Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!  I love this day!  For one, Michael usually has the day off and we love having him home with us all day.  He also always smokes our turkey.  There is nothing better than a smoked turkey.

Look how beautiful it is!

For another, we get to bake.  I love baking and the kids love helping.  We bake rolls.  Two batches this year - 8 dozen.  One batch to keep and one to give away.

Those are beautiful too aren't they?

We also get to "bake" fried pies - apple, cherry, lemon, blueberry, apricot and strawberry rhubarb.

And pumpkin rolls.  I made several.  One to keep and the rest to give away. 

 

I love pumpkin rolls!

We also get to spend the day thinking about the many blessings we have.  We all write in our thankful book and look back on past years of the things we were thankful for.

 

This year we also did something different.  We wanted to teach our children that there is a least one thing, even on a bad day, that is good that we can be thankful for.  Heavenly Father blesses us each and every day.  So I made a thankful tree.  A big one.  We put it up on our wall in the living room for everyone to see.  Then I cut out a bunch of leaves from my scrapbook paper.  Every night we each took a leaf and wrote something from that day that we were thankful for.  Something personal.  Not "I am thankful for the grass" or "I am thankful for air" but something with more meaning.  "I am thankful for a high five from a friend" or "I am thankful for a ride to the bus stop when it was cold" or "I am thankful I got to help Dad today." Specific blessings from that day. The kids really got into it.  They looked forward to it each night and seemed excited to be able to share what they were thankful for from that day.  There were days where they had to think really hard and couldn't seem to come up with anything.  On those days Michael and I would help them see things that maybe they had overlooked.  Michael and I also wrote on the leaves.  The kids liked reading ours too.  Over the weeks our tree grew and took up most of the wall.

I am so glad that we did this.  Some days life is hard so it was good to sit down at the end of the day and focus on the good that had happened even if the overall day was a frustration.

Monday...

Today was a Monday for sure...  It started out with me subbing.  In the high school.  I have never done that before!  No big deal right?  Wrong!  In high school I was a very shy, unconfident girl.  High school was hard and I disliked most of it.  So when I got the call last night to sub there, I immediately reverted back to that shy, uncertain girl with sweaty palms and shaky hands.  Luckily it was for PE and things were pretty laid back and the kids were pretty good at doing what they were supposed to do.  It was also nice because the day started out with entertaining the elementary kids in the gym while we waited for the assembly to start. 

Anyways, so while I was adjusting to being in the high school (which by the way ended up not being so bad) I got waved down by the secretary telling me that I needed to call the elementary school.  She said something about Dillon falling and hurting his arm and maybe it being broken.  Yay.  So I called the school.  Dillon had fallen at the assembly and was not able to use his left arm. His elbow was swollen and they thought I should probably take him to the doctor to have it checked. 

He is my tough little boy.  He doesn't complain or cry.  If he gets hurt he'll mention it once and then not say anything about it again.  I guess he did mention it to his teacher when they got back to school but it was when everything was crazy and they were trying to get kids off the bus and in the classrooms.  Then he never said anything else about it.  During lunch they noticed that he wasn't using that arm and was keeping it tucked in close to his body.  The principal pulled him aside and asked him if he had hurt it.  He told her he had.  She asked him if he could move it.  He said yes and then grabbed it with his right hand and moved it!  (So Michael...) She asked him if he could move it without using his other hand and he couldn't really.

The high school was nice and they let me leave early so I could go get him and take him to the doctor.  On the way to the clinic I asked him why he didn't say anything else to anyone.  He said he didn't know.  He said it only hurt when he moved it so he just didn't move it.  I asked him what he did at recess knowing that every recess he plays a very intense game of football!  He told me he just played one handed.  Then, with a huge grin on his face, told me that he made a one handed catch and made a touchdown!  This is the same kid that went a week last year before we figured out that he had broken his arm and then still played basketball with his cast.  He is one tough little boy!

