Wrapped Gifts

Last week was my Grandmother's 91st birthday. My uncle had a birthday dinner for her and invited everyone that could come to come over. For the last several years I have just bought my Grandmother a card or sometimes given her a new updated picture in a frame. It's always hard to know what to give someone who has all that they need and very little space in there home for more. However, over the past year Mom discovered a store near me that is an outlet store that carries the kind of shirts that she likes. So this year I decided to get her a shirt and see if I could make her a bracelet to match. This is a new found hobby of mine. Well as you can see below, I found the perfect beads to match her new shirt. And the shirt was to me, so like her, it was just the perfect gift.

So I started looking through my closet for a gift bag to recycle and give her the present in. As I was going through the bags, I thought back to my childhood. My grandmother had worked at Foleys and J.C.Pennys when she was younger and had learned the art of wrapping gifts. Infact she is the one who taught me how to make my Christmas wrapping turn out better than a wadded taped mess, lol. I remembered the beautiful paper and pretty bows and Dad having to help get the box open because of the tape and then reaching through the layers of tissue to see the most beautiful sweater or gorgeous tafetta dress. And as those memories flooded back to me I knew that I couldn't throw these specially picked items into a bag with pretty tissue. It needed to be wrapped in loving care with layers of tissue paper to enfold it and keep it wrapped neatly for her discovery. So I ran to the store and bought a matching blue paper. Nothing fancy, just simple and elegant like my Grandmother. I folded the shirt neatly with the bracelet laying on top into layers of tissue paper and wrapped the box and attached a squiggly pearlescent bow to the top and taped her card up underneath. I loved seeing my little Red all proud to be intrusted with such a pretty package, carrying it very carefully for a two year old to give it to his Grandmother. Well he didn't get that far. He gave it to his Great Uncle but he just knew it wasn't for him. Lol. So I guess my point is this, that yes, sometimes it's not the outside that is important but what's inside. But as we grow the outside becomes just as important as the inside.

Slice of Life Meme's: Goodbyes

My last walk as a single mother, as I became part of another person and his life forever
(My boys with their adopted cousin making ground hog holes in my bestfriends backyard two months before our wedding)

One of the hardest goodbyes in my life was because of good things happening in my life. I had said goodbye's several times in my life by the time I reached my 33 year of life. However, in the preceeding 7 years I had made a great deal of personal growth and been in a stable environment, making many friendships and having many acts of kindness performed for me and my boys that left such feelings of warmth and affection between me and givers. I had been single for almost ten years, and finally the man of my dreams had asked for my hand in marriage. It was a whirlwind of activity to get married as quickly as we wanted to, and yet the months seemed to drag by interminably as we worked through the process. Yet all the time, in the back of my head, was the realization that we would be leaving behind not only the lifestyle of a single mother family that we had learned to cope with, but also many loved ones. My boys had friends that they had just estabilished bonds with and started spending time with beyond school. I had friends that I knew while I might contact them once in awhile that they wouldn't be as much a part of my life. It was so hard to give in to my new husband's needs and move. I remember as I started sifting through the things to put in the garage sale that my Mom was afraid that I was giving up my identity because there were so many cherished things that I put up for sale in the garage sale. I look back now and realize that while I knew that wasn't true, I didn't realize that I was in the process of saying goodbye. It was much easier to say goodbye to things and it was symbolic for me of letting go of all the things that I knew and putting myself into my beloved's and Savior's hands. I also know that the Lord prepared the way by sending me a visiting teacher about a year ahead to build a relationship with that later would move into the same ward as my husband right about the time we were to be engaged. This along with an old friend of my husbands that we have adopted as a Great Aunt, so to speak, who made sure she gave me hugs every Sunday, went along ways to making me feel that I was loved in my new ward. It is true that with great blessings come great responsibilities. I went from being taken care of by a ward family, to taking care of others and being among familiars to having to constantly reach out and make new friends. In the 3 years that I have lived here that hasn't changed much as our ward is very transient and my boys have changed school 3 times already. However, with every change and painful bit of growth, my Savior has been there for me. I am thankful that we never have to say 'good-bye' to him. Through prayer we have his constant companionship and I know he helps us through every 'good-bye' in our life. I am thankful that my husband had us move here. There are people that I miss from our old ward, but I know that we were needed here and that our whole family has been growing and being given the time we need to bond. I also know it was where we needed to be to prepare for our step to becoming an eternal family. I know in my heart that eventually we will leave this area and again it will be very hard as we have again made so many deep and lasting friendships, but I know that 'goodbyes' aren't forever and so I love the phrase from one of everyone's favorite hymns..."till we meet again, and Jesus's feet".

