This last week I had to opportunity to git out of Dodge. (Yes I know I spelled the get as git) I am using gitten because I was in a car from Texas and in Texas gitten and git are correct grammar. I was able to go to San Diego for a reading conference. It was an amazing conference and I heard from wonderful speakers but that is not what I am going to write about. I want to focus on the country mouse and city mouse.
Susie Fox, Ashley Miller, Sandy Breece, and I arrived in San Diego at about 7:00 Arizona time 6:00 California time and we were a little late for dinner. We checked in really quick at the Hilton and we were able to have our own room. This was exciting for me because I have not had my own bed for the longest time. (Noelle has been sleeping in my bed for a while again.) How was I going to sleep if I did not have someone kick me all night? That thought would have to wait because I had to get ready for dinner.
We then went down to the restaurant for dinner. We were welcomed warmly and I felt like I was already home with new friends. I sat at the foot of the table mainly so I could have a great view of all my new friends. Joye Sanchez was so nice and she sat opposite from me at the table, Valerie Ritchey was our host, Delia McCraley, Rosa Tubbs, Cynthia Piper, and Sandra McCartney were now my new friends. As the waiter handed me my menu I almost cried. I did not know what half of the items on the menu were and the cost of the food was way over my budgeted amount of ten dollars. I had to ask what risotto was. I had never heard of it, but that was not the worst of it. There were too many spoons, forks, and knives. I had to try to remember what fork went with what course. I also forgot that a soup spoon comes with soup. In my kitchen you would use the regular spoon for soup. On special days if you wanted a bigger spoon you could use the serving spoon.
I did learn a few things at my fancy dinner. First, you should never say, “This is a lot different from the McDonald’s dollar menu.” You might hear laughter or gasps. Second, if you act like you know what is going on you might be able to fool a few people. Third, dinner is always fun with friends and family. Lastly, conversation is a great thing to share at dinner. The conversation was not the same as my dinner table with the kids but, it was super and I even was able to use some grown-up words.
I am grateful for the opportunity to git out of town mainly because it made me miss my kids so much I was happier to be home with them. I decided I am not cut out for the city life, this country mouse is happy with her little life here. I will always remember my trip to the big city of one of laughter and learning new things. I want my new friends to know that I had a wonderful time spending those few hours with them. They might remember it as the night they met a really nice lady that had no idea what the real world was like but for me it was one of the most memorable nights of my life.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Prayer
Well it has been almost a month since my last blog so I need to add another post. I have been thinking for the last few weeks what I would write about. It has been hard to come up with something important to write or share. These last few weeks I have really spent a lot time on my knees praying to my Father in Heaven. I have had many questions that I felt needed to be answered. I have not always been real faithful in saying prayers; I think most of us are like that. When things go well we might forget to be thankful for our blessings. When we have trails arise we are on our knees asking for help. So I thought I would share what I have learned the last few weeks. None of this is anything new, just a reminder of what I have already known.
The first thing I learned is that my Father in Heaven wants me to be happy. Not only for this lifetime but for the next, He truly wants me to find peace and joy. This is not always easy on this Earth. If you are a believer in Christ you know that we were sent here to be tested. We were not sent here to have it easy. Our faith is tested all the time in different ways. Some of us seem to have it harder than others but everyone is tested according to their ability. This has not always worked out well for me. In 1 Corinthians 10:13 we are promised that we won’t be tested above what we are able to bear. So where does this happiness lie? In the peace and comfort that Jesus is the Christ and the Savior of the world.
The second thing I have learned is that I want my children more than anyone else on Earth to find this same peace and joy. I want them to know that the Atonement of Christ is real and it is for them. Not only in the Garden of Gethsemane did Christ take upon Him our sins but also all of our hurt and heartache. If my children know this their lives will be more peaceful. This does not mean they won’t have trials; they will just have more peace as they go through them.
The third thing I have learned is that faith is a verb it is not a noun. We must be actively engaged in good works to strengthen our relationship with our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. Just saying we believe is not enough we must act upon it. In James 2:20 it talks about faith without works is dead. We must be working hard to increase our faith. What are some of those ways? I think we can find the answer in the Matthew 25:35-40. Have we helped the “least of these my brethren?” I know my little family has felt the love of that scripture this last year.
The final thing I have learned is it is okay to ask for help. The reason Heavenly Father gave us prayer was so we could communicate directly to Him. He wants to talk to us. I think about how much I want to hear about my children’s day. He wants to hear from us also, not only the good but the bad too. He is there to help us. He is the Father of our spirits and He loves us. Think about the love you have as parents and the love your parents have for us. If you are not a parent yet, think about how you feel towards siblings, nieces, nephews, or any other member of your family. Not only your family but also your friends, because I think they are our extended families.
