Through Faith and Trials

***I wrote this post last summer.***

Between the two of them, I feel completely stretched. Someday we want to add more to our little family but it's hard to imagine how I could ever handle more than what I've got. I keep telling myself, "I won't always have a toddler and a baby. They'll grow up and things will change." I'm not sure they'll get easier but maybe I'll just be able to manage it better or differently. I love being a mom. I love spending my days with these crazy goofballs. But some days can be very challenging.

This last week was a very trying week for me as a parent. Travis was gone long hours and overnight for part of it. While he was gone, Wesley fell and hit his face on an end table. I thought he had bit through his bottom lip so I took him to urgent care. The wait was over an hour and they kept looking at me like I was ridiculous for bringing him in, so I left. He's healing fine with just a band aid. He likes to tell people, "I hurt my face."

A couple days later I went to a party with my parents and the boys. It was outside in someone's backyard and they have a pool. No one was swimming but all of the little kids wanted to dip their feet in the water. Wesley ended up asking my mom if he could so she sat him down on the edge of the pool and let him kick and splash. She sat in a chair right behind him and I came over and sat down next to her. Within seconds of sitting down, with Russell in my arms, Wesley leaned forward and fell in. I screamed and my mom jumped in after him. She had him up and in her arms in less than 10 seconds from when he fell in. I felt so helpless. I had my little baby in my arms and my toddler was drowning. I was left in an unimaginable dilemma and I am SOOOOOO glad my mom was right there to save the day. And to literally save Wesley.

I was a mess. The irony of the situation was that a friend and I had a conversation just minutes before that happening about how scared we were of our kids dying from secondary drowning. Then my kid falls into the pool and my nightmare became a real possibility.

That night Travis was supposed to come home but ended up having to stay overnight to finish a job they were working on. I didn't go to sleep until 3:00am. I checked on Wesley every 30 minutes. Although it was a really hard day, hard week, I had the opportunity to teach the Young Women of my ward the next day.

The lesson was on "How do I receive the power and blessings of the Priesthood in my life?" Through my trying week I was able to reflect on the power of the priesthood that I have been blessed with to help me in my duties and responsibilities as a mother and wife. Another instance where the power and blessings of the priesthood were evident in my life happened earlier in this same week. I took the boys to eat lunch with my MIL and SIL. While we were there a stranger approached our table. He shared a strange, creepy message that left me and everyone else at the table feeling uncomfortable. My children, who love mostly everyone, were visibly uncomfortable near him. I know that the blessing of having the companionship of the Spirit helped lead him away quickly.

 I'm grateful for the priesthood and the priesthood holders in my life and the blessings that come through the power of God.