The Joyful Season: Mustache or no Mustache?

I can't resist choosing this as my thing to be thankful for -- even though the day isn't over.  I'm thankful for all of my children -- but today I'm thankful that Dan is sometimes really funny.

This morning at family prayer Dan propped up his stuffed animal bunny into the praying position and then knelt beside him.  I wished for a camera.  I thought it would be inappropriate to go and get one during the prayer.

Then it was time for an after breakfast game on the Wii.  Well, sometime this weekend Dan's Mii (the character you can create who represents you in all Wii games) got changed.  He threw a fit about it yesterday and so I thought he should fix it today.  His character is called "Sweet Boy" because that is what I've called him since he was a baby.  His Mii used to look like him a little -- blond and cute.  Someone switched it to a chubby looking dark haired man with glasses.  I naively thought Dan would turn it back to how it was -- or something close.  No.  After going through every possible feature he changed the glasses (but he kept them), added a mustache (said moo-stash) changed the mouth, changed the eyes and the nose, and changed the hair style.  Then he went back and decided against the moo-stash.  The outfit stayed black. The hair also stayed black -- just in a shoulder length style that is apparently "cool".

So Dan, with no mustache, began playing and he said to me "Mom!  Look at me!  I have cool hair.  I'm a rock star!

My reaction?  I chuckled and wondered where my four year old learned to like long hair and where he learned about rock stars!  He said another funny today too but it is as inappropriate as getting up during the prayer to find a camera. 

Hooray for funny boys and no mustache!

The Joyful Season: Visiting Teachers and Good Sports

I think for the Christmas season, whenever I decide to blog, it will be about something that happened that I am thankful for that day.  This will help me take the time in all of the busyness to notice blessings.  So for today I am thankful for Visiting Teachers (two women from our church congregation that are basically assigned to be my good friends) and for a family full of good sports.

Today I got a visit from my new visiting teacher (singular because one had a sick child).  She took the time (since we had never met) to learn a little about me.  We even discovered that we are reading the same book!  Then she left me with a lesson and a prayer.  I am happy that she came and I'm already looking forward to her (and her companion) coming again.  Shortly after she left one of my former visiting teachers stopped by to give me a gift and to tell me that she loved me and would miss being my visiting teacher.  Wasn't that nice?  Some of my very best friends have come through visiting teaching.  It is an inspired program.

For family home evening (that thing us Mormon's try to hold on Mondays) we worked on service ideas and then we put together gingerbread houses.  They were tiny, and some were broken, and the frosting stuff was frustrating, and we only had one tube which we had to share.  Aside from one comment that making gingerbread houses is stressful (which is a very true statement) there was no complaining, or whining (well except at the end when Dan wanted something and we weren't quick enough on picking up on exactly what it was).  Derek mixed up the frosting and helped with Dan's house and Jake patiently put up with my attempts to "glue" his house together.  Nobody even said what maybe everyone was feeling.  "Wow, I'm glad that's over!"  I was really impressed.

I should quickly add that Thanksgiving with family was fun.  A trip to Trisa's turned out well and on the actual Thanksgiving we got together with some family from around here.  I was kind of tired and had a bit of a rough morning, but when everyone came I just was so Thankful that everyone is so fun, and nice, and easy to be with.  Erin planned fun activities and I really enjoyed the day.

With Thanksgiving: Jesus the Atoning One

Atoning One

With joy and happiness we sing

Our praise to Christ the King.

He gives us life. He gives us love.

We sing our thanks to heav’n above

For the Atoning One.

He came to earth, a tiny son

Of The Most Holy One.

He learned like we do, grace by grace

And soon He knew His special place

As the Atoning One.

The time was near when He must die

“Remove this cup” He cried.

But knowing that we needed Him

He took our punishment for sin.

He’s our Atoning One.

So from His sorrow we are saved

The pathway home He paved.

And if we will repent we’ll find

An inner joy, and peace of mind

From the Atoning One.

And with this new peace we will sing

Our praise to Christ the King.

He gives us all He has to give.

