December 31st, 2012. Time: 0700

As one of my hobbies, and a recent tradition when I come to Chatham, I have been getting up in the pre-dawn hours to go find a sunrise somewhere and find a few geocaches along the way.  Sean and Nat wanted to come with me on my New Year's Eve sunrise run, so we got up and drove out to Pleasant Bay at the south part of Orleans to watch the sun come up.  Here's what we saw.

Sean and Natalie, the troopers through the frigid morning hours.  I think it was 26 and breezy.

We had all our ducks in a row, getting to the beach there at 7:00 sharp for a 7:06am sunrise.

We even found this old pier that has long been out of service.

Makes for a decent element to compose into our pictures.

Nearly there.

My morning companions.

Just breaking through.

It's the morning now!

It was destined to be a beautiful day for First Night, Chatham.  (300!)

Christmas 2012

First--we kicked off the season with the Holiday Hurrah at Ian's school. Each grade sings two holiday songs,  followed by some classroom visiting (which is always fun for the parents...but even more novel for the kiddos). 

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Christmas Eve at our house finds everyone (everyone) busy with preparations for the big day. Every year, Joe makes Santa's cookies with the boys, and this year Ian was able to do most of the work. In fact, he really took this whole thing by the horns and started the process with a family brainstorming session as to the type of cookie Santa should get. After making a list of...ohhhh, I don't know....15 or 16?....kinds of cookies, he used the uber-scientific method of eenie-meenie-miney-moe to make this year's selection: banana drop cookies. Now, I had no idea these even existed--in fact, when Joe added them to the list, I thought he was making it up as Ian was rather insistent that the Cookie Candidate List be as long as possible. But no! They exist! And they're delicious!

After Santa's cookies, we all got our pj's on and set out the ingredients to make a snack for the reindeer food (oats, carrots, and glitter). You'll be happy to note that the reindeer at almost everything. 

Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd this was the best we could do to photograph our children together in front of the tree on Christmas Eve. Blake wasn't in a......cooperative?.......mood.

On Christmas morning, the boys woke up at a very respectable 7:45am. (In fact, I was up at 7:15 and feeling rather anxious for those kids to get out of bed and start the day! It was all I could do to let them sleep. Christmas morning as a mom is super awesome.)

At our house, Santa fills the stockings, and everything under the tree comes from people we know and love.

Best stocking stuffer? "I can't believe Santa knows that I love Ramen Noodles!"

About five years ago I read on a blog about a family who gives each person four gifts at Christmas--something you want, something you need, something to wear, and something to read. And that's the beginning and end of what comes from Mom and Dad. Joe and I thought it was brilliant and have been using that method ever since. Add into the mix gifts from grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts/uncles/cousins, and friends, and our family is still spoiled rotten....but we love the simplicity of four gifts with four specific purposes. 

Blake thought the present was better for riding.

Ian's something to read? A space encyclopedia (which he's already poured through...maybe twice).
This was the first of four encyclopedias (encyclopediae?) he received.
He's a happy boy.

Joe has wanted a Shop-Vac FOREVER. Glad to say that we finally came through...

.....and then the boys did the REAL work of playing with the box.

Christmas morning wouldn't be Christmas morning without Eggs Benedict.
Not gonna lie--having a 6 year-old who loves Hollandaise makes my heart pitter patter.

Some families are open-everything-at-once families.
We are a play-as-you-go family. For us, opening a present means opening a present.
Assembly, play, etc. It's magical.
...And it takes ALL DAY LONG, which is just how I like it. Here, we're playing Hiss, Blake's new color-matching game.

Every Christmas day we make ice cream. Blake had ice duties this year. It was delicious.

I don't know why I continue to underestimate the fun-factor of packing peanuts. 

We had a quiet Christmas dinner at home. Ian was in charge of choosing the meat--ham--which ended up being wise on his part. I can't complain about preparing a meat course that is already fully cooked. =)

Every Christmas, our traditional dessert is my grandmother's chocolate bread pudding and our homemade ice cream. It was delicious......

...and we even let Blake eat right out of the server. It is Christmas, after all!

