6 Random Things

Normally I don't post twice in the same day, but I got tagged reading a friend's blog. So here's 6 random things:

1. I've always wondered (since high school at least) if the whole 'coochie coochie coo' thing with babies comes from the fact that the Japanese word for mouth is kuchi (coochie)

2. Somewhere on this earth, there is a woman giving birth every three seconds. She must be found and stopped.

3. This guy is awesome ---------------------->

4. I spend WAY too much time on Facebook, I know that, but it's fun. You meet really cool people, get into interesting dicussions, and get to tell people about stuff you read on a 'social networking site' instead of crummy old Myspace.

5. I love looking at old documents - black and white family photos, ship passenger lists, census records, anything - that my ancestors appear in. It helps feel connected to them, and realize that they were real, living people, doing the same thing I'm doing - just living.

6. In a fight between Megatron and Gandalf, Megatron would win hands down. I mean, yeah, Gandalf has powerful magic and took on a Balrog, but I doubt magic could withstand a blast of concentrated energy from a fusion cannon.

7. I tag anyone reading this blog. You're it!!

Suffering

We were taught in priesthood/relief society a week or two ago from the Joseph Smith manual that suffering prepares us for the celestial kingdom. I got to thinking, if heaven is a place of peace, rest, and happiness, how would experiencing suffering and pain prepare me for that? I had two thoughts on it -
1. Suffering keeps us humble. It teaches/reminds us that we need God and each other to get through this life, that we can't make it home on our own steam.
2. It's part of the opposition of all things. The suffering we experience, and see others go through, shows us how precious life is, how rare true happiness is, and how great and plentiful our blessings really are. I mean, how often do I thank God for my health? Usually right after I get over a cold or flu or something, but then it slips my mind until I get sick again. Or for my home, or a fully functioning body, or even my family? I hate to say it, but it's probably my suffering that keeps me on the straight and narrow.

I hope someday to get to the point where I'll just stay on the path back home, without having to be dragged back on track kicking and screaming.

This is where it all hits the fan

Is it just me, or are things spiraling out of control faster every day? The stock market drops day after day after day; Iran and North Korea are working overtime on building nukes, while thumbing their noses at the rest of the world for telling them to stop; the government screwing up the stock market with their 'fixes' and now trying to take over some of our banks; and Obama getting closer to being president, even though he's got the wrong position on just about every topic there is - abortion, immigration, war on terror, health care, gay marriage, gun control, AND he is (or at least was recently) buddy-buddy for decades with hatemongers like Jeremiah Wright and Rev. Flegher and an avowed an unrepentant terrorist! Add all that to the cases of voter fraud already popping up in at least 8 states, a worldwide economic crisis, and the fact that I have to wait until January before season 2 of Transformers: Animated comes out on DVD, and we're talking serious problems here.

So with all this going on, what can we do about it? Not a whole lot, as far as I can tell. I can't fix the government (nor can McCain or Obama, regardless of what they say). I can't tell other countries how they should be run or by whom (though we all know Ahmedinejad needs to be ousted and SOON). But I can hold on to my family and the gospel, teach my kids right from wrong (and that there is right from wrong) and try to live within my means so when times get worse (and I think they will) we'll still be able to keep our heads above water. Even if the whole world goes to pot, we can still be happy in our own sphere. Men are that they might have joy, after all. So don't shut out what's going on in the rest of the world, we still need to stay aware of it, but don't let it become an obsession. Let your family's happiness and security be your main concern, and we'll all come out of this all right, even if it's not until the Millennium that things really settle down.

Where does the time go?

Can you believe it? My little girl is 4 weeks old today!! On Friday, she'll be a month! I still feel like she just came home yesterday. We had a minor miracle with her this week - she slept for 6 1/2 hours! I actually got to sleep from midnight till 6:30 without waking up once. Of course, the next night she woke up at 3, and last night she woke up at 2, but still! We're getting there. I still feel amazed and a little in disbelief that she's actually my child. I'm still trying to find that magic balance between family, work, church, and recreation, though that'll probably continue for the rest of my life at this rate. :)

Leah is here!!

Ok, I'm gonna try and post pictures of my beautiful little girl here. Wish me luck!



Let me know if this works and you can see them!

May I have your attention please!

