God is in the details

I went to the temple last week to do Initiatory work .  Our temple is very small, so only two people can do initiatories at the same time.  I was standing and waiting next to the other woman who would also be doing initiatories.  As I was waiting for my 9 am start time, I was looking at the names of the people I would be proxy for.  I had two sheets of paper with 5 names each on them.  On the first page, 2 names had already been completed, so there were 3 more names to be done on that page, and 5 on the next page.  I glanced at both sheets and noticed that there were two Korean names on the second page-the unfamiliar Korean characters stood out to me as well as the English spelling for them underneath them.  It was interesting to me to see 2 Korean names amidst several English names.  After glancing at the names, I hear the woman next to me say "Did I just see some Korean names there?"  I told her yes, then asked if she knew Korean.  She replied that she did!  She had served her mission in Korea!  She then spent the next minute or two teaching me how to pronounce the two women's names I would be performing the work for.  Gim Ssi (hard G-im Schee) and Bok Ssi (Balk Schee).  I was so excited that I would be able to pronounce the names correctly!  

Typically, each Initiatory session is 30 minutes long, and in that time, each person is able to complete 4 or 5 names.  On my list, Bok Ssi was name number 5 and Gim Ssi was name number 6.  In all the times I have done Initiatories, I have never done more than 5 names.  After I completed name number 5, I had expected to be done because we were out of time, but the worker looked at her watch and said "do you want to do one more?"  I said "do we have time!?"  She said, "Yes, this can be the last one."  So I got to also do Gim Ssi's initiatory work!  

I don't know if Gim and Bok were related-their birth dates were very far apart.  One was born in the 1700's and one was born in the 1800's but after I finished, I had an overwhelming feeling of God's love for them.  I felt that God cares about the little details.  Would it have mattered if I pronounced their names wrong?  No, but somehow, it was orchestrated that someone who spoke Korean was in the temple right next to me and saw those two names, on that day.  And somehow, there was time for me to be able to do both of their names that day, when I have never before been able to do 6 names.  

As a side note, I have recently been loving Korean dramas on Netflix, so I have developed a love for the culture, haha.  I know that sounds silly, but just had to add that :D

Brother Barney

 In our ward, I'm the second counselor in the primary presidency.  We have some great teachers that teach our kids!  I only get to see them interact with their kids the first 20-25 minutes of primary during singing time, then they head off to class.  I have a confession to make.  I sort of judged Brother McClure and Brother Barney.  They just didn't seem that 'into' teaching primary.  They didn't seem like your typical 'primary teachers.'  You know, the bubbly women who adore little kids, sing in singing time, interact with their kids etc.  Both men are a little more...mature...in age.  Probably in their 70's.  They would come in with their briefcases, sit with their class during singing time and not sing or participate.  So, that's what I saw and that's why I judged.  Was it right of me?  No.  Am I being honest?  Yes. One thing that was awesome though, was that they were so reliable.  Steady.  Constant.  There every week  I love that.

Our president wanted one of us in the presidency to visit one class a month.  This past month it was my turn to visit a a class.  A few classes had already been visited.  I didn't really want to visit Malinda or Jayson's class because I felt that it would distract the teachers, so that really only left one class for me to visit-the 6-7 year old class, which was Brother McClure and Brother Barney's class.  Another honest bomb-I wasn't very excited and was hoping our president would sort of forget I was supposed to do it.  (hangs head in shame)  But...since I had to do it, I was interested to see how they interacted with the kids when they weren't in singing time.  

I texted Brother Barney that week and asked if I could sit in on their class and he texted back 'sure.'  So that next Sunday after singing time, I grabbed a seat in their tiny classroom next to their four little 6 and 7 year olds-which was a lot for that day.  Normally we are lucky to have 2 kids there!  They began by letting the kids share something cool that had happened that week.  Always a great way to let the kids get their talking-ness out.  Then Brother McClure got started with the lesson.  While he began teaching, he passed out something for the kids to color.  THEN, the briefcases opened.  And much to my surprise, they were filled with scissors, glue, colored pencils and everything the kids would need to craft with.  What I had thought was their scripture holding cases were actually their craft cases.  I don't know why, but this simple thing made me so happy.

While the kids colored and cut and glued, Brother McClure taught them simple truths.  He didn't complicate the lesson, he taught them in ways they could understand.  And Brother Barney was somewhat of a translator for Brother McClure.  You see, Brother McClure is a little hard of hearing, so when the kids would give an answer, Brother Barney would then say it louder so that Brother McClure could hear it.  They made an amazing team.  I left that class feeling ashamed of my quick judgment of these two teachers.  I could feel their love for the kids they teach, and I could see what a great team they made. They obviously took the time to prepare the lesson as well as an activity they knew would keep the kids occupied while they listened.  They were called to be primary teachers for a reason.  I came away with a completely different attitude than the one I had going in.

Just 6 days later, on Saturday, I received a text from our primary president letting us know that Brother Barney had passed away suddenly in his sleep.  What sad news.  I am heartbroken for the family, who had this tragedy happen so unexpectedly.  The following day, Sunday, a member of the bishopric shared about his passing with the primary and talked about the plan of happiness.  It was a very touching talk and the Spirit was present.  The primary president and I attended class with Brother McClure and we made cards for Brother Barney's family.  One little boy drew a picture of Brother Barney's briefcase and it was the sweetest thing ever.  

