Happy Father's Day!

Here's to over 8 years of being an Awesome Dad:
1. J was always great about changing diapers!
2. J spoils the boys with super fun toys since day one!
3. J reads great bedtime stories and is the best snuggler!
3. J is the best wrestler a boy could ever ask for!
4. J is the best homework helper, he never gets frustrated and always has the answer!
5. J bought property so his boys can play and work outside and get to love the land!
5. J takes the boys fishing!
6. J always lets the boys "help" when he's working outside!
7. J makes the best deserts and dinners with the boys' help!
8. J works hard so his boys always have a Mom at home!

Happy Fathers Day J, we LOVE you!

Mommy Monday!

"Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body." ~Elizabeth Stone

I love this quote, I saw it on another's blog and it reminded me of the 1st time I heard it when R was just a little one. I remember thinking, "Wow, that is exactly how it is!"

R is just so rockin' awesome! He is growing up so fast, it's just crazy! I love being his Mom, he is one fun kid to be around...

He is earning money to get an iPod shuffle (see ticker on the side)
Some chores to earn iPod bucks are: Washing dishes, mowing the lawn, cleaning the cars, cleaning the bathroom.

So right now he is washing a mountain of dishes. The other day he asked me if he still had to do the chore even if he didn't feel like making any money that day. I told him, "Yes, you have to do any chore I tell you, if you do it without whining you'll get paid, if you whine you do it for free"

So sometimes I see the "face", but don't hear the whine!

Mommy Monday!

I have 3 weeks off from school. My plans include quitting ALL pop, playing it up in soccer, organizing up the house, and working on some beads for YW camp.
But my biggest plan and most important plan is to Play It Up with my Boys! I kick-started my vacation with a fun game of Jr. Monopoly with L this morning, he kicked my butt, and now we are off to town together. I'm just going to be fun Mom for the next 3 weeks, Could it get any better?!
I love being a Mom!

Mommy Monday!

We declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God’s eternal plan.

Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. “Children are an heritage of the Lord” (Psalms 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God and to be law-abiding citizens wherever they live.

The family is ordained of God.

To read the rest click here:
A PROCLAMATION TO THE WORLD
The First Presidency and Council Of The Twelve Apostles Of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints

You Know, Just One Of Those Days!

Today felt fun and a bit crazy, with bits of relaxation mixed in. This morning I slept in a bit, then got ready for my soccer practice. I was pretty excited since J got me some killer shin guards, and last night I got some soccer socks and shorts, AND J was hangin' w/L at home so I was on my own!
I packed my bag and ran out the door, only to realize that my sign-up $ was sittin' on the counter, so went back to get it. I wasn't too late when I got to the soccer place, but as I was walking across the parking lot I realized that I didn't have my shoes, just my flip-flops! Oops...If I only had a...
So I ran to base and got some shoes on clearance and made it back with 20 minutes of practice w/the ladies. But my friend G was late too, so we stayed extra and practiced together. Boy was I dying by the time I was done! (But I felt pretty good afterwards!)
*our indoor field!*

After practice I went back to base and returned my shoes...smart or sneaky and wrong I know, but I have perfectly good ones sittin' at home! I took my time and bought some seeds before heading home.
Once home L and I planted a ton of plants outside while J was working on the back yard with the rototiller and planting grass seed. It was sunny and warm, a perfect time to get dirty fingernails and jam out to my new Ipod!
I even remembered that R had baseball tonight (I forgot last week!). So made an early dinner and went to R's game, he did pretty good, he is one good hitter!

Now I'm a bit sleepy, sore, but feeling good. My sweet heart is making a Walmart run while the boys are getting ready for bed. I've got a good book waiting for me and no homework due! J even said that he'll take L again tomorrow while I go workout and maybe go visit a tanning bed!
What a good day-even when I had my mind lapses!

Spoiled!

