A long post

Really it is.  So if you don't have 10 minutes, come back later.  It's worth reading.  At least, I thought it was worth writing.

Many things have gone through my head today, but mostly I have felt a great sense of gratitude. After attending church, taking a Sunday nap (we all need one don’t we?) and baking a cake, I went on a walk down to the river with McKenzie and Jake this afternoon. We usually go as a family but Brad, Ben, Riley and Jordan were busy building a platform for our rafting trip that we are taking tomorrow. So, like I said it was just McKenzie, Jake and me. It was nice having just the three of us and although Jake was there, I felt like I got some much needed one-on-one time with Kenzie. The temperature was in the low 70s and everything here is in full bloom. I wish I would have taken my camera, but I didn’t, so you have only my words which pale in comparison to the actual scene that surrounded me. The flowers of all different colors, the rushing river, the green meadows, the sprouting trees and the grandeur of the mountains rising above me all combined to create a landscape so beautiful it truly took my breath away and left me feeling so lucky to be living here and grateful to God for allowing me the opportunity to witness such magnificence. Reflecting on the gratitude I felt to be able to live in such a beautiful place, I watched my daughter (who is also blooming and turning into a real beauty) and my son as they walked in front of me, Jake, his energetic five year old self, hopping back and forth over a ditch that had been recently plowed in the green meadow beside the pathway. Again, a deep sense of gratitude, this time for the wonderful children I’ve been blessed to raise, washed over me and I sat in awe at the tenderness of Heavenly Father.


Jordan recenlty turned 13.  I had Jordan when I was 25 years old. It seems like only yesterday. I was so young. And no, I don’t know that I can call myself old yet, but the wrinkles, despite my application of creams at night, still seem to be increasing around my eyes.

 It’s not so bad though, growing older. With those wrinkles comes experience and (hopefully) wisdom. I look back at the new mom I was and see someone so nervous that I wouldn’t be the perfect Mom. Now I know that, despite how hard I try, I am imperfect. The beautiful part of it all is that, somehow, Heavenly Father, I believe through other people, makes up the difference. I am grateful for all the people who have touched Jordan’s life. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, teachers, coaches, friends and leaders…it does take a village to raise a child.

We were discussing the second coming in church today which led us to the parable of the wheat and tares. I had some increased understanding of that parable come to me as we were discussing how the tares choke out the wheat which is what makes them so dangerous to your field. Just as the tares choke and destroy, the wheat gives sustenance and nourishes making others stronger when they partake of it. Think about it. Wheat meets many of our basic needs as humans. Also, wheat is an ingredient of Bread. Who is the bread of life? Our savior. What is the wheat? We are, when we are doing his will. Just as the wheat is a part of the Bread so we should take part in Christ’s great work of nourishing and strengthening others spiritually.

I taught a lesson on the scriptures today. I hope my children understand what power the scriptures can be when they make them a daily part of their studies. I felt the protective power of reading the scriptures in my youth and looking back, I can truly say I made better choices because the word of God led me to think on Christ more. An essential part to growing a stronger testimony is scripture study. This little clip sums up perfectly how I feel:
https://www.lds.org/youth/learn/yw/prophets-revelation/study?lang=eng#video=the-book-of-mormon-messages-from-heaven
I also like the following quote from President Monson. Speaking to the Young Women in a Young Women General conference he said, “seek heavenly guidance one day at a time. Life by the yard is hard; by the inch it’s a cinch. Each of us can be true for just one day-and then one more and then one more after that-until we’ve lived a lifetime guided by the spirit, a lifetime close to the Lord, a lifetime of good deeds and righteousness.”

My mother’s day was wonderful. My children made me breakfast in bed and it was the first time that it was actually more than just cereal. Jordan made me a giant pancake and syrup.

And yes, the syrup that they placed on the clothes basket here did end up spilling. Lucky for me it was all over the clothes and not on the floor. The clothes are much easier to wash. They made me special cards, an apron, planted flowers at school. I felt blessed to be a mother.

Like I said earlier, I’m not always the best Mom. It seems like with work and trying to balance things around the house, my dinners are taking place at later and later times. Because of this, my children are learning to satiate their hunger themselves. And sometimes, due to the lateness of the meal, they fall asleep during the consumption of their self-made dinners.