Tonight I attended the viewing with Adam.  I don't know any of Brother Barney's family, but two of his children came up and introduced themselves to me and I was able to tell them what a wonderful primary teacher he was because I was able to see, first hand, just a few days before his passing, the love he had for those kids.  At the viewing, the family had set up several tables filled with all things Brother Barney-he loved to metal detect, fish, hunt, do woodwork.  And on one table-his primary briefcase, open and on display.  Scissors tucked into pockets, a packet of colored pencils, the birthday card we had given him and his manual that he used to prepare and teach these little kids the truths of the gospel from.  

I don't think it's coincidence that I got to be in that classroom Sunday.  I am so thankful I got to see these two men in action.  I got to see the reason they were called by God as primary teachers.  I know these primary children are young, and will probably not remember the lessons they learned, but I hope they will remember that they were loved by two righteous men.

Adam

 I wanted to record some things about Adam, but facebook seemed too public, so onto the blog where nobody reads they go, ha!

He shared some experiences with me recently that made me love him even more and I wanted to record them so they don't get forgotten.

He was at the grocery store standing in line behind some teenage kids.  They were probably MaryAnn's age, 16 or 17.  They didn't have much they were buying-some milk and bread, frozen pizza etc.  They were a little shabby and Adam admits he was being a little judgy.  They looked a little rough.  They were paying with what appeared to be their mom's food stamps card.  When they ran the card, there was only a few dollars on it.  Adam felt prompted to step in and pay, but he ignored the feeling.  So the cashier cancelled the transaction because the kids didn't have any money and the kids left empty handed.  Adam STILL felt like he should say something, but again ignored the feeling.  He paid for his items and went to his car, still feeling like he should have done something and kicking himself for not listening to that prompting.  As he was pulling out of the parking lot, he spotted the kids at the crosswalk, getting ready to cross at the light.  It was a chilly night and they didn't have a car, they must have lived nearby.  AGAIN, he felt the prompting to DO SOMETHING.  He parked his car, JUMPED out and chased them down before they could cross.  He hollered at them to wait.  He asked them how much their groceries had been.  They told him they had been about $24.  He pulled out $25 in cash (which he happened to have because I had sold something that day and the person had picked up the item at the office, otherwise he wouldn't have had cash on him) and gave it to the kids.  They were in awe and sooo grateful and happy.  They immediately turned back to the grocery store and went back to purchase some food.  He could overhear them saying 'wow, you hear about things like this happening, but don't think it will ever happen to us!'

I wonder about those kids' situation.  Obviously they were in a rough situation.  They weren't there to buy junk.  They were obviously hungry and needed food.  They were buying staples.  They didn't have cash.  The only thing they had was their mom's EBT card, which only had a dollar or two on it.  Not even enough for a gallon of milk or a loaf of bread.  They were shabbily dressed and had walked who knows how far.  It can sometimes be easy to judge others based on their appearance, but we really never know what others are going through.

What a good man I married.  I teasingly scolded him a bit saying 'YOU NEED TO ACT QUICKER when you receive a prompting like that.  The Holy Ghost practically had to hit you over the head to get you to act on that one!  HA!  

Another situation happened at work.  Adam had been working with an investor.  They owned several townhomes that they wanted Adam to manage.  They wanted him to rent the properties for $2500 a month.  From experience, Adam knew that these particular properties would not fetch anywhere near $2500.  He was honest with the investors and told them that the townhomes would rent closer to $1800-1900.  The investors wanted to sell the townhomes to other investors, and the new investors would be under the assumption that they would rent for $2500 through a management company.  So really, all Adam would have to do would say 'yup! These will rent for $2500!' and he would have the contract.  Then he would be responsible for breaking the news to the new owners that he would need to lower the price in order to get them rented.  He didn't feel honest doing this, he didn't feel it was honest or fair to the new buyers to give them false hope of what they could rent for.  So he told this to the investors.  It took a lot of courage for him to stand up and tell them this.  Ultimately, they decided to go with a different property management company-likely one who told them exactly what they wanted to hear-but in the end, Adam kept his integrity, which is what matters most.  Adam has found that when he runs his business with honesty and integrity, he is blessed more abundantly than ever.  So while he missed out on quite a bit of income by not telling these investors what they wanted to hear, he ultimately did the right thing, and for that, I adore him even more.  

Stupid back.

Back in 2014, I started having some severe low back pain. Like debilitating.  I couldn't bathe my children, I often needed help getting pants and socks on.  My pain level was so high on a daily basis, it was unbearable.  After many doctors, chiropractors, massages and physical therapy and 6 months, I finally had an MRI that showed a herniated disc at L5/S1 and it was pressing on a root nerve causing severe pain.  I received two steroid shots and the pain got about 90% better!

Fast forward to April 2019-the back pain started again, seemingly out of nowhere, but this time, it was a different kind of pain.  Same area, but...different.  I began having weird symptoms occasionally when I would go from sitting to standing or from laying to standing.  My back would FREAK OUT and spasm, sending me to the floor.  It was like my legs quit working.  It would happen 2-3 times a week.  It is also painful to go from sitting to standing.  The pain across my back is constant and gets worse when I lift things or do too much activity in a day.  Definitely worse at night.  This move has been super hard on my back.

