock that thing for?! Sell it and buy yourself something awesome, or take a vacation, but for heaven's sake, don't THROW IT IN THE RIVER!"

 

Now I know that neither song would have the "romantic appeal" that they do if these lyrics were changed, but I can't help but think, that they would be a whole lot more logical.

 

    *They even use the word "dang" instead of an alternate version of this word which would make the lyrics less family-friendly.

Happy Birthday Grandma!

Today is my Grandma Monson's birthday.  She was born October 18, 1905.  She died in 1992.  She would have been 107 today.  In honor of her, and because I still miss her, here are some of my Grandma Monson memories.  (I always called her "Grandma Elese" and everyone else-who wasn't her child or grandchild- called her "Tweet.")

• Cookies.  Chocolate chip, sugar cookies, sour cream with cream cheese frosting.  Her cookies were delish and always came with her from Salt Lake to Logandale when she came to visit our family.  They traveled in a cookie "tin." (When she died, I wanted her cookie tin-it is displayed in my kitchen.  In addition, every time I make cookies, I think about Grandma.)
• Stories.  Grandma read us stories. I loved to sit on her big long brown couch and listen to her read in her soft quiet voice.
• Roses.  See this post.
• Sewing.  Grandma was a great seamstress.  She could make anything with a sewing machine.  She often made me outfits to match hers with scraps she had left after sewing something for herself.  I still have a Raggedy Ann Doll she made for me complete with a hand-embroidered face and heart on her chest.
• FishLake.  Grandma was always with us at FishLake.  She vacationed there every year as a child, and when she was married with children of her own, she took her family there each summer.  When I was a child, we went to FishLake each summer.(Grandma and Grandpa Monson always met us there.) And now I take my children there each summer.
• Silly songs and lullabies.  Most the silly songs and lullabies I sing to my kids originated with Grandma Monson. 
• Gum and lifesavers.  Grandma always had both in her purse, and when she sent our family letters (It was too expensive to call long-distance from Salt Lake very often.), she always enclosed a stick of gum for each of us kids. 
• Thoughts, stories, and letters written in verse.  My Grandma could rhyme anything, and she taught my mom to do the same.  
• St. Patrick's Day.  Grandma Monson was Irish, and St. Patrick's Day was (and still is-her children adorn her grave with green carnations each St. Patrick's Day) a big deal:  Irish music, green decor and clothing, and of course green carnations for all.
• Education.  Grandma Monson had a 4-year university batchelor's degree.  This was highly unusual for a woman in the 1920's.  Her framed diploma and graduation picture hang on the wall in my mom's office and are an inspiration to me. 

There are many more things that I could add, but this list will have to suffice for now.  Happy, happy birthday Grandma!

Matching with Grandma 1973

(P.S. This is a little weird, but it is true.  Prior to Grandma dying, I was always little afraid of dying myself (isn't everybody?) but part of my fear stemmed from the fact that I felt like I didn't really "know" anyone on "the other side."  But once Grandma died, I felt a little less afraid of this aspect of death knowing that she would be there.  However, I would prefer to still have her here.)

I'm Pathetic

I'm Pathetic


Spent most of my day yesterday (as I do every Saturday) watching football. In addition, I was on the side-lines with my nice camera taking pictures. So check out the action I captured of Luke's awesome interception for a TD and his tackle where he literally "ran the guy down."





Luke's interception-TD.   Luke is SOMEWHERE in the middle of this group of players who ran over to congratulate him.  Yep, no action shot of the catch, the run, or even the "chest bumps;" just this-Pathetic!

Luke's awesome tackle where he ran the guy down. But where, you may ask, is Luke?  See that little bit of blue in the lower right of the pic.  That is Luke.  He has a hold of #1's legs and #1 is going down! 

Obviously I need help in the picture-taking category.  Pathetic- I don't think Sports Illustrated will be calling any time soon.

 

Football x 3

Football X 3

• Lynae is MVHS Varsity cheer co-captain and cheers at all the Varsity Pirate football games.
• Trent is playing on the 8th grade football team, and Kent is his coach (practices 3-4 nights per week for 2+hours, and games every Saturday - often in St. George.)
• Luke is playing on the 5th grade accelerated football team (practices 3-4 nights per week for 2+ hours, and games every Saturday - often in St. George.  Any guesses as to how I spend my ENTIRE weekend each and every weekend?)