Speaking of work, we actually had a five day weekend this last week. It was WONDERFUL. We decided to aprovechar de(that’s take advantage of in Spanish) this opportunity and took the kids out dirtbiking early morning Saturday, made a quick and much needed trip to Sam’s club during the hot afternoon and then back to motorcycling in the evening. On the drive down somehow the conversation turned to whether or not there would be motorcycling in heaven and how awesome it would be to have a heaven where we were able to motorcycle. I don’t know that this is a conversation that would occur with most families but with ours it did. During the course of the conversation Jake quickly informed us all that of course there would be because “God made murdercycles (he truly thinks they are called murdercycles) before he made us!!!” and then continues to make his point with a little parody of I’m trying to be like Jesus that he made up entirely by himself. It went like this “I’m trying to murdercycle like Jesus. I’m following in his dust.” It was a big hit with the family and the boys sang it at the tops of their lungs until I could no longer tolerate the loudness.

It’s amazing that we can live in such a forested area and literally 40 miles down the road we can be in the hot dusty desert. The landscape here is amazing to me.

As I watched my boys put on their equipment I observed that the equipment they had to ride in correlated with their different riding levels.

Novice: Only need a helmet and some shop safety goggles. No other protective gear needed. The payless loafers are a must.

Beginner: Still wearing the safety goggles and helmet. Gloves are added to the essentials and this beginner got lucky because the intermediate rider let him wear his own chest protector. Note, boots still are not needed at this stage.

Intermediate: Helmet, riding googles (not the shop kind), gloves and chest protector (although the younger brother had it today) are necessary. Boots a must.

Advanced: Full gear necessary. Boots, motorcycle pants, motorcycle shirt (if it’s 10x bigger than you it’s okay as long as it’s cheap), helmet, goggles, chest protecter, gloves.

You name it…he’s got it. Jordan purchased the pants with some money he had earned from cat sitting recently. He’s very proud. And, of course, when I see him doing this….

And this….

I know that all that riding gear is necessary.  Uh well, maybe not the pants if they got buried in the back of the car.

Kenzie amazed me earlier in the day.  At first, Jake's bike wouldn't run so Brad was taking it apart to see what was wrong with it.  He had some little part out that he was cleaning and spraying starter fluid on.  I had no idea what it was and said as much to Kenzie.  She immediately informed me that it was the carburetor.  When I had mentioned my surprise to Brad he said, "Why would you be surprised.  She's with me in the garage all the time."

Now, I mentioned that we went into Farmington in the afternoon. Just a few tips to the reader:

• Never accidentally bump into a 10 year old with a very protective mother, lest you get yelled at, told you’re a terrible bully and lectured on pushing said child and asked how you would like to be pushed by her. Yelled at for so long that it confuses you as to why she’s yelling at you and drives you (who hardly ever cries) to tears. This happened to Jordan yesterday (in Brad’s and my presence who witnessed the entire scene). We (all of us) apologized, but after continually badgering our son we actually had to nicely ask her to please stop yelling at him at which point she started yelling at us…I’m surprised she had enough restraint that she didn’t shove him down. It ruined our shopping trip (which was pretty much done anyway), left all of our children confused and we found ourselves quickly leaving to check out after the scene. Why are people this way now?

• When at McDonald’s do let your 7 year old child jump up and down on the hood of your car and also please, while waiting in line yell at your husband at how terribly he got the children ready loud enough for all in the restaurant to hear. Oh, and make sure to sit kitty-corner from a table where a Chinese man with a horrible complexion is sitting so that while you are eating the soft-serve ice cream cone that your husband got for everyone in the family as a special treat you can observe said man picking his zits over…and over…and over. On second thought, don’t go into McDonald’s…just go through the drive-thru.

I had a meeting today at the church and Brad got the kids ready for me. They arrived, all looking pretty well put together, well all but Ben who can’t seem to remember to comb his hair lately. As soon as Jake sat down he leaned over and in a whisper said to me, “Mom can you make my sleeves longer?” Unknown to me, there had been quite the scene at home when Kenzie had pulled out a short-sleeved Sunday shirt and apparently it was the first time Jake had ever worn a short-sleeved Sunday shirt. He was quite disturbed by it, but unable to find his long-sleeved shirt put it on. However, he asked everyone if they knew how to lengthen the sleeves because to be able to go to church on Sunday, the shirts are supposed to have long sleeves. Thinking of Mom as the ultimate fixer I think his five year old heart was set on having me lengthen them there.