Transitioning into a new school year
We have started our school year once again. Amanda has been involved with the competitive marching band beginning in July and Derek has been busy with once a week after school brass class. I am always amazed at how quickly our children are growing up.
I thought I would post Amanda's band preview. I need to preface this by saying they have just began. They have much still to add to their program. Hopefully in November when they go to the Marching Bands competition I can record it and post their performance.
Band performance movement
Standing still
We have many changes taking place it seems all the time. In June Ben made a decision to move on, provide for himself and do the best he can do. We miss him, however we hope the best for him. We love him and have worried over him, because that's what parents do. We would've like to seen him choose a different path. However, funny thing, we also believe in agency-Moral agency. As parents we desire our children to be successful. Spreading ones wings is part of this agency. We are held accountable for our actions. When we choose we don't always know what the consequences are going to be and as parents we hope the outcome is favorable. If it isn't it is a learning opportunity. We ask ourselves have we prepared this child for the "real world?" Can he or she make it on his or her own?
Transition can be good or bad it's all in how you look at it. We have normal transitions like starting a new year, birthdays that bring us another year of age, going to college, on a mission, getting married, having children and eventually death. Our attitude makes or breaks how we transition through these. When my children first attended kindergarten it was difficult for me. I would cry because I was happy for them and sad for me. My sweet little friend was ready to go and be in anothers trusted hands; a teacher who knows how to teach them to read, write, and socialize. As a parent I hoped each of my children's teachers would love them as much as I did. Some did and some more than I thought possible and others not so much. When our third child - Anthony went to kindergarten he said, "Mama, I can go by myself into the school. I don't want to see you cry." Poor guy had seen me when I took his sister. I thought that was very sweet.
The next difficult has been sending our daughter to BYUI. I knew she would be all right, but again our sweet daughter was growing up and now moving on. She was my right hand for so many different times with her siblings. She would be missed. I was so excited for her to attend college because I had my own memories. College for me was an awakening who I truly was - a daughter of God who had learned so much in church, from school and in the home. It was time to apply what I had learned. I knew Anna would be doing the same.
The third has been saying goodbye to our son's who have left on missions. We hoped we have prepared them to teach the gospel by encouraging them to know for themselves that "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints" is true. The Book of Mormon is the true word of God and another testament of Jesus Christ. Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God and the current prophet when they served was a true prophet of God. The atonement is real and we can return to our Father-in-Heaven because Christ did not only take upon him in the Garden of Gethsemane our sins, hung on the cross on Golgotha where he was crucified, but he rose three days later. He overcame death for us so we might live again. Jesus is the Christ, Savior, Redeemer, Brother, and friend. He is real and the prints in his feet, hands, and side are there. It is he who established his church here upon the earth as it was in the primitive church. We can be forever families because ordinances were restored for a man and a woman to be legally and lawfully married. Children can be sealed and the link continues from generation to generation. As it states in The Family Proclamation: "The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally."
You can also know this without having to serve a mission, but it was important for these boys to know for themselves if they were and are going to share the "good news" of the gospel of Jesus Christ. You can bear testimony of these things if you don't know they are true.
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| Tyler as the HSV airport |
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| I think I have everything. :) |
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| Amanda saying goodbye |
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| Ben was too quick I couldn't catch his hug for his brother. :( |
 | I'm not the only one who is going to miss this guy!! | | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Derek saying Goodbye - "I'm going to miss you man" |
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| Momma saying goodbye |
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| Goodbye Dad! "I love you son." |
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| Tyler Drew has passed his security check with the airport! He is good to go |
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| And he is off to the MTC - Missionary Training Center for 6 weeks and then to Lisbon Portugal for two whole years. |
