Aaron Choir Pictures

 

This is a picture of a portion of our choir my junior year. I am on the bottom row, the third from the left. This choir included juniors and seniors and had about 115 people.

Aaron Mock Trial

 This picture shows an award I received from the opposing team in our competition. Each team votes on the best attorney and witness from their opponents. They voted me the best attorney on my team.

This picture shows a certificate of participation the I received during my sophomore year. 

Aaron Wrestling State and State Qualifying

 

This is an image of the rankings at the state qualifying tournament in my junior year. I am on the far left. After losing a few matches I shouldn't have lost, I barely qualified in 8th place. At the state tournament, I went on to beat multiple of the others on this podium. 

This is an image of my brother, my grandpa (and coach), and I after the state qualifying tournament in my freshman year. I am on the left, and that medal was for 4th place. 

This is an image of an award I received my freshman year for being a determined and constant wrestler.

Resilient lives

Many right ways

The first thing to remember when parenting is the topic of conversation is that there are many right ways to be a parent. Each parent and each child will create their own connection and it is important to factor in each person preferences because in addition to helping our children become capable contributing people we also want to have fun in the process and we want our children to enjoy the journey as well.

My rule when listening parenting advice is to gather as much information as I can and them sort through the various ideas and decide what to apply now, what to save for the future and what is just not going to work for me or my child.

With that in mind here are some thoughts about helping our children learn to live resilient lives.

What is resilience

The definition of resilience is interesting. It is being capable of withstanding shock without permanent deformation, or the ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change.

Life will present many changes, as well as our fair share of misfortune and shock. As much as we would like to prevent this from happening real growth and strength come to all of us as we face these experience and learn how to move forward in a positive way. How do we help our children develop the skills when they are young that will help them as they face these challenges?


Healthy Environment

First, as much as you can create a healthy environment. If the entire existence of a person is in chaos it can be hard for the child to know where to start. To create an environment that is as healthy as possible. That includes a healthy attitude to challenges. If our children are surrounded by people who have a "Can do" attitude or the idea that there is a solution to every problem, they will be more likely to seek out solutions. In these healthy environments challenges and failures are discussed openly as opposed to being hidden or swept under the rug. It is important to respect the privacy of each person but the concerns are discussed with the necessary people and solutions found.

In these healthy environments, past failures and the solutions that were found are discussed with the idea that the experience might help the next generation.

Encouraged to try new things

1. one thing you are good at and one thing that is a challenge
2. teaches compassion when you are involved in the activity that challenges you.
3. focused on the life skills that activity can teach not only the end result
4. Good for our children to see us learn a new skill and practice resiliency

Act as their mentor

sounding board, or place for them to process the experience
we can guide them with questions and help them think of solutions
for example.
1. What did you do?
2, How did that work out for you?
3. What else could you have done?
4. What do you think the results would have been from each of these other options?
5. If you could do it again what would you change what would you keep?
6. Do you think you will have another chance?
7. What would you like to do next time?

These questions do a few things.

1. Allow the child to still own the situation, you don't sweep in and take the problem
2. It helps them think through the situation and analyze it.
3. It communicates that there will be a "next time" or another opportunity

Let them have the moment to feel the pain of the situation
This may sound strange but the energy that comes for the pain of disappointment can actually be the energy need to get them started on the new path. Being a resilient person does not mean that they do not feel disappointment but it is channeling that disappointment into a new opportunity.

Things parents should ensure their children know

Things parents should ensure their children know

 6 categories
each topic can be discussed at each age 
but you go into greater detail each year

Physical

Good nutrition

Importance of adequate sleep

Exercise

Shower

Brush teeth

Shave

Dressing for each occasion

Modesty (slip, underclothing)

Healthy Cooking

Healthy grocery shopping

Clean to maintain good health

Drugs/ Alcohol/ Pornography/ Abuse/ Eating Disorders

Social

Problem resolution

Door and phone etiquette

Thank you notes (thank the mother)

Table manners

Not to interrupt

How to start a conversation

How to end a conversation

How to maintain a relationship

Group dynamics

Emotional intelligence

Negotiation

Emotional

Achieving proper balance

Articulating emotions

Bridle passion

Showing love

Healthy self-evaluation

Self Control

Anger management

Time Management

Persistence in the face of obstacles

The connection of Emotional and Physical

Patience

Healthy and good sex

Enjoying the journey

Education

Read

Write
Math

Writing Letters

Job application

Understandable email and other communication

Prepare to support your family

How to apply for and succeed in College or another post-High School education

Speaking with proper grammar

Maintenance of personal belongings

Money management

Saving for emergency

Loans and Interest

Food and water storage

How to use credit/ debit cards and checks

Car care, driving a manual transmission

Insurance health, auto, homeowners, renters, life

Laundry

Basic sewing

Home care: cleaning, furnace filters,
Basic home repairs

Paying bills

Affordable grocery shopping

Taxes

Spiritual

Prayer

Repentance

Forgiveness

Hope

Charity

Love

Doctrine

Church History

How to gain a testimony

How to receive personal revelation

How to discern truth

Searching For answers in the Scriptures

Tithing

The importance of the temple

How to Eat Chocolate

                                                       

         How to Eat Chocolate

I have not yet forgotten the moment, the smell, the sight of so many little chocolate bars set before me.
Each with its amount of cacao displayed along with characteristics typical to that type of chocolate.
I was at my first ever chocolate tasting class.