Anyways, results came back clear.  They aren't 100% sure but it looks like there is not break.  There is swelling and obviously pain.  He couldn't straighten it to get the x-rays taken.  They put it in a splint and wrapped it and then gave him a sling.  He has to leave it on through Thursday.  Then we can take it off and see if he can move it without pain.  If there is no problem then we can leave it off.  If there is still a lot of pain then we have to put it back on and go in for more x-rays.

While I was sitting in my last class I wrote this poem about Dillon.  He is such a sweet boy.  I love all my children but he has always held such special place in my heart.  There is a bond there that I can't really describe but it has been there since the day he was born.

 

Tough as nails this little boy

He never cries or makes a noise.

A broken nose or banged up knee,

He never says a word to me.

He just keeps going on with his day,

Whether it be off to school or out to play.

 

Gentle as a lamb this little guy,

With a kiss and a hug whenever I cry.

A helpful hand that reaches out

Always to be counted on, without a doubt.

A tender heart so full of love.

A special gift from Father above.

 

Tough as nails yet so gentle too.

My dear, sweet Dillon, I love you!

 



Cookies!

We made our traditional Halloween sugar cookies this weekend.  It was a few days late but Saturday was the only day that we had time to do it!  We ended up making 14 dozen cookies.  We had a few friends over so I had 8 little helpers doing the decorating!  They all seemed to have fun and loved being able to taste test their work!  Here are a few pictures:

 

 

We sent some home with our friends, took some to the neighbors, ate some :) and saved some later.  Michael has enjoyed them for breakfast and lunch too (and snacks and as a side dish at supper)!  I love making sugar cookies with the kids.  It is one of those times that there is no fighting, everyone is happy and getting a long and good memories are made!

Halloween!

After a day or two of rain it was so nice to see the sun come out on Halloween!  It was a beautiful night for trick-or-treating and the kids had a lot of fun.

We started out our night with our traditional spaghetti dinner.  Michael's family did that when he was growing up (he doesn't know why) so we do it too.  It's fun to keep those traditions alive, even if we don't know why we do them!

This year with the kids being older and having more friends around we kind of all went separate directions for trick-or-treating.  Two of Zane's friends picked him up after supper and he went out with them.  Makenna went home from school with one of her friends and they went together.  Dillon had one friend come home with him and then we met up with two more.  They went along with the rest of us, but ran ahead so they didn't feel like they were with us!  Maddi was nice and stayed with Zeke and Olivia as they went from house to house. 

I think we hit every house in town.  The kids were really in to it this year.  They came back with their bags full!  They had candy, pops, popcorn, chips, cookies, fruit snacks, crackers, toothbrushes, pencils, rings and play dough.  They had quite the haul!  I didn't get a picture of them with their candy because they didn't want to pile it up this year - they wanted to keep their own, do some trading and not put it in the sharing pile.  Michael got the Almond Joys, I got the Snickers (some of them anyways) and they got the rest.

Here are pictures of them in their costumes:

Olivia, our dancer

Zeke, one of our rodeo clowns

 

Dillon, our number 2 rodeo clown

 

Zane, our third rodeo clown.  None of them planned this out loud either!  Dillon got his costume from his friend at school.  Zane and Zeke each came to me on their own and asked to be rodeo clowns.  I thought they would all be upset when they found out that they were all the same but they were ok with it!  I think they are pretty cute!

 

Makenna, such a cute little nerd.  She had already changed out of her costume by the time I got home so she had to put it back on for pictures.  She had some high socks on that stuck out of her shoes that were cute too but she didn't want to go through all the work of getting them back on again.

Maddi, the cowgirl :)  She was such a good sport hanging out with the little kids.  It paid off though - she got a ton of candy! 

 

I dressed up as a tired mom in sweats and a sweatshirt :)  Michael dressed up as a dad that works at a feedlot.  He even had genuine cow poop on his clothes to make it more believable!  We go all out here out our house on Halloween!  

 

 

Closer to Christ: Day 11

Question:  How can I improve my thoughts?

Read: Doctrine and Covenants 6:16 Yea, I tell thee, that thou mayest know that there is none else save God that knowest thy thoughts and the intents of thy heart.
Doctrine and Covenants 121: 45-46 Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven. The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever.
Alma 37:35-37  O, remember, my son, and learn wisdom in thy youth; yea, learn in thy youth to keep the commandments of God. Yea, and cry unto God for all thy support; yea, let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever. Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day.

