Christmas With the Mathison's

Christmas Season is upon us all,

Tis the time to show our love both big or small.

We say 'Happy Days will come to you,'

Wishing we can push and chase away the blues.

Tis the season to think of the way,

That our Savior was born on Christmas Day.

Knowing that through his life we can be blessed,

With happiness, peace, and success in this test.

How Thankful our hearts are as we look upon him.

To grant us hope, strength even when things look dim.

We let our tears shine boldly in the lights,

Not being afriad for we know joy comes after the sleepless nights.

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Eric's work in Everett is going well,

When he sings and smiles it is easy to tell.

Liahona is becoming quite the beautiful cowgirl,

In her horse ridding lessons she is shinning like a pearl.

Tamara is the queen of soccer moves all about,

As her legs, feet, and body are growing tall and stout.

Montey's speech is coming around rather well,

He wants to be a missionary like his brother to share and tell.

Tanya and Baby are growing closer to each other each day,

We are all praying for the day for her to come out and play.

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We are so thankful for our friends and family dear,

And wish you were all closer and near.

For us to let you know,

How much you mean to us so.

Merry Christmas,

Love The Mathison Family

Fall Brings Falling Emotions...

Fall is Brown, 

Fall is Cold,

Fall is everything new beginning to unfold.

Fall is all Around,

Fall is Future unknown,

Fall is time for more of us to moan.

Fall is Quiet,

Fall is Still,

Fall is wishing you were Here.

Trying to do the typical Fall traditions, it is easy to get depressed and to loose touch of reality and slip into my world of the past.... wanting, dreaming, longing anything but living in the present.

Last Sunday I was tremendously blessed with the humbling experience to lead my first discussion at church in the Relief Society with the sisters in my ward from the words of our Prophet Thomas S Monson, 'Consider the Blessings.' 

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/10/consider-the-blessings?lang=eng

Our Prophet presented a good strategy for helping us 'Consider the Blessings' in our lives. Something that I have not been very good at doing these past 3 years.

This is what he said, "As I have reviewed the past 49 years, I have made some discoveries. One is that countless experiences I have had were not necessarily those one would consider extraordinary. In fact, at the time they transpired, they often seemed unremarkable and even ordinary. And yet, in retrospect, they enriched and blessed lives—not the least of which was my own. I would recommend this same exercise to you—namely, that you take an inventory of your life and look specifically for the blessings, large and small, you have received."

I decided to take on this challenge in this Reflection Exercise from our Prophet, to help improve my perspective in life during this difficult Fall Season. I have been trying to look for specific blessings both small or big that I have received lately. Trying to keep in mind that they may not be extraordinary but may be pretty plain and simple yet still enrich and bless my life.

. Crunching leaves under my feet make me feel like a kid.

. Bright color trees and leaves all around places a quick smile on my face.

. Smiles and hugs from my children each morning as they say, "Hi Mom, good morning."

. A comfortable and warm home as the cold weather approaches.

. Memories to review, to read and relive.

. My children praying on their own for the Coming of the Savior to be soon.

. Listening to talks new and old from Prophets and Apostles.

. Reading the words of God, and receiving Personal Guidance.

I hope that you can improve your Fall Perspective by taking a moment to do this Reflection Exercise too. That Fall can bring that added cheer to you and your family.

Happy Fall.

Love, The Mathison's

The Piercing Pain of Reality

Our Nebraska Trip was one of several emotions at once. To pin point how it went??... Well that is almost near to impossible to put into words, however, the highlight of what meant the most to us was to see and visit with our Nebraska friends that we call Our Nebraska Family. It was such a joy and delight to go to a place of Friends; that have been an amazing support to us since the day we arrived to the unknown Midwest back in 2007. We tried to target our trip with visiting our favorite (positive) memories that we have with Caleb. However as we went to all these places almost ALL were under construction, that was very difficult to see. Didn't think within 2 years there would be so much change, not what we thought we would see, it was a piercing pain. Our hopes of visiting that past was slashed, and we are now living a painful reality that we can never go back, not even to Nebraska to find home. But we would still move back for the people... Oh how we love those Nebraskans!

