Sunday Gratitudes

Okay, so its really Monday. I spent the weekend in Utah, staying at my twin sis' - aka BFF - house, meeting with family, and letting the kids play with cousins. I thought a bit about what to blog about for my Sunday gratitudes. I couldn't narrow ideas down to just one, at least not until today....

Our drive home was harrowing, with a snowy day making things hard for the first half of the drive. Once we hit that halfway mark the skies cleared as well as the roads. We drove two vehicles: DH drove his truck with the younger kids watching movies in the back seat and tools brought from our Utah house in the back. I drove with DS#1 and our sweet dog in my minivan with the luggage.

While the last of the flakes drifted lazily down, we were slowed down for yet another construction stretch. While barley moving, DH lowered the rear window of his truck (he has a sweet truck) and DD popped her head out. She held up her hand with her middle and ring fingers folded down, and her thumb, pointer, and pinkie extended - the ASL sign for I Love You. Then she very carefully twirled her pointer finger while holding the sign. Our sweet sis-in-love (who served an ASL mission on Temple Square in SLC) taught us that this means I Love You Forever.

I realized that this would be one of those moments that I will hold forever in my heart. Through the rest of eternity, it will be a memory I will pull up again and again in my own scrapbook of my life. I started thinking about other memories I have so far in my mental scrapbook:

• DS#1, around 6 months old, standing in his crib. His white hair sticking straight up with static and illuminated from the sun outside the window behind him. He was smiling as he had woken up and was calling "Mamamamama", waiting for me to come get him for breakfast. His smile was pure love and all for me.

• DS#2, singing "Long Tall Texan" with his grandpa. He wanted to sing for the school talent show. He dressed up in full cowboy gear and sang his heart out. He won first prize for the second grade. I could not have been more proud. It was scary for him to sing in front of the whole school, but he did it.

• DS#3, went missing for over two hours when he was 3. I was in panic mode. The entire neighborhood was out looking for him, the local elementary school was in lockdown. The police called and said that he was found and gave an address. I couldn't drive (I was hysterical) so a complete stranger drove me to the house. There he was on the porch eating a Popsicle. He had gone looking for someone to play with when the Primary President of that ward - the only person who would know every single child in that neighborhood - looked out of her window, saw my son, knew that he was not from her neighborhood and must be lost. I got out of the car and hugged him tight and bawled. That night, DS#3 came into my room. It was past his bedtime and I thought he was asleep. He climbed up onto my bed and put his arms around me. He looked up at me with big tears in his eyes and said "Mom, I'm sorry I broke your heart". (He remembers that day clearly and even now still talks about the day he broke my heart.) We cuddled on my bed while I sang him songs until he fell asleep.

• DH, driving to Jackson Hole for our honeymoon. It was a gorgeous day, we were holding hands and just enjoying being together. We didn't talk very much. After all the stress and planning up to our wedding day, it was so wonderful just to BE married to Mr. Wonderful. BTW, he still hold my hand whenever we're driving. Every time.

There are so many more memories like that. I am so grateful for all of them. When my life gets tough, I like to pull them out. I tell DH that when we're in heaven, I will find a way to print it all our for him to see.