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

Some things do get better with age

Some things do get better with age

We just got back from our traditional family trip to the family cabin at Fish Lake.  We went every year when I was a kid; my mom went every year when she was a kid; and HER mother went every year when she was a kid.  Now we take our own kids every year, and we have a marvelous time with all my siblings and their kids hanging out at our cabin, playing games, hiking, going out on the boat, visiting the lodge, and even occasionally fishing (We are not that great of fishermen in our family, but Bryce does try hard to keep this tradition going.)  for an entire week.  This year sadly only three of my six children were able to come with us, and Kent was only with us for a few days.  However, now that my kids are the "old cousins,"  I realize how much of a vacation this has truly become for me.  Now it has always been fun to go to FishLake, but fun in an exhausting pack-all-the-food, pack- all-the-children's-needed-items, keep-track-of/entertain/respond to needs of-all-the-children-at-all- times sort of way.  This year, we traveled up with four of us rattling around in a 9-passenger Suburban. (Each kid got his/her own row.)  The kids all packed for themselves, and did a lot of the packing of the suburban.  The drive was pleasant.  Upon arriving, the kids all hauled their own stuff into the cabin and kept track of it.  I didn't have to (or at least I didn't) remind them to brush their teeth or take showers.  (Although I'm not sure Luke did either more than once during the entire week.)  And most of the time I had no idea where they were or what they were doing.  They were off with cousins, hiking, playing games, and having fun.  And I didn't have to worry.   I didn't tell anyone to go to bed; they just did it when they were tired.  (Some nights I'm not even sure where they slept.) I wasn't trying to squeeze naps/nursing between family activities, and I got to sleep all night every night.  (No cranky babies, not liking to sleep in an unfamiliar place.) I didn't have to (or at least I didn't) monitor anyone's eating habits or make sure that anyone got a plate of food.  I just got my own plate at each meal and ate.  I got to nap, read, and even scrapbook on my own schedule. I read this novel-300+pages in 3 days.  (Awesome-although I LOVE to read you would never know it, because my usual very-well-disciplined self melts into a puddle of unbridled reading any time I start a novel.  The house, the meals, and my sleep are all neglected until the novel is finished.  Thus I seldom, if ever, allow myself this luxury, and most of my reading is of magazine articles, blogs, facebook or other things that can be read in a relatively short amount of time.) I went for a run every morning in 50 degree weather.  I saw baby ducks and seagulls as I ran along the Lakeshore trail, and deer, squirrels, and even a family of bluejays as I ran along the road to the cabin.  FishLake was FINALLY a vacation.  So although I sometimes mourn the "loss of my babies" (kids just grow up too fast) Some things-vacations in particular-DO get better with age.

The Barlows 2001 (5 kids with #6 on the way)  Do you know how hard it was to keep track of everyone's shoes all week?!

If I thought 2001 was a bit exhausting keeping track of shoes, 2002 took the cake.  Luke cried the whole first year of his life.  And everytime I look at pics from our 2002 trip to FishLake (Luke age 6 months) all I can think is, "Oh yeah, I remember that trip; I was SO TIRED!"  (Here we are outside Rays' Roost-our cabin-ready for church at the lodge-try getting 6 kids ready for church in a small cabin-not to mention packing church clothes along with camping clothes-whew-I'm tired just looking at this pic.)

This year-2012 across the lake at a look out point.  Apparently some things do NOT get better with age.  (Family pictures for one.)  This is the ONLY family picture we got with everyone in it, and my daughter on her facebook page deemed it a "fail."  It was starting to rain.  The boys were less-than-cooperative, and I was falling off the fence.

Fish Lake 2012.  Me reading in bed-what a luxury!

