Take Us Out to the Ball Game

One of the things that my Dad really wanted to do when he was here in Texas, was to go to a Rangers game. So, we did. My parents, me, Andrea, Abby, Ethan, Katelund, and Cloey all went. I was excited because I knew how excited my dad was, but I was not really looking forward to spending all those hours in the blazing Texas sun. Just about an hour before we left, a storm cell rolled in. At first, we thought the game might get rained out (which may have not been to bad of a thing since it was SO HOT outside), but the storm cell did not bring any rain with it. But, it did bring a dramatic decrease in temperature and enough cloud coverage to completely block out the sun. It could not have been more perfect. There was slight coolness in the air and a little bit of wind to make it even better. The game was so much fun and the weather was amazing. Coincidence? I think not. I believe that the Lord created an absolutely perfect and memorable night just for my dad, and that it was.

I miss blogging!

I am not really sure the exact reason, but I have really been bad at blogging the last couple of months. It may be because it is summer and I am busy keeping four children happy, or it may be because of the move and all the craziness that comes with it. I am not really sure. But, I am sure that I am ready to get back on the blogging band wagon. I miss it and I do not want to get out of the habit of documenting not only the big things but also the little things that happen day in and day out that make me laugh, cry, smile, and scream. So here is to my renewed effort at blogging.

A Different Twist on Freedom

This last weekend I got to go on a little get-away trip to Las Vegas. My sister-in-law (who lives there)turned 30 a few weeks ago and so for her birthday present her husband, Vaughn, flew me out to have a girl's weekend. We had SO MUCH FUN!!! I am going to do a whole post with pictures and journaling of all the fun things we did, but tonight I just want to write about some thoughts I had today as I was thinking about celebrating freedom. As Americans, we all celebrate the freedom that comes from living in a land where we are free from tyranny and dictatorship. At this time of year, it is so wonderful to all come together in celebration and remembrance of how our country began and what it should stand for. But, this year there is another freedom that I am so grateful for and deserves just as much celebration. While I was in Las Vegas, I realized how different my life is from so many others. As I looked all around me while Amber and I walked on the strip, throughout the MGM Grand hotel, and all around the pool area, I was so grateful to know what I know. I couldn't imagine the sorrow, guilt, and emptiness that must accompany a life filled with alcohol, drugs, gambling, and immorality. It is a completely different world than the one I surround myself with, and oh how glad I am that I feel completely out of place in it. I am so grateful for the freedoms that I enjoy from living a life free from addictive substances and free from the sins of immorality. There is so much freedom that comes from knowing who I am, where I came from, and where I want to go. There is so much freedom in truth, purity, and repentance. I couldn't and wouldn't want to live my life any other way.

so hot, so tired

Those are the words that kept going through my mind today. I'm just not doing so well with this HOT weather. It was actually 106 degrees this afternoon. I am pretty sure I was melting away as I stood outside trying to clean out Makayla's cars seat because her poop had gone out the side of her diaper all into her seat. Yep, I was dying of heat and completely disgusted. It was just one of those days. Life was overwhelming and exhausting today, but, I did have a moment of clarity this afternoon. One of those times when you are lecturing your child about being grateful, happy, and content and all of the sudden in the middle of your lecture you realize that you may actually be the one who needs the lecture the most. I did need the lecture, and I'm glad I gave it because it definitely helped me get past my negativity and focus on all the wonderful things that are making me so happy lately. I have so very much to be grateful for. One of the things that I am very grateful for is a tender mercy and an answered prayer of a pleading mother. I have really been wanting to put my children into activities. I am not looking for activities that consume and take over our family life, but I do want my girls to have experiences to help them grow and learn new skills and talents. So I started looking around. Cloey really wanted to be in gymnastics and Katelund wanted to be on a swim team. After doing all my research I found myself very frustrated by the cost of everything. I am very willing to pay for lessons but to me $80 for four 30 minutes classes a month that teach you how to do a cartwheel, walk on a balancing beam, and jump on a trampoline is absolute robbery. Then I was even more disheartened when I found out the cost of a swim team that I was going to have to drive 30 minutes away for. After driving out to the pool to pick up the packet of papers, I came home and expressed my frustrations and complaints to Cory. He told me to do whatever I thought was best (so didn't help!). That night I knelt by my bed and pleaded for some sort of intervention. As I laid down in my bed, the idea came to me as if a light bulb had literally turned on above me. I thought of my cute cousin, Kayla, who was home from BYU for the summer and had spent years and years in dance and as a captain of her drill team. I called her the next day to see if by any chance she was interested in earning some money by teaching gymnastics to Cloey. After talking with her and my girls, we decided on a day and price and the classes began. Katelund decided to join in on the fun instead of doing swimming and so now they go together every Tuesday afternoon and have lessons in gymnastics, ballet, and other forms of dance. They LOVE Kayla and they LOVE all the variety of dancing they are learning. Then, as if it couldn't get any better...a sister I visit teach (that lives one street over from me) is a piano teacher and the girls started lessons last week...AND...she is only charging me for one of them because I am going to clean and mop her floors during the lessons. It works out great for both of us. So now my girls are in dance and piano....they're happy, my wallet is happy, and I'm ecstatic! So I may be hot and tired but at least I'm grateful, happy, and content.

