I Love Grandparents

           I love grandparents!  The woman that made the biggest impact on my life was my Grandma Philpot.  Growing up there was not a moment in my life that she was not present.  She was my confidant, friend, and biggest cheerleader.  Grandma Philpot was the one constant in my life.  She saw something that no one else saw.

                Yesterday I had to finish a paper for a class yesterday on my reading experiences growing up; it turned into a love of my Grandma Philpot.  From stories, I have been told my she would have me on her bed “reading” the phonebook.  I do remember reading the Little House on the Prairie books with her.  I still have my paperback books that she gave me along with my hardbound copies of my favorite pioneer series. 

                My children do not live close to their grandparents and unfortunately never have.  Sometimes families cannot live close to each other to make a living.  I was blessed three months after moving to Lake Havasu to become Visiting Teaching partners with Kim Fronek.  This choice made by a Relief Society President change my life forever.  Kim and Sunnie wanted to have some grandkids live closer and really wanted a granddaughter.  They adopted us and we gladly were adopted.   When my Grandma Philpot died, Kim was the first person in Lake Havasu I called.  She spend hours making sure I was okay.

                Kim and Sunnie have been able to be the Grandparents my parents cannot be due to location.  They live here and make sure things are taken care of in Havasu.  The last four and a half years they have been my rock and more importantly been there for Tyler, Katie, and Noelle.  They have been able to be at most activities and this has made a huge impact on my children’s lives.  Last night, Kim knew I was not feeling well and she took my place at a mother daughter date.  How lucky my little girl was. 

                Grandparent’s matter, rather it is a text, phone call, Facebook message, or more importantly a prayer.  There are things that teenagers might not tell their parents because they are dumb, but somehow grandparents are much smarter than parents are.  There is not a day I have not thought of my grandparents.  I daily wish I could pick up the phone and call Grandma Philpot to talk to her and get her advice or just have her tell me everything would be okay.  

                Thank you to all of the grandparents out there.  You are awesome and what you do, do matter to those that love you.  You might not think you matter but you do.  I hope in many years when I become a grandma that I will be one like Grandma Philpot.  Sometimes I can hear her say, “I love you Floriepot, you are a Daughter of God.”

Red, White, and Blue

           As teachers there are those areas, we love.   Everyone at my school knows that America is what I love most.  Students will say, “She loves it more than her own kids.”  This is not quite true but close.  I love my country and I do teach love of country in my class.  Students that have passed through my doors know that standing and saying The Pledge of Allegiance is the most important thing we do all day.  If you ask of my students past or present what my favorite color is they will say, “red, white, and blue.” 

                Tomorrow we are wearing red, white, and blue in honor of those that lost their lives in the Terrorist Attacks of September 11, 2001.   The reason I think it is important to wear the colors is so that conversations will be had.  We have a generation of students that might not know what happened that fateful day.  They might never have had a conversation with their parents, or even noticed why grownups take time out of their day to shed a tear. 

                Tomorrow as you get up please take time to stop and think about our fellow citizens that willingly gave up their lives.  Yes, I know those on the earlier flights did not know what was happening, but the later two they did.  Think of the emergency workers like firefighters, paramedics, and police officers.  What about those regular citizens that just helped others leave buildings or get out of harm’s way.   The lines that were we stood in to gladly give blood and the churches that were full so that prayers could be heard. 

                Think about how you felt that you were an American.   Were you proud of how our country came together?   Can you remember what it was like to see the Congress and Senate stand together on the steps of the Capital Building?  How about that night hugging your children tighter, calling your family, and checking on your neighbor?

                Tomorrow when I put on my red, white, and blue there will be a tear in my eyes.  I will sob during The Pledge of Allegiance.  However, I will take time to have a conversation not only with students at school but with my kids, my neighbors, and everyone I see. 

                Tonight like all other nights I will pray for my country.  God bless America!  

Blessed Honored Pioneer

 

                Today for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is a big day.  Today is Pioneer Day, this is the day that Brigham Young said, “This is the place.”  This statement meant that the Mormons that had been driven out of New York, Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois would finally have a place where they would be on their own.  There would be no neighbors that could or would cause them home.  Yes, there were Native Americans, but that was it and Brigham had made it very clear that the Saints were to be kind to them.

                My whole life have heard this story, going to parades, watching fireworks, and listening to people talk about their heritage.  My mother’s side of the family knew the Prophet Joseph and were some of the first members of the church.  They heard the Joseph’s story and knew it was true.  They never once thought he wasn’t telling the truth.  If you talk to church historians they will say that the Knight family was faithful to not only Joseph but to the church.  My dad’s side came from Scotland, after hearing the missionaries came by boat and headed out west.  I cannot imagine the faith it must have taken. 

 Two days ago I found that my 12t^h great grandfather Thomas Rodgers came across on the Mayflower.  This had me astounded.  Even before this country was the USA, I had ancestors that knew it was a blessed country.  Again, this is my heritage.

My whole life I have felt like and said, “I am just plain Flo.”  I do not mean that in a bad way, only to say I am never going to be a famous person.  I am just a regular person.  However, when my faith has tested and I have gone to our Father in Heaven, I have looked to my pioneer heritage and their test.  I have often thought that if they could leave what they loved and come to an unknown place I certainly could deal with my own trials. 

                 I am blessed to have a strong legacy of faith and I know that more than anyone.  This does not mean I haven’t had to gain my own testimony.  I am blessed that I have gained my own testimony through trials.  More than anything I am grateful for those who worked hard and had their trials so that their posterity could look back at their example. 

