For Thee We Prayed

We welcome our little one

Well – he didn’t want to wait until our scheduled c-section on August 30^th. I started having contractions during sacrament meeting at church. For the 3 hours of church, I continued to have contractions, about 20 minutes apart.

When we got home, I worked on our special back to school dinner, but had to cut back on the decorating due to the increased frequency of the contractions. We did enjoy our meal and brief celebration after dinner.

After putting the boys to bed at 8pm, Gramps and Grandma came over to stay the night with them (thank you, thank you, thank you). Ryan and I headed over to Labor and Delivery and I got hooked up to a bunch of monitors where they determined that I was indeed in labor.

So we prepared ourselves with a word of prayer and then the commotion began of getting all prepped for surgery.

Yeah we look great for the middle of the night! Ha!

At 12:03am they pulled our littlest boy out of me and with very few cries I got to meet the little man briefly then they took him to clean and weigh him while I hung out on the operating table while they finished.

About 2 hours later I got to hold him for the first time and was so surprised to find out how little he was (7lbs .07ozs and 18 inches long). The smallest of our boys!

I was hit with the emotion of this being the baby that I prayed for. I was done having kids (2 was good for me) but I turned the matter over to prayer and was humbled to realize that we were to have another. I was struck with the fact that this would be our last little one. Pregnancy is just too difficult for me and my family and to endure this again would send me to the nutty farm for sure. It was a tender moment as I stared into the eyes of this newborn, so fresh from our Father in Heaven. I felt the blessing of this little one immediately and was struck with the love of my Father in Heaven by sending me this sweetie pie.

We stayed in the hospital until Thursday and had to return the next day so that I could have an Epidural Blood Patch performed to fix the epidural headache I had developed (basically spinal fluid was leaking internally and was causing my brain to sag creating the most intense pain I have ever felt). We also have been dealing with our little one having jaundice. Daily trips to the pediatrician for blood tests and 24/7 light treatments on a light blanket (fortunately today should be the last day of the phototherapy) have been tiring but we are making it.

Our older children have welcomed their little brother with open arms. They love holding him, making faces at him, talking to him. Our middle child has only asked a few times to put him back once he heard him cry. They have nicknamed him Hud-Nut.

Overall, things have been good. Ryan has been able to see to Big D’s needs with his first and second week of school. C-Man has had the opportunity to play at friends houses (thank you to my dear friends for your help with this). We have been doing our best to keep up with the busyness of school and soccer and so far things have gone relatively smoothly.

Thank you for your well wishes on FaceBook and your prayers. We are thrilled to continue our journey to eternity as a family! 

 I am the mother of three boys. Three mighty fine boys!!!

Happy Blessings to You,

Jar Full Of Beans

We have had a few weeks of less than desirable behavior here in our neck of the woods, about a month or so ago. I was so tired of having to always be correcting the negative behavior that I needed something to help focus more on the positive (while still disciplining for the not so stellar behavior).

So as I was looking through the different blogs I came across another’s idea of a Treasure Chest. Now I can’t take credit for this idea but I am totally blaming my inability to find or remember where I saw it at to my pregnancy/mother brain. I really wish I could give credit where it is due, but please forgive me. I have been scrolling through the blogs I subscribe to and I can’t find it. If you know who originally posted it, please let me know!!!

Anywhooooo, we had a family meeting where we discussed the behavior and attitudes of each of us and how it contributes to our family. We made a list of “rules” of how we ought to act and we all agreed on them.

I then shared with my boys their Treasure Chest Chart and their bean jars (the bean jar part is something I added to help reinforce the good and bad behavior). I explained that every time their father or I caught them doing good things and following the family rules we would add a scoop of beans to their jars. If they pointed out the good things they were doing, they would not get beans added. If they added beans on their own the result would be that I would empty their entire jar and they would have to start over. If they were observed doing negative things then their father or I would remove a scoop of beans from their jar.

Before bed each night we look at where the beans are and if they reach to the top of their name tag, they get to add a sticker to their chart. If the beans reach to the top of the jar, they will get to add 2 stickers to their chart. Once they have 5 stickers on the chart (with the 5^th one covering the treasure chest), they get to pick something out of the treasure chest basket (which is filled with all sorts of toys and trinkets).

