Yes, I'll Take Care of your Legos

"You are making a sacrifice, but it is not a sacrifice because you will get more than you give up, you will gain more than you give, and it will prove to be an investment with tremendous returns. It will prove to be a blessing instead of a sacrifice. No one who ever served in this work as a missionary, who gave his or her best efforts, need worry about making a sacrifice, because there will come blessings into the life of that individual for as long as he or she lives."  

- Gordon B. Hinckley

It's a strange feeling when you work so hard to achieve something, give your all for a future goal, strive tirelessly for a positive outcome...but when it actually happens, you're an emotional wreck. I'm happy, too. Really, I am. I'm jovial and ecstatic and thrilled and proud. This was what I wanted all along. But my heart strings are being pulled and when that happens to Mama Bear, tears flow, emotions are high, and focusing on real life is tough. However, it will get better. Millions of mothers have been through it. I will, too.

What am I talking about? My son just left for Santiago, Chile for two years. He's serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. Since he was born, we've hoped for this day. We've prayed that he would have the desire to serve a mission. We know what it will do for him. We know the growth that will take place. We know the man he will become. 

He grew up talking about going on a mission...

His 3 year old prayer: "Help me that I can go on a mission and help my dog go on a mission, too."

His 4 year old prayer: "Please help me that I can go on a mission and my dog, too."

His 7 year old plea: "I'm collecting legos like Uncle Stephen. I'm going to keep my legos until after my mission. Mom, when I'm on my mission, will you take care of my legos?"

His 8 year old prayer: "Please bless me that I can go on a mission to Mexico so I can buy a switch blade knife."

Through his youth he has prepared for this day: seminary, youth activities, service projects, testimony meetings, scripture study, Family Home Evening, missionary prep classes, temple attendance, prayer, jobs, work, saving........

I am a thrilled Mother for his obedience to Heavenly Father and his desire to tell the people of Santiago, Chile about Jesus Christ and His plan for us. I wouldn't want him anywhere else. I'm willing to only hear from him via letter/email once per week. I'm willing to only talk to him twice per year - 4 times over the next two years. I'm willing to pray for him and write to him and support him. But it hurts. He's been gone for almost 24 hours and I'm still crying. He's where I want him to be, but I'm a mess.

As Mothers, we rejoice and mourn for our children. Now is the time for me to rejoice...

"Lift up your heart and rejoice, for the hour of your mission is come; and your tongue shall be loosed, and you shall declare glad tidings of great joy unto this generation." D&C 31:3

...but I can't help mourning, just a little.

I wrote him a letter to read on the airplane. It's too personal to post in its entirety, but I will share the following:

"I love you, son. I have shed more tears than I thought possible. But they are tears of joy for your goodness, for your righteous desires, for your obedience, for your wise choices, for your example to your siblings and to me. Be of good cheer and know we will pray for you every day. We are waving the flag for Elder Bushman. We will await hearing from you each week with excitement. We will support you as you go to serve the people of Chile. I give you, my oldest son, to the Lord for the next 2 years, willingly and gratefully. Thank you for making me a very happy Mama. My love to you, Adam. Go forward with faith and with God. Return honorably. Love, Mom"

Oh, and yes, I'll take care of your legos while you're on your mission.

More to Come...but until then, Stick-to-it!

The 5:49 AM Wakeup Call

Midnight...

Mom is given a request.

Has the Mom lost her memory?

Daughter truly thinks so. 

When the dawn comes

The memory just might be there.

Thus, a cute sign... helps her out!

(Think Cats)

D#3: "Mom, will you wake me up at 5:49 AM? I have to finish my homework."

Right....she's 8 years old, going to bed at 10:30 PM and she's going to get up at 5:49 AM? I've been surprised before, but I'll be really surprised if this really happens. 

Mom: "Honey, that's pretty early. Are you sure?"

D#3: "Yes, Mom. I need to catch up on my work from being sick."

Mom: "OK, I'll try to remember."

I always use that disclaimer so if I don't wake them up, they will recall that I warned them of my inability to remember due to Mom-Overload.

As I was going to bed, I discovered the following:

In my Bathroom

On my Dresser

 She didn't want to rely on my memory! She was really serious about this!

This morning, I found these:

On my Desk

On the kitchen cupboard

At 6:00 AM, I made my way to her bedroom. I was a little late 'cause I was sleeping at 5:49. This is what I found...

I tried to wake up Sleeping Beauty...Nothing! She wouldn't budge. I decided to take a video to prove that I indeed did try to wake her up as requested.