So the next time you are in trouble pray, but why wait until you need help. He wants us to talk to Him all the time. Give a prayer of thanksgiving. Who of us doesn’t want to hear the words, “Thank you?” We all do. I hope that you all know that our Father in Heaven wants us to talk to Him and is ready to answer your prayers.
The first thing I learned is that my Father in Heaven wants me to be happy. Not only for this lifetime but for the next, He truly wants me to find peace and joy. This is not always easy on this Earth. If you are a believer in Christ you know that we were sent here to be tested. We were not sent here to have it easy. Our faith is tested all the time in different ways. Some of us seem to have it harder than others but everyone is tested according to their ability. This has not always worked out well for me. In 1 Corinthians 10:13 we are promised that we won’t be tested above what we are able to bear. So where does this happiness lie? In the peace and comfort that Jesus is the Christ and the Savior of the world.
The second thing I have learned is that I want my children more than anyone else on Earth to find this same peace and joy. I want them to know that the Atonement of Christ is real and it is for them. Not only in the Garden of Gethsemane did Christ take upon Him our sins but also all of our hurt and heartache. If my children know this their lives will be more peaceful. This does not mean they won’t have trials; they will just have more peace as they go through them.
The third thing I have learned is that faith is a verb it is not a noun. We must be actively engaged in good works to strengthen our relationship with our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. Just saying we believe is not enough we must act upon it. In James 2:20 it talks about faith without works is dead. We must be working hard to increase our faith. What are some of those ways? I think we can find the answer in the Matthew 25:35-40. Have we helped the “least of these my brethren?” I know my little family has felt the love of that scripture this last year.
The final thing I have learned is it is okay to ask for help. The reason Heavenly Father gave us prayer was so we could communicate directly to Him. He wants to talk to us. I think about how much I want to hear about my children’s day. He wants to hear from us also, not only the good but the bad too. He is there to help us. He is the Father of our spirits and He loves us. Think about the love you have as parents and the love your parents have for us. If you are not a parent yet, think about how you feel towards siblings, nieces, nephews, or any other member of your family. Not only your family but also your friends, because I think they are our extended families.
So the next time you are in trouble pray, but why wait until you need help. He wants us to talk to Him all the time. Give a prayer of thanksgiving. Who of us doesn’t want to hear the words, “Thank you?” We all do. I hope that you all know that our Father in Heaven wants us to talk to Him and is ready to answer your prayers.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Politics According to Flo
Well as I start out my second blog for the year I have decided to rename my blog, “Go with the Flo.” Thank you so much for all of those who helped me come up with the name, this was the contest winner.
I would like to spend this blog on one of my favorite past times, politics. I have always been interested in politics. I was a junior in high school when I joined the debate team. I was taking a public speaking class and the teacher asked if I would be on the team. I was doing team debating and then on one trip to Cedar City, Utah many of the team got sick. The coach asked if I could do some foreign and domestic extemporaneous speaking. I said sure not knowing what I was getting myself into. My first speech was based off of a political cartoon. Luckily my dad was a big political cartoon guy so I knew how to read them. I got first place in foreign extemp., for that meet and I was on route for the state tournament.
I have only missed voting in one election and that was when my grandfather died. We had to get to Utah so we left early in the morning. I remember getting to Utah and my grandmother asked me who I had voted for and I said, “We left early so we were gone before the polls opened.” My grandmother was not happy and reminded me that my grandfather would have wanted me to vote before coming to the funeral. Since then I have voted in every election.
I love this time of year I love watching the political pundits talk about who is going to win and what is best for the country. It is funny to me to hear different ideas coming from different networks. If you watch Fox News and listen to certain shows their opinions lean very much to the right. If you listen to most other networks they lean very much to the left. I like to listen to Bill O’Reilly, because I feel that he is balanced. I used to love listening to Tim Russert before he died because even though he had worked for Senator Daniel Moynihan, I felt like he was fair.
We have now had two primaries and one caucus so far this election year. We have had three winners, yes, Rick Santorum did will in Iowa after all of the votes were counted. I will give you a hint that my candidate has won one of these three events. I am not supporting Paul and if he got the nomination. (Which he won’t) I couldn’t vote for him. I think he has some great ideas fiscally but in 2012 we must have a president that is willing to deal with other world leaders and not stick their head in the sand. I know that there are many people that think he is a “breath of fresh air.” I don’t know if he is that but I know he is not the leader the United States of America needs right now. I think 150 years ago he might have been but not in the time of terrorism.
