Reverse Pull Headgear. Who Knew?

Sam had to have braces and headgear put on today.  The orthodontist said that he only uses headgear in extreme cases now.  Sam is an extreme case.  This headgear is reverse pull.  Meaning it will pull his top out while pushing against his bottom jaw to keep it from growing too fast.  It's not super awesome.  

He has bottom braces and he has a retainer thing in the top of his mouth.  The headgear attaches to the retainer thing with rubber bands and it opens a little more each day to widen his upper jaw.  It's about an 1/8 inch thick and there's about a 1/4 inch space between it and the roof of his mouth.  Because of the retainer thing, his tongue can't touch the roof of his mouth and he's having trouble talking, swallowing, and eating anything that isn't small enough to slide between the retainer and the roof of his mouth.  His gag reflex is working overtime today.  It's been horrible. 

I hope he figures this thing out and how to eat with it or he'll be eating pudding, jello, rice, and ice cream 3 meals a day for the next 4-6 months....  His biggest concern is that his out-loud reading words per minute is going to decline drastically.  :)

This is only phase 1....

Christmas!

Our Christmas started on Monday, December 22 when we were able to Skype with Nate!  

He seemed so happy!  He laughed and smiled a lot.  He received a new companion on Tuesday last week.  He is from Sao Paulo.  He introduced his companion to us.  His companion doesn't speak much English, so Nate would speak to him in Portuguese then translate for us.  

He said he had to practice speaking English with the other American missionary that shares an apartment with them so they both knew how to talk to their families.  :)  He has a very strong accent!  We laughed at him a lot.  He kept saying that speaking English is really hard.  :)  He couldn't think of words in English.  :)

He has promised pictures and a letter next Monday.  

He said the ward members worried so much about him getting sunburned as often and badly as he was that he is now buying very expensive sunscreen.  The oil in the sunscreen from here was NOT good for him on the Equator.  He showers in cold water.  He says it's good because if he showered in hot, he thinks he'd die.  He said his bathroom is so small that there is tile on all four walls and just a shower head on the wall that gets water EVERYWHERE and turns the room into a sauna.  He said they try not to use the bathroom during the day or they sweat so badly they have to drink a gallon of water.

He laughed at Elizabeth's new hair color.  He told her it was "bad".  Very Funny!  

It was SO GOOD seeing him and talking to him.  (The kids are still laughing about his accent.)

We invited Zandra and Brodie to spend Christmas with us since Ramona and BreAnna moved to Iowa and they weren't able to "go Home".  They came Tuesday, the 23rd.   Chelsea and Thomas' family came for Christmas Eve.  We played "Telestrations" - a mix of the "telephone game" and "Pictionary" - and "Oh, Heck" - a card game probably made up by Jon's family.  It was FUN!  Everyone was laughing.  When Chelsea's family left, we read the Christmas Story in Luke 2 and watched the LDS Church's production of it.  Then we unwrapped our traditional Christmas PJs and went to bed.

The kids didn't get much from "Santa" this year, but I think they were all happy with what they did receive.

Mrs. Clause made Zandra and Brodie blankets.  

The kids all exchanged "Sibling Gifts".  Zandra gave Brodie a couple t-shirts, Lizzy gave Zandra a sweater and Logan a pull up bar, Aaron gave Kate a new CD Player with bluetooth for her ipod, Logan gave Lizzy 2 rolls of quarters and 2 books of stamps, Kate gave Sam a body pillow, and Sam gave Aaron waders.

My mom made ALL of her kids, in-laws, and grandkids blankets!  That's 50 blankets my mom made this year!  She and my dad also gave us a popcorn popper.  Jon's parents gave each kid a bag of caramels and a $10.  

IT SNOWED ON CHRISTMAS!!  We were all so excited!  The kids and Jon made a snowman.  And when we build snowmen, we make them BIG!

We also received a new Trampoline since our's had an unfortunate accident before we moved from Colorado this summer.  The kids couldn't wait until the snow melted to set it up.  However, it was too cold to jump for very long...  

I am So Grateful that our Loving Heavenly Father gave us the Gift of His Son and a reason to Celebrate every year and give gifts to each other.

Merry Christmas!

(I took all of our decorations away today.  They are now in the top of the garage.  Does that make me a Grinch?)

Dad, Will You Teach me how to Iron?