 Yep, We are doing lots of football around here.

Lynae cheering MVHS football game



More of Lynae-sorry for the blur-I have a hard time with "nighttime" pics.  Help?  Kaylee?

This is pathetic, but it is the ONLY pic I got of Trent's awesome touchdown.  You can tell he is IN the endzone and that the other players didn't catch him, but you'll just have to trust me that his catch and run were awesome and that he IS holding the football-it's just under his right arm-which of course you can't see in this picture.



The coaches "consult" (Kent on the far right-He told me he was going to get rid of the beard after scout camp, but when he was asked to coach football he decided to keep it for "intimidation" purposes.  Men and football are weird.)



Coach Kent and Waterboy Luke (If Luke is the waterboy for Kent's team, why is Kash carrying the water?!)        
P.S.  Maybe this post should be entitled, "Football x 4" since Kent is coaching.

Luke-the player closest to the ball.  (I'm not sure what actually happened on this play, but the pic had BOTH Luke AND the football in it, so I decided to post it.)

Luke blocking

Why moms should never work - ever

Why moms should never work -EVER

Ok, if I had any readers besides my mother, I might worry that I would get hate mail for this post, and I need to state a couple of disclaimers before I go any further.  First, I work.  I am teaching school (sort of-but that's a post for another day).  I like, no, LOVE to teach school.  (When I wasn't teaching school, I day-dreamed about different lesson possibilities and teaching techniques, and mentally "set up" classrooms, daily schedules, positive discipline plans, and learning centers. My own kids often got to had to be my "students.")  Secondly, I know that ALL moms work, and those who do not work outside the home, usually work harder than those that do.  (I remember that I occasionally substitute taught when I had 4 pre-schoolers, and I was always so amazed-pleasantly so-that when  I picked the kids up from the sitter's (often Grandma Barlow's) at 3 or 4 p.m. and returned home that my house was still soooo clean-no one had been there all day to mess it up.) With that being said, my list of ten reasons "why" is as follows:

1-laundry.  It doesn't get done. (Or if it does, it doesn't get folded or put away.)

2-meals.  They don't get fixed.  (We have assigned different family members-besides me-different nights, but often that family member-including me when it is my turn-has another obligation or is too tired.  - Once I actually fell asleep on my night.  I don't really know what everyone ate for dinner that night-I was asleep-Remember?)

3-homework.  It may or may not get done.  (Now if you've been reading my blog, you know that this is where you gasp-what?!  Kay does not make sure her kids get their homework done?!  But after helping other children do school work all day, somehow, the "fun" is gone, and also it just doesn't seem that important anymore, so yes maybe, just maybe, Trent went to school several times last week without completing his entire Algebra assignment, and maybe Luke's entire 5th grade reading log for the last couple of weeks has consisted of comic book "selections.")

4-extra curricular activities.  Children may or may not attend and/or participate.  (Scouts is just down the street from our house, but can I remember to send Luke?  usually, but not always, and the "at home" scout requirements-well, let's just say that Luke is not on the fast track for getting his Webelos patch anytime soon. Piano lessons:  I have good intentions every morning to make sure Trent practices after school, but when he and I are home from school and he is reading comic books and eating a burrito, and I am laying on the couch looking at a magazine, somehow, I don't want to remind him or encourage him to do this task.  One day missed won't matter right?  Until I realize he hasn't practiced in a month!)

5- patience.  I have none.  (Even though I teach the LDS family services parenting class, and have done so for 5 years, I find myself snapping at my kids with phrases like, "because I said so" or "you should have thought of that earlier."  After working outside the home all day, my mental/emotional energy is drained, and even though I know the right and patient way to parent, my children are not the beneficiaries of my knowledge base.  Now I know that stay-at-home moms have this problem at the end of the day when they are tired too, but at least when I was a stay-at-home mom, my kids got the earlier-in-the-day-patient-version of mom.  Now other people's children get that version of me, and my kids get the left over end-of-the-day-impatient-tired-grumpy version of mom.)

