My Sabbath

Today I spoke in sacrament meeting on the blessings of keeping the Sabbath day holy.  When the bishop asked me to speak a couple of weeks ago, that made me really pause and reflect on what the Sabbath is like in my home.  The Sunday following, I decided to write down my day. 
 
Here it is:
 
7:30am  Wake up.  Go downstairs and cut up veggies to add to the stew in the crockpot. 
After 15 minutes or so David and Sophia join me in the kitchen.  They peel carrots and make a great big mess with the peels, but are content to eat carrots while I finish up.  Then,  I fix breakfast for the little ones and leave them eating while I run up to take a shower.  While I am doing makeup and hair and trying to get dressed I hear David hollering and someone hands me a lip balm through the door.  He has pretty much eaten the whole thing.  For the next hour or so, big kids get up and we all finish eating and getting ready for church. I finish gathering things I need to teach a Primary lesson.  Clothes had been found the night before  so no surprises with missing shoes today.  Jerry comes home from his meetings and we have family scriptures and prayers so Nathan can leave early to help set up chairs at the church.  Thank you Brother M... for always picking him up.  It makes for one less thing for me to fit in on Sunday morning.

 

Time to leave for church.  Once there and settled in our bench, I take a deep breath and just listen.  Thanks to Brother P..., I just sit and listen to the prelude…and breathe.  I feel calm and peaceful.  Nobody had to go to the bathroom the second we stepped into the church building which often seems to happen.  I just sit there enjoying the music. 

 

We sing, we partake of the sacrament, we listen to the talks,  Our bench sometimes feels like a zoo.  I sit on a bunch of puzzle pieces when I come down from the stand after the sacrament song.  I just close my eyes and fold my arms ignoring the little whispers of  "Mom…you are sitting on my puzzle."  I will gather the pieces after the prayer.  We do all we can to keep our little ones happy and quiet.  We take at least two trips to the restroom that I can remember.  I'm so grateful to Jerry for being so quick to help with little ones in church.   We attend our classes. I substitute in Primary and have a great time.   After church our family crowds into the bishops office for Jacob to be set apart in a new Priesthood responsibility…priests quorum secretary. He heads out to do sacrament for the homebound.  The other kids and I head home after that. 

 

Time for food again.  David and Sophia need to eat as soon as we get home from church.  At least the older kids can wait until later when we have a family meal.  I get the little ones some leftover soup and cut up some cucumbers.  Sophia immediately spills soup on her skirt. We quickly take it off and clean it out under the tap so that it won't stain.  That reminds me to change David out of his white shirt and put on his "after church" shirt, so that he doesn't do the same.  Then I hear Sophia again…."ahhh Mom, it's on my shirt."  More soup on the clothes.  We now change the shirt and rinse that out too.  And did I mention the dirty diaper that happened somewhere in there?

 

Tummies full, Sophia and David are playing happily together, so I mix up biscuits to go with the stew.  Take a break for a few minutes to help the girls get on the computer to write emails to their brother, Benjamin on his mission.  Jerry and Jacob are not home yet so the girls and I make some cookies. 

 

It is now 4:00 and everyone is finally home.  We eat a wonderful filling meal together.  We talk about church.  We especially like the high councilman's talk.  He told some great stories.  The boys have a stake youth choir practice and Jerry has a meeting for the stake youth trek.  Then there is a youth fireside that night. Sophia fixes up a plate of cookies and takes them to the neighbors.  I have a fairly quiet evening at home reading stories to my kids, dressing baby dolls, building a train track, talking to my parents on the phone, and settling kids in bed. 

 

Little ones in bed, Jerry and the older kids come home from the fireside.  Everyone was hungry again, so while we all ate snacks we talked. We laughed a lot but we also talked about serious things.  We talked about missionary service, we talked about how the Lord blesses those who put a full time mission first. We talked about faith and putting the Lord first in your life.   We talked about funny things the kids heard at the fireside.  It was great.  Several times we said, we should just go up and go to bed.  But we didn't.  We just kept talking.  We were enjoying ourselves. 

