{Dare!}

Dare to be a Mormon

{Mack:  he can snap his fingers, LOVES to swim, can pretend that he's got basketball practice anytime of the day, expresses his love often, spells his name but leaves out the a every time, thinks that eating lettuce is going to make him throw up}

Dare to stand alone
Dare to have a purpose firm

{ Cooper:  got his tonsils out this summer (secretly loved that it made him clingy to his mom), Love is independence but struggle with it too, Love all the kids hair color and brilliant blue eyes, he thinks he should be as big as Burton, has ben riding a bike without training wheels for a year, amazing balance this kid has, and is always open for an invitation to go play somewhere else.}

Dare to make it known.{Liberty:  is becoming a germafob, is trying to do her own hair (can twist the top and put it in a nice pony tail), Loves her little cousins and is a great helper, got to spend some time away from home with Aunt Melody this summer, gets homesick just like her momma, Loves to shop, already anticipating the big change to middle school :(}

{Burton: LOVES Boise State notice the shoes, very active, great teaser, awesome noise maker - pencil tapper, loves a good hug, becoming a great worker , enjoys outings like spending a day at scout camp or riding his motorbike.}

A couple of years ago after reading a selection from the FRIEND before the kids tore out of the door and ran for the bus, we read about the word DARE...... having the courage to DARE to do right.  DARE became our word.  DARE as we said goodbye for the day.  It could encompass so much.  DARE to stand up for the right, DARE to stand up for something you believe in that might be the joke at the time, DARE to walk away if your friends are acting inappropriately or not acting like a friend.  This morning we watched on one of our favorite mormon messages in which President Monson as a solider in training DARES to stand up and be counted as a Moromon, not realizing that behind him stood 3 others who took that DARE also. 

Just as summers in the past this one just didn't feel long enough either.  Ripping off that bandaid to let them grow up is never easy for me.  Although I must say I have enjoyed some freedom that comes with older children this summer... like leaving them to walk and exercise in the morning or just running to the store without having to load them all up to go to Hard Times or Stop N Shop.  Along with that, I have sensed that life is moving at such a fast pace that one weekend rolls to the next and soon the months pass.  With growing kids my house which once felt so roomy for us is getting tighter, the endless teasing is a constant, and the demands of the world feel like they are weighing me down.  I just want them to be kids, to have time to play, to have time for creative play that will let their imaginations grow, mostly to realize what potential lies within them.  I see all to easy that agency is theirs and that when I am not with them they have some freedom to exercise that agency.  I hope they realize that they can use it for good and bad.   This time is a time to put into action the things taught in primary and will give them real life experience to the lessons they learn on Sunday. 

We have been blessed.  I feel so grateful to have each child.  To love 4 different personalities and know that the responsibility is mine to teach them and fearing the weight of that load and knowing I can't do it alone have realized the importance now of FAMILY HOME evening .  Even though I spent most of last night getting upset that my children didn't sit straight and tall with arms folded and they spent the majority of the night in someone else's space it all ended well and I will do it again because that is what I can do to safeguard my family.

With that said..... WE had a Great First Day of School.  Well, the twins struggled being entertained at home but my fear of FRIENDS was eased with the perfect teacher assigning spaces and lockers, and with another teacher complimenting our family by saying  to the school secretary that if she didn't have  Burton Park in her class don't bother telling her the list.   So with each new day as we part, DARE to make a difference.