Another full week of school

We are happy to report a successful week with our students. Rain didn't come until Friday evening so we had a full and rewarding week. We made a couple of changes to our usual school activities. One was to introduce the "I feel" to the  "I see" and " I hear" activity. We hid an object in sacks for the kids to identify without looking at it and then say what it is in English. We also let some kids act out an activity and had the other kids guess the action (again using only English in full sentences....well almost full sentences).

Fall Scenes
We couldn't help taking more pictures in the back fields between the kids' homes. The white gulls follow the animals around--so picturesque.




Check out the gull hitching a ride.





New Puppy!
Yuca's daughter, Victoria, got a new puppy to take the place of Romeo who died last summer. Victoria hadn't named her puppy when she left the ranch to start school in Federal, so we call the dog Victoria Two. However, Victoria Two doesn't seem to know her name. :)
(The dog's name is Pompita which means pompous.)



Finished Project
Christina is the cook and housekeeper that arrives from Feliciano whenever guests come to town or Yuca wants her help. She usually stays a few days when she does visit and occasionally has spare time so I helped her make an apron. She started it last December and finished it this week. She knows many of the basic sewing skills though she says she doesn't sew often. I mostly taught her to cut trim on the bias and reinforce pockets with small triangles on the top corners. She also needed reminding on how to thread the sewing machine.


Thought for the Week
It hasn't stopped raining since Friday evening so no traveling on the weekend. We're always sad to miss church. Here is an uplifting thought that Gregg came up with in his spare time.

In the Book of Mormon, Lehi and his family traveled and suffered many afflictions in the wilderness. (See 1 Nephi 17) "And yet so great were the blessings of the Lord that they began to bear the journeyings without murmuring" ( without showing ingratitude). If we keep the commandments of God, He will strengthen us and provide the means so that we "can accomplish the things that He has commanded". The Lord will give us just enough knowledge so that we can accomplish His will.
What direction are we traveling? Who's "will" are we trying to perform? What do we need to change? Can we follow the still small voice immediately, without delay? Can we stop procrastinating the day of our repentance? Can we stop complaining and speak only the positive? "And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments." (D&C 59:21)

Elder Joseph B. Writhlin said gratitude "is a quality I have found in every happy person I know".  Do you know any happy person who is not grateful? Something amazing about being grateful is that it's in our control. We might not be able to get the lead role in the school play or sit at first chair in the orchestra or not be the prettiest or have the smoothest complexion, but we can control whether we have a grateful attitude. Great blessings are promised to those who are grateful.

We always talk about counting our blessings-let's do it!

• Write a list of 10 things you are thankful for.
• Write 10 living people you are grateful for.
• Write 10 people who have died you are grateful for.
• Write 10 physical abilities you are grateful for.
• Write 10 modern-day revelations you are grateful for.

You will discover that you are only scratching the surface of all the things God has given us. Why is it difficult to be grateful and happy?