Merry Christmas!

It's been a beautiful Christmas season despite that I got off to a very slow start. In fact, this is the latest I've ever, ever been with Christmas preparations. The boys and I didn't get the tree up until 2 days ago. Then, we didn't  bother to decorate the tree with anything but lights- no ornaments. But, one of my favorite decorations is our stockings and Michael did manage to hang them so it turned out perfect. The happiest part of this Christmas was the fact that every single one of my children and their families were here. We took family pictures to prove it. Xiaojun did the honors and she usually does a very good job.

My sister treated me to an 8-day trip to Cozumel, Mexico. Oh man, it was an experience. A few days before I left, I graduated with a Bachelor's in Social Work (BSW) so I was quite busy with ending classes plus finishing up my internship at NCADD.  The timing of this trip seemed a little stressful since I needed to accomplish so much knowing that all of my children would be here for Christmas. But low and behold, a few days before our departure I also came down with the flu, and let me tell you, it's not often I am in bed all day, but, I was in bed all day for about 3 days.

Thanksgiving in San Francisco

I am relieved to report that although we had two near-death experiences on our way to San Francisco for Thanksgiving, we are still alive! The day before we left, Hansan and Dallan got their driving permits and had never driven on the freeways before so they were excited about getting to drive as much as possible and I let them have one-hour turns; they did pretty good, considering. We almost collided with a semi-truck as we entered the freeway, and another time we almost ran into the back of a car as the highway traffic suddenly slowed down. Other than a few incidents of driving too far onto the shoulder of the road, and passing before looking over the shoulder, I stayed as calm as I possibly could, at least on the outside ... :-)

We had so much fun with Tommy and Xiaojun's family. One day we hiked through a forested trail and then played on the beach. We played plenty of cards and Wii when at the house. We also walked on the Oakland Temple grounds and went to an outdoor mall. There was a lot of good food and talking. It was good to meet Michael and Taylor there, too. Taylor brought a girlfriend named Melinda and rightfully figured out that she isn't for him. It was fun to spend time with my grandchildren while the others went to the theater to see the second part of Hunger Games. It was a very nice and relaxing, low-key visit.

I feel very blessed that all of us had a safe, fun trip. On the way home, Hansan drove about 375 miles and still wasn't tired. Dallan drove a couple of hours but was too tired to drive more. I can guess who has my driving blood running through their veins.

By the way, Timothy, as one of my single boys, was not with us on this trip because he spent Thanksgiving touring New York City with one of his buddies. He had a wonderful time, but we missed him! :-(

I am done with my bachelor's degree! Now onto the master's program!

Beautiful world.

I love this life. It is a beautiful world. I know there is a lot of sadness and suffering surrounding us, and some have it much harder than others, and it doesn't always seem fair. We were never promised a life free from challenges and heartache, but we were given a plan, an eternal plan, and if we know why we are here, that plan helps get us through this life with purpose. I cannot imagine not having an eternal perspective. I know who I am and why I am here. I know my Heavenly Father loves every single human being on this planet, and loves us so much that He sent His only Begotten Son to pave the way for us to return back to Him. I am thankful for His love.

Eagle Scouts!

Hansan and Dallan had a big week. Last Sunday they turned 16 but we didn't officially celebrate it until the older kids in the area could participate, which happened this Saturday, Nov. 16th. I made two chocolate sheet cakes and served sandwiches with chips to everyone.

During this past week, the twins not only turned 16, but also had their BSA Eagle reviews and passed, received their own little cell phones as a birthday present, were ordained as Priests by Nathan and Richard, received their PBs from Brother Lewis, and studied for their driving permits. 

Richard has lost weight. He's definitely looking on the thin side and his dress pants looked too big for him. He says he isn't purposely trying to lose weight and Jena says he's been stressed due to his medical classes and the fact that she's traveling to Phoenix so much because of her work. 

Jena's little tummy is definitely looking like baby is growing! :-) She's too cute. Hansan was able to feel his little nephew kicking. They are thinking about naming the baby Erick since he's a boy. This will be grandchild #12 for me. 

Yummy hamburgers on Veteran's Day.

     Nathan invited the boys and I over for a barbecue out to his place. His homemade hamburgers were scrumptious. Hansan and Dallan, you know, the boys with the hollow legs, ate two each.

     Cindy has a rash all over her body, and it seems almost like chick pox, but I don't think it is. She goes to the doctor tomorrow and I will be interested to find out what he says.

     The twins and I babysat for Emrie and Luke on Friday night for the first time at their new house. It's very nice but I keep thinking about all the work and expense to run a house of that size.

