This year’s mothers day is one I need to remember. It
started Saturday with a busy morning working with my kids making breakfast to
be delivered to lots of special moms. We completed our task by noon and were
out the door off to drop our brunch and run. We made it to all the houses by
2:40 and headed back to home. We were out of milk and needed to get a few
weekly items at the store so we stopped in the big town near us to do our
shopping. As we were completing the gas station routine and dropping the bank
deposit off Aliza asked if we could go to the library? We had time, if we
hurried, so we ran in the library.
Oh how we love that place. It is so great to
feel all those books with all their excitement, adventure, information, and
entertainment waiting to be selected. As usual we found a lot to take home to
enjoy. We rushed to the store. Of course no one wanted to get out their heads
were buried in the book treasures. I got the milk and we headed home to host
the missionaries for dinner. It was a near perfect day. Time spent doing the
things I love. Some service that would make other smile, and hopefully know how
much we appreciate and love them, and time spent with my kids reading. It is
good to be a mom.
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| My Grandma's and mom at the mother's tea |
On to Sunday. Greg was asked to speak on mother’s day. I was
not excited as it is a bit uncomfortable to be talked about in church when you
are either undeserving or too deserving. We had discussed the talk all week but
had nothing committed to paper until Sunday morning. Greg was up early. I woke a
little later and we started hammering it out. The kids were instructed to take
care of themselves and the littles and to just be good as dad was in serious
need of some peaceful contemplation. We got the talk worked out by 8:20 and sat
down to the fabulous breakfast we had put together the day before. It was
delicious!
Quickly got ready and out the door to be right on time at 9. My
parents showed up to listen to Greg. We all headed in and got situated. The
kids in the congregation were semi-restless, possibly excited to be celebrating their mom’s.
Greg did very well. My mom headed out with Livy, whom she discovered was not finished dressing on the under side. While addressing that problem she missed the problem inside the chapel.
The primary got up to sing and I noticed Harold not singing
much. I was a little miffed. He did great at his school program on Thursday. He
does great at any other venue besides church singing. Well after scanning the
rest of my kids singing I saw a blur of white and had the urgent thought get up
and get to that. I found my son out cold on the floor at the center of the chapel.
Some moments stop your heart as a mother. This son of mine
has given me more than I need. From his early birth, to his breathing
difficulties, then his normal childhood adventures, he makes me catch my breath.
Today crouched over him hoping and begging him to wake up or breathe- he was unconscious
for several minutes- was another. It was that awful feeling of hope and concern for their future.
Fortunately he landed at the feet of a hygienist, who was sitting next to a
critical care nurse. An EMT was a few rows back, who had also passed out as a
youth at a choir concert off of bleachers. And another nurse was a few benches
over. Between the three of them they positioned him in the recovery position and
applied ice to relieve some overheating concerns. They also checked him for
injury. He isn’t really hurt. He has a bruise on his chin and a slight scratch
on his forehead. It was scary but we were so blessed to be spared serious
accident.
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| Harold at home after the fall. z |
Mark told Greg later "I felt him moving so I stepped out of
the way!"
And down Harold went. We came home and sat on the lawn just visiting and observing. He is totally normal and fine. I am so thankful we were spared.
And down Harold went. We came home and sat on the lawn just visiting and observing. He is totally normal and fine. I am so thankful we were spared.
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| Millie squares off with Tiger the cat. The Cat was overwhelmed! |
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| Sue was monitoring this experience. She was teaching the little kids how to push and jump on and how to balance inside. she is so good with children. |
When the kids came home they had filled out worksheets on
mom. I have to report them as they are priceless!
All about mom:
MY mom is: 33 (John & Addie), 34 (Mark), 36 (Aliza), 2
(Reed)
She likes to: cook (J), clean (Ad), serve (M), cook, clean,
have fun with us (Al), eat eggs and read books (R)
The best thing she cooks is: chocolate chip cookies (J),
crepes (Ad), cookies (M), everything (Al), meat (R)
Hear favorite food is: chocolate (J), hamburgers &
hashbrowns (Ad), casserole (M), tacos (Al), ham and chicken (R)
Her favorite thing to do to relax is: read (J), nurse Millie
in the rocking chair (Ad), read (M), to sleep (Al), to cook bacon (R)
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| Our next source of bacon! They rooted through their pen so Greg and Harold fixed it up Saturday morning. Good thing they are nice piggies |
We like to: read (J), play after church (Ad), have fun (M
& Al), ride tractors (R) together
She is really good at: cooking (J, Ad & Al), reading (M),
cleaning up pee on the floor (R)
As you can see my mom is special because: She helps me learn
(J), she loves us and cares for us (Ad), she takes care of us (M), she is
awesome (Al), she is beautiful like a princess (R)
Oh I love having so many kids to be a mother too. I laughed
and laughed over Reeds noticing my abilities.
