80 years young

My Mom turned 80 on June 21st...I was at girl's camp, but I still wanted to do a post dedicated to her. She is 80, and her strength and stamina are not what they used to be, but she is still going strong. This is a great blessing as longevity of life does not run in her family.  She is beautiful and bright and I am grateful for her example of gracious womanhood and righteousness.  (Cleanliness too, although I fear she thinks I am a lost cause in that respect.) She was the only daughter with three brothers.  She always excelled at the homemaking arts.  Even as a young girl her mother said she could clean better than her. Mom has always been a little hard on herself, but the truth of the matter is that she is like Mary Poppins-"practically perfect in every way".  She graduated from BYU with a degree in home economics, and she excels in that area.  She cooks better than anyone I know, she cares for and cleans her home with flair, and has sewn more dresses then she can probably count.  Not only did she sew for us as kids, but she has sewn choir dresses for my girls  and some of my nieces as well.  And just to note-she sewed them better than the "professional" that made them for the other girls in the choir.

She never shirked her responsibilities.  She always made us breakfast and dinner, she changed the sheets faithfully each week, laundry was always done, folded, ironed and put away.  She patiently encouraged each one of us to learn to play the piano, and told us we would regret it if we didn't.  All my sisters play well, except for me and I do regret it.  Yes I am the black sheep (it doesn't help that I went to Brazil, but I could have done better).  I so often leave laundry that needs to be folded or serve whatever for dinner, and then I think of my Mom...I am still learning from her example.

My mom has the ability to look beautiful no matter what she is doing.  She can work in the yard without getting dirty (a skill I did not inherit), and can wear white pants all day long without getting spots on them. Once a neighbor of theirs told me that Mom was the only person she knew who could look dressed up in a pair of sweats.  She still dresses classy and stylish and has always stayed thin and fit.  She still walks faithfully.  

The thing I admire most about my Mom is her example of righteousness.  She was and is faithful.  She always did her visiting teaching, she prepared lessons for weeks in advance, she crocheted booties and hats for the new babies in the ward, she went to Brazil twice without complaint and without knowing Portuguese and served faithfully alongside my Dad.  My Dad served in time consuming callings for all my growing up years, and I never, NEVER heard her complain.  He was gone a lot.  All day on Sunday, and most nights of the week.  In fact once a new member of our ward wanted to know who the nice lady was with the daughters who had the inactive husband.  She taught me much about being a supportive wife, and putting the Lord first.

Mom made me feel like I could do anything.  That I was talented and beautiful and capable.  She always knew when I was struggling (I was certain she was magic) and even more importantly was there for me when I was.  I will never forget coming home from school in tears and her dropping what she was doing to help me work through it.  She was always there for me when I needed her.

I feel much like the stripling warriors, I did not doubt as a child because my mother knew.  I feel extraordinarily blessed to be born into the home of a woman who loved the Lord and taught me to do the same.  For all this and so much more I celebrate 80 years of a wonderful and well lived life!

My daughter is 21!

I have been at girl's camp all week, so I wasn't able to post this on Ashley's birthday, but I wanted to do a birthday post celebrating her 21st birthday.  I believe that Heavenly Father sends very special and strong children to be  the oldest child in a family.  Why?  Because new parents are clueless.  Ok well maybe not all new parents, but I certainly was clueless.  I had no idea what I was doing, so most of my parenting with her was experimenting.  Ashley was born a week early and weighed in at only 5 lbs 13 oz.  She was so little, and so beautiful with her blue eyes and red hair.  The first few months of her life were challenging and did not include much sleep, but after she got through colic around 4 months or so she became a model baby.  She was born with spirit and personality.  She was always a little character, and a trouble maker.  She didn't slowly walk her first steps, she ran them.  She was born passionate about life, and continues to live that way.  She is fun and enthusiastic and feisty.  She does have a little bit of a temper, but what I love about Ashley is that she is upset for a few minutes (literally) and then it's gone.  No harboring hard feelings, no pouting for hours, no lingering anger.  She is a perfectionist, and is often too hard on herself. She has always loved music, and before she could walk, she would pull herself up and bounce up and down to the beat.  She could sing song after song when she was 2 and be right on pitch. She loves to look for the good in people, and is the most amazing 21 year old that I know.  I am grateful that Heavenly Father sent  this fiery red head to our home who could handle a neurotic first time mother.

She pulled this hat over her head and then walked right into the desk.  We tried to take it off, but she refused and continued walking around and running into things.

Love this picture! Shows her personality perfectly!

 

Ashley's reaction to the new piano

She spent much of her high school choir career at the piano. 

Smart phone?

