Recognize that the joy of motherhood comes in moments. 
There will be hard times and frustrating times.  But amid the challenges, there are shining moments of joy and satisfaction.
M. Russell Ballard

June 29, 2010          Cowboy

Brennen found these cowboy boots about a month ago.  They were from a Halloween costume.  He immediately put them and has rarely taken them off since.  He wears them outside to play, to church, out to eat, to bed, to the swimming pool, to the store, to the kid's tennis practice, on vacation, etc...

June 01, 2010          What a Beautiful World

As the boys were outside playing today, I laid on a blanket and enjoyed our beautiful backyard.  When the boys came over to join me, we talked about the beautiful world Heavenly Father and Jesus have given us.  We went for a walk to find other beautiful things in every color.  Preston found these white flowers.  I enjoyed his brown dirty hand even more!  We also enjoyed the blue sky, green grass, and purple flowers.

June 01, 2010          Shadows

Preston is enthralled by his shadows.  Every time we go outside he checks to see if he is a giant or a baby.  Today he was a baby.

June 01, 2010          Read the Directions

This is Ella's last week of school.  She sat down to do her homework tonight and then I checked it over.  At first glance the worksheet looked like every worksheet she has done all year.  After closer examination I noticed the directions were different.  I asked Ella if she had read them.  Of course she hadn't because it was the same worksheet she has done all year.  So she passed over the directions and finished the worksheet.  I told her that we can relate this to our own lives.  Each day may look the same to us-get up, go to school, learn, lunch, play, bedtime etc.  Just because things appear to be the same, we may miss something really important if we fail to pray and ask for directions for that day. 

April 14, 2010       This is the Life!

Phil and I went to Miami for an AXA Conference.  The kids stayed home with my parents.  It was so nice to get away for a few days.  We stayed at the Fontaine Bleau Resort.  We enjoyed the pool, the ocean, and the food!  We also went on an intracoastal dinner yacht tour while there.  We saw lots of celebrity homes and had a great time. 

April 27, 2010       My Handyman

If you know Phil, you know he's no handyman!  He avoids fixing things at all costs.  He doesn't enjoy it and it causes him stress!  But, when the cabin filter on my van needed to be changed and Phil found out the cost to have it done, he put his fears aside and changed it himself.  At the same time, the bulb on our TV went out too.  Again, to save a few hundred dollars, he figured it out himself.  I am very proud of him.

April 26, 2010       The Sweetest Sight

This afternoon was a little crazy.  The kids were running around while I was trying to make dinner and I was stressed.  Then, I noticed that I didn't hear them.  I went into the family room and this is what I saw.  Isn't it the sweetest sight a mother could see?

April 15, 2010       Preston the Builder

Preston wants to be a builder when he grows up (no, he did not get this from his dad).  He talks about it all the time.  One day, we had a huge discussion about how he could be a builder and an astronaut (another of his dreams).  He was afraid he couldn't be both.  I assured him that he could in fact do both if he really wanted to.  Once that was figured out he worried the rest of the day what he would do with his million tools that he is going to have when he grows up.  He knew he wouldn't be able to get a toolbox big enough to carry them all and yet he would need them all to fix things.  I told him he could have a huge garage to keep them in and carry a toolbox with just the tools he would need to build his projects.  That satisfied him so he went to his Grandpa Jeff and got his own toolbox and tools to get him started.

March 21, 2010       A New Calling

I was called to be the Relief Society President for our branch at church.  I am scared to death to take on this much responsibility for the sisters that I will serve.  I was given a huge stack of paperwork to go through and this is what I narrowed it down to.  I still have a lot to read and a lot to learn!  I knew for some time that this calling was coming.  The Lord gives us what we need and I needed time to prepare!  I pray that with His help I will be able to serve in the way He would want me to.

March 09, 2010       The Start of an EGG-citing Day!

Brennen came into my bathroom while I was getting ready this morning.  He had his hand outstretched and yellow goo was oozing down his fingers.  He said, "Mom, eggs messy."

March 06, 2010        "More Apple Juice"

Most days I can't find a sippy cup to save my life.  The problem today was that I almost broke my neck when I tripped on all three of them at once!

February 28, 2010        Happy Birthday!

We celebrate Ella and Brennen's birthdays together.  They were testing out the party favors before the party got started!

February 22, 2010        Laundry

Have you ever washed a diaper or a pullup?  This is what you end up with...
Little gel blobs all over your clothes and the washer!
It's great.

February 17, 2010        A Breakfast Memory

Growing up, my Mom and her mom Grandma Nicholas made us a "pig in a poke" for breakfast.  I loved them and my kids do too even though I am not very good at making them.  Luckily their Grandma Debbie makes them for them.

