A Baptism in Beaumont

It had been months since we had been out to see our Beaumont cousins and what a wonderful excuse to do so: RACHEL'S BAPTISM!!! We went with Grandma and Grandpa Scott and had a wonderful time! The baptism was intimate with mostly family and a few friends. I don't think Tommy spent much time on the floor, he was passed around and around to eager arms! Church, good food, Weird Al, Pappadeaux, a tour of Beaumont, a veterans museum, slip n slide, Cracker Barrel, guitar jam session. It was so good to be with family!

Another Family Milestone- Damon Goes to the Temple

The first tooth, the first step, learning how to whistle, read and tie a shoe. So exciting! But the milestones and firsts of later years: driving, dating, college, mission call, and now temple are pretty powerful. Each first that is celebrated in a child's life seems to be somehow associated with knowledge and freedom. And the more knowledge gained, the more choices and opportunity to express freedom and individuality. And the older you get those firsts come with more responsibility.

On May 22, Damon Jr. went to the Houston Temple and received his endowments. Grandma and Grandpa Scott arrived in Texas just in time to be able to join us for a very special evening. I'm so grateful they could come and share it with us! (I can't find pictures of my parents at this event. Ugh.) I am grateful to have a son worthy to enter the temple and willing to learn more and take on more responsibility. And he took that very seriously too. I am so blessed!

My Birthday in the Month of May

May 2nd rolled around as it does every year making me older. And as with each year of my life, I've learned a little more.

I have learned that counting my blessings and thanking my Heavenly Father for them can cheer me up fast and clear my head of negativity, doubt and fear.

I have learned that slowing down the pace of my life is so much more relaxing!

I have learned more about faith as an action word this past year. I truly had faith that the boys could have a triple eagle court of honor. I stressed and cried, but never gave up. And in spite of Spencer's initial resistance, and working around leaders' schedules and roadblock after roadblock, it came to pass.

I learned how to sail a boat.... and how to drive a motorcycle!

Being a Sunbeam teacher in Primary, I have learned more about Heavenly Father's love for me in the perfectly brilliant creativity He used to create this glorious world we have to live on. There isn't just one kind of tree, one kind of flower, one kind of animal, one type of landscape for us to admire and make this home pretty, there are thousands of different, unique, beautiful plants, animals, insects, flowers and terrains. The sky with clouds, rainbows and stars; our amazing, miraculous bodies. I feel His love more abundantly.

I'm glad I can still learn and that I have more of life to live and continue learning!

A Little Spring Concert (Back in April!)

I have been a little occupied the past few weeks and May slipped by so fast! I will be catching up, because there is much to blog! Emily has been in a home school choir since a year ago January. The director is a home school mom that has 5 small children. The choir and director are mostly Mormon. Their group is called the Super Singers. They have a t-shirt with a logo on it and everything! At the end of April, they had their Spring concert for the parents. Then they went around to assisted living facilities and the Texas Children's Hospital for concerts. In December the Super Singers also had multiple concerts at the same facilities. I have been so impressed with Cindy Scott, the director. They practiced once a week for an hour and learned 10 songs. I have some partial clips of three songs that I especially liked that I want to share. It was a great experience for Emily.

The first song is Be Our Guest from Beauty and the Beast, with a few lyric changes to fit the group. It is always their opening number.

This song I had to put in. It's The Rainbow Connection. It holds a bit of nostalgia for me, since I sang it as a solo in front of my Junior High School at the end of the year assembly.

This one is an upbeat song called We're Making Music All Day Long. It's at the end and they are singing in two parts.

Other songs included Tomorrow, Elvis' Blue Suede Shoes, Deep in the Heart of Texas, The Bare Necessities, Little People, a couple of others, and a song I had never heard called Everyday Heroes, which I loved most. So I have to indulge anyone who cares to listen to one more. The words are really touching:

All around who can see, who is strong and who might be?
Can we know who is brave, who will sacrifice to save?
All around, who can see, what their fate is meant to be?
People give, people care, there are heroes everywhere.
Every day someone cries out, every day someone needs,
Every day someone hears them, and listens and heeds,
Every day there are heroes, people just like you and me,
Every day there are heroes who never meant to be.
People give, people care, there are heroes everywhere.

The beginning and ending are sung by the kids 10 and up, which was Emily and three other girls.