The McKnight Family

This place is just perfect for us.  Everything about it.  I especially love hearing Brayden express how he KNOWS that we are supposed to be here.  He feels very close to his friends and is doing so well.  He is already quite protective of his friends.  He is quite in awe of them and their situations.  None of his friends have parents who are married, and most have had physical abuse.  I think he respects them because they are very active in the church in spite of their home life.  His best friend was abused by his father and has had many tough experiences.  He is quick to reprimand the kids when they complain about rules or situations in the home.  Jacob will say things like  "At least you have a dad"  or  "Don't say bad things about your brothers, I wish I had little brothers to play with, I wish I had a family like this".  He keeps the kids humble and their perspectives in check.  He's adopted into our family and already calls me mom.  He keeps me humble as well.

We were able to attend Logan's first home football game.  Just as it was getting good, it started sprinkling, then raining, then whipping rain and wind, then the monsoon hit and literally everyone within 2 minutes were completely soaked and running for cover.  Jason and I were having flashbacks of Guatemala.  Riker and Chad were quite scared and begging to go home.  We finally had to comply because it wasn't letting up.  Apparently it finally did and Logan finished his game without anyone watching.  They did win and Logan did great.  Jason even left work early to come and within 5 minutes the storm hit.  Good memories!

I got a church calling...I'm assistant Webelos leader.  CJ is a webelo and super excited that I will get to be with him.  It's exactly what he needs.  I needed a way to spend some quality time with just him and this is it.  I'm grateful for that.  Granted, it's not my favorite calling, but it is what CJ needs right now and that is more important.

The only real stress in my life right now is our Heber house.  My dad is killing himself to clean and fix it up and try to sell it.  We keep getting told by our realtor to sell it for so cheap that it wouldn't even pay off our loan.  Very frustrating when I was hoping to get out of debt from the sell of the house.  But the market, as we all know, stinks and all we can do is hope and pray.  It may need to be rented out first and then try to sell it later.  I just hate putting my parents into that predicament.

Jason and I went to the Gila Valley Temple last weekend with another couple.  We stayed at the Marriott down the street for  $35 and played games with our friends and went to the temple in the morning and went out to lunch before we went home.  I loved it.  It was so nice having a little getaway weekend.  I just love the perks of being in the Marriott family again.  I don't mind letting temple attendance being an excuse for a quick weekend getaway.  The temple is a small one but beautiful inside.  A local widow was dripping with money and decided to donate millions to make sure the inside was as beautiful as it should be...from murals to crystal chandeliers to beautiful vases in the celestial room.  Wonderful.

I just found out that kindergarten here is full day!!!  I feel like someone just took a year off my sentence!  Chad starts next year and I will finally have the day to myself.  I'm so excited, I hope that doesn't sound bad, but I am really looking forward to having the house to myself and being able to do my errands without car seats and naps to worry about.  Chad is ready for preschool but lack of funds make that impossible.

Tyler is doing good and will hopefully be getting visits from my parents soon.  He needs that and I hope will feel loved and supported by the visits.  I miss him so much it breaks my heart, I want him here but I know he needs to be where he is, getting the help he needs to be healthy and ready to be a part of society again.  It doesn't change the fact that my son isn't here with me and I'm missing some of the best parts of his youth and growing up.  I hate that he is missing school here, sports, dances, youth conferences and family home evenings, family dinner, chore charts, sacrament meetings, baptisms for the dead and all the other wonderful experiences he should be having at his age. We pray so hard for him and I am so heartbroken every family prayer when I hear the kids pray for him and pray that he feels our love for him, begging Heavenly Father to help him so that he can come home soon.  One day we will be together again and it will be such a day of joy and happiness that we won't know what to do with ourselves except laugh and cry.  I look forward to that day!