great expectations

There is nothing I like more than when I have high expectations for something, and it turns out to be even better. Usually I'm a realist, but every once in a while... Soo, I went to the tea party on Saturday. I was blown away.  I had been looking forward to it very much and heard raves from other people, and had missed the one the year before....so I had high expectations and I was amazed. It was like lady heaven. the attention to detail was incredible.  Everyone got a handmade brooch, a little notepad and pen to take notes (there was so much good information) and a mini smash book starter.  The tea party made me happy to be a woman. So many fun pretty things.  And there was live music, presenters, and historic women trivia game, it was stimulating and relaxing at the same time.  A true feast.

Which means I am definitely throwing my girls a tea party this summer, just so they can have a little taste of heaven too.  Just need to flush out some ideas.

THEN I went go cart racing. not like bumper cars, like real go cart racing with Emily's birthday celebration, a bunch of women, on the track, with helmets, and yes I got a little dizzy and had a blast.  Then we ate burgers, chatted, traded parenting stories from the trenches and drove home feeling filled.


Which is a good thing, because then Sunday came.  Oh man this sunday.  Shoot last sunday I was out sick, but this Sunday was a whirl wind.

So weirdly I gotten my lesson for the 5 year old class all ready.  ALL READY.  that never happens.  Usually I still have to grab just one thing or find a picture or something, but it was perfectly ready and planned.   Which is good because Ivy has decided I cannot put her down and she needs me, which is hard since Jason was gone to early church meetings by 7:20 a.m/ and I had to get ready and all these kids ready.

so....you know that 90 percent of all injuries with your kids happen when you are JUST RIGHT THERE...like arms length or next to.  Sure enough, I had decided she needed just fuss next to me in the bathroom while I put my face on and one minute later, BAM...hits her forehead on the tile tub edge and it was not good.

Blood, goose egg, immediate blue line underneath, I was panicky, and I don't panic easily---ish.  Ivy was flipping out and wailing and thrashing and I was having a hard time keeping it together, and endured 30 torturous minutes trying to hold her down, literally pinned, to ice it.  Praying, pleading, just wondering how I'm going to do this.  And wondering if I should call someone to get another opinion cause it was bad.  But then some neat things happen.  Amist my least favorite morning in a very long time.  Christie texted that she needed a ride.  And then ten minutes later I finally got the clue and asked her if she could come early (cause I needed some support!) to help.  Then Luke, who had gotten the ice, tells me he is going to fast for Ivy.  So sweet.  I got a hold of Jason, who is the only person I want to talk to besides my mom in very hard moments.  He would stay at church now that I realized it was going to be okay.  Still not pretty, but she would be ok.

Ivy calmed-ish.  Christie came over.  I was a wreck but got fruit loops for kids.  Ivy started eating and acting like herself.  Blessing.   So I went over to Luke who was on the couch reading his scriptures (how proud I was!) while girls were eating and said that it looked like Ivy was doing better and so if he didn't want to fast that would be okay.  Well that cute boy told me "Mom, no I really want to fast for Ivy,"    And he did it.  No food or drink.  Fasting with a purpose and prayer.

And we got to church.  Even put some makeup on in the parking lot.  Ivy was fine (the bangs covered it!) and we had the best sacrament meeting together as a family that I can remember.  Meaning, no misbehaving, fighting, kids in trouble, anger...you get it?  It was all love and hugs.  Luke was so sweet and told me probably twenty times during the meeting how cute Ivy was, and I'm sure it was because his love for her had grown because he was sacrificing for her.  And I know it made the difference.  The spirit he brought was felt.  and the thought came to me, This kid is going to be okay (not that there was a question, but he likes to hide that side of him sometimes).  He will be just fine in life.  He gets it.

I was a proud mama and so I'm sharing this only to counter act the other potentially burn the house down stories and tell some of the great too.  After church he told me he broke his fast in the car (which means he said a silent prayer so he could close it and start eating again)...so he made it about 4 hours and I know that big for him.

Oh yes and add on that Paisley had a fever so Jason took her with him and Darby gave the most awesome talk on modesty...I'll have to video tape it cause she rocked it.  

So who could believe that out of terrible could come good things? Wait, you already knew that?  Oh yes its me who sometimes forgets.  And if I hadn't of gotten my lesson so ready that would have been out the window too, but those three kids in my class needed it.

God is aware of us.  He is in the details.  Nothing we do goes unnoticed.  Every little bit counts.
I'm so glad.  

We finished yesterday off with a bbq with our neighbors and the missionaries (which I had forgotten that I signed up to feed a few months ago, ha!) and some farkle.   And I made the biggest monster burgers in the world, apparently I was rusty so they were freakishly giant.  At least an inch thick, but they were good.  I stick the cheese in the middle (thanks to Jared!) so its like a surprise.


is anyone else having a hard time uploading pictures to blogger?  cause i have pictures of the tea party!