A not so Black Friday

I've always wondered why people would subject themselves to Black Friday. The name itself makes it seem so bleak. Why would you stand in line for hours, knowing that you may not even have a chance at what you wanted? Why would you lose precious hours of sleep for a single sale? Why would you want to be in such close proximity to so many strangers? Why, Why, WHY?!?

In the past, I've heard horror stories of consumer stampedes, and stolen wallets, and jail time over a Tickle Me Elmo. I have even had the bad luck of working in the electronics department of a WalMart on a Black Friday, and let me tell you, it's as though these folks fall into that wonderful turkey coma on a wonderful Thursday afternoon, and wake up as thoughtless, careless zombies in search for brains 50% off. I swore to myself, "Never will I be one of those mindless shoppers. Never!"



This year was a different story.



I don't know what sparked my curiosity this holiday season. I was sitting at the computer one night racking my brain about what kind of camcorder I should get my hubby for Christmas. What were the good features? What was a good price? Was there really a better brand? Would he like what I picked? I was about to give up when the thought crossed my mind... Black Friday. That is how I would get a camcorder. I would find one that was on sale, and I would cross my fingers and hope for the best. Neither of us know very much about camcorders. I had prodded John for the features that he wanted, and he really didn't know. All we knew was we wanted a decent way to catch some of our sons developmental moments. I couldn't really go wrong right? If we weren't looking for a specific feature, or brand,  I would set a price, and find something within that range.

I decided that I didn't want to spend more than $200 on a camcorder. I had done some digging and found that I could get a decent product for around that price. I thought about it some more and decided if I could get one at a normal price for $200 I should change my criteria. I would not spend more than $150 if I was going to go out and face the crowds. I poured through local adds, and finally I found the camcorder I wanted. It was only $119, and it had great reviews. It was user friendly which was a plus for us newbies. There was a down side. I would have to brave the crowds at WalMart. I was dreading this.

I finally convinced myself that it was worth it. I decided that if I was going to go out in search of this camcorder, that I was at least going to have a couple of things on my list, that way even if I didn't get the camcorder, I could walk away without feeling as though I failed.

After dinner at my sister's house, we headed to Wally World. When we got there, it was a zoo. There were people everywhere. John and I decided that the best plan would  be for me to go in and start shopping, while he took the baby home, and came back with the other brave shoppers in the family. As I made it into the store, I realized just how crazy this was. There were zero carts for me to use. They had all been claimed already. I could deal with that though. I set out to find the first set of items on my list. it was only eight o clock, and my camcorder would not be available until ten. I found everything on my list except for towels. Who knew they would be such a hot item? I had a problem though... I could not carry all of the merchandise that I wanted without a cart, and there were still no free carts to be found.

I had an idea. I went into the home organization department and found a storage tote. I filled my tote and carried it throughout the store. It quickly got heavy. I stopped for a moment and set it down. As I looked around, a mother and her two teenage daughters were looking around, planning their assault on the store. We made eye contact and she smiled. "Why are we doing this?" I asked.

"I don't know, but I do it every year."

At this point, I was starting to understand the rush that people get from this massive sale. "All I want now is a cart."

She laughed, "If I see an extra one, I'll let you know."

Her daughters smiled, and I went on my way.

A few minutes later, as I was debating whether or not a memory foam bath mat would fit into my tote, I heard from behind me, "Hey... Tote-Girl."

There is was my holiday shopping alias. Surely nobody else would be referred to as "Tote-Girl." I turned, and there were the two teenage girls I had parted with moments earlier. "We found you a cart," they explained with smiles and kind eyes. "Someone just left it in the aisle, and we grabbed it for you."

What angels! It was a Black Friday miracle! Who knew that you could witness kindness from a stranger in a WalMart on one of the biggest sale days of the year? I was astonished. "This made my night," I told them. They smiled again and were on their way.

So with my cart, I set out to find the line for my camcorder. I found it, and as I settled into a nice little spot for it, John called. He was back and was ready to stand somewhere to get something. Naturally, I made him stand in line for his Christmas present, and I went to search for the memory cards to go with it.

All in all, aside form the towels... we got it all, and it was a NOT so black Friday thanks to a couple of teenage miracle workers.

My Own Mountains to Climb

Since Henry B Eyring, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, gave his conference address titled, “Mountains to Climb,” I have had the opportunity to reflect on the mountains that are being climbed by those around me as well as the Mountains that I, myself, have to climb. There are many around me suffering trials of health. They suffer themselves, as well as on behalf of family members. There are many choices that have to be made for these families that I have grown close to, and I hold a place in the prayers of my heart for them as they begin their journeys down this road of uncertainty. There will be many obstacles that will still come their way, but I know that there will be a way for them to come out on top if they will be grateful for the opportunity to grow. Seeing them conquer their trials on a day to day basis gives me renewed faith that I too can conquer mine.

I have been grateful to have confirmed to me some of the things that I have thought about over the past few months by the examples of those around me. I now believe with all of my heart that I can conquer any trial that the Lord sets in front of me, as long as I have faith, and lean on my family. My husband and I have had the opportunity to struggle financially over the past few months and it has really opened my eyes to some of the blessings given to those in the church who will follow the law of consecration. I have come to know that I have been blessed far more than I imagined possible when I have given my time to helping those around me. I have been reminded of my earlier adult years on my own when money was always tight, and I sometimes had no idea how I would feed myself between paychecks. I have been nowhere close to this level of destitution recently, but it has been a good reminder of what I have already overcome.

