It was the shrimp...

Dear Max -
Oh boy!  I hit an all time sickness high for myself...it all started...I went away for a night with some friends from our ward, a little girls / mommy get away.  We went up to St. George to go shopping.  You and Daddy along with Tova stayed home (I'll let Dad fill you in on those details).  We left on Friday and stayed the night at Grammie's house then came home on Saturday.  It is always so fun to spend time with these ladies.  We served in the young women's presidency when our family first moved into the Aliante ward, we only served together for a little under a year, but we have been connected for 7 years now.  We meet each month for dinner and each year we go on a little get away.  This one was focused around preparing for one of our former young women's wedding receptions that we are helping her throw.  We shopped and shopped and shopped some more...my focus beyond the wedding stuff is finding stuff to re-do your bedroom.  I feel like your getting ready to go to Kindergarten in the fall, and a "big kid" room is just what is in order!  I found some really cute things that I'm super excited about.  And really excited that I get to sew and make your curtains and bedspread.  I'm looking forward to personally making these things for my son!  Well, it was all fun and game until dinner Saturday night, and I chose to order the "Shrimp Add on, for only $2.99 more".  It didn't hit me at first, it wasn't until I got home, went to bed and woke up the next morning that the little shrimp devils wrecked their havoc on me.  I seriously have never wanted to give up on life more, than when I was laying on the bathroom floor with the food I ate at our wedding in 1999 coming out of my system.  It was bad, probably more detail than you wanted to know?  However, it may all be seared into your brain, cause you were very curious as to what was happening with Mommy, and then very concerned when you saw the state I was in.  I quickly sent text messages out to all parties involved with my Sunday to let them know that this Momma was not going anywhere today!  Daddy asked Brother Howard (AJ and Courtney's Dad) to come over and they gave me a blessing.  I'm so grateful for the restored gospel and the priesthood power that is available to us!  I'm forever grateful for our Daddy and that he upholds his priesthood authority to serve others.  Daddy got you ready and took you to church all by himself, which as a Mommy made my heart swell.  As you were getting ready to leave I asked you to come over by the bed so I could see how handsome you looked, when you came over you brought me your favorite Blue Teddy Bear that Tova gave you, and said that I should snuggle with it while your gone to make me feel better.  I am already in a fragile emotional state, but that touched my heart so much that you were concerned that much about your Mommy.  When you guys came home from church it was a quick change and then off everyone went to the Kendall's for the Super Bowl Party.  I of course stayed home.  When you guys got home from the party, I was of course in bed.  I think this was concerning yet again for you, to see your Mommy not leave bed for an entire day.  I had started to feel a little bit better, I asked you if you would get me a drink of water.  You came up stairs to my bedside with, a red cup filled with ice chips, another red cup filled with water, an orange and the orange peeler along with a paper plate.  I was so impressed by your balancing skills to get all this upstairs.  I believe you were equally impressed that is all made it!  You quickly took some ice chips out of the cup and put them in a Kleenex and advised me to put this on my head to make it feel better.  You then started to peel the orange, your awkward little hands trying so hard not to mutilate the orange in this difficult process.  And my churning stomach, pleading with "Murphy" that you would mutilate it beyond consumption, because the last thing I could possibly imagine was consuming an orange.  However, I was I to refuse such a sweet offering with such a pure intent?  I looked as the orange would squirt it's citrus in your face, and you would flinch in pain.  So determined to do this for your Mommy.  You got a portion of it pealed and put forward your hand with what at this point just looked like a fire dart of pain to me, and said "Here Mom, eat it, it will make you better!" Or will it.  I suggested we split it, which you were game for!  You took one portion, I took the other, and well...let's just say with a slip of the hand and a quick distraction my portion of the orange ended back up on the plate.  The intent was the most beautiful, gentle, pure and compassionate gesture I could have asked for!  I'm so very grateful and blessed that you have a desire to serve and can see a need and want to care for others.  This is a beautiful quality that I pray you will develop further and will never lose.  Max, it is when your serving others that you are truly helping yourself.  Always look for opportunities to make others lives better, you will be blessed for it.  I love you with all my heart!


Love,

Mom