We Thank Thee, O God For a Prophet!

*This post was written the beginning of January 2018, just realized I never published it.

It's been more than a little while on here. But I wanted to share some thoughts from today. Last week our Prophet, Thomas S. Monson, died. After school today I took the kids up to Salt Lake to Pres. Monson's viewing. I was debating whether or not to take the kids. The hassle or how to handle waiting with them for a long time, possibly in the cold. Would they even be quiet when we got close? 

I started thinking when I was a child and remember my mom taking me to Pres. Benson's viewing. He is the first prophet I remember as a child. I remember waiting in line in a stairwell and finally getting to the room with a lot of flowers. I remember one of the flowers said from Ricks College and thinking I didn't really know what that was. I don't remember really seeing the prophet but just being there. As a mother now with 3 young children, I realize the effort that it took to do that. And why? I can't speak for my own mother's motivation. But for me, what I see as an adult looking back, was her expressing her testimony to her children. And today I have a testimony of living prophets and hope to teach that to my own kids. I then started thinking about other personal experiences with prophets. I remember being a BYU student attending a devotional when Pres. Hinckley spoke. I remember the feeling I had that overcame me when he walked in the Marriott Center. I knew he was a prophet of God. I remember attending the O.C. Tanner Gift of Music Concert in the Conference Center and Pres. Monson coming in and that exact feeling overcame me, he also was a prophet of God! 

So I took the kids and if nothing else I hope they remember they went. And hopefully one day they will also know that their mother has a testimony of living prophets. 

"Let us examine our lives and determine to follow the Savior's example by being kind, loving, and charitable." - Thomas S. Monson

Joy in Each Day

One of my favorite videos to watch this time of year is this one:

I shared it with my night class earlier this week on a day that I needed some extra encouragement to look for the good around me. This was me as I was leaving the doctor who told me to not move my shoulder for two weeks. (Yeah, no big deal I just have 3 small kids and one sleeps in a crib.)

I sent this picture (sorry this was real life) to the Smart One and told him the diagnosis of waking up with shoulder pain and not being able to lift my arm. The doctor called it Bursitis, to me it just feels like I'm old and not even 35!

I went home overwhelmed at the thought of my to do list. I had school stuff to get done and my house was a wreck (it was the day after Halloween after all). Of course the Smart One immediately calmed me down and helped me prioritize, he's good like that. He and the kids cleaned up while I taught my class. 

As I showed the video to my class I was reminded of some great blessings I had at that moment.

1. How great of a blessing our bodies really are, I still have my health and can function ok.

2. Freezer meals are perfect at times like this, so glad I did a bunch with one of my besties last month!

 3. I have a pretty amazing husband and pretty great kids! Truly, I'm not just saying that. 

4. A season in which to strive to focus on those things I'm grateful for.

Yesterday I started looking for some quotes for Thanksgiving and came across this talk that Pres. Uchtdorf gave 4 years ago in general conference, Of Regrets and Resolutions

My favorite part was this:

"Brothers and sisters, no matter our circumstances, no matter our challenges or trials, there is something in each day that can bring gratitude and joy if only we will see and appreciate it. 

"Perhaps we should be looking less with our eyes and more with our hearts."

I look forward to being able to stand up straight to do my hair and put on makeup in the (hopeful) near future. Until then my goal is to try harder to find gratitude and joy in each day. 

Mother Heart

Yesterday afternoon was beautiful, the perfect weather for playing outside. So that is what we did. The baby was taking a nap so The Silly One went to the park at the end of the street to play with some friends. The Small One stayed and played in front of the house. The Silly One ended up slipping on the playground and split his chin open, again. This happened about two and half years ago but riding bikes. It was a long evening from there as we went to the doctor (thank goodness for night clinics!) and got it stitched up. I guess once it happens it is easier to happen again in the future. He opened it right next to the first scar. 

