A website I like

Up until the time I became a mother, I liked getting up early. I didn't like staying up late, and habits from seminary, early classes at college, and my mission were pretty ingrained. After serving a mission I still got up and studied scriptures in the morning, and I still went to bed way before midnight most nights.

Then I got married and had kids. With each successive pregnancy, I have started staying up later after the kids are in bed and, as a result, sleeping in later in the morning. Hence the stories of my kids scrounging to find themselves something for breakfast and my perpetual state of tiredness.

Over a year ago, I started rereading the Book of Mormon as a parenting guide and looking for ways to be a better mother and more effectively teach my children and lead them to Christ. That has been an eye-opening experience for me, and yes, it has taken me over a year of sporadic reading to make it all the way through.

Several months ago I started feeling like I really, really needed to get some things in my life in order, and reestablish habits I had let slide, like writing in my journal and regular personal scripture study. (Hey, we read the Book of Mormon with the kids, so that counts, right?) Keeping a semblance of order in my home also became very important to me. Nothing says "I love you" like clean underwear. Or a clean plate to eat from. Or a bed to sleep on.

Then I crossed paths several times with a website that, when I finally condescended to take a look, has completely changed my attitude and given me some much needed tools and a place to start with getting my home in order, both literally and spiritually. I feel like I'm the mom again, not just some crazy, sleep-deprived, reacting, yelling mess running around like a chicken with its head cut off trying blindly to put out fires. (I will always have my days.)

Enter (don't knock it 'til you try it) the FlyLady. I'm still a "FlyBaby" by her standards of home organization, because I've been working for four or five months on the one month's worth of beginner baby steps. It's surprising what a difference shining my sink at night makes when I get up in the morning, or how making my bed in the morning makes me feel when it's time to go to bed at night.

I am only just beginning to understand how little whispered promptings to make changes at this time in my life in areas that I can control are having a larger effect on my attitude, understanding, and preparation for experiences in my life that I cannot control.

A still life

Ellen wanted to take pictures of Rose all by herself. She caught her personality (and all of her hippo teeth) surprisingly well.

Unless she's sleeping, buckled into a car seat, or strapped into her high chair, Rose is never still.

She spent about five minutes learning to walk and then proceeded directly to running. She's had more head bumps, bruises, and scrapes than my two other children combined.

Her eyes have looked like this since the day she was born. I suspected then that there was something this child has that Jack and Ellen don't. She's part firecracker. She also communicates and understands us very well. Her limited speaking vocabulary of Mama, Daddy, baba, donde esta, Jack, Ellen, and various other interchangeable syllables has never kept her from letting us know exactly what she wants.

Rose is a social laugher. I don't know what else to call it. Since she was able to laugh, she has always joined in, even when she has no idea what we're all laughing about. And sometimes when we're all riding quietly in the car together, I hear a loud "ha, ha, ha!" come from behind the driver's seat. Apparently she likes to liven things up a bit.

Life will never be boring with you in our family. I'm glad Ellen captured you for a moment!

I scream, you scream, we all scream. . .

for ice cream.

This was probably dessert the night the kids had cake for dinner.

Making a cake is a family affair.

For my birthday, Jack wanted to make a cake with the kids. I have no cake mixes on hand, but I do have a good basic cookbook. After looking through it, Jack realized he had no idea what kind of cake I like. That's because I don't like cake, really. But I told him if it had to be cake, to make it lemon. He said that was the only one he was actually considering making. See? He does know what kind of cake I would like, if I liked cakes.

This look is typical Jack Jack. Imagine a statement with teenage-attitude coming out of his mouth in a high, squeaky, little boy voice. It's quite hilarious sometimes. Where do my kids get an attitude? I have no idea (fingers crossed behind my back).

Jack Jack is probably thinking that if Daddy would only let him be in charge, the cake would be done by now.

See that egg in Jack Jack's left hand? Not only do we suspect he is left-handed like his Daddy because he consistently chooses to use that hand, he is also an egg-cracking pro. Because of his extreme interest in egg-cracking, Ellen has jumped on the bandwagon, and I have had to institute taking turns cracking eggs. Good thing we eat omelets or pancakes almost every morning.

Ellen got to zest the lemon. The novelty of it made up for not getting to crack an egg.

