Overnight Changes

Okay....This is the part that I don't like about being a mom. It seems that you blink and your kids grow up. Brielle is now reading. Not just reading little words, she can really read! She started Kindergarten this year with the ability to read little books that had small words. She did okay with this, but overnight, she started reading big words and big books. She is even taking her turn with scriptures. On Sunday, she told us that her favorite thing to do is read. (Finally! After four tries, I have a kid that shares mom's passion!!) At our dinner with our parents on Saturday, she showed off her skills. She read her grandpa's and grandma's the whole book of Ten Apples Up On Top. I am so proud of her and this new world that she has opened up to her! It just makes me a little sad to see my babies growing up!

Blessing

This past week we took Nae to Primary Children's Medical Center. Our doctor, Dr. Concoby, referred us to a pediatric pulmonologist. Brennae has had some breathing difficulties and has had pneumonia three times recently. We went to PCMC and they ran a few different tests. One of the tests they ran was a sweat test. They put electrodes on Nae's arms to stimulate the sweat glands. Then they put gauze on it to absorb the sweat and wrap it in plastic wrap. Then we waited a half hour so she could sweat. Then they took the gauze off and sent it to the lab to have it analyzed. If the sweat contains a certain amount of chloride, then there is a chance that Nae could have cystic fibrosis. Well, we got the phone call on Friday that her test was borderline. So now we have to go back up and have a blood test done. They will actually type the blood and see if she is a carrier of the gene for cystic fibrosis. Needless to say, even though this is a scary thing, we have had such peace. Nae has received beautiful blessings. John and I have had peace through prayers. We know that we love her and will do whatever we need to. We have such a great support system in our parents and siblings. We are sure that whatever happens is our Father's will. As a family unit, we are strong together. We can and will do what is required of us to help her. It is such a blessing that we have PCMC so close. What a wonderful hospital! What awesome and capable doctors and staff they have. We know what a valuable tool this is because of Danielle. Such Blessings!

Cat of NO tail!!

This past week, our cat, Magglio, had to have surgery. Her tail was dying. She had received some trauma to it and the circulation was failing to get to her tail. So, she had to get it cut off. While she was under anestetic, the vet also spayed her. Briggs wasn't to happy about that. He was determined that she should have kittens. But regardless, Mags is doing fine now. She looks like a rabbit more than a cat, but she will survive. She has been in the house for the past week. That has been quite different!!! We aren't use to having an indoor pet. She has become quite fond of Bryson's bed. At nights she sleeps in the downstairs bathroom. It has been kind of fun having her in the house, but I look forward to putting her back outside. Hope the other cats don't make fun of her!

Let it SNOW!!!

Saturday night we had an awesome snow storm. Around 5:00 the kids, John and I decided to go out an play in it. We build four snowmen, because, of course, you can't have just one!! Tyree and Tucker brought their 3 wheeler over with a rope tied to a garbage can lid. They took the kids sledding in the streets. It was so much fun. John shoveled the walks while the kids and I pelted him with snowballs. I love snow days. Even though it involves getting a whole mess of clothes out and laying them all over the house to dry, there is nothing like playing in the snow with your kids. The only thing that ranks up with snow days are rainy days where it is warm enough to jump in puddles!

Normal?

Is life ever normal? Just when I think that maybe I might have a day to be quiet and peaceful, life throws a curve ball. Really, I don't know what I would do with a quiet day. Those come along so few and far between. Andie was doing vinyl lettering the other day, and one of the signs she had said: "Around here, normal is only a dryer setting." I loved that! Our house is anything but normal. Just look at the photos. Actually, some of these photos need some explaining. The first one, John in my pajamas, is really quite funny! See, I am always borrowing something of his. I borrow his levis, his socks, his shirts and his pajamas. One day he came home from work and I was wearing his Qwest shirt, his levis and his socks. So the next thing I know, he comes walking into my office wearing my pajamas. Needless to say, I got the point! The second picture is of Brielle trying to teach John, Brevan and Nae to dance. Notice the tongues on John and Brielle both!!! We all spent Saturday together and played. Brielle decided it was her goal to teach John to dance. He always teases her that he wants to take dance from Angela. So I think she was testing to see if he qualified!!! The last photo is just a typical day at our house. Someone always has to do something to make us all laugh. Actually, after writing this, I am grateful that our house isn't normal!!!

