Let's Do This. Primary Program.

Three months. It's been THREE months since I've updated. Sunday is my usual blogging day, and every Sunday for three months I've thought about updating but others things have seemed more important. I'm sure other things really are just more important but to me blogging is incredibly important. I'm a family history flunkie in many respects, so blogging is one of the only things I do to help my family in that area. June and I have a goal to do family history together in 2022 though, so hopefully that will change.

This photo is from last week. I have been getting over a little cold so June, Beck, and I stayed home from church today.

Last week was the primary program. I have this inherent belief that kids should memorize their parts for the primary program, so of course I started having the kids do this as soon as we received their parts three weeks before. Gwen's part was easy. "Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ help me when I don't know the way, like when I am lost." She had it down pat the first day and would say it to me any time I requested it.

Harris' part was "My own Sacred Grove is when I am outside. This is where I feel Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ's love for me." He took a little more prodding, but he slowly memorized it. But my heart told me that he would get up to the microphone, act like he didn't know it and wait for the nice primary lady standing beside him to whisper it in his ear, word by word. I was correct in this assumption.

June's part was gargantuan. It was:

Joseph was led by God to an ancient record of people who lived thousands of years ago. This record is filled with stories and testimonies of prophets all testifying that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God. This record was translated into English by Joseph through the gift and power of God, into what we now know as the Book of Mormon. This book is another witness of Jesus Christ and it teaches us more about Christ’s gospel. It is used hand in hand with the Holy Bible. It was said that a person “would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.” I love this book! The Book of Mormon has brought me closer to Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father by helping me know His way.

Now June is a pretty good memorizer. We have memorized a lot of poems and other things for homeschool, but I knew that this would be tricky. Lots of complicated sentences, replete with details. Lots of sentences that started in a similar way but then diverged into another thought. But you know me, I'm a pusher. So I pushed. We worked on it and worked on it. I recorded myself saying different sections, and June would listen to the part on repeat. 

But really, it was too hard. Not a lot of progress was made. And because of this, June was discouraged and started to resist. Discouragement --> Resistance --> Contention

Finally, like so many great mothers before me, I gave up. I told her to just get up there and read it. Unfortunately, even this seemed too much to ask. She would barely even read it for me at this point.

Beck was his usual maniac self as the program went on, screaming that he wanted a turn at the microphone. Dan took him out, but managed to watch from the back of the room. Which begs the question--When was the last time Dan and I both sat through an entire Sacrament meeting? I think it might have been in 2015, right before Harris was born.

But anyway. As I predicted, Harris (wearing his new favorite train sweater) reluctantly ascended the steps of the rostrum and waited for the sweet primary lady to prompt him. The rest of the program he could be found in the front row, hanging over the partition while everyone sang, squirreling around until hitting his head on the piano behind him and then being soothed by the aforementioned sweet primary lady.

Gwen's turn. Sweet Gwen marched right to the front, dazzled the crowd with her smile, opened her mouth and confidently stated, "Heavenly Father . . ." and then forgot the rest of her over-rehearsed part. She said "Heavenly Father" a few more times until finally the sweet primary lady whispered the next word into her ear, at which point Gwen rallied and finished her part, the smile on her lips turning quickly to an expression of pain and agony until she could finally descend from the rostrum and slink back into her seat. That poor girl. She didn't deserve that. I was sure she was going to burst into tears, but she held strong and finished the program well.

Then came June's part. I knew she would read the part just fine. June had her part in her hand, but didn't look at it as she looked straight out into the audience and delivered her part, memorized and without missing a beat. I was shocked. She even had a presence about her, emphasizing thousands of years ago in a hushed tone to give a spooky ghost story effect. Which isn't really how I think of that story--but I do love some theatrics! Halfway through her part, she did need to look down to see the next sentence. I thought for sure this would mean a huge break so that she could find her place, but it was seamless. A few nearby friends reached their hands back and gave me a little squeeze because we all knew that we were witnessing major growth in June. I didn't tear up. I bawled. Sobbed. 

As I'm writing all of this, I'm thinking--it's the primary program, Heather!!! Why are you even writing about it? Why did you make such a big deal?!?

There's a very simple answer to that. It's because I'm ridiculous.

But then I'm guessing if you are my friend and reading this, you probably already knew that.