Singing in Church: "As I have Loved You"

 When we were living in Ballard, Sheri and I were asked to speak in church.  We were going to sing "As I Have Loved You" between our talks as a family.  Jeremy was the baby; but we had worked very hard with Mark and Natalia to sing with us, and do the sign which is in the primary book.  We practiced and practiced, and the kids were so cute.  Jeremy was in the car seat so about six months, Mark would have been two and Natalia three.  It was going to be so good.  However by the time Sheri go done with her talk, Natalia and Mark were sleeping soundly on the floor.  Sheri and I could only stand, with babies between our feet, and sing it without them, hoping not to step on them.  It would have been so sweet.  As I have loved you (the kids hugging themselves) Love one another (their thumbs circling each other). I can see it in my mind.

Mark and Natalia

My Mom and I: Common Activity

My mom would often play for me as I sang.  During primary days a common song I sand was "I Wonder When He Comes Again" and in High School it was "My Task."  I enjoyed singing both those songs.  When I was at the Boys Ranch she played for me then as well.  This was for a Christmas program.  I sang "Long Time Ago in Bethlehem."  I know there have been other songs through the years.  Often she would just play and I would sing.  It was fun.  At one point my mom attempted to teach me to play the piano.  If I had been a better student, I would be more proficient.  My mom would later play for almost ten years at the Logan Temple.  Now they have programmed songs, but she would play whenever she had a chance.

Halloween Memories: Othello

Halloween Memories: Othello
Othello is of course where I have my first memories of Halloween.  I can’t remember my costume, but I know one of my first costumes was as a skeleton.  Weldon and I actually had the same costume, but different sizes.  Othello was a rural community, and we lived outside of town.  I do not remember going into town to trick-or- treat.  Maybe my older siblings did that.  Instead we would load into the car, and go so particular people who were friends, but lived far away from each other so there were not a lot of stops for us to gather candy.  Each stop was more a social visit than today’s trick-or-treating.  Some reason, I was always asked to sing.  I think I started singing as early as three-years old.  I would always sing the same song: “I’m a Little Teapot.”  “I’m a little teapot short and stout, Here is my handle and here is my spout.  When I get all steamed up then I shout, Tip me over and poor me out.”  My brothers and sisters liked for me to sing.  It got them off the hook, as it was a common request in Othello to ask trick-or-treaters to sing.  Also they liked it as they said it got us more goodies.  I guess I was good enough that we were all rewarded.