The Language of Love

Troy is coming home today! I am glad to have him home. Things are just not the same when he's gone...plus that raising six kids alone is NO FUN!

So in honor of his homecoming, I am borrowing this quiz from Lisa's blog. It is based on Gary Chapmans's Five Love Languages book, which I HIGHLY recommend. It was an eye opener for me to read because the way that I THOUGHT that I felt love and the way that I ACTUALLY felt love were different...so I'd spent a lot of time asking for the WRONG thing!

It is also a nice little reminder that the way we feel love is not always the way our spouse feels it...so we need to make sure that we are telling them that we love them in the way that matters most to them...

I think Troy's trouble is that I have so dang many ways that I feel love, he can't ever get ahead.

Here's the link if you want to take the quiz. I'd love to hear your results.

And here are my results:

I feel loved when...

My Primary Love Language is Words of Affirmation

My Detailed Results:
Words of Affirmation:	11
Quality Time:	8
Physical Touch:	7
Receiving Gifts:	2
Acts of Service:	2

Sunday Musings

So today we had a 5th Sunday combined meeting with the Priesthood.

The topic was food storage and emergency preparedness.

But for me, the topic was more of following the promptings of the spirit.

We have all heard for years that we need to work on our food storage. We have heard that we should prepare ourselves...temporally and spiritually for things to come.

And frankly, this is one area where I don't think I am doing very well.

I think that when you don't grow up in the Church, there are some things that just don't come naturally...like food storage.

And so, rather than dive right in and learn, I have put it off...and more often than not, I end up feeling like one of the 5 foolish virgins who doesn't have enough oil for my lamp.

So today, my lesson is, start now. Listen to the spirit. Prepare.

Food storage...yum.

Ta Da

So, here it is. My kitchen.














Thanks for your input. It turned out just like I wanted.

Warning: Mush Alert

So I was watching Oprah the other day. I KNOW, I am SUCH a woman of leisure!

Anyway. She was interviewing Seal and Heidi Klum about having a good marriage. Seal said that he considers Heidi FIRST to be his best friend and THEN to be his wife.

He said that he does this because he would never dream of taking his best friend for granted, or hurting them, or being mean or rude to them, whereas, sometimes with our spouses we are less careful about what we say and what we do.

I thought that this was a true statement. I guess its because we are so comfortable with our spouses, or so sure of their love, we don't worry about losing it...like we might with a friend...but shouldn't we be even more careful with our spouses tender feelings...and treat them BETTER than we would anyone else?

I am guilty of not always doing that.

So, I guess I just wanted to say that I feel lucky that my best friend and my husband are the same person.

(Maybe Troy has been gone too long...mushy me.)

Paint: $30, Life Lesson: Priceless

Have you ever been talking to someone and they say something to you and you JUST KNOW it isn't the truth, but instead of speaking up or calling them on it, you just let it slide?

Yeah.

Well, I don't recommend doing this when the thing that they are talking about is the paint you are about to spend HOURS applying to your walls...

So, the story?

Well, I went to Home Depot for paint. I used the Behr Paint for the brown part of my kitchen, in what they call a "sateen" finish. This is somewhere between satin and semi-gloss. It was really nice paint and I liked it a lot. Good coverage...but not super shiny.

Anyway. As you saw with the red splotches on my other kitchen wall, I had quite a variety of reds to choose from and wound up picking a Ralph Lauren paint.

Well, when I went to pick up the red paint I asked the Home Depot guy if he could show me the Ralph Lauren finishes so I could pick one close to the Behr sateen finish. Well, he took me to the Behr finish wall and told me that he would get me the sateen finish in the Ralph Lauren paint.

Now, I KNOW that they don't make the sateen finish in Ralph Lauren, and I tell the guy that I don't think it's the same finish. He ASSURES me that it's the same and I don't have anything to worry about. I even asked ONE MORE TIME for good measure and again, he assured me that it was the same.

Well guess what? It's not the same.

DUH.

Why, oh why, didn't I listen to my inner voice instead of the dumb Home Depot guy?

Well, I went back to Home Depot today and they gave me a gallon of the Ralph Lauren paint in the semi-gloss for free and gave me one additional gallon of paint for free.

