Testimony Meeting

Today it was Fast and Testimony meeting at Church. I love Fast & Testimony meeting because what is shared is usually unscripted and totally prompted by the Holy Ghost. With Brigam being baptized the night before, it is usually a tradition for Mike and I to both share our testimonies. Mike was the very first one up (but not necessarily the first one at the mike. There's always that one guy every month.)

I think he'd been planning it for a while, so that didn't surprise me. When Mike sets his mind to something, he does it completely well. He did a great job of sharing his joy in Brigam's baptism. He announced that the rumors that were circulating were indeed true - we are moving.

He keeps his composure pretty well during testimony sharing, unlike me who tends to tear up as soon as I stand up to make the long walk to the microphone. He did actually get emotional this time, however, when he was talking about Bishop Ladow.

Bishop Ladow is such a GREAT example of service. He serves others continuously. I don't know how he has the energy to do it, but he does. We truly have been blessed by him. His example is one thing that makes this ward great. When you're with him, you want to try a little harder to be a little better. He is awesome and we will miss he and Sister Ladow so much when we leave.

Throughout the next few testimonies, I leaned down to Brigam and asked him if he was going to bear his testimony. He said, "What's a testimony?" That is a slight wake up call. Something we attend every month and he isn't aware of what is going on? Somewhere I passed up a teaching moment. So I proceeded to tell him that Testimony Meeting was when one shares with others what he believes and knows to be true. How you feel about family, church, Heavenly Father - that the Holy Ghost guides what you say. He kept asking me, "Should I say this? Should I say that?" I said, "You decide." He wanted me to come with him and whisper in his ear what he should say. I told him that if I did that, I would be telling him my testimony. It wouldn't be his. He wanted to go, but I was slow to get up. I have to wait for that complete butterfly-in-the-stomach-take-over before I can even think about rising to my feet. I just wasn't feeling it.

Soon my dad got up and I told Brigam, "You can go sit up there with Grampa and wait your turn." He did. Such a brave boy.

After Grampa finished sharing his testimony, Briggy got up there. He did really well. He spoke of how he wanted to share his testimony and how he loved church. He went on for a bit, but then got stuck. I actually thought he forgot how to end the testimony and was telepathically saying, "In the name of.......", but still he was frozen. Then he turned to the bishopric and one of them prompted him - he continued, "I love my family, I love my teachers that teach me and am thankful for them....." then he concluded with the right words and returned to his seat. I was so impressed with him.

As he sat down I told him that he did a good job sharing what he felt with us. He told me that his stomach got all weird. I asked if it felt like there were a bunch of butterflies in it. He giggled. I told him that that is how most of us feel. He said it was easier for adults to do that. I told him, "Doubt it!!!"

After another minute he asked me, "Mom, did I mess up on my testimony?" I told him, "You can't mess up on sharing your testimony because it's your testimony. What you share is who you are and you did great sharing!" After some more time (I was still awaiting my own butterflies) he said, "When can I do that again?" Next month, bud. "Cool." I told him that it was his job to now spend the next month looking for spiritual experiences that he could share with others. How the Holy Ghost has helped him during the month. He was excited.

When it was really getting close to closing the meeting time, I finally got my own set of butterflies and proceeded to the stand, following my Mother incidentally. She shared then I did. It's hard to keep your composure while telling the things in your heart.

I did share that I was so grateful for Brigam's choice to be baptized and what a great and special kid he is. Then I spoke of my gratitude for the great ward I am in. I said, "I've always told my kids that a true friend is one that makes it easy for you to be yourself. You don't have to change who you are to be with them. This is how this ward has been. True friends that allow you to grow and become better because you don't have to worry about impressing them or being something you're not."

To be quite honest, I've been worried about our new ward in Utah. When we moved here, we left a super ward in Sandy, Utah. In our interim between Utah and Washington we went to another ward, but it wasn't very friendly. I was worried to go back because my brother has been disappointed in his ward in Utah. But then I thought, "Whatever ward you end up in, you will be an asset to it." Being an asset certainly makes you feel like you belong and that is the one thing you want to feel in a ward. Wherever we go, we'll be fine. We will find good people that love the Lord as we do and great people that will teach us to love Him and serve Him even more. We'll be fine, Heavenly Father knows where we're at and He will be with us. Besides, it was His idea that we should move. And who can argue with that suggestion?

Brigam's Baptism

Yesterday Brigam was baptized at the stake baptism along with 7 other kids. He was the only one that was baptized by someone other than his dad. It was Tyler that baptized him. It was so awesome to see both of my boys in white. What was really great was that my 18 year old kept himself worthy to hold and use the Priesthood to baptize Brigam. I am proud of Tyler. It can't be so easy to be a teenager and to keep yourself clean in this world.