J just rocks! Whenever the new iPod commercial would come on I would say, "Man, that always makes me want one of those!" So then he said we should get me one, and I said "No because I didn't want to spend the $ on it right now."
So then when it would come on I would tell him, "Don't get me that! Someday I'll get one but not now"
Well, yesterday for my Mother's Day gift he got me a pink iPod Nano. I totally LOVE it! So glad he didn't listen to me and got me one!

Friday Favorites!

Hooray its Friday! It has been a long week, a few sickos, big homework assignments (not done yet), big time cleaning, and my 1st soccer practice (that I loved!), but its been one of those weeks that flew by while at the same time took too long, but we all survived and here is Friday!

1. School Play - R had his school play last night, he was so stinkin cute and funny! He was in Androcles and the Lion and played the part of Androcles. He had so much fun, and it was so fun to watch him!

2. Planters - J made me a wonderful planter and filled it with strawberry plants! He got more strawberries and wood and is going to make me more, what a great guy!

3. Clean Carpets - Yesterday I shampooed our carpet, I love it when it is clean and fresh! (We'll see how long it lasts with these country boys I have!)

4. Surprise Day Off - Yesterday R announced that he doesn't have school today, I didn't believe him at first but he was right. I LOVE it when there is no school, Hooray!

5. Vacation - Today is J's last day of work before his 2 week vacation! I'm so excited! We've got some plans, finish tiling the bathrooms, finish the garden, go fishing, sleep in a few times, hang with the kidos, have some fun, go to the Science Center...Just about as much as we can get squished in we are gonna do these 2 weeks!

Mommy Monday!

Seize The Joy by Winnie Dalley
Carpe diem—“seize the day.” As I look into the smiling eyes of my infant son and experience the warmth of his vigorous, chubby little body wriggling in my arms, I feel the fulness of the moment and sense a glimmer of eternity. I say to myself, Seize the moment, seize the day, seize the joy. A scripture naturally comes to mind: “Men are, that they might have joy” (2 Ne. 2:25). What a joy it is being a mother!

I agree whole heartedly with this, seize the joy of being a mother!

My boys are just the greatest! I love it when they are using their imagination, playing, telling me stories...Sometimes they do such funny stuff!

At the Girls Camp silent auction last month L saw this giant teddy bear that he just HAD to have. He told me, "Mom, lets just take it now so no one else does" I told him it didn't work that way, he was on pins and needles until the end. One of the sweet YW there stood by L and made sure that no one would out bid his bid! So he got it, we named him Bernard and he is just the coolest bear ever, L said he loves stuffed animals because its so fun to snuggle them and it makes him think of snuggling me!


R is always trying to be sneaky, he is always trying to scare me, too bad I have awesome Mom powers and it never works. I have overheard him tell his friend one day, "She always knows cuz' she's a Mom!" But I have to give him some credit for perseverance. On Saturday we were cleaning and organizing all day, so I was in and out of rooms, and in that "cleaning mode". Well that sneak snuck into my room and stood in my dark closet and waited very quietly. The door was 1/2 open and he was just standing there staring at me like he was this creepy kid, I saw him in the corner of my eye and it totally made me jump! He was so ecstatic that he finally "got" me after (as he said it) 8 long years of trying to scare me! So funny!

He is also into making forts all the time. The other night after I finished up an essay I found him like this:
That goofy boy, he's a bit too long for this one!

Mommy Monday!

Oops, I lost my Monday! So here is my Mommy Monday on a Tuesday!

Let every mother realize that she has no greater blessing than the children who have come to her as a gift from the Almighty,...I remind mothers everywhere of the sanctity of your calling. No other can adequately take your place. No responsibility is greater, no obligation more binding than that you rear in love and peace and integrity those whom you have brought into the world"
-Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley

Mommy Monday!

The Joys of Motherhood
By Petrea Kelly
Motherhood is joyful. It is exciting, challenging, and fun; it demands all our best efforts. Motherhood is creation of children and of the homes to nurture them in. Motherhood is partnership with husbands and the Lord. May we all catch a glimmer of the splendor we can create in our own outposts of the kingdom of God.