6-housekeeping.  it doesn't happen.  (Now again, if you've read this blog, you know that cleaning is kinda a big deal to me, and I do try to quick mop the kitchen and vacuum the traffic areas before I leave for school each day.  But today, as I was helping Luke with his Saturday chores and NOT using good parenting skills (see number 5 above), I went to put something away in the storage room and realized how "piled up" it is becoming, and instead of being excited to tackle it and clean it out, I just shut the door, and thought "oh well."  And Trent has been moved into Dallin's room for several months, and still doesn't have a closet in there, because I need to get in there and clean stuff out of
Dallin's closet to make room for Trent's stuff, but no matter how much of a "priority" it seems in the morning before work, after work, the priority seems to be, lay on the couch and read a magazine.)

7-the economy.  it's broken.  (Ok this one surely won't score me any "brownie points" with the "equal rights" advocates, and it's kinda "out there" but guess what? if we went back to everyone living on one income, rather than two, the economy would have to adjust.  Historically, inflated prices for cars, homes, and consumer goods have corresponded to the increase in the median household income.  (If the average household has more money to spend, prices will increase-which, by the way, makes it VERY difficult for those families who choose or have to live on one income when the majority of households live on two.)  I know that's a very VERY simplistic "solution" to a very complex problem, and I'm not an economist, and I'm smart enough to know it would never happen, but wouldn't it be nice if the price of a brand new car were $4000 again?)

8-the family.  the disintegration of the family is the root of many, if not most, social problems.  (At school I see kids that come from struggling families, and they (the kids) struggle academically, emotionally, and socially.  Society tries to "fix" these problems by "legislating" "programs":  breakfast at school, after school tutoring programs, mentoring and/or big brother programs - all "programs" which fill needs that the family should be filling, but for reasons  1-6 above is too tired, splintered, or busy to fill.)

9-cookies and a story.  it doesn't happen-unless it's at "school" or at some other "program" -see number 8 above.  (It's already a known fact that I don't like to bake, but there is some part of me, that wanted to and liked to occasionally be the cookie-baking mom, who had homemade cookies for her kids after school and met them at the door with this delicious home-made treat.  I did (and still do) like to read to my kids.  However, after working all day, I want someone to meet me at the door with cookies and read to me!  Even my mother, who did not work when I was little, but worked as a kindergarten teacher when my kids were growing up, lamented one day to me that she was not the grandma her mother was who had homemade cookies in the cookie jar and read to her grandchildren, but instead was the grandma who had a freezer full of popsicles and satellite tv with cartoon network.  That being said, my mom was/is an AWESOME grandma/kindergarten teacher-and I count it as one of the coolest things that she taught all 6 of my kids in kindergarten.  And...I'm not sure my kids minded at all having the popsicle/cartoon rather than the cookie/story grandma-especially since she didn't mind if they ate popsicles in the basement on the couch-where more than one red or purple popsicle met a stain-inducing, melty fate when a cartoon viewer became so engrossed in the intricacies of Sponge Bob, that he/she forgot he/she was holding/eating a popsicle.)

10-moms only get one shot.  (I can work forever.  I can learn new things forever.  I can pursue hobbies, travel, and other interests forever, BUT...I only get one year of having a 4-year-old Analise or for that matter having a 20-year-old Analise, so when she needs attention as a 4-year-old or a 20-year old, I WANT to be able to provide it.  I WANT to be available via phone whenever my three who have left the nest call.  I WANT to be able to run a missing lunch to a forgetful 5th grader.   I WANT to parent with patience.  I WANT to be a homemaker who makes a home that is a refuge from the world, complete with cookies, stories, and delicious, nutritious meals.  I believe in eternity.  I believe that if I live right, my children will be mine forever, but while I believe I can do all the extra things-hobbies, teaching, and learning forever during the eons of eternity, I believe that THIS life is the ONLY time I get to raise these 6 kids, and I don't WANT to miss one little bit of it because I was too tired or was at work.)

