Thanksgiving 2009

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving! It was a special treat to have the full-time missionaries as part of our festivities. After all of the guys playing football and stink pot all day, it's surprising that any of them could walk. No real injuries other than a swollen ankle and a groin pull (which I do believe was my son's way of getting out of "Mom" chores). I did have pity on him though!! My plan was to have a lazy Thanksgiving and not do the whole entire "cooking thing." I was going to have deli turkey sandwiches and salad. What was I thinking??? I ended up cooking the usual traditional dinner and wore myself out....just couldn't ignore my family's favorite dishes. As part of our family tradition, we all individually express our gratitude for something. This year was as eventful as every other. There were tears when someone mentioned the soon arrival of Baby Abigail. There were more tears when Brian started crying and said "I'm thankful that my family loves me dammit." (Ummmm....it's the thought that counts). All in all...it was a very touching moment and very satisfying to hear as a Mom. My Thanksgivingj"oops"...there's always one.....I forgot that the Kool-aid pitcher was filled with soap water and Tabb poured himself a cup. Need I say more....that's usually not how I give soap-sud enemas, but it will eventually hit its mark! To all of our family and friends....Happy Thanksgiving. May your Christmas be filled with love of family. Most importantly let us not forget the blessing of the birth of our Savior. I hope we can endeavor to follow his example and reach out to those who need our love, support, faith, and perspective. Hugs to all!!!

Compassion - Part II

Just had to share this story - we went to WalMart last night (Tabb's favorite place to hang out in Raleigh). Anyway, I stayed in the car with the kids and he ran into the store to get just a few things. When checking out, he noticed the cashier seemed sad. He asked her "Is something wrong?" She responded by telling him that her boyfriend had "dumped" her and now she didn't have money to see her family for Thanksgiving. Tabb responded by telling her that from the sound of things, she was much better off and that Heavenly Father loved her and felt she was "worth more." She asked him if he really thought she was "worth something." How do you respond to that question. She thanked him for cheering her up. When he got in the car to tell us the story, I couldn't help but think of how important it is to be in tune with the spirit. That night, a daughter of God needed confirmation that she had value and one of the Lord's priesthood bearers was an instrument in delivering the message. I'm so humbled by that sweet story. The following quote by Anne Morrow Lindbergh is especially relevant to this story:

“My life cannot implement in action the demands of all the people to whom my heart responds."

Christmas Parade 2009

Let me start by saying...it was so much warmer this year - mid 40's! Daniel went with us and we had such a great time. It's always fun to see so many people having fun. I love the simpler parade participants - our family favorite - the guy who followed the horses (with a shovel and pail). He would dance before scooping the poop. Loved it!!! The Helping Hands Mission dancers are a crowd favorite - no one "gets down" like they do!! Chicken Man...why doesn't his wife stop him from participating - all he does is "hen cackle." To be honest, the parade wouldn't be the same without him. Loved the tractors - all those boys with their toys. We had a great time!

Had the opportunity to see Daniel's new work - it's a business that provides a place to play video games. It is every nerd's paradise!

Enjoy the photos!

Compassion

I love this quote by President Hinckley: “Let us be more merciful. Let us get the arrogance out of our lives, the conceit, the egotism. Let us be more compassionate, gentler, filled with forbearance and patience and a greater measure of respect one for another. In so doing, our very example will cause others to be more merciful, and we shall have greater claim upon the mercy of God who in His love will be generous toward us.” Gordon B. Hinckley, Ensign, May 1990, 68

This quote came to my mind today when I spoke with a receptionist who was trying to schedule an urgent doctors appointment for me. I guess I sounded a little tired and defeated when she told me that it would be at least a week before there was an opening for a procedure I need. I thanked her anyway for her time and accepted the date she offered. There was a pause on her end and she said; "You know...I bet if I call the doctor directly, they can work something out...don't you worry." Lo and behold, she worked a miracle on my behalf. She even stayed on the line with the doctor to make sure I was taken care of. I was humbled by her compassion and more humbled to meet a daughter of God who went the extra mile. I have had the experience of receiving poor customer service many times. Never has it worked well to be confrontational with the customer service rep. I've never felt good about myself "when I've been goaded into responding "in kind." A great experiment is to try for a week to respond to each person you meet in a Christlike manner. Try and remove the "rush" in your voice, slow down, smile, and express gratitude for their assistance. I promise it will be a profound experience. You will find yourself relaxing and more in control of life's challenges.

Revenge is sweet!

What three children that I know and LOVE have sore arms this morning??? Need I say more! The law of Justice versus Mercy is personally demonstrated on their behalf.

Low Moment in Parenting

Mean mother that I am, I took Nicolas, Melissa and Katie to the doctor for their flu immunizations. We had been waiting for the vaccines to arrive and with two of the kids being asthmatic, it was super important to get the immunizations. Well...Katie cried all the way to the office. Nicolas and Melissa tried to bribe/whine at me to get me to turn the car around. When we finally got to the office, they turned a little silly and I was hopeful things were going to go okay. Oh...the horror of it all....I managed to get a few group photos and then it was time for Nicolas to get his shot. He yelled. He tried to escape, but the nurse was quick and the deed was accomplished. Now...imagine Katie and Melissa watching all of this. Both tried to run from the room. I had Nicolas take Katie out of the room. It took me and two nurses to hold Melissa down for the shot. I was so upset, worn out, and embarrassed. So now...it was time to literally drag Katie into the room. It was like stepping into a cage with a rabid flying monkey. She was everywhere...screaming, kicking, pushing. All of this was directed at not only me, but the other two nurses. I apologized so many times while we were trying to hold her arm still enough to get to the muscle. After it was done, I walked out of the office with my head down, not willing to make eye contact with the completely silent waiting room full of parents and children. I knew what they were thinking... "What's that old white woman doing torturing those sweet black children?" Hey...where's my sympathy for enduring the abuse? Where's my sympathy for saving my children from a potentially nasty virus? Okay...I probably deserved all of this because when I was six years old I pitched such a fit getting an immunization that the needle broke off in my hiney. My mother slapped my unaffected cheek (on my hiney) and carted my sore little backside home. Guess I got what was coming to me! Enjoy the photos or not!

Fall in Raleigh

I just love the Fall....all things feel fresher, more beautiful, and even though colder, more warm.