Fear and Friendship

It's funny how answers to prayers don't always come the way we expect them to.

This fall, Bruce and I have been concerned about Sammy and Riley not getting along very well. Like, if one even touched the other there would be major screaming and fighting as a result. (Okay, I know this is somewhat normal for brothers--most of you remember the famous picture of Dan and Bruce. But that doesn't mean we approved or wanted them to keep up this behavior.) So, because we were frustrated, we prayed for help.

Slowly, things have been getting better, and it's mostly because Sammy is afraid. Very afraid. Of almost everything, including:
--Toys left on his bedroom floor at night
--Anything in his bed other than pillow and covers
--Being alone ANYWHERE for more than half a second (this makes bathroom time interesting)

It's this last item that has made him so dependent on Riley. Who will go in the bedroom with him to get another toy? Not mom! Who will go downstairs with him to put away the toys? Not dad! Riley, as much as he's been the picked on younger brother, is amazingly willing to be Sammy's companion. It's like Sammy realizes that Riley is more than competition for toys and attention, and Riley is happy to agree. They play computer together, run around together, and will now (occasionally) hug or sit close to each other. It is truly a miracle, for however long it lasts.

By the way, I am LOVING our new computer, if only because it came with a chess game pre-installed. Sammy can now play without bugging a grown-up to play with him, and better yet, Riley can play against Sammy because the computer shows him which moves are allowed. Score one for technology!!!

My favorite part of Christmas

This is the best Sunday of the year, and I have to try to capture the moment so it will last a little longer for me. All around the world, congregations are sharing a Christmas program for their services today. Especially in the LDS Church, these programs are very similar, with a bunch of music (often the same favorite Christmas hymns) and some narrative or testimony in between songs.

Despite the predictability of it all, I love it. There is such comfort in tradition. And especially, for me at least, such power in the music, even the same music I've been hearing my whole life.

I am so blessed right now to be our ward choir director. It has been a challenge, a learning experience, and often a frustration. It's not the easiest calling, especially at this point in my life with three young and energetic boys. (By the way, Bruce is an amazing support, and manages not only to sing with the choir, but keep the boys under control, carry around my box of music, and serve up my freshly baked cinnamon rolls to choir members.)

Today the choir sang, and it was truly a choir of angels. We have been preparing for months and have a fairly good choir. But today (as so often happens), they were a different group. Every song was perfectly sung, and even better, they meant every word and offered it as their collective testimony to the congregation. Music can touch my heart like nothing else I have experienced, but only now and then. We have practiced so much that I don't usually think about the words or enjoy the music.

Today I was touched by the Spirit and by the service these singers have given to worship their God. Especially I was overcome when the choir sang "O Come, All Ye Faithful" along with the congregation. It's not my favorite Christmas hymn and I wasn't expecting it to be so powerfully moving. But the incredible organ accompaniment, our choir's angelic descant, and the sight of a few hundred friends singing praise to Jesus Christ made me tremble and get teary-eyed. I was reminded what this entire season is about during the last verse of the hymn. I wish you could have been there too, because the words alone can't quite convey my testimony of this:

Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning;
Jesus to thee be all glory giv'n.
Son of the Father, now in flesh appearing;
Oh come let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord.

May we adore Him and glorify Him in all we do this Christmas season and throughout our lives, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Zeke the Beloved

Happy birthday to my not-so-little baby Zeke!

We are so amazed at how fast the past year has flown by. Zeke just fit himself right into our little family, and life never really slowed down much. Zeke's birthday was an example of how crazy things can be. We were booked solid with Christmas activities for 3 or 4 days before and after his birthday last week. So, we settled for a lunchtime cake party the day after. Even though it wasn't his true birthday, we figure he's lucky to have gotten anything.

And boy, did he enjoy it! What one-year-old doesn't love being set in front of an entire chocolate cake, and having a roomful of people cheer with every bite (and every frosting glob in the hair)? He even got to throw the leftovers on the floor and we cheered that on, too. Of course, older cousin Tate showed him how to REALLY make a mess with the chocolate frosting--Zeke has much to learn from his more experienced friend. Then a birthday bath, and time for presents (with five little boys helping him "play" with the new toys). We're so glad Dan & Dee & kids, and Leah, could come. We missed the rest of you. But Zeke didn't--fewer people means more cake for him!

The Big Secret

I hesitate to reveal this one. You're all going to rush out tonight to try to replicate my results. Beware--the universe is fickle. You never know just how your wishes will be granted. In my case, I would not choose to have this experience again, but I might as well enjoy the results.

Here is my secret to Holiday Season Weight-Loss. That's correct, not just maintaining your weight, but actually losing those excess pounds during the yummiest bake-fest time of year. It's a simple process, with just two steps. But beware, it's not fun.

First, get strep throat. It's helpful to get it a few days before Thanksgiving (like Monday), and not be sure if that's what it is. So don't go to the doctor until the day after Thanksgiving. By the time you feel well enough to down anything other than cough drops and herbal tea, the really good leftovers will all be gone and you'll be lucky to get some mashed potatoes (no gravy) or maybe cranberry sauce, if you're lucky. This is especially helpful if your Thanksgiving menu includes 13 homemade pies.

Second, it's okay to splurge and eat some treats for a few days, especially if that time frame includes your one-year-old's first birthday cake, filled with amazing egg-nog pudding. Because (and this is where you really shed the pounds) you will then come down with the stomach flu for a full 24 hours. Yup. Like I said, not for the faint-hearted, but very effective. I have dropped a full seven pounds in the past two weeks.

Now I can make it up by indulging in all those Christmas cookies coming our way. That is, if I have any room left after all those Saltines I've been noshing on all day.