So, even though it doesn't completely make up for my time, it does at least make me feel better about Home Depot customer service.

The moral of the story?

Listen to your gut, about paint and other stuff too.

The Boy Who Cried Wolf

So, Joe is getting ready to turn nine...and still enjoying scouts.

(Which is WAY MORE than his mother can say about it! But that's another post all together.)

Anyway. We had pack meeting last night (where the give out awards) and Joe received his Wolf badge and 4 arrow points. For those of you who are unfamiliar with scouts, this means that to earn his wolf he completed 12 achievements, which required him to do 58 individual tasks. And each arrow point required 10 additional tasks.

He is amazing!

And when he actually turns nine he will begin to work on his bear...new achievements, new tasks...oh joy.

The Long and the Short

So we went to the doctor today.

It was a funny little appointment.

Both Josh and Mikayla had their yearly physicals...Josh to go to Kindergarten, and Mikayla to go to Junior High.

Holy Crap.





I know I often wax nostalgic about the kids growing up, but this really struck me...even down to the types of conversations the pediatrician had with Josh versus the one he had with Mikayla...it just blows my mind.

Not to mention the fact that the doctor also got a little nostalgic, talking about how he remembered the first time I ever brought Mikayla in...for her Kindergarten physical...it's no wonder I am feeling misty.

While The Cat's Away...

So, we say goodbye once more to sweet Troy.

Last week was Paris. This week is Warsaw. What a life!

And what, pray tell will I be doing while Troy is gone?

Sitting on the couch and eating bon bons?

Not me.

Because I am truly INSANE, I am going to be painting my kitchen.

The hideous orange is gone.

In it's place?

Four shades of red...because I just can't make up my mind!

(I will of course be picking one, but wouldn't it be fun if I were really going to paint it this way?)

Got Hygiene?

Not us. Just cavities.

We spent the afternoon at the dentist. It takes two visits for the dentist to see all the kids. The big ones went today (Mikayla, Emma, and Joe), and the little ones go next week.






And it doesn't matter how many times we remind the children to brush their teeth, or that they ACTUALLY do brush...they still end up with cavities, and gingivitis, and an assortment of other mouth problems.

At least we are keeping the dentist busy...and wealthy. Just our family alone will probably pay for whatever fancy car she might want to purchase.



Just think of all the stuff I could have bought with the money we have spent on the children's teeth...no, seriously...you know I wouldn't trade the kids for just anything...hehehe.

P.S. Aren't these pictures of the kids AWESOME? Lucky for me, my children, unlike Lara's, don't know how to blog, so I shouldn't be seeing any retalitation any time soon.

Sunday Musings

Easter has not always been a special occasion for me. Before I became religious, it was just another day...but now, trying to live a Christlike life, the day has new meaning for me.

And now, having children, I also enjoy the secular side to Easter. I love watching the children color eggs and go Easter egg hunting. Their joy is contagious.

But as I reflect on the deeper, more sacred part of Easter, I hope that I am teaching my children how to enjoy both the secular and the sacred.

Today's Sunday School lesson was about magnifying our callings, and what kept coming to mind was how it doesn't matter what our calling is...everything we do should be about bringing ourselves, our loved ones, and those that we know to Christ. If what we are doing isn't furthering that goal...then we probably shouldn't be doing it.

I am not saying that there isn't a purpose for fun and frivolity, for even these things can bring us to Christ...I am just saying that we shouldn't care more about the program than we should for the people we are supposed to be serving.

This lent itself nicely to learning in Relief Society about having a broken heart and a contrite spirit.

As I progress on my spiritual journey, and experience highs and lows, I have to say that I am currently in somewhat of a low. It isn't really a low, but it seems low compared to the spiritual high that I have been riding. And it is taking some adjusting.

I think that I could do so much more to serve my Heavenly Father. I'm not beating myself up, I am just saying that I know I can and should do more. As was pointed out today, the only thing that I have that is truly mine, is my free will. And if I am willing to do what my Heavenly Father wants me to do, then I am making the ultimate sacrifice that is available to me.

So that's my goal.

As I think of my Savior and I remember why He came and why He died, it makes me think of why I am here and why I live...There is purpose in my life, and I think that as I really remember that purpose, I will continue to progress and be better.

