What does summer make you think about?

It's "officially" summer around here! My house is full of my three children and I know the other mothers who make this blog are FULL of summer activities and a house of kids ALL DAY LONG too! Oh how I long for the time when we have year round school! I think THAT would be awesome.

 I mean really, who in the heck needs like 3 months off? What do mommy's and daddy's that work full time do with their children? I know day camps and things are available but my goodness that would get expensive! It would just be easier to go year round... in my professional mommy opinion...so there.

Posts this summer will be sporadic due to our schedules/our lack of schedules...which really does make it that much more difficult to get a post in. Lack of motivation, lack of sleep, lack of just plain EVERYTHING! Really uplifting right??? O-well this blog is all about being real, and that is really how we all feel.

So check in now and again throughout the summer. I mean we will still be living, breathing, experiencing motherhood in HIGH doses so surely there will be a story or two to tell.....

Summer makes me think of Amanda (she's been gone almost 4 years)...which makes me think of these two angels..Kody and Allie!

 Love them to pieces and miss their mommy so very very much!

unexpected lessons from a wedding

my baby sister got married last weekend...sniff, sniff...

i expected the weekend to be busy, sleepless, emotional, full of good food, and to have to smile my face off. it was all of those things (and more)...

what i didn't expect of my sister's wedding weekend was to learn some new stuff. stuff like...

the correct pronunciation of the word "cognac"...kind of a surprising thing to learn at a safe & sober wedding, but that's what i get for having a sister with an english degree.

my grandma's plan to hitchhike back to the hotel...minus the thumb, add some leg, haha!

ibc root beer from the fountain is just as perfect as ibc root beer from a dark glass bottle.

gps is a joke. for reals, i prefer to get directions the old fashioned way...much faster, less stressful.

when put on the spot, my kids can behave just fine in a fancy italian restaurant.

apparently, cloning is totally possible and totally real.

always check your order at mcdonald's. failure to do so results in a hungry group of kids and babysitters.



and one more thing...my family has grown so fast!

Recently my sweet Belle belle said to me:

 "mommy, I want to be a mommy just like you when I get big".

I couldn't ask for a greater compliment!

Remembering the Past

As I was listening to NPR the other day one of the reporters was doing an expose on triggers of remembrance. I felt much of the imagery push me back through much of my past dropping me off along the way at many of my favorite moments. Ultimately, I felt a little swept off my feet.

    *Have you ever looked through old photographs or found an old T-shirt you use to wear in High School? *Have you heard a song playing or taken in a deep breath of a awesome familiar smell? *Or even just looking at one of your kids reminds you of how old they have become?

Sometimes the past is difficult, and even a bit painful to remember. At times it is because it was dark and lonely and hard, or it was beautiful and funny and a once in a lifetime moment! No matter how it felt then...it will always make you cry now. 

I recently thought back to an important time in my life when I served a mission for the LDS Church in Ecuador almost 10 years ago now. And every time I reach back to that time....it is like it was yesterday! I can hear the sounds and smell the smells...

I remember the first family I taught who lived in a cane shack on stilts.

They were so humble and unaware of the huge world around them and they were even less aware of all the things they DIDN'T have!

Yet, they were grateful for every morsel of food and every loving embrace and every cheerful smile.

 I also remember....

Being the tallest person, everywhere

(except when we were around other American Elders)

And the most sweetest women I ever met. One (left) with such a sweet spirit that she walked 3 block in cold rain to fetch water and matches just to make me a warm drink. The other (right), her mother, who had lost one leg to a simple illness and prayed for the missionaries to come every Sunday to read to her from the scriptures since her and her daughter were illiterate.

And then...

...my final thought rested upon my favorite companion that became one of my most dear friends.

There is nothing I could say that would help anyone understand the love that I have for her.

Her heart is so pure, her conviction is so true, and her love was so genuine...