 

When we finally went upstairs, Olivia to her room, the boys to theirs, I settled down on my bed and got out my scriptures and my phone so I could look up some things for this talk.  Then one of our big boys came in to our room.  He had some personal things he needed to talk about. When you live in a big family you sometimes have to wait until later in the evening to get Mom and Dad to yourself to talk about your concerns.  We try to make ourselves available for that as often as we can.  As we talked we heard strange noises coming from the girls room.  Emily came bursting in.  A cold had hit her very fast and she was gagging on mucous.  We got her into the bathroom, grabbed a bowl to catch the "you know what", cleaned her up, got some medicine, set up a makeshift bed out of blankets on our bedroom floor, and waited for her to settle down.  She fell asleep, we finished up with the other 'concerned' child. 

 

Totally exhausted, Jerry and I lay back on our pillows and talked.  We mostly talked about my upcoming talk.  I read some things on LDS.org about the Sabbath and reread some talks and scriptures.  Jerry and I talked about what the Sabbath is like for Moms, especially Moms of little children. 

 

The scriptures say that the Sabbath is a day of rest.…. not always for Moms. But that is ok.  Because the Sabbath is not my day; it is the Lord's day.  Is the Sabbath a blessing in my life?  Yes it is!!  I have a testimony that when we keep the Sabbath Day holy we come closer to Christ.  We can feel and understand the influence of the spirit more in our lives.  We are strengthened to be able to bear trials and temptations that come upon us throughout the week.  As we strive to help our children keep the Sabbath Day holy we help them to develop vital testimonies of the Lord Jesus Christ.  We help them to be able to have the influence of the Holy Ghost more in their lives.  As we send our children out to their activities and school throughout the week, they need the strength and direction that they get from keeping the Sabbath Day Holy, as they face daily decisions and difficult situations.

 

Yes!!!  The Sabbath is a great blessing.

 

Notes Near My Ceiling

Today I had a bit of a spring cleaning bug.  Not that spring is very close at all, but I have hated the filth on the tops of my kitchen cupboards for too long.  Today I decided to do away with it.  In all honesty, its been years since I've cleaned up there.  I so wish that I had taken before and after pictures, because what I found up there was both disgusting and hilarious. 

The dirt and greasy grime had combined up there to make a thick coating on the tops of the cupboards.  Apparently, my children, who are constantly standing up on my cupboards to get things off high shelves, discovered this grime long before I did.  What I found up there, besides the filth, was surprising.  The kids have been using their fingers to write in the grime.  Sometimes just their names,  sometimes an exclamation, and sometimes they were using the dirt to write little notes to each other.  Who knows how old some of these notes are.

Here are just a few of the scribblings I found on top of the cupboards:

"Hi Benj"

"Disgusting"

"Meet in basement"

"BYU Rocks"

….along with quite a few "signatures"

It took a lot of cleaner and scrubbing to get it all off, but I had a smile on my face while I did it, just thinking of my silly kids.

What it's all About

Yesterday was a memorable day for our family.  Our son Kyle was sealed in the Salt Lake Temple to his love and best friend, Megan.  As I sat in the temple, looking around at our family and dear friends there to share this time with us, I just kept thinking over and over again, "This is what it is all about.  This is why we do what we do.  This is what makes the tough times worth it."  As a new family unit was created today I felt so blessed to know of the Lord's Plan of Happiness and to have a testimony of its truthfulness.  I know that when we live according to God's plan we will find peace and joy in our lives.  Understanding his plan helps us through our trials.  Trusting in him and in his plan helps us to have a vision of the eternal scheme of things.  Families are ordained of God, and I am so excited as Kyle and Megan begin their journey together. 