New Babies and Old Babies

John's sister, Susie, had a new baby. Her name is Grace. She is beautiful. It is so hard to be far away from them at a time like this. They live in San Antonio. There is just nothing like a new baby! (See how cute little Gracie is) Marilyn says she looks just like Susie's baby pictures. Susie and Phil have 2 other girls, Madie and McCall and one boy, Grant. They are quite a cute family. So congratulations to them.

I never thought that I could be baby hungry. I know that my little family is here and whole and complete, but man, I sure would love a baby. I guess it is a good thing that we are getting so many in our family. Lindsey and Susie just had one, Abbie and Vanessa are expecting. I love new babies! I love that cuddly newborn stage. And my baby isn't little anymore. She is talking up a storm and not wanting to be cuddled or loved. However, she is quite fond of having her face tickled. When she won't go to sleep, I tickle her face, and she calms right down. When I quit, she grabs my hand and pulls it back to her face. She is quite a cutie, even if she isn't so cuddly. She has quite a vocabulary. However, she won't show off around anyone except our family. She sings too. She loves the song "Popular" from Wicked. She has quite a raspy voice, so it is funny to hear her sing. Lately, though, she is becoming demanding. She will grab your leg and pull you where she wants you to go. Isn't funny how each kid comes with their own personality even coming from the same parents?

Dear Santa

I ran on to this today. I have read it before, but loved it. Just thought I would share it for all....
Dear Santa,
I've been a good mom all year. I've fed, cleaned and cuddled my children on demand, visited the doctor's office more than my doctor and sold sixty-two cases of candy bars to raise money to plant a shade tree on the school playground. I was hoping you could spread my list out over several Christmases, since I had to write this letter with my son's red crayon, on the back of a receipt in the laundry room between cycles, and who knows when I'll find anymore free time in the next 18 years.Here are my Christmas wishes: I'd like a pair of legs that don't ache (in any color, except purple, which I already have) and arms that don't hurt or flap in the breeze, but are strong enough to pull my screaming child out of the candy aisle in the grocery store. I'd also like a waist, since I lost mine somewhere in the seventh month of my last pregnancy. If you're hauling big ticket items this year I'd like fingerprint resistant windows and a radio that only plays adult music, a television that doesn't broadcast any programs containing talking animals, and a refrigerator with a secret compartment behind the crisper where I can hide to talk on the phone. On the practical side, I could use a talking doll that says, "Yes, Mommy" to boost my parental confidence, along with two kids who don't fight and three pairs of jeans that will zip all the way up without the use of power tools.I could also use a recording of Tibetan monks chanting "Don't eat in the living room" and "Take your hands off your brother," because my voice seems to be just out of my children's hearing range and can only be heard by the dog. If it's too late to find any of these products, I'd settle for enough time to brush my teeth and comb my hair in the same morning, or the luxury of eating food warmer than room temperature without it being served in a Styrofoam container. If you don't mind, I could also use a few Christmas miracles to brighten the holiday season. Would it be too much trouble to declare ketchup a vegetable? It will clear my conscience immensely. It would be helpful if you could coerce my children to help around the house without demanding payment as if they were the bosses of an organized crime family. Well, Santa, the buzzer on the dryer is calling and my son saw my feet under the laundry room door. I think he wants his crayon back. Have a safe trip and remember to leave your wet boots by the door and come in and dry off so you don't catch cold. Help yourself to cookies on the table but don't eat too many or leave crumbs on the carpet. Yours Always,MOM
P.S. One more thing...you can cancel all my requests if you can keep my children young enough to believe.

