Snow Day

With school canceled because it was much too cold (negative 20 degrees!!!) we decided it'd be a GREAT day to play in the snow!

I just bit the bullet and told them to go out and play....about every 30 minutes or so, they'd come back in to warm up by the raging fire, to dry the gloves and use the potty, then get dressed and head back outside to finish their sledding hill in our front yard.

we had so much snow on the edge (from shoveling the driveway) that the very front corner of our yard had twice as much and was the PERFECT height (about 5 feet high!) for the boys to climb up, and then sled down into the middle of the yard.

So happy that they're all old enough to get 'mostly' dressed themselves and to have fun playing together.

Even Kortlen can get his pants and hat, and coat on by himself.  I help tie boots and just have to open the door for them after tightening mittens.

Best.year.ever for kids who LOVE playing in the snow!!!  No matter the temperature!

Earthly Father, Heavenly Father

Love this.  Wanted to share.



Ryan got back this evening from the Scout Winteree.  We hung up a tent and some tarps in our garage till we can take them to finish drying in the church cultural hall on Tuesday.  He got cleaned up and we quickly headed to the Elder's Quorum Family Game Night with a few games, tray of no-bake cookies (because I totally forgot about the activity!) and the boys in tow.

Members of our ward were gathered around various tables eating snacks, playing games and such.  We, with our little family, found an empty table to eat a few snacks and we just sat there, visiting.  We looked a sorry sight, not really playing any game, but really enjoying our daddy.  We missed him so much!  Just in the 24 hours he was gone, we missed him terribly, and quite honestly, we seemed a little lost, maybe a little dis-jointed and out of routine.

It got me thinking about how I love to visit with my own father, whether it's a brief phone call, or a lengthy conversation.  I enjoy my father's company.  I love to share with him my accomplishments, and discuss trials.  I call him for advice and council.  I ask him for help.  I know he cares about me and my family.  I know he loves me.  I know this, because he tells me this, and shows me this.  We tell each other we love each other, and we communicate.

And how do I communicate with my Father in Heaven?  Do I show Him respect, listen to His advice and council,or miss Him when I am not in contact?  Do I treat my relationship with my Father in Heaven as I do my earthly father?  How am I teaching my children to build a lasting and comforting and respectful relationship with their earthly father, and their Father in Heaven?

I know that my Father in Heaven loves me, cares about me, and councils me with love.  I want my children to know that He loves them as well....to teach them these things is a lifetime priority.

♥♥♥

Just something that's on my mind this evening.

She said it Best

Yes, I started the fire, and got our home up to eighty degrees so we won't freeze tonight.  Yes, I bathde and washed three heads of hair and kept my cool.  Yes, I did the dishes while littles played happily with their $3 birthday coupon toys'r'us buys.  Yes, I read stories, had family prayer, and got each child in bed without screaming, spanking, or having a hissy fit.  

Yes, I did it!  They're all asleep, and I did it, as the only adult in the house tonight!!! 

Ran across a wonderful reminder tonight.

I sit here, a scout-widow, as my sweetheart is bonding in sub-zero temperatures with his boy scouts, tying knots, bonfiring, and doing cool freezing-temp outdoorsie stuff.  I'm secretly & slightly jealous that he's having so much fun.  :)

I have nothing profound to say, and THIS BLOGGER said it best.  This blogger helped me to keep some realistic perspective in sight. 

She says:

Motherhood is tough.  There’s no denying that.

But this part, this phase of having lots of littles, when you’re knee deep in chores, and live “behind”, and “in the weeds”, and feel like you have sensory processing issues because you just need some peace and quiet – these days are TEMPORARY.

If I may, dear friend, suggest to you this.

Take a big step back.  When you’re wide awake, and not at the end of the day when you can barely keep your bloodshot eyes open.  Take a look at the blessings you’ve been given.

I *loved* spending happy time with my little boys tonight.  While it would have been awesome to have daddy here, I'm glad he's happily fulfilling his calling, and I got a 'date night' with the little guys.  

She ends her post (TONS of AWEOSME stuff in the middle, you cannot afford to NOT read, and remind yourself of!!!) and says:

If you remember nothing else, please remember this:  Just hang on. Just keep going.  These times are hard with so many little ones, and so many needs that must be met each day.  But it is temporary, and they grow up too quickly.  Slow down, take a deep breath, and relax.  Maybe the laundry will be piled up for a while, and you eat less than the gourmet meals you wish you could provide, but your family will know you loved them.  This is a precious season.  Focus on what matters most.  God and your husband and children.  There will be a season in which you’ll have more time for keeping the home as you’d like, and pursuing other interests and endeavors, but until then, do less, and enjoy knowing this is a precious season in life.  God sees you, and no grand or tiny task that you do goes unnoticed by Him.

