Christmas and The Little Red-Haired Girl

Looking through my parent’s photo albums is one of my favorite things to do when I visit them. I always go back to the one album that has a very specific Christmas. I believe it was in 1980 when I was 6 years old and my little sister, Jenny was almost 5.

On the eve of Christmas, Santa happened to make a surprise visit to our home in the middle of dinner. You can probably tell how excited we were just by thinking about two little girls hearing sleigh bells and a loud "HO! HO! HO!" coming from the next room. We tried to dash to the living room but our mom told us we couldn't until we finished our dinner. That night's dinner, however, was not very appealing to the two of us. When I think about it now I am thankful we even had a dinner but at the time fish sticks were not very appetizing. We weren't to leave the table until our plates were clean. Jenny and I held out...so long that my mother (who in her heart really didn't want us to miss a visit with Santa) finally released us.

Rushing into the living room and seeing Santa sitting in my dad's recliner and his elf standing over his shoulder, I thought they looked an awful lot like our Uncle Charlie and his son. I asked mom is she saw the resemblance and she said no. Santa was asking Jenny what she wanted for Christmas and after talking with her he handed her a candy cane and set her off his lap. He motioned for me to come forward and I jumped up. With the bellowing "Ho, Ho, Ho" he asked me what I wanted as well. I can't remember what I said but I do remember getting the candy cane, too.

That night we were all sound asleep. At least some of us were. Around two o'clock in the morning, our brother, Ray, sisters Jane and Wendy came into our room and tried waking us both up quietly. Telling us to shush and not to wake up mom and dad, they had us leave our warm beds to go and spy on what Santa had left us!

With flashlights in their hands we followed them down the hall to the tree. It was like going into a bank vault to see the many bars of gold. Our eyes were huge as the lights gazed upon the filled everyday socks we used as stockings hanging on the window stool and then to the presents that piled beneath the tree. We must have been really good that year. With nine kids, seven of which still lived at home, there were so many. Jenny and I didn't know where to look first. We saw Jane shake one of the gifts and then we heard Ray make a noise. It was then were heard the ominous voice of my mother:

"GET IN THOSE BEDS!"

We were back to our beds faster than you can say "Dash away all!" Jenny and I were under our blankets thinking we were in so much trouble! After about fifteen minutes, our siblings ventured up from their basement bedrooms again and told us to come with them. I told them I didn't want to go because if we got caught again we might get the wooden spoon! They convinced me otherwise and again we all ventured stealthily into the living room.

They started to shine their lights on other parts of the room where there set four GIANT boxes! We all looked around them for name tags and could only see one: Wendy. I guess we would have to wait until Christmas morning. Just then, one of them made another noise and there was my mother's voice again:

"I SAID GET IN THOSE BEDS!"

That was it. The tone in her voice said she meant business. After that we all never left our beds for the rest of the night.

Hours later, morning arrived and all of us one by one ventured into the living room. The ONLY thing we were allowed to touch was our stockings. Inside the usual fare of candy, toothbrushes and doodads filled them almost to the top. We all wore knee socks so there was a lot to fill. It wasn't until mom had her two cups of coffee and put on her Santa hat that it was time for presents. She would sit near the tree, take a present and call out the name of whose it was. She would either hand it off to the person, the person would go and get it or she would toss it over to them. That year there were a lot to get through. 

We all had fun and used a giant black trash bag for all of the wrapping paper. The four huge boxes still remained. And for those boxes Dad wanted to be the one to hand those out. Dad called out Wendy's name first and she opened it up and it was a brand new state of the art stereo from Sears. It had a record player, AM/FM radio and cassette deck. She was so excited! Ray was called next and he revealed the same thing. Jane opened her box and, of course, the same exact stereo system was inside. But who was the last box for? There was no name on it.

Many years before, our sister Audrey had made a best friend of a young redheaded girl who lived a few streets away. Ever since, Trish has been a part of our family as well as her siblings. She came by for dinner usually on Mondays. Every Monday was spaghetti night and my mother made a huge metal bowl of it. I remember her taking a massive knife and cutting through the pile of it so it was cut into quarters. It was easier to serve and eat that way. Every now and then Trish would be wearing a white blouse and, inevitably, spaghetti would find its way onto it. They teased her about it but it was done with love. They would tell her “Don’t wear white on Mondays!” Trish was sweet and fun and we all loved her. Still do.