Recently, I started having more pain down my right leg as well as tingling all the way to my toes.  Then about a month ago, I developed drop foot on my right foot--I noticed it one day when I was in Lowes and my right foot kept thumping when I walked and I couldn't seem to control it!  I googled it (of course) and tried a few 'tests' including walking on my heels.  Much to my surprise, when I tried to walk on my heels, I was unable to on my right foot.  So weird!

I assumed that the steroid shots I had in 2014 had worn off and thought I just needed to go get new ones.  I called the Dr who did them and they said I would need a referral again since it had been so long.  I went to my primary care physician and he ordered an MRI.  The results that came back weren't what I was expecting and I admit, I cried a bit after I hung up the phone with my dr. 

Here's a summary of what the MRI said in combination with what the spinal surgeon told me:

I still have a mild disc bulge at L5-S1.

The MRI summary says that S1-S2 has a markedly narrowed and degenerated disc and suspected spondylolysis (basically a fracture of the spine--but the spine surgeon didn't mention this when I met with him.  The spine surgeon also told me that it's L5-S1, not S1-S2.


Grade 1 (there are 4 grades, the spine surgeon told me it was actually grade 2) anteriolisthesis-which is where one vertebrae slips in front of the other.  Also called spondololisthesis. 

Moderate hypertrophic facet osteoarthritis.

My spine surgeon told me something that Dr. Dean, my chiropractor from childhood, had told me back when I was like 9--I have 6 lumbar instead of 5!  I've told other doctors and chiros this and they all look at me like I'm crazy, so it was nice to have that confirmed by an orthopedic surgeon!  Apparently it is a variation of spina bifida and I've had it since birth--when I was growing in the womb, my spine didn't form right.  The surgeon also said that my pedicles are very small and deformed, which would make a fusion from the back dangerous and nearly impossible.

I had him compare this MRI with the MRI I had back in 2014 and this slipped vertebrae is a new development since then.  Who knows.  The pain started when the twins were about 16 months old. 

He gave me several options:
1. live with it
2. try steroid injections, physical therapy etc. to try to get relief from the pain, but nothing can move the vertebrae back where it belongs.  It will also not fix the tingling and pain in my leg.
3. surgery where he would go in from the front and place a cage/support to put space between the vertebrae where the disc is degenerated and to put the vertebrae back in place.  A spinal fusion. 

He made it sound like it's not fun (duh), but it should reduce my pain and fix the nerve problems in my leg.  I don't feel like surgery is a great option for me right now.  Having 8 kids, the youngest being 2 year old twins, just doesn't seem like the right thing for my life right at this moment.  I am going to get a second opinion from my sister's neurosurgeons she works for to see what they recommend.  I'm going to try steroid injections again. I'm hoping that this will help with the pain to get me through the next several years until all of my kids are in school.  Maybe then I will re-evaluate and decide if surgery is the right course then.  Of course, if things continue to get worse, I may need to consider surgery more seriously.

I am sick of living in pain, I'm sick of not being able to lift much or even do much.  I'm sick of the crazy spasms in my back.  It wears on me not only physically, but mentally and emotionally as well.  It's exhausting.  So, here is the x-ray the orthopedic surgeon took that shows the displaced vertebrae and also the degenerated disc.  Sigh.  I'm falling apart and I'm not even 40.

What's Happening

Wow, what a year it has already been and it is only March!  I wanted to take a few minutes and write about what is going on in our world, specifically our little corner of the world, right now.  In February we began hearing about a new virus that was spreading in China called the Coronavirus.  I honestly didn't think much about it, and honestly thought it was way hyped up for something that sounded like the flu or a cold.

The beginning of March, we started to realize just how serious the virus was and how fast it was spreading.  The more we read and researched, the more we understood that it wasn't as much the severity of the virus, it was the sheer numbers of people who were contracting it, and the worry was hospitals wouldn't have enough supplies to care for all the people who needed care.  Not enough respirators or beds.

I knew it was serious when we received an email from our church cancelling our services worldwide.  We were asked to have our services at home.  Soon after, our bishop emailed giving permission for a priesthood holder in our home to bless and pass the sacrament.

Earlier that week, while things were still up in the air, I felt a strong urge to get my grocery shopping done early in the week.  I wanted to go on Wednesday, but it just didn't work out.  I wanted to go Thursday morning, but Emma was so cranky there was no way I would make it through Costco and Winco with her in tow.  So Thursday evening, Adam went to Sara's orchestra concert and I went to Costco and Winco.

People apparently had already started hoarding toilet paper and paper towels and water earlier that week so they were completely out.  Costco was SO BUSY, it was worse than Christmas time! Malinda and I navigated the aisles.  The only things I felt we needed to stock up on were diapers and feminine products.  We got a few staples and waited in line.  When I asked the cashier if this was just as bad as Christmas time, he said it was worse!  I couldn't believe it!

We made our way to Winco.  They didn't seem busy, so I started my shopping.  As I moved to the middle aisles, I noticed several abandoned carts and thought that was weird.  Then I saw the line...to checkout...it was halfway back the store!  If I would have known that before, I definitely would have gone to another store! I got produce, eggs, milk and items for Brent's birthday party the next day.  I stood in line for ages.  They only had 6 cashiers.  I finally found a shorter line.  We had great conversations with the people around us.  We were all amazed at this craziness.

