The Blessings of a Full Life

Ever since Thanksgiving, I have been looking around a little harder at all my blessings and reflecting on what I have.

  A constant source of frustration for me nowadays is how "full" everything is.  Every where I turn in our house, there is something overflowing- from the garbage can to the laundry basket, a sink full of dishes, or a dishwasher full, too.  And, as it turns out, when I have managed to empty one of them, it is filling up that very minute.  Before I can get all of the laundry put away, my laundry baskets are already half-way full, and same with the dishes.  This must be, of course, because we have a very "full" house now, with 8 of us.  Yes, I do think we've filled this house up pretty well.  My "quiver" is full, as it says in Proverbs 127:5-6:

"As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.
Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them;  and they shall not be ashamed..."

As a direct result, of course, my day is also very full.  There never seems to be enough time to get everything done.

You can always fill something up a little more, right?  Well, theoretically, I guess.  I have always taken great pride in my ability to fit things in.  I can fill a dishwasher or a fridge so full when you thought nothing more would fit.  I joke that this is just an analogy of my life- packed to the max.  You can usually pack the garbage can down and add a little bit more, if needed.   My point is that even when we get to the point that we think, "How can I do it all?"  or "I can't fit one  more thing!"  the Lord has been there for me and given me the strength to somehow accomplish it.  He can help us do things that we didn't think were possible.  

  

As a girl, I often read a poem that hung above my grandma's kitchen sink.  It reads:

"Thank God for dirty dishes.

They have a tale to tell.

While others may go hungry, 

we're eating very well.

With home and health and happiness

we shouldn't want to fuss.

With this stack of evidence,

God's very good to us."

-author unknown

So, I guess it depends on how you look it it, right?  Your cup can be half empty or half full.  I have been so blessed to have my needs met- my cupboards and my fridge have never been empty and I have never had to go hungry.  I have a very full life right now, and isn't it wonderful??  Yes, my cup is overflowing.  It is overflowing with blessings.   It reminds me of a scripture in Malachi 3:10-

"Prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, that I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it."  

Although every day is a challenge,  it is also an opportunity for me to grow.  I look back at when I had my first baby and think, "What was I stressed about then?"  I have found that as the years go by, we adapt and progress in our abilities.  I am grateful for that!   Even more of a challenge than just getting it all done, will be the challenge of enjoying every moment of my "full" life.  It will be to see past the full dishwasher, garbage, and laundry basket to the needs of those around me, and to make their lives FULL!  Every day as a mother, there are sweet moments that make everything so worth it!   Children are naturally so easy to please and they don't need a whole lot to be happy.  What they want the most are things that cannot be purchased- love, time, happiness.  It is a very delicate balance, one I have definitely not figured out yet, but I am working on it!

There are also times when I think, "Can someone just not need me for about 5 minutes!!?"  But then, I realize how nice it is to be needed.  How sweet it is when a crying child will come to me for kisses or someone needs help only I can give.  Don't we ultimately love the most those whom we serve, or who serve us?  I guess in a way, to be needed also equals to be loved.  What a great opportunity it is, really, to be "needed" so much!

Because life is a "package deal", if we truly want something, we get everything that comes with it.   Everything good comes with a price.  Just as Adam and Eve said in the garden:

"And Eve, his wife, heard all these things and was glad, saying: Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient."  (Moses 5:11)

If I want a house full of people who love me,  it requires some work.   Children's laughter, kisses, and cuddles also come with dirty diapers and some messes.  If you want to do nothing in this life,  you will also receive that much in return.  The most beautiful and wonderful things in my life have come because I have paid a price for them.

I have visited with many older women who talk fondly of the stage I am in right now- the thick of it all.  Their homes are empty now- and they have very few dishes to wash, not much laundry, no little feet tracking in dirt or little finger prints on the walls.  As nice as that may sound sometimes,  I know I wouldn't trade them for a minute.  I will have my time when I get there, and there's no way to fully understand  the challenges of each stage until I am in it.  

Someday when I'm sitting back in my rocker, (and I hope to live to be at least 100), thinking about my life, I hope to be able to say that I have lived a full life, that I challenged myself, made the most of what I had, and lived life to the fullest!  We only get to live here on this earth once, right?