Our younger children got to share in the day as Megan and Kyle came out of the temple and we greeted them for the first time as man and wife. They were positively beaming and love shone in their eyes.  We hugged and congratulated them and took lots of pictures. 
 
Our little man, David, looked so adorable in his big boy dress pants, white shirt and sweater, and of course, a bow tie, just like the big brothers.  The day was long for him and he enjoyed it for the most part.  At one point, pictures were no longer fun for him, so we didn't press the matter.  He is missing from a few shots.  He enjoyed the family dinner and listening to Kyle sing.  He even enjoyed the reception until the last little bit, perking up just in time to enjoy the sparklers and say goodbye to the couple.   By then he was exhausted!!!  He fell asleep almost the minute he was buckled in his car seat.  When we arrived home we transferred him straight to his bed.  It was close to midnight.  All we did was take off his shoes and cover him up with a blanket. 

In the morning, he awoke refreshed and ready for breakfast.  I looked at him and thought…wow, all I need to do is change his diaper and he is ready for church.  We hadn't even taken off his bowtie before we laid him down.  Good thing though.  Church started at 9am this morning so it was nice to have him dressed and ready.  I am pretty amazed that he made it through the entire wedding day staying as clean as he did, clean enough to wear those same clothes to church. 

Tonight….he is sleeping peacefully…….and wearing pajamas!!

Hailstones in My Freezer

A couple of Saturdays ago I was getting ready to pick some fall greens and tomatoes from the garden.  Arming myself with a few bowls I decided that I needed one more.  I opened the cupboard to get my large white Tupperware bowl. Finding it missing from the cupboard I remembered that I hadn't been able to find it numerous times that week.  In our home, that is not uncommon.  People are always using things from the kitchen for non-kitchen related things and I eventually find them in one strange place or another. 

So I started asking around to see if any of the kids knew where my bowl was.  It didn't take long.  "It's in the freezer Mom."  Of course!!!!  Why didn't I check there?  I opened the freezer in the garage and there was my bowl……filled with hailstones!!!  Doesn't everyone keep a giant bowl of hailstones in their freezer?  We brought the bowl in the house and Olivia ran a little water over the outside to loosen the hailstones from the bowl.  They had melted slightly before being frozen and now they were frozen in a chunk inside the bowl.  I thought maybe they would take the icy blob outside and play with it and watch it melt.  But no…it had to be carefully placed in a kitchen garbage bag and put back in the freezer to await next summer.  That is when they want to take it out and play with it. 

So how did hailstones end up in my freezer?

A couple of weeks ago we had a hailstorm to beat all others we've ever seen.  We had finished up with Family Home Evening and were getting everyone ready for bed when the storm started.  Teeth brushing and tucking in were set aside as we huddled by the front door watching in wonder.  The hailstones bounced off the ground as they hit.  They made a tremendous noise landing on the roof.  Of course, David had to eat a few of them.  Jacob and Nathan bravely stepped off the porch only to be painfully pelted by stones, many of which were larger than peanut M&Ms.  Pretty soon everyone, girls and boys, were all trying to gather up hailstones to "put in the freezer."  At first cups were enough.  But eventually, nothing would do but….THE BIG WHITE BOWL.  It was a memorable family time.  We were just enjoying each other and the awe-inspiring power and beauty of the storm. 

Jerry and I regularly plan fun activities for our family to do together, but sometimes, the unplanned, spur of the moment fun that we enjoy together seems to be the most memorable.  I think every member of our family will fondly remember enjoying that hailstorm together more than any trip to the swimming pool or zoo. 

I am reminded of a story that Dallin H. Oakes told in his October 2007 conference address entitled, "Good, Better, Best."  He told of a father who took his family on a series of summer trips to different historical sites.  When he asked his son which of the trips had been the most fun for him, his son answered that his favorite summer memory was the time that he and his Dad laid out under the stars and talked. 

Elder Oaks wisely concludes,

"Super family activities may be good for children, but they are not always better than one-on-one time with a loving parent."

