Merry Christmas 2014

 

Where did this year go?  Seriously where?  Merry Christmas, and here is to an awesome 2015!!

 

Happy Holidays and what they mean to me!

Look who turned 6 - A LEGO crazy boy

So Michael had his Lego Birthday back in June.  Yes, I know I am a little slow.  It's been a crazy summer so far, and I literally have no time for anything.
So with that, we had Michael's birthday party at the house this year and did a fun LEGO theme since this boy of ours LOVES, LOVES, L-O-V-E-S them.  I kinda felt bad having it nearly a month past his actual birthday because this kid got confused as to when his actual birthday was.  But dang the Lego movie for coming out on JUNE 17th.  A mom's gotta do what a mom's gotta do, right?

I found this site on Pinterest that had this really cool template for the invitation.  And she posted a blank one so you could fill out your own info.  GENIUS!!! So this was his invite.  Yes, I am a little OCD about posting personal information, so obviously our address and such are block out on this image, but they turned out AMAZING.  I even laminated them and they looked like the real thing.  Had Michael not invited to many kids (i will explain) I would have put some cool string to make look like press badges.  But I had to talk Michael into inviting his entire kindergarten class, and he was wishy washy on others.  So brilliant at the time mommy I was, I put a few extra in his backpack so he could give to his friends he forgot.  He gave them all out, and proceeded to ask for more.  We were apparently the talk of the school for the party.  Michael gave out, showed that many.  I was a bit worried. 

I got this CrAzY good deal at Toys R' Us on the Lego candy.  It was on clearance for .20 a bag.  I think I ended up getting like 8 bags which was enough for all the kids to take some home.  The mini cupcakes were also a HuGe hit as the kids LOVED them and kept eating them.  We had Pizza and water for the lunch during the movie and bags of popcorn as well.

Another great Pinterest idea to decorate Lego heads.  Kids weren't as thrilled with these as I thought they would be.  They had them done in less than 5 minutes.  WTH??? seriously.  This took a lot of thought and work actually on mine and Mikes part.  Oh well.  ha, ha, ha.

Michael scored on all the Lego's he got.  Between him and daddy, they had them ALL put together in less than I wanna say 3-4 days.  Seriously and he got TONS of Lego's.  Silly boys!

So to kill time until the parents came to pick them up, we poured Lego's out on the tables and let the kids have some fun.  GREAT idea!  Until they thought they could take them home. 

First party in our new house, with his new school friends and we were starting the rule of only parties every other year thankfully because this was a TON of work, but totally worth it.   I was free after this one until he is SEVEN!!!  Yeah - that isn't going over too well right now, and ESPECIALLY after the party and the HUGE Lego stash he got.
I have all my Lego ideas from PINTEREST  here and here
 

Kindergarten Stats

Kindergarten RoCkS!!!

Hard to believe that Kindergarten is over tomorrow. My little boy will be in FIRST grade? What the heck!!! They had their Kindergarten program yesterday and today is class parties then tomorrow it's done. Summer is here. Back to Spring Creek Preschool for the summer. However Michael has been busy setting up his own play dates for the summer and inviting practically the school to his upcoming Lego birthday party. Love this boy to the moon and back.


 Last Friday was field day and I was able to take the day off and volunteer. What a lot of fun it was and something I will be doing every year!! This is his fifth grade "buddy" Jacob. His school pairs up kids from different grades. The kindergartners get 5th grade buddies. The coolest thing EVER!!

Sunday's talk at Church - Personal Peace

We all go through trials in our lives.  Some greater than others, some where you look to God and feel like you’re constantly asking “Why?”  And in my case the past 3 years I felt like I was constantly holding up my white flag saying “uncle”.  But by the grace of God and through his atonement, righteous living will be rewarded with personal peace.

I have stood back in somewhat amazement the past year or so about what I have been asked to talk about and teach in church.  Let me first explain why.  We are not the most “active” LDS family like we should.  We haven’t been at church every week, we honestly seem to have lost our way.  Roadblocks put in place by I am sure the adversary to take us down the wrong road and direction.  But no matter that we were not at church for a month or so we always keep our faith and belief in God. 

Last year we had just moved into a “temporary” home to prepare to buy our current house.  So the ward was “temporary” in my mind and honestly I had planned on continuing to go to our previous Richardson ward.  SURPRISE, after 1 week I was asked to teach in Relief Society.  – I am NOT A TEACHER nor do I profess to be knowledgeable enough to attempt such a request.  Without hesitation – ok, a slight PAUSE I said yes without even knowing what I was asked to teach.   Just like being asked to speak today, I have to acknowledge the hand of our savior because I again what on earth do I have to share with all of you.