February 16, 2010      Can I Give You a Hand?

Ella lost another tooth today.  She has a special little pillow she puts her teeth in when leaving them for the tooth fairy.  She couldn't find it so she had to find a substitute.  When Phil tucked her in he saw Mr. Potato Head's hand holding her tooth for her!

February 10, 2010        Science Experiment

Ella had a snow day today so we spent the morning doing "science experiments."  We mixed baking soda, vinegar, and food coloring.  The kids loved it!

February 9, 2010        Snowballs!

Brennen wanted to go outside and play in the snow.  I didn't think he would like the cold but he loved it!  He had a great time throwing snowballs at Phil.

February 5, 2010        Artist

Ella was writing and illustrating a story tonight.  This is one of her favorite things to do.  She will take plain pieces of white paper and staple them into a book.  She fills the pages with wonderful stories and beautiful illustrations.

February 3, 2010        Guess Who?

All day long Brennen played with "Papaw" and "Daddy."  Can you guess who is who?  Perhaps it's because my dad is in the military (GI Joe) or because Phil always dresses up and shows his big muscles (Ken doll)?

February 2, 2010        What a Mess

Brennen got into the cabinet while I was making dinner!

February 2, 2010        Surprise

I randomly find surprises around the house.  I don't know how they get there but they make me smile.  I started taking photos of them so I can  remember.

1.  Tons of cans from my food storage shelf in the play tunnel.
2.  My high school church camp manual in my casserole dish tote.
3.  Books under my office rug.
4.  A bouncy ball in my dish drainer in the sink.
5.  A GI Joe hanging for dear life from the basketball hoop.
6.  A stocking in the dirty clothes basket.  (I found this here 3 days in a row!)
7.  A mostly eaten cucumber on my nightstand.
8.  A monkey in my Vera Bradley bag.
9.  An eyeball on my closet floor.
10.  A snake on my bookshelf.
11.  A can of corn under my couch.
12.  Chap stick in the refrigerator.
13.  A pencil in my heating vent.
14.  A snake in the dirty sheets.
15.  A washrag hanging from my family room wreath.
16.  A cow on Phil's shoe shelf.
17.  Dried lentils on the upstairs landing.
18.  Black fingerprints on the crib rail.

January 29, 2010        What's Cooking?

I found this pot today when I got home from work.  It looks like someone was cooking up some LOVE!

January 25, 2010        Mr. Potato Head

Brennen and Preston spent the day playing Mr. Potato Head.  Every time Brennen arranged his pieces he said, "MOM" at the top of his lungs until I looked at it.

January 23, 2010        Oopps!

I accidentally bought Preston "girl" pullups.  I hoped he wouldn't notice (and Ella wouldn't tell him).  When he woke up this morning he told me, "I put my pull up on last night and it looked strange like a girl pullup."  All I said was, "Well that's weird."  Luckily he never figured out it really was a bag of girl pullups!

January 18, 2010        Snow Day

Ella didn't have school today so we made snowmen.

January 8, 2010        Pantry

Brennen is in the pantry cabinet.  All three kids enjoy playing in it.  They play house or store or just rearrange everything for me!

January 6, 2010        Story Time

Preston loves when Phil tells him stories.  He listens so intently and gets involved in the story.  I love watching his facial expressions as he listens.  If Phil isn't home to tell the bedtime story then I have to.  Each and every time, Preston informs me that, "Daddy tells better stories than you do!"

September 5, 2009    All In A Row

Today is Saturday and I worked all day.  Phil was home with the kids.  When I came home, I walked into my bedroom and found eleven pairs of my shoes all lined up in a row.  They were shiny clean and looked brand new.  Ella saw her dad shining his shoes a few weeks ago and thought it would be nice to shine my shoes for me.  Phil told her they could shine my shoes the next Saturday that I worked.  She remembered that today and when they put Brennen down for his nap, Phil, Preston, and Ella spent two hours shining my shoes! 

I have the best family ever.

August 29, 2009    Read to Me

Ella is such a good reader.  She enjoys reading.  Brennen is starting to really enjoy being read to.  I walked into the family room today to this sweet little scene.  Ella and Brennen were sitting on the couch together while Ella read him a book.  It made me happy that she would share her talent with her baby brother.

August 27, 2009    Walking In Someone Else's Shoes.

Brennen is at the stage where he loves wearing other people's shoes.  He gets so frustrated if he can't get them on himself.  When he does succeed and gets the shoes on, he is so proud of himself and stomps around in them for an hour.  Today, I heard a "clomp" on the kitchen floor and looked over at Brennen.  He had on one of Ella's church shoes and it made me laugh.