The next day I was able to find some toilet paper at Grocery Outlet.  We still had an almost full package of Costco tp, but I was unsure how long that would last us because we are a family of 10!  I grabbed a few small packages, Adam went and grabbed a few, and I went back and grabbed a few more.  Not hoarding, just getting enough to last us about a month.  I also grabbed some Saturday morning when I saw some at Yokes.  Since that time, I haven't seen any anywhere when I've gone to stores, which honestly hasn't been often.

Also on Friday, the Governor announced that he would be cancelling all schools beginning Tuesday.  They wanted to give the kids Monday in order to have a little closure and see their friends one final time.  As the weekend wore on, reports came in about how fast this virus was spreading and our Superintendant made the decision to close school Monday as well, which I was grateful for!  Brent had scheduled his birthday party for Friday and since school was still in session Monday, we decided to have his party anyway.  He had several friends over, they had ice cream sundaes and watched the new Dora movie.  I babysat that night for a friend who has twins.  MaryAnn came and helped me while they went on a date.

We have been asked to Stay Home, Stay Healthy.  Restaurants can only do take-out and only essential businesses are to remain open.  This seems like such a crazy, unheard of time!  I feel so many blessings that have come our way.  I've shared these blessings with the kids and I want to record them here.  Over the past year, I have felt so blessed to have been able to build a stockpile of food.  Before then, we have not been able to buy much extra food, but recently I have been able to buy a years worth of items that are on fantastic sales so we are stocked full of pasta, enchilada sauce, canned vegetables, canned beans, canned fruit and applesauce and tons more items!  Early in March we were able to purchase half a cow and I also found chicken breasts for super cheap so I purchased a TON of chicken.  We are well stocked on hand soap and have been doing lots and lots of washing.

We have also been able to put a little savings aside for the first time in nearly 20 years.  I feel better prepared financially than I ever have and I feel so so grateful for Adam's job, now more than ever.   When the situation became serious, Adam locked the office and sent out an email to tenants and owners letting them know that while the office is closed, most all of their work can be done online or over the phone.  He continues to go into the office because if he were home, he wouldn't get anything done!

Last Friday we decided we wanted to do something to help a small business in the area.  I thought of our local Deseret Book-Latter Day Books and Gifts.  I knew they would be hit hard by the order for people to stay home.  I got the idea to go and buy a bunch of items from them, facebook live it, and have people come get a free item that we had already purchased.  It was so fun to go in and go on a bit of a shopping spree!  People came and got free items and hopefully it helped their business.  It was just a few days later that Governor Inslee ordered their business (and all non-essential businesses) to close, so I hope that money we spent there helped in some small way.  I wish we could have done more.

I spent last week cooking from our pantry and freezer.  We have been blessed to be able to go out most every day and get breakfasts and lunches from the school.  This has enabled us to not have to get milk, cheesesticks and yogurts, and the kids have had fun getting out of the house for a few minutes and also have a fun variety of food that they normally wouldn't get at home.

I also stocked up and got 50 lbs of potatoes from a local restauraunt supplier.  He saw that his demand dropped by 70% so he was unsure how he was going to be able to pay his employees.  He got the idea to sell to the public.  I got fries and potatoes the second day he advertised.  Since then, he has been on the news and has expanded his produce to include more variety.  I went a few days ago and the line was SUUUPER LONG!  It moved fairly quickly and they had it super organized.  You filled out an order form in your car, then when you drove up to the produce, you handed them your order form, they put your order in your car and you pay cash or facebook pay.  I got fajita mix, carrots, celery and hash browns.

The kids have been quite bored at home, but have been pretty good sports about everything.  Jayson had a hard time adjusting at the beginning, but now they have regular communication with their teachers and are able to do some schoolwork.  I am not a super great mom at structure.  I like to stick to my own schedule (laundry, cooking, cleaning) so it's hard for me to get out of those habits and have specified times for learning, crafting, playing etc.  The kids have had a lot of screentime, but they are also playing together, baking together, jumping on the trampoline, riding bikes and going for walks.  I am perfectly content to be at home for days on end, but the kids miss their friends and social interactions.  They have been talking on the phone with their friends and facetiming them as well.  What a miraculous time we live in!  We were able to get an ipad and two chromebooks from the school so that the kids can do their schoolwork on them.  Jayson and Brent's teachers have been great about keeping in touch.  Jaysons teacher has done a few videos and called yesterday.  Jayson sure misses her.

The first week we had church was a very sacred, special experience.  We waited until the twins went down.  We had everyone wear their Sunday best and we cleaned up the living room.  Sara played prelude and Adam conducted the meeting.  Faith led the music and we sang an opening song.  We sang a sacrament song and Adam prepared and passed the sacrament.  Something about it felt so intimate and sacred and the Spirit was so strong as Adam passed the sacrament to each of his kids and me.  Sara and MaryAnn each gave a talk, Brent did an article of Faith.  Adam gave a lesson on the apostasy and restoration and used a building with 3 pillars that Jayson had built out of duplos.  We had a great discussion and all very much enjoyed home church.