But again the topic is very personal for me and my family.

Every one of us – young and old have life experiences.  Things that will either break our faith or build our faith. 

For I want to say close to 2 ½ years my family has gone through what could easily have broken anyone’s faith.  But for us, and me personally – it has brought me closer to our savior – but it was a VERY rough journey.

A few years ago Mike and I decided we were ready to have another baby and add to our family.  Our son Michael was 3 and it was time to give him a sibling and a playmate.  We had no problems with having Michael so honestly didn’t think anything of it and went about adding to our family.

One ruptured ectopic later, dusted ourselves off to try again.  Assured the likely hood of another ectopic, miscarriage or loss is LOW we preceded about our business. 

You can imagine how happy we were as we rang in 2012 with the announcement to EVERYONE  we were pregnant.  Things weren’t going smoothly but we were pregnant, there was a heartbeat and baby was growing.

I had a doctor’s and it fell on a Monday.  All weekend I had this feeling that I shouldn’t take Michael.   Michael was 3; I would never even consider bringing him to such an appointment anyway.  But ALL weekend I had this feeling.  Well Monday morning Michael was having a hard time waking up, we were running late so I thought fine, I will bring him and drop him off at preschool after.  A voice like I am talking to you tells me – YOU DON’T WANT HIM THERE.  You know what my response was?  What could possibly happen if he is there?   I have never in my life had a voice so loud and obvious warn me; tell me something before so I thought I was just being paranoid.

But I will never ignore such promptings again. 

We lost our little girl that day.  – That was a VERY bad day.

No more than a month after losing our little girl, I got a call from my mom that shook the very foundation of my faith.   My sister – 42 years young passed away Easter night in her sleep and her 11 year old son found her. 

I was at my lowest point with our Heavenly Father because I was still healing over our baby and now this.  This was #3 in less than 9 months. 

Events often occur that rob us of peace and heighten our sense of vulnerability.  Yah think??

We went on to lose a total of 5 babies, a medical diagnosis that pretty much sealed our fate as to having another child of our own, but looking at all that has happened, being able to dust myself off after each and every lost baby and within a few days firmly believing that God does indeed have a purpose and a plan and I agreed to weather these trials I went about being a wife and mommy to our one and only miracle – Michael.    The death of my sister brought out a yearning – NEEDING for answers and knowing I will and would see her again.  Was her death unexpected – honestly no.  But with her death I was spiritually at odds at just how much the Lord thought I could possibly handle.

Elder Quentin L. Cook in the April 2013 General Conference spoke this perfectly:

Agency is essential to the plan of happiness. It allows for the love, sacrifice, personal growth, and experience necessary for our eternal progression.  This agency also allows for all the pain and suffering we experience in mortality, even when caused by things we

do not understand and the devastating evil choices of others. The very War in Heaven was waged over our moral agency and is essential to understanding the Savior’s earthly ministry

We all long for peace. Peace is not just safety or lack of war, violence, conflict, and contention. Peace comes from knowing that the Savior knows who we are and knows that we have faith in Him, love Him, and keep His commandments, even and especially amid life’s devastating trials and tragedies. The Lord’s answer to the Prophet Joseph Smith in Liberty Jail brings solace to the heart:

In D&C 121 vs 7-8 it reads:

 7 My son, ^apeace be unto thy soul; thine ^badversity and thine afflictions shall be but a ^csmall moment;

 8 And then, if thou ^aendure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy ^bfoes.

Prophets have declared that peace has indeed been taken from the earth.¹¹ Lucifer has not yet been bound and exercises power in this dominion.

Seriously, nearly 3 years of non-stop struggles, nothing going the way “we” planed and feeling like we were just never going to catch a break.   I am not going to lie; losing each and every baby was like and felt like we lost a living child.  It was beyond agony and beyond comprehension how the Lord thought we were strong enough to continue to weather this storm.  It was one after another with our family.

Was I in constant emotional turmoil?  NO!  Could I have been?  Heck Yeah!  Was I going to let it destroy me and my family – NO!

