feedthefirefamilies blog & our trip to Moab

We went on a fun trip to Moab and Goblin Valley last week. And if for some reason you would like to hear about our fun adventure, you will have to check out the new blog inspired by our cousin Mandy http://feedthefirefamilies.blogspot.com ! It is a new blog to document ours and others in our extended family's adventures. Mandy is the President of the family "Feed the Fire" club which has been in operation for several years now. So tune in if you would like to see how we are feeding the fire.

Tilson's Baby Blessing

We finally blessed Tilson on June 5th. He was only 4 months old! Our bishop came up to us a couple weeks before and asked us, "Are you guys ever going to bless your baby?" And we decided that we had better do that! We are so on top of things. :) It was a beautiful blessing and afterwords I decided to bear my testimony. I asked Lamon's family behind me if they would watch my kids while I went up to the stand. So while I was up there bearing my testimony I mentioned the boys. I was talking about how the boys have alternated wearing capes for the last couple of years thinking they were super heroes. I told everyone about Super Hayden's powers the 'super run' and 'super strength.' And then I looked at my boys and told them that I wanted them to know that there really is such a thing as super power and it was called the priesthood. I told them that I hoped that someday they would trade in their capes for suits and missionary name tags and use their priesthood power to save souls and bring people to Christ. Anyway, in the midst of my testimony I locked eyes with Ada; and when I did she all of a sudden speaks really loudly to me, "Mom . . . Mom, talk about me!" It was so funny. I actually laughed. It was totally quiet in the room, and everyone could hear her. It was hilarious. After church we had lunch at our house. We ate Barbeque Pork Sandwiches, some salads, and some yummy pretzel jello dessert stuff that was pretty much wicked good. It was a nice day. I love my little Tilson! I am so glad he is part of our family.

Prayers

Prayer time is always a fun time at our house. We usually sing a song first. Whoever is called on to say the prayer gets to pick the song. And almost 9 times out of 10 they will choose "Jesus said Love Everyone" or "Jesus wants me for a Sunbeam."Sometimes prayertime at our house is almost comedic. For example, it is somehow near impossible to get all of the kids to kneel at once. As soon as you think they are all ready, one of them flops their head back down on the floor. But we do eventually find a moment we can begin. If Hayden is saying the prayer he waits until he thinks everyone is ready which sometimes takes forever. Sometimes during the prayer a fight among the kids will break out because someone will blurt out, "Close your eyes" to one of the other kids, or Ada will be trying to whisper what to say to one of the older boys when they don't want help. Prayer time can be a crazy. But it can also be a pretty special time. I love to hear what they say in their prayers. Ada loves to ask Heavenly Father to bless each person in the family individually. "Bless me, B-b-b-less Tilson, b-b-b-less Mommy, bless Drew, b-b-bless Hayden, bless Daddy." And a lot of times she is worried she forgot someone so she will repeat it a couple times. Drew usually is the quickest prayer. His usually go something like this, "Heavenly Father, bless us to be good . . . and then end. Or he will subsitute "bless us to be good" with "bless us to have integrity" and then he'll end. We try to stop him before he finishes and make him think about what he is saying. Lately he has been doing a lot better. Hayden is our little deep thinker. The other day he was praying and he said, "We are thankful for our brains . . . so that we can think about the gospel." I thought that was pretty sweet. And then yesterday Hayden was praying and among other things he said, "Bless Drew that he can go on a mission when he is 19 years old, and bless Ada that she can go on a mission when she is 21." Smart boy! They are all so fun. I love watching them grow. And prayer time can definitely be a crazy, but certainly special time!!

Like Father Like Son

I can remember a time in the first year we were married that we were driving in the car and we came to a stop at an intersection. When the light turned green the car in front of us didn't go. There were honks behind us and some voices of frustration and Lamon got a little flustered and mumbled something. I had to admit I was annoyed at the car too. But wait, it only took a second to realize that Lamon wasn't annoyed at the car that was holding everyone up . . . he was frustrated with all of the impatient people around us. He then got out of the car and helped the driver push the car out of the intersection. What a man I had! I was proud. Well, things like that have happened on plenty of occasions. There was a time this last year that there was some really nasty weather. One night there was a dinner planned at Lamon's parents house for all of the adults. The roads were absolutely terrible. It had snowed a ton and it was super icy. Cars were getting stuck all over the place. Well on the way to Mom and Dad Mack's house there was a car that got stuck and Lamon pulled over and got out and helped out. It was so icy that the driver of the car actually slipped and fell multiple times. It was crazy. Well, we ended up being a little late to the dinner. But the coolest thing was that when we arrived and explained our tardiness, it came to light that each one of the Mack boys had actually done the exact same thing. Everyone had stopped and helped a car that was stuck in the snow while driving over to the dinner. I don't know if anyone else there thought much of it, but I was truly touched as I looked at those boys and my inherited Dad! They learned this attitude of rendering aid from their father. Those boys were well taught and now I was blessed to be a part of it. My boys are watching their dad now and will learn by example as well. My father-in-law is such a great man and I love him! Thank you for raising such a wonderful man! Happy Fathers Day to my Dad Mack.

