Pumpkin Family Home Evening

Yesterday our family was invited by the Rosborough's for Family Home Evening.  We enjoyed dinner together and then had a lesson about being a Christian.  Now pumpkins and being a Christian may not seem like they go together but leave it to Mormons to use anything as an object lesson.

So here is the lesson:

A lady recently being baptized was asked by a co-worker what it was like to be a Christian. She replied, "It's like being a pumpkin:
God picks you from the patch, brings you in, and washes all the dirt off that you may have gotten from the other pumpkins.
Then he cuts the top off and scoops out all the yucky stuff.
He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, etc.
Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see."

1. Take a pumpkin. "You aren't a pumpkin, but all of us are something like one. God picks you from the patch, brings you in, and washes all the dirt off that you may have gotten from the other pumpkins." Talk about how a pumpkin is like us: it has an outside and an inside. The outside is what people see. The inside is like our soul or our heart. A pumpkin left to itself will soon rot and die. We will die some day too." 

2. Carve out eyes and a small "o" shaped mouth.  As you make the holes and pull out the pieces of rind, ask people what they see inside (yucky stuff). "This is what we look like to others and what we are like when are hearts are not changed. The hearts of men are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live (Ecclesiastes 9:3). How can we get rid of this icky stuff?" 

3. "God is the only one who can change our heart. But in order for God to change our heart we must become open to him." Carve an opening in the top of the pumpkin big enough to put your hand through. You might want to quote Revelation 3:20: Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. 

4. Put in your hand and pull out the insides. "God scoops out all the yucky stuff inside of us. He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, impurity, and greed." Talk about the cross and how Jesus was willing to become messy for us, so that we might be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. (Ezekiel 36:25b-27). 

5. "But if we leave a pumpkin with just the insides taken out, then it's just hollow. We need to have a light inside that will truly make us alive! Jesus said, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.' Add a light to the inside of the pumpkin. "When Jesus lives inside of you, you can glow! You will want to be kind and honest. You will want to please God, to help others, and to tell other people about your Friend and Lord." 

6. At this point you might want to carve the mouth into a smile! "God carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see."

Real Men Sing

Matt belongs to both the 7th/8th grade Luna Men's Choir and the Glee Club Choir.  This last Friday he participated in a "Real Men Sing" concert.  This concert bring together Men's Choirs from five middle schools in the district so they can hear what each other is doing and increase participation of boys in choir.  After a 45 minute concert there is pizza, soda, basketball, and a chance to make new friends.

Natural Bridge Caverns Field Trip

The fifth graders at Galm Elementry went to the Natural Bridge Caverns last week.  They have been studying rock types and formations so this was a fun field trip for them. 

This is a pancake formation

These are donuts formations

Dan's friends Corben, Coby, and Josh

Living with Males

I must admit that not having another girl in the house can be a little much sometimes.  Just so you can appreciate this idea I thought I would share the following videos that the boys took themselves.  Yes, this is truly my life.  

A Year of Birthdays...Enjoy the Pictures

Congratulations

 2011 Air Education and Training Command Clinical Dentist of the Year

Yep, long title for an award but Doug got it.  In January, we found out that he was up for the 2011 Company Grade Officer (CGO) of the Year for the 59th Medical Wing.  This means he was already awarded the 2011 Dental Group CGO of the Year.  There was a big event for the awarding of the 59th Medical Wing CGO of the Year.  Doug was sooooo excited to have to buy his Mess Dress, but he sure looks good in it.

Doug and the 59th Dental Squadron Commanding Officer Col. Hebert

And you can't escort an officer in mess dress without a formal yourself.

Holmes Family Reunion

Spring break found us headed to Show Low, Arizona for the Holmes Family Reunion.  Bryant and Stephanie spearheaded this get together with amazing results.  

They found a huge house to rent for a week, then coordinated activities and meals. 

 We played games, went to the park, read books, ate lots of good food, went 4 wheeling, shot guns, went on bike rides, and hung out.  It was nice to get away for a while. 

Meeting a General Authority

This last spring the Smith family used Salt Lake City as the meet up point to continue our journey to Rexburg, ID where Kate's Senior Recital was to be held.  This ended up being no ordinary stop over.  To explain why I need to go back in family history a little.  (I tried to get Dad to write this part but it was a no go.)

In 1974 Dad was finishing up his mission in Aajoshima, Japan.  Although his mission had been quite successful, this last area was proving to be more difficult.  By the end of his time in Aajohima he was wondering if he had accomplished much of anything in this area (from what I understand this is a common feeling among missionaries).  So Dad leaves the mission field to continue on with life.  He met and married my lovely mother.  With her, he had four beautiful children (hehe).  He obtained a dental degree, served his country and started his own business.  He has served in more church callings than I can recall and given more hours of service than can be counted.  Life continued on.

