Blazing My Trail

I love to take notes at Church as it's the only way I remember anything (pregnant or not). I determined to gleam something good from each brave soul that had something to share this morning. Here are my little nuggets of goodness;

The Counselor conducting spoke of the simple quality time his family has spent together over the past few days and it made me thankful for those moments in my own life and anxious to have the kids return home today!

#1 - An older gentleman whose 3 grandchildren were baptized yesterday spoke about his great love and pride for them. The thing that stuck out while he spoke was the fact that he reiterated Christ's words, "Come Follow Me". He said we can follow with assurance knowing that Christ is leading. I loved that simple thought!

#2 - A Father likely in his late 40's publicly said that he feels like a failure. He was baptized in 1990 and while his words were hard to hear I so appreciated his honesty and his ability to make himself most vulnerable. It was refreshing. What really stuck out in my mind was his ability to stick with the Gospel and his family despite his feelings of inadequacy. I am certain that he does far more good than he knows. We all need to be kinder, softer and gentler with ourselves.

#3 - This speaker was a 29 year old newly wed who told how disappointed she was for some time given that her life didn't happen as she thought it would. She was raised in the Gospel, made good choices and finished the Young Woman's program successfully. When she didn't marry in the Temple according to HER time line she shut out the light. Perhaps we've all been there and know what it feels like to shut out the light. Her bottom line was that things happen according to HIS plan and in HIS time. This was something I needed to be reminded of today!

#4 - A lady who is a member of the City Council spoke about DC 135 and Government Laws being set up originally to meet the needs of the people. She stated the the constitution has the ability to protect us; that our country was ordained of God by inspired men and that we have truth. What stuck out was the fact that she said that you can break yourself against the laws and we all must pay the price. This struck me as personal accountability and consequance and reminded me of God's great love and mercy but also His need for justice.

#5 - A gentleman about my age spoke about the power of the Hymns and how the phrase "He Lives" struck him today. He spoke of our Savior as being "alive" and pondered the question, What does it really mean to know him? This is something for each of us to think about. What does it mean and how to we really come to know him?

#6 - A lady who graduated from High School in the 1980's spoke of her two Grandfather's who had both served in World War II. She shared an experience that while in HS she watched a demonstration on tv in which individuals were burning a flag. In the presence of one of her Grandfather's she out loud pondered about these people merely expressing their opinions and that perhaps it wasn't that big of a deal. Her Grandfather immediately corrected her and told her that she had no idea what people have sacrificed so that we can have and fly the flag. It is a right that has been fought for and was a strong reminder of the great significance and symbolism of our flag as she told this story.

#7 - The newlywed husband of #3 spoke about the most beautiful part of a woman being her spirit. I absolutely loved this! It was a quiet reminder that I need to feed, nourish and beautify my own spirit.

#8 - A sweet little girl got up to share her tender little feelings about our Savior. While her dress was less than one would expect for Sunday church attendance it was a strong reminder of what is real, important, why we go to church and most importantly the love of our Savior for each of us, particularly the children. I love feeling safe and being in an environment of love and acceptance and want to remember to offer the same to others present.

#9 - A High Council man spoke about his Mother. My guess is that she must be in her 70's or 80's; however, I do not believe she was present. Regardless he spoke of her living here in our country for the past 50 years. This week she will raise her arm to the square and become a citizen of the US. What an honor it will be for her and what a reminder it was to me of something so special that is such a huge part of my identity.

On the B Side: I loved feeling the Spirit today. I loved being at church and being reminded and taught. I loved all of the smiley faces and the goodness that pervaded everywhere!

Happy Birthday America!

The 4th of July came and went very simply for us this year. The children were with their Father and I declined a trip to Pine View with Shell and the girls simply given the heat. Mark ended up at home with me during the day and the two of us quietly enjoyed a an entire day of the Lifetime Movie Marathon! While I know it is less than patriotic and hardly romantic it was really special for us to have an entire day of relaxation together free from the demands of life. I cherished it mostly knowing that it was the last of it's kind given Adalie's upcoming arrival.

Despite our lack of 'traditional' activities there was plenty of time to reflect on the many blessings in our lives as Americans. I remember being on my Mission in 1998 during the bombings at the French Embassy's in Africa. At this point in time we received a message indicating that we were NOT allowed to disclose the fact that we were Americans. We were told to tell anyone who asked that we were Brits.

While it may not seem like a huge deal it hit me pretty hard and for one of the first time I really thought about what it meant to be an American. It hurt my heart that we weren't able to honestly disclose that for the sake of our own safety. It felt like a huge part of my identify was denied and it was a part I had so easily taken for granted in the past.

