SLACKER!

Sorry, I've been so busy...well, busy at first, and then just trying to find my brain after that. ;) I don't remember if I wrote about the Christmas concert...if I did, sorry, you can skip this part. I was the pianist for the ward Choir this year. (After not having a piano for the last 4 1/2 years...it had been about that long since I'd even played on a piano...so needless to say I was a little out of practice). Then they throw some Sally DeFord music at me (anyone who plays the piano will sympathize with me). We did "While Shepherds watched their flocks by night" (go look it up on defordmusic.com - seriously, I was like "AHHHHHHHH!") It was hard enough to begin with and when I finally started feeling like "yeah, I can do this"...she changes to 4 sharps...I just started laughing...you know, one of those..."yeah, this is NEVER going to happen" laughs. We did "Still, Still, Still" (I had never heard that song before, but I liked it). "Joseph (I was not His Father)" (from "The Forgotten Carols) - I LOVE that song. A really beautiful arrangement of "Silent Night" (go check it out at www.marknewmanmusic.com). Then a week before the program (as I'm fighting a losing battle not to lose my mind) I find out that they were expecting me to play the piano for their music as well. It all turned out well though. I'm glad that Heavenly Father doesn't get tired of listening to His children though. For about a month I felt like I was doing that thing that my kids do...the "Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom...." until you're just like "WHAT!?!?!?!?!?!?" I had been so nervous the first time I played for the choir, my hands were shaking and sweating. It's REALLY hard to play the piano like that. This time I was a nervous wreck before the program. But during the program I was surprisingly calm. I'm glad that Heavenly Father listens to things that are important to you at the time, but in all reality are of little consequence.

Then Christmas with the family. It was so GREAT! (Of course it didn't last anywhere NEAR long enough). Which reminds me. Ranee' tell DJ I still want a copy of that song he wrote alright? That's your job for today. :) It never ceases to amaze me how year after year after year people can get us the perfect gifts. Especially loved the gifts from my Grandparents. Home-made Apple Sauce and Salsa and bags of Potato Pearls (don't know who invented those, but they should get a prize of some sort) and kitchen utensils. And Grandma took the money that she would have spent on our presents and gave it to (sorry, I don't know the name of the charity) a charity that uses it to buy goats and chickens and other things that people need (really need...not need like we need a new computer or phone or whatever). What better gift than that? A gift that shows the true meaning of Christmas and there are no flashing lights and ringing bells and batteries to replace. If you really think about it...name the presents that you got from 5 different people...any 5. Chances are you can't.

And I just wanted to share a few of the thoughts that I heard today.

Resolutions...have you made any? (And don't give that lame excuse "I don't make them because I never keep them") write them down. I saw a cute idea of someone scrapbooking their resolutions. First page, they make a list of 10 resolutions (or you could do more or less depending on how motivated you are) then take a picture of you completing that resolution then journal it.

You can see evil all around us, turn on the news...it there...go almost anywhere...it's there. All it takes is to open the pages of the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Ensign, the Friend, or the New Era to remind us that we are here for a purpose.

Every night before you go to bed write how you've seen the Lord's hand in your life today.

This touched me. There was a brother who stood up to bear his testimony today...the only problem was he only speaks Spanish and most of the ward only speaks English. He got up to the microphone and stated that he needed help (that's all I understood). Then another brother from our ward started to translate for him (even though he had not done any type of translation in the last 15 years or so). The first brother wanted his testimony to be understood, so the other brother wanted to help. I thought it was sweet.

And my favorite thing that I heard today, was actually from a young woman (in her teens). She said that she noticed as she walked around the school that people weren't happy. And when you look at the people that are...they are the ones that KNOW. They know why they are here, who they are and where they are going. Then she said (and I quote)

"THERE'S NO EXCUSE NOT TO BE HAPPY"

Company Party

We didn't think that we were going to get to go to our company party since they had decided to put the Ward Christmas party on the same day...although we didn't find out about it until after we had RSVP'd to the company party. Since all the people we know are either in our ward or at Jon's work...we didn't know if we could find a babysitter. Many thanks to Heidi who took the boys to the party and then to her house until the middle of the night :) Disclaimer: the events are going to be in chronological order...I'm not trying to be disrespectful or anything.

