Nothing unusual or extraordinary happened today. I just feel grateful to be alive and to have a healthy, happy, family.
Teeth
William just lost his first tooth. Sam just lost his last one. I love these boys!
We Smile in the Same Language
I love the quotation that says, “If you smile at me, I will understand. That is something everyone, everywhere does in the same language.”
Strengthening Ourselves for Our Day
The following is Grant’s article to the school community. I would recommend that we all take a moment to read it. It is very helpful with some of the questions and concerns we might have with some of the social issues of our day.
In June of 1962, the Supreme Court of the United States decided that New York public school officials could not prescribe a prayer to be offered at the beginning of public school classes.1 This decision came as a shock to religiously oriented people nationwide.
Public reactions to the Supreme Court’s decision were divided, ranging from quiet elation by supporters to civil disobedience by many school administrators and teachers.2 Six months later, a concerned LDS Church President David O. McKay said: “By making that [New York Regent’s prayer] unconstitutional, the Supreme Court of the United States severs the connecting cord between the public schools of the United States and the source of divine intelligence, the Creator himself…. Now let us remember and emphasize—that restriction applies to the atheist as well as to the believer in God.”3
In the early 1960’s, LDS Church President David O. McKay (left), and University of Chicago Law School Professor Dallin H. Oaks (right), held different perspectives about the Supreme Court’s controversial ruling that banned state sponsored prayer in public schools. Years later, Elder Oaks wrote in his personal memoirs that his limited perspective at the time was “just a small footnote to history compared with the vision of a prophet who saw and described the pernicious effects of that decision in the years to come.”
At the same time, a bright young lawyer named Dallin Oaks—a devout Mormon and former law clerk for Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren—had just been appointed professor of law at the University of Chicago Law School, one of the nation’s most prestigious law schools. In his personal memoirs, Life’s Lessons Learned, Elder Oaks reflected openly and candidly about his feelings at the time: “I reasoned that the [school prayer] case was correctly decided,” because “I interpreted the school prayer decision to forbid only state-authored and state-required prayers, rather than forbidding school prayers altogether.”4 Indeed, what could be the harm? After all, there was no prohibition of private student-led prayer at school.
A few months later, in the next domino to fall in what would be a series of so-called “separation of church and state”5 rulings, the Supreme Court prohibited school-sponsored bible reading.6 President McKay’s response this time was even more emphatic: “Recent rulings of the Supreme Court would have all reference to a Creator eliminated from our public schools and public offices…. Evidently the Supreme Court misinterprets the true meaning of the First Amendment, and are now leading a Christian nation down the road to atheism.”7
…
He Shoots…He Scores!
American Heritage School’s JV team had a game tonight. Sam’s coach says that once the team is ahead by enough then he will put the seventh graders in. With two minutes left and our team ahead by at least 20 points, coach put in all the super excited, energy filled “Sevies”. They had so much fun. WE had so much fun watching them, especially as they tried to rebound and were jumping up as high as they could whereas the 9th graders on the other team, some of which had at least a foot on our boys, were just standing there reaching above their heads and getting rebound after rebound.
Sam had his moment of glory when he went in for a lay up and was fouled by a big boy that probably weighed at least 30 lbs more than him. Sam got two shots, missed the first and made the second. It was a great moment in his life. Best of all, he was trying to be humble on the court by not letting a smile escape right after he made the shot.
The Flu Cacophony
Anna threw up all Friday night and was better by morning. This morning William started throwing up around 9. Lizzie, Sam and Grant all followed. Kids were throwing up every few minutes! What a day this was. My poor husband had two counselors out of town and so had to conduct church while thinking he was going to lose his cookies any minute. He made it! At one point today Sam didn’t quite make it to the toilet, or the sink which was closer and so threw up all over the bathroom floor. Lizzie made a mad dash to the toilet seconds later and just plowed through the stuff on the floor, not even realizing, in her haste, what she had just stepped in! All the while I was feeling grateful for a warm home, and comfortable beds and couches where everyone could recover nicely.
William asleep on one side of the couch
Lizzie asleep (between trips to the bathroom) on the other side of the couch
Grant pretending to look sick (kind of)
One pasty-faced boy
Anna was feeling pretty proud of herself that her little germs took down the whole family!
He Is Praying for Me
Anna said, “I have a picture of Jesus in my room. It is the picture of Jesus praying. Jesus is praying for me in my room.”
Debates
“OH MY GOSH! YOU ARE TURNING INTO A WEIRD, WEIRD…WEIRDO!”
This is what Ra told me today when we were debating whether the chicken pox vaccine was beneficial or not. I do not think that it is necessary. She does.
Baby It’s Cold Outside
This is what my temperature gauge said in the car this morning as we headed to school.
We all wondered what kids did 100 years ago on a freezing day like today. Did they just bundle up with extra layers of wool underwear or did they stay home? Another day of being grateful we didn’t live 100 years ago!
Cottage Meetings, My Husband and our First Freedoms: William’s Warning
Yesterday, the day before Hawaii became the 15th state to permit gay marriage, Grant was asked to speak at a cottage meeting about the culture war and the attacks on our first freedom. He was amazing. I am grateful to be married to a man who has such strong convictions yet so much compassion (a balance not easily obtained). I know I need to formulate my own approach to discussing the issues of our day, especially this one that is threatening our very right to worship God. I just wish I were better at speaking. I’m sure part of it comes with research, (first seek ye to obtain my word) but why do I get so weak-kneed, why does my heart beat so fast I feel like it is about to burst whenever I have to say anything in front of anyone? I do not doubt that some things get easier with practice…I just can’t help but feel like I hope I never have to practice that much! In the meantime I need to read, research and write down how I feel about this topic that will effect us all so much. Until then, I will post this wonderful clip from the LDS church. Scroll down until you get the one called “What Is Religious Freedom”.
Apparently William is also thinking of heavy things. Recently he left this note on Sam’s pillow:
It says, “In 1947 the battle ended on 4105. In 2 days there will be a big war between China and America. So duck and run.” Boy oh boy do I wish I could see what this looks like in his head.
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