Here we are

I know, I really need to post a pic. Oh, and you would be so happy to see little Julia with her wild hair and crusty baby face! But, I'm lazy, so this is all.

Tom and I finally had a "first moment". For date night we finished the baby shower details, caught up on our show AND THEN (here comes the first moment)-- sat on the couch him on his iphone, me on the lap top. And we just surfed the net, quitely, looking in on the other, small chat...
It's after midnight and he just left. At first, when the clock chimmed 11 I thought we should be so dutiful and get our buns in bed, but sometimes it's nice just not to have to do anything, be anywhere, not doing ANYTHING! I'm sure I'll pay tomorrow, but tonight it was nice. It was. Here we were, just enjoying the night together after we enjoyed the earlier night together. And now, I'm going to bed to enjoy sleeping by his side (why is it two people need a double when they both sleep so close they could share a twin? But, hey I'm holding out for my king someday. It can get squishy when you find a child wiggled in)- it's just nice. Wow, 12:30 just hit me like a ton of bricks.
OHHHH, wait...I also had another first! I went on my FIRST Field trip with my eldest! Eh, it would have been less exciting had Paul not come. Lydia only cared about her friends and wanted me to see her from a distance, which is okay. BUT Paul had a formal invitation from the principal to come and he thought I was the cat's pajamas. Get this: The Magic School Bus Live. It was a play and it was great. And yeah, I cried riding the school bus home because there's the first and I love it and I love being a mom.

A happy heart

I've been focusing all my attention on the bringing up of my children. Of course my kids are the focus of my universe, I am their mom afterall, but I've realized I'll never get a second chance so in the last year I've tried really had to simplify my life (which is not easy and really hard to say "no" to things that are just clutter).

It's really hard not to yell. It seems IMPOSSIBLE to not get frustrated. And, for a General like myself, at times I'm beside myself with frustration. It's really hard to take the time to explain and talk through responding to feelings. We've come up with things that we do as soon as we feel angry. We've come up with ways that we can talk about are feelings. Shoot, we've even talked about what feelings are. Yes, there is a child in our house that doesn't really understand all of that yet and therefore can't communicate their emotions like they would like. I will just say that it is truly, truly very humbling. It takes all of my emotional and physical energy. Infact, I have to have time to be by myself to just cry a little because I'm simply exhausted. But you know what I've found these last two months? There's a different feel in my house. We are all a little more intimate, a little more courteous, a little more happy and a bit more flexible. Here's some quotes I keep near my heart as I try to mold our young breed.

"Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not get bent out of shape."- Buck (you should watch the documentary)




"Discipline and encouragement, not discipline and discouragement"- Buck



Elder Nelson  on Disciplining your children




“By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile—



“Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an

increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy.”20



When a child needs correction, you might ask yourself, “What can I say or do that would persuade him or her to

choose a better way?” When giving necessary correction, do it quietly, privately, lovingly, and not publicly.

If a rebuke is required, show an increase of love promptly so that seeds of resentment may not remain.

To be persuasive, your love must be sincere and your teachings based on divine doctrine and correct principles.



Do not try to control your children. Instead, listen to them, help them to learn the gospel,

inspire them, and lead them toward eternal life. You are God’s agents in the care of children

He has entrusted to you. Let His divine influence remain in your hearts as you teach and persuade.
 
And this quote is more for me personally but it fits in parenting too. I love this quote. It is my favorite.

Pres. Hinckely- "We know not all that lies ahead of us. We live in a world of uncertainty. For some, there will be great accomplishment. For others, disappointment. For some, much of rejoicing and gladness, good health, and gracious living. For others, perhaps sickness and a measure of sorrow. We do not know. But one thing we do know. Like the Polar Star in the heavens, regardless of what the future holds, there stands the Redeemer of the world, the Son of God, certain and sure as the anchor of our immortal lives. He is the rock of our salvation, our strength, our comfort, the very focus of our faith."