As tonight is the State of Union Address I wonder what accomplishments voters think that President Obama made. I don’t think he has done everything wrong. We were able to catch and kill Osama Bin Laden, this is an accomplishment. I don’t think President Obama has done a good job at all. The economy is worse and we are still over 8% unemployment. As a mom of a teenager it is hard for that age group to find a job. Why, you ask? It is because many grownups are now working at what would have been a first job for me. If you counted teenagers, and those that were underemployed the numbers would be huge. Also I don’t think that spending our way out of debt is a good thing at all. My parents generation will not pay any of the debt down, my generation will be lucky to pay even 10%, it will be my children’s generation and my grandchildren’s generation that will pay. Do we really want our grandchildren to have to pay for this? I think we might be lucky if it is only our grandchildren and not our great grandchildren. I am also tired of the talking points being that this is really President Bush’s fault. At what point does President Obama have to take some responsibility.
So who do you think we should vote for? Newt is smart; there is no argument about that. Listening to his exchange with Juan Williams last week made me cheer, but is he the best? Rick Santorum gave one of the best speeches the night of the Iowa Caucus. I felt moved and inspired, but he has also said things that don’t please me. Romney has led business, the Olympics, and was the Governor of Massachusetts. I think that is a plus, but I think like many others he has flip flopped on some of the issues.
It is a wide open race, and Florida is going to be tough for the final four. I am curious to know what you think about whom should run against President Obama and who you think would win. Is President Obama going to be a one team president? I sure hope so. Well, that is politics according to Flo.
I would like to spend this blog on one of my favorite past times, politics. I have always been interested in politics. I was a junior in high school when I joined the debate team. I was taking a public speaking class and the teacher asked if I would be on the team. I was doing team debating and then on one trip to Cedar City, Utah many of the team got sick. The coach asked if I could do some foreign and domestic extemporaneous speaking. I said sure not knowing what I was getting myself into. My first speech was based off of a political cartoon. Luckily my dad was a big political cartoon guy so I knew how to read them. I got first place in foreign extemp., for that meet and I was on route for the state tournament.
I have only missed voting in one election and that was when my grandfather died. We had to get to Utah so we left early in the morning. I remember getting to Utah and my grandmother asked me who I had voted for and I said, “We left early so we were gone before the polls opened.” My grandmother was not happy and reminded me that my grandfather would have wanted me to vote before coming to the funeral. Since then I have voted in every election.
I love this time of year I love watching the political pundits talk about who is going to win and what is best for the country. It is funny to me to hear different ideas coming from different networks. If you watch Fox News and listen to certain shows their opinions lean very much to the right. If you listen to most other networks they lean very much to the left. I like to listen to Bill O’Reilly, because I feel that he is balanced. I used to love listening to Tim Russert before he died because even though he had worked for Senator Daniel Moynihan, I felt like he was fair.
We have now had two primaries and one caucus so far this election year. We have had three winners, yes, Rick Santorum did will in Iowa after all of the votes were counted. I will give you a hint that my candidate has won one of these three events. I am not supporting Paul and if he got the nomination. (Which he won’t) I couldn’t vote for him. I think he has some great ideas fiscally but in 2012 we must have a president that is willing to deal with other world leaders and not stick their head in the sand. I know that there are many people that think he is a “breath of fresh air.” I don’t know if he is that but I know he is not the leader the United States of America needs right now. I think 150 years ago he might have been but not in the time of terrorism.
As tonight is the State of Union Address I wonder what accomplishments voters think that President Obama made. I don’t think he has done everything wrong. We were able to catch and kill Osama Bin Laden, this is an accomplishment. I don’t think President Obama has done a good job at all. The economy is worse and we are still over 8% unemployment. As a mom of a teenager it is hard for that age group to find a job. Why, you ask? It is because many grownups are now working at what would have been a first job for me. If you counted teenagers, and those that were underemployed the numbers would be huge. Also I don’t think that spending our way out of debt is a good thing at all. My parents generation will not pay any of the debt down, my generation will be lucky to pay even 10%, it will be my children’s generation and my grandchildren’s generation that will pay. Do we really want our grandchildren to have to pay for this? I think we might be lucky if it is only our grandchildren and not our great grandchildren. I am also tired of the talking points being that this is really President Bush’s fault. At what point does President Obama have to take some responsibility.
So who do you think we should vote for? Newt is smart; there is no argument about that. Listening to his exchange with Juan Williams last week made me cheer, but is he the best? Rick Santorum gave one of the best speeches the night of the Iowa Caucus. I felt moved and inspired, but he has also said things that don’t please me. Romney has led business, the Olympics, and was the Governor of Massachusetts. I think that is a plus, but I think like many others he has flip flopped on some of the issues.