The Christmas Lamb

Every year, Rees Elementary sends artwork from the Children to a contest at the Springville Art Museum. It is called the Christmas Lamb Exhibit. They judge the artwork and the winners get $10.00 and a certificate and their art displayed for a time in the art museum. Well, as you can tell, Briggs won this year. He was one of seventy students who's artwork will be displayed. We went to the big awards ceremony and then wandered around the museum to find his art work. For his project he water colored a solid color on paper. He then took this paper and tore it into shapes to create a picture of the baby Jesus. He also sprinkled salt on the background paper to make it look like tiny stars. Man was his mom impressed. Briggs was excited to be in the Christmas Lamb. He is a great artist and a very creative kid.

Crock Pot vs Microwave Christmas

A friend of mine once said, "Well, you can have a crock pot Christmas or a microwave Christmas." I wondered what exactly that meant. She said, "A microwave Christmas is one where you just buy everything quick, and give no thought to really what gifts you are buying, who they are for, or anything like that. A crock pot Christmas is where gifts are homemade, or given a lot of thought to what that person needs." This was a good thought for me. I have had both kinds of Christmases. I been the giver of gift cards, that I just thought were easy and quick, and heck, they will use it. I have hurried through lines just to get home, without giving much thought to whom it was that I was buying the gift for. But I really more enjoy those crock pot Christmases. I love the gifts that I have received that are homemade. I love the presents that people have taken a little bit of thought and found me that something that showed this. But mostly, I love giving those presents. I love making my gifts! Well, this year is mostly a crock pot Christmas. I have been busy making gifts for my parents, my in-laws and all our family exchange. I am loving it. I just hope that I will have time to get them all done. My goal is to have them done a week before Christmas, so I can spend some quality time with my kids, and really enjoy the holidays!! However, I must say, I bought a Christmas Village from Fisher-Price. It has been a LIFE SAVER! My three youngest can spend HOURS playing with this village set. It has been fun to actually have a village that they can touch and play with. While they are occupied, I have some time to spend sewing. What a help!

The Tongue!!

I have always called it an Anderson trait, but to be honest, I don’t know of another Anderson, other than John, who does it. When John thinks, his tongue immediately comes out. I have often teased him that he couldn’t concentrate with his tongue in this mouth. But what is even more funny is ALL my kids do it. Last night, decorating the tree, I saw everyone of them, at one time or another, with their tongue out. While Bryson was undoing the garland, his tongue was out. With each ornament Briggs placed, his tongue was out. While Brielle concentrated on the Nativity set, her tongue was out! Britlee and Brevan are equally as guilty. When Britlee dances, I know if there is a part she has to really concentrate on getting right, because out comes her tongue. Brevan is probably the worst. His tongue is out every time he plays! Last night, Brennae was even doing it! It isn’t a big noticeable thing. Sometimes you don’t even notice. But it is there, every time they concentrate! I tried to capture John in a picture with his tongue out, but I wasn't successful! I think this is fun. Every time I see my kids with their tongue out, my heart melts. This is one of those fun quirks I love about John and to see it in my kids, well, that’s the best!!

A non-neurotic Christmas!

Well, the tree is up. Here it is the last day of November and it feels like it has been too long in getting the tree up. But it is, finally! Last night John and the kids decorated the tree. Usually, I am extremely anal about how my tree is decorated. I have to have things placed exactly in the correct place to balance everything out. I make sure that there is a pattern and a purpose to every ornament I place. However, because I have a pinched nerve in my neck, last night I sat on the couch and watched John and the kids decorate. That actually was fun. I must say, they did a pretty good job too! I guess all my stress is for naught because it turned out fine and to be honest, most people won’t be able to tell if I spent hours stressing, or if the kids took ten minutes and decorated it! Maybe there is a lesson to be learned here!