We got to the party late but it was alright Nannett saved us a seat (Yeah again! I HATE sitting by people from Jon's work that I don't know and don't have anything to talk about), so I was very glad to see her and her hubby there with a bunch of their friends. We started off with crab legs (I don't think I've ever had REAL ones before...they were very fishy, but good) and then I got brave enough to eat an oyster...it was interesting. I was getting a little worried that my mouth wasn't going to let me swallow it though, it was quite slimy." :P Then not long after we started eating the salad someone started yelling "Who has a phone?!?!?! Someone get a phone!!! Find a phone!!!!" So (obviously) we turned around to see what the problem was. Apparently a guy at the table next to us (She was yelling he's choking...I don't know if he had a heart attack? Maybe a stoke? And they just thought for a minute that he was choking) almost died (he actually might have for a minute, I don't know) but he was VERY white and not responding. Thankfully Jon's company employs people who are also trained EMS/Nurses...one of whom was sitting at our table, so they were able to get there immediately. The paramedics were still called and took him to the hospital. They started losing his pulse again. I felt very sorry for his wife who was sitting next to him. I said a silent prayer for the both of them. Then (seeing as how I'm related to my Mom and sudden adrenaline rushes make me break out in hives) I broke out in hives...just after I ate some crab and the oyster so everyone thought that I was allergic to seafood. Jon kept asking me if my throat was closing off. He kept watching me even after I explained to him that it was just the adrenaline...he's cute that way.

Then we finished our meal of prime rib (real tasty, you could have cut it with a butter knife it was so tender). Then a dessert that was delicious! But so rich that even I couldn't finish it. They had a Wii tournament that Jon entered. They did the Mario Kart racing and the Wii Sports shooting. Jon won (yeah, maybe a little pride in that sentence) lol. He won a Wii, some controllers and the Wii Sports game. (So I guess the money we had to pay to go there was worth it. Then we went to get our VERY tired boys who slept WONDERFULLY all night long. :)

Topher Says

Jon was sick today, so he stayed home. I have to play for choir, so I had to take Topher with me. I started playing the introduction of a song and I was almost to the part where the song starts when Topher looks at the choir in a loud voice says "HEY! YOU GUYS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE SINGING!" Everyone was laughing so hard that they couldn't come in when they were supposed to so we had to start over. lol :)

And in order to convince Topher that I needed to play by myself, without his help, I had told him that I need to play so that the choir knows what they are supposed to sing. A part in one of our songs is a capella. When we got to that part Chris (in a panic-y voice) says "Mom, you have to play the piano, they won't know what to sing."

Thanksgiving Weekend

I had so much fun this weekend. Although it was much too short; it seemed that we had to leave almost the moment we got there. Everyone but Brian and his family was there...and Grandma and Grandpa Savage and Leeann. Thanksgiving just isn't the same without going to Grandma Savage's and then running to Grandma Allred's and just plain eating too much pie...and everything else.

The boys had a lot of fun getting to play with their cousins. Topher had been telling Jon ALL the way (the ENTIRE 5 1/2 HOURS) to "go faster because we need to go see Grandma (or Grandpa depending on who he'd been thinking of most recently)" Then we got there and he practically jumped out of the van while it was moving. He was so happy. Then when he found out that Sam (his cousin) was there...he thought he was in heaven.

We went to "Black Friday" (I so look forward to that every year...family...shopping...great deals...it's GREAT!) I went (mostly) to get a laptop and a camcorder. After we got there we found out that they started handing out the electronics at midnight (they aren't supposed to give them out until 5 am). And their defense was "but they still can't check out until five" I was ticked because basically, all of the laptops and cameras were gone before we even got up at 3 in the morning." I still had fun, and they still had the cameras online so I got one of those anyway.

We didn't get to see the Egeland side of the family for very long. Because we had to get back on Sat. so that I could be to church in time to go play the piano in sacrament meeting. (We had been planning on spending another night, so we could spend at least one night with Jon's family). So we only got to spend like 5 hours or so with them. Then we went back to my family's house. After we woke up I started packing, just as we were getting ready to leave I got a call saying that I didn't need to play in sacrament meeting. So we were debating whether we were going to stay (which meant unpacking almost everything, and then packing again tomorrow) or if we were just going to go home (which means staying one less day with family). Well we figured that we had already told everyone goodbye and I didn't feel like unpacking and then packing again. I was a little disappointed, but it's real nice to be home, and now we don't need to rush home for church 'cause we're already there.

