We Thank Thee Oh God, For A Prophet. . .

President Hinckley's Passing--
Today marked the day our beloved prophet Gordon B Hinckley died this evening, Sunday January 27, 2008. His life was a legacy and an example to me. I am so thankful to have lived during this time in his tenure as prophet, seer and revelator.

President Hinckley is irreplaceable. I know his successor, Thomas S. Monson, will carry on as the new prophet and be his own kind of leader. I wrote some comments in the Deseret News and added mine along with the 667 others just ahead of mine. I wanted to put them here so I cut and pasted what I wrote so I wouldn't have to reconstruct what I was impressed to say.

I am truly blessed by the strength he showed in all circumstances and by his great example. I too am a better person for having taken heed the counsel of a living prophet. He gave me courage to carry on in the face of uncertainty while I went back to school and be a light and a standard for my posterity.
Clip from Deseret News:

Anna McIntire | 11:44 p.m. Jan. 27, 2008
President Hinckley personally touched my life with great impact. I read his bio and gleaned the courage to move forward in Faith, no matter what. He also reminded us with the 9 "Bs", and to Stand A little Taller and Stand for Something. He was so well read and knew so much that he could speak to anyone from a common everyday person, to celebrity and presidents, kings and princess'. He was a Man for All Seasons, and leaves a legacy of so much. I knew when the Perpetual Education Fund was announced I would be a part of it, I am thankful to have served a mini-mission with the young Saints in Monterrey Mexico. The leadership that may come as a result of this world wide program will raise up many leaders of countries for future generations. I am sure he has already been told, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant, enter into my rest." and reported to the Savior of his accomplishments with deep humility-- so characteristic of Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley. I will miss your influence and reminders, our prophet dear. Lindon, UT
Later, Mom ;)

Work is Child's Play--Grandma's stories a bonus, K7s birthday

Two for the price of one to catch up on Saturday's missing blog entry.

My day started out with some goals to finish up my photo family history project. I spend many hours on the project on Friday and ended up having to redo the work. It was my ignorance and lack of knowing how to save the files scanned to put on CDs. It really doesn't matter now, I did get the problem corrected and have more photos to share and more stories!!

I think I am getting the hang of this. Sharing my stories that is. Yesterday, Saturday--Aaron announced someone wanted to come see the house who is interested in a home such as this one. I can say that Candice and I were less than excited since we also knew we needed to go over to the new house to clean it too! So it looked like double duty for us, the girls too. Aislyn and Ella help do their part, their room and scour the sinks kind of thing. But Candice had them help in the kitchen today. Ella got in and started washing the dishes to put in the dishwasher. I helped her and called in Aislyn to also load it with me. She was more interested in playing her hand held game, which I don't know the name at the moment. Anyway I drew her in by starting to rehearse stories about her daddy when he was a little boy.

That was the magic formula by the way. She came in and I taught her how to load the silverware like I do, making sure each set, forks, knives and spoons were in the same slot, and all facing the same way. I explained how it is much easier to put them away all together when organized to begin. She listened too and got it right. She was a little tentative grabbing the forks and spoons by the top end to make sure they where upright in the silverware rack. Ella had already rinsed them off so I didn't say anything with her hesitancy to touch "dirty silverware."

The girls were delighted as I shared with them the story about their dad who at age eight, along with Matt who was six and Michael was only ten when they learned how and started to wash their own laundry. The kids at home all did their own wash, and had a day assigned and no one else washed on their day. There were six at home at the time. I shared how each day of the week one cooked dinner; since I worked Sunday was my day to cook for everyone. I appreciate so much the love and support of each of my children as we had to work together to make things run smoothly while I worked outside the house.

I never had to worry about the house being a "mess" when I came home. They each had jobs assigned, so when the next one came behind the other to do their jobs it wasn't to pick up after someone else for not doing their job. I realize how important that was in their learning to be dependable in the workplace in their later lives. I also know Tracie and Tara were home and mothered the boys to help things run smoothly also. They were older enough and very responsible that I see how now their own children know how to work as well. It makes this mother pleased to see how they learned it as children before responsibility of their own families took hold.

Michael told me more than once how he saw his fellow missionaries in the MTC, and new companions having to learn how to do their own laundry, where he had been doing his for nine years. None of the kids ever wore dirty, wrinkled clothes either. I think they took pride in their appearance and I am grateful they learned so young, and it saved me not having to work and do wash for everyone. It really lightened my burdens.

I will say here that their role model of big brother Hank and his work ethic rubbed off too. He was my best dishwasher by the way, and set the standard too as child caregiver. Look at him now! I think that all of my children learned from our circumstances and rolled with the punches, literally sometimes I am sure, doing their best!

Back to the stories. I told the girls about the time Hank--when only four years old released the emergency brake while I was in the store and he and Tanise were in our new 1969 Ford truck. The truck rolled out of the parking lot and into the street facing oncoming traffic in the left turn lane. I "ran" in to get a gallon of milk and left them in the car to behave. I was at the check out and a clerk asked< "Who owned a Ford truck which was rolled out into the street?" I was 8 1/2 pregnant with Tara and I did run out to see what happened. I got to the truck, Hank and Tanise were crying for me to come help. I got in, then we said a prayer of thanks for them being safe. We never left the house after that without having a prayer in the car.

The girls were delighted with all my stories and we got the dishes done with their help. They were enthralled and forgot about playing the game--so we went on and folded clothes. Oh, I almost forgot to say how I played an ABBA tape to get us moving and dancing while we worked. Ella loved it and spun around and danced while I helped fold clothes with her. Aislyn scoured all the sinks and did a great job too. Parker was loving the music and was dancing his little jig and laughing while we worked. He thought it was great to see us all moving and shaking it UP!!!

Years ago I had an on-the-job training in a preschool day care center as a Montessouri teacher. I learned so much and loved their method of teaching children to self manage and learn through play. The concept was that play for children is their work. Each activity was geared to teach them to work on one thing at a time, and put it away when finished before starting another work. They learned about music, the musicians like Mozart, Beethoven, Vivaldi as preschoolers and up through 8th grade. I guess Baby Einstein caught on from that kind of mentality too. The infants and toddlers in Montessouri were also exposed to the same music with their own level of learning. Parker loves music and especially Baby Einstein.

We did get to go work at the new house. They girls helped dust, and wipe down the counters. Ella was really focused and loved it more than Aislyn. Candice and I vacuumed and oh, yes, I took the CD player and we blasted ABBA and got a lot done.


I had to leave the cleaning project to go to K7s birthday bash, with Aislyn, Ella and Maddie, who was playing with the girls at the new house. She wanted to go too. So we all went and had fun with Pizza and green salad chosen by the birthday boy. I took a picture of K7 with his Cookie Monster cake, but flatly refused to wear the birthday crown. He was very pleased being King for Day without the crown; he didn't need it to know he was KING!

After the birthday celebration the cousins gave a dance performance. The girls went wearing their dance outfits. Maddie dances with K10 and happy as a lark. K6, K7, K8 all joined in with Aislyn, Ella, and Maddie. It was 9:00 p m when we left to go home, they were all tired, but had a great time at Aunt Lori's. The girls get so excited when I go over and they want to go too and say they have so much FUN going places with Grandma! How sweet. It makes MY day!