Blessings

Today is Sunday.  The boys were fighting this morning and it ended with Noah punching Hyrum in the face and what I thought was going to be a black eye (luckily it ended up being a small bruise under his eye).  I had a nice long talk with both of them, privileges were taken away, and apologies were given.  I had a good talk with Noah about what we use our hands for and on each of his fingers I wrote one of their uses; eating, playing, helping, hi-5's, and praying.  I hope it sunk in.  Sprinkles and a bowl of cereal were dumped on the floor.  I didn't have a chance to finish fixing my hair.  When we got to church I was happy to see each of my boys with scripture bags in hand, hair combed, and all their clothes on.  We sat on a side bench in front of another family with young boys.  The boys sat nicely and did very well for the first twenty minutes of Sacrament Meeting.  They each had pre-packed activities, coloring books, sticker books, etc.  Owen started to get pretty antsy after the sacrament and his snack.  After several failed attempts to keep him busy, he ran out of the pews and headed for Brett on the stand.  I had Emmett on my lap and so I quickly tried to clear a space in the pew for me to get through to the exit without making too much noise.  Owen ran back to me and I grabbed him and headed for the hall with the two babies.  A few people in the foyer were trying to help me, but my two boys only wanted me and all of my attention.  After I had calmed them both down and Owen promised to sit still and be reverent, we went back on our bench.  Shortly after we sat down he went running for Brett again, before I could grab him.  He sat with Brett and after he started to get squirmy Brett whispered to him that he could fold his arms and quietly walk back to me.  His arms stayed folded and he nicely walked until he got to the bottom of the stairs of the stand, then he was off  like a cheetah to the back of the chapel and on to the back of the cultural hall.  Many arms reached out trying to help out and grab him as I tried to catch up to him, with Emmett in arm.  I handed Emmett to a nice sister who has offered to help and I caught up to Owen.  Welcome to the Partridge circus!  Once I finally grabbed him I quickly made it to the hall with a tight jacket grasp on our little runner.  Meanwhile, Emmett began crying immediately after I handed him off, so he came out and met us in the foyer. Both boys were crying at this point and both boys wanted me to hold them.  For about 10 minutes we went back and forth between a few kind people in the foyer who wanted to help.  I would try and calm one child down long enough to put him down so I could calm the other one down.  During Relief Society Emmett had fallen asleep and I could feel his warm body resting on mine.  I stared at him and teared up a little as I looked back on the day and felt overwhelming blessings.  I feel so blessed to have my four amazing boys.  I love their energy, their excitement for life, their humor, their passion, their example.  I love knowing that each of my boys are healthy and strong and can run and play without difficulty.  I love that each of my boys are so smart and constantly coming up with new ideas and inventions.  I feel blessed to be loved so much by these boys that my two youngest only want Mom and Dad, because they know that we will give them love in return.  Had this been a few months ago I think I would have felt very overwhelmed and frustrated by the day, but I know the Lord has blessed us with Brett's new calling in the Bishopric.   When Brett accepted his calling I was hoping the Lord would bless us with well behaved children, but I am even more grateful that the Lord blessed me with perspecticles to see my boys the way He sees them.  My boys are not perfect, but neither am I.  We are at the Lords House on Sunday to please the Lord and worship him.  I am reminded that Jesus told the little children to come unto Him and that they should not be dismissed.  I know he was not just talking about the well-behaved quiet children, but he was also talking about the ones that have running legs, loud voices, and mischievous ideas.  We will do our best to be reverent and allow for others around us to receive revelation and feel the spirit, but sometimes our best needs help.  I am so grateful for all of the helping hands around me who try and grab my running child or hold my crying baby.  I am blessed.