And that's our Thanksgiving vacation in a nutshell, we all had a LOT of fun.

December Ensign

Any of you that have gotten the Dec. Ensign yet (or when you eventually do) I would REALLY suggest the "Home for Christmas" article on pg. 5 by President Henry B. Eyring. It was a really good read. President Eyring told of his childhood and how he was always grateful to go home because he knew the kind of welcome that waited for him when he entered the doors. Then he told that the house he grew up in is still there "A few years ago I went back and knocked on the door. Strangers answered. They allowed me to step into the rooms where the radio had been and where our family had gathered around the Christmas tree.

" I realized then that the desire of my heart was not about being in a house. It was about being with my family, and it was a desire to feel enveloped in the love and the Light of Christ, even more than our little family had felt in the home of my childhood." He then relates that feeling to the way we feel (or should feel) about returning "Home" to our Heavenly Father. "The feeling and longing for home is born into us. That wonderful dream cannot become real without great faith - enough for the Holy Ghost to lead us to repentance, baptism, and the making and keeping of sacred covenants with God. Then he talked not only about the forgiveness that comes through the atonement but also the need for us to forgive others in order for us to be able to be forgiven.

My favorite part in this talk, though, was when he asked if you have ever had the impression to help someone only to find that what you were inspired to give was exactly what someone needed at that very moment. "That is a wonderful assurance that God knows all of our needs and counts on us to fill the needs of others around us." And my favorite line from this talk "God sends those messages to us with more confidence at Christmastime, knowing that we will respond because our hears are more sensitive to the Savior's example and to the words of His servants."

There's A LOT more in that talk, but you can read it for yourself if you have the Ensign...if not you can always go to lds.org and look under "magazines" then under "Ensign" and you can read it there.

I was also grateful for "The Power and Protection of Worthy Music". I have been called as the Relief Society Chorister and they have us doing special things during the "Practice Music" portion of the class. I have been looking EVERYWHERE for something that I could do, but I haven't found anything. There were TONS of things for leading the music in Primary, but nothing for R.S. and this was just what I had been looking for. (It's good to read even if you aren't the chorister.) I was going to write a little about each story that I found, but now I realize that if I did that this post would be REALLY LONG! I would just suggest reading your Dec. Ensign, there are just WAY too many good stories in it.

Happy Birthday Ethan!!!

Ethan's birthday was the other day. He's is growing up so BIG! He has to do EVERYTHING that Topher does...he loves his big brother, and his big brother loves to spend time with him. Ethan is getting better with Justin (most days...he still has his days that he forgets that Justin can't wrestle like he and Topher do). I just have to keep an eye on him to make sure that he is playing nice.

I love to have Ethan as part of our family. He keeps me laughing all the time. He has the most contagious laugh. He reminds me of David when he was a baby. ;) He was so excited about his Elmo cake. I might post a picture if I remember. He ate a lot of the cake...and cake isn't his favorite thing, he rarely will eat cake...but he was so happy that it was Elmo that he just kept eating for as long as I let him. We were in the store on his birthday (I always seem to lose my cake tips when it's someone's birthday, so we had to go buy some...don't worry I will find it in a day or two when I don't need it I'm sure) ;) and there was a lady that was talking to the boys. Ethan has gotten REALLY friendly since Justin was born...he has to say "hi" to EVERYONE as we pass them in the store, I think it's cute. Anywho, she asked how old the boys were and Topher said "I'm three!" and Ethan said "I'm ONE!" Topher started yelling at Ethan saying, "NO YOU'RE NOT! IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY! NOW YOU ARE TWO!" And Ethan was arguing that he was only one...it was funny. Then she asked if they were twins...I get that alot, I guess Ethan is just big for his age. I thought it was a funny time to ask right after Topher said he was three and Ethan was two, but I guess she didn't catch that part. ;)

I am so grateful that Heavenly Father sent Ethan to be a part of our family. He's one of the blessings of mercy, I think, because I know I never did anything so good that I had a blessing like him coming to me.

