Fast Sunday

Because of Stake Conference, yesterday was Fast Sunday at our house. Normally, this isn't so bad, but for some reason we were just not with it yesterday. We go to church at 1:30--you would think we had plenty of time to get ready, right?
Well, I had gotten the little girls down for naps before church (this is a must if we are to make it through church), and went to start a casserole that could be on time bake and ready to eat when we got home. This is also a must for us to make it through Fast Sunday at our house. Anyway, I really wanted some rolls to eat with our dinner, and looked at the clock and decided I had just enough time... Well, before I knew it, when I looked at the clock, I realized we were not going to make it on time--casserole in progress, roll dough in the mixer, three older children in various stages of getting dressed, two little girls still sleeping, me, not dressed. And the really bad thing was that I was to leading the music in Sacrament Meeting. Luckily, Jon pitched in with the casserole (chicken cordon bleu casserole), I threw the roll dough in the fridge, and my kids all picked up the pace (I'm so glad that they know how to tell when Mom is serious about getting ready NOW!). Annie was especially helpful with the little girls and we made it to church with 5 minutes to spare. Jon dropped us off at the door and we hurried in to find a seat. Again, saved by Grandma Jeannie, who is soo helpful to Jon with five kids while I lead the music and I ran up to sit on the stand. I looked down at my little family spaced just right--the right ones sitting on either side of Grandma Jeannie and Grandpa Dale, and I sighed a sigh of relief. We had made it. Barely.
After the Sacrament, I walked down to sit with my family to listen to the testimonies. As I scanned down the bench, checking each of my kids, as all mother's do, I got a little surprise. Somehow my boys had escaped inspection as we ran out the door...or they snuck out, I'm not sure which. In the front shirt pockets, of their recently ironed white shirts, they had loaded (and I mean loaded) every pen from the drawer, into their pockets to draw with. I took a deep breath, had myself a little giggle, and decided it wasn't worth a fight on this Fast Sunday. Now, just in case you are wondering why that is a problem, see the below photo...and you will know just how many pens I am talking about...

Just in case you were wondering, there is 23 pens there. Just take a minute and imagine what 12 pens stuffed into the front pocket of a 7 or 8 year-old-shirt pocket might look like. I don't know how they managed to make them stay in. After church, our Bishop's wife, who was sitting in front of us, commented that perhaps pocket protectors might be a good gift in their stockings for Christmas!