18 years of Hannah!

A funny thing happened at church today.   Hannah, Jared and I were all called up to the stand by Bishop Holyoak, so he could present Hannah with  her Young Womanhood medallion.  The bishop immediately gave me the necklace  to put around Hannah's neck.  Major problem..........I am blind and I didn't have my reading glasses..  I fiddled around for what seemed like an eternity (probably 30 secs or less) and then turned to dad for help.  His vision wasn't the best either and by the time we both fiddled with it, her hair was tangled up with the chain and the clock was ticking and it was dreadfully silent and every eye was fixed on us and.........ugh!  Finally Hannah said that she would just do it.  Easy enough.......NOT!   Just as Hannah reached up to grab the chain, the medallion slipped off  and went right down Hannah's shirt. Hannah immediately turned and walked off the stand with Jared and I close behind her, leaving the bishop up there by himself.  No necklace, no congratulatory embrace or handshake, no explanation of  how and what she had earned. With heads down, we shamefully walked back to our seats while the bishop tried to salvage whatever he could of the disaster.  He tried to share some sweet things about Hannah from the pulpit, but they could not be heard above the snickers in the congregation. It wasn't our best moment to say the least.

Don't worry.  No harm! No foul!  And no biggie!  It certainly wasn't any ones fault.  It was just a funny experience that I thought you might like to hear about it.

 My real intent for writing this post is to let Hannah's siblings, siblings-in-laws and nieces and nephew know a little about Hannah from my perspective.  I  am not writing from her point of view, but from mine and what I have perceived and witnessed over the past few years regarding Hannah and her family.

Hannah adores her brothers!  She is proud of each one of them and when her friends come over and see their pictures, she is vocal about her love for them.  She will tell her friends their name, what they are doing and where they fit in the family.  It is very tender for me to witness that. Sometimes I feel bad that she doesn't know them or visa versa and that makes me a little sad.  But it doesn't matter that she didn't grow up with them.  She loves them as her adult brothers and the awesome men that they are.  I find it so endearing on her part as she writes little texts every now and then to them.  She loves being connected to her bros! And she loves them!

Hannah loves her sisters!  She loves being included in their adult lives.  She is grateful for the example they have set for her regarding school, dating, make-up, style, future plans, and love of the gospel.  I sense that it is really an honor to be the caboose to this family sub-set of four girls.  She desires to be like them,;to serve a mission, to gain an education, to marry a righteous priesthood holder and to be a mom.  She really wants to be a wife and mom!  Thank you daughters for shaping her life by your examples.  As much as Hannah wants to forge her own path upon high school graduation, and to a great degree she will, I sense that she is so very  proud of the paths her sisters  have forged and gladly walks in your footsteps! You have created a safety net of sorts for her because she is the little sister and is so welcomed into each of your lives.

To Brittney, Emily and Honey (Eric).  She adores all three of you.  You are more like siblings to her than in-laws.  She is comfortable around you and is so proud of all of you and your contributions to our home and family as well as your own little families.  She loves her title of aunt and is smitten by her Molly, Avonlea, Hallie, Claire, and Oliver!  Your children only enhance her desire to be a mother.  Your examples of parenthood are watched and revered by Hannah and tucked away for future reference.

Hannah is a glorious person!  She is loving and so kind.  She voiced to me this week that one of her desires is just to be a kind person.  I love that in her. And she really is kind.    Happy 18th Birthday daughter!  Your presence is so felt and needed in our family.  I love you!

My People

I was saying my morning prayer and discussing with Heavenly Father what I hoped for in 2016.  As I did so, I had a very specific thought enter into mind: "Write in your blog".

After I concluded in this particular interaction with Heavenly Father, I opened up an unmarked, cheap copy of the Book of Mormon and started reading, still with that particular thought that had been impressed upon me concerning my blog.

* I have missed  my daily readings from the Book of Mormon.  I have been consumed with the Old Testament for the past 5 months and although I have enjoyed it immensely, I have felt the nudgings of the Spirit to include the truths and teachings of the The Book of Mormon in my daily study.  And so this morning, I began my study with 1 Nephi 1:1.

I did not have to read very far to have the spirit open my mind and heart.  Verse 5:  "Wherefore it came to pass that my father, Lehi, as he went forth prayed unto the Lord, yea, even with all his heart, in behalf of his people."  My eyes and mind focused in on  the phrases: "with all his heart" and  "in behalf of his people" and I circled them. As I contemplated those phrases for a few seconds  I thought back to my morning pray with Heavenly Father.

I had prayed in behalf of Derrick & Brittney, Daniel & Emily, Noelle & Eric, with all my heart, thanking  Father for their wisdom, goodness and love as they continue to raise their sweet little children, I expressed gratitude in knowing my grandchildren are nurtured and cared for by amazing parents, all who are my people. JOY!

I had prayed in behalf of Travis and Holly, my people who are far from me.  With all my heart, I asked for Heavenly Father to protect them, bless them, and bring them back home to me when they have accomplished what they have set out to do.  I thanked Heavenly Father for their goodness and soundness of mind  to make those decisions that are best for them in a land that is far away.  I prayed in behalf of them as I thanked Heavenly Father for those good people who have opened their homes and hearts to them.  PEACE!

I had prayed in behalf of Brandon and Natalie, again my people, who I perceived, have been abundantly blessed with success and new beginnings of sort at this time in their lives.  With all my heart, I thanked Heavenly Father for blessing them with progression, newness and a desire to do hard things to bring about a great future and life.   GRATITUDE!

I had prayed for Hannah and dad and myself, thanking Heavenly Father that we still have our Hannah at home to help dad and I transition to what will be a new phase of our lives.  During that prayer, I spent a few precious moments thinking of my Hannah, how I loved her, trusted her and found so much joy from her.  I told Heavenly Father how blessed I was to have  Jared and reiterated what Hannah had told me late last night concerning her dad and how he had cleaned up the kitchen and had bought New Years Eve food so that she and her friends could celebrate at our house. She expressed her love for him to me as she shared her thoughts. Such a simple act, but so far-reaching in what it meant to her.   With all my heart, I expressed my love for him and his goodness and thanked Heavenly Father that he and Hannah are my people and still with me. HOPE!

And so today, at the beginning of this new year, I write that my children may know that your mother, me, will continue to go forth and pray unto the Lord, even with all my heart, in behalf of each of you. You are my joy, peace, gratitude, hope and people!!  How I love each one of you!