Slice of Life Prompt: Fireworks Stories

I have to start out by saying we are heading out soon to see the fireworks tonight. I will not be deterred. Last year was a huge dissappointment when we thought that a certain place was going to have fireworks and then they didn't. Shame on them! But we did have fun earlier in the day getting soaked by the neighborhood fire trucks as part of our neighborhoods celebrations as you can see in the top picture. As a girl I remember going to many a fireworks display until we got to be teenagers and then my Dad would complain about the traffic and it was always my Grandma that had to go to see the fireworks. It was thanks to her that I remember seeing them out on the lake at Walden and again at the Race Track in Houston. Both were very memorable displays. Two years ago we saw them in Bastrop out over the river. The fire works were so close that we had some fizzle out right into us! But my most memorable experience was watching the finale in Hermann Park with my Dad's Brother and some cousins anf my family. I think I was 8 at the time. Back then we usually got together with my Dad's side because it was the day before my Grandmother's birthday. More about that in later post. Anyways, after sharing lot's of yummy food at my Grandmother's we had all driven over to the park. I remember walking around with my family looking for the perfect spot. They had speakers all around the area that were piping in loud patriotic music. I've always had a great love for music and this appealed to me. But what made the biggest impression was during the finale, they played "Coming to America" by Neil Diamond. He was my Mom's favorite singer for awhile, so I was no stranger to the song. But around me the adults started talking about the significance of the song and I just felt that moment and the excitement that is found is this land meld in me forever during those special moments of spectacular sights and moving sounds.

Slice of Life:Summer Storms

I have been through a couple of hurricanes and some major floods. I have stories about all of them. One of the most faith building ones was when I was single and owned my home. My brother was staying with me at the time and attending college. We awoke at 1 or 2 am in the morning to the wind howling and rain coming down in sheets. I immediately ran to the window and peered out. I kid you not that I could sense a tornado forming over head. I felt prompted to knock on my brothers door to ask him to pray with me. I was to scared to be able say a prayer and asked him if he would say it. Although, he had just said one privately, he agreed to kneel down with me. We knelt and asked the Lord to protect us and my two boys and our home. We also said other things in the prayer, but as that was the main order of business, I honestly can't remember the rest of what was said. We were really scared! After we said the prayer, I really felt that we would be okay and I went back to bed with my two boys cuddled up with me and went to sleep. The next day I heard that a tornado had touched down not that far from us. I am really thankful that we had that experience. It taught me that whenever I feel afraid, that if I have the faith in my Father's love for me that I can call on him for protection and to ease those fears. I have had similar experiences with Big Red and I know that I never doubt that the Lord's spirit can bring me peace in the most turbulent of experiences.