NEVER leave the marked trail!

I went on a bike ride this last Saturday. Near the end of my ride, I rode pass a sign that said, "Nature Preserve Trail". I was so excited thinking that I'd just found an awesome new addition to my route. It wasn't very far down the trail that I started seeing the following signs...

Yep, I was TOTALLY freaking out!!! I was SO afraid to get off my bike to turn around and there was NO WAY I was going to turn around on my bike and risk going off the trail. So I got off and turned it around as quickly as possible!! Then I high-tailed it out of there to NEVER return again!! Although, I did have to slow down to take some pictures of the signs so I could tell Cory and the girls all about it. But I'm still kindof freaking out that a place like that is only about 5 miles from my house.

Fathers

A couple of months ago I had a conversation on the phone with my Dad. My dad is not much of a talker so talking on the phone is not an everyday occurance, but whenever we do, I always love it. But within this particular conversation, he said something that has really stayed with me. It was a comment that he made that totally made my year because getting a compliment from my dad means the world to me. In fact, I could probably sit down and write every single compliment he has ever paid me because they have meant that much to me. They don't come too often but when they come I always know that he is completely sincere and genuine in what he is saying. Knowing that my Daddy is proud of me and pleased with the way I'm living my life, is SO SO important to me...always has been and always will. My dad is an amazing man. He will always be one of my greatest heroes. He is a man filled with charity, love, integrity,(except when it comes to obeying the "stupid" rules that don't really matter anyways), faith, perserverance and drive. I NEVER remember my dad yelling in our home (not that I didn't deserve it). All he had to do was look at me with his "I'm very disappointed" look. I think I would have rather had him yell. Just kidding. He is a man of many gifts and talents and I am so honored to be his daughter. Cory is the best father I could ever ask for to be the father of our children. He is AMAZING!!! I could go on and on and tell story after story about all the little things that he says and does all of the time that completely blow me away. But this post would never end. All of my girls are daddy's girls. He is BY FAR their favorite parent. Even Makayla will squeeze herself out of my arms and reach as far as her little body will go in order to climb her way into Cory's arms. It is SO SWEET! I hate it, but then again, I love it. :) Just to give you a little insight to how incredible of a father he is, here is a list of my top ten favorite father moments over the last 8 (almost 9 years)that Cory's been a daddy. 1. With each of our babies, he has chosen a song that is specifically for them and he sings it to them regularly (he has an AMAZING voice). Together, we chose Clairisa's song (which is God Be With Us Till We Meet Again). We still get teary-eyed and reach for each other's hand whenever it is played in church. One time Cory was driving through Asheville, so he stopped at Clairisa's gravesite and all alone he sat out there underneath the willow tree she is buried by and sang to her. 2. Last Fall, Cory had gotten home really late one night so he was not able to go on the mountain bike ride with Katelund that they had planned on doing. So, to make up for it, he surprised her a couple days later by leaving work early, pulling her out of school, taking her mountain biking, and then they went out to lunch together. 3. A couple of years ago, when Cory was in charge of a family night, he put together a spa night for all of his girls. He gave us all facials (with masks and everything). He even had candles lit and Enya playing. We still talk about that night to this day. 4. A year or so ago, Cory decided he wanted to read Harry Potter to the girls at bedtime. But he didn't want to just read the books, he wanted to do it with all the different voices and accents. We would stay up late into the night for days and watch the first movie so that he could practice the voices. Whenever it was reading time, not only would the girls anxiously snuggle up to listen, but so would I. I would drop whatever I was doing because there was no way I was going to miss out. 5. The other night as I gathered all the girls together for scripture reading, Katelund and Cloey started complaining. I was so frustrated with them and Cory could tell. So he offered to do the reading. He sat down in front of the girls and began reading in this really obnoxious voice and doing actions with everything he was saying. It's really hard to describe what he did but the girls have asked for it every night since. In fact, last night the girls came in after brushing their teeth and said, "Read the scriptures Daddy! We love reading scriptures now!!!" He just has a ways of making everything fun and exciting. 