Today I am taking the gratitude challenge found on Scott Moore's page and posted on facebook by my older sister, Dawn.
I love my absolutely wonderful, sweet, kind, goofy, silly, helpful and amazing husband. There aren't enough words to describe the love that I have for this awesome man. I love that our love has grown in a way that I could never have imagined it. He is my best friend. He is my confident. He is my sidekick. He is my handyman...when he knows how to fix things. Haha. He is the most amazing dad. His love for me is surprising, as he sees my faults and shortcomings. He is forgiving and simply the perfect match for me.
I love my Dad. I love that he took the time to cultivate a great love of nature in each of us girls. I love that he is a jack of all trades kind of guy. He almost always knows how to fix everything. I love that he would do just about anything for just about anyone. I love how he taught us to serve others. I love that he taught us to appreciate our talents. I love how he loves my kids. I love that he has a love of learning and reading.
I love my Mom. I love that she loves us kids with everything she has, and then some. I love that she taught me how to be a good mom and to put my children first. I love that she laughs with us. I love that when she is tired you can get her laughing so hard she's got tears running down her face and can't stop. I love that she is my friend. I love that she listens to me. I love that she has been my shoulder to cry on. I love that she is there to listen to my successes. I love how she loves my children.
I love that I grew up in a home with only sisters and that we had to do hard work because there were no brothers to do it for us. I love the value of hard work. I love that my sisters and I can have fun together. And even though our beliefs may be different and our lifestyles may be different we love each other.
I love my kids. I love that each one of my 6 children is unique. I love that each of them has their own talents. I love that the oldest is such an amazing and talented artist like my oldest sister, Yvette. I love that he is a good, kind, and thoughtful person. I love that my 2nd son is so full of life and love. I love that he can make friends with just about anyone. I love that he smiles so much. I love that my 3rd son has Autism, because without he wouldn't quite be the same. I love that he is funny and makes us laugh. I love that he is a rule follower. I love that he loves his siblings. I love that my 4th son is so athletic and loves almost any sport that he tries. I love that he is so full of energy and loves to be out doors. I love that he can be thoughtful, kind and helpful. I love my oldest daughter who is my first curly girl. I love that she loves to snuggle and loves to laugh. I love that she loves to play pretend with her sister. I love my youngest little girl. I love that she is my second curly girl. I love that she is so silly and happy and sweet. I love that she makes everyone smile.
I love family, near and far away. I love friends who have become family but who have no blood relation...but we've unofficially adopted them.
I love the Holidays. I love baking. I love making goodies for people. I love to see the smile spread across their face when they taste something yummy that I made for them. I love the joy and magic of Christmas. I love the spirit of Christmas that many people have.
I love snow. I love seeing the white flakes falling from the sky for the first time each year. It makes me smile every time. I love making snow men, and snow forts, and snowballs, and sledding, and shoveling. I love watching my cold breath at it turns to ice in the air. I love laying on the snow and looking up at the stars. I love how winter is magical.
I love having the Gospel of Jesus Christ as the guiding light in my life.
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Monday, November 23, 2015
Some days are just rough
Before I ever was married or had a family I had this idea in my head of what it was going to be like to have a family. It was magical. It was wonderful. And there was a lot of joy and laughter all the time. It was a fairy tale. And it was not very realistic.
I met my knight in shining armor and what could be better. Nothing. Right? Then we had our first child. And we were so happy. Until that little tiny bundle started screaming all the time. And some days I wondered what I had gotten myself into.
There have been many days over the past 17 1/2 years when I have questioned my decision to have a family. Of course those doubts usually float away almost as quickly as they come. I know in my heart that this is exactly what I was meant to do and where I was meant to be. There is so much joy. Happiness. Laughter. Smiles. And love. There are days that it really is a fairy tale.
