Christmas "Fun"?

Ever imagine how the Holidays would be without one of these??? My family had been having flu symptoms last week and we were relieved to call Aunt Charlotte and Aunt Anna to tell them we thought it was over so they could still spend the night on Christmas Eve. They came over for dinner but during dinner A. and I got sick. They decided not to risk getting sick right before an airplane trip to Illinois. So they left. G. was so sad and frankly, I was too. We had so much fun planned and memories to be made. But what could we do?

We were feeling a bit better in the morning and had fun with all our new loot. Thanks Santa! I served my family lunch meat sandwiches and chips for dinner. (I know, wonderful mother, but I was taking it easy.) Right after dinner, I pulled out the sausage I had planned to use the next morning for belated Christmas Breakfast Casserole. It felt strangely "not cold". I put in a meat thermometer which came to 50 degrees, right out of the fridge. I was horrified to simultanously realize I had just food poisoned my family and that the flu symptoms were not contagious. Then I realized I may have food poisoned the aunts! And how much money would it cost to replace all my food? This was just getting worse and worse...

I sent my family to bed with pots and buckets, just in case and prayed we would make it through the night. Andy was the only one that got sick, but he was down for the count for 2 days. Sick in bed, achy, cold, and symptoms that polite people do not discuss online...

I contacted my landlord. (One silver lining, it isn't my responsibility to fix the fridge.) The repairman came on Saturday. Bless him. At first he told me he couldn't find anything wrong.

(On a side note, I wish there was a class for lay people about things you should know about stuff. Like how a garage door works, how you should use your dishwasher every couple of weeks in Arizona or it dries out, and how a refrigerator cools.) I felt like a dope when he told me I had blocked the source of cold air that comes from the freezer. He told me the top shelf was probably warmer, but my pickles on the bottom felt cold. But then I told him about the thermometer the night before. He wanted to see the temp of my pickles. We checked, and on the coldest setting on my fridge, they were 43 degrees. Your fridge is supposed to be lower than 40 degrees. So glad I didn't just let him leave.

He took another look at my compressor which was only half working and told me that my freezer was probably not working that well either. But at least everything was still frozen, so I don't have to replace those things.

The warranty guy was off for the weekend and if my fridge wasn't under warranty, we needed a new fridge. Cheaper to buy a new one than fix it. Found out yesterday, we need a new one. So now I just have to survive until Wednesday. My wonderful landlord even offered to take some of my next month's rent to replace some of the food.

My dear friend Bonnie, who is a kindred fellow Washingtonian, loaned me her mini-fridge. Without it, I think I would have lost my mind by now.

So we had a crazy Christmas, one that will definitely be remembered. I am grateful for kind landlords, repairmen willing to come on the weekends, that my babies didn't throw-up too much, stores that are close, and that I actually live in a time where we have electricity and refrigerators. And I am grateful that we are almost at the end of this trial, because I am tired...

Fasting

In his church class two weeks ago, A. learned about fasting when you pray for people. In our faith, we fast the first Sunday of the month for 2 meals and donate that money to the church to distribute to those less-fortunate. We also use that opportunity to consider those that may need extra faith and prayers going their way. A. was very excited and told us all about it on the way home. He wanted to do it this last Sunday.

On Sunday morning, I woke him and asked if he was still planning on trying it. He seemed really concerned and started talking about this boy in his class at school. It took me a while to understand why S. was relevant to whether A. would fast or not. S. is in a wheel-chair and I am not sure why, because he wasn't in first grade. A. told me that he told S. he was going to fast that he wouldn't be in a wheel-chair anymore. (Could he be more sweet and believing in the power of God!?!) S. probably didn't understand A.'s intentions because S. told him not to fast for him. So my 7 year-old was concerned that he didn't have a reason to fast, so should he still do it?

I assured him that he could come up with something else to fast for. He mentioned praying for everyone in the whole world that is sick. I told him that usually we try to be a bit more specific. So he decided on some people to pray for.

At church, he got a little hungry the first hour. Andy told him that he was hungry too because he was fasting, and then A. remembered and sat back down. He fasted the whole 3 hours and told me afterward that he was doing OK. He didn't even rush to the kitchen for lunch when we got home. We went to his room to close his fast with a prayer. He prayed and just said, "Bless all the people I am fasting for."

Andy and I were planning on having him start fasting when he is baptised on his eighth birthday and only one meal for a while. I told A. that and asked him if he wanted to wait until his summer birthday, or fast again in January. He told me he wants to do it again. I am so proud of him. What an awesome kid! :)

Moms, for a Good Cry, Read this...

http://themeanestmom.blogspot.com/2009/11/kindness-of-strangers.html

We Thank Thee...

A. gave this talk in September in church to all the children 3-7. I love how it simplifies what I believe about a living prophet on the earth today. I am thankful for the prophet's guidance in these days. It helps me know how to guard my children from the many things that could rob them of peace and security.

"Last weekend, my family went camping. It got very dark after the sun went down. My dad brought a flashlight so we could see through the darkness. It would have been really hard to find our way without the light.

We live in a world with lots of darkness. Satan wants us to get lost so that we cannot find our way. Heavenly Father knows we can't make it on our own, so he sent a family to help us. But to see which way to go, he gives us a Prophet.