     My house is big enough for me and I wish it was smaller, however, I have a few kiddies so it's nice to have a little room when they come to visit. But I'm know I am spoiled. I should down-size. I have way too much STUFF. I need to throw or give 75% of it away.

     My van is making a grinding sound when I come to a stop. I know this is not a good thing! :-(

     There was no school for the boys because of Veteran's Day. I believe it is important to be reminded of all those who have helped to preserve our freedoms. Thank you, military men!

Happy birthday, boys!

Happy birthday, Hansan and Dallan!

     Even though the twin's birthday was today, we are officially celebrating it next weekend when  older siblings can participate. I gave the boys the option of a big party with friends this year, but instead they opted to only have a family party. I am pretty proud of them for this, shows where their hearts are. This was still a big day for them, and even though Erick is not here, they felt his spirit with them. I love these boys.

My babies turning 16.

I am not sure what to think- my babies are turning 16. The boys are so excited. It's another step towards independence: driving ... dating. I suppose I have to gradually cut these apron strings, but only a tiny bit, okay? :-) I know, I know ... seriously, I know. Have faith, Lynne, you know they are good boys and so far they've proven to be trustworthy, so don't worry, it will be okay.

Hansan and Dallan had me carting them all over the country today. First to pick up a friend, then dropped them off at the theater to watch the latest Thor with a group of more friends; then picked them up and took Ethan home. Afterwards we drove home for a few seconds, then off to Game Stop, then to Walmart, then home. So by the time they wanted me to take them some place else in the evening I said NO! So, maybe it will be a good thing once they can help out with all this driving! So much for worrying about more independence! Bring....it....on.... :-)

The twins and I babysat for Emrie and Luke last night. I love my little grandchildren.

Only three weeks until I have my BACHELOR'S DEGREE! The semester is winding down quickly! Yay!

Tick tock goes the clock

Tick tock, here I am feeling the culture of 'teenage world' .... it's almost midnight and my boys are not back from a stake Halloween party/dance. I trust these two boys but I thought it was over by 11 p.m. This reminds me of so many hours and evenings I waited up for some of my older kids. I've had a reprieve from those out-of-the-house late nights because the twins are about 6 years behind Taylor. But now we begin again ... tick tock, tick tock.  :-(

My leg seems to be healing fine. All black and blue, and looks like someone hit me with a truck, but no pain and I can walk normally. I sure hope this procedure did the trick of getting rid of my big, ole' ugly, varicose veins.

I have a sleep study appointment next week. I guess I'm getting all fixed up. NOW, if only this weight would drop off of me!

I had a long conversation with Michael. He broke up with Kaitlin a couple of days ago. He feels it's just not right and he feels like he gave it enough time to know. He said Kaitlin is very, very sad about it.

Taylor has been dating Melinda and he's starting to feel like she's not 'the one' after all. He sent a little girl off on her mission and I think he's still sweet on her. We will wait and see what happens in the world of ...

MY BOYS!

:-)

Come home, Hansan and Dallan - !!!!

The Tables Turn

As the tables turn:

Dallan: "Mom, will you please rinse your cup out before setting it in the sink so it's not so hard to wash out?"
Hansan: "Yeah, mom."
Me: ":-)" (with a 'knowing' look in my eye)

My, my, I guess the best teacher is experience, instead of harping and nagging and begging and pleading and demanding and reminding and whatever/s. :-) Life can be very amusing.

Varicose Veins and Shh!

Since the birth of my twins, I have felt mortified about varicose veins in my right leg. Since my school insurance will cover the procedure because of slight insufficient blood flow, I finally tried to have them taken care of. The original plan was to do laser but once the doctor got to looking around, he decided it was too risky so he opted to do the stab and pull type surgery. This happened on Tuesday. I sure hope those big, ugly bulging blood vessels will be gone! If not, they will perform a different procedure.

I have a sneaky feeling that it won't be too long before Taylor gets married ... shh, be quiet about it.

Flat Tire!

This is a blog I wrote several weeks ago but forgot to post it:

So, yesterday I planned to stay inside to do homework, housework, and chill. Did that happen? Of course not. Why? Because the boys went out to wash, clean, and vacuum the car, which was parked in the garage, only to come running back inside to inform me that one of the tires was flat; not just flat, but FLAT.Remember when I talked about not letting minuscule situations get in the way of the bigger picture? Out the window that thought flew as I fretted and raged as to how to solve this 'humongous' dilemma. After all, this was a problem of grand magnitude! ..... so what if I am exaggerating .... it WAS frustrating. There is no spare tire, didn't realize I'd let my AAA expire, the neighbors are gone, can't get a hold of my home teachers, and none of my older boys can help. Hmm.

