Be Careful What you Pray for

Four hours of sleep isn't near enough for this momma but when duty calls, or you eat two boxes of  Good and Plenty candy, and your alarm goes off at 5:05 you better get out of bed to run!  However, the events of today would make a person believe maybe getting out of bed at all was a bad idea.

Let's see... I guess this all started yesterday morning when I started praying I would have and recognize opportunities to teach my children how to better recognize the Lord's goodness in their everyday lives.  Yesterday was a pretty normal day.  Homework, piano lessons for both Taylor and Hallie (It was Hallie's first lesson), a little dance party, castle building with Duplos... nothing abnormal and not really any particular "teaching" moments that I recall.

This morning I wake up.  We were so late. It seems like on the days I really to be somewhere at a certain time those are the days that take us the longest to get ready. We all left the house pretty flustered. In the car I lost my cool and got angry and then was sad and guilty so we had the little, "I'm sorry" speech.  We drop Evie and Kenzie off at the Rubys for play time and I got to the school with Taylor and Hallie.  We read books, practice cursive, make copies, just the usual. Taylor had a sub today so I finished my stuff a little sooner than normal so I decided maybe I'd go to Target but had a pretty strong impression I should just go back and pick up the kiddos and then we could go to Target after.  On my way I called Rendell to get some silly insurance information so I could take care of more house stuff on my drive.  He asked me if I had spoken with Brindy.  I hadn't.  I don't get reception at the school.  Evelyn had fallen on her head at Brindy's and went unconscious again and an ambulance was at the house.  Wow was I thankful I had been warned before I got to the house that I would be greeted by fire trucks and paramedics but I was also thankful I didn't get the call at school and I didn't have to panic and drive in such a state of panic.  I was almost to Brindy's when I found out. I had just enough time to say a prayer out loud before I got to the house.

I went inside and sure enough Evenlyn was pretty lethargic. She was pale.  Her pupils were very dilated.

We agreed that she would probably be ok if we didn't let her go to sleep for at least 4 hours.  I took the girls to Target. We had an Icee and walked down every single aisle in the store.  I just thought if I fed my poor baby something that was 100% sugar and I kept her in the front of the shopping cart she wouldn't fall asleep and I could maintain eye contact with her to make sure she wasn't dozing off or worse, throwing up or going limp again.

We made it home about an hour and a half later and had some lunch.  Dixon came over so we could tend him for a few hours.  Our plan was to go to the school and watch Hallie at her last swimming lesson.  Rendell came home. We got all the babies loaded in the car. I was the last to leave the house. I grabbed all the diaper bags and purses and cell phones but thought Rendell had the car keys and I locked us out of the house.  Again, we had to pray. 

I checked all the windows (except for our bedroom because it has a piece of wood in it so I didn't think it would be a possible entry).  Rendell checked all the windows except for the master bedroom as well.  Finally when we really thought we had tried everything and we figured we'd just miss the swimming lessons Rendell thought to give the master bedroom window a try.  Would you believe it was unlocked.  We tired to remove the wood with a stick but that wasn't working. Then I figured if Rendell boosted me up I could reach my arm in the window further than he could but then we realized I could actually fit through the window... Who would have thought? 

We made it to the swimming lessons in just enough time to see Hallie and take some pictures.

Ok so maybe it wasn't the worst day ever but there were some pretty frustrating and scary things happening today.  But, I realized when we were all together for family prayer that this was a teaching moment.  I had the opportunity to talk to the girls about the opportunity I had and McKenzie had to pray today for Evelyn and for entrance into our house.

While I hope we don't have any of these mishaps tomorrow I am thankful for the opportunity to testify of the power of prayer.  The importance of turning to prayer immediately when troubles come to us and the importance of praying constantly so you are prompted by the Spirit.

I do have to say though that tonight when I sang to my little Evelyn I held her a little tighter and sang the song 2 times more than normal.  This little one always keeps my heart racing but I can not and do not want to think of my life without her.

Tomorrow is another day.  Sure hope we get more rest but that we also have more teaching moments (but maybe not so extreme). 
 

Nobody's Being Pinched at our House Today

I had so much fun making skirts for the girls for St. Patrick's Day today.  Of course I can't take all the credit because Brenda did most of them and I wouldn't have done it alone.  I sure love how they turned out. 

Movie Night

The time is winding down on our days before our big move. We wanted the kiddos to have at least one more movie night before we close the doors on this house and move just down the road.  We had Dax, McKenna, Paige and Kailey over (but we forgot to take pictures until it was 9:30 and everyone else had gone home).  We had fun watching "The Parent Trap", munching on popcorn and grapes and a brief intermission to Paige's house for dinner.  It's so nice to be surrounded by such good people who raise such good kiddos for our kids to spend time with. This sure makes me thankful we aren't moving across the country!

After Party Fun

For almost a week the girls enjoyed the balloons after Kenzie's party. They would move them to different parts of the family room and then "trap" them so they would make deeper and deeper ball pits.  Who know $30.00 and 400 balloons would be such great entertainment. 

