Old-fashioned?

I think I've been watching too many movies in the era where men are actual gentlemen and women were virtuous. Time has changed us. Some of our values have changed.  Don't get me wrong...there are many a gentlemen still in our day. I see men opening doors and openly adore their lady where there is no question he loves her. And there are women and men for that matter who wait to be married before pursuing intimacy.  Things aren't the way they were then and sometimes that's good and yet there is something to be learned by watching theses kind of movies, keeping mind that these are just movies. They don't always represent the real ideas a society holds.

But, it gets me to thinking about today's society and how things have changed. Today, women have their independence, thanks to a lot of hard working women from our history, however, some women have gotten out of the habit of not allowing a man be a gentlemen, therefore, they have gotten out of habit of being one. I think it's our responsibility to fix that. We should allow men to open doors, get up when a women needs a seat, to pull a seat out for her when at a restaurant or other public outing. We need to be teaching our young sons this too. I know, I'm one who goes ahead and opens the door myself because it saves the trouble or time. Sometimes, husbands might pull the car out so you can get in easier, but, shouldn't we allow them to get out and open our door for us too.  At home, we can allow our young sons to let their sisters fix their plate of food first, to stand up and make sure others are treating their sisters or mom with respect. Some say that chivalry is dead, but I'm a voice that would like to bring it back.

What is chivalry? 

1. The ethical code of the knight  prevalent in Medieval Europe, having such primary virtues as mercy towards the poor and oppressed, humility, honor, sacrifice, fear of God, faithfulness, courage and utmost graciousness and courtesy to ladies.
2. Courteous behavior, especially that of men towards women.

I think chivalry is a great trait to have. I'm going to try harder to be more lady like and remember my own manners and code of behavior as I'm teaching the men in my life they are allowed to be a gentleman. Or maybe I'm living in an old-fashioned fantasy world. Hmmm. Lesson # 1- try

Makes You Feel Good

I had Sister Sundahl call me yesterday after church to give her praise about Kaydon. Apparently, she and her husband were subs in Kaydon's class. She was so impressed with this kid and his insightful answers to their questions that after class she had to find out who the parent's were. They told her that he was a Shapiro. She had nothing but good to say of Kaydon: his manners, behavior during class and especially his answers. She's so funny because she knows me well, we worked together in Activity Days and our daughters (Danielle & Kira) are really good friends and had said I knew you had awesome daughters but I didn't know anything about Kaydon until now. Anyways, it makes you feel good when people comment about your children in that way.

Strengthening Families and our Homes

The Relief Society has been established by our Heavenly Father to organize, teach and inspire His daughters and prepare them for the blessings of eternal life by helping them increase faith and personal righteousness, strengthen families and home, and seek out and help those in need.  If you are like me, you need a little boost by the end of the week, a little spiritual lift to help us through the next week.

Never at any time in the history of the world have we needed stronger families and stronger homes. It is out of the homes and families that the next generation comes. Our homes can be a refuge in a world of evil influences. Every home, large or small can be a "house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God" (D&C 88:19)  Whether married or single, old or young, we all have a duty to defend and practice the truths found in  "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" . And let's not forget the scriptures which are at our fingertips. We should be reading the instructions given to us every day as my son Cameron taught last night at Family Home Evening.

I was given this quote to read in Relief Society, although they ran out of time and I didn't get to read it. I really liked it and wanted to share it here:

" It is the parents' duty to intervene when they see wrong choices being made. That doesn't mean parents take from children the precious gift of agency. Because agency is a God-given gift, ultimately the choice of what they will do, how they will behave, and what they will believe will always be theirs. But as parents we need to make sure they understand appropriate behavior and the consequences to them if they pursue their wrongful course. Remember, there is no such thing as unlawful censorship in the home. Movies, magazines, television, videos, the Internet, and other media are there as guests and should only be welcomed when they are appropriate for family enjoyment. make your home a haven of peace and righteousness. Don't allow evil influences to contaminate your own special spiritual environment. Be kind, thoughtful, gentle and considerate in what you say and how you treat each other. Then family goals based on gospel standards will make it easier to make good decisions. (M. Russell Ballard in Apr. 1999 General Conference report.)

I liked this because yes, we are in charge of what comes into our homes, not our children or anyone else for that matters. Hopefully, your children will appreciate what you are trying to do by separating the world from what is right.

