I Am Thankful For Dallin

     I have been asked many times why I would be crazy enough to have six children. People ask,"Why would you do that with all the work and expense that children are? Shouldn't half that many be plenty?" As a strong believer in God I can tell you that even when I was told not to have more children because of medical reasons, I felt strongly I was supposed to have each one of these children. I knew I could be a good mom and give my children 100%. I thought the reason I felt a push to have them all was maybe because each child was supposed to be here to make some great contribution to this world and to other people. That has proven to be true. Each one of my children has had a great impact on people's lives and the world is a better place because they are here. I didn't at the time realize that each one of my children needed to be a part of MY life to teach ME something, that I would be a better person because of things they taught ME. Dallin has taught me a lot in 18 years and I think he is just getting started. 

As you can tell, Dallin is well loved

     I wanted to start out with a few events in Dallin's life that stick out to me. When Dallin was 7 years old he fell at the playground and cut open the back of his head. The cut was deep and he bled all over his shirt. I took him to the doctor and his head was stapled shut with 5 staples. The next Monday at the end of the school day he started talking to one of his friends. Dallin told this boy that he had been shot in the back of the head 5 times. This boy didn't believe him. Dallin said, “Really! A man sneaked up behind me and shot me in the head with 5 staples”. This boy still didn't believe him so Dallin showed him his staples. When this boy saw the staples in Dallin's head he went running up the street yelling at all the other kids and at the parents in cars coming to pick up their children, “Dallin has been shot!”. I came to pick up my children from school and I wondered what all the commotion was about. This boy had caused everyone to panic. Dallin has a way of keeping life interesting. The next day this boy brought a staple remover and offered to help Dallin take out the staples. Dallin knows how to add a spark to things.

     Another event in his life that stands out was when Dallin was scheduled to go with the scouts on a weekend camping trip. He had packed up all of his camping gear and he was all set to go as soon as school let out on Friday. After school, he suddenly got very sick to his stomach and had diarrhea. He felt so bad that we had to tell his leaders he couldn't go. I felt bad for him being stuck at home feeling bad while his friends had fun being together. An hour after they left, Dallin felt fine again. He was healthy and happy and had a good weekend with his brothers and sisters. We felt bad about the timing of him feeling bad just for that hour he was supposed to leave on this trip. I even debated about whether to drive him up to where they were camping but I got a bad feeling about doing it, so I didn't. After the scouts and their leaders came back from their camping trip, they said that while they were out in the wilderness they all of a sudden had someone firing shots at them. Bullets zoomed past their heads and they couldn't tell where it was coming from but it seemed deliberate. The leaders said it was very scary and they felt very fortunate that none of the boys or them were hit. From what I remember I don't think the police ever found the person who shot at them. I have reflected on this many times and I have been thankful Dallin missed this trip. I believe in miracles because I have had so many miracles happen in my life and some that saved my life at critical times. I think there was a reason Dallin didn't make that trip. I think he was being watched over and protected. He could have easily been hit being big for his age.

Dallin on one of his other scout trips

     The things that have touched me about Dallin has been how he has reached out to befriend kids who didn't have friends. He has also stuck up for friends even when it has caused him misery. This past summer he tried to get permission for a friend of his to go on a big fun-filled church trip. This boy had had a very hard life and a bad home life and Dallin wanted to help make his life better. The answer came back no because it was too late to add him. Dallin felt so strongly about his friend needing him that he gave up this trip with all of its fun plans and stayed home and did things with his friend instead. I was very moved by how much passion he had to want his friend to have a better life. He also sticks strongly to his beliefs. One day coming home from middle school a boy told him he would give him 20 dollars if he would say a bad word. Dallin refused and the kids made fun of him, teased him and wouldn't be friends with him. He was very lonely for a while at school because he would not give in. If any of his friends used bad language in our house he would tell them they had to use good language or they would have to leave. I'm glad that he stood for what was right even if it risked him losing friends. He wanted to keep our home the happy peaceful place that it always had been. I hope to follow his example and be a better friend and not be afraid to stick up for my beliefs even when it is hard. 

Dallin has always been a good friend and our home has
been a place his friends liked to come to. 

     I also love the way Dallin can always make me laugh. There have been times when I have been in pain or having a bad day and he can always say and do the most random things that get me laughing pretty hard. He is incredibly fun to be with. He loves to grab and hug me too tight all the time and flash his heart warming smile. Being around him always lifts my spirits. 

These pictures he made on the computer show his sense of
humor and also how gifted he is on the computer.

Even as a child he wanted to take an active part in what every
one did. Here he is a detective investigating a murder.

Some claws he made out of paper.

My children make me laugh every day.

Instead of a snowman he made a snow toilet.

We had to really watch out every April Fool's Day.
We never knew what he was going to do to us. 

     I am also thankful for Dallin's compassion. I have had three surgeries in the last 10 years, one on my hand after I crushed a bone in my finger and two surgeries to reconstruct and add plates and screws to my neck. Sometimes I would be in so much pain I would just lie on the couch and cry. Dallin would sit by me and hold my hand or spend a long time rubbing my back where the pinched nerves would knot up my muscles. It would have been so much easier and more fun for him to be outside playing with his brothers and sisters or friends but he chose to sit by me and talk to me and rub my back and try to make me feel better. His love and compassion always helped me get through another day. I will always be thankful for what he did for me. This is one of my fondest memories. I am so thankful he has the gift of love and compassion.

Dallin and Haley made me some duct-tape roses that
took them a long time to make

Dallin was so loving and good to me through all this. It still
makes me cry to think about it. 

      Dallin came last, so while all the other kids were in school it was only him and I. Dallin wanted to go everywhere with me and do everything I did. We got really close and had some fun times together. I cried when he went off to kindergarten. I missed how much he made me laugh and having a fun buddy with me everywhere I went. I cried when he left for college. I miss his hugs, smile and him making me laugh every day. I am thankful for you Dallin. Thank you for all the things you taught me and those times you comforted me when life was hard. 

Being Indians in the backyard

After field day at school

I also loved being his scout leader for quite a few years

Dallin drew himself as Robin Hood. He is one of my heroes.