Thanksgiving

 While Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, this year will forever be remembered as one of the saddest Thanksgivings for our family.  The food was fabulous and bounteous.  We had family over to make us smile and be happy.  The kids made little origami nut&candy boxes.  We set the table with my wedding china and it looked beautiful and festive.  Despite all our many blessings and many reasons to be thankful, we were also coping with the sickness of Greg's father.  He was diagnosed with Mesothelioma cancer this summer and it has been downhill ever since.  He started chemotherapy in September and that took its toll.  I didn't take any pictures of Raymond while he was at our home, it was too sad.  His sons carried him in our home.  He spent time talking to each person, sometimes not even remembering who they were or where to even look.  He used our Skype to talk to those he couldn't see again.  It was a tender night.  Lots of tears, especially as his sons carried him again out to the car and then followed Michele up to their home to get him into the house.  When I went to give him a hug good-bye he didn't really know me and asked, "Am I supposed to give you a hug?"  That broke my heart.
The day after Thanksgiving we pulled out our Christmas decorations as usual.  The girls especially were excited and I love how I captured them treasuring our Christmas stuff.  We ended up having house guests for the next few days as some of Greg's siblings gathered together going through old journals, mementos and pictures that Michele gave us.  They laughed and cried together.  They talked about and planned the funeral, still thinking there was more time.  They visited their dad when allowed and said their good-byes again and again.  It was sad but nice having them around.  I didn't know where I fit in so I just left them all be and made sure they were all fed and comfortable.  I am so thankful that they feel comfortable coming to our home and staying. 

A Quick Trip Home

 When I first new my big brother was going home for Thanksgiving I knew we wouldn't go.  We had already seen my family a few times this year and I just didn't want to make the drive.  Then in October I spoke with my brother on the phone and decided maybe we should go...but after thinking about the drive and taking kids out of school, it just didn't seem right.  Then a few weeks later I got word that Conor would be deployed after Christmas and I knew that I needed to go.  I hadn't seen him since his wedding over two years ago.  With Greg's dad ill I knew we couldn't all go so I booked a flight for just a couple days.  I am SO glad I was able to go.  I love and miss my family immensely.  I wish we could all live close and help each other go through life's many challenges.  It was a very quick trip, but I liked being the fun aunt as I was without my own sweet children.  Greg held down the fort while I was away.

 Ashley and I built a fort and watched cartoons together.

 We went up to Apple Hill one day.  It was GORGEOUS!!  The fresh apple juice and apple cider and apple pie was amazing. 

 I am so glad I was able to get to know my newest sister-in-law, Christine.  She is perfect for my brother and it was fun to see them so happy.  Lots of prayers and love for my brother and a safe return from serving his country.

So Proud

 Pride is a tricky thing.  Too much pride, or too much of anything for that matter, is bad and wrong and can hurt or offend.  But I also know that it is important to be proud of ourselves and our children and to let our children know when we are proud of them.  I am so proud of Callie for trying so hard at preschool.  She can read many words and can write all her letters and numbers.  She can count higher than 20. 

 

 I am so proud of Annabelle and how she reads to her younger sister.  I vividly remember having younger sisters and not always wanting to be with them, but I am so proud of the big sister Annabelle is for Callie.

 Ryan is SO creative.  He takes pieces of graph paper and makes animals and homes for these animals.  He has made movies about them and written many stories.  Of course there is always a tortoise character named Turbo.  These are amazing to me! I am so proud of Ryan's imagination!

Nathan has an amazing mind.  I brought this puzzle home from California and he was ecstatic to give it a whirl.  Then he was SO proud of finishing it.  He even texted a picture of it to his friend.  I am so proud of my oldest son.

 My husband is amazing!  Seriously, what can't this man do?!  In some spare time this week he decided to take apart a scanner and a pencil sharpener to see if he could make them work.  The scanner was a lost cause but the pencil sharpener now is functioning again.  This man is so calm and patient and dedicated to me, his children and the Lord.  I am so proud of him and all he has accomplished.

Hi! I am Emily and I am a Mormon

I recently viewed a talk by Elder David A Bednar, an apostle of Lord Jesus Christ.  It was inspiring.  I haven't been that great updating my blog and I definitely don't think I put a lot of me into it.  Sure, there are snapshots of my family and all the going and doing of many things, but lately I have thought a lot about who I am and why I do what I do.  When Elder Bednar issued the following challenge I knew it was time to make my blog a bit more meaningful.