The lesson was on Improving Our Lives. There were 4 areas in which was taught we could improve.
1.) Our relationship with Jesus Christ 2.) Ourselves  Why? Because if we can't take care of ourselves how do we expect to take care of others. We need to give time for ourselves, to take care of ourselves, to do things that will help us be healthy and bring us happiness. We serve others better when we are happy, but also we are happier when we give service. 3.) Our Families.  This is a gift to have children and should bring us the most joy than any other job in the world. We should help our families by setting the good example, reading scriptures and praying, having Family Home Evenings which are set aside as a teaching moment for our families on how to live gospel principles but also to have fun doing so.  and 4.) Service --because service brings us and others joy, most of the time, it's our families that we are doing service for and we all know that when you serve your fellowman you are serving God. As they pointed out each of these categories actually intertwine with each other.

It was a good lesson and a good reminder that we need to evaluate and to improve our lives often. When we improve ourselves we are in fact strengthening our families and our homes. 

5,6,7,8

Here is the video for those of you who have been waiting. There are 4 videos put into one. The first two are the shows done the night before competitions given for the families and whoever wanted to come. The first show has Danielle and the second has both of them in it. It will be hard to see sometimes Ron zeroed them in. For the competitions the first video is with Danielle and Samantha and the second was just with Danielle. Danielle was in two performances.  I hope you enjoy it. As you will see they are lots of fun, they are not perfect but they did it and that is what counts. We are proud of our girls for doing their best. Ready 5, 6, 7, 8  

click her to view cheer performances

Month by Month Activity Days 2010/2011

I didn't mean to delete this post from my earlier blog so I'm restoring it here. I hope someone will find it helpful in their calling.

January

1st- "Get Ready, Set, Goals"  - we gathered to see what the girls had already accomplished in their Faith in God booklets. We planned some upcoming activities. We explained what a goal is and why its important to set and work and eventually accomplish them. We played a game.


2nd- "The Music In You"- We taught the girls how to conduct a song for the first half. (They really had fun learning, I was surprised) We discussed how music is everywhere, we talked of the good and bad and how it influences our lives. We used the For Strength of Youth pamphlet to see what the Prophet had said about music. I played 4 different types of music to see if they knew what they were. The fun part, we allowed them to show n' tell their favorite song. They brought their own CD and we asked them why it was their favorite song.

February
1st- "Be My Valentine" We wrote love letters to our parents, grandparents or leaders. I had made some Valentine Service cards they could fill out and give to whomever they chose. We then decorated sugar cookies to take home to our families. Share the love. The girls had tons of fun doing both.

2nd- "How Lovely Was The Morning" - I had the song playing as they came in. We had a Family Home Evening on Joseph Smith's First Vision. We had a song and prayer to begin.  Holly took care of the flannel board story. I taught them how to conduct and plan a FHE click here, gave them print offs for a FHE chart Click here and ideas click here just for you . We put together FHE kits for them to take home. We then went downstairs to watch the First Vision movie on DVD Click here to view a part of it complete with their own popcorn bag with a few candy treats inside, everyone got to take home a DVD to do the same Family Home Evening to pass of the goal in the Faith in God booklet. We finished by eating cornbread and honey. This was a great meeting. The Spirit was very strong and I knew the girls felt it too. They actually passed off the goal by having their own FHE  with their families. Some of the girls families were inactive and now are becoming active again, who knows maybe it had something to do with the FHE.

March
1st- "Holy Bread" - Taught the girls to make bread, they each had responsibilities to do. We then discussed the Sacrament and the importance of it. We made the bread to use for the Sacrament and how this would be a great service. We never got recognition for it, we weren't expecting it, but I could tell the girls felt good about what they had done knowing they had served their ward family. It was a great lesson.

2nd- "Day at the Spa"  For the first half, we had guest speaker come and tell us how to take care of our hair, learned some techniques using a curling iron, a flat iron and learned new styles and she taught us about make-up, how to apply it, how much to use, etc.  We had another guest talk about taking care of their skin, keeping it clean, moisturized. We gave each of the girls a hot washcloth to apply onto their faces to clean it. They loved it, felt like we had been to the spa for sure. The second half we spent talking about nails, taking care of them and we for fun we did some nail art. We gave the girls toothpicks and acrylic paints. We had a book that had tons of ideas of to do on your fingernails, very fun the girls didn't want to go home.

April
1st- "Body as a Temple" - We took the girls to the Bountiful temple grounds to discuss their bodies, keeping them clean from tattoos and too many piercings, read from the Prophets quotes about each and how our bodies are like a temple. We should treat them as such, be careful what we eat, wear, etc. The Spirit was strong. We also celebrated the real birthday of Jesus. I brought cupcakes to sing Happy Birthday. Also, we bought compact mirrors and put a picture of Christ on the top and then they could see themselves in the mirror. We talked about how our countenance should be the image of God and that when we see ourselves, we can see him.

