Be Still, My Soul

I guess I haven't had anything to say in a while. A review of my blog says my last post was in April. Can that really be true?

Well, since April, I took a summer semester of Accounting I and Business Management. My 4.0 is still holding. We went to Many Point Family Camp the day after I finished up my classes for one week. That was really fun, although I had an ear infection and wasn't really very energetic while there. But it was restful, and the kids had a wonderful time. Katie got off her training wheels while there - that was exciting! She is a beautiful girl, and lights up my life.

When we got home from camp, Aaron and Tristin left for a week in the badlands with the Priests quorum for a 50 mile hike. The next couple of weeks flew by as I prepared for school for everyone, and then school started again for me. I am now in Accounting II, General Psychology and Legal Environment of Business. I thought it would be harder to keep up, but they are all proving to be pretty easy classes. I am currently getting A's in all of them. I will graduate after this term with my AA with an emphasis in Accounting. I have to decide, in the meantime, whether to start at Crookston this spring or wait a term. Lots to decide financially and time-wise.

Tristin, Brandon and William are in Cross Country together this school year. It keeps them very busy. Tristin is keeping up with his schoolwork really well. He is in A.P. World History, A.P. Calculus and keeping his grades up in all his classes. Brandon is struggling a little bit. He gets his homework in on time, but didn't show his work enough in math and isn't very good at reading comprehension, which is a big focus in English this term, so that is a struggle. William is completely overwhelmed. Cross country has been way too much for him. There hasn't been enough time for all of his homework. Accelerated Math class has been difficult for him. He has always done well in and liked math, but something isn't clicking for him (possibly partly to do with not clicking with the teacher's style, from what I have observed). He is having a hard time focusing on homework, if he even gets to it. Yes, there have been lots of missing assignments lately, and not just in math. Once he got behind there, he got a mental block against homework in other classes, as well. He is catching up on them, but we have come to the decision that he needs to drop back to regular math. I thought the logical answer was to drop cross country, but it didn't feel right. He needs the physical activity. I am also thinking that he is having a hard time understanding his teacher. It isn't the end of the world to go back to a regular math class. He can still move ahead next year if he gets back on track.

It would seem that auditioning for the musical tomorrow wouldn't be the right choice for William, as well, but something is telling me that he needs to be in it. It completely doesn't make sense. William isn't like the other kids. They are very motivated by groundings when they fall behind on homework. Not Will. He isn't into electronics. He doesn't hang out with friends often. He just likes sitting and reading books or playing with Legos. If those aren't available, he will bake something or even just stare into space before doing homework. My thoughts are twofold. First, the cross country season is winding down. There is only one meet per week, and it ends before the month is up. The meets are close to home, comparatively to the prior ones, so I can pick him up and get him home to do homework and get him to rehearsals those four nights. Second, he has friends at CVFT. If he has homework to do, he will know he has to have it done before he can hang out during down-time at rehearsals. Motivation! Plus, if I go to rehearsals without him, he will sit at home doing nothing with nobody to hound him to get his homework done. If he is with me, it will get done.

Enough with the homework issues. Aaron has been away a lot lately. I miss him. In September, he was gone half the month. He has been gone since Friday morning (I drove him to the airport at 4:45am) and he doesn't get back until Thursday in the wee hours of the a.m. I have my colonoscopy at 9 a.m. on Thursday, which is why he is red-eyeing it home instead of taking a mid-morning flight. It is just preventive care for me. I don't have any symptoms. My mom just had colon cancer pretty young, so I have to go in every 5 years. I am not looking forward to Wednesday's prep. Yuck. At least my parents are coming to get Katie for me. Otherwise, she would miss dance class, and I wouldn't have anything to do with her on Thursday morning. Tristin and Brandon have to go to the Plymouth building for Young Men's on Wednesday night, which screws up my plan of having Tristin drive Ben and Dallin to Scouts, so now I have to find a friend to pick them up and bring them home. It shouldn't be a problem, but it sure did get complicated in a real hurry with Aaron out of town. He has a few more trips this fall. I am looking forward to them being over.

