Been a bit

Okay, so after having so many posts the previous two months, I know you're all wondering what happened to us!

Well, being sick seriously slowed down the projects, outings, activities, and basically anything else that we were up and doing. We haven't had much to post about unless you want to know what medicines we've been taking or thousands of cartoons we've been watching. It's been pretty boring.

Until this last weekend. With Chris coming home this last Sunday (yes, he's home - post to come), I was getting really anxious about being healthy. Well on Wednesday we celebrated Chris' 32nd birthday ourselves by singing him the happy birthday song. That was it. I sent him a nice email and we texted, but it wasn't really a big deal for our family. I gave him his present before he left because it was a book I thought he might enjoy while being deployed.

Lizzy's 1st birthday was a little bigger deal, but again, we're all still a bit sick and couldn't really do a lot. So we had her well-child check up and guess what? She's the first Fosburg baby to reach the goal of tripling her birth weight by her first birthday! Yes, that means she weighs 18lbs! I'm so proud of her. Dr. said she looked great and developmentally was doing wonderful. Then he took a quick look at the other kids since we'd all been sick for so long and gave them a clean bill of health! So my kids are back to rights again. We still have some sneezes and a little coughing in the morning, but overall they're good to go!

So, for Lizzy's birthday and to celebrate the fact that we were finally able to leave the house, we went to McD's for dinner and playtime. The kids loved it. Being around other kids was so nice for them. Lizzy ate real well and the kids behaved so well I looked like super mom! What a nice change. When we got home we had some ice cream and sang to Liz. She loved the treat. Then it was off to bed.

We are looking to do some major celebrating more appropriately when we get to Spokane. A cake and everything so that will be a later post.

The last day before Chris came home was all about preparation. We made a sign and cleaned real well. When the kids went to bed I worked hard to finish anything unfinished, as far as projects went, and then to get to bed at a decent hour so I could wake up without wishing I hadn't.

Sunday finally came! It was so exciting. We woke up, ate breakfast, and then went to get daddy at the airport. Chris was texting the whole way until I told him to stop so I could drive! Turkey! He was having a conversation and wanted to talk while I was on the freeway. I do not do that! Texting and driving are a horrible mix. I have a hard enough time staying on the road and looking at my map for directions.

We eventually got there a bit later than I wanted. Instead of standing in the airport, we sat on the floor of the van with our cute poster that even Lizzy helped color. Dad popped out and then it was all downhill from there.

It's been two days now, Chris has been to the base twice, borrowed my car both days (messed me up badly!) and stayed up until 3am last night on his PS3 and laptop. See, who says you need a few days to adjust? He needed his electronics and adjustment happened! We as a family are getting there.

We only have another two days before we're on our way to Spokane so adjustment has been interesting. Chris is tired and a bit out of practice, I'm relieved to have another adult around, and Joe can't get enough testosterone. Poor kid has been with girls for the last two months and only girls for the last 3 wks!!!

Well that's us up to the minute! We'll have more fun stuff to post about when we get to Spokane. Keep checking in and see what we're up to! Loves!

Just a reminder!

Since this week's principle is pondering - I do see the need for the first article that was originally posted. If you would like a copy of this article please comment on this post or send me an email and I will happily send you either the link or the article itself.

Happy pondering everyone!

Quick hello!

This week has been a rough one for me. Notwithstanding the spiritual experiences this week, I've also been pushed beyond my ability level quite a bit.

All three of my children have been sick this week and I mean sick! Fevers, coughing, yucky noses, sore throats, crankiness, over sensitivity, and huge discipline issues. It's been pretty tough on this mom.

I am okay for a little while or even a longer while with one kid, but a full week and a half with three miserable children? Wow, my weaknesses were very evident. I have a horrible time being indoors for more than three days. No matter the weather or the time, I always make sure I get out of the house. Not happening this week. The kids were so sick I couldn't even feel good about putting them in the van. No swing set to send the kids to when I need a little break; no preschool for Evelynn, no play dates, no fun activities, no church for two weeks in a row! It's been a really long experience for me.

I can't say I have been handling each day with that "enduring grace" we studied, but I've been trying awfully hard. When I can feel my patience evaporating I try really hard to breathe or leave the room for a few minutes instead of taking it out on sick little ones. They can't help it, they don't want to be sick anymore than I do. So we have watched a ton of cartoons (which I hate doing) and eaten what I could get them to eat (which involves lots of kid-friendly food), and they've slept a lot, but not always at the same time. It's been one of my tougher challenges.

I usually have Chris to help me out with these kinds of experiences, but that's been the hardest part. I can't get a break! I'm the only one who can parent, and care give, and do the things they need me to do. So it's me all the time. That's been hard. It's also pretty hard to find a babysitter for sick kids so I can go out and breathe. I did find a fantastic RS Pres to help me out, but I have dr. appts and meetings I can't miss, so I have a hard time asking for a free time sitting. No one wants to get sick themselves or take it home to their kids. So I've been praying a lot, and choosing to be happy when I don't feel I have anything happy left.