Happy Birthday Tommy

No birthday pictures this year, well, not yet. Tom spent his birthday in Sun Valley for a conference. Like I do every year I get to gush about the man that I love. This year I just want to mention some great things I've learned from Tom. I think that's the best compliment anyway.
the list: Thanks Tom for:
Teaching me slow and steady wins the race. This man is a pacer. I'm telling you. If Tom has to report to a surgery by 7, he's there by 6:45. Every time. Every day. If it's 5, he's there by 4:45. If it's noon, he's there by 7 anyway. I just love that he's consistent. I love that he gets his life organized in a way that he can accomplish all that is required. And then he still helps me, and is playing with the kids.This is really a big thing that I've learned from him this year.
Smell the roses. When Tom comes home I'm a whirl wind. I've been on the floor playing with the kids, sharing snacks, talking, doing homework and it's time to get dinner going, get the house picked up. Da,da,da,da,da...march, march, march. SO, not always do I run to the door waiting for prince charming (but sometimes I do) and when Tom comes in the kitchen it's not uncommon for him to recieve a whisk, dirty diaper, or a crying baby. But, he never fails to stop me and steal a kiss. It's just those little things that he does. I think I'll start waiting by the door more often, I sound really heartless!
Well, a kiddo is up, which means I'm done. Here's the bottom line: another year has come and passed and I'm noticing more everyday why I married the guy.

The sweetest things

So, you want to know why I don't post a lot, right? Well, I have a hard time uploading pics from the camera, then to the blog. AND, if you aren't posting pics who cares right? Yeah, except I still love to read posts without pics, so you just may have to hear me rant and rave without beautiful pictures...until I get organized to get all my pics on my jump drive. Okay, so I'm suppose to be in bed, but I just laid there in pain (you know the womanly sort) and decided since I couldn't sleep,  I miz'well be organizing something...and I may miss Tom a little.
 While I was organizing my email I found some pics that Danica took 3ish years ago. (OH Danica,  I love you to bits!)

Mary once commented that life flys by too quickly and she can't stand seeing her boy grow up so fast. At the time it felt like they'd never get older (at the time they were 2 &3ish). But, look- my babies are no longer babies. It's one of those times that you can't decide to cry and ache or smile and be glad. In the end, I'm going to shed a little tear just because as a mom seeing your children as babies-you see so much. And you remember so much- I can hear Paul's giggle. But I'm much more glad. And content, I don't wish it went (still going) different; even when I wish I had learned lessons then that I know now. You can't help growing up with your kids, and you can't beat yourself up about it. Instead, I'm glad I sat with them. I'm glad we ate a million apples and went to the library to pull all the books off the shelf. I'm glad that I've had to vaccuum a million crackers, fruit snacks, crayons out of my car. I don't care. I love eating together, even in the car. I'm glad we had playgroups, park days, and that they slept in my bed more than they should. I'm glad of the times we watched tv together and I'd kiss and smell their heads. I'm glad that we'd read "oops" a gazillion times. I'm glad for dimpled hands that I'd kiss and eat and put all over my face. There was one night Tom was gone. It was, way past bed time-like 10pm. The kids were up, just wouldn't go to bed and I was done. My shift was over. So I pulled out this left over rootbeer from who- knows -where. We all sat down on the kitchen floor and passes around the liter and ate graham crackers. It was the best time ever. I bet you could cut the air with scissors the love was that thick.

Here's to children, the sweetest things.

FOR THE LOVE!

Today I went to town on the computer- sent off christmas letter, cleared out emails, and then I come to update this lovely blog. I decide to do two posts. Well, the best one full of Christmas FUN TIME pictures got blipped and took forever to load up anyway. Wow, do I have a love/hate relationship with this dang blog.

Umm, also I just want to be anal and point out that I don't always type a horribly puncuated greetings letter. Okay, maybe I do, but also I had a kid on my lap. That counts for something, right?

AND there was something else I wanted to say and can't remember now. Bumdedummer. Here's another bummer, it's snowing.
Okay, look at this. A picture finally downloaded. Geez-Louise! Aren't they super cute with frosting and candy all over? I love Christmas, it's so easy to make time go by when your husband is gone so much. Simply make 5,000 gingerbread houses. See, problem solved. Just enjoy the sugar drop. Yes, that's my favorite part too.

Okay, one more thing. Paul exclaimed today as we were looking at houses, "It's Snoofy!" (how does Charlie Brown get roped into Christmas decor?) and then Lydia says, "Oh, Sloopy!". BAHAHA it was so funny!

Indy Trip

In Sept Tom had to go to a conference,

so we all went. Here's the children's museum

Here's the dish Paul broke at the restraunt. Yes, he looks sorry about that, right?

Here we are at the museum with the orginal Bubble Bee. cool.

Yes, we were all making faces while we waited for our food...and then Paul broke the dish. I'm sure our waitress hated us.

We couldn't miss the Brick Yard.

and here I am

Yes. Here I am about ready to update our lives and then I hear the pitter-patter of little feet. For crying in my soup! Can't a woman catch a break?!!!

Ummm, yes I'm Thankful for my children. There ya go. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.