An hour later I tried again. I told her I took a video of me waking her up. She watched it and we laughed when we heard the root-toot-toots in the video. She got up at 6:49AM. Only one hour later!

Thoughts:

• When your child is serious about something, try to accommodate. Even if she doesn't respond, at least she'll know you made the effort for her.
• The signs worked! She is brilliant!!
• There is something so peaceful about a sleeping child. It's just wrong to wake her!
• We really need to go to bed earlier!
• So happy that she cares enough about her school work to get up early and work on it.

Thanks for the memory-jogging tool, sweetie. Now, how do I remember all the other things I need to do today?

More to Come...but until then, Stick-to-it!

Preparation, Candy Turkeys, Egg Nog, & Bingo

B-I-N-G-O

And Bingo was his Name-O.

Yes, I know it's Christmas time. Believe me, I'm feeling it. Maybe that's why I haven't written for two weeks? 

Thanksgiving Day was a beautiful day. I think it was the least stressful Thanksgiving morning that I've ever had! Here's to 4 things that made the day amazing...

1. Preparation

I made a list a week in advance. I wrote down everything I was in charge of making and listed out all ingredients necessary.

My assignments:
Sweet Potato Casserole
Homemade Egg Nog (Recipe, Below)
Ham
Cheesecake
Pretzel Jello
Pies (2)
Stuffing
Sparkling Cider
Candy Turkeys
Bingo Prizes
 
I went to the store on Monday of Thanksgiving week. I avoided the long lines of those last minute, crazy shoppers. 

I scheduled out my Thanksgiving-Eve and morning. 

Example:
Wednesday night
- Bake sweet potatoes
- Take out cream pie and put in the refrigerator

Thursday
8AM - Bake Crust of Pretzel Jello
8:30 AM - Bake Berry Pie
9:00 AM - Make Egg Nog
9:30 AM - Finish Pretzel Jello
10:00 AM - Assemble SP Casserole
10:30 AM - Start Candy Turkeys
11:00 AM - Put Ham in the oven
1:00 PM - Make Stuffing

Delegation...it's a beautiful thing. My daughter and her fiancee were in charge of the cheesecake which they cooked on Monday. My oldest son was over the SP Casserole. Daughter #1 and Son #3 did the egg nog. #7 and #8 helped with the pretzel jello. Daughter #3 made the candy turkeys with me. All hands on deck for the loading of the car.

2. Candy Turkeys

One Thanksgiving tradition that began with my mother is candy turkeys. Every year we made these edible creations with big gum drops, small gum drops, tooth picks, marshmallows and raisins. We placed them at each place setting for Thanksgiving dinner. However, some of my children detest gum drops so we come up with different candy turkeys to make each year. This was our creation:

3. Egg Nog
This recipe must be given credit to my sister's mother-in-law. It was introduced to our family when my sister married, and now, we can't have a Thanksgiving or Christmas without it! If you don't like egg nog, give this a try. It tastes NOTHING like the store bought stuff.

2 eggs well beaten

1 can of condensed milk

1 t. vanilla

1/4 t. salt

1 quart whole milk

1/2 pint whipping cream, whipped

nutmeg

Combine everything up to the milk with hand mixer. Gradually beat in milk. Gently fold in whipped cream. Chill. Sprinkle nutmeg on top when serving.

 

Recipe makes 1/2 gallon. This year, we made 2 gallons for our Thanksgiving feast. 

4. Bingo - A New Tradition!

My sister-in-law's family plays Bingo on Thanksgiving Day with her family. She suggested in advance that we try out their tradition and I'm glad we did. Everyone loved getting a prize when they received a Bingo.  The prizes are wrapped and labeled as G for Girl, B for Boy or ? for Anyone. You choose a prize when you get your first Bingo. If you get another Bingo, you give your prize picking option to someone who hasn't had a Bingo. Once everyone gets a prize, it's a free-for-all. The Pac-Man bandaids, silly puddy, and Cars Pen/Notepad were coveted items. The boards are cleared after 4 Bingos. Yes, the prizes were enjoyable, but I think the best part is it's an activity that everyone in the family can participate in...lots of laughs and highly interactive. This is a keeper!!

By the way, we wrapped up our "Be Smart" celebration....more on that soon, and Christmas celebrations are ensuing with our "Be Involved" theme for December. Love this time of year!!!

More to Come...but until then, Stick-to-it!

Marriage and Mission: A Double Whammy

Completely overwhelmed with joy.

Happy Thanksgiving! Two grand announcements for our family occurred yesterday....a marriage and a mission. It all happened within 1.5 hours of each other. 