Note: When the beans reach the top of their name, I leave them like that for the next day. They get to start off with the jar so close to the top. When the beans reach the top of the jar, I empty the jars and they start over from the beginning the next morning.

I can’t express to you the change in behavior we have had. It does sound a little silly saying “I don’t want to take any beans out of your jar” but, after a week of doing this program, we rarely have to even remind them. They get very excited when they see us adding beans and it seems to hit home when they see us taking beans out!

There has been less raising of voices, more kindness and thoughtfulness, and an overall better feeling in our home!!!

What are some things that you are doing to encourage the good?

Happy Family to you,

Family Pictures 2009

On this day, 11 years ago

... Ryan and I were sealed together for time and all eternity. Our married life began within the sacred walls of the Oakland LDS Temple and there began our adventures. (Note: I would have posted pictures but my scanner is acting up, so I will try to post them later).

We have enjoyed travels that have taken us to 8 countries in Europe and South America, we have enjoyed taking a dance class, we have welcomed our two boys into the world (this one was one of our most difficult experiences - dealing with miscarriages, infertility, difficult pregnancies, etc...), we bought a house and developed skills to beautify our home, we've had moments that have taken our breathes away, we cheered each other on as we earned our college degrees (Ryan has one more year until he earns his MBA), we have had time to serve together, and most importantly we still are deeply in love with each other!

I am so fortunate to have this man by my side for eternity. Ryan thank you for being wonderful you: you're handsome, funny, kind, a good cook, a wonderful dad, you make me laugh with your dance moves, you are super involved with our children, you treat me like a queen, oh I could be here all day! I really married well and I cherish him so very much!

His Wishes

This past week has been a very difficult week! My step-father was brought to the hospital on Monday morning and was put on life support to help him fight two infections that were throughout his body. After meeting with doctors and family, my mom had to make the hard decision on Thursday, to remove the breathing tube and other forms of life support. I can only imagine how hard that must have been for my mom. We all knew Carl's wishes, there was no way he would want to spend the rest of his life on a breathing and feeding tube. So surrounded by his family, Carl took his last breaths in this mortal life and, in what I believe would be his words, "joined the party in the sky."

Carl had been in end stage renal failure (due to diabetes and a really bad fall) for the past 3 years and spent much time in and out of the hospital. There were several other factors that contributed to his passing, but I do have to say, he lived his life how he wanted! 

I am so grateful that I was able to be there this week for my family. I am sad that my mom's best friend has passed. I am so impressed with my mom's endurance for the last three years as she cared for him, pleaded with him to take care of himself, went to numerous doctor's appointments, helped him get to dialysis appointments, all while she was working full time. They had a unique relationship and I know that they loved each other very much.

Here is a link to the obituary that I was able to write for my mom.

There are a few things that I have taken from this experience: 1. it has further solidified my testimony that our spirit's are absolutely eternal in nature and that death is not the end; and 2. everyone, EVERYONE, should have an advanced health care directive completed and signed so that our loved ones won't have to make these tough choices in our behalf.

So I encourage you to speak with your loved ones about your desires in the event that you can't make them for yourself and fill out an advanced directive (each state may have different forms) and a DNR (Do Not Resesitate) directive! This way your wishes will be kept in the event that you can't speak or make them for yourself. Go here to find out more about Advanced Directives - they vary from state to state. You may order the CA Advanced Health Care Directive here and the DNR forms here.

Swinging

Since we are still dealing with illness here in our house, let me reflect on something that happened a few weeks ago, before this flu bug took over our house!

C-man loves to play on our swingset and has had one of those swing "seats" - where he sits in it and then I strap him in. He has always loved that!

In a lovely show of brotherly kindness, Big D lowered the "big kid" swing and then patiently showed his little brother how to swing. He helped Peanut #2 get on the swing, he stood behind C-man to make sure he wouldn't fall off, and he then slowly pushed him. My heart sang with joy and love for the interaction between two brothers who sometimes fight and bicker and sometimes enjoy being around each other!

Welcome 2009

I welcome this new year with my arms wide open! I can feel, all the way to my core, that this year will be one of growth and fine tuning and I relish the idea of getting started. 