We all participated in the councils of heaven that provided for moral agency, knowing that there would be mortal pain and even unspeakable tragedy because of the abuse of agency. We understood that this could leave us angry, bewildered, defenseless, and vulnerable. But we also knew that the Savior’s Atonement would overcome and compensate for all of the unfairness of mortal life and bring us peace. Elder Marion D. Hanks had a framed statement on his wall by Ugo Betti: “To believe in God is to know that all the rules will be fair, and that there will be wonderful surprises.”

Even on my worst days, when nothing was going the way we planned I never doubted that I agreed to go through these trials.  That God asked me and I eagerly joined the many of you for this journey we call life.

When my sister died, I was rocked to my very religious core.  At THAT moment < not when my dad died, not when one month before, we lost our little girl>  I felt so inadequate in my knowledge in the gospel and in God’s plan.    I know I did more searching for answers and truth because of her passing.  I found this amazing book – THE BIRTH WE CALL DEATH – A COMFORTING TRUTH.     I learned that the sorrow we taste with the loss of a loved one can be bitter or sweet, depending on one thing – KNOWLEDGE.  The simple pure knowledge which the restored gospel gives each and every one of us.  That knowledge reveals our purpose here on earth.

So how do we find peace when nothing seems to be going right or maybe they are going right?

Can we find peace by how much money is in our bank account?  Or how about that new house we just bought?   Or the new super cool LEGO set you just spent a couple hours putting together? 

NONE OF THESE CAN offer you true peace and everlasting happiness.

During all my trials and heartache, I always put my faith in the Lord.  I remember saying these words EACH AND EVERY TIME “God has a purpose and a plan, I may not understand but it’s not for me to”

A former Mutual Teacher and neighbor who I still keep up with on Facebook posted a link to a story from a blog titled – GOD WILL GIVE YOU MORE THAN YOU CAN HANDLE: I GUARANTEE IT.

The writer is struggling after the recent death of her father.  I would like to share a little of what she wrote with you:

And even with a firm testimony of the gospel and with peace that he is exactly where the Lord prepared him for, it is still too much for me to handle at times. It steals my breath–and it can steal my joy.

So, the other day, I turned to the scriptures. I needed help.
I wanted to know where that phrase was that people kept repeating to me in church and at work and over the phone. Why did the Lord “trust me so much”?! Why did He think I could handle these kinds of trials?
And then I realized: I couldn’t find that quote because it isn’t there.
It never mentions anywhere in the scriptures that the Lord won’t give you more than you can handle. Yes, in 1 Corinthians 10:13 it speaks of Him giving us an escape from temptations so that it’s not too much to bear. But when it comes to pain, trials, heartache, and burdens– not once does it say it won’t be more than we can bear. Instead, it beautifully says this instead:
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me…for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matt. 11: 28-30)

The words struck my heart, as you can imagine. Christ is speaking to those of us who are carrying burdens much too heavy for our own shoulders. And in that one verse he simply states the reason why we are given more than we can handle: It’s so we can come to him. It’s so we can trust him enough to hand over our heavy, crippling burdens and let him carry the load.

I read this OVER AND OVER with tears streaming down my face.  And it hit me.  As crazy as it is for me to say, I never ONCE got on my knees and asked for him to carry the load.  I didn’t ask for his help, I didn’t ask. I didn’t know I could.

Repentance and living righteously allow for peace of conscience, which is essential for contentment.

As another favorite Church hymn puts it, “I’ll drop my burden at his feet and bear a song away.”

The Church is a refuge where followers of Christ attain peace. Some young people in the world say they are spiritual but not religious. Feeling spiritual is a good first step. However, it is in the Church that we are fellowshipped, taught, and nourished by the good word of God. More importantly, it is priesthood authority in the Church that provides for sacred ordinances and covenants that bind families together and qualify each of us to return to God the Father and Jesus Christ in the celestial kingdom. These ordinances bring peace because they are covenants with the Lord

The Savior is the source of true peace. Even with the trials of life, because of the Savior’s Atonement and His grace, righteous living will be rewarded with personal peace. In the intimate setting of the Passover chamber, the Savior promised His Apostles that they would be blessed with the “Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost” and then uttered these important words: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.”

I want to share an experience I had back in November.  An experience that I don’t feel worthy of having, but one that I KNOW the Lord needed me to have.   I had just lost our last and final attempt at a baby and we were about to lose our dream home.  I was at a very vulnerable point.   I wrote it in my journal so I would not EVER FORGET.

I have NEVER had anything close to this experience and I hope to again at some point in my life at just the right time like today.

