It's been a while since I posted anything and I think it's because I've been trying to figure out so many things in my head and I wanted it organized before I did anything.
I had a great opportunity to go to Girl's Camp a few weeks ago. You see, this is a really big deal because unlike most women in their twenties and thirties I've never had a calling in Young Women's. Seriously. I've pretty much decided I'm too loud/obnoxious/opinionated/add another descriptive word here to be called so I was thrilled to be called as...
The Cook.
Yup. I guess the powers that be decided although I'm not good enough to be an example to over 100 young LDS women, I am good enough to cook for them. Cooks are normally left alone to, well, cook, but this year we were asked to help with a spiritual activity. Each girl was to be blindfolded and set on a path to follow and the only thing leading them through this path was a large rope that they were told to never let go of. Sound familiar? That would be the iron rod for all you clueless people out there. Leaders were placed along the rope to do one of two things...either encourage them or try to get them to let go of the rope. Any guesses who I was?
Yup. I was placed about five feet from the final destination...five feet from the YW presidents who were waiting to welcome their girls into eternal glory. When the girls walked by I told them I'd give them money, candy, whatever to get them off the rope and of course it didn't work so I decided to change my tactic.
Me: "Hey sweetie, what's your name?"
Girly: "Girly"
Me: "You did an awesome job, hon. Your leader is only a few feet from here. Can you hear her talking? I'm going to take you right to her just like they told me to."
Girly: "But at the beginning they told me to stay on the rope until the end."
Me: "You must not have been listening. Take my hand and let's go."
And...the girl let go. I had done it! I was the first adult to lead a girl astray. Someone came and got her and I ran back to my fellow deceptors and high fived all around. I was pretty dang proud of myself. Then came some girls who I knew very well and the whole thing started over again except this time the conversation ended with, "Sister Harper, are you being serious? You wouldn't lie to me, would you?" "Of course not sweetie, now take my hand and let's go." Off she went. One of the leaders came to me and said, "Would you stop doing that? I see my girls come so close to me and you pick them off and it's killing me!"
Between that little role play and a few other situations over the past week I've discovered something. Satan is one amazing guy. He doesn't use blatant lies to get you to do what he wants. He doesn't tell people, "I'll give you five bucks if you - add horrible sin here." He somehow manages to get you to trust the situation...trust the sin. He helps you justify that's it's really not that big of a deal given the circumstances you've been in. Genius.
During this past week I've found out that more than one of my friends has decided to go on a path contrary to what they've taught and been taught. They are still amazing people but they have been led to believe that their current circumstances warrant behavior contrary to the teachings of the Gospel. It really is easy for me to see why they did, and painful to see the paths they have chosen. I can see Satan high fiving his loser buddies and I can see Heavenly Father thinking, "Would you stop that! He was so close."
I really don't know how to end this. I ache for my friends who are struggling and I'm reliving the times when life handed me blow after blow and I reached a point in my life where no matter how hard I tried to be good, life just kept dishing out crap. I chose to stick with it and I'm not patting myself on the back by any means, I'm just saying maybe I understand how easy it would've been to have chosen something else and easy it would have been to justify.
Satan, you suck.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Babes in Tombstone
Of all the pictures we've gotten with my brother and sister and their families coming for a visit, this is by far the best...
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Imaginary Friends
When Aren was about five years old he learned about imaginary friends. It only took him about five minutes to decide they weren't worth much. I remember him walking into the room and announcing that he had a new friend and pointing to his left where nothing stood, he introduced us to "Mario". Rick and I both looked at the big nothing standing next to him and Aren looked at "Mario" then at us and announced, "This is stupid. I just can't have an imaginary friend." And that was the end of it.
I never could do the imaginary friend thing as a kid, but as an adult I've found a whole slew of "imaginary" friends. I met a bunch of LDS ladies on a mom's chat board almost four years ago and although I've never met most of them in real life, they have become some of my dearest friends. Today I finally had the opportunity to meet one of them and make her "real". Hilary came down here to visit some friends and called to see if we could meet in Tombstone for the afternoon. Of course I could and what a wonderful thing to finally meet someone who I'd known for four years but never met. Thanks for the fun afternoon Hilary! And thanks even more for cutting out the imaginary part and becoming a real person.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Happy Father's Day
My father passed away when I had just turned eleven years old and he had just had his 45th birthday. While I don't remember much about him, I have been blessed with a few memories that I cherish...trips to the local hardware store always ending with a penny for the gum machine, early morning newspaper deliveries where he never got mad at me for being sick from the car fumes, singing songs to him when he'd come home from work. I love all those memories.
I don't feel like I missed out on life experiencing it without a father but how grateful I am for the two fathers in my life today. Almost seven years ago my mom remarried an amazing man by the name of Bill. While all of my brothers and sisters were grown and had moved away by the time they married, some of us have had opportunities to live at home and get to know him. I have been blessed with such an opportunity. I have felt of his strength and his power through priesthood blessings. I have felt his love as I cried and laughed in times of despair and joy. Thank you Bill for being the man you are.
Then of course there is Rick. Every day I watch him go to work to a job that was his second choice so he could support and care for a family that needed him. I watch him come home to a family who has been anticipating his return since he walked out the door. I watch him love his children in all the ways a father should...throwing a football, encouraging Aren to learn a bigger word than the day the before, painting Tatiana's toenails, being with his children so I can go to a meeting and never complaining that another one is just around the corner. Thank you Rick for everything you've been through that has made you the father you are today.
