Destination Imagination

Conner has been a part of Destination Imagination for 4 years now.  I am not very good at explaining or defining what that is but I will try.  The kids are given two kinds of challenges, one is an instant challenge that could be anything but they know absolutely nothing about it until they are in the competition.  The other challenge they can plan for and is in various categories.  There are building challenges, acting challenges, etc. The kids must come up with their own solutions without any adult interference.  They meet every week and practice, build, plan, etc.  Last year Conner's group did well and competed at the state level after winning first place at districts.  This year we had districts just last week-end and placed first again.  The challenge they boys picked was to do an improvisation.  During the year they had to research various historical time periods and vocations during those time periods.  They had to research stage make up styles and how those characters would act.  Then they had to prepare for various kinds of pandemoniums that could occur as well as contemporary characters.  They don't know any of the exact things they will be given until right before their performance and they are given three of the elements at the beginning and they have four minutes to plan a skit and apply make up to one character.  After that they are given the contemporary character and one minute to add that into their skit and then they are to perform.  Here is their skit and if it doesn't work then you can view it on youtube.com with the title Destination Imagination 2014 SOS. 

Quilting

For Personal Progress I began a project that I have really made more elaborate than required but have really enjoyed.  The project I had picked out was to read two of my older Ensigns each week and glean lessons I need to learn from them and put that in my journal.  I figured it was pointless to read the Ensigns and then do nothing about them.  I started this project a couple of years ago and instead of taking 15 hours I have done this for countless hours.  I decided to read every single one of my old Ensigns and do this instead.  I am coming close to completion, but it will still be a few months for that as I have about 25 more to go, but that is a long way from when I started and had 30 years worth of Ensigns saved.

Periodically I will e-mail an article or two to my kids but I would imagine they might get tired of that and so I decided to share one on my blog.  I was really excited about the title of this article "Mending Quilts Mending Lives" by Carolyn Rusch.  I love to quilt and wish I had more time to do that and this article was really good so I was not disappointed.  Even if you don't like to quilt or have never quilted, this is a great article.

As I was preparing to speak to a group of Young Women, I caught myself reflecting on quilts. I wanted to help the girls understand that each of our lives is like a quilt. Just as every quilt has a unique pattern, so too our lives have a pattern uniquely ours. Each piece in our quilt represents a challenge we’ve had, a blessing received, a truth learned, a talent nurtured, or an experience that has helped shape us into the person we are today—and the person we can become. Some quilts are orderly and have a precise pattern; others are crazy quilts with oddly shaped pieces and mismatched colors randomly sewn together. Although both types of quilts can be used for the same purpose, each is wonderfully unique.

As these thoughts wandered around in my head, I was reminded of the graduation quilt my grandmother had lovingly pieced together for me. She had used a sunbonnet design made of scraps of fabric left over from previous sewing projects, both hers and mine. After my grandmother had sewn all of the pieces together, quilting her work of art became a family project. I remember sitting for hours around that quilt with my grandmother, my mother, and an aunt as they taught me the art of taking tiny stitches—making sure each one went through both layers of fabric. We had worked on the quilt for several days when an unfortunate thing happened. One of us asked my aunt to pass the scissors, which she quickly did. But much to everyone’s horror, as she slid them across the quilt point first, they went into the quilt, leaving an unsightly hole. We were all upset and just knew the quilt was ruined. I remember my grandmother telling us not to worry because with iron-on tape and some careful “finagling” she would be able to make the hole almost invisible. Sure enough, she fixed it, and although a patch now covered the unsightly hole, we had to look closely to find it.

The night before I was to speak to the young women, I decided I would take my graduation quilt, now 37 years old, with me. The girls would be able to see how each square was unique and how each added to the beauty of the quilt. I could tell them about the hole in the quilt, how my grandmother had patched it, and how I treasured the memories sewn into the quilt with every stitch. I also wanted to remind them that just as the hole had been mended, we too can be mended when we do something wrong, not with iron-on tape, but through the gift of repentance and the great atoning sacrifice of a loving Savior.