Mommy Monday!

Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant

Motherhood is near to divinity. It is the highest, holiest service to be assumed by mankind. It places her who honors its holy calling and service next to the angels. To you mothers in Israel we say God bless and protect you, and give you the strength and courage, the faith and knowledge, the holy love and consecration to duty, that shall enable you to fill to the fullest measure the sacred calling which is yours. To you mothers and mothers-to-be we say: Be chaste, keep pure, live righteously, that your posterity to the last generation may call you blessed.
Message from the First Presidency, in Conference Report, Oct. 1942, 12–13

My wonderful Calling:

Mommy Monday

“Because She Is a Mother”
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

When you have come to the Lord in meekness and lowliness of heart and, as one mother said, “pounded on the doors of heaven to ask for, to plead for, to demand guidance and wisdom and help for this wondrous task,” that door is thrown open to provide you the influence and the help of all eternity. Claim the promises of the Savior of the world. Ask for the healing balm of the Atonement for whatever may be troubling you or your children. Know that in faith things will be made right in spite of you, or more correctly, because of you.

You can’t possibly do this alone, but you do have help. The Master of Heaven and Earth is there to bless you—He who resolutely goes after the lost sheep, sweeps thoroughly to find the lost coin, waits everlastingly for the return of the prodigal son. Yours is the work of salvation, and therefore you will be magnified, compensated, made more than you are and better than you have ever been as you try to make honest effort, however feeble you may sometimes feel that to be.

Remember, remember all the days of your motherhood: “Ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.” 2 Nephi 31:19

Rely on Him. Rely on Him heavily. Rely on Him forever. And “press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope.” 2 Ne. 31:20. You are doing God’s work. You are doing it wonderfully well. He is blessing you and He will bless you, even—no, especially—when your days and your nights may be the most challenging. Like the woman who anonymously, meekly, perhaps even with hesitation and some embarrassment, fought her way through the crowd just to touch the hem of the Master’s garment, so Christ will say to the women who worry and wonder and sometimes weep over their responsibility as mothers, “Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole.” Matt. 9:22 And it will make your children whole as well.

In the sacred and holy name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen.

Mommy Monday

I kept having a struggle with R over washing his face. He hated to do it! Especially when I told him that when his face was dry he had to use lotion. So I got him some foaming face cloths to use instead. I showed him how to use it and told him that the it had moisturizers in it so he didn't have to use lotion anymore. He got a big smile on his face, used one and then said, "Thanks Mom, that was a pleasant experience!" It was so funny, J and I had a good chuckle over it.


L has informed me that he has a famous relative. We are big Dr. Seuss fans and after seeing 'Horton Hears A Who' he told me that Dr. Seuss is his Great-Great-Grandfather! I just couldn't correct him on it, I told him that was pretty cool.

Awesome Weekend!

We got to go play at Uncle S and Aunt M's house over the weekend. R and L have a blast playing with D, B, and A. We drove up to the MT. to play in the snow, ate delicious food, watched movies, stayed up too late, played games and was sad to have to go back home! S, M, D, B, A you guys rock!

Red Neck in WA

L is too big for strollers, and too small to keep up on a bike or walking fast enough to keep up on my walks, so he gets to ride in the wagon. Buddy is too big and has too much energy for me to ever wear him out on a walk. So we got him a harness and attached him to the wagon, he does all the pulling for me, and gets worn out in the process! Buddy is spoiled, when we turn around he won't go again until I give him some water in a bowl (on the side of the road) and he won't pull the wagon on the dirt part of the road by our house (I guess he's too good for that!) L is spoiled too, he gets to play with R's DS, and he has a pillow to sit on! We get a lot of smiles and waves on our walks.

Here is a pic of L riding along, he got a bit tired at the end, and here is our "Red neck horse and carriage".