I went on explaining about our journey to have a family and the heartbreak, the struggles of losing my sister and an uxexpected hospital trip for little Michael.

Anyone buying a home knows the stress involved.   Until the papers are signed anything and everything could go wrong.  We haven't had the best of luck so I hold no hope of that changing.  We ended up losing that home which brought us to our current home.

Today after work, I had to stop and get gas.  I was on fumes.  There is a gas station right on the corner by my work.  I have NEVER stopped there before.  It's kind of sketchy and I just honestly just never felt safe.  But today I stopped.   I had just started filling up and kind of just making a mental note of my surroundings.  There was a young man approaching me.  "oh great," I thought "he wants to sell me something".     I couldn't have been more wrong.

This young man, who I had NEVER seen before, didn't know him from anyone else there at the gas station told me that he was prompted to come talk to me.  That I needed to know that everything with the house was going to be fine and work out.  He told me that God knows everything I have been through recently and he has never left me.  He understands the pain in my heart and that there is a plan and a purpose.  He then asked me if I had any children.  He said that all the medical concerns that just came up will all be fine and that your son would be ok.  And that God understood the pain I have been going through about the loss of "your children" has been a hard burden on me and my soul. But that I needed to know that God knows all this and God has NEVER left me.  That the Holy Ghost is here and is watching over me.   

By this point, I am trying to hold my composure because I am speechless, stunned and the cynic in me is checking to make sure my car is locked and I am still aware of my surroundings.

He takes my hand and prays.  Again saying things that there is NO WAY he should know.  NO WAY.  I am in tears.

I tell him he has no idea, NO IDEA what impact he has just had on me.  That these words were what my heart has needed to hear.

That my heartache and struggles WERE seen and that he knew that my soul needed this young man to step outside of himself and come talk to a sad looking woman filling up her car with gas on a cold Wednesday night in Dallas, Texas.

The lyrics to Hilary Weeks song – A BEAUTIFULHEARTBREAK sums it up perfectly.

Every fear, every doubt,
All the pain I went through;
Was the price that I paid to see this view;
And now that I'm here I would never trade...

The grace that I feel,
And the faith that I find;
Through the bitter-sweet tears,
And the sleepless nights;

I used to pray he'd take it all away,
But instead it became a beautiful heartbreak.


 

Monster Jam and other FUN happenings

We did our annual trip to Monster Jam on February 22.  What a fun tradition this has become and just look at the difference in Michael.  This year I think was the first time he actually LOOKED forward to and enjoyed the whole thing.  I will admit, it's pretty darn fun.  Something now that we have gone 4 years in a row I can say we honestly look forward to each year.  Thanks to my amazing co-worker Adella for getting us by far the best seats so far.  It was a BLAST!!

 

 

 

After we moved into our new house - ok, the VERY FIRST NIGHT, I was battling a not so fun Migraine while Mike and his brother Mark were out watching a football game.  I was laying on our bed while Michael was doing his usual of jumping on the bed.  Fun with a migraine let me add.  But then I heard a LOUD thud, silence then SCREAMS.  I bolted up so fast to this

Michael bounced off the bed and hit his head on the corner of a dresser.  Mommy was F-R-E-A-K-I-N-G out.  Dealing with this on top of a horrendous migraine probably exacerbated the whole thing for me because I couldn't find my keys to the car, Mike was out and my brother in law who just happened to answer his phone got the brunt of my frustration and panic.  Dang near called 911. 

I needless to say, calmed down and found my keys and tried waiting for Mike to hurry but decided to rush Michael to an emergency room/urgent care in a new neighborhood I didn't know where was.

3 staples in the head later, Daddy and Michael were sporting matching headbands.

I had to leave the room when the doctor put in the staples. - keep in mind my migraine and I was in tears hearing Michael SCREAM.   When the doctor was trying to explain that we were lucky and she didn't see any "brain Matter" - ok, WHAT?  I wanted to punch her.

But now apparently Daddy and Michael have matching head scars as they both now have gashed open their heads as kids. 

Michael had his first day at Bogguss Elementary School and what a great fun milestone for him.  He has a great teacher, a bunch of new friends and a school that we wanted him in from the get go during this home search.      This school has a 10 rating, and one that everyone in the area tries to get their kids into.   Just listen to how well Michael is reading now.

 

So as you can see, Not much going on here at all!

 

 

If you ever wanted to know

 

what happens during the day at a radio station