Recently I have been really struggling with my seven year old daughter. She is a sweet and wonderful angel at school, on the bus, and at church. Almost as soon as she walks through the door she begins growling at everyone. Stomping her feet. Screaming bloody murder at them when things don't go her way. And throwing huge temper tantrums that I would expect from my 4 year old.
The mornings are unbelievably rough. I've tried so many different things to try to get her to be more pleasant and happy. I've played soft music. I've rubbed her back. I've snuggled with her. I talked calmly while she whines and gets angry at me. This morning after 25 minutes of trying desperately to get her to get dressed, I finally yelled.
I absolutely hate when this happens. As soon as I allow myself to give away my control, to the unseen evil one, I know I've made a mistake. I feel awful. And I dislike it.
This morning I ended up in tears. I want so badly for her to make good choices. I want her to be happy. And yet so many mornings have ended with me blowing my top and getting angry.
I've been pondering and praying daily about this. But this morning's prayers were different. I was desperate as I plead with my Heavenly Father for ideas. For solutions. For guidance and answers.
And when I was weighed down in my sorrow at allowing myself to make poor choices, I picked up my sleepy four year old and she sweetly said, "I missed you mommy," as she snuggled into my shoulder and sucked her thumb, while rubbing the edge of my t-shirt. And then I was reminded of the sweet blessings that come from having a family.
There are many blessed moments when it is like a fairy tale...for a short while. And it's those moments I cling to when I'm struggling to remember why I chose to be a mom. It's the good times that help us make it through the hard times.
A thought came to me after praying today. It was this: I should try to involve my 7 year old in helping me bake or cook. So, with Thanksgiving coming this week I think it's a perfect time to allow her to spend some time helping in the kitchen. I'm thankful for prayer and for a loving Father in Heaven who sends us guidance.
And so to start my day off with a bit of a boost I listened to Rachel Platten's Fight Song up loud while I did my planks. It helps me remember that I CAN DO THIS!!
Have a beautiful day!
I met my knight in shining armor and what could be better. Nothing. Right? Then we had our first child. And we were so happy. Until that little tiny bundle started screaming all the time. And some days I wondered what I had gotten myself into.
There have been many days over the past 17 1/2 years when I have questioned my decision to have a family. Of course those doubts usually float away almost as quickly as they come. I know in my heart that this is exactly what I was meant to do and where I was meant to be. There is so much joy. Happiness. Laughter. Smiles. And love. There are days that it really is a fairy tale.
Recently I have been really struggling with my seven year old daughter. She is a sweet and wonderful angel at school, on the bus, and at church. Almost as soon as she walks through the door she begins growling at everyone. Stomping her feet. Screaming bloody murder at them when things don't go her way. And throwing huge temper tantrums that I would expect from my 4 year old.
The mornings are unbelievably rough. I've tried so many different things to try to get her to be more pleasant and happy. I've played soft music. I've rubbed her back. I've snuggled with her. I talked calmly while she whines and gets angry at me. This morning after 25 minutes of trying desperately to get her to get dressed, I finally yelled.
I absolutely hate when this happens. As soon as I allow myself to give away my control, to the unseen evil one, I know I've made a mistake. I feel awful. And I dislike it.
This morning I ended up in tears. I want so badly for her to make good choices. I want her to be happy. And yet so many mornings have ended with me blowing my top and getting angry.
I've been pondering and praying daily about this. But this morning's prayers were different. I was desperate as I plead with my Heavenly Father for ideas. For solutions. For guidance and answers.
And when I was weighed down in my sorrow at allowing myself to make poor choices, I picked up my sleepy four year old and she sweetly said, "I missed you mommy," as she snuggled into my shoulder and sucked her thumb, while rubbing the edge of my t-shirt. And then I was reminded of the sweet blessings that come from having a family.
There are many blessed moments when it is like a fairy tale...for a short while. And it's those moments I cling to when I'm struggling to remember why I chose to be a mom. It's the good times that help us make it through the hard times.