August 25, 2009    Flowers!

Phil took Preston and Brennen for a hike today while I had a photo shoot.  It was a nice day and I was happy they were going outside for a while.  When they came home Preston handed me this bouquet he picked along the way.  Phil said they really had to search for flowers in the woods since it's the end of the season and they are starting to die. 

I'm grateful they thought of me!

June 17, 2009        All Grown up

Ella has been such a big help to me this summer.  She has helped with the housework by vacuuming, mopping, picking up, putting silverware away, folding towels, etc.  Today as I was watching her I teared up a little.  She asked my why I was crying and I told her I was sad she was growing up but very happy to have her help me so much.  I told her that being a mom is hard work and it is wonderful to have her help me around the house.  She said, "Mom, no more tears okay."           

June 6, 2009        Baby Genius

Yes, Brennen is a genius.  He is only 15 months old and has his own laptop.  He uses it to surf the web for potty training tips and to organize his collection of "The Wheels on the Bus" and other fun mp3s. 

Okay, so maybe he's not quite that smart yet, but he does love to climb on the table and slam the keys on Ella and Preston's computer.   

June 2, 2009        Swimming

My parents have a swimming pool and we enjoy it all summer long.  I take the kids there to swim two or three times a week.  Occasionally Phil is home from work and is able to go swimming with us.  The kids love it!  This year Ella learned to swim in the deep end and Preston enjoys jumping in with his arm floaties on.  Brennen loves to run around the pool and make me a nervous wreck!  I am glad we are able to spend so much time together by the pool.  I hope my parents never move!

May 30, 2009        Alligator Soup

The other day I made split pea soup.  All my kids have loved this soup in the past but lately if you mention anything green (like peas), they think they don't like it.  So, when Preston asked what was for dinner, I quickly responded, "alligator soup."  He was intrigued.  He started eating and asked, "What are the carrots?"  Then he asked about the potatoes and ham.  I told him they were things like alligator tail or toes etc.  He thought my alligator soup was wonderful and ate two bowls full.  I was so glad it worked. 

Another great thing that works for him is reverse psychology.  All you have to do is say something like, "I bet you can't do that" and he is all over it!  I dread the day when these kind of things stop working on him!

May 26, 2009        Up All Night

Last night at 3:00 in the morning, Preston came into our bedroom.  Phil took him back up to bed and tucked him in again.  Then, a few minutes later, Ella was in our room.  I told her to get back in bed.  Then, a little later, I hear a terrible clashing noise that kept going and going.  I finally got out of bed to see what the noise was and Preston and Ella were sitting in the family room playing with the blocks together.  Remember, it's 3:00AM!!!  I told them to get in bed and back to bed I went.  Why on earth they both woke up at three in the morning and why they decided to play nicely together (normally they would be fighting over the blocks), I have no idea!  In the morning I asked Preston if they went back to bed and he said, "Yes, but first we played with Ella's angels in her room, and then she read me stories, and then we slept in Ella's bed."  Then he showed me the block castle they made.  We were all tired the next day but I thought it was cute how well they played together.  If only they could do that during daylight hours!

May 15, 2009        Time Out!

This weekend I attended Time Out For Women with my mom, sister Mallory, sister Miranda, and sister-in-law Bekah.  It was wonderful!  The guys stayed home with the kids (thank you!) and we spent the night away.  I had so much fun.  One of the highlights of the weekend was when we went to a small cafe to eat lunch before the program started.  When we walked in we saw three presenters, Kim Nelson, Kris Belcher, Emily Watts, and the musical presenter Hilary Weeks at the table next to us!  We were so excited and I finally asked for a photo.  They were so kind to us.  The rest of the weekend just got better from there.  We laughed, we cried, we talked.  I am thankful for this weekend away with the girls in my family and look forward to doing it again next year! 

The theme for Time Out was "Sweet Assurance."  The presenters spent the two days getting us to think about things that we know for sure.  They told us to write them down and try to add to our list.  I don't know a lot but I do know a few things for sure.

I know that my Heavenly Father loves me and takes care of my needs.
I know that my parents, husband, and children love me too.
I know that the spirit of God is real.  I have felt it too many times in my life to deny it.

When you get a second, take some time out and write down some things you know for sure!

May 12, 2009        This Little Piggy

Brennen is now 14 months old.  His new word is "Mah," or more if you need an interpreter.  Anytime he wants more to eat he says, "Mah, mah" over and over.  Today I was holding him and did "This Little Piggy" on his cute little toes.  When I finished he said, "Mah, mah, mah!"  I think we did "This Little Piggy" at least fifteen times before he had enough!

