i SMILED

...i did, really.

What, you don't believe me????


no time to convince you or me.
but I did smile....what was it, when, hmmmm; it's a little foggy, something about my Grandpa, a musical play, some glitter, a couple the kids friends here and there, political meetings, making quilts, a birthday party, a date....late night--but a date none the less, some pick up sticks, a few lincoln logs, extra shoes piled by the front door, scouts scouting for food, laughter from the other room, a hug when i was crying, some burnt toast, a phone call from a friend at the right moment, and one who just stopped by, perfect scriptures for me during family study impressing thoughts of personal comfort.
a couple of thoughtful cards, a game of old maid, softly falling snow, SUNSHINE, a foot rub, a good movie, a new friend, a lot of prayer, a melancholy song, and the feeling of arms around me when no one was there.

yes, i smiled!

a Gilbert O' Sullivan day

In a little while from now

If I'm not feeling any less sour

I promise myself to treat myself

And visit a nearby tower

And climbing to the top will throw myself off

In an effort to make it clear to

whoever



what it's like when you're shattered



Left standing in the lurch at a church

Where people saying:

"My God, that's tough

She's stood him up."



No point in us remaining



We may as well go home

As I did on my own

Alone again, naturally


To think that only yesterday

I was cheerful, bright and gay



Looking forward to well

wouldn't do

The role I was about to play

But as if to knock me down

Reality came around

And without so much, as a mere touch

Cut me into little pieces

Leaving me to doubt


Talk about God and His mercy


Or if He really does exist


WHY did He desert me
in my hour of need...




I truly am indeed Alone again, naturally


It seems to me that there are more hearts

broken in the world
that can't be mended

Left unattended

What do we do? What do we do?


Alone again, naturally

Now looking back over the years

And whatever else that appears



I remember I cried when my father died

Never wishing to hide the tears


And at sixty-five years old

My mother,
God rest her soul,

Couldn't understand why the only man


She had ever loved had been taken



Leaving her to start
with a heart so badly broken


Despite encouragement from me

No words were ever spoken


And when she passed away

I cried and cried all day

Alone again, naturally

Alone again, naturally

amazing original version

Sam's School Play! THiS ThuRsDaY!

You are invited to join us if you can!

Healing

testimony of the man who wrote the song, Roger Hoffman.

Writing "Consider the Lilies"

At the time I wrote "Consider the Lilies," my wife, Melanie and I had spent five years (now twenty-six) following the Lord's commandment to put the kingdom of God first, believing that he would add everything else we needed.

It seemed the Lord would send what we needed in the way of work or help, just when we needed it.

Miraculously, we had survived!

This allowed us to use our time to teach his Gospel through music. This kind providence had become such a regular occurrence for us that we wanted to tell others about it.


One day, as I was sitting at the piano in our chapel, (we didn't have a piano at home) I found my fingers wandering over the piano keys. I noticed what I was playing and repeated it so I wouldn't forget it.

Once the melody had become locked into my consciousness, words began to form in my mind,

"Consider the lilies of the field,
how they grow, how they grow."

I grabbed my pencil and began writing. As quickly as I could write, the words continued,

"Consider the birds in the sky,
How they fly, how they fly.
He clothes the lilies of the field.
He feeds the birds in the sky.
And he will feed those who trust him,
And guide them with His eye."

I was beginning to feel very excited! Here was a way to share this marvelous principle!

The words kept coming,

"Consider the sheep of his fold,
How they follow where he leads.
Though the path may wind across the mountains,
He knows the meadows where they feed."

I thought of how Nephi and Lehi had been led on their way through "the more fertile parts of the wilderness..." and how the seas had parted for Moses and the children of Israel. Again, the chorus re-assured me,

"He clothes the lilies of the field.
He feeds the birds in the sky,
And he will feed those who trust him,
And guide them with his eye."

I was pleased that the message had been so well delivered, and gratefully acknowledged the power that had presented this song to my mind. I was about to rise from the piano bench and go home, when I felt a kind of downward tug, and sat down at the bench again. The message came clearly into my mind, "I'm not finished yet."


I sat down and the verse began,

"Consider the sweet, tender children
Who must suffer on this earth..."

I panicked. I was afraid to tackle so large a subject. I thought,

"My pen is too small to deal with a problem so great."

The thought came into my mind, "You're not writing this, anyway."

I then remembered someone very dear to me who once said she had a hard time understanding why God would allow little children to be abused, and I had a great desire to help her understand this subject better and be comforted. This urged me on.