My husband and I were on vacation with our crew of very active children.
We were touring various sites along the East Coast of the United States.
Those of you that have traveled with children or have watched parents travel with children can imagine the
scene. Our boisterous group had just spent a few hours in the car and they were ready for an adventure.
I had spent a few hours as the car seat waitress. Passing fruit snacks, fixing electronic devices, mending
Quarles was the order of business for me. I was in full mommy mode. When that mode hits everyone in the
family can hear in my voice. It is best described as a “Extreme Patience”.

As we entered the building the kids got more excited. They saw the amusement park style ride, and the
make your own chocolate station and they knew we had not failed them. As they were jumping around, all
calling to me about what activity they wanted to do first, I saw my husband return. Honestly, I had not
noticed him walk away. I was busy scouting out the nearest bathrooms to be ready when the inevitable
moment hit, as well as checking all exits and places where a two-year-old might hide. Once I felt confident
I could navigate all the likely mishappens in our new surroundings, I started to organize the events of the
afternoon and do the negotiating necessary to get our whole team on board. At that point, my husband
placed his hand on my arm and handed me a ticket. I turned it over and read “ Chocolate Tasting Class”.
I had noticed that option posted when we walked in. It intrigued me but I knew that was the last place I
wanted to take our entire crew. I realized then that he had only purchased one ticket. He smiled, took
the baby from my arms and lead me to the door of the classroom. I looked in. Everything was quiet and
orderly. A few well-dressed visitors had already taken their seats and were chatting quietly. At first, I
protested. It would not really be fair for me to leave my husband with our rowdy crew, sit for an entire
30 minutes and learn how to taste chocolate. He smiled and left with the kids. The only thing left for me
to do was to quietly slip into a chair near the front.

Sitting there waiting for the class to start, the tension of full mommy mode started to slip from me.
Before  I realized it the class had started and the lecturer was showing us how chocolate was made.
He informed us that chocolate from different locations tastes different and pointed out more interesting
facts about the process. Then he arrived at the lesson that struck me in such a way that I still have not
forgotten it. He taught us how to eat chocolate. Unwrap it, smell it, listen to it snap when you break off
a piece, place a small piece in your mouth and let it rest, feel the sensation of it melting in your mouth,
savor the flavor, notice the different notes of flavor, enjoy it.

Although I had eaten a fair number of chocolate pieces in my life I had never had an experience quite
like this. When I slowed down just a bit there was so much to the experience that I had never noticed
before. The experience, the sensations, the different notes of flavor stood out in stark contrast to the
Halloween night style of chocolate eating that had been my previous experience.

I was startled that in the few moments it took to Taste the Chocolate my perspective could
change so drastically. That little piece of chocolate now had new meaning to me because I
took the time to experience it.

That moment has stayed with me and I began to wonder how many other of the more or less
daily experiences of life could be transformed if I slowed down and learned how to
“Taste the Chocolate.”

Grace Ayuso

Grace Ayuso vive en Manta, Ecuador. Ella y su esposo tienen 4 hijos y disfrutan de verlos crecer. Aqui son  pensamientos de Grace de la maternidad y lo que ha aprendido a través de los últimos 11 años, como una madre y una esposa.

Para tener éxito como madre hay que ama a sus hijos. Se puede sentir el verdadero amor que sienten por ellos y se sienten seguros cuando son amados. Como una madre debe tener fe. Muchas veces en la vida tenemos problemas y nos sentimos que nuestra fe comienza a bajar. Es entonces cuando tenemos que trabajar para aumentar nuestra fe.

Mi mayor apoyo como madre es mi marido. Él me ayuda con todo. Él me ayuda con todo lo espiritual, físico y emocional.

Cuando me siento triste y necesito alguien con quien hablar, él está allí para escucharme. Sólo escucha mientras comparto mis pensamientos. I es agradable para descargar mis preocupaciones.

También ayuda con el trabajo de la casa. Al principio, cuando nos casamos y me gustaría ayudar con el trabajo alrededor de la casa de su padre y su hermano se burlaban de él. Eso no le impidió ayudarme. Ahora, su padre y su hermano han visto su ejemplo y ayudar a sus esposas también. Este acto ha hecho este cambio para todos ellos.