6. The other day I commented about how much it bugs me that whenever I smile at Makayla I only sometimes get a smile back, but whenever Cory does he always gets the BEST return smiles. He said to me, "how do you smile at her?" I wasn't really sure how to answer that, so I asked him how he smiles at her. This was his response, "I smile at her as if at that very moment she was the most important person to me in the whole wide world, because she is." I have realized that this same smile is how he smiles at all of our children and at me. It is just impossible to not smile back. 7. When we found out that Cloey was a girl I was so disappointed. I thought for sure we'd have a boy next. When I called Cory in tears, he just comforted me and told me how excited he was that we were having another girl. Every girl since he has been just as excited. Not once have I seen him act at all disappointed that he hasn't gotten a boy. I have been disappointed but he always reminds me of how much we love our girls and how much fun it will be to "have another girl". 8. Listening to him pray for our children is just about one of the most tender things I've ever heard. 9. From the second he gets home to the second they go to bed. He is completely 100% involved as a husband and father. He is changing diapers, helping make dinner, disciplining, giving horsey rides, laughing, tickling, etc. I have never once felt like I'm in this parenting thing alone while my husband is off providing or home resting from a long day of work. He is my partner and even calls me almost every single day at lunch time to see how I'm doing and how the kids are doing. He laughs at the funny things they do and wishes he would've been there to see or hear it. 10. Watching him kiss and hold our little Clairisa for the very last time in mortality was definitely a memory I will cherish forever. As we sat in the car we rode in before Clairisa's graveside service, I remember telling Cory that I couldn't get out of the car. I couldn't attend my own child's funeral service, it was just too hard and more than I could bear. He tenderly took my hands, looked into my eyes and said, "I can't either, but together we can. Together we can do this." A couple of Sundays ago, I went into the gym to find Cory after church, and I found Makayla asleep and all wrapped up in Cory's suit coat. It was the sweetest thing ever and I'm so glad I got a picture!! The more I've looked at it, the more I've thought about all the symbolism that goes along with this picture....the safety and security of the priesthood, the protection and love of a father, etc. I am so grateful for the fathers (and father-in-law) in my life. I always feel the warmth of love and safety whenever I am in their arms or in their presence. How grateful I am for fathers...even and especially for the Father of us all. 6.

We miss Ethan!!

This last week was so fun because we actually got to have a little boy in our family. My nephew, Ethan, came to stay the week with us while my sister went to girl's camp. This was also the girls first week of summer vacation so we had a lot of fun!! But, first of all we started out with our summer essentials for family night...which include D.E.A.R (drop everything and read) time each day after lunch and SOS (scriptures over screen time). It was SO cute to see the girls and Ethan cuddled up together on the couch each morning reading their scriptures together. I am SO sad that I didn't get a picture of it. I actually wish I would've taken way more pictures than I did. Here's a little recap of all that we did....bike rides, morning run, fun at the park, swimming, jumping on the trampoline (even in the rain), rainy day party (which included glow in the dark sticks, bracelets, and balloons), washing the van, play dough version of Chopped (the kids came up with this one and I LOVED it!!! I REALLY wish I would've taken pictures of all their creations....they were INCREDIBLE!), trip to Hobby Lobby to buy whatever craft stuff they wanted, McDonalds lunch, the Hill family staying with us for a night on their way to Utah, library summer fun day (which included face painting, a clown, balloons, petting zoo, and sitting inside a fire truck), movies and popcorn, polly pockets (Ethan was such a good sport), and pretend play. They all got along so well. One of the only times that Ethan and Cloey got in an argument was at the grocery store. I told them to stop arguing and that they had to walk with their arms around each other for the next two aisles and the next time they argued they would have to walk that way for the rest of the time in the grocery store. It worked like a charm and we all got a big kick out of it. It was quite embarrassing to Ethan but I'm pretty sure Cloey was loving it. Other than that one time, Cloey and Ethan were inseperable. It was so cute! It was a really fun week and we are all in withdrawls now that Ethan is back home.

