Jason goes to Utah and my mom comes

I don't have any pictures of Jason in Utah, this is a picture I got texted of Randy's nurse (my cousin, Kaitlyn).  

Jason's siblings had a virtual meeting where they decided that they each needed to take 2 weeks and fly to Utah to help their parents out.  Jason left on December 8th.  He ended up coming home early (yay!) becasue the next brother (Matt) had a change of plans and it worked best for him to come out earlier.  I am so grateful that Jason was willing to go, he has a work life where he CAN go, and that the rest of them were willing to go.

I learned a lot about myself while he was gone.  At first he was all worried about leaving me.  It kind of offended me.  I see my self as a strong person and "of course he can go".  But as we got closer I started to questions my abilities.  He has been home for almost 2 years!  And when I say home I really mean it.  When Jason is home he is home.  He is present.  He is helpful.  He is involved.  I had never had 6 kids without his help.  What if I couldn't do it? 

The timing worked out pretty great. My mom was already planning to come for my birthday for a few days.  So when my mom got here Jason left.

I don't have any pictures of Jason in Utah and I don't have any pictures of my mom here.  I guess that shows how impressive it was.  Well... that isnt true.  Being with my mom was great.  Every night that week the kids had Christmas performances and my mom went to tall the concerts.  Then on my birthday (Jason was gone from the 8th to the 16th and my mom was here from the 7th to the 10th) my mom took me to lunch at Olive Garden and then we went shopping for my birthday where upon I got all new pans!  Particularly GIANT pans for my GIANT family!

But it was on my birthday, Wednesday evening when everything went crazy.  Dane broke his left falling off our kitchen chair.  I will cover all of that in another post.  I was so grateful my mom was here when it happened.  I don't know what I would have done.

Jason had a good time in Utah.  He enjoyed long conversations with his dad about the gospel and life, watching football together, and watching jeopardy every evening.  He helped his mom with family history and cleaning out her garage. 

I enjoyed exercising some mothering muscles that have atrophied over the years with Jason being home.  I do enjoy mothering and it is different when I am doing it alone.  But we were all glad for him to come home.  He definitely provides the joy that I sometimes struggle to muster (the kids LOVE his sense of humor).