He Answers Us

G. wanted me to take a picture of him praying. So he showed me how he would do it... Yesterday, I was in charge of teaching the children at church about how prayer strengthens our families. I told two stories from my childhood about how my family prayed together. Funny, they were both about babies. :)

1. When my mom was about to have my brother, he was sitting on her liver which caused her skin to itch horribly. No cream, no medicine could solve her problem. The dr. said the only solution was to have the baby. So one night she was in the bath trying to get some relief and we could all hear her crying. What she didn't know was that all of us were in our beds praying that our mom would feel better. My brother was born before school started the next morning. I know because I was so excited to finally have a brother that I RAN to North Elementary. At the hospital, it all came out that everyone in the family was praying for my mom at the same time.

2. When my mom was in the hospital with K., she also had extensive abdominal surgery. We of course wanted to see our baby sister and our mom, so Dad took us to the hospital that night. She was really suffering from the surgery and I think it freaked us all out. Dad had us wait outside, where we quickly found a closet full of wheelchairs to offer up a "Willis kid" prayer to help our mom. We were relieved that no nurses came in. Wouldn't they have been surprised! I guess I didn't know at 14, that most hospitals have a place meant for praying.

I thought some of you siblings of mine may not remember these stories. So I thought I would share them with you too.

I do know God answers me. He hears me and understands me. And offers comfort that no other can give. This world touts independence and pride; He teaches humility and asks us to seek Him. I know that my life has been blessed by seeking Him. And my family, now and when I was growing up, has been strengthened by inviting Him into our lives and trusting Him.

One of My Favorites

So A. is almost 7 and these pictures were actually before he lost two more teeth. Aren't they great though? :)


This boy is one of my favorite things about my life. He truly is a joy. I can't hardly remember my life without him. I got pregnant with him right after 9-11. You know that day when a lot of people said the world had completely changed. This kid totally changed MY world.


He loves documentaries. I actually Tivo ones that I think he would "dig"- dinosaurs, sea life, pirahnas... His favorite show right now is River Monsters (though we just started checking out Man vs. Cartoon. Thanks Grandma!). The host goes to remote locations where they have legendary run-ins with dangerous fish or an occasional alligator. He interviews the people, investigates himself, and then tries to catch one of the "river monsters". So watching this show has made A. super excited to go fishing. But he is very sure he wants to catch something SMALL.


So he tells me since it will be his first time, he needs to go somewhere where the fish are small. And he has been thinking the nice small fish he wants to catch "could be something like a tuna."


Now you may not be informed (or you may be like Jessica Simpson), but tuna are NOT small. Wikipedia says "typical specimens average 2-2.5 m (6.5-7 ft) long and around 350 kg (770 lb) in weight." So I had to laugh and let him know that we would fish for something more reasonable!


He is usually very informed. It was mostly funny at how I was surprised he DIDN'T know this.


In fact, I will never forget a conversation at the dinner table when he was in kindergarten... We were trying to get G. to eat. I was making car noises, airplane noises, boat noises, anything with the spoon to get his mouth to open. A. said that I should make a submarine noise, which took me aback since this noise wasn't as easy to replicate. What does a submarine sound like anyway??? So A. beeped for me like sonar and I felt pretty silly.


Then Andy trying to show how super smart he is, asked A. if he knows how bats know where things are in the dark, to which A. replied "yeah, it's called echolocation." Well that's one way to shut down your dad from teaching you things. You just have to already know everything!



A. is such a great kid. He tells jokes. He helps out around the house. He is a great example to his brothers. He helps clear his plate and put away his laundry without anyone asking him. He tries to do the right thing.



One of the best things about A. is his talent to believe. I really think that this is a gift from Heavenly Father. When he hears things of a spiritual nature, he easily believes. He has a great testimony that is truly his own. It is in his own words and is very meaningful to him. I can't imagine life without him. He truly is one of my favorites. :) But I couldn't decide which of these pictures was my favorite, so I just posted them all.

Love to Hear This Boy Talk

So K. is cracking me up with all the stuff he says. I love it when he breaks out with an occasional "awesome" just in everyday play. Do I really use this word that much??? I love this age-- when they are learning how to talk. He also has now started using the more coloquial "yeah" instead of "yes" and he says it nice and slow, like he has some great control of the situation. He whispers often. I have never heard of a child that whispers without being incessantly reminded. We will have to see if it continues...

Of course all this talking creates frustration when he asks for a game, cookie, fruit snacks, me and it doesn't fit into the schedule yet. "If she knows exactly what I want, why isn't she getting it for me, NOW?"

He just came in with a baggie asking for goldfish and I said, "what do you say when you want something?" He looks at me with his cute sideways eyes and I say "Goldfish, PLEASE...?" To which he replies, "Okay." So much for being polite today... ;)

Thanks for the Donation

So I looked everywhere for a picture of my Uncle Benny and I am sorry to say that I don't have one that isn't a blurry one sent by Grandma T. from long ago. But I had to post about this...

My uncle has been on an oxygen tank for a while now and if you are picturing him a little old, feeble man, you are wrong. He is a hysterical, vibrant personality. That is the only way to describe him, "personality'. He has been on a lung transplant list and finally, on Wednesday, he got the call.