A thought came to me after praying today. It was this: I should try to involve my 7 year old in helping me bake or cook. So, with Thanksgiving coming this week I think it's a perfect time to allow her to spend some time helping in the kitchen. I'm thankful for prayer and for a loving Father in Heaven who sends us guidance.
And so to start my day off with a bit of a boost I listened to Rachel Platten's Fight Song up loud while I did my planks. It helps me remember that I CAN DO THIS!!
Have a beautiful day!
Friday, November 20, 2015
Perspective is everything
Last night I attended a wonderful Stake leadership training meeting for our church. (A Stake=several congregations)
Many times I have been to these meetings where they split us up. Presidents meet. 1st counselors meet. 2nd counselors meet. And secretaries meet. They then each gain new ideas that they can take home and use in their service in the church. This time, though, we all stayed together and had a fantastic discussion. The discussion was based on an article called "The Fourth Missionary" by Lawrence E. Corbridge.
This article talks about missionary work and what kind of missionary we want to be. The Stake Relief Society presidency applied it to each of us and how we fulfill our church callings. (A "calling" is a job in the church that the Bishop or Stake President asks us to do.)
They were speaking and asking questions and I was madly scribbling down notes. It was all about self improvement. We all can be better people. None of us is perfect. We each have room to grow, learn, stretch and improve. And I LOVED how these awesome sisters presented it. (Sisters:this is how we refer to women in the church...we are all sisters in the gospel.)
One sister in the audience commented (I'm paraphrasing here. I can't remember her exact words.) that when we are simply checking off our to-do list or our check list our hearts are really not in it. We are just going through the motions. Our check lists are huge. We never can seem to get them done. She said, "my checklist runneth over". Haha! I LOVED that! It's so true! When we throw out the check list and begin to really give away our "will" to the Father and allow His will to take over we will be so very blessed. And we get more accomplished. And our perspective changes.
A counselor in the Stake RS Presidency asked, "Who are you going to be"? When we are standing in front of the Savior and all of the day-to-day things are no longer "defining" us....who will we be? We are not what we do: laundry, dishes, diaper changer, mom, wife,chauffeur, cook, baker, etc, etc, etc. Who are we really? What are our qualities? How are we becoming more like the Savior?
I love that this really made me think about the person I am becoming.
I loved this quote that was shared:
"The Lord works from the inside out. The world works from the outside in. The world would take people out of the slums. Christ takes the slums out of people, and then they take themselves out of the slums. The world would mold men by changing their environment. Christ changes men, who then change their environment. The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature." By Ezra Taft Benson
There was a time a couple of years ago that I used this phrase a lot: "It's all about perspective!" I love that this lesson changed my perspective and helped me to see some of the things that I need to change in my life so that I can become more like the Savior. Perspective is everything!
Image by Greg Olsen
Many times I have been to these meetings where they split us up. Presidents meet. 1st counselors meet. 2nd counselors meet. And secretaries meet. They then each gain new ideas that they can take home and use in their service in the church. This time, though, we all stayed together and had a fantastic discussion. The discussion was based on an article called "The Fourth Missionary" by Lawrence E. Corbridge.
This article talks about missionary work and what kind of missionary we want to be. The Stake Relief Society presidency applied it to each of us and how we fulfill our church callings. (A "calling" is a job in the church that the Bishop or Stake President asks us to do.)
They were speaking and asking questions and I was madly scribbling down notes. It was all about self improvement. We all can be better people. None of us is perfect. We each have room to grow, learn, stretch and improve. And I LOVED how these awesome sisters presented it. (Sisters:this is how we refer to women in the church...we are all sisters in the gospel.)
One sister in the audience commented (I'm paraphrasing here. I can't remember her exact words.) that when we are simply checking off our to-do list or our check list our hearts are really not in it. We are just going through the motions. Our check lists are huge. We never can seem to get them done. She said, "my checklist runneth over". Haha! I LOVED that! It's so true! When we throw out the check list and begin to really give away our "will" to the Father and allow His will to take over we will be so very blessed. And we get more accomplished. And our perspective changes.
