Raleigh started kindergarten today and Ty took him and picked him up because Kirby and I played in the Potato Grower Magazine golf scramble at the Idaho Falls Country Club. He has a very nice teacher and several friends in his class, and I am so excited for him.
He gave an awesome talk in primary yesterday, which he ASKED if he could give last Sunday. He got rave reviews from the Primary President and she wants him to give the same talk as part of the fall primary program. He felt proud of himself. We stole the talk DIRECTLY from Sadie Fox’s talk Camille posted on her blog. Raleigh even watched the video of Sadie giving the talk a couple of times. Raleigh can’t read yet like Sadie, but he was able to memorize it for the most part. I wrote it out and he helped me draw some stick figures next to the text to help trigger his memory. It was a fairly short talk, but plenty long for a 5 year old. I need to tape him giving it like Cam did. I’m hoping she can provide me with talk material for the rest of my life.
The Twin Falls Temple dedication was GREAT. I really enjoyed hearing from President Monson’s daughter, President Eyring’s wife, and all the other people that spoke, highlighted by the Prophet of course. Two thoughts:
1) it’s not easy to be good and I have to fight for it and work at it every day 2) Faith and testimony—REAL things, but if you don’t use them you lose them. 3) President Monson loves Dickens book the Christmas carol. Ponder upon these lines, some of which he quoted from: "Oh! captive, bound, and double-ironed," cried the phantom, "not to know, that ages of incessant labour, by immortal creatures, for this earth must pass into eternity before the good of which it is susceptible is all developed. Not to know that any Christian spirit working kindly in its little sphere, whatever it may be, will find its mortal life too short for its vast means of usefulness. Not to know that no space of regret can make amends for one life's opportunity misused! Yet such was I! Oh! such was I!"
"But you were always a good man of business, Jacob," faltered Scrooge, who now began to apply this to himself.
"Business!" cried the Ghost, wringing its hands again. "Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were, all, my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!"
It held up its chain at arm's length, as if that were the cause of all its unavailing grief, and flung it heavily upon the ground again.
"At this time of the rolling year," the spectre said "I suffer most. Why did I walk through crowds of fellow-beings with my eyes turned down, and never raise them to that blessed Star which led the Wise Men to a poor abode! Were there no poor homes to which its light would have conducted me!" --Charles Dickens in A Christmas Carol
Now back to today—Andrew was so great to babysit and I had a blast playing golf with Kirb. We played with Jayce Howell and a guy named Todd and were almost in the money at 8 under. We easily could have hit 10 or 11 under but couldn’t get the putts to drop on the last few holes. The highlight of the round was when Kirby dropped a 47 foot putt for Eagle after I hit a nice drive and a 4 wood to put us in position on a par 5. It was an INCREDIBLE putt, such a rush to see her drop it. She has a great short game, and hopefully someday we’ll be able to play in a lot of tournaments together. She also hit her driver well today. Thanks to her we at least one a hole price--$50 each for longest putt on that hole.
Interestingly, we actually tried to get out of the tourney because of the conflict with Ral’s first day of preschool, but they wouldn’t give us our money back so we played. It worked out thanks to Ty’s help with Raleigh, and Andrew’s help. Mom had originally planned to come up, but then had to work in the grain.
In the evening Kysa came with me to my last weigh-in for the Idaho Falls weight loss challenge. I lost 26 pounds and 15% of my body weight. I also lost about 17 inches. Not only do I feel tons better, but I won the challenge and got $722 in cash for taking first in percentage of body weight lost. The other winner lost 41 pounds, but not as high of a percentage. He also lost the most inches so he took home 2nd and 3rd prize and went home with $722 as well. So that was totally worth the time and effort! Kysa and I were on the Channel 6 news briefly.
Ty took Shay and Raleigh to open gym and Shay at about half a bag of Cheese Nips. Then she came home and at a bunch of food. She was playing with the foam noodles with Raleigh and Ty and saying, “Hi-Ya!” When Ty asked the kids to sing, Shay started singing first—her rendition of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. She understands so much of what we say…it’s really getting FUN. It’s wild, but the kids are so stinking cute right now.
Wow, so many things to write about. What a busy day! I hope I made some sense because I haven’t taken any time to proofread this.