Christ has said:  

• "I am come that they might have life,
  and that they might have it more abundantly."
  (John 10:10)
  How true this is for me, and I am so grateful for his endless blessings and love towards me!  May we all have eyes to see his blessings in our lives!  

Kyle's Birthday

On Nov 10th, Kyle turned 9 years old.  It was an exciting day for him!!

I decided to start a new tradition and I checked him out of school and took him out to lunch.  His 3 youngest siblings also got to tag along.  We went out to Wendy's and he got to pick whatever he wanted!   We had a great time!

We had a great time that evening with our family.  My parents came up and we all went to Bear River  bowling and had pizza while we played.  It is such fun watching the little kids roll the bowling ball and get so excited when they knock any pins down, regardless of how many there are. (This is with bumpers and the metal frame you roll the ball down on.)  Simple pleasures!  

Instead of a birthday cake, Kyle chose a cherry pie, which was a first for me on a birthday.  But hey,  I didn't mind!  It was a lot easier than decorating a cake!  For his gifts, Kyle got mostly legos because that is what he is into right now.  

The Saturday before his birthday, Aaron took Kyle fishing up to Devils Creek.  

  The weather was surprisingly warm.  They caught a few fish and had a good time together. 

Kyle is growing up so fast and I am so proud of the wonderful young man he is becoming.  He works hard at school and likes to have fun.  We love having him in our family!

Kaylee's Baby Blessing

On Nov 2nd we had Kaylee's baby blessing.  She was barely 4 weeks old, and one day shy of a month. I had planned to use the same dress for her that I had used for Erika and Heidi, but they had been 3 and 4 months old, so I ended up buying her a new dress.  She looked so beautiful!  I thought the bow was a little too big, (almost as big as her head) but it was fun for a day!  :)  It has been a really special experience having her in our home.   More so than with any of my other babies, she has been loved to death by all the older children, including the next oldest, Jordan.  I was worried that he would NOT LIKE her, simply because he is very much a mommy's boy and won't share me with anyone.  But, he has been SO sweet with her!  All the kids have wanted their turn to hold and kiss her often.  And, my oldest two are actually able to help a lot with her when I have needed it, to hold and calm her.  So nice!  

I took so many pictures- at least one of everyone holding her- that I decided to make a few collages of them all. It was such a lovely day!  The weather was so nice and it was great to have so much family there to celebrate our new little girl!  

Happy Halloween!

We had a great Halloween season this year!  Things were a little crazy at our house with school and just keeping up with everyday life.   Halloween has never been my favorite holiday but it is a lot of fun for the kids.   I just enjoy the fall season in general, when you're trying to savor the last few weeks of warmth before the cold comes.  We were enjoying the fairly warm weather this year!  I was able to walk to the school to watch the kids' Halloween parade.  

  

On Thursday, the day before Halloween, I had fun going with Jared on his preschool field trip to the "Old Farm Corn Maze" out in Elwood.  I have never been there before and it was a lot of fun!  Erika and Kyle were in this same preschool class when they were Jared's age, but the weather was too cold or wet and so their field trips were cancelled.  I was grateful it was so nice this time around.   Jared was hilarious at the maze, too.  He was so excited and so LOUD!  We definitely wouldn't have been able to sneak up on anyone!  At one point, we opened a coffin and a horn honked at us.  That must have made an impression on him because he talked about it over and over for the rest of the day.   He is quite the character lately.   He just talks and talks without hardly even taking a breath- to everyone and anyone.  He keeps on talking,  hardly paying attention to who is even listening and sometimes I have a hard time following what he is even talking about.  He is loving preschool and just so excited to learn and experience life.  Jordan is much the same, following right behind his brother in everything he is doing.  I am grateful that they have each other to play with much of the time at home.  They are either best friends or enemies.   I will say, though, that they are each perfect angels when the other one is gone (or while Jordan takes his nap) and enjoy a little quiet time, or "mommy time" to themselves.  

Trick-or-treating was also a lot of fun this year.  The weather was perfect and the kids were so excited!  It was the first year in a long time that we didn't even need to push a stroller.   Jordan is pretty good at keeping up with his siblings now.  It is so cute to watch him run with his little legs up to the door and say "trick-or-treat" and then "thank you!"  So much fun!  