A counselor in the Stake RS Presidency asked, "Who are you going to be"? When we are standing in front of the Savior and all of the day-to-day things are no longer "defining" us....who will we be? We are not what we do: laundry, dishes, diaper changer, mom, wife,chauffeur, cook, baker, etc, etc, etc. Who are we really? What are our qualities? How are we becoming more like the Savior?
I love that this really made me think about the person I am becoming.
I loved this quote that was shared:
"The Lord works from the inside out. The world works from the outside in. The world would take people out of the slums. Christ takes the slums out of people, and then they take themselves out of the slums. The world would mold men by changing their environment. Christ changes men, who then change their environment. The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature." By Ezra Taft Benson
There was a time a couple of years ago that I used this phrase a lot: "It's all about perspective!" I love that this lesson changed my perspective and helped me to see some of the things that I need to change in my life so that I can become more like the Savior. Perspective is everything!
A cure for boredom
Thursday was so busy and hectic that I never did get to finish my post for the day. I decided to go ahead and do it today.
Wednesday night, while the three older boys were at Scouts, my 11 year old son was so bored. Boy oh boy!! He dislikes not being old enough to participate in the fun activities that the older boys get to have at church.
It had been a very busy day. I was hoping to sit and have some time to just rest before bed. A thought popped into my head. I could play a game with him. So, I offered to play Rummikub with him. He was very excited!
This young man is so good at games. Even if I had really been wide awake and more coherent he still would have beat me. He takes games very seriously. Sometimes I tease him that I think he's cheating. But really, he's just really competitive and good at sports and games.
Here he is concentrating very hard...He's so serious...
We played two hands and he won both times. This is the face of victory!
Wednesday was our youngest's 4th birthday. This awesome kid was so sweet to his little sister and let her have complete control of the the TV and Netflix in the family room because it was her birthday. What a great kid!
And here is the birthday girl...Queen of the Pumpkin!
Have a beautiful day!
Wednesday night, while the three older boys were at Scouts, my 11 year old son was so bored. Boy oh boy!! He dislikes not being old enough to participate in the fun activities that the older boys get to have at church.
It had been a very busy day. I was hoping to sit and have some time to just rest before bed. A thought popped into my head. I could play a game with him. So, I offered to play Rummikub with him. He was very excited!
This young man is so good at games. Even if I had really been wide awake and more coherent he still would have beat me. He takes games very seriously. Sometimes I tease him that I think he's cheating. But really, he's just really competitive and good at sports and games.
Here he is concentrating very hard...He's so serious...
We played two hands and he won both times. This is the face of victory!
Wednesday was our youngest's 4th birthday. This awesome kid was so sweet to his little sister and let her have complete control of the the TV and Netflix in the family room because it was her birthday. What a great kid!
And here is the birthday girl...Queen of the Pumpkin!
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Too Funny!
I have never been funny. I am only funny by accident. I'm actually quite serious. I think it's the OCD and the introvert in me. If I'm going to put myself out there then I need to know that the response will be positive. But the response depends completely on your audience. Maybe I should simply stick to my family and close friends to try my un-clever-ness on.
Over the years I have tried to be funny. Oh boy! THAT doesn't work well for me. I'm not quick witted. In fact, when I try to be funny I get strange looks from people.
I have wished that I was funny. I wanted so badly to be able to come up with something clever to say. On a rare occasion it happens. But don't ask me to duplicate it. Haha! It's almost impossible. It's only accidental!
When someone laughs at something I say, I'm surprised. Was that really from me? Did they ACTUALLY find what I said to be humorous? Weird! haha!
I thoroughly enjoy and appreciate those who have been blessed with a quick wit. I can appreciate that it is a talent that some have been given. And I can surround myself with people who are amusing, clever, and humorous. In fact, I am blessed with a husband who attracted me to him using his humor.
