Graduation for #4

My daughter graduated from high school last weekend. Her older siblings made a surprise visit from Utah to see her graduate so we had a weekend full of fun.

We have our graduation exercises on the football field at our high school. Two years ago, for my older daughter's graduation, it rained and rained. And, to top it off, my youngest daughter barfed all over the man sitting in front of us. This year, thankfully, the weather was perfect and no one was sick.

I enjoyed the speech by a local elementary school principal who said they'd learned most of what they needed to know in elementary school. He shared valuable advice tied to each letter of the alphabet. It was a fun speech.

We don't have a valedictorian or a salutatorian because the administration didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings (yet, kids are cut from the football team, only a handful start for basketball, and I've comforted more than one child who didn't make it into the high school play so I'm not sure why we don't have the traditional valedictorian and salutatorian). Instead, the kids choose a classmate to speak (and doesn't that hurt kids' feelings?) and this particular young man gave a speech that was all over the place. I'm still not sure what he was talking about. However, the speeches by two young women chosen by the faculty were completely inappropriate. Filled with sexual innuendos, digs at conservatives who attended a rally for John McCain (students came specifically to this rally held at the high school to berate, belittle, and harass McCain supporters using profanity and showing vulgar signs and were incensed when asked to tone it down or leave), and then went on to say how they could now add the "hot" teachers on Facebook and even named a teacher (who's married) that they'd be adding. Their speeches were immature, rude, and embarrassing. However, they weren't surprising, which is a sad statement for our high school.

Fortunately, none of this dampened our excitement and pride as child #4 received her diploma. I was very proud of her. She worked hard and we had a huge celebration for her graduation.

Here are some photos:

Ice Cream Before Breakfast

I probably won't be nominated for "Mother of the Year" because I gave my 4-year-old an ice cream sandwich before breakfast today. Why? We were celebrating.

For the last few months, when I get him up, I sit him on the toilet. We read and sing and talk. We do sign language. We laugh. And we wait. We wait and wait and wait for him to do something more than just sit there being cute. Every morning he sits for a while, then hops off, and flushes the unused toilet. We then wash hands and say "Yay." He even does the thumbs up sign now and again. I figured getting him into the routine would help. And guess what? It did.

Today, he used the toilet for reals. I don't know who was more surprised, but I know I was more excited. One less poopy diaper for me. Yay! I clapped and shouted and jumped up and down. He probably thought I was crazy. But I was so excited. Funny how a little thing like that can make a grown woman act so ridiculous.

I'm sure we'll continue to potty-train for months yet, but this was a step in the right direction and I decided it was worthy of an ice cream sandwich celebration. Yay for one less poopy diaper today!

He's Married

What an incredible day filled with great happiness and joy. My son was sealed in the Oquirrh Mountain Temple on Friday to his sweet, beautiful bride. I have never seen him smile so big and be so happy. I was very grateful to witness his marriage and so thankful he was sealed in the temple.

Parenting isn't always easy. It's fraught with plenty of ups and downs, trials and tribulations, mistakes. Of course, happy times are sprinkled throughout as well. As parents, we sacrifice our time, talents, and energy in raising our children. We teach them, pray for them, and suffer with them. They occupy our thoughts, spend our money, and teach us patience. Every once in a while, we have a "parent payday." The first time I went through the temple with my son, the day he went into the MTC, and the day he returned home from serving an honorable mission were all "parent paydays." However, Friday was the biggest payday yet. To see him kneel across the altar, pledging his life, love, and eternity to his wonderful bride and make covenants with her and the Lord made me realize how truly blessed I am. How truly blessed we all are to have the gospel and the opportunity to seal our families together for all of eternity.

Friday overshadowed all the begging and pleading to turn in homework, to keep curfew, and to clean his room. Friday overshadowed the dirty underwear he'd leave in the bathroom regularly, the damage done to the cars when he was learning to drive, and the times he'd spring things on me with no warning. Friday overshadowed all of it. The potty training, the arguing while he was in middle school, the parent-teacher conferences when I learned he hadn't turned in assignments, and all the time I spent driving him back and forth for school activities. Friday trumped everything. It was a glorious day wherein I saw the fruits of my labor. Parenting certainly isn't easy, but it's definitely worth it, especially when you can sit in a sealing room holding the hand of your child, knowing that he's in the right place, at the right time, being sealed by the right authority.

In a world where morality is belittled and religion is mocked, where messages on every side urge us to to break commandments, where the world delights in ridiculing standards, it is no small feat for a young couple to enter the temple worthily and make covenants with the Lord. Friday, Satan had to admit defeat as my son and his new bride exited the temple, sealed for time and all eternity as husband and wife. Though Satan will continue to work on my son, as he will work on me and everyone else, he did not prevent this sealing. That is definitely cause for celebration.

Yes, Friday was a payday.