Two of my friends and their families from church are moving soon. I will miss them, but as usual when this happens (and it happens way too often), I am jealous. I feel stagnant here. I don't have good neighbors. I want neighbors who are friends. I want to feel comfortable in my back yard. I know that I could probably find that without leaving this city, but I want change. I want an adventure. I want something that will shake up my family's habits. I want my children to see the world and know that life isn't about finishing their chores and homework so that they can play video games and watch cartoons. I want them to see how people live in other parts of the world. I want to live that way for a while. But I'd settle for Aaron getting a job in another state and for them (and me) to find some good friends who live close by. Unfortunately, I don't see that happening. The job market is terrible, and he is stuck where he has been for the last 13 years in a job he despises. I feel so awful for him. I want him to be happy and feel fulfilled in his employment. At least he has his calling. He loves being the bishop. He is really good at it. I am sure that one reason he is still in his job is because it has allowed him to have the time he needs to do this calling at hard times, like when KumCha and Graciela each passed away. Other companies wouldn't have been as flexible. But is it possible that it could be over sooner than later so we can leave?

Tristin said something today that hit the nail on the head regarding our ward. "Have you noticed that it is always the move-ins that move out? All of us who were always here are still here, but the people who move here leave and other people replace them and the cycle continues. But we are going to be stuck here forever, aren't we?"

A few new families did move in last month. One of them is the Staples family. Colette and I really clicked. She and I could be great friends. Ten years ago, I would have been calling her regularly by now and seeing if she wanted to hang out. I tell myself that I am too busy with school and she is too busy driving her kids all over to try to keep them in their old school district. But instead, I know that I am being defensive against her either rejecting me (if you haven't heard the story of Lori, ask me another time) or against the eventuality of her moving away or getting split off into another ward, since she lives in another city. Why can't I just make friends and not worry about these things?

My life is really good. I have a terrific husband who loves me and seven healthy children who are really good kids. Despite the homework issues with William and a very loud 7-year-old who I can't seem to convince to use his indoor voice, we are relatively problem-free. Money is tight, but we have enough. I am able to go to school and get the education I never got after high school. I get to be in musicals with my children and with my husband in the pit orchestra. We have a roof over our heads, and modest as it is compared to most of my friends' houses with half the children I have, and as much as I anticipate going out of my mind again this winter any time there is a day with no school due to a lack of personal space for anyone here, it is sufficient for our needs. We could buy something bigger if we wanted to increase our debt, but we would rather be responsible and not do that. We have made our choices, and I know I should live with them and be happy with them. Sometimes I just feel so stagnant, though. I am trying really hard to remember what is important and not feel down about where I am not.

If we moved away, would I get homesick? Would I miss the familiar ward, the musicals and friends in the theater, and my garden and apple trees? Why is it that I have always had this bug in me that wants to move? Is there some reason it has never happened? Sometimes I want to see the end from the beginning. I need to remember the words to one of my favorite hymns, "Be Still My Soul." "Keep Thou my feet. I do not ask to see the distant scene. One step enough for me." I want it to be enough for me. I really do. Maybe in 10 years, we will still be in this house, and I will think, "Why did I ever want to move? We have so much space here." The kids start leaving in two years. In seven years, the kids remaining in our home could each have their own bedroom. In 10 years, we will only have two left. This house will probably feel like a mansion. Maybe we will want to downsize. That's all assuming the kids find jobs and don't start moving back home after missions and college. With their families. Ugh. One step enough for me, right?

Katherine (for Stefany)

This poem was accidentally posted on the Pratt Family Cooking blog last Mother's Day. I don't have any idea how that happened!

Katherine (for Stefany)

Those toes, but stubs of pinkish tone,
poke out of the blanket’s grasp,
and though wanting for a warmer home,
are too beautiful to wrap.

And fairer hair I have not seen,
than the threads that grace my child;
what once was parted, tied and bowed,
now rests both free and wild.

Gazing on those sleepy eyes,
the smiling cheeks, pursed lips, pinched nose,
I trace the lines and memorize
Dear Kate before she grows.

