Because of Him!!!

Though I know i will never be perfect in this life, I know that He has orchestrated the perfect path that will get me and my family back to Him. 

Because Of Him...I was born into the perfect family.  Not a family who is perfect but a family that was perfect for me.   

Because of Him...I was blessed with wonderful friends along my path who loved me and taught me and learned with me...Perfection!!!

Because of Him...I have the love of my life and eternity...the perfect husband for me and the perfect father to my babies. 


Because Of Him...I was graciously given the gift and opportunity to mother and love 8 perfect children.  Not that my children are perfect, I assure you they are not.   But AGAIN the perfect family to help perfect me.

Because of Him...I have been blessed with 2nd chances, 
                                        I have been given clean slates,  
                                            I have a life full of new beginnings, 
                                                I have witnessed His perfect power.

Because of Him...My regret becomes relief, my despair becomes hope, and I continue to be perfected because of Him!!! 

Happy Mother's Day Mom!!!

This is Ashlan. I just wanted to write a letter to my mom on this Mother's Day.

MOM,

You are always there for me.

You never let me down.

When I have had a bad day and just need someone to listen to me...YOU listen.

I'm sure you get sick of me going ON and ON about school, friends, and my life in general.

But still.... YOU listen

You teach me to do so many things.

I have learned how to COOK, CLEAN, and TEND TO KIDS...all because of you.

You teach me so many ways to follow my Savior's example.

Your testimony is so strong, and I hope one day mine can be as strong as yours.

You are there for me when I just can't hold back the tears any longer.

You're the shoulder I cry on.

You laugh with me (and sometimes AT me).
You give such great advice to help me get through my life one day at a time.

You are such a great example to me, I want to be more like YOU.

You support me in everything I do.

You always put others before yourself.

You tell me I am going to be a great mom someday, but that is all thanks to you.

So THANK YOU!!!

Thanks for putting up with me even if I am being a brat.

Thanks for taking care of me through my times of struggle.

Thanks for teaching me nearly everthing I know.

Thanks for letting me cry and laugh with you.

Thanks for showing me such a Christ-like example.

I don't know how I could survive without you.

So thanks for making the decision to make it so our family will be together forever.

You help me more than you know!

I know I don't THANK you enough, but now I just want to say THANKS!!!

All my LOVE,

Your daughter,

Ashlan :)

Planned?

With each pregnancy after about #4 I have been asked the question..."Was this planned or was it a surprise?" I actually planned and prepared for 6 (CRAZY, I know), and weeped and wailed for 2 (just not my timing but grateful in the end). This pregnancy however was completely planned. I planned it months ago. I have never pulled an April Fools Day joke in my life (that I can remember). But I have to say, I am awfully proud of this one (april fools!). I really think...Eight is Enough...thanks for playing along!

Now my fear is that the joke will be on me. I will be the girl that cried wolf and it backfired in her face. That would not be pretty!!!

Waking Up!!!

It is miserable and snowing outside. I woke up and looked outside and it depressed me. I am so ready for warmth and sunshine!!! But...then I also woke up to this sweet little face...and I was suddenly able to see the SUNSHINE through the snow and SPRING on the horizon.

HAPPINESS IS...

One of my fabulous friends from Fillmore tagged me so here I go...

HAPPINESS IS...

*My kids laughter!!!


*Boy toys like balls and trucks and wii games. Boys that are dirty but stay in the shower too long. Watching them perform well and knowing that surely comes from my side of the gene pool.



*Brothers that share EVERYTHING...a room, their money, and their treasured football cards!

*Girls without drama, and one with enough to make up the difference. Dolls, bows, dresses, and being able to look at them and see a picture of myself as a kid.

*When your 3 year old insists that she have an extra bubble at the birthday party to take home to her nearly 15 year old sister.

*Watching your kids grow up to be better than you ever thought of being (and a whole lot smarter too!).




*The sound of 8 children hustling around the house doing THEIR thing.


*The quiet time when everyone is finally in bed and Glen and I can FINALLY talk.




*Being able to see the temple from our house!

*Being able to go to the temple weekly now! We live 7 minutes away and can be there and back in about 2 hours.