Welcome, Baby!!

My doctor, Dr Horsley, delivered all 6 of my babies at Logan Regional Hospital.
I am the first patient for whom he has delivered all 6.  Yeah!  

We had an exciting weekend at our house, welcoming our 6th child into the Parkinson family!   After several weeks of anticipation and wondering when it would happen, the day finally came.  

She was born on Friday, October 3rd at 1:25 am.   

This birth was so different from any of my others, it's still kind-of crazy for me to think back on how it all happened. 

From past experience, my babies have all come at least a couple weeks early, with only one out of 5 coming after 38 weeks.  My earliest was Jared, who was born at 36.5 weeks and Kyle at 37.  So, as that time approached, I was growing anxious with the thought of having another baby so early and not feeling quite ready.  

You could say that I have been pretty spoiled for most of my pregnancies because they go pretty smoothly without a lot of complications.  In fact, I have never really experienced nausea, heartburn, varicose veins, swelling, or braxton hicks with any of my others until this one.  Even this time, I really only had a small taste of these things, enough to say I knew what it was like.   But the braxton hicks were what threw me off this time.  Around 36 weeks I started having them and didn't quite know what to expect.  With all previous labors, I hadn't really felt ANYTHING until labor, and even then, I thought, "I don't know- are you sure this is really it?  It just feels like some menstrual cramps!"  And of course at the end I realized it really was, just before the epidural.   Pretty nice, huh?  

So, when I started having all these contractions around 36 weeks, I was really uncomfortable, and they were starting to make me nervous.  For the most part I still pretty-much carried on with my normal activities, especially after 37 weeks when I thought, "Bring it on..."   I was cleaning bathrooms, weeding the garden, painting in my kitchen, vacuuming, grocery shopping, etc.  Might as well, right?  I felt like a ticking time bomb, ready to explode at any minute.    I have always gone into labor in the middle of the night, so every morning that week, I would wake up thinking, "I made it through another night, what am I going to get done today?"  The week ended well with me being able to make it through another night shift at the hospital and going to all the parent-teacher conferences for the kids.  On Thursday night, after getting all the kids to bed, I went to bed feeling pretty worn out, and never really was able to go to sleep.  I started having enough contractions that around 11:30 pm I got up and decided to walk around or read to not disturb Aaron.  

The contractions were still not consistent, some being 15 min or so apart or less often.  I spent the next hour counting out the contractions and just puttering around, not wanting to wake Aaron up unless this was "the real thing".  I didn't want to go to the hospital until they were close enough together and they were still only about 10 min apart, but they were getting a lot more painful- to where I had to breathe through them.  That was when I woke Aaron up and said we probably ought to head to the hospital.  You have to understand that with the last baby, we had headed to the hospital as soon as I felt contractions that hurt and were close enough together, probably 5 min apart.  But, I was so disappointed when I arrived and found I was only 4 cm and stayed that way for 4 or 5 hours, thinking, "I should have just stayed home and waited until it was farther along!"  I didn't want to do that again.   I wanted to be farther along this time.  (Well, I was...)

     It was a very stressful drive to the hospital.  We left at about 12:45 and it was 35 min. away.  Needless to say, it took less time than that to get there because Aaron was speeding the whole way trying to get me there before the baby was born.   We had no idea things would progress so quickly, as it has never been a problem in the past.  As we left, the contractions started getting a lot stronger and were about 3 min apart.  About half way to the hospital, my water broke and then they got even more intense and were less than 2 min apart.   Aaron called the hospital on the way and told them to get the Dr in ASAP. We both knew that it was very close now, just by the way I was acting, and there was the underlying fear that we would not make it to the hospital before the birth.  Just before we got to the hospital,  I already knew it would be too late for the epidural.  I was to the point now that I cared more about just getting to the hospital and not giving birth in the car.  I kept telling myself, "Everything is going to be okay.  I will survive this!"  Aaron got a wheelchair and ran me in to the delivery room.  They were all ready for me.  There was no time for vital signs, history, or even an IV, and especially not an epidural.   I was in so much pain- they checked me and I was 8 cm and complete.  