2nd- "Spring Fling"  This is the day we had been planning for awhile, with the previous activities leading up to this. A Spring Fling Modesty Fashion show. Each girl was to bring 3 different outfits: casual, church and PJ's (the girls chose that one), In the beginning we had a nice discussion about modesty and how hard it can be and that we needed to be the one to set the example. Again, read from the For the Strength of Youth pamphlet about what the Prophets have said, which is what Christ has said. We had the stage looking so awesome with glittery stars and with stage lights, we had a runway made out of  balloons. I showed them some modeling techniques that they could do, we had 3 different locations they had to walk to and do a pose of some type, whatever they chose. I had my son video tape the whole thing, my daughter worked the music and we had tons of fun. We saved the tape to be shown later at our mother/daughter night.

May
1st- "Mommy and Me" - Mother/Daughter activity.  We started out playing a Newlywed type game to find out how much the moms and girls knew about each other. Tons of fun, we had prizes for the two top winners. Had an ice-cream bar, ended watching the Fashion Show with their moms. They were both beaming with pride as they watched the show. It was a good idea to do it.

2nd - "Faith is Like A Seed"-  We talked of faith and testimonies as being like a seed, we planted a Marigold seed and gave each a charge to nourish it and take care of it. We topped it off by eating a dirt dessert with gummy worms. A great activity. The girls are so fun.

June
1st- "Sporty Me"- learned skills in each of basketball, soccer and tennis. We did some relay type games and did a mini game of each. We had access to someones yard that had a basketball court that was also used as a tennis court. The girls really loved playing around showing off their skills. At the end, we recruited each to become Secret Service Agents. I gave them each a manila envelope with the missions they were to accomplish during the time we were not together. Service missions for mom, dad, siblings, grandparents, friends and Christ.

2nd- "Mission Possible"- This was the final mission of the service agents, we serviced our community by picking up trash at a local park which usually needed  it. Ended with making our own  ice-cream cookie bars for fun. We had fun being Secret Service Agents.

July
1st- "A Hiking We Will Go" - Chose to do a simple trail in Centerville where it led to a waterfall. They were to bring a backpack with hiking essentials. Talked about being prepared. We had a scavenger hunt for certain items already found on a trip earlier. Things to look for. Ended up having snow cones to cool us off at the end. The girls love to hike.

2nd- "Camp Bare Necessities"  1.) learn to build a safe fire   2.) set up a simple pup tent   3.) cook dinner over fire    Luckily, we have a neighbor who had a fire pit and allowed us to use it. The girls are always jealous of the boys and their camping trips and so this activity gave them the short version and they were thrilled. We had relays setting up the tents, see who could get theirs up the fastest. We enjoyed cooking hotdogs and smores over the fire. Lots of summer fun.

We took the month of August off.

September
1st- "Babies" - Make no sew fleece blankets for new moms in our ward, we learned a new sewing technique for the bows on the blankets. Made our own homemade ice-cream. The girls had lots of fun doing each.

Recipe for ice-cream: 1/2 c. milk, 1 T. sugar, 1/2 t. vanilla extract (seal real tight and mix in small zip lock bag and set aside)  in large zip-lock bag add: 2 quarts or 8 cups of ice and 6 T. rock salt. Put small bag into large bag and shake for about 5 minutes.

2nd - "Back to School the 1,2 3's"  D&C 88:118- learned good study habits, about procrastinating, etc. Planned a fitness program to stay fit during the new school year. Taught and made healthy after school snacks the highlight of the activity. The girls actually had fun.

October
1st- "Be Prepared" learned some basic first aid- gave scenario's for each to act out and respond the correct way, when to call 911. We then made first-aid kits. The girls are so good, they have so much fun.

2nd- Make Strawberry freezer jam. Had tons of fun playing in the kitchen. The girls played basketball games while we had to wait. Lots of fun.

November 
1st- "Grateful for Traditions" - Make gratitude letters for our leaders, make gingerbread houses (well graham cracker houses) Had too much fun putting those together.

2nd- "O Holy Night" - watch Luke II movie 5 minutes. Made Nativity ornament with round clothes pins and popcycle sticks.