That Christmas morning, our mother called her house and asked her to come over. Trish came by and, being the very polite person she was, said “Merry Christmas, Mr. and Mrs. Everlith!” She still greets them the same way. I think my parents thought it was always good to have another kid in the house especially when they were as nice as Trish.

When we were all gathered in the living room my father explained to her that Santa had left one of her presents at our house. It was the last big box. She was so surprised she didn’t know what to say. We all knew what was in it and I remember Jenny and myself giggling because we knew she would love it. Santa had thought of everything!

She ripped the paper and opened the top of the box to reveal the brand new stereo. She had no words. It may have been thirty-nine years ago but I still remember her happy tears. She gave a big hug to our mom and dad and kept saying “thank you”. Audrey says she thinks they carried the stereo all the way back to her house on foot. 

I remember us many times not having a lot but I never remember a time when I ever wanted for anything. My parents taught me at a young age three very important lessons: to be thankful for what I had, never be too proud to ask for help when needed and to give back when I could. Those are lessons that I have never forgotten and all of us have never forgotten that Christmas day.

An Easy, Tasty Family Meal

Take it from this married mom of three: Anything that can make your life a little easier is worth trying.

 

There are plenty of websites that show you simple crockpot meals or one bake dishes that can feed the family but not all of them come out as good as the pictures. I am one of those people that follow everything to a T. If you say to put it in the oven for 30 minutes at 375 degrees… I put it in for 30 minutes at 375 degrees. If you want eggs boiled for 20 minutes…I’m going to do it because that’s what the directions say. I’m not very good at adjusting when things don’t work out right.

 

I have checked my oven with thermometers and everything is the way it should be. So when I see a recipe that looks delicious I, of course, would love to try it. But do I dare?

 

I did with this recipe.

 

My kids are very hesitant to eat anything new. My youngest son said he didn’t like pork chops. In my house, they eat what’s put on the table. It’s the way I was raised and how I am raising them, too. You’d be surprised on how many things they have come to like. All they needed to do was give it a chance.

 

This recipe I found on a page called The Salty Marshmallow. The pictures looked delicious and I, personally, love pork chops. The recipe is below. You can also CLICK HERE for the recipe on the website. The recipe goes as follows:

1 pound pork chops, bone in and out
1 envelope of ranch dressing mix
½ tsp garlic powder
½ teaspoon pepper
1 envelope brown gravy mix
1 10 ½ ounce can of cream of chicken soup
1 ½ cups beef broth
2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp water
 

Instructions:

Season both sides of the pork chops with ranch dressing mix, garlic powder and pepper


In a large slow cooker, whisk together the brown gravy mix, cream of chicken soup and beef broth


Add the seasoned pork chops to the slow cooker


Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 3-4 hours


Remove the pork chops carefully from the slow cooker onto a plate


In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and water. Whisk the cornstarch mixture into the crockpot to thicken the gravy


Serve over mashed potatoes or rice and garnish with parsley if desired

This is a recipe that comes out exactly like it is supposed to. Juicy, delicious and liked by all in our household. It’s nice to hear "Are you making pork chops tonight?" and when you answer yes…they smile.

 

 

 

 

Our Trip To Dallas

Friday, October 4th

I was up at 3:30 am to be to work for 4:15. I wanted to make sure I minimized the number of vacation hours I used. I figured if I worked most of the day I could be out around noon and have plenty of time to pack for our trip.

Chad went to work for a meeting and then was sent to the Lewiston Marden’s location. They were originally going to send him to Sanford but he reminded them that he needed to be out by noon. They then suggested Ellsworth but that would have caused the same problem. So Lewiston it was!

At the suggestion of a coworker, I called Key Bank and CPort Credit Union to let them know of our travel plans. I didn’t want any problems on our trip. 

