Iron Lady

My Gramy wanted to see this movie for her birthday a few weeks ago so all my aunts, my mom, my sister and I had a girls date.
This movie broke my heart and has had me thinking ever since. I just read a friend's blog on a similar topic and after leaving a huge comment I felt like I needed to write my own.
The story, is of Margaret Thatcher, England's first woman Prime Minister. Her life and her love and devotion to her country. She was truly amazing but it was all for a cost. She sacrificed her family a lot and because of it,she ended up being lonely and feeling a lot of regret.
This life is so challenging and so fascinating. We have been created by a loving Heavenly Father who uniquely made us, each His own. We have been blessed with gifts and talents of which we have been instructed to learn and improve and use in our lives to bless others. And then there are these other parts like time, energy, priority, strength, and capacity. Lastly this confusing concept called balance. How do we know what it is we are supposed to do and how do we know how many other things we are supposed to sacrifice to do it?

I feel like I am always picking up after my kids. Always. They are good kids, they put away their things when I remind them, but there is still more. Always there are things to pick up. I am always doing dishes. I love to cook and bake and make from scratch and that means way more cleanup and I feel like I am always doing the dishes. I am always reading to my kids. It's so important for them during these young years and I see the benefits from it with my oldest and I am trying to ensure that for my younger ones as all. There is always a project. I am always going through bins to have more room in my closet/garage. I am always.......
You get the idea. It's not bad. It's just busy. Sometimes I remember the other things I aspire to do. I want to learn to better play the piano. Not for myself, but primarily so that I can teach my children how to play. I want to serve my family and friends everyday. Lighten their load. Bring them a good meal. I want to write a recipe book, really bad. I want to finish my nutrition degree which I haven't worked on in months. I want to have clients who come to me and I help them heal their bodies, naturally and holistically. I want to make more time to run and exercise ....

The lesson today in YW was "Attitudes about our divine roles." It was wonderful. It reminded me that my divine role as a woman is to be a wife and a mother. I thought back to Margaret Thatcher. She was a mother and a Prime Minister. How did she do that? Was she the best she could be at both? Probably not. Was she a good friend? I don't know. I can be the best mother to my kids and a good friend but most likely everything else has to wait. It just does. I can't be good at everything. My children will not be this young and this dependent on me forever. While they are now, they are my priority. They really are, even if it means that I spend all my time reading to them, changing diapers, nursing, cooking, doing dishes... it's all worth it.
The next thing that I thought about during today's lesson was Our Savior. He could have been good at anything and everything. He had that power. Yet He used his whole life to do the will of the Father. He lived his whole life in the service of others. Ministering. Picking up after, if you will. He never thought about himself. His wants. His aspiration was to serve his brothers and sisters. To bear our griefs and pains.

I love the Gospel and learning from a perfect example. I love perspective and how powerful it can be to just step back and look at things from a different angle. I feel so enlightened and so sure of myself as a mother. I will not go down in history as being anything great but I hopefully will not have any regrets either.

following all promptings

I heard a talk once that said that when we have a prompting, we should act on it. I knew that part. Then the speaker continued to say something to the effect of then after we hear it and act on it we should write it down. I do this often. My personal journal is basically a week to week reflection on promptings I received, how I acted on them, and then what happened. Sometimes the "what happened" part doesn't come for months and often I don't even notice it as the "what happened" part until I am rereading and it strikes me as the "what happened." It's all really amazing to me and strengthens my testimony of The Holy Ghost and of my Heavenly Fathers Love.

Does any of that make sense?

Not to make light of a really personal gift but here is an experience that is casual enough but that I still found compelling to share.

Last night I had amazing energy. (I have been running again, maybe that is why??) After I cut Braxton's hair I was sweeping hair up in the bathroom, which led to cleaning the toilets, the sink, the mirrors....
Then I took that same energy back into our back bathroom. This was the inspiration. I always clean bathroom #1 and rarely clean bathroom #2. A little background on the back bathroom. We rarely use it. It is attached to the laundry room and is used to store the dog food, the kids' coats, and Jeff's work clothes/boots. So this bathroom has never been held to my standard of clean. Maybe that is lame but when it is constantly getting mud tracked through it, sometimes it's like, why bother!

Moving on. So last night I did. I went back there and I totally cleaned it top to bottom. Toilet, mirror, swept the floor, moved stuff around.
I didn't think much of it except for, "wow, even if it only lasts one day this sure looks nice!"

Then this morning we get back from walking Brax to school and we are met with the ladies from church who I work with in the Young Women's. They were here for our presidency meeting. Adelle warmly greets them and then out of nowhere says, "Do you want to come see where I hang up my coat??" Of course they did, all of them! Oh my world! I was so relieved that I had cleaned up that disaster area. I honestly don't know what I would have done, had I not. It was a good lesson for me and a good reminder/wake up call!