It is a wide open race, and Florida is going to be tough for the final four. I am curious to know what you think about whom should run against President Obama and who you think would win. Is President Obama going to be a one team president? I sure hope so. Well, that is politics according to Flo.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
New Beginnings
I love this time of year, “Out with the old in with the new.” How wonderful it is to know that we can put our past in the past and start anew. I am excited for 2012; I do not think that I have ever been this excited for a new year. It could because of what my little family went through last year but that is in the past. It is a new year and we are looking forward to that. One of the best parts of the New Year is making resolutions. The only difference between a goal and a dream is that a goal or resolution is written down. Dreams are nice but resolutions are better.
So here are mine, the reason why I am sharing them online is because it makes me accountable to those readers I have.
1. To love more. One of the goals I need to have is to open my heart more to love. Sometimes when our heart is broken it is easier to turn it off to the idea of getting hurt again. We decide that it is better to feel nothing rather than pain. This is not true, because when we can feel pain that means we can also learn to feel the opposite which is joy. I can now look myself in the mirror after many months and know that I am worth something. I am a good person and I have something to offer others. This last month I have been walking around on cloud 9 because of someone that loves me. What a wonderful feeling to know that I can feel that sort of love again.
2. Be more prayerful. I have learned in 2011 and in past years that our Father in Heaven does answer our prayers. He doesn’t always answer them in the way we think they will or should be answered but He does answer them. He wants us to come to Him and share with Him our deepest most desires.
3. Be a better mom. I think I am a pretty good mom but there is always room for improvement. I have worked hard this last year to make sure that my children felt safe and secure. I want to focus this year on helping them to make correct decisions that will help them throughout the rest of their lives. Tyler is going to graduate this year, I cannot believe that he is old enough or where the time has gone. I need him and his sisters to know that only by following the commandments they will have enduring happiness. This is going to be what I mainly focus on as a mother this year.
4. To not sweat the small stuff. Sometimes we as people worry about things that we cannot control. It is not usually the big stuff that we have to worry about. Most of the time we sweat the small stuff. We have all heard the saying, “You don’t need to cry over spilt milk.” This is so true; it is usually the small things that we have a problem with. The small things then turn into the big things. I sweat the small stuff quite a bit; this has to do with working 60 hours a week outside the home. My goal this year is to not worry about the little things but only the big things.
5. Do something for myself. This is tough for most moms; we inherently put our children first. I think that is how it should be, but I have learned that I need to take some time for myself. This way I can be the mom I need to be for my children. Rather it is reading before bed when everyone is asleep, waking up early to exercise, or blogging on a quiet Sunday afternoon. Flo Fallis must take time for herself. This does not mean I am selfish; I am not out partying while my kiddos are at home. I am doing something good that uplifts me and therefore uplifts my kiddos.
6. To live as an example of what good stands for. There are many people in my life that I consider good examples not only to myself but also to my children. If I had to name them all the blog would be too long for anyone to read. But, there are a few people that have truly made an impact on their lives and on mine. I hope that there is someone that I have touched and that I have been an example to. I want people to not only know me by my word but also by my deeds. I hope that people can see that what I say I am is who I really am. That there is no double standard or hypocrisy. Being a good example and standing for truth and righteousness is very important to me.
7. Last but not least is to celebrate the small achievements. Today one of my friends at church talked about reading an article on resolutions, and it stated that we should celebrate the small achievements. It could be something like losing one more pound on our diet, having the dishes done at the end of every night, not having an entire box of papers to grade, or just waking up and smiling to those you come in contact with. We might not achieve going to the moon, but we can achieve the small everyday stuff. This will help us keep our goals because they are small enough to keep.
No matter if you are working on daily goals, weekly goals, monthly goals, or yearly goals, at least you are working on something.
One of my biggest points of pride last year was my blog. I am not the best writer but I have turned into a pretty good one. I have enjoyed getting to know myself better by expressing my feelings. I feel lucky enough to live in a time where my thoughts might help others. More importantly I have learned from you my readers. When someone comments online or in person it makes my heart swell. I have learned from you more than you have learned from me. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog.
So here are mine, the reason why I am sharing them online is because it makes me accountable to those readers I have.
1. To love more. One of the goals I need to have is to open my heart more to love. Sometimes when our heart is broken it is easier to turn it off to the idea of getting hurt again. We decide that it is better to feel nothing rather than pain. This is not true, because when we can feel pain that means we can also learn to feel the opposite which is joy. I can now look myself in the mirror after many months and know that I am worth something. I am a good person and I have something to offer others. This last month I have been walking around on cloud 9 because of someone that loves me. What a wonderful feeling to know that I can feel that sort of love again.
2. Be more prayerful. I have learned in 2011 and in past years that our Father in Heaven does answer our prayers. He doesn’t always answer them in the way we think they will or should be answered but He does answer them. He wants us to come to Him and share with Him our deepest most desires.