"The Call"-- the one that brings hope, comfort and happiness to my family, but somewhere, another family is feeling loss and sorrow. Hopefully, they can have some comfort in the fact that I am sure more than one family was blessed by the donation. And their loved one lives on in someway. Hopefully, they have a faith in life after this one. Where their loved one will see those that have gone before and dwell in the presence of God.

I have a greater desire to be an organ donor since my family has been blessed this way. I wish I could say "thank you" to the other family, but that seems so inadequate. I wish there were words in the English language that held more weight. Even my post title seems shallow. But because of you, my uncle can remain a vibrant personality. His wife, children, grandchildren, siblings, nieces, nephews and parents can laugh at another joke and share his smiles. So THANK YOU for that and I wish you peace and comfort as you part from your loved one. Know that we recognize the bittersweet moment this is.

And for all of us- Check to see what you need to do so you can be an organ donor. In my state, you have to send in some paperwork. But I have also heard that it is very important that your loved ones know of your wishes, so since you won't be here to say "yes", they will know.

And to Benny- Here's to a long life! Love you!

Life's Little Disappointments

So G. loves President Obama. If he sees a book about him, he thinks I must buy it. He proudly proclaims that President Obama is our president. On Inauguration Day, I was sure to watch the t.v. coverage because I reveled in the historical occasion. I suggested that G. wear this shirt, with the flag on it, mostly because I wanted to see if I could get him to wear a shirt without a superhero. (Normally, if I hand him one, he asks if I have a Spiderman shirt that's clean.) It worked. He wore this shirt that day. Now he associates it with President Obama. He tells us that President Obama told him to wear it.

So my question is, do I break it to him that I didn't vote for the guy? ;)

(Now for all you that did, we should agree to disagree. I respect the office of President of the United States. I hope that he will make improvements that I agree with. And I pray for the guy. He needs it, as all presidents have needed it. And I will warn you now, I will delete any comments of a negative nature, Republican or Democrat. This blog is for fun. There will be no debating politics or religion on a blog named My House of Monkeys, though some may think that would be a great name for Congress. ;) )

My Little Monkeys

So here they are... my boys. My husband's family seems to only make boy grandkids. (11 out of 12 are boys.) But at this point, I am not sure I know what to do with a girl anyway. A. is 6 and almost finished with 1st grade- 3 1/2 more days to be exact. And he is sure to be exact on this point! G. is almost 4 and keeps me on my toes. They are both starting swim lessons and I should already apologize to his future swim instructor and preschool teacher. He has a very strong will that I hope will serve him well as a teenager (as long as his will is the same as mine, I guess!). Then K. is 18 months, old enough for nursery at church. Which means I am officially in charge of ALL of them 7 days a week. (I am in charge of all the kids at church 18 months- 11 yrs. old.) They love to wrestle, argue, yell, squirt water, spit, and all other boy-approved activities. I will leave some of those to your imagination and purposely overlook sharing them in blogland... But they keep my life entertaining, joyful, full, challenging, and truly blessed. Some days I can't believe that I am in charge of the health and well-being of 3 kids, but I certainly couldn't imagine (more less, remember) my life without them.



And for the record, G. wanted the pic posted of him in his Batman costume. Oh, yeah. I'm also very well-versed on superheroes, villians, and how each came into their powers. I am also getting good at throwing superhero parties. Comes with the territory, I guess.

Willis Kids

Wedding Picture: Brittney Singer Photography

All grown up
how did that happen?



When Andy and I lived in Kentucky, my friend Laura asked if her kids would be friends when they grew up. She wondered since they were young and seemed to disagree most of the time.


I was able to assure her that in spite of the huge fights we had, as adults, we were friends. More than friends...

There have been times where the only person to call was one of them- for mothering advice, marriage advice, friend advice, church advice, or being sane advice. They "get" me like no one else does (besides Andy). They know where I came from. They know my history. They know my serious mistakes and they know what really embarrasses me. They know my secret dreams. Their confidence in me helps me feel capable. I don't know where I would be without their input in my life.


This past weekend, I got to see them. And marvel at who we have become.


J. keeps it all together and still has the fun spirit she had when we were kids. And she is wise.
C. has so much grace and class. I love to watch her quiet joy. You can just FEEL it.
B. is so talented and isn't the little girl I left when I went to college. (She is the same height as me!!)
B. is sooo smart and articulate. I had a really intelligent conversation w/ him and I hate to say, I think he is smarter than me. Ugh.
K. is married. The little girl with the pink cast is old enough to get married. She is spiritual and fun and embarking on the wonderful adventure.


I think we all felt blessed to be together. Blessed to be a Willis kid. Blessed to be raised with the gospel of Jesus Christ in our home. Blessed to have been taught the right lessons to make the right choices. Blessed to all be in the temple together- to have to recruit someone else to watch the kids. (K. thanks for the many times you had to do it!)


I am grateful Heavenly Father sent us to live in families. What a lonely, confusing road this life would be without those that "get" us. Also what amazing life lessons I have learned by being a sister, daughter, wife, and mother that have made me more loving, less selfish, and more like my Savior.


And to my parents- Kudos! You did something right. We aren't perfect. But we are pretty good. And we are so grateful to you. For the sacrifices. For your love and support. For the hard decisions. For it all.


And in spite of the huge fights ;), we do love eachother. And no matter what, we've got eachothers' backs.


Thanks for inviting us to wedding K. and J. Thanks for giving us an excuse to ALL get together.