Ponder: Do I strive to keep all idle, unclean or negative thoughts out of my mind?  Do my thoughts affect my attitude?

What problems, concerns, worries, plans or ideas consume the greatest amount of  your thinking time?  Try today to "Let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly."

When negative thoughts comes, replace them with thinking about the Savior

Ok, so the part about keeping my thoughts clean is not a problem for me.  However, the negative things gets me sometimes.  There are days that I really struggle to keep my thoughts happy and swimming above water. There are days that I feel like I am drowning in my worrisome thoughts.

My thoughts totally affect my attitude - and not just with spiritual things - with everything!  My thoughts either bring me up or take me down.  They either allow for success and happiness or they pave the way for failure and depression.  Thoughts are that powerful!

This has been perfect for me today and I wish that I would have read it earlier, but my thoughts were elsewhere and I procrastinated.  Today has been a downer of a day for me.  I'm not sure why.  I exercised this morning with a friend even though I wanted to just go back to bed.  I enjoyed it.  I love our conversations as we walk!  The day went down from there. 

My thoughts today have been on Christmas.  I know! It is Halloween!  But with six kids I have to start planning early to get it all done.  I love Christmas!  I love thinking about each of my children and planning what to get them.  I love seeing the surprise on their faces.  I love the spirit.  I love the focus on Christ and service.  I love being together.  This year though I feel different.  When I think about the upcoming holiday I get down and depressed.  Finances are tight and even though we put a little aside every month to help with Christmas, it won't go very far this year.  I know the things are not what is important, but it is still part of the fun and excitement for children on Christmas morning. 

I won't go into all the details, but that is where my thoughts have been.  So I have walked around the house today sad and down.  Not even chocolate made me feel better!  I have, however, tried to turn my thoughts to prayer.  I have tried to go to my Heavenly Father for comfort and guidance.  I have asked for His help on what I can do to make Christmas special for my family this year.  Maybe you think that is something not prayer worthy, but I think it is.  He is there for all of our worries and concerns, no matter how small they may seem.  I am not asking Him to provide us with a wonderful, present-filled Christmas, I am asking Him to help me make it special for my six children who themselves are very giving and aware of others who may be lacking.  Children who love to go and pick names off the Christmas tree at Walmart and get a present for a child who won't have any.  Children who love to draw each other's names and do special things for them.  Children who are willing to give up part of their Christmas to help a family that may not be having one.  They deserve to have something special themselves!  So my prayers have been to lead me in a direction to make it special to them.  Will He help me?  Yes, I believe He will. 

Anyways, maybe that was completely off topic for today.  I was just trying to point out that my thoughts totally affect my attitude and my day.  If I can keep focused on the Savior, if I can keep my heart turned to my Heavenly Father in prayer, if I can do those things, then I can get through my days with a better attitude and happier thoughts.  So often, when I do do this, I am able to remember the blessings I do have and the negative is replaced with gratitude and happiness.  It also allows me to remember all that He has done for me and it grows my faith to help me know that He will continue to help me.  He will "direct me for good".  He will lead me in the way I should go.  He will help me lead my children in the way they should go. 

How can I improve my thoughts?  By starting the day out with prayer, by ending the day with prayer, and by keeping a prayer in my heart.  By remembering my blessings, by surrounding myself with good - good music, good books, good friends.  By loving others and serving them.  As I go about doing good, my thoughts will be positive, my heart will be filled with the Spirit and my life will be pointed towards the Savior.

Then and Now

Yesterday I went out and took pictures of the kids.  Some of them were similar to ones we took about three years ago.  I thought it would be fun to do some comparisons!

Then...

Now...

Maddi then...

and now...

Makenna then...

and now...

 Zane then... 

and now...

 

Dillon then...

and now...

Zeke then...

and now...

Olivia then...

and now... 

