Big Changes Around Here

Callings.  We went a few months in our new ward without them.  But no more.

Let's start with me.  I think I mentioned that I was in charge of putting together the music for the Christmas program.  This wasn't a calling, just an assignment.  I led the choir and played the piano part of a duet.  I also played the piano at the ward Christmas dinner.  This ward is really lacking in the musical instrument abilities department, and it was made clear that I knew music.  Now, since moving to Sahuarita eight years ago, I have never NOT had a music calling.  I've had a few others scattered in with the music ones, but it has been predominantly music.  Honestly, I really, really, wanted a change.  Yes, music is important.  But I wanted something different.  When they called me in about 7 weeks ago to give me a calling, the member of the bishopric said they had kind of "gotten wind that I had had a lot of music callings" so they were going to give me something else for a change.  (Maybe I was a bit too vocal about being destined to do nothing but music in a musically challenged ward, and that I was already burned out.)  Anyway, they asked me to be the Ward Young Women's Camp Director.  I don't know if I've ever seen this happen, but on the Sunday they sustained me, after they called my name and I stood up, and then they said I was being called as the camp director, there was an audible gasp from several people (including the lady sitting right behind me) in the congregation.  It was kind of embarrassing.  I think people were truly shocked that I wasn't being put in a music calling. 

But I am pretty excited about planning girls camp.  It is a bit overwhelming, but I think it will be fun.  Normally, they always do stake camp, but this year, each ward is being left to do its own thing.  So I am in charge of every single aspect of camp.  I will obviously be assigning things out and working with the YW Presidency, but I am the one who is putting it all together.  The more I plan stuff out and think about it, the more I realize that there is so much to do and keep track of.

Okay, on to Nate.  About the same time as I got my calling, the Elder's Quorum presidency came over to our house and called Nate to be a teacher in the Elder's Quorum.  He was really excited about this calling because he doesn't mind teaching.  And, he is busy, and this wouldn't require a lot of time.  He only had to teach one Sunday a month. 

So, callings... check.  Breathe a sigh of relief, because you really never know what you are going to get, right?  ;)  That sounds terrible, but I know you feel the same way... don't make me start naming callings.  We all have our own personal list of things that make us cringe.  Not that we wouldn't do them, but... you get my point. 

But then...

One week later, we get an email on Sunday morning (addressed to Nate) asking if both of us can come in and meet with President Johnson, the 1st counselor in the Stake Presidency, after church.

???

No, no.  We just got callings.  We are good.  Thanks. 

Just kidding.  We of course said yes.  Then we spent the rest of the day speculating on what was going on.  I think we came up with just about everything.  Except for the right answer.  Nate even determined at one point that the calling was actually going to be for me even though the request was specifically addressed to him.  That was about as close as his suggestion that maybe the stake presidency was just calling people in to visit with them to get to know them better, and since our last name starts with W, it had just taken them a while to get to us. 

President Johnson didn't get right to the point.  I think they actually enjoy watching us squirm a bit, not knowing what is going on.  He talked to us for a bit about worthiness, and if there were any reason why Nate couldn't accept a calling, etc...  It was interesting answering these questions before knowing what the calling was.  It was like being backed into a corner with no escape.  :)  And it made me even more confused because I kept wondering, what on earth are they calling him to?  When he told us they were reorganizing the bishopric, I still didn't put it together and was surprised when he extended the call for Nate to be the 1st counselor in the bishopric.  Our bishop is staying the same, but they are replacing both counselors.  I guess they do that in our stake;  they leave the bishops in for a long time, but replace the counselors about every two years.

There was a miscommunication, a couple of times, about when this would take place.  Originally, President Johnson thought it was happening the next Sunday.  A few days later we found out it would be done at ward conference.  Ward conference then got moved.  From the time Nate was called until he was sustained, it was 5 weeks.  It was way too long.

Nate was sustained on Sunday (two days ago).  All of our parents came to be with us and so the dads could ordain him a high priest. 

So, big changes in our house.  I know really busy people get called to time consuming callings all the time, so we will make it work.  We didn't tell the kids until Saturday what was going on.  I don't think the boys really understood, but Natalie did.  She was mad, which then morphed into sad and pouty.  She knew he wouldn't be able to sit with us at church.  She exclaimed, "I'll never get to see you again!"  The boys understood a bit more once Sunday came.  I lost track of how many times I heard them ask, "where is dad?" both before and after church.  (He was asked to attend the early morning meetings.)  Of all the days of the week, Sunday is the one and only day that the kids can count on seeing their dad.  They will have to adjust to that a bit. 

