Nathan's Post - Winning isn't everything...

So the kids had their 2nd soccer games today. I coached Emma's team and though I don't think the kids are really aware of the score, and it is really just a mosh of kids chasing a ball that occasionally goes into the net, they still asked me who won at the end of the game. So I said to the kids, "Well you did actually, but the more important thing is that you had fun and played hard." To which I asked them did you have fun, and they all yelled "Yeah!!". We then went to Will's game and watched as Will scored a goal, and as his team trounced the other team 7 -1 (Will has a couple of really good players on his team). Before the game, we told will that we wanted him to work on not "crashing" into people. In practice we had to talk to Will about bodychecking people as he would go more than just a little out of his way to run into his teammates he was scrimmaging against (i.e., halfway across the field in the opposite direction from where the ball was going). To his credit he did a great job of that this week. However, whenever his team would score he would continue to recite the score to his teammates, coaches and opposition, with an enthusiastic "we're winning!!" tacked onto the end. So we started to talk to him during the game about how it's more important to try hard and have fun. Later on at home, Tracey talked with Will about good sportsmanship and how it was more important to have fun and play hard, and that it really didn't matter what the score was. After getting this drilled into him for a couple of minutes Will said, "Right, it doesn't matter if you win or if you lose....but it's really good if you win." Later on tonight at bedtime Will said, "We scored 7 and the other team scored 1...so what was the loser's name again?" So Tracey had another talk about not calling the team the lost, "losers" and that he should only be happy in his head and not be too verbal about the victory. After explaining why this was important (i.e., if you lost how would you feel, etc.,) Tracey said he could be happy in his head about winning and scoring a goal, to which Will said, "Right", and proceeded to get a funny little smirk on his face. We'll have to work on that one a little more with him.
Laurel's team got beat, but I was really proud of her effort. I probably coached a little too much from the sidelines, but I was really just trying to get the concept of spacing and positional play into Laurel's mind, because I don't think many people on her team understand the concept. Tracey said I should just "coach" her at home and shut up at the games.

Nathan's Post - Youth Activities

It has been a very busy month and a bit with my calling in the ward. In April we had a Book of Mormon reading night with the youth at the Cooper's home in our ward. The youth spent an evening having a BBQ, reading the Book of Mormon (in 1 hour blocks) and playing games (in 1 hour blocks). Almost 30 youth and leaders showed up at the activity, and the Priest's quorum planned the meal and the evening. At the end of the night we had a testimony meeting. I was really impressed with the youth in our ward. They all had a good time reading and many of them at the end of the hour long reading blocks were surprised that the hour had passed so quickly. The Bishop thought that it would be a good activity to hold each year in the spring.

Later that month we did yard cleaning at a member's acreage, where the wife is suffering from cancer. The youth spent a couple of hours moving dead branches and raking the large yards. One of the youth, Brett Williams was sprinting in between his tasks so that he could get as much done as possible in the time given. A trip to the cannery to can home storage goods for ward members, and a trip to the temple rounded out the month.

This last Tuesday, the Priest's quorum made a meal for their mother's, the young women, and the young women's mothers. All I can say is that it takes a long time to prepare and cook that much meat (shishkebabs) for almost 40 people. It's a good thing my employer let's me take time off of work, because it took me most of the afternoon to do my part of the meal. The Priests were all given a part of the meal to prepare (spinach dip appetizer, a mango salad, a potato salad, carmelized carrots, skor cake, apple crisp, and strawberrry pina colodas (virgin). One of the best things was that we were able to get 4 of the young men out to the activities that we hadn't seen for a long time. For two of them I talked to the Father who probably thought it was a good idea and likely encouraged his boys to participate. For two others who were a little "iffy" about attending I asked if they would see if their mother wanted to attend. When I phoned back the mom answered the phone to which I asked her if her boy's had invited her yet. The mom wasn't sure exactly what was going on, but once she heard about her boys making here supper, it was basically a done deal. The boys of course couldn't back out because mom was going. A little subterfuge goes well at times to help the young men do what they should. All the young men had a good time, so I hope that we will see a little more of them in the future.

FHE

Tonight we had a fun family home evening with the kids. Nathan and I were talking about how we often dread it because there is always someone crying, hitting another person, yelling at someone, etc. Well Nathan thought we should just make it fun and play most of the time as opposed to sit first and do songs as we normally do. So Nathan picked up some foam swords at the store and we had Book of Mormon wars in the backyard. Will got to be Ammon cutting off the robbers arms, and then we covered strategy on how to take back a city from the lamanites. I told the kids to hide around the corner of the house as I went up to taunt dad the lamanite from the trampoline city he had just taken. I said I would lure him out and when he came after me, they could all attack. They loved this plan and had so much fun with the 'surprise attack' that we did it a few more times, taking turns who was the bait. One time as I stood hiding with William, he looked at me and said while gripping his foam sword, "if we die, we die with honor", then he ran out to attack the enemy. Overall a great family night.