Being abroad really helped me reflect upon the many liberties and freedoms that we enjoy in our country. It's often when something is somehow taken away from us or deniedthat we truly are best able to appreciate it and reflect upon it. While I loved my mission and would do it all over again in a heart beat it did teach me the many beauties of what it means to be an American the hard way.

On the B Side: I'm proud to be an American! We are blessed and I love the rich history of our country as it has unfolded. As time continues to press forward I hope and pray that our country and each of us as individuals will remember the long standing values that it was built upon and all of the blessings that make it such an honor to be an American in the world today.

37 Weeks and Counting

Okay Adi Cakes! We're all very excited and hoping you arrive soon! Yes, we know you're growing and we know you are dang squished up in there. We also learned that you are practicing breathing movements in preparation for the outside world. We know that you can turn your head toward light and that you are head down. You should be 19 to 20 inches long and weigh approximately 6.5 pounds. Sure would be nice to have you here soon...

Your crib is all set up. Your clothes are all washed. We have a collection of diapers, bottles, wipes and all of the other good stuff for you. Your car seat awaits you and we have a small collection of toys just for you! Your siblings are super excited and your Daddy anxiously answers his phone always hoping for that one special call. We see the doc again on Monday morning and are hoping for great news!

On the B Side: This is the last stretch of this long ride and I'm so glad! I'm slower than molasses and can't remember jack to save my life! I am really looking forward to having you here with us.

Happy Birthday Dayton!

My little man is 6 years old today! He had his big bash on Saturday at Classic Skate and it was a blast. He's busied himself with his Nintendo DS in anticipation of today. I had one more present for him that he put in his bed with him so that he could open it first thing this morning. Sure enough at 6:30 I heard him tearing into it with great excitement!

We picked up a cake on the way to school and Grandma and Grandpa Mikey stopped by his school to see him at the end of the day. Tonight his festivities consisted of Tepanyaki with his Dad and Mommy Amy (his favorite second only to any fast food joint with cool toys!) and then they were off to see Wall-E. He and Beans both have been really good and were super excited for their big night out

Beans has already informed us that she wants her birthday party at Classic Skate as well and that she wants a pink DS! I can't imagine one of them without the other. They are both growing so fast that it's hard to remember what it was like when they were little. 6 years ago today we had no idea what was in store for us and our world has never been the same!

So to all of the doctor's and specialists who told me I would never be able to have any children I would like to present our little miracle! It was a great lesson as I learned all over again that there is a higher power and while medical science is amazing there is so much more to it.

While it's rare to see a picture of me here is one taken towards the end of my pregnancy with Dayton along with Rubin and the Grateful Ed! They now reside with my Mom.

This is little Dayton Homet in the delivery room

This is me showing a little skin after we got settled in our room. We stayed up all night and watched him sleep!

At just a few weeks old Dayton got stung by a bee. If you look at his little cheek you can see the sting. Luckily we found out he wasn't allergic!

Little D in his very first swim suit at 4 weeks! I still have it to remember how ridiculously small he once was!

The D Man strikes a pose at 3 months

His first Halloween at 4 months!

I was 7 months pregnant when we attended the Opening Ceremony for the Olympics here in Salt Lake. We made sure we got Dayton his own little beret!

His first taste of food; turkey with his Grandma Packer at Thanksgiving! It wasn't a real big hit.

Dayton's first Christmas

Holiday fun in Pennsylvania with my family

Here is Dayton when he could crawl. I specifically remember this moment as he had shimmied his way up the door knowing his Dad was in there. He got stuck in this position and was unsure what to do next. He yelled and carried on for assistance and perhaps trying to get his Dad's attention. I couldn't resist catching him in the act!

Here's a big baldy and little Ute!

Once he was walking he was on the go and never minded being caught in the act!

Ten years from now he really will be driving! Grandpa John hooked him up with his first set of wheels at a rather young age!

Enter Ellie! Dayton was 14 months old and while he didn't totally understand he was a great big brother even then!

Holy cow! Could he be any cuter?!

My two little monkey playing in bed while Rubin watches over!

So pretty much I could go on forever posting pics of my little boy who no longer likes to be referred to as a little boy! I love this little guy and will cease posting pictures for now given that I only made it to 18 months here and have already posted quite a few pics. I am super proud of him and so glad he had such a fun 6th birthday! Tonight before bed he said he wished everyday could be his birthday. He is my little tenderheart and I sure do love him!!!

On the B Side: I am so thankful for miracles! I don't know that I really understood what it felt like to witness a miracle until we had him! I was a nervous wreck when I found out I was 14 weeks pregnant with him on December 18th, 2001 and it felt like an eternity until we told our families on Christmas morning. He was actually a twin and we lost one early on and now know it was just our little Betty Beans trying to sneak down early! She didn't waste any time hurrying back to bless our lives! xoxo