Aaron was asked by Saige to the Christmas Dance at the High School.  :)  When he was getting ready for it, he asked me where the ironing board was so he could iron his shirt.   Then he yelled, "DAD, will you teach me how to iron shirts?!"  I'm not even offended.  I'm glad Jon irons his own shirts.  And I'm glad he is teaching our boys how to iron their own shirts.

This is Aaron and Saige.  

This is the group they went to the dance with.  They had dinner all together at the house of one of the girls, went to the dance, and then went to another girl's house and watched "Elf".  Aaron said it was a fun night.  

Epiphany

I have been pondering/worrying/wondering a lot about our trials and temptations lately.  They seem just as personal as our character traits and eye color.  In Sacrament meeting (the meeting in our church where we have speakers and partake of the sacrament) a couple of weeks ago, I had an Epiphany.

Why wouldn't they be?

If God is Real, which He is, then so is Satan.  It makes sense.  Opposition in all things.  Good vs. Evil.  God and Satan.

In our Church we believe we existed in Heaven with God BEFORE the Earth was created and BEFORE we were born.  We call it the Pre-Existence.  Satan was there with us.  He KNOWS us almost as well as Heavenly Father does.  He knows what our weaknesses were then and still are.  He knows how we fought against him.  He knows we choose God.  Unlike us, he didn't lose his memory of the Pre-Existence.  He still knows us.  

We are in a War with Evil.  We are God's soldiers in the War.  Satan doesn't want God to win.  His only hope is to turn us from God by taking our souls:  distracting us, making us "too busy", making us feel worthless and not good enough, wearing us down, making us sad, causing us stress.  Why wouldn't he exploit our weaknesses?  Of course he will.  He is not merciful.  He is ruthless.  He doesn't care about us.  He cares only about himself.  He will do ANYTHING he can to win this war.  Including destroying us.  It is personal.  Our temptations are personal.

The only way to defeat Satan and overcome the temptations and trials of this life is with help from God.  He is the only One powerful enough and merciful enough.

God lives.  We are His soldiers in this very real War against Evil.  He wants us to win.  He will help us defeat the Evil in our lives if we only have faith in Him and ASK HIM for help.

I KNOW GOD LIVES

Today is the Ogden LDS Temple Re-dedication.  Logan, Kate, Sam and I went.  There are 3 sessions.  We went at 10:00.  They asked us to be in our seats 1/2 hour before the session started.  We got there at 9:15 and the chapel was already full.  We had to sit on chairs in the gym.  

The temple president and his wife spoke.  He said faith in Christ is Essential, we need to Believe that our sins will be forgiven.  We need to Trust Him.  I think that is hard sometimes; believing your sins are forgiven.  

The President of the 70 quoted the scripture, "Art thou He that should come, or should we look for another?"  He said Christ answered by telling them to see what is happening around Him - He healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, cast out Devils, forgave sins, raised the Dead.  He said that is what temples are for - to HEAL.  The Gospel Heals Wounded Souls and the Gospel is taught in its fullness in the temples.  Temples answer the question "Art thou He?"  I think sometimes we feel we can't go to the temple if we aren't already perfect.  But we won't be in this life.  Temples are for Healing Souls.  

The General Primary President said that among life's sorrows and trials and darkness, God WILL send incomprehensible Joy.  And we can find it in the temples.  Temples cause us to be still, to pause, to step away from the world.  And God said, "Be still and Know that I AM GOD."  

Elder Bednar said that temples are intersections between Heaven and Earth.  And they are the exact opposite of the world today.  He said the world is busy, loud, selfish, dark, ugly, and the world is trying to tear families apart and put the rich and educated above everyone else.  The temple is a place of tranquility and reverence; a place of selfless service and purity; a place of all that is beautiful where families are United for Eternity; a place where everyone dresses the Same and the Mysteries of God are GIVEN to everyone despite race, finances, or education.  He said that in the temples, we learn who we are.  And he promised protection for all who attend.

President Monson promised that the Memories of today will live long in our hearts.  He said the memories of the dedication will provide roses in the Decembers of our lives and help us overcome temptations and trials.  He said we need to Love the Temple and sacrifice whatever is necessary to attend.  He said we need to appreciate the temple and Long to go.  He said we need to Attend the Temple.  They are so accessible to us here.  We need to remember that not everyone can go as often as we can.  He promised us that if we attend the temple the Peace of the temple will transcend any other feeling we may have:  sadness, loneliness...  He said the temple will give Purpose to our lives.  "Temples are Lighthouses of the Lord, guiding us through the storms of life to lead us to the Kingdom of God."