April 6, 2009            It's A Bird, It's A Plane

It's Super Preston!  For several months Preston has reminded me that he wants to be superman for Halloween this year.  I decided to go ahead and make him a cape so he can play superman whenever he wants.  I made a superman cape on one side and a CTR (choose the right) cape on the other.  He loved it and spent the whole evening flying off the couch.

March 30, 2009        A Getaway!

Sometimes the best part about being a parent is getting away from the kids for a few days!  Phil took me to West Baden Springs Hotel this past weekend.  We had a wonderful time.  We spent a few days talking, shopping, eating, hiking, going on a carriage ride, laying by the pool and getting massages.  We also had a good time learning about the history of the hotel.  The trees and flowers were all starting to bloom and Phil spent an afternoon following me around as I photographed all the blossoms.  We had a great time!

March 23, 2009        I Hope I Never Forget

My baby boy just turned one.  I hope I never forget the past year.

I hope I never forget his newborn grunts, how warm and snuggly he was on my chest, how his little lips didn't quite match up when they closed, his chubby little legs.

I hope I never forget his round little head, the way he would look up at me when I talked to him, his belly laughs, how he straightened his legs and screamed when he was excited.

I hope I never forget how he grabbed my face and kissed me, his toothless funny smile, his curious looks on his face.

I hope I never forget how cute he was when he crawled really fast with determination to get something, how cute he looked when he started to walk, how he would frequently quit playing to walk over to me and lay his head on me, how cute his smile was with his two little teeth.

March 18, 2009        Toot Toot!

The highlight of my day today was Preston saying, "Mom, sometimes when I hop on one foot I toot!"

March 17, 2009        The Best Place on Earth

Ella was snuggling up to me the other day.  She rarely does this anymore and I enjoyed holding her in my arms.  I told Ella that the very best place in the whole world to be is in your mommy's arms.  She said she knew of an even better place. 

Then she said, "Mom, when are we going to Disneyland?"

March 13, 2009        Lollipop!

Whenever Brennen sees anyone with food he races to them and grunts until you give him a bite.  Preston had a sucker the other day and Brennen wanted one too.  I gave him his own sucker and he LOVED it!

March 04, 2009        Jesus Wants Me For a Sunbeam

Preston entered primary at church this year.  Phil thought it was time for a white shirt and tie.  The first Sunday he put them on (the above photo) he was so excited to be dressed like daddy and be able to go to Sunbeam class.  Every week he wears his shirt and tie and it makes me smile.

March 04, 2009        The Case of the Missing Socks

Poor Brennen has had cold feet all winter long!  I just can't figure it out.  I put socks on his feet and then they disappear.  This happens over and over and over again.  I randomly find them under couches, in drawers or baskets, or like today, in the closet where the vacuum goes!  There are still several pairs I haven't found yet.  Whenever I ask the kids where Brennen's socks are, Preston lets out a little giggle! 

March 03, 2009        Four in Four

We have been in the emergency room four times in the last four months!  The first three were for Preston.

1.  Fell down the stairs and fractured his elbow.  He had to wear a splint for a few weeks but luckily did not need a cast.
2.  Ran right into the corner of a desk and cut open his temple.  They used liquid stitches to hold it together.
3.  Last Thursday night he fell off a kitchen chair and hit another chair with his chin.  His cut was deeper this time and they gave him five stitches.

4.  Well, if that wasn't bad enough, Monday night Phil was using a pair of scissors and snipped his pinky finger!  Back to the ER we went and sure enough he needed four stitches. 

Any more ER visits and I'm afraid they are going to start questioning us! 

February 22, 2009        Milestones

Ella told me this morning that her tooth was loose.  She was so excited!  She would not leave it alone all day.  Every five minutes she showed it to me.  The looser it got and the more it bled, the more disgusted I got!  I realized that Phil is going to have to be the one who deals with loose teeth.  I just can not handle it.  She caught on to my disgust and started showing it to me even more!  Finally, she pulled her own tooth.  She called everyone she knew to tell them about it.  She also informed me that the tooth fairy brings $5 for each lost tooth.  I told her that was a lot of money and maybe the tooth fairy would bring $5 for her first lost tooth because it is such a special milestone for a kid, but she probably only brings $1 for each additional tooth.  She thought that sounded fine. 

February 15, 2009        Bathtub Reflections

Brennen was just cooing away in the bathtub this morning.  I looked at him and he was staring at his reflection in the drain handle.  It was so cute.  He had a whole conversation with himself.

