Random Tag

My friend, Kim, tagged me, so here it is.

RULES~
1- Post the rules on your blog
2- List 6 random things about yourself.
3- Tag 6 people at the end of your post.
4- Let each person know they have been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.
5- Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

1. I lived on two different dairy farms. I've milked a cow (with the machine, not by hand), driven a tractor, and hoed beets and corn. (My kids have no idea how bad a summer job can be!)

2. I was traumatized as a child by watching 'Dark Shadows' and then as a Beehive by some very mean-spirited girls and to this day can get very spooked in the dark. (Not a great attribute as a mother, trying to teach your kids to be brave.)

3. When I was a little girl, my sister, Ellen, and I would pretend to speak Spanish to each other. We also would pretend to know sign language and would 'talk' to each other in church. One time, someone asked my mom if we were deaf.

4. I have very strong fingernails that grow well. Sadie, lucky girl, has inherited this from me.

5. One of my favorite breakfasts is waffles with bananas and syrup, and orange juice.

6. I don't have a middle name, but always wished I did.

I tag Megan, Heidi, Lia, Sarah, Debbie, and Lara.

Valentine's Idea

A few years ago, I started decorating our house for Valentine's day. Not the sit-on-the-shelf decorations, but like a party. The night before Valentine's, after the kids go to bed, I would put up crepe paper and hearts. Then, I'd try to have special Valentine's treats and a special dinner. I thought that a holiday about love was a great time to express my love to my kids in a way that they understand and get a kick out of. Well, I just found some really great ideas for a Valentine's family home evening. Since Valentine's is on a Saturday and our stake will be having a dinner and dance, I thought having an early celebration on Monday would be great. The web site is sugardoodle.net, on the left side of the page is a message from Melanie and a link to her Valentine's ideas. On that page are the FHE ideas. She also has a lot of other ideas for Primary, YW, etc. I was going to e-mail this, but thought more people would see it here. Happy early Valentine's Day!

God Bless America

I love our country. I am eternally grateful for having been born here. I am thankful that we can vote for our laws and leaders. That said, I did not hope for (or vote for) the president who will be taking office today. But, as I've considered this, I realize that there are alot of people in this country who felt the same way when Bush was elected-twice. I like Pres. Bush. He got alot of flack for his speaking and for many of his decisions. Well, I think the fact that he messed up when he spoke made him more real (how many of us could give that many speaches and never mess up?). As for his decisions, he's human. Which of us could profess to be perfect? Of course, his decisions affected much more than ours would, but still.

So, as I've seen my kids react to this change, being very influenced by their peers and thier parents, I think I've done them a disservice. The fact is, Barack Obama is our new president and with that comes all the rights and priviledges of his office, including my loyalty. He hasn't done anything yet, so I have no reason to distrust him. Our country voted and he won. We teach our kids the Articles of Faith, and number 12 says, "We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law." Also, I was reading D&C 109 on Sunday. It's the dedicatory prayer for the Kirtland temple. Joseph Smith asked a powerful blessing on this country and it's leaders:

v.54-"Have mercy, O Lord, upon all the nations of the earth; have mercy upon the rulers of our land; may those principles, which were so honorably and nobly defended, namely, the Constitution of our land, by our fathers, be established forever.

v.55-"Remember the kings, the princes, the nobles, and the great ones of the earth, and all the people, and the churches, all the poor, the needy, and afflicted ones of the earth."

I echo this prayer today and add my own. I pray that President Obama will be a good president, led by morals and the influence of the Holy Ghost. I pray that those around him, who counsel him, will also be honest and fair and think of the people of this country, first and foremost. And, I pray that we will remember that we live in the land of promise, that we have cherished blessings promised us if we keep the commandments.

God Bless America

The Ups and Downs of Being the Youngest

I've often envied my sister, Sarah, for being the youngest. My parent's were pretty strict and basically poor when I was growing up. By the time Sarah came along, they were older and tired and eased up-alot. Their financial situation had improved alot as well, so she had many things I never did.
Now, I look at Noah and realize he'll have the same advantages. I'm already less strict with him and find I dote on him a lot more. Plus, he has 6 siblings to spoil him as well. He'll probably get to go on better vacations (but, really, what's better than camping in Idaho?) and have a car to drive when he's 16. Oh, well. That's the luck of the draw.