Last week our sacrament meeting was equally spiritual and sacred.  We taught about prayer and had wonderful discussion with our kids.  Today we fasted with everyone else in the church and with other religions.  We had a testimony meeting after discussing scriptures regarding fasting.  I hope the kids learned something and felt the Spirit.  Adam's testimony was so sweet.  He expressed his love for his kids.  He told them that he doesn't think they know just how much he loves them.  Before he had kids, he never could have imagined that he could love an other human being as much as he loves each of them.  Its something you just can't understand until you're a parent.  It was so sweet and beautiful.  I love that man.

I am so grateful the church implemented home based, church supported learning last year.  We have struggled with it, but are getting better.  To show how quickly things are changing, the governor limited crowds of 50, then gatherings of 10 or more!  Luckily we only have 10 people in our family!  Ha!  The church closed for all sessions, but kept live endowments and sealings as long as there were 10 or fewer people.  Just a few days ago, they closed all temples completely.  So sad for those who were supposed to be married! Our friend Cody was supposed to get married in April, but they moved the date up, and then when all temples were closed, they decided to get married civilly even sooner than planned.  The night before they were set to be married by the bishop, they found out that the bishop was not allowed to perform the ceremony.  Luckily they found a judge who could marry them and they were married!  This will definitely be a unique story for their children!  I can't wait until we can celebrate with them!

Adam and I have been planning a trip to Hawaii for Adam's conference for work for several months.  We decided to just hold off and wait to see what happened.  It was for the middle of April, so we weren't sure where things would stand at that time.  Well, last week they cancelled his conference so we have begun the process of cancelling our condo, flights, rental car and all other things.  We are bummed, but know we will be able to go another time!

The church announced that the public would not be allowed into the Conference Center for General Conference.  It would only be those who were asked to speak and the Tabernacle Choir.  Then the next week they announced that conference would take place in a small building on Temple Square and only those who were going to be talking would be there and all the music would be pre-recorded.  I am so looking forward to General Conference this next week!  It is the 200th anniversary of Joseph Smiths first vision.  I am so grateful for the restoration of the gospel.

MaryAnn, Brent and Sara have been able to have virtual piano lessons with their teacher.  Again, technology is amazing!  It isn't the same as being there, and it's hard to keep the little kids quiet for so long, but I am glad we are able to continue lessons.  Faith and Malinda have also had virtual speech therapy.  Last week was our first week and it was a little tricky but I think if we use chromebooks this week, it will go smoother.  My phone was just kind of small with lots of buttons for little hands to push.  The orthodontist called and cancelled mine and Faith's appointments.  I was able to get the kids all into the dentist before things got super serious.  MaryAnn's med check was cancelled and they just refilled her prescriptions.  I honestly think that doing things more remotely is SO NICE.  I hope they keep some of these things up! 

I feel so sad for businesses that will suffer.  This is going to be so hard on the economy.  I am concerned about Adam's job, simply because if people can't pay their rent, he can't pay his employees, his bills and support our family.  I am so proud of how he has handled things in regards to his renters.  We have been brainstorming how we can help his tenants during this time.  We came up with a drawing that tenants can enter by paying rent on time, calling and making arrangements for paying if they have lost their jobs, reviewing his business on facebook and google.  First prize is $500 off May rent!  We are also giving away some beef, a massage, a haircut and some gift cards.  We wanted to help his tenants but also help small businesses.  We announced the giveaway yesterday and the response has been overwhelmingly positive!  We think this will be something we will continue in the future.  The hope is to be able to give one lucky winner free rent in December!!

I went grocery shopping yesterday, first to Grocery Outlet, then to Yokes.  Grocery Outlet had a sanitation station right when you walk in and they have signs at checkout asking everyone to stay 6 feet apart.  Yokes had signs up everywhere asking people to be courteous in what they stock up on because they get trucks in frequently, so no need to hoard!  I was amazed at how many shelves were empty!  Again feeling gratitude that I have plenty at home.  I am running low on shortening and vanilla and a few other things I would like to get at Costco, but I will wait and see what next week brings.

I have had a few rough days where there was lot of fighting and babies crying, but overall, we have enjoyed being together as a family.  Adam has been reading to the kids each night and all of them, from our 16 year old down to our 4 year old are engrossed in the book "Way of the Warrior Kid."  They just finished book 1 and started book 2 last night.  Adam is an entertaining reader and the kids love spending this time with him.

I asked around to see if anyone was looking to sell MarioKart for the Wii and I had a friend give it to us!  The kids play this together and ours got ruined.  I LOVE hearing them laugh and giggle.  Adam went to Target one day because I ran out of allergy medicine and I had him get some fun activities for the kids.  A Lego set for Jayson, paints and a coloring book, some baking pans for MaryAnn--she's been very interested in learning how to bake and decorate cakes.  She made the cutest little three-tiered cake one day.

So far there have been 4 deaths in Spokane from Covid-19.  They have closed playground and park equipment, state parks and camping, fishing.  We are still allowed to go for walks, bike rides etc.  I walked to Adam's office a few days ago and went for a bike ride with Sara today.  I need to get out in the fresh air more often, but it's been cold.  We even got snow last week! I am grateful that the sun is at least shining most days.  There is no prediction on when things will get back to normal.  MaryAnn is dying to get her drivers license, but that has to be postponed.  She is so upset that she could have gotten it back in September, but since I wasn't on the ball and didn't get her enrolled in drivers ed last summer, she will be one of the last of her friends to get her license when she should have been the first.  I feel awful.  But life goes on.