Quality time with brothers and sisters, Mom and Dad are the key to strengthening family relationships and building beautiful memories.

I'm Weaning!

Last week my two year old began the weaning process.  It wasn't planned.  He's been nursing less and less often the past few months and eating a larger variety of foods…and more of them.  But the weaning kind of caught me off guard. 

I've nursed all of my babies.  Due to their many food allergies, discovered as nursing babies, this seemed like the best option nutritionally for them.  I could tell when foods bothered them as young as a few weeks old because when I would eat the problem foods, they would affect my milk and cause tummy complaints, eczema, respiratory symptoms, ear aches etc.  When I avoided those foods myself my babies were happy and healthy.  As they got older I could test those offending foods by actually offering them to the babies, and then determine if they had outgrown the allergies or still had problems.  Because there were so many foods that a typical toddler would eat that my children could not, I tried to nurse them longer than what is often seen.  I wanted them to get the nutritional benefits of my milk as long as possible, until their tastes and teeth and ability to chew allowed them to get their nutritional needs met without me. 

David is 28 months old now.  He is what we believe to be the last of nine children.  So weaning him is not without its emotion filled moments.  I don't know how many months or years of my married life I have spent nursing children, but I am sure I have spent more time nursing than not nursing.  It has been an enjoyable and satisfying part of being a mother.  I have nursed in every setting imaginable…in a bathroom stall, at amusement parks, on the beach, waiting for a valet to bring our car, at concerts, at very noisy BYU volleyball games, on airplanes, on the top of "Y" mountain, at cross country races, next to Old Faithful…you name it I have done it. Babies have to eat and since I chose not to ever use a bottle, to ensure the crucial milk supply for babies who could not use typical baby formula, I had to feed those babies wherever I was.  I've always tried to be discreet and stay covered, but this post is not about that. 

Last week, due to an extremely busy day, David did not nurse once from early morning until bedtime.  When bedtime came I had a thought come to my mind that I should ask Jerry to put him to bed that night, without his regular nursing.  Jerry offered him a snack and drink, brushed his teeth, sang to him in his darkened room and lay him down.  He went right to bed.  He slept well that night and did not wake early morning to nurse.  When he did wake up I offered him oatmeal.  He jumped at it.  Throughout that day I had these little feelings (kind of like the same feelings I get when I just know that the time is right to potty train) that David was weaning. 

A few days later he still hadn't nursed again.  He'd asked a few  times for "milky" (his name for nursing) but when I offered to read him a story or get him a snack or cup of almond milk, that always made him happy. 

It's been ten days now and he isn't even asking for "milky" anymore. 
 
And now, I am going through my own "weaning" process.  I still have milk but no one to drink it.  Emotionally I am weaning as well.  I have always enjoyed the bonding I feel with my babies while nursing and I will miss that.  There will most likely not be another baby for me and that thought makes my heart a little tender.  No more waking up for middle of the night feedings, but also, no more of that quiet sucking little baby looking up at me with absolute adoration in his eyes. 

There are benefits though.  Our babysitting age children can attest to that.  David will be much easier to put to bed when we go on dates from here on out.  And Sophia, who is four, decided this week that if David is done with "milky" she is done with her binkie.  Hallelujah!!!!  Just last month when I asked her if she would think about getting rid of her binkie she told me she needed to wait until she was five!!!!  But Sophia has been binkie free for over a week now.  I promised her a pack of gum all to herself this week as a reward.  We will go to the store together so she can choose her favorite flavor.

My babies are growing up so quickly.  Brandon, our oldest is 23 and fulfilling his dream flying for a living, Kyle is getting married soon, Benjamin has only 10 months left of his mission, Jacob has had his first date and will soon have a driver's license, Nathan is soon to be a Teacher in the Aaronic priesthood, Olivia will "finally" be in Young Womens in just a few weeks, Emily is baptized and becoming a great little babysitter, and now Sophia has relinquished her binkie and David is weaned.  It reminds me of a quote that my sister in law had on her wall, "A mother holds her children's hands for a while... their hearts forever."  The time with our children goes so quickly.  We must cherish every second.