Words of Wisdom from Thumper

Words of Wisdom from Thumper


Lately, I've been thinking about Thumper, the rabbit friend of Bambi in the Disney movie Bambi.  In the movie, Thumper watches with his mother, as Bambi is presented as the "young prince" to the creatures of the forest.  Thumper observes that Bambi is  "kinda wobbly" but is reproved by his mother who asks, "Thumper, what did your father tell you?" Thumper then obediently states, "IF YA CAN'T SAY NOTHIN' NICE, DON'T SAY ANYTHING AT ALL." This is one of my favorite movie quotes of ALL TIME.  These are truly words to live by.   I grew up with a mother, who never said anything unkind.  (or if she did I don't remember.)  I don't remember her ever being critical of me, and it was a glorious way to grow up.  Her parents were optimistic and happy.  My Grandpa Monson was once described as "the happiest man alive."  And my Grandma Monson was quiet, but kind.  If someone said something unkind about another, she just didn't comment.  In her own quiet way, she refused to judge others.  Unfortunately, I did not inherit these characteristics as natural traits, but I try to work on them every day.  I want my children to have happy childhoods. (Ok I know it is too late for a happy "childhood" for a few of my kids-but still) I want them to feel like their mother believes in them and thinks that they are the most wonderful people in the world (because I do and they are.)  Furthermore, I want to TRULY FEEL this way about all people and circumstances.  I want to become a "glass half-full" person.  I listened to a speaker once who challenged listeners to go an entire 24 hours without making a negative comment about ANYTHING (the weather, the government, traffic, etc.)  He acknowleged that it might not be reasonable to never say anything negative about anything/body ever again ever, but that this was a good exercise to see how negative we may have become without even noticing it.  If we "messed up" and said something negative, we had to start over.  It took me 8 days to get through 24 hours "negative free."  (But I later learned that that was actually pretty good-the average was 3 weeks.)  One of my favorite quotes is by Marvin J. Ashton.  This quote has been taped to my mirror, and is currently being carried around in my scriptures.  I read it and think about it often:

“Real charity is not something you give away; it is something that you acquire and make a part of yourself.  And when the virtue of charity becomes implanted in your heart, you are never the same again…Perhaps the greatest charity comes when we are kind to each other, when we don’t judge or categorize someone else, when we simply give each other the benefit of the doubt or remain quiet.  Charity is accepting someone’s differences, weaknesses, and shortcomings; having patience with someone who has let us down; or resisting the impulse to become offended when someone doesn’t handle something the way we might have hoped.  Charity is refusing to take advantage of another’s weakness and being willing to forgive someone who has hurt us.  Charity is expecting the best of each other.”

I want to be a charitable person, because "charity never faileth."

A few days after his initial encounter with Bambi, Thumper is out with his mother and meets up with Bambi again.  Thumper takes it upon himself to teach Bambi a few words including  "bird" and "flower."  Bambi then accidentally calls a young skunk "Flower."  Thumper tries to correct Bambi but the skunk says, "That's all right. He can call me Flower if he wants to. I don't mind".  The three become fast friends.  How would this world be is everyone followed the advice of Thumper's dad and if there was nothing nice to say, didn't say anthing at all, but instead gave everyone else the benefit of the doubt, and when a mistake was made, said, "That's all right" and overlooked the inconsequential molehills which are often made into mountains?   I think it would be a wonderful world to live in, and I for one want to be part of making that happen. 

Enough soap-boxing- THE END

Fabulous Fourth/Lovin' the Lake

Fabulous Fourth/Lovin' the Lake

So in an attempt to re-gain my blogging "mobility," I am posting pictures from the fourth and our recent lake outing.  (These were taken after the supposed demise of the external hard-drive storing my pics.  I STILL have not called to check on the status-too scared.)  So as therapy, here are some (ok a lot-but I took almost 200 so actually-not so many) of the pics taken.  Enjoy the record of these events via the pics.

Patriotic cookie bouquets made for my visiting teachers.

Close up of cookie bouquet-the "left-overs" were served via a vase at our Barlow-side afternoon swim/BBQ at GM and GP's/ Aunt Carolyn's.  The kids loved eating cookies on a stick-who knew?

At the fairgrounds with Hardy cousins-candy (LOTS of CANDY!) collected during the candy "run."  It used to be a candy "drop" from an airplane-much more exciting in my opinion-but now kids just retrieve candy scattered on the ground over a field.  (My kids have lots of experience with this-see my Easter post-gathering candy quickly from the ground in a competitive fashion has been part of their annual Easter tradition forever-their experience obviously paid off.)

Cant get away from the matching shirts.  The girls seem ok with the whole idea, but the boys seem a little less than excited.  They ARE wearing the shirts however.  (Kent had one too which he wore, but he was home recovering from a cracked rib sustained at scout camp.) Also FYI, my college kids had the same shirts (as well as some patriotic cookies and a few other patriotic items) sent to them via a 4th of July care package-so we were all matching just in different locations-(except Analise who is not allowed to wear a flag shirt in Jersalem-her shirt is waiting at home :)

Swimming at GM and GP's pool.  Lynae with cousins Rebecca (in goggles) and Emma

4th of July swimming at GM and GP/Aunt Carolyn's-Luke goes off the diving board

More swimming-Luke and Anthony in the tube.

