Family - It's what's for Dinner

It really is a wonderful life.  I have been really weepy this week (that seems to happen like once a month, hmmm) but when I got this picture of Stephen yesterday, it totally made me cry.  In a good way. He wasn't able to really email, but sent this picture.  He hiked up to Koko Head. I absolutely love it.  

Yesterday started the goodness when I got to have lunch with my Mom, Chelsey and Brynlee.  I love that we can all spend so much time together.

Then last night, we had the missionaries over for dinner, which I  love to do.  Whitley and Nick got an ice cream maker for their wedding and never used it so they decided to come over for dinner and then we'd try it out.  During dinner,  Chelsey called and asked if they could join the party...sure!!  

Not much later, the phone rang again and it was Nick, from jail.  He hasn't called in a long time, so that was a surprise.  And THEN, Boston knocked on the door!  The missionaries eventually had to leave and Rhett headed off to work.  But then Seth and Katie stopped by as well.  Those are some of Stephen's best friends.  In the meantime, we had started the ice cream, but the maker didn't have all the parts, so Spencer and Nick rigged it up to work.  Well, it looked like it worked, but in the end we had milk in a bowl.  And that was a lot of work!  The boys set up a Risk game and the girls chatted in the living room planning out a friend's baby shower.  I talked with Stephen's friends and while all this was happening, I got an email from Stephen!  Yeah!  He didn't miss the party.  So we snapped a quick picture and sent it to him to tell him we all love him.  It was a crazy madhouse for awhile, but in the very best way!  

Then our old home teacher Bro. Klein stopped by with something for my little ones.  Brynlee found a toy she just loved and cracked us all up by singing into the microphone and doing her "wobbly" dance.  I had a hard time getting every one to bed because they were all so happy and loving having family over.  

It's night's like tonight that remind me how blessed I am, in the most important ways! 

It's a Party!

Well, ok... a Pity Party.  I have them every now and again.  I won't bore you with all my "sad life" problems.  Partially because I don't need anyone punching me over the ridiculousness of some of the things I like to be sad about.  It's really a perception thing.  And being sad or disappointed about things isn't wrong, it's what you do with it.  I spent the morning feeling bad and telling myself why I was justified and definitely settled in with a "poor me" conversation with myself.  Telling yourself why all these different things are making you miserable just seems to make it all the worse.  BUT, it happens sometimes.  I was scheduled to go to the temple, its my normal day, but they asked me to come in early.  Normally no big deal, but my kids JUST went back to school and I really needed to get my house in order and honestly I wanted to feel sorry for myself, not go smile and be sweet to people.  I considered and debated off and on all morning about calling someone to sub for me.  I just wanna stay home!  But then I decided it was my responsibility and usually when you really don't want to do something is when you actually need it the most.  So I went.  Begrudgingly. Fighting back tears the whole time.  But I got there, felt the spirit of the  Temple, stopped thinking about myself and got to work.  We were busy, which was a blessing.  Then my friend who works there with me came in, later than I was.  Another gal asked if I had heard how her son was.  She has a boy who left on a mission just after Stephen, so I just assumed they were asking about him being on his mission.  Then she told me what she really meant.  Her 12 yr old son had burned half his face and his eye with hot grease.  She told me the whole story and I immediately felt ashamed for all my "poor me" sentiments I'd spent the morning dwelling on.  She also told me all the little miracles that took place along the way.

God is so mindful of each one of us.  He knows about all those whiny things I was being sad about.  He knows that my heart hurts sometimes.  It's ok to feel sad and be unhappy occasionally, but we must always remember to be grateful.  For so many things!  Trial are trials and sad is sad, but make sure to check your perspective.  It's so easy to see all the hard things or things that aren't exactly as we want them and focus on that.  Don't!  Have your moment, maybe shed a tear or two and then look at all the awesome things in your life!  Like that my son's face is burn free.  Life really is good, not perfect, but pretty stinkin great.