random stuff

I have so much to catch up on it's not even funny...and I am not just talking about the blog! I don't know when I will have time to really bring things up to pace with pictures and everything!

Here's a little of what's happened with us (mostly me...) lately!

• We had Thanksgiving with the Barrett crew at my parents house. I peeled enough potatoes to feed a small Army! All my siblings were there except for my little brother Eric and his wife! Good food and good company...what more could you ask for? (not to gain 3 pounds...probably...which I did!)
• Friday Brandon took Kaitlyn to Urgent Care in Mesa....she had some sort of throat infection...got her some meds. and she's on the mend!
• My mommy and I carried on our tradition of Black Friday shopping. We got to our first store, WalMart, at about 5:30 a.m. We also hit Target, Kohl's and Sears! My mom had to go to work at 10:30...so we had to stop shopping. :(
• Went out to dinner with Angela and Kevin. It's was the first time Brandon and I had gone to Texas Road House. I am not a steak lover....but I ordered steak and it was GOOD! The best part of all was getting to talk to Angie and Kevin. We just need to live by each other...then we wouldn't have to hang out in the Texas Road House parking lot until midnight! (really!!!! We lost track of time and I loved every minute of it!)
• I got to take pictures of my sister in-laws family and also my friend Amber's family!
• Drove home Saturday night....and I still haven't finished unpacking!
• Took Weston to the Dr. today...found out he has an ear infection...took Kaitlyn to the dentist...no cavities again! :)

Last night was the first night of the 12 Days of Christmas that the town puts on. There's a performance or display of some kind every night for the first 12 days of December! Last night was the "town lighting"...the H.S. Honors Choir sang songs, they had a hay ride, a live nativity (with a very ornery goat! It was ramming kids left and right! It rammed Kaitlyn but she just fell on her bum and didn't get hurt...I don't think any of the kids did...) and a nativity scene display with all sorts of different sets...there was hot cocoa, cookies and SANTA! We weren't going to wait in line to see Old St. Nick...but by the time we were going to leave the line was half it's original length, so we decided to go for it. It was getting kindda chilly so Addie and I went into Ed's and bought some hot cocoa (the free vendors had cleaned up). I was filing the cups with hot cocoa and before I could get a lid on the first cup, Addie tried to get it off of the counter and spilt cocoa all on her face and in her eye. I hurried and got some napkins wet and put it on her face, cleaned her off and put some ice on it. The funny thing is that she didn't cry and the cocoa didn't even burn her. I was thinking that maybe the cocoa wasn't that hot so while we were leaving the store, I took a drink and it burned my tongue. I mean BAD...it still kindda hurts! The cocoa was so hot that Brandon and I blew on it for a half hour before we could even let the kids take a sip! I have no idea how Addie didn't get burns on her face from spilling that streaming hot cocoa on herself. I told Brandon that she has a legion of guardian angels keeping her safe! I was thinking about this today....wondering why she didn't get burned...I thought maybe it's because I pray for her safety everyday. But then I started thinking about all the other moms that pray for their kids health and safety and still bad things happen. I of course thought of Angela and Kevin and their sweet little Kaiya. I know they prayed harder than they have ever prayed in their lives for that girl to be healthy...but still, Heavenly Father took her home. So today I had to ask "WHY?" I know that not only does Heavenly Father have a plan to make it possible for us to return back to Him, but he also has an individual plan for us...one that will make us experience the joys and sorrows that we need to experience in order to learn and reach our fullest potential....but still...this afternoon, I had to ask again, "Why?" Why pray if the outcome is already set? And the answer to that, I think, is a basic gospel principle..."faith". When trials come upon us...they are either a consequence of our own actions...or something we have no control over. When I have found myself in situations where I can wondering, "why?" (like today) the outcome I have come to is that I don't KNOW why...and that is where faith comes in. I have to have faith that I do have a loving Father in Heaven who does have a plan just for me. I was reading in the Ensign today and came across this quote by Elder Oaks. "Healing blessings come in many ways, each suited to our individual needs, as known to Him who loves us best. Sometimes a 'healing' cures our illness or lifts our burden. But sometimes we are 'healed' by being given strength or understanding or patience to bear the burdens placed upon us." So, why do we need to pray? So that we can exercise our faith...so that we can ask for those healing blessings. If we are not willing to ask, and look for ways to over come our trials, then we aren't going to learn from them and we aren't going to have joy...and we aren't going to be able to stay close to the Spirit by expressing our gratitude for the blessing we have. It's so easy to wish we didn't have to have trials and to only always be happy...but I think that as we overcome each trial, our joy becomes greater than it ever could have been.

...I don't know...what do you all think?

Well......speaking of joys and sorrows....I hear my two youngest "joys" expressing their "sorrows". (Addie and Weston are both crying)....better go see if I can get them back to sleep!