We've been told by numerous people that our family will be blessed by this.  So, I've been making a wish list.  Okay, not really, but maybe a little bit.  :)  I am excited for this opportunity Nate will have to grow and help others, and the growing experience it will be for our family as well.

Fun times at FHE

FHE lessons with little kids can be.... You can fill in the blank with almost any word imaginable.  Tonight it would be: frustrating, good, and funny--in that order.

Let's start with... frustrating.

First of all, I think the phrase "It's time for Family Home Evening" must translate into kid language as "Come on kids, it's time to bounce off the walls and be as crazy as possible."  That is how we usually spend the first half (or all) of FHE--just trying to get kids to #1) stay sitting, and #2) in one place, #3) quietly, and #4) with their hands, elbows, legs, toes, tongues, etc. off of anyone else.  Meeting all four criteria would mean an unacceptable surrender of the children's rights, and therefor, the parents usually get to the point of begging, pleading, and threatening that just #1 be met.

Okay, now on to... good.

Our lesson tonight was on the sacrament.  Not so much the traditional lesson on the sacrament (though those things were mentioned), but on sacrament passing procedures.  *Sigh.*  Someone else please tell me that this is not just my kids, and that you are sitting there smiling because you already know from experience where I am going with this. 

Let's backtrack a bit... This has been going on for months.  But for example, yesterday at church, after the bread was passed, I ended up escorting a noisy, whining, Kelton out of the chapel because he was not allowed to hold the bread tray for everyone, or hand the bread tray back to the deacon, or whatever other "holding of the bread tray" he didn't get to do.  As I am in the foyer with him during the passing of the water, I hear weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth coming from inside the chapel doors.  I think to myself, "is that my kid??"  Oh yes.  Of course it is.  I open the doors to intercept a screaming Damon from Nate, who has already loaded up both Damon and Arie (because he can't leave her) and is on his way out.  Damon, at the ripe old age of three and three quarters, thinks he is old enough hold, pass, and do cartwheels with the water tray.  Nate wouldn't let him hold it... led to a tantrum on the floor... led to Nate not giving Damon a cup before passing the water back to the deacon... led to catastrophic meltdown.  Awesome.  Who knew the sacrament could be the means of such fighting?

So... on to our lesson.  We laid down specific ground rules that I would have never imagined in a million years would need to be instated.  Bread may be passed from person to person.  You take a piece of bread, then you get to hold the tray.  You do not get to hold the tray until after you take a piece of bread.  The last person gives the tray to Dad, who gives it to Mom, who gives it to the deacon.  The water tray is not held by anyone but Mom or Dad.  (this got a lot of complaints and mad facial expressions.)  Deacon gives the tray to Mom, those sitting by mom get their own cup, Mom gives the tray to Dad, and those who sit by Dad get their own cup.  Dad passes it back to Mom who passes it to the deacon.  Once rules were established, and grumping was done, we practiced...over, and over and over again using a pot lid.  :)  And you know what?  I think they've got it!  They got the role play down and could answer all procedural questions correctly (almost... see next section).  We'll see what happens when they are actually put to the test.  Now, if we could only get Arie to not snatch a second piece of bread as the tray passes back by her. 

Which leads to... funny.

Ahhh, so after all of our wrangling and explaining, and practicing, I just wanted to drive one last point home--to make sure they really understood.  In very clear, slow, deliberate speaking, I asked Damon, "So, who holds the water tray?" 

His serious response... "Um... minions??"

That's it.  Despicable Me and Despicable Me 2 are on their way back to the library first thing in the morning.

Happy boy

Kelton has been begging and begging and begging me to teach him piano lessons for at least the past six months.  I wanted to make sure he was really interested and wasn't wanting to do it because Natalie is or because he sees other kids come over for lessons.  (I currently teach 7 students, not including my own kids.)  Natalie showed him how to play a song a few months ago and he has really been begging since then.  One time when I asked him what he wanted for his birthday, he asked for piano lessons.  So he somehow got it in his mind that once he turned six, he would start piano lessons.  He has really been asking a lot in the past few weeks.

So today was the day.  Even though I taught four other lessons today, I felt bad that he kept having to ask.  He was so excited to start that he did all of his after school jobs at super speed.  He caught on really fast to the things I taught him.  I have to say, when my kids do well at the piano, I think it makes me more proud than just about anything else.  I hope he keeps up his excitement for many years to come.

And this one has many more years to wait her turn.  But she likes to practice.  :)