Slice of Life #5 The Road to Drivers License

Well here is a Daddy's day story leading up to my procurement of the much coveted document - the drivers license!
We were driving my older sister up to college when my Dad decided to let me drive the car for the very first time. I'm talking I had never been in the drivers seat even to drive around the drive way. I'm thinking, "what!?, Did you ask me if I wanted to drive?". The answer would have been a "NO!". Of course, at that age I was too timid to say anything, which people would laugh at now, but really I was. So I hopped into the drivers seat. Now, we were taking two cars, so that Texasblu would have a car to drive while up at college. We didn't have cell phones back then, but we did have CB's. I should have been fine driving on the long stretch of New Mexico rode, is what my Dad was thinking. Unfortunately, it was fated to be a short drive, which he should have realized when I asked as we pulled out..."What side of the rode should I be on?". To say I was terrified is putting it lightly. I am also a stickler for rules. Well we were falling behind my Mom and so my Dad wanted me to step on it. They had made a turn and in trying to catch up with them he had me turn too soon. So he's getting really antsy now. We are pulling up to this stop sign and he's yelling at me, "go go!". Because no cars were coming and he was trying to get us caught up. However, I knew enough about stop signs that I knew you had to look both ways to see if a car was coming before you stopped. So I am trying to look both ways and follow his directions at the same time which since the street dead ended there, I was putting us in a ditch. Of course, NOW...he is saying, "STOP, STOP!" I mean really, you'd think my Dad could make up his mind. And then he had the gall to lay the whole thing at MY feet, and I'm thinking, "I never wanted drive in the first place anyways :P ". There were more bumps on the way to my getting a drivers license but I'll save those stories for another day. I have to say this first one was probably the funniest. So I hope I haven't made you fall out of your chair or wet your pants :)
And parents, don't take forgranted that your kids know anything about driving when beginning to teach them, lol.

Family Reunions

The 'Slice of Life Prompt' is family reunions. I haven't attended alot of family reunions in my lifetime, and I'll probably have more stories on that after I attend Big Red's next weekend, but there are two family reunions that have made an impression on me.

The first was when my brother came back from his mission. He's the one on the right. My younger sister who was living with me at the time went with me to pick him up at the airport. I was excited to get to be the one to pick him up, but while he was gone I didn't really feel his absence. He was doing the Lord's work and I missed him, but I didn't get all emotional about him being gone like my Mom ;) because I knew he'd be back. So it surprised me when he came into the baggage area that tears were in my eyes and in hers and his and the love that we had for each other was so strong in the air and how proud we were of him and glad to have him back. I knew then that that was what it would be like after we return to Heavenly Father if we've lived to be true and faithful.

The other reunion is fairly recent and occurs constantly as of late. My sweet Lil Red has realized the phrase, "I miss you". So if I have just been gone to the store for 10 minutes and come back in the door, you would have thought I had been gone for a year. The arms open wide and he runs as quick as his little toddler feet can carry him to wrap them around my neck and says, "I miss yous". I have to admit that I have felt tears smart my eyes more than once at such innocent and sincere expression of love. I also have to admit that there have been times that I have left the house just so that I can hear that sweetness, lol. Which goes to say that you don't need to wait for long moments of time to go by to appreciate being together with someone again and that has impressed me that I need to be good about showing that I miss family members and the contributions they make and just their being there when they have been off to work or school or visiting others overnight. It emphasizes that they are an important person in my life and that I love them . Thanks Lil Red!

Temple Goal Reached!

On the day before Mothers Day, I recieved the best Mother's Day gift ever! I was sealed to my husband and my FOUR boys and any children to come for all eternity. This is a very big deal. Why am I just now blogging about it? Well I wrote about it in my journal, and just realized tonight (as I'm suffuring from an upper respitory virus, yuck!) that I never blogged about it, lol.

The day dawned bright and beautiful with fantastic weather especially for Texas :) Two of my siblings were staying in my home so they could be a part of such a sacred and wonderful occasion. My sister that came with her family jumped through some hoops to come, and I am so glad that she did, seeing as how she lived with me during some of my harder years in life and saw me through many heartbreaks. She deserved to be there to see the fruits of the Lord's labor in my life. But I digress...