What joy and hope the Atonement brings and I am grateful for it.

Kid-isms & a Troy-ism

Becky on dinner: "That's belicious."

Emma on Troy dining in France: "You're so lucky. You probably got to eat a lot of French Fries."

Troy on blogging: "I want to ask you something...but you have to promise not to blog about it."

Now, where is the fun in that?

Great Minds

So, last night was the first meeting of our new book group (It was Anne, Andrea, Emily, and Shaunae). I am SO glad that I went. It is hard for me to spend time reading, just for pleasure, right now. I have so much to squeeze in that if I haven't even read my scriptures, I can't justify reading something else.

But I love the idea of a book group. Getting to talk about things that are intellectually stimulating. Being challenged, and discussing things with people whose opinions might not be the same as mine. Maybe learning something. Maybe just escaping with a good book.

We read Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. It was an interesting read. I can't say that I loved it, but much of what she said resonated with me. Having purpose and direction all my own has been hard. I am more than just the sum total of the roles that I play.

I've taken some guff for my "blog addiction", but I don't feel badly at all about it. It is my creative outlet. I have always enjoyed writing and this has been my chance to express myself and be creative. I LOVE that! And I am making a lasting record for my family at the same time.

I guess what I got from the book was that she felt like we needed to take the time to do something for ourselves that helps us to be complete. For her, she needed to be alone to find what that was. I don't need to be alone. But I do need time to create and be expressive. And I am better in all my other roles when I take that time!

And look at the spread that Emily made. Good friends, good conversation, good food. All excellent reasons to go to book group!

I'm Not Fat, Just Tired

So I was watching the Today show this morning and they were talking about losing weight. (If you are interested, see this.)

Well, recently, I have fallen off the diet wagon, and I have fallen hard! I was beginning to think that I had developed some kind of compulsive eating disorder.

I want to eat EVERYTHING and I just feel hungry ALL the time. (No, I am not pregnant, bite your tongue!)

So, what they said was that scientists have found that sleep deprivation increases levels of a hunger hormone and decreases levels of a hormone that makes you feel full.

HELLO! I haven't had more than four consecutive hours of sleep since the baby got her first ear infection, and recently between her wakefulness and Becky's cough, I rarely get more than two hours of sleep in a row.

So, the good news is if I work on getting a little more sleep (they said at least 7 hours) that my appetite might normalize...and you won't find me on your doorstep, salivating and disheveled, looking for Twinkies at 2 a.m.

Of course, the bad news is...back on the diet wagon.

Shoot.

P.S. The tubes go in on April 17. Woo Hoo!

Strong, and Proud of It

Becky came up to me and said, "Look mom, I'm frong. Frong like a boy."

(That's STRONG for those of you unversed in Becky. And this is her "frong" face.)

She said, "And look, I can jump like a boy. I am like a boy."

Now, I am not a big women's libber...I know my capabilities and I have total confidence in my ability to do whatever I set my mind to. But I don't think that men and women have to be exactly alike to be equal. I think that men and women are different but still equal...and thank goodness for that.

BUT what she said really got to me and I can't even begin to think where she got the idea that to be strong, or to jump, or to do anything else that she needed to be like a boy. In fact, I felt so strongly about it that I sat her down and talked to her about how she could do whatever she wanted AND be a girl.

I know it's silly to get all up in arms about this...she's only three.

I guess it's just my "frong" side coming out!

That's Sixty Eggs! Thank You Very Much.

Kids grow up so fast...the days pass so quickly...and before you know it, your babies are big.

Today was a good day...we had a little Easter egg hunt at playgroup. It was especially enjoyable for me because all my kids participated. And I know it won't be much longer before the older kids are too big for this stuff.








So I love that Mikayla was as earnest in her search of hidden treasure as Becky. I love that they enjoyed themselves, but I also loved that each of the big kids really wanted to help a little one in their quest.








So, while things continue to change, and I will miss what was...I am enjoying what is...and I know that I will enjoy what is to come!




And where was Katie during all the excitement?




Just where I like her.

No College Requried

This was from Andrea. It's a website that checks what level of education is required to read your blog.

Here's mine.

What's yours?

Thanks Andrea! I thought this was funny.

While the Husband is Away...