 

It's crazy to see how much they have grown and changed over the last few years!  Time really does fly and they grow up so fast!  I am so grateful to be the mom of these six beautiful children.  I would not trade it for anything.

 

 

 

 

 

 



Good Girls

Yesterday I got to go watch Makenna and her teammates play their last volleyball games of their 6th grade year.  It was a tournament.  They played four teams.  With each team they played two sets to 21.  How you did in those matches determines whether you went on to the final rounds or not.

Our girls won their first two sets and were so excited.  Then they lost their next two.  It was a hard game and the girls really had a tough time.  The team they played against was an amazing team that had been fine tuned and probably could have played well against a lot of varsity teams!  Even though we were getting beat, the girls still stuck with it.  They also ended up losing the rest of their matches.

Through out the day they had to deal with a lot of emotions and other things that I will not go into here.  There were tears and frustrations, but I walked away, as a parent, proud of our girls.  Despite the toughness of the day, our girls handled themselves very well.  There was a little bit of getting at each other, but overall, they stuck together, worked together, and kept trying.  There were tears at the end when they found out they didn't make it to the brackets, but there were no fits, no angry words, no blaming each other (at least not that I heard). 

They worked hard this season, they improved over last season, they had fun with each other and included new teammates into their group.  We have some really good girls on our team and I am proud to call one of them my daughter!  Way to go little 'Phins!

Day 5: Closer to Christ

Question: Who am I?

Read: Psalms 82:6  I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.
Acts 17:27-28  That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

Ponder: Why does Christ care about me?  In what ways do I see His hand in my life?

"One of the greatest challenges is to overcome the feeling that we are unimportant, that we are not special an unique.  Do you think for a moment that Heavenly Father would have sent one of His children to the earth by accident, with out the possibility of significant work to perform?... My dear friends, you are a royal generation... Not just a few of you, but all of you.  There are things for each of you to do that no one else can do as well as you. If you do not prepare to do them, they will not be done.  Your mission is unique and distinctive for you. Please don't make another have to take your place.  He or she can't do it as well ass you can.  If you will let Him, I testify that our Heavenly Father will walk you through the journey of life and inspire you to know your special purpose here."                                                           -H. Burke Peterson

"Who are we?  We are children of God.  Our potential is unlimited.  Our inheritance is sacred.  May we always honor that heritage - in every thought and deed."  - Russell M. Nelson

Today's reading hits kind of close to home for me.  I go through most of my days feeling inadequate in what I am doing.  My confidence comes and goes.  There are days that I sit and wonder what in the world I am doing.  I wonder at my purpose, my importance.  Some days I feel like my kids have been ripped off having me for a mom!  I wonder if I am doing right and if my life  or my presence has really made any difference to anyone at all. 

Yet, deep down I know who I am.  I always have.  I know that Christ came to this earth and sacrificed for me.  If I was the only person that would ever live on this earth, He still would have come down and done it for me.  He knows me.  He knows my struggles, my pains, my weaknesses.  He knows my joys, my triumphs and He celebrates with me in them.  Why does He care about me?  Because He is my Brother.  His love is true and unconditional.  His love spans the eternities and endures the ups and downs, the times when I pull away and stray from the straight and narrow.  He is always there.  All I need to do is stick out my hand and He will take it and lead me back to my Father in Heaven.

I have seen His hand in my life in so many ways.  Simple ways.  Real ways.  Everything good in my life I attribute to Him.  In the Book of Mormon in Omni 1:25 it says, "there is nothing which is good save it comes from the Lord." 

I have felt His hand so often.  I have mentioned before the heat we took for having so many kids so close together.  Even family questioned what we were doing.  When I had my miscarriage, it was family that said maybe it was my fault for having so many so close together.  It wasn't.  Having children was something that I took very seriously.  Being a mother is something that I took very seriously.  It is a sacred responsibility and I didn't take it lightly.  When we decided to have another child, it was only after having long conversations with the Lord.  I felt Him guide me during those years. 

Our moving and jobs that we have had over the years is another area that I have felt His hand in my life.  Sometimes the decision to move or switch jobs was easy and brought excitement.  Other times it was hard and brought many tears and struggles.  Through it all though, we were blessed with peace and comfort.  That peace and comfort let me know that we were doing the right thing and that He was there to help us through it all.  It gave me strength to do what was needed and to help my children through their struggles.