ABCs to Point us to Jesus

Access his Atonement.  (Uchtdorf, "A Matter of a Few Degrees", 2008)

Believe in his power to heal. Matthew 8:5-13

Come unto to him with an broken heart and a contrite spirit. 3 Ne. 9:20, 3 Ne. 12:19

Desire greater faith, then seek it. Alma 32:27

Enlighten others with your testimony. DC 58:5-7

Forgive others their trespasses against you. Matt. 6:14

Give your heart to him, that he may heal you. Ex. 15:26, Ps. 147:3, Alma 15:8, D&C 42:48

Help another see the merits and mercy of Christ. 2 Ne. 2:8, Moro. 6:4

Identify His hand in the blessings to your life. (Monson, "Consider the Blessings", 2012)

Justify your sins no more. DC 121:37

Know that he has descended below ALL things. DC 122

Love Him as Lord, Master, Brother. John 11:11-46

Make peace with someone you have hurt or who has hurt you. (Uchtdorf, "One Key to a Happy Family", 2012)

Need the answers he has to give. (Monson, "The Race of Life", 2012)

Observe the first and second great commandments. Matt 22:36-40

Purify your heart by loving all men.  John 13:34-35

Quit judging, gossiping, deriding, ridiculing in public or private. (Uchtdorf, "The Merciful Obtain Mercy", 2012)

Receive the goodness God already wants to give you.  1 Chron 17:25-27

Stand up for the truth. Ephesians 6:11-18

Trust that His infinite love, knowledge, and Atonement is personal--for you. (Eyring, "Where is the Pavilion?", 2012)

Unload your burdens upon him.  Mosiah 24:15

Validate your covenants by repenting. (Uchtdorf, "Of Regrets and Resolutions", 2012)

Walk circumspectly (Eph 5:15)

Xpect answers to your prayers. (DC 112:10)

Yield to the promptings of the Holy Ghost. (Eyring, "The Caregiver", 2012)

Zealously help others reach their potential. (Monson, "See Others as they May Become", 2012)

Cause that's how we roll.

Thought I should upload a couple of more recent video clips.  Just so you can get a feel for who we really are.  :)

Thanks for tagging along during the last month of me penning what I've been thinking about.
Joe.

First is my rendition of the chicken head motion observed at the Deerfield Fair.

Second is the day when Blake and I climbed a mountain...er...hillside one morning before work.

And the third is Ian and Jen being silly after Ian pulled his two front teeth a couple of months ago.  All from this fall.  

They need me.

At parent/teacher conferences this week, Ian's first grade teacher encouraged us to work with Ian's reading fluency.  That is, blending phrases together and recognizing sight words into a speaking cadence.

Of course, this is with good reason-- he reads at a first grade level, and sometimes when Ian is reading, he needs a little boost.  As a Dad, I feel needed similar to when he was learning to pump the swing or ride a bike and wanted a little push.

Tonight we were reading scriptures, and he got hung up on a word (they have diction difficult enough for even the seasoned reader, of course!)  The funny part was that he was hung up on the word "words".  He'd say "wahrds" then look at me, then I'd say, "Look at the words" and then he'd have to find his place again.  Then he'd iterate and say "wohrds" and then look at me again to see if he got it right.  His teacher mentioned that he does this to her too, and she of course makes him struggle through it until he gets it.  Well, I am cunning, and a jokester, so given this opportunity, I said even more emphatically, "Look.  at. the. WORDS."  He looked down, then a huge smile crossed his face, and he said "WORDS!"   He thought that was really funny!

It made me think of some of those times when a child really does need a parent.  You know, those times when my boys try something, then look up to see if I noticed that they tried-- not knowing if they failed or not.  Sometimes it is acknowledged failure, but still.

Modern Art

Have a good look at this picture.  Tell me what you see.

Now think to yourself, "Why in the world is this important, and why does Joe want me to think about this odd collection of things?"  It's a sculpture, comprised of:

7 Company Tokens
1 Singalong CD
1 Finding Nemo DVD
1 Spoon
1 Duplo Car
1 Playdough Lid
1 Soda Bottle Cap
1 Hair Elastic
1 Twistable Crayon
1 Side-panel to a Computer Tower

Okay, now let's think back to this post.