*When your husband helps clean up dinner, do dishes, help with homework, etc. because we are are both coaches on the same TEAM!!!


*When the TEAM helps.

*A fist full of flowers...dandelions (not from my yard, of course!).

*A shower before 1:00 (you knew that was coming)!

FINALLY...

*Having a testimony and a sure knowledge of the gospel, its truthfulness, and its peace. Knowing I have a Heavenly Father that loves imperfect me, and a Saviour, Jesus Christ, who has made it possible for me to live imperfectly with the hope that I can one day be with them and my family FOREVER!!!



So now I am going to tag ALL of my family members that have blogs. Some of you haven't blogged in a while. Are you up for the challenge?

Malaree's Morning Make Over!

This is what I saw when i turned around while doing the dishes. It was a beautiful sight to see. She was very proud and not very happy when I announced that it was time to go put them in the bathtub. I was dreading the sight of my bathroom and had visions worse that her face all over the wall and counter. But to my complete surprise and delight this is what I saw...

Everything was put away beautifully. I guess she thought maybe if she put it away we might not even notice. However, upon closer evaluation we found that it was Ashlan's make-up and the damage was evident...

She is lucky that she has a nice big sister that loves her VERY much!!! On another note... This is Malaree's little Valentines hairstyle perfected by Ashlan. She loves to search the internet to find fun ways to fix her hair. I am so lucky to have all my girls!!!

Slade's B-DAY

When the kids have a birthday they get to pick the activity and meal for the night. Slade had decided in advance that he wanted to go to Costco for tasters. We told him that it wouldn't look real good if we walked around Costco with 10 people hitting all the taster tables. He conceeded and settled for the Classic Fun Center with a promise that we would go to Costco again soon and he could have the tasters.

All the kids had a fun time. It was nice to be able to sit and watch them have fun but not have to do a whole lot. Glen and I were actually able to talk for a minute or two.

Slade is a GREAT kid. He is full of spunk and energy. He keeps us laughing with his funny facial expressions. He is always making up different words or names for people, especially the baby. A sampling would be...MarGracway, Kuweee, Cutie-and-the-why-a-bow...I am well aware that they make no sense, and where they came from we can't guess at. He is just a crazy kid that keeps us laughing and brings our family a lot of excitement and happiness.

McKade's Birthday

I am playing catch up with some birthdays that I have left out. I am a slacker. McKade looked forward to his birthday. He counted the days. He was so patient with us and waited until Glen to get home from work before he opened his presents.

McKade is our BRAINIAC!!! He hungers for learning. His school is a great place for him. McKade is in 1st grade. They challenge them on an individual level. He came home at the first of the school and reported that he had a test coming up on Mesopotamia. My 16 year old said, "What? I am just learning about that in 10th grade." Since then he has had tests on World Religions (Islam, Judaism, and Christianity), the Ice Age, the American revolution, body systems (circulatory, nervous, skeletal, digestive, and muscular), and the three states of matter (solid, liquid, and gas) informing me that in solids the atoms are tight together, in liquids they are spaced further, and in gas they are WAY far. Okay people, did I mention that this is 1st grade? I think I learned all this stuff in high school or beyond.

McKade is a special part of our family. He teaches us a lot. His prayers are so sweet and heartfelt. He is a GREAT little boy that brings a lot of joy to our home.

Happy National Pancake Day!!!

I hope you all celebrated National Pancake Day this morning. We did at our house. We didn't make it to IHOP for the free stack but I made some of our own. We had one participant that wasn't as anxious to join the celebration. She made her way to the pantry and grabbed these...

I know what you are thinking...appalling isn't it!!! She is child #8, so she gets away with these things. The 1st child...not so much! I'm not anticipating the "Mother of the Year" award anytime soon.

On another note, I was at the gym at 5 AM (yes, that AM is in caps for a reason), SUCCESS! Showered, SUCCESS! Now I just have to go face the laundry pile and mess in the kitchen from our National Pancake Celebration. Have a GREAT day!!!

The New ME!

