Beach Day

We wanted to do something fun over Spring Break, but we didn't have a lot of free time or money. So, we decided to head to the beach! It was COLD, but we decided to head out anyway with our friends the Jones family.

I love South Carolina beaches. The water isn't blue and pretty like the Pacific, but I love the wild grasses, the walkways and the rustic atmosphere. I always feel like I'm in a Nicholas Sparks novel (without the fateful death twist at the end.)

This little guy didn't mind the chilly weather. He popped up out of nowhere.

And these guys didn't mind the cold weather. They just wanted whatever they could scavenge.

There was a little bit of this.

And a whole lot of this. (Actually, the water was warm. It was the wind that made it freezing.)

Some serious digging.

And then we decided to pack up and go home.

But as I always say, any day at the beach is a good day!

HE PASSED!!

The past couple of months around here have been very stressful. David has been trying for about a year and a half to prepare himself and pass his comprehensive exams. He took the test a year ago, but there were some portions he had to take again this year. The test was comprised of two parts - written and oral. In these tests, he had to know the history of music from the beginning of time to the present, music theory, be able to compose a piece with instrumentation that was given to him in the moment, and be able to answer detailed questions about three 20th Century composers and their major works. I'm sure there was more to it, but I can't keep it all straight.

Last year, the written part was three days long. This year he only had to take one day for the written portion, which consisted of the following (per an e-mail from his professor):

• Part I: Tonal Analysis (2 hours)
• Part II: Post-Tonal Analysis (1.5 to 2 hours)
• Part III: Music History (2.5 to 3 hours)
• Part IV: Score Identification and Repertiore (1/2 hour)

Below is one of innumerable pages of notes he used to review. On the final night before his written exam, he had me quiz him on the composers and their works. My efforts to pronounce the various names was rather humorous and in one case, inadvertently obscene.

In final preparation, he spent the past two months studying from about nine in the morning until at least ten at night. He would get breakfast for the kids and drive Baylie to school (I was teaching seminary at the time) and then he would leave. The kids wouldn't see him again until the next morning. It was hard on all of us. He was confident that he was prepared, but we were all still extremely nervous. The written test was taken Monday, April 7, and the oral portion was taken this past Monday, April 14.

Not only did he pass, but his professors told him he passed with flying colors! (And as one professor said, "...not only that, but you look great too!") We are all so proud of him. It has been a difficult process, but David has learned so much and says he is a completely different composer because of this experience. He knows his music will have more depth after having studied some of these composers in such detail. He was excited to finish studying so he could start composing again and in the past week has already composed a 7-movement work for viola that he was commissioned to write.

In celebration of his success, we took the kids to Frankie's Fun Park. (I'm not sure if they were more excited that their dad passed or that they got to go to Frankie's.)

This last ride is the favorite for me and David to watch the kids. It simulates a roller coaster and Baylie screams out loud. It's pretty funny.

After Frankie's, we splurged and went to a new Brazilian steakhouse. We ate until we all felt a little sick. It was delicious (especially the pineapple).

It is such a relief to be over this humongous hurdle in David's educational journey. He is now officially an ABD (all but dissertation) and can apply for teaching positions that weren't available for him before. All he has left is his dissertation - he is writing an opera - and a paper to accompany it. After that, he will officially be "Dr. Batchelor"!

Spring Celebration, Jump Rope for Heart and Loose Teeth

I love Baylie's teacher. She has been a teacher for over 30 years and has so many fun ideas. One of them is this awesome Easter bonnet made with newspaper.

Baylie went all out on her hat. (The boys make a green one that is decorated with things like snakes and lizards.)

I went to Baylie's school for their Spring Celebration.

On your mark, get set...

...GO!

After the egg hunt, they had a fun Easter snack of popcorn, marshmallows and goldfish.

Prior to the Spring Celebration, the school had a jump rope fundraiser for the American Heart Association.

The kindergarteners spent most of their time jumping in and out of hula hoops.

Side to side...

...front to back...

...and through.

Then they did some actual hula hooping - or tried to anyway.

Last, but not least, they tried some jump roping - not an easy skill for kindergarteners.