Yes, this collection of things was dug out of the innards of our computer on "annual clean the dust out of the heat sink night."  You know that night has come when your computer's fan spins into overdrive every five minutes asking for a little more cooling power.  Anyway, our computer has a HP Hard Drive Expansion Bay in the front, which is very convenient for short and long term storage purposefully placed by my beloved two year old.  I really love Blake.  He never ceases to amaze me, though.

And now, it'd be a good time to put that spoon back into service with a late-night scoop of ice-cream!

Go fetch with Blake.

I have realized that there are definitely merits to having children who can run errands.  They slowly learn to put away their own things.  To find their lost things.  To get things that I need.

Most of the help I ask of the boys is mildly useful to nearly inconsequential, because they are still in the training phase.  But of course, every bit of responsibility is important to their developing skillset!

Here's an example of how this went down this morning:


Scene:  Dad has a drippy nose and is trying to employ two-and-a-half year old Blake's energy to bring him a tissue or toilet paper or something to blow it.

Me: Blake, could you go get me a tissue?  I need to blow my nose.
Blake: Yes, daddy.  [trudge, trudge, thump thump thump]
[Blake comes back from who-knows-where-he-went empty handed.]
Me: Blake, what happened to the tissue?  You have to go to the bathroom, tear of a piece of toilet paper, and bring it to daddy.
Blake: Otay, daddy.  [trudge, trudge, pat pat pat]
[Blake comes back from the bathroom with a little fleck of corner torn off the toilet paper, maybe the size of a bandaid.]
Blake: Tantoo daddy.
Me: Yes, Blake, thank you.  Can you get me another piece?  This time unroll the toilet paper and bring me back two squares.
Blake: Otay, daddy.  [thump, thump, pat pat pat]
[A minute later, he brings me back a piece large enough to blow my nose into.]

I love having a boy who can fetch things for me, even if it takes iterations!

Success!  he unrolled the toilet paper and brought me two squares back.

Stop It!

First, a side note.  I wonder if we'll consider the 2010's as the decade of the internet memes... I first heard the word meme a couple of years ago.  From Wikipedia:

 A meme ( /ˈmiːm/; meem)^[1] is "an idea, behavior or style that spreads from person to person within a culture."^[2] A meme acts as a unit for carrying cultural ideas, symbols or practices, which can be transmitted from one mind to another through writing, speech, gestures, rituals or other imitable phenomena. Supporters of the concept regard memes as cultural analogues to genes in that they self-replicate, mutate and respond to selective pressures.^[3]

Most of that selectivity and replication and self-replication is on Facebook.  The originals all were an image with a black border and a brief phrase below, like a motivational poster.  Then they were superimposed dialogue on interesting pictures.  Then there was the "What you think you do/what your mom thinks you do... etc" and the simple vintage-style line drawings with a housewife and a caption.

Well the context for my thinking about this is when I was reviewing the LDS General Conference talk given in October 2012 by Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf entitled "The Merciful Obtain Mercy." The talk was wonderfully pointed and motivational to the end of forgiving those who offend us, avoiding casting judgement, and seeing our fellow man from the perspective that God sees them.  The main punchline was that the solution to these ills is "STOP IT!"  (Elder Uchtdorf always has quotable quotes.)  You can see where this is headed.

And sure enough there are many to choose from.  Here's one that highlights the main take-away of the talk:

Here's another designer's version.  Briefer, to the point.

I like this one, too, as it is simple, direct, to the point.  I could envision this being framed art or wall art or passed around on Facebook.

You want more choices?  Google with keywords 'stop it Uchtdorf' or some combination thereof, and you get a whole host of options.  Honestly!  People must have really felt motivated by those words!  It's not that they are so interesting or remarkable or intricate; the secret to extending mercy is to simply stop judging. 

Please review the talk for all its simplicity.  If you want to see what a living prophet of God looks like, you can watch this two minute snippet.

Highlights?