We started out the day at the park. The boys, uncles included, played some friendly football. Big Red kept the little ones happy with their own balls. Although, they kept trying to hone in on the older guys fun once in a while. My sister enjoyed the atmosphere and loving on her 5 month old. My sister in law and I went for a nice walk on the trail winding through the park, so we could chat for awhile. I LOVE our chats! When the guys got tired of football playing I came over to mess with them for awhile, but eventually we made our way back to the house to play a game of Loaded Questions while the little ones went down for a nap. This is a great getting to know you game, and I think the older boys had fun getting to know a little bit more about their aunts and uncles. We had so much fun that we almost let to much time get away with us and had to start rushing around so that the household that had swelled from 6 to 12 could be ready on time. We made it to our appointed time with time to spare ;)

I have to say that the temple workers are so awesome about making you feel like your royalty. The whole process was awesome. There is just no other word! It was very meaningful to me to be able to have my Mom come help me dress in the bridal changing room. It was humorous to me to have this huge room to myself and this big closet to hang a huge wedding dress in and my needs were so simple. Even though it was not my Mom's wedding dress that I wore. It was my Mom's temple dress that I wore, as my dress wouldn't fit due to the joys of nursing, lol. Those moments as Mom and daughter preparing for the realization of a major choice in life was very meaningful and sweet. It contrasts sharply to the harried picture popping moments before my wedding, where some unrelated person dictated my time with my parents. It was quiet and a time of reflection. I had time to say a prayer of gratitude as I waited for my Mom to come up. I have to say it was one of the most real and fulfilling experiences of my life from start to finish. The time I spent with my husband in the celestial room as we awaited the actual sealing was the same calm moments spent in reflection and reveling in the sweetness of our love. Again it contrasts sharply to the actual wedding where one is usually a bundle of nerves and doubts can assail. After 3 years being married to my husband, I can say that I was more sure of my desire to be sealed to him than I was the day that I married him. What a blessing it is when we listen to the promptings of the Lord. And I know of a surety that that is the reason that we ended up together to begin with ,as we were both allowing are doubts to keep us just friends in the beginning.

I won't say much about the sealing. My thoughts are recorded in my journal and it was just to sacred and special to share here, but I will say that seeing my sweet boys come in all dressed in white was an amazing experience. My two older ones told me later that they had to keep their laughter in check at seeing Big Red and I in our temple finery. It was the opposite for me. I think as a mother my heart was about to burst from pride at the handsomeness of my family. Watch out girls, my two older boys are getting close to dating age! :)

We were again made to feel like royalty as friends started snapping pictures left and right as we exited the temple. One of my adopted sisters that I've written about on here before was able to make it with her husband and quickly became our appointed photographers. I will embarass her a bit here to note that her being there was as important to me as the rest of my family's being there. We met through visiting teaching, and she became more than a friend to me as she continued her service to me and my boys long after she was reassigned. The two toddlers, Little T and Lil Red were barely restrained from jumping in the fountain and held up under the onslaught of pictures. I'll try to post a bunch later. My Father in law made me feel very special by telling me that he loved me as we sat outside by the fountains and how he is so glad that I'm part of their family. It meant alot to me to have such sweet words from the patriarch of my husband's family as I couldn't hear such words from my own Father. I wish I could say that I felt his presence during the proceedings, but I cannot. There were things that happened that reminded me of him and his love for me, and I know he is happy for me. I did feel however the presence of my Heavenly Father and his pleasure at the choices we have made to bring us to this juncture. I think that is the most important feeling that we can have, especially since our spirits know that we are here to work on becoming like him. It is no wonder then that we experience such great joy upon feeling his approval. I want my siblings that weren't able to be there to know that they were missed and maybe that is why I couldn't feel my Dad's presence. Maybe he was helping to comfort them somehow. I do know that the important thing is for us all to make it back to Heavenly Father for the really BIG day when we realize our blessings of exaltation.

(After those comments the rest of this sounds so lame, lol, but afterwards, we all went to eat a barbecue place, and were excited that one of my three musketeer friends from my single days was able to make it with his wife. It was a long evening and I thought it appropriate that my siblings had left to go stay with my Mom for mother's day and going home it was just us. Our newly sealed family.