So I'll wrap up this incredibly long post which I am sure no one but my mother will read in its entirety.  I am working this year, and I worked last year.  Neither job was "planned," but just kinda happened.  I was offered a long-term sub job last year, which, I thought might last a couple of months, but ended up lasting the entire school year. And this year, mid-August, I was offered a licensed teaching job at the elementary school which no one else wanted-it's not a bad job-it just is not a regular classroom teacher job, and since Kent has been out of work for 6 months and his severance and our savings won't-and isn't-lasting forever, I figured I'd better take it. Kent has been amazingly helpful around the house and filling in, BUT he is not a mom.  (Even though Andy Griffith was a great dad, Opie had an Aunt Bea.) I'm sure he has not even noticed or worried about most of the things listed above.  He doesn't know what weeks we have carpool (but he will drive if I tell him).  He doesn't know what homework the kids have or what days/times they have scouts, cheerleading, or other activities.  And I don't think that that is a bad thing.  The Family-A Proclamation to the World, states, "By divine design, fathers are to preside...provide...and (protect)....Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children." (emphasis added). Dads are not designed to nurture, and moms are not designed to provide, preside, and protect.  So dads might not remember every "nurturing detail," and it probably doesn't bother them,  but moms don't always want to be the last word (Have you ever heard, "Go ask your dad"?), or make sure the car has safe tires, or "bring home the bacon."  And that's all right.  It doesn't make dads and moms unequal, it just makes them different.  Furthermore, The Proclamation goes on to state, "In these sacred responsibilities fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners......circumstances may necessitate individual adaptations." (emphasis added).  So dad can help with dinner, laundry, and carpooling (but he may have to be asked to help, because those types of things are not necessarily his forte), and mom can change a tire, or lead a family discussion, or even "bring home the bacon" (but she may not find it the most rewarding experience.)  The fact is families need both a mom AND a dad; each has a role to fulfill and each feels more fulfilled when he/she is filling that role, which is why, in my eyes, in a perfect world, moms would get to spend their entire lives here on earth doing what they were designed to do: nurturing their children.

Me as a "stay-at-home" mom reading stories to kids.  I love that Luke has no clothes on, is sucking his thumb, and holding my hair, and note the "shield" Trent is holding-yep, boys are designed to protect; they come that way; that's why they like "weapons" - not cause they are violent, but because they are valiant!  (I apologize for my appearance-still in my exercise clothing with no make up and a pony tail.)



One of my stay-at-home-mom after school cookie treats-circa fall 2010

Me-first day of school August 2012

Have some pie with your philosophy

Have some pie with your philosophy

I made this peach pie today.

Actually, I made two.  My mom gave me the peaches, so I made one for us and one for her.
And to be a "true blogger" I actually took a picture of it and will post the recipe below. So those of you who want to skip the "philosophy" part of this post and just get to the recipe, be my guest, but I do love to "yak" and so for you stalwart readers who can make it through my long blog posts, here's a bit of pie-making history and philosophy:

 

If you've read my blog (or even the "about" section on the front page) you know that I really do not like to cook, so why did I make a pie today? Well, maybe it's so I could post a picture of it and a recipe and prove that I really can cook.  (Although, since I think I have all of two readers, one of whom is my mother, I don't think that was really a reason.)  I didn't HAVE to make a pie, but I did anyway.  And as I was rolling out the crust, I realized that therein was the answer, I was cooking because I WANTED to!  I once read a book entitled, The Truth About Stress.  The author's premise was that ALL stress is caused when human agency is violated.  When one feels compelled or forced to do something-a job, an assignment, or even cooking-stress results.  Now I don't know if this is entirely true, but here I was cooking, something that I have determined I do NOT like to do, and I was enjoying it! However, I was not making the pie under pressure (no time limit involved), I was not making it to take to a sick neighbor (OK I know that makes me sound like a horrible person, but when making food for others, there is always some stress involved-worrying about how said food will turn out/taste), and I was not making it as part of an obligatory "meal."  (Being a mom for 22 years and trying to think what to make and then make it for 7 other people, 3x a day, is exhausting.)  While I peeled peaches, I thought about learning to make pies, and that was a fun memory.  (When I was 15, my second cousin, DeAnn, came to live with us for a summer, and my mom wanted to keep us busy and productive. Among other things, she had us go down to Bonnie Bowler's once a week for a "pie-making" lesson.  We made a different pie from scratch every week.  I learned how to make a perfectly light and flaky crust, make scrumptious lemon meringue filling from scratch, and how to make a banana cream pie with home-made pudding (rather than from-the-box) filling.  It was a fun and delicious way to spend the summer.  Peach pie was one of my favorites that we made, and each fall when the peaches "come to town," I get the urge to make a pie or two.  So even though I seldom make pies from scratch anymore-usually we just buy our pies from Tiffany's-I still count "pie-making" as one of my skills and something that I now realize is enjoyable to me when I am not being "compelled."

