november has been just a crazy, crazy month. november 1st came and it seemed we just hit the ground running. the highs have been high, and the lows have made me more aware of my blessings and the need to appreciate them more. it was one of those periods of time when you pick a date, somewhere in the seemingly too distant future, and view it as the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel...a date that calls and beckons like a steaming hot tub, a clean set of sheets. or that soft little wedge of space between earlobe and shoulder on a baby's neck.
it began with had a baby shower and a bridal shower, (not for the same person...although it would have freed up a much needed saturday had than been the case), it ended with a wedding this past saturday. and even as i type, i just received word that the latest great-grandbaby for the scarlett side has arrived safe & sound...mason anthony edwards. a 6lb 6oz, a bigger-than-his-size bundle of joy. in between though, we shopped for bridesmaid dress patterns, soon ditched that idea, and ended up shopping for actual bridesmaid dresses. how hard could it be? i'll tell you...we ended up driving to three different locations to collect the 3 different sizes we needed; now there's 5 hours of my life i'll never see again. then came the begging, hopeful borrowing, and possible stealing of shrugs; anything but having to sew them seemed like acceptable alternatives. friday morning was spent executing last minute alterations that i prayed would work and not look like something a squirrel had tried his hand at. friday night was dress rehearsal, putting up chairs for the ceremony, and dinner. the matrimonial festivities culminated in a beautiful wedding saturday morning as steven's niece, amanda, married the love of her life, carlos. they both looked so beautiful and full of the excitement of the day. at the last minute i became the official photographer, wishing all the while that i'd actually taken the classes i keep saying i need to take. thank goodness for digital and photoshop is my final word on that.
of course there was the infamous family history project where we, (by "we" i mean "i"), squeezed 3 months of family fact gathering into about 3 weeks; and while it can be done, it should be highly discouraged! we typed, re-typed, scanned, cut & pasted until i was ready to disown everyone and just say that connor was found on our door step one spring morning. ergo making any kind of family history null and void. anyway it's all done now, handed in, and a thing of the past. no pun intended. i'm just hoping i, oops, he gets a good grade! thank you everyone for coming through with stories and names and dates. you are sooo appreciated.
we all know about the change in calling that came mid-month, so we won't rehash that one. but i will add that i taught my first lesson this past sunday and didn't die of cotton mouth or hyper-tension. in fact it went really well. they invited me back next week and i think i'm going to love this new opportunity. it's really what i've needed. i love our ward - all their smiles of congratulations, support, and relief that it wasn't them, were a welcome sight as they entered and took their seats. i am so grateful we have a ward of smart, well versed individuals who are willing to share their thoughts and experiences. more thankfully, i can't think of one that i'd have to glance past for fear of them saying something that reaches way beyond the realm of "personal revelation" and might land us both in the stake presidents office.
the low came one friday as caitlin and i attended the funeral of a beautiful baby girl. she is the niece of one of caitlin's dearest friends, and began her battle for life even before she was born. her little heart fought from the moment she took breathe, and at two weeks Heavenly Father decided she had fought enough and called her home. it was heartbreaking, but the blessings and promises given to her family were beautiful. even though, i found myself wishing the lessons of life could somehow be a little more gentle for some.
thanksgiving day was a wonderful end to such chaos. steven's uncle larry and his wife kitty opened up their home to about 40-odd family members and friends. and by odd i mean 'give or take a few', not odd as in weird or peculiar...although we do proudly boast having a healthy and welcome dose of oddness. dinner in their home as been a family tradition since anyone can remember. kitty rents tables and chairs, sets out real china and silverware and puts up the most beautiful christmas tree. larry roasts up a couple of turkeys to perfection and makes his famous fresh green beans and peppers combination. we all bring our traditional offerings. there's renays world class buns, annette's vegetable tray, my mushrooms. karen brings mashed potatoes. and pies. ohhhhh, the pies.... the best part was that all of steven's family were in town; we haven't all been together since their dad passed away 18 months ago; this was a much more welcome reason for gathering. his sister lisa and her family came from california. we got to meet their new baby, brody, for the first time. we all fought for some brody time, which thankfully he didn't seem to mind, and soaked up as much of his babyness as we could. eric, becky and kids came down from thatcher. the kids have all grown so much. i love watching them as they hang out, and sleep over, and make the most of the short time they have together. i'm so grateful my kids have so much wonderful family. and again i am in awe of the power of family and the ability to step in place and pick up where they left off.
so now it is december, and i have the feeling that there is more chaos to come as christmas quickly approaches. but i have a goal. and i am resolute in my decision, not to let things get so crazy and out of hand that i look past the sacredness of this season just so i can find the light at the end of the tunnel. i am resolute in my decision to remember that the real Light comes from the birth and life of Christ. i am resolute in remembering that by looking to the Light, instead of past it, ensures that our lives will be happier, more joyful. even amid the chaos.
here's to a relatively chaos free and merry christmas to all....