We both arrived home and packed 1 piece of luggage. We travel pretty light. We left for the airport, dropped off Jayden and Brad at their mom’s in Auburn and headed to Portland. We took the exit for the Portland International Jetport and were waiting at a red light. While talking, a grey Dodge Infinity rammed into us. One minute from the airport and, because of our luck, we were rear ended. Chad pulled to the side and the old man did, too. They had slammed into our trailer hitch and had a huge hole in their front bumper. There was no damage to our truck and the man said “Okay, you’re fine.” He got in his car and left with his elderly wife. Like, sped away as fast as they could. Chad got back in the truck and asked if I was okay. My neck was a little sore but we had a plane to catch. 

We checked in and went through TSA with no problems. The woman doing the scanning had Chad pull up his pants. They weren’t sagging at all but she made him do it anyway. I told him it was because he had a nice butt!

We only waited to board about 15 minutes. We were in the last row of the plane. Chad said it was a good thing because no one could kick the backs of our seats. I offered him the window seat but he declined. He was a gentleman to let me have it.

The take off and traveling were good. Very little turbulence. We landed in Washington DC 20 minutes ahead of schedule. We took a tram from Terminal B to Terminal C. We ate at a restaurant that served Greek food. The salad I had included the most delicious chicken I’ve ever tasted! I gave Chad a few pieces because I had so much.

Our flight from Washington to Dallas started out great thanks to our flight attendant. I asked how many rows were on the plane and she said 30. I looked at our tickets and told Chad we were next to last. She said “Wait! I know you! Sharon and Chad Hood. Let me give you row 18. The entire row is vacant. This way you won’t be the last people off the plane.” So we had the row to ourselves. We were able to sleep and when the attendant woke us, we were informed that we would arrive another 20 minutes early.

We found our luggage in the baggage claim and promptly called for an Uber. We were met by Joseph in a very clean silver Prius. He loaded our bags in the back, open doors for us and we were on our way. 

Turns out driving for Uber is his full time job. He takes home around $700 weekly while only working around 26 hours. To bring home $1000, he would have to work around 50 hours. He was very talkative and fun to have as our driver.

We arrived at Microtel Inn in Arlington. Let’s just say the people behind the front desk smelled like they were smoking something and our room didn’t look exactly what was pictured. We were kind of disappointed but it was clean, paid for and ready for us to sleep. Beggars can’t be choosers. 

 

Saturday, October 5

We woke up at 9 Central Standard Time. After showering we found that the continental breakfast, again, wasn’t what was pictured on the booking website. Chad remembered there was a restaurant around the corner. Turned out it was a Denny’s! We were seated and served by a wonderful lady. I complimented her on her hair. It was very pretty. We then sat outside and figured out what we wanted to do. We decided to spend the day in Dallas. We started at the Dallas Zoo. We requested an Uber and within 4 minutes our ride arrived.

Kenneth was our driver and from Texas. His full time job was the owner of a restaurant in the  airport. We told him if we were in his terminal, we would eat there. He also told us that the Fort Worth Zoo was better than the Dallas Zoo. We had heard that from the driver the night before as well but we were going to be spending the day there anyway.

The zoo wasn’t expensive. The exhibits were great! We saw everything from scarlet McCaws, cheetahs, elephants, warthogs, gorillas and giraffes. We were hungry so we decided to eat at one of their restaurants. The BBQ place was charging $7.49 for 1 hot dog. I saw they had a BBQ meal for $18.49. It came with 2 kinds of meat and 2 sides. We already had Gatorades so we didn’t have to purchase drinks. 

From the zoo we took a quick Uber to Perot Museum of Nature and Science. We saw a 3D movie called Wild Africa. It was very interesting. That is also where we bought Anderson and Jayden their gifts. 

We then walked to visit The Sixth Floor Museum. Unfortunately, the next tour was 4:30pm and we were unable to take it because our reservations for dinner were at 5. So we went to the Grassy Knoll and viewed the site of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. I can understand taking pictures but when a woman decided to walk into the middle of the street, laugh and smile and laugh and pose silly for a picture...it was not well done. She could have just stood there.