 So without further ado, the recipe:

 

Pie Crust:  Bonnie Bowler-Makes 2-3 crusts (I usually just roll out the extra dough on a cookie sheet, sprinkle it with cinnamon and sugar and bake at 400 for 15 minutes.  Then I cut it into strips using a pizza cutter and my kids enjoy "pie dough cookies."  Sometime I think they enjoy these more than the actual pie.)

 

3 cups flour (exactly-measure carefully)

1 tsp salt 

1 1/4 cups shortening (For the flakiest crust-use Crisco-and no that 's not a paid advertisement :)

1 egg, well beaten

1 tablespoon vinegar (white)

4 tablespoons water

 

Sift flour into bowl with salt.  Add shortening.  Using a pastry blender (or two knives) "cut" shortening into flour until the mixture is coarse crumbs.  In a separate bowl, mix together wet ingredients.  Add wet ingredients to flour mixture.  Hand mix until crust molds together.  (Don't handle too much, just kind of "push" the dough together. The less the crust is handled, the flakier it will be.) Roll out between two pieces of Saran Wrap.  (Pull the top piece off and pick up bottom piece and use it to "carry" crust to pan.  Flip crust into pan.)  Add filling (for peach pie) and top crust and cook according to peach pie directions below.  (For plain crust-to be used in lemon or banana cream pies- cut slits in bottom of crust and cook at 375 for 15-20 minutes-just watch it so it doesn't get too brown.) 

 

Peach Pie:  Bonnie Bowler (Actually works with any fresh fruit, but peach is our family's favorite.)

 

1 egg

2 tablespoons flour

2/3-1 cup sugar

1/3 cup melted butter

fresh fruit (peaches) peeled and sliced-enough to fill pastry

 

Mix first four ingredients together and then stir in fruit.  Put into pastry and add top pastry.  Cut slits in top of pastry and "pinch off" sides of pastry.  Bake at 400 for 15 minutes and the 350 for 30-40 minutes.  (Watch it so it doesn't get to brown.)

 

*Wow I blogged two days in a row!  And this post has a recipe-that's got to be some kind of a record for me! 

 

**I'm realizing that it is probably a good thing I typed and posted these recipes, the original hand-written copies, written by yours truly at age 15 (30 years ago-yikes!) are in pretty bad shape-I'm not sure how many more "pie-makings" they will be able to withstand.

 

 

Oh Come With Me To Primary

Oh Come With Me to Primary

Sunday a member of the stake primary presidency spoke in our ward.  She asked what we remembered about our primary days, and that got me to thinking so here are a few "primary memories."

• Going to Primary on Wednesday afternoons after school.  (My primary years were all "pre-3-hour-block" ones.)
• Wearing a dress to school on Wednesdays so I could go in the chapel for opening exercises.
• Riding the bus to Primary and having the bus come back after Primary to pick kids up and deliver them to their homes.  (I never rode the bus home after Primary cause my house was closer to the church than was my bus stop, but it was still pretty cool service "back in the day" when the principal was also the stake pres. and no one was quite so "uptight" about this type of thing.)
• Riding an incredibly crowded bus home on Tuesday afternoons after the wards split and the second ward had Tuesday Primary and all rode my same bus to the church.
• Avoiding Sister Pricilla Rice with her cute little hats because she assigned talks and prayers.  (She must have been the secretary.)
• Thinking it would be so cool to work in the church library because it had that "split door" where the top half could open while the bottom half was shut.  (The library was in the little room next to the phone by the stage for anybody that remembers the old Logandale church before it burned.)
• Playing "colored eggs" on the big front lawn of the church before the first addition which extended the chapel almost to the road.  We would all squish in the architectural indentation on the front of the church while the child who was "it" called out colors.  If your color was called, you ran out and around on the big lawn and tried not to get tagged by "it."
• Corinne wearing a bandana every Primary day.  (She told me later that it was because Wednesday night was her "hair-washing" night and her hair was getting greasy by Tuesday-Sorry for the "blog-beating" Corinne, but hey it WAS the 70's and we wore bandanas a lot-I would have never known about the "hair issue" if you hadn't shared that little gem.)  Once Michael Cameron stole Corinne's bandana and tried to put it on the flag pole.
• Baptism interview in the upstairs bishop's office with Uncle Glen
• Baptism in the brand new font in the R.S. room addition.  (Previously the font was in the basement primary room.)
• Little Purple Pansies, In the Leafy Treetops, and Obedience.  (Some of my favorite Primary songs.  What happened to "Obedience?"  It's not in the new Children's Songbook.