Bring on Summer!!!

Friday night the girls and I decided to kick off summer with a slumber party out on the trampoline. The girls have been wanting to do this ever since they heard about Cory and I doing it in college. When we were first married we had a "slumber party" with our really good friends, Nate and Cindy, out on their trampoline in Rexburg. It sounds so weird now, but at the time it wasn't at all, it was so much fun! So, I decided to surprise my girls and have our own slumber party on our new trampoline. I had so many great memories from doing this so I was really excited. As we were gathering all of our blankets and pillows, Cory was having all sorts of fun. He was making bets with us that we wouldn't make it through the night out there. We all insisted that we would and shook hands that if we came in early then we'd owe him a foot rub but if we made it all night that he would owe all three of us a foot rub. At this point, I decided that there was NOTHING that was going to keep me from coming inside....after all, my pride was involved now and I'll do just about anything for a good foot rub. So we went out there with all of our blankets and got all settled. I was so excited to sleep under all of the stars, but as I looked up at the sky, my excitement was squelched as I barely saw the north star amongst all of the haziness and clouds. So we talked about the North Star and its symbolism and I was thinking this was going to be a great night. As we laid there talking off and on, Katelund all of the sudden shot up and begged me to let her jump just for a minute. So, I jumped up as well and the three of us jumped and giggled for a couple of minutes. Then I decided to make it real fun and I got all of the pillows and started a pillow fight. It was great. Then we all settled back down. Within about 10 minutes, the girls had fallen asleep. I just laid there wondering what Cory was up to and wishing I was laying next to him. Then I started noticing all the bugs flying around. The next three hours became a feeding frenzy for all of the mosquitos. I tried to ignore it. In fact, I basically had all of the blanket covering every inch of skin on my body, but I was still itching like crazy (I only have like four bites to show for it so it must have been mostly in my head). I fought my urge to go inside every single time I woke up itching, but then after so long, I just couldn't take it anymore. I decided that I would rather rub Cory's feet and crush my pride, then get one more bug bite. So I woke the girls up and begged and pleaded with them to go back inside. After a little coercing, they finally caved. Cory got a great laugh and an even better foot rub out of it, but at least we had a couple hours of great memories from our first (and hopefully last) "slumber party" on the trampoline. Saturday afternoon we all went swimming (thanks to my aunt and uncle who let us use their pool). After swimming and having fun for a couple of hours, I got Makayla and Hailey out of the water to dry off in the sun before we left. As I was sitting in a chair holding them in their towels on my lap and watching Cory playing with the older girls, I said to Cory, "I don't think life gets any better than this." I really don't think it does. It's the simple things in life that bring the greatest joy and make the very best memories. So here's to a summer filled with simple and spontaneous fun with five people that I love more than anything in the world.

