Let us be therewith content....

Well, I think I have taken enough ribbing over the past few weeks about my outdated blog that I thought I would take a moment and update what has been going on in the Wayment household. The past few months seem have to flown by so quickly that there never appears to be enough time to sit and think let alone write. I know that is nothing more then an excuse but it's the one I am going with for now.

Our family has seen a flurry of activity over the holidays between multiple trips to Catherine's folks in Missouri and my own parents coming out from Utah to spend time with us. As most married couples experience, holidays can be tough when having to figure out which family you will be with, for how long, etc. Not that I enjoy being so far from my own family, but that is one thing Catherine and I have never really had to stress over. During our years in Utah, we spent most of the holidays with my family and while we have been in Tennessee, we have spent our holidays with her family. All of this primarly due to the miles between families. We have not had the fortunate (or unfortunate) experience of having to divide time running from one house to the other.

At the end of every year, there is always a T.V special that comes on that does a replay of the previous years greatest events. As I look back on 2008 and the events in our family, I would have to pick Justin's baptism as our families #1 event for the year. Justin turned 8 on 12/2 and I was able to baptize him on 12/6. Leading up to Justin's baptism, we had spent time talking with him about the gospel and to my own suprize I was amazed at how much he already knew. I have often wondered why the Lord picked 8 as the age of accountability but my own questions were answered as I listened to Justin talk about the gospel. I was so proud of him and all that he had done to prepare himself to be baptized. I was grateful that as his father I was able to perform the baptism and ordinance. We had many of Catherine's family in town and my own parents had made a special trip out to see us just for his baptism as well. It was truly one of the greatest days in my life. It has made me appreciate in greater degrees why parents worry and stress about their children and the things they are doing as you want to see them succeed, do well, and in this case receive the promised blessings that our Heavenly Father has for them. It made me put things in perspective. I have discovered that the greatest happiness that my children can bring to me as their father is to remain active in the gospel and remain true to their covenants. It will not matter how well they do in sports, dance, business, etc. as I have learned that these things don't matter in the end. I will hope and pray that they do well in all that they set out to accomplish since we are taught to do the best we can in all we do, but will never be disappointed if they aren't #1 in basketball, baseball, or dance (since these are the current activities we are heavily engaged in right now).

Over the past few months I have had an interesting yet comforting change begin to take place. I don't know why, not even sure what started it but I have had the feeling of being content. As this feeling has come over me it has begun to change how I see things and how I am doing things. I am not event at a point that I can fully explain it other then saying that I feel the need to be content in all that I have and all that I do. This all started back when I was presented an opportunity to take a promotion with my company that would have re-located me to Chicago. This was a great opportunity with great responsibilities. It also meant alot more money then what I was making today and was in line with some personal goals that I had set. But as I contemplated this offer and discussed it over with Catherine, something kept telling me that I didn't need to take it and that we needed to stay here in Nashville. My job here in Nashville has been going well and it provides not only for the needs but many of the wants our family has and so we decided to stay here. I have been at peace for the first time in a long time after making a decision like this. I don't know what the future holds and what plans the Lord has in store for our family but I do know that for whatever reason I am to learn to be content. In short, I pray that I can heed the counsel of the Apostle Paul to Timothy when he said: "…supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content."

I look forward to a great 2009 with all it's up's and downs that will surely come. I am grateful to have such a great family, especially a wife who is there to support and strengthen me along the way. I am truly blessed!

Halloween

Halloween has come and gone and the kids had a great time. Catherine and I took the kids trick or treating in the neighborhood and to our surprise, Aubrey was leading the way at each house. She was racing from door to door anxious to see her bucket fill up. School has been good for her and she is becoming more and more a social butterfly. It took Dallin a few doors before he got into the spirit of things but he soon warmed up and had a great time. The picture on the left is the kids with their neighbor friends (Morgan and Sydney).
We are now left with more candy than we had imagined and not sure what to do with it. I need to find some way to get rid of it or I will find myself back in my dentists chair getting another root canal. For those of you who know me and my side of the family, we have a history of soft enamel, a sweet tooth, and frequent visits to the dentists. I think it is fair to say that I most likely paid for my dentists recent wedding, house, car, etc. and have secured her financial future. In the short time (4 years) that I have been in Tennessee I have had 7 root canals and many fillings. Thank you mom for passing this part of your family genes onto me. Of all that you have given me, this is not one that I like to brag about! I must admit however that I don't give my soft enamel much of a fighting chance either. In my office at work I have a large jar of hot tamales that sits on my desk and I catch myself dipping into the jar regularly throughout the day. What can I say, I love those things...I will say however that it has been just over a year that I have had to do anything more than a regular cleaning at the dentist office. (As I am typing this I am knocking on wood)

The kids have been sick all week with a pretty bad cough. It appears that it is sweeping through our ward as most of our nursery and a good portion of our primary were out sick today. Dallin seems to have the worst of it. The countdown clock has begun and I am sure it is only a matter of time before it finds it way to Catherine and I.

