The Coat Syndrome

I LOVE when literature mirrors life, my life, my crazy, still-learning-everything kind of life. And even cooler, when the literature is over a hundred years old (129 to be exact) and still totally relates to my life, this very day! Call me a book nerd, I am, I admit it. But I loved this moment today and it's parallel in one of the books I'm reading. Here's the situation: Annie is 2. She has this sweet little jacket, with another little fleece jacket attached inside. Those layers make it impossible for her to get it off herself. She struggles and struggles until she'll finally let me help her. She gets so mad, and I can't help but smile because 1. it's so cute to see someone so little expressing very real emotions and 2. the solution is so easy in my mind (mom will help) and she doesn't want it (Moses and the Brass Serpent, anyone?). I'm reading The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot. Maggie, a young girl, has just secretly butched her hair and is mortified. Here's what she says (the author):

'Ah, my child, you will have real troubles to fret about by and by,' is the consoloation we have almost all of us had administered to us in our childhood, and have repeated to other children since we have been grown up. We have all of us sobbed so piteously standing with tiny bare legs above our little socks, when we lost sight of our mother or nurse in some strange place, (or cry and struggle because we can't get our coats off) but we can no longer recall the poignancy of that moment till we weep over it, as we do over the remembered sufferings of five or ten years ago. Every one of those keen moments has left its trace and lives in us still, but such traces have blent themselves irrecoverably with the firmer texture of our youth and manhood; and so it comes that we can look on at the troubles of our children with a smiling disbelief in the reality of the pain...Surely if we could recall that early bitterness, and the dim guesses, the strangely perspectiveless conception of life that gave the bitterness its intensity, we should not pooh-pooh the griefs of our children.

The last line is my favorite! Who would write that 100 years ago?! Of course, she's saying if we could really understand how traumatic these seemingly simple problems are for our little ones we "would not" pooh-pooh their griefs. Boring to some, sooo fun for me!

I was so affected by the moment because I realized that this period and type of helplessness in Annie's life will be so brief; I just wanted to fold it up and put it in my little "pocket of memories," so to speak. I love being a mother. I love helping my kids pull their overly snug coats off of their little, chubby arms. Yummy.

Kirk Cameron's Comeback?

We watched this movie last night...made by the same christian group that did Facing the Giants. I have to admit, the movie itself was decent (movie critics would tear it apart...look past the first 20 minutes and it gets better), but I whole-heartedly agreed with it's message (what I got from it, anyway). I was relieved to see a movie that supported marriage as a commitment between two people and God, and that God wants to be a part of every marriage. In addition to that, the concept of loving someone, serving someone, without the expectation of gaining anything in return. It's so easy to love people when we know they'll love us back. But what about those who don't love us back, do we withold our love, because it won't be appreciated, accepted, or returned? It made me look at my motives for doing the things I do and reminded me that it's not my job to judge, but it is my job to love. Anyway, that's my little soapbox for the day. If you're looking for a movie that's clean, with a good message (a little preachy at times) and even makes you laugh...check it out.

If Ye Are Prepared...

As I said in my last post, the weather today was freezing! The roads are covered with ice. I was driving down the road and came upon a a suburban stuck in a huge pile of snow. Two men had stopped already and were trying to get her out. They were using their hands. In our van we had two little shovels for this very purpose. They used those for a while, but the suburban was completely stuck. My dad drove past on his way home and asked if anyone had a tow rope, since he had a tow-thingy on the back of his SUV. Well, well, well...I had a tow rope, too! We saved this poor, helpless, embarrassed teenage girl and sent her on her way. I had one of those moments, a eureka moment: we're asked to be prepared. Too often, I think it's just for me, or my family. Yet more often, our "preparedness" is for others...not ourselves. Life's not always about us, is it?

SNOW DAY!

The kids were out of school today, due to way-below zero temperatures! I was happy for them, but also pretty psyched that I could sleep in this morning (6:30 comes way too early sometimes). We had a blast, spending time chillin' together (yes, those were intentional and corny). Anyway, it was so fun playing in the snow! The kids love being pulled around the neighborhood behind the four wheeler. Ben loves making them soar over large bumps, crash into drifts, anything that could potentially flirt with death! What can I say, we have three boys? This won't be the first or last time we flirt with death! What ever happened to sliding down a hill, then hiking back up again?

Why We Love Grandpa...

What glorious scenes mine eyes behold!

What wonders burst upon my view!

Yes, that's a hymn we sing in church...but oh, so applicable to me this morning! Changing diapers was just something I think fathers rarely took part in, in my parents' generation. Hence, my complete and total surprise. Gratitude, yes...one less whiff of you-know-what today. Thank you, Grandpa...this one's for "poo."

Miracle in the Dark

The power went out tonight. Tonight was special. Call it a brief peek into heaven. A few moments of pure simplicity. You know what I mean, when all you have to think about is your little family around you, snuggling to stay warm, giggles, whispers, calm...peace. We went around the room, lit only by a fire, taking turns, telling stories, listening to Grandma talk about her run-in with a porcupine, and Grandpa getting kicked by a horse, only to have a 2nd grade classmate of his ask, "Billy, did you die?". Lincoln told of his getting kicked in the eye by a cow, then a squirrel threw poison in his mouth, and the cow gave him a drink, so he didn't die! It was priceless. We loved, loved, loved eachother tonight. The love was in our peace, our whispers, our listening.