My Grandpa Dan

Recently I read my cousin's blog. In it she made a comment like she always thought I was my grandparents favorite. That made me smile. It also brought back a lot of memories of spending time with my grandparents. My mom decided to start Nursing School when I was young. Because of this, I got to spend a lot of time with my grandparents. My grandpa Dan had this uncanny way of making you feel like you were the world to him. He spent so much time doting on me. I loved every minute of it. During the summer, Grandpa and I would go out every morning and pick fresh raspberries. We would come in and have raspberries with milk and sugar for breakfast. After that, it would be time to go and feed the cows. Grandpa was quite a rancher. He knew every cow personally. He could tell you which cow was the mother to which. I never could figure out how he knew every cow individually. Grandpa used to put the truck in first gear and let it slowly idle forward. He would then let me "drive" as he hopped on the back and shoveled off the hay. I loved this!! I thought I was so big driving Grandpa's truck. Grandpa and I used to spend time at a cafe in town called Gini's. We would go down and Grandpa would order two hot chocolates for us. He would talk to all the men in town and catch up on all that was happening. We would come home at the same time every day because Grandpa had his favorite shows to watch. I remember he used to watch a soap opera. Grandma wouldn't let me watch this with him, so she would keep me occupied in the other room during this hour. Then I could go back in the room and watch "All in the Family". Grandpa loved this show. After that, we would get out the cheez whiz bottle. Grandpa put all his pennies in a cheez whiz bottle for me. Each afternoon we would set down and Grandpa would spell out words with the pennies. He then would use the pennies and make a picture and help me sound out the letters. He taught me to read this way. He also taught me math. In fact, after I graduated with my Bachelor's degree in Accounting, one of the first thing I did was to take flowers to my Grandpa's grave. I owe him so much for helping me love learning. We would spend a lot of time on the floor, just him and I. He taught me so much, not just about math and reading, but about love. My Grandpa always made me feel so important. He used to call me Sal. I remember hating it when my parents would come to pick me up. I always cried and wanted to stay at Grandpa's.

My Grandpa and I always had a close relationship. Even during my busy teenage years, I would drop by just to talk to my Grandpa. He always had candy to share. He loved black licorice. He loved chocolate stars. We would sit and snack and talk. Grandpa never told you he was busy. He just took whatever time you needed him for. When I got married, my Grandpa wasn't doing to well. He had Parkinson's disease. He came to my wedding though. After the ceremony, he pulled John aside. He whispered something in John's ear. John smiled and laughed. I heard my Grandpa say "I mean it." And John said, "I will." For weeks following that day, I asked John what my Grandpa had said. He never would tell me. A few months later, my Grandpa's health started to fail. We took him to the hospital, but he didn't want to be there. So we ended up bringing him home and taking care of him during his last weeks on earth. I remember being in Orem one day and seeing raspberries. I bought some and went directly to Grandpas. Together my Grandpa and I shared one last meal of raspberries and milk. I think really this was his last meal. He soon passed after that. But one of the neatest experiences was sitting there with him, holding his hand, during those last few hours. Grandpa called to me and tried to show me his mother and his sister Eleanor. The morning of my grandpa's funeral, John finally told me about the conversation on our wedding day. He said "Your Grandpa told me that he wouldn't be here much longer. He made me promise to take care of his Sal." My grandpa and I really had a strong bond. Now, was I his favorite? Well, I would like to think so. But I think that this wonderful man made each of his grandchildren feel like they were his favorite. I miss my Grandpa something fierce. But, my Heavenly Father, in all His wisdom, has given me a dad who is the type of Grandpa to my kids that my Grandpa Dan was to me. It is fun to see my kids and their relationship with my dad. It makes me smile and be grateful that I had a Grandpa to whom I was the world.

