Eight is Great

I can't even begin to express how excited I am about Benjamin's choice to be baptised. He has always had a strong testimony and is an example to all his family and friends.

This special guy tried to be born in the Temple. When he was born, in the hospital, he came out with his hair parted and smooth like he was all ready to be a missionary.

As a baby, especially while he was in the NICU, he loved when I sang Primary songs to him.

He was so excited when he was finally old enough to go to Primary. He would sit in sacrament meeting waiting for the closing hymn because that meant it was almost time for Primary. His Sunbeams teacher Sister Debbie Johnson was so amazing. She encouraged his love of the Savior and of Primary. She still sends him a birthday card every year and is planning on attending his baptism.

I remember the first Primary program he was in. He worked hard to memorize his part and wasn't nervous at all. He made sure to invite everyone he could think of and then really struggled with being reverent as he HAD to tell every kid in his class about all his Grandparents who came to see him.

He is always volunteering to say the prayer, read a scripture, answer a question, or share an experience in Church, FHE, and family scripture time.

I have loved seeing how excited he is about getting baptised. He prayed and decided who he wanted to ask to participate in the service and I cried as I watched him call each person and ask, "I was wondering if you will (be a witness, give a talk, say a prayer, make yummy rolls, etc)...at my baptism." He even asked Josh, "Hey Dad, will you Baptize me?"

I am so blessed to get to say that I am his mother. I am so proud of him and will be forever thankful for his testimony and the strength that it has contributed to our family.

Today...

So today started out like any other day.
Family prayer, scriptures, and Josh went to work. The kids fought over the pink bowl and who got more cereal. Finally I took Ben to school...that was the end of my "normal" day.

I went to Costco and bought a cake and a giant box of Goldfish crackers. As we were leaving the store I handed the lady my receipt. The wind blew the receipt out of my hand and as I chased after it, I slipped and fell and almost dropped the cake.

Next I had to pick up something from my Dr's office. Brianna was asleep when we got there. I carried her in with me. She woke up and started playing with the waiting room toys. Soon I had what I needed and I told her it was time to go. She, of course, proceeded to throw herself on the floor kicking and screaming. I picked her up, and walked out the door trying not to notice everyone in the waiting room watching the "mean Mommy" who doesn't let her cute little girl play.

Then I had to go to a dentist appointment at 11am for a simple root canal. The dentist said it was more

complicated than he had expected and that I would need to see an Endodontist. He called someone and had me scheduled for noon.

I put Brianna back in the car and we drove to the Endodontist office. We got in the office, checked in, and started filling out paperwork when Brianna had to go potty. So I set everything down and took her down the hall to the bathroom. Across from the bathroom was a pediatric dental office and they had LOTS of toys and awesome stuff. Of course, Brianna wanted to go in there. And cue tantrum number 2! Eventually she went to the bathroom, washed her hands, and we returned to the office. I completed the paperwork and sat down to wait. Suddenly Brianna announced that she needed to "go poo poo" and that it was coming out "right now." We walked back to the bathroom. Endured tantrum #3 while walking by the awesome dentist office again.

FINALLY at 1:15pm, a nurse said they were ready for me. She took us back, asked a few questions and said the Dr would be in shortly. At 1:30, the Dr came in, took some Xrays and said it didn't look good and he needed to talk with my dentist. He returned a few minutes later and said that the tooth needed to be removed but that neither he, or my dentist felt comfortable extracting it. So, he referred me to an Oral surgeon.

When I got to the surgeons office, the receptionist told me everyone was going to be at lunch for 30 minutes. So I decided to take Brianna to get some lunch.

After a quick trip to McDonalds and tantrum #4 when we had to leave before Brianna was done

playing, we headed back to the Oral surgery office. As I got in the car, I noticed that my shirt was wet right where I had been holding Brianna. I asked her if she wet her pants and she said she had spilled her Sprite. I decided to believe her story because I prefer a sprite-soaked shirt, and kid, to a urine soaked one.

The receptionist had me sign some papers. She told me it was consent for them to extract tooth 30. I told her it was supposed to be 31. She said it was the number the dentist had given the endodontist who had then given it to the surgeon. At that point, I just didn't care anymore and I signed the stupid paper.

