You Get What You Get

Tonight I attended my first Home, Family, and Personal Enrichment Meeting in my new ward. It was strange walking in and recognizing many faces from church, but only knowing a few names and not knowing to whom to talk or what to say. (Those of you who know me well know that I don't keep quiet very much.) I'm pretty sure I can still tell you the SAME names with one or two more than I did before. Anyway, the theme was about the many hats we women and mothers wear. We've all heard this Primary lesson before. I didn't think I would learn anything new -- I was wrong.

The guest presenter was a woman who has raised 7 boys and who has taught Kindergarten for 16 years. At one point she mentioned (not in these exact words) that we chose our situations and that we should all take on the Kindergarten mantra: "You get what you get, and you don't throw a fit." Crazy to think that I needed to be taken back to Kindergarten to get over my selfish feelings.

For the past while, I've been fighting my feelings of motherhood. I've been complaining about my child, his attitude, my attitude, and wondering when he'll finally disown me for my tantrums and loss of my temper in response to his tantrums and loss of temper. I keep trying to CHANGE him, not shape, mold or encourage, but CHANGE. When did I think that I could CHANGE another person? I've accepted the fact for a decade now that I can't change anyone but myself, but somehow being a mother has made me think that I can CHANGE my son. No, I can direct, encourage, persuade, love, correct, but never CHANGE him. I get what I get, and I don't throw a fit.

How can I complain about that miracle? I love him to pieces. . .time to get over my tantrums.



Remember me being homesick? Yeah, well last night I went to bed depressed again. "This is my house, but it doesn't smell like my house. There's too much work to do. How can we afford this? I miss my friends. I don't like the color of the walls. whinewhinewhine. . ."

I CHOSE to buy my house. I CHOSE to live here. I CHOSE to give up my discretionary income. My choices. I might as well learn to love them rather than fight them. I really do love my house and where I live. I've never felt so much immediate welcome-ship in a ward as I have here. We'll be fine, and I'm sure I'll learn to love it.

YOU GET WHAT YOU GET, AND YOU DON'T THROW A FIT!

I took this picture of our house from across the street. You are seeing our entire lot, except the back yard, obviously. Those big, beautiful pine trees in the backyard are mine, too. Unfortunately, two days after we moved in we found out that they are going to be chopped down because they are growing right through the power lines and are a very dangerous accident waiting to happen. I'm sad, but we'll move on.

**If anyone has any great ideas of things we can do to give the front of the house a face-lift with plants, etc., I'm open to suggestions and ideas. I can really use them.