We met at a singles conference held in Maine. It was the first Regional Conference held near me. My mom pushed me to go. I resisted, but eventually decided to go. As most introverts do, I needed a buddy to go along with me. I dragged my sister and a friend from church and we went. When we entered the building I spotted a girl near my age whom I had met previously and I liked. She was standing in a circle of boys. She was the only girl in the circle and seemed to have all eyes and attention on her. I walked up and said hello to her and to the onlooking boys. That evening we were learning to line dance. One of the guys from the circle, Todd, whom I had noticed, started out the line dancing across the gym from me. By the end of the lesson he was dancing right next to me. I don't remember what we talked about. I don't even remember who else was there. But I do remember that he tripped over every chair and doorway he came near. He had me laughing the entire time.
The next day the singles conference group spent the day exploring at the Portland Headlight. It's a beautiful lighthouse. On the grounds near the lighthouse are some old buildings that are really fun to explore. I walked away from the group to see if Todd would follow. Of course he did. And when he would walk away from the group, I followed him. By Sunday morning, and the end of the conference, we were together almost all the time. About 2 1/2 weeks later we were engaged. Yeah, I know, it was fast. But when you know, YOU KNOW.
Not only does he keep me laughing, but our kids have learned to be funny too. Our third son, who has Autism, is hilarious. He definitely got that from his dad!! Since we moved back to Maine, he rides to school with my sister. She has called me or texted me several times to tell me about something funny he has said.
One day she drove by his school and noticed that there were fire trucks outside. After school she asked him what happened. He replied, "Humpty Dumpty caught on fire." She said, "No seriously, what happened?" And he said, "No seriously! They were cooking eggs and POOF! They caught on fire!"
Oh! We had a great laugh about that one. HE is clever.
Yesterday I took him for his well-child visit at the doctor's office. Just before we went in I noticed that his face had black specks all over it. I asked, "What did you do in school today? You're covered in dirt!" He chuckled and replied, "We jumped in a pile of leaves." I handed him my phone, in selfie mode, so he could see the dirt and brush it off. He proceeded to make silly faces at the camera...so much like his dad. He snapped a picture and said, "Hey! It's my first selfie!" Haha! What a great kid! Then he asked if he could have his own phone. ;) Not likely. But good try, buddy!
His first selfie!
Over the years I have tried to be funny. Oh boy! THAT doesn't work well for me. I'm not quick witted. In fact, when I try to be funny I get strange looks from people.
I have wished that I was funny. I wanted so badly to be able to come up with something clever to say. On a rare occasion it happens. But don't ask me to duplicate it. Haha! It's almost impossible. It's only accidental!
When someone laughs at something I say, I'm surprised. Was that really from me? Did they ACTUALLY find what I said to be humorous? Weird! haha!
I thoroughly enjoy and appreciate those who have been blessed with a quick wit. I can appreciate that it is a talent that some have been given. And I can surround myself with people who are amusing, clever, and humorous. In fact, I am blessed with a husband who attracted me to him using his humor.
We met at a singles conference held in Maine. It was the first Regional Conference held near me. My mom pushed me to go. I resisted, but eventually decided to go. As most introverts do, I needed a buddy to go along with me. I dragged my sister and a friend from church and we went. When we entered the building I spotted a girl near my age whom I had met previously and I liked. She was standing in a circle of boys. She was the only girl in the circle and seemed to have all eyes and attention on her. I walked up and said hello to her and to the onlooking boys. That evening we were learning to line dance. One of the guys from the circle, Todd, whom I had noticed, started out the line dancing across the gym from me. By the end of the lesson he was dancing right next to me. I don't remember what we talked about. I don't even remember who else was there. But I do remember that he tripped over every chair and doorway he came near. He had me laughing the entire time.