What I Love About Sundays

Sunday has always been my favorite day. When John and I first got married, Sunday was pretty much the only day that we were able to spend together. He worked on all week, including Saturday. I worked Monday - Friday, and went to school during evenings and some Saturdays. But Sunday was special. It seems that our whole world slows down for Sunday.
Today Sundays mean all the kids in mom and dads bed. John and I stay in bed longer on Sunday. The kids wake on their own and slowly, but surely, each one of them make their way to our bedroom. It does get a little crowded having eight of us in a queen sized bed, but we love it that way. We tease and tickle. We hide under the covers and then scare anyone who isn't paying attention. We laugh A LOT!
Church doesn't start for us until 12:30. That means our Sunday mornings fun lasts a bit longer. Usually around 10:30 or so, we get out of our bed and eat breakfast. Then we start to get everyone ready for church. After church, we always have a nice meal. This is a tradition my mom started for me. Every Sunday we always had pot roast, or steaks, or pork chops.... something that we normally didn't have during the week. After our nice meal, we spend the rest of the evening together. We read from the scriptures, we hold family night, we laugh a little more. Sunday is such a special day.
Some Sunday nights consist of Halo. John, Jed, and friends end up down in the basement, linked up, playing video games. This has been such a good thing. We have had the opportunity to get to know many great people from Halo night. Brett Hales, Kenneth Gull, Tyler Gordon, Ross Erickson, Allan Huff, Canyon Vance, Ryan Gordon, and many, many more have all been part of our home on Sundays. Many of these men are great examples to us as a family. Many of them have participated in our scripture study, our family prayer, and just our being together. These are always such fond memories.
I am so glad that we have Sundays. My spirit is rejuvenated not only from my family, but from my attending of church services. Sundays seem to be a day when we can stop, relax, and collect ourselves. Sundays give me the strength that I need to complete my tasks during the rest of the week. I often find myself looking forward to Sunday because of the joy that they bring.

The week of Thanksgiving - Part 2

Today I have been thinking a lot about our home. We bought our home here in 1993. We paid $86,500 for it. Right after we bought our house, we discovered the heating and air conditioning were both needing replacing. Besides that one major thing, our house has been such a wonderful place for us to live and raise our children. We were fortunate enough to rent our basement out for a good portion of time. We have rented to some wonderful people, and some not so wonderful people. Marty, a single guy who rented from us, has become part of our family and we still keep in close tabs with him. It is funny to me how our house has become much more than four walls. Our house has been a refuge for our children, it has taken on many different shapes: Hogwartz, Power Ranger hang-out, Clubhouse, Rescue Hero Locale, Cinderella’s Castle, and home to many fashion shows. Our home isn’t always clean. In fact, the wall of my kitchen reads: "I would rather live here, in our cozy little home, stenciled with fingerprints and brimming with love, than alone in a sparkling mansion." More often than not, our house is cluttered. Cluttered with sewing projects, homework, sports equipment, trains and train tracks, babies, stuffed animals, etc., etc., etc. But, those who enter our home are always welcome and always appreciated. Our home has served us well for many years. However, because of the size of our family, we are going to be building a new home. This is exciting and sad at the same time. Although I can’t wait to have room for everything, and much more closet and storage space, I will miss our little home. I will miss our neighbors and friends who have been so good to us. I will miss the creative ways to store and make do. I will miss the ambiance. I am so grateful that John and I were able to move right in to a beautiful home. I am grateful for the shelter that our home has provided for so many years. But mostly I am grateful for those whose feet daily enter our home and make it full of love!

The week of Thanksgiving - Part 1

Being as this is the week of thanksgiving, I have decided that I would post the many, many things that I am grateful for. I have been blessed with an earthly family that is just wonderful. My parents, my siblings, my siblings children, my parents siblings and their children all are just remarkable people. My Heavenly Father knew what I was going to need here on earth and he sent me to an astounding bunch of people to help. This I am daily grateful for. However, each of us here on earth make choices. One of the best choices that I have made was that to marry John. John and I got married quite young. This wasn’t an ideal situation for our parents, but they soon realized that this was what was going to happen, and John and I were married on June 25, 1993. When I married John, I loved him. I thought, on the day that we went through the temple, that I couldn’t ever love him more. How naive! With each day, I find that I love my husband more. It doesn’t quite seem possible, but it really does happen. With each trial, each tease, each differing opinion, I find something strong and new about him that I love. John is they type of person who wants to please everyone. He is willing to help anyone. He trusts everyone and gives all the same respect. He has a quiet strength about him. When we disagree, he is so calm. He thinks things through, quietly finding the right words, and then expresses himself so delicately as to not hurt my feelings. When trials come, John has found strength beyond measure. Never would I have thought that this young boy I married would become my pillar! John is giving, caring, genuine, loyal, compassionate, kind, and many other traits. He is an amazing father, a exceptional husband and my best friend.
When I married John, and for years after, I didn’t realize the blessings of having a second family. I thought I didn’t need this family, because I had my own, and we all got along ideally. However, with time, I have come to see what a valuable and integral part of my life they are. John has awesome parents. Many of John’s characteristics I can trace back to his dad and his mom. Dave, John’s dad, has that quiet strength and wisdom about him too. Marilyn, John’s mom, is so caring and considerate. She is often doing things to help me and our kids. John has been blessed with siblings whom have become a strength to me also. His brothers and sisters all are diligently doing what the Lord has commanded. They all have strong marriages, strong testimonies and strong families. What a blessing they are in my life.
When I stop and think about all the people that I am around on a daily basis, I can’t help but marvel at my Heavenly Father’s love. He knew what encouragement I would need, what examples would help me the best, and what type of people would be such assets in my life and then strategically placed them in my life as family or as in-laws or as friends. And for these people I am eternally grateful!