When we finally got everyone home I had to go to the store to get the Silly One something for school today. When that was finished I was ready for bed myself. Trying to unwind, I kept thinking about how I accomplished all I did. Blood and gross stuff is not my strength. I'm very grateful for doctors and nurses who can take care of those things for my children. But as I was thinking about it I realized that it really is amazing what you can do for your child, especially when they are sick or hurt. Like that Mother Bear instinct that just kicks in and takes over. I then remembered a talk that Julie B. Beck gave about a "Mother Heart." I read it last night and came across a quote that fit exactly how I felt perfectly.

"There is no limit to what a woman with a mother heart can accomplish."

I am not trying to say look at what a great mother I am, not that at all because I see so many short comings and things I could do better on a constant basis. (I didn't even give him Tylenol to dull the pain before going to the doctor.) Simply that I love my children and there is power in that. Amazing things happen when that is the case and that is really what our children need. I saw it in my own mother last night as I called her to ask her to watch the youngest two and 

without hesitation she did. 

This was us last night as they cleaned it all out. It isn't a glamorous picture by any means. I actually thought my husband was taking the picture of just The Silly One. But as they numbed it we had to wait for it to kick in and I got to sit next to him on the table as he played on the ipad and showed me replays of EVERY race. I held his hand and looked away as they stuck things in his chin and stitched it up. (Taking deep breaths to not pass out, I said I was no good with this stuff.) He was fine and maybe didn't even need me, but I was glad I could be there with him. 

Being a mother isn't easy by any means but, 

"I know who I am, and I know what I am supposed to do. The rest just follows."

Kindness Above All

I'm trying to grade right now as my baby takes a nap and my middle child plays Minion Rush. Usually this is semi-effective but the assignments I'm grading right now are hard ones. They are time consuming and get a bit tedious at times. 

I should be redlining assignments . . . .

The hard part for me this morning is trying to focus as I keep thinking about an email a student sent me this morning. I am finishing up my 7th year teaching at LDS Business College in a few short weeks and the email I received today is unlike any other I have received. This ending of the year brings a lot of stress to the students in my department as they prepare for their big portfolio event and graduation. They often talk about the stress they feel and times of overwhelming to do lists. I have had students in the past who have done very well, that have failed, just made it through and been average. 

This current semester I have one particular student who is struggling, in danger of failing and not graduating. This is nothing new or out of the ordinary. It has sadly happened before to others. She sat next to another student in class this week who at times has struggled but has also spent a lot of extra time to understand and is much more confident than in the past. The student who is more confident sent me an email this morning asking for help. Not for her own assignment but how she might help the struggling student, what she might be able to do. I was initially shocked, knowing how busy each student is right now. But then I thought of this student and what a Christlike example she is to care for another when she has so much on her own plate. 

As I look to celebrating Easter this Sunday I was reminded of the Savior's example of kindness and the scripture Matthew 25:40, which reads, 

"And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

What an eye opening reminder for me as I look to celebrating the life, death and Resurrection of my Savior this Sunday. Hallelujah for kindness!

New Year, Fresh Start

10 years ago New Year's Day was life changing for me. I didn't think so at the time but a decision I made that day was pivotal in creating the life I now have. As I think back to that day and the turmoil I felt I was in, I think it almost ironic all that happened on the day it did. As people are making resolutions to do so many things and people are so full of hope and change with a fresh start at the beginning of a new year. Because of the things that happened on that day 10 years ago I remember the next couple of days being literally ill; like fever, chills, throw up, etc. kind of ill. I believe it was a release of a lot of emotional stress that I had been under. 

One might ask why I look back on that day as life changing, it sounds pretty crappy. It was. But there is also no coincidence that my husband and I will be celebrating our 10th anniversary this year. I didn't decide on that New Year's Day that I would marry him or anything even close to that. Without all the details, I decided that day that I wanted to move forward in the direction to date him and see where things went. This might sound silly, but because of that I've always looked forward to the new year as a fresh start and a chance to change direction. Do I make great resolutions and live up to them even close to perfectly? No. But in the words of Anne Shirley:

Credit to Jill, check out her great talent here.

So this year for my resolve I am focusing on a poem. This last year my Grandma died and at her funeral my uncle read a poem that was written by my Grandpa. And then my aunt actually gave us a copy of it in his handwriting for Christmas. 

