Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!  This year, I didn’t do anything “fancy” for a costume, but I did get to finally do a long awaited costume that I keep asking to do: doctor/patient.  To me, it’s such an obvious & easy thing to do!

Mark has been out of town a lot lately, which makes things a bit crazy for me, cuz I have to then be in charge: Which wouldn’t be a big deal, if I could just “step in”, but I can’t, so instead of doing what I usually do, I type a lot of schedules & texts, in order to find & coordinate people to not only help me “be me”(get up, get dressed, potty, & do therapy), but also find people to help w/stuff Mark does (like make meals, transport kids, etc.).  The schedules are necessary to keep it straight in my head, & I also use them to help me to more clearly communicate with those who are helping me.

On the bright side, one of the girls who helps me, scrapbooks a lot with me, so since she has been here more often, I have posted a lot of new traditional scrapbook pages that I made for Jessie (& I copied some of them for Zach).  My favorite page we made is a “tradigital page” (meaning it was partially made digitally, as well as traditionally).  It has the most awesome photo, & I have been wanting to scrapbook this photo since the day I took it, but I could never find the embellishments I wanted…so, I finally just made my own embellishments—which  I couldn’t have done 15 years ago, so I am so glad I waited to do this page!:

2016-10-19-17-45-32

scrapbooks/motherhood

I posted several new traditional baby book pages for Zach & Jessie, as well as one of the few pages I made for Zach’s missionary album that I’m keeping:

My son, Zach, is serving a mission for our church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in san Diego, CA for the next 2 years. He can only call home on Mother’s Day & Christmas, & he can only email us on his P-Day (“preparation day”, for him, is on Tuesday, every week), which is his “day off” to grocery shop, do laundry, run errands, & “have fun” (usually play basketball, I think!).   The rest of the time he is sharing the gospel & the message of Christ, often in ASL.  (If u are ever interested, there is a link to get a free Book of Mormon, which is what he is sharing as well, on the right hand side of my blog).

My youngest, Sophie has never been sure of the career she wants…I remember her feeling distressed in elementary school, cuz she wasn’t sure how to dress for career day…I suggested “a mom”, & was so proud of her for doing it!  Maybe something sank in that day, cuz last night, Sophie had a choral concert.  In the program, it listed “empowerment statements” by the show choir.  I was touched by Sophie’s, that said, “I want to be a loving mother.”  Sophie just rolled her eyes when I told her that I loved her empowerment statement, but motherhood is the most important job a girl can ever have, yet now-a-days, it is ignored, & they all want these fancy professions instead!  Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for learning & knowledge (I was a teacher, for crying out loud!), & I love that girls believe that they can be in male-dominant professions!

The concert was to support breast cancer, so when the sponsor was speaking, & mentioned some of her favorite empowerment statements, I thought for sure she’d mention Sophie’s…but she didn’t, & it made me so sad to see how little motherhood is valued now-a-days!  Some of the girls even were chosen to shout out their empowerment statements in one of their songs…Of course, Sophie wasn’t one of them!

I am thankful that I was raised in a way that I could see the nobility behind the calling of motherhood, & I am grateful that my daughters have recognized it as well (my middle daughter, Jessie, has always wanted to be a vet, but not at the expense of being a mom).  I am thankful that my son is sharing the gospel with others, which also teaches of the nobility of motherhood!  & finally, I am grateful that when all was “said & done”, two things remained after my stroke: my free agency & my family (mother/wife).

blessings

I heard this song a few years ago, & it has become a favorite…just wanted to share

https://youtu.be/XQan9L3yXjc

Often, my blessings & “tender mercies” are so small when they come, I do not see them until they start to pile up.  In fact, I can’t tell u how often I think things, & think, “now how am I going to share that?!?”–& then someone says it for me!

School started!

My baby started high school & seminary today (seminary is a worldwide, four-year religious educational program for youth ages 14 through 18).  My kids are quite independent already (they wake themselves up, etc.), so all that is different is that all my kids are gone earlier, & I’m not “hanging out” with her in the morning.

Seminary is at 6 AM, & since Mark teaches them, it was just me & the dog, Cooper, for an hour.  When they left, Cooper seemed to say, “oh, it’s starting again…”, & went to “his spot” on the couch to sleep.  They were back briefly at 7, & when they left again, Cooper briefly looked at me, like, “Who do I play with now?”, & then settled down to rest on his blanket beside me…

Oh, good grief!  I have no kids to talk about, so I’m talking about our dog!  Ah! What will I do in 4 years?!?  I won’t even be 50 years old—my mom had a 2 year old kid when I’ll have an empty nest!