So, Troy is working...in Paris...as if you could call being in Paris work...

Meanwhile, here at home, while Troy has barely been gone two days, we have had 2 poop accidents, 3 doctors appointments, 2 children sleepover, 1 child sleep away, 1 baby sitting job, and 4 play dates.

What was I thinking? (Trying the be the "good" mom is a lot of work. Mean mom is easier!)

I must say that I don't think that it's any coincidence that Troy chose to go on vacation, oh I mean, work, while the kids are on spring break.

So some random photographic evidence of our vacation thus far:

I love this picture of my boys and Jared and Tyler. My boys are being spazzes while Jared and Tyler clamly watch. Typical. But we do love the Wii! And they were all really great on their sleepover!








And sweet little Katie. I wanted to show off her cute little teeth. She has two on the bottom, two on the top, and four ready to come it any day now.




And finally, spring has spurng. Aren't the cherry blossoms beautiful? Now if only it would get warm!

Is it gross? Call us.

There are so many wonderful things that come with having a lot of children. There are blessings, fun, and lots of love.

There is also the added benefit of getting practially every wierd disease and medical condition known to man.

Luckily, we haven't had to deal with anything too serious, for which I am extemely grateful, but if you are experiencing a strange, unusual, or particularly disgusting problem...odds are, one of our children has had it!

Why am I telling you all this?

Well, because we have our first child with a pingueculum.

A what?

Yeah, the doctor could barely pronounce it.

We took Becky to the doctor for a strange redness and a little yellowish lesion on the white of her eye. (I thought maybe pink eye, but it didn't seem quite right, because of course we have seen that before!)

Her eye is fine. The doctor gave us some drops and the redness should go away in a few days, but the lesion could take a couple of months to heal completely. He doesn't really know why she got it, but thought perhaps that it was related to an allergy. You know doctors, they mostly just guess anyway!

So, the next time the doctor tells you that you have some new, gross medical condition you have never heard of...think of us!

That's Hot

As we got into the car to go to church this morning, Mikayla asked Becky, "Aren't you cold?"

She said, "No, I'm cute."

If only we were all so self assured...and warm.

The Fun One

Playing with the children is not my strong suit. I am the mom: the soother, the educator, the cook, the helper, the disciplinarian, the task master.

Dad is the fun one.

But today, we went with Ben, Anne, Natalie, and Lincoln and took the kids fishing. And I played. And I fished. And I had a really good time. (Oh, and the kids had fun too!)

I don't know why I don't play more. It really was fun just to be focused on the kids, living in the moment and not worried about the house or anything else.

It helped that we weren't actually at home.

It was SO much fun that I think we might actually do it again!

And who knows, maybe I'll leave Dad to take care of the house and baby a little more often so that I can be known the fun one!








P.S. ALL these fish (can you see them?) and did we catch a stinkin' thing? Not one!

At Least It Was a Good Story

The actual conversation:

Me: "Becky, why does it look like someone rubbed dirt all over your face?"

Becky: "Because Joshy smashed my face into the ground and rubbed dirt all over it."

Me: "What?!?"

Me again: "Wait. Did he really?"

Becky: "Nope."

The result of this conversation?

A discussion about telling the truth, telling a lie, and pretending. She's three. I am sure that we will have this discussion MANY more times.

PS. How many times did the baby get up, you ask?

I lost track around the 10th time. No miracles for me.

2 A.M.

What do you see at 2 am?

Most likely, the back of your eye lids.

What do I see at 2 am?



I KNOW, totally cute...BUT NOT at 2 am.

Well, guess what?

I did NOT see this at 2 am last night, because this little kid FINALLY started feeling better and ACTUALLY slept through the night.

And if that wasn't enough for you, NO OTHER KID got up either!

HOLY CRAP!

And people say that miracles don't happen. Ha.

Now, I won't hold my breath and think that this might happen two nights in a row...but...there is that miracle thing.

I'll let you know.

I know.

So I was reading this blog that is written by Becky Higgins, only one of my favorite scrapbookers of ALL TIME! She has such talent and is so creative. Just one more person I want to be when I grow up.

Anyway, she hung these cute easter baskets in her kitchen and it inspired me to try my own version. So I hung these little eggs. I like em.