United as One

I love holidays like Memorial Day and the Fourth of July. I love how everyone gathers together with those whom they love and spend the day swimming, cooking out, going to the lake, etc. I love that Cory has the day off of work and that I can spend the whole day playing and having fun instead of housework. But, there is something I love even more about these holidays. This morning as I was running (sorry, I know I write a lot about things I think about when I'm running, but it's because I actually have some time by myself to think about all the things that my crazy random mind thinks about instead of a diaper rash that won't go away or field trip money that I forgot to turn in)...anyways, back to running this morning, I kept passing home after home that had American flags flying in their yard. I love that on days like this we seem to come together as a nation. Not just in our festivities and celebrating, but in our hearts as we remember that freedom is not something we should ever take for granted. Memorial day isn't just a day to remember those who wear the uniform of a soldier (although we definitely should) it is also a day to remember who we are as a nation, where we have been, and where we are headed. A day for us to feel united in remembering. Last night, I went to a pretty amazing fireside. The author of the book series Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites was a speaker as well as two song writers/singers (one of them was in my ward growing up). Every song that was sung and word that was spoken was beautiful and wonderful but that wasn't even my favorite part. My favorite part came at the very end. Part of the reason I attended this fireside was because I wanted to be supportive of a young women in my Sunday School class who was singing the closing song. She was singing I Know that My Redeemer Lives. The moment she opened her mouth she had my full attention. Her voice was beautiful and angelic. Around the 2nd or 3rd verse, she messed up a little bit on the lyrics. She stopped singing for a second and then picked right back up on the next phrase. Although I know she was a little embarrassed, I loved that part. I don't really know how to explain why, but I just thought it went so perfectly with what she was singing about...about her..and our... need for the Savior and the Atonement. After she messed up, you could tell that she lost a little bit of her confidence. But then, on the last verse (my favorite verse) she had everyone in the congregation join in. Going from one voice to a whole room full of voices was incredible...like goose bumps all over incredible. Together we sang. We sang with intensity, feeling, and conviction. Together we sang united as one. And as I sang, my thoughts turned to the Savior and my need and love for him, which is where I'm sure everyone else's thoughts were as well. In that moment, we became one....united in remembering. Whether is is remembering the sacrifices of soldiers or the ultimate sacrifice of our Savior, when we "sing" in unison together we can become a nation and a people who not only feel greater gratitude, but also feel a greater love for our neighbors, a love which ultimately can overcome anything.

A Teaching Mom vs a Non-teaching Mom

I have this book in my bookshelf that is all about raising independent children. It is a great book and it gives great ideas on different responsibilities that you could give your children at certain ages. When I first got this book, I only had two children, and they were very young. I had all of these great intentions on raising these amazing independent girls that could balance the budget by the age of 8 (just kidding, but you get the idea). The older my girls have gotten, the more my expectations seem to dwindle. Instead, I think I'll be happy with them being able to manage the small amounts of money they earn, pay tithing on it, and save or spend the rest. When it comes to teaching children how to cook, clean, manage money, sew, do laundry, babysit, etc... it is A LOT OF WORK, TIME, AND ENERGY!!!! For example, I have really been trying to teach Katelund how to cook and prepare food. She is now able to independently make macaroni and cheese, pudding, scrambled eggs, jello, warm things up on the stove and mircrowave, make sandwiches, boil eggs, etc. Yes, it is wonderful that she can do these things but let me tell you....it takes A LOT of patience on my part because I CAN'T stand how messy she is when she cooks. I try to be very positive with her so that she has a good experience but it would just be SO MUCH EASIER and SO MUCH FASTER to just do it on my own. Also, the laundry. OH.MY.GOODNESS!!! It seriously takes Cloey about an hour to fold a laundry basket full of towels. I'm glad she is so particular, but holy cow does it take forever. Then when it comes to putting the clothes away that they fold....well, I'll just put it this way...I might as well have them just throw everything into their drawers without even folding it in the first place. Then there's the bathroom chores. I think that the last time Katelund scrubbed her bathtub, she used about half a bottle of soft scrub because she said that "she liked the smell". Yep, it would all just be so much easier if I'd do it myself. The other day I was fed up with the way that Katelund was loading the dishwasher. She wasn't rinsing the dishes off well enough and then there was the absolute lack of organization to the dishes that she put in there. So, I had her take it all out and start over again. After redoing it, I came back to check, and yep...I totally made her do it all over AGAIN. She was not happy with me, to say the least. She took one of the glass cups and shoved it down into the rack and it completely shattered. So I spent the rest of the evening lecturing her about controlling her anger and doing her very best at whatever job or tasks she is given and then, together, we thoroughly vaccummed the floor TWICE. As I was walking through the kitchen to put Makayla to bed, I stepped on a little piece of glass. The pain shot up my foot and blood was starting to squeeze through. This SAME thing happened to me about a week before my marathon, but I couldn't find it so I just left it alone hoping it would come out on its own. Nope. The night before I flew out to Nashville, Cory was digging through the bottom of my foot with a sterilized needle trying to find the glass sliver. Luckily, he found it without too much carnage. Anyways, I learned my lesson, so this time I immediately got the tweezers and had Cory play surgeon again. So the moral of my dramatic story? Sometimes I would SO MUCH RATHER be a non-teaching mom. Life would be so much easier. But then, it wouldn't because my children would never grow up and then they would be like a couple of my college roommates who had NO idea how to scrub a bathroom because they were NEVER taught how to by their mother. Yep, that would be way worse.