3. Be a better mom. I think I am a pretty good mom but there is always room for improvement. I have worked hard this last year to make sure that my children felt safe and secure. I want to focus this year on helping them to make correct decisions that will help them throughout the rest of their lives. Tyler is going to graduate this year, I cannot believe that he is old enough or where the time has gone. I need him and his sisters to know that only by following the commandments they will have enduring happiness. This is going to be what I mainly focus on as a mother this year.
4. To not sweat the small stuff. Sometimes we as people worry about things that we cannot control. It is not usually the big stuff that we have to worry about. Most of the time we sweat the small stuff. We have all heard the saying, “You don’t need to cry over spilt milk.” This is so true; it is usually the small things that we have a problem with. The small things then turn into the big things. I sweat the small stuff quite a bit; this has to do with working 60 hours a week outside the home. My goal this year is to not worry about the little things but only the big things.
5. Do something for myself. This is tough for most moms; we inherently put our children first. I think that is how it should be, but I have learned that I need to take some time for myself. This way I can be the mom I need to be for my children. Rather it is reading before bed when everyone is asleep, waking up early to exercise, or blogging on a quiet Sunday afternoon. Flo Fallis must take time for herself. This does not mean I am selfish; I am not out partying while my kiddos are at home. I am doing something good that uplifts me and therefore uplifts my kiddos.
6. To live as an example of what good stands for. There are many people in my life that I consider good examples not only to myself but also to my children. If I had to name them all the blog would be too long for anyone to read. But, there are a few people that have truly made an impact on their lives and on mine. I hope that there is someone that I have touched and that I have been an example to. I want people to not only know me by my word but also by my deeds. I hope that people can see that what I say I am is who I really am. That there is no double standard or hypocrisy. Being a good example and standing for truth and righteousness is very important to me.
7. Last but not least is to celebrate the small achievements. Today one of my friends at church talked about reading an article on resolutions, and it stated that we should celebrate the small achievements. It could be something like losing one more pound on our diet, having the dishes done at the end of every night, not having an entire box of papers to grade, or just waking up and smiling to those you come in contact with. We might not achieve going to the moon, but we can achieve the small everyday stuff. This will help us keep our goals because they are small enough to keep.
No matter if you are working on daily goals, weekly goals, monthly goals, or yearly goals, at least you are working on something.
One of my biggest points of pride last year was my blog. I am not the best writer but I have turned into a pretty good one. I have enjoyed getting to know myself better by expressing my feelings. I feel lucky enough to live in a time where my thoughts might help others. More importantly I have learned from you my readers. When someone comments online or in person it makes my heart swell. I have learned from you more than you have learned from me. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Year in Review
This time of year there are lists of the top ten stories of the year. Rather it is news stories, sports plays, commercials, movies, or TV shows. In years past I have enjoyed reading and watching what the top stories are. I would say this year in the news the death of Osama Bin Laden, the rise of the Arab Spring, the demonstrations on Wall Street, and Tyler’s favorite news story, The Green Bay Packers winning the Super Bowl. Next year one if not the top news story will be the 2012 presidential election.
This year started out like any other year. I was excited that Tyler was going to get his Eagle Scout. That happened in January the day after my birthday. No mother has ever been so proud. I remember that day getting everything ready. Tyler had completed his project but the paperwork was a project within itself. I now know why mothers get a pin. We had a nice reception at the house and I thought my life was perfect.
The next day, January 30th my entire life changed, I came home from church. I had talked to my sister Amy and she told me she was getting a divorce. I was sad for her but happy that I had a happy, strong marriage. After I got home I went into the study, Jason hadn’t gone to church that day. I think he was sick. I told him what Amy had said, and then Jason dropped the bomb. He told me he wanted a divorce and this was the perfect time since I brought it up.
I was devastated; I called my parents and then two of my sisters. Jason went to his parents’ house and talked to them. I then decided I would need to talk to our brand new bishop. The Bishop had been called as bishop the Sunday before, I didn’t want to make the call but I knew that is what I had to do. The next morning I went to school. I felt terrible, I had missed Thursday and Friday of the previous week because I had bronchitis, and then with this news I felt even worse. I texted the executive clerk and told him it was an emergency that I had to see the Bishop with Jason. Now if you are LDS you know that Monday nights are not nights that the Bishop sees people, it is for Family Home Evening, so when he said he would meet with us I was relieved.
The meeting went well I thought, Jason promised the bishop he would give me 30 days. But, the next night he told the kids he would be moving out. That Wednesday he flew to Oregon to pick up his brother’s truck. Those first few weeks are like a blur, I do remember getting up, taking a shower, and going to work every day. I remember meeting with Bishop on Sundays to see how I was doing. I would spend my nights in my room crying after the kids went to bed wondering why my marriage had ended and blaming the only person I could. Myself.