Forgiving ourselves and others is not easy. In fact, for most of us it requires a major change in our attitude and way of thinking—even a change of heart. But there is good news. This “mighty change”⁸ of heart is exactly what the gospel of Jesus Christ is designed to bring into our lives.

How is it done? Through the love of God.

When our hearts are filled with the love of God, something good and pure happens to us. We “keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world.”⁹

The more we allow the love of God to govern our minds and emotions—the more we allow our love for our Heavenly Father to swell within our hearts—the easier it is to love others with the pure love of Christ. As we open our hearts to the glowing dawn of the love of God, the darkness and cold of animosity and envy will eventually fade.

 Then jumping to the end: 

Brothers and sisters, there is enough heartache and sorrow in this life without our adding to it through our own stubbornness, bitterness, and resentment. We are not perfect. The people around us are not perfect.¹⁹ People do things that annoy, disappoint, and anger. In this mortal life it will always be that way.

Nevertheless, we must let go of our grievances. Part of the purpose of mortality is to learn how to let go of such things. That is the Lord’s way.Remember, heaven is filled with those who have this in common: They are forgiven. And they forgive.

Lay your burden at the Savior’s feet. Let go of judgment. Allow Christ’s Atonement to change and heal your heart. Love one another. Forgive one another. The merciful will obtain mercy.

Of this I testify in the name of the One who loved so well and so completely that He gave His life for us, His friends—in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.

 I am Joseph Jackson and I approve of this message.  (Isn't it remarkably simple, yet true?)

Things I like about Jen.

This was another blog topic fed to me by my dear one.

Here are 31 things I like about Jen.  Arbitrary number, of course.

1. She is a fantastic writer.  She wrote me emails, missionary letters, AIM chats, lunch love notes and the like throughout our courtship which were well-thought-out and lovely to read.
2. She is thoughtful.  She sends people cookies, black beans, and cake mixes in the mail when their local grocery options are limited.  
3. She is an extraordinary cook.  She has a great command of a whisk and other kitchen paraphenalia, and can innovate upon a recipe to make it taste better.
4. She is compassionate.  Early in our marriage she brought up the idea of "giving a gift to Jesus" which really entailed giving financially for the benefit of the poor and needy.  I was touched.
5. She's a cautious driver.  Jen keeps the rules of the road and gives plenty of space to the hooligans who drive around here.  She even coaches to help this hooligan drive more courteously.
6. She is punctual.  When I have a place to be with Jen, we are never late.  It's quite nice to be early to meetings/classes/appointments, because then we get a good seat and can be calm.
7. She's got the softest skin.  This one is a little harder to observe if you're not nearby.  She passed on the soft skin gene to Blake also, who is kissably soft.
8. She has a sense of fashion.  Not only does that keep her snappily dressed, but it helps me up my game.  I receive compliments on days I wear clothing Jen picked out or purchased.
9. She's very intelligent.  She keeps up with current events among our nation and the nations of the world.  She knows the opinions of people I've never heard of, and knows why countries are hurting.
10. She's a cartophile.  Have you been to our house to see the Map of the World Showercurtain?  It's yet one more reason to take a long, warm shower when you come to New Engla nd.
11. Fall is her favorite season. I had never thought through my reasons to have a favorite season, because they all have something to offer.  But to a Mainer, the world is just crisper and more beautiful in fall.
12. Her hair.  Oh, her hair.  Have you seen it recently?  It shines, has a little curl, and she has discovered how to be the "hair whisperer" to make it into the most beautiful array of locks.
13. She is thrifty.  She can take $5 and turn it into something wonderful, through yard sales, thrifting, deal-hunting, or innovating with items on hand.  She's also willing to leave the money in the bank.
14. She is crafty.  And who doesn't like a craft?  She's handy with a glue gun, sewing machine, vinyl cutter, photo editing software, cross-stitch, and crochet hook.  Yeah, all of the above.
15. She likes to hand-stitch the bindings on her quilts.  Yeah, I didn't know what a binding was a few years ago.  But Jen has a knack for it, and makes some beautiful fabric creations.
16. She's got the cutest wrinkly-nose smile.  She used to do it alot more, but I guess I teased it away.  My comments weren't supposed to scare it into submission, but I don't see those wrinkles much anymore.
17. She's got compassion for children.  She doesn't even have to know them, and her heart swells up with desires for their well-being.  It grieves her soul when help is beyond her control.
18. She takes immaculate notes.  She was a research office secretary, then a Department secretary at BYU's business school, so she has a talent for connecting her ears to her hands to paper.
19. She can type like a hundred words per minute, or something obscenely fast, at least.  And she only uses 6 fingers, folks!  It's amazing.  I admire that she could use that skill to pump out college papers.
20. She wants me to succeed.  She urged me into my educational plan, she helps prep me for business meetings, she lets me try out new handyman projects to see if they work.
21. She has a beautiful alto singing voice.  We used to sing in the choir together, and it was lots of fun to be able to pick her voice out among the other altos.  I guess that comes of years of listening to her.
22. She can tickle the ivories, too!  It's one of my favorite things to brag about on Jen's behalf, and perhaps one of the things that embarrasses Jen the most when I tell them.  She really is talented.
23. She's humble about her skill-set.  Though, she really could give herself more credit for being awesome.  She is a woman so well-versed that she doesn't need to be shy about it, after all.
24. She gave me children.  That is to say, she and I are raising 2.5 sons together, and I love that she has dedicated her professional life to rearing them in love and righteousness.  I love that she loves them.
25. She shops with a grocery list.  This is no ordinary grocery list either.  It's based upon a weekly menu.  And charted out according the store floor-plan.  And has target prices for the produce aisle.
26. She can drive a stick-shift.  We honeymooned driving a Plymouth Sundance.  Then our first summer together, we borrowed the Justy.  Then we bought the Outback, the car of my dreams.
27. She wants me to have a garage.  To house my workshop.  And my canoe.  Which garage would naturally be attached to a house in a suburb or rural area.  In which we'll raise our posse of children.
28. She prioritizes clean sheets.  This means that I get that crisp fresh feeling on a regular basis and sleep well at night with the tight weave tickling my toes.
29. She enjoys charts.  Including my geeky charts about our family energy consumption, budget, or height.  She offers to help me create charts to help me organize for my calling at church, etc.
30. She appreciates antiques.  I see much beauty in things as they were, and really enjoy seeing things persist across generations.  Hand-me-down vintage clothing, old furniture, tools, appliances.  Neat!
31. She knows I love her.  The reason I like it is because knowing that she knows makes it so much easier to step aside from disagreements and refocus on the big picture sometimes.

