{today}

was a wonderful day.

I was made breakfast in bed. (But ate it at the table, due to a little someone unloading his little tummy in my bed, ahem, Kortlen.)

Ryan ran all of my errands.  Even picking up some fun extras, like strawberries and whipping cream for a healthier version of birthday cake:  Strawberry Shortcake.

My mom and Clay and Deseret took me out for a healthy lunch at Subway.  It was so much fun to have them here to share my special day with!

I was showered with love and a few exciting gifts...the best one being from Tanner and Taylor: Going to bed the way good little boys do.

A dear friend watched my boys so I could attend a Temple Session.  (Ryan had to work.)  It was a wonderful break with peace and quietness that I've missed the last few weeks.

I watched a good chick-flick wrapped up on the couch in a warm blanket waiting for my sweetheart to get home.

And slept pretty good, considering I was up with a nursing baby, and a 3 year old who had an ear-ache and a 5 year old who had charlie-horses in his feet.

Even on such a momentous day, a mother's work is never done {but I wouldn't want it any other way}.

At the end of the day

(Lengthy Update:  we're not dead, or even pouting...just more busy that usual.)

Last week I taught Tanner's Joy School class, and I spent most of my evenings getting ready for that...working on various projects for friends (formal alteration, scripture bags for the boys, a never-ending stack of pants to mend, and organizing), and trying to keep order here at home.

Thursday, we up and went to Chesterfield to spend some time with my sisters and brother, as Ryan's been working from 6am till sometimes as late as midnight.  I figured he'd be able to get some sleep if we were gone, and we'd be able to have a break from our teeny-tiny apartment.  It was great to 'get away', especially from all the 'electronics' for those few days.

So how are we?

Ryan is still applying for about 4 jobs a week.  It's pretty draining, and he's burned out from it all...both emotionally and mentally.  Truth is, I'm pretty drained, too.  At least we're getting rejection letters.  Not that it's a good thing, but it's not very encouraging to even apply if you NEVER hear ANYTHING back!

We looked at a loverly house last week that we thought was in our pricerange, and I fell in love with it.  Beautiful crown moldings, tons of space, we wouldn't have to do much to it...maybe paint a room or two....and then we realized that he really does have a crummy paycheck, though we are able to pay our bills and eat food.  *chuckle*  We're not destitute, but tight.  And that's alright.  It isn't the end of the world. We have so many blessings.  A surplus of money is just not one of them.

I have been trying to exercise each day, and some days are more successful than others.  It's frustrating to be doing a kick-boxing routine and whack a three or five year old in the head...Most of the time it's their own fault, though.  This week I started the 'rule' that they can't get out of bed until mommy is done exercising.  I'll let them come out and 'cool-down' with me, and I'm much less likely to jab my shoes into an unsuspecting child.

Tanner has been really excited about writing his letters of the alphabet, practicing the piano, and helping me make our meals.  He has a few 'obsessive' areas, but we're (Me and Tanner) working on 'relaxing' a little bit more and not being so uptight.  He gets pretty agitated if anything is out of place, or his routine is messed with.  He talks with the intensity of a stock-broker, but is pretty loving, understanding, and curious on so many levels.  He's a really good helper, and for the most part, has grown out of his 5 year phase of being a 'hard' kid.  In reflecting back on our parenting, Tanner's behavior was very RARELY the problem; our parenting skills were in survival mode at best, and we've come a long way.  Still room for us to improve, but we are able to parent, instead of just being a warm body in the room.

Taylor is beginning to be a little spit-fire of a boy.  He loves to keep up with Tanner, and enjoys drawing letters, learning from Tanner new parts to songs and being a tease to baby Kort-wen.  He's got potty-training down, which has saved us $$$ on diapers.  However, if he gets ticked off at me, he'll deliberately pee in his pants.  Little turkey!

Kortlen is officially rolling ev.ry.where.  If he sees something he wants (which is everything!) he'll just roll right over to it.  It's exciting, yet slightly dangerous, considering his two older brothers LOVE marbles and LOVE coins.  We have to be on our toes all the time to make sure choking hazards don't make it into his mouth!  He's also figured out how to eat pureed squash, peas, bananas and peaches.  His favorite is sweet potatoes.  He learned how to raspberry/spit out any type of rice cereal...to my frustration.

So all in all, we're doing pretty good.

When I get a camera again, I'll update you with some of the projects I've done.  :)  Hopefully it's sooner than later.

And at the end of the day, I'm ready for bed and a chance to start my routine all over again.

{A Plea}

{A Plea for the Relief Society}

Written at the request of Mrs. Rhonda Snell, first President of the Relief Society of Spanis Fork and read at the celebration of the 24th of July, 1867.

Gather up the fragments, that nothing be lost.  John, Chap. VI. ver. 12.

____________________

Let us gather up the fragments,

That nothing may be lost,

And never mind how trifling, or

How small may be their cost.

Economy is heaven's law,

Let us observe and see;

A tiny drop, a single grain, 

Each of some use can be.

Union is strength, and when we meet

And in one cause unite,

Much may be done to help and bless,

And make the burden light.

We bring our little bits of cloth,

Our bunch of wool or thread;

And busy fingers work awhile;

And soon a quilt is made.

We give our mite the poor to help,

their pressing wants relieve,

But do we realize how much,

We each from God receive?

