When You Don't Get the Answer...?

A mishap in a post left me thinking.  Hey, I could simply ask a question and allow you, my readers, to talk instead of me.

I am teaching a lesson on answers to prayers. Of course, I could search lds.org for "prayer" and get some wonderful quotes/resources, and I have.  However, I would love some personal experiences, or wisdom you have gained through your experiences and life.  I want your input if you are willing comment in.  (I don't shun anonymous comments, so chime in PLEASE!)

Here is my question. When you pray for an answer to a question, and you don't get an answer--no bad feeling, no good feeling--what do you think that means?  And, what do you do about your unanswered question?

Say it With Reverence...Lake Powell

I am not sure how it happened that Lake Powell became the all time favorite place for my kids.  They have been a few places in Europe, around a substantial part of the US, and yet Powell is the place they want to go if they get to choose.

I didn't realize how much my kids loved Lake Powell until the year Jocelyn was in Florida, doing her internship with Disney World, and she couldn't get the time off to get to Lake Powell.  She called, texted and skyped for the week leading up to it.  Then asked us to PLEASE not post pictures or talk about it afterwards because she knew she would feel sad for having missed it. When we got back from Powell, she couldn't stand it anymore and asked us to tell her all about it.

Tiffany made a "flat Jocelyn" to take on the tubes, bubble jumping, and cliff diving, so Jocelyn would be represented.  This year we had 3 cousins who couldn't attend, so "flat Brandon" and "flat Joanna" were also created.  Here "flat Jocelyn, flat Brandon and flat Joanna are about to do some bubble jumping with Marissa, Lucy and Rebekah.  They have their "life-jackets" (plastic bags) on too.

Since missing the year, Powell is a hot topic at our house.   Lake Powell is one of the first things we schedule around.  Jocleyn wanted

Which One of These Is Not Like the Other?

You know those ridiculous warnings on the back of bottles.  The ones that cause you to remark "who on earth would rub this in their hair", or "Use it on their lips? That's CRAZY!"  Well, I am sad to say one of these warnings was written for me.

I aquired some Latise--the ointment that you put on your eyelid to help your eyelashes grow.  I haven't been using it very regularly, but on Sunday I decided to officially add it to my bedtime routine.

I washed my face, then picked up the little bottle and ran a line of liquid down the edge of my lash line on my right eye.  My first clue something was amiss was a stinging pain in my eye, closely followed by a strong odor.  My mind quickly connected the dots, I had just run line of SUPER GLUE down my lashes.  Ahhhhhh!!!!!

I quickly wiped my eyelid with my finger, trying to keep more glue from going into my eye.  The glue stuck to my finger, and I had to get my finger off my lashes.  Next I tried to open my eye.  Unfortunately the eye would only open a third of the way.  The other two-thirds was now glued shut!  Bottom eyelashes sealed to top eyelashes.

Shoot!  How did this happen?  What was I going to do?  "Shawn!  Can you help me?" I called out.  Marissa says "Her voice sounds strange." and continued watching TV.  Shawn kindly listened to my explaination and distress.  Then he got on the internet to try and figure out something we could do.  I read the warnings on the back of the bottle.  "If in eye--flush with water for 15 minutes"--great idea.  IF YOU CAN OPEN YOUR EYE!

I "flushed my eye with water, as best as I could.  Then per Shawn's internet research, I tried putting acetone nail polish remover on a q-tip and wiping at the glue on my lashes.  Didn't seem to have too much of an effect, other than irritating both eyes with the fumes from the remover.

Shawn read online that I could cover my entire eye with Neosporine and put gauze over it to "lock in the moisture" and by morning the glue would have softened.  DID NOT work at all!  After review by our clinical trial , we can attest that super glue wears off in a day or two because of the oils and moisture on your skin, is removed with acetone, or is worn off my rubbing. THAT'S IT!

By Monday morning my eye was, not only still glued shut, but also was sore and red.  I worked to get the eye open, pulling it a little, but in doing so pulled out 1/3 of the bottom lashes. Unfortunately this left the "glue hardened" bottom lashes attached to the top lashes.  The stiff bottom lashes were now rubbing on my eyeball.  With Shawn's help, I took scissors and with one eye open managed to trim off the bottom lashes that hung from the glue hardened top lashes. However, this left a big wad of glue attached to my top lashes that rubbed and made my eye sore.