I am headed to the shower. It is almost 1:00, but I have an excuse. I just met with a personal trainer. My back has been bothering me (that old track injury/falling down the stairs routine) and rather than go to the doctor I decided to learn how to strengthen my back and CORE. I can tell you she is going to be my new best friend. I need a place to be accountable for my actions so I am going to report my successes, as well as, my failures. Today is a success! I am headed to the shower. If I hurry I might be in before 1:00!

Fabulous Friday!!!

I just wanted to report that I was able to start my laundry, do the dishes, bathe the little princesses, get the kids off to school, Slade off to preschool, the bathroom scrubbed from top to bottom, AND....

brace yourself...

drum roll please...

SHOWER!!!

All before 11:00. I know it doesn't sound like much but for me it is a HUGE accomplishment.

Thought for Thursday

Since I have not been known to be great journal writer, I have decided to use "Thought for Thursday" as a way to jot down some thoughts and experiences from the past. Today's thought comes from an experience we had a few years ago while Glen was bishop. It was about 3 in the morning, I had just fed Malaree and put her back to bed. I usually don't have trouble getting back to sleep but for some reason this night was different. I tossed and turned but sleep would not come. Our nights were so quiet and suddenly I heard in the distance a car screaming down the road. It continued into our drive way with the horn honking. I flew out of bed to hear a man pounding on my door for help. As Glen hurriedly got dressed, I looked out the door, and didn't recognize the car (now on our lawn) or the frantic man pounding on our door. As we opened the door he began pleading to Glen...

"Please, please will you help me say a prayer for my son?"

This young man was a single father with two kids, one of which was a 7 year old boy with diabetes who was on his way in the ambulance in a diabetic coma. This father had been baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints but never really attended. We all bowed our heads as Glen said a sweet but very short and simple prayer on behalf of this father and his son. As he walked out the door he turned back and clutched his heart, said thank you, and sped away. He later told us that it was at that moment that the spirit confirmed to him that Parker was gone.

This story doesn't have that happy ending we all long for, however, it has taught me some very powerful life lessons both then and now as I reflect on that experience. How blessed I am to KNOW how to pray! In those moments when it seems like life is out of MY control I know that the one thing I can do is PRAY and with that I also KNOW that he hears and answers. This young man had such faith, and he did KNOW that He would hear this prayer. And he recognized the PEACE that came in answer to that prayer, even though the answer was not what he wanted. How many of us needlessly suffer through lifes challenges without prayer simply because we think we don't know how to prayer or THINK we are undeserving. Is our vision of the Saviour being blurred by Satan's tactics of inadequacy, discouragement, doubt...

Some of the sweetest prayers I have ever heard uttered (next to those of my children), were the humble prayers of a sister in our Flowell ward who had been excommunicated and years later rebaptized by her son. Her prayers were not eloquent or profound. Her voice would quiver, her knees tremble. But...when she prayed she was really speaking to God and you felt like you were part of an intimate communication between her and her Heavenly Father. When she closed in the name of Jesus Christ, his name was uttered with such love and respect. He was her Brother, her Saviour, she believed IN Christ, and she BELIEVED Christ. Her vision of Our Redeemer was clear and beautiful.

So MY thought for ME is...

pray more sincerely, you are sooo lucky you KNOW how,

talk to the heavens not your pillow,

AND do what you need to do to keep the DISTRACTIONS

from BLURRING your vision of YOUR SAVIOUR!!!

My LOVES of my life and ETERNITY!!!

MarKae-- Our gift of purity and preciousness.

Malaree--Wise beyond her years and sensitive to the less fortunate.

Slade--A zest for life with expressions (words and facial) that keep us laughing.

McKade--A prayerful, thoughtful boy whose intelligence frightens me.

Jaxxon--Who always wears a smile and is our little ray of sunshine.

Isaac--Has compassion and a strong desire to make others happy.


Ashlan--Our never complaining, ever helpful, Angel with integrity.

Tyson-- With his quiet courage and amazing spiritual maturity beyond his years.

Glen--My love, my rock, the father I always wished for

and was lucky enough to get him for my kids.

My REDEEMER who helps me everyday with my small portion of his flock.

The GIVER who I owe all that I have and all that I am.

My SAVIOUR, the one that helps me to make my weaker parts become strong.