December
1st- "Tis the Season" - We made a trip to Temple Square to see the lights and take in the atmosphere. For some girls it was their first trip ever to Temple Square and especially to see all the beautiful lights. They were so excited and had a desire to invite their own families to come and visit there again. We had hot chocolate and doughnuts in the beginning. It was the perfect temperature, the perfect time, no large crowds. We got to speak with some missionaries and visit the Christ statue there in the visiting center. The girls loved the road trip.

January 2011
1st - "Bring in the New" -Explained some of the things we had in store for the new year. They helped us plan upcoming activities-this passes off a goal in the Faith in God booklet. We ended up having fun playing broom hockey in the cultural hall at the church. Lots of fun. They couldn't get enough.

2nd- "Picture This"  We are doing  an ongoing activity for each girl to create their own personal history scrapbook. We are starting with the cover page and their baby picture. I've asked each of the moms or dads to write their feelings and memories of their daughters as they were a baby.We will learn different techniques of scrapbooking using the computer. It will be fun to see how each girl creates.  This project will not only benefit them but for generations to come. It will be a special project to complete.

February 2011
1st- "Souper Bowl" Daddy/Daughter night.  We will start off having soup in bread bowls and then end up playing a SEEK football game. I have created a football field, we will use the SEEK game (scripture questions game) to play and make moves. I created slips of papers if they answer correctly which everyone will (we will supply scriptures to make sure) the slips of paper will tell them how many downs they get or maybe they will choose one that says touchdown on it. It will be tons of fun.

2nd- "We Love our Missionaries" - This is one of the activities the girls helped us with. I was so excited and impressed with our girls for wanting to be more serviceable this year. We plan on writing letters and Valentines to our missionaries and creating small care packages to send them. Can't wait!

Other activities the girls thought would be cool:  adopting a grandma at the local Apple Tree (care facility for the elderly), they wanted to pair up and visit with as many as they can. They also wanted us to sing to them and make them happy. Visit homeless shelter, make more blankets and give them to orphans. Make more sugar cookies and give them away. We are planning an activity on budget and shopping. We plan on making a dinner for the Bishopric and their wives. Again another way to serve in our ward. I love our girls. Hope these activities will help others. We love our job and would love to hear of your ideas you might have.

Another Week Gone

Okay, so I decided to keep track of what I do during the day. I write my doings on a small notebook.I only write what I do, not what time and how long it takes to do whatever I'm doing.  It helps not only me to know how I'm spending my time, but my family can also know what I do while they are at school or at work. I feel pretty balanced,  trying to exercise, keep the house clean, dinners, church callings,volunteer in the kids classes, being taxi mom-driving to this or that, staying spiritually minded and even fun things like reading a book. We will see how long this will last.  This past week I've noticed how much more diligent in reading my scriptures I am now that the kids are back in school. I'm a little behind on my scripture tracker but as long as I'm reading that's all that counts. I've enjoyed reading when its quiet and I can think and ponder a little about it. I love Nephi and I love Jacob his brother who are great teachers especially when it comes to Isaiah. I found it so much easier this time around to understand what was being said. I love their testimonies and their faithful desire to teach truth about Christ to their people. It was very important to them because they had seen what was going to happen to their people, they tried so hard to turn it around and they probably think they failed, but, I've learned so much from them and there are still many others who have learned from their teachings by reading the Book of Mormon. It's pretty awesome to think about it, that they are still teaching, many are still hearing their teachings and learning about the truths.

This week I'm reading The Maze Runner, its a book my sons got as a Christmas gift from Grandma and Grandpa Shapiro. It's pretty good, wish I could keep reading it non-stop. Looking forward to the 2nd book of it. I hear the 3rd book is still not out yet. I got a pretty lengthy book list of recommendations from family and friends of books I would like to read. I can't wait.

Saturday, we got to go to our first Cheer competition of the year. It was held at Timpview in Provo. It was lots of fun. We followed the coach down to Provo, I think next time we should decorate our cars or something. I'm going to suggest it. I was very impressed with the venue of Timpview High School. As you walk in the door into this huge opening, kind of a mall feel to it, was the banner that read In God We Trust. I was happily surprised because I thought it was a bold statement being it was in a school. But, it was an awesome sight. It brought a smile and a warm feeling of pride to be in such a place.

Luckily, the time went by fast, it was fun to see the different routines, you could tell all the girls worked hard and their hard work paid off. For our teams, Danielle and Samantha performed together with the Varsity team which came in 3rd place but then there were only 3 teams in that category so...yeah. Danielle performed a second time with the JV team. They came in first place because they were the only team in that category to perform. I'm hoping to have a link up soon for you to see the performances. I think they did a great job. We were going to go to the BYU basketball game but they were sold out, so we went out to Cafe Zupa's for lunch. I can't get enough of this place, they have the best soups and salads. Headed home listening to the game on the radio, watched the rest when we got home. It was a sweet victory. 