The next day the singles conference group spent the day exploring at the Portland Headlight. It's a beautiful lighthouse. On the grounds near the lighthouse are some old buildings that are really fun to explore. I walked away from the group to see if Todd would follow. Of course he did. And when he would walk away from the group, I followed him. By Sunday morning, and the end of the conference, we were together almost all the time. About 2 1/2 weeks later we were engaged. Yeah, I know, it was fast. But when you know, YOU KNOW.
Not only does he keep me laughing, but our kids have learned to be funny too. Our third son, who has Autism, is hilarious. He definitely got that from his dad!! Since we moved back to Maine, he rides to school with my sister. She has called me or texted me several times to tell me about something funny he has said.
One day she drove by his school and noticed that there were fire trucks outside. After school she asked him what happened. He replied, "Humpty Dumpty caught on fire." She said, "No seriously, what happened?" And he said, "No seriously! They were cooking eggs and POOF! They caught on fire!"
Oh! We had a great laugh about that one. HE is clever.
Yesterday I took him for his well-child visit at the doctor's office. Just before we went in I noticed that his face had black specks all over it. I asked, "What did you do in school today? You're covered in dirt!" He chuckled and replied, "We jumped in a pile of leaves." I handed him my phone, in selfie mode, so he could see the dirt and brush it off. He proceeded to make silly faces at the camera...so much like his dad. He snapped a picture and said, "Hey! It's my first selfie!" Haha! What a great kid! Then he asked if he could have his own phone. ;) Not likely. But good try, buddy!
His first selfie!
So, on that note...I hope that your life has humor, laughter, and silliness.
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
I love it when it works!
Don't you just hate it when a favorite piece of clothing gets stuck under a wet towel and ends up with mildew on it?!?! It makes me so sad!
My youngest daughter has the cutest black and white zebra print leggings that she wears regularly. She spilled "warm chocolate" all down the front of them. I rinsed them and hung them on the towel basket. Big mistake!! They got knocked down inside the basket with a wet towel or rag against them. When I found them I thought for sure I would have to throw them away.
I soaked them in OxyClean, which usually does the trick, but the stain didn't budge. I bought a couple of lemons and followed a trick from Pinterest where you pour salt onto the mildew, squeeze the fresh lemon juice onto it and scrub it in. Then I let it dry. After washing the stain was only faded a little bit. So, I tried it a second time. No luck.
So frustrating.
Then I had a Norwex home show and my friend who was doing the amazing demonstration suggested I try making a paste out of the Norwex laundry detergent and rubbing it onto the stain. Let it dry. And then wash it. I tried that and the mildew stain got lighter, but it wasn't gone. I decided to try it again. I made a paste and rubbed it into the stains. It was a bright sunny day so I decided to lay it on the deck railing because I knew that sun could take out stains too. I thought, maybe the combination of the two would get rid of the mildew enough so that I could salvage these poor leggings.
Those leggings sat outside in the sun all day...and then on the counter for about a week. Just yesterday when my husband washed clothing he threw those in with our white clothes. I forgot to tell him to make sure and check them before drying them. This morning I was so thrilled to find that they came out clean! The mildew and hot chocolate stains are GONE!!! Yay!!!
The mildew before the Norwex paste.
After Norwex laundry detergent paste was applied two times along with sitting them in the sun the second time.
The leggings look brighter and cleaner than they have in months! Amazing!
My youngest daughter has the cutest black and white zebra print leggings that she wears regularly. She spilled "warm chocolate" all down the front of them. I rinsed them and hung them on the towel basket. Big mistake!! They got knocked down inside the basket with a wet towel or rag against them. When I found them I thought for sure I would have to throw them away.
I soaked them in OxyClean, which usually does the trick, but the stain didn't budge. I bought a couple of lemons and followed a trick from Pinterest where you pour salt onto the mildew, squeeze the fresh lemon juice onto it and scrub it in. Then I let it dry. After washing the stain was only faded a little bit. So, I tried it a second time. No luck.
So frustrating.
