On Friday night, we took our whole family and Brooklen's friend, Ethan Menzies to a Saginaw Spirit hockey game. A friend from our ward, John Dunford, had offered us 8 free tickets, so we decided to take the entire family. It was a little chaotic having our little kids there, but it was also really fun to have everyone there. The girls and Kaiton enjoyed the snacks, watched a little hockey, and colored in coloring books throughout the game. When we got home late Friday night, my mom texted me to let me know that my Aunt Norma had suffered a heart attack. I didn't think it was severe at first, but then my mom sent a follow-up text letting me know she probably wouldn't make it. How precious life is! My dear Aunt Norma, who was 75 years old, but was so vibrant, active, and "young at heart," passed away late that night. Her 2 children, Cinco and Shelley, were able to spend some time with her before she passed and my parents were able to be in the room when they unhooked the breathing tubes. I am in shock. I didn't expect this at all and even though I wasn't super close to my Aunt Norma, I wish that I could have had another conversation with her and let he know that I love her. She loved the Poulsen family so much. The last memory that I have of her was last year, on my Dad's birthday. I was in Arizona for his birthday. That morning, she brought over a handmade card that she had painted for him. She has so many siblings and nieces and nephews, and yet, she made time for them. I have been thinking a lot about her example and how I can become more like her.
On Saturday, Brooklen had hockey practice in the morning and Hurley had a playdate with her friend, Lily, from school. In the evening, the Menzies family came over. Their son, Ethan, is one of Brooklen's best friends and their daughter Kaitlyn, is just a bit younger than Hurley. The kids had a wonderful time playing together and Rob and I enjoyed Melissa and Chris's company. Although it is sometimes a bit harder to interact with non-members, I love doing it so much.
Something that has been weighing heavily on my mind recently is whether or not we should have another baby. Rob and I even fasted about this today and still, I don't have a firm answer. While I can find so many reasons why I think we shouldn't have another baby, I also feel like maybe we should have just one more child. I feel a little sad that I didn't receive a clear answer from my fast today, but I did receive one answer. Now, is not the time. I am really looking forward to some alone time with Kaiton next year and I think maybe I need to wait to make the decision about our family size. I am worried because I don't want to wait too long because I am getting older, but I am not quite ready to decide today.
Today, I taught a lesson to the Young Women about repentance. My heart was heavy after hearing of Norma's death and I had a hard time planning my lesson. One of the things that I learned in planning the lesson, however, is that we are righteous only if we are repenting. One of the talks I read, suggested that as we pray each day we not only thank our Father in Heaven for blessings and ask for those that we need, but that we ask for forgiveness for the sins from that day. Doing this will help us more fully utilize the atonement and help us to become aware of all of our imperfections that we need the Lord for.
0 comments:
Post a Comment