Jerry and I have many years of child rearing ahead of us and look forward to every year with anticipation.  We were talking the other day and are grateful with our decision to have these 9 wonderful spirits come to our family.  What better way to spend our life together. 

Psalms 127:3 states that "children are an heritage of the Lord."  We truly believe that children are a gift from God.

Eagle Project

It is Eagle Project time again.  Having five boys in a row means that you have a lot of encouraging and supporting to do as they work their way through the Boy Scout program.  Yesterday was Jacob's Eagle project. 
 
He chose to do a community clean up.  Last week he prepared a flyer to hand out at church, then the scouts helped to distribute flyers to every home in our ward boundary on our Young Men's night.  He arranged for several big dumpster bins to be stationed in a couple of locations. Saturday morning at 8am, he and many of the other scout age boys and leaders, as well as numerous other members of the community, including the missionaries serving here, showed up to help.  Members of the community could bring their trash to the dumpsters and there were boys to help unload it for them.  Jacob also arranged for trucks and trailers that could come directly to people's homes if they needed help getting their junk to the bins.  A member of the ward donated the use of the bins (part of his personal business) and took them to the dump to empty them as they filled.  Donations were collected to help offset the dump fees.

As it got closer to lunchtime the little ones and I showed up with boxes and boxes of pizza and drinks for refresh all the hard workers.

It was a great success.  4 great big bins were filled with trash and junk.  Another slightly smaller bin was filled with recyclable metal.  Another large trailer was also filled and taken to the dump.  We estimated about 120 man hours of service were given throughout the morning and for the prior flyer delivery.

An Eagle Scout project is supposed to be a leadership project that is service based.  The idea is for the boy to come up with a project that will benefit the community and then organize the bodies needed to help bring it to fruition.   This was a great project for that.  So many people helped.  Several people mentioned when they came to dump their junk that this was a great idea for a project and thanked us.  I am so grateful for all the scouts and leaders and members of the community who supported Jacob in accomplishing this great project.  It was a great day!!

Spaghetti Sauce and Swim Goggles

It is harvest time again.  Last week we froze bags and bags of peaches for our winter green smoothies.  We also ate all the fresh peaches we could possibly want.  Our family looks forward to peach season every year for this very reason.  When there are boxes and boxes of peaches ripening in the basement, we all get to enjoy peaches for breakfast, lunch and dinner….and in between as well…if we want.

We are bringing in quite a few tomatoes from the garden.  Last Saturday I had the girls help me turn them into spaghetti sauce.  We roasted some in the oven with garlic, onions and olive oil for our special roasted sauce, and then we got out the "Goliath" pot and made a great big batch of our neighbor's special spaghetti sauce recipe.

The first step is to cut up mountains of onions and bell peppers.  We did this in the food processor and got the job done quickly.  But the odor of onions was filling the kitchen and our eyes soon began to water.  Olivia and Emily had a great idea.  They ran upstairs after their swimming goggles.  Now they were prepared.  Olivia cooked the onions and peppers without so much as a tear with her new eye protection.  We added tomatoes and seasonings and after it had simmered for hours and filled the house with a wonderful smell we let it cool and froze it in bags for dinners through the winter. 
 
I was so grateful to have my daughters' help in this project.  It made the work much more enjoyable as we talked as we worked.  We were also able to get done so much quicker.  But I also hope that by including them in the process,  they will find satisfaction every time we pull out sauce to use for a meal, knowing that they were part of creating it.

Elder L. Tom Perry of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught that:

“Teaching children the joy of honest labor is one of the greatest of all gifts you can bestow upon them” (“The Joy of Honest Labor,” Ensign, Nov. 1986, 62).