Mom's Weekend Away!!

I don't know who is more excited, me or my kids. This weekend is my weekend to go to my mom's house with my sisters and nieces. We stay up late and craft. It is a blast. I am so very excited to go. I also know what goes on here at home when I am not here. John, aka "Disneyland Dad", gets to take over the house. The kids stay in jammies and they play all weekend. Dad plays horse, xbox, tag, hide and seek, and just about anything that he thinks the kids will like. He really is a fun dad. I love this weekend because it gives me a chance to face the holidays and all the stresses by relaxing without kids for a few days. It also provides an awesome time for dad and children bonding. What could be better? I just hope my house is still standing when I return.

Reflections on Motherhood

Last night at 11:50, McKoy Blaine Grover was welcomed into this world. His parents are Lindsey and Casey Grover. Lindsey is my brother's daughter. This morning, while we were visiting Lindsey and Casey and their new baby in the hospital, I took this picture of my mom. This is my mom's fourth great-grandchild. She will get two more great grand babies in the next year. But, as I looked at this picture, I realized how lucky I am to have this wonderful lady as my mom.
As a child, my mom lost both of her parents in a tragic car accident. They were hit by a drunk driver and died within days of each other. My mom was eleven years old. She was bounced from home to home by, I am sure, well intentioned relatives. But my mom was unhappy. She didn't feel like she belonged to any sort of a family unit. She ended up marrying my dad at a pretty young age, more to get out of the house that she was living in than anything. She and my dad have been married for almost 50 years now. The actually are celebrating this milestone in April of 2008. Anyway, my mom doesn't remember a lot of her early years with her parents. Because she was bounced from home to home growing up, she didn't get to really watch a family function. A lot of what she learned about being a mom and a wife, she learned through trial and error, and by examples of some great women that she met through her life. My Grandma Evans was a wonderful example to my mom and taught her many things. She taught her how to can and clean, how to take care of a new baby, what to do with sick kids, and all the important things a mom needs to know. MyrlAnn Averett also was an integral part of teaching my mom how to be a mother. MyrlAnn had a great mother named Gen Jex. Both MyrlAnn and Gen were the type of women that my mom wanted to be.
Through many years of patiently trying, my mom has gotten to be a wonderful mother. She is amazing to me and a great source of strength. She is an advisor and friend to me. She has shown through her example the importance of motherhood. She has always made each one of us kids feel like there was nothing more important than us. When she was raising us, she always made sure that we were taught the importance of families. She insisted that we always have dinner together as a family. (sitting at a table with the TV off) As a teen, I used to think that this was a silly tradition. Now that I have a family of my own, I appreciate this tradition. My mom went to church, for a lot of years, by herself. She wanted her family to grow up with the LDS faith, and made sure that she was there to see that we were attending all our meetings. When my sister Lisa died, my family changed. My dad decided that religion was important too. My mom was finally able to go to the temple and have her own forever family. She has always stressed to each of us the importance of family. She has made many wonderful opportunities for my sisters and I to go places together to strengthen our sisterhood. My mom has not only spoke the truth to us, she has lived the truth. She has lived a life of honesty, integrity and selflessness.
As I look and reflect on my own thoughts on motherhood, I realize that many of my feelings about this sacred duty are so strong directly because of my mothers example. She has showed me time and time again that there is nothing in this world more important than family. I hope that my mom knows how much she has affected my life and the lives of many others. She is a tremendous influence for my life and each one of her posterity. We are all lucky to have such a tremendous woman in our lives.