February came and went and then in March I had to tell the kids all at different times of the day that their parents were getting divorced. I was not happy that I had to be the bearer of bad news again. I also was the one that got to tell Jason’s parents at a lunch date. I received a certified letter request in March, so I went to the post office to pick up my copy of the paperwork. I cried all the way to the post office, I went in signed for the envelope and then got in the car. I turned over the envelope and started to laugh, the postage was 6.66. It was a sign, because that was who I felt was responsible for my life falling apart.
April was uneventful but then on May 18, 2011 I felt fear for the first time in my entire life. I had been sacred before this day but I truly knew what fear was. A court clerk had misplaced a paper that said I had taken a parenting class. This is a requirement for custody in AZ. Jason called and said, “I have been awarded full custody of the kids. They don’t show that you took the parenting class.” I hung up the phone ran out of my classroom and upstairs to the principal’s office. I don’t remember coming down the stairs I do remember Jason calling back and saying to fax over the certificate the judge will relook at the case. That was the longest hour and a half in my life. You all know how it ended.
Summer came and went and we packed up the house and started back to school. September came and we moved. Well I should say my friends moved me. I learned that day how truly blessed I was to have such wonderful friends. Sometimes asking for help is harder than you think.
Fall came and went and now we are at the end of the year. This year has been rough, it has been hard, and it has been one big tear fest after another. But, and it is a big but! I have been blessed! I have learned who my true friends are, I have made new friends, and I have learned to say, “It is none of your business.” I have learned to do things by myself. I learned that girls sometimes have to learn to do boy jobs. (You know who you are that has shared that piece of advice)
The most important lesson learned is that I have a Savior and He loves me! He loves all of us, but he loves me. He wants me to be happy and live in peace. He wants me to come to him with the desires of my heart and He wants to give them to me. I have earned a masters degree in the Atonement of Christ this year. I didn’t think I was going to make it to the top of the hill but I think I just might be able to now.
I would also like to thank you my readers for your comments and prayers. I know that Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers. I know this is true. My goal for 2012 is to be the best Flo I can be. I am excited for 2012 because I have a feeling it might be my best year yet. Merry Christmas to all of readers and I hope that you have the happiest New Year.
This year started out like any other year. I was excited that Tyler was going to get his Eagle Scout. That happened in January the day after my birthday. No mother has ever been so proud. I remember that day getting everything ready. Tyler had completed his project but the paperwork was a project within itself. I now know why mothers get a pin. We had a nice reception at the house and I thought my life was perfect.
The next day, January 30th my entire life changed, I came home from church. I had talked to my sister Amy and she told me she was getting a divorce. I was sad for her but happy that I had a happy, strong marriage. After I got home I went into the study, Jason hadn’t gone to church that day. I think he was sick. I told him what Amy had said, and then Jason dropped the bomb. He told me he wanted a divorce and this was the perfect time since I brought it up.
I was devastated; I called my parents and then two of my sisters. Jason went to his parents’ house and talked to them. I then decided I would need to talk to our brand new bishop. The Bishop had been called as bishop the Sunday before, I didn’t want to make the call but I knew that is what I had to do. The next morning I went to school. I felt terrible, I had missed Thursday and Friday of the previous week because I had bronchitis, and then with this news I felt even worse. I texted the executive clerk and told him it was an emergency that I had to see the Bishop with Jason. Now if you are LDS you know that Monday nights are not nights that the Bishop sees people, it is for Family Home Evening, so when he said he would meet with us I was relieved.
The meeting went well I thought, Jason promised the bishop he would give me 30 days. But, the next night he told the kids he would be moving out. That Wednesday he flew to Oregon to pick up his brother’s truck. Those first few weeks are like a blur, I do remember getting up, taking a shower, and going to work every day. I remember meeting with Bishop on Sundays to see how I was doing. I would spend my nights in my room crying after the kids went to bed wondering why my marriage had ended and blaming the only person I could. Myself.
February came and went and then in March I had to tell the kids all at different times of the day that their parents were getting divorced. I was not happy that I had to be the bearer of bad news again. I also was the one that got to tell Jason’s parents at a lunch date. I received a certified letter request in March, so I went to the post office to pick up my copy of the paperwork. I cried all the way to the post office, I went in signed for the envelope and then got in the car. I turned over the envelope and started to laugh, the postage was 6.66. It was a sign, because that was who I felt was responsible for my life falling apart.
April was uneventful but then on May 18, 2011 I felt fear for the first time in my entire life. I had been sacred before this day but I truly knew what fear was. A court clerk had misplaced a paper that said I had taken a parenting class. This is a requirement for custody in AZ. Jason called and said, “I have been awarded full custody of the kids. They don’t show that you took the parenting class.” I hung up the phone ran out of my classroom and upstairs to the principal’s office. I don’t remember coming down the stairs I do remember Jason calling back and saying to fax over the certificate the judge will relook at the case. That was the longest hour and a half in my life. You all know how it ended.