And here are my new Easter plates for my plate rack. Can I just say that I LOVE Target? Especially the new Super Target! Woo hoo. (How sad is that? The biggest excitment in my life is that they opened a new Target. Oh well.)

Where did the time go?

So Troy and I were at Paul and Sarah's Saturday night, and we started to talk about this huge list of movies Paul wants to see.

One of the movies that I said he should add to the list was "The Outsiders" ... which, I am still having trouble believing that he never saw!

So we started talking about all the big names in that movie and I said that Tom Cruise was in it.

Well, of course, neither Troy nor Paul believed me and Troy even went so far as to bet dinner on it.

Do I even need to tell you that I was right?

And it got me to thinking about all those things that I loved about growing up in the 80's. I know you have all seen those lists, you might be a child of the 80's if...

But I really LOVED the outsiders. I went again and again to the movies to see it.

Holy Cow, was I in LOVE with C. Thomas Howell (aka Ponyboy). And since he lived not too far away from me in Valencia, I used to hope that we might someday meet and fall madly in love. (I would say that this is akin to Troy praying that he might actually find the crysal in his barn that would in fact confirm that he was Superman!)

Other things I LOVED were:

The Princess Bride
Duran Duran
Neon
Pegging my pants
Having a haircut that entirely covered one eye
Saying things like TOTALLY, and GAG ME (with the full on valley girl sound...yeah, yeah, a Korean Valley Girl, I know!)
And, man, did I want a swatch...but no way was my mom buying me one of those!

Did you know that they have 80s dances at the high school here? It was 50s dances when I was in high school. An 80s dance? That was just a dance!

Sunday Musings

Church was really good today.

I have always enjoyed going to Church and found it to be an opportunity for reflection and renewal.

Some weeks are so crazy that the only time I have to spend thinking about my spirituality are those few moments just before I take the sacrament (and if the kids are being particularly rowdy, not even then).

We are, fortunately, at a really great stage with the kids. There is time during the week to read my scriptures and pray, and even time during the sacrament to think about the Savior and be really grateful for my blessings.

I am really thankful for that.

Today's Relief Society lesson was about repentance. While I thought it was a good lesson, at the same time I felt like it was a missed opportunity.

So many times in Church we talk about basic, gospel principles, which we all need. We even sometimes talk about deep doctrine, which we also need. But rarely do we talk about the pracical application of the principles of the Gospel in our day-to-day lives.

I know what I need to do, but sometimes I could use a little more how-to.

There was a quote in the lesson today by Joseph Smith which said, "Let not any man publish his own righteousness, for others can see that for him; sooner let him confess his sins, and then he will be forgiven, and he will bring forth more fruit."

I liked this quote because I think that this is something we are missing. We talk so often of what we are doing right, and about all the good things that we should be doing, but we rarely admit, publically, when we are stuggling and when we could use help.

That reminds me of another quote, "Finding help is easy. It's asking for help that's hard."

I am not saying that we should go around publically confessing our sins, especially the big ones! But wouldn't you love to hear someone say, "I'm really stuggling with finding a good time to have family prayer, and I could use some ideas." Or, "My personal scripture study isn't what I think it should be. I would love to hear how you do it."

I guess we can have those moments in our close, personal relationships, but I would really like to have those discussions in Relief Society. We are supposed to be sisters, and it seems the ideal place to have these type of discussions, but we don't.

I am in a good place now, but I think back to the times when going to church was hard, or when I really struggled with my testimony. I would have loved to know that I wasn't alone. That there were others who knew exactly what I was going through.

So, I am going to try a little harder to speak up...and avoid missing those opportunties. Who knows when we may get another one?

Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?

We had a really great fundraiser at school last night. They hosted a game show night of "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?"

Mikayla was one of the 5th graders chosen to play.

For those of you who have never seen the show, the game is played by adults who are asked questions from standard elementary school tests (1st to 5th grade difficulty). As the adults try to answer the questions, they can turn to the 5th graders for help. The adult can answer the question themselves, copy the answer a 5th grader has given, peek at the answer a 5th grader has given, or they can be saved by a right answer from a 5th grader if they have given the wrong answer.

It was really a fun night and Mikayla did really well.

