Unexpected Fun

Our family was planning a great conference weekend. We were all hanging out with my parents who were coming up for one last visit before they start their new calling at the temple in Birmingham. We were going to hang out in our sweats all weekend and listen to the timely messages we needed to hear. Hannah had invited some friends over to watch movies Saturday night. But then our plans changed. Hannah was elected to homecoming court and our nice relaxing weekend got pretty busy and a little crazy.

These two lovelies are part of a large cheering team my girls are blessed with. They teach them at church and listen to their worries and encourage them to stay on the straight and narrow. They came to the stadium on Friday to see Hannah walk across the field. Jenny and Amanda's husbands are great too. Their sacrifice of time does not go unnoticed.

Steve was in New York on Friday. There were storms on Friday and the airport was flooded. We prayed and prayed. But Steve did not make it home in time to walk with Hannah across the field. He did make it home safely. For that we were grateful. I was happy to get this picture of them together before she went to the dance and he went to the Priesthood session of conference. He deserves all the credit for her dress. He is the one who took her shopping the Saturday before. Have I mentioned that he is a super-shopper and I am not? I also cannot say enough that Steve is a great Dad. Not only does he shop with his girls - but he really enjoys being around them. And it shows. Hearing them all laughing in the kitchen as they swap stories and jokes is one of my favorite sounds.

Grace and Grandma at the football game. We noted that since Brock has been on a mission, Grandma has not been to a football game. We stayed long enough to see Hannah and as long as the Birmingham blood would allow. Grandma brought with her our favorite sweets from Savage Bakery. She also spent all of her 28 hours in our home - making it better. She folded laundry, cleaned and talked and listened to Tanner, Grace, Eliza and Hannah. AND ME.

Dad and me with Hannah. I was so happy Dad was there - so I didn't have to walk across the field alone. It was nice to have someone to laugh with when we saw Hannah's heels sinking into the grass as she walked in front of us down the 50 yard line. She wobbled a bit but laughed her way through it. While Dad was not on official homecoming duty - he took each of the kids on a date to their favorite places. And put several puzzles together with Tanner. He was busy!

Thanks to this boy, David, Hannah didn't fall on the field. They have been friends for a few years and was kind to be her escort.

It wasn't the weekend that we had expected. But it was fun to see Hannah honored this way.

Indian Run

A couple of weeks ago, Steve, Eliza, Grace and I "ran" the Indian Run in Hocking Hills. We arrived there around 9 am to check in. When I told the lady at registration who we were she oohhhed and ahhed and informed me that they had been talking about us the day before when they were preparing the registration packets. She couldn't believe that such a big family was running the race together. I couldn't believe that Steve and I with half of our children were considered a big family. She then told me that they had informed the media about us and they would likely like to talk to us. We got a good laugh over that and then loaded the bus to go to our starting point.

Our friends, Emily and Richard ran the 10k. Eliza and Steve ran the 5k. My friend Katie and I took Grace and her friends and hoped to briskly walk the 5k. 3 minutes into the race, one skinned her knee and had blood oozing all over. One wanted to stop and watch the fish jumping in the lake. On our way through the campground part of the trail, we stopped to ask for a bandaid. While there - we saw the bathrooms and decided to stop. Grace tells everyone that I dragged her over the finish line - she was so tired. So our brisk walk turned into some of the longest 5k finishes known to man. I think we beat the 60 year old couple who had a baby in a back pack.

So about the media. Steve crossed the finish line and a reporter approached him. She was sorely disappointed that we weren't all running together. Her photo-op moment was not going to happen. But I love this picture. It was a great day.

T is for Tanner

Tanner has a lot to tell me these days because we are not together for 3 hours every day while he is at school. He is always anxious to tell me about school and the friends he made that day. His one problem is that he can never remember their names - or perhaps he never asked them in the first place. Tonight at dinner - the girls were asking him if he found out the name of a particular girl he had been talking about. He said he asked her her name but it was "complicated". The girls started to throw out names with 3 or more syllables. They all sounded like Rumpelstiltskin trying to guess the friends name. After a few minutes of guessing and laughing - Tanner pipes up with, "I think her name was Anne or something like that."

Tanner came in the house from jumping on the trampoline today and declared: "I am not going to military school!" I tried to find out where this idea came from but he wouldn't say anymore. He got a drink of water and went back outside.

Tonight, we were driving to the church, in the dark to pick up the girls from church. He started singing a song that sounded like a game show theme song and then rapidly fired off words he wanted me to define. He started with "cute" and "darling". He then moved on to damn and piehole. I gave him a definition for dam that included cement, logs and a stream or river turned into a lake. He then asked if there is another dam. I asked him why and he told me that there is a song he knows and that he thought the words to it were: "my damn partner is a monkey" but someone told him those are not the correct words. The correct words are: "my gym partner is a monkey".

So now - I get to wonder where he was singing about his damn partner loud enough for someone to correct him? My apologies to whoever it was and to the parents of any friends to whom he taught that song. He knows better now and hopefully won't do it again.

Comfort and Joy

On Saturday I was getting ready to go to a seminary teacher training meeting at the institute building. I was kind of dragging my feet. I told Steve that I anticipated the first hour - to be a discussion of questions the first year teachers have about the way to run a seminary class.