Do you wish the world were better?

Let me tell you what to do

Set a watch upon your actions

Keep them always straight and true

Rid your mind of selfish motives

Let your thoughts be clean and high

You can make a little Eden

Of the sphere you occupy. 

There are several more specific goals to go along with this but this if my focus. I am going to memorize it and have children memorize it also. 2016 is full of so many possibilities, I look forward to what it brings. 

Christmas Lessons 2015

Each year at the beginning of the Christmas season I think about what will make this Christmas memorable or different or whatever else. This last year has been an adjustment to three kids and I feel that this Christmas was busier and crazier than normal trying to accomplish the never ending to-do list. But as Christmas has now come and gone I have thought about a couple of things I’ve learned from this Christmas season that I wanted to write down, even if I’m the only one who reads it.

I often think of this quote from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, “For it is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when its mighty Founder was a child Himself.” Two experiences made this particularly poignant to me this year.

#1 Earlier this fall when doing some testing for my oldest he was asked what he would wish for if he was given three wishes. The doctor told my husband and me that he had asked our son this and asked us to guess what the answers were. Now I start asking my kids early what they want for Christmas and they are quite creative making up toys that don’t exist so I figured it was something like that. I was shocked when the doctor told us that our son had wished for his own house and family of his own (when he is older) and to be kind.

#2 I got the chance to take my boys shopping to buy a present for each other. We decided last year this would be a good chance/lesson for them to use their own money to buy something for each other. I first shopped with the oldest and we counted his money while at Target so he knew how much he had. He was ready to spend ALL his money on something awesome for his little brother. It was quite sweet. I then shopped with my youngest son and went through the same thing of counting his money at the store. And just like his brother, he was ready to spend ALL his money on a cool present for his brother. It was wonderful to see this moment twice separate from each other how both of my boys wanted to give all they had to their brother. That same brother that they fight with most of the day long and leg tackle and yell at and punch, etc.

These two made me realize I need to focus my priorities and see things more simply. My boys are such wonderful examples to me. I hope all had a wonderful Christmas and wish you a Happy New Year!

Babies Don't Keep

I have been thinking about my children and what I can do to teach them and help them a lot the last few days. I was even thinking about writing a blog post about it also. I went to church today and was able to attend Relief Society. The lesson just happened to be on families and parenthood. It was just what I needed. I recently (probably the last month or two) read an article about a mother struggling to care for her newborn. I could really relate, it can be so straining to care for a newborn and then add other children and responsibilities. Some things don't get done each day but the baby has needs that HAVE to be taken care of. There is no saying, "I'll get to it later" or "When I have more time . . " What I gained from the article was that this woman changed her perspective to that of caring for her baby was her job, that was her primary goal to accomplish day in and day out. She found that she got more joy out of her "job" when she thought of it that way.

My thoughts started this week when I was frustrated at the condition of my home. It was a disaster, you know tornado type disaster. The things I had accomplished that day were take my kids to swimming lessons, vacuum the family room, clean the toilets, make dinner, and watched my two nieces. We had a great time with them playing, my kids love their cousins. It sounds like a lot and actually is I guess but I was frustrated when I looked around and my house was still a mess. What did I expect when the whole house wasn't vacuumed, just one room. The bathrooms weren't clean, just the toilets. I then remembered a little poem my mom had hanging up when I was a child.

"The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow, 

For children grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow.

So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust go to sleep.

I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep."

Baby #1 about 4 months old

Baby #2 about 5 months old

Baby #3 - 5 months old

My 3 babies a month ago

It is true that babies don't keep, look at them! I was about in tears when I thought of that little poem. Am I missing the point? My job is to be a mother! I need to wake up. So that night I went into their rooms and looked at them and kissed them goodnight (again). They were so sweet and peaceful just sleeping.

I often use #IAmAMother when I post things because it explains so much. Kids are crazy and our days hardly go as I plan in my mind and that is ok. I started thinking how I want my kids to remember their mother. It is a big job but I hope each day will be better and we learn from each other. I'm not perfect, far from it! I just hope to keep trying and being able to learn and play with my little ones.