Marriage
Our daughter came home at 5:45 PM with her fiancee and gave us the news...she's engaged, and she's gained a dog, too - a Saint Bernard puppy, a gift from her one and only. They named him Tank. Date - To Be Announced. They are so happy and we are thrilled for them!

Mission

Our son opened his mission call yesterday evening at 7:15 PM...

"You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the Chile Santiago East Mission. It is anticipated that you will serve for a period of 24 months. You should report to the Provo Missionary Training Center on Wednesday, April 10, 2013. You will prepare to preach the gospel in the Spanish language. Your assignment may be modified according to the needs of the mission president..."

President Thomas S. Monson

Wow! We are so excited for this wonderful opportunity for him to serve the people of Santiago, Chile - the same area that Grandma served in a few years ago!

A Marriage and a Mission Announcement - all in one day. This is truly an amazing and joyful Double Whammy!

What a blessed and happy Mama I am this Thanksgiving Day!

More to Come...but until then, Stick-to-it!

Be Patient: It Comes Around

"A Chocolate a day keeps the doctor away!"

My Grandmother....Kay Baer

This brings me joy! It's as simple as that!

My mother instilled in me the love for See's Candies since I was a small child. I knew what good chocolate was and there's no comparison. I still remember going with my mom to the little See's store on Lakeshore Ave. in Oakland, California. The cute little ladies in their white and black dresses always tried to give me a sugar stick. I knew better and wanted the real thing!

My grandmother loved chocolate as well and had a big box of See's at every family gathering it seemed. Oh, I couldn't wait for that box to "come around", hoping one of my favorites was still there for the taking.

And so the tradition has come around, passed down to my children who each have their favorite See's chocolate. Whenever I go, I try to bring them back a piece of their favorite choice. One daughter loves Lemon Truffles, another Scotchmallow and Milk Bordeaux. Two children always choose the Milk Cherry Cordial which I can't understand. Daddy has his favorites. The little people don't care; they just want to be remembered. Each feels very special when Mom gives pieces of this little bit of heaven.

Last night my oldest daughter was on a date with her "friend". They had stopped by the mall to pick up some of her favorite See's Candies. This morning she handed me a bag from See's with two of my favorites: A Scotch Kiss and a Bordeaux Bar. I was so touched by her thoughtfulness!!! She remembered the joy she felt upon receiving a special See's from Mom. She has beautifully grown up, showing her maturity by returning the joy to me. 

Love them both, but I love the girl more!!

Motherhood consists of simple joys. This was one of them. Sometimes it takes a while for the me, me, me attitude to shift to you, you, you. Be patient! Just like the box of chocolates....it comes around!


More to Come...but until then, Stick-to-it!

Lessons from the Disneyland Disappointment

Dental, plumbing, and cars to pay.

Disneyland, we'll catch you another day!

Plans were in motion to visit the Happiest Place on Earth over the summer. Making it a designated stop for our California Dreamin' Trip, everyone was ecstatic, especially our youngest daughter. She spent hours combing through the scrapbook of our Disneyland trip from 2006. Obviously, she wasn't born yet and was slightly confused at seeing her older sister at a similar age and wondering why it wasn't her. She spoke of Disneyland several times per day and could not wait to see the "Princesses". 

Bushman Family Disneyland Trip - May, 2006

My 3 Oldest Girls with Princess Aurora - May, 2006

Unexpected Summer Disasters came, and kept coming. We were inundated with expenses that were beyond our control...car problems, plumbing issues, garage door repairs, delightful dental work...things that had to be taken care of. How would we pay for our Disneyland trip?

Oh, the painful decisions we have to make as parents! How could we disappoint our little 3 year old who talked about going to Disneyland every day? The trip was getting closer and closer, and the children were asking for trip details and itinerary. 

We had to break it to them: we just could not swing the Disneyland portion of the trip because of the expenses a fore mentioned. It was the perfect opportunity to discuss financial wisdom, debt avoidance, sacrifice, priorities, and disappointments. Our older children understood and accepted it. Our youngest three were sad, but the attitude of our other five was a fabulous example to them and they quickly got over it.

Our youngest daughter kept talking about Disneyland. Every time she did, I distracted her by saying, "We're going to the beach. We get to play in the water and build sand castles and look for sea shells." Over time, when California was mentioned, she said, "We're going to the beach!" Hooray - she got over the Disneyland Disappointment!

