Graduated!

Well that sweet little boy that I wrote about yesterday passed away this afternoon.  He left behind a three week old little brother, his parents, and a very loving family.  My heart just aches for his family, but I also have been able to see their strength and their faith.  They know that they will have their little boy again some day.  That is truly the greatest blessing of the Gospel.  Families are Forever.  We are never truly separated from them.  I look up to this family so much at this moment right now.  They are truly hero's in my eyes.  I cannot imagine their feelings right now, but I do know that they are enfolded in Christ's love.  Please pray for them.

On a lighter note, I have been wanting to update my blog for a long, long time.  (Remember how I said it was a goal of mine this year to update my blog more often?  Ummmm....yeah....)  So much has happened, but first and foremost....I AM A COLLEGE GRADUATE!  WOOOHOOO!  Finally after five long, long years, I have graduated from college, and I can finally just be a mommy to Hudson.  Being a mom is the greatest thing I can ever do in this life, and after the emotional state I have been in these past few days I cherish my role as a mother more than ever.
      I was really excited to graduate, but also really scared, I don't know how to be a Mom full time.  So far, being a mom has been heavy competition for being a student, and sad to say, most of the time being a student won.  Thankfully, Hudson is such a patient little boy and he has put up with a lot.  He plays by himself very well which has been a huge blessing.  My in-laws also helped me with Hudson so much and often played with him when I couldn't and took him out of the house when I really needed to study.  I will forever be grateful for their help these past two semesters.
     Joe also graduated from BYU-Idaho with his Associates Degree.  I am so stinking proud of him!  He worked so hard in the fall while working over thirty hours a week, and being enrolled at two schools at the same time.  I am so lucky to have such a hard working man.  He does so much for our family and I just feel so blessed that I found him.
     Hudson is growing more and more each day!  He really loves to play chase, and often will stomp his feet and run away so that we will chase him.  He is so dynamic!  And sassy!  Go figure that I would have a sassy child.  He is starting to think deviously, and it often gets me into trouble.  Who knew that an 18 month old little tyke could think things through so well.  He is learning his animal sounds and it is the cutest thing in the world to hear him say "arf," (doggie)  "moo" (cow), "sssssss" (snake), "oo-oo aa-aah" (monkey), "beep beep!" (car), and "choo-choo" (train.)  He also is saying a lot of words and I just love, love, love it!  This morning I asked him if he wanted a bite of my bagel and he replied "bit!"  I was so proud!  He loves his shoes and is constantly bringing them to me to put them on.  He also loves going outside and running around the circle of houses in our neighborhood.)
     Joe started clinicals a few weeks ago and he is loving it!  I am so glad that he has found something that he loves to do!
      Now that I am a graduate, I have lots of time!  (yeah right)  Just different time.  It is so refreshing not to have to worry about homework, tests and due dates!  I am working on indexing (my goal is 5,000 by the end of the year), family history, some fun stuff for Hudson, and building my studio.  Who knew it would be so hard!  I really want to start a summer choir, but I don't know if there would be a lot of interest in it, and I tend to be getting some mixed feedback about it.  What do you think?  Yay....nay?   If you feel like it, we could definitely use some prayers to help me build my studio.  It is kinda stinky having a college degree and then not being able to use it.  And it would provide a lot of extra income.
     Finally, I just want to say that I love this Gospel.  I tend to go through cycles of strong faith and cycles of not so strong faith.  This week has been a journey of faith for me, and I know that our Heavenly Father loves each and everyone of us.  He has provided a way for us to find eternal happiness, and that is through families.  He gave his Son, Jesus Christ, so that we could be with out families forever, and so that we can return to him one day.  I know without a doubt that this is the true Gospel of Christ.  This is his church, and the way to happiness is found in it.
(sorry this was such a long post, but when you don't write for a few months that is what happens. I have a ton of super cute pictures and videos, I just need to collect them from the many different cameras and phones in order to upload them...Mom, they are coming soon!  I promise!)
     

prayers

Hello friends.  Today I have a heavy, heavy heart. I have been near tears all day and so I figured the best thing to do was to write.  When we lived in Rexburg there was a couple in our ward who had a little boy a few months older than Hudson.  When we moved into the ward the husband was the very first person to introduce himself to us, he excused his wife because she was at home with their brand new baby.  He was just beaming, you could tell how happy he was to be a brand new daddy.  I will never forget how incredibly proud he was to tell us all about his sweet wife, and their sweet baby.  We never really got to know this family very well, but I was always impressed with how happy they were, and how loving they were.

     Seven months ago their baby started having some really bad health issues, and finally after a long journey of multiple tests, medications, and even bone marrow transplants he was diagnosed with Evan's syndrome (this was last Wednesday).  They started a Facebook page for this precious little boy and I have been reading the updates about his condition and my heart breaks a little more each time I read it.  Yesterday he started a round of chemo, and also started having multiple brain bleeds.  They put him on some sedatives, and now, even after being off the sedatives he has not woken up.  The Doctors say that he will probably pass on sometime tonight or tomorrow.  I cannot imagine what they are going through right now, and I know that angels are in that room with this sweet little baby tonight, as well as his parents and other family members struggling through this.  My heart is aching for them.  Please keep this family in your prayers.  They need as much comfort and love as we can give them through our prayers.  

     Because of how emotional I am about this, I have really pondered my blessings today.  Here is a family who is going through the hardest thing you could go through in life.  I cannot imagine being in their place right now.  All afternoon I have been cuddling Hudson, giving him kisses and being so, so grateful for my sweet little man.  I couldn't wait for him to wake up from his nap simply so I could hold him and kiss him. I am so blessed to have such a sweet little boy, who loves me and just wants me to love him.  So often I tend to complain about being a mother, or I resent certain aspects of it.  So often I put Hudson aside in order to do other things, often things that aren't even a good use of my time.  I realized that my time with him is so precious. I have so many blessings in my life, and my family is my biggest one. 

       I guess in all the emotions I have felt for this sweet family, I have also seen how small the things I complain about really are.  So many people are going through so much right now, who am I to complain about things in my life that are very temporary? Who am I to agonize over the timings of things, or the way things have played out?  I have so, so much.  Most importantly I have the Gospel. With Christ, all things are possible, and all wounds are healed.  He truly carries us in the time of our deepest sorrows and pains.

       I am so grateful for the knowledge that families are eternal.  I have so much, God is good.  He loves us, and he will always be there for us.  It is such a strength to know that we have a loving Heavenly Father, and a loving Savior.  

     Please, please keep this family in your prayers as they face this struggle. To his family (I have tried to respect their privacy and not put in any names), I doubt you will ever read this post, but if by some off chance you ever do, please know that you are in my prayers and in my heart.  There are so many praying for you right now, and so much love is being sent your way.