Time in a Bottle

I may be dating myself, but a song that was popular when I was a girl has been playing in my mind all morning. "If I could save time in a bottle, the first thing that I'd like to do is to save every day 'til eternity passes away just to spend them with you". My days are so full and jam packed with things to do, I don't think I could get away with storing away a whole 24 hours, but there are some moments 2007 I'd definitely love to live again and again and again. Here's my top ten list of the days from 2007 I'd save in a bottle...if only I could.

10) April 8, I would save for Jens and Joe. After a long winter of recovering from a torn achilles tendon, Joe took Jens to Hawaii and on that Sunday they went to a Tongan ward where they were presented with leis, kissed and treated like royalty. Talk about fellowshipping! That was their favorite day of their vacation together. I would save this memory for them to relive during the time, not far distant, when Jens is living away from us and we are missing him.

9) July 12 - Was the day Jan pitched in the tense baseball game of Ephraim vs Ephraim. What a game! There was only a one or two point difference in the score between the teams the whole game. The last inning was tied, and our team had last bat. It was then Jan pitched a perfect, no-hit inning. After that, when it was his turn to bat, he hit a triple and we won the game! We had bragging rights for weeks. It was great, but the best part was that the coach of the team who lost was formerly Jan's coach and would hardly ever let him play, which only made this win sweeter. This moment would be filed under "ha ha, you made Jan sit on the bench all those years when we always knew he had this in him"

8) March 3, Leah's baptism. She was so ready for this day. She had waited 2 months longer because of Joe's injury, and she was having a hard time remaining patient. Family came from all around, and when I saw Joe and Leah dressed in white, my heart melted. She was beaming and Joe was so handsome. Seeing the last of our babies be baptized was a sweet, sweet sight...and a little sad, too. I would save this day in a time bottle and file it under "the firsts of our lasts."

7) June 12, Jordie was discouraged because he felt he was the "stupidest" on his ball team. Plus it was difficult for either Joe or me to stay very long at his games to cheer him on because we had to make a showing at two other games(Jan and Dane's). I got to this particular game just as Joe was leaving and Joe told me Jord wanted to quit and he had to force him to go play in the outfield. Just as I was sitting down our side of the bleachers erupted in cheering and I looked up to see Jord way back in the outfield with his mitt up, his eyes closed, and a ball in his glove! He had caught a long pop fly to center field. When he came back to the dug-out he had a huge smile on his face. We've talked about that experience a lot this year when Jordie feels the "stupidest" at other things. I would save this memory to live over again on the days when I need to remember not to give up.

6)December 23, Jens and Dane took our Geo prism out to our horse field (about 3miles away) to check a live racoon trap Jens had set. It was cold and dark, and they didn't come home when I thought they should. About 2 hours after they set off, they came thru the door and said they had gotten the car stuck in the deep snow at the the horse field and walked all the way home, they were both only wearing hoodies! I couldn't believe it and I was a little mad that Jens would take such chances with Dane's health, after all, they passed right by a gas station/convenience store and could've easily gone in and called for a ride. I asked Joe to talk to him about it, because Jens and I aren't very good at conversation right now at this point in our relationship. Later, when I asked Joe why Jens hadn't stopped and called for a ride, Joe just smiled and told me not to worry about it because the boys were fine. I kept after Joe until he finally told me that he had asked Jens why he didn't stop and call for a ride. Jens' answer to Joe opened up a window in to my quiet son's heart. Jens told his dad he didn't stop to call because it was Sunday and he and Dane didn't feel right about going into the store. I would keep this experience and be sure to file it under "stop worrying about Jens' testimony".

