We Did It!

Rise and shout, the Cougars are out!!!  My baby girl is going to BYU!! My goal from the day each of my children was born was for them to attend the greatest university in the world and as of last night my dreams have all come true:).  This fall the last of my little Cougars will start school at Brigham Young University in Provo, UT.  I love this school unhealthily.  I can't visit it's beautiful campus without tearing up several times.  I cry at every home football game as thousands and thousands of Mormons raise their voices in the Cougar fight song.  I cry at the devotionals that are offered every Tuesday.  I cry knowing that the professors start their classes with prayer.  I love that my children are surrounded by so many others who believe and worship as they do.  I love the school motto, "Enter to learn, go forth to serve".  That is exactly what I want all of my children to do with their lives.  Every one of my children has attended this school and the five that have graduated have all said that going to this school made graduate school so much easier because of the great education they got there.  They were all further ahead in their knowledge and experience than their classmates who had attended other universities.  I know my daughter will thrive in this environment.  These are our people and I am overwhelmed with happiness that all of my children get to have this wonderful experience.  I am sooo proud of all of them for doing whatever it took to get into this school because it's not an easy task.  Thousands of kids all over the world apply to this school and only about 30,000 can actually go at a time.  My daughter has spent many late nights doing homework with the dream and goal in mind of getting into BYU.  Way to go, Van!  You did it! Gooooo COUGARS!

The Story of Us

38 years ago today I had my first date with a guy.  33 years ago today I married him.  We have kind of a unique story so I thought I would share it with you.  When I was 16 years old a boy moved into my area and started going to my church and school.  He was a year younger than me so I didn't really notice him that much because I had always dated older guys.  My mom sure noticed him though.  She told me and my two sisters that she didn't care which one of us married that boy but one of us had to!  He was the same age as my younger sister so I figured that it would be her. They became friends but it never really progressed beyond that.  About a year later I started noticing him a little more.  One night at a high school basketball game that was standing room only I caught his eye and motioned for him to come and sit by me as I already had a seat.  At the time I had no idea why I was doing that as I didn't think I liked him that much.  It was as if someone else was lifting my finger and beckoning him to me.  A few days later we went on our first date and I told him that we were going to get married.  Again, I have no idea where that came from but I knew it with everything in me.  We were 16 and 17 years old.  I had never dated anyone younger than me in my whole life.  I soon discovered that even though he was biologically younger than me, he was spiritually light years ahead of me.  I knew without a doubt that this man was to be my eternal companion and the father of my children.  After enduring separations from college and a mission we were able to be sealed in the Oakland, CA  temple for time and all eternity on the 5 year anniversary of that fateful first date.  We are different in things that don't matter and we are united in things that do.  He is quiet and cautious and methodical and I am noisy and spontaneous and irrational.  I do everything fast and he does everything slower.  He is deep and wise and I am emotional.  Luckily, when it comes to things of the spirit and things of eternity we are completely united.  We both want to go to the Celestial Kingdom and we agree on how to get there.  We have been together for so long now that we are finishing each other's sentences and sharing the same thoughts at the same time more often than not.  I have never regretted following the prompting I had that night to beckon him over to me.  I didn't know what I was doing but the Lord did.  We were meant to be together forever and I have never doubted that for a second.  I love this man with all of my heart and know that he is mine eternally and nothing could bring me greater joy than that knowledge.  Happy Anniversary, Patrick Michael.  We truly are FOREVER MOORE.

What???

 I had to go to the DMV today to update my driver's license.  They closed the one in my city so I had to travel a little along with all of the other people who would have normally gone to the one in my city.  I packed for the day.  I had food, a book, my phone all charged up to play games and was, in essence, planning on spending a good chunk of my day there.  I had made an appointment but I still didn't trust that I could get out of there without wasting a lot of my day.  Imagine my surprise when I was in and out in 25 minutes!  I still can't believe it.  I have no idea how that happened.  The line was down the street for those who hadn't made an appointment but I just waltzed right in and 25 minutes later I was in my car.  Oh, and as a side note that isn't important at all (read earlier post about trying to banish vanity from my life) even though my last driver's license picture was with blonde hair (it's been QUITE awhile since I had blonde hair) I didn't have to change the weight on my current license:)  Doesn't matter.  Not important.  WOOOOHOOOOO!!!!!!!

Where Am I?

