Conference Sunday

This weekend was General Conference. It was amazing and wonderful, as usual. Yesterday we went and watched the morning session at church and the afternoon session at home. Today we followed the same pattern. There was a fabulous and timely talk on recording our lives in some way so that our children will be able to look back and be reminded of the ways God has touched our lives. He said we may not keep a traditional journal, but we all need to do something so that our children can be reminded of the tender feelings they felt during these times. The speaker told of how his son had called him just recently to tell of an experience that was remembered because he had been reading his copy of the family journal. It was not an experience President Eyering (I think that is who it was) had written about. It was a memory triggered by reading of that days experience as recorded by Pres. Eyering. We have so much influence as parents, mothers especially. I love this job I have!



So I guess that makes this blog official. I was too shy to actually let anyone know I had started it, but I feel as though I was being spoken to directly this morning. So ... I will let my children read this and not feel silly!! I even told Ella and Molly I would put pictures of their cats on here, if they could get Lucy to take a picture and put it on my computer.



Speaking of cats...UGH!! The plan with these two kittens that we acquired recently was to let them stay in the house, in the little girls room, until they drove me crazy and then kick them out onto the back porch with the 3 other cats and 4 dogs. Ha Ha Ha They are so a part of the family, I would feel bad kicking them out. Everyone needs a couple of kittens in their life. A couple of stinky, picky kittens!! Yes, they really are stinky. One of them especially. He has a GAS problem! Yuck. And then there is the picky thing. Their litter box has to be cleaned everyday or they quit using it. They are partial to Molly's bed! Then one day I forgot to change it and one of them got on top of the litter box and peed into the square cut out area that has the handle in it. A little pool of pee for me to notice as I am carrying it outside to clean it. Adrian was following them around that night saying, "Which one of you did it? Come on now, fess up and we will go easy on you."

The whole idea was that Molly loves cats so much that these kittens would make her so happy. Ella just loves all animals, except Pomeranians, that she wanted the kittens. So rewind with me to Night 1 with kittens. Kittens allowed in their beds with them, a first in Hale family history. Pure joy, ecstasy, kitten heaven. They cuddle and purr and chase foil balls. These cats have read the kitty manual and are doing everything to bring blissful joy into the lives of little girls. And then it is time to go to bed. Let the tears flow. Molly is suddenly coming out of her room sobbing. The problem? Her kitten keeps escaping her stranglehold on it to go and sleep with its brother on Ella's bed. We try to explain to her that the cats are just nervous and want to be together since this is the first night away from their mom. We assure her that they will eventually sleep with her, just not tonight. No dice. She cried for about another hour until finally I told her she could sleep in Ella's bed the next night if that was were the kittens chose to sleep. Ella was a little surprised. Night 2 comes and the cat stays on her bed for a little while. But then she gets upset when he leaves. More tears, but we persuade her to stay in her bed since Ella had no intention of giving up her own bed. Night 3 goes smoothly, no tears, no getting out of bed. The next morning Ella spills the beans.

Ella, "Molly why did you get so mad at the cat last night when he tried to sleep with you. I thought you wanted to sleep with him."

Mom, dumbfounded, "HUH?"

Molly, matter of factly, "I did want him to sleep with me, be he laid right up against me and started purring, he was too loud so I threw him off the bed."

Dumbfounded mom again,"WHAT?"

Ella, "She threw him off about ten times. He finally came and slept with me."

Okay... proof that there is no pleasing a 6 year old!