A post without pictures?

Yes, it's true.  I just wanted to post something for Maddie on here since I promised her (last week) that I would. 

I helped her set up a blog of her own so that she could have somewhere to post some of the pictures she has been taking and also post some things for school.  We finally had a moment to review all the rules about blogging and get a quick tutorial on how to blog -  and she was ready to blog!  I told her I would post a link here on our blog so that Granny and Pops and GG and YoPapa and everyone else that might want to peek at her blog could.  So here ya go:

http://mehcookiemaker.blogspot.com/ 

Also, just for journaling puposes here I wanted to post this talk that Ryley wrote a couple of weeks ago.  (FYI - Ryley had to give a talk in Primary a couple of weeks ago and when we sat down to type it up the other two kids wanted to write talks as well.  Yes, my kids are nerdy like that.  They do NOT get it from me.  I can't think of anything worse than having to write a talk but of course I said, "Sure!" since I didn't want to squash their sweet little nerdliness.  Anyway, the talk Maddie posted on her blog is the one she wrote - completely by herself - that day.)  Also FYI, we have been writing in Gospel Journals for about a month now.  I got the idea somewhere online, I think the Latter-day Homeschooling blog, and thought that was something we should incorporate into our curriculum.  It has been SO good!  The kids each decorated a composition book for themselves.  We read a story or article out of The Friend everyday and then we talk about what we learned from it.  Then they journal about what they learned, write the scripture that goes along with the story or write the quotes they usually have in there from General Authorities.  Cash only writes about one or two sentences and then draws a picture but his sweet little sentences just about melt my heart!  Maddie will write pages and pages and draw picture after picture if I don't put a time limit on it.  We can't spend all day on Gospel Journaling unfortunately!  Ryley, on the other hand, really doesn't like writing and will usually only do the absolute minimum I require, but he's been pretty good about this project and he got everything he needed for his talk straight from his Gospel Journal.  I helped him type it and organize his thoughts a little, but it was pretty much all him.  Very proud mama moment!  Here's his talk:

My talk today is about prayer.  I learned a lot of things about prayer while I was reading The Friend this month for school.  I wrote them down in my Gospel Journal to help me remember them.  Here are some of the things I learned:

- Say a prayer so you can let go of things.  That means so you won't be angry anymore.

- Say a prayer to help you calm down.  Elder Richard G. Scott said, "A humble trusting prayer brings direction and peace."

I also wrote an acrostic poem about prayer:

P stands for Pray if you need help with something

R stands for I Really like saying prayers

A stands for Always pray when you have done something wrong

Y stands for You get a good feeling when you pray

E stands for Everyday you should pray

R stands for Repent when you do something bad

There was a story from the scriptures about prayer in the The Friend too.  It was about the brother of Jared.  He and his family built boats so they could cross the ocean, but it was very dark inside the boats.  The brother of Jared prayed about what they should do.  Then he brought twelve stones to the top of a mountain and said another prayer that the Lord would touch the stones to light them then they would glow and light the inside of the boats.  The brother of Jared showed great faith when he prayed, and the Lord will bless us when we show faith too.

I bear my testimony that I know prayers are real and that Heavenly Father will answer them.  I am grateful for The Friend magazine and all the things we can learn from it.  I know this Church is true.  In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Such a good talk.  He is turning into a good young man - too soon!!!

Maybe I can scan one of Cash's journal pages and post it here. . . someday.