"There is something that even a child can do. For greater than deeds of war,
obey God's word; obey God's word; for He will ask no more."

A short little song, but I love it's message-maybe it was deleted because of the reference to "war"-I don't know.)

• Speaking of Primary songs-the old orange Primary songbook:  Sing With Me
• Sister Beth Waite being my teacher.  (She's STILL in my ward-how cool is that?!, and I visit taught her for a few years.  She is one of my all-time favorite people.)
• Having Aunt Elaine as my teacher.  She had such cool visual aids.  
• My mom being the Primary President for EIGHT years.  (Some were after I was no longer in Primary-but hey-it's still a "primary memory".)
• Marathon Primary presidency meetings around our dining room table where the first agenda item was ALWAYS "evaluate."  My mom was ALWAYS trying to improve Primary from how the chairs were arranged to the primary program to the quarterly activities.
• Mom's "dates" with Brother Ozaki and Brother Dalley (bishopric members over Primary.)  They would "go out" together to issue Primary callings (Yeah, that would never happen now.)
• Playing the piano for Primary (NOT my favorite calling-but it was probably good for me.)
• Attending Primary "inservice" meetings.  (I got to go because of my piano-playing calling.) There were always awesome treats, and Renae Terry gave some amazing lessons-I was even impressed as a youth, and Primary "inservice" is what got me to read the entire Doctrine and Covenants for the first time.  I remember we had a little book mark with weekly reading assignments, and I faithfully read each assignment.
• Primary birthday pennies.  When we had a birthday, we brought a penny for each year of our lives and got to put them in the jar for the kids at Primary Children's Hospital after the rest of the primary children sang "This Month is Such a Special One...." or "Happy Happy Birthday Children Dear...." to the birthday honorees.

The "architectural indentation" where we played "colored eggs" I'm not sure WHY I have this picture of Patrice Pulsipher, Becky Waite, and Eric Russell at  Primary, but hey, it's a Primary pic :)

Me and my Dad before my baptism-Note the "yellow bee" car in the carport

Well, this post is long enough.  Interestingly, none of my Primary memories are of "gospel concepts" learned.  But I'm sure I learned something from Sister Waite, Aunt Elaine, and my other teachers, and the Primary songs all teach "gospel concepts, " and besides Primary was just a fun place to be (and still is-one of my favorite callings I've ever had was being the Primary chorister.)

A cool birth day

A cool birth day

14 years ago yesterday was labor day, and much to my dismay I was NOT in labor.  Baby #5 was 12, yeah that's right 12, DAYS LATE.  (Only those who have had late babies know what it's like to have EVERYONE, and I mean EVERYONE ask, "Haven't you had that baby yet?"  What kind of a question is THAT?!  Does it LOOK like I've "had that baby yet"?  Do you see me carrying a baby on the EXTERIOR of me? NOPE? Well, then nope, I haven't "had that baby yet.")  Baby #5 was due the end of  August, and being 12 days overdue put me in a whole other month.  It was like having a 10-month pregnancy.  I cried the Sunday before labor day at the prospect of going to church still pregnant.  But late Monday night, September 7th, labor started, and we made it to the St. George hospital in time, but the doctor almost didn't. He arrived in a rush with "bed head" and didn't even take time to change his clothes before catching Trent Douglas Barlow as he FINALLY made his grand entrance into the world on September 8th at 2:04 a.m.  As the nurses were recording vital statistics, one of them remarked, "Now that's a cool birthday, 9-8-98!"  Wow, I hadn't even noticed, and suddenly, the fact that Trent came 12 days late didn't matter quite so much (OK, from the remarks above you can see it still did and does matter a little) cause 9-8-98 is a pretty cool birth day.
So happy birthday Trenty boy!  We love having you in our family, and I love being your mom! And you have a pretty darn cool birthday to boot!