"Beginning at this place on this day, I exhort you to sweep the earth with messages filled with righteousness and truth — messages that are authentic, edifying, and praiseworthy — and literally to sweep the earth as with a flood." 
 

 My name is Emily and I am a wife and stay at home mom of four amazing children.  I have a degree in Elementary Education but know that what I do each and every day is more important than anything I could ever do in a classroom.  I didn't always think that way though.  I remember vividly a phone call I had with my Uncle while at the hospital after having my first son. He is not LDS and when he asked me if I would ever teach I answered that I would, sometime soon after I got used to having a baby.  However, that was never my intention but I felt like that was the answer my Uncle wanted to hear.  I will forever regret that opportunity I had then to tell my Uncle how I really felt.  How I knew that I would always want to be home with my children as long as circumstances permitted it.  I now have much more confidence and am so proud and grateful for the opportunity I have to stay at home with my children.

I have a passion for reading.  I love all sorts of books: fantasy, mystery, science-fiction, historical fiction.  I can get swept away in a book and usually will dream about them for a few days after I finish one.  I also have a passion for reading the scriptures.  I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God.  I have made it a rule for myself that I read a chapter from the Book of Mormon every day before I read anything else or use any social media.  This has helped my put a better focus on what is important to me in my life.  This year we are studying the Old Testament in Sunday School and I have learned so much.  I read the Old Testament when I was in High School and have studied it before, but this year the stories and lessons are really speaking to me and I have learned more than I would have thought possible.  I love when I have a chance to read something and can share it with my children and/or husband.  I try to bring the gospel and the scriptures to life for my children and talk about them as often as I remember.

Music is another wonderful part of our family.  My husband and 3 older kids all play musical instruments and I can even play a little piano.  I love hearing them all bring music into our home.  We love to dance and work to good music.  All of my children seem to respond well to good music.  We listen to all genres of music but I need to be better at putting church music on just as often as modern music.

I love living in Utah.  That isn't something that I have always said, but it is true.  I recently picked up my sister's family from the airport and my niece was so excited to see all the temples along the way to my home.  It truly is an amazing thing.  We saw Bountiful, Salt Lake City, Jordan River, Oquirrh Mountain, Draper and finally where I was married, Mt Timpanogos.  The temple symbolized eternal families, one of the greatest gifts from our Heavenly Father.  Greg and I were married in 2001, 13 1/2 years ago!  We have grown closer and closer every year.  I know that we are sealed for time and all eternity.  If one of us passes before the other (the plan is to go together while asleep at 100) then I know that I will be with him forever.  Our family will not be broken apart if we endure to the end and keep our covenants we have made in the temple.  I have pictures of temples all around our home.  We talk about how our children will have the opportunity to choose to get married in the temple if they live worthily now.

I am so thankful for the knowledge I have that we have living prophets here on the earth.  I love listening to General Conference twice a year and knowing that the words being spoken are from my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  I am so thankful for the early Latter-Day Saints who forged the path for my life to be so wonderful today.  The prophet Joseph Smith was young and wanted to know what church to go to, I am so thankful that he followed his heart and the teachings of his family to search the scriptures.  The first vision, while miraculous and hard to believe to some, is something that I hold very dear.  I know that Joseph saw God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ.  I know it.  Nobody can change that for me ever.  I know that angels visited Joseph and taught him about baptism and the priesthood.  I know that he translated the Book of Mormon from golden plates.  I also know that men are not perfect.  Joseph even says so himself.  But I do know that the church is perfect.  The gospel of Jesus Christ is perfect.  I know that my family will be sealed together for time and all eternity if we continue to follow the gospel of Jesus Christ that Joseph Smith restored to the earth.

My life isn't perfect.  All growing up my siblings and peers seemed to think I had it all together, but I promise you that I don't.  I am lonely sometimes.  I often feel frustrated with myself and all that I am trying to do in a day.  I get angry at my children and say things that I regret instantly (or not so instantly).  Sometimes I forget my morning prayers.  BUT, it is the gospel of Jesus Christ that keeps me focused and determined to try a little harder and be a little better each and every day.  I know that I will never be perfect in this lifetime.  I know that I will always fall short somewhere.  But I also know that my Savior Jesus Christ is there for me.  He will help me and support me as long as I am following Him and doing all I can to draw closer to Him.  I love the Atonement and the chance it gives me to repent of the things I do wrong on a daily basis and be forgiven.  I know that I am a daughter of God and that He loves me and cares for me in ways that I can't even being to imagine.