Buddies

McKenzie and Brandon have so much fun together.  They have been playing together a bit more now that the sun is shining and we're all sort of coming out of hibernation.  They were having so much fun together playing on the swing set I had to take a picture.  These two have the best imagination when they are together. I love listening to them mix their boy and girl worlds together.  A little adventure and a little nurture.  What great kids.

Spotlight

Kenzie was the spotlight in Primary today and I don't ever want to forget some of these cute things... especially that she wants to serve a mission in Hermiston. This girl cracks me up!

Balloon Birthday Fun

McKenzie wanted an under the sea birthday party so we decided to turn the family room into an "ocean".  I blew up 400 balloons (with the air compressor of course) and her little friends came over for a little "swimming."  We had a blast.

Evie and Kenzie were great helps getting ready for the party. They played in the balloons for the 2 hours it took to get them ALL blown up.  I would say this has to be one of the most fun times they have had together.  They laughed and laughed and laughed this day!

pin the fin on the dolphin

Birthday wishes!

Kate Morgan and McKenzie

Natalie Haner and Kenzie

Kimmie Davenport and Kenzie

Brandon Murray and Kenzie

Lyra and Kenzie

Rachel and Andrew Brandt and Kenzie

Adam and McKenzie - Adam gave Kenzie her first Monster Truck and he was so convinced she would love it... he was right.  She slept with it that night!

Blayke Gardiner and Kenzie

Rayna and McKenzie

Dax and Kenzie

Crazy Hair and Clothes Day

 It was so much fun to get Taylor and Hallie excited about Crazy Hair and Clothes day this year for Spirit Week.  They came up with their hair and clothes designs all on their own days before!  I'd say they look pretty crazy!

Fast Sunday

Fast Sundays are hard for me sometimes and they have not always been hard for me.  In fact, when I was in college, I quite liked them.  I liked them so much that I didn't only fast one Sunday a month I fasted every Wednesday of the week.  Now, after being either pregnant or nursing for the last 10 years it's been hard to get back in the swing of things.  Not only do I not have an excuse not to fast but I have Taylor, who has recently turned 8, who is trying to develop her own testimony of fasting.  So, we've done a few things at our house to make fasting a little easier.  We had a good thing going when we had church at 11:00 until 2:00.  Taylor would fast until after church.  We would begin our morning with a prayer. She and I spent the time the other kiddos were eating together reading scriptures or talking about fasting.  But, now that church isn't until 2:00 and I don't think she HAS to fast until 5:00 we have started fasting for breakfast and then letter her eat a light lunch before church. 

We'd been up late last night at BYU Young Embassadors so she was tired and pretty hungry when she woke up this morning.  I told her it was fast Sunday and talked to her about fasting a little bit more. Then I was reminded that for some strange reason when I was a Sophomore at Ricks and Jake was my neighbor I liked to make cinnamon rolls on Fast Sunday so we could smell them while we fasted and enjoy them when we got home from church.  I told Taylor about that little tradition and she instantly wanted to make cinnamon rolls.  

Now anyone who's ever baked cinnamon rolls knows it's pretty hard not to taste that melted butter, cinnamon, sugar mixture but Taylor did awesome.  She didn't even lick the beaters after we made frosting! 

When her fast was finished and the cinnamon rolls were still warm she did savor every bite.  As did the other girls.  

Some times it is hard to do the right thing when you don't yet understand why or the natural man in us takes over our bodies. I am proud of her for sticking to it and fasting today that she would understand the importance of fasting more and feel the Spirit of fasting in her life.  Wow...I have a lot to learn from these sweet spirits who reside in my house.  Today was a great fast Sunday.  Our meetings were edifying. Our Break the Fast as a Ward was well attended and a good way to feel united as we fast.  I need to remember these Fast Sundays and all the blessings I receive from fasting.

Here's a little picture of what my budding chefs made this morning! (same recipe as I used in college only this time we added brown sugar for a more caramel effect).  The girls did a great job setting the timer for the dough to rest, rolling out the rectangles, spreading the cinnamon and sugar.  

BYU Young Ambassadors

Taylor and I had the opportunity to go watch the BYU Young Ambassadors perform tonight in Hillsboro.  They did a wonderful job. I remember as a young girl going to watch them and then our family hosted one of two of them. I remember wanting to be like them. I was certain this would be right up Taylor's alley so we got tickets.  She was then invited by some of the BYU Alumni Association members to join the Ambassadors on stage for a number. She was able to practice with a few of them before the show started. What a special treat.  (Taylor is in the black and gray stripes).

Birthday Fun

One perk of Rendell traveling so much is that we occasionally get to enjoy an evening at a hotel for free because he has so many hotel points.  Hallie had really wanted to go swimming and Rendell had been gone all week AND since it was Kenzie's birthday we decided what the heck, let's pack up and go to the Embassy Suites (just down the street) for a family night out.  We had pizza, played games, went swimming... Kenzie, Evie and I fell asleep telling stories and singing songs while Rendell, Taylor and Hallie stayed up half the night watching NBC Family movies.  This little adventure we get to go on occasionally is just a fun way to refresh ourselves from the "normal" routine.  I'm sure glad it's available to us. (We did leave the hot tub but not that much.  Evie wouldn't leave it. She called the hot tub "bubbles" and cried every time we left the pool area because she couldn't get enough).