 I know that we are receiving the chances to grow through hardship because we are doing the right things in our lives. We decided at the end of the last year that we wanted to begin our family. What a blessing it has been to be successful in this. I have come to understand in the short amount of time that I have been pregnant the love that my parents feel for me.  I remember thinking as a teenager that it would be impossible to love anyone the way that my parents said they loved me. I thought that they were saying things to make me feel guilty about the things that I was doing that upset them. I now understand that what they were saying was true that it was not at all something that they just said.

I have also come to know how important the family unit must be to the plan of salvation because since we began to try to have our family things have seemed to spiral out of control at times. It is only through reflecting on the humble acts of my wonderful husband that I have been able to keep my cool in some instances. I know that without the service that he is willing to provide me that I would not be able to accomplish the things that I am tasked with on a daily basis. It has been through our trial of finances that we have learned how to communicate about the things that we want in life, and the things that we need in the near future.

I am grateful for the opportunity that I have to be surrounded by family. This is also the direct result of financial trial. We have had the unique experience since our marriage to truly learn about the law of consecration and how it pertains to being part of a family.

Many times in recent years, couples have found themselves struggling to make ends meet, and end up moving in with parents to help shoulder the burden and lighten the load on both sides. It is beneficial for senior parents to have the help of younger and willing children around the house again, and it is financially beneficial for both parties for whatever amount of time it lasts. Without getting in to too much detail, I’d like to expound just a bit on our situation.

We have found ourselves in a comparable situation. Ours, however, comes with a twist. Over the past few years, children in my husband’s family have grown to maturity and decided to start families. This is an integral part of the plan of happiness in this life. With sons so close in age, my dear mother in law found herself with three sons engaged to be married within seven months of each other. Wow! This has proved to be both a challenge and a blessing. With half of the family in Utah and half of the family in California, it became apparent that this would require a lot of travel, and money was a problem with no solution. The desire on the part of my in laws to be closer to their children and the desire of their sons to be able to help their parents led to one solution. The family would move back to Utah, and share the financial burden of weddings and finding a home together.

It was quickly realized that the easiest way to shoulder this burden for the time being would be to find a place that we could all live together. Yes, ALL LIVE TOGETHER. There are currently 10 of us sharing a large home. This has given us the opportunity to learn more about each other than we ever wanted to, but has also shown each of us the blessings that family plays in life. It has not been easy, but it has definitely been worth it. We are coming to the end of our lease and have found ourselves struggling to go our separate ways. We have grown so close to each other, and now that we’ve worked out most of the kinks, are happy in our full home. I can’t imagine what this last year would have been like without them. I know that because of the willingness of our husbands, each of us three sisters-in-law have been blessed with an understanding of family that we did not already have. We do not get along all the time, as is expected, but we do know how to let it go and put our differences aside.

I am grateful for my in laws. They have raised three wonderful sons, and three wonderful daughters. Without their faith, and ability to teach by example, I would not have the wonderful husband that I have. It has been their willingness to endure trial after trial and climb mountain after mountain that has given their sons the faith to lead their fledgling families to do the same. I love the gospel of Jesus Christ, and I am thankful for its ability to bring families together. If it had not been for this gospel, I would not have had the opportunity to be raised by two wonderful sets of parents, and a loving aunt that successfully prepared a stubborn young woman to make covenants that will last an eternity. I am blessed by receiving new trials, and new mountains to climb, and I hope that I can inspire others to continue to do the same.

Dear Baby Knowles

My Dear Sweet Child,

There are so many things that race across my mind throughout the day, but most of them revolve around you. I can't wait until you are here so that your daddy and I can teach you about this amazing, crazy, scary, and wonderful world that we live in. I can't express how much I look forward to laughing with you, and crying with you, and comforting you when your tiny heart is aching from the trials of this world. I know that there will be many things that you won't understand, and many things that even after we've explained them to you in the best way that we can, you may still struggle with, but know that I love you, and that your daddy loves you. Please understand that we can't wait to be your best friends, but that we'll also be your parents every time that we need to be. There will be times that you will struggle, and you won't know what decision is truly the best for you, but I KNOW that if you will take the time to counsel with your parents, and with your Father in Heaven, that you will come away from it with a decision that will truly benefit you in this life that you have been given.

I'm excited to tell you that you live in a time that needs your valiant attitude and the positive morals that we will try to instill in you. You are a spirit that was saved for these days because you are choice above many others. You will be far more intelligent than I have ever been, and you will be blessed for doing the right things.

We heard your heartbeat for the first time, and we both teared up because we were so happy. The day that we saw you on an ultrasound, we smiled for the rest of the day. I stared at your tiny little body for days on that black and white picture and marveled at the fact that I get to be your mommy. I looked at your precious little hands and feet in those photos, and wondered how we had made such an amazing little profile. You are coming to a family that is excited about you, and to parents and grandparents who love you. You have many aunts and uncles and cousins who can't wait for you to arrive, and we are all so very excited to see who you grow to become. I look forward to peek-a-boo and hide-and-seek. I know that we'll also play games around the table like "one more big bite," and "not until you eat your vegetables" after the days of vrooming airplanes and chugging trains have failed to get you to eat. I can't wait to run with you and tickle you, and watch daddy teach you to ride a bike. There are so many exciting things for you to do and learn in this world, and we are waiting to teach you and learn with you. Know that we love you and are waiting for you, but please take you time, and come to us healthy.

 All of my love, Mommy.