The very best job...ever!

Eric and I have the very best job in the church...ever! This is how we spend our Sundays:

After spending an hour and 10 minutes watching our teenagers use their iTouch (s) to play games and pass notes during sacrament meeting, we get to go play...

for twenty minutes with 3-8 year olds: playing hot and cold, bowling, jumping up and down and spinning as we sing "Do as I'm doing", and matching games.

for twenty minutes with 9-11 year olds: listening to their smart^*& comments, play battleship and hot/cold, and trade witty barbs.

for 10 minutes with 18 months to 3 year olds: playing musical instruments, ring around the rosy, finger puppets, singing "Wheels on the Bus", "Popcorn Popping" and "If you're happy".

The very best parts of it, however, are...

*Their hugs and squeals when they see us
*Their joy and excitement when they see the new game to play or song to learn
*They way they want to share everything that happened to them since we saw them last
*The tears and "goose bumps" I get when they sing so beautifully
*The spirit I feel when they share their little testimonies through song
*The way they wave and giggle when they spot us on the bench in Sacrament meeting
*When they plop their cute little bums on my lap or hold my face to share a secret
*Seeing their faces when they, too, feel the spirit
*The way they feel comfortable making witty comments (or being smart*&^) to me and knowing I won't get mad or offended
*The love I feel for them---they are the best and brightest!

So, you see, we have the best job...ever. Who wouldn't want to be the in Primary?!

The difference between Lucifer's plan and Jesus' plan...

Oliver Wendell Holmes said, "Think things, not words."

In words, many see a need for "social justice" to override "the dictates of the market."

In reality, what is called "the market" consists of human beings making their own choices at their own cost. (Jesus' plan)

What is called "social justice" is government imposition of the notions of third parties, who pay no price for being wrong. (Lucifer's plan)

So, I admit this is just my interpretation of this recent thought found in the Washington Times. But if we believe that we live in the land that our Heavenly Father prepared so that his gospel could be restored and that our founding fathers were influenced in the way our country/government was set up, then my thoughts are, "the market" allows us to make choices and live with the consequences (Jesus' plan) and "social justice" is Lucifer's plan to force us to live the way that is deemed by someone to be the best for all.

Goodbye our sweet little Ollie!

This weekend we went to Park City to get away from all the stress and pressures we have been under over the last couple of years. We did come back to Salt Lake so the boys could sing in the General Priesthood session with the Young Mens choir. Syd and I spent the time shopping at Gateway and seeing a movie. We had a great day and night! Then we received a phone call from my mother-in-law, Bev, to let us know that our sweet little 10-year-old poodle had gotten into our neighbors backyard and been killed by their daughter's visiting pitbull. We came back home to bury our friend!

Ollie was a spunky six pound poodle that thought he was bigger. We should have named him Napolean instead. He was Eric's birthday present the year Syd turned a year. Ollie was our friend, cuddle dog and a member of our family for so long. Cole gave him the ultimate act of love by standing out in the dark cold night and dug a hole so we could have a burial.

So, Ollie, we love you and we will miss you. Goodbye, friend!