We then Ubered to Medieval Times. We were picked up and dropped off by a young lady. She was very nice. We went to the convenience store next door because our hotel room was not well stocked with toiletries. We picked up shampoo, conditioner, bodywash, a comb (because I forgot my hairbrush) and a few other things. When we went back to Medieval Times we checked in and were assigned the Red Knight. We had our picture taken with Excalibur and were seated into dinner. 

The dinner was great. It was the same delicious tomato bisque, baked chicken, potato and corn on the cob. There was ice cream for dessert. Each theater we have attended has never disappointed. The show is different each time. The acting and combat was very good. Our knight lost again but it was still exciting. The horse show was wonderful as well. 

We went back to the hotel to rest up for the next day. We Ubered for a ride and my Key Bank card was declined so I used my Cport Credit Union card instead. During the ride I called Key Bank and they released the hold. I told them I had called the day before and there should be notes on our account saying we were traveling. I did it to make sure something like this wouldn’t happen. Apparently no one was paying attention. We can’t stand Key Bank. Yes, I’m grateful for theft protection but that was stupid. 

Eliud Njubi was our driver. He was so interesting. He is originally from Kenya and came to the United States on a scholarship to TCU when he was 18. He was a runner and a coach. I looked him up online and it turns out he was a 2-time South Central Region Cross Country Champion! I told him Anderson wanted to become a better runner and he told me to tell him to not run on his heels but to run on his toes. He also said for him to join cross country because it will definitely help him. Eliud became a US citizen 2 years ago. He sends money back to his mom in Africa to help pay her bills. He was so pleasant to talk to and you can tell he loves people. 

Sunday, October 6th

IT’S MY BIRTHDAY! I woke up around 5:30. I had missed General Conference from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints the day before because we were off exploring. As I started listening to the Saturday afternoon session while Chad was sleeping I was floored. The talk by Elder Bednar shocked me. It went right along with a certain event that happened to us yesterday at the zoo.

While we were there we observed other people. People watching is fun. There was a man who was with a woman and it was obvious he was trying to impress her by the things he was saying. As we walked by the cheetah enclosure we could hear him say “Did you know cheetahs are fast. He could jump from that rock and clear that fence if he wanted to.” We looked at each other and I, personally, thought it was cute. They must have just started dating and it really sounded like they were on one of their first dates.

What I didn’t know is at the exact time that exchange between the couple happened, General Conference was going on. At that very instant, Elder Bednar was referencing a talk by President Packer from 1976 about observing the predatory habits of wild animals and how we can learn from them. He went on to mention how he and his wife, Susan, were in Africa on a trip years later and they were able to observe a pair of cheetahs as they were hunting topis as their next meal. One of his first sentences was “Cheetahs are the fastest land animals on Earth.” 

How could that be? Was it coincidence? I don’t think so. Chad and I never go anywhere and we had decided last minute to visit the zoo. I, personally, truly believe God was sending us a message. Elder Bednar’s remarks told of the 3 lessons he had learned from their excursion: Beware of evil’s challenging deguises, stay awake and be alert and understand the intent of the enemy. 

We woke up late and I had asked Chad to please watch the 15 minute video with me. It would mean so much for my birthday if he did. We watched it together and when Elder Bednar said that the 2 cheetahs were 100 yards apart I paused the video. I told him 100 yards: that’s the same distance as a football field. There is no way that hearing that number, those particular animals and that talk being given on that very same instance we were visiting the zoo was coincidence. When we finished watching the video I told Chad that I know God loves me and him and was personally watching out for us. He knew we were taking that trip and He wanted us to know that we were loved. I really think it was a sign. I hugged him tight and thanked Chad for that gift to me. 

We left the hotel and had breakfast at Denny’s again. We both ordered the same thing.  We walked back to the hotel and Ubered for a driver to take us to AT&T Stadium. I was told that if we get there early we had a chance of getting front row in the standing room only sections. 

The man who picked us up was a married father of 3 boys who were ages 7,8 and 9. His wife, who is an architect, hates sports so on Sundays after church, like today, he drives for Uber and gets to listen to the games. He also has a go-to playlist. His favorite artist is Mandisa who was a contestant on American Idol years ago. She has had a very successful gospel career.  Her song ‘Overcomer’ was the title track to the movie I took Anderson and Jayden to see just a few days before the trip.