Summer came and went and we packed up the house and started back to school. September came and we moved. Well I should say my friends moved me. I learned that day how truly blessed I was to have such wonderful friends. Sometimes asking for help is harder than you think.
Fall came and went and now we are at the end of the year. This year has been rough, it has been hard, and it has been one big tear fest after another. But, and it is a big but! I have been blessed! I have learned who my true friends are, I have made new friends, and I have learned to say, “It is none of your business.” I have learned to do things by myself. I learned that girls sometimes have to learn to do boy jobs. (You know who you are that has shared that piece of advice)
The most important lesson learned is that I have a Savior and He loves me! He loves all of us, but he loves me. He wants me to be happy and live in peace. He wants me to come to him with the desires of my heart and He wants to give them to me. I have earned a masters degree in the Atonement of Christ this year. I didn’t think I was going to make it to the top of the hill but I think I just might be able to now.
I would also like to thank you my readers for your comments and prayers. I know that Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers. I know this is true. My goal for 2012 is to be the best Flo I can be. I am excited for 2012 because I have a feeling it might be my best year yet. Merry Christmas to all of readers and I hope that you have the happiest New Year.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Living in Peace
Last night my dad called me, he wanted to talk about a book that both of us had read. I explained that I was busy and I would call him today. My dad was not a big reader growing up, well he might have been but I didn’t see him read. He found a book series called, “Children of the Promise” there were five books set in WWII time. It was a very good series, he liked it because it was about his parents’ generation, I liked it because it had to do with WWII. The author Dean Hughes wrote a second series called “Hearts of the Children” and then one book about a granddaughter of the main character in the Children of the Promise series. We were discussing that book called, Promises to Keep. In this book the granddaughter has recently divorced from a bad marriage. She has a hard time being about to cope with the day to day life that happens when you are single. I had read this book about 3 or 4 years ago, while before I was single.
I was talking to my dad about unintended consequences of decisions made rather they are decisions that you make or others make for you. This is a hard issue for me to write about. But, I feel that it has to be written about. My dad wanted to know about how Diane’s story applied to me. I told him like Diane I just wanted to make out with a little bit of class and dignity. I do not know if that is true but I have tried. My dad also asked me who I go to when I need to talk. I talked to my sisters, I talked to Grandma and Grandpa Fronek, I have a great circle of friends, and most importantly I have a Heavenly Father who loves me.
My dad wondered how my Father in Heaven helped me. I know that sometimes prayers are answered by Heavenly Father, but they are not always answered in ways we think they are going to be. My prayers have been answered by the small things, answers found in the scriptures, lessons in church, and just talking to my friends. My dad then talked to be about the grandma in the story and the advice she gave Diane. She wanted to make sure that Diane was taking care of herself and being able to look herself in the mirror when it was done.
As moms we are good at taking care of ourselves. We specialize in making sure that our children are getting taken care of. I truly believe as moms that is what we are suppose to do. I love taking care of my children. I love making sure children are happy and doing what they enjoy doing. This does not mean that if they are not following rules it means that they are happy and healthy. One of the situations that has been very tough this year is not having someone else to help me with the day to day with the kids. I am blessed to have great kids. I know all moms feel this way, but I have been truly blessed with wonderful children. This again is an answer to prayers.
This time of year I think of Mary holding her new born baby. I remember what it was like to hold my own three children. Mary must have been a wonderful mother, we know this because He is the Only Begotten Son of our Father in Heaven. You know that Jesus loved his mother because he made sure she would be taken care of while he was hanging on the cross. I hope that my children share Christ’s love for his mother. As I spend this Christmas reflecting on decisions made I am glad that I will be able to look myself in the eye.
I was talking to my dad about unintended consequences of decisions made rather they are decisions that you make or others make for you. This is a hard issue for me to write about. But, I feel that it has to be written about. My dad wanted to know about how Diane’s story applied to me. I told him like Diane I just wanted to make out with a little bit of class and dignity. I do not know if that is true but I have tried. My dad also asked me who I go to when I need to talk. I talked to my sisters, I talked to Grandma and Grandpa Fronek, I have a great circle of friends, and most importantly I have a Heavenly Father who loves me.
My dad wondered how my Father in Heaven helped me. I know that sometimes prayers are answered by Heavenly Father, but they are not always answered in ways we think they are going to be. My prayers have been answered by the small things, answers found in the scriptures, lessons in church, and just talking to my friends. My dad then talked to be about the grandma in the story and the advice she gave Diane. She wanted to make sure that Diane was taking care of herself and being able to look herself in the mirror when it was done.
