Ready? Wrestle!

Another wrestling season has begun. Payton is so much fun to watch! I thought Porter was going to start wrestling this year. He was all talk before the first practice, telling me that he was going to beat them all down! The day of the first practice he had a melt down. He started crying and saying he wasn't going to wrestle because all the kids would beat him up. Needless to say I didn't push him (too much) and he isn't wrestling this year. He likes to get dressed for wrestling practice and if we get there in enough time he likes to warm up with all the wrestlers but that's as far as he goes!

Payton is the biggest 1st grader at practice. He's over 80 lbs. and he's almost a head taller than the biggest 1st grader. It was a little frustrating for me to watch him pair up with a partner for practice when he would choose kindergarten kids that I knew he could beat easily. During one practice the coach sent Payton up to wrestle with the 2-5 graders. That was so good for him. He had to actually work hard! The next practice I tried to talk Payton into just going with the 2-5 grade kids for practice but he wouldn't do it because "the coach didn't tell me to". Well, I kinda' lied to the boy and went and grabbed him from the preschool-1st grade side and said the coach wanted him to always practice with the bigger kids. Since then, he hasn't had a problem wrestling the older kids (heck! They're his size anyway...just older!)

His first tournament was in Parowan and he was a little apprehensive before the match started because he knew there would be a possibility that he might have to wrestle second graders because he's so big. Fortunately he got to stay with the first graders...but he was the heaviest one there was. He only had three kids (including him) in his group so the worst he could have done was bring home a bronze medal. He did what he set out to do and came home with his first gold of the season!

I'm looking forward to more matches this year. I love that he's enjoying it so much. I love that when we come home from practice and he's gotten beat by kids he just smiles and tells me how much fun he's having! It makes these tournaments (the one in Parowan, we wait from 8-11:30 for his first match to happen!) worth the time...and we're doing something together as a family!

So Far, So Good

The last post I did about my mom wasn't the most "positive" post so this one should make up for that one. Since  then, my mom has had surgery (a lumpectomy instead of a mastectomy) and she's feeling really good. She had to have a drain for a few days but she's felt really good. The doctor has told her that he's removed all of the tumor and the next step is for her to start chemo or radiation. The original plan was just to do the radiation treatments so when the doctor mentioned the possibility of doing chemo therapy my parents were a little shocked...they just hadn't been planning on that part for treatment. They won't know until the first week in March when my mom has her follow up visit. Then it will be decided what treatment she will need. The best part is that the doctor was able to remove all of it and it had not gone into the lymph nodes!
My mom is such a trooper and I haven't heard her answer the phone more friendly than she does now. It's almost like nothing can stop her from being happy! (and that makes me happy!)
So there's the update. More to come....

Potty Animal

 

 Todd and I were just saying this morning how nice it is not to change diapers anymore. Although Julia still has the occasional accident {thankfully the majority are wet accidents} she is doing so good. {KNOCK ON WOOD!} I'm not a bit sorry that we started a little earlier than anticipated. I think it was Crystal's fault because she was working with her little girl, Katelyn on using the potty. Julia and Katelyn are only 3 days apart. I figured if she could do, we could at least try with Jul's. 

Now, if we can only work on what she wants to put on by herself in the mornings....I think she's going to be a fashion coordinator when she get's older. I know...the lack of her hair being done only helps the ensemble.

Reality

Julia has been on a book frenzy lately. She loves to read...and read....and read. Usually the first book she brings me is "There's a Wocket in my Pocket". Today I wanted to just sit in the rocking chair and rock her and sing to her (because I knew she was getting tired) but she had other plans and grabbed a book instead. The book she grabbed is "Love You Forever". I've always loved reading it but today I couldn't help shed a few tears as we read and sang together. Luckily, Julia didn't notice her mom sobbing at the end of the book because she was asleep by then.

If you haven't read it you are missing out. When I got to the end where the son is rocking the mother who was very old and tired and sang to her I got to thinking about my own mom. I'm not sure she'd appreciate me posting this so soon after the news but I figured I could save this as a post I can publish later if I need to. My mom recently found out she has breast cancer. The doctors found the lump was rather small so we were all hoping for the best, knowing that the possibility of it being malignant was very real, yet hoping it would be easy to get rid of. After more tests they found that it was Carcinoma Cancer and that it was invasive, meaning it wasn't in just one spot and had spread. How far it has spread is unknown until they are able to do surgery and find out. That should take place sometime next week. My mom is very optimistic about it all, which makes me feel very optimistic but there's a 15% chance that my mother will not be around in the next five years. Wow. Just typing that hurts. I'm too selfish. I need, NEED my mom around longer than that. I need her longer than five years even. I hear about people my age losing their grandparents. I can't help but feel that it's not fair. I'm not supposed to lose my mom, yet.

The reality is that I haven't lost her. And based on her attitude she's not going anywhere. Her new outlook on life is that she's making every day special and enjoying it all. I'm looking forward to tomorrow where our family will be taking part in a special fast for my mom. I truly believe there's a power in prayer and fasting. I've seen it work for my family upon many occasions. I know that my mom will be ok with whatever happens. She's just that kind of woman. I know that I will be able to accept and deal with whatever happens too because of her example. I'm grateful for the Plan of Salvation and that I am sealed to my parents so when the day does come that we have to say goodbye on this earth it's not the end for us. I'm not saying it will be easy to say goodbye but I'm saying it will be possible. It's so much easier being a member of the church when it comes to peace and comfort in times like these.

So in conclusion, the reality is this:

Mom:

I'll love you forever

I'll like you for always

As long as I'm living

My mommy you'll be.