I WAS a new seminary teacher 2 years ago and could hardly wait to get to the meeting to get answers to my many questions. But now I am a third year seminary teacher. We have our routine. I love the kids. And study like crazy and hope the Holy Ghost will teach them every morning.

What I needed was - more than details on how to run a seminary class (there are lots of details!) -- I had been praying for comfort and joy. I have been letting myself be dragged down by some things going on around me that are out of my realm of responsibility and control. I was feeling heavy-hearted.

For 1 hour and 50 minutes of the meeting, we discussed procedures, tasks, and ideas about how to best run a class. I tried to contribute where I could -- but in a room full of people - I have a difficult time raising my hand and speaking. But I did. And I brought home a few ideas I am going to try. But as I looked at the clock and saw that the time was about over - I was disappointed that we hadn't spent very munch time in the scriptures - discussing doctrine or our Savior.

But then a question came that caused Brother Burton to stop and open his scriptures and remind us that the gospel is to be taught and lived with joy. He read from Mosiah 2:40 and 41:

40 O, all ye ^aold men, and also ye young men, and you little children who can understand my words, for I have spoken plainly unto you that ye might understand, I pray that ye should awake to a^bremembrance of the awful situation of those that have fallen into transgression.

41 And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and ^ahappy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are ^bblessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out ^cfaithful to the end they are received into ^dheaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it.

The spirit whispered to me that I needed to loosen my grip on my worries for my friends problems and to dedicate my thoughts more to the blessings of living the gospel. Blessings are all around me. The joy of the gospel is not reserved for after judgement. We can experience joy now. I am so thankful for the multiple examples of people around me who live the gospel and recognize their blessings.

I am grateful that I received the comfort and understanding that I needed. My heart is lighter. I know my Father in Heaven knows me and knew about my worries and my desire to feel joy. I love that the scriptures that are for everyone - can feel so personal.

Ahhhh. . . Quiet.

I am alone in my house for the first time since the end of May. I have so many things that I need to do. But I'm just going to sit here for a minute and enjoy the silence.

Praying for our Enemies

Enemy is is too strong of a word to really use here - but it does remind me of the scripture that I will liken to Tanner.

There is a bully in Tanner's preschool class. Every day, we hear tales of this boy and the ways he has hurt members of the class. I am not sure that he means to hurt the other children. But he spends a lot of time in time out and I know the teachers are really trying to direct his energy toward good things.

Sunday night, after reading stories, Tanner said a prayer. In his prayer he prayed for this boy, that he would learn to be nice and that he would be gentle with everyone. When his prayer was over and we opened our eyes, he looked at me with his big brown eyes and asked if it was Ok to pray that this boy would be nice.

The following Monday, Tanner came home from school and told me that the bully was still a bully and his prayer didn't work. I told him to give it time - and was happy that night when Tanner included him in his prayers again. I hope he will always have that kind of faith.

Note:

I wrote the above several weeks ago. Since then, Tanner had his preschool graduation. During the graduation the bully kicked Tanner in the toe and would have kicked him in the shin if my friend, Melissa hadn't jumped out of her seat and removed the boy from Tanner. It made Tanner's praying for him all the more heart-warming. Maybe enemy was not too strong a word. It is funny that we ask children to do so many things that we don't do as adults - like share toys. And call people who kick you your friends.

Mothers of My Grandchildren

Happy Mother's Day to my Mother, Mother in Law, Grandmother and all the women who have influenced me and my children. I see so much incredible goodness and hope in my children. I am eternally grateful to you, who have taught them the gospel, shared with them your testimonies of our Savior and directed their thoughts to the temple and eternal families.

I want my children to have joy in their lives and the greatest joy I know - is being a mother. I am not the kind of mom that weeps at the bus stop when my kindergartner climbs the steps of the bus for the first time. I don't treasure bouquets of dandelions or even pretend to. I rarely bake cookies and I have major life plans for when they all leave the LTC (Life Training Center). I can't bring myself to call our home a nest. It would imply that I feed them often while they just sit there and do nothing.

I used to feel inferior to the Hallmark Moms. And sometimes in conversations, I will not speak out about my different reactions or feeling about motherhood. It is easier to nod my head and smile.

I don't want to freeze time and keep my children where they are. This life is a place of learning. I want them to experience the joy of continuous learning. Because that is what I do as a mother to my four. I have been forced to stretch because of them. I have been challenged to remember who I am and what is important in this life numerous times because of them. I have been pushed out of my comfort zone because of them. I am ME because of them. I have had to rely on my Savior because of them. And without Him I am nothing.

I have learned that He doesn't care if I cry when they get on the bus - but he will comfort me when I water my pillow at night as I pray for their testimonies to be strengthened. He doesn't care if I bake cookies every day - but he wants me to make sure they are spiritually fed, and teach them where to feast and find living water. He doesn't care if I pretend to like dandelions - but he begs me to recognize the divine nature of my children and love them as he does.

Every time I talk to my Mom on the phone, she reminds me how lucky I am to spend every day with my children. I love her for that. Because she knows. She knows me well enough to know that I need reminding and she knows them well enough to speak truth.

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