Missionaries have been coming home from all over the world.  Some are being released early, others will have a quarantine period here in the US, then be reassigned to somewhere else in the US.  The MTC's have been closed and those preparing to go on missions will have MTC training in their homes virtually.

We have heard the phrase "these are unprecedented times" about a million times, but it is so true!  Everything has shut down.  It has been a time to reflect on the things that really matter most.  We have been able to slow down and just focus on being together.  They are working on a treatment and possible vaccine for this virus.  Who knows when it will happen, but we are fasting and praying that it happens soon.  Life will eventually get back to normal, but for now we are feeling blessed for all the miracles we are seeing in our lives.  I am feeling a sense of peace and have been calm.  I know that if we have faith, things will all work out.  And if we are prepared, we also don't need to fear. 

Christmas

One night, early in November, I was laying in bed feeling stressed and overwhelmed at the coming holiday season.  Preparing Christmas for a family of 10, plus grandparents, gift exchanges, concerts, activities, work party, church choir, friend gifts etc. etc. etc. had me feeling a little grinchy and I was wondering how I could teach my children the true meaning of Christmas.

As I lay there feeling stressed and anxious, a thought suddenly came to my mind from out of nowhere: "Liz, you  need to teach your children to serve others and how to receive personal revelation."  Then a plan mapped itself out in my head.  I knew it wasn't a plan I made up, but it was a plan inspired by God.  I told Adam and he was 100% supportive.  I couldn't wait to put my plan into motion and I hoped and prayed the kids would be as excited about it as I was.

A week or so later, I was ready to present my plan.  I pre-warned Jayson that I had something very special I wanted to talk to them all about and I pled with him to listen and try to feel the Holy Ghost (typically he runs around like crazy and doesn't listen, but I have found if I prepare him for something, he does awesome.)

A few days previous, I happened to have re-listened to the talk from October 2019 General Conference entitled "Spiritual Capacity" by Michelle Craig.  It was a wonderful talk that could be easily understood by my children and it talked about receiving personal revelation!  I knew I was supposed to share this talk at my little family home evening gathering. 

We gathered all the kids and I began my lesson.  I had them listen to the talk and I wanted them to take notes on anything that stood out to them.  Jayson was good, but a bit wiggly.  The idea popped into my head to have him draw a picture of anything that jumped out to him in the talk.  I wasn't optimistic that he would get anything out of it.  Man, was I wrong.  When I asked him what he drew, he said "lots and lots of cars."  Oh boy, he didn't get ANYTHING out of that talk.  I sighed and asked him why he drew lots and lots of cars.  He replied "because the noise of the cars makes it hard to hear the voice of the Spirit."  Nailed it.  I love that kid.

Everyone else shared their notes and we talked about how to receive personal revelation from God.  Five of our children have been baptized and have received the gift of the Holy Ghost, which allows them to receive revelation for their own lives.  Next, I presented my plan.

I gave them each a sealed envelope.  Inside, I told them, was some money.  They got super excited!  Until I told them:  "You are not allowed to spend this money on yourself"  I told them that I wanted them to search, ponder and pray about what they could do with this money.  It could be ANYTHING, as long as it wasn't on themselves.  I challenged them to look around them and see if they noticed any needs.  I wanted them to write down their ideas on this envelope and pray about their ideas.  We discussed how they would feel when they knew their idea was the 'right one' and what they needed to do.

They were all SO excited!  Phew!  And thus they began their little journey!  Over the next few weeks, I followed up with the kids and asked how their project was going, and if they had any ideas.  Faith soon told me she wanted to do something for old people.  I suggested she do something for two of our neighbors, both are widows, and one's husband passed away just a few months ago.  She loved that idea and felt so good about it!  I helped her decide on gift baskets filled with fun items.  We shopped together for most everything.  She put a blanket, dish towels, hand soap, fruit, popcorn, a mug and hot chocolate in each one.  I helped her deliver it to our neighbor across the street.  She was SO sweet and grateful and had tears in her eyes.  She shared with us how lonely it is with her husband gone.  We visited for about 15 minutes and left feeling so happy.  Adam went with Faith to deliver to our other neighbor, who was also so grateful.

As I chatted with Brent about his ideas, I helped talk him through his ideas, gave him a few new ideas and left him to it.  He later came to me and told me he had prayed and he felt really good about making freezer meals for some people in our ward.  I gave him names and stories about several people in our ward and let him decide who he wanted to give the meals to.  We chose recipes together, made a shopping list, went shoping and prepared the meals together.  We spent a day and a half prepping 16 freezer meals.  We delivered them to 4 couples/single people in our ward.

 Jayson is brand new to his gift of the Holy Ghost, but I know he will learn more as we continue to teach him how it works.  I gave him a few suggestions and he felt good about the idea to take something to the bishop and his family.  He decided he wanted to buy all the fixings for banana splits for the family.  I took him shopping and we picked out lots of yummy toppings, bananas, waffle bowls and ice cream!  It was SO FUN delivering the bag of goodies to their family.  We are so grateful for the sacrifice the bishops family gives because their husband and father has to be gone a lot during his time as a bishop.

