The Family Gardener

I love my Mother-in-law. No, this isn't the intro to a bad joke. I really and truly love her. I count her as one of my dearest friends. I've never been able to call her "Mom". Not because I don't respect her position as the matriarch of the family (heaven knows after raising my husband and his brothers, she deserves the title of "Queen Mum".) No, she's more to me than just the mom that came with the whole "deluxe husband package". She's my confidante, my sister, my sounding board and my shoulder to cry on. She's one whose opinions and advice truly matter to me because, believe me, she's "been there, done that." We have laughed together, cried together; sometimes simultaneously, and grown closer because of it. We've argued and disagreed with one another, and grown closer in spite of it. She's seen almost all of my children come into this world...I'll forgive her for missing the last one....and has stayed by them like a Guardian Angel ever since. Hers is the hand I want to hold when times are tough.......(brief intermission while I wait for the tears to stop)....and hers is the voice I want to hear when I feel completely drained of my sanity. When it seems that not only does my cup NOT runneth over, but is bone dry and shattered into a hundred pieces on the floor. For somehow, in her effortless way, she picks up the pieces, hot glues them back together, paints a pretty flower on it and fills it up with a fruit smoothie so that I can go on. She is amazing. I love Linda. She is my Balm of Gilead.
Right about now you might be wondering where the title of this post fits in (you with the short term memory problems might want to take this opportunity to glance back at it). Well, here goes....
The other day when I was lucky enough to see Linda, we were standing in her front yard admiring the walnut tree. Now, the fact that this walnut tree has survived all the grandkids is amazing enough. It's been a rocket ship, a fort, a pirate ship and a monkey house among dozens of other things. When my husband and I were married, many moons ago, the tree was not very impressive as far as trees go. Now it towers over the house. It's branches have reached out in every direction, making it full and lush. It has earned it's place in the yard and is proud of it. Linda and I stood there drawing the obvious correlations between the walnut tree and our family tree. How they've both grown so much over the years, how they're both full of nuts...you get the picture. So I was trying to draw on that for a post, but the idea just wasn't flowing. I kept coming back to Linda and how she has loved and nurtured that tree from the time it was entrusted into her care. How it, like her family, required constant love and attention; and how both trees, walnut and family, need her. Both trees have flourished and are enjoying the full measure of their creation because of her. As we've all branched out into new phases in our lives, one thing remains constant; at the root of our family, at the center of all we do....there she is. Waiting to love us, kiss it better, pat us on the back or tell us to "suck it up". She is a gardener in the true sense of the word, "one whose occupation it is to make, tend and care for a garden". And I say she has done a right fine job.

Pause and Effect

I sat down on the couch with my baby. Okay, sitting down was my first mistake. Holding my little snuggly sedative was my second. But I took a minute to pause..(not something I normally do.....weeds to kill, floors to sweep, things to fish out of the toilet bowl...) We sat there together, Ezra and I, and let the world keep spinning around us. As he snuggled into my chest, I took mental note of where all the other kids were using my MPS (Maternal Positioning System). They were all clothed and not bleeding, so in fact they were GREAT. I snuggled closer into Ezra's hair, so silky soft, and knew with every confidence that the chores I so urgently needed to finish would still be there when our moment ended. The laundry fairy would not magically appear to fold the clothes before I could get to it...(she has such rotten timing). The dishes, unfortunately, would still be in the sink, and I'm sure that the phone company is still anxiously awaiting word that I intend to pay them someday. But for right now, if I close my eyes, it seems like only minutes ago that he so suddenly came into this world and into my life. And I know that if I blink, he'll be in High School, hangin' with his buds, playing ball and probably won't have cuddling with his mom high on his to do list. So for now I pause and let the effect of this wonderful little being wash over me. The rest of the world will have him soon enough.....for right now....he's all mine.

Blessing in Disguise

Today we blessed our youngest son, Ezra. It was a blessing in disguise. Yesterday it was disguised as a frantic "Spring Clean" as we attempted to weed the yard, clean the garage and tackle every "to-do" project that we had put off for months. (Company was coming you see, so we panicked.....) Today it was cleverly disguised as an all-you-can-eat-buffet.(I'm not really complaining here...just commenting) The little cousins just thought of it as a play date in Sunday clothes. Although my 4 year old Aiden changed into play clothes saying he couldn't get dirty enough in Church clothes. Chaos reigned supreme, children ran inand out of the house as parents, aunts, and uncles tried to wrangle them all in for the blessing at the same time. (This is when I wish I had gotten that cattle prod on e-bay) Then something amazing happened as my husband, his father and brother and the 2nd counselor in the bishopric gathered in a circle with my baby son in their arms.........A hush came over the room and the Spirit touched my heart. This is why we were here. As the four men bounced Ezra to keep him from crying, my husband bestowed a beautiful blessing upon him. Then as everyone said "Amen" , the little ones took that as a green light to instantly resume all the action they were previously refrained from. Everyone is gone now. Our house is a disaster, the dishes are still piled up, everyone is too tired to even entertain the thought of cleaning. Even all of that is a blessing in disguise....it means we had a home filled with loved ones, good food and a truly Blessed event.

Family "Union"

Last week was the Jensen family reunion. We kicked it off with a day at Cowabunga Bay. Awesome place for the kiddos. Service was great, rides were fun...cold, but fun...food was good. But by far the best part was just picking up where we all left off. Some of us hadn't seen each other in six or so years, but it felt just like yesterday. No "emotional walls" to get through, just the sense that we couldn't possibly squeeze enough hours out of the day to spend together. All I can say to Linda & Larry is "Ya done good".

Creative Writing

As I read other people's blogs,(the name's will not be changed to protect the quick-witted and insightful) I start to feel that I have absolutely NOTHING to blog about. Seven kids, a husband, my mother living with us, a few random pets and various church callings and I can't come up with a thing. So in my eternal quest to be more like Kate, I have decided to take on this new challenge as more of a creative writing assignment...you know...the type they gave us in high school...the type we hated. This is more for me than any of you out there. This will give me (the mom) time to reflect on my day and draw from it the joy and knowledge that my family so willingly gives me. Hopefully I will come to appreciate them even half as much as they deserve.