Well, the twins finally found a neighbor who let us borrow an air compressor. We were able to hobble over to Discount Tire, and the HUGE problem was solved without having to spend a dime.  :-)

I feel better now and then humbled. The flat tire happened on the weekend instead as I'm traveling back and forth to school and 'work'. It happened when the twins were home so they could help me. It didn't cost an arm and a leg to fix and was installed with a brand new tire. I mean, really, why did it seem so frantically frustrating to begin with .... like I said, don't sweat the small stuff! :-)

Writing Slacker

Here I go, being a writing slacker again. Oh well. I will do what I can, when I can. Who says I have to be perfect. :-)

My last semester is halfway over and I'm presently studying for my midterms. Wow, a bachelor's degree in December. My goal finally coming to fruition. I feel very blessed. I will soon move into the master's program.

On Tuesday I go to the Mayo Clinic to have my right leg worked on. The big embarrassing varicose vein will be demolished, as well as some smaller spider veins that could cause problems. My school insurance helps out a lot.

I had a nice experience with my supervisor this week. She shared with me that she likes my counseling style and things we could make a great team. She wishes my masters internship could be with her (but it can't). She said she also likes my personality. We are exactly the same age and I am thankful my first experience with counseling was with her. She's very good at what she does and always has a positive attitude. It's very refreshing. I will miss her.

The Path

Life; I love it. There is so much to it. The path I take is up to me. I envision, as I look back on my path, that what I worry about now will seem like a droplet of rain in the grand scheme of this path. There is so much to do. As I intern at NCADD I am reminded each day that life is too short to get hung up on the little situations that seem to deter our progress along life's road. God is in charge and always will be. Trust. Faith. Hope. Love. I've been very blessed in my life and so why do I worry and fret over minuscule issues? I guess I am human and I am learning and trying and am in constant progress ... I hope.

Richard and Jena, Baby #1

Yay! I finally get to tell everyone that Richard and Jena are expecting baby #1, due mid-March 2014!!
The first picture of my 12th grandchild! :-)

  

Every time one of our babies was born it seemed like such a joyous miracle. Every time we found out we were expecting another baby, I was elated. I loved feeling the first flutters around 3 1/2 months. Even now I look back on my pregnancies with a peaceful, sweet feeling even with all the discomforts that came along with pregnancy. Each child is such a blessing to our family.

Talking to Trees and the Adorable Twins

A couple of times someone close to me has suggested that I should talk to a tree ... now don't get me wrong, I dearly love this person and highly respect him, but, "talk to a tree!?" I tried to be open-minded about it, but whenever I envision myself sharing my problems and thoughts with a tree, it just doesn't feel quite right (no offense to the trees! I love tress.). But then I got to thinking about journaling ... is this kind of like talking to a tree? I mean, after all, here I am sharing my thoughts on cyberspace paper, so I guess it's not so different.

The reason this subject even comes up is because I have a tendency to keep thoughts and feelings inside. After Erick's death I did this. I was shocked at how much anger I felt after he died. It hit me like a brick wall. Where the heck did it come from, and why, I wondered? I was able to function (maybe), and thought I was doing what was best for my children; you know, look and act strong; try to put their needs first. We were all thrown into a bit of a tailspin. His death was so unexpected. We found out two weeks before his death that he had leukemia. Before then we thought he was healthy and that we would grow old together. Boy were we in for a surprise. I will talk more about this sometime, but not right now. 

At the time of Erick's death, our youngest were these adorable, little 2 year old twins, Hansan and Dallan. They do not remember their daddy at all. Now they are 15 years old. My daughter-in-law, Xiaojun, took some beautiful pictures of the boys within the past week, so here they are now:

Love of Crazy, Busy Life

We have a crazy, busy life, and there is so much to write about, so where do I begin when I am so far behind? That's my problem. I think I have to write every little detail in order to share the stories correctly, and before you know it, there's a million stories that seem to pile atop each other. I then feel overwhelmed and continue putting it off, only to realize that large spaces of time have slipped into a pool of drowning thoughts that are locked inside my fading memories. *sigh* I will try to do better (as I say every time I write), but really, I will...... try. :-)

My 11 grandchildren have continued to grow even if it seems like time stands still due to my missing blogs. It is wonderful when my own children have their own children running around. Seems like yesterday that we had little ones running throughout the house. Now it's my beautiful grandchildren who come over and run throughout the house. Sometimes I get caught up in the enormity of it all; I mean, really, can you imagine 11 screaming little ones running throughout the house? Yep, that's the reality of it on some visits. But it's my crazy life and I wouldn't want it any other way. We get it figured out and it works for us one way or another.

 (Pictures of my grandchildren: August 31, 2013)