Late Day Wednesday

Our district started a fabulous thing this year. It is called Late Day Wednesday. The kids get to go to school 30 minutes later each Wednesday. I think this is such a great idea. It is only at the Jr. High and High School levels. But I have been thinking that it wouldn't even be a bad idea to transpose it to elementary. Late Day means that my kids get to spend a little more time in bed, a little more time with me, and a little more time with eachother. Usually by the time that Brevan and Brennae get up, Britlee is gone. On Late Day, she is always the one who wants to get Nae out of her crib. It is fun to watch all of my kids interact on this day. I like this idea much better than an early out day. I think that extra half hour of sleep does the kids well and is much more beneficial than getting out early. My thanks to whom ever decided to allow Late Days!

Singing the Blues

Today Briggs sang a song in his class at school. He didn't really practice that much, but he is a decent singer so I wasn't too concerned. After school, he had "gifted and talented" so I didn't get to talk to him until 4:15 or so. By that time, I had forgotten that he had even sang, so I didn't ask how it went. As we took Bryson to basketball practice, the subject of Briggs' singing came up. I asked how things went and before Briggs could answer, Bryson said "Jordon said he laughed at you." Briggs said "Yeah, he did." Bryson said "He said you sounded way too high." Briggs sadly said "Yeah, I did." My heart broke. So when Bryson got out of the car, I asked Briggs more about what had happened. He said that he started out okay, but his voice went funny at the chorus and then he just got nervous and couldn't do very well after that. He said that lots of the kids were laughing. It made me so sad. I felt so awful for him. As a mom, I tend to want to shelter my kids from hurt of any kind.

So, to try and make him feel better, I said "I bet your teacher thought you did a great job." He said, "She didn't say anything." More heartache! So I sat there contemplating what I could do to ease his hurt. Out of the silence Briggs said "But I did get a piece of candy!" Well, I guess that makes it all worth it. How I hope that this experience doesn't stop Briggs from singing. He is more of my artsy kid and I love that so much about him. I think it takes so much to stand up in front of your peers and perform. I will just continue to encourage him and let him know that no matter what, mom loves his singing. Hopefully that will compensate!

What a difference a few years (and some ice cream) makes

When I was younger, my sisters would always make comments to my mom like "You never let us do that!" It used to drive me crazy. I watched what happened with each of them, though, as they raised their "baby of the family". Rules seem to get a little more lax the older you get, and your parenting seems to have different approaches. Boy, I was NOT going to do this though! I promised that I would be the same parent with my first as I was with my last, so that my kids wouldn't be able to say "You never let us do that". Well, so much for good intentions!

Last night, at about 9:00, Brevan came upstairs, and needed a popsicle! Now, mind you, bed time is 8:30 for my kids. After opening the freezer and finding none, he went to enlist his dad's and his little sister's help. When John and Brennae looked in the freezer, all they could find was some yucky freezer-burned popsicles. Well, this launched Brevan into quite a tailspin. He just had to have a popsicle and as you can see from the pictures, he started crying. Now, rationalizing with a three-year old isn't exactly easy. I tried to explain that tomorrow, we could go to Macey's and get some popsicles. But that just wasn't working. He looked at me with those big brown eyes and said: "But mom, I just need a popsicle."

So here comes the part of parenting that I would NEVER do. I caved. I slipped on my shoes, and the two of us ran across the street to Texaco. They didn't have popsicles, but they did have an ice cream sandwich. That seemed to satisfy him. Brennae got an ice cream bar. We came home, unwrapped the contraban treats, at 9:25, and sat in the kitchen and ate them. This would have been okay, except the other animals downstairs, with their keen sense of smell for any type of food, soon came up the stairs. Well, I heard about that, let me tell you. "That's not fair!" "You wouldn't ever let us have ice cream this late!" Lucky enough for me, the younger two were in sharing moods. Soon, everyone was satiated and able to go back to sleep. Isn't it funny how most of the things that we say we are NEVER going to do in parenting, we end up somehow bending and doing them? But, I guess last night I realized that ice cream, after bedtime, occasionally can be a good thing!