Tristin's Day

Today was a hard day. Tristin failed his second driving text. He didn't look both directions with a head-turn when crossing intersections. I remember being dinged on this one during my first driving test. I think he had so many dings on his first test that the instructor never mentioned this one, although I have been reminding him. He also killed the manual transmission a lot. This was nerves. He hasn't killed it at all in recent weeks until his test. Then, on the way home, (while he was still pretty upset) he killed it repeatedly. He also hit the curb on the parallel park. He had been doing well with it when with Aaron, but right before it I had practice and he only managed to do it perfectly once out of about eight tries, so this is something to work on. I think it would be good if he could use an automatic transmission for the test so he doesn't have so much to focus on. Maybe he needs to borrow a grandparent's vehicle next time.

On an up note, when we got home, he had a voice mail from McDonald's. He was offered a job! I'm very happy for him. Unfortunately, he will not be able to go to Tom & Jessica's on Saturday for the Easter egg hunt and lunch, as orientation is that morning. But at least he will be getting out and earning some money and learning new skills to help him grow. Luckily, McDonald's is so close he can walk there.

I think this is it...First day of school 2010

Well, Aaron came back from Asia last month and I forgot to get these pictures off the camera. The video camera cable is still missing, so I don't have Aidan's first day of school for you to see yet.

Tristin is sporting his new bolaro. He got away with it for a few days before he was told he couldn't wear it in the hallways at school. But, there was a hat day, and he has worn it to some parties, so his purchase hasn't been for naught.

The boys are all doing very well in school so far. Tristin is enjoying being around more mature students, and even has math classes with mostly sophomores and juniors. Show choir practices twice per week, and I think he enjoys it. Aaron and I went to watch him for the last half-hour of dance camp on Saturday (it went from 9-6), and he is keeping up really well!

Brandon had his first show choir activity last night. He is one of 20 boys in the choir, which consists of all of the boys who auditioned, plus all of the 8th grade girls. The 7th grade girls are making up a new show choir this year. There were 112 kids who auditioned in all, so they created a new choir for them.

William is enjoying middle school. Band started last week, so he is working on consistently getting the right sound out of the flute. He is also participating in the play with me. We're working on getting him through his chores. He is not one who likes doing the same thing every day. He'd rather do a big project that has an end than sweep and vacuum the same floors each day.

Ben is becoming more responsible. He has come home to an empty house with Dallin and Aidan a couple of times now, and has done exactly as he's been instructed, making sure Aidan comes right in and doesn't go out to roam the neighborhood. It is only about 20 minutes before the older boys get home, but he has been handling that 20 minutes very well.

Dallin is also doing very well. He has some harder chore responsibilities this year, and is doing well at them.

Wow, these are over a year old and got posted on the wrong blog. Oops.

Yes, I've been negligent.

I finally uploaded the last few months of pictures to my laptop. This one is of Katie on her birthday. She has on the apron and chef's hat that Grandma Merle made for her, and is playing with her new kitchen set that we gave her. I think she's the most beautiful 3-year-old I've ever seen!

Another post that went awry

Apparently I had the flash off for the pictures I took on Katie's birthday. They are pleanty light, but awfully grainy.

Aaron made another hit by frosting Dora onto a double 13x9 cake. He does it all with just a printout from the computer. It is pretty amazing, if you ask me.

Applesauce Post went Awry - here it is now a little late

We made applesauce in November. It was pretty easy, and very worthwhile. The applesauce is extremely flavorful! We cut the apples into segments.

Then, we put them in a pot with a little bit of water until they got soft, then drained them.

Everyone fought over putting them through the KitchenAid.

Tristin chopped for a while, but by the time Aaron started taking pictures, the applesauce-making had Tristin hungry.

 Ben got to help put the applesauce into jars. We didn't get pictures of the final product, but one thing I wasn't expecting was that it was all pink. Processing lightened it up, but it is still light pink.

