A New Year and old habits of bad blogging are tempting to return. ha ha! We had a great Christmas (of which I will document with a few photos) It was full of the usual...family, games, puzzles, presents, cousins, drama, and fun, but that is not what has motivated my blog update today. Yesterday was a....how shall I put it?....memorable day.
Our testimony meeting was really good. The counselor in the bishopric, Brother Pulsipher, gave a great testimony on how the Lord gives us weakness. It is often misquoted in the scripture in Ether, some people will say God gives us weaknesses, which isn't accurate. It isn't like God sat down and decided, "I will make Jim an angry person and Suzy prone to lie, so that they can get over these specific weaknesses that I gave them." Rather we as humans are weak in general and if we come to God, He will make weak things become strong unto Him. He will help us through whatever weakness we are struggling with at the time. Too bad we can't overcome our weak nature with one experience. It is a collective amount of experience upon experience of us constantly coming to God and eventually we can look back and see how far we've come. Yeah, definitely not an overnight thing! His testimony made me ponder a lot. I have fallen into the misquoted trap and have often thought, "Oh, God gave me this specific weakness so I could learn something." No, the bottom line is I am weak. He wants me to learn whatever I need to in order to be strong. Good thoughts. Speaking of coming to the Lord for strength.......today was Axel's first official day as a Sunbeam, and he didn't exactly "shine" as I would have hoped. He kept saying "this way" as Eli passed the nursery room and brought him into Primary to which he started throwing a temper tantrum. He has now incorporated the throwing down of the arms and jumping into his tantrums as of late and makes quite a display, much to my complete horror! So, this is going on during opening exercises. I finally have him come and sit with me. So, during music time, I am struggling to keep my class of five-year-olds in line while trying to stop Axel from jabbing the kids in front of us with his big boots. Not to mention trying to desperately silence his spontaneous outbursts of fits and screams that he wants a cup and go night night. His ploy to get out of being a new Primary member I'm sure. I can hear him now, "If I tell her I am ready for a nap she'll definitely go for it!" Little did he know that I was wishing for that very thing, anything in fact to stop the madness. The teacher in front of me leaned back during one of his displays in the aisle and said, "Whose kid is that!" (she knew full well it was mine and her light-hearted joke made me feel better as I responded, "I have no idea, but I wish they would get him out of here!") The secretary took Axel from me and hauled him to class with the other new Sunbeams and I had peace during sharing time. I looked back and saw my old class looking all spiffy in their suits and was kind of sad that I didn't have them anymore. That is until I saw the look in Alex's eye, the look I have seen many a time, the look that said "I'll tell you where to go" and those feelings vanished. ha ha After sharing time, I went to face the music of my new class. Much to my surprise, they were angels. I squinted to see their halos. They sat still, raised their hands, laughed at my attempts to joke, and all showed me the pictures they colored. One girl even wore a velvet dress in my honor. I couldn't believe it. From the last class I had, I was prepared to come in with the paddle full of holes to lay down the law. (okay I will clarify that is a joke for all you literalists out there that would actually believe that I would beat children...I would not!) So, the class went great and I was thrilled!! Then I went back to closing exercises to Axel repeating the same episodes as before. He was fine until he saw me. Grrr! I think he would do so much better if I wasn't there. So, there I was plotting how I would sufficiently punish and beat this little boy when the music leader announced that to welcome the new Sunbeams we would sing their song, "Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam" to which Axel loudly sang and did all the actions dilligently with a huge smile on his face. He then looked at me like, "Isn't this the best, Mom?" After it was over, he looked up at me and gave me the biggest hug and kiss ever. Lucky for him my heart melted and that little act saved his very life. He left me a very confused mother. How is it possible to wonder if Axel is the very devil himself one minute and the next be shining his halo for him? What is this madness called motherhood? Overall I'd say his first day in Primary was a fiasco but not a complete failure. Hopefully next week when the teacher in front of me sees him singing, folding his arms and speaking clearly in full sentences of all the family home evening lessons we've ever taught him, she'll say, "Whose kid is that?" And I will proudly rise and proclaim, "That's Axel Hubbard, and he is our son!" Hey! I'm allowed to dream aren't I?
When I took this picture I should have known he would be too cool for church!
Just thought I would include some memorable pictures of the little toad.
Riding naked in his truck should have also clued me in that he wouldn't make a good candidate for Sunbeams. :)
Here is our lovely Christmas true. We bought it...I know I know what a crime but it is the first year we have actually had a full Christmas tree instead of a sparse Charlie Brown tree. You will see how beautiful it is.
I told you it was beautiful!!!
Yes, those are all on one branch and he threw a fit if he found out we moved them. So, there they stayed. It was pretty darn cute. Christmas was so fun this year, aside from the obvious reason..that we weren't in a hospital...Axel got so excited Christmas morning and took part in all the Christmas festivities leading up to the Big Day. It gave us the opportunity to live Christmas like we were kids again. Loved it!!
I coaxed Eli to take a picture of the boys and me...because I think I am photogenic...NO...just for mere evidence that I was there. :)
I love how in all the pictures Axel won't look at the camera and Grady finds his way into all the corners of the picture. ha ha
Soooo happy. This is what he did the whole month of December. Those balls never stayed on the tree. We tried to tell him no and broke his heart and probably permanently damaged him. How can you say no to a face like that anyway?
1-Tickets to the gun show anyone? 2-What kills Eli and I every morning! 3-Changing the Sheets..exciting I know! 4-Mac n Cheese...a classic. 5-Grady's 1st time with a spoon. 6-Axel reinacting Thomas the Train with his cars. 7-Axel's reaction to me wanting to take his picture with his new backpack for preschool. 8-Chocolate Milk for his glorious nap which are few and far between these days. 9-Axel's display when I said no TV. He's crushed! 10-Chocolate chip cookies for a girl's birthday in my primary class. 11-Bathtime Nudist! 12-Folding Laundry. Axel had to go "potty" which was his excuse for not wanting to stay in bed, so I showed him which button to push on the camera. His very first picture. He did a great job at being photographer.
Grady was mid poo before he went in the tub. I ran him to the toilet...too late but he still liked sitting there. 
Grandpa taking a nap on the floor and his shadow doing exactly what he would do. What you missed before this was Axel jumping on his back, saying "Cowboy! Cowboy!"...Some nap aye?