I am pleased to announce the birth of the newest member of the Gibson family: Leah Michelle Gibson! She was born at 10:29 pm, September 3, 2008, weighing 8 lbs 5.6 oz, was 20 1/2 inches long, and looks beautiful! She has a head full of light brown hair and dark blue eyes. I've never posted a picture to my blog, so I'll try and figure out how to do that in the next couple days (I'll be off work until next Wednesday so I'll hopefully have the time, in between feedings and diaper changes, and taking care of Asher). Both mommy and baby are doing great, and we expect to head home sometime tomorrow. The birth went perfectly, and she is adjusting to life outside the womb very quickly. She only cries when she needs a diaper changed or wants to eat (both of which she has done plenty of in the last 12 hours!) and is just a quiet, peaceful little girl. Thanks to everyone who's offered congratulations and prayers for us, they are very much appreciated. I'm very excited to show off our cute little girl, so be prepared to be bombarded with pictures and stories about how great and cute she is!

The end is near...

Ok, since I'm getting busier again, and I can't seem to remember to bring my journal with me to work, I'm going to have to publish these thoughts here. We're in the last few days (maybe even hours) before our baby is born, and I wanted to jot down how things are going. We're excited, first of all! I can't believe I get to be a father to another little spirit, a baby girl this time. All those same anxieties and worries that came up before Asher was born are coming back, with new thoughts of 'where will the second crib go?' and 'how will Ash react to having a sister?' and 'do I even remember how to hold a baby that small?' I feel confident in our ability to care for her, as Ash is still kicking and doing very well. :) It's just...I made so many mistakes with Asher (and am still making them!) and I want to do better as a father with Asher. Can I keep from making those same mistakes over with Leah? I love Asher, he's my little buddy and the greatest little kid I've ever known, and I hope I can love Leah just as much.

More than anything though, I find myself getting increasingly frustrated with the world around me - watching family members struggle with financial and other issues, the idea that someone like Obama could become president, that gas prices could go back up to unaffordable at the drop of a hat, that even members of the church don't seem to be understanding how vitally important protecting traditional marriage is, and many other issues. Don't get me wrong, I have great hopes and excitement for the future. I just wonder how I can convey that hope and excitement to my kids, and not focus so much on the negatives like I've been doing the last few months. I want to do better, especially with Family Home Evenings. I think those will be the key to grounding my kids in the gospel and showing them that we not only believe it, we live it. I have had some success in that area recently, and the FHE packets coming out from Primary are a HUGE help too. But I feel best when I'm teaching Asher and Lisa and myself about Joseph Smith's role as prophet of the restoration, or about temples, or reading scriptures together. I'll try to focus on doing that better in the next few weeks (we'll have plenty of time during those sleepless nights!) and see how things go.

I'm so grateful for the chance to even BE a dad. I know lots of guys don't get that opportunity, or waste it when they do get it. SO many stories have come up lately about terrible, terrible things happening to kids, and I just wish I could reach out and pull those kids into my home and keep them there. But I can't do that. What I can do is put my arms around those little ones that I do get to have in my home, and love them and raise them the best I can. I try to do that with Ash, tell him regularly what a good boy he is, and how much we love him. He's so smart - how many 2 year-olds do you know that can count to 40, know shapes, colors, can recite the alphabet and recognize letters on sight, AND can recognize Mickey Mouse characters, Thomas and friends characters, can recite lines from movies and tv shows (mostly Cars) and - most importantly - knows an Autobot and Decepticon symbol when they see one? :D Most of that's due to Lisa, she's done a fantastic job teaching him at every opportunity, and getting him to love reading books (though I take credit for teaching him about dinosaurs and Transformers, even if he calls every single yellow car he sees Bumblebee).

Aside from paternity anxiety, everything is going well. I love being a ward mission leader, seeing the missionaries bringing people to church, and then seeing the ward wrap their arms around and welcome new people into the ward is just the best. I'm also priveleged to work with our good bishop and the ward council, and I can honestly say they love the people in our ward and do everything they can to strengthen and support them. I've learned a lot from them over the last 5 months or so, and look forward to continue working in this calling and bringing people into and back into church.

Well, this has gone on for longer than I'd anticipated. If you've read this all the way through, email me and I'll send you a consolation gift. :)