Mommy

I found this post from March 2012 that I hadn't finished.  I has a lot to do with what I was actually thinking about writing today.

Getting kicked all night by the kids

Sleeping on the floor next to monkey just to get some sleep.

Kissing the poopy finger (without knowing it was poopy) after it just came out of the diaper

finding dried poopies in the closet

catching throw up in your hands

It makes me laugh a little bit because after 4 kids and 3 years since I was having those thoughts I almost don't even think about those things anymore.  It just comes natural to deal with all those sleepless nights and bodily fluids gone wrong.  I have learned to just roll with shoes on the wrong feet and somebody going commando after an accident.

I took my kids to a trampoline park today and was sitting there watching them jump while I tried to hold baby Lincoln back from jumping straight out of my arms.  I watched all smiling young mommies with their toddlers and had a flood of memories of life with 1 little toddler.  It always seemed like an overwhelming task to take care of one kid yet it was pure joy.  Just as it is today.  Just grateful Heavenly Father allowed me to ease into it.

Speaking of good mommies I remembered another thought I had this summer that I wanted to write when I had a second about a grandma I observed at the swimming pool with her grandkids.  She was in her swimming suit along with them jumping around in the toddler area with the small child and I just saw pure love in her eyes.  I also saw a grandpa riding a scooter with his grandson who was also riding a scooter at the park.  Both were clearly enjoying themselves.

I just had to have a little mental note to my old self to remember those times I witnessed and always, always remember that THAT is what matters.  Quality time spent, not money, not toys, just quality TIME.  Love it.

Putting on our Armor

A month or so ago as I was sitting through church I remember hearing somebody just casually say during a talk that we are in a war.  I have heard that phrase a bunch of times over but this time, thanks to the Spirit, it hit me like a ton of bricks.  I remembered a picture I had at home that I had intentions of framing and putting in the girls room and just haven't yet.  

We have struggled with a consistent time to read scriptures together.  Most of the time we just weren't doing it because it wasn't habit.  I decided I needed to be reading with the kids before they leave to school to arm them for whatever battle they would face against Satan that day.  I explained that to the girls and told them we needed to give them their shield and their helmets through prayer and scripture.  Somehow when we put it in that perspective it has become easier.  

Every day we sit down and read 5-10 verses as the girls eat breakfast and if I put it first we always make it to school on time.  I just love how the Lord blesses us like that.  I also can stand confident that I have helped arm them for the evil temptations that are lurking about all over the place.  I hope we can stay in this habit so my girls and boy can be strong.  

New Years Resolutions

I was reading over last year's post about my New Years Resolutions and can just feel how overwhelmed I felt at that time and it makes me so thankful I am not carrying that anxiety anymore.  It was difficult and made me have compassion toward those who have a constant struggle with it.

I wanted to review the goals I set last year and make sure I set some new ones for myself.

2014 Goals:

Increase personal prayer.  I am still so terrible at kneeling to pray!  I did start a prayer notebook though to help me remember all the things that are constantly in my mind to pray for.  It helps when I stop to pray to focus better.

Do initiatory and an endowment once a month until April and then do my best after that.  I did enough.  I am satisfied.

Be a better mom by spending time teaching, disciplining and rewarding my kids more.  Did way WAY better here.  It makes my heart so happy that I have improved in this area.  I see big improvements in my family and in myself from working on this.

Get at least 1 year blog book done!  (Bonus points for all 3 years)  Sadly - no blog book.

SURVIVE.   Hooray for survival with a newborn!

2015 Goals:

My main goal this year is to be more healthy by losing some weight and developing better eating & exercising habits for myself.  I know if I do this for myself I  will in turn be more conscious about it for my family and they will, as with everything, follow my example.  I am not setting any certain numbers of pounds lost or anything, just changing habits.

Health would be my word for this year.  

Along with this I would like to:

Teach Molly how to read.

Help Alissa get ready for baptism by teaching WELL PREPARED gospel principle lessons in our FHE.

Spent time listening and talking with Ella (dates or just quality time) to maintain trust and friendship.

Continue to schedule time away biweekly or weekly with Dustin.

Sledding

After Christmas we got to spend the week with Dustin's brother Alan's family while they stayed at our house.  One of the days we went to Iona Hill with 2 other brothers families and went sledding. 