My EXAMPLE-- without Him I would know not where or how to "feed MY sheep."

Our baby is ONE!!!

MarKae has survived one year with this crazy family.

She really is such a delight to all of us!

The morning of her birthday the kids were pacing outside her room waiting for her to wake up. They absolutely adore her. I really thought the newness would have wore off by now but after a year she is still loved by all. The boys were talking about going on a campout for a week and how much fun they would have. Jaxxon responded, "Yeah, but it would be sad to be away from MarKae for that long."

What am I...Chopped Liver!?!

Compared to this...YES!!!

What's yours is OURS!!!

The highlight of MarKae's birthday should have been watching

her open presents

but with a family of 10 there is always a lot of excitement.

NEVER A DULL MOMENT!

So, this was the highlight of the evening...

An intense game of...

Who knows WHAT!!!

No MarKae in sight.

I guess 16 years old is OVER 9 months.

They all "fit the category", as Tyson would say.

Tale of the 1st Grade CONCUSSION!

The morning starts, as usual, with one goal in mind...GET A SHOWER BEFORE 1:00!!! I start to feel as if I might reach that goal. I have gotten a lot of my morning chores started and I have Slade, Malaree, and MarKae bathed, dressed, and ready for the day. I feed the baby and then make a dash for the shower while my 3 plus one (I am tending) are entertaining themselves. It is exactly 10:00 am when the phone rings. I am in the bathroom making my attempt at a shower when i answer the phone.

Secretary: "Mrs. Swallow, McKade is in the office with us...he was pushed...fell off the slide! He is a little upset and we were wondering if you wanted to talk to him to see if you could get him feeling better?"

ME: "Okay, umm (Sara, you need to go!)...umm (Sara, you don't want to load up 4 kids...SARA, GO NOW!!!) I will be there in a minute. (Sara, NO SHOWER!!!)

Fast Forward to Office Scene...

There McKade sits with ice pack on top of head. I sit next to him and he puts his head in my lap. He is crying a little and I ask him what happened. He says "I think I fell off the slide." I continue to rub his face and head in my lap while I get a brief description (He fell off the top platform and landed on the top of his head). I tell her, "It probably scared him more than anything." I haven't been in the office more than 2 minutes and he is asleep. I am flattered. He just needed his mom to come to the rescue. I wake him up and he gets upset again and won't really answer my questions. I decided to take him home for a half hour and bring him back. When we get home he staggers to the couch grasping the rail, table, or anything in his path. NOW is when I start getting concerned. I try to ask him what happened and he says he doesn't remember. I let him rest for a minute while I try to get myself more presentable (still no shower). I call the pediatrician and have to leave a message with the nurse. I decide to just head to the doctor. I load 4 kids plus McKade into car. When I pulled out of the driveway McKade perks up as he watches the snow fall. Maybe I am just overreacting??? I dropped the 4 kids off at my lifesaving sister-in-law and said, "He is acting a little better." I am going to take him with me to the store and see how he is.

Side Note: Of course these things always happen on your busiest day. I needed to finish painting 3 pinatas, buy the candy, and make chili for the ward party that night. Not to mention Tyson had an appointment we scheduled one month ago to do his drivers test for his license.

At the store I asked him, "Who's special day was it yesterday? (Malaree had just turned 3)

McKade: "Family Night."

Me: Yeah, but who had a special day yesterday?

McKade: "We went to the library and computer."

Me: "Fun, but who in our family had a special day yesterday?"

McKade: "Sara!"

Me: (thinking) Wrong answer, NOT GOOD!!! We are out of here.

At this point McKade points out that he is filling nauseous. I grab the pinata candy as I am talking to Glen giving him an update, we continue with more unusual activity from McKade. On the way to Primary Childrens he throws up in the car.

So, to make a long story longer Grantsville Grandma comes to take Tyson to his test, Glen comes to the hospital until we realize a parent needs to be there to sign. He runs home with the pinata candy. They are late and he has to reschedule.