 MaryAnn's experience was really cool.  For those who hadn't received an answer or an idea, I challenged them to fast on December's fast Sunday that they would be able to receive inspiration for who they could serve.  When I chatted with MaryAnn later that night, she seemed a little discouraged and said the only thought that kept coming to her was "social media fast."  I told her maybe social media was being a distraction and not allowing her to receive the revelation she needed.  I told her maybe she should follow the prompting to take a break from social media and see what happens!  So Monday morning, she started her break-this was not something I forced her to do, it was something she felt very strongly she needed to do, and she did it all by herself. 

On Tuesday, we were waiting in the pickup line to pick up the boys from school.  I asked how her social media fast was going and if she had any new ideas for what she could do.  She seemed hesitant to tell me her idea, but I finally got it out of her.  She said "last night as I was thinking about what I could do, Faith's name kept coming to my mind.  And when you just asked me if I had any new ideas, Faith's name came right to my mind again."  I told her that was awesome and was likely her answer!  She told me that she feels sometimes Faith is left out of things since she is the middle child and is a lot more 'difficult' than the other kids, so she wanted to do something JUST for Faith.  She decided to take her shopping at the mall (Faith LOVES to shop!  Especially for clothes!)  Later that week I dropped them off at the mall and Faith picked out a cute dress, two pair of leggings and a scrunchie.  After they were done shopping, MaryAnn bought her a Jamba Juice.  Faith had SUCH an amazing time and it was a great bonding experience for these two.

 I love the opportunity I have to visit with Sara for about 10 minutes after I pick her up from school.  I have come to love this time.  We discussed ideas A LOT!  She had a lot of things that she was debating between, but none of them felt quite right so I told her to keep thinking and praying.  When she heard that MaryAnn was taking Faith shopping, she had the idea to do something similar for Jayson.  She knows that she and Jayson don't always get along and she wanted to strengthen that relationship with him.  She told me she felt like this was her answer and she started planning--with Jayson.  They decided to go to White Elephant followed by a gourmet dinner at Burger King.  They had such a great time together and it was so sweet to see her do something for a sibling that she fights with a lot.

I had also been thinking about a way Adam and I could serve someone else, but I hadn't had any ideas for myself!  Then, just a few days before Christmas, it finally came to me!  I needed to send some money to a family member who has had a hard year.  Adam was supportive, so I moved forward with my plan!  I knew that it was the right decision but was unsure how the gift would be received.  I soon got a message from this family member saying how grateful they were for our gift.

On Christmas Eve, we sat down as a family and discussed our experiences.  It was such an amazing thing to do as a family and I really hope my kids learned from it.  We will continue this next year and hopefully every year after that.  As my kids practice receiving revelation, I believe they will get better and better at recognizing the feeling of the Holy Ghost in their lives.  Throughout this next year, I want them to earn their OWN money for this project.  I think it will mean even more to them if they have to sacrifice some of their own money to give to someone else.  I am so grateful for this 'plan' that was given to me by God and it sure helped make the holiday season mean more to us.

2019 in Review

Happy Holidays!  Here is a little update on our family!

Adam:  Had his 40th birthday this year.  He is still young at heart and loves to get the kids giggling and laughing in the evenings.  They love when Daddy reads stories and changes the characters and plots in the stories.  He loves to ride bikes with the kids and took quite the spill this summer cracking several ribs, which put him out of commission for several months.  The kids missed riding bikes and jumping on the trampoline with him.

He still serves as a primary teacher.  He started the year teaching the 9-10 year olds and is now teaching 4-5 year olds.  He is a talented teacher and really loves serving in primary.

This was Adam's first full year as owner of Call Realty.  It has been a busy year for him, but full of blessings.  We have seen the Lord blessing us as we have felt prompted to increase our fast offerings.  This year the company was gaining more than 10 new properties a month and he was having a hard time keeping up.  He is slowly hiring more help and I hope he can find someone to do his old job so he isn't doing the job of so many people.  He attended training in Texas for a culture indexing program he uses earlier in the year, and recently went to a leadership training in Nashville.  He is loving growing and learning in his profession.

Liz:  Still have a few years left before I turn 40.  I have been enjoying being a mom.  This summer was memorable as we took our first 'real' family vacation in years.  We spent a few days at the Oregon Coast. My parents joined us and we made memories and relaxed and enjoyed time together.

I worked hard to lose some weight and have tried to change some of my eating habits.  I sure wish it wasn't so hard and food didn't taste so good.  I'm still struggling with chronic back pain from a bulging disc and have considered getting another steroid injection as I think the one I got four years ago has worn off.  I love napping every day and everyone knows that naptime for mom is essential and sacred.

I travelled to Utah the end of July all by myself for a much needed mom-cation.  I had a wonderful time recharging, shopping, spending time with family and friends and driving a fun car!

I've been working at beautifying our home this year.  I painted the girls' bedroom, got a new bunk bed for them, and new curtains. I gave the bathroom a mini-makeover by painting and getting new curtains and shower curtain, and decided to paint our main living area, which took months because I lost my motivation.  I want to paint the kitchen next, as it was the first room we painted when we moved into this house 12 years ago.  Adam has allowed me to hire a housekeeper for 4 hours every other week and it has saved my sanity.  I have spent the year simplifying and de-cluttering our home and only keeping things that are necessary.  We passed along our old piano and got a digital one and it has been amazing!

