Magic Moments

Every once in a while, a moment comes along that makes everything worth it.

All the selfless service we give as moms.

Or maybe it's just when we can glimpse, for a moment, the bigger picture.



I have a Magic Moment every time Gus successfully goes on the potty.

But there are also just as many Non-Magic Moments that happen where the Scooby Doo undies are secured in a ziplock bag & put in the garbage.

These moments seem to cancel out the Magic Moments & at the end of the day you hope to be at least even.



And then a Magic Moment comes along like last Sunday.

When out of the blue, Jake, my 11-year-old, walks up to the front of the chapel to bear his testimony.

So much braver than I am.

And he bears the sweetest, purest testimony that made my heart melt as his mom.

Amazing.



Then today, in Sacrament meeting I realize, once again, that I'm the one surrounded by the noisy kids, while Brian's on the other end of our row with the older, quieter ones.......listening to the speakers....feeling the spirit......

......while I'm dealing with Gus who doesn't know the meaning of quiet or whisper & is trying to draw on my skirt, and Zane, who's always trying to lay down in my lap like he's 2 instead of 7, and Max, who kept shooting his brothers with rubberbands.

And I lean over to Brian, exasperated, and whisper, "Why do they always have to sit by me???

And then Zane looks up at me with his sweet little face and says, "Because we like you Mom!"




Then both Brian & I had a different kind of Magic Moment on Friday night when we finally used some massage gift certificates we've had for months.

I've always been way too cheap to ever want to spend money on something so indulgent & fleeting.

I've had one other real massage in my life.

Brian surprised me on our 10th wedding anniversary with a spa package at a really nice Scottsdale resort for a facial & mud bath thing, & massage.

You would think I would be ecstatic, right?

First of all, I don't like surprises.

I strive to have complete control over my own situation & surprises don't work well with that. (I have issues.)

Secondly, we were fresh out of years & years of school with alot of school loans & not much income........and our anniversary is right after Christmas.

It was super expensive & it was already bought & paid for & I didn't want to seem ungrateful to Brian for his thoughtful present but........

This was not how I wanted to spend a chunk of money.....at Christmas-time no less!!

I couldn't do anything about it. No control.

So I tried really hard to relax & enjoy it.

Didn't work.

All I could think of the whole time was what I could be doing with this money at the mall that was down the road, or pay off some bills.

No enjoyment. Only anxiety.

I'm really not as high-strung as this makes me sound....usually.



So....... fast-forward 9 years.

A few more kids later, neck problems, quickly-aging body, gift-certificates.....

I was ready.

And I believe it changed my life.

I hate to sound irreverent, but......

I have a testimony of massage therapy.

My neck feels better than it has in ages!!

Can't wait to go back.



And.........



these amazing Utah peaches are responsible for tons of Magic Moments.

Amazing.