We were taken back into a surgery room. the Dr came in, looked at the tooth and said, "It's not 30, it's 31." I tried really hard to be polite as they had me void one consent form and sign another with the correct tooth number. I know it wasn't their fault that I was having a crappy day and that it wasn't their mistake.

Brianna was sitting quietly watching Care Bears on my phone and I thought, okay we can do this. Then my phone died! Me: swear words!!! Brianna: tantrum #5. Thankfully, the Dr has the same phone charger as me and was able to help her get it plugged in and working again.

As he was removing the tooth, it completely crumbled and had to be removed in multiple pieces. Eventually, he was done. He gave me a prescription for pain meds and said to take them before the numbing wore off because it was going to be very painful.

So, with a mouthful of gauze and blood running down my chin, I drove to Walgreens. The numbing effects had spread to my eye so I had to drive with one hand while the other held my numb eye shut as it was so watery I couldn't see out of it. When I went to get out of the car, I realized Brianna was asleep again. I picked her up and carried her while also carrying my prescription and trying to hold my eye shut. I gave everything to the Pharmacist, he made a comment about Brianna being shy and quiet, and then told me it would be ready in 30 minutes.

Now it was 3:30 and I knew Ben would be walking home from school at 3:45 so I didn't really have 30 minutes but, because my phone was still dead, I couldn't call anyone to pick him up for me. I prayed that it wouldn't actually take 30 minutes.

I sat down to wait and Brianna asked if she could go look at something. I told her to stay where she canquietly.
see me. She, of course, immediately disappeared. I called her name, she didn't answer. So I walked to the Barbie aisle (an educated guess). I picked her up and carried her back to the pharmacy waiting area. Tantrum number 6! The pharmacist made some comment about her not being as quiet as he thought. Someone else asked if she wanted a sucker. Normally I would hesitate to reward bad behavior but between the pain, the blood, and the image of Ben coming home to an empty house and not knowing what to do...She ate the sucker...and sat-still...

Soon my prescription was ready, I think the Pharmacist rushed them through to get the crazy-bleeding-lazy-eyed-swollen-faced-lady with the SCREAMING-KID out of his store ASAP!

I paid, picked Brianna up, and went out to the car. We got home at 4:00 and Ben wasn't here. I prayed some more for him and took my pain meds. Ben came in the door at 4:05. I laid down on the couch and sent Josh a text asking him to come home soon.

Then I started texting people to see if they could work for me tomorrow because (1) I am on pain meds and (2) I can't really talk on the phone with my mouth all swollen. The few people I talked (texted) with said they couldn't do it. So I called the schedule person and prayed she would be able to understand me. Thankfully, I was able to get the message across and she said she would take care of it.

So yeah, I'm going to bed now.

priorities

Someone shared this poem in Relief Society yesterday and I really liked it. I know no one uses a TV guide anymore, and my kids don't even know what it is, but the message is still true. I never give the Scriptures the same time and attention that I give to watching TV, playing Facebook games, and reading other books. 

On the table side by side.

The Book of Mormon and the TV Guide.

One is well worn, and cherished with pride--

Not the Book of Mormon, but the TV Guide.

As pages are turned, what will we see?

Oh, what does it matter? --Turn on the TV!

The confusion reigns -- we just can't agree.

Oh, what shall we watch on the old TV?

So we open the book in which we confide--

No, not the Book of Mormon, but the TV Guide.

The word of God is seldom read--

Maybe a verse here or there before bed.

Exhausted and sleepy, tired as can be,

Not from reading the Book of Mormon, but from watching TV.

So back to the table side by side--

The Book of Mormon and the TV Guide.

The Plan of Salvation is full and free,

 It's in the Book of Mormon and not on TV.

Easter Thoughts...

We were asked to speak in church on Easter Sunday. I spent a lot of time preparing exactly what I wanted to say and typed it all out so I could just stand up, read it, and sit back down. Just before I finished speaking, I felt that I should share an experience. I let fear take over and didn't share. I have been kicking myself over this for the past couple weeks. So I decided I would put it on my blog and, hopefully, I will stop worrying about it.

