Stake Conference Weekend and Staycation

 Last weekend was Stake Conference.  We were blessed to have Bro Michael Strong as a visiting authority as well as his wife Cristin.  On Saturday (2/10), David and I met the Strong's for a light lunch and had the chance to get to know them a little bit.  Then we split up and David and Bro Strong went to do some visits while Cristin and I went to visit some sisters from the stake.  Cristin had never done this, but has a friend whose husband has the same calling and her friend started doing this so Cristin thought it sounded like a great idea.  She said in the past she has either waited in the car or stayed at the hotel while her husband did visits and had meetings.  

It was great to get to spend time with her and see how she loved the people she met.  She was open and honest with them.  It allowed others to be open and vulnerable as well.  The first sister we visited was Betty Lund.  Her husband passed away in December and the feelings of loss are still raw and fresh.  She was so kind to let us into her home and allow us the chance to her of the love she has for her husband and the good man that he was.  

Next we visited Kelly and Kim Sheffield.  Kelly has been suffering from Alzheimer's for the past several years.  His is physically well, but cognitively he is not there.  Kim has been his full time caregiver until recently when she hired someone to come in a couple of times a week for a few hours each time.  Kim also has an adult daughter that is mentally disabled.  So, she has a lot on her plate.  Her upbeat attitude and ability to still laugh and enjoy life is remarkable.  Although, she recently went to get on medication and to  see a therapist because she has noticed that she is not doing as well as she has in the past.  I'm sure the overwhelm of all that is her responsibility has weighed on her.  Cristin was very open about her past struggles since they returned home after presiding over one of the Peru missions.  It made me remember my own mission president talking about when he experienced a mental breakdown years prior to becoming a mission president. 

We are all real people, living real life experiences.  The reality of this mortal experience is that there will be sorrow, heartache, physical/mental challenges, etc.  But, there is always a way up and a way out,  Christ is the ultimate answer, but sometimes we also need to use the resources available to us and rely on the support and love of others to help us through.  This life is not meant to be endured alone, but it is meant to endured. 

After our visits, Cristin and I headed over to Gulsen Akay's house for a tea party.  Makbule (Gulsen's mom) Kristen Oaks, Julie Hall, Erin Voegler and another sister from our stake were there.  Makbule prepared another amazing spread of food.  The company was fantastic and the food was delicious.  I feel so blessed to get to be invited to this special gatherings. I have loved getting to to know Gulsen and Makbule. 

There was a dinner at the church with Bro and Sis Strong, the stake presidency and their spouses, all the bishop's and their wives as well as the stake auxiliary presidents and their spouses.  It was a great dinner but we wish there had been more time to sit and visit.

Stake conference was wonderful.  The speakers were inspiring and the invitations were personal.  Bro and Sis Strong both gave fantastic talk as did David.  Bro Strong did a little activity and then asked us about what a disciple of Christ looks like.  It makes you stop to reflect on how we each behave.  Do we "look" like a disciple of Jesus Christ?  Is it clear to those that we encounter every day.

Then he showed a video that was actually a commercial for Thai Life Insurance.  It was a young man doing small and simple, acts of kindness/service day after day.  Nothing extraordinary, but as he loved and served, he was changed as were the lives of those he served.

2/16- David and I had a little staycation in Salt Lake City.  My parents and Ash were so kind to watch ALL the boys so we could get a way.  We shopped, ate, walked around, visited an old friend that lives downtown and enjoyed a relaxed 24 hours away from home.  We will need to do this more often!

Jeopardy and Final Basketball Game (2/5/2024)

Tonight Porter was telling me that his class played Jeopardy at school.  They were put into teams of 4 or 5 students.  I knew this was coming up and Porter was excited about his team because he felt like amongst all of them they had all the categories covered.  

Categories:

Harry Potter

Music

Sports

Star Wars

??? Can't remember the other categories.

As Porter was telling me about the questions he answered, I could not help but laugh.  He ALWAYS knows some of the most random things because his brain absorbs everything.

Question: Who is the male tennis star with the nickname King of Clay?

Now, Porter DOES NOT watch tennis nor does he pay attention to tennis.  Well, somehow he managed to guess the correct answer.  Rafael Nadal.  You might wonder, as I did, how the heck he knew this.  After inquiring, he told me that he used to search up stats on a baseball play, Rafael Devers, but Rafael Nadal's name always came up first.  So he had remembered over a year ago seeing this tennis name!