We started in the chapel where we opened with song, prayer and a talk on baptism. They they excused 3 of the children along with those who wanted to witness the baptisms to the baptismal font. It was great to see Tyler and Brigam walk down into the water together and for Tyler to baptize his first person. My dad and Mike were the witnesses.

Watching Mike was funny. He's kind of a perfectionist and a control freak. He had Tyler and Brigam practicing at home the proper hand position and immersion part. "Squat Brigam and lean back." As he was up acting as a witness and Tyler finished the prayer and was laying Brigam in the water to baptize him, Mike couldn't help but squat too. That was funny. I giggled.


We then went back into the chapel and they excused the others to be baptized as well. When we all returned, Brigam saw his friend, Shirley Dickson, sitting with some of our other friends, but, without Dean, he felt she was still alone. He chose to go sit with her so she wouldn't be lonely. He's really the best.


My dad gave the talk on the Holy Ghost. It was great. He went with a sports theme and spoke of the Holy Ghost as our coach in the game of life. Pretty good for a guy that doesn't particularly LOVE sports. And with the BYU/Oklahoma game being played that night, I am sure that plenty of people were listening.


After this we all went to the Bishop's office where Brigam was confirmed a member of the Church and received the gift of the Holy Ghost by his father's hands. It was neat to see Tyler up there with the other's using their Priesthood for this ordinance.


We then came back to the house/barn actually, to celebrate. We were blessed to have our friends there with us. Bishop Ladow and his great wife, Lola, Mike and Lorraine Jensen, Scott and Pam Nielsen and their family, Harold and Sally Sanders and their granddaughter, Emma, my parents and us. We all ate and finished off the gigantic ice cream cake from DQ. It was a great evening.


I am so proud of Brigam. He really loves to help people. He is a true example of our Savior in word and deed. Some days he says, giggling, "Mom, I just can't stop saying I love you to you." He really has touched people in his life. He makes friends easily and has a quick smile. He is such a great asset to our family. My life would not be complete without my Briggy!

Back to School

Today marks a week since the kids have been in school. I guess I have been a little busy to journal it; better late than never!!!

Jeremy is now a 9th grader so he had to go for the "Freshmen Only" day at Southridge. He LOVES high school. Every single day that I picked him up after football practice, all he had was good to say about it. "We can do this" and "We can do that" and "So much better than middle school." He played his first HS game under the Friday Night Lights on the 4th. He was so cute!!! Once in a while, from the sidelines, he would flex his monsterous, hard as granite calf for us. It was a treat to watch!

Mykalyn is now in 7th grade. Her reports of school were not as positive as Jeremy's. I guess Desert Hills is implimenting some new discipline and the rules have become a little tedious for Mykie. All week she did tryouts for the volleyball team. We find out what team she'll be on on Tuesday.

Brigam started 3rd at Lincoln. He loves school. What I think he loves more is walking to school every morning. It's fun to hear what he has to say on our walk. Brigam started Grid Kid's Football this year as a Panther. He is so dang cute in his football uniform too. How does that happen to all my boys? He informed me that in the rules (that I am sure that only he knows) it states that moms have to watch each and every practice. He gets very frustrated when I have to leave to take care of some other child. "Yes, honey, mommy's still watching!"

And what is Tyler doing through all of this? Sleeping. He came home for a couple of weeks for fantasy football (dumb) and to baptize Brigam (really cool). He's not going to school. He happens to be staying with my old boss working as a gopher for his real estate business in Utah. I am glad he is working somewhere because when I asked him for help here (OK, OK, more like yelled at him to help me here) he told me he was on vacation. 'Nuf said about that subject.

Besides school starting this week, Wednesday the 2nd marked the day that my Mom and Dad came back from Mongolia. We were at the airport to meet them. It has been 23 months since we've seen them in person. It's so nice to have them home. They are with us, living in the barn, until they leave again at the end of October. Oh, didn't you know they were going again? Yes, back to Mongolia for another 18 months.

Thursday was the day that Brigam got two of his teeth extracted at the dentist's office. Anything to do with teeth is bad enough, but now I had to be there while the dentist tugged on two UN-loose teeth???? Just KILL ME NOW! That was a mom of the year moment for me. You know how I hate teeth unless they are stuck firmly in the mouth! Poor Briggy having to put up with laughing gas, shots and pliers. I didn't even look inside his mouth to see the damage until Saturday. I JUST COULDN'T DO IT!!! This week it's off to the ortho to get spacers put in. Fun for me and my budget! Dang it kid!!! Go brush your teeth!

Saturday is when we signed papers to list the house. I think we have it too low and Mike thinks it's too high. I guess we know who put all her sweat into fixing the place up - am I right?

Needless to say, a busy week. I haven't even written the annual "back to school" letter for each of my kids. I usually do that on the first day. I better get on that before all my "missing you while you're at school" feelings vanish!

Oh, just in case you wanted to know what Mike was doing during my busy little week. You look great honey. No you really got a lot of air that time. Really!