Eye Day 2

Day two of "glued eye"dawned a surrendered Jennifer.  I was tired of having people ask me what happened to my eye--yes I am obviously this stupid--and I REALLY didn't want to explain it, AGAIN.

If I had to loose my lashes...so be it.  It was not worth scratching my eye, getting an infection, or explaining it to disbelieving people.

I took a pair of pliers and clamped down on the lashes---crushing the glue blobs that were on my top lashes.  This broke up the glue and allowed me to pull chunks of glue out and some lashes along the way.

Unfortunately this has left me with about half, or two-thirds, of my eyelashes on this eye.  Hummm...now what could I do about that?  Perhaps there is some kind of ointment that would help me regrow eye lashes??

College Advice--from Gavin

As part of Marissa's College Road Trip, we took a tour at Utah State University this past weekend.  A really cute junior, that was part of the school ambassador program, gave us our campus tour.  Rylee introduced herself and pointed us in the direction we would be walking.  Gavin loudly added that his name was Gavin, and then proceeded to introduce each of our family by name and relation as we walked.  "This is my dad, his name is Shawn Farris, my mom, her name is Jennifer, and this is my sister Marissa.  She is going to college next year.  This is Tiffany, she is my sister too.  My sister Jocelyn already goes to college at BYU--Go Cougars!" (We taught him to say "go cougars" every time someone says BYU.  It is usually pretty funny to see people's reactions when he yells it.  However, while at another university--with other perspective students--not so funny.)  Rylee smiled at Gavin, welcomed us and continued her recitation of the building and school amenities.  

As we went into the hallway, Rylee turned and began walking backwards, stating that she would walk this way so everyone could hear more easily as we toured.  Gavin saw her and went to the front and began walking backwards right next to her.  As she would ask a question to the group, "Have you all been here before?" Gavin would answer--just as loudly. "No I haven't.  But my sister Marissa is maybe going to go to college here so we are looking to see what we think."  Rylee thought he was adorable and loved asking follow-up questions.   "This is an area where students can eat as well as study." Rylee told the group.  Gavin  added "And there are some students eating in there."  I thought that perhaps others who traveled all the way to this college, possibly weren't so enamored having "The Gavin Show", in place of the tour.  I pulled him to the back of the crowd and distracted him with the snow.

As we entered a building, Rylee pointed the group towards the stairs.  Gavin somehow managed to get next to Rylee.  "How old are you Gavin?" she asked.  "I am seven" he answered.  "How old are you?"  Rylee matter-a-factly answered "Twenty."  Gavin commented.  "My sister Jocelyn is twenty.  But she is taller than you.  You should eat your vegetables so you could grow as tall as her."  Rylee laughed and agreed to eat more.

A Lesson at McDonald's

It seems to me that my parents were consistently encouraging us to reach a little beyond our comfort level as kids.  While this philosophy may not beneficial with all personalities, for me it encouraged, strengthened and stretched me to understand I was capable of more than I thought I was.  One such occasion sticks out in my mind, not because it was a perfect scenario, but because it wasn't, and we handled it just fine.

Becky and I were sent into McDonald's to place the order for our family dinner.  As I remember it, this was an exercise in independence, one that I relished, because I liked knowing I could do things.  It was not uncommon in our family for the kids to complete an errand that mom or dad could have more easily completed themselves.  As a parent now, it is easy to see that they were allowing us individual experiences to help us gain experience and confidence.  (Reminds me of teaching my girls how to clean a mirror.  Would it be easier and faster to do it myself?  YES!! But if I never gave them the opportunity to do it themselves, they would never learn how.)

Becky and I went into McDonald's and stood in line.  Both she and I were blond-haired girls with mostly straight hair somewhere between the ages of 10 and 6--I don't remember exactly.  We had a list of what we needed to order and I remember being very serious about what I was going to say when it was our turn.

When we were next in line to order, and I was rehursing our order in my mind.  Suddenly felt a yank backwards on my hair. Someone had grabbed a hold of my hair--in a pony tail fashion--and was pulling on it. I tried to look back, but whomever was holding my hair had too close a grip on it, my balance was thrown off, and I could not twist and look.  I could see Becky's face, it was white and scared.