Here and there

I have only been slacking on the blogging because nothing too much has been going on (I know I shouldn't say that because every time I do someone ends up getting a concussion or breaking something or we have to move...and I don't want any of those things to happen). I am SOOOOOO excited! Jon and I get to go dancing this week (Thank you SOOOOOOO SOOOOOOOOO SOOOOOOOOO much to Ross and his Wife for offering to babysit - yeah!) I hope they know what they are getting themselves into. ;) Jon has still been doing his Karate (hasn't broken, fractured or bruised any bones lately - so yeah!) One of the sisters from my ward was talking to me about that. She said that she had been thinking about doing karate just for the exercise, I told her I had thought about doing the same thing...until I saw Jon come home with repeated injuries. I told her everything that he'd hurt and she was like "Yeah, maybe I'd better think twice about that." Then when she found out that all those injuries were just since we moved here. She decided not to do it. She thought those had been all his injuries since he started (that was like Jr. High or something like that). It's definitely not for the faint of heart. ;) He's thinking about doing a tournament up in MT (I don't remember when, it's like this summer or next...something like that). If he goes we are going with him (to MT), I want to support him and go see what he does...but on the other hand I think ignorance might be the better option in this situation.

Christopher is going to have his first primary program on Sunday. I'm excited for that. I hope that he doesn't get scared up in front of all those people. He got a screening today (eyes, hearing, general knowledge) he had a lot of fun with that. He got to go and play with a bunch of kids (there were a few kids from our ward who were there that he and Ethan knew...and some they didn't). They both LOVED it. After about an hour though Ethan started getting a little "clingy". Then we went to the park. There was this one park that was his absolute favorite, and then the City tore down "the big slide" he's been distraught over that for about a month now. Every time he talks about the park he hangs his head and gets this real sad look on his face and says "But the took the big slide down." So we went past there today because he wanted to see "where the big slide used to be". They've put up new things with an even bigger slide. They had all behaved real well while we were at the CDC so I told them we could go play. After we got out I realized that there were no stairs to the top of the slide...just that netting stuff. (I need to get a picture of the slide so you can truly know my horror when I realized that.) But Topher, being his Daddy's little boy who's not afraid of anything, decided to try. He made it fine...I almost had a heart attack in the process, but he seemed to have fun.

Ethan is in the "Look at me! Look at me!" stage. Some days he's certain that we've forgotten he exists, and others he's fine just playing by himself. He has to try everything Topher does...today at the park all I have to say is "Thank you Grandma Savage for passing on your fear of heights to him" Ethan got up further than I thought he would, but then his fear of heights over came him and he came down. He had a lot of fun getting to play with all the kids today too. He was a little bummed that the lady wouldn't put stuff in his ears (checking the hearing). But we are taking Ethan and Justin next month to get them checked.

Justin is getting his legs under him. He's doing quite well actually, he's so close. It makes me frustrated because I know how close he is, and he wants so badly to move like his brothers. They will crawl around him and say "Justin! Do like this!" Then they get frustrated because he won't. I've tried to explain to them that he CAN'T, but they just don't understand. "It's so simple, we are showing him how, so he should just be able to do it." I love children's logic. ;)

And I am surviving. That's always a good thing. I was laughing because everyone was envious of how much Stampin' Up! stuff I have. They all said that hands down I had the most out of anyone in the ward. I was just thinking that if I were back in Butte I'd still be one of the people with the least. It just made me laugh. I played the piano for the choir for the first time a few weeks ago in Sacrament Meeting. I couldn't get my hands to stop shaking. It's really hard to play the piano that way. And in less than a month we have our Christmas Meeting. We (the choir) are doing the whole thing, so I will be up there the entire time. I'm nervous about that. When I first got up to play the piano for our Thanksgiving song Ethan did the "HI MOM!" thing, that helped calm my nerves a little knowing that my boys were there. Then just as I finished playing I started coming down the isle to go sit with my family and Topher came running down the isle yelling "MOM! YOU PLAYED GREAT!!!" I love my cheering section...everyone should have one. ;)