What can I say...It seems when I try extra hard lately to make things...anything...work it most always falls apart! Do you think that Heavenly Father is trying to make something very clear to me? Maybe that He is in control...NOT ME?
Ed and I decided to take the kids to the Valley this weekend. Not really for anything in particular other than to see family for our "Monthly Family Dinner" (it just so happened to be Superbowl Weekend too!) At the last minute, Ed walked in the door and informed me that we were going to take the two baby, Belgians with us and put them in the auction in Lehi (after talking with a gentleman about the auction, Ed felt confident that he could get a reasonable price for them). So...off we went.
Ed and Wes spent most of the day at the auction...which was not in the plans before the silly idea came up...but, it was important for them to be there, and so they went. While they waited for their turn to show the horses, Hank, one of the babies, leaned over and bit Wes on the arm! Ha...he's Never done that before! It left quite the mark too! I wonder if he knew that he would probably never see us again, and so he had to leave just one last mark to remember him by! Anyhow, they showed the two horses and they did well...however, no one seemed to be in the market for these two animals...or any for that matter...because none of the draft horses sold for much. I know it broke Ed's heart watching something so dear to him sell for such a meager price. How hard it was to listen to his disappointed voice on the other end of the receiver after the sell took place.
We finished out the Saturday doing some grocery shopping (with a gift card that a friend gave to us...thanks Lana Lou), and visiting family.
Sunday we went to church with my parents...went home and packed up...drove to my little brothers house and watched the Superbowl...well actually, we didn't really have time to watch it, but we did enjoy visiting for a few hours. We loaded up again...this time we took my niece EmmaLee with us, and went to Ed's parents house for a few hours to say hello. Somehow in the process, I picked up my mother-in-laws purse and took it home with me...only I didn't notice until I pulled into our driveway, 3 hours later! Dang it! So much for my savvy spending that weekend...now I would have to drive back down to return it! Ugh!
Monday morning, I loaded all 7 kids back up, packed a picnic lunch and decided to make the best of the moment. My in-laws were gracious enough to meet me in Payson...half way...which I am very grateful for. I gave my mother-in-law her purse, and we hugged, and laughed because who would have ever guessed that her good taste in purses (she gave all of us girls, for Christmas this last year, the same purse) would have brought us to the "Giant" gas station, in Payson AZ, to meet only a few minutes because of our busy schedules? I felt so bad for the mix up.
After our brief meeting, I took the kids to a park I didn't even know existed until Monday. We fed the ducks and geese and ate what was left of the food we didn't feed to the birds! It was fun!
Then we decided to make our trip educational and headed to a few museums around the corner from the park. Only...our plan quickly changed when Winston fell head first off of a bike rack onto the pavement! It was a disturbing sound! Like a coconut falling from a tree! I knew it wasn't a good situation. With Wyndel strapped to me I dropped everything else and scooped him up leaving all of the other kids to fend for themselves. Wesley grabbed my phone (which I was using to take pictures of the kids the moment it happened), the other belongings and I guess all of the other kids and followed me into the little ranger station. They (those working at the ranger station) quickly called 911....there we were all of the kids and I with a few other strangers waiting for the EMT's to show up. Ugh...Wylee cried, and the others just sat there. I am sure it brought back a flood of emotions for each one of them. It did for me...I dreaded calling Ed to tell him because I was sure that he would be upset. Later, I heard Will Jaye telling Wyatt something along these lines..."I am glad that we went into that office before we saw the fire truck and the ambulance! It would have made me feel weird." He and Wylee were both here when Waylon's accident happened. So they saw all of the commotion that comes when accidents happen!
The EMT's did a thorough check and wanted to take him to the ER...I told them that I would follow them over, but that I would take him with me. The nurses at the ER gave us their biggest room with a TV and for the next two hours, all of the kids sat on the gurney and watched Sponge Bob...a show I really despise...but hey, it kept them quite. After a few x-rays, the doctor determined that he was just fine! He walked away with a 1in. goose egg on the side of his head and a scrap on the side of his little cheek.
I failed to add that earlier that morning, Wiston was sleep talking...I thought what he was saying was very cute. He had repeated himself more than once. "I be alright at the Temple"..."I be alright at the Temple MOM". Then when he woke up, he told me that he bonked his head at the Temple. Ok...I thought...and went about the rest of the morning. After he fell, those words quickly came flooding back to my thoughts. "I be alright at the Temple Mom." "I bonked my head at the temple". Ugh...really? I will admit, that those words frightened me a lot which is a large reason why I did seek for medical attention...and I am glad that I did....but I wonder too if his dream wasn't kind of a little...I don't know...maybe a warning of what would take place that day. Needless to say for Family Home Evening that night, we took the kids to see the Snowflake Temple...EmmaLee had never seen it before and so we thought that it might be kinda fun.
Why...why does the Lord allow these kinds of things to happen? I know these answers already! But, I can't help asking them sometimes.
I decided late last night that maybe I needed to redirect my thinking and instead of asking questions like "Why does the Lord allow things like this to happen"...maybe I should seek out and list what blessings have come from the trial.
Heaven knows my family has experienced many lately...but, with each trial I HAVE witnessed blessings...not always very big blessings...often they are small...but, I have witnessed them!
Monday...We witnessed a few...Winston's fall could have been so much worse. The hospital wasn't busy and we were in and out in a matter of a few hours...my kids got to watch Sponge Bob...something that I seldom ever let them do. Ed, although concerned, wasn't as upset as I thought he would be. We did get to enjoy a few hours just being together and being outside. But the best blessing of all was seeing my children's concern and love for their little brother.
Today...a new trial...
I went to pick up my laundry from the dry cleaners. Apparently it's been a little longer than I had thought since I originally dropped them off.
The gal that was working (she was new) informed me that they had donated my things because it took me too long to pick them up. I was devastated...one of the item was the sweater that I had worn to Waylon's funeral. (I know...it seems a little silly..but, it was important to me.) All I could do was cry! I haven't cried like that in soooooo long! I'm sure that Ed thought I was a nut to become so emotionally attached to something...especially a sweater...this sweater meant a lot to me though. As I replayed in my mind what I had dropped off to have cleaned...the sweater I wore to his funeral, a skirt that my mom bought for me after Waylon was born, and a black sweater that Ed's mom and I bought together, I became sick to my stomach. I DON'T become attached to THINGS very often...but, this set me off! I called my mom...of course...I call her for everything...good, bad, sad whatever! She just cried with me and gave me the good old motherly advise....but then she prayed extra hard for me that night! I know this because the next morning (after I had determined that the clothes were not worth crying over any more and that the clothes were just things) I called to check with the manager about their policy of donating clothing. She informed me that my clothes were indeed there and that the new girl had not looked very hard. Hooray I thought...and then I cried. I know the lady must have thought I was a little wacko too, but again, these were important to me. After I finished my phone call to the dry cleaners, I called my mother to let her know...she cried...I told her that I knew that she had prayed for me that night extra hard and she said..."I did".
Blessing from the trial...well I'd say that it's pretty obvious...The Lord knew how simple but how important these silly things were to me...more importantly...He knew to bless me with an outstanding mother who knew what I needed...and that was some extra prayers...not so much to have the items returned, but to help me put it all behind me and get up again! I love her so much! I love my Heavenly Father. I have a good mother to thank for teaching me that prayers are answered and that I have a Heavenly Father that loves me so much...even when I ask questions like...."Why does the Lord allow these kinds of things to happen?"