After President Monson gave the dedicatory prayer, we gave the Hosanna shouts and then sang "The Spirit of God".  Logan said that somewhere in there, he no longer felt like he was in the Chapel, he felt like he was in the Temple with the Prophet being a part of the Dedication.  He said that the Spirit of God really was Burning.  I felt the same.  The Spirit of God WAS a fire burning.  And when we sang the chorus "We'll sing and we'll shout with the Armies of Heaven" I KNEW that the Armies and Angels of Heaven were THERE.  They were singing and shouting with us.  Rejoicing in another operating temple.  And I KNEW that they would fight for us, for our souls, if we live worthy of the temple.

I KNOW GOD LIVES.  I know Jesus Christ is our Savior.  I know they rejoice in our obedience and service and repentance.  I know Joseph Smith restored Christ's Church.  I know the Book of Mormon is TRUE.  And I KNOW Families are Eternal.

Brazil - Nate's Temporary Home

NATE SENT ME PICTURES OF BRAZIL!  I received them in the mail Yesterday.  They are postmarked in Brazil August 20.  Now we know.  It takes about a month to receive letters.  Good to know.  Under each picture I will write what he wrote on the back of the picture.  He did not send a letter.  Just the pictures.  Proof of life.  It's all I need.  The kids LOVE receiving the pictures and seeing just where Nate is and what it's like for him everyday.  I can't get enough.  I would like a dozen pictures in every letter.  

 "I took this picture from my bedroom window.  We are in the nice side of town.  I will be lucky if I get a picture of the Favela where we spend about 1/2 our time.  It is way more poor than this."

 "I took this picture from the bus between Aldeota and Home (Cidade Oeste).  I think we were pretty close to the ocean.  i have only seen glimpses of it, but the water is beautiful.  My comp says this area is called Alvaro Wayne.  Those are palm trees (no coconuts), and that tall building in the back has a green net on it.  Yes, a building sized net.  I think it keeps the birds away during construction."

 "This is a coconut.  They grow in abundance here."  (Jon thinks Nate is forgetting how to speak English and he mis-translated what this is.  Jon does NOT think this is a coconut.  hehe.)

 "This is a picture of the Aldeota neighborhood in Fortaleza.  Taken from the mission office.  This is the wealthy area of Fortaleza and more of the business district.  I think Aldeota is a Sisters' area."

"This is our kitchen.  That second sink has a washboard built into it for laundry.  The washing machine is horrible.  It is just a tank with an agitator.  It doesn't get rid of the deep dirt, so we have to scrup all our shirts and garments with a brush on the washboard.  That's the backside of Elder Damasio."

"I took this picture from my window.  We usually see at least one guy with a donkey every day.  The other day we saw a guy with 6 donkeys all burdened up like Bill the Pony and he was herding them down the street about  a mile from our house."

Life Has Changed!

I know it's been a while since I last posted.  I had computer problems.  And life has changed.

1.  The last of March/first of April, Jon's firm asked us if we would be willing to move back to New Jersey.  My mom asked if there was any chance we could move back to the Salt Lake office instead.  I told her what Jon told me, "It would take a miracle."  So, my mom texted my siblings and told them we needed a miracle and would they all please fast for me to have one (in our Church we fast 2 consecutive meals every First Sunday.  We believe that fasting brings you Spiritually closer to God if you combine it with Scripture study, Prayer, and Church Services).  Miracle:  Jon's firm asked him if we would consider the SLC office for the same raise and promotion as was offered in New Jersey.  We decided that since our oldest 2 children both have 4 year scholarships to Utah State, and our parents and most of our siblings are in Idaho, SLC would be the better choice for our family.  We moved to Utah in July.  Before we went house hunting, we prayed we would be able to find a home where the kids would have good friends in school and church.  And Sam said to me, "Mom, I don't care what kind of a house you buy, but can you get one that has big enough trees that we can put a tire swing in one?"   We looked at 15 homes in 2 days and we were not excited about any of them.  Then, on a whim, we looked at just one more.  It has a lot of flower beds, which means a lot of weeding and I LOATHE weeding.  It has steps up to the front door, which I didn't want because our parents are getting older.  It is split level, which we have NEVER wanted.  But it has a Fully Fenced yard with Mature Trees including 2 Peach Trees!  And as soon as we got out of the rental car and Jon looked over the back fence and saw the tire swing, I asked, "this is the house, isn't it?"  He replied, "Well, we should look inside first, but I think so."  We bought it.  It's Home.