One quote I loved from today's lesson was, "Do you know why righteous mothers love their children so much? Because they sacrifice so much for them. We love what we sacrifice for and we sacrifice for what we love." My own mother told me this same thing several years ago and more and more I understand not only what she was saying but what she did for her family.

Easter Thoughts

I know Easter was over a week ago but is it ever too late to post a message about Jesus? I think not. I just wanted to write down a couple of thoughts I had leading up to Easter that were started with a short and frustrating story. About two weeks before Easter we were cleaning up the kitchen after dinner and asked the boys to clean up the living room to get ready for Family Home Evening (FHE). The usual whining and complaining ensued. However; the Silly One, for whatever reason, decided to throw a plastic dinosaur at the Small One and hit him right in the face. Now this wasn't done from across the room, he was a couple of feet from him. This also wasn't done with one of those little plastic dinosaurs, it was of those those about 6" or so. I was immediately so frustrated and could not comprehend the logic that caused this action.

The FHE lesson I planned was no longer going to happen as consequences were such that the Silly One was going to bed ASAP. They both got ready for bed and I remembered the Bible story picture books we have so I pulled out the Easter Story one.

We read it quickly and at the end I was struck by something so simple. After the Savior has been resurrected he appears to his disciples and in the book he said, "Go and tell the world what God has taught us: if we do bad things, we should be sorry. If other people do bad things, we should forgive them." We finished the book and had family prayer, the Silly One said sorry and the Small One forgave him. It was amazing to me what a profound lesson came from such a mess. None of our lives are perfect and not one of us is perfect, but because Jesus dies and rose on the third day we have hope for tomorrow. Hope to be better and become better. Peace through forgiveness because of His atonement. I know He lives!

A little Busy

We've been a little busy around here as this little sweet pea joined our family over 7 weeks ago!

We love this baby sister!

Can you tell some boys just love being big brothers?

We love our little family of 5!

Christmas Neighbor Gift - simmer pot mix

I like to do a little something for my neighbors each year at Christmas. This year I have several neighbors that have food intolerances or allergies. I found this idea on pinterest and was so excited to try it out this year. I did modify it a little, perhaps my sensitive/pregnant nose just couldn't handle the spice overload that was happening while I put them together. So here is my version:

1 dried orange slice
1 dried lemon slice
3 dried apple slices
3 cinnamon sticks
1 tbls. nutmeg
2 tbls. whole cloves
1 tsp. whole allspice
A pinch of bay leaf pieces

It came together quite easily once I had the fruit dried. And that wasn't hard either because I borrowed my mom's food dehydrator. I sliced the fruit in the morning and let it dry all day. Here are the instructions on the back.

Christmas of Peace!

I have had a lot of thoughts going through my mind the last few weeks. I have thoroughly enjoyed this Christmas season and I was trying to figure out yesterday what the difference was. Last night my extended family gathered for our traditional Christmas Eve program/evening. My mom gave the Christmas message. She told several stories and talked about different messages of Christmas and how they can vary each year. As I contemplated on this I realized my personal message of Christmas this year has been peace. As soon as I write that I automatically think of the countless moments and days that were not peaceful in my house leading up to Christmas and I'm sure will continue in the future. I am a mother of two young boys with a little girl on the way. That is life and so much craziness comes with that, at least in our household!

I have tried to be really organized and not stressed out. (Being pregnant has caused me to, perhaps, over plan things.) I have tried to focus more on the Savior and not on all the projects and things I need to do. I started a tradition in our family last year that each day for family scripture study we read a story about Jesus starting with his birth and Christmas Eve is His resurrection. I tried to not pack our days but do several meaningful things. Was this really the difference? Honestly I am not sure. My visiting teacher came to visit last week and the message she shared was the Savior being the Prince of Peace. This part specifically touched me:

"'The Savior is the source of true peace,' said Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. 'Even with the trials of life, because of the Savior's Atonement and His grace, righteous living will be rewarded with personal peace.'"

As she shared that with me I immediately reflected on my day. The Smart One was working late, again, the boys were at that moment being crazy/loud and running, and I was tired. There was no peace surrounding me and yet I felt it through the spirit.

