Life's Greatest Blessings

This is me and my sweetheart...

No, I am not smiling...

And yes, he is trying hard to make me smile.

On this particular day, I was 30 minutes shy of snatching an opportunity to go out with my Mom and sisters to a musical.  Being a mom of four children, homeschooling them, looking for a job, feeling overwhelmed and undernourished...I needed this time.

My husband was sad for me....but insisted that I go alone to the temple to be near God instead...to cheer my soul.

It worked!

I already look back at this photo and think, "Baby girl, just smile...when you look back, you will see that it's all okay.  All is well."

I have so much to smile about.

This was a mixture of art and science for us in school....

Art properties and the story of the creation to start off our home school endeavors with God's blessings.  Every day is focused on God with us....every single day!

On this day, I layed with my baby girl in bed, watching Dora while she found a new love for cottage cheese.  She dipped her fingers into it at one time.  When she heard the worry in my voice over cottage cheese all over her and the bed, she immediately said, with great cheer, "Oh sorry Mommy!  I'll go get a spoon!"  This angel can hold her own emotionally...she is a tough little one!

This si her learning to use her cutting skills on items that I go, "Phew" with when i find them!  Thanking God it wasn't my quilts or her clothes....though it was once her big sisters hair!

I find strength in this little dude.  He lives to bring smiles upon faces.  He lives to sing, dance, move and create!  This was his focus activity while watching General Conference...the focusing lasted a good.....10 minutes!

With all of the heartache life has hand delivered at our door, I have asked The Lord in turn to allow me to have joy in my posterity.  I have been blessed with amazing children.  My perfect son was taken so soon but gives me hope and literal assistance as my guardian angel; those who've lost children can probably understand the deep reality of that statement.  My two older sons are simply a delight; I sat with them today and learned in our studies.  I spoke in a funny catching accent for the entire science lesson.  At one point I diverted into our fitness plans as a family.  I said, "You boys are getting big and gorgeous, and I just wanna be your little Mommy that you love and adore!"  Connor looked at me with such affection and said, "Mommy , you're already really tiny!"  Tonight, we measured our feet....his toes officially curl around my feet; at ten, he will glory in outgrowing me, but still beg to sit upon my lap so I can cuddle him!  I pray this never changes!  Not too long ago, my Angel Aiden begged me to go on the beaten weed infested dirt to gather flowers for me!  He is truly an angel!  As soon as I say, "My boys make me whole," I have little girls stealing my heart with every word of empathy, wisdom, and love they exemplify.  Lydia understands like a mother already.  Her ability to look at a character in a book and say, "she's really lonely huh?" or "he must feel sad," is truly a gift from God.  And then I have Maya, my little Angel.  She is perfect in every way.  I have been blessed with what matters most, children who love and adore me.  I can understand and relate to them on every level.  When I see them cry, I can't get frustrated and angry, for the most part; I honestly start to feel the sorrow that brings tears upon their cheeks, and all I desire to do is take the pain away.  To be a mother can literally make up for every loss and heartache life brings!

Not long ago, Lydia told me, ": Mom I want to be closer to Heaven!"  Of course, my reply was, "Me too sweetie!"  She then followed it through with, "Mom, I want to go to the temple so I can be closer to Heaven!"  I was speechless, a myriad of emotions swept through me.  From her symbolic place in our family, following her brother's death, to her sacred birth in Daddy's arms far from any medical care, and into her deep innate desire to speak of Heaven, the temple, and Shane unceasingly....I was left with feelings words cannot express.  Her brother chimed in, "Lydia, by choosing good things and making right choices, you are already closer to Heaven!" Again, words did not come, for I was taught from the mouth of babes all I needed to know!

Amusement Parks!

My thirty third Birthday....in pictures!

We took the kiddos to Cliff's!  ALL I wanted was fun for the babes...and I got it!

I actually had quite some fun as well!

Thank you to my sweet husband who works so hard so that we can have an occassional outing!  It's been a hard year...hoping for good and peaceful times ahead!

My Boys...My Cubs!

It is a great thing to find activities for the cubs that allow them to just SMILE, LAUGH, RUN, and PLAY!  I am of the mind that you can throw in the many aspects of becoming leaders, learning in time to become physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight, with fun and exciting activities.  There is definitely time to reflect and quietly ponder upon truths, but if you catch a boy in his youth with love and lots of PLAY (because believe me, that's what is truly important to these kiddos in the end anyhow) you have a shot at keeping them on a path of progression and happiness.

From pack meeting to den meetings, there have been creative juices over flowing!  I am so grateful to work with some brilliant minds...and when all of our minds come together, it creates so much fun and energy! 

 The WEBELOS have been busy with their craftsman goals.  I am incredibly impressed with how innate this calling is to the WEBELOS den leader, Ben Sego.  They are always using their hands to create something valuable or fun!  I loved watching Connor meticulously sand and spray his shelf; it reinforced the knowledge I have of him from the first few years of his life to now.  Connor is attentive to detail, strives for perfection, and wants to do it at his own slow and and peaceful pace; Connor is a son of God who thrives off of order and plans, what a great way to lead out in a family!

 I took my scouts on a hike this past week.  We practiced a few knot tying skills, talked about first aide and then began our hike.  It was 1.5 hours rounds trip, and even the babes (Lydia and Maya) made it with red beautiful faces and wobbly legs...oops, sorry...that was my face and those were my legs!  I have one cub scout who loves to take in the beauty of his journey.  I made them buddy up as is required for safety, and Aiden exercised so much patience in allowing his buddy to sit and draw or write about where we were on our trek...he let his mother know that if we got lost it would be a document of our journey for all to know.  I found such a deep admiration for him, to feel the courage to just be himself and create a fun experience for himself above and beyond a simple hike, and I felt a great honor in my son; Aiden is a mover, but instead of complaining when his buddy wanted to sit still, he walked circles around him....over and over again!  These boys are so darn cute!

 Of course when we got home, the girls were ready to be bathed and have beautiful hair!  I spent way too long making them look just darling!  It was worth it though...their smiles were priceless!