2. NATE RECEIVED HIS VISA TO BRAZIL!  As of June 10, Nate has been in Fortaleza, Brazil! 

 This is a picture of the view from the front door of Nate's apartment.

 This is the view from the front door of their Chapel.

Nate celebrated his ONE YEAR mark in Brazil with his companion and the other companionship that shares the apartment with Nate.  Can you believe he's been gone a YEAR?!

3.  Elizabeth changed her mind about Utah State and decided to go to BYU instead.   So we moved her down to BYU.   

 Jon took half a day off work to help her move into her apartment.   She had a truck full of stuff. 

4.  The kids all started school.  

Sam's school is year round here; he started one week after we moved in!  But he has the entire month of November off.  And 9th grade is still in Junior High (Logan was very disappointed).  The High School colors are brown and gold which Aaron does not like.  :)   BUT Aaron still will receive his drivers license when he turns 16.

5.  I'm babysitting again.  It's true.  I haven't babysat in a very long time.  In fact, it's been about as long as it's been since I've pushed my own babies in a stroller and changed their poopy diapers.  At least 8 years ago.  Probably longer on the babysitting.  But Jon's nieces, Chelsea and Taryn both need a little help and I really felt that Heavenly father needs me to do this for them.  So, my nice quiet days of being alone while my own kids are in school are over.   I have realized that being a mom is a Young Lady's game.  It's exhausting chasing toddlers all day long.  I don't know how women my age do it.  I'm glad my own kids are out of diapers and can feed themselves and dress themselves and clean up after themselves and tell me what they want.  :)

These are the 3 little cuties.  A is 2.  A is 1.  S is 4.  When I take them shopping, people always comment on the red hair and assume they belong to me.  :)  Sometimes I correct them, sometimes I simple say "Thank You."

6.  We were able to go to the Ogden Temple Open House.  WHAT AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE!  I am so glad we were able to go.  Jon's parents came down and brought his sister's kids.   The kids all had different experiences and emotions than Jon and I did.  It made Kate so excited to turn 12 and be able to go do Baptisms for the Dead (click if you have questions).  When we were walking through the Celestial Room (click for answers to questions), Sam said to me, "Mom, I've never been in a more Sacred Place."  In temples, even on the grounds of the temples, you can FEEL the Spirit of the Lord.  GO!  Walk the sidewalks surrounding the nearest one, feel the Peace and Hope that is there.  

7.  We have become a Bed and Breakfast again!  Since we moved in we have had My Parents, Jon's parents, Kirsten's family, Annika's family, Jeff and Julie and Lois, Mandy, and Elizabeth's friend, Amanda stay with us at different times.   It's fun.  

I could go on and on.  But, I will spare you the boring details. Just know, we are adjusting, again, to a new home, new ward  (congregation of our Church), new school.  Unless you've moved with teenagers, you won't understand.  It's hard and rarely fair to be asked to leave what you know and who you know and start over.  But life if hard.  If it wasn't, we wouldn't grow.   We are taking one day at a time and trying to become beautiful blooms instead of prickly weeds.

I WAS HIT BY A CAR!

Me.  My person.  not my car.  Me.  I was walking home from walking Sam to school.  I was pushing Taryn's baby in the stroller.  The lady was stopped at the stop sign trying to turn right onto the street I was walking down.  There were cars coming so she couldn't turn.  So, I crossed the street.  I got passed her enough that the stroller was beyond the car, but she hit me in the hip and thigh.  If I hadn't been holding onto the stroller, I would have been sprawled out on the street.  She rolled her window down as she was pulling into traffic to say, "I hope your okay.  I didn't even see you."  Then she drove off.  I'm going to be bruised tomorrow!  

Don't get hit by a car.  

Cows vs. Prong Horns

On our way to school the other day, Kate asked what the animals in the field were.  I told her they were called Prong Horns.  Sam said, "No they aren't. "  I said, "Well, some people call them Antelope, but Dad said they are actually Prong Horns."  Sam said, "How can they be antelope?  They are FAT and BLACK."  He was looking at the COWS.  Kate and I laughed.  

In God, We Trust

Again, Sam cracks me up.  I don't think he means to, but he does.  He said to me today, "Mom, I think the phrase 'In God, we trust' came from Yoda.  Normal people would say, 'We trust in God', but Yoda ALWAYS puts the predicate first."