A prophet is a man that speaks to Heavenly Father and teaches us what to do to go to live with Heavenly Father again someday. The prophet has all the keys of the Priesthood to lead Christ's church. He shows us how to follow Jesus and walk in His light. He will speak to us at General Conference next month. It is important that we listen carefully to what he says so we know what Heavenly Father wants us to do. We can share his counsel with our family and follow his instructions and all he says.

I know that President Monson is a prophet and that he teaches us what we need to know. If we follow him, our family can go the right way and get closer to our Heavenly Father."

http://mormon.org/mormonorg/eng/basic-beliefs/the-commandments/follow-the-prophet

So here is a bit of what President Monson taught this October.

"My beloved brothers and sisters, I greet you this morning with love in my heart for the gospel of Jesus Christ and for each of you. I am grateful for the privilege to stand before you, and I pray that I might effectively communicate to you that which I have felt prompted to say.

A few years ago I read an article written by Jack McConnell, MD. He grew up in the hills of southwest Virginia in the United States as one of seven children of a Methodist minister and a stay-at-home mother. Their circumstances were very humble. He recounted that during his childhood, every day as the family sat around the dinner table, his father would ask each one in turn, “And what did you do for someone today?”

The children were determined to do a good turn every day so they could report to their father that they had helped someone. Dr. McConnell calls this exercise his father’s most valuable legacy, for that expectation and those words inspired him and his siblings to help others throughout their lives. As they grew and matured, their motivation for providing service changed to an inner desire to help others.My heart is full now as I speak of the experience and contemplate the lives which have been blessed as a result, for both the giver and the receiver...

The words from the 25th chapter of Matthew come to mind:
“Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

My brothers and sisters, may we ask ourselves the question which greeted Dr. Jack McConnell and his brothers and sisters each evening at dinnertime: “What have I done for someone today?” May the words of a familiar hymn penetrate our very souls and find lodgment in our hearts:

Have I done any good in the world today?

Have I helped anyone in need?

Have I cheered up the sad and made someone feel glad?

If not, I have failed indeed.

Has anyone’s burden been lighter today

Because I was willing to share?

Have the sick and the weary been helped on their way?

When they needed my help was I there?

That service to which all of us have been called is the service of the Lord Jesus Christ. As He enlists us to His cause, He invites us to draw close to Him..."

http://lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-1117-27,00.html

Totally Unexpected

So a goth guy, dressed in black skinny jeans with purple hair dropped this off at my house on Saturday.

I was totally surprised. It was from my brother and sisters and it was totally unexpected. They sent it for my birthday. I cried as I read the note and A. asked why I was crying. I guess it just made me realize how much I miss them and how far away we all live. I post these pictures because I hate when I send flowers (only done it a couple of times) and never know if I got what I paid for. You have to just trust the floral shop in that other state! So here's the picture. What a great color scheme and individual flowers. And until this morning, I thought the water was dyed, but it just dawned on me, I think it's a colored vase! Duh!

Thanks dear siblings! I love you and miss you so much. And I will never forget this one. :)

Yesterday, A. told his Primary teacher that I was 25. I thought that was a great mistake, esp. since I was older than that when I had him! :) LOL

Taking out the Trash

So lately the boys have been doing chores to make money.

K. doesn't have a reward chart, since he is only 2. But he is the quickest to jump in and help. I asked him on this video why he is helping. I expected him to say to make money, since that is why his brothers help. His little answer is so sweet and I am sure short-lived. He will soon be tainted by greed too, I'm sure. :) I also LOVE how he wants to carry the trash can that is almost as big as he is.

Halloween Costumes

G. is a Red Ninja. This was from his preschool carnival. Ms. Lisa combined with Ms. Jen's and Ms. Beckie's classes. These ladies know how to plan a party. These kids had so many activities and so much fun! And no, this costume I didn't make.

Younger siblings were invited too, so here is my caveman. What an easy costume to make and very flexible for all the different temperatures of the parties. K. wore just a diaper under it for one, a long-sleeved shirt/ pants this day, and the actual night of the Halloween, only T-shirt/pants underneath.

So A. wants to be a pilot when he grows up. When I saw the pilot hat at Party City, I thought it would be EASY to decorate his dress shirt to work for this costume. I was going to make him a tie using a pattern that I googled. But then decided covering one of his ties and securing w/ safety pins was a quicker solution! And doesn't he look like he LOVES it!?! Actually, he was cracking himself up that night. Not sure if it was the candy, or if it was being his father's son, as Andy cracks himself up regularly. ;)

A. looks pretty cold at the church Trunk-or-Treat. We had this weird cold front move in just for Wed. and Thurs. Temps dropped 20 degrees and then went back up again for Halloween. Many of us Arizonan mothers planned costumes for typical AZ weather and had to dig out warm clothes to wear underneath. (I know, "poor us"... )

K. loves candy. He would eat it all day long, so I have to put it up where he can't see it. What a holiday. Your kids come out looking THIS happy! He told me "I love 'Kittles!" And G. would repeat the affirmation at each scary house, "I'm not scared of this house." :)