Waited for Jonathon to get back from his outing with the Scouts, had dinner and headed to Cyrstal Cave Springs. I had never been there but it's a man made hot springs. It was pretty neat. The one pool we were mostly in, was at 98 degrees, it had three water falls. One was freezing water, the other two were warm and hot. Everyone was congregating around the warm ones. Also there were three other smaller hot tubs in the hundred to hundred and three degrees and one lap pool which was at 73 degrees. They also had a water slide if you like cold water. I'm guessing that gets nicely used in warmer weather. As it was, it snowed while we were there making the experience even more wonderful.

Sunday, got to sleep in, it was awesome. Made cinnamon cake and the kids loved me. Got a call from church members saying that the pipes had burst in the scout room and had flooded the room. They had to turn off the power and the water. So, we had Sacrament only in another building, so we wouldn't freeze. It was a good turn out but then again, it was a smaller room and we were having a missionary farewell and they had lots of family and friends show up for it. This sister, Sister Sara King, leaving for her mission to Arizona, is very well prepared and I loved her message of the three P's of missionary work. Purpose, prepare yourself and promises. She gave a quick summary of this story of a boy and his sacrifice to go on a mission. click here to read it. It is an awesome true story. I can see her doing great things. The most awesome and sad thing about her story is that her mother passed away some time back and she has been raised by her father. It says a lot about her upbringing. The whole family, there are seven children and they are all great people. People to look up to.

We came home, played a new game-Speed Solitaire, had dinner, did Family Home Evening and went to visit Grandma and Grandpa Shapiro along with a few others who had the same thought. It was a nice visit but school was the next day. Went home and Danielle remembered she needed to watch a movie in Spanish, so we watched Fiddler on the Roof. I love it, it's a cute show. Now, I'm ready for a new week.


Today, I started my day as usual prepare breakfast (waffles always on Monday), family scripture/prayer, eat breakfast, dishes, waited for kids to leave for school so I could do my exercise workout. I'm enjoying my peace until the kids come home from school. I get to volunteer on Mondays in Dallon's class. I do multiplication facts with each of the kids for 30 minutes. That is a great reward, the kids are fun. Tonight, more cheer practice, football bowl game and more reading of my book. Life is great! Cross my fingers and knock on wood. :)

Come, Gone and Anew

It's hard to believe it but another year has come and gone. We rang in the new year at my brothers girlfriends cabin in Liberty. We ate somewhat healthy foods, no sugar foods anyway, no soda and we played some fun games. When the clock reached midnight all of the kids took a turn jumping off the back porch which happens to be on the second level of the house into the deep snow. All was fun until Dallon jumped into not so fresh snow and twisted or sprained his ankle. Happy New Years! It wasn't that bad luckily, then again it wasn't my foot. If you ask Dallon he would tell you differently. Poor guy. Next day, tried to sleep in but only made it to 8:30am, not too bad but, I could have done better being we didn't make it home and into bed until 2:00am. Got up and was ready to get going. I got a lot of things done including taking down all of Christmas and ready to watch the Alabama vs Michigan football game and TCU vs Wisconsin and Florida vs Penn State. Okay a lot of football, but all my favorites won. Went to get pizza for the game for those who came over to watch them with us and got to have one for free. Don't know why, I guess they were feeling generous for the first customer of the New Year. Sweet deal! 

Sunday at church was awesome, I bore my testimony, I wasn't planning on it but it happened. I saw our Stake President and every time I see him, there is something about him that reminds me of my dad. I started thinking of him, many of you know he passed away last year. I was grateful to the Great Plan and for Jesus for making it possible for me to see him again. We had great and awesome teachers yesterday. I love Sis. Gardner and how she teaches. She really gets you to think about it. All of our gospel teachers are awesome, we are so blessed to have so many great people in our ward to learn from.

Sunday, I was also able to start one of my New Year's goals to have family dinners every month on Fast Sunday. I am looking forward to doing this. This month yesterday, we had a roast dinner and a game. Lots of fun. Next month, I'm planning a early Valentine's Dinner/Family Home Evening. I'm hoping more family will come next time. Even more fun.

The new year is looking promising so forth. So, Happy New Year's to all of you, hope this year will be one of spiritual growth and eternal wealth.