So I have never really considered myself as a gadget girl, I am ok to not have the latest technologies.  So I wasn't ever really tempted to get an iPhone even after my husband and two daughters got them.  They are cool and everything, but half the time my cell phone is laying on the counter and I have a computer at home, so what was the point?  Well for the past little while my freebie cell phone has been giving me grief.  Shutting off without provocation being the most annoying thing.  So I have been considering upgrading to a smart phone. I hadn't really made a decision though because I don't really love to spend money on things like that for myself.  It's kind of like having to by new socks or underwear.  It annoys me to have to spend money on things like that.  Apparently Tony decided that I would never make the decision on my own, or maybe he was just tired of me taking his phone to look things up when we are not at home, because last Saturday he came home with an iPhone for me.  And although I have been resistant, I think I kind of like it.  And the kids love Siri.  Breanna told Siri she was dumb today, and Siri responded, "You are entitled to your own opinion."  Who knows maybe my technology loving husband will convert me yet...

Alexis, Lexie, LexiLoo from Kalamazoo

Today was my daughter's birthday.  19 today!  We started the day off with breakfast at Kneader's (I am still full).  Had pedicures in the afternoon, and ice cream cake for dessert with family this evening.  She is an amazing young woman.  She has a even temperament, she is not dramatic, and has a desire to be obedient.  What more could you ask for?  She never liked cleaning her room or doing the dishes when she was a kid and would sometimes put dishes away dirty, or hide things instead of putting them away.  She is very tidy now though, so it's all good.  She always knows when I am upset, and can say just the right things to make me feel better.  She has one of the loudest voices ever...one of my favorite memories is of her shouting "I want a cracker!" when she was supposed to be sleeping.  Luckily we captured one of these moments on video.  I feel blessed to have her call me mother!  Happy Birthday Alexis!!

Children and Valium

After the festival of colors

So I pulled an all nighter with my son last night as he was experiencing so much dizziness that he was nauseous.  Finally at about 4am we took him to the ER to see if we could get him some help.  The dizziness started when he went to Get Air (a trampoline sports complex with foam pits and wall to wall trampolines).  Throughout the evening the dizziness just got worse until he couldn't move his head really at all without being sick. 

At the ER, where we spent 3 LONG hours (I hate ER's, but it was the only option), they checked him over and drew blood for testing.  Then they started an IV to make sure he didn't get dehydrated.  They also gave him some medication, one of which was valium.  Not too long after he thought it was quite funny that his arm was cold as the fluid went through his veins.  Then he thought it was funny when the automatic blood pressure cuff tightened on his arm.  (He says that's his favorite part of going to the doctor)  It was really quite humorous because Jared doesn't really laugh giddily like that. It made me think of Ashley and the two times when she had to take valium before surgery.  First time she walked right into a wall.  The next time she started laughing hysterically because she couldn't figure out how to get her shoes on.  I am thinking they shouldn't take valium very often-either one of them!

We have been home since 7am and Jared is still sleeping.  Hopefully he can sleep some of this off, and hopefully it doesn't last too long.

Children are always good for a laugh

I regret that when my kids were little that I didn't write down all the cute and funny things that they said.  I remember a few of them still, but alas I have forgotten most of it (along with everything else that I am supposed to remember).  I have found however that they still say things that make me laugh, and there is no time like the present to write down what they have said.  For example last night I was up late since I couldn't sleep, and my son and his cousin came in to ask if they could watch a video on you tube.  He told me what is was, and I asked him if it was appropriate?  He looked at me and said, "Mom do you really think I would ask your permission if I was going to watch something I knew was inappropriate."  Yeah I didn't really think that one through very well.  I did get a good laugh though.  This same son said the other day...I know I am supposed to love everyone, but does that mean I have to like them?

My two youngest kids fight sometimes, sometimes a lot.  The other night I said to them that someday they would like each other and actually be nice to each other.  Grant made some comment about what I said, and then Breanna yelled from upstairs, "I'll be nice to him when he is better looking."  I have no idea where that came from, but it was quite funny.

We went to see Avengers the other day and it was pretty intense for Breanna.  She commented after that she had to bite Grant a couple of times to be able to handle it.  (Don't worry no harm was done, no blood was drawn).

Bryce Canyon

One of my favorites, although it has been several years now, was when we went down to Bryce Canyon.  Grant was only about 2 1/2 and we did a lot of hiking.  He spent most of his time, since his short little legs couldn't keep up with us, on Tony's shoulders.  He was kind of a quiet kid, but loved all the hiking and was surprisingly talking quite a bit to Tony.  As we were on a particularly long hike he asked Tony, "Dad, is this Heavenly Father's back yard?" 

I realize that most people won't find these things and others as funny or as sweet as I do, because sometimes you just have to be there...but if I write them down I can enjoy them over and over again.

Hello Dolly!

We have been very busy the past couple of weeks getting ready for the school musical.  Jared has loved the time spent preparing for the production even with the long days spent.  They did such a fantastic job with the play, and they are all 8th and 9th graders.  My hats off to Ms. Swallow and all the kids.  It was amazing!

Jared, Dolly and his cousin Matthew

Jared and Matthew practiced to be able to do cartwheels together for the play.

Jared and Dolly