On this glad day, when through these vales,

The saints with joy have met,

Can we while pleasure thrills the heart,

The absent ones forget?

Our people now in distant lands,

Would glad these blessings share,

And from them oft, for help from us, 

Ascends the fervent prayer.

Oppressed with poverty, they sigh,

While sin and crime abound;

And evils now unknown to us,

Encompass them around.

By us a Prophet's voice is heard,

Our eyes can see this face,

Would they not prize above all joys,

In Zion's land a place?

Perhaps the little we have done,

Is registered on high,

And, when the books at least are read

Will not unnoticed lie.

But do we each give all we can

When any call is made?

Or is our first desire to know

How little can be paid?

Does it sometimes seem hard to part

With what we earn so dear?

As Saints of God we ought to live

Above all selfish fear.

'Tis faith alone, can understand

the charge so wisely given,

(Though some may fear to run the risk,)

"Lay treasures up in Heaven."

~ Hannah Last Cornaby

My great- great-grandmother

{Sister Crandall} Updates

For those of you family and friends that know my amazing little sister, Stephanie, she just entered the Missionary Training Center on Wednesday, January 19th.  She has been called to serve in the Kennewick Washington Mission.  If you'd like to know more about Missionaries or the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, click HERE.

She has asked me to update her blog for her on occasion, so this is her address:

http://stecra.blogspot.com/

It is different from her previous blog address...we were in the process of changing everything over to a new address and got side-tracked a while back.

She has limited time to email (and read emails), so feel free to write her a letter!  You can find her mailing address on her blog.

Just thought I'd let you know, for those interested.  :)

Some Days...

...are better than others.

This morning while I was trying to get some sleep after being up ALL NIGHT with my 'good sleeping baby' and finishing a project FOR THEM, I woke to find my children happily coloring and they happily said, "Mom!  Thanks for the Scripture bags!  We LOOOOObe (yes, with a b) them!"  I was pretty happy that they liked them.  So today might be a good day.  I'll take it.

THEN I found my camera...sitting on the desk...where I had NOT put it....with the lens out.  When I went to turn it off, IT WOULDN'T TURN OFF or ON because my LOVELY children BROKE THE LENS!!!  IT WAS JAMMED!!!!

I am more close to that stinkin' camera than my cell phone.

So alas, you don't get pictures of the scripture bags I stay up till 1am making.

Then I thought, "I'll just tap it on the desk to 'help' it."

The camera lens now points down, when holding it upright.  Not suitable for picture-taking of any kind.

And it will be months till we can replace it.

My blood is boiling...

...and they are JUST children....

...so I guess I  had better cool-it.

But still, GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

Product Review

I was asked to do a product review, and if I had to give a rating for CSN stores, it'd be a

Here's what I ordered:

And I love it.  It was so hard to choose ONE thing, because I literally made a list of 20 things we'd enjoy at our house...and that's just what I could narrow it down to in an hour!  It's also pretty important to note that I have three little boys (and one big boy) who are pretty mesmerized by our new contraption, too.

Our 1920's flight mobile came neatly packaged with all parts intact (obviously I had some excited help getting all the packaging off!) which I was pleased with.  Not to mention, it arrived 5 days after I placed my order.

And as promised, we hung it up after everyone had naps!

One little boy in particular LOVES to look at it.

At first I thought the planes were metal or plastic, but they are wooden, and constructed very well.

My favorite part?  The colors match their new quilts EXACTLY, even down to the model, and it's something that the boys can grow with!!!

So go check out their site...with over 200 stores online in ONE PLACE, you're bound to find something fun for you, your family, or to give as a gift!

And the prize goes to.........

The winners are 

number 16, {Lisa} who said 

"Favorite Primary Song is "I Am a Child of God". My grandmother knew the lyrics author. It has always been my most favorite. Always."

& 

number 1, {Kate} who said 

"pick me, pick me! :)

i actually think the only songs i have heard are the ones from "the parable of the princesses". and i loved it! what a wonderful story"!!!  

I'll be emailing you for your addresses and get these in the mail asap.

Thank you to all 27 of you (some counted twice!) for entering this giveaway!  I had so much fun reading your responses I'm going to have to come up with more giveaways for the future.  :)  

{Woman's Mission}

I never wished to be a queen,
     To wear the robes of state,
Or have my name enrolled among
     The famous or the great.

I never cared for "woman's rights,"
     Nor ever had a fear,
But that if woman sought, sh'd find
     Her own, her proper sphere.

I know that woman's missions' great,
     Yet comprehends the small,
The tiny, trifling things of life,
     Important to us all.

In this, true woman finds her sphere,
     Her happiness complete,
In loving, helping, blessing all
     With whom she chance to meet.

What need for her of Congress' halls,
     Or legislative cares,
The promptings of her woman's soul,
     Is all the law she hears.

The law of love implanted there,
     By our great Parent's hand,
If not perverted, safely guides,
     Woman in every land.

I wish I had the power to write,
     Woman to vindicate,
To tell her true nobility,
     E'en in this fallen state.

I never wished for wealth or fame,
     For I have understood,
How poor and valueless are these,
     Compared with being good.

               ~Hannah Last Cornaby
               b. March 17, 1822, Beccles, Suffolk England
               d. Sept. 1, 1905