Catherine took this picture this morning of Justin and Dallin dressed alike and partnered up for trouble. Oh they may look innocent but this is only a disguise! In all honesty, I have really been impressed with Justin lately. He is becoming a little man. The past few Sunday's, Catherine has had to take Dallin out of sacrament and when she does in many cases Aubrey will follow. This leaves Justin all alone on the bench (when our friend Janie isn't there) and I have enjoyed watching him act all grown up, very quiet and well behaved. He doesn't seem bothered to be sitting there by himself and if truth be told is probably enjoying his moment of being the big kid on the bench alone. This December he will turn 8 and be baptized. We are all pretty excited, especially Justin and it will be the next big milestone in our family.

The next picture is of Catherine and Aubrey. I am holding onto this one as it is a rare moment for me to see both of them smiling together. One is usually trying the patience of the other. I think this is payback for all that Catherine put her mother through when she was a kid. I hope there is no interest attached!
For those that haven't seen Catherine in awhile, she is sporting a new hairdo. It took alot for her to take the risk to try something new. I personally think it looks great...as it always does.

Love,
The Wayments

Trunk or Treat!

Saturday was our Wards annual truck or treat and the kids had a great time. They all wanted to be a cowboy (Aubrey a cowgirl of course) and they had a lot of fun dressing up. Took me awhile to convince Dallin to get into his costume. He didn't want to take his pistols as they didn't make any noises like Justin's and instead he wanted to bring his toy army machine gun which had the sound of rapid fire. The army gun made it to the van but that's about as far is it got. Things as usual are pretty busy and we were lucky to get the Wayment traditional pumpkin totem pole up this year. Justin actually helped me clean all the pumpkins out while Aubrey looked on in disgust. As Catherine says, she is becoming more and more like a "girly girl". I am afraid that as time goes on that phrase will quickly change to "high maintenance".

Before the trunk or treat we took the kids to the Doctor to have their flu shot this year. We missed it last year and they all were hit pretty hard. Of course I didn't get the flu shot this year. For most of those that know me, I am not a big fan of needles (yes I am a wuss) and so far have been pretty lucky to not get the flu. (Knock on wood!) It was a pretty comical experience at the Doctors office as two of them would watch on as one of them got the shot. Justin and Dallin didn't cry at all and Dallin seemed to have a quizzical look on his face as if to say, "what just happened?". Aubrey on the other hand was playing the role of drama queen quite well. In the end I ended up having to hold her while she got the shot.

Justin and Aubrey just completed the Elementary school annual Eagle Run which is kind of like a field day for the kids and they get to participate in various activities outside. I think Catherine gets as excited as the kids for this event each year. She spent most of the day helping the teachers and bouncing between Justin's and Aubrey's class and keeping Dallin out of trouble.

The weather here in Tennessee has started cooling off and it feels great! The leaves have started changing colors and before long will all be in my backyard waiting for me to rake them up. It amazes me each year how quickly time moves on. Before we know it will be Christmas and then on to 2009. Over the past week I have spent time listening to a talk by President Henry B. Eyring entitled "This Day" which he gave during the April 2007 General Conference. The main focus of his talk was to help us understand the need and importance of acting today and to avoid the trap of thinking we can wait until tomorrow. President Eyring stated "The God who gives us each day as a treasure will require an accounting. We will weep, and He will weep, if we have intended to repent and to serve Him in tomorrows which never came or have dreamt of yesterdays where the opportunity to act was past. This day is a precious gift of God. The thought "Someday I will" can be a thief of the opportunities of time and the blessings of eternity." This statement has given me a lot to ponder on and has helped me recognize the need to act each day and to try and prevent procrastinating which I have mastered so well. During a meeting at church recently, a member of our ward describe it best for me when he said "Planning pays off in the future but procrastination pays off today!" Too frequently this has been my motto. (Hence the large gap in my blog postings!)

Well it's time to bring this posting to an end. To go along with the President Eyrings comments about "this day" I thought I would leave you with the following poem.

“Tell me not, in mournful numbers,

Life is but an empty dream!—

For the soul is dead that slumbers,

And things are not what they seem.

Life is real! Life is earnest!

And the grave is not its goal;

Dust thou art, to dust returnest,

Was not spoken of the soul.

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,

Is our destined end or way;

But to act, that each to-morrow

Find us farther than to-day.

Art is long, and Time is fleeting,

And our hearts, though stout and brave,

Still, like muffled drums, are beating

Funeral marches to the grave.

In the world's broad field of battle,

In the bivouac of Life,

Be not like dumb, driven cattle!

Be a hero in the strife!

Trust no Future, howe'er pleasant!

Let the dead Past bury its dead!

Act,—act in the living Present!

Heart within, and God o'erhead!

Lives of great men all remind us

We can make our lives sublime,

And, departing, leave behind us

Footprints on the sands of time;

Footprints, that perhaps another,

Sailing o'er life's solemn main,

A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,

Seeing, shall take heart again.

Let us, then, be up and doing,

With a heart for any fate;

Still achieving, still pursuing,

Learn to labor and to wait.”
-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

With all our love!

The Wayments