We arrived at the stadium. It was so big! Two women walking by asked if we wanted them to take our picture for us. We sure did appreciate it. We went inside the gate but couldn’t go in just yet as it was only 12:30. We went to the Pro Shop tables and found a couple of Cowboys shirts to buy, something for Brad and a hat for me. When we approached the counter I asked the lady behind it if there was a discount for my birthday. She laughed and said “There sure is!” Chad and I thought she was joking but she wasn’t! She gave us a discount and I got my hat for free!

At 1pm the doors opened and we hustled up the four flights of stairs and found a spot at the Standing Room Only right up front! We had to stand for 2 hours before the game started. I will tell you, the view was spectacular! On our left was a man and his son from Ohio who were there for their first game as well. 

We saw 100 high school football players holding the giant flag on the field as the official trumpeter played the National Anthem. Also in attendance was former President George Bush and his wife Laura. We found out the next day that Ellen DeGeneres was there sitting right next to them! How cool is that?  It was pretty exciting! We left at halftime because the game was so lopsided and our legs started to ache. We walked to Taco Bell for a bite and had a very unsettling experience.

While we were finishing up our meal, behind me Chad saw a young man come through the door. The young man looked at him. He smiled strangely at Chad and Chad noticed that he lifted up his shirt a little and he could see a gun. The young man made a slow circle inside the restaurant, smiled strangely at him again and left. Chad said we need to leave now. I had no idea what was going on. We quickly threw our trash away and went outside to wait for our ride. When he told me I was definitely shaken up. We hurried into our Uber and went back to the hotel. 

We watched the rest of the game on the TV and saw the end. A disappointing loss for Dallas but we loved going there. We ordered pizza and breadsticks from Peter Piper’s Pizza which was directly across the street. When he came back from picking it up he said “I just had the weirdest experience.” He told me how when he arrived he was waiting and looking around. The place was kind of like a Chuck E Cheese with games and such. He could hear the 3 employees behind the counter saying “Do you have that order for Chad? See that guy over there? If anyone looks like a Chad it’s that guy. Yeah, he’s definitely a Chad.” He was, like, I can hear you, you know. It was just weird.

Monday, October 7

That night, neither of us slept well. There were people outside the hotel still tailgating but we fell asleep and kept waking up. I think it was just our subconscious minds telling us it was Monday morning and we both had to go to work. We got up at 6:15 and tried to Uber to the airport. The sad part was both of my debit cards were declined due to suspicious activity. I had called Key Bank and CPort Credit Union and told them on Friday what was happening and not to lock our cards. My Key Bank one locked up Saturday and now this!  Both of my cards were locked. Luckily we had an emergency credit card with us and were able to get to the airport. I called Key Bank AGAIN and they did the same thing. I told Chad I would call CPort Tuesday. I didn’t want to deal with that again that day.

Tiffany was our driver and, unfortunately, we hit the traffic heading into the big city. We made it to the airport an hour before our flight! We went to the ticket counter and and got our boarding passes. We stood in line only to get to the front where an old man shook his head and quietly said “Uh uh, you’re in the wrong line.” He handed us back our tickets and we turned around and got into the other line that was extremely slow moving. 

We finally made it to the TSA guy and I went right through. They wouldn’t let Chad come through. They were watching a guy who refused to remove his shoes. By the time Chad got through, my shoes were on and I had everything waiting for him when he caught up with me. They were holding other people’s luggage and looking through it. Glad it wasn’t ours. Of course, we had nothing to hide anyway.

We made it to the terminal and are immediately swept through the gate. The American Airlines plane was VERY roomy! For Chad to have leg room...that’s saying something. Each seat had its own TV monitor and they passed out complimentary headphones. We decided to watch a movie together: Date Night. It was pretty funny! 

During the flight, the attendants came around to administer they obligatory cookies and drink. The young man asked me what I wanted and I said a ginger ale. He looked at Chad and he asked for a Pepsi. The young man snottily replied “If you want Pepsi, you’re on the wrong airline.” And that’s ALL he said! He just stood there.  Chad was speechless. He spoke up and said “Then can I have a Coke, please?” The man poured the drink, handed it to ME and went on his way. Never even looked at him.

