Tender Mercies

It has been a crazy few weeks. Heck....crazy few months. As I was busy with several different projects last week for several different things, in the back of my mind I kept wondering how everything was going to work out. TENDER MERCIES. So many things happened last week that made it possible for me to accomplish things that needed to get done.
I read a quote this last week that said, "Coincidences are not just chance, they are God's way of helping you anonymously." I truly believe that. Here's an example...
Last Sunday the girls and I climb in the car after church to head home. I go to start it and it won't start. I can tell that it's not a dead battery, but it won't catch when I turn the key. GREAT! After Jim and I towed it home later in the day, Rich came over and helped us diagnose that it needed a new fuel pump. Fuel pumps are not cheap. Over $300. EEEE. We just don't have an extra $300. Especially knowing that Brindley was going to be having her Birthday in 2 days and I hadn't done any shopping for her. (As I type this, I am brought to tears because I am realizing so many more Tender Mercies that actually took place this week that I didn't recognize.) Here's how the Tender Mercies unfolded.....Monday came with daycare. As the second child came, the mom handed me her late check. She said she didn't remember how much she owed so she wrote it for what she thought and I could just figure on the next check for her. It was $20 over her bill. I took that check and some other cash I had on hand. I handed it to Jim and said, "Here, deposit that and it will pay for the fuel pump." There was just over $300. Just enough to cover tax. Yes, that money was the grocery money, but my kids quite enjoy hotdogs and mac-n-cheese. The fuel pump was purchased. We were still down a vehicle...leaving me at home. Which is ok. (The Ranger had gotten a flat tire the week before and it wasn't a flat that could be patched.) I knew I had til Thursday that I would need a vehicle to drive the girls to piano. So, on Monday I knew I would need to go bday shopping for Brindley. Trying to figure the $.....On Saturday we had gotten the mail and there were some kohls ads. Three of the kohls ads had $10 off a $10 purchase. That's $30! Then there was a 30% off coupon too. Well, Brindley loves clothes, so.....We waited for Jim to get home and we went shopping! Now on to Thursday when I needed a vehicle. Rich had found a used (still in good condition) tire for Jim to put on the Ranger by now. Jim drove the Ranger to work this day, leaving me with his truck to take girls to piano. K, we are good! The girls got home from school and I had them all practice piano before we were going to leave. When the time came, I told them all that Piano was cancelled. Amber had texted earlier in the day to cancel piano. Karissa came to me and said, "Good thing piano is cancelled. We wouldn't have had enough room in the truck for everyone." It hit me then that I hadn't even thought about that. I still have 3 daycare kids at the time we leave for piano. The truck wouldn't have fit all of us! I seriously wanted to cry and tell Amber, "Thanks for getting sick!" It saved me from getting very frustrated at the whole situation......The Expedition was fixed later that night, thanks to Rich and Jim.
I thank my Heavenly Father for helping us find ways to make our week work. Tender Mercies are real.

2014

Wow, has it really been that long since I posted.....

So many thoughts go through my mind every day and I even state them in my mind as if I'm typing them out in a blog or on FB. I really do need to get back into blogging. It is such a great form of journaling.

Some highlights of 2014:
*Mike and Holly got married in Feb.  So happy for them!

*I was made the Primary Pres. in May. It has been a learning experience, but also a rewarding one. I love *being able to feel and recognize the guidance of the Holy Ghost.
*Logan got his mission call in March and left on his mission on June 11th. He is doing wonderful!
*On July 6th I really started the effort to lose weight....By Dec. 21st. I was down 32 lbs!! HUGE accomplishment for me. Hopefully I can get going again and lose some more!
*My baby started Kindergarten.
*Baby McKay was born in August....6 weeks early, weighing 5 1/2 lbs.
*Baby Chase was born in October.....full term, weighing 3 1/2 lbs.
*Surprised Jim with a trip to Carson City. Wow, I never knew all there would be to do to schedule him and cover him with out him knowing. Whew....It was a great trip though.

I'm still doing daycare. At times I struggle with having to do it, but then I remember that "WE" wanted to move back to Utah and because of that, that is why I do daycare.  I am blessed to have great kids with great parents.

Jim's job is going well. I'm excited to see where it will take him in the future as it develops.
Brindley is growing and HOLY COW....maturing! She got braces this last August. They are really changing her appearance. She is a beautiful young lady.
Karissa too is growing and maturing. It's hard for me to accept them growing and getting these little high school personalities. She loves having fun with her friends and is always telling me about some kind of mischief they are getting in to.
Lexie makes my mind think....She is the thinker...Always analyzing things. She loves to create projects using what ever she can find (tape, paper, yarn, rubber bands...)
Samantha started Kindergarten. My baby is in school. :( It has been very hard for me to accept that she is in school, but she loves it! And she loves her friends at school. She has learned so much already!.

I know there is a lot more that has happened, but this is where I will leave this today. Now to figure out how to blog from my phone.... :)

They just keep getting older....