 I got Lincoln all dressed up to come out but he only made it about 5 minutes before his cheeks were super red.  It was 0 degrees.  So we sat in the car and watched and took pictures most of the time.

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He had fun there.

And Molly soon joined us.

The kids always have so much fun going sledding and I sure love watching and remembering how much fun it used to be screaming down that hill.  Now it just makes my back hurt. :)

Thankful for this good man who pulled the kids over and over up the hill while his face got wind and cold burned.  He would bring them past the car so I could see their cute faces and try to catch a picture.  Love him!

Family Newsletter & Sunday Journal

One thing I did right in 2014 was keep good records.   One Sunday as I sat through a church meeting as they were talking about family history and I realized I may not be able to do research and family search like that right now but I can keep my own family history and teach my kids to do the same.  So along with the blog history I have had the kids sit down every Sunday and do a weekly journal along with a picture.  We started the beginning of June and I believe we only missed 1 week.  It is a treasure!!

Aside from that my sister came up with a brilliant idea to start a family newsletter with my parents and siblings to send to my grandma and grandpa who have permanently moved to Utah and developed Alzheimer's disease.  Each month Heidi and I take turns making the family newsletter which started in April and continued every month.  I finished us off in December.  This is what they are like though with a page for each family.

It makes me feel at ease that we are doing a great deal of family history work right here.  I am thankful for my family and for the gospel which unites us with common purpose.  

Crawlers Knee

My baby learned to crawl this week.  Like hands and knees really crawl.  For some reason whenever he gets to something taller than himself on his knees he thinks he needs to stand up so he's been bonking his head all over the place.  Maybe we should strap some knee pads and a helmet to him for a few weeks.  :)  Love this boy.  I sure was content with him sitting still.   he he

Health Challenge

I haven't quite figured out all my New Years Resolutions, but without a doubt getting more healthy was top on my list.

I want to be a better example for my girls and teach them how to eat more healthy.

I want to feel more confident.  I want to feel more energetic.

I want to be in better shape so I can more easily participate in activities with my family.

These are the main reasons that have made me decide this should make the list this year.  So I joined a little Health Challenge put on by a girl in my ward.  There are 48 participants and everybody is put into teams.

Each day we track:  exercise, fruit/vegetable intake, water, no eating after 9pm, be in daily contact with somebody from your team, journal writing, scripture reading, prayer/meditation, avoiding sweets & junk food & daily adherence to a diet program.

I feel like all these things will help me prioritize my life just a little bit more and get me on track to taking better care of myself so I can better care for my family.

I plan to try to use this as my journal a few days a week to get my blog caught up from all the fun activities we have been doing lately.

I can do it!

Christmas Vacation

Yay.  Lincoln loved going for a ride in the baby stroller 

We spent the day after Christmas playing with our new toys and putting together a bunch of Legos.  

Dustin's nephews wife was visiting from Germany so  few of us went and got a quick pedicure and thoroughly enjoyed some down time.  However, by the time I got home there was about 5 men and 10 kids in the house plying games which meant my party was over.

Ella does a great job being the older cousin and organizing fun games for the little ones.

Alissa and I did a quick birthday shopping one morning while the rest of them slept in from their extremely late night of game playing.  Saw this giant Olaf.

New Years Eve we had yet another party.  I helped the girls make these paper headband hats for everybody to wear.  YAY Happy 2015!!

The men went ice fishing while we took the kids to Rexburg to Fat Cats and went bowling and mini golfing & arcade playing.  It was a fun time.

Dustin and the guy went to Hagerman, MT to go ice fishing.  Aparently Mikyle, the only kid who went, was the only one who had much luck.

They always have fun though and stopped for some Big Judds on the way home.

Of course with Pam and Alan's teenage kids my kids learned all about "selfies" and took about 1000 in the few days they were together.

Pam & Alan brought Lincoln this cute Ninja Turtle bib and cape with matching socks.  We love them.

Although the week is exhausting and we have to spend another week regrouping and napping whenever we get the chance, we sure love having family come sty with us and spending time with everybody.  I especially feel blessed that I have such a great in law family.  I love them and am grateful for all of them.