Baby Trent 1998



Big Trent-celebrating 14th birthday tubing at the lake with friends

 
A cool birthday addendum

And....just to make a cool birthday, even cooler, Trent caught a long bomb and ran it into the endzone for the first touchdown of the 8th grade football game today (9-8-2012) (which his team won). Way to go Trent! (If ya gotta spend your birthday playing football, catching a pass and making a touchdown, seem an appropriate way to celebrate :)

Chocolate Rx

Chocolate Rx

Stressful day:

• "Substitute teach" in a class where the "real" teacher is there and teaching.  Try to keep busy "helping," and not look or feel awkward/guilty that I am getting paid, but she is doing all the work. ("Real" teacher's paperwork is not finalized and school needs someone who is "legal" to be there until paperwork goes through.  That "legal" person is me.)
• Go on-line to pay for college student's books, only to find that she owes $645 MORE in tuition, even thought she has scholarship money that exceeds the amount of tuition, and even though yesterday, she owed NOTHING. Try to navigate through BYU's very UN-user-friendly financial web page to figure it out.  (The whole BYU website is VERY hard to navigate.) 
• Call BYU to figure out the above. Be told that because of FERPA laws they can only deal with the STUDENT (who by the way knows NOTHING about how this all works).
• Call student to try to educate her on how to take care of the above.  Then spend 40 minutes on the phone with her trying to help her navigate the unfriendly BYU website to deal with a schedule issue. (In the end decide to just live with the schedule as is.)
• While on the phone, try to listen to angry husband ask where 16-year-old daughter is with the Suburban which has all his football gear in it.  (He has to leave for football "RIGHT NOW!" and said daughter is not answering her phone.)
• Deal with upset 10-year-old who is trying to figure out how to get to the mutual swimming party with his dad and brother after football practice. Make arrangements for carpool ride to drop him at swimming party after football and for dad and brother to bring his swimming suit with them. 
• Persuade angry husband to take the truck while I go "find" 16-year-old daughter.  Check the park (where back to school bash is happening and where she is supposed to be as part of student council.)  Not there.  Tell Stuco advisor to have her call me if she shows up. 
• Drive to high school. Find daughter who is mad because she had to stay after cheer for a captain's meeting and is now late for stuco.  Trade her vehicles.  Go find husband so he can have the football gear-filled Suburban.  Trade him vehicles.  Prepare to go home.  14-year-old son realizes he left his football cleats home and needs them.
• Go home, get cleats, take 16-year-old and two neighbors to back-to-school bash.  Deliver cleats. (4th trip to the high school today-the first two trips didn't even make it into this "stressful day" list.)

Finally home. 
Way stressed. 

Rx-Quickly eat 5-10 mini Twix bars.

Awww.....I can feel the stress begin to wash away already.  It's just like magic!

P.S.  The calming effect of chocolate is much quicker with the "pure unadulterated stuff" like a Hershey's bar (straight chocolate no added carmel and cookie) but I had to make do with what I had.

P.P.S.  The magical calming medicinal powers of chocolate were discovered by me when I had 6 small children, and Kent was the bishop.  Sunday was ANYTHING BUT a day of rest.  After church, I would lock myself in my bedroom, eat a handful of Hershey's chocolate kisses, lay on the bed, and wait for them to work their magic so I could face the rest of the afternoon alone in a house full of stir-crazy children who I was supposed to be helping to "keep the Sabbath."

P.P.S.  I'm sure that I'm now WAY over my weight-watchers point limit today.  (More stress-I might have to eat a few more Twix bars.)

In Common

In Common

President Thomas S. Monson 1927-

Raymond Tracy Monson 1908-2000

Vera Eva Wittwer Hardy 1904-2002

What do these three individuals have in common?  They all share the same birthday-today-August 21st. And.... I am related to all three.  President Monson (My mom's first cousin) was born in 1927 and is 85 years old today.  Grandpa Monson (My mom's dad) was born in 1908 and would have been 104 today, and Grandma Hardy (My dad's mom) was born in 1904 and would have been 108 today. Happy Birthday to my awesome family members!!