The rudest individual I have ever met.

Chad was like “What was that all about?” I told him I had no idea. Why does he seem to get all the weird things happening to him? 

The flight was extremely bumpy and I started to feel sick as we were coming into LaGuardia. It never fails. Each time I land here I get so sick. Luckily, I was able to keep it together but it was close. Pretty sad when I feel around the pocket of the seat in front of me just to make sure I knew where the sickness bag was.

After we disembarked, we needed to get to the next terminal. We had 2 options: Go through security or wait for a bus. We stood in line for a bus. The little old lady in front of us was very upset about having to wait. She kept complaining and the airline associate did her best to assure her it was on the way. It eventually arrived and we all got on. Chad jokingly said “Watch, we’re going to 20 feet and be there.” Sure enough we went about 100 feet and we had arrived! We laughed!

The inside Terminal B of LaGuardia is absolutely disgusting. No restaurants, dirty bathrooms and the floors...oh please, someone get a rug cleaner because I’d do them myself!  We wound up eating ready made sandwiches that you could tell had been there a while. 2 hours later we boarded the tiny plane. It wasn’t full so we were able to get seats together. I messaged Anderson that he could see where we were with our shared locations on his phone. He said he would watch. I had my phone on airplane mode and he watched our path to Portland. 

We safely landed in Portland on a rainy evening. We were home. We booked it to the baggage claim and scurried out the door to the truck. It was nice to ride in the front seat again and Chad was glad to have 2 hands on the wheel. We came home and hugged the kids, cats and dogs. I started laundry right away. We gave our gifts to the kids and went to bed about an hour later. What a great adventure we had but it was better to be home. 

I'm Actually Doing Okay

 

I’m actually doing okay.

When I walked into work this morning I received a text from my husband saying that one of his coworkers wanted some of my lasagna. A few months ago I had shared a meatloaf with him and he enjoyed it. It brought a huge smile to my face and I texted back I would make some on Sunday. It would be a nice warm meal with the temperatures slowly dropping in the evenings this September. I haven’t made it in a while and it would be nice to share because no family can go through an entire pan in one night…at least MY lasagna.

As I entered my office area I said hello to the women I work with and one of them asked me “How are you doing?” I stopped and thought about it for a second and responded “You know what? I am actually doing okay. The kids are good. Chad is good. I’m good. I’m doing okay.”

I was surprised by my answer.

Usually when the question is asked people say an automatic answer of “I’m doing fine.”

But are they REALLY?

Have you ever stopped for a second and thought about what your answer might be? Today I was able to. In the span of a instant I was able to think and realize that life IS good. So many things happen in our lives every day. Some are needed by the way of our job and family life. Kids have after school activities and you feel more like a chauffer than a parent.  Those things can keep us very busy! Some situations we create ourselves. Those things we create can diminish time we could otherwise be spending with our family. Finding a balance is not easy but can be done.

In a split second I was able to think that our bills were paid, there was food in the house, the kids were showered and clean, school was going well for them, they were happy, our jobs have been steady and secure and our relationships between the two of us and with the children were going smooth.

Things are GOOD.

It’s a scary thing!

When did it all happen? Has it been this way for a while and I just didn’t see it? The answer is YES.

If we take the time to stop and have moments in the day where we can reflect on our lives and relationships it can help us determine what we're doing right, what might need a little work or even see signs of a struggle of a loved one we’ve never noticed before.  It’s all about taking the time to slow down and breathe. I, personally, take the time to breathe by saying my daily prayers once in the morning and once before bed. For me it helps me face the day and give thanks for the one that I had. You never know when we may never get another one.

Take time to stop and breathe and realize all YOU have. It is more than you think. And you’re blessed to have it.

 

 

 

Keep Being The School Mom

I can’t help it. I’m one of those moms. You know the ones that are excited for school to begin?

That’s me.

I’m not excited because it means that gives me a break from them. Heck, if I could I’d be in their classrooms everyday making sure they are paying attention, their shoes are tied and they carry the three in the math problem.