So, tremulously, I continued,

The pains of all of them he carried
From the day of his birth.
He clothes the lilies of the field,
He feeds the lambs in His fold,
And he will heal those who trust him,
And make their hearts as gold."

I wept profusely. I could not contain my feelings.

The love I felt was so powerful that I was overcome.

Indeed, for the rest of the day,
I felt somewhat removed from this mortal sphere.

My soul vibrated with the message I had just written, for my own suffering and weakness had been taken in hand by the Wonderful Counselor, and where once there was darkness, light by light, strand by strand, he rewove the fabric of my heart with threads of purest gold, so that my affections and sympathies have been, in a marvelous manner, enlarged and re-trained to make me more like him.


This is the way of the Master.

He tells us plainly that he has given us weakness to bring us to him.

When we come unto him, he teaches, counsels, and heals us, replacing evil with good, pouring himself into us, a spiritual transfusion where his light replaces our darkness.

The light he has put into us works its way through everything we know and feel and draws us to yet greater light.



One day,
if we continue,
we will be like him,
for his light will have chased
every trace of darkness from us,
and will have drawn into us all the light he has.

Sunday Smiles

i smiled when i noticed clarissa's calendar which reads:
"keep your eyes
open...you never
know where
you'll find surprises."

i smiled when basketball season ended for our boys...not because i won't have to run them all over [LOL] but because it was such a fun season; full of many surprises, Lots of LAUGHS, funny antics and memorable moments!

Bring on soccer/baseball season....

i smiled because we had so much SUNSHINE.
i NEED the sun, and crave the shine!!!

it felt like Spring this week.

beautiful surprise.

behind all this hair...i am SMILING....because it wont be long before....

i get to HUG him....

i smiled for the rest of the day because we got to hang out with Uncle Jesse, Aunt Jessica, and Nate Nate!!!!

i wasn't the only one SMILING!!!

we smiled so much that we didn't even have to go ' once around the block* '
on our drive from Sheri and Aaron's home where we hung out with Nate and had a delightful Sunday dinner....

...they were ALL fast asleep!

*once around the block
is an inside family heckle.
We use to drive once around the block
for the kids when they were close to sleep
and we could just carry them into bed.

In the days when I brought toothbrushes,
pajamas...etc,
so they were ready for bed
before we left for home.

These are the days
of who needs to brush teeth,
just throw them in bed
in their germy clothing...LOL

However, back in the day...
when we would drive around the block,
our best made plans
did not go unnoticed.

One day when we thought Gavin
was almost out...he piped up,
"Are you going once around the block for Gavin?"

LOL

i smiled when i took the boys to Parent Teacher Conferences. what a grand time it is to be one on one with each of them and to hear their teachers insights in their lives.

we have awesome kids.
they are active,
cheerful contributors to their classes.
each bringing something
unique to the table.
i love to learn what
their teachers see in them,
things i would miss without their input.

what a laugh we had!

....and laughing i was to see that Sam's locker is indeed LOCKED!!! The only one in the school with a lock, what a kid! [to his defense he says he brings his trumpet and needs it to be safe while he is at recess
---thankful he LOVES his trumpet]

i smiled when Jeremy was putting on his shoes and gasped at the 'dust bunny' in the vacuum. "that is the HUGEST dust bunny ever!"



i smiled [a SIGH of relief] when i finished this list on this day!

i smiled when rushing out the door to my presidency meeting i was able to snap a quick picture of these smiles! HAPPINESS was mine to offer them the usual special St. Patrick's Day dinner, even if it fell on a crazy day, even if I was feeding the kids in shifts!


i smiled from the inside out when upon returning from my presidency meeting i was greeted with this:

a thoughtful note thanking me
for the dinner.

made my smile!!!

i smiled when we had a moment of funny fotos prior to Gavin's

Green and Gold Ball!

Teenagers really are where its all at!!!!

i smiled when arriving home from my date with Brian i found these:

i LOVE carnations,
and his thoughtfulness
to bring me flowers
on my favorite holiday...
♥♥♥ thoughtful!
just the thought that he thought
to think of me got me thinking
i am pretty spoiled.
oh the thinks you might think

i SMILED when the next morning i found this....ya THINKs the kids had a little TOO much sugar on st. paddy's day???





i smiled when Jeremy cracked out the box of flip flops!
Sunshine, crocus', box elder bug season....it all makes me smile!

[even tho it was raining outside....?
he didn't notice
LOL]

i smiled when i braided clarissas hair and we watched a few minutes of Star Wars together on TV. she asked me, "what is this show????" ....and i realized that we have NEVER watched the star wars series with the kids.

What is WRONG with us????