Go.  Read this.  Then be gentle on yourself.  And celebrate your awesomeness.  Because I just did...with a handful of chocolate chips (even though I failed the one-hour glucose test today...I ate my chocolate chips with a smile!) 

Saw the following and wanted to share.



Boy (errrrr, Girl), I sure am looking forward to being done with preschool, school getting out, and a myriad of other things that I feel like are keeping me from living in the present.

THAT said, I'm working on living in the present NOW, and being WITH my children, doing what they're doing and involving them, even crashing their lego building time and fort time....it's so fun to play legos with boys who aren't telling me what part to find (ahem, little brothers who would only let me play if I found the 2-ers and 4-ers they were looking for.  LOL!).  Still, I'm so thankful for the little time we do find to play together between everything that seems to busy our lives.

Give them Capes

♥♥♥

A father was left for the weekend with his two young children while his wife attended a weekend away with her new counselors in a newly organized church auxiliary.  As she left, he felt a tug at his pant leg.  He looked into the adoring eyes of his two foot tall daughter and said, "Hey! I know you!" 

"Daddy," she whispered,  "I can fly!"

"Wow!" he exclaimed.  "Can I watch?"  You may know how little girls want to have their daddy's attention at all times.  

"I need a cape.  Will you help me?" she asked.  As she took his finger in her little hands, they made their way to the linen closet where mommy had neatly folded and organized all the towels and sheets.  Daddy picked out the prettiest pink dish towel and clothes pinned it under her chin.  It made the perfect cape!  She looked up, but her eyes remained on the floor.  

"This isn't a cape, is it." Daddy said.  "No, daddy," said the beautiful little girl "this one is the cape" as she pointed behind her without looking, and knew she was pointing at the perfect cape.  

Daddy tenderly took off the shelf and loosely tied the brightly colored beach towel about her neck, and she began to soar.

As this father lovingly watched his daughter fly with the magic of the cape, he realized that every experience that she would have would help her to soar higher and higher. 

One would think that an airplane needs a tailwind (pushing from behind) to get up into the air.  In fact, an airplane can rise faster, and higher, with a headwind (pushing against it).  

Challenges we allow our children to have, or challenges we give them that they will have to face head on, will help them SOAR.  We just need to give them a cape. 

♥♥♥

The  above story (cape and airplane and all), recalled to the best of my pregnant memory, was told this morning in Sacrament Meeting by our visiting High Councilman.  This experience was told with the tender voice of a loving father, who over the years has watched his daughter and other children soar, because of the magic of a cape.  Because of the love in their home.

What love is in my home?  If I give them a cape, will they fly because I believed in them?  Will they fly because they overcame a headwind and were lifted higher, and higher?  Will that headwind make them stronger?  Will they be able to face the storm that's brewing?  Will they have the inner strength and faith to believe in themselves and a loving Heavenly Father who believes in them, too???

This brother's talk hit home.   Give them capes.  

Me Being Absent

...it's mostly because my external hard drive, the one with 10 years worth of pictures, is getting a "DATA TRANSFER".  It died.  And with it, my enthusiasm for taking pictures and SAVING them on my computer....It's a sad, sad day.  I've been waiting for FOUR HOURS to hear if there were any "DATA ERRORS", which would mean three times the amount of $$$ to get my beloved information and pictures back, and also a chance that I'd never get them back.  Sad.  Crossing my fingers, and my toes.

....Attribute the rest of my absence to some ah-ha moments I've had which undoubtedly resulted in some small home improvements.  And not really the kind that involve drills, saws, cans of paint or even money.  The improvements I'm working on involve time and energy.

A few things I'm aiming for as the new year has started include trivial things that I'd rather put off in order to accomplish more 'noteworthy' things.

I used to put off doing my dishes in order to edit pictures, or put off playing with the kids so I can get some more pinning done on virtual cork boards.  I used to go to bed exhausted at 2 am after blogging and facebooking, and social-media-ing instead of retiring at a reasonable hour (and the same time as my sweetheart).  I used to live a charmed, yet pathetic life, filled with lots of good, but I know I can do better.

With some minor adjustments to my crazy lifestyle, which now includes growing another human, and really CARING and NURTURING the humans currently in the four walls of my home, I've become happier.  Not that I've left ya'll behind, but I feel like I'm doing MORE NOTEWORTHY things than receiving praise for a fun photo shoot, or a beautiful dress I've made, or the awesome job teaching preschool, or any other number of things that I DO enjoy doing, but am finding they need to take a back seat to the children who are frequently buckled into the back seat of the car while I run errands and 'be successful'.

Trying out a new system, if you will.  Please excuse my absence while I...

Go sledding:

Paint Bird houses:

And live each day with Simple Joys.