Have you ever had one of those experiences where time seems to stand still??

Today I found myself there, admiring my six-year old as he busily relayed the happenings of his day………his awesome field trip, “Gosh, he looks a lot like Slim. Has it really been 13 years since Slim was six?”….what books he checked out of the library, “Are all six-year olds so cute with both of their front teeth missing? Do they all lisp?”…..where he was when the earthquake hit and how safe the room was, “What will the next 13 years hold? Will they go by so quickly? Did I take time to really appreciate my little people when they were small?”……how excited he is to share his new books with his sister, “I love being his mother!”

I am a much different mother now than I was then. Part of that is because I sleep now and I have some time to myself (not much, but some).

I love watching little people. I love to watch their brains work and catch the gleam in their eyes as the light bulbs turn on. They renew my life daily. I want to be better for them—-to know more, care more, to love more.

I appreciate the little moments so much more now than I did when Slim, Spanky, and Scuff were little. The laughter of wrestling on the floor—a tickle fight, stomping feet because someone waited too long to go to the bathroom, a sleeping preschooler who sat down to watch television and lost the fight with an unscheduled nap, eating the same food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (cheese burritos) in one day—-these things are almost over at my house.

I registered Smiley for kindergarten yesterday. Now, not only do I not have any babies, or toddlers, but I’m almost out of preschoolers. Where did the time go and how did I get so old?

Fleeting moments when time stands still….reminding us we are strangers here. Eternity is home.

Here is a little Smiley-ism:
Me: Gosh, I miss my friends and all my babies are growing up.
Smiley: Don’t worry, Mom. Tomorrow me and Shorty will be your friends.
Me: Ok, but what are you going to do about my babies growing up?
Smiley: We’ll just find some people who have babies and get you some more.
Thought you would enjoy that!

Ribeirao Preto, Brazil!!!
I can’t believe Slim is going to Brazil!  He is supposed to report on May 19, 2010 to the Brazil MTC.  Hopefully that will give us time to take care of all of his immunizations, passport, and visa.  Wow!  Amazing.  And with him not reporting until May, he and Spanky may overlap as much as a year on their missions.  Spanky will turn 19 just a little over a year after Slim is out and depending upon when he puts his papers in…….well, we’ll see.

We have heard that Slim’s mission call is in the mail.  Not many more days to wait to know where and when.  He bore the most amazing testimony on Sunday.  A definite payday for parenting!!

Socks–This is the first pair of dress socks I bought for Slim–each of the boys have worn them. Smiley is just about to out grow them. Can you believe they have lasted through 7 boys? Me either. Now, these aren’t the only pair they have had, but still…no one pair of socks should have last through SEVEN BOYS!!!
Holly tree—This is the holly tree from down-under, literally!! When we moved in (March), it was almost as tall as I am. (No wise cracks from you tall people!) We chopped all of the branches off to leave only the stump. Spanky, Scuff, and Drew spent an entire week digging underneath the roots so we could remove the stump. They dug under 7/8 of the tree and removed the roots and the trunk would not budge, even with several of us putting all of our weight into it!!! We think when they poured the cement driveway, they must have poured concrete over the roots. Next, we brought over a friend and his chainsaw and cut
down the tree, leaving only the tiny stump you can see in the photo. (The deck is on top of the stump.) In June or July, we noticed tiny little shoots from the stump. So we drilled holes in the stump and filled them with Borax and removed all of the new growth. In October, when I removed the tomato plants, this is what I found—NEW GROWTH ON THE HOLLY TREE!! This is the most tenacious plant I have ever met!
ME–This is where we tie it all together! I have been ‘Mother’ now for 19 years. Slim is putting in his mission papers this week and receiving the Melchizedek priesthood. I can’t believe we have made it this far. I know we have several more years to go—about 15 until Smiley moves out. But I hope I am as well made as that pair of dress socks and as tenacious as that holly tree. I hope after all of the bad things people do to me or how often they tell me what I am doing isn’t worth my time, or that motherhood isn’t important, I can point to the lives of our children and say, ‘What could have been more important than these? Surely this is where it is at. Look at what they have become and who they are and where they are going. Look at their children….What I did was the most important thing I could have done with my time, my talents, and my energy. And the world just doesn’t realize how important and significant my job is. I’m so grateful the prophets did!!’

OK–no pictures or names today.  I just had to tell you that yesterday I went into my big boys bathroom to give the little ones a bath–the only place in the house with a tub.  Their toilet was disgusting!!!  I won’t explain, just know it was so dirty and gross.  (There was stuff growing in it!)  I asked them about cleaning it and was told that it wasn’t as easy as I thought.  Wrong!!!  I scrubbed it and scrubbed it and let the boys know that we will be having a bathroom cleaning seminar this week after which we will implement a cleaning schedule assignment sheet and spontaneous bathroom inspections.  ewwww boys!  I’m still disgusted.  These boys had better learn to clean the bathroom and have them clean when they are missionaries.  Gross!  It’s horrible to get past the potty training phase and still have toilet cleaning issues.  Enough complaining.  We’ll just continue our ‘growth and development’ curriculum by learning to clean the bathroom.  Happy Day!

Here are the results of our Monday before Halloween Family Home evening. We all carve pumpkins–though the big boys were doing homework instead—and roast pumpkin seeds and have hot chocolate. Now we just have to put them on the porch with their candles inside. Happy Halloween!!

Today I read a blog from a young widow. Her husband died a few months ago in a tragic plane accident that left her alone with their three small children, 4, 3, and 2 months old. Her sister is a dear friend of mine. As I have followed their story and thought about the heartache and the adjustments to life without a husband and a father, I just wanted to take a few moments to express my gratitude for the man in my life.

Drew is absolutely amazing! I don’t know what I would do without him! He is my rock. I can do all the things I do because I know he is there, because I know he will love me even if I make mistakes. He emotionally grounds me.

I am so grateful for the leadership he provides in our family. With so many young men to raise and so much testosterone trying to become the man inside that boy body…it is wonderful to have a father who says, ‘Hey! Don’t talk to my wife that way.’ From the very beginning Drew has insisted on family prayer, family scripture study, family home evening. I cannot even imagine having to do all that we have done–the successes and failures, they heartaches and joy—without him. I cannot even fathom trying to face those things alone and to feel the weight and the responsibility of teaching and training our children without his presence and influence.

I am so grateful for the plan!!! Children need, deserve, and have a right to two parents—mother and father! Family Science literature is just now beginning to understand what fathers do for developing emotional stability in children and families.

My heart goes out to you Shelly!! Hang in there. We will all be praying for you. Today may we forget the little squabbles and be ever grateful that we do not have to face Shelly’s trials. Let us all show our appreciation for those we love, because we just don’t know what tomorrow will bring and if they’ll be here for us to tell them then.