Question: Who was the number #13 player on the women's soccer team?

Once again, why would he know this?  Because girl's in his class are big soccer fans and he has heard them talk about it.  Answer: Alex Morgan

There was a Harry Potter question and he knew that in the movie it was one answer, but if it was from the book it was a different answer.

Porter also figured out that Ms Savarie had searched up the wrong answer for a question that she asked.  She had searched which NBA team had made it to the play off's the most and used that answer.  But her actual question she asked the class was which NBA team had won the most championships.  Porter picked the Celtics because they are tied for the most championship wins.  Ms Savarie had selected the Lakers which is who they are tied with and the Lakers have been to the most play-off games.

I would have loved to have been in his class during the game.  He always shocks me and makes me laugh.

Jonas had his last basketball game of the season and his team WON!!  This is only their second win of the season and they tied 1.  They won all of their beginning games and the last 3 they did great. It was so fun to cheer him on and feel a little anxious about them holding their lead, but they did it!  I was thrilled for him.  He has really worked hard this season and has gone out there and hustled, been aggressive and patient.  The beginning of the season was really hard for him since they kept losing, but he kept showing up (with a little encouragement/forcing) from David and I.  Jonas is great at dribbling, stealing, rebounding, passing, layups and being a team player.  He doesn't make it all about himself.  He's willing to find the open man and give up the ball, but he will also drive to the basket and have fast break aways.  There was one boy on his team that scored for his first time, in 3 years, during a game!  And that same kid even stole the ball once.  He woke up a little during this game and I hope it built up his confidence to realize he could get out there and do it!

Tonight after we all got home, the boys and I sat around chatting.  It was the best!  These are the moments I live for.  It makes the hard of motherhood worth it.  I felt a little bing in my heart, a reminder of the promised blessings of doing Come Follow Me in our homes with our family.  We have been much more consistent lately and I really do think it's bringing a piece of heaven into our home.   I hope we will stay engaged and committed.

 

Have Courage and Act

Cam had thrown up today and yesterday, so I kept him home from church while I dropped the other 4 boys off at church with Gayle.  While watching Sacrament meeting, Donna McInelly bore her testimony.  In all my years in this ward, I can't ever remember her doing this before.  As I sat listening to her sweet testimony and talking about how she knew God was aware of her and walking with their family during this time, I felt a gentle reprimand from the spirit and cried as I thought about the impressions I had felt during this past month or so.  Until recently Donna, her husband, daughter (Brandy) and grandson have been living together.  Within the recent past her husband has been placed in a care home, but I wasn't aware of this.  

During two of my morning runs, I had the impression to run by her house.  The name that kept coming to mind was Brandy.  I have never met Brandy and do not know much about her.  I was wondering, what am I supposed to do when I run by her house at 6am?!  The first impression I tried to shake off, but eventually changed directions until I ended up in front of their house.  I stood in front of it for several minutes trying to figure out what I needed to do.  As I'd been running over there I wondered if maybe Brandy would be leaving for work or somehow I'd run into her.  Not that I had any idea what I'd say.  There were lights on in the house, but I could not work up the courage to knock on the front door.  After I'd been standing there, I noticed movement on the front porch which startled me and I ran off.  The next time I ran by I also didn't knock on the door.  As I'd think about Brandy, I wondered if maybe I was just supposed to tell her that God was aware of her and that He loves her.  

I also talked with David earlier this weekend about inviting the McInelly's over for dinner, but made no definitive plans and extended no invitation.  

So, as I listened to Donna speak in church today, I knew that I had not acted.  Following a prompting is not always easy.  It takes courage to act.  Heavenly Father was teaching me today that I need to do better.  There is work He has for me to do, but He needs me to act even if I don't know exactly what I will be doing or what the outcome will be.  