If we will follow Him we’ll live

With the Atoning One.

by Sher

With Thanksgiving: The Heart Doctor

Yesterday I opened one of our daily newspapers (yes, I was a sucker and bought another one from the salesman outside of Walmart -- but it was a good deal!) and there was a picture of Jake's heart doctor.  I was surprised by how pleased I was to see him there. I am very thankful for heart doctors.  Seeing this particular picture reminded me of when this doctor called us personally on the phone to tell us that Jake didn't need to be on oxygen anymore.  We weren't home when he called, but we were all so excited about the message that we jumped around the kitchen cheering.  We were rather tired of "tank" -- which is what we called Jake's oxygen tank for the almost 4 months it was with us. 

This same Dr. gave us the good news that, if Jake didn't have his scar, not even a heart doctor would be able to know that anything had ever been wrong with Jake's heart.  His repair worked.  This doctor was there when Jake was three days old, being impressed with how well Jake did during and after surgery and has been Jake's heart doctor (cardiologist) for the almost 9 years since then.  Jake had two very excellent heart surgeons also.

I do realize that we are very blessed.  Not all parents of heart patients get good news or have their children do so well.  Some hearts cannot be fixed.  However, all are blessed by these people, who decided to study for years and years so that they can fix many of the hearts that come broken in some way.  Because these doctors, and others before them, chose to do that, I got to keep my little boy.  I am very thankful for that.

With Thanksgiving: My Family

I love my family. They are so good to me.

I think of them when things seem bad and a smile comes to me.

My Grandma’s all have blessed my life in many different ways –

Now gone from me, but remembering them brings smiles to my days.

The Grandpa’s I’ve been blessed to know were good men to the core.

And when I went to visit they would greet me at the door.

They seemed so glad to see me, and so sorry when I left.

I like to just remember and it leaves me feeling blessed.

My parents are my heroes. I know their love is true.

They have shown me this in everything they say and that they do.

My brothers and my sisters give me their love, and more.

They’ve helped me up when I felt down a thousand times before.

Their love is always constant and I count on them a lot.

I know from past experience what a treasure I have got.

The nieces and the nephews, that I am blessed to know

Bring moments of enjoyment and I love to watch them grow.

I’ve been blessed with a husband, who’s unfailingly kind,

He’s thoughtful and compassionate and he’s my most brilliant find.

My children each are precious. I’ve loved them from the start.

And thinking of the good they do can always warm my heart.

My Aunts and Uncles, kindly, have loved me very well,

And my cousins have some stories that I’m sure they’d love to tell,

Of childhood adventures, and moments here and there,

When we’ve been blessed to have a little time that we could share.

I was married to a good man with a good family

Who have treated me so kindly, that I could clearly see

That to them I am important, and loved in every way,

And for this I am thankful, every single day.

Each member of my family is a blessing sure and true,

And for Thanksgiving you should know that I love you.

Zombie Mom versus Thanksgiving

I confess to feeling like the Zombie Mom today.  In fact, I think I've been feeling like a Zombie Mom for a while.  What's a Zombie Mom?  It's someone who is giving a few too many blank stares and sitting in the chair almost every time they walk by it.  It's me walking like a Zombie around the house (slowly -- but with hands hanging down instead of out in front of me -- unless it's dark).  I whine.  And frown.  And I moan about the messes.  I just want to go somewhere dark and curl up in a ball -- maybe for a whole day.  So, am I stuck being a Zombie Mom forever?  How will I cure the sad case of Zombi-itus?

Well, this morning early when Derek was supposed to be playing ball he threw the door open and in a less than cheery voice said "The house is flooded".  The zombie climbed out of bed and went to work. But, in an attempt to send the Zombie running, I did notice that when we woke up the children they pitched right in and helped and when we called the neighbor (and maybe woke them up too) they came right over with their handy water sucking vacuums and even offered to stay even though it was time to get kids ready for school.

Other events have brought out the zombie side of me this week.  Sick kids, (but now they're well -- mostly), van brakes needing repair (but they are fixed), the van window getting stuck down (but it miraculously recovered before a trip to the shop!), Dan being naughty (but he had to go in the tub because of it which allows me to type), the house getting messy (but  -- well it's still messy), dinner needing to be cooked --every day (but I've done pretty well for me).

Today the Zombie is fighting hard to stick around.  I've got to go use that vacuum again, and rescue Dan from his de-smellifying bath.  There are a thousand and one things to pick up, clean up, and put away.  But, I am determined to remember that it's November and that there are lots of people and things to be thankful for too.  So, with Thanksgiving in mind I'm off to fight the Zombie.