There's No Place Like Home...Almost

Emabarassingly enough, it's 10:50 pm, and I am waiting for our sheets to come out of the dryer (yes, we have other sets, but these are my favs). Our movie's over (Ever After) and I need to kill some time. So, I talk about the Burton House. This is the house we bought in November...currently being remodeled by Yours Truly...well, Ben does most of the work, but I make a really good painter! The bones of the house were great, dreamy...but it definately needed some work. I loved the house from the moment I saw it. Who'd want to work on an old house when there are plenty of new in this market? The Crazy Carter family! Pray that I still love it when we're through (will the day ever come?).

The lengths some people go to...

My parents are in cahoots with each other. They're trying to get out of some good ol'
manual labor at the Burton House. Take a look
at this list of ailments and tell me what you think. After a lifetime of wellness, and THEN...

Gall bladder removal

Cancer

Orthoscopic surgery (knee)

Spinal fusion

Ruptured achilles tendon (cast and crutches for 6 weeks)

Varicose vein surgery

Dislocated shoulder

All in one year. Is it too much to ask for a little help from your parents?

We love you, Mom and Dad

What I hope you remember...

Dear Brigham, William, Lincoln, and Annie,

I can't stop thinking about a passage I read in a book by Neal A. Maxwell a few days ago about selfishness. The world is ever-changing, society expects things to which the Lord would certainly object. I want you to be so aware of where society is going so you can boldly head the opposite direction! Your Dad is also a great example to follow. Me, I'm still working on it. This is what he said:

Why should we be concerned about service? . . .So many things have combined to underwrite a surging selfishness that presents us with a sobering scene. Many people assert their needs, but where have we lodged the corresponding obligations? Many have become demanders, but where are the providers and the deliverers?. . .The reserves of regard for others are dangerously low. We have raised expectations but lowered the collective levels of love, patience, and concern. The drives for self-fulfillment and self-awareness and self-assertion have been heightened--even made militant--but without increasing the available selflessness. . .Scoffers may say that the human condition was always so. But ours has been a time of relative affluence in which we have allowed full generations to be nurtured on the notion that, somehow, they are the center of the universe, and that meeting their needs should become the priority task of others--others who are expected to be very devoted. Some expect to receive--indeed, they demand--unilateral love. . . Never have so many been schooled so much as to their rights while, at the same time, being taught that there are no behavioral wrongs. If we can but realize that Satan is selfishness at the end of its journey, then we can see where our selfish society is headed.

He offers some keys:

- Let us define service to others as genuine listening--a listening that is more than just being patient until it is our turn to speak...

- Let us think of service not only as giving, but also as receiving righteously.

-Develop real integrity. In the crowds of chameleons in the world today, daring to be the same good self is being different.

- "Love is never glad when others go wrong." But true love also includes real rejoicing when others do well--even if their success seems to change, somehow, our own place in the mortal peck order.

- We can serve by enduring well, for our steadiness will steady others who are otherwise on the verge of giving up.

Jesus did not find pleasure in hanging on the cross; joy came after duty and agony. He went to Gethsemane and Golgotha out of a sense of supreme service, not because it would meet his needs. He fulfilled all things by giving all in that remarkable and special act of service.

Love, Mom

One Lump or Two?

I came home from a long afternoon of painting at the Burton House (our cute, charming house that we're remodeling), and what did I find? My dear, sweet Ben having a deliciously sweet tea party with Annie Grace. Yes, I melted at the tenderness of it all. Ben, you are as tasty as they come (just between you and me, you're the tastiest). I love you.

Little Piggies

Annie, I love you. I love your little piggies. Every time we read that nursery rhyme, you giggle just as much as you did the first time. You are so special to us. They say, "Diamonds are precious, but daughters are priceless." You are so very priceless...

Another quiet Sunday afternoon...

Home Teaching at our house...enough said.

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's...

Lincoln,

Standing on

Top of the refrigerator

At grandma's house, with our camera!

I was looking at the pics in our camera, when I came across 7 pictures similar to this one. I had no idea how they got there until later in the day when Lincoln, very matter-of-factly stated, "I took some pictures with the camera." Then he ever-so-casually walked away and started playing with toys...simple as that! I love this little guy to death, but really...what's next?

Run-in with the LAW!

Lincoln's entire life we've struggled to keep him in a car seat! He can manuever himself out of everything, short of tying, duct taping, etc. My prayers were answered (not how I expected, but I'll take an answer any day). We had a run-in with the law! Here I am, cruising down main street, very aware that I AM going the speed limit (due to my failure to get an Idaho driver's license STILL and not wanting to pay a HUGE fine), and SURPRISE...red and blue flashing lights. My stomach drops, I feel a total adrenaline rush...fight or flight...and I think, "What did I do...I'm innocent...I was NOT speeding!" I pull over and yell, "LINCOLN, buckle your seat belt NOW!" I sounded kind of pathetic to myself, as if I was teaching him it was only important to wear a seat belt when you're about to be pulled over by a police officer!

Well, I had a nice chat with Mr. Officer, learning that I was pulled over because he could see Lincoln standing up in the back of the van. Impulsively, I start pouring my soul out to the cop because this really IS an issue I've dealt with for a while and I've yet to find a solution that works. He asked to speak with Lincoln. After a brief, informative chat, Lincoln is convinced that a booster/car seat is the choice for him. Pray that he has a very good memory, or else we'll be making a weekly stop at the local police station! Oh, and no, I did NOT get a ticket...only a friendly warning. Thank you, Officer.

Here we go...

Well, let's just say this is a "road less traveled" for me. To my sweet family, I'm doing this for us...I don't want to forget the sweet, simple things that happen in the "every day"and float away with good intentions of remembering them. Love you...