More Chile

I realized that it is a lot easier to write about the trip in the comments below the pictures in Picasa. So, if you want to see the play-by-play, take a look at them using the links at the bottom of this post.  There are two albums, Aaron's and mine. We are also eventually going to get links to the pictures our friends, the Woods, took while we were in the south.

https://plus.google.com/_/notifications/emlink?emrecipient=108896221080650599446&emid=COiX-_vlra4CFQJ13godQUgAAA&path=%2Fphotos%2F106003110732083474977%2Falbum%2F5711224307603503649&dt=1329783606532

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=108896221080650599446&target=ALBUM&id=5711995599943517521&authkey=Gv1sRgCJCghvCT0KfuLA&feat=email

Chile: Part 1

Here are the two emails I wrote home during the trip. We also Skyped, so that is why I didn't email more than that. I figure I'll start with them, since I got into pretty good detail. Once I get pictures uploaded, I will post again with some of them and write some more about the trip.

Feb. 12th

Hi Everyone,

We had a great day today. We attended church in the Republica ward. It
was a little rough going to Relief Society by myself, and I understood
nothing when I was introduced, but there were two women who knew
English there. One of them, Cecilia, asked me to sit by her after she
found out how little I understood Spanish. She turned out to be an
investigator. She was moving last weekend, and got mixed up on the
date of her baptism. She had thought the 4th was Sunday, and late in
the day on Saturday she thought to look at the calendar and realized
she had missed it. She didn't have the missionaries' number, and they
lost hers when their SIM card got switched out. So, she showed up to
church today and nobody had realized she was there or were looking for
her, as she had moved out of the ward. She started to say to me that
she thought that maybe it didn't happen for a reason, but after our
talk she told the missionaries that she needs to find her new ward and
meet the Elders there so she can set a new date for baptism. She spent
the rest of the afternoon with us. Aaron's old friend, Luis, who was
sixteen and had gone on splits with him each night for six months was
there and has a car and offered to take us up San Christobal. We also
drove to many other places to see the sights. It was really fun
getting to know them both. Luis served a mission in Vina del Mar and
is a civil engineer, working for the government. Cecilia is a grandma
and an artist (a really good one - she has always earned her living by
her paintings and she gave me a bookmark that she made and laminated).
She grew up in a Navy family, and her dad was working for the U.N. as
a diplomat by the time she was 13. He put the children through private
schools and she learned not only English but also French. She was a
very intelligent and spiritual woman, and has been looking for a
personal relationship with Heavenly Father for five years. She just
finished reading the Book of Mormon, and had some great insights about
it. One of her sons is studying classical guitar at the university.
One of her daughters is married to an Atlanta-based Delta management
person that we would guess Reo has probably run into. They live there
and have some children. The other son is currently traveling.
we exchanged contact information and I am sure I will have a Chilean
pen pal for years to come.

We head out to Puerto Montt in the morning, and we do not know how
much Internet access we will have, if any, so don't worry if you don't
hear from us until Thursday.

If anyone needs anything, shoot us an email tonight or we will miss it.



Feb. 15th


We haven't had any Wi-Fi in a couple of days because we are kind of in
the middle of nowhere, so sorry you have not heard from us in a while.
But this is a good thing because we have had some real adventures. Our
first day in the area, we went to the Island of Chiloe by ferry in
search of penguins and good seafood. Unfortunately, we did not find
the best seafood, but we managed to get on a motor boat tour to see
the penguins. The tour operators are limited as to how many tours they
are allowed per day, and they were all full, but thanks to some road
construction (and good  karma - ha ha), the people who were booked on
the next tour did not show up in time and we got to take their places.
It was really neat to see them, and we also saw sea otters in the
water.

We took the ferry back that night and headed for our cabana, which is
just outside Ensenada. We got in really late, due to the road
construction I was referring to earlier, so when we arrived we had an
excellent display of the stars. There is so little light pollution
where we are that we could see more stars than I have ever seen
before. That is also due to the fact that we can see a large band of
the Milky Way that is not visible in the northern hemisphere.