McKade's diagnosis... concussion. We couldn't get him to stop throwing up because he was dizzy. He was expressionless...NO LAUGHING, NO SMILING! When we asked him a question his face showed an expression that reminded me of the computer...LOADING...pause....LOADING...waiting...LOADING...still waiting...then finally the answer. The lights were on and no one was home. It was painful to watch him have to think.


The next morning he was back!! He smiled, laughed at his TV shows, and could keep his breakfast down. He still had a little headache and dizziness but that would soon go away too. I said this about ten years ago with Tyson and I will say it again..."You don't leave Primary Children's Hospital having a pity party for yourself!!!" I drove away from that place with a BIG prayer of gratitude in my heart. Once again I was lucky enough to be leaving that place with my child with me. I am so blessed.


We did end up with the rest of the story. He was pushed and landed on the top of his head. Our lawsuit is pending...JUST KIDDING. A week later he is still playing with the alleged pusher at recess, the slide is on "TIME OUT", and we are sure that it knocked some sense into him. Oh, and for those of you who are still wondering, YES I did eventually get a shower just not until the next day.

BORED!!!

I love the new crisp air of autumn, with its beautiful colors and milder temperatures. I love this time of year! However, this year I am feeling a little anxious. As the temperature changes I wonder if I am ready for what is to come. I know from experience that with this weather change comes flu, illness, and the most devastating for my children...BOREDOM. They would much rather be sick than bored. I have to say, there are times that I would rather them be sick, not seriously, just enough to keep them laying on the couch. This ensures that their messes are within arms reach and centrally located.

"MOM, I AM BORED!!!" I hear this echo in my ears. Their boredom always seems to be MY fault and requires MY immediate attention. During the summer months their creative juices are flowing. They live outside. Pictured here is one of their creations, a result of their boredom. I love to see them working together, having fun. Then comes the cold weather and with it the creative pipes freeze. "There is nothing to do in the house", "that's no fun", "what should we do now?" this echoes through the halls.

Maybe it is just a boy thing? I wonder what girls do when they get bored? I think I am about to find out!?!

Lunch Time!!!

Slade is our very independant child. He wants to do most things himself, or at least try until frustration sets in. Malaree is following in his footsteps. Here is a picture of them eating lunch. The lunch that they made "ALL BY THEMSELVES." Below is the final product. There is nothing better than a turkey sandwich with mustard, ranch, and KETCHUP!?!?

They both ate about half of it but Slade later admitted that the sandwich was "nasty." So, I guess I'm still not out of a job. Lunch is on me tomorrow!!! Would anyone care for a "Slade Sandwich?"

Sampling of Family Pic!!!

SISTERS!

So, I thought I would focus this blog on the girls in the family, the brothers will follow next entry. We will start will Malaree. She is a real sweetheart but knows how to hold her own with those brothers. We ran out of diapers about a month ago and she decided to save us the trouble of buying some more, she is a big girl now. It is nice to buy diapers for one again. Malaree is in tumbling and loves it. She thinks she can read and do everything that her sister Ashlan does. SCARY!!! I'm afraid in 2 years when Ashlan is dating that our 4 year old will be thinking she can date as well. Malaree is a happy little girl that loves life.
Ashlan continues to be a treasure to the family. She is a good example to her siblings. The past year she has really been faithful in reading her scriptures and writing in her journal (not that she wasn't doing it before). Now her brothers all needed a journal and are writing in them now. She is working hard in school and continues to get good grades. She is also playing the violin and piano. Ashlan is a great sister to everyone. Especially these two little sisters that she waited and prayed for. She is a real TREASURE who is thoughtful and often will send a kind text your way!

MarKae continues to be a delight to our family. She is about to break through her 8th tooth at 8 months old. It is ridiculous! She seems so eager to grow up and be big. She is already walking around stuff and will stand for a few seconds before she slowly sinks to the floor. She will clap when we say "YEAH" and she is starting the baba, mama talk. All of her brothers and sisters LOVE her. It is a fight every Sunday during sacrament meeting. Everyone wants to hold her. She has been accused of being "moody" when I am not around but I think she just loves her mommy.

All of my kids are GREAT! They aren't perfect but I love and learn from their goodness as well as their weaknesses. Soooo thankful to know I have help in raising this tribe. I have been BLESSED!!!