UNIVERSAL LAWS

I needed laughter today, and I got this in my email box from a dear, sweet friend.  Thank you, Sharon.  Good timing!


1. Law of Mechanical Repair - After your hands become coated with grease, your nose will begin to itch and you'll have to pee.

2. Law of Gravity - Any tool, nut, bolt, screw, when dropped, will roll to the least accessible corner.

3. Law of Probability -The probability of being watched is directly proportional to the stupidity of your act

4. Law of Random Numbers - If you dial a wrong number, you never get a busy signal and someone always answers.

5. Law of the Alibi - If you tell the boss you were late for work because you had a flat tire, the very next morning you will have a flat tire.

6. Variation Law - If you change lines (or traffic lanes), the one you were in will always move faster than the one you are in now (works every time).

7. Law of the Bath - When the body is fully immersed in water, the telephone rings.

8. Law of Close Encounters -The probability of meeting someone you know increases dramatically when you are with someone you don't want to be seen with.

9. Law of the Result - When you try to prove to someone that a machine won't work, it will.

10. Law of bio mechanics - The severity of the itch is inversely proportional to the reach.

11.. Law of the Theater and Hockey Arena - At any event, the people whose seats are furthest from the aisle, always arrive last.  They are the ones who will leave their seats several times to go for food, beer, or the toilet and who leave early before the end of the performance or the game is over. The folks in the aisle seats come early, never move once, have long gangly legs or big bellies, and stay to the bitter end of the performance.  The aisle people also are very surly folk.

12. The Coffee Law - As soon as you sit down to a cup of hot coffee, your boss will ask you to do something which will last until the coffee is cold.

13. Murphy's Law of Lockers - If there are only two people in a locker room, they will have adjacent lockers.

14. Law of Physical Surfaces - The chances of an open-faced jelly sandwich landing face down on a floor, are directly correlated to the newness and cost of the carpet or rug.

15. Law of Logical Argument - Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.

16. Brown's Law of Physical Appearance - If the clothes fit, they're ugly.

17. Oliver's Law of Public Speaking - A closed mouth gathers no feet.

18. Wilson's Law of Commercial Marketing Strategy - As soon as you find a product that you really like, they will stop making it.

19. Doctors' Law - If you don't feel well, make an appointment to go to the doctor, by the time you get there you'll feel better. But don't make an appointment, and you'll stay sick.

WHICH PART IS MINE?

As a wife, a mother, and especially a homeschooling mother, I often have sleepless nights wondering if I'm doing all I can? Am I hurting my family in any way my not doing something I should, or by doing something I shouldn't? When is my 'best' good enough? What IS good enough? When should I do it all and when should I rely more on Heavenly Father? Which part of this issues is mine and which part is God's?  Which part is mine, and which part is my child's?  Which part is mine and which part is my husband's?

Today, I was deeply hurt by something one of my children said to me. It cut so swiftly and so deeply and so quickly that I could nothing more than just cry. This child felt badly immediately and apologized over and over. But the cut had been made.  Now it was time to let it bleed and heal.  I went to my room, and needed time alone. As I cried, I poured out my heart to God, and literally asked Him "Do you hear me? Are you there?  Are you listening?  Please let me know you are aware of me and how much I'm hurting!" 

Somehow I finally mustered the strength to just pull myself up and go shower.  I heard the faint echo of my mother's counsel from long ago: "If you shower and clean up, it'll help you feel better."  It did.  A bit.

Still a bit somber though, after I was done readying myself, I came back out and spoke with that child and said I DO forgive them.  It's just going to take some time right now to heal my heart, because is was broken. 

As I pressed on with my day, I felt that I needed to read an article from my "homepage", Meridian Magazine online.  So I went to my homepage and began reading over the titles of the articles from yesterday and today.  One stood out.  "Which Part Is Mine?" by Michael McLean, who just so happens to also be one of my favored LDS musicians/composers. 

As I read the article, my heart was filled, and my eyes turned into leaky faucetts.  It was the exact answer from the Lord that I needed.  I knew, yet again...... yet again! that, YES!, He IS aware of me.  He DOES listen to me.  He DOES care about me.  He DOES know what I'm going through.  And He will help me through it, if I only "let Him".

The article mentions: "...and not knowing if and/or when you’ve done enough can really make you yearn for answers to life’s big questions like “which part is mine, and which part is Yours?” Yet when you’ve been struggling for a long time, and wondering if anyone up there knows what you’re going through, and then you feel that closeness, it’s so healing you don’t ever want it to leave. It’s curious to me that what often brings the comfort is not a specific answer to a question, but knowing you are actually being heard."

That is EXACTLY what my heart has been feeling this past week, month, year.  I need to know that someone knows and cares and understands.  I said just those words to my dear, tired, and SLEEPY husband last night!  I need to talk, to share.  I need to know you care and understand.  I need to know someone is aware of my strugles and empathizes.  (I actually told him I need a wife! You know, Men are from Mars and don't really understand us Venutians, much less empathize with us!)