Ok, not really, but sometimes I wish I could be.

What I’m looking forward to is their own excitement of returning to class. I know children SAY they don’t want to go back but (secretly) they kind of do.

The friends they don’t get to hang out with over the summer will be there. The fall activities such as sports, drama and marching band are things they enjoyed and look forward to. It gets them back to being creative, talkative and interested in something again besides their phones which, and I know you’d agree with me here, is something we all wish they would spend less time with.

My stepdaughter checked Infinite Campus (our school portal) for her new classes every day for about three weeks wondering when it would be updated so she could see what her schedule would be. It’s new and exciting for her because she is starting seventh grade and that means it will be her first year with more than one teacher. She called me yesterday to tell me all about her classes and which friends were in which class with her.

My son loved his schedule because he found out his science class was his first class of the day and it is his absolute favorite. His teacher, Mr. Rodrigue, he says, is the best and makes it so much fun for him to learn.

What mom wouldn’t get excited about hearing those words?

He also noticed he would be in Advanced Algebra and that, he stated, was the hardest math class there was. He was happy about it but looked a little worried. I told him he should take it as a compliment that his math teacher last year had enough confidence in him that he thought he could handle it. He should be proud. He was fine after hearing that.

My stepson, a junior this year, actually said his schedule was “cool”.  I’d call that winning!

I’m excited for them. I will take pics on their first day of school (again) because that’s what moms do. We get to take two pictures a year: the first and last day and post them for all the world to see. All the rest are candids (don’t tell the kids!). It won’t be much longer until that stops happening. Begrudgingly, they smile for the camera then turn and walk into the building where they will be spending so much time. While they’re there, you’ll wonder and worry if they’re learning, paying attention, doing their work and passing it in on time. You check the Infinite Campus each day to make sure they aren’t behind on their assignments or if they tell you they have no homework you ask them about the assignment it says is due tomorrow. So there really is homework? Well, what do you know!

I’m that parent.

I’m the one that will fuss about heavy backpacks, picture day and lunch money. I’ll sometimes hover around the table while they’re working to be there just in case they ask for help. I’ll make sure they have a way to transport their projects they work so hard on to make sure they don’t get ruined before their presentation.

I’m excited!

I’m worried, too.

I will ask them who they sat with at lunch to make sure they aren’t lonely. I’ll ask what they learned that day to see if anything sparked their interest or if they’re having trouble in a subject. I’ll ask how they did on their test last week and, if they didn’t do very well, ask them what they think they can do or what they need to do better. Or if they did do well, I will congratulate them and tell them to keep it up!

I’m here for them.

They haven’t gone through many things in their young lives yet but, between myself and my husband, we have seen it all before. What is, might be or could happen to them is not unique as teenagers have been, well, teenagers for a million years.  But they THINK it is only happening to them and has never been experienced by anyone ever. Hopefully, they feel comfortable enough to tell us about the things that bother them or the situations they might be in and we can give them a little guidance along the way.

Being a teenager is not easy.

Neither is being a parent.

Whatever you can do to keep the lines of communications open between you and them, the teachers, the guidance counselors, the friends…keep them open.

Be excited. Be worried. Be there.

Keep being the mom.

Why I Believe, Love and Do

“As you take the normal opportunities of your daily life and create something of beauty and

helpfulness, you improve not only the world around you but also the world within you.”

― Dieter F. Uchtdorf

For the last few months at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Skowhegan,

Maine, many of the talks given have had to do with ministering. Ministering is helping

out fellow Saints in our ward by visiting, calling, helping or writing to them to see how

they are doing and if they need any help physically or spiritually. For me, it’s a little

different.

I am a member of the Newport ward. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. I attend Skowhegan

because that’s where my son goes. When we moved to our new location I didn’t know the

rules had changed and that it takes more than transferring records from one ward to another.

Now it takes meetings, letters and approval of the Big Three of the General Authority to

have them changed.  I am in the process of trying to get my records moved to the Skowhegan

ward so I can continue there, hold a calling, get my temple recommend and take my son to

the temple. Nothing means more to me than being able to attend with him and watching him

grow in the church.

