Stephen and Jodi Parker Family

Here we are

I recently returned from a 3-1/2 day personal vacation….and that is one reason that makes my husband coolest! I left him with a messy house, many notes of where people should be & what time to get them there, & 5 kids to do it all with.

After much debate and indecision since February I decided to go to BYU for Women’s Conference with my sister/friend Anne; (it is a long story -which doesn’t need to be told – how this all came about) along with throwing in a visit to my sister’s family, staying with my parents, and going to dinner with my Utah sisters and mom @ Olive Garden. I would never have been able to do it without the support of Mr. Cool Husband, oh how I love him. 

It was my ideal vacation! Even more ideal than sitting on a warm beach and reading my favorite book (which is a close second). I really do LOVE listening to talks and being inspired by other people. I also enjoy watching people I don’t know and associating with wonderful women in the gospel from all over the world. I was able to sing in the instant choir which was also a priviledge. I came home with many good ideas to help me become a better person and have an even stronger testimony of the gospel. My favorite part of Women’s Conference is the amount of service that goes on. I wish I had concrete numbers to share, but imagine 15,000 women taking part in 2 days of service. Anne and I were able to tie a quilt, make fleece hearts for hospital patients, and help make activity bags for abused/neglected children to play with while they are at the police station. So many other projects were going on – the photos don’t do it justice.

I thank Anne for making it fun – she was flexible with which classes to go to, easy to carry on a meaningful conversation with, and positive about all that was happening.

I also took a quick trip to IKEA & Taipan on my drive home – yipee!

When I got home the house was clean – UPSTAIRS & DOWNSTAIRS, EVEN THE CAR! My kids were (mostly) clean, but more importantly they were happy and had been well taken care of and especially loved. "I am the lucky one" Stephen!

Anne quilting	Quilt productivity	Scatter Sunshine Service Opportunity
All of the bags I left campus with! We bought several items some being bags!	Anne standing by the bags	Michelle @ Olive Garden with eh Oragami guitar Mason made and signed for her.

Comments:

John said…

Stephen is the man! If I needed a husband I would be very interested.
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 6:19:22 PM

Stephen said…

It was worth it to see her big smile when she came home. I am the Luckiest…
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 10:22:59 PM

Michelle said…

Glad you guys had a good time. Sounds like a great weekend.
Wednesday, May 05, 2010 11:23:45 AM

Dad and Mom Parker said…

We aren’t sure who is the luckiest, but maybe it’s the kids to have such great parents who love them and make growing up a great experience, because they follow the proclamation on the family, helping out each other with whatever is needed.
Monday, May 10, 2010 11:16:22 AM

Some days I sing outloud for my own personal enjoyment…

Some days I succeessfully kick my leg up high enough to land on Stephen’s shoulder….

Some days I wipe the snot away from JT’s nose with the inside of his t-shirt…

Some days I throw something hoping it lands in the garbage and when it misses, I just walk away…

Some days I lay on the trampoline and watch the clouds…

Some days I eat a half a bag of chocolate licorice (just becaus it tastes so good)…

Some days I drive really slow just to enjoy the scenery…

Some days I feed my family cereal for dinner…

Some days I forget doing the dishes before I go to bed…

and some days I make an ugly face! (photo compliments from my sister)

Yesterday I carried a balloon that would NOT deflate outside and told Lily to "make a wish" and we would send the balloon into the air. She said, "I wish that it will be sunny everyday next week". (She said this as she was wearing her swimming suit)

Today I experienced the first and I hope many more Sun-Days!

Play by play of Sun-Day:

Woke up to sun shining in my bedroom window…the alarm clock read 7:45!

Drove to church with my sun visor down.

Came out of church as the sun enveloped me in its lovely rays.

Ate dinner outside because we all wanted to feel warm fresh air on our skin and bask in the sun.

Walked cinnamon rolls over to our neighbors house while squinting into the sun.

Sat at Michele’s graveside reflecting as the sun kept on shining.

Drove to the Parker Parents wearing my sunglasses.

Drove home as the sun set.

Now I am thinking that I need to add balloons to my permanent storage list!

 

I have been studying the story of the Children of Israel. Wow were they good at murmuring! They complained a lot. They also witnessed many mighty miracles. How is it that they were so quick to forget the ways in which the Lord delivered them time after time? Also how could they discount the delivery of the 10 commandments? As a reader of this story you just want to say DUH!

Poor Moses had a great burden on his shoulders trying to be Israel's advocate. He petitioned to the Lord in their behalf many times, even though they sought to take his life and continued to murmur against him. He was a very powerful yet meek prophet. "He did not excuse the behavior of his people, but only empahsized the long-suffering mercy of the Lord." (OT Study guide p 205) I am also amazed at the Lord's never ending patience with his rebellious children. He gave the Israelites many opportunities to repent, including being able to look at a fiery serpent that Moses was instructed to make and put on a pole. They were instructed that if they were bitten by a fiery (poisionus) serpent that all they had to do was look at the pole and be healed. It is sad to note that many did not look because they did not believe. This plague is symbolic of the future when the Son of God would be lifted up on a cross…those that believe in him will not perish but have everylasting life. (John 3:14-15)

I wonder if someone sat down and "read" my story if they would want to say DUH to me? How many witnesses from the spirit have I had! My baptism, marriage in the temple, partaking of the sacrament, listening to conference, daily prayer and scripture study are all indicator's that Heavenly Father has blessed me immeasurably. I have also witnessed several miracles, the most recents: the snowmachine fire at the cabin in Island Park, and Lily's head injury.  I must never deny nor murmur against the Lord and his goodness to me.

The saying goes, "When life gives you lemons – make lemonade." It is such a wonderful way to live and think and truly the most healthy, rewarding, and beneficial. BUT….

What if when life gives you lemons you just want to go out and buy a Jamba Juice? Easy, Peasy, someone else will sqeezy?

I encountered this attitude yesterday when I decided to listen to the little man on my shoulder feeding me full of rationalizations & excuses. I was frustrated and fed that frustration turning it into a negative result. I wanted to take the easy road and have someone else fix the "lemon". I wasn’t ready to own the "lemon", in fact I didn’t want the "lemon". I didn’t even ask for this "lemon". It just decided to place itself in my life. I really wanted to ignore it and sit back and relax. I was ready to bask in my self-deserving atmosphere of pretending I was not to blame. But alas, I found out what I already knew….A lemon doesn’t turn into Jamba Juice.

Therefore I abandoned the notion of entitlement & ease, finally coming to own the lemon that was placed before me. The change in my attitude was sweet. I knew I needed to take that lemon, squeeze it into juice, and even add an extra cup of sugar (after all I live in Sugar City) – that would give me the drink that was intended. Lemonade is filled with much sweetness.

Moral of this story: The best way out of a sour situation is to make yourself sweet. It is up to you, nobody else will do. (If only it were as easy to do this as it is to write it…)

Comments:

Michelle said…

Nice analogy-I am too often the one who would go for the Jamba. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Monday, April 12, 2010 2:32:19 PM

John said…

Banana Berry anyone? Great thoughts from a wise little lady.
Monday, April 12, 2010 4:19:25 PM

dad Parker said…

Sometimes the challenge with a big family is a basket full of lemons all at a time. The Jamba juice gets served later.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010 8:33:35 PM