Siovhan turned 24 on the 2nd! Happy Birthday to the oldest of my little ones. Wow! I can't believe that she is almost as old as a quarter of a century. She has always been one of the best parts of my life. When she was younger, she loved to wake up. I used to call her "Sunshine Girl" because she always brought a light with her where ever she went. I love you Siovhan!

Benjamin went to his first prom. He decided against going to his Junior Prom...he had other plans, but they never ended up working out for him. The young woman that asked him, Andrea Smith, was a Senior in High School...she has since graduated. They went with a large group. The group rented a trolley, which took them about thirty miles, through the back-roads of Massachusetts, to the place where they held the Sr. Prom, in Worcester.

Andrea and Ben

Part of the group. It would keep enlarging over the next half hour.

 

 

The Trolley

On Monday into Tuesday, night into morning, we had a terrible storm. It was so intense that Mikaela spent the night on our floor and the rest of the household stayed awake while the storm was raging outside. We are surrounded by a lot of tall trees, which creak and moan loudly when the wind is pushing against them. Often we watch them bend almost to the ground with the force from the wind. The moaning and hammering of the rain made for one tired family. Today, the world is sunny, the air is clean and fresh. I wish that there was a cleansing for the brain like rain, or a shower. Maybe that is what prayer is--a cleansing, to help with cleaning the brain like a rainstorm or a shower.

We received Braden's first letter and the same afternoon an email (actually two, emails, but they were kind of connected). You can read his letters here: http://www.missionsite.net/elderbradenbolton/main . He was so ready to be on a mission, as you can tell from his letters.

This year is going to be an interesting year in our home. I feel like I need to recite Maurice Sendak  and say, "Let the wild rumpus begin!"

Braden is an official missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was set apart on Sunday, May 23,  2010, by our Stake President, Leif Erickson. Howard drove Braden, Ben, Mikaela and myself to the Ericksons in Norwell. We had a nice visit, then after a private interview with Braden, the Stake President set him apart with the rest of us watching.

On Monday afternoon, Howard and Mikaela drove Braden and I to the Providence, Rhode Island Airport. We took some last minute pictures, kissed and hugged Mikaela and Howard, then Braden and I ate some lunch, did a little window shopping and then hurriedly caught our plane to Detroit. We had a brief lay-over in Detroit, then on to Utah.

I was a little upset when we got on the plane for the last part of our trip to Utah, because Braden I were in separate rows and I couldn't convince anyone to swap seats with Braden or I. After I started crying, the guy next to me asked me where we were going. I was embarrassed that I was crying and so I didn't look at him, but told him that I was taking my son to Utah, where I was going to be leaving him. He then asked if we were Mormon and if my son was going to go to the MTC. I said yes we were Mormon and yes, I was taking him out to the MTC. He then, unhappily, changed seats with Braden. It all worked out better for the man who swapped. He ended up with no one in between him and the next passenger on his row, and he had the front row seats, with extra leg room. If I had not cried, Braden would have come back and had me come and sit by him. Silly Mother's Tears! Anyway...it worked out and off to Utah we went.

When we landed we collected our luggage, rented a car and drove past the Jordan River Temple, in our attempt to get Braden Chinese food. (There is a Chinese Restaurant near the Temple.) We didn't get the food, the shop was just closing when we got there, but we did drive over to the temple and talked about the day Howard and I were married. We drove to Provo, where there was still snow on the ground from the storm the day before. Crazy weather for Utah. We stayed with my sister AnnMarie and her family for a few days. On Tuesday Braden and I finished running errands for his things, we saw some of his work friends and then we bought food for an Open House at AnnMarie's. The Open House was Tuesday evening.

The Open House was a lot of fun. My parents were there, two of my sisters and two of my brothers and many of my nieces and nephews. Braden had a lot of friends from here in Massachusetts, as well as a lot of BYU friends that came to wish him well and spend a few minutes with him. It was a lot of fun. when it was all over, we just sat around and laughed and talked with my siblings and their children. I slept really well, even for being as nervous and anxious as I was.

After waking up, going for a quick run, showering and eating lunch, it was time for the drive to the MTC. My parents, Braden, my niece Rachel and I piled into the rental car and parked the car across the street at the temple lot then we took pictures at the entrance of the MTC. After the pictures, we piled back into the car, drove through the front loop of the MTC entrance, pulled all of Braden's belongings out of the trunk, handed him over to his Hosts, gave final hugs and kisses, then it was good-bye. It seems like it was all too quick.

I am going to try to keep my blog more updated, I kind of let it go, because I didn't feel like that there was too much to report, but with having a missionary in our family, a Senior in High School and a Seventh grader, there should be plenty of action this year.

Braden's Mission Call

Last night what was left of our small family, gathered around the computer to Skype to Braden, who was at my sister, AnnMarie's house. He was surrounded by members of his extended family and friends while he opened his mission call. He is going to go the country of Nicaragua, the Managua mission. He is reporting to the MTC in Provo on the 26th of May. We have so much to do. It is so warm there, that they are only supposed to take one suit. I have so many questions. I can't wait to receive a copy of the papers that he was sent.

I was so nervous and anxious last night, I felt like I was going to have a heart failure. I thought I would be more emotional than I was. I can't believe I didn't cry. I think knowing that he had the call in hand for about seven hours, helped to diminish the tears. I am so grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am grateful that Braden has a testimony of Christ and wants to share his testimony to help change other people's lives. Look out world, here comes Braden!

