1st Grade Sooper Storeez

This is a little booklet that my 1st Grade teacher, Mrs. Karen Shoemaker, put together of her students' work. I remember being very proud to share this! I'm posting it here to share with all of my classmates. (If you click on any of the pictures, it should make them large enough for you to easily read them.) Hope you all enjoy!

"Let us cheerfully do 

all things that lie in our power;

and then may we stand still,

with the utmost assurance,

to see the salvation of God,

and for His arm to be revealed."

Back in 1839, the LDS people were being strongly persecuted.  The people who just wanted the same religious freedom that brought our founding fathers to this country were being very mistreated.  Tarring and featherings, crops and homes destroyed, people hurt, etc.  Their Prophet, who was later shot and killed, was in jail. It was a time of great adversity.  The above counsel is what the prophet counseled them to do.  

It applies to all of us, doesn't it?  We all have trials.  We all face adversity at times.  Isn't it wonderful to think that if we cheerfully do all that lies in our power ... not just the easy stuff, not just the fun stuff, but ALL that lies in our power, we can then know with the utmost assurance that the blessings will come.  It just makes my heart glad to think of it.

Thanks, Doug, for bringing this scripture to my attention!  The kids and I have had the best discussions about this scripture and what it means in our family.  Thank you!

Yesterday was the best celebration!  About 20 of my friends met me at a local restaurant and we had lunch together.  It was so joyful!  These are just some of the women who helped me to get through the last year and half, both with acts of kindness, prayers, and words of support.  I wish everyone who has blessed our lives so much could have been there.  It was a joyful celebration!

One thing that really surprised me was that several other restaurant patrons came up to congratulate me on me cancer free.  Wasn't that sweet?  (Oh, you might be wondering how they knew?  One of my friends brought the cutest white balloon and it said, "Tina is Cancer Free!" on one side and the other side had a a big X through the word cancer. So cute!)  One lady even gave me her business card.  She is the owner of the "Posh Salon."  So, she offered me a complimentary makeover.  How fun, right?

After the party, I took Ryan to the Pediatrician.  After what seemed like an eternity of torturing him (ie washing out his ears), they were still unable to see in them to definitively diagnosis them as being infected. His ear canals are a little misshapen.  The wax doesn't drain well and it tends to build in there.  They did a pressure test and those didn't give very good results either.  The left ear showed a lot of built up pressure and the right ear just flat lined.  So, we started him on antibiotics and we'll be going back into the Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) Specialist to discuss what to do.  This is his 4th ear infection and he's ruptured his right ear drum 3 times.

He was so frustrated by his time at the dr's office that he slept all the way home.  We got home just in time for occupational therapy.  DeeDee and I thought he might enjoy a walk outside in his wheelchair.  It's good for him to get used to movement.  It was short and when we came back in from the walk, he was asleep.  He slept through most of therapy.  He was just wiped out.

So, then I took Jessica shopping for supplies for her new job.  She's really looking forward to her new job and I think it'll be a good experience for her.  I love the dentists that she'll be working for. I'm sure Jessica will do a great job.

Yesterday was a great day and a very long day.  I was really wiped out by last night.  Today I had David & Jacob watch over Johnathon and Deborah while I rested.  I'm just now getting moving ... well, kind of getting moving for the day.

PS  If you're wondering, "Where are all the pictures?"   Deborah broke the lens on my camera.  I'll get it fixed soon.