Listening to the talks, the same advice is given each week to minister to the members of the

church. Not being a member of the ward, I have been trying other methods to help people in

our neighborhood. This past weekend was General Conference. I had listened to the two hour

session on Saturday and felt moved to share my message of faith and my love of our Heavenly

Father and his Son. On Sunday morning, I posted a picture of the Boston temple on my

Facebook page and wrote “Happy Sunday everyone! Have a blessed day and know God and I

love you! Time to recharge my spirit!” I prayed that morning to have missionary work come

to me in some form that I might include my son.

On Sunday afternoon, my prayer was answered.

It was the first warm day of Spring and my husband wanted to be outside, as did we all. He,

my son and I went across the road to an abandoned lot and decided to metal detect. It is one

of our favorite things to do together. While we were digging, an elderly woman pulled up

and watched us from her driver’s seat.

I approached her and asked if there was something I could do for her. She asked if the young

man, pointing at my son, would be willing to help her out by doing a few odd jobs around

her yard. I called my son over and he introduced himself. When asked he emitted an enthusiastic

yes! She lived only three houses away. We told her we would meet her with our rakes in hand.

A few minutes later we arrived in her driveway and she was explaining that this was the first

time in her life she was unable to prepare her flower garden for the season. My son and I went

to work immediately raking out the long grass that surrounded the rose bushes. He was careful

to not pull out any of the new growth that was sprouting through the wet ground. There were

many returning flowers pushing through.

While we worked I asked her about the flowers and about her life. It so happened her birthday

is the day after my father’s and they will both be eighty-three this year. She said she had asked

another young man to come by last week to help but he never came. She is very unsteady on

her feet and has trouble using the stairs in her home. With Spring she has much to do but hasn’t

the strength to do it.

We finished with that flowerbed and she asked us to move on the the front yard. We filled

garbage bags full of leaves, grass and sticks. The yard was finished and we put all of her tools

away in her garage. It was then time for payment. When she asked my son how much he would

like to be compensated he told her that there was no need to pay him. He had fun working in the

sunshine.

Still, she insisted on giving him something in return. He walked up to her and held out his arms

and went in for a giant hug. “This is my payment,” he stated.

Smiling and patting his back, she still insisted on a form of payment. Without payment, she said,

there would be no reason he would want to come back. Listening to her she reminded me of my

father. When helping my parents with their laundry and odd jobs, dad is always slipping a little

something in my hand before I leave even though I say it’s not necessary. She moved to her car,

retrieved a ten dollar bill and informed us it was for both of us. She enjoyed our company and

hoped we would come back. When I thanked her for letting us do God’s work that day she started

to cry. I gave her a big hug and said we would be back.

Much like the flowers of Spring it is time for us to come out of the darkness and see the sun. It

is time for us to renew ourselves and our covenants with our Heavenly Father and brush away

the tangled mess of events in our past that we hang onto that try and hold us from our true happiness.

Let us untangle ourselves from the weeds and thorns of our worries and doubts and bring new life

to, not only ourselves, but to others around us. That they may feel the love we have for our fellow

man. That they may see the good works that can be done by helping those around them. Simple

acts of kindness is all it takes.

Had we not been outside that glorious day, the answer to my prayer may have never been noticed.

Had I ignored her and not inquired as to why she was watching us, I would have missed the chance

to befriend her. I would have missed the chance to teach my son the power of doing God’s work. I

would have also missed his chance to show me he is living the gospel by doing the work for another

for the simple payment of a hug.

Brothers and Sisters, since the first time I heard Elder Uchtdorf empower his wisdom on us all with

his “Believe. Love. Do” mentality, I have been trying to put his words into action. I think it was

meant for me because he spoke to us on my birthday, October sixth, with this message. These three

simple words have changed my life for the better.

I BELIEVE in Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit and the Book of Mormon.

I LOVE them all, my fellow Saints and non-Saints.

I DO the work that is asked of me by God.

By Believing, Loving and Doing we were able to serve not only the woman who loved her flowers

but serve our Heavenly Father. And that is all that is ever asked of us.