Then out of the blue, he receives a phone message from a mother of a missionary asking if they had reached the Douglas Smith that baptized a woman in Aajoshima, Japan in 1974.  Although, dad knew that he was there at the time, he also knew that he did not baptize anyone in his last area.  Also with the last name of Smith in the Church he figured that they had the wrong person.  The next day Dad received another call, this time from Elder Yamashita of the Quorum of the Seventy who was certain Dad was the missionary he was looking for.

Elder Yamashita went on to explain.  He had just spoken in the previous General Conference about his conversion in Fukuoka, Japan and was asked to speak to the missionaries at the Missionary Training Center in Provo.  He decided that this would be a great opportunity for his wife, Tazuko Yamashita, to share her conversion story with the missionaries and practice her English.  Sis.Yamashita shared her story about a missionary who had taught her the gospel but was transferred before she had committed to baptism.  After the meeting was over, a young missionary who was in the congregation approached the Yamashita's because he would be serving in Fukuoka, Japan were his father had served also.  Through this missionary the Yamashita's were able to identify the missionary companionship that had taught Sis.Yamashita.  Hence the calls to Dad.  

After hearing the story, Dad remembered a young woman who saw him off at the train station.  Dad dug through his mission memorabilia and found a letter from a newly baptized Sis.Yamashita that includes her appreciation and testimony.  After finally confirming that Dad was the missionary they are looking for, Elder Yamashita suggested a reunion the next time Dad was in Salt Lake.  

   Back to our trek to Rexburg.  Dad had let the Yamashita's know we would be in town and set up a time to meet.  So off to the Church Office Building in downtown Salt Lake City we go: Dad, Mom, Jen, Grampy, Grandma Lorraine, and I.  We head to the lobby and are graciously met by Elder and Sister Yamashita.

 A very happy reunion proceeded through stilted English and Japanese.  

Mom had put together a scrapbook that contained the letter Sis. Yamashita wrote along with some pictures Dad had.  Sis. Yamashita was so moved by the gift.

 After the initial reunion, we proceeded to the The Garden Restaurant in the Joseph Smith Building with the Yamashita's for lunch.  While waiting for our table Elder Holland passed by us while heading to his lunch and jokingly stopped Elder Yamashita to ask were in Salt Lake he could get good Sushi.  Dad was then introduced to Elder Holland as Sis. Yamashita's missionary and was thanked by Elder Holland for his wonderful service in preaching the gospel that brought such a wonderful woman the truth.  The Yamashita's were gracious and it was wonderful to hear about their family.  Sitting there marveling at events that led to this moment a scripture kept coming to my mind. 

Alma 17:2

2 Now these sons of Mosiah were with Alma at the time the angel first appeared unto him; therefore Alma did rejoice exceedingly to see his brethren; and what added more to his joy, they were still his brethren in the Lord; yea, and they had waxed strong in the knowledge of the truth; for they were men of a sound understanding and they had searched the scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God.  

I know there was great rejoicing at this reunion.   

Kate's Senior Recital

After many years of study, Kate was able to give her Senior Recital at Brigham Young University Idaho last April.  I was blessed to be able to attend.  Until this night I have not been able to hear Kate in all her glory.  I've sat next to her in church and heard her sing hymns.  I've heard her practice scales.  I've truly wondered about her ability as she sings pop songs from the radio.  But I have not been able to experience the true talent that she possesses.

As a graduated senior of BYU-I in vocal performance, Kate only needed to give a senior recital to finish her program.  It was a beautiful night of music.  I only recorded one song to bring home for my guys to hear, but I think I picked the best.  And although Kate would probably be able to pick out every little mistake, I think it is perfect.

Another Sun Devil Graduate

Back at the beginning of May, I was able to travel to Arizona to see Craig graduate with a Chemical Engineering degree from Arizona State University.  I don't think there was a more proud or enthusiastic family than ours.   

We cheered as the Chinese graduates crossed the stage (because they didn't have any family there to cheer for them).  We cheered for the graduate of the family that sat near us.  But the roof came off when Craig crossed the stage.

I am so proud of this man and his family.  I know the sacrifices needed to obtain a higher education and the support that a student needs to excel.  I know that Craig has done the hard because of his wonderful wife and kids were behind him.  Congrats to you all!!!!

Update:  Craig just received a great job offer and things are pointing to a bright future.