• My birthday – My wonderful husband decided to surprise me this year and get me a birthday present I didn’t know about in advance. When he came home from work, I was sent to my bedroom while he and the children prepared. When I came out, our kitchen table was spread with a blue tablecloth, with my patriotic basket centerpiece I’ve used at many speaking and campaign events, a gift wrapped in a patriotic gift bag, and a patriotic plate holding six Hostess cupcakes adorned with red and blue candles – the kind that spark again after blowing them out! The gift he got me was a set of patriotic plates and bowls and a sparkly red, white, and blue “Uncle Sam” hat. Michael said he figured I would use these gifts many times in the months and years to come and I’m sure he’s right. I’m so lucky and blessed to have such a wonderful husband!
• Patriotic Fundraiser – To help raise money for Timpanogos Republican Women, a new group that just started in Saratoga Springs, my daughter and I wandered around Nolan Park during the Max Impact Concert (a special musical group from the US Air Force) selling patriotic hats, tattoos, glow necklaces, Frisbees, and pinwheels. Honestly, we didn’t sell a whole lot (I think people came to the concert because it was free), but Hannah and I sure had a fun Mommy/Daughter Date!
• Pony Express Days Parade – On Saturday, June 4th, my children and I walked in the parade wearing “Heather Jackson for Mayor” t-shirts and shouting out “Two Four Six Eight/Who do we appreciate?/Mayor Jackson!” Christopher and Geoffrey especially enjoyed throwing out candy! But even more important, I believe, is helping my children to see that I try to live what I preach, that even if we don’t have a lot of money or even a lot of time, we can all do something to get involved politically. Helping out on a campaign happens to be one of the most fun ways to get involved!
• Patriotic Songs in Primary – In preparation for an upcoming stake fireside, our Stake Music Committee Chair (and our Primary Pianist!) asked me to teach the Senior Primary two patriotic songs out of the Children’s Songbook, #224 “My Country” and #225 “My Flag, My Flag”. In all my years as a Primary Chorister, I had never learned these two songs, nor had I ever heard them presented by any other group. Now was as good a time as ever, and I really enjoyed putting together lesson plans to teach these songs to the children! To celebrate Flag Day and to review these two songs for the fireside, I led a Patriotic Singing Time yesterday that I think turned out awesome! (I can write more details about this lesson in another post.)
• Utah Republican Party State Convention – Because of my recent appointment to fill the resigned seat of our Legislative District Education Officer, I was able to attend the convention as a State Delegate. Wow! Especially poignant for me: Watching Alan Jackson, husband of our Mayor and my friend Heather Jackson, solemnly and professionally carry the U.S. Flag as leader of the Color Guard; Singing the National Anthem with Miss Utah and over 1,500 delegates; Chairman Stan Lockhart getting a bit emotional and then sharing his love for our country, our founding principles, and his belief that we are all children of God, brothers and sisters in this land of freedom; and Honorable Ken Blackwell’s keynote speech about “punching holes in the darkness” by raising up our standards of light, not with contention or judgment, but by example and kindness. Wow!
• Eagle Mountain West Stake Patriotic Fireside – Last night, my two oldest children came with me to the Stake Center to participate in this amazing fireside. The Senior Primary Children from the 4th, 5th, and 7th wards sang “My Country” and “My Flag, My Flag”. As a congregation, we sang “The Star Spangled Banner”, “America the Beautiful”, “My Country ‘Tis of Thee”, and “God of Our Fathers”. Brother Peter Hughes talked about his experience immigrating to this country from England as a young boy, what Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty meant to him, and how grateful he is to truly have lived the American Dream. Brother George Reid read some beautiful commentary, a small choral group sang “Come Thou Font of Every Blessing” and another group (my friends Donna Burnham, Marianne and Ryan Anderson, Diane Thompson, Matt Williams and Marcellus Barrus among them) sang such an inspiring rendition of John Rutter’s “Distant Land” that it brought tears to my eyes! The Stake Youth Choir sang “Army of Helaman” (officially it’s called “We’ll Bring the World His Truth”) in a unique but powerful way – only four stood up on the stand at the beginning of the song, then with each verse and chorus, more youth came out of the audience up to the stand to sing, until there were at least 40 or so youth singing their hearts out! Mayor Heather Jackson spoke about the story of Fort McHenry and the Star Spangled Banner as well as the importance of our flag to our troops in battle. Finally, the Stake Choir sang the familiar and wonderful rendition of “Battle Hymn of the Republic”.
During the fireside, my son Christopher asked me why I was crying. I told him, “I cry when I feel the Spirit very strongly. The scriptures tell us that the Spirit of Liberty is the Spirit of God and that’s what I’m feeling here tonight.” How grateful I am to live in this beautiful country, to have the freedom of religion, speech, and assembly, to practice a religion that values and teaches the importance of freedom and for our stake that chose to celebrate it, and above all, the opportunity to teach these things to my children!
Whew! What an awesome month! Watch out July – you’ve had quite a bit of competition so far!
1 comment:
wow wendi! this is awesome. you inspire me. i really appreciate your love for our country and how you get involved. (i've said that before and now i've said it again!!!)
Post a Comment