February 9, 2009        A New Way to Snap Green Beans

I asked Ella and Preston to snap the ends off the green beans we were having for dinner last night.  While they were working on that, I busied myself with the rest of dinner.  I eventually turned around to see how the green beans were going.  I saw Preston pick up a green bean and snap the ends off by biting and eating the middle of the green bean.  Ella had a nice pile of snapped green beans and Preston had a pile of green bean ends with no middles! 

February 4, 2009        Bedtime!

Ella:  Dad you better not go play basketball at the church tonight!

Phil:  Okay Ella I won't (wink, wink).  Go to bed!

{Ella is tucked in bed and lights are turned out}

{Phil leaves to go play basketball}

Ella:  DAAAAAD! (screaming from her room)

{Mindy stomping up the stairs to yell at Ella}

Mindy:  What do you want Ella!

{Ella is hiding under her covers}

Ella:  I want dad.

Mindy:  He's in the bathroom (hoping Ella doesn't realize he's left to go play basketball).

{Ella pops out from under her covers with marker all over her face}

Ella:  But I wanted to scare daddy.

Mindy:  What have you done?  You just had a bath!  What is all over your face?

Ella:  It's marker and I wanted to scare daddy with it.

Mindy:  That is not funny!

Ella:  Then why are you laughing?

October 15, 2008        Story Time

Ella is quickly learning to read in Kindergarten.  She has always loved books.  Right now she enjoys reading chapter books.  We'll read a couple chapters each night before bed.  She likes the Junie B. Jones series of books.  They are about a sassy little girl who has lots to say about everything.  Some of the things she does and says in the books are pretty funny.  Ella and I laugh together as we read.  I really enjoy that she understands humor now.  We have a good time laughing together because she understands that it is funny.  We are all the time laughing at Preston too because he will say or do something off the wall and she understands that it is funny.  I used to laugh at her and all the funny things she did.  I enjoyed that, but now I enjoy laughing with her.

October 10, 2008         Dinner Time

Dinner time is always very hectic in our household.  Starting around 4:00 things go crazy!  Preston is ready for Phil and Ella to come home, Brennen is STARVING, Ella is coming home from school, I'm trying to get dinner started etc.  You get the idea.  I find myself telling Preston to be quiet while pulling Brennen off my pant leg as I'm trying to walk around the kitchen making dinner and watching for Ella to get off the bus.  Ella has helped me out a few times by feeding Brennen his dinner while I fix everyone else's.  It keeps Brennen quiet and off my pant leg and gives Ella something to do when she comes in from school.  I think she gets more food on his face and in his lap than she does in his mouth; but, two of the three kids are quiet for a short amount of time while I cook.  You can't beat that!

October 6, 2008            Nap Time

This is the sweet face I see every day when Brennen wakes up from his nap.  What else can I say other than it's great to be a mom!  Notice how he only has one sock on.  He always loses one of his socks.  I have several socks with no matches!

September 30, 2008    Sucker Bouquet

If you look back to a June post you will see where Ella handed me a beautiful bouquet of flowers she picked from our walk.  Preston recently presented me with a bouquet of suckers.  At first I thought it was really cute because his Grandma Debbie told him he could have a sucker and instead he took a handful.  I had to think for a moment which bouquet I liked better-Ella's flowers or Preston's suckers.  I reached out for Preston's sucker bouquet and he grabbed them back away from me unwilling to share.  So, I guess I like the flowers better because Ella shares them with me!

September 23, 2008    Grandma's Hands

I love my Grandma's hands.  I have loved them for as long as I can remember.  As A child I would run my finger along her long, bumpy, blue veins.  I would trace them along their paths and wonder if my hands would someday look like hers.  As I stare at this photo I think of all the things she had done for me with her hands.

--She bathed me many times as a child.  Whenever I smell Ivory soap or vinegar I think of her bathtub.  (I'm still not sure why she put vinegar in our bath water!)
--She scratched my back as I laid in her lap.  (This one was my favorite)
--She drew us tons of silly cartoons.  She is a great artist but loved to draw funny cartoons for us.  There was never a tv guide in her house that didn't have mustaches and blacked out teeth drawn on all the celebrity's faces.  When the disgusting "Garbage Pail Kids" cards were popular, she drew us her own version.  (I wish I still had copies of them!)
--She played the "Boogie Woogie" and other fun songs on the piano.  She plays by ear and played any song we wanted.
--She baked cookies with us.  The fun part about this one is that she let us make up our own recipes-even if they included applesauce and ritz crackers and cheddar cheese and candy pieces!