Trent on the slide-4th of July swim and BBQ at GM & GP/Aunt Carolyn's. We did watch fireworks that night, and the weather was FABULOUS-overcast with a COOL breeze in JULY of all things, but sadly I didn't get any pics.

Lake trip-July 14th

Uncle Steven went with us to the lake and took his boat.  Wyatt and Emma on Uncle Steve's boat.

Lynae and friends on our boat-Lake Mead-July 14

Lynae and friend Tylee on the tube

Trent and Kaylee-double tubing

Trent skis

Lynae learned to slalom ski yesterday-AWESOME

Trent

Kaylee just happened to come home from  BYU for the weekend, so she got to be in on our lake trip

Favorite two-tube activity: tube hopping

More tube hopping-Lynae, Kaylee (the one hopping) and Trent

Talk about a beautiful day at the lake.  We woke at 5 a.m. to lightening, wind, and rain, but by the time we left for the lake at seven a.m., it was PERFECT.  The temperature was in the upper 70's (It did get warmer as the day went on, but not bad), and no wind.  I thought with the cooler weather, the water might be cold, but it was just perfect-not too cold or too warm.  (I think all the previous 120+ degree days had heated it up some.)  When I wasn't out with the kids on the boat, I sat on the beach and read or swam back and forth parallel to the beach.  The water was so refreshing. It was soo nice. 

Luke and Lynae tube

No this picture wasn't taken in 2012, it is Dallin skiing in 2007, but I still feel guilty that I didn't post anything for his b-day, and it was his b-day in 2006 when we purchased the boat.  (A surprise b-day party lake trip was the maiden voyage for the "Clark Kent" - The name of our "superman" boat named in honor of the owners-My brother Clark and my hubby Kent.) So Happy b-day Dallin-we missed you and Analise at the lake yesterday.

More of Dallin skiing circa 2007

 Trent and Kaylee tube hopping video-I've resorted to just up-loading to youtube and from there to this blog. And now I've just pre-viewed this (and the previous uploaded video of Kaylee's graduation speech), and I realize that AFTER you watch the videos, Youtube brings up several more "related" (not sure how) youtube videos to watch.  I don't want that to happen, but I can't seem to make it stop.  You don't have to (and probably shouldn't) watch them and they are not from me (mom). Grrrr.  Blogging is sometimes just frustrating.

My favorite lake-trip activity-capturing all the fun on film-yup, I'm my mother's daughter after all. And why I am posting a picture of me wind-blown at the lake in a swim suit is a  very good question.  Someday I will post more flattering pictures of myself, since I'm realizing that I have only posted unflattering ones, maybe that's because the flattering ones don't exist-that's a scary and unsettling thought.

Paralysis

Paralysis

I've been blog stalking and find that a lot of people start blogs and let them die.  I do NOT want to be one of those people, but I find that I'm in a blogging "funk."  It all started when trying to post Kaylee's graduation speech turned out to be a living nightmare.  (Ok maybe not THAT bad-but blogging was supposed to be something that I did for FUN when I felt like it.  I have a journal and scrapbooks to chronicle the "play by play" scenario of my life and the lives of my family and spending hours trying to upload the speech was NOT fun and NOT what I felt like doing.)  Furthermore, tragedy struck a little over a week ago when my external hard drive where I have ALL my digital photos stored when kaput.  I took it to a "computer guy", but he was less than hopeful at being able to save them. Now most of what I want as far as pics has been printed (since I do keep up scrapbooks), but I feel that I cannot properly service this blog without access to my digital pics.  I have not heard from said "computer guy" and I am afraid to call and ask, so I am paralyzed as far as blogging.  Tomorrow my oldest turns 22, but I feel unable to blog since I cannot add pics of him (unless I scan prints-too much work for a "fun" project.)  So happy birthday Dallin.  Someday, I will blog about you.  (But if it makes you feel better, Analise didn't get a post for her b-day either, even though we all know she is the favorite-gasp-did I say that out loud??? Ask Dallin how he knows this fact: it involves a "fun" ("fun" if you are NOT Dallin) story of  a run through the rain and  mud to catch the bus.)  Anyway, I hope to regain my blogging "mobility" soon, but for now, all you readers (mom) send "good vibes," prayers, or whatever else you think will work my way in hopes that the digital pics can be recovered.

PS I know, I know, I know.....you (I) should have back up storage of all digital pics, and IF they are recovered, I promise to do so immediately.