Sparing you too many of the details, and making a pretty short story even shorter, We arrived at the hospital at 1:10 and delivered at 1:25. It probably would've been even sooner if the Dr had been there, but I had had to wait at least 5 min to push until he arrived. I could hardly believe the baby was here!   It had happened so fast! (Too fast- it was scary). It took a minute for her to cry.  They had to put her on cpap for a minute to oxygenate her right at first, but then she pinked right up and started crying.  They tried to hand her to me, but I couldn't even hold her I was shaking so bad from the trauma of the whole thing.  I was breathing so hard I felt like I had just run a marathon!  

(AS A SIDE NOTE: people have asked me if I would do it natural again, having experienced it). I would never want anyone to experience it the way I did. Honestly, it was like a nightmare at the time and so scary. I would say if I had known it would be so FAST, I probably would've. It was hard, but not too bad if you know it will only take less than an hour. But, how can you really know that? The crazy thing is that none of my other deliveries ever went that fast. Actually, I progressed rather slowly and I appreciated the epidural A LOT! It would've been long and hard and really miserable without the epidural with all my others, especially my first, when I was in labor over 12 hours and pushed for 2 hours 20 min with a vacuum to get her out! So, I probably still wouldn't have chosen to do it natural unless my others had all been really fast. And then, I also probably wouldn't have driven to Logan! I will say the recovery was pretty easy this time for me, I'm sure partially because I had no epidural, but also I think just because it was my 6th and my body just knew what to do. The recovery still wasn't THAT MUCH better that I think going without the epidural is really worth it. Looking back, I am glad I got the opportunity to experience the labor without an epidural, just to know what it is like and to say I was able to do it. Not that I think it makes you any more of a woman to have done it. Really, I think it's okay to take advantage of the modern conveniences of our time. And, I admire anyone who feels motivated and is able to do it natural every time. Some people are definitely made more for that than others, and that's okay! I am in awe, though, after that experience, amazed that a woman's body can know what to do all on it's own. Childbirth truly is a miracle!)

I had been downing ice chips my whole pregnancy, but the most delicious ice chips I have ever had were the ones I got right after the delivery. :) Aaron was a great support, by my side the whole time. It took me a little while to relax, but at that point I felt so good. I was just SO HAPPY that we had made it and that she was okay. It was such a huge relief!!  

Our sweet little 

Kaylee Michel Parkinson was born- 7 lbs, 6 oz, and 20.5 inches. It was the best feeling in the world. We did it!!!

After about an hour, they moved me to my room and I enjoyed 2 nights at the hospital with time to relax and recover and to enjoy being with my sweet new little one and my sweetheart and best friend, Aaron.

Aaron helping with Kaylee's first bath

That evening, after the kids got home from school, my mom brought them up to the hospital to see the baby.  They were all so excited with this one and it was so fun to watch!  They each wanted more than one turn holding her and looking at her.   

I wanted to point out the beautiful rose bouquet that Aaron put together for me.  He got one color of rose for each of our children.  It was pretty thoughtful of him and I LOVED it!!

I love this picture, not of me, but of her-
because it looks so much like she is smiling!

Kaylee all dressed up in her "going home" outfit

I will never cease to be in awe of the miracle of childbirth!   How grateful I am that I have had the privilege of participating in such a great part of our Heavenly Father's plan- bringing a new life into the world!  I consider myself truly blessed to have had the opportunity of bearing children and of raising them with a knowledge of His plan for them!  Each of them 

is so unique, bringing something special into our home.  Each of them also has their own challenges.  I know that being a mother is one of the hardest things I will ever do.Because it is more of a choice now than it was in the past, we live in a time when many have lost the vision for having children.  Being a parent at this time takes a lot of COURAGE!  It is not for the faint of heart.  It requires one to "lose him/herself" to a certain degree in order to succeed.  No other role has brought me more fulfillment, and will continue to, than my role as a mother.  I believe as I rely on the Lord, He will help me keep the vision of WHY I am choosing to be a mother and help me to raise these sweet little ones up to Him.  

Me at 37 weeks

August and September Happenings

As soon as we returned from our trip to Glacier, we got to work on our big family project.  Right before the trip, we made the purchase at the auction of a home down the street from us.   This was not something we were looking for at all.  In fact, when we found out about the deal, we were hesitant because we know how much work goes into something like this.  But, after running the numbers, we decided it was too good of a deal to pass up and so we went ahead.   