I could go on all day, but the most important thing she did for me with her hands was take care of my Grandpa.  She set the most wonderful example for me as to what a marriage is all about.  It is about serving and loving each other.  My Grandpa was not in the best of health, especially during his last few years.  My favorite memory is watching her put his socks and shoes on him because he couldn't do it himself.

I love all my grandparents but I have a special place in my heart for my Grandma's hands. 

August 21, 2008     A Day of Firsts.

Ella's first day of kindergarten.
I can't believe she's old enough for school!  It's exciting to see her grow and start new things but it's also a little sad because it's going by so fast.  When Ella got on the school bus this morning Preston started crying because he didn't want her to go.  It was very cute.  She had a great day.  Some of her highlights of the day included: sitting by our neighbor on the school bus and playing with her at recess, eating mini corndogs for lunch, going to different stations in her classroom and completing activities, and slipping and sliding in gym class.

Preston's first black eye.
I can't believe this is Preston's first real injury with as rough and clumsy as he is.  If there's a wall nearby-he walks into it.  If there's a counter ledge that sticks out-he bumps his head on it.  If he runs-he falls.  You get the picture.  Today he fell at grandma's house and got his first black eye.  I saw him a few hours after he fell and he acted like it was no big deal.

July 22, 2008    Thirty!

This is what thirty looks like!

Phil brought home dinner and a cake for my birthday.  He insisted on putting all thirty candles on the cake! 

Here's a list of thirty things I love: 

 My family
My home (especially when it's clean)
Spending time with Phil
My education
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
Snow days when you can't leave your house
Organizing
Being creative
When my kids tell me thank you
My craft area
My laptop
When I try a new recipe and it tastes really good
Backrubs
Being barefoot
Reading
Laying by the pool on very hot days
Being able to stay home with my kids six days a week
Being able to get out and work one day a week
When I have an empty calendar and am able to stay home all week
When all the kids are in bed for the night
When the kids sleep in until 7:00am (very rare but nice)
Cooking
Vegetables
Wearing comfy clothes
Daisies
Listening to books on tape or the Ensign on my mp3 player
My minivan
My backyard
Eating Sunday dinner at my parent's house
My life!
 

July 8, 2008        I Want S’MORE Fun Family Time!

Over The Fourth of July weekend my brother and his family came to visit.  We always have a great time seeing him, his wife Bekah, and two adorable sons Nick and Chase.  Sunday evening when they were here, my whole family came over to our house.  My parents and two sisters were also there.  Phil’s Dad Craig showed up as well.  We built a fire and had our own “fireside.”  We sang a hymn and then all drew questions from our family journal jar.  Last year I created a family journal jar with tons of questions inside.  The questions cover a wide array of topics such as childhood memories, goals, and favorite things.

Whenever we get together as a family, we answer questions from the journal jar.  It has been a lot of fun learning about each other and sharing so much.  We have enjoyed learning about my dad’s favorite childhood toy, my mom’s biggest bargain, Phil’s most frustrating experience with his car (which happened to be when he purposely got his car stuck in my parents driveway during a snow storm when we were dating and he had to spend the night—he totally embellished the story!), my thoughts on what I believe the key to a successful marriage is, my Brother Brad’s future goals, my sister in law Bekah’s most important friends, My sister Mallory’s views on each family member, and my sister Miranda’s weirdest dream.

After our “fireside” we roasted hot dogs, marshmallows, and made s’mores.  We had a great time and I am so thankful for my wonderful family.

June 22, 2008    Make a Wish...

I let Ella and Preston have the wishbone from the chicken I cooked.  We had fun as they each made a wish and pulled for dear life.  Preston won and Ella threw a fit because, "Preston always gets what he wants!"  Ahhhh the fun only lasted a moment but I'll take what I can get.

I wish for some peace and quiet.
I wish for an uninterrupted nights sleep.
I wish for a ten pound weight loss without dieting.
I wish for all my laundry to be washed, folded, and put away.

June 17, 2008    Anniversary, Kids and Golf

Phil and I celebrated our 8^th anniversary this year.  With three kids including a nursing baby, busy grandparents, and my two sisters going to college, it’s getting hard to find a babysitter!  So, for our anniversary we took the kids with us to dinner.  We went to Snow Hill Country Club and had a great meal.  The kids were actually very well behaved!  After we ate, we went out and let the kids practice on the putting green and the driving range.  They both love playing golf.  It is a wonderful thing to see my husband share such a passion of his with our children.  So, even though we had the kids with us on our anniversary, it was a great time.

June 10, 2008    What I am Grateful for Today...