I am grateful for this wonderful Christmas Season to learn about and celebrate the Savior. He truly is the way to find joy and peace in our lives. Merry Christmas!

Never Forget

13 years ago I was a senior in high school. During my first period class I received a note to go to the counselors office to discuss a issue with my schedule. I walked down there and sat to wait to talk to my counselor. As I waited I heard the radio that the secretary was listening to. I started listening and didn't believe what I was hearing. They were talking about planes crashing into buildings in New York city, the secretary started talking to others about how this couldn't be real. Was this a joke? But how could they report something so serious and have it be fake? It wasn't a joke, it happened and many innocent people died. That day seemed so surreal, still does in away.

I won't forget where I was and what I was doing that day. I also will never forget the way I looked at the community around me. For several weeks afterward you could drive through any neighborhood and American flags would be lining the streets. It was amazing to me, someone who was not quite an adult, to see people come together in that way. I didn't know anyone who lost loved ones but it didn't matter, they were Americans and so were we. People came together as Americans despite many differences and I look to that time as one I hope we can return to as a nation. "One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

This morning I told my husband I was conflicted as to which flag to hang up. BYU plays tonight and I usually hang the Y flag for game day. But as I walked with my oldest to school I had the thought that I'm an American first, no matter what else. I also saw a creative option and followed suit when I got home.

"How little do my countrymen know what precious blessings they are in possession of, and which no other people on earth enjoy!" - Thomas Jefferson

Positive Challenge - Day 5

Here we are at Day 5, five days later than day 4. There are positive things that happen each day and most are rather small but focusing on them helps make things better. Here we go:

1. Baseball game for FHE. We tried to go Saturday as part of our Summer Fun list but it was postponed because of the rain. I'm glad we finally made it tonight. 

2. I enjoy food and making it for my family (most of the time!). I especially love when my kids love what I make, today was a success with poppy seed muffins for breakfast and fish for dinner. 

3. Tomorrow I celebrate 8 years with this guy! 

This was us at the Ogden Temple open house a bit over a week ago. We got to celebrate Friday night which was great, tomorrow is the one Tuesday I work in August each year. Each year gets better and better, it has been a wonderful ride and I am excited for what the future will bring and that I have my best friend by my side. 

Positive Challenge - Day 4

Cheers for me to post my positives actually today!

1. Play dates with great friends. I have a great friend from high school who has kids close to my boys' ages and we often get together and while the kiddos play we chat. I look forward to those days.

2. Dancing and singing to "Roar" by Katy Perry with my boys while cleaning up the kitchen. Yep, one of their favorites. :)

3. Anyone that knows me well knows that I clean the laundry but don't often get it folded in a timely manner. Tonight I folded a lot while listening to General Conference talks and it feels great to have it done.

Positive Challenge - Day 3

A couple of days break but here are my positives for yesterday and hopefully tonight I will get today's posted.

1. I love summer because of the warmth. Yesterday it rained and cooled everything off quite a bit but I rather enjoyed it because it was cool enough for the boys to play with the kids in the neighborhood outside for a couple of hours. It was lovely.
2. The flowers on my front porch are just beautiful right now with the rain we've been having. Just simple petunias and snapdragons.
3. School starts in one week for the Silly One. We are pretty excited about it and got to meet his teacher Monday night at Back To School Night.

Positive Challenge - Day 2

Positives for day 2:

1. We started the day bright and early going to the Ogden Temple open house, it was amazingly beautiful! I love going to then temple and behind reminded of my covenants and hope that there is.
2. Getting a pedicure. Sometimes as a mom it is nice to have someone else take care of you. While I was doing that my husband was home preparing for a surprise dinner.
3. Tonight we did a surprise birthday dinner for my mother-in-law. It was great to be together as family and fun to do a fancy dinner. We also used my china, first time in 8 years doing a dinner with it!

Positive Challenge - Day 1

My sister-in-law is amazing, I have several that are all wonderful but the first one joined my family when I was 13 and I look up to her in so many ways. She challenged me on Facebook to: Post three positive things each day for five days and invite three new friends to join the challenge. I decided to post here and link to Facebook because this fits right in here. I am a day late starting, but better late than never right?

