Since you've been gone... April 11, 2016

... we're really feeling the heat.

This was Elise's choice.

Since you've been gone... February 22, 2016

...we've found our voice.

This was Elise's pick.

Since you've been gone... December 21, 2015

...We're earnestly seeking the best gifts.

This was Elise's choice.

Since you've been gone... October 19, 2015

...we're lumbering along.

This was Elise's choice.  The Pynes helped us with the set.  (And fed us apples and sweet bell peppers and sent apple cider for the road.  Sorry to make you jealous.)

Paper Post from Elise September 12, 2015

My pattern since deciding to write paper posts to Riley which are sent with the prints of our family picutre is to pray about what should I write.  This time I got a new answer:  it's someone else's story to tell this week.

I had Elise and Aleah with me when that impression came and shared it, asking if one of them hadn't told me a spiritual experience this past week.  Elise lit up and said, "I did...  about prayer and the fighting."  I asked her if she was willing to write that experience out for me.  And she came right home and did.

As I read her story, I remembered the impact of peer teaching I'd seen in our family home evenings when the children were little and I relinquished my ideal of perfectly prepared and presented parent-taught lessons for little children sharing simple principles they understood.  I never stop being amazed by these spiritual giants we are entrusted to raise.

From Elise:

Dear Riley,

I had a really neat experience this week that I would like to share with you  I'm sure you've heard of the constant fighting problem in our home.  I had grown sick of it and became upset with Aleah and Parker.  I didn't like the way I felt, but I didn't think about how to change it.  I felt like I had no control over my actions or feelings anymore.

I finally couldn't take it any longer.  I felt so terrible that on Friday I knelt down and prayed harder than any other time I have prayed.  I prayed that I would be forgiven for my mistakes, that I would be guided when a fight came around, that I would be able to reach Aleah and Parker in an appropriate way, and that I wouldn't be as reactive to insults.

The next morning I felt different.  I no longer felt weighed down by the mistakes I'd made.  Aleah was having a bad morning and was looking for a fight.  She of course tried to attack me by insults.  The insults really stung.  She knew the things that would usually set me off.  I was about to say something horrid back, but instead blurted out, "Okay."  She seemed suprised, but tried to dig deeper.  The same thing happened again and again.  Every insult was swatted down by an "Okay or "You're right, I could work on that". Suddenly she stopped and I walked away even though I still wanted to get her back for what she had said.

She took a minute to cool down, then came downstairs with tears in her eyes and apologized for how she had behaved.  She said that I had handled it in the exact way that she needed.  It was exactly what I had prayed for.

I am so thankful that I knew I could get help through prayer and that I knew I didn't have to do it alone.  I love you and know that you are doing the right thing.

Love,
Elise

Since you've been gone... August 24, 2015

...you can pretty well see what we've been UP to.

This was Elise's pick.

Since you've been gone... July 13, 2015

...we're tapping our roots.

Elise chose this one.

From Elise through Mom July 5, 2015

Elise is so good at capturing conversations and cataloguing them for us.  This is one from today:

Elise - Well, Josie, you're in time out.  So I think I should leave because time out is a time to think about what you've done wrong.

Josie - Elise.  You have two choices.  One, you can go without me.  Or two, you can stay here with me.

Elise - I think I'll leave and come back later.

Josie - That is not one of your options.

Elise - Ok, then I'll just leave you here then.

Josie - Elise, that's not an option any more.

From Elise February 8, 2015

Riley, 

     I miss you so much. Every Thursday I go with the youth to the temple. I miss you waking me up and instead I have to wake up to an alarm clock... or worse, Parker!  

     I started back on the Rubick's Cube by force of Parker. He wanted me to do it more than I wanted to.

    Love ya,

      Elise 

P.S. There will be more next week. Sorry it is taking so long.

From Elise (sent Jan 5)

Hey Riley,

Sorry that it has been so long since I have written you.I guess that I'm not very good at these things.

    

I am so done with Mrs.  She is the worst grader ever. I'm so glad this is the last week whith her forever. (I am never taking a class from her again!) ;)

I finished the Book of Mormon the day that before the deadline. I was so happy to finish, because we got to go to Heber and hang out.

Josie has found a new interest in puzzles and is surprizingly good at them.When we were near the end of finishing, we realized that we were missing three pieces. We soon found two of them, but then we were missing one more. It bothered me so much.

     

I got chapstick from my freind for Christmas.On the seccond day of having it,I walked uo to see marks in them and realized Josie had been upstairs right before me.i suddenly felt a shock of anger towards her(it is the 3 chapstick she has ruined in one month). I screamed out,"Josie ate my chapstick!"She responded in fake innocence,"Elise,I didn't eat it,"I just stared at her,"I pinched it." Well that just made me angrier.I just wanted to be alone in a room to think about how stupid of a thing I had screamed over. Just then Aleah came in with a Barbie with a broken leg.When I went to fix the leg,I realized what had happened.Josie had stuck the Barbie foot in the chapstick.What a goofball! (I finally forgave her when she came in with a dollar bill and said,"This says don't give this to Elise, only Josie.' Then I went from crying to laughing out loud.

I love you,

Elise