So, I thought I should capture this moment on my blog. I'm not sure why.  I guess to testify to the world that GOD LIVES, and He answers prayers, and that no matter how much we may be struggling, just to know that He is there, guiding, protecting, watching over, UNDERSTANDING and EMPATHIZING - makes it all worth while.

Being a mother, and especially a homeschooling mother, is a thankless job.  But I know that feel again today what I have felt many times in years past:  My Heavenly Father thanks me!  Because I'm raising His children, and teaching them, and I am doing the very best I can with His help.  So long as I have His help, I can't go wrong.

That doesn't mean I'm perfect, nor that everything will turn out peachy.  It means things will turn out as He already knew they would, because He knows each of us, His children, so very well.  Yesterday at church there was a talk by our High Councilman and he said that what we think might be "weaknesses" that we have, God may not see them as weaknesses.  What matters to Him is that we spiritually draw close to Him, read our scritpures, say our prayers, and do our best.  He helps us take care of the rest.  I know that's true.

My sould has received some balm in Gilead today.  Thank you Michael McLean - for that song, and for the precisely timed article.  It is what I call "Divine coincidence" that was published at this precise moment in time... right when Father in Heaven knew I would need it.

I thank THEE, Heavenly Father! For today, I know now which part is mine, and which is Thine!

(if you go HERE, you can read the article, and at the end you can listen to McLean's beautiful song "Which Part Is Mine?"  It's inspiring!)

WE WENT ON A STAYCATION!!

OK - so when Bob and Jonathan were gone for two whole weeks on Philmont, I pondered at that very time how it is that each and every month Bob gets to go on a "vacation" because he goes camping every single month with the Scouts. And for him, camping with the Scouts IS a vacation!  Then I thought: "when was the last time I went on vacation?"  The answer: 2005.  FIVE YEARS AGO! :'(  That made me sad.  I LOVE to travel. I am a travel agent by profession, and I always had the dream that half of my children's education would be through travel.

Well, the Lord evidently had a different plan. It's ok.  But I still need a break every so often.  This past week, after I broke down in front of the kids (after one of them had the courage to tell us that life isn't fair and that we should be nicer) and had a crying/raising my voice session of "don't you tell me what's fair or not fair, and don't you tell me about needing a break!" - it became very obvious that the time for that "break" for me had come!
So, Bob and I decided to take a "Staycation" - a vacation right here at home, where we take all day and at as if we're in a hotel, visiting another place and we eat out and tour around all day.  So that is what we did this past Saturday.
We slept in, then got up and ready and went to IHOP for BRUNCH.

After that we headed to the Dallas Museum of Nature and Science - an awesome place to go with your kids!  The main exhibit was "WATER" and we also watched the IMAX movie "ALASKA".  I think that's the first time I've ever seen an IMAX movie that was cute, interesting, AND FUNNY!

We saw dinosaur bones, Bears, Fish, Birds, and plants. We learned all about water and how it affects life on Earth.

 
 Emily loved doing a floor puzzle of Earth, and the kids especially looked forward to one of their favorite activities there:  BUBBLES, BUBBLES, AND MORE BUBBLES!!!

 Emily looked forward to playing with the ducks in their "pool"!

Daddy was looking to see if the "milk bags" were full.  Nope.  No more "milking" 'ol Bessy. And why Jonathan and Jessica put on these silly NASA hats beats me!

 Emily loved the penny swirling down into the center of the dish, and Jessica had fun playing optical illusions with the mirror. "Look Ma! No legs!"

It was bearable in the shade that day.  A mere 100F instead of the 105F in the sun! 

Bob and Emily had a wonderful, relaxing time on the Swan Paddle Boats, and we all just had a wonderful time.  Here are some more pictures of our day.








 After the Museum, we headed to Joe's Crab Shack (another favorite) for dinner (and dessert!)...

... and more FUN TIMES!!!

Then we ended our wonderful day with a movie, "Despicable Me".  The movie was cute, funny, and entertaining.

We came home, showered, and crashed into bed!  We were tuckered out!  But we had a wonderful "Staycation" together - more fun family times, and more memories built.  That is what makes it all worth it!  And today, we still had those great memories floating around in our head!  It was a wonderful, needed "day off" - especially for ME!

CONGRATULATIONS TO JEFF AND DIANA!!!

My cousin, Jeff, just got married last night.  The wedding took place at his parent's home (where I have MANY childhood memories) in Salt Lake City.  I wish SO bad that I could have been there! :(  I was really SAD to miss this occassion.  There were so many "new" family members there that I wish I could have met (new babies, marriages, etc. over the years).  But, alas, it was not meant to be.  But here is their announcement.  I think they are a cute couple and look very happy together!  Congratulations Jeff and Diana!  Our family wishes you all the very BEST!!!