There are times when I get tired of hearing myself talking and I am sure that everyone else does as well...so I don't talk or write for a while. Then, I get a comment that makes me think that I need to open up and share myself again.

Braden is approaching a milestone in his life.

Braden has finished all the preliminary work for his mission. He turned his papers in on the 29th of January. He is now waiting for the envelope from Church Headquarters. He is nervous, but more excited than nervous.

I feel like I did when Siovhan was searching for a job: nervous, worried, concerned, excited, you know kind of all the things one feels when they are anticipating a birth. I wonder if I will feel like I did when I left Siovhan in Oregon, like I had left a part of my heart there. I often wonder with all the pieces of my heart across this country, will it get any easier when I have to give away more pieces?

Update on Howard: He sees Dr. D. next week. Dr. D. will have Howard re-x-rayed and then will tell him to continue to take it easy. Howard is sad that he can't go skiing with the young men or tubing with the young women as a chaperone. Dr. D. has all ready told him no, which actually had more authority than when Dr. Melanie told him not to even think about it.

Stayed tuned...

I usually check everyone's blogs on Fridays. It has been several Fridays since I was last on my blog. It seems like there is so much to be done, that blogging has been the thing I have had the least time for.

Mikaela turned 12 on November 26, Thanksgiving Day. Unfortunately, Howard broke his collar bone that morning as well. Howard, Ben and some of the boys and men from church were playing in the traditional, "Franklin Ward Turkey Bowl." He caught a pass and was trying to beat Ben to the end zone, when he rolled forward and broke his right clavicle. He and I spent six hours in the emergency room, ortho department. He came home bruised and broken and sad that he had ruined Mikaela's birthday. Her birthday turned out okay, because she received many phone calls wishing her a Happy Birthday, and she spent most of the day with her best friend. We didn't get to eat dinner until 8:00 pm. Mikaela's cake came at 9:30. The past two days have been spent going to the orthopedic surgeon, back to the ER and then back and forth to the nearest CVS (pharmacy).

All while this was going on, I learned great lessons. Howard is a kind man. He apologized to the nurse for having her hold his vomit. He apologized to the doctor for having him work on Thanksgiving. He apologized to Mikaela for taking time away on her birthday. He also told me that there was a lot to be thankful for. He then pointed out all the things that were blessings: Chris Doughty calling ahead for a wheelchair, our son Ben's courageous and kind care, no one in the waiting room at the ER when he arrived, there was an orthopedic doctor in the ER due to someone else's broken finger...and he continued to list things. He reminded me that Lehi, even though he had fled Jerusalem with nothing except his family, built an altar and thanked the Lord for his blessings. There is always so much to be thankful for.

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin summed it up when he said, "Enjoy every sight, every smell, every taste, every sound. When we open our eyes and give thanks for the bountiful beauty of this life, we live in thanksgiving daily...Gratitude turns a meal into a feast and drudgery into delight. It softens our grief and heightens our pleasure. It turns the simple and common into the memorable..."

I am thankful for my children and my sweet husband.

There was a totally awesome rain storm last night. (I wonder if my children love rain storms because of me--I totally love rain.) After raining for several hours, I awoke to the sounds of ice rain. After falling asleep for a few more hours, I woke up and saw snow falling all around. Sadly, the ground was too warm and the snow didn't stick. What is about rain storms that I like? Rain makes me pause and reflect on the world around me. Rain washes everything clean, while at the same time, it gives life to the earth. What an amazing multi-purposed element.

A little piece of New England Heaven.

For the past few weeks I have been pondering the message that President Monson delivered at the last session of General Conference:
"President David O. McKay made this statement: “Man’s greatest happiness comes from losing himself for the good of others.”

Often we live side by side but do not communicate heart to heart. There are those within the sphere of our own influence who, with outstretched hands, cry out, 'Is there no balm in Gilead?'

I am confident it is the intention of each member of the Church to serve and to help those in need. At baptism we covenanted to 'bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light.' How many times has your heart been touched as you have witnessed the need of another? How often have you intended to be the one to help? And yet how often has day-to-day living interfered and you’ve left it for others to help, feeling that 'oh, surely someone will take care of that need.'

We become so caught up in the busyness of our lives. Were we to step back, however, and take a good look at what we’re doing, we may find that we have immersed ourselves in the 'thick of thin things.' In other words, too often we spend most of our time taking care of the things which do not really matter much at all in the grand scheme of things, neglecting those more important causes.

Many years ago I heard a poem which has stayed with me, by which I have tried to guide my life. It’s one of my favorites:

I have wept in the night
For the shortness of sight
That to somebody’s need made me blind;
But I never have yet
Felt a tinge of regret
For being a little too kind

My brothers and sisters, we are surrounded by those in need of our attention, our encouragement, our support, our comfort, our kindness—be they family members, friends, acquaintances, or strangers. We are the Lord’s hands here upon the earth, with the mandate to serve and to lift His children. He is dependent upon each of us.

You may lament: I can barely make it through each day, doing all that I need to do. How can I provide service for others? What can I possibly do?"

New Goals = New Heart. I desire a new heart. I also think, "What can I possibly do?" I hope that I will find the answer to the question in the daily acts of my life.