Nathan's Post - Blessings

So as I was getting ready for bed this evening, I remembered that I hadn't written down anything about Katelynn's baby blessing that happened a few weeks ago. As the young man who held the microphone didn't have the strongest arm, most people, including my wife, didn't hear the blessing. So this is as much for her benefit as it is for those who weren't there, or are to young to remember it. I'll have to review my journal to see if I have written down anything for Will and Emma (I know I did for Laurel and the twins). Emma's blessing was the most memorable, because she was screaming the entire blessing. She screamed from the time I carried her up to the front to when she was taken out by Tracey afterwards. It wasn't because she was hungry either. During the blessing, as she was screaming in my face, I thought, well since she isn't happy I'll bless her that she'll have a "Cheerful disposition". I heard quite a few people chuckle when I said that, but the funny thing is, as I said it I felt that it would be a true characteristic of Emma. I think any of you that know Emma would say she is one of the cheeriest children around.

Giving blessings in general has always been a difficult thing for me to do. I always am concerned about whether what I am saying is what the Lord would want me to say. I thought about what I was going to say in Katelynn's blessing for a couple of weeks, prayed about it, and talked to Tracey about what she thought would be important in the blessing. I also thought a lot about Katelynn and tried to envision what her life had in store for her, and what things our Father in heaven would want me to bless her with. I've found that as I have blessed each of my children, that the blessings have actually become much shorter with each child. Perhaps, that's because I feel that there are very few things that really matter, and that the child has a life of decisions ahead of them, that they will make, but that course they choose for their life will be primarily driven by the few things that really matter.

In Katelynn's blessing I recall the following:
- She was blessed that she would be able to recognize the Spirit, and through that gain a strong testimony of Jesus Christ, and of the restored gospel.
- She was blessed that she would be able to develop a strong relationship with her Father in Heaven and with Jesus Christ.
- She was blessed that she would have a kind disposition, and that she would love others and be willing to serve them.
- She was blessed that she would be cheerful through the trials in her life.

The last one is the one that concerns me the most, as it is also the one that I felt the strongest about as I was blessing her. One of my fears is that my children will have to endure hardship and pain. To this day when I look at my immediate family (My wife, 6 children, parents, 4 brothers, 4 sister-in laws, 1 brother in-law, mother in-law and 15 nephews and nieces) I am amazed at how blessed we have been. There hasn't been a significant illness or tragedy in any of the families, and at times I wonder when it will happen. I realize that Lord has power to preserve and bless us, but I also know that "who the Lord loves he chastens". It wold be foolish to expect that my life and the life of those I love would be without hardships. I suppose the blessing that I would ask of my Father in Heaven is that when the trials do come, that, as I have blessed my daughter, that he would bless me and my family that we can endure it cheerfully and with glad hearts, recognizing the blessings that God has given us.

Busy day

Saturday morning we had our first soccer games of the season. Of course we were running late leaving the house as someone is always unable to find their shoes, and someone pees her pants as we are all in the suburban and ready to go. So Nathan, the man that rarely speeds, sped all the way to High River, as he had to coach Emma's game. We got there to greet all the parents who were beginning to wonder where the coach was! I went to Spitzee school with laurel and Will for their games. Will actually didn't want to play when we first talked to him about soccer, but once he was there he was all over that ball like a fat kid on a candy, and when he couldn't get the ball away from another kid he just picked it up and threw it (his first practice was snowed out, so we'll give him a break on that one). At the end of the game when his coach said "lets give a cheer for the other team", Will said, "why? we won." I guess we'll work on the 'play for fun' motto for him. Laurel did great and almost scored a goal. Emma was a little disappointed she didn't get to kick the ball more.

Later that night we had a reception for Bryan and Christine Tagg to go to which started at 6:30, so of course we left the house at 6:50. Nathan said it was at the stake center (another church building) in Calgary, so we drove there and hurried in the building. As Laurel set down the gift in the pile and I discreetly looked for a seat I heard the final words of the toast, "Congratulations Mike and Hailey!". Aaaah we were at the wrong wedding! It turns out the reception we needed to go to was at a different building. So I whispered for Laurel to grab the gift (while a few people were starting to turn around I'm sure wondering who the heck I was) and we left as quickly as we could...even though the food smelled really good! The real reception was fun and we knew a lot more people at that one!

Snow day

So this week we had a snow day on thursday. I was all looking forward to having a day with just my little ones, then our friend called to say school was cancelled. So we had a loud play day. Laurel baked cookies, Allison and Emma had a dance party, and the boys played with toys here and there. My house looked like a tornado went through it at the end of the day.

Nathan's Post - Youth Temple Trip

On Saturday I took the youth down to the temple to perform baptisms for the dead. After the baptisms we took the youth to Dairy Queen for supper. I'm trying to get in shape, so I opted to go to Subway instead, and Matt Jamieson joined me. When we went in the store, an old lady said to the counter staff "I'm paying for the Elders". I turned to the lady and thanked her and told her that we weren't the Elders, but were just here doing baptisms for the dead. She said, "Well your dressed nice in suits so I'm still buying for you". I told her it wasn't necessary, but she insisted, so I thanked her for kindness in buying our supper. While we were waiting I talked with her and her husband for a moment. Her name was Sister Layton and she goes to the Cardston 8th ward. She is a professional geneologist and gave me some insights on the challenges and fixes that the church has had with the new family history system. I noticed that her hands were misformed, and thought about how much time it must take for her to perform some of the geneological work she does. The most impressive thing about her was that even though she was a small old lady, you could sense the strength of her spirit. I've thought about her a couple of times over the last few days. There is probably a lesson or teaching there for me but I haven't quite caught onto it.