The bonus of the evening was when Troy was chosen as one of the adults to play the game. (He was in fact the FIRST contestant, and he did better than any other parent playing.)

And the result?

Troy is NOT smarter than a fifth grader.

But really, did we need a game show to know that for ourselves?

The Other Stuff

Let me just start by tell you that I love my husband and he is a really good guy.

But really, isn't it MORE fun when I tell you about the other stuff?

Troyism #1

So I was at Costco today and I wanted to get Troy some new jeans. He currently has three pairs of jeans. Two are ones he has had for probably 10 years or more. They are his work jeans, his lounge around the house jeans, his I have a big hole in the butt jeans. They have definitely seen better days!

The other pair of jeans are ones that I bought for him a couple of years ago. They are the nice jeans that he only wears when we are on a date (so not too often). And they have recently become known as his "skinny" jeans.

Hence, the reason that I am buying him new jeans.

Anyway, I called him from the store and said, "Troy, I need to know your CURRENT waist size so that I can buy you a new pair of jeans."

His reply was, "Well, I'd like to think that I am a 34..."

Yes, well, I'd like to think that I am a size 2, but then there's this little thing called REALITY.

Troyism #2

So after calling Troy numerous times today, for really no good reason, I finally asked him, "Honey, how many times do I need to call you before you start to get annoyed?"

"None." He said.

"None?" I asked. "I don't EVEN have to call you and you're annoyed?"

"Oh, wait...that's not what I meant!"

Yeah, I know. But what fun would it be if I told him that?

Confessions of a Mean Mom

If you didn't know already, the secret is out...I am a mean mom.

This morning, as with every morning here, it was a little crazy. I was feeding the baby, trying to get Becky and Josh dressed, and notice that it's time for the kids to head out to the bus.

So, in a mad dash the kids leave for school. I finished getting the little kids dressed, changed Katie (who has had a blow out), and tried to get out to the car so I could take Josh to preschool.

Then...

I walked into the kitchen...

And it looked like a tornado had blown through...there was food on the ground, dishes on the table and counters...and worst of all...ALL the trash from making lunches was...no, not in the trash can, but on the floor, on the table, everywhere and anywhere, except where it was supposed to be.

So, mean mom emerged. (Picture the scene from the Incredible Hulk, where Bruce Banner is pushed beyond his limits, as his clothes start to tear, as his skin turns green...ahhhh...)

Mean Mom, you say? Yeah. I hurried and got Josh to preschool and then drove to the elementary school, picked the kids up, and made them come home and pick up their trash.

I know! Mean mom.

I could have picked up the trash. I could have put everything away. I could have done lot of things, but what would they have learned?

So we had a long talk (with no yelling, yeah, me!) about how if we wanted to take hot lunches to school, then we needed to be more responsilbe and put our trash IN the trash can, otherwise PB&J made the night before (OH NO!).

Then, one more quick trip to return the kids to school, lesson learned (I hope).

Oh yeah. And the words you don't want to hear while in the middle of a blog post?

"Mommy, I pooped in my underwear." (With big eyes and a sweet smile.)

Ahhhhh!!!

Need Chocolate...RIGHT NOW!

So, last night was not a good night. Plain and simple.

Some evenings are just like that. After picking up after the kids (dirty socks, trash, crayon shavings, etc.) and getting after them to do their homework AND their chores AND practice the piano...well, you get the picture.

So, instead of getting take out, like I REALLY wanted to do, I made dinner. Potstickers. I boiled the potstickers and then, to make them extra tasty I got ready to fry them. I drained them and heated the oil, and then reached for the tongs...but no tongs.

Well, like I said, it hadn't been a good night, and I got after the kids for losing the tongs. We opened all the drawers, looked everywhere they could POSSIBLY be, and still NO tongs.

So, after about 10 minutes of being mad at the kids, Troy comes in and asks,

"What are you looking for?"

"The tongs."

"The tongs?" he asks. "Oh, they are in my office behind the bookshelf."

"What?!?" Because of course, I had TOTALLY not thought to look there! "Why are they behind the bookshelf?"

"Because I dropped something back there and I couldn't reach it, so I used the tongs. Then, I dropped the tongs."

"Oh."