The biggest news for Baylie is that she has lost her top front teeth. First she lost the right one.

Then the left tooth shifted to the right and took up residence in the middle. (She did an awesome Olaf imitation that I'm mad I didn't get on camera.)

Finally, the left tooth came out too!

Baylie does not like to have her teeth pulled and she waits until the tooth literally falls out. She is loving having them both out right now and likes talking with a lisp.

Conference Report

Last Sunday was General Conference. I explained what conference is and what we usually do during it in a blog post last October. This time, I wanted to do something different. For one thing, we wanted to cut down on the amount of candy the kids eat. I also wanted to hold their attention for longer, keep us all in the same room and yet have David and I able to hear and enjoy conference.

I purchased these trays at Michael's, using a 40% off coupon. We used the conference bingo, same as last time, and as before, the kids pretty much just ate the marshmallows.

I also purchased an over-the-door shoe holder and filled it with small toys, crafts, stickers and a few candies. Most of the items were from the dollar store.

There were 24 shoe holders, 12 for each child, with one for each apostle. Unfortunately, I forgot about the first presidency, which meant I needed three more spaces. I ended up just combining some of the apostles into the same slot.

I was surprised at how well this plan worked. The kids stayed interested and the items kept them entertained longer than I expected. 

I was actually able to listen to conference and even take notes! It was great for all of us.

Here are some of my favorite quotes (from my notes, so they are not verbatim).

President Holland

• Today if people want any gods at all, they want gods that don’t demand much - who not only don’t rock the boat, but don’t even row it. They try to create God in their own image.
• Defend your beliefs with courtesy and compassion, but defend them. 

Neil L. Anderson

• Your generation (speaking to the youth) has more access to temples than any other generation in the history of the world. 

Dallin H. Oaks (Priesthood session)

• Men hold the priesthood, but they are not the priesthood. 
• Rather than focusing on our priesthood “rights,” we should focus on our responsibilities. 

Donald L. Hallstron (Priesthood session)

• Commonly accepted practices in the world choke our relationship with the priesthood 

Randall L. Redd (Priesthood session)

• Owning a smart phone does not make you smart. Don’t do dumb things with your smart phone. 

President Eyring (Priesthood session)

• You will be a model of the priesthood whether you want to be or not. 

President Monson (Priesthood session)

• If you ever find yourself where you shouldn’t ought to be – GET OUT! 

Russell M. Nielson

• Some people only look to their bank book for peace or to celebrities for guidance. We should follow God’s law, not man’s law. Even if everyone is doing it, wrong is never right.
• All men have fears, but those who face their fears with faith have courage as well. 

Richard G. Scott

• Do not become so absorbed with trivial things that you miss the basic doctrines. 

Robert D. Hales

• We don’t need to understand all the reasons for a commandment before we obey it. 

Dieter F. Uchtdorf

• It is hard to be grateful if our thankfulness is only in proportion to the number of blessings we can count. Instead of being thankful for things, be thankful in our circumstances, whatever they may be.
• If we are grateful, we acknowledge that we don’t understand everything, but have faith that someday we will.
• We sometimes think that being grateful is what we do after our problems are solved. How much of life do we miss by waiting to see the rainbow before thanking God that there is rain?

Jean A. Stevens

• Heavenly Father accomplishes his miracles one moment and one person at a time. 

President Thomas S. Monson

• Blame keeps wounds open, forgiveness heals. Make sure our interactions with others are always full of love.
• Be loving and kind to those who don’t share our beliefs or standards. 

Lawrence E. Cowbridge

• The truth will always be opposed. 

Michael John U. The

• It is critical that we learn to recognize when we have enough. If we’re not careful, we will chase after temporal instead of spiritual treasures. 

Marcos A. Aidukatus

• The internet is a great tool, but it is easy to become distracted and infected by worthless info. One should not sift through garbage. 

D. Todd Christofferson

• Christ’s victory over death ended the human predicament. Now there are only personal predicaments.

I love General Conference. I always come away feeling recharged. I am grateful to know that God has a prophet and apostles on the Earth today.