Give Thanks

I really needed the Give Thanks invitation from President Nelson, where for seven days I focused on what made me grateful, big or small. And it was great to see what other people posted. The whole tone of social media changed.

I know this is still hard, and people are still sad. But maybe this can run parallel to that, in giving us hope that bad times will end again.

First and foremost, our family is healthy, we have a home and comforts, and we have the gospel.

This makes it a good time to share pictures from our recent photo session with Wallin Photography.

I am grateful for the resiliency and strength of these children as they navigate a strange school year, no primary or Young Mens and rarely seeing friends or cousins or grandparents. 

I am grateful for a recent 17th wedding anniversary with this handsome man.

I even posted about the neighbor's trampoline and swing set, about my sewing machine, and about fun shows to watch. 

And I'm grateful for news a vaccine is coming. Let's get this pandemic over!

Sundays

 

I was obsessed with this puzzle. Our neighbors gave it to us, and I brought it out on a Sunday as a possible family activity. But soon it was just me struggling to find where the blue oceans fit together and where the tinier pieces of countries all went. 

Got it all put together after three days, and a teeny tiny piece is missing -- the piece containing three New England states. I probably swept it up accidentally.

On another Sunday, the kids and I curled up with Disney+. Often during naptime/quiet time they are all watching different shows on different devices. But some of my best memories with my family were when we all watched a movie together.

I am always trying to make Sunday a different kind of day than the rest of the week. I want it to be a joy for the children, not a "we can't do this or we can't do that" kind of thing. 

But I pray every single night that we will be allowed to go back to Church full-time soon -- especially primary. 

JB snuck this photo of me using the Come Follow Me primary lesson online to show the kids a scripture video while trying to expound on our reading from this week. They scattered pretty soon after.

Hopefully, they will remember the good about this time together.

 

Be of Good Cheer

I had a draft I wrote in August that I don't think I should ever post. It was written in a time of a lot of anger and frustration and sadness over decisions by our city and school board. I picked myself up and kept trudging along.

This past week and a half was rough again. I have done lots of crying over politics, the pandemic, school board decisions, and sad things happening to family members.

"How can we love days that are filled with sorrow? We can't, at least not in the moment," said Joseph B. Worthlin in 2008. But he said we can say, "Come What May and Love it," when we remember an eternal perspective.

I spoke Sunday in church about how we can be of good cheer during trying times. And it was all I could do not to cry the whole time. I know I am not alone in these feelings, which helps. But also makes me sadder when I know we are all sad, and I can't control it!

I started the talk by telling the story of our adventure on the Route of the Hiawatha (blog post here).  Andrew and I were nervous on the high trestles. But when we focused on pedaling on the path, and didn't obsess over the perceived danger, we got through it. Sometimes James was nervous in the long tunnels. But Max would encourage him, "It's almost over, it's only dark for a little while."

I'm trying to focus on humor and gratitude and remembering how I can be a good influence in my own home, even when I cannot change anything happening in the city, state, country or world.  

But most of all, I repeat, "This too, shall pass." The trestle and the tunnel will end. 

And in the end, while leaning into faith and hope, we will have a changed nature. We will be more empathetic and compassionate for others. And the next trial will perhaps be easier to bear, knowing we got through this one.

 

Halloween

I am really glad to keep traditions going during the pandemic. Traditions and rituals keep children sane. It helps their mental health when everything else is so uncertain. 

Millie was Sleeping Beauty from the dress-up bin, Andrew was Cal Kestis from the Jedi Fallen Order (he had to keep reminding me) (and the fabric came from cousin Aaron's birthday party last year), Ben was a multi-sport fan (that's my Cardinals jersey from high school), and James went back and forth before deciding on Spider-Man from our bin.

We went trick or treating and felt completely safe.  To make sure others felt safe, too, we all wore face masks and I had hand sanitizer in the stroller. Some homes were dark and undecorated or had a message to skip them. Many homes had a bowl of candy out or a table out with packaged treats. We knew of a couple homes where they said we could ring the doorbell. Two neighbors who skipped still had some treats they brought by our house for the kids. They were so nice to do that, because these kids had huge bags of candy.

I've been picking up wrappers for days.  I saw a post online that said if you want to take from your kids' stash, leave the wrapper behind. They'll think they ate it because they never throw those away.

Max is not in any of our Halloween pictures, but he got to see a couple friends that day and I'm glad.

And Millie carried that skull with us. She has tried to put it inside a dress, too, and call it her friend.