In the morning, we went in search of food. Although there are other
tourists in the area, in this town there are no good restaurants. We
settled on a Supermarcado in town and got some juice, yogurt and
blueberry kuchen. Yes, that is German for cake. Yummy! There is a
little German influence out here, and the cakes are freshly baked and
only available in the morning.

After breakfast, we headed for the waterfalls. It was a short hike
there, with shopping and snack huts along the way (a strange intrusion
on nature). The waterfalls are beautiful, and the water is so clear
you can see the rocks at the bottom of the bed at the bottom. This is
all with a snow-capped volcano in the background. This is actually the
reason for the waterfalls, which are running over piles of volcanic
rock.

Next, we took a 3-hour horseback ride along part of a massive lake and
through the woods. Aaron has never been on a horse before, but did
great. His horse was content to follow along and do what it was
supposed to. Andria's was also pretty good, but Will's and mine did
not do quite as well. Fannie, my horse, was at first quite stubborn,
as was Will's. She did not want to listen to my directions, but
finally realized I meant business when I got off her and picked up
switches for both Will and me. We didn't even have to use them before
they started behaving, although they did need a few little taps later
to get them moving when they had decided to stop to graze.

After we rode, we again tried to hunt down some food. We had thought
to find a decent meal at a restaurant, but everything either  looked
as bad as the place we had eaten the night before or it was between
meals and only had one option. We finally settled on empanadas from
the Supermarcado, which were not as good as the ones we got in
Santiago, but filled us up a little.

We then drove up the volcano. The road wound back and forth at a steep
incline. There were places to stop on the way up, and I did pretty
well until we got to the top parking area. By then, the altitude had
gotten to me and I had some nausea and a light headache. I stayed in
the car while Aaron, Will and Andria climbed almost to the snow cap.

Realizing that we would not find decent food in this town, we drove to
Puerto Varas to try to find dinner. Aaron had thought that Valentine's
Day was not a big deal down here, but boy was he wrong! I have never
seen so many cars parked around a town as I saw last night. There were
thousands of people trying to get dinner there. We went from
restaurant to restaurant, trying to find something both with decent
food and an empty table. Everything was booked until we saw a sign for
a restaurant inside a casino. It turned out to be just the place. It
was all decked out for Valentine's Day. We were not really dressed for
white linen, but we swallowed our pride in our jeans and sneakers and
sat down. We had not yet seen the menu, and when we sat down we found
that there was a special three course meal being served, complete with
a series of wine couplings and a dessert which included mouse with
cappuccino in it. Luckily, we were able to have the alcohol removed
from the meal, as well as from the bill, and there were three mini
desserts, so we were able to eat the other two. The rest of the meal
was great, though. It was a very artistic meal and we only knew about
half of what we were eating, but the favors were fantastic. There was
even raw tuna served over squash, but I ate it and was surprised to
liked it. But maybe it was just that I was so hungry at this point
that I was willing to make myself like it. One of the desserts was
made with rose petals in it, and tasted like roses. It was amazingly
good. Another was formed into the shape of a rose. I felt like I had
tasted it before, and it took a while to figure out what it was. You
know how in a box of chocolates, there is normally a strawberry-filled
one with nugget in it? It was just the filling.

The drive home was late. We finally got back and dropped right into
bed, although it would have been nice to look at the stars for our
last night here, but it was 1 am, and we were tired. We were able to
sleep until 9:30am before getting into a shower that was determined
not to stay warm. Now, my hair is air drying and I am snuggled up in
my bedcovers in a comfy chair in the living room next to the fire
place. This cabin is pretty awesome. It is much nicer than I was
expecting, other than the annoyingly sporadic water heater. We had
yogurt and cereal that is much like Coco Puffs and hot chocolate and
juice that we purchased yesterday at that same Supermarcado when we
picked up our lunch. We think will be taking it easy until the Woods
take us back to Puerto Montt this afternoon.

(later) Just arrived at the Hotel San Martin. We have Wi-Fi here, so
we will leave Skype on tonight in case you need to contact us. We are
pretty exhausted, so unless you have some urgent need, we will contact
you tomorrow to Skype.