Sunday, October 23, 2011

A Week to Remember

A week ago we were in Texas (GRANDBABIES!!) so that Andy could ordain Scott a high priest. It was a sweet experience to see our son called as a counselor in the bishopric and sweeter still to see his father ordain him to the last priesthood office that can be done by his dad.  I loved playing play-doh with Bailey and peek-a-boo with Norah. Pops was a big hit with little Norah--she thought he was a big teddy bear to jump on. It was over much too soon.  Even as we were winging our way homeward, my mind was racing with the logistics of the events of the rest of the week.

Spencer came home from his mission on Wednesday. His plane was a small puddle jumper so we met him at the commuter airport. That meant that I got to watch him walk down the stairs from the plane door to the tarmac. I watched carefully as each person came off the plane and when my boy stepped out onto the stairs, I caught my breath as I realized how grown up he looked. I did my best not to cry but you all know me well enough to know that was a lost cause.

Today, Spencer gave his report to the high council and then his "homecoming" talk in church. It was a unique experience for him to speak to a congregation of people who are essentially strangers to him since we moved here right before he left on his mission. He did a beautiful job. I am his mom  so you may suspect that I am bragging but I had some corroboration. The counselor in the stake presidency told me: "Your son is a spiritual giant."  So there you go.

We topped off the week by having Seth ordained an elder by his father the last hour of church. He will submit his mission papers as soon as he gets back to Utah. Our missionaries are coming and going.

Tonight for FHE we watched home movies. It is so fun to see my big strapping boys watch themselves as little silly babies/toddlers/preschoolers. We laughed at their funny antics and their little squeaky voices that have now morphed into identical deep bass voices. I loved mothering them when they were little guys but I had no idea the joy that would come my way as they grew into men. My cup runneth over.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Returning With Honor


In FIVE DAYS Elder Gale will be home. After serving for two years in the
 California, Sacramento Hmong Mission. 
FIVE DAYS! 
It feels like Christmas.
We received his "Going Home" letter from his mission president--his words are a sweet
culminating affirmation of his faithful service:
"It is a great personal pleasure to write this letter upon the approaching release of Elder Gale from extraordinary service in our Mission. Elder Gale has been a truly wonderful missionary here. He has been diligent, faithful and very effective in every responsibility and assignment. As an indication of his dedication and testimony of this work I would like to quote from a talk he prepared for a zone conference. He said, "I know there is no other way to see success in God's work except to do it God's way. I bear my testimony that we are engaged in the most important work on the earth, spreading the true gospel of Jesus Christ and saving souls." These two sentences summarize well how Elder Gale has approached his missionary service to his Heavenly Father. 
Elder Gale has a special love for the Hmong people and cares deeply for them and their welfare. Elder Gale has truly blessed the lives of many, many in the Hmong community. He will forever be remembered fondly and reverently by the Hmong people."

Like Christmas.







3 John 1: I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.


Sunday, October 9, 2011

On the Day You Were Born

Shanna Marie 
Jan. 1987~3 months old

When I was five months along with Shanna, we moved from our tiny trailer house to our first "real" house. We settled in and Dad began the remodel that would go on for over a decade. Moving walls, tearing up carpet and sheetrock, adding on, jackhammering concrete. He started with the front yard. He decided it needed a waterfall and fountain that covered the whole front yard. So that is what he was doing on the Saturday morning when labor started.  Shanna surprised us by coming into the world two days before her due date. It was General Conference weekend and it was in the days before you could get it on TV in our area. We were going to go to the stake center to watch it, but my labor changed our plans.  Because of a mix-up in Siara's due date we thought she was three and a half weeks overdue--but it turned out she was about a week early. I didn't put it all together until several children later.  But in the meantime we just assumed that Shanna would go way past the due date and we didn't really have things ready. Like getting my sister there from Utah to watch Scott and Siara for us. Or getting a crib. So when labor started, we called Rebecca and made flight arrangements for her to come that day. Then we went to Toys R Us and bought a crib. We brought the crib home and Andy put it together while I washed the bedding.
Shanna Oct. 4, 1986
The Hospital Pic



I should mention here that we didn't have an ultra sound so we didn't know what gender we were having. I decided it was a boy because I felt the same way I had with Scott and she was less hyper-active in utero than Siara had been. (I really did eventually learn to stop using my ridiculous logic to make leaps in assumption.) But we had only picked out a boys name: Christopher Joseph. If Shanna had been a boy, it would have changed the course of history in our family because the "S" thing would have stopped with her.