My son Ben was born with a heart defect. He had to have heart surgery when he was a baby. About a week before the surgery, Josh and I went to the Temple. As I sat in the Celestial Room waiting for Josh, I began to pray. I was pleading with my Heavenly Father to fix my baby. To heal him so that he didn't have to have surgery. A thought came to my mind: "Not my will, but THINE." I realized that, in that moment, I was doing what the Savior did in Gethsemane. I was saying "Take this cup from me, it's just too hard, I can't do it." I then realized that I had to let go and trust God.

On the day of the Surgery, we went to Primary Children's Hospital very early in the morning. After filling out all the paper work and a bunch of labs and tests and everything, a guy came to us and said he was the anesthesiologist and would be taking care of Ben for the whole day. He explained what was going to happen and answered our questions and then led us down a hallway. We came to these big doors that said "Authorized Personnel Only." I don't remember exactly what the anesthesiologist guy said but basically he was letting us know that we couldn't go any further.

I hugged my baby, handed him to this guy I had just met and watched them disappear behind the big doors. I watched them go knowing that they were going to hurt him. Knowing that he was going to be scared. Knowing that I couldn't be there with him or do it for him. And knowing that it had to happen.

In that moment, I think I experienced a glimpse of what our Heavenly Father felt when he sent his beloved son here. Knowing that he would be hurt, humiliated, and tortured beyond anything I could possibly imagine.  Knowing that he couldn't be there with him, or do it for him. And knowing, that it HAD to happen.

I know it sounds crazy but I can honestly say that I am grateful to have been given that trial. I am truly thankful that my son was born with a heart condition and had to have that surgery. I am thankful because of the way it brought us closer, both as a family, and to our Heavenly Father. I'm thankful for what I learned by being forced to trust God. I am grateful for the blessings of the atonement and for all that my Savior and Heavenly Father did and sacrificed for me.

Funny girl

This is an actual conversation I had with Brianna:

Me: What did you and Dad do today?
Brianna: My was playing girl princess castle and Ben tell me "That am a BOY princess castle." I tell him "No it am a GIRL one." Him say it look like a boy one. So my got my crayons and my colored the walls for it can be a girl princess castle. Then Daddy say, "BRIANNA! We not color on walls!" Then my haved to clean it all off. Now my not going have a princess castle anymore.

Night Owl

What I learned working Graveyards:

-There are NO energy drinks that taste good.

-Consuming an energy drink too quickly can make you feel like your heart is going to explode.

-When I'm really REALLY tired, I cry...uncontrollably...for no reason.

-I can get a lot of sewing done in a 10 hour shift.

-People drive slower at night.

-When I'm tired, I get grumpy with people who drive slow.

-It takes 3.2 grave-shifts to knit half of a blanket.

-I kinda like wearing slippers to work.

-My kids laugh at me when I eat cereal at 9-PM and then have Chicken at 9-AM.

-There are a lot of people on Facebook in the middle of the night.

-It's really hard to convince my brain to go to sleep during the day.

-There are a lot of weird movies on Netflix.

-Listening to the conversations my kids have, when they think I'm sleeping, is very entertaining.

-Earplugs are a good thing.

-Scraping ice off my car is...great.

-It's not a good idea to use your work badge to scrape ice off your windshield.

-No matter how incredibly hilarious it is, your husband will not appreciate receiving a text at 3:30 am.

Finally having time to volunteer in Ben's class AND getting to play princess with Brianna in the same day, makes it all worth it! 

First Day of Second Grade

Today was Benjamin's first day of 2nd Grade. He was so excited this morning to put on his new clothes. He actually ate breakfast with his backpack on because he was so excited. This year Ben's teacher is Mr Relleve. It will be his first time having a "boy-teacher." 

This is THE backpack. Ben saw a picture of it in the Kohls ad. I had already told him that he should probably use the same backpack from last year because it was still in good condition. He begged me to let him do extra jobs to earn money for this one. He did some extra chores and I went to Kohls. It was the VERY last one. I found it hidden behind a bunch of pink Hello Kitty bags. When I gave it to him, he was SO EXCITED!!!!

Ben has decided to try having home-lunch this year. He got this lunchbox for his birthday.  Brianna really wanted to have her picture taken even though she isn't quite old enough to be starting school this year. So here she is all ready to take her big brother to school.