The outfit she is wearing in this photo may seem strange but it is her native dress...she is a full blooded Otavalo Indian (Native Ecuadorian). Her people have been blessed for hundreds of years with miracles and witnesses of God.

So, you can see that Remembering this Past is not done lightly, or quickly. Parts are painful and parts are extremely joyous, yet as my tears flow for each part, I am glad they came and I pray they will stay forever in my heart.

*keep your memories close to your heart and remember to make room for new ones*

Will You Be Swimming This Summer?!

If you plan on taking your little ones, or a friend's little ones...this is a necessary read!  Click the very large link below...  Have a safe summer!

...drowning DOESN'T look like drowning...

we're all in this together...

it's an age-old battle...okay, maybe just decades-old...the battle of "stay @ home moms" vs. "working moms"...

you know what i mean. whether we've been involved in a full-blown war of words on a daytime talk show, or a private gossip-ish phone conversation with our bestie, or even just had the thoughts in our heads...we moms (women) are pretty good at passing judgement on others of our kind. why do we do this?!

i've heard s@h moms accuse working moms of not loving their children. i've heard working moms call s@h moms lazy. i've heard s@h moms point the finger of "materialism" at working moms, and working moms say that s@h moms have nothing to contribute to the world. and many more, you've all heard them too.

harsh! and in every case i know of, totally false. i believe the truth is that we have more in common with each other than we sometimes think...we are all moms! at the end of every single day, when our babies are snuggled safely in their beds, we mothers are just hoping we have done the best thing for our families.

we serve chicken nuggets and frozen lasagna and homemade enchiladas...and we love our children.

we push them on swings and set them in front of the t.v. and drop them off at preschool...and we love our children.

we take them to the doctor and take them to dance class and send them outside to be bored...and we love our children.

because really, whether you stay home or go to work, don't we all know the exhaustion of having a newborn? can't we all recognize that look on our child's face that says "i'm gonna blow"? doesn't every mother's heart go pitter-patter when their preschooler marches off in a backpack bigger than they are? doesn't every mother wonder how to manage the pile of papers that come home from school? don't we all know our kids' favorite lullaby? doesn't every mother wonder how that laundry pile got so flippin' huge? don't we all hope our kids have good friends? can't every mom tell the difference between a mad scream and a hurt scream? in the end...don't we all want our children to be happy and grow into wonderful big people?

we're all in this together. we might go about it in different ways, but our end goals are the same. moms...and all women...can be a powerful force for good and awesomeness in our world, and i'm proud of that. stay @ home moms, working moms...we are moms, and we are the same.

Secrets of Being a Good Mommy {part 3}

Last, but certainly not least...

{part 3} of "Secrets of Being a Good Mommy"...

If you want to read {part 1} just click here!

If you want to read {part 2} just click here!

As you all know I don't want to  paraphrase what these lovely mothers had to say... 

I hope you enjoy this as much as I have!

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"What's the secret to being a good mommy?"

Here's what lovely mommy #3's response was:

"The poem (especially the last verse) that I used to read so often is this:

Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,

Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,

Hang out the washing, make up the bed,

Sew on a button and butter the bread.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?

She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I've grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,

Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye loo.

Dishes are waiting and bills are past due

Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo

The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew

And out in the yard there's a hullabaloo

But I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo

Look! Aren't his eyes the most wonderful hue?

Lullabye, rockaby lullabye loo.

The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow

But children grow up as I've learned to my sorrow.

So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!

I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

-Ruth Hulburt Hamilton

This has been my philosophy - always make time for your family.  THe rest of the world will spin on by - and there are always many good things that can take away from your children far too often.  My husband and I decided we would be satisfied with less material things and swap those things with Mommy-time.  Even though I remember the times I took the sofa cushions off to find loose change to by mild (did NOT enjoy those days), I remember with much satisfaction the hours of coloring, learning to write numbers and letters, sewing doll clothes, and such with a house full of happy children.