As moms we are good at taking care of ourselves. We specialize in making sure that our children are getting taken care of. I truly believe as moms that is what we are suppose to do. I love taking care of my children. I love making sure children are happy and doing what they enjoy doing. This does not mean that if they are not following rules it means that they are happy and healthy. One of the situations that has been very tough this year is not having someone else to help me with the day to day with the kids. I am blessed to have great kids. I know all moms feel this way, but I have been truly blessed with wonderful children. This again is an answer to prayers.
This time of year I think of Mary holding her new born baby. I remember what it was like to hold my own three children. Mary must have been a wonderful mother, we know this because He is the Only Begotten Son of our Father in Heaven. You know that Jesus loved his mother because he made sure she would be taken care of while he was hanging on the cross. I hope that my children share Christ’s love for his mother. As I spend this Christmas reflecting on decisions made I am glad that I will be able to look myself in the eye.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Best Practices
I have always wanted to be a teacher, well that is not entirely true during the late 80’s I did want to be a lawyer so I could work with Jimmy Smits. Other than that a brief time I wanted to be a teacher. I think most of us can think of a time when you wanted to grow up to be something or someone. You might have your dream job or you might have decided that when Mr. Smith asked me, “What I wanted to be,” really doesn’t count as a dream job. I love teaching and I think I am a good at it. Not every day but most days. Sometimes on the bad days I forget why I started out wanting to be a teacher.
Why did I think working with young children seem like a good idea? Did I really want to say 100 times a day, “Tie your shoe” or “Sit down please so we can get started.” They are both nice phrases but that is not the reason. I wanted to help them become good students, learn to enjoy books like I do, love math (even though this is not my best subject), and to realize that history is doomed to repeat itself if we do not learn from it.
This week I was lucky enough to go to a great conference. I think conferences are nice and you do learn from them but, I do not like to leave my kids. That is a whole different blog. This conference as I was listening to some of the presenters I realized I do love my job! There were comments, views, and ideas shared on what are “best practices” in the teaching field and I was doing some of those things, not all but more than half. I had different ideas come to me and I think I solved a problem at school. I also realized again that laying a strong foundation before the house is built is important. I am not putting up the walls or ceiling I am the base and if that is not level, firm, and strong it will not matter what the rest of the house looks like, the house will fall.
So what does this all mean? It means we need to celebrate the little things. I need to be happy if Jonny sits down for 10 minutes when yesterday he only sat down for 5 minutes. I need to tell those teachers on the Elementary Team, “Thank you” because they are fantastic to work with. I need to remember that some days are going to be bad but a smile will go a long way. Last but not least use the biggest tool in your tool belt, mine is passion for learning.
Monday you might see a different teacher on your campus. One that is renewed with a passion for learning is willing to continue to solve problems, and one that is willing to hire Jimmy Smits if he wants to be a teacher at my school. Most importantly there are two groups I would like to thank, first to the teachers of my own children they are better people because of you. Second, thank you to those parents who have entrusted me with their children I have enjoyed them more than you know. Remember if you can read this thank a teacher, it is because of them you can read.
Why did I think working with young children seem like a good idea? Did I really want to say 100 times a day, “Tie your shoe” or “Sit down please so we can get started.” They are both nice phrases but that is not the reason. I wanted to help them become good students, learn to enjoy books like I do, love math (even though this is not my best subject), and to realize that history is doomed to repeat itself if we do not learn from it.
This week I was lucky enough to go to a great conference. I think conferences are nice and you do learn from them but, I do not like to leave my kids. That is a whole different blog. This conference as I was listening to some of the presenters I realized I do love my job! There were comments, views, and ideas shared on what are “best practices” in the teaching field and I was doing some of those things, not all but more than half. I had different ideas come to me and I think I solved a problem at school. I also realized again that laying a strong foundation before the house is built is important. I am not putting up the walls or ceiling I am the base and if that is not level, firm, and strong it will not matter what the rest of the house looks like, the house will fall.
So what does this all mean? It means we need to celebrate the little things. I need to be happy if Jonny sits down for 10 minutes when yesterday he only sat down for 5 minutes. I need to tell those teachers on the Elementary Team, “Thank you” because they are fantastic to work with. I need to remember that some days are going to be bad but a smile will go a long way. Last but not least use the biggest tool in your tool belt, mine is passion for learning.
Monday you might see a different teacher on your campus. One that is renewed with a passion for learning is willing to continue to solve problems, and one that is willing to hire Jimmy Smits if he wants to be a teacher at my school. Most importantly there are two groups I would like to thank, first to the teachers of my own children they are better people because of you. Second, thank you to those parents who have entrusted me with their children I have enjoyed them more than you know. Remember if you can read this thank a teacher, it is because of them you can read.
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