This last week my husband and I went to Utah to deliver all of our new DIL's stuff to our condo where she will be living with our son and because it was a holiday weekend we got to stay and go to church.  One of the bajillion things I love about my church is that it is the same everywhere in the world.  I can go anywhere and find an LDS church that is teaching the same, exact thing that is being taught in my own town.  So, in Relief Society, (the women's organization) the teacher was teaching about families and how we, as mothers, can arm our children against the evils of the world.  She split us up into groups that had things in common.  As she was outlining the different groups I realized that my heart was still in the young mother group but my life was actually straddling the "adolescents in the home" category and the "empty nesters" category.  I sat there for awhile trying to decide which group to go to.  I ended up in the one with the adolescents in the home but I felt like I could have been almost anywhere in the room.  The lines are getting blurry as to where I belong.  My last child is now 18 and will soon be on her way to college so technically my hands on teaching days are pretty much over.  I can still be an example and a resource but I've pretty much taught them  all that they are going to learn from me.  I feel really good about how I've raised them and don't have any regrets but because it was the most amazing time of my life and the most fun too, I'm having a hard time letting go, emotionally.  I know I sound like a broken record but I really want all those young mothers out there to appreciate where they are right now because you will never be there again and, I promise you, "You're Gonna Miss This". 

My 2 Cents

Lately my DIL's (daughters-in-law) have been blogging about raising children and the different challenges that presents.  Since that was my absolute favorite time of life and since I did it 7 times I thought I'd throw out some things I've learned.  Just as a side note, I have the greatest DIL's in the world.  They are amazing mothers and I am so glad that they are raising my grandchildren:) I know that most young mothers are very concerned about what their children eat and that they actually DO eat.  I am one of the pickiest eaters I know so I didn't introduce very many foods into my children's lives because, frankly, if I didn't want to eat it then I wasn't making it and making them eat it.  Very mature and wise, I know.  Somehow though, every one of them now likes wayyy more things than I do.  They got exposed to different foods at other people's houses, on their missions, at college or just being married.  Since I had so many of them and they were fairly close together, I couldn't take too much time trying to get them to eat what they should eat instead of what they wanted to eat.  They grew up on sugared cereal, hot dogs, mac and cheese, Ovaltine, of course, and a few fruits and vegetables thrown in every once in awhile.  Except for a few variations that's what I grew up on too.  If you know my family you know that they are all in pretty good shape, very athletic and very rarely sick.  I think that Heavenly Father knew we would all be distracted by many things in this world and He gave us very resilient bodies that are a lot tougher than we think. When kids are hungry they will eat and when they get too sick of a certain kind of food they will request a different kind.   I commend all the young mothers for doing their best to monitor their children's diets because that is very important but speaking from experience I recommend that you not lose sleep over it because I've never heard of a child starving to death when surrounded by food.  The other fun thing that I remember doing with my kids was introducing them to chores.  This turned out to be a blast.  When they were 4 or 5 I gave each one of them a daily and a weekly chore.  When all 7 were in the house and of age it got a little tricky because there really aren't 7 small things to be done daily without getting very creative.  They ended up emptying trash cans every day and shaking out area rugs and all kinds of not very necessary things just so they could learn the importance of responsibility and accountability.  They actually loved having something "important" to do when they were very little.  As they got older, not so much, but it sure helped me around the house.  I loved making chore charts and rewards systems.  It takes a lot of time and energy but the benefits are immeasurable.  Everyone learned how to clean bathrooms, set and clear the table and do dishes and all kinds of other chores.  Saturdays were my favorites because that's when we did bigger chores like washing cars and doing yard work and we were all together. (cue a tear here, sniff sniff)  They also started doing their own laundry when they turned about 10.  This was the single greatest thing I ever implemented into our lives.  The boys always had lots of sports gear that they had to have clean several times a week so they all did their own clothes and I did me and Pat and anyone who was too young.  The boys also started ironing their own church shirts so they would be able to take care of themselves on their missions and at college.  I failed miserably in the cooking department because I don't like to cook very much so I'm not very excited to teach anyone else.  Somehow they are all alive though so I guess I didn't harm them too badly.  I figure that Savannah has a phone so when she goes to college she can call me for directions on how to make stuff.  With Pinterest and all the other media avenues for getting ideas and information, this generation has access to tons more stuff than I ever did.  I am very jealous and wish I could go back and do it all over again.  It really was THAT fun:)