It's really a state of mind - let me give you an example.  When one of daughters was only 3 months old, I had a kidney stone and had to be hospitalized for a few days.  I was nursing my little baby, my other daughter was 20 months old, another was 3, and another daughter was 4.  I was so sad - and knew that I had very little to offer the Lord as far as what I would do or give Him if I could just get better and return to my little home.  My husband and I had very little materially, but I remembered that the Lord simply asks for a broken heart and a contrite spirit - I had both of these.

So I made the Lord a promise - rather a covenant.  I told Him that if I could get better and go home, I would never, ever, again watch a soap opera on TV.  Seems like a silly thing to covenant - but I knew I could be a better mother if I was not watching such things as soaps in my home.  I also promised that I would never, ever, again complain about sweeping my kitchen floor, or washing dishes.  NEVER.

Now, because I decided to change my state of mind about two rather mundane things, I have been able to keep these promises to the Lord.  I have never again watched a soap, and I have never again complained about housework.  NEVER!

In return, the Lord has blessed me so abundantly - well, you know.  The Lord is never in our debt - He blesses us for each small sacrifice, for each righteous decision.

Mercy - that was more than I intended to write, Jaz!  But I have really enjoyed reflecting for a few minutes.  I've had my daughter's children for a few days while that are in DC, so my house looks unusually disheveled this morning!  I think I'll go turn on some pretty music and wash a few more dishes.  But then again, if my grandson wants to go upstairs and play a game of boxing on the Wii, well, that might take priority!!

I love you - I love that you are trying with all of you might to be a wife and mother.  Thanks for giving me an opportunity to reflect.  I've got a big smile on my face.

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That was worth the read, wasn't it?

I know being as fabulous as this mommy is a rare thing...but wouldn't we all be the better if we just tried?

I wonder what her children have to say about her?  I'm sure they sing her praises!

I've heard her husband refer to her as "Mother Theresa" on more than one occasion... 

She is what I would like to be kind of like as I grow in this magnificent calling as a mother!

I love how she kept her promises!

I am a lucky lady to even know her!

I hope you all enjoyed what these wonderful mothers had to say.

Their advice is priceless and can help us grow in motherhood to be the mothers we each strive to be!

Till next week...

Summer Safety!

Last Monday on Memorial Day the fam and I set out to Silver Dollar City. As we entered the gates with the crowds of other people I began to have a little bit of anxiety. You know, mommy fears started playing in my head about one of the kids getting lost or accidently separated from us. I briefly took a few minutes and went over rules. I told them to "stay with us", "hold hands", "be safe". I also told them if they got "lost" from us to find a person with a brown name tag, someone who works at SDC and ask them for help. Or they could find another mommy, a lady that had children with her, and ask her for help. I asked them if they understood and they said "yes mommy".

Well as fate would have it, my "mommy fear" became a full blown reality. We were entering our last ride of the day before we set out for ice cream and then home. All of the children were with us when we stepped to the back of the line at the American Plunge. Taking steps closer to the begining of the line Matt looks around and asks "where is Kenny?". I shockinly look around also and responded with "oh he probably got ahead of us and is up further in the line". Matt went and checked the whole line, came back and still no Kenny. I went into total emergency mode. I barked out some orders to Matt, took Belle and Matthew to their grandparents who were waiting for us down a bit from the ride and grabbed Grandpa Jetty to help us in the search. Matt went one way, Jerry went another and I another. After about 10 minutes of searching since the time we realized he was gone, I notified park security.

As I admitted to the worker that I needed help in finding my son I could feel myslef losing it. I pulled myself together and quickly understood that my emotion would not help the situation. I also couldn't deny the feelings of pure peace that immediately came over me when the situation first presented itself. I knew he was ok and that he would remember my instructions from the begining of the day and that he would ask for help. I knew we would go home that evening together with a great lesson learned.

25 long minutes of Kenny being totally gone, with the help of the SDC security and workers we found our little man. As soon as I saw him I wrapped my arms around him and looked him straight in the eye and asked "what happend?".