On Encouragement

Perhaps among the most admirable, motivating character traits I could describe is encouragement.

I remember having my parents, teachers, grandparents, and other adults often give encouragement and advice.  These wise folks have told me that I was doing a good job, have nudged me along when I was feeling tired or insignificant, or have given me ideas for other approaches to try to solve my problems.  And you know what?  These types of remarks make a contribution to my life.

When in college, I remember a Sunday School class once where for some reason we were decomposing character traits of good teachers or good friends or whatever, and what I remember taking from that lesson is that there are people in this world that make me feel better about myself because they compliment regarding what I am good at doing.  These people are the first to notice successes and cheer others along even if they haven't been able to see the end of their quest yet.  There's a sense of gratitude for other people's efforts, regardless of the outcome.  Several men in my apartment building were masters of the art of encouragement, and they were positively a blessing to all of us peers.

I believe these words from a prophet of God, Elder Henry B. Eyring, (Oct, 2012, Help Them Aim High)

Every person is different and has a different contribution to make. No one is destined to fail. As you seek revelation to see gifts God sees in those you lead in the priesthood—particularly the young—you will be blessed to lift their sights to the service they can perform. With your guidance, those you lead will be able to see, want, and believe they can achieve their full potential for service in God’s kingdom.

Part of it I believe is like coaching.  You know, the "teaching the man to fish" paradigm.  Or if you aren't teaching him, at least you are motivating him to learn to fish.  The other part, I think is the principle of lifting a man when he is down.