One Sweet Memory

About ten years ago give or take a few months I was lying in a hospital bed in the Utah Valley Regional Medical Center. Weirdly enough what should have been one of the most miserable experiences of my life . . . actually holds some of my sweetest memories. I had some pains it's true, but I also had so much support from friends, family, and ward members. For the two weeks I was there, I hardly ever was alone. In fact it was kind of nice because I had never had so much "male" attention before . . . ever! All sorts of guys from my singles ward and from school were paying me visits. I was in heaven. Well there was this boy from my work that I thought was pretty cute. His name was Wes. And one night while I was in the hospital he came to pay me a visit. When he came to my room my Dad was in the middle of reading the novel Borne Identity to me. When Wes came in my Dad took a break and let him visit with me. Later after I had recovered and returned to work my boss had me come into her office and began to tell me what an effect that visit had on Wes who had since then left to California. She said that he was so impressed and amazed that my father would actually sit and read a book to me like that. He thought it was the neatest thing ever. And until then I didn't really realize that that isn't something that all Dads would do. But that is my Dad. I am so blessed with memory upon memory of my Dad telling me stories, teaching me gospel principles, playing games, and hiking with me. We would go on hikes up Rock Canyon and he would entertain me by telling me about the current books he was reading. And he could tell me the stories better than the author himself probably could. He was certainly not an absentee father. He has shaped so much of who I am, and I am grateful to him for it. I love you Dad. Happy Father's Day.

Superman Dad

I take pride in the fact that I am not a "complainer" wife. I try not to unload all the woes of motherhood on Lamon when he comes home from work, and I don't ask to take breaks from being a mom . . . MOST of the time. But I do admit that there have been a handful of times when I've just needed some "me time."
The first time I took some time off was when Drew was a year old. I explained to Lamon that I needed a little bit of a break and I would come back a better, happier, more pleasant wife if he would just let me go to BYU Education Week. I had never gotten away for any reason since I had had Drew and that is all I wanted. Well being the wonderful man that Lamon is he agreed and arranged his schedule at work to make my education week getaway happen. I was stoked. I couldn't even imagine what it would be like to have a whole week to meditate and think . . . it was going to be blissful! It seemed like I hadn't had a thought to myself for like a year. So I went, and it was pretty much everything I had hoped for. But by the end of the week I had had enough "thinking time" and was excited to get back home to Lamon and Drew. On the way back home I had some terrible thoughts. I started to imagine to myself all of the struggles that Lamon must have endured throughout the week. I kept thinking that he must have gotten a dose of what it was like to be a Mom and he certainly must have struggled! Boy was he going to appreciate me more! I imagined coming home to him being frazzled and handing me Drew saying something like, "I don't know how you do it!" And I was kind of looking forward to that. . . But it didn't really go down that way. I walked in to a smiling Drew and a smiling Lamon! Probably because he was so happy that I was home to take over mother duties, surely. I gave him a hug, smiled at him and asked, "So . . . how was it?" I waited for him to lay the struggles before me, but instead he said, "Great!"
"Liar! You're meaning to say that you didn't have a hard time without me?"
And then he said, "No . . . I'm superman."
So while I spent my week feeling bad that Lamon was at home having a hard time, he was actually out taking Drew on various adventures including trips up into the mountains.
There was another time more recently that I had endured a long hard couple of days. Lamon had gone fishing or something in the morning and the kids were on one. When he got back I was frustrated and I told him I was leaving him with the kids, and having a little break. I had about an hour and a half until Drew had to be picked up from school . Well, when I was on my way home from "my break" I realized I was a little late. Oh boy was Lamon going to be mad!!! I left him with whiny kids and now I was going to be late to pick up Drew. So I was about a few blocks from our house and here came Lamon down the street pulling the bike trailer with Ada and Hayden inside on his way to pick up Drew. There was no fumes coming out of Lamon's head, but instead he just smiled and waved at me as we passed each other. And that's Lamon. There are times I wonder if he really is Superman. It's been kind of an inside joke with us since that first time. Anytime Lamon takes all the kids somewhere by himself whether it be on errands or on an outing I will often mention the fact that he is Superman. He loves to be with his kids. All the years that Lamon was in school he worked full time, went to school full time, was a scout master, did multiple racing events . . . but somehow almost every single moment he had free he spent with us. He hasn't "gone out with the guys" or veggitated in front of the t.v. As soon as he was done with work he would come straight home and switch to Father mode. Whether it was playing with the kids or helping me at home . . . he is one of a kind. I am one lucky woman. I feel so priviledged to be "yoked" in parenthood with such a man. Happy Father's Day Lamon. You are one amazing Dad. You are Superman.