This reminded me of how someone followed a prompting that blessed me and our family.  Adrianne showed up at my front door.  She was nervous (which is not normal for her).  Then she told me that every morning she prays to know who she can help.  That day my name had come into her mind.  As she stood at my door, she asked me if there was something I needed help with.  My mind drew a blank.  Then she said, if you can't think of anything, I have a suggestion.  Earlier in the week we had been running together and I had told her David's parents were coming in town and planning to stay with us.  After Kayla had moved out, I tried to clean that basement shower, but didn't put much effort in because it was going to be torn our during our remodel.  So, it had been left unclean and unused for several months.  It would be the bathroom David's parents would use while in town, so I thought I should clean it.  Well, Adrianne offered to clean it.  She went above and beyond cleaning it and preparing it so that it would be a comfortable place for David's parents.  We talked later about the courage it took for her to knock of my door and the courage it takes to accept her offer.  

I had been studying a talk by Elder Bednar about the characters of Christ.  He pointed out that in the word character is the word ACT.  Christ was a man of action and that is a characteristic that I need to develop.  There are random promptings that I receive all the time and I need to start doing something about them.  I need to be very deliberate when a thought comes because it is very easy to justify all the reasons why we shouldn't do something or if I don't act immediately, I'll get distracted and forget.

Thankfully Heavenly Father is patient with me and continues to work with me.  

Start of Volume 4

 Brooks' prayer: "Please bless that I won't be mean to Cam and that I'll enjoy the spirit."

Cam is starting to say more words and it's so cute when I realizes that I recognize what he's saying.  Some of the words he can say:

Dada, Momma, cheese, shoe, up, dog, this, again.  I'm sure there is more that I can't remember.

Porter thinks he only says, "thzthzthz"

Signs- please, more

He shakes his head yes and no.

Cam finally started walking in August before he turned 19 months.  He was so proud of himself and would clap every time he did it.  

Last night we had a fun family home evening where the boys had to act out an animal while Porter played a song on the piano that went along with the animal.  Cam loved this game and he would dance around and he tried to "jump" like a kangaroo when Mason acted this out.  Cam definitely got into it, but his little feet never left the ground.

Porter and Mason have both been playing football.  Porter's is tackle and Mason's is flag.  Porter's is pretty intense and they practice 3 nights/week for 1 hr 45 min and then an hour and 20 min before each game on Saturday.  His team is doing really well and is currently ranked 2nd in their division.  Porter had a great pick in one of his games.  It was actually a super exciting play.

Mason has loved flag football and he's turned out to be pretty good.  He had two pick sixes in one game along with another touch down.  He's thrown great passes and made great tackles.  It is so fun to watch him move and get into the game.  Mason is extremely athletic and he practices diligently to get better.  

Porter has gotten back into playing piano again and I love it.  The other day his friend Ollie Metcalfe was over and they sat down at the piano together and each played parts of a song.

Brooks started preschool on his birthday and is loving it.  He does not like if anyone at school "teases" him, but he doesn't like that at home either.  He is really good with numbers, but does not like working on his letters.  He always tells me, I already the song.  He does know the letters in his name and knows how to spell his name.  He continues to love puzzles, driving his new dune buggy like a maniac, playing any sports his brothers play and riding his bike.  

Jonas has developed a love of reading.  And my most favorite thing to see him read is the Friend Magazine.  He is so excited every time a new one comes in the mail and he devours it.  Jonas still loves to run and has started cross country season.  Jonas cut his face with a glass bottle that broke last month and he had to go to the ER to get stitches.  The owners of Sports Den were so unbelievably kind and generous.  I was at Little Caesars with Mason, Brooks, Cam and 3 of Mason's friends.  We had walked/ridden bikes.  When they called me about Jonas I was wondering how I was going to get over there to pick him up.  They drove him to me.  I was so grateful.

When I took Jonas to the ER, David met us.  Jonas has become a lot less shy and he even twerked for several of the staff.  I was dying and David I were wondering what happened to that shy, private little boy.

I miss his cute sweet toddler face, but he's growing up to be so handsome and funny.

8/13/2022

Last night Brooks had a poopy diaper that caused him to get a rash on his bum.  He was so sad about it and it hurt so bad.  This morning when I changed another poopy diaper, he said,”It doesn’t have a sore.”  Then he asked for me to put “wart cream” on it and said, “Let’s say a prayer.”  His prayer was his sweetest, most complete prayer yet.  He prayed for his bum to heal, Dadda at work, the boys to sleep well, momma to care for us at home.  I love that boy.  Then we hugged and I told him that I’m so glad he knows that Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers.