For My Mom and Mom-in-Law

You ladies probably don't know it but I am very thankful to you. I am thankful for your example and for your strength. I have learned much from you, cleaning and cooking from my mom and kindness and enjoyment from my mom-in-law. I have learned love from you both. Thank you for being who you are. Thank you for being so good to me. And thank you for loving Seth and Michael so well.

Love,
Jeanie

Silly Family Fun

Great Orators of the Century

Seth gave his first talk in Primary on Sunday, February 1st. He was all dressed up in his argyle sweater and white shirt and tie - very dashing. We practiced his talk with him on Saturday and tried to practice with him on Sunday but he wasn't very receptive...

...Before I continue with this story, I must tell you how much Seth loves to talk into the microphone. When I was the Primary Chorister (up until last July), Seth and Michael would come to the Primary room to meet me after church and Seth would go straight to the podium and start talking into the microphone. Sometimes he prayed, usually he spoke and one time he gave a very long speech about the meaning of life or something. Like the great church orator he is, he always ends with "name of Jesus Christ, Amen." Now that I'm in Relief Society, he still goes to the podium but there is no step stool...

...So, we tried to explain to him what he would be doing but he wasn't grasping it and was having a hard time practicing. Anyway, we got him to Primary and sat him in his special "talk" chair (which he thought was very cool) and waited for his turn. We got up to the podium and, at first, he was whispering like mommy (why he won't do that in Sacrament Meeting, we have not yet figured out) so I told him to speak into the mic - right about that time, they actually turned on the mic and his voice got really loud...then he was into it! He did a fabulous job, he said his words clearly and, apparently, some of the practice sunk in because he remembered parts of the talk all on his own! When he finished his talk, he yelled to Michael, who was sitting in the back of the room, "I did it, Daddy!"

My Hubby

So, the other day I was telling Michael some of my woes and, well, I'll let the following speak for the rest...

There once was a beautiful woman named Jean.
(Take a look in the mirror, you'll see who I mean.)
She got kinda down, feelin' all outta sorts
So her husband gave her a wee kick in the shorts

He said, "Hey there my sweetie, wazza madda wid U?"
She said, "Got so much to accomplish, but nothing to do!"
He said, "That makes no sense, are you sick in the head?"
She said, "You're really not helping - I'm going to bed."

Well, her husband (let's call him Michael the Grand)
Was perplexed and befuddled and knew not where to stand
So he wrote up a poem he hoped would inspire
And sent it via email, to his only desire.

And it went a little something like this:

Jeanie, Jeanie, you're too awesome
To lay there sad and playin' possum
Gotta jump up and go go go
'Cause you'll be happier, I know

The journey of a thousand mile
Starts with step one, so put on a smile
Perhaps if we get up at dawn
And go downstairs, get a workout on

We'll have more energy and spunk
And ditch the blues and all that junk
And feel like we can take on life
With confidence as sharp as a knife

We can take procrastination
Replace it with strong motivation
If this power-poem fails to thrill
I think that we could get some pills ;)

But either way the time is now
To make a change - I'll tell you how
Use agency to make the choice
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice

No matter what I love you tons
So chop-chop girl, get off those buns!
And know that I am by your side
To overcome the blues inside.

Now, I may not be the best drill sergeant around
Nor am I a psychiatrist - but my advice is still sound
And most of all, I hope that you know
I love you so much - yes, I love you so!

Whenever you need me, my ear is all yours
And my shoulder, my knee, my pancreas, and pores
But in the end, it is you who must make the first move
Though I'll be right there beside you adding funk to your groove

My rhymes are degrading - my apologies
But there's one more word play that I'd like to squeeze
And that's this: I am sorry you are feeling this way
But I hope this little ditty has brightened your day.

Time Flies!

Time sure flies when you're not doing anything except recovering from the Holidays! Our Christmas was AWESOME! Seth was so much fun. He got a train table and wanted to play with it but he wanted to open gifts too so he'd open a gift, see what it was and then go straight back to his train table - as much as he liked everything else, nothing was as cool as that train table (thank you, Grandpa)! After a while, he totally got into opening gifts and wanted to open everyone's gifts, including the gift we bought for a baby of some friends! By bedtime, we thought he'd forgotten about that gift still sitting under the tree but just as we were ready to turn the lights out, he yelled "WAIT!" then RAN down the hall, grabbed the gift and asked if we could "call the baby" so he could open her gift for her (because earlier we had opened gifts from Michael's parents but he had to wait to open them until we could call Basi and Granddad).

Anyway, Seth played and played and played with his train table. We hardly heard a peep from him all day, except when he was ready to open another gift! We also had the sister missionaries who are serving in our area over for Christmas dinner. They are so cute! And Seth LOVED them! It was a wonderful time and we were thankful to have their lovely spirits in our home. We were also very blessed to have had such a nice Christmas.