Man's Wallet, Purse, Satchel or "Man's Purse"

Everyone has their own issues . . . quarks . . . I know I have mine. If I think I will look silly wearing something, no matter how cute it looks on someone else, I won't wear it. Like those cute little boots that people wear over their jeans? You won't catch me wearing those in a million years! Not that I don't think other people are cute in them . . . I would just be simultaneously wearing them and laughing out loud at how silly I felt. Anyhow . . . for some weird reason I feel silly carrying a purse. My friend asked me if it was because I don't consider myself feminine, and it's not that. Ask Lamon about my emotional constipation that happens on occasion, he will attest to the fact that I am definitly feminine. But at any rate, I have been carrying around a black cheap wallet for the last 8 years. One time I was at a beauty parlor getting my hair done, and when it came time to pay I pulled out my wallet, and the hairstylist looked wonderously at me and said, "You carry a man's wallet?" So in this effort to not look silly perhaps I look silly after all. But more importantly my wallet is lost more than it is found. I found my wallet a couple days ago after weeks of not knowing where it was, and I have sort of come to the conclusion that I should just get a purse. Hayden feels fine wearing one for heavens sake!


Hayden was carrying around this purse I bought at a garage sale the other day, and I said, "Hayden . . . what are you doing?" He looked at me and said, "Mom, . . . this is my 'Satchel'! That's a man's purse." So . . . if Hayden can feel confident carrying around a purse . . . by golly so can I.


So if you see me in the near future sporting some sort of purse . . . please tell me how cute and unsilly I look with it. :)

Wii Finally Caved In

So I thought it was worth mentioning on my little blog journal here about our Wii. It wasn't an easy decision to buy this thing. Neither one of us really wanted one. We are not gaming people. Drew would have friends come over and it was amazing at how "unfun" (if that is a word) our house was to them. Every kid that came over to our house wanted to play video games of which we didn't have. I had to watch these kids look at Drew annoyed at his suggestions to play different things, and walk around looking hopelessy bored. It was kind of painful to watch really. Don't kids use their imaginations anymore? For about 4 months Drew asked us constantly if we could buy a Wii. Each time we told him no, it was too expensive and he would lose brain cells etc. He kept asking to go to certain friends houses that had Wii's just in order to play. To say he was obsessed would be an understatement. One day he came up to me and said, "Mom . . . I know how we can get a Wii, and you don't even have to buy it. At Christmas I will just ask Santa Clause for it, and that way you don't have to pay for it." That was pretty cute.

So we did what any unresponsible parent would do . . . we gave into peer pressure. We told the kids that they could earn a Wii. We got a big empty Costco cookie jar and put a hole in the lid. We bought a ton of cottonballs, and told the kids they could earn them by doing chores, listening promptly, serving, being kind etc. We also had the right to take cottonballs away for bad behavior. It was amazing how well we could get the kids to listen with cottonballs at stake. It took a whole lot longer than the kids wanted, but they finally earned the Wii. And all of that earning time gave us time to come up with rules and a system of playing time (Thanks to Lamon's co-workers) The Wii can only be played on Wednesdays and Saturdays. But it's not just a free for all on those days. During the week the kids have opportunities to earn "Wii bucks" Each Wii buck is worth 5 minutes of playing time. So even if it is a Wii day they can't play unless they have Wii bucks. It's worked out pretty well so far. The most they have had at once is 90 minutes worth so they aren't playing Wii all day everyday! And we have never seen Drew so willing to do chores! ;-)