As I finished my preparation, I decided to mark the patch in the quilt so I could quickly point it out to the young women. I pulled the quilt down from the shelf and began looking for the patch, but much to my amazement, I couldn’t find it. I even laid the quilt on the floor and went over it inch by inch on my hands and knees but still could not find the L-shaped scar. I began to wonder if my memory was failing, yet I knew the incident had happened and there had been a hole in the quilt—but where?

I searched for some time but the patch was not to be found. Then I was reminded of the words in Doctrine and Covenants 58:42: “Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more.” I knew then what I needed to share with the young women. They needed to know that they are beloved daughters of our Heavenly Father, each unique and different, with individual talents, trials, weaknesses, and triumphs. They needed to know that repentance is available and forgiveness is possible. Just as I had been unable to find the patch in the quilt, so it is with our lives—if we truly repent, it can be as if a sin had not been committed and even the Lord will remember it no more.

I had caught myself reflecting on quilts but found my testimony of the principle of repentance and the power of the Atonement strengthened. That night I added one more piece to the quilt that is my life.

Newest Members of the Anderson Family and Other Stuff

First off, I am a terrible blogger.  I always vow to do better but never seem to as the computer and I really aren't the best of friends as I have better things to do than hang out looking for my pictures or files or whatever seems to have gotten lost on the computer.  I guess it is really an organization problem an not a computer error, but it seems much nicer to blame the computer.

Last August we added a new grandchild to our family.  Courtney and Will had their third little girl and named her Megan.  She is really cute and the big sisters seem to love her so much as well.  They are a great family and I especially love that they only live about 30 minutes away so we can see each other fairly often.

This is their family just a few days after Megan was born.  They came up for Labor Day week-end.

A few later I drove Kylee to Rexburg where she has been going to BYU-I.  It was the first time I had ever been there so it was quite an adventure.  The thing that was the coolest, was before we left Pasco I asked Kylee if she had stuff to do in the car as we drove there as it would be a long and boring drive.  Instead, Kylee and I talked the whole entire time.  She didn't read any of her books or play any of her games or music and I didn't listen to books on tape or turn on the radio or anything.  We spent the entire trip talking and laughing and just having a good time.  It was so much fun.  Different story on the way home though.  Sad, long, boring.  

These are pictures of Kylee's new home for the next two semesters in Idaho.  The temple is close by so she can go often.  Campus is pretty much across the street and the grocery store is a few blocks up the street.      

Here is a picture of Brad as we often see him.  I figure the kids will remember all the pictures of him sleeping on the ground on our RV trip or after weddings.  

And now to the next newest members of our family.  Yes, we have crickets.  Isn't that the most exciting thing ever!  No, we don't have an infestation problem, thank goodness.  They are the food for Conner's new friend who he has named Gary the Gecko.  

 And here he is.  He actually doesn't run around the house.  He has a vivarium that he lives in but we take him out and let him run around.  Kind of creepy !

Conner got Gary for Christmas.  We had the whole crowd come home this year and had the best fun.  Brad challenged Kaitlin to a race so here is a picture of that.  It was freezing cold but we all went to watch.

 While everyone was here we held Kaitlin's Young Women's Recognition which is similar to the Boy Scout Eagle as Kaitlin worked hard to accomplish all of her goals.  This is a picture of one of her projects:  She made a modest dress.  She actually picked out two different patterns and combined them to make this dress that she then wore to Homecoming.

 And last but not least our latest family picture.  But unfortunately, or rather fortunately, it will be out of date by the end of the summer as Erin and David announced that they are expecting their first baby at the end of July.  We are so excited for them.  Little cousins for the Keelers and more grandkids for us.

I have been inspired by Allison and my daughters who have earned their Young Women's Recognition and some are even working on it for the second time that I am going to re-commit to doing the same and thank Allison for setting up the blog for us to all report back to. Personal Progress and Duty to God