P.S. an interesting note:  President Monson always liked his "Uncle Ray" and visited my grandparents often.  He talked about them occasionally in conference talks or other addresses.  He was eleven when my mom was born.  When my grandparents named my mom "Ann,"  he told Uncle Ray and Aunt Tweet that he liked that name, and if he ever had a daughter, he was going to name her "Ann" and then there would be two "Ann Monsons."  He did just that, and now there ARE two "Ann Monsons:"  Ann Monson Hardy and Ann Monson Dibb. 

Home Again, Home Again

 Aw, for two nights I had ALL my children HOME (well sort of-they were out visiting friends etc., but they were in LOGANDALE, and did SLEEP under my roof.) Last week, we picked up Analise from the airport, retrieved Kaylee from BYU in Provo, and Dallin (who is home from Rexburg and living in Henderson) came out for the weekend. The reunion was short lived as Dallin is back in Henderson (but not so far away as Rexburg), and Analise went to Provo for a job interview, but it was great while it lasted.  They all go back to school (Dallin at BYU-I and Analise & Kaylee at BYU in Provo) in a few weeks when school starts in the fall.

Dallin at his summer job working for the scaffolding company BRAND at the airport in Vegas

Analise (far right) at the Sea of Galilee (I may have to edit this-I'm not SURE if this is where this pic was taken. I'll ask when I see her)  She has been studying at the BYU Jerusalem Center since April and just got home on Thursday.

Kaylee (third from the left) with her BYU summer term roomies at the Provo temple for baptisms.

Hurrah, Hurrah

Hurrah, Hurrah

"Through the valleys of Utah all good people try
To honor the grand twenty fourth of July.
The birthplace of freedom; the home of the blessed
Of God's chosen people by tyrants oppressed.

Hur-rah, Hur-rah there's good reason why
We honor the grand twenty fourth of July.
Hur-rah, Hur-rah ten thousand glad cheers
For the bold Brigham Young and his brave pi-o-neers.

They traveled from Nauvoo and over the plains
Mid trial and sorrows mid sunshine and rains.
They reached Salt Lake City by the help of high heaven
July twenty fourth eighteen forty seven.


Hur-rah, Hur-rah there's good reason why
We honor the grand twenty fourth of July.
Hur-rah, Hur-rah ten thousancd glad cheers
For the bold Brigham Young and his brave pi-o-neers."


This song was written by my great, great grandfather John Joseph Hayes, and my mother sang it to us and tried to make us all sing it every 24th of July.  I sang it to my kids at breakfast today.  They did NOT enthusiastically join in.  (Maybe I need to go visit my mother today for a good rousing sing-a-long.)  Our ward is doing nothing in honor of the day :(  although we did sing a couple of pioneer songs in sacrament meeting on Sunday.  However, in honor of pioneers, I did a bit of indexing today, and I plan to watch either Legacy or 17 Miracles sometime today/night, and I DID sing the song.  Happy Pioneer Day!

The tune is so upbeat that I tried to scan and post the music, but I'm not sure it is too helpful since it is hard to read.

Page 2-the chorus

Pioneer day 1979-when we used to do a primary/ward pioneer parade down mainstreet Logandale followed by a bread and milk supper at the park every year.  Left to right:  Trina (with the awesome real Indian braids), Kay, and Corinne.  We made the flour sack dresses-weren't they awesome?!

Pioneer Day parade 1980.  I'm the second "horse" carrying cowboy David (my little brother).  The first horse is my cousin Roger or Russell (They are twins, and I'm not sure and can't remember which one played the part of the horse) carrying my little brother Clark.

Pioneer Day Parade 1981.  Kay and Corinne were this horse in the parade.  I can't remember if I was the front or the back, but I remember that the parade route seemed very long as we walked bent over under the hot costume on July 24th in Logandale.

Pioneer Day 1994.  The three oldest Barlow kids ready for the pioneer day parade:  Dallin, Analise, and Kaylee (Note: I'm not sure if it is now politically correct to dress as Indians if one is not of native American descent, but no disrespect is intended as I post this and the previous Indian costumed picture.)

Pioneer Day 2004: The three youngest Barlow kids ready for the pioneer day parade:  Luke, Trent, and Lynae