Another Gift...

Well, I knew that Sunday was going to be difficult, so I had really tried to prepare myself.  About 4 weeks ago there was an announcement that Hilary Weeks (the local LDS/Christian singer that I stalk) was going to be the featured artist at a devotional on Sunday the 24th of November for the kick off of Lehi Family Week.  I didn't even put it together at that time that it would be a hard day for me because of Tatum's milestone dates, but I obviously marked it on my calendar as a must go.  I have played this ladies music in my car every day, all day for the last six months!   I tried to talk anyone from my family into going, I built it up and everything.  No takers.  They cringe every time we get in the car and her music comes on.  I may have over done it a bit.  Our Hilary always shouts from the back, "These are  Tatum's songs!"  I have one on my side.
Then I was reading in the paper that Lehi city sent out and one of our neighbors parents were being honored as one of Lehi's great families.  Still my family didn't want to come.  Bah humbugs!
So I arrived alone.  Which may have been OK because other wise I may have had to sit way in the back.  Since I was alone and only needed one seat I was able to snuggle in with a family who had one seat on the end that was available.  Perfect.  The opening act was a group of Lehi kids that were violinists and a cellist.  They were fantastic.  There was a youth choir, also very good.  Our neighbor's parents that were honored were adorable.  They are in their 90's and so cute with each other.  What great examples of enduring to the end cheerfully and with purpose.  Then Hilary Weeks finally was up.  She was fantastic.  She talked about two main points, The power of our thoughts and The power of our words.  Both can be used for good and bad.  She sang three of her songs and a hymn.  I seriously could have listened to her for hours.  She is a great presenter and musician and she is funny.  As I left the auditorium I felt as though Heavenly Father had given me a gift.  He knew that day was going to be rough, as I read about several of our friends sending their kids to the nursery for the first time that very same day.  As I am anticipating Thanksgiving and the six month mark of Tatum leaving us and Christmas coming.  He knows all of this and I feel Him leaving little gifts at my feet.  I am so grateful that I went because I felt so uplifted.  Nothing can take the sadness from my heart, but I can constantly seek to feel the spirit which in turns helps lift that heavy burden of sadness.  It is not easy.  It was cold and I was tired and I wanted to be in my pajamas and I was tired of being in a dress and there were a million other things that I needed to get done.  I am grateful that I chose the "best thing" that night.
The other little miracle of the day was that the hospital had paged while I was at church to let me know that some time that day a lady would be delivering and I would need to go in and help.  My first thought, I am embarrassed to admit, was selfish.  I hoped that it would not interfere with going to this devotional.  I knew that it was another little gift because I was only home for about 30 minutes before they paged and needed me to come to the hospital!  Seriously?!

I just need to record a few funny things that Hilary has been saying lately.  I just love the age she is right now.  She says and does the funniest things.  She has a few polka dot shirts and whenever she wants to wear them she says it cooka dots.  It is seriously the cutest.  The other thing that she said the other night: She was talking to Holden and she told him that she wanted some of his Candy Barbs.  It was probably about this same age that Halea would call nail polish, poll nolish.  We just kept saying it back to her that way, to reinforce it because it was so adorable.  She didn't think that it was as adorable when she was about 7 and told one of her friends that she liked her poll nolish and her friend looked at her very puzzled and didn't know what she was talking about.  Ooops.  I still don't think she has forgiven us for that.  Every once in awhile we still say it to her, she doesn't think it's nearly as funny as we do.

I am really grateful to see the hand of God in my life everyday, no matter how small.  I know that He cares about all of us and if we look closely we will see Him ever present in the details of our lives.