Then I had a Norwex home show and my friend who was doing the amazing demonstration suggested I try making a paste out of the Norwex laundry detergent and rubbing it onto the stain. Let it dry. And then wash it. I tried that and the mildew stain got lighter, but it wasn't gone. I decided to try it again. I made a paste and rubbed it into the stains. It was a bright sunny day so I decided to lay it on the deck railing because I knew that sun could take out stains too. I thought, maybe the combination of the two would get rid of the mildew enough so that I could salvage these poor leggings.
Those leggings sat outside in the sun all day...and then on the counter for about a week. Just yesterday when my husband washed clothing he threw those in with our white clothes. I forgot to tell him to make sure and check them before drying them. This morning I was so thrilled to find that they came out clean! The mildew and hot chocolate stains are GONE!!! Yay!!!
The mildew before the Norwex paste.
After Norwex laundry detergent paste was applied two times along with sitting them in the sun the second time.
The leggings look brighter and cleaner than they have in months! Amazing!
A Mother's Work is Never Done
Yesterday I knew it was going to be a busy day. I had it all planned out. It did not go according to plan. But things rarely do...and you just have to learn to roll with it.
Having a family, of any size, takes a considerable amount of work. There is not a lot of "free time". Usually what "free time" really means is something else got put on hold so that mom and dad could have some R & R. There is ALWAYS something to do.
I used to think that it was busy, crazy and hard to have an infant or toddler. At one point we had an infant, a 2 year old and an almost 4 year old. At that point we had three in diapers. Oh yeah. THAT was fun! It was constant. Diapers. Baths. Nursing. Cleaning. Chasing. Severe sleep deprivation.
I wouldn't change it for ANYTHING!
Somehow I thought that eventually things would slow down as the kids got older. I thought that I would sleep more. Haha! I thought that I would have more "free time". Well, haha, I am still looking forward to that day.
Right now I have one in pull-ups...she'll turn 4 tomorrow. All of my kids have potty trained late. And potty training is my very least favorite part of having children. They seem to know that and so they just keep delaying the inevitable...I guess.
Instead of gaining the elusive "free time" I have gained new challenges. This, I have come to understand, is simply a part of life.
So, back to yesterday...
I needed to package the venison that my husband and two oldest boys cut up over the weekend. I also needed to get to the store. And now...when I say store...I mean several stores. It's never a quick trip to the store when providing for 8 people.
We were out of milk. You'd think it was the END OF THE WORLD! And powdered milk has such a bad rep that they all wine and complain if they have to use it. So, off to the store I went, with my almost 4 year old in tow.
We first had to return the wrestling shoes that I purchased on Saturday because my 2nd son couldn't squeeze his huge feet into the tiny hole. Haha! Then we stopped at BJ's (like a Sam's Club or Costco) for several items. Next...30 minutes back into town...we stopped at Save A Lot for the items we could purchase there, for a decent price. Then to the High School to drop of the wrestling shoes to my son...who NEEDED them that day. Walmart. Hannaford. Tupperware lady. *sigh*
Then home.
Remember that meat that I needed to package...yeah. After we put away all of the groceries I began packaging the venison. I am SO thankful for that meat! And my kids absolutely love it. It's a great blessing to us.
I glanced at the clock...5:00pm already! Oh my goodness! I enlisted the help of my husband to get the meat finished while I cleaned pans...yeah dishes hadn't gotten cleaned yet...and started dinner. Dinner was finished. Next paperwork called my name that needed to be filled out and sent back.
Then we gathered the family for Family Home Evening. It's a short spiritual lesson that we have each week with our family. This lesson was about self reliance; what that means and how we can apply it. Good lesson!
By that time it was after 8pm and and passed time to get the little ones to bed. Jammies, snuggle time, hugs and kisses, and bedtime prayer.
All of the sudden it was 9pm and I knew that if I didn't get to bed I would be exhausted at 4:50 am this morning.
