Monday, May 29, 2017

Memorial Day

So glad to be back in my hometown with all the patriotism during the Memorial Day parade. Great job, CLHS band!




Monday, May 15, 2017

Goodbye, Pampers

For the past few years I have continued to enter one Pampers code a month even though I don't have anyone in diapers any more. Sometimes these codes were ones that I found when we were moving from when the Lambs were in diapers, sometimes I bought baby wipes to use in the car, etc. I did this on the same day each month to make sure that I did it according to their program rules, once a month. I was rewarded by Pampers for this with 2 12x12 Shutterfly albums including shipping. This made it worth it to me to continue to buy wipes (especially with a coupon) and make the effort to enter them once a month. I also always gave Pampers diapers and wipes as a baby shower gifts with a note that new moms will want to take part in this program.

Last week was my day to enter in my monthly code and this message popped up.

Pampers will soon launch a new and improved mobile and web experience. However Grow On will not be part of the new experience. So if you have a Grow On gift waiting for you make sure to claim it by June 7th.  

Don’t worry though, your points balance will transfer automatically and you will still earn points for your Pampers purchases. You will even get bonus points for downloading and trying our new app. Plus, we will be introducing exciting new items to our rewards catalog that many of you have been asking for!

Last week was my 7th month towards earning my next Shutterfly album. Since they are discontinuing the program and I already earned my 6th month prize, the Grow On program is done for me. I am so thankful that I wasn't at my 11th month or closer towards earning the Shutterfly album. I have been really busy lately, but I don't remember receiving an e-mail or seeing this on social media. I did not know this until I went to enter my monthly code. This message did not pop up at my 6th month. I think Pampers should have given much more notice on this, perhaps I wouldn't have started this 6 months ago. I also understand that everyone doing this program is at different months and it would be impossible to notify everyone so they are at the first month. That doesn't change that I am disgusted to being halfway towards a free album. And if I would have earned a prize, (prizes were earned at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months) that was very little notice to redeem it by June 7 or it would expire.

I understand that Pampers has a right to do a rewards program however they want. They are being generous and so far since the program began when my Lambs were little, they have not said that points expire for the rewards program. There is still the chance to use your rewards for other prizes as part of the reward program that is not connected to the Grow On program. But the whole reason why I participated was to get the free Shutterfly albums. So I will not be buying any more Pampers baby wipes for our family's use or buying any Pampers as gifts.

Friday, May 12, 2017

Field Trip to the Farm


We took one of the #ColorCogburn pictures out to the farm today so he could see his farm friends and go on a hayride.


#WearTheRooster 

I pre-ordered my copy of #TheHarvestRaise today from cph.org. I received a small bonus for pre-ordering. Did you order your copy today?



This was the best photo today of my EWE hat and Ram's RAM shirt.


Thursday, May 11, 2017

Cock-a-doodle-doo!

The Harvest Raise is available for preorder from cph.org tomorrow! I'm ordering a copy. Are you going to order yours? There is some kind of bonus if you pre-order that I don't want to miss!
Our boys are crazy about participating in contests. We did not make them participate in the latest #TheHarvestRaise contest. Ewe printed the coloring sheets out and the boys colored them without any prompting on our part. We had to print some more because Lamb 3 colored 3 roosters! Ewe winning the second #WearTheRooster contest influenced our boys to want to participate in this contest. Plus Aunt Hannah will be proud of them. 
Don't you think these are the best BOYS to #ColorCogburn? Our Lambs are hoping to win so they can say they won a contest. (If there aren't 3 shirts available for them then if they win they will give their winning shirt to their Grandma.)


Tuesday, May 9, 2017

Confirmation Day Sermon

If we would have remained in MN, there would have been one other boy in Lamb 1's confirmation class. When we moved to ID, one of the first members I met was very excited that Lamb 1 would be in her daughter's confirmation class. Lamb 1 and that girl  did do their first year of confirmation class together in ID. If we would have remained in ID, they would have been confirmed together on Palm Sunday of this year.

When we moved here we hurried to get Lamb 1 enrolled in first communion class and eventually confirmation class at what became our new church. In fact he attended his first class while we were unloading the moving truck. He worked hard to memorize the catechism with meanings this year. He passed the pastor's questioning session easily after all that memorization. At that examination session, it was obvious that Lamb 1 had not just memorized the catechism, but he was able to answer questions that applied that memorized knowledge. He was confident in his knowledge and not nervous about this questioning.

Lamb 1's confirmation class here had several children in it, but only one other boy was ready to be confirmed. The other children including Lamb 2 and Lamb 3 will return next year and continue working on memorization and learning from our pastors on Saturday mornings. It is our goal that Lamb 2 and 3 attend class and memorize the catechism with meanings and are both confirmed next spring. Our church does not have a set age for confirmation, it is when the child has completed their memory work and pastor and the parents agree that they are ready for confirmation. If Lamb 2 or Lamb 3 are not ready next spring, they will continue confirmation classes at church until they are ready.

Our family has been through a lot in the last few years. When he was a child, Lamb 1 expected to be confirmed in MN, then he completed one year of confirmation class in ID, and then he moved to IN and did all that they required for confirmation class in one year. A few months ago he was stuck on the meanings of the Lord's Prayer and worried that he wouldn't complete the memory work in time. We continued to work on it daily and he learned everything required in time. This move has been a difficult transition for our Lambs. It is slowly getting better for the Lambs, but it's a struggle to not be homesick for their way of life in ID.

The pastor's sermon was really meaningful for me. You can listen to or read the sermon HERE. At first I started to squirm in my seat a little as he talked about the comparison between what Christians suffer and childbirth. He was preaching from the text. I admit that I am very sensitive to this because of my secondary infertility. Amazingly, Pastor did get to the point and even remembered barren women! It was a great reminder for me, especially as Lamb 1's mom, of what confirmation is all about. All that memory work was for Lamb 1's benefit as he fights battles throughout his life against Satan.

Photo credit: Steve Blakey, our church photographer
I have never heard a confirmation sermon like this one before. I won't try to sum up his sermon here, because I want you to listen to or read it!

I will post more about Lamb 1's confirmation soon.