Years ago Sue was in the paper on
Mother’s day. She said the best part of having so many kids was she got that
many more hugs, kisses, and good times with each child. I feel the same way.
While I do endure more years of crying toddlers I also enjoy their precious
smiles, their funny comments, and the joy of having children in my home.
The girls are working hard with grandma to make a special mother’s
day dinner. I’m sure it will be delicious and they did a great job keeping it a
secret for more than 24 hours. Happy Mother’s day.
FYI Greg's talk centered on the
favorite scriptures of the mother's in his life
Eyres
quote
What are we trying to do? In other
words what are our objectives?... If you don’t have a clear idea of your
specific objectives you’ll end up reacting instead of acting. If you want to
succeed you need some precise goals. How can you get so involved in something
with so little idea f what you want to do with it?
Helaman 5:12 Doris
12 And
now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who
is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the
devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea,
when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no
power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because
of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation
whereon if men build they cannot fall.
Malachai
4:5-6 Bette Lifelong Geneology Enthusiast
5 ¶Behold, I will send you
Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord:
6 And he shall turn the heart
of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers,
lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.
DUTY Keith McMullen Presiding Bishopbric
Duty
does not require perfection, but it does require diligence. It is not simply
what is legal; it is what is virtuous.
Alma
32: 37-40 Renae Corn a parenting lesson she learned some years ago
37 And behold, as the tree
beginneth to grow, ye will say: Let us nourish it with great care, that it may
get root, that it may grow up, and bring forth fruit unto us. And now behold,
if ye nourish it with much care it will get root, and grow up, and bring forth
fruit.
38 But if ye neglect the CHILD,
and take no thought for its nourishment, behold it will not get any root; and
when the heat of the sun cometh and scorcheth it, because it hath no root it
withers away, and ye pluck it up and cast it out.
39 Now, this is not because the
CHILD was not good, neither is it because the fruit thereof would not be
desirable; but it is because your ground is barren, and ye will not nourish the
CHILD, therefore ye cannot have the fruit thereof.
40 And thus, if ye will not
nourish the word- TESTIMONY, looking forward with an eye of faith to the fruit
thereof, ye can never pluck of the fruit of the tree of life.
41 But if ye will nourish the
word, yea, nourish the CHILD as it beginneth to grow, by your faith with great
diligence, and with patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof, it shall
take root; and behold it shall be a tree springing up unto everlasting life.
42 And because of your
diligence and your faith and your patience with the CHILD in nourishing it, that it may take root in
you, behold, by and by ye shall pluck the fruit thereof, which is most
precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all
that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure; and ye shall feast upon
this fruit even until ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye
thirst.
43 Then, my brethren, ye shall
reap the rewards of your faith, and your diligence, and patience, and long-suffering,
waiting for the tree to bring forth fruit unto you.
Alma
57:21 Sue learned from watching others suffer the choices of disobedience and
rejoice from peace and blessings received because they were obedient
21 Yea, and they did obey and observe to perform every
word of command with exactness; yea, and even according to their faith it was
done unto them; and I did remember the words which they said unto me that their
mothers had taught them.
Alma 48:17 Sue her hope for her children
17
Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever
would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been
shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the
children of men.
Proverbs 31:10
10 ¶Who can find a virtuous
woman? for her price is far above rubies.
16 She considereth a field, and
buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.- Especially
grandma Lois who spent entire married life saving to be ready to purchase next
farm often doing without personal things
Ecc
3:1 Amanda
The Moral force of Women D. Todd
Christoferson
Women
bring with them into the world a certain virtue, a divine gift that makes them
adept at instilling such qualities as faith, courage, empathy, and refinement
in relationships and in cultures. When praising the “unfeigned faith” he found
in Timothy, Paul noted that this faith “dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois,
and thy mother Eunice.”1 2 Timothy 1:5
A
woman’s moral influence is nowhere more powerfully felt or more beneficially
employed than in the home.
President Thomas S. Monson has
counseled: “If we are to walk with head held high, we must make our
contribution to life. If we are to fulfill our destiny and return to live with
our Father in Heaven, we must keep His commandments and pattern our lives after
the Savior. By so doing, we will not only achieve our goal of eternal life, but
we will also leave the world richer and better than it would have been had we
not lived and performed our duties.” 8
What an eventful Mother's Day. I am relieved to hear Harold is doing better. May he stay that way. I to a good laugh at the survey's your children took. Reed had some real wing dinger answers there. :) I am glad that you guys are having such neat experiences. Love you all and thank you for sharing.
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