There are some disadvantages, tho'. He might not see them as such, but I do. Mostly, they have to do with having all these older siblings. They teach him things I would have been horrified to have the older ones learn. Not that I'm all too thrilled about it now. I just had more control with Adam and Jake. For example, Adam and Jacob were not allowed to say 'stupid' or 'shut up' and when they passed gas, we said, 'toot'. I know, it sounds lame, but I didn't like the alternative. Well, here's Noah, with teenage brothers and he already knows these things. He says 'shut up'. It drives me crazy. I've tried to guilt Jacob by telling him it's his fault (it is), but Jake has some serious anger issues and Noah is his little parrot. His newest word is 'fart'. I really hate this, and mostly because he knows what it means and lets everyone know what he's done. I know there are alot of worse things that he could be saying, but I still don't like it. Yo Gabba Gabba and Wow Wow Wubzy may be annoying, but at least they teach him good things.
As you can see from the picture, he's going through his 'naked stage'. All my kids went through it. Why can't they do it during the warm months, when I feel a little less lousy about my kid running around in a diaper? I don't know, if my skin were that smooth and blemish free, not to mention the only fat being the cute, baby kind, I might be tempted to run around naked. Yeah, my husband would be estatic, but my kids would be scarred for life. Lucky for them that isn't going to happen any time soon, or ever. It must feel very free to not be encumbered with clothes. It must feel even better to not be encumbered with body-image issues. Ah, to be a toddler again.
Noah just had his birthday and I thought alot about him joining our family. We were done. We'd always planned on 6 kids, though some of the timing of those six wasn't planned, their arrivals were. Noah was a complete surprise. Him being a boy, also a surprise. (I think Heavenly Father had a good laugh at that one.) But, we can't imagine our lives without him. He is a sweet child, who provides much laughter to our family. If you look up his name in the Bible dictionary, you'll see it means 'rest'. That's so appropriate. He's the last one (yes, really, the pipes are no longer connected) and with that, we can let up a little, be less strict and maybe, get a little rest.

Update on Hunter

Hunter's EEG and MRI were completely normal. (big sigh) His pediatrician said it's just a tick that he will hopefully outgrow. Though it's not a great thing to have a tick, it's better than the alternative. Thanks for all your concern.

Because I'm a Mother

I have to admit that I'm pretty ignorant when it comes to world politics and events. I'm an avid news watcher, but alot of the world stuff just sort of goes over my head. The conflict in Israel and Gaza is a perfect example. I did some reading on the internet so I could understand it a little better, but it's still pretty hazy. It's easy, I think, to watch the news and see the statistics and think of them as just that, numbers. Especially when the people talked about are so different. Their dress, culture, really, their whole world is so foriegn. But, this morning, as I was looking through the newspaper, I came upon this picture and it stopped me cold.
These are three toddlers, who were killed in Gaza, being carried to their funerals. (Sorry for the morbid picture, but I felt I needed to include it.) 257 children have been killed in this conflict. That's 257 mothers and fathers who are mourning the loss of their babies. I'm not writing about politics, I'm writing about the things that connect us all, like being mothers.
I sit here in my comfy house in Layton, Utah, USA, listening to cartoons that my child watches. I sent my kids off to school an hour ago. They left laughing, dragging backpacks through the new snow. I didn't worry that mortar shells might explode in our neighborhood or at thier school, my biggest concern was that they have gloves and hats on. Now, I'm thinking about the loss of all these parents. I've also seen alot the past few days about John Travolta and Kelly Preston and the loss of their son, Jett. Such a tragic loss.

What I've come to conclude is that it doesn't matter what your circumstances. Whether you wear jeans or a burqa, you live in a modern house or a hut, the feelings we have for our children are the same. Famous movie star in Hollywood or frumpy housewife in Utah, we love our kids and all live with the fear of losing them, and would do anything to keep them safe.

Such an ingenious plan of our Heavenly Father's, isn't it? What better way to teach us to love like He does, than to give us children of our own to love and care for. I think it's so unexpected, the feelings you have. Whether you give birth to your children or adopt them, it's the same. The moment you hold that little baby, you're done. Your heart, your soul, your very life no longer belong to you.

So, I look at these pictures, and can only imagine the pain these parents are going through. Whether you believe in an afterlife or not, it can only lessen the sting that endures. You brought this child into the world, and any time here without them would feel a bit hollow. You look forward to the day you see them again, but would ache with each morning you face without their smile. Ok, I'll stop before I start crying again. I just wanted to share my thoughts and ask that we all give an extra prayer for all those mothers and fathers who are mourning today. (And then, give a prayer of gratitude for the little ones who we'll tuck into bed tonight.)