Our goal was to get the major things done before school started so we had just under a month to do repaint, put in new tile in the kitchen, and re-carpet.  Before we painted, we also put in all new base moldings everywhere there was carpet because they just had the carpet coving.  The 2 weeks we spent painting were pretty intense for us.  We put in long hours masking, caulking, speckling, etc.   The kids were very patient through this whole thing, coming with us to the house and playing or watching movies while we worked.  It was a good opportunity for Erika and Kyle to do some work, too.  

After school started, the work continued, but at a much slower pace.   Aaron was back to work and only had a few hours in the evening on some days.  I went over almost every day for at least a few hours, doing touch-up painting, refinishing the cabinets, blinds, cleaning, etc.  At that point, it was starting to get old because it felt like we should be done and we were so close, and yet there were still so many little things to finish up.  We finally got the home finished and were able to move back to projects at our own home in getting things ready for a new baby.    We have taken on several projects like this in the past, although it has been awhile, and we don't plan on doing another one anytime soon!  Remodeling the house was hard work, but we know it will pay off eventually.

On August 26th, the kids went back to school.  It was an exciting day for everyone!!  There were mixed emotions, of course.  I was a little sad because we had been working so hard the last month of summer, I felt a little jipped, like we didn't get to do some of the things we had been hoping to do to finish off the summer.  But, it's okay.  We really did play hard with what we did do.  Also, it is always a little sad to have them go back and be gone for much of the day, but a little more quiet is nice, too.   Also, as a mom I always worry.  I hope they will make good choices and do well in their classes.  Part of me is with them all day, wanting to hold their hand or whisper in their ear to help them along.   But, I know they need to experience a level of independence, too, and I don't want to hold them back.  I am grateful for good schools and teachers that I can put full confidence in.  I don't have to worry about them too much because we live in such a great community.  

Erika started her first year at Alice C. Harris Intermediate this year (Junior High).   She will be here for 6th and 7th grade.   It was a big change for her as things are quite a bit different, with different classes and teachers, and even a locker!  We had fun getting her locker ready and going to her class before the first day of school.   She rides the bus to school, which is such a blessing for me.  She has to leave at 7 am, though, which is so early!!   She made it into the advanced orchestra class this year and we are so excited for her to have that experience!  

Kyle and Heidi started their classes at Garland Elementary- Kyle in 3rd grade and Heidi in 2nd.  It was also a very exciting day for them!  

We walked to school and found their seat in their new classrooms.  

Jared started preschool this year and he is SO ready!!  He goes to Mrs. Francom, the same preschool teacher that Erika and Kyle went to.  She is getting older and this may be her last year teaching.  She does a great job, though, and I am excited for him to have this opportunity.   We had an orientation day where the kids met their teacher and their class.  Jared was most excited about the balloon and treat he got to take home at the end.

He also had fun doing the parachute outside with his class.  

We took and evening and went to the county fair here in town on Aug 20th.  The kids had fun going on some rides.  Unfortunately, the weather was not the best and we got poured on and had to end up leaving early.  But, it was fun while it lasted!  

Our family on a nice Sunday evening walk by the Strawberry dam

Over Labor Day weekend, we got to spend a few days with Aaron's family in Orem and also up at the cabin at Strawberry.   We spent a few hours at the park where the kids played together.  We also went to Provo Beach where they had some indoor games and fun for the kids with the rainy weather.  

Erika, Kaidynce, and Kyle doing the ropes course at Provo Beach

The sad thing was that several people came down with something and were in bed throwing up for over 24 hours.  So, I feel bad I don't have a lot of pictures from the reunion.  We didn't get to see everyone as much as we would like, but we are grateful for the time we did have together.   Thayne came up from California with his girls and my kids are always so excited to see their cousins!!

What could be more fun than cousins?  

On September 6, our family had the opportunity of going to the Ogden temple open house.  I can't believe it has been closed for over 3 years now, being remodeled.  It looks so incredible- they pretty much redid the whole building.   You can't even tell it is the same building!  There was a really special feeling there and I am so glad we had the opportunity to walk through it with the kids.