Yes, that's my boy sitting in his favorite spot: the kitchen counter. It's a little blurry, but he really is so much cuter when he smiles, and this was the only one I got.

The lemon cake with lemon icing turned out really yummy. We had enough cake for several days, and I wouldn't be lying if I told you that the kids might have had cake and raspberry sherbet and milk for dinner one night later in the week. It was probably the day I took the kids swimming, and we were all exhausted, and Jack Jack was so tired from swimming that he slept in until a record 10:00 a.m. the next morning.

I left him sleeping (Jack was home, of course) and took Ellen and Rose with me for a quick grocery store run. When we got back, he was . . . on the kitchen counter, making himself something for breakfast. It might have been cake.

Thanks for the yummy birthday cake!

Latter-day Prophets

At the end of our Gospel Art Book are pictures of all the prophets since Joseph Smith. Jack and Ellen wanted to know who all those old men were, so I sang them the "Latter-day Prophets" song I learned when I was little. That song immediately supplanted the hymn "How Firm a Foundation" as Jack's number one song request. "The Ox Cart Song" has been pushed to a close second.

Ellen said to me one day, "Look what I can do!" The next time she wanted to sing it I caught the video. Pretty good singing for a 4 year old, when the entire song is composed of 16 uncommon names.

Latter-day Prophets

Latter-day Prophets are, number one,

Joseph Smith, then

Brigham Young

John Taylor came third, we know, then

Wilford Woodruff

Lorenzo Snow

Joseph F. Smith, remember the F,

Heber J. Grant and

George Albert Smith

David O. McKay was followed by

Joseph Fielding Smith

Harold B. Lee

Spencer W. Kimball

Ezra Taft Benson

Howard W. Hunter

Gordon B. Hinckley

Thomas S. Monson

These are the latter-day prophets!

Can life get better than this?

I started this blog very, very reluctantly and skeptically just over two years ago. It's not my journal. I'm not keeping a record of my kids' growing up for my kids. I keep track of roughly how many people stop here, but those numbers don't matter to me.

One day my grandmother emailed me to find out how things were going and asked me if I had a blog, because she loved seeing pictures of my cousins' kids on their blogs. Very shortly after that, I started uploading pictures and writing little synopses for my grandmother.

Recently, three of my children's great-grandmothers have told me that they stop here frequently and enjoy seeing how our family looks, what we are doing, and how the children are growing.

When I first logged on to start blogging, I got to one of the first steps: name your blog. I sat at the computer for a few minutes and then gave up. A few days later I decided on a name, not because it reflects what my life is like every moment of every day, but because when I really think about what I'm doing during this season of my life, and what I may wish I were doing at this moment, and I am very honest with myself, there really is nothing of substantive importance that I would rather be doing.

In the past few days especially, turning my thoughts to complaining seems to come a little quicker than thinking of all I have to be grateful for. But every time I look at my own blog, I am faced with the question, "Can life get better than this?" And every time, I already have the answer, "I submit that it cannot."

Weighty responsibilities outside of my family are temporary, opportunities to grow and learn more about myself and who I would like to be, and ways for my children to learn about serving others and sacrifice.


Prolonged periods of working towards and waiting for more stability in temporal matters are also temporary, opportunities to develop and demonstrate faith, self-reliance, and skills that are necessary for any season of life. And I have to laugh at my past self.

Before I was married, I figured I had probably missed my opportunity to be a poor, starving, young married couple, whose lean days early on helped them grow closer together and develop a strong foundation for the rest of their marriage. I was disappointed that I would probably marry someone my own age, also finished with school, working, or that I would never marry, and that I wouldn't get to experience those character- and marriage-forging moments.


Then I met Jack. We are not starving, but we are definitely poor. And we have definitely had some trials by fire, with more to come, I expect. Be careful what you wish for.


All I really need to be happy is to remember, as a friend so beautifully puts it, that I am my children's (and my husband's) home. I have come to appreciate and love the idea of making a home.


I worked several summers during college and after my mission as a counselor for the BYU Continuing Education Department's Especially For Youth program. I heard a counselor say "I wish I could be an EFY counselor for the rest of my life." The session coordinator's response was something to the effect of, no you don't. You want to go on with your life, have your own family, and make every day like EFY for your own children.

