That's All I Wanted!

The trio have been taking swimming lessons at Hendrix. This is their second and final week. We really like the swim lessons and they have all learned so much. I am not a great swimmer so I really want them to feel comfortable in the pool.
They each have very different personalities and you can definitely see it with their approach to swimming. Ashlin listens carefully and takes off. Jeron half listens but just enjoys being in the water and constantly has a big smile on his face. Jaxon is very quiet and does everything the teacher asks. Jaxon is our most rambunctious child but at the same time our most fearful child. The last few days have been difficult for him. He has the skills now to be more independent but still does not want the teacher to let go. She is great. She is very firm makes him do it and then she will praise him and hold him. Today, she was having him swim on his own and he was sobbing as soon as she got to the side she picked him up and said, "That's all I wanted." This phrase particularly stuck with me and I thought to myself how many times has Heavenly Father said that to us. We cling on to something that prevents our further progression and then we step out just for a moment and the blessings pour in and He says, "That's all I wanted."
As Jaxon has struggled this week and cried it is my natural reaction to want to go to him and comfort him but I can't if I want him to learn to swim (Shawn holds me back even if I attempt to go to him ;). I need to support his teacher and give him all the support I can outside of the pool. Swimming is a life skill that I feel strongly he needs to learn for safety reasons. He has to do this for himself. Our earthly journey is much the same. Heavenly Father sits on the side lines cheers us along but for our benefit he can't make us do the things necessary for us to return him. I have thought about this quite a bit this week. I am grateful for these moments in life that allows us to reflect on important principles. I hope that as I am struggling in life I can think about these small lessons Jaxon is learning this week. That I will think what I am suppose to learn from this time in my life and I will strive to do right things that I can hear Heavenly Father say to me, "That's all I wanted!"

Graduation 2011

Another school year has come and gone! Time flies yet at the same time the end of Spring semester could not have come soon enough. We have been a slacker with pictures as of late!! Overall, we had a great year and we were pleasantly surprised the number of students we knew graduating this year!
The girl in this picture was a phenomenal student that both Shawn, David, and I had in class. She did not have 1 family member at her graduation. Her mom could not get a visa because she is not married and has no reason to return (and this is even with Harvard University inviting her to come out and speak at their university)! Amazing that our times are such that an amazing young lady could not have her mom at her graduation.....

Congratulations 2011 graduates!

Psi Chi Induction 2011

This year's 2011 Psi Chi inductees. Shawn is the faculty advisor for the Honor Society in Psychology (Psi Chi) and Psychology Club. He does an amazing job working with the students. It was a great evening for the students and also to recognize all the accomplishments the Psychology department has had this past year! Way to Go!

Trio's School Pictures

Women of God

"Women of God can never be like women of the world. The world has enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender. There are enough women who are coarse; we need women who are kind. There are enough women who are rude; we need women who are refined. We have enough women of fame and fortune; we need more women of faith. We have enough greed; we need more goodness. We have enough vanity; we need more virtue. We have enough popularity; we need more purity. "

-Margaret D. Nadauld

Jeron's Sweet Spirit

I was teasing Jeron last night saying I really wanted another girl and asked if if he would be my little girl. He said, "No, I am a boy." So I asked him, "why are you a boy?" He said, "Because Jesus builded me that way!"