My name is Emily and I am a Mormon

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2013-06-1031-ill-go-where-you-want-me-to-go?lang=eng

Creativity

 I love when my kids make their own fun.  On Sunday night Ryan made us all tickets and then built a stage for his tortoise to dance on.  Very cute.

 Nathan made some cool marble runs with all these blocks on Sunday.  He and Ryan worked together, I love when they do that. 

Ryan's 5th grade did Shakespeare plays.  His group did Tempest (I had never heard of it).  It was funny to watch some of the kids have to jump into different characters.  One moment they are sword fighting and the next they are a woman.  Or one minute they are dead and the next they are the narrator.  Very funny.  Ryan was a wizard and he was very happy to wear his blanket.  I wish my camera worked better in the lunchroom.

 Turbo came to watch the play.  Callie loves Ryan's stuffed tortoise!

Beautiful Annabelle

 My Beautiful big girl did amazing at her first recital this year.  I can't believe I didn't get a picture of her full outfit but she was cold and doesn't love that it is immodest.  Hopefully I will get both girls at their Christmas recital.  I don't love putting lots of makeup on my little girls so this is probably half of what they said to use.  She is gorgeous!

 At the end of her dance they all have to pose.  Annabelle is in the middle and does this while all the girls have to do something around her.  She was the star of the show.  Years ago when she was in dance we had a hard time getting her to smile during her performance, but she was all smiles this year.  It even made Greg tear up a little.

When Sickness Hits

 One of the hardest things for me as a mother is when my kids are sick.  I feel so helpless.  I can only do so much and I can't take away the pain and suffering, no matter what I do.  For the last 2 years Callie has gotten more sick than usual.  Especially when winter kicks in.  When she gets a cold, the mucus drains down her throat instead of coming out of her nose.  This leads to LOTS of coughing and lately ear infections.  This time was a little worse.  The cold came and she was surviving it.  Then she wasn't.  I kept her home from school Wednesday because she had a slight fever (normal so far).  That night her ears started hurting (again normal and unfortunately after the clinics closed for the day).  Thursday morning we got ear meds and since her fever was gone she went to school and played with friends.  That afternoon she started coughing, and coughing.  On Friday she kept coughing and coughing.  Nothing was helping that usually helps.  I finally got her to take a nap and there were moments of quiet, but lots of coughing.  Greg gave her a blessing that night and we opted out of going to a play as a family (one of the tough things about being sick is missing things).  Then we decided it was time to go to the doctor again.  Luckily we barely made it before after-hours closed.  She was low on oxygen and needed steroids for croup (a first for Miss Callie).  Saturday was hard.  Callie wasn't coughing AS much, but it was still there.  She was also very ornery and mean and didn't want help, but then wanted to be fed.  She was supposed to have a dance recital with Annabelle but didn't feel she could do it.  Thankfully Nathan watched her so Greg and I could both see Annie.  Sunday was a lot better and then Monday she was great.  Aside from still being a bit ornery and mean and VERY clingy.  Today she didn't want to leave more for preschool-a first!  We are going to the Ear Nose Throat doctor today and I hope he can help us so we can get through the rest of this winter.  I am so thankful for the priesthood and the power of prayer.  When things got hectic or exhausting I would pray and feel lifted up and supported.  I am so thankful that my Heavenly Father cares about me and helps me get through small hard things.

Space Derby

 Awww, cub scouts.  These derby things get so competitive.  Ryan and Greg worked on the shape of the rocket and then Ryan did the rest all on his own.  I was pretty impressed that he took it over to a friends and they worked together on it one afternoon. They also both lost an important piece but luckily we were able to replace it.  Greg was awesome and totally saved the day with his super gluing capabilities.  There were a lot of malfunctions of both the track and many rockets,  but overall I think all the kids had fun.  Ryan's rocket did pretty well, at least he looked happy and excited throughout the night.