                You might not think what you do now will help your posterity, but I am a witness that you will.  Your trials might make it easier for others to cope with theirs.  On this day more than others I am say, “Blessed, honored Pioneer.”

                               

Why I Love America

     I have always loved America.  Growing up I don’t remember an event my Grandma and Grandpa Philpot missed.  This is not to underplay my parents, but Grandma and Grandpa were always there.  Fourth of July were spent at my Grandparent’s Hunter or Grantsville house.  Aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, and family Grandma and Grandpa’s house would be filled with love of family and country.

                We would start off the Fourth of July at our local parade.  We would sit on the grass at the edge of the curb.  We would be reminded to stand whenever an American Flag came by.   Grandma would let us go the park after the parade and then the BBQ would start.  We would then start with making the homemade ice cream.  Grandma had a hand crank machine and then she upgraded to an electric one.  We would then play with sparklers and then watch fireworks. 

                During the day we would talk as a family.  America was always the subject.  I thought growing up my Grandma and Grandpa were history professors they seemed to know everything.  Grandpa would talk about the Founding Fathers and why they mattered.  He talked about how God preserved this land for us and how it is the greatest country of all.  Grandpa talked about how with hard work and perseverance anyone could succeed in America. 

                Grandma would talk about her family and how they had crossed the Atlantic Ocean and then crossed the plains to come to Utah live their religion.     She loved her pioneer heritage, she was proud that her family wanted to live in this nation. 

                Today as I went to our annual pancake breakfast the Star Spangled Banner was played, I watched as men who fought in WWII stood trying to balance themselves to stand for this song.  Women who cried as they listened to the words and children stopped playing so they could put their hands over their heart.  I thought of the countless times my Grandpa and Grandma told me to stand as the American Flag came by.  How America was truly the country of God.   How if you work hard and persevere you could succeed here. 

                I know that the last sentence is not how many Americans feel anymore.  Too many feel like what JFK said is not true, too many people what the government to do all and they should do nothing.  This is not going to work.  We need to do for our country and feel proud to be Americans.  I am so glad I could live in the greatest country on Earth.  Thank you to Grandparents that loved God, country, and family.  I hope that I have raised my children to keep up the Philpot traditions.    

 

What I Want

What I Want

          This week is Spring Break, it is Friday morning which means it is almost over.  I have seen pictures of friends and family having wonderful vacations and doing what I would consider Spring Break Activities.  Me, I did what I do, stuff for school.  The only difference is I was able to stay in my lounge clothes.  I don’t mind doing those things in my jammies at all.   However, one of my favorite parts of Spring Break is getting caught up on politics. 

          If I could have lived a different life I would have been a political consultant.  I get flustered when I hear reporters or analyst tell me what I need to know instead of giving me both sides of the story.  I feel like both sides of the aisle are just talking and not giving me a straight answer, therefore, I need to go out and get the answers.  This is super frustrating to me because I know am an informed voter.  I know my stuff, not bragging just giving my opinion.  However, most the county could name the newest celebrity couple than name the President of Russia.  

          This is what I want in the coming up election next year.  I hope that candidates are listening or reading, I know I am not the only American that feels this way.  I want a leader!  I want someone that wants the best for the country that my ancestors fought for in 1776.  I think since WWII there have been 2 US Presidents that I feel like made a huge difference in our country and were leaders. 

First, John F. Kennedy:  He stood up to the USSR and wanted to do anything to stop communism from reaching Cuba.  Was he able to succeed?  No, but missiles did not reach Cuba.  The entire world watched to see what was going to happening in October 1962.    

Second, Ronald Reagan:  January 20, 1981 he is sworn and the hostages were released from Iran.  The same day, why?  The Iranian leaders knew that he would come after them.  He also would work with Tip O’Neill and the democrats to get things done.  He also was tough on foreign policy and helped bring about a huge change in the world when it came to Communism.  We needed that.

This is what I want.  I want a leader!  I want someone that won’t work with others, I want someone that  puts American’s first, and most importantly I want someone to be like Theodore Roosevelt that will speak softly and carry a big stick  I want our enemies to fear us or at least the consequences of hurting us or our allies.

Unfortunately this is not what we have now and it will take years to repair it.  If ISIS is the JV team then we are not even the freshman team.  We have decided to leave Israel in the wind.  This is not good foreign policy at all.  People from both parties will tell you this.  If you think having talks with Iran and telling them to stop enriching uranium is going to work you don’t know the facts.  The leaders of Iran don’t want to stop doing this and they will make it very hard for inspectors to come in and see what is really going on.

This week I read that President Obama wants to make it mandatory to vote.  While voting for me is the most important thing I can do for my country I hope this doesn’t come to be.   I don’t need people voting if they don’t know what they are voting for.  American’s need to be informed about who the candidates are and what they stand for, what the issues are and what their long term impact will be.  America do your homework, study things out, go to debates, watch them on TV, find out for yourself.  If you rely on SLN, John Stewart, and Stephen Colbert you aren’t getting the truth.  This would be like going to an NRA meeting to find out the problems with gun control or going to an ACLU meeting to find out why race issues in American aren’t working.  These comedians while very funny are not news anchors or journalist. 

          I really hope I get what I want in November 2016, I am not asking for a miracle just someone that is best for our country.  I want someone that will bring our country together, that is willing to work on both sides of the isle, and most importantly be tough on our enemies