Then

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Boys Out Numbered

Liahona and I had the vote of the baby being a Boy.
Eric and Tamara had the vote of the baby being a Girl

For Eric's birthday, on the very day we had an ultrasound which was his only birthday gift. I walked in dragging my feet because I was the only one that didn't want to do this, Montey didn't really know what was going on so he could careless what we were doing. But ultimately I had to bring my physical body to the appointment for this birthday gift to be given... it took a lot from me emotionally to allow this.

Here we are at the appointment.

From this appointment Montey finally will answer, "Yes" when asked if there is a baby in my tummy, because prior he would always reply with "No".

Though I was slightly disappointed that we are not having our 2 boys and 2 girls that I am used to, and know how to do, I was yet slightly relieved that we are getting a girl. But I do not know how to raise 3 girls and 1 boy. This is completely weird to my mind, I am still having a hard time grasping this new change. I am hoping that by knowing the gender now that I will be more prepared when she comes in Dec to join our little family.

Successful Make A Difference Day

(Copied from calebmathison.blogspot.com)

We cannot thank you all enough for your teddy bear donations. Especially to you 21 families who were able to take the time to send a few our way. We received a total of 71 which was way over our hopeful goal of 50.
We are excited to deliver these to the children at the hospital.
For those of you who would have liked to donate teddy bears but were not able to this year and decided to do a family or individual service please feel free to share with us your success. Our hope is to touch as many lives as possible for good with the Love of Christ this Friday and Saturday the 24th and the 25th.

(Teddy Bears have been Delivered and Received, because of everyone's donations over 70 children will be blessed with cuddly animals to bring them warm fuzzies in their hearts and put smiles on their faces.)

Half way there!!

26 Bears in Counting towards Our Make A Difference Goal of 50...
Thank you so much you wonderful families that have taken the time
to Help Our Family Make A Difference, we are grateful for the opportunity
to deliver these to the Children's Hospital here in Seattle next week.

3rd Annual Make A Difference Day

Hi Our Wonderful Friends and Family,

Our 3rd Annual Make A Difference Day is coming up this month on the 24th and 25th, and we are wanting to do something different this year, but we are going to need your help if you can.

We are starting a Teddy Bear Drive, hoping to collect at least 50 new teddy bears to give to the Children's Hospital here in Seattle on Caleb's Angel Anniversary the 24th-25th.

I can imagine the added joy and smiles that these sweet cuddly teddy bears will bring to the children who are needing something to hug and squeeze to escape the unfun realities that they are facing at the hospital.

Here are the hospital guidelines with donations:

Restrictions

For safety and infection control reasons, please donate only new items that are washable, nontoxic, and not easily broken.

Then please mail them to us at our address, so we can deliver them all at once.

(If you do not have our address you can either email us at mathisonfamily@gmail.com or you can send us a friend request on facebook and we will send it to you.)

We would be more than appreciated if you could help us out. If you are unable to financially at this time, that is okay. Instead, we ask if you could do some sort of service to just help Make A Difference with us on the 24th-25th.

Thanks again everyone for supporting us and helping us out again this year... It's a tough knot to swallow this year, but then again when is it not!?

**Please forward this along to your friends and family. All help, Any help would be so appreciated.**

=) Love The Mathison's

A Push From the Lord

Our family has been praying for Peace and Contentment, and I went to the doctors to get more tests and ultrasounds done- to get some kind of peace of mind from the immense stomach pains, and terrible aches these past 5 months... it's not a cyst or cancer but a little baby. So, we are pregnant and are 4 months along, with a due date of December 31. WOW!!

Recap of: May Day, Mother's Day, Memorial Day

May Day popped out of no where. I was having a rather downer day that morning, when a friend came to my door with a cookie bouquet to wish our family a Happy May Day. I almost broke down into tears. This is a very special day that we learned about in Nebraska. The kids in the neighborhood would ring each other's door bells, and before they ran away they would leave a goodie basket. At first I thought this was a very silly kid day, but once my kids wanted to do it too, it soon became the new thing to look forward too each May 1st. I had forgotten this year. As I was standing at the front door floods of memories came to my mind and I was refreshed with motivation to get our May Day baskets of goodies put together to deliver that very evening. The kids and I had a very fun May Day after all, and we hope you too had a Good May Day.