-Ella picking me wild flowers from the side of the road today (and not from our neighbors flower beds!)
-My wonderful husband Phil who works hard to support our family
-Preston telling me "Not today mommy," when I asked him to take a nap (I would much rather him take a nap but it was so cute!)
-Brennen's laughter when I kiss his neck
-The beautiful summer weather
-My clean house
-The gospel of Jesus Christ
-My mom and sisters who baby sit for me whenever I need it
-Spending time tonight with the women at church learning to bake bread at a Home, Family, and Personal Enrichment Meeting
-My love of organizing, cooking, and photography
-Being able to take my kids to the library and their love for books

 

June 9, 2008     Landscaping

When we moved into our house almost five years ago there were flowers planted everywhere.  By the next year, (under our care) weeds were everywhere!  Last year we had all the flowers and bushes and weeds taken out and we started over with clean flower beds.  We replaced all the perennial flowers with small bushes and annuals.  This year the upkeep was much easier.  Phil spent all day Friday in the ninety degree weather mulching our landscaping.  He also planted petunias in our front flower bed.  He finally came in after dark with the job unfinished.  I got up the next morning (while he was golfing!) and finished up.  It looks nice.  I love the look of freshly mulched landscaping (void of any weeds). 

June 4, 2008     Bloopers!

I have really enjoyed learning more about photography.  I enjoy showing off photos I've taken of my children.  It started with Ella.  I would spend hours sticking her in buckets, baskets, and bows to take her picture.  What an enjoyment.  Then we added Preston.  I found out that taking pictures of two children was a little more difficult, but I always got at least one perfect photo at the end of each session.  Now, we've added Brennen and I've discovered that taking pictures of three is impossible!  Phil helped me get them all dressed and into my studio space and away we went.  Brennen cried, Preston threw a fit, Ella made faces.  At the end of this session all I had was what looked like a blooper roll!  Taking photos of my children isn't quite as enjoyable as it used to be, but I still love it!

May 17, 2008     A Boy and His Cars

Preston is all boy!  He loves to play with his toy cars.  He takes them everywhere with him-to dinner, bed, church etc.  He will sit and play with them all day long.  He names them and knows when one of his many cars is missing.  Although I am constantly stepping on cars and picking them up several times a day, I am grateful for the happiness they bring him!

May 7, 2008      A Girl and Her Hair

Ella goes to preschool three days a week.  She loves school but doesn't like getting ready to go.  She is always too distracted by toys, books, tv, her brothers, etc. to get dressed and ready to go.  I am constantly yelling, prodding, and poking at her to get ready so we can leave!  Today, Ella went upstairs to her room without me saying a word, got dressed and did her hair for school.  She quietly walked down the stairs and announced she was ready to go.  Phil happened to be home for lunch and was the first one to see her.  He started to tell her she couldn't go to school looking like she did.  When I turned around I noticed she had several barrettes of varying colors all throughout her hair.  As silly as she looked I was just glad she got ready for school all on her own.  So, I told Phil she looked just fine and off we went to school.  I know someday she will look back at this picture and say, "Mom, why did you let me leave the house looking like that?"  I know she will say that because I have said that many times to my own mother about my short curly, permed hair from the 80's and my big pink glasses that I fought her to get!

May 3, 2008     Date Night and Food Storage

My mom has been wonderful since I had Brennen.  She has kept Ella and Preston over night about once a week since Brennen was born.  I've had a day to catch a nap, clean the house, and get a few things done.  Last night she invited them over on a Friday night.  I was on my way out the door to go to the grocery.  Yes, I know it's sad that I spend my Friday nights at the grocery.  It works out for me because Phil is home to keep the kids and I don't have to take them with me.  It works out even better for Phil because I go after the kids are in bed and he has a few hours to himself.  Anyway, since mom kept the kids, Phil (and Brennen) was able to go to the grocery with me.  It was nice to spend some time with Phil even if it was at the grocery.  I know it's even more depressing that I would spend a Friday date night at the grocery with my husband but we take what we can get!  It was a good thing he went too because I stocked up on some food storage items and needed him to push a second cart.  I was able to seal the food Saturday morning when the kids were still with my mom. 

May 1, 2008     Flowers

Last night Phil came home from church with a large bouquet of flowers for me.  Every now and then he still brings me flowers for no reason.  We will be married eight years next month.  We started dating at 16 and when Phil turned 30 last month he told me we have spent almost half our lives together.  Tonight he volunteered to take Ella to gymnastics and take Preston with him so I could have an hour to myself (with Brennen).  An hour doesn't seem like much but to a mom of three with a newborn, it's a blessing!  Thank you Phil.