For anyone who knows Kenny they know that he of all my children is a "rule follower" a sweetheart and most of the time a true little angel. I guess that is why I just had to know "what happened". I believe he was in shock as were we all and really didn't answer my question, but throughout the rest of the night and for several days after we kept asking.

He told us "I wanted some lemonade and I thought mommy was getting me some". He also said "I found someone with a brown nametag and he helped me".  I highlight that because that is what made me the MOST proud. He listened to me and he remembered what to do.

So since last Monday I've been online looking at ways to keep children safe. I came to understand that just because a child is a little older doesn't mean you can "trust" that they will in fact stay with you. Kenny will be 7 in just a couple of weeks. This is a great age for curiosity and a feeling of independance. He probably had a thought, and then just went with it because he felt big enough to do so.

This summer, with your little ones and your bigger ones, please stay safe. I will from now on be using a wristband around the kids' arms that has all of our contact info in case of another emergency while we are in crowded places.These are inexpensive and durable (click on the link to check them out...many styles to choose from and other fun id things too) Also, remember the importance of talking to your children about safety and have a plan!

Most of all have a FUN filled Summer with LOTS AND LOTS of memories!

The Answer to "If Men are Born That Way"

YES!
Here is an example...

I was playing cars with my son the other day teaching him how to "drive" his cars on the floor and the furniture and his arms and legs and head. We had a good time for about 20 mins. and then we went to change his diaper. As I took off the dirty one and grabbed for a clean one my son promptly took his car and began to "drive" it all over his balls.
All I could do was laugh.

Ahh, that's a man for you!

snacky snacky

summer break has descended upon our house...ahh, the lazy days of summer! swimming, inhaling popsicles, grilling, and that delicious scent of sunscreen...the best parts of may-september!!

the only thing about having everyone home all day is that everyone is home all day. right?! and my kids have this amazing talent...(for reals, i think we should take it on the road and show our stuff to piers morgan on the big stage.) they can empty my pantry and refrigerator in 2 hours flat. no joke. makes me crazy like a monkey!!

i've taken to being a little ocd about food around here...i plan out our entire menu for the week, 3 meals and 2 snacks a day. kinda crazy, but not nearly as crazy as a summer-long free-for-all in the kitchen!! i don't know about you, but we get bored with our snacks/meals around here pretty quick, so i'm always trying to mix it up...and be sorta nutritious...and please everybody...like i said, crazy!!

here are 10 of our favorite snacks, to help you pass the long summer days...:)

1. strawberry bananas--sliced bananas with strawberry jello powder sprinkled on top. this is a huge hit with everyone!! and sometimes we try different flavors of jello, but strawberry is the best.

2. trail corn--popcorn, mini chocolate chips, craisins, quaker oatmeal squares cereal. this is a yummy combo!

3. jello & cool whip--not especially filling or nutritious, but yummy and cold.

4. homemade lunchables--also known as cheese and crackers :) we usually add pepperoni and slick it right up!

5. fruit kabobs--everyone makes their own...our favorite fruits to use are strawberries, grapes, apples, oranges, pineapple, bananas, mango.

6. smoothies--who doesn't love a good smoothie?!

7. dry cereal--it's not just for breakfast!!

8. frozen yogurt--we freeze gogurt tubes or the kids put a spoon in a cup of yogurt and freeze it that way. they think they are having popsicles or ice cream, and i'm off the hook to give them dessert!

9. fruit pizza--sugar cookie dough, cream cheese & sugar frosting, fruit slices on top...we like kiwi, strawberries, bananas, pineapple, apples, blueberries...you can find recipes online, and you'll be hooked forever!!

10. cinnamon sugar tortillas--i use whole wheat tortillas for these, 100x better! cut tortillas into strips or triangles, spread with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon & sugar. put under the broiler until butter is melted and tortillas get a little crispy. be careful, these are addicting :)

happy summer snacking!!