The Better Part

I was looking through some old drafts that I never posted and found this blog entry I wrote when Parker was just a newborn. For some reason I forgot or decided not to post it.  After looking at the tender moment in the picture. . . it startled me as I read the first line.  "every single room in my house was a mess . . ."  Long gone are the feelings of wishing my house was cleaner.  Did I end up with a clean house that day . . . who cares.  Oh what I would do to hold that little newborn of mine again.  He was so small, so happy to be here and so beautiful.  I decided to post this as a reminder to me . . .  remember the better part.    

It makes me think of the poem cross-stitched on my Aunt Lisa's wall when I was a teenager. . . 

Cleaning and scrubbing 

Can wait till tomorrow

Babies grow up

We've learned to our sorrow

So quiet down cobwebs 

Dust go to sleep

I'm rocking my baby

Cause Babies Don't Keep!

When I took this picture, every single room in my house was a mess. No exception.

I just caught them looking at each, talking to each other.

Gazing at each other totally oblivious to everyone else.

It was a beautiful moment.

A Little Lesson

I'm so glad I stopped cleaning and picked up the camera.

Cool

Clara keeps us cool at dinner by whipping up green shakes for us on a regular basis.
She's been taught how to make those nutritional shakes most of her life.
But after a fun "how to" session with the achievement day leaders,
 it all of a sudden became pretty cool to make those frothy drinks for us night after night.

A Little Lesson
Thank you Achievement Day leaders for making cool green shakes cool.
Now here are some suggestions for future lessons...
weeding the garden
practicing the piano
Saturday chores
playing with younger brother
So far these activities have not reached cool status yet.

It All Happens in the Clouds

Our youth activity was going to be held at our place on Tuesday evening so I quickly zipped over to the church to pick up a few things for the activity with my six year old travelling companion Benjamin.

As we drove into the empty church parking lot...

Benjamin:  Mom where are all the cars?
Mom:  It's not Sunday honey, nobody is here.
Benjamin:  except Jesus.
Mom:  what?
Benjamin:  Jesus, He lives at the church.
Mom:  Are you sure about that?
Benjamin:  Of course.  He also lives in heaven with Heavenly Father, but he comes down to be in the church when we are there, so we can be close to Him.  As he travels through the clouds he becomes invisible.  That's why we don't see Him.  But he's here.  Then when he goes back home he is normal again.  It all happens in the clouds Mom.

A Little Lesson

Over the years our children have come up with wonderful ideas of how things work in the big picture.  I never question. The older I get the more I tend to believe they are probably not too far off the mark.

Dear Mom

Dear Mom,

I understand you might be a little frustrated.  When I broke your violin-playing-music-figurine from your childhood I was just trying to play with it gently.  Honest. It's strange how it's been in storage all these years and so soon after you  brought it out I broke it.  Weird. It sure was neat watching it twirl around like that to that pretty song.  Incidentally,  my ability to climb up on things is coming along nicely, wouldn't you say?  I know you love me so much and this is just one of those moments we will laugh about hysterically when I am in my twenties.  I promise.  Until then, hang in there mom, only sixteen more years before I leave for my mission.
                  
                                Love, 
                                Parker

It Bites!

More than our first car,

more than our second car,

more than my church mission to Japan,

more than Craig's church mission to the Bahamas,

more than our whole family flying to Australia in first class. . .

is the combined cost of my teenager's braces.

A Little Lesson

They don't even have very crooked teeth, just lop-sided bites.

Yes, sometimes you have bite the bullet and pay for lame things like braces, drain tiles & alternators.

Frequently I had to bite my tongue when I would see them eat candied popcorn, toffee and caramels.

( 2 years is a long time! )

The day Jordan went to the ortho to get them off was a bit of a nail-biter,was it going to be worth it?

Check out that new $8000 bite!

Awesome ...I didn't want to take my family to Australia anyway.

Sharing

 Parker and his good buddy Carter at the Canada Day Ward Picnic. . .

   "Carter do you want to play with my football?"

 "It's super fun, my big brother Jordan and I play all the time!"

"Actually yep, nope, I'm just going to take this back now, I've decided against that idea..."

"What?"
"I'm not even two yet.  I'm not even going to think about sharing until I'm four."

A Little Lesson:

Is it possible for the caboose of a family to ever learn to share?

Even when all odds are against them?

When tired mothers tell all other offspring to give them WHATEVER will make them stop screaming . . . while driving to basketball, dance, swimming, seminary, school and church?

Hmmmmmm

This mom believes kids should NOT be taught to share . . .

Lost

Emily challenged her big brother to a push-up and sit-up competition.  

She lost.  

A Little Lesson

I won't say how badly she lost, but I will say three weeks 

of all-you-can-eat-Netflix doesn't do anything for your abs.

(Parker couldn't resist getting in on the action.)

Word

I know, I know, word clouds are yesterday's news, but I still think they're pretty awesome.

You can click here and do one for yourself for free online.

Each of these words represent something I love and enjoy or something I once loved and enjoyed.

What beautiful words these are.

A Little Lesson

But let's be honest, there is usually another whole set of words that can also describe us . . . 

how on earth did my kitchen get so messy?    d i s c o u r a g e d
what do you mean you didn't eat any of your lunch?   a n g r y 

why is gaining weight so much easier than losing it?   f r u s t r a t e d 

are my kids really going to fight about this?  d i s a p p o i n t e d 

did I honestly just spend that much money at Costco?  e x h a u s t e d

did my kid really just smell the dinner I put in front of him?  f e d   u p 

What we choose to think about will always make all the difference.

Let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly . . .

D&C 121:45

Nature

It's in our nature to have a full calendar with plans weaving in and out of every chunk of time.
Last night it was sprinkling and cloudy so we loaded the kayaks and headed to the lake. 

We didn't worry about what we were wearing or what we were doing, 

we just dropped everything and got in the car.  

The beach was empty but we filled it quickly with laughter, squeals of delight and the odd quarrel.

Good Times.

A Little Lesson

There are about five Albert Einstein quotes that I love and suspect 

have literally shaped how I look at the world.

This is one of them.

Amen to that.

For the Love of Pete!

If you ever call my house and I don't answer.  Cut me some slack.

A Little Lesson:

This is the THIRD time Parker has covered himself in handfuls of vaseline from our vaseline tub.  If you're wondering, it takes approximately two hours of bath time, and two rolls of toilet paper, to bring Parker back to a semi-normal state.  It is a reflection of three truths. 1. Parker loves the feel of vaseline all over his body.  2. Parker has too much time on his hands.  3.  I still have some child-proofing to do.