Mother's Day was a lump swallowing day. The kids sang with their church Primary a couple songs to us mothers, and this would have been the year that all my kids would be up on the stand singing away. Though I could only see 3, I know that there was 4. Sunday talks were on Mothers. There was one talk specifically that was I think made for me. I was a blubbery mess throughout the whole talk. What was mentioned was the exact same thing that I have recently learned about birthdays. Birthdays are not so much for the individual but for everyone else, because it is a day that is given for those that love the individual to shower and show their love and appreciation for them. I have greatly learned that it is SO SO SO much easier to tell that person that you love them when they are here in person. It is so difficult to know just how and what to do for them to show them that you love them when they are gone. This was the same perspective that was taught about how Mother's Day should be looked at. Mother's Day is not so much for the Mother, because we only see how terrible our flaws are and how we have failed to be the best mother. But Mother's Day is for everyone else to shower and show their love for that individual, for it is easier to do this in person then when they are not with us anymore. So, I set aside my judge-mental self thinking that I am not worth such pampering and allowed my family to serve me: foot massage, nails and toes paints, hair done, back massage, dinner and dessert served to first and I did not need to clean up....

It was a life changing Mother's Day for me, to see this difficult holiday in a very different perspective, something that I have been greatly needing for a long time. We hope all you Mother's had a very special Mother's Day!

Memorial Day was special, we visited Caleb, and Eric's sister Carmen, and left them flowers and walked around to show our respect to those who have fought so valiantly for our country. We have many military crosses in our small little heaven on earth. What an honor to continue to be touched by their service which they have done so selflessly. To fight for our homes, our families, our freedoms of liberty, and yet sadly to say so many of our rights are being taken away. After all that they have done, and those suited up today to serve and fight for our country. We will never know the inner struggles and difficulties that they suffered so that we can be a free country, but I am touched not just every year, but every time I see a man or woman in uniform. I tip my hat to them and say proudly, "Thank You for serving!" They do so much for us, what and honor, what a blessing they are.

Thank you all you wonderful people that have and are serving our country, and for you amazing families standing behind your soldiers, God Bless every one of you!!

Tamara turned the BIG 8

Tamara had made the choice for herself to be baptized on her 8th birthday. Her and I experienced MUCH emotion before her big birthday/baptism day. It was difficult for her to come to terms of reality of what this would mean. For it meant that she would physically in age catch up to her older brother. She mentioned many times in the past that she never wanted to turn 8 and become older then her big brother Caleb. I explained several times that I didn't want things to chance either, but told her that whether or not we felt that we were ready it would come just the same. I knew that this special 'emotional' event would be a difficult one for me and our family. SO I called in my friends of faith; of family and friends nearby to come, support, cry and share in this moment with us.

I have such an incredible love for my amazing friends of faith. Regardless of what physical church we choose to attend too, they came to support and give us strength through the love of our Savior Jesus Christ. It is such an amazing source of strength that I draw from these friends of faith. And I received an amazing sense of ONE-NESS. It is the same God that we worship, the same Jesus Christ that we love and look to for a perfect example and follow in baptism. Regardless of the way that we choose to worship- it is the same God Head that we love together, and this is what unifies us as ONE. And our Heavenly Father has given us a bigger family of faith then what we really think. I rejoice with all my friends of faith, it is an honor to be there for them as they are and have been here for me and my family. It gives me much courage within to be able to stand as ONE, as I am reminded that it is only ourselves that divide our ONE of faith. Our friendship is not one of judgement or of offense, it is a very special friendship- of unconditional love, mutual respect, and support through the spirit and love of Jesus Christ. We do not feel the need or pressure to convert or to feel that we are trying to be converted, because know that we all have already been converted to Jesus Christ in our personal lives, and that it is only the spirit of God that is given that role to convert. And for us, our role is to only reach out in unconditional love, mutual respect, and support each other as friends in faith... helping our God to unify his children as ONE.

We would personally like to thank our special family and friends of faith for being here for us on this emotional birthday baptism day. You will never know how much your support, love and prayers have meant to us during this monumental step forward our family has taken.

=)LOVE, The Mathison Family