April 29, 2008    A Childhood Memory

Cleaning out the refrigerator today I found two green peppers that needed to be eaten.  I pondered if I should use them in a meal or just cut them up so the kids could eat them.  Then, I remembered how my grandma would cut the tops off, clean them out, and fill them with water.  She would give us our green pepper "cups" and we would drink away.  Our favorite part was eating our "cup" when we were finished.  I loved when the green peppers would become ripe in their large garden so we could drink from them.  Today, I shared this memory with my children and they got to drink from their very own green pepper "cups."

April 25, 2008     Bedtime

My two and a half year old son loves bedtime.  He is the only child I have ever seen that asks to go to bed.  He loves loves loves his crib and his blanket and pillow!  After we had our next baby we knew we were going to have to move him over to a big boy bed.  I was nervous but he now loves his big boy bed. 

My other son has had his days and nights confused from the moment we brought him home from the hospital.  He sleeps in his cradle which was next to my bed.  After several sleepless nights I couldn't take it any longer.  We moved his cradle into our closet and turned on a fan.  He and I sleep much better.  He still wakes up and occasionally wants to stay up, but for the most part we are sleeping better!

I am thankful for my boys and their bedtimes!

April 22, 2008    Shining Moments

At certain times in our lives I think we get caught up our busy day to day routines and don't pay attention to the special moments that make our lives special.  I recently had my third child and experienced one such occasion. After I had the baby I felt like I did the same thing day in and day out.

Wake up (after being up half the night with a newborn), clean, breakfast, laundry, clean, play, lunch, clean, naps, school, clean, dinner, clean, kids bedtime, laundry, clean, sleep (for about an hour until the baby wakes up to eat)....  Day after day after day....

Did I also mention that I have a very stubborn five year old daughter, a very rambunctious two and a half year old son, and a very fussy newborn son?  Having the third child has not been a huge adjustment for me, but what has been hard is that he is so fussy.  If he's awake he's crying!  So, with no sleep and a crying baby, I have been very frustrated.  I have been stuck in my mundane schedule and not happy and excited about my life.

Feeling this way I found myself sitting in my family room watching General Conference for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  Elder M. Russell Ballard was speaking about the essential role of motherhood.  The following quote he shared really touched me.

First, recognize that the joy of motherhood comes in moments. There will be hard times and frustrating times. But amid the challenges, there are shining moments of joy and satisfaction.

Author Anna Quindlen reminds us not to rush past the fleeting moments. She said: “The biggest mistake I made [as a parent] is the one that most of us make. . . . I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of [my three children] sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages six, four, and one. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less”(Loud and Clear [2004], 10–11).

I related to that quote so much.  I focus most of my attention on getting things done and not on the shining moments of joy and satisfaction in my life. 

A few weeks went by and one morning I was making dinner for a sick friend.  The kids were helping me make cookies for their dessert.  They love to help add the ingredients and stir in the chocolate chips and of course, eat the cookie dough!  It takes so much longer when they help me but they love it.  About an hour later I was feeding the baby.  I rubbed his forehead as he was eating and I felt something sticky.  I peeled off a layer of goop and smelled it.  It was cookie dough!  It made me laugh because I could just picture Preston (my two and a half year old son) rubbing Brennen's forehead like he loves to do, with cookie dough all over his hands.  This reminded me of the above quote.  This was one of the moments I wanted to remember.  I decided at that time, as I was scraping cookie dough off my newborn's head, that I wanted to focus more on the moments in my life that make me happy, and less on the getting things done.    

As I continued to think about this for the rest of the day I recognized more shining moments that made me happy.

I spent the afternoon outside with the kids in the sun.  Ella and Preston played and ran around while Brennen and I lounged on a blanket in the yard.  How refreshing that was after being cooped up in the house all winter.

I gave the kids a bath and as I was dressing Brennen he started fussing.  I picked him up and all he had on was a onesie.  His skin was so soft and he smelled wonderful.  After only holding him with long sleeves and pants it was wonderful to feel his soft newborn skin.

Instead of getting ready for bed like I asked my older two kids to do, they turned on music in the family room and decided to dance.  Instead of getting angry, I decided to dance with them for a while.  What fun we had making up dance routines together and singing the oldies music Ella picked out.

And best of all, my baby Brennen smiled at me for the first time!  He stopped crying for several minutes and was content and happy.  He has cried for his entire newborn life and for the first time in over a month he smiled and was content!  It brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it. 

I have promised myself that I will continue to try to pick out those shining moments in my day to day routine that make me happy.  I want to focus more on them and remember and cherish them.