I've heard so many negative things about those who are able to be a Stay-at-home-mom. What I have come to realize is that it's the most challenging, most busy and crazy, most rewarding job that anyone could have. I am the cook, baker, cleaning lady, secretary, chauffeur, schedule coordinator, manager, mediator, accountant, and more. I am privileged to be able to comfort my kids when they need me. I am able to tell them I love them every day as they walk out the door and climb onto the bus. I can make them healthy food. I am able to be there when they are excited about something...or sad. I am able to teach them and train them.
What greater joy could there be in the world. Motherhood is the greatest!
Having a family, of any size, takes a considerable amount of work. There is not a lot of "free time". Usually what "free time" really means is something else got put on hold so that mom and dad could have some R & R. There is ALWAYS something to do.
I used to think that it was busy, crazy and hard to have an infant or toddler. At one point we had an infant, a 2 year old and an almost 4 year old. At that point we had three in diapers. Oh yeah. THAT was fun! It was constant. Diapers. Baths. Nursing. Cleaning. Chasing. Severe sleep deprivation.
I wouldn't change it for ANYTHING!
Somehow I thought that eventually things would slow down as the kids got older. I thought that I would sleep more. Haha! I thought that I would have more "free time". Well, haha, I am still looking forward to that day.
Right now I have one in pull-ups...she'll turn 4 tomorrow. All of my kids have potty trained late. And potty training is my very least favorite part of having children. They seem to know that and so they just keep delaying the inevitable...I guess.
Instead of gaining the elusive "free time" I have gained new challenges. This, I have come to understand, is simply a part of life.
So, back to yesterday...
I needed to package the venison that my husband and two oldest boys cut up over the weekend. I also needed to get to the store. And now...when I say store...I mean several stores. It's never a quick trip to the store when providing for 8 people.
We were out of milk. You'd think it was the END OF THE WORLD! And powdered milk has such a bad rep that they all wine and complain if they have to use it. So, off to the store I went, with my almost 4 year old in tow.
We first had to return the wrestling shoes that I purchased on Saturday because my 2nd son couldn't squeeze his huge feet into the tiny hole. Haha! Then we stopped at BJ's (like a Sam's Club or Costco) for several items. Next...30 minutes back into town...we stopped at Save A Lot for the items we could purchase there, for a decent price. Then to the High School to drop of the wrestling shoes to my son...who NEEDED them that day. Walmart. Hannaford. Tupperware lady. *sigh*
Then home.
Remember that meat that I needed to package...yeah. After we put away all of the groceries I began packaging the venison. I am SO thankful for that meat! And my kids absolutely love it. It's a great blessing to us.
I glanced at the clock...5:00pm already! Oh my goodness! I enlisted the help of my husband to get the meat finished while I cleaned pans...yeah dishes hadn't gotten cleaned yet...and started dinner. Dinner was finished. Next paperwork called my name that needed to be filled out and sent back.
Then we gathered the family for Family Home Evening. It's a short spiritual lesson that we have each week with our family. This lesson was about self reliance; what that means and how we can apply it. Good lesson!
By that time it was after 8pm and and passed time to get the little ones to bed. Jammies, snuggle time, hugs and kisses, and bedtime prayer.
All of the sudden it was 9pm and I knew that if I didn't get to bed I would be exhausted at 4:50 am this morning.
I've heard so many negative things about those who are able to be a Stay-at-home-mom. What I have come to realize is that it's the most challenging, most busy and crazy, most rewarding job that anyone could have. I am the cook, baker, cleaning lady, secretary, chauffeur, schedule coordinator, manager, mediator, accountant, and more. I am privileged to be able to comfort my kids when they need me. I am able to tell them I love them every day as they walk out the door and climb onto the bus. I can make them healthy food. I am able to be there when they are excited about something...or sad. I am able to teach them and train them.
What greater joy could there be in the world. Motherhood is the greatest!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)