A First

Since all of my other sons met their wives after they served their missions I realized that this will be the first time I have missed my daughter-in-law more than my son!  I haven't seen Hunter for 2 years and now he is back at school already so I am very used to not being around him so I don't miss him too much.  Plus, he's not a big talker so it's easy to just chat with him a little here and there.  His fiancé, however, has become like a daughter to me and I will miss her very much when she leaves in 2 1/2 weeks.  For the last 2 years she has spent a lot of time at our house and has kept me up late many a night just talking about anything and everything.  When my own daughter had to get to bed because of early morning seminary and school the next day, Aleigh and I would stay up very late just talking.  I'm really going to miss that.  This girl is so easy to love.  As evidenced by the many strangers who follow her blog and who now love her without having ever met her, she is very easy to get to know and love.  She is kind and thoughtful to everyone.  She is fun.  She likes to include everyone and is always thinking about others.  Even though she is barely older than my daughter she has become my friend, like my other daughters-in-law but since I got to spend a lot of time with her without my son around it is more like a mother/daughter relationship.  I never got to do that with my other DIL'S. They have always been connected to my sons and I haven't spent much time with just them.  Very different with Aleigh.  In just a few days she will be connected to my son and I will lose a little bit of that special relationship we have because she will never be "unconnected" to him again.  That may or may not be the cause of some of my relapse into symptoms I thought were done:( I couldn't be happier for this wonderful couple but I still have to go through a little mini-mourning period for something wonderful that is changing into something more wonderful. I'm kind of glad that this "first" will also be a "last":)

Surrounded By Green Grass

You know that old saying, "the grass is always greener on the other side"?  I'm really feeling it lately.  With a little twist.  Ok, a lot of twists.  I know young mothers who are struggling among the weeds right now, stuck in the middle of the "hard part" of raising little families.  My first reaction is to be totally jealous of them because some days I want to be back there sooo bad it hurts.  Of course I am using selective memory and only remembering the wonderful times when I was my children's whole world and we would sit around together and read books and play games and laugh and everything was like a perfect sit-com.  I conveniently forget about the days when I felt like a hamster on a wheel just trying to get through the day without breaking down, doing the same things day in and day out thinking I would lose my mind before they grew up.  I am almost at the end of my "children in the home" days and I can see some green grass in the future being able to come and go as I please and not have to worry about the child or children still at home.  I will be free to travel, serve missions with my husband, go on little trips to visit children and grandchildren and everything will be just like a perfect sit-com again:) I should never have put in print that I was "all better" now because as soon as I posted the end of my "change" it quickly reminded me that it's not quite over yet.  It was only taking another break.  I have been waking up a little sad again lately because it feels like I'm back in the weeds and like I'm that little hamster just running around on my little wheel doing the same things every day.  I MUST FIGHT THE NATURAL MAN!!  I have every blessing a person could possibly ask for.  I am surrounded by green grass.  I am rolling in it!  I have my health, my faith, my incredible family that just keeps growing and providing me with more people to love, a beautiful home, food to eat, a free country to live in and so many more blessings that I can't even count them.  I need to go out and lay in the lush, green grass that is all around me and appreciate everything I have and I encourage you all to do the same.  Don't blink because wherever you are will be over in a minute:)

Don't Lose Hope!

Hallelujah!  Wonderful day!  Finally, after about 5 years I think I can honestly say that my body has finished "changing".  I was hesitant to say anything for fear that everything might come flooding back but it's been a few months now and I think I'm finally done.  Gone are the volcanic eruptions, (translation - hot flashes)  the sleepless nights, the massive mood swings and the deep depression.  I am now sleeping like a baby, don't wake up feeling anything but happy to greet the day (well, not every day) and don't have to worry about breaking into a sweat any time of the day or night.  It was going on for so long that I thought it would never end but it finally did.  So, ladies of a certain age out there, don't lose hope!  This too shall pass:)  I promise!!

Wonderful Little Gem

While reading The Ensign (a church magazine) last night I came across a fantastic list of things to do to succeed in life.  I am trying to do all of these things but they were worded so well and made to look so simple and plain that I thought I would share them with you.  It's from an article by Elder Richard G. Scott. 


TO SUCCEED IN LIFE


1.  Establish principles to guide your life.


2.  Don't make exceptions to your standards.


3.  Be loyal.


4.  Live so that the Lord can guide you.


5.  Serve others.


6.  Smile.


7.  Don't complain.


8.  Always have a Church assignment.


9.  Worship in the temple.


10.  Follow the Savior's example.


I really believe that if we can do all of these things we will be truly happy.