5) March 24, the night of the big Miss Ephraim pageant. Rach had completed the swimsuit competition, answered a question ("Do you think professional athletes get paid too much" what a stupid question for a beauty pageant, it still makes me mad!) performed her talent, and danced in a production number. Now it was time for the evening gown. Even though I had been with her to buy the gown and seen her try it on many times, I was so unprepared for what I felt when she walked out on the stage. She was beautiful. And not in a glitzy bling bling sort of way. She just radiated. She had struggled with finding a modest dress that still made her look nice enough for a pageant, and when she walked out in her choice of dress, modest, drop dead gorgeous and confident, I just began to cry (the truth is that I'm crying right now, too.) I heard a lady behind me whisper to her daughter, "Be like that girl, sweetie". Rach didn't win the pageant, but she won the respect and admiration of everyone that was there who saw her shine. Oh, I would relive that night again, how I wish I could seal it up in a bottle and file this memory under "moments that take your breath away"

4) My trip to San Diego, November 10. I had so few days to visit my sister, but boy did we do a lot with our time. This is the day we went to all the posh shops you'd never go in to with your kids or your spouse. For different reasons, of course, your kids, because they would embarass you and your spouse because he would hate it. We looked at Williams and Sonoma, Tiffany's, L'occitane, Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue. We even spent an hour looking at bras (which I could never do with my family in tow) and ended up buying matching ones on a buy one get one free sale. What fun! I also bought a lot of great things for Christmas, but the best purchase was a beautiful advent calendar I picked up at Saks. One of the "beautiful people" at Saks stopped me and asked me about my hair, how I style it, who cut it and what color I used on it (uh, Tracy Ray cuts my hair, I don't color it and I style it with Suave products) she raved about how beautiful my hair was! If she was faking it or just being sarcastic, don't ever tell me, it was the highlight of my trip. After shopping, my sister and I went back to her place, got in our jammies, ate Ben & Jerry's icecream and watched reruns of Monk. It was a perfect day that I have replayed several times in my mind. I would have to file this one under "Permission for mom to have fun".

3) November 1, the last visit with Maggie, which I've already written about. If I could save this day in a bottle, I would've taken it out and probably relived it 1,000 times by now. I would save this day and file it under "Life is good, and a gift....don't waste it"

2) Every day in December. Being in the temple with my family for my sister's sealing. Taking Rach and Leah to the Nutcracker. Sledding, playing ping-pong, Christmas pageants, sleeping in, snow falling, going with Joe in the mountains and finding the perfect Christmas tree, Christmas Eve, special young women lessons, yummy food, visits from neighbors, watching It's a Wonderful Life 100 times, kids sleeping under the Christmas tree, Christmas cards, Christmas morning, Joe's letter to me, New Year's Eve with Cless and Sue.....I want to keep all of these wonderful memories somewhere closeby where I won't forget one detail. If I had a bottle to keep time in, I'd pack it tight to fit in these special days filed under "The best holiday season ever."

1) September 19, the day Dane came home from Primary Children's Hospital. We were discharged and left as soon as we could without telling anyone because we were in such a hurry to go home. Joe found out we were on our way and when we passed his work 2 hours after leaving SLC, he was standing by his door watching for us. When we pulled in to the parking lot Joe and his workers came outside and Dane struggled out of the car. Joe hugged Dane so hard, Dane had to ask him to "please stop" and we were all crying. When I got home, I found my house clean, laundry all done, the vegetables and fruit from the garden had been canned, a warm dinner waiting on the counter, and my sweet friend Carol helping my kids with their homework. I know I was looking at heaven on earth that day. Love surrounded us, and nothing else was more important than just being together again. That magical feeling evaporated in the weeks that followed as life crowded back in on us. If I could save time in a bottle, if words could make wishes come true, I would save this day like a treasure and open it on those days when the laundry is calling, the kids are onery and I feel like I don't have a friend in the world. I would relive this day, and know however heavythe burden, whatever the heartache, its all worthwhile, because I have lived to see a day of great thanksgiving, September 19, 2007. Everything in my life has been sweeter since then. Oh, please, don't let me ever forget.

Ok, now it's your turn, what were your favorite days in 2007?