These pictures about sum up our Thanksgiving trek to Utah that well....some of us want to forget. But there was so much trial and stress and lessons learned that I have to record it for posterity sake, right?
The story begins on the car ride to Utah. This is our first trip with four children. We started out being concerned how Marianne would travel at the tender age of two months, come to find out that was the least of our worries. Half way to Utah one of my children yells out" it smells like pee!!" (we won't name names) right as this is happening Scott gets a call from his family and we find out that his family dinner is the same time as my family dinner. Isn't communication a wonderful thing! Yes the stress level has just risen about 100%. We make an unwelcome stop to take care of the pee and both parents are less than Christ-like should be say. Well, when we finally make it to my moms in Salt Lake, Scott calls me into the bedroom and says, "Don't get upset because there is nothing we can do about it tonight, but we left the garment bag with all our church clothes and Marianne's blessing dress at home." As we did more unpacking I realized that the only pair of shoes I brought were the gym shoes on my feet. (Gym shoes don't go so well with dressy picture clothes.) We also realized that we had forgotten the ordinance recommend that my mom's Bishop told us we needed in order to bless Marianne in her ward. Not only had I
forgotten it, but I had no idea where it was. (Thanks Robert for looking for it). There were a couple more peeing accidents on my mom's new carpet, and Marianne exploded all over
Scotty at our Hendricks family photo shoot. During the process of changing cars we lost a strap to our baby
bjorn. Marianne was fussy most of the time, and she cried through most of her blessing. Madeline could not sit still during sacrament meeting and therefore I got the
privilege of over hearing the lady in front of us say, "that little girl was all over the place, and I did not hear her mother correct her once." Instant "I am a bad mom" feelings. When we got home I realized that I am missing a bag of items that I purchased at Distribution. To top it off, Scott and I drove home in silence and didn't talk for about um...three days!
Why are the holidays and getting together with family so
stressful????Seeing that this all happened over Thanksgiving, a time when we should not be complaining but being thankful, and it is a week later and I can find things to be thankful for I will tell you what I am thankful for about our trip.
I am thankful that we made it to Utah safely and that the weather was wonderful! (except my kids did not get to see snow). I am thankful for repentance and the knowledge that I can be forgiven for saying unkind things. I am thankful that my children are so forgiving of the mistakes that
their parents make. I am thankful that my mom let us stay with her even if it was a little tight. I am thankful that my mom so graciously changed her dinner to the evening so that we could be with both families. I am thankful for wonderful friends like Melanie Rollo who would take the time to pick up our clothes and shoes, and arrange for them to be brought all the way to Salt Lake. Another friend Robert Butler who would take the time to search for our
ordinance recommend and Tom Prince (bishopric counselor) who made a copy of the(bishops copy) recommend and emailed it to us. I am thankful for pull ups and water proof mats. I am thankful for spray & wash and washing machines. I am thankful that the Baby
bjorn strap was in the back of our car and that Marian found my distribution shopping bag in the back of her car. I am thankful that we got a few decent family pictures. I am thankful that Scott's whole family could be together after many years and that we were able to spend time with them. I am thankful for great Grandmas. My kids are lucky enough to have two great grandmas alive. I am thankful that my grandmother was able to spend time with my children and that they will have memories of her. I am thankful that she gave Marianne an heirloom from her mother, Mary Ann
Mackelprang Cook, whom she is named after. I am thankful to have spent time with my parents and the love and compassion they always show us. I am thankful for my four beautiful children who try really hard to do what is right! I am thankful to my mom's bishop who made googly eyes at Marianne during her blessing to make her stop crying. I am thankful that my husband worthily holds the priesthood and was able to give Marianne a blessing. I am thankful for
Madeline's vibrant personality that always makes us laugh! I am thankful for living prophets who teach us to laugh at our trials. (I read Elder
Wirthlin's talk from conference when I got home, thanks again Melanie). I am most thankful for my wonderful husband who has committed his life to making me happy (which is a very tall order).
We learned many great lessons this holiday. The number one being that we need to strive much harder to be Christ like. If we would do that our lives would be so much happier. Here are a few more pictures depicting the good moments of our trip!
A family tradition that I want to carry on in my family is acting out the Nativity. As a child we always gathered at my grandparents home, or one of the cousins homes on my Grandpa Olsen's birthday (Dec. 23rd) and had a family party. We ate, exchanged gifts, and most importantly acted out the Nativity. The grandkids would dress up and decide who would play who, and my grandpa always read the story from the bible. This is one of my most treasured memories. I especially wanted to do it this year, since this is my first Christmas without my Grandfather. I am so grateful for the wonderful legacy he left me. He was a great man and I miss him.
Since we have no family here in Vegas we invited the Butlers over for dinner and a show! The kids came over dressed and ready. We had a Mexican feast of tacos and homemade salsa. Then we gathered the kids and put on a show. Scott was in charge of the casting and directing, I had the camera duty,
Robert read the nativity story out of the bible, while Kristen entertained Marianne. It was a wonderful evening!