1. Spending time with family. I love my family which includes my in laws, they are wonderful people. They happen to be visiting this weekend from out of town and it is always great to spend time with them, and my boys love them too!

2. BYU football scrimmage, we were able to fit in 30 minutes of a football scrimmage this evening. It is always exiting to get caught up in the hype of the upcoming season. 2 weeks!

3. Yorkshire pudding with vanilla ice cream and strawberry sauce. Need I say more? Another fabulous sister-in-law made it and it was delicious!

Patriotic Little Ones

I always remember loving America and love that my boys do too. This morning I put out the flag for the USA world cup game. I told the boys what I was doing and the Small One responded, "Now everyone can see our flag wave!" They are so passionate and I love it.
This was the guys last night at the gardens. Google+ has a #PaintUSA to paint your face for the world cup, just in time for the 4th of July as well in my opinion. 

Easy DIY Valance

I have had this piece of fabric for my boys' room for like 2 years, sad I know. I finally saw this idea and was motivated to get it done for their room. So here is my material list:

Fabric (At least 12" long and several inches longer than the window)

Ribbon (optional)

2x3 board (an inch or two longer than the window)

Spray Adhesive

Small Angle Brackets

Wood Screws

Fabric Instructions:

1. Hem the edges so they are crisp and clean. I just did a simple fold over hem. I used pinking shears to prevent fraying. You only need to do the sides and bottom edges.

2. I added a ribbon to embellish it a little and add some interested. I just used a simple gray grosgrain and stitched it straight across on the top and bottom of the ribbon. 

Adhesive:

I thought about adding pleats and then had to reign it in because it is for boys, I think it needed to be more simple for them. I prefer spray adhesive because it applies smooth, is tacky to re-position if needed and dries quick. 

1. Glue each end of the board with fabric flush to the bad edge as shown above. Leave enough fabric on top to meet the back of the board. 

2. Center the fabric on the board and glue the front of the board. Fold under the excess on the sides. This adds some interest and gives the side a little flare. Play with the folds before gluing to make sure it is positioned exactly where you want. 

3. Fold over the top and glue. 

Back view, glued and ready to hang. 

Attach:

Get out the drill! I think I am weird but I actually love getting the drill out.The drill doesn't scare me but not making it level does, huge pet peeve for the Smart One, so I was a little nervous just doing it myself. I was extra careful and was very pleased with how perfectly level it ended up. :)

1. Attach the brackets to the bottom of the board, spaced evenly. I used 4 brackets to just make sure it was supported enough. 

2. Using a level mark the spots with a pencil for the screws to attach to the wall. Notice the space between the top of the window and bottom of the board. Most often there is a metal plate at the top of the window and will be much harder to screw in needing a special drill bit and screws. 

3. Starting in the middle start attaching with the screws. Adjust location of screws as needed, things shift a little when inserting the screws. 

Stand back and enjoy! I am really happy with the way it turned out and added a little interest and pattern to the boys' room. 

Entry Refreshed

Remember when I posted an in progress picture of the board and batten we were working on in the entry? Oh yeah that was back in January. I helped my sister do her entry as well, the whole idea started with her. Here are a couple of pictures when we first moved in almost 4 years ago. 

Pretty boring

The stairs are the only interest in the space

Ready to be painted, the tape is the green. 

Painted and deciding if we should paint the doors or not. 

Still needs some interest so the idea to pant the bench comes in. 

All painted, including the doors

I moved some things around and made the pattern on either side of the picture. The idea came from here. And as I was taking a couple pictures today I realized the pattern from the mirror is repeated with that little toilet paper art. I should have seen that before, ha!

Complete with hooks and painted bench. I love how the bench turned out. 

I really do love the way the whole project turned out, it is amazing the difference it makes. It is funny how after we painted the Smart One said that he always thought the walls were white but obviously not with the "Dove White" next to it. The inspiration and ideas to build the project came from this entry and this dining room. It is always nice to get a project finished!