The last couple of weeks, my spare-time Netflix show has been watching old seasons of Merlin, a BBC production of various adventures in Camelot, starring Colin Morgan.  It's over-the-top dramatically with alot of cliche script, but it really works for the series.  Since it is based on legend, when you listen to the delivery of the lines, you almost come to believe that the cliche is only cliche because the Arthurian legends is where it all began, and has been imitated ever since then.

Episode 3.2 as they are readying for battle against an enemy of Camelot, where they are estimated to be out-numbered 2 to 1, there is an uncharacteristic pep-talk that takes place between the prince and his servant.  In this series, Merlin is a "closeted" warlock, as magic is outlawed in Camelot.  Arthur believes Merlin to be a clumsy oaf, though it's really Merlin who secretly saves Arthur from a variety of dangerous circumstances.  When you read this, add a dramatic score in your mind, insert pauses and serious eyes staring between the characters.

Arthur:  It's not like you to get nervous, is it Merlin?
Merlin: I'm not nervous.
Arthur: No?
Merlin: Because I trust in your destiny.
Arthur: Have you been on the cider?
Merlin: {Draws sword to give to Arthur} It is your fate to be the greatest King Camelot has ever known.  And your victory today will be remembered by every age until the end of time.
Arthur: {Accepts sword.}
Merlin: Just trust in yourself.
[Long pause]
Arthur: There are times, Merlin, when you display a sort of-- I don't know what it is--What is it?--It's not wisdom--Yes.  That's what it is.
Don't look so pleased, the rest of the time you are a complete idiot.

These words were undoubtedly encouraging and strengthening.  The writers could have done better than this cheesy exchange, no doubt, but it works with the theme.  I guess to look at a nobler source, here are several quotes from the Bible under several related topics:


Don't be afraid Deut 31:6
17 For our light ^aaffliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and ^beternal ^cweight of glory;
18 While we look not at the things which are ^aseen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen aretemporal; but the things which are not ^bseen are ^ceternal.

6 Be strong and of a good ^acourage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the ^bLord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not ^cfail thee, nor ^dforsake thee.

It won't be so bad 1 Cor 10:13

13 There hath no temptation ^ataken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be^btempted above that ye are able; but will with the ^ctemptationalso make a way to ^descape, that ye may be able to ^ebear it.

Overcoming 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the ^ainward man is renewed day by day.

Peace John 14:27

27 ^aPeace I leave with you, my ^bpeace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be ^ctroubled, neither let it be afraid.

Constancy Deuteronomy 7:9 

9 Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which ^akeepeth covenant and ^bmercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;

Seems like there are lots of aspects to this.  On the person to person side, I suppose encouragement also includes being a good listener.  Yes, I feel most validated and encouraged when someone listens to me as though what I have to say is important.  It's a part of the interpersonal relationship that uplifts and inspires.

A Photo Essay: Cape Cod Sunrise

This morning I left the house at 6am.  Yes, I did it for fun.  I find that when I'm on vacation, it's nice every once in a while to go watch the sunrise.  Then to find a few geocaches.  I'm compulsive like that.

This week for Thanksgiving we went to Cape Cod to visit GG and Great Papa.  It was our first trip that direction for Turkey day, and we made a great time of it!  They are so wonderful.  After having three days of Turkey Dinner, I think I'll have to reduce my portion size next week... especially since after each meal I enjoyed a "sampler platter" with a sliver of three or four pies.  For the week: apple, blueberry, coconut cream, pecan, and pumpkin.

Anyway, here's a selection of pictures that I took this morning on our walk down to Cockle Cove and Forest Beach.  Later, we hit the bicycle path to go find some additional geocaches.

Forest Beach, Chatham, MA.  Sunrise at 6:42 a.m.

The air was fresh, the sky was clear enough to get some color.

Brother-in-law Sean came with me for the morning jaunt.

Chatham-style vandalism: Let's paint scenery on the "Stay off the seagrass signage."

Shells washed ashore en masse on this beach.

Our hike down the rail trail was equally relaxing.  Sean found his favorite pillow.

Down on the Cape, it's intriguing to see more moss up in the trees than on the ground.

Yes, that's me.  Approaching the Tree Cemetery.