One more picture

In addition to the below post, I also have this current picture of us all taken at the temple on January 17, 2009. This was such a special day. It was Ryan's first time inside the temple and the only time Kristina would have a chance to go with us till about this same time next year. So this was a very special day for us. First, how amazing it was for us to make a goal of going to the temple together to do family names and actually accomplishing it. And of course, just being there all together. Our whole family. It was just a brief glimpse into the celestial kingdom that I will treasure till the next time we can all do that together again.

The kids all chose one of the people who I'd been working on to especially do the work for. We all went to the family history library and they set every one of us on a computer to enter information. I had so much that I could give a different family to each one of them. They began to feel a personal connection with these people. It was so wonderful to see that they were feeling the same way I was about genealogy. Then I told stories about some of the people and they picked their favorites. Some of the kids did their dad's side and some did my side. My great Aunt Mable was even done and I just cried for her. How I loved her. We only knew her as Mabe when we were kids. It wasn't till I was an adult that I fully understood who she was. When I was little, I only knew that she brought us a LOT of presents every time she came to see us. Turned out she was my grandfather's sister - the grandfather who had died before I was born. How amazing.

Something else I realized tonight... both of my boys are presidents of the quorum they're in. The bishop said that only 4 men in the ward hold the keys of the priesthood!! 2 of them are my boys! I'm floored. How well I remember the days when I cried because there was no priesthood in our home. How wonderful it has been to be in Oregon and know so many good men who would help fill that roll for us. Brother Davis especially. It's been a healing balm to my heart all this time. The kids should know what a good priesthood holder is, and what he does. I thank the Lord all the time for helping us to find Brother Davis. Anyway, now the Lord has blessed our family sooo incredibly! Now both my boys are honorable priesthood holders. Can a mother be any more proud and humbled and touched than me.

And again I'm asking myself tonight... knowing all the messes I've made in my life... remembering a time when I truely thought I'd never enter a temple again... WHAT have I done to make the Lord want to bless ME so much! The only answer that even comes to mind is so simple that it seems like it's not enough to warrant such blessings. And that is that I loved my kids more than myself. I stopped thinking about ME and started thinking always of them. I've seen alot of ME TIME type commercials on TV lately. And sure I know everyone needs some ME TIME. But ME TIME for me means being with the kids and just talking about everything. or snuggling together on the couch. I watched Extreme Home Makeover on TV tonight and watched those kids walk into their new rooms. And I swear... if that had been me, it would not have been nearly so joyous an occassion unless all 6 of us walked into each room together to explore.

Well anyway, I'm counting my blessings and wondering how in the world did I earn this. It must be so much more than just what comes naturally for me. How grateful I am.