That's the way it goes sometimes. Now, I don't want anyone to take away from this a "poor Tamy" feeling. We all have our challenges. I don't feel that way, though it's a good day, so no one else should either. I will manage the way I always have and so will my beautiful children. We pray, we read our scriptures and like the "enduring" article taught, "we just endure to the end of today." Sometimes that's all we can do.

Plus, they can't stay sick forever and it looks like some one's fever might be gone for good - cross your fingers! I have, however, gotten their sick, so prayers and good thoughts are always welcome!

Hope you all have a great week and maybe next week's blog will be one of great rejoicing since we'll all hopefully be well and have picked up Daddy at the airport!

Week #7 - Dep/Mar Project

Well, we're almost there. For those of you counting this is week number seven of Chris' six weeks. It's the military. I expected it, didn't you?

Because I expected up to eight weeks, I was prepared with another letter for our project that would cover any "extra" time he might be spending deployed.

So, now it's tell time. How did this week go for those of you out there? Mine was quite the week. Excellence was a wonderful topic and I learned a lot. One of those lessons was that excellence is a process not an event. I can't say, "today I achieved excellence." But I will be able to say, "my life has been one in the pursuit of excellence." I learned from the companion article that excellence isn't going above and beyond by leaps and bounds in everything you do. Excellence is spending those extra few minutes to listen to a loved one or friend. It's planning and carrying through with a project even when you don't want to do it anymore. It's being patient just a bit longer than you had hoped. It's saying that extra prayer, doing a small act of service only you will notice, reading an extra chapter in your scriptures, saying yes to helping someone when you really want to say no. Excellence isn't a giant step, it's a lot of little ones that make up "going that extra mile". Not one person who talks about the extra mile ever gives a time limit on how long that mile might take. It might take a few minutes; it might take a few months. It might take your whole life to go that one extra mile. It's not how far you go or how long it takes you to get there, it's did you strive to do a little more every day.

Now, I won't say that I did this every day. I did keep it in my thoughts, and I worked hard to keep my steps small. I tend to only do things really big and then I'm too exhausted to do any more the rest of the time. So this challenged me. That's what it's supposed to do right? Doing things in moderation or a little a time are not my strengths, but that's what was asked of me this week. So, for example, I read in my scriptures until I felt like putting it down - allowed it to be as long as I wanted and didn't focus on being obedient to my goal, but to really just enjoy what I was reading. I flew through Alma and Helaman this week! I desired to read quite a bit more than my five chapters a night. The story was so good and the people's experiences so fascinating. I'm so glad that I didn't limit myself by specific constraints. I ended up reading over 15 chapters one night. That sounds great doesn't it? But what you don't understand is that because I allowed myself to just read until I was done instead of limiting myself, I didn't do any chores or projects that night. I allowed myself to strive for excellence in reading my scriptures, but it did have a price.

Staying to talk to a friend might mean we're excellent friends, but it might make us miss other things. It's important to keep things in a balance. Excellence doesn't require us to forgo our responsibilities or our other goals. It just asks us to squeeze in a little "extra". I don't regret that night I was excellent in the scriptures - it set my whole week off on a great footing. I was blessed later in the week to finish what I would have done earlier. I was blessed.

Well, I hope you learned some good lessons too!

Letter:

Well hello, I’m super excited to talk to you my amazing husband.

Bet you didn’t think you’d hear from me again, did you? Thought you were done, huh? Not quite!

Well here I am; ready and prepared. You know me, it’s not hard to imagine. So I looked at the calendar when I got your deployment date for leaving and I noticed that if we counted exactly 45 days it left us in the middle of the week. I also know that if the military actually sent you home the 46^th day, I would be very surprised. So, this letter covers the last topic or section of our project. We may get to do it, we may not. Either way, I am prepared and excited for this letter even though you may never read it during the deployment. If however, they keep you another week to two weeks you will still be joining me in our project uninterrupted.

Ponder

“Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.” – Proverbs 4:26

“Wherefore you are left to inquire for yourself at my hand, and ponder upon the things which you have received.” - D&C 30:3

As the bolded word indicates week 7/8 is to ponder. This is the time when we look back on what we’ve learned, studied, experienced, and how we’ve changed. This is one of those moments that are so rare in this world. You seem to be able to do it, but I need the practice. Some of the best lessons learned have not been when the teacher was talking or the student was writing, but when that student took it home and thought about it a bit, turning it around in his/her head until all sides had been observed and investigated. Not many students have the inclination nor the time and attention such pondering takes. We are going to be among those rare few for this one. During the next week – next two weeks – we will be those students who re-read, pray again, search again, and remember what has been during this adventure. I know that we will be blessed for taking the time and making the effort to follow through all the way to the end of this study. Sometimes the most important knowledge is just waiting in the details that are so easily overlooked. That’s why the scriptures need to be read again and again – we miss things all the time. Let’s not miss anything if we can help it!

So now you know – over preparing can be good sometimes! See, that’s why God gave us partners. You enjoy today, while I prepare for tomorrow. You need both to live the gospel and to live life happily. Aren’t we great together?!

Hugs, kisses, missing you every day! Kids say hi, of course and we are trying to be patient! See you soon.