I feel His hand in other ways too, quiet reassurances, gentle promptings, kind words from others, joy in my childrens' faces.  He is there in so many ways.  He knows me.  He loves me.  I am a daughter of God.  I have divine potential.  He is there to help me discover that potential and live up to it.

Parent Teacher Conferences

This week I was able to go to parent teacher conferences for my five youngest kids.  I went to Maddi's a few weeks earlier.  I must say that I walked away feeling quite pleased with my children :)  As a mother, I always hope and pray that they will act they way that they have been taught, treat people nicely, and always do their best.  It was so nice to hear from their teachers that they are all doing just that!  You never know what they will do when you are not looking!

We had mostly A's and S+'s with a few B's.  We had reports of being responsible and kind, helpful and respectful and hard working.  I am so proud of my children.  They are hardworking and respectful.  They are good friends and helpful.  They have their moments of course, but so do I!  They are good kids and I love them all so very much.  They are each so different with different strengths and weaknesses.  I love watching them discover things that they are good at.  I love watching them grow as they try to learn these new things.

I have watched them overcome fears and step out of their comfort zone to experience new situations.  I have watched them stand up for what is right and not be bullied by those who think they have the right to push people around.  I have watched them take care of those who need a friend and include classmates that may be different from everyone else.

I am thankful for them and their examples.  I am thankful for their teachers.  We seriously have the best teachers in the world at Deubrook :)  I am thankful for the rest of the staff there too.  The principal is there to greet them each and every day.  The secretaries will stop what they are doing to get a band aid or a bag of ice.  The librarian knows them all by name and takes time to learn about them and help them find a book that they can get lost in.  The food staff also knows the kids by name and even knows what foods they will eat on certain days.  The counselor comes to the classrooms and helps promote positivity in the school.  The janitors even greet the kids with smiles (even when there is mud tracked from one end of the school to the other)!

I just feel so blessed.  Great kids.  Caring school.  Good community.  Amazing friends.  I love Parent Teacher Conferences!

Day 4: Closer to Christ

Question: Do I really love Christ?

Read: John 13:34-35  A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
John 14:15  If ye love me, keep my commandments.
3 Nephi 13:20-21, 24, 33  But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.  No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon.  But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.

Ponder: Do I keep the commandments or am I guilty of "selective" obedience?  Have I put another God before Christ?

It is so easy to keep the "big" commandments.  Thou shalt not kill.  Ok, I can do that.  Thou shalt not steal.  No big deal, I can do that too.  But what about the less obvious ones?  What about the little ones that no one really sees?  Maybe sometimes the less convenient ones?  Be kind, love your neighbors, love your enemies, serve those around you...  Right is right even when no one is looking and wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it.  That is hard sometimes.  It shouldn't be, but it is.  Do we just pick and choose the easy commandments for us to keep or do we try our best to keep all of them?  Sometimes loving others is the hardest thing to do.  Sometimes others aren't very lovable, but we are commanded to love them as we love ourselves.  In fact love is one of the greatest commandments!  Love of God and love of neighbors.

Years ago my mom taught at a little country school.  She had grades 1 - 5 (I believe) and then there was a kindergarten teacher in the school too.  At the beginning of the year things were fine.  The other teacher was very nice and they got along great.  A little bit into the school year the other teacher started getting really mean.  She would talk about my mom behind her back, she would yell at my mom and threaten her, she would tell lies about my mom.  There were times she even came up to my mom, scissors in hand shaking them and pointing them in my mom's face while she yelled.  My mom is a very strong willed, southern belle and she didn't particularly appreciate what this other lady was doing.  At first she let her strong southern pride stand up and fight back, but that did no good.  Then she got the idea to love her to death.  Her strong will and ability to control her emotions combined with a lot of prayer and humility, allowed her to be so sweet and so kind to this lady that the attempts to start a fight were useless.  She would come in mad and my mom would respond with a smile and a helpful attitude.  The other teacher would stand there speechless.  How can you fight against kindness?  There were days my mom would still have to come home and vent about all the attacks from the day, but she was able to continue this kindness and display of love until Christmas when the other teacher finally moved away.  Would it have been easier to continue to fight back and dish out what she was serving?  Yes!  And everyone would have thought that my mom had the right to do it too.  But she didn't.  She loved her until the day she walked out of the building and never came back.  My mom did the right even when it was hard.  She did the right even when no one was looking.  She kept that hard commandment to love our enemies and do good to them that despitefully use you.  That has been a great example to me.