Angel

This little miracle girl is 9 months old today.  It feels like a hundred years ago and yesterday that she came into this world 3 1/2 months too early.  She is perfect in every way and is truly a modern-day miracle.  I love her with all of my heart and thank the Lord every day that she was able to remain on this earth with us:)

 

Info

I am the first to admit that I don't know very much about technology and how it works so I naively thought that only people I know and who I have told about this blog would ever find it and read it.  I had no idea that anyone can find and read anyone's blogs because I don't personally know how to do that.  That being said, I have noticed that there are some people who are not of my faith who have read my blog and I think that there are probably some questions and some confusion about my church's temple.  My son and his fiance are going to be married in our temple in just a few weeks and because this is what we strive for in my religion we are very happy about this.  The fiance's family, however, never saw this possibility in their future so they are, understandably, very confused and sad about this decision.  In our temple, we are not just married to our sweetheart but are sealed for all eternity.  This is something that we believe can only happen in a temple by someone who has the priesthood power to do it.  Since what we do in our temples is sacred to us we don't talk about it outside of the temple so I won't go into detail about it but there is a misunderstanding that only Mormons can see the sealing and no one else.  That is not completely true.  My two youngest children are Mormons and they did not see any of their older brothers get sealed.  My daughter will not witness her brother getting sealed in a few weeks.  To enter the marriage or sealing part of the temple a person not only has to be a member of our church but has to have gone through a process that they can only do when they are an adult and are either going on a mission or getting sealed themselves.  There are a few other options but not relevant to this post. So the brides' family will not be the only ones that will not actually witness the ceremony that is very short, very simple but very special to members of my faith.  The big difference here is that the members of my family have grown up with this knowledge and are ready for it as opposed to the bride's family who are essentially being blindsided.  I can only guess at how they are feeling.  We are not the first people to go through this and we will certainly not be the last.  That doesn't make it any easier, I know.  Lots of people have opted to have a separate "ring ceremony" for the family members to witness outside of the temple.  Our group will not be doing that but we will have a lovely celebration later that will include all family and friends.  I know, for a fact, that both of our families want to honor the wishes of our children and just see them be happy.  The tricky part is trying to keep our own emotions under control and make sure that this is a wonderful event for our children because just as the bride's family are sad at some of the turns this path has taken, I'm sure they want to put on a happy face for this couple. In the same vein, my family is very happy but want to also be respectful of the rest of the group's feelings so, as you can see, we will all need the Lord's help and I'm sure, as always, He will give it:)

My Whole World:)

I'm Sorry

Well, yesterday was terrible.  I want to publicly apologize to anyone who was offended by my choice of words because I apparently gave a very wrong impression of my true feelings.  I will be much more careful about what I put on this blog and will certainly think twice about saying anything about anyone again.  Thank you all for your comments.  They were read and pondered.  Now, I hope we can put this matter to rest and all get on with our lives.  I truly am sorry if I hurt anyone. 

Yikes!

Well, so much for thinking I'm writing a harmless little blog about nothing important!  I apparently hit on the hottest hot button I could have and certainly didn't mean to.  I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that some of the comments I'm getting are from my son's future family-in-law.  I want to go on the record as saying that I am absolutely not ignorant to what they are feeling about this marriage.  I can't possibly know how much this hurts them but I can guess.  THIS is exactly what I was trying to avoid when I tried, all those years ago, to divert these two lovebirds from one another.  I knew something like this could happen if they stayed together so I repeatedly warned them and tried to talk them out of it before it was too late.  It didn't work.  I'm not sure how this is me or my church's fault.  Both of us have been around way longer than my son or his sweetheart.  Before their daughter joined my church her family didn't seem to have a problem with either one of us.  All religious people believe what they believe and it isn't the same thing.  Everyone has the freedom to choose what they will believe.  If someone expresses an interest in what you believe you don't ignore their questions and try to dissuade them from knowing what you know.  I am very sad for the pain that this union is causing some but I can't be sad for my son and his future wife.  I'm not sure how that will benefit anyone.  It's been said that we aren't losing anything but I disagree.  We are losing the chance to have a relationship with a very nice family and I'm not sure why.  I am curious to know what they would do in our place?  I would like some advice on that.