I have taken a break from thrift store shopping/reselling.  I do sometimes miss it and I still occasionally check out the thrift stores, but am feeling grateful to have the ability to just focus on mothering this year.

I am still the ward choir pianist, which has been challenging, but I do love music.  I was also called as an Activity Days leader and I have enjoyed working with the 8-11 year old girls.  I'm excited for what the new year brings with the new Primary Activities.

MaryAnn: 16!!  I can hardly believe I have a 16 year old.  This has been a busy year for MaryAnn.  She finished her freshman year and spent the summer babysitting for our cousin.  She played volleyball in High School and did really well!  She is working towards making JV team next year.  She got her driver's permit and finished drivers ed.  She enjoys driving us all around and I do my best not to freak out all the time.  She has been on her first official 'date' and had a blast.  She is the same age I was when I met Adam.  I try not to think about that too much.  She continues to work hard at the piano, her lessons are at 5:20 in the MORNING once a week, followed by early morning seminary every day at 6:15.  She is taking AP classes in high school.  I honestly don't know how she has the energy to do it all.

Sara: 14:  Sara is excelling in 8th grade.  She spent the summer being a helper to me, taking walks, riding her bike and babysitting for other people.  She spent a lot of time helping a friend who just had twins.  She adores babies and loves serving.  She has worked very hard to get all A's in school and is very stubborn and determined.  Both qualities I really admire in her.  She has a fun sense of fashion and loves shoes.  She is really becoming accomplished at the piano and is currently learning a very hard song.  She plays the cello in orchestra and I sure wish she would let me hear her play.  We purchased the cello she has been playing on since 6th grade so she is stuck playing for a few more years at least!

Faith 12 (on Tuesday!):  Faith teaches me so many lessons on a daily basis.  She is quick to forgive, quick to help, works hard to learn and really just wants to love everyone all the time.  She tries my patience daily...hourly...but she is such a big blessing.  She is obedient and happy and Malinda's best friend.  She picked out a new haircut this year and LOVES to shop for clothes.  She always asks what she can do to help me.  She has been in Young Womens this year and has been able to go to the temple for the first time.  She is rocking braces on her teeth and is doing better with them than I expected.  The young women in our ward are so good and kind to her and she has such a village looking out for her.  She has a soft spot for animals and wanted me to let everyone know that. If you ever need a pet snuggler, Faith is your girl.

Brent 10:  My tender boy.  He is such a huge help with the babies.  Owen especially clings to Brent and will snuggle for an hour with him.  He started playing the bass in strings this year and it sure is a pain to lug that thing around.  It has been incredible to watch him blossom on the piano.  He is also doing marimba early before school and I can't wait to hear his concert.  He ran cross country again this year and made the all-city meet for the 3rd year in a row.  He worked so hard and shaved a lot of time off of his personal record.  He loves to ride his bike and is great at taking the babies for walks when I need a break.  He is obsessed with dirt bikes, rc cars and Pokemon.

Jayson 8:  Jaysons big announcement for the year was he was baptized!  Jayson is a passionate boy who loves to tinker with anything and everything.  His activities this year included 'drop testing' anything anybody would give him off of our porch, making over our old pink powerwheel jeep, making model ships and houses out of legos and pretty much going non-stop from sun up until sun-down.  He has more energy than an energizer bunny and he never stops go-go-going.  His teachers sing his praises and say he is a joy to have in class.  He has a very analytical mind and loves to figure out how things work.  He got a new road bike for his birthday and loves to go as fast as he can.  He loves to research the Titanic and can tell you fact after fact about it.

Malinda 4:  This sweet, sassy girl loves to keep me company at home.  She also loves bossing Faith around and playing with her after school.  She misses her when she's gone.  She loves watching the ipad and shes not afraid to let people know it.  But she also loves play doh, barbies (my first kid ever to love barbies!) and dressing up.  She enjoys doing her makeup when I do mine and its fun to see some of the looks she comes up with.  She is learning a lot in speech therapy and is a joy to have home with me all day.

Emma 2 in a month!:  Emma is starting to show a sweet little personality.  She loves to hug people when they are sad and pats them on the back.  She is a daddy's girl and will often pat his cheeks and give him big kisses.  She runs to the door when she sees him coming and squeals with joy.  She has been walking most of the year and has adorable curly hair.  She loves to sleep (like her mama) and usually doesn't wake up until 9 am.  Her vocabulary is expanding and it seems like she learns new words every day.  Shes not afraid to let you know when you're bugging her or she doesn't want to do something.

Owen 2 in a month!: Owen finally decided to walk this year right around age 18 months.  We honestly weren't sure he would ever walk!  But now he won't stop.  He loves cars and making car noises.  He has recently discovered screwdrivers and tries to poke them into any hole he can find.  Both he and Emma love to bite each other and their siblings when they get upset.  Owen is a mama's boy, which I am 100% fine with.  I love snuggling him.  He still wakes up most nights at least once and is an early riser.  His favorite phrase is "no Sara" or "no Jayson!" and isn't afraid to stand up for himself.  He is a happy kid.

It has been a wonderful year full of adventures and blessings.  We are grateful to be surrounded by people we love and are grateful for all the service that has been given to our family this year.