A few years ago I heard a comment by a friend, during a lesson at church, that has stuck with me. It was near the beginning of a new year and the teacher was talking about resolutions and how most people don't keep them. The teacher's point was that some of our desires for change are unrealistic, that we should make them simpler and focus on a few instead of a lot. My friend spoke up and shared a scripture that her family used to help them create their resolutions. She said that at the first FHE of the new year they would read Luke 2:52 and then use that as their guide to create their resolutions. [ "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man." Luke 2:52]. So they focused on intellectual (wisdom), physical (stature), spiritual (favour with God), and social (favour with man).

I had been using those basic categories for goals each new year without realizing that they correlated with a scripture, but since her comment, my resolutions have been more focused on picking one thing in each area and using that as my goal for self improvement.

The last few weeks have offered me the opportunity to reflect on those things that I would most like to make better and it has all come down to the word "service." After talking to my sweetheart about this word that has been whispered to me in quiet moments he wondered what I meant. I wasn't quiet sure, but after a trip to the temple and some scripture study, I came up with the following plan - we will pick a scripture that will be our theme for the year and once a month we will focus a family home evening on that topic.  We will also offer a random act of service (as a family) for a neighbor or family member once a month, in secret!

 I can prepare a meal for someone who is sick or even realize that the meals I provide my family qualify for feeding the hungry!

I can help those who are sick (again, taking care of my little ones when they are sick or need special comfort definitly counts for administering to the sick).


Cleaning and doing chores without being asked helps to create a place of order! (You might be able to count it as physical growth, depending on what task you may be doing. It would also qualify in the area of social growth).


Sharing with those around us is a nice thing to do and helps us grow socially 

So as the new year begins, I hope that the desire to become more physically active by taking a yoga class and running, spend more quality time with the boys, take a photography class, and to read the Book of Mormon (and a few others) will nicely accompany the desire to reach outside of myself and to serve! 

So what are some of your goals for the new year?

Our Tree of Thanks

Every year we (okay, I) make a Blessing Tree where we attach leaves with things we are thankful for. Today, before church, the boys helped me draw the tree and put leaves up! Things that we are grateful for so far: family, scriptures, toys, Jesus Christ, Heavenly Father, health, food, daddy (mommy hasn't hasn't been added yet :-(, temples, prophets, a nice smelling house (that was one of Big D's leaf) and the 10 commandments!

Look at that fabulous smile!

Who could resist that pancake batter face and jammies?

I will keep our tree up until Thanksgiving and we will keep adding things that we are thankful for!

What are you thankful for?

My dear blogging friend, Pike's Pickles, had this post on her blog today and as she was on her soapbox, she got my attention.! Thanks Stef!
From Pike's Pickles:
A woman from the crowd shuffles up to the front of the group and puts down a piece of wood and soon pulls out another piece of wood and connects them together and another and one last piece of wood comes from her tiny purse. Pretty soon it is a small box. She places her tiny purse on the ground and carefully steps up onto the soapbox. She looks around the crowd and clears her throat. This is a bit difficult for her as she doesn't typically get on her soapbox and she really is nervous about talking in crowds. Soon she seems a few familiar faces ; Her mother, Ms Hope, Chelle is there beside her and Della brought her children and look over there is Becky and Lisha. She feels a bit more encouraged. Then 5 little faces appear and she realizes she must speak.

She says

"If you vote in California please vote YES on Prop 8. If you are from somewhere else, please listen because this vote will soon be coming to Virginia, South Carolina, New York,Rhode Island, Tennessee, and your state. It doesn't matter if you are Mormon, Baptist, Methodist, Catholic, Universalist, Lutheran or any other religion. This will affect you.

(She pulls a wide screen TV out of her purse)

Here is an interview with some parents in Mass., where this law has already been passed. I think this sheds some light on what we will be dealing with if we don't vote Yes.



What did you think? Can you imagine? I myself, am not ready for that discussion.

I have one other video. It was produced by the Catholic church. It is really quite well done. Please take a moment to watch that one as well.

Well. I hope that we have shared a moment here today. If you know of other voters in CA please tell them about these videos. Here is the link to the post I did recently as well to remind you. Also please feel free to click on the Yes on 8 button on the side of our blog.

Here, I will leave my soapbox here in case any of you want to use it. "

She gets down, crams the TV back into her purse and shuffles over to her 5 sweet children and gives each of them a kiss on the head and the family disappears into the crowd.

You stand there looking at the soapbox ....you feel moved to say something. It's stuck in your throat. So you slowly walk forward and lift your shaking legs onto the wobbly box. Then you clear your throat and say ......