This is a poem I wrote a few years ago for Mother's Day, it seemed appropriate.

My Heart

Five little fingers wrap themselves

around one of mine,

Just as this tiny life has wrapped itself

around my heart.

These little people have come,

One by one,

And taken hold,

Never to let go.

Each one different, beautiful,

They came, little miracles,

And, someday they will go,

But, this heart,

Stretched, tugged and so very full,

Belongs to them,

And will never be mine again.

Washing Feet

Yesterday, I had to take Noah out during the sacrament. I wasn't too happy about this, and as soon as we got in the foyer and sat down, he was quiet. I sat there, trying to think 'sacrament' thoughts. I looked at the picture on the wall opposite me. It was of the Savior washing the feet of the disciples. I always start the New Year with hopes of becoming closer to my elder Brother and I know I can best do this by living like He did. So, I studied this picture. I thought that there are alot of things we can learn from the scripture, "After that he poureth water into a bason and began to wash the disciples feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded." (John 13:5) What struck me was that Jesus was willing to do any task to serve, no matter how menial it seemed. The thing is, a task that may seem menial to the person doing it, usually is anything but common to the person on the receiving end. Just imagine how good it would feel, after walking all day on dusty roads with nothing but sandals on, to have someone wash and dry your feet. I pondered this and realized there are a couple ways that this example can be applied to us.

The first is through our callings. Have you ever been called into see a member of the bishopric, and you know you're getting a new calling? Have you ever gone in with a specific call in mind? I have. Trust me, I've never aspired to be Relief Society president or anything like that, but there are a few callings that I think I'd love to do. So, you go in with a hope for something new and challenging and the question comes, "Would you accept a call as a nursery leader? "(or cub scout den leader, Sunbeam teacher, I could go on and on.) And your heart sinks. It's no secret that I wasn't thrilled to be called into cub scouts, though I love it now, it was about the last thing I wanted to do. Sometimes, the calls we get seem routine or boring. But, the Savior taught us that there was nothing below him. The same goes for us. Here's my point, the thing that just hit me between the eyes, the people receiving this service get so much out of it. I can't count how many nursery teachers have taken care of my kids over the years. All so that I could go to my classes or to fill my callings without worrying about my little ones. And all the primary teachers we've had. Every week, as my kids traipse off to Primary and I leave Noah crying in his teacher's arms, these men and women are washing my feet. To them, it may seem like 'just another week' trying to keep the kids quiet and struggling to teach them something. To me, it's an immesurable service. We have incredible scout leaders who take my boys on campouts, all year long. Every time I drop Adam and Jacob off, sunshine or snow, and these men are smiling as if they're happy to be camping in sub-zero temps, they are washing my feet.

The second way that this applies is in service, the 'everyday, gotta go out and find it' kind. We are so unique in that we are encouraged to serve each other. We live in a world where we are told to 'take care of ourselves' and when women (and men) are seen doing so much for so many others, they are told they shouldn't put themselves last. Now, I'm all for taking time for myself and I don't think we should neglect ourselves, so don't get me wrong. Pres. Uchtdorf put it so well, "In today's world of pop pshychology, junk TV, and feel-good self help manuals, this advice may seem counterintuitive. We are sometimes told that the answer to our ills is to look inward, to indulge ourselves, to spend first and pay later, and to satisfy our own desires even at he expense of those around us. While there are times when it is prudent to look first to our own needs, in the long run it doesn't lead to lasting happiness." When the rest of the world (and Oprah) tell us that we should focus on ourselves to feel better, the Lord tells us to focus on others. How many times do you suppose the Savior took a day for himself? Even when He did have time alone, He was praying or fasting. His thoughts were always for others. On the cross, when He was suffering, He prayed for those who had crucified Him, and gave comfort to those who hung next to Him. A loaf of bread, a phone call, a compliment- they're simple and don't seem like much. But, to the receiver, the person who is lonely, depressed or feeling frumpy, you have just washed their feet.

When I got back into sacrament meeting, Bro. Ringler introduced our ward theme for the year, "Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness; for the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward." (D&C 58:27-28) I think the Lord was trying to tell me something. I'm grateful, though. I'm grateful to see service in a new light. I'm grateful for the people who wash my feet on a regular basis and look forward to trying to find opportunities to do some feet washing of my own.