A New Best Friend

My first real post, I felt, should be about my first child. Britlee is beautiful. She is one of those people who is truly as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. She has so many of John’s traits. She loves to tease. She has a quick comeback for most everything, and she keeps us laughing. She is so patient and kind. Even when she was little, she always was looking out for others. Wendy Smith, her nursery leader, used to laugh every week we would come to pick up Britlee. She said that they would always try to give Britlee her snack first, but that she would pass her snack to another kid sitting at the table. This quickly became a game with Wendy. Every week she would try to get Britlee to eat first, and every week Britlee would pass the snack to someone else. She is kind to anyone and everyone! What a great big sister she is!!
I could go on and on all day about the wonderful traits that Britlee has been blessed with, but I wanted to share one experience. Last weekend, my kids, my mom and I were in St. George for a softball tournament that Britlee was playing in. On the way home, Bryson slept through a potty stop. When he woke, he really had to go. So, my mom handed back her 20 oz drink bottle. Bryson had a fit, but soon relented. In passing the bottle back up, Britlee WOULD NOT touch it. We laughed about this the whole way home. Needless to say, somehow the bottle was left in the car. So, Tuesday I drove car pool to dance. When Britlee and her friends got out of the car, this bottle rolled out. I had already walked into the dance studio, so Britlee had to pick up this bottle and quickly discard it before it was seen. She came into the studio and the conversation went like this:
Brit: "Mom, Bryson’s cup rolled out of the car."
(mom didn’t catch on to what exactly she was saying, and being as Bryson is quite the athlete, I thought of another definition of the word cup)
Me: "Bryson doesn’t have a cup!"
Brit: No, mom, his CUP!!
Me: He doesn’t wear one, I wonder whose it is!!!
Brit: "MOM, listen!!" (Then in a whisper) "His pee cup!!"
Me: OH!! Sorry!
Well, we both started to laugh. We both bent forward, while laughing, and bonked heads. This just made us laugh harder!!
Anyway, to get to the best part, Britlee walked around the corner and was getting her dance shoes on and talking to her friends. I finished what I needed to do and was turning to leave when I was privy to a conversation between Britlee and Courtney. Courtney said (after observing Britlee and I laughing earlier) "You and your mom really get along!" Britlee said "Yeah, we do." Courtney: "That’s weird!" Britlee: "Not really, she’s my best friend!" Now, Britlee had no clue that I was standing around the corner listening. She just simply said this. But, believe me, my heart jumped for joy. I couldn’t have been more elated if the President had just declared me his best friend! It was the greatest compliment that I think I could have received from my twelve year-old! I just pray that this friendship continues through the next trying years!!

Time to Start

Okay, it finally happened. After months of reading others blogs, I have decided to create one myself. I have never been one to keep a journal. I have numerous journals which have been started with the best of intent, only to have a few spuratic entries, and then disappear on the shelf (or under the bed, or in a box somewhere) never to be seen again. So, after President Eyring's recent conference address (O remember, remember) I have decided that I would start blogging. I also realized that there are so many things that I want to remember and my brain seems to get more and more forgetful, that maybe if I wrote these things down, I would do be able to someday go back and read my own blog and sit in sweet reminiscence! There is a period of time, just after John leaves for work and right before Britlee wakes for the day, that I have my time. I have made it a goal that during "my time" I will write my thoughts down here. It is rare that a mom of six gets to have "my time". That is why I think these early morning minutes could be devoted to remembering and writing down. Who knows, I may just be on to something and might start actually scrapbooking again and preserving my family memories in other formats!! (I know, let's not get carried away) Anyway, the kids are awake, and I need to go answer those pivotal questions like: "Does this match? Would this look better with blue or black? Do I have any clean socks?" So for now, ta-ta!