There were so many things that I wanted to say right at that moment, but the vein in my neck was throbbing and the sudden rush of pressure behind my eyes as my brain tried to explode prevented me from being coherent. So I was silent.

He asks, "Do you want me to go get them."

Again, brain explosion imminent...

"Uh, yeah. And could you wash them after you get them?"

"Why?"

Oh...my...ahhhhhhh!

I will just say that after the 20 minutes it took to find the tongs, the potstickers were...not quite right...so I left Troy to feed the kids dinner and get them to bed.

Oh, and to find some chocolate.

PS. If you want a good laugh (the best one I had ALL DAY), I would direct you to Melanie's blog and her husband's adventures in toilets. Oh, you silly husbands.

My Best Friend

What does a friendship that starts when you are three look like when you're grown?

I got some great pictures of Becky and Natalie together today...they were smiling and sitting next to each other, and then playing and running around like crazy, but the photo that captured friendship for me was this one of Becky helping Natalie put on her shoes. It isn't a very good shot(and one I couldn't recreate and still hope to capture the feeling of the moment), but it's still my favorite photo of the day.

If only all our friendships were this simple and this deep!

I am really grateful for my friends. For new ones, and for old ones. For the ones that I talk to every day, for the ones that I talk to only once a year, and for all the ones in between.

Where would I be without my friends?

Isn't it funny how our children can remind us to be grateful for the little things?

Men are from Mars

Troy was off work today. Yeah!

We so rarely get to spend any quality time together, that when we get to be together and only have one, or two, or three kids, somehow it just seems...peaceful.

So while we were out, Troy decided that he wanted to rinse the car off. And when we got to the car wash he decided that he needed my help...

You know this story isn't going anywhere good, but I'll tell you anyway.

Troy puts the quarters into the car wash and it starts up. Then he tells me that I should push the button that says "conditioner." Well, the directions say that you should do the conditioner after you have done the first wash and rinse, so we spent the first dollar in quarters arguing about the order in which we should do the wash.

We then spent the next dollar trying to get the buttons to work right, with Troy yelling at me because I didn't push the right ones.

We spent one last dollar actually washing the car, with Troy vowing that next time he would come by himself. (hehe)

We then spent the ride home discussing why I have a need to follow the rules and why he thinks the rules are merely suggestions.

I am a rule follower. You would think that he would know that by now!

The best part of the experience?

I told Troy, just before we got back in the car that I thought he needed to wash the tires. He said that it was a waste of quarters (uh, yeah) because they really needed a good scrub. So, when we got back in the car, the FIRST thing Josh said was, "Dad, you forgot to wash the tires!"

If only you could have seen the look on Troy's face! Classic!

The Earlybird Special

So, my friend Andrea blogged about how she felt like she was getting old because of her gray hair. (You are SO not old Andrea! Young and hot, REALLY!)

Well, in addition to already being really gray myself, I am feeling sadly old myself today.

I was so tired I went to bed at 7 o'clock this evening (yeah, okay, I got back up to blog, but that's another issue).

Anyway, next thing you know I am going to be eating dinner at 4:30 p.m. and telling my children that their music is too loud.

Too Much and Not Enough

It's funny how the smallest things can throw off the delicate balance of our lives.

Things can be going so well and the tiniest thing can send you off in totally unexpected direction. And sometimes the change is good, and sometimes it isn't.

I am on my way out of the little funk I was in, but I needed a good kick in the pants to keep going in the right direction.

Today I went to a Stake Relief Society Meeting. It was so good...and just the kick I needed!

I really came away with a sense that my Heavenly Father loves me and knows me...and it is such a wonderful feeling!

A couple of the quotes the teacher shared were:

President Hinckley said, "Life is to be enjoyed, not endured."

and

President Kimball said, "Heaven is a place, but also a condition; it is home and family. It is understanding and kindness. It is quiet, sane living."

I mean, really, who couldn't use a little more enjoyment? A little more quiet? And a little more sanity?

It was funny, when the teacher shared the President Kimball quote, one sister near me said, "Did she say, quiet, INSANE living?"

Yeah. Aren't we all doing a little too much of that?

More than anything, I feel like there is so much reason to be joyful, to be full of hope, and that as we move forward, we can know that all will be well. We are the Lord's and He is ours, and together, nothing is impossible.