I don't feel like I missed out on life experiencing it without a father but how grateful I am for the two fathers in my life today. Almost seven years ago my mom remarried an amazing man by the name of Bill. While all of my brothers and sisters were grown and had moved away by the time they married, some of us have had opportunities to live at home and get to know him. I have been blessed with such an opportunity. I have felt of his strength and his power through priesthood blessings. I have felt his love as I cried and laughed in times of despair and joy. Thank you Bill for being the man you are.
Then of course there is Rick. Every day I watch him go to work to a job that was his second choice so he could support and care for a family that needed him. I watch him come home to a family who has been anticipating his return since he walked out the door. I watch him love his children in all the ways a father should...throwing a football, encouraging Aren to learn a bigger word than the day the before, painting Tatiana's toenails, being with his children so I can go to a meeting and never complaining that another one is just around the corner. Thank you Rick for everything you've been through that has made you the father you are today.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Flipping the Switch
Tatiana's a funny little girl. I think I've said before she's a good lil' combination of Aren who's a social nerdy butterfly and Lily who when asked said every color was blue and every letter was G and pretty much decided you were guilty until proven innocent. Tatiana seems to warm up a lot quicker with folks and although isn't playing video games and reading like Aren was at this age, she sure can sign like a maniac...thank you Signing Time!
Anyways, Tatiana turned two a couple weeks ago and it's seriously like someone went into her brain and flipped a switch because she hasn't shut up since June 6th. She is coming up with things that I had no idea she knew how to say, much less use in the right context. This morning while changing a poopy diaper she looked at me and said, "Mom, that's sick!" Tell me about it! Everyday at the pool she tries to convince me she can swim by herself while I try to convince her that just knowing the signs for "my turn" and "swimming" does not a Michael Phelps make.
A couple days ago was by far the best expression of her knowledge yet. After knocking on her door in the morning and hearing her sweet voice say, "Come in!", I took her into our bedroom and sat down on the bed next to Rick, who immediately began playing "Where's my(insert body part here)?" game. Thinking that Rick would be able to stump her he said, "Tatiana, where's my hair?" A little confused, Tatiana looked around for a bit, then promptly tilted Rick's bald head down and touched...
his back.
That's my girl.
Anyways, Tatiana turned two a couple weeks ago and it's seriously like someone went into her brain and flipped a switch because she hasn't shut up since June 6th. She is coming up with things that I had no idea she knew how to say, much less use in the right context. This morning while changing a poopy diaper she looked at me and said, "Mom, that's sick!" Tell me about it! Everyday at the pool she tries to convince me she can swim by herself while I try to convince her that just knowing the signs for "my turn" and "swimming" does not a Michael Phelps make.
A couple days ago was by far the best expression of her knowledge yet. After knocking on her door in the morning and hearing her sweet voice say, "Come in!", I took her into our bedroom and sat down on the bed next to Rick, who immediately began playing "Where's my(insert body part here)?" game. Thinking that Rick would be able to stump her he said, "Tatiana, where's my hair?" A little confused, Tatiana looked around for a bit, then promptly tilted Rick's bald head down and touched...
his back.
That's my girl.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Why?
Twice a week I watch a really cute little girl for a friend of mine. I love her and love having her in my home...her mom doesn't even read this blog so I really am being sincere. The only thing that is about ready to drive me to drink is the repetition of her favorite word...why.
"What are you doing?"
"Washing clothes."
"Why?"
"Because they're dirty."
"Why?"
And so it goes. Most of the time it doesn't bother me, but today was not that day.
"What are you doing?"
"Cleaning the dishes."
"Why?"
"Because I'm the only one that ever does anything around here, sweetheart. I'm cleaning the dishes from last night's dinner because I was hoping to high heaven that once, just once, someone besides myself would see that dirty dishes need to be cleaned and dishes don't wash themselves, but alas, my sweet three year old, that never happens. Watch and learn honey, because thirty-plus years from now, this will be you. You'll be cleaning the kitchen three times a day just to wake up in the morning and clean it again. You'll wash four loads of laundry every other day and and every two weeks or so you'll ask yourself why you never put any of those clothes away right after they were done and you'll curse yourself for letting the clean clothes mix with the dirty clothes so now you have ten loads of laundry to do. You'll find yourself wanting to vomit because apparently your nine year old son doesn't understand that the wall is not a place to wipe his poopy fingers and booger hands. You'll ask yourself if you're really the only one that sees shiz falling out of the garbage can and onto the floor and wonder if you're the only one who knows where the garbage bags are. Get used to it sweetie. This will be your life."
"Why?"
"Never mind, sweetheart. Never you mind."
"What are you doing?"
"Washing clothes."
"Why?"
"Because they're dirty."
"Why?"
And so it goes. Most of the time it doesn't bother me, but today was not that day.
"What are you doing?"
"Cleaning the dishes."
"Why?"
"Because I'm the only one that ever does anything around here, sweetheart. I'm cleaning the dishes from last night's dinner because I was hoping to high heaven that once, just once, someone besides myself would see that dirty dishes need to be cleaned and dishes don't wash themselves, but alas, my sweet three year old, that never happens. Watch and learn honey, because thirty-plus years from now, this will be you. You'll be cleaning the kitchen three times a day just to wake up in the morning and clean it again. You'll wash four loads of laundry every other day and and every two weeks or so you'll ask yourself why you never put any of those clothes away right after they were done and you'll curse yourself for letting the clean clothes mix with the dirty clothes so now you have ten loads of laundry to do. You'll find yourself wanting to vomit because apparently your nine year old son doesn't understand that the wall is not a place to wipe his poopy fingers and booger hands. You'll ask yourself if you're really the only one that sees shiz falling out of the garbage can and onto the floor and wonder if you're the only one who knows where the garbage bags are. Get used to it sweetie. This will be your life."
"Why?"
"Never mind, sweetheart. Never you mind."
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