Life is full of disappointments...not making the team, low test scores, trouble with friends, inferior role in the school play, not placing in the spelling bee, cancelled plans, broken relationships, and more, and more, and more.  As parents, we try to spare our children as much as possible, but sometimes it's out of our hands. How do we help them handle these disappointments?

Pray for them, hug them, encourage them, VALIDATE their disappointment, distract, try to find a replacement, listen, cry with them, optimistically look to the future, or cheer them up with something special. Be patient with them, for it just may take some time to get over the disappointment.

Back to our summer, I was excited to find discounted tickets to a local theater company's production of Sleeping Beauty Kids. What a great deal to give my youngest daughter a "Taste of Disney".

She loved the show, except for the parts with Maleficent. After the production, we got our very own princess picture!

Four Pretty Princesses with Princess Aurora!

They also got a shot with Maleficent. However, Little Miss Muffet was too scared so she missed out!

Three Brave Princesses with Maleficent!

Our very own Princess Picture for $2 per ticket. Now that's a bargain, Disneyland. 

Today's Stick-to-it Tip: Dealing with disappointments is part of life. How we treat the disappointment is key to building character in our children and for parents, too.

More to Come...but until then, Stick-to-it!

I'm Bald - New Family Photo

I was holding my youngest near the family photo on the wall. 

She pointed to herself and declared, "Look, I'm a baby and I'm bald." 

Time for an updated family photo!

Every few years that time rolls around. I tend to stress about it 'cause I want it to be just right. We don't update our family pics every six months or every year. So, when the 2 year mark hits, I start imagining the locale, the clothes, the formations, the color scheme, etc. Thanks to my amazing friend and photographer, she makes it easy and comfortable and casual. She even finds the right place! However, I still have to decide on what everybody wears and with ten people, that's not an easy task.

I usually start out by looking at the wardrobe of each person in the family (our wardrobes are not that extensive!). What colors do the majority of the people have so I don't need to go out and purchase a new outfit for everyone. That gets pricey in a hurry! Next, I think, "If I do need to purchase, what items is so and so low on that she could really use?" I hit the clearance and sale racks to find inexpensive adds, searching for little accessories or extras to give the right touch. 

Help, I just can't find this or that. Solution: Borrow! This time around, I could not find something to wear for yours truly. I thought of a good friend of mine who has a dress that would match perfectly for the photo session. She was most gracious (pneumonia and all) when I called her (interrupting her son's birthday party) to beg for the use of her dress for an afternoon. Luckily, we're about the same size (well, I don't know that either of us would say it's lucky...we'd rather be a size 6!).  Oh, good friends...always there when you need them!

Once the clothes are found and the outfits coordinated, Mom can relax until the day of. Once that day comes, be sure there is enough time to get everyone ready without stress. Stress is a mood killer and an interrupter of quality family time. I was proud of myself! I put everything else aside two hours before we needed to leave. I assigned the little girls to the big girls for hair and primping. The little boy was assigned to a big boy for hair and last minute needs. I got ready in plenty of time and even prepared snacks to bring along to distract the grumps. 

On the way to the photo shoot, Mom gives her usual lecture about cheerfulness and cooperation. "If everyone quickly smiles, stands where they're told, puts their hands and feet in position, tilts their head, and is happy, the experience will be much faster...and, if we're fast, we'll have enough time to stop for ice cream afterward." It worked! Our youngest had one little fuss, but I whipped out the snacks and she was immediately happy. Note that all of our children can be reasoned with (or bribed) as we don't have any under two anymore. In less than two hours, we were finished, including my son's senior picture shoot. And the photographer was still smiling! So was I. And yes, we stopped for ice cream (and burgers, and cheese fries)!

Because of preparation and amazing talent from Cioco, here's the end result....

Reminds me of a Pride and Prejudice Background

Nice and Cozy

Eight and Eager!!

Fifteen and Fantastic!

Nineteen and Independent!

Seventeen and Ready for the World!

Ten and Excited about life!

Yes, you do love each other!

I love the ATTITUDE in this pic. Especially, little guy!

20 Years

Three and Precious!

Five and Full of it!

LOVE this!! She finally got up...with help!

My Beauties!

Thirteen and Terrific!

A Lewis and Clark Moment

Little Sis looking up to Big Sis - in so many ways

Nobody will ever know the reason for this snapshot!

My Cool Dudes

My Treasures!!

Yes, I'm happy....I do LOVE the photo results, but that's not my true happiness. Ultimately, happiness comes from having family to love and being loved right back. I love my crew!

Make family photos an important part of your family traditions...'cause you can never go back!

More to Come....but until then, Stick-to-it!