I should also mention here that about three weeks earlier, we had suffered through the ordeal of a head lice outbreak. It was running rampant through the schools and thus through our ward. Scott was not quite three years old  and Siara was 19 months Since I was a newbie in the lice detection arena, I didn't catch it until several generations had established themselves in our hair. Yes, OUR hair. My lovely pregnancy-thickened hair was also infested. We were a snuggly family and I spent a lot of time with them on my lap or laying next to them reading so of course I got them too.  Our doctor gave us the poisonous concoction Quell (now banned by the EPA--yikes!) and told me to use gloves while applying. There is nothing like a lice crisis during the last exhausting month of pregnancy. 
Siara, Scott and baby Shanna with Aunt Rebecca


But back to our story. We picked my sister up from the airport at noon. By then the contractions were coming faster but still not hard at all. I showed Rebecca around the house and did several loads of laundry. Andy went out and did yard work. He told me to come get him when I was ready to go the hospital. Around 4:00 I decided it was getting close so I called Andy in and we took off. Vancouver Memorial had just added a new birthing wing and I was hoping to get one of the two much touted birthing rooms. The nurse put me in a labor room to check me and told me I was dialated to 5. I thought "Oh darn! This is going to take forever!" But there was a birthing room free so she had me wrap up in the sheet and walk down the hall to it. It didn't even really seem like I was in labor. (I am quoting from my journal here) Once I got into the birthing room things sped up. I heard the nurse talking to the doctor on the phone and she was trying to talk him into coming. I guess he thought I would be awhile. At 5:15 (I was watching the clock) I got all weepy and told Andy "This is taking so long!" Next thing I knew, I was in transition and pushing. The nurse kept saying "Don't push! Blow it away!" Trying to buy time for Dr. Williams. Finally we heard him in the hall. The nurse ran out and said "Get your buns in here! She's delivering!" I pushed as soon as the nurse turned her back and the doctor barely made it in time to catch her. She was born at 5:32. Seventeen minutes after I said it was taking too long.  Andy said "A girl!" as soon as she was born. Dr. Williams laid her up on me and she was crying and kicking. She calmed down quickly and started sucking on her tongue. She looked around the room and up at me.  Andy got to cut the cord, then everyone started guessing her weight. The doctor said "She's small, I'd say 7 lb 5 oz or so." The nurse agreed. Andy said "No, 8 lbs 2 oz." He went with them to see her weighed and measured and when the nurse came back she said "Your husband had it almost right on the nose--she's 8 lbs 4 oz.!" 

Shanna's beautiful curls: Age 18 months


Once we were settled into a room, Andy's parents brought my sister and Scott and Siara in to see the new baby. They each held her and Scott had a million questions: "Mom, your tummy went away--did she come out of there? Are you going to put her back in when you come home? Her name is Joseph huh!" 


Shanna Age 2

I stayed in the hospital until Monday morning. The nurses oohed and awwwed over Shanna's beautiful curls and she charmed everyone by sleeping through the night the first night--I kept her in the room with me which was almost unheard of back then. They kept asking me if they could take her for me so I could rest. But I wanted her to myself while I had the chance. She was calm from the start and kept that disposition clear up until high school drama kicked in. She also kept those beautiful curls--though she cursed them as often as I pointed out how lucky she was to have them. 

Now that sweet baby with the bouncy curls is a mama herself. 
And her calm disposition is getting her through the sleepless nights.
 Happy Birthday Nunny!


Saturday, October 8, 2011

Ummm

Remember how I said I was going to do birth stories for each child this year on their birthdays? Remember how my life took a turn for the crazy (what else is new?)? I seem to get a call from a real estate agent wanting to show our house only at the worst possible times. The dog seems to find something disgusting to drag into the house right as I get it all clean and fresh for the showing. The youngsters seem to need a ride somewhere right when I think I have a minute to catch my breath. My camera seemed to stop working right when I had some fun field trips to record. My husband seems to be on the other side of the country.

But I am undaunted. 

Stay tuned for Shanna's day of birth story and some cute pictures of her little baby self.
 (Pending Shayla's assistance in the matter of getting my scanner to work on my laptop)

Monday, October 3, 2011

Of Good Report

I'm still reviewing and re-listening to General Conference. What a feast. I feel so blessed to have Apostles and Prophets and leaders who give inspired messages. I will be waiting anxiously for the November Ensign so I can hold the word in my hand and read and highlight to my heart's content. Of course there is always the "doing" of the word and not just hearing (or reading) and then the "becoming"--actually making it a part of who I am. Always a work in progress.

In the meantime, did you watch the 5000 Days Project that was on BYU TV after Conference? Wow.
You can see it here. It is worth the couple of bucks to stream it. We recorded it so if you are in our neck of the woods come on over and watch it.

Happy Birthday Scott!

 It has been awhile since I updated this little family scrapbook on the internet. I like to pop over here from time to time and look at our ...