Celebrate like it is the last!

I haven't been on the computer much lately so I haven't been updating the blog.  I have been so busy with everything that I haven't really had a lot of time.  Jaren is needing more and more care, work is busy they have been asking me to sub in the classrooms a lot lately and it is hard to work all day when you are not used to it, plus I have to come home at my lunch and feed Jaren and then go back.  Teachers are very, very under appreciated, they are amazing to be able to teach that many students every single day. 

This Christmas was very special for us.  I have always been told to celebrate like this is the last Christmas and for some reason I didn't really think much about it, until this year.  Jaren has had 4 friends from the care center pass away in the last 2 months and so this year it has hit me really, really hard that this might be the last Christmas.  The men that passed away were walking, and talking and laughing last year at this time and now they are gone.  I hate thinking about this being the last one but I took my kids all out on a date by themselves and we also all went together and I brought it up to them telling them that we need to think about things that we would like to do with him here and that we can do when he is gone and that this just might be his last Christmas.  They all were very good about it and we were able to talk about some very important things that are going on in their lives and some of the things that they want to do to always remember him. 

We have been really blessed this Christmas, we were kind of spoiled.  But it was so worth it to see the look on all of their faces on Christmas morning.  It was a bit different this year as Jaren has been in a lot of pain and is now falling out of bed but we just made due with the blocks in the road and we helped him open his presents because his hands would not work that morning.  We are so blessed to know so many wonderful people that really care about us and helped us out this Christmas.

Braxton told me a few months ago that he knows that Santa is real because Jesus used his priesthood to give a man a bushy, white beard and magical powers, it was so cute.  Then a couple weeks later he looked at me and asked me if Santa was real, I told him that I did help Santa out with things but some things are unexplainable, Christmas isn't so much about Santa it's about the magic of Christmas and how everyone wants to help everyone and sometimes we even get presents that I have no idea where they came from, he looked and me and said I think Heavenly Father is blessing us, he knows what we are dealing with and he wants us to be happy, I had a hard time not crying, but we were driving down the street and I needed to see.  It was so touching to hear the perspective from a 9 year old he is such a sweatheart and I don't know what I would do without him.  He is growing up way to fast and he is doing a great job of helping me with Jaren and he takes care of me and he is not afraid to hug me in front of his friends.

RaKelle and Ashlyn are doing so good in school this year, Ashlyn brought home a 3.7 GPA and she was nominated for Lion of  the Day.  RaKelle brought home a 3.0 GPA and she is really having a good time this year.  She said to me the other day the she wants to take seminary again next semester, I knew she would like it if she just tried it.  They are both growing up to be great young women and I am so lucky to be their mom. 

The Alzheimers Association called and asked me if I would do a presentation at advocacy day at teh State Capital and bring my kids as well I am nervous but excited.  We will be there on January 27, 2014.  It will be fun and hopefully it will be worth it.