Just for fun...

...and to ensure my 6 year old still thinks I'm the coolest mom ever!

just kidding. I am actually quite a prude, unfortunately. Would have you guessed that? It's not one of my favorite qualities so I often do funny things like this to try and beat it. It works for about 2 minutes. So, that is how long the Mohawk lasted. But, this got a good laugh out of everyone.

Dear M,

Dear Emmett,

You are old now and absolutely brilliant. I always knew you would be successful. I marvel at your handsome characteristics and how many of them you have had since you were able to reach out and grab. You have always been a man of order. When I pick you up from play dates you are always the first to clean up. When the play room is dirty you are always the one putting away. Everything has a place and I always know I can count on you to clean up and put things back. You have always been that way and it's been nice to have one of you around to help me clean up after the rest of them:)

I am glad that you no longer like to prance around in women's heels, although when I listen closely I can still hear you trampling down the hall in a pair of my most favorite. You came up with this one on your own but it always made for a good laugh. You are coordinated, that's for sure. Sometimes I feel like you can manage in those suckers better than I can.

Remember that one time back in 2011? You were 1 1/2 and I was 29 and we both woke up one Sunday morning feeling like crumb balls! I decided to fake it and put on a smile, you decided to cling to me without letting go, and cry and whine until I finally gave in and decided we were both staying home from church. You were happy after that. I was happy too. We sat on the couch and snuggled together. We read lots of books, most of them over and over and over. You said Moo every time there was a pig and I kept trying to get you to oink. No doing. You had a mind of your own alright. Then I needed to do the whole sink full of dishes and you drug the chair over to the sink to help. I let you help and you were thrilled. Before I knew it practically the whole kitchen was flooded. You wouldn't know, you were standing on the chair. I knew because my socks were wet. It didn't matter. We talked and laughed and splashed. We both had to change our clothes after that one but the dishes all got done. I think I learned more from you that day than I would have from going to church. Since then I have contemplated on the commandment in Mathew chapter 18:3 "Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."
That day I realized it was o.k to stay home sick. It was o.k to clean up one mess while making another. It was o.k to desert the rest of the world, the rest of responsibility and just be together.

You are grown now and on your own. I knew it would happen fast and I'm glad I took advantage of our naps, our kisses, and our time together. It's not the same eating dinner without you making a funny face or doing karate moves. Thank you for the light you have always brought to my life.

I love you my boy.
Mom

the love note box

So tonight for FHE we decorated this love box, as we now call it.

We decided that from now until Valentine's Day we are going to fill the box with kind words, notes, pictures.... special things to show our love to one another.

The box has a double purpose:
First and most importantly: Teaching our kids to love one another, give compliments, love Valentine's Day, get special notes from each other...
Second: My magnet board (that I love that my sister got for M for his birthday) is already filled with Valentines and I am all out of magnets!)

Now they can all just go in the BOX until the much awaited holiday is here. On which day we will all gather round and open the box and enjoy all the lovey contents!

Run Eat Kiss

Yesterday I set out to be lazy
Hang out in slippers and do laundry
read my books
play puzzles and games
recuperate a bit.

It never is as good as it sounds.

The sun was shining in my window
I dumped the lazy idea
put on a sports bra
packed a picnic
all in about 10 minutes.

New plan.

The kids got in the car
with the picnic
I grabbed a water bottle
put on my sunglasses
hit the road.

"Adelle, call daddy and tell him we are bringing him a picnic."
"We are on our way! We are bringing you a picnic!"

Beautiful drive
gorgeous mountain view
warm sun shining
Excited kids.

We drove to where Jeff was working
He played with the kids in the field
I ran laps around the parking lot
I didn't want to ever stop
EVER
But I did.

We spread the blanket
sat
ate
laughed
chased each other around
got yogurt everywhere.

Then we said goodbye
the hour was up
the needs were met
we all got our fill.

Why be lazy when you can be spontaneous?

The boys and the girls

No school for the B-Rax today. It's semester break. Doesn't mean much for Kindergartners but we will take it for what it is.

We made sure and invited Carson to come over. This cousin really misses Braxton now that he is in school everyday so we made sure they would get to play today.

It's been a fun morning. The sexes have completely segregated themselves, which is unusual for this bunch.

The boys have been racing cars and shooting hoops while the girls have been playing school and reading books. It's been fun.

Me, well I am vegging out. Yesterday was go, go, go from sun up to way after the sun went down so today I am at home, loving the sun shining through my windows and the voices of children playing.

Welcome February...