Have I put another God before Christ?  What are other gods?  Money, possessions, jobs, distractions, leisure time, even relationships.  It is so easy to get caught up in all that is around us and forget our real purpose here.  Our purpose is to live our lives righteously so that we can return to our Heavenly Father and live with Him again.  That is not an automatic thing.  We don't just get to go to Heaven while we do whatever we want down here.  We don't even get to go to Heaven just for saying that we believe in Christ.  We get to Heaven by doing.  Doing what is right, following Christ's example, keeping the commandments, repenting when we fall short and then trying again, enduring to the end.  There are so many things that get in our way and if we don't do some self evaluating along the way, we will be caught up in the world before we know it. 

I have blogged before about our life in Wyoming.  Michael's job caused him to be gone from home two out of every three weeks.  I was home alone with the children, he was alone at a man camp.  The lifestyle he had to live in was horrible.  He was the only man on his crew that didn't drink and one of two or three that didn't use tobacco.  When the men were off shift they would go to the bars and strip clubs.  There were drugs and crime and all sorts of things going on.  Language was horrible.  Some men had two completely different lives - a wife and kids at home and a girlfriend and kids in North Dakota.  After all, they would see their girlfriends more than they would their wives because they were at work for 2 weeks and only home for 1.  The wives liked the money so much that they didn't care what went on as along as they got his paycheck!  Some wives would force their husbands to stay there even though they hated the job and lifestyle because the wives had gotten to accustomed to the things that they "needed" the money to keep getting the things.  It was sad and scary.  I didn't want Michael to become one of those men and I didn't want to become one of those wives.  We knew it was not good for our family relationship or our relationship with God.  We gave up the money and the ability to have more things and traded it for our family and our standing with God.  Is it hard?  In ways.  We struggle to make ends meet.  We don't get many wants, but we have most of our needs.  We don't get to do things we used to be able to afford to do.  It is hard to pay the bills and I cringe every time I go grocery shopping.  Christmas and birthdays can be depressing because of the financial situation, but we have each other and that is what is most important.  The kids have their daddy home every night.  He doesn't miss birthdays and holidays.  He can go to church with us on Sundays and be home for our family prayers each day.  We are happier because we are trying to make sure that we are putting Christ first in our lives and not letting the desire for things or "other gods" get in our way.

My feelings are that if I am doing my best to do what is right, He will take care of me.  If I put Him first in my life He will not fail me.  Will I be able to sail through life with no difficulties?  No, but I will have what I need.  One last story and then I promise I am done for the day :)  When I was a missionary in Ireland our days would be spent walking through the neighborhoods talking to people on their doorsteps or on the streets, trying to share a message of Christ.  The first month or so I would come home at nights and my feet would hurt really bad.  They would be swollen and tender.  In the morning when I would first get up and stand on them, pain would shoot through my feet and I would have to walk so carefully.  I prayed for my feet to get better.  I reminded Heavenly Father that I was there doing His work so He needed to help me.  My feet didn't get better and I was frustrated.  Then one day while saying my prayers I was overwhelmed with a feeling of peace.  I knew that He was there and He was helping me.  He didn't take the pain away, but He gave me the strength each day to get up and do my work, to take those first few painful steps every morning.  Eventually it did get better, but I will never forget that lesson I learned.  Doing the right thing doesn't guarantee a pain free, easy ride.  In fact, a lot of times it guarantees the opposite!  It does, however, guarantee His companionship and strength, His love and guidance and His promise of eternal life with Him.