I wish I could say that I have gotten to that point, and every day at my house is as fun, exciting, uplifting, motivating, and filled with learning and spiritual growth as a day at EFY. But let's face it. I'm not just the counselor. I'm also the cafeteria, laundry, first aid station, and security. I teach classes, give devotionals and firesides, and organize transportation. We do have our EFY moments, though.

I know could be a better mom. I could be a better wife. I could be a better housekeeper and homemaker. I could be a better lot of things.

But all things considered, with what I've been given to work with (my own self included), and the help I am offered constantly through the Savior's perfect grace, can life get better than this?

I submit that it cannot.

Happy birthday to me!

The best birthday presents ever, to date:

Number 1: Jack Jack wrote "Happy Birthday Mommy" on a card all by himself. The child has never so much as shown an interest in writing his own name. And it's completely legible. And now front and center on the fridge.

Number 2: This conversation while I was working on the computer, Ellen was coloring a birthday hat, and Jack Jack was helping Daddy make a birthday cake for me:

Daddy: Just a second. It's for Mommy. How much do you like Mommy?

Jack Jack: I . . . like . . . her . . . for . . . twenty . . . seconds! (Jack Jack speaks slowly, especially if he's thinking really hard.)

Ellen: Mommy, I like you for twenty-five seconds!

Daddy: You're supposed to say, "I like you forever."

Priceless. Thank you for the cards, calls, notes, and good wishes.

Summer fun

Our public library sponsors fun activities to promote the summer reading program and spending time at the library. We would go to the library anyway, but this makes it more exciting for the kids. They never know what's going to show up there!

Jack was pretty excited about the petting zoo we found on the front lawn.


They even provided food for the animals so you could feed them. Jack actually wanted to feed them. Shocking, I know.


Most of the pictures are of me feeding the animals. I do not get excited about petting zoos or animals licking my hand.

Since I had my hands full (literally), I asked Ellen to keep Rose from running into the street. She did a pretty good job of keeping her near. Then Rose realized that she actually recognized those animals and loudly yelled "Baaaaa" at me, until Jack, who was taking pictures, got my attention with, "She's trying to talk to you." She was even more excited that I was listening and responding to her yelling "Baaaaaa" over and over and over again. It's one of the words she can actually say, in addition to her awesome dog imitations.

Rose

This is typical Rose

a.k.a. Rosie, Rosie Posey, Ro-ro, Rosie doll, mamacita. . .

She wasn't really feeling the photo op. Hence the look on her face and the restraining grip on her leg. At some point she had a clip in her hair, but we're currently in the orphan hair stage. Ellen went through it at this age, too.

Feeding frenzy

We took some extra bread with us because Grandma and Grandpa Starks live near a pond where we've been before to feed the ducks.


We actually had more luck feeding the fish, (koi, I think) turtles, the occasional bird,


and this monster turtle. Just its head is as big as the rest of the turtles.


We love you, Grandma and Grandpa Starks!

Working with Grandpa

Grandpa found this old wagon and kept it for a project with the (great) grandkids.

Grandpa demonstrates the general idea.

Ellen and Jack, covered in Grandpa's old shirts courtesy of Grandma, take turns helping Grandpa paint.

Jack Jack is pretty happy with the result. I'm thinking it's a good thing we don't own any spray paint at our house.

Why this grandpa is great!

We went to visit Jack's grandparents for Memorial Day. From the moment we arrived, Grandpa Starks had my kids busy. This man understands the family business completely and thoroughly.

Ellen was enthralled with the tour and detailed description of everything growing in the back yard.

Jack Jack was more than happy to help Grandpa open the work shed.

You would have thought it was Ellen's birthday when she got to push a wheelbarrow with Grandpa and transport needed supplies around the yard.

Jack Jack told me and his dad that he wanted to live here in Grandpa's work shed. Makes perfect sense to me!

Later Grandpa showed Jack Jack how to mop a floor to dairy standards after Jack Jack spilled half a gallon of milk in the kitchen. "I wanted to get a drink of milk all by myself," he sobbed to me. He calmed down pretty quickly when he saw Grandpa in action. Grandpa is the epitome of how I as a parent want to react to similar situations. I'm not there yet, but I have many opportunities to practice.

And that's not all we did! More fun with Grandma and Grandpa Starks to come...

Really? I mean, really?

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