Hundreds of Family Night Movies and we haven't watched the BEST of the BEST!!!
I suppose I took it for granted, we own them,....thinking they had certainly SEEN then.

You wonder WHY i smiled????
I just found the next few weeks of movies for our Family Movie Night!!! YIPEE!!

i smiled when clarissa wore these. Love these, could NEVER wear them, but it makes me SMILE when she does. I think they are so funny!



i smiled when i found this on my open blog. LOL. I was born in American Fork, and it was like HOME to see that someone from AF stopped by.

Don't know who....but thanks for stopping by!!!

i smiled when picking up new Homework prizes!
I love to surprise Jeremy and Sam with new booty!

...and i SMILED when it worked!
Jeremy was eager to finish his homework
and pick a prize!

i SMILED....

...when Jeremy told me that i was
the meanest mommy...

I told him I was "going for the meanest mommy award"!

And he replied, "Well when you go for it let me go with you. I would like to talk to them about how you really should win it. You make me do my homework, eat broccoli and go to bed at my bedtime."

YEAH FOR MEAN MOMMY AWARDS!!!

i am STILL smiling about the fun Girls Night OUT with Aunt Liz, Clarissa and some of her friends. Movie....some laughs while riding in the White Stallion, past some 'reindeer' and horses...these city girls thought they were in the country for sure...none of them even knew what a Chick Fil-A was. LOL!!!

i LAUGHED when they wanted to be sprayed down after climbing in the
above kids play area!
$7 bucks at Chick Fil-A...who needs Disneyland!!!

thank goodness Aunt Liz has the BIG
bottle of Lysol!!!


On the way home the girls saw the famous billboard:

...and said, "Hey, we've been there!"
LOL - doesn't take much these days!

i smiled when Brian called me during out Girls Night Out to tell me that he had picked up a microscope for Jeremy to give his friend at the Birthday party the next day. When he told me he got and what he spent I said he could have gotten something different...

Brian replied: "Well Jeremy told me
to get him a Math Book
or a Microscope,
and since Toy's R Us
is fresh out of Math Books,
we have a Microscope!"

LOL --- seriously, a MATH BOOK,
for a Third Grade Birthday Party Present...

Dear LeShel,

Can Jeremy join
the NERD club???

Please!!!

i smiled when we had our Relief Society Birthday Lunch and Humanitarian Activity. We have an assignment to quilt 200 blankets. Thankful that women are willing to sacrifice time and serve together,....making it possible to fulfill our commitment, together! ♥

These awesome treats were
hand made by Stephanie!
What a woman!
SMILE ☺

i smiled when Sam took so seriously and willingly his JOB to help in the nursery during the Luncheon.

He kept the kids and the Elders in check!

Way to go Sam!!!

i smiled even more when he single-handedly cleaned up the cultural hall!
He wanted to play basketball and said he could "wrap this activity up"
and get us out of the gym.

I said go for it...and he did.

While we quilted, he cleaned up!
All the chairs and tables....
and when thanked by one of the Sisters he replied,
"Don't thank me,
I am doing this for my own good!"

Funny kid!

i smiled when Sam got Baxter to SMILE for my Sunday SMILES!!!

Thanks Sam!

i smiled when we helped Clarissa get her poster ready to run for Student Body Officer...

this is BEFORE the mess! ☺

[clarissa above is opening the glitter....
let the FUN begin!!!]

and AFTER...we will be finding glitter for MONTHS!

i love opportunities to support the kids
in things that they enjoy trying.
Good times!
...and the glitter was pretty FUN as well.
even the mess ☺

i smiled when Brian took the kids on a Sunday Bike Ride so that i could have a LONG winters nap...

he sent me these pictures,

beginning with this one of Jeremy's alfalfa!!!

...and i smiled when i awoke to the sounds and smells of a quick
family dinner....hungry tired kids, and my Brian, tending to all their needs...

...sending me back to my winters quarters,
my nap was followed up with an early bedtime,
and a LONG nights sleep!

thx, SMILING, i needed that ♥

it's BOX ELDER BUG season!

Jeremy arrived home from school
before the rest of the children yesterday.

a bit of mommy alone time on the agenda

The weather is perfect and so we
hung outside a bit...

kids are so amazing
they always notice the
LITTLE big THINGS in life!

Like the Crocus in bloom!
Happy early Spring Day!


...and "MOM, ITS BOX ELDER BUG SEASON!!!"

[i would have to say this is MUCH more
exciting than MARCH MADNESS!]

..."and the Bumble Bees are back to make us some honey!"

i am hanging on to his youth,
so i don't lose mine!
♥