 I am still trying to get used to having a teenager...then she turns 14. Now I actually am looking forward to her getting her driver's license so she can go to the grocery store for me!

 I Love this Girl so much! She loves being with her friends and always wants to have a "late night" with them. She loves clothes and has a lot of them. She loves to joke and has a good sense of humor. She has a strong testimony of the gospel and is always willing to serve others. She has become quite talented with the piano and singing. She tried out for her school talent show and performed in front of all of the 8th and 9th graders on the south end of the valley.

 We started doing the spanking machine this year with birthdays. Those spanking quite like it!!

The Big 5

My baby is 5! Wow! She asked for a snowflake cake. I showed her a few pictures on pinterest and this is the one she choose. 

I Love this girl so much and can't believe she is 5. She is my best little buddy. She keeps me company and helps so much with the daycare kids.

We registered her for kindergarten last week. I told her I wasn't going to let her go to school. She was ok with that!

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For her birthday we picked up her friend Jaxyn and took them to the JumpZone. It's a place that is a bunch of trampolines. She had a blast. I kept hearing her say, "This is the best birthday ever!" After the jumping, we went to Golden Corral. She choose that place for the cotton candy. And yup, I let her have a couple sticks of it.

Spouse Relationships

I LOVE the relationship I have with Jim. I Love that he knows me better than anyone else knows me. And I can say, I know him better than anyone else knows him! 

I had an "Ah Ha" moment a few months ago. Watching a husband and wife close to me go through some struggles made me realize a few things. After being together for almost 16 years (which speaking of 16 years, It was 16 years ago today that I saw Jim for the first time after he got off his mission.)...Jim and I know each other better than any others know us. Jim knows me better than my parents....not trying to take anything from my parents....but it's true. I am so grateful for a relationship with someone that knows how I will react in any given circumstance....Someone who defends me for the way I am because they know me and what is going on with me. He understands my thinking and knows my needs....whether I need a laugh, a Dr. Pepper, a hug, a quiet moment, time with family, money to spend on me, girl time, camping time, him and me time, serious conversation, night time tv....whatever it is.... he knows.

"Each Life that Touches Ours for Good"

I have paused several times the last few weeks thinking of those dear to me. Life can be taken so quickly and unexpectedly sometimes. I am truly grateful for the comfort I receive in knowing Families are Forever.

Over the last couple weeks I have heard of the passing of 2 acquaintances. The first one....Shirley....She was the aid on the bus that one of my daycare boys road on. She would great me 4 times a week. I only saw her less than 5 minutes on those days. Not much time....but enough to make a connection. One day Shirley had a sub. The driver said that Shirley stayed home with some stomach issues and for Shirley to miss, she had to of been pretty bad. She missed 2 days, then was back for a day. The next day she was gone again and the bus driver told me that Shirley wouldn't be back for the year. I paused for a moment thinking of her but then went on about my day. After a week of getting used to the new bus aid, I get the news that Shirley had passed....WHAT? HOW? WHEN? I was shocked. So quickly....Shirley apparently had pancreatic cancer and it took her that quick. It was very strange for me to think that she was gone. She had appeared so healthy the last I had seen her....Thank you Shirley for those few moments you shared with me.

The 2nd passing was of a friend's daughter-in-law. Raysha Neilson (21 years old). She was killed in a snow mobile accident. She was a champion snowmobiler who competed in snowmobile racing. I really had never met her, but I know her in-laws. They are members in our ward and are outstanding people. Maria, the mother-in-law is also the Principal at Millville Elem. where my kids go. Her son (husband to Raysha) was one of Jim's young men a few years back. They have a 3 year old boy together. My heart hurts for the family. I pray for their comfort and peace. To the Neilson family....Your strength lifts each of us. Thanks for touching my heart and sharing your testimony of the gospel with us.

The Results of Prayer and Fasting

I am so overwhelmed with emotion as I see the immediate response to a unified prayer and fast that took place in our valley. Not only was the fasting done in our valley but also Ogden area and in California.

We were asked by church leaders in our stake to include in our fast the blessing of moisture. We have had very little snow. I believe and have faith in prayer and fasting. My thought was, "Oh, we will get more moisture, but it will be a storm for a day here and maybe a week later another day with some snow." Well, it has pretty much snowed everyday since the day before the fast. It is beautiful. It is a testimony to what prayer and fasting can do. 

When ever an opportunity to pray and fast for a specific thing comes about, I try to explain to my girls about fasting. It seems like the more I explain, the more frustrating it is dealing with them. They get after each other for one eating something. They ask questions like, "Can we swallow our spit?" Seriously, I lose my patients  ....But as I went to bed Sunday night after having prayer with my girls 3 times during the day to ask for moisture, I checked the forecast. I wanted to cry. I immediately showed Jim then went and showed the girls that were still awake. 4 of the 7 days had snow in them. I know forecasts can changed and this one did, but with an increase of snow. WOW! So blessed!

I thank my Heavenly Father for blessing us with the moisture, but I also thank him for giving us an opportunity to share with our children how prayer and fasting works with his immediate response to our prayer.