cows and running

Okay so I had this really cool thought this morning as I was running past these cows. In fact, I had to stop running for a second to take a picture. So I'm going to try and put it into words but it may not come out the way that I'm hoping. I'll give it a try. So you know how in the scriptures we are taught that all things testify of Christ? Also, remember how Sister Beck said awhile back that anything that is anti-family is also anti-Christ? Well then the opposite would be true as well. If it testifies of family then it testifies of Christ. Which is why I had a spiritual moment this morning as I looked at these cows. That sounds so weird, right?! There was a little family right there in the grass. Even in their positioning you see roles of the family being portrayed. The mother nurturing the baby and the father standing by as the protector. Okay, maybe I'm stretching it here, but that is what I saw. Here in this little pasture I saw yet another testimony and witness that the family is by divine design. That our Creator has not only created all the cows, birds, people, etc, He has also organized us into families where our roles can be performed, our potentials realized, and where we can learn to love and serve in a way that we could no where else. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Okay, one more thing before I get back to my Saturday chores. This morning I totally crushed my PR for a 5k. I ran it in 26 minutes!!! I'm so excited about that. I was also on pace to break my PR for a 10k but I had to stop a mile short because I....well, let's just say after having 5 children I can't hold my bladder very well. I'll leave it at that. :)

New Haircut

Yesterday I had about 4-5 inches chopped off. It feels SO GOOD!!!! In this Texas heat and with four girls (5 including me) to get ready each day, it was a MUST!!! I'm loving it so much. It feels so liberating. About 3 weeks ago, I decided to chop off my girls' hair as well. I was so nervous about doing it but the long stragely look was driving me absolutely crazy. So one day I took them individually into the bathroom with a pair of haircutting scissors, said a prayer, and went at it. I cut all of their hair, even Makayla's crazy random long pieces. Cory was so sweet afterwards. He was shocked that I'd done it myself and he said that I must have missed my calling in life because he thought I did a pretty darn good job. I was so happy with how they each turned out but I'm not sure if I'd do it again. It was a pretty desperate moment. Then again, maybe I'll watch some u tube videos and become a hairdresser on the side. It would actually be a pretty smart thing to do with so many girls around. I'll just add it to my list of things I'm dreaming of doing someday. One of these days, I'll have to blog about that list. You might find it as humorous as Cory does.

Pics of me and my girls on Mother's Day

New Favorite Recipe

So I have this really sweet friend in Chattanooga who is an amazing cook (her and her sister's have a fantastic cooking blog called Sister's Cafe). One day while we were talking I was telling her how I had just had bruschetta for the very first time and how much I loved it. Then, somehow we ended our conversation with a fantastic idea. She was going to bring me over some of her homemade bruschetta and I was going to make her a fruit pizza to take home. Her brushetta was AMAZING and ever since then I have fantasized about it. A couple of weeks ago, as I was once again fantasizing, I decided to go digging for a recipe...after all, how hard could it be? I googled it, found the recipe that had all the ingredients I already had, and made it with dinner to go over toasted french bread. Holy cow. It was SO delicious and such a HUGE hit with my family, even Hailey loved it. So, I have basically had it about 20 times since then. I've served it on all types of bread and I've also kindof changed the recipe up a bit because at our house we LOVE vinegar. Anyways, here is the basic recipe I started with... 6 or 7 ripe plum tomatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs) 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar 6-8 fresh basil leaves, chopped. Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 1 baguette French bread or similar Italian bread 1/4 cup olive oil

My Job Title

First of all, I have to say how sorry I am. For some strange reason, blogger is not letting me use paragraphs or spaced lines in my posts. It is driving me crazy and I know that it is so annoying to read like this. Anyone know how to fix this? Anyways, since I can't space I guess I'll just use dashes. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Whenever I am filling out a form and am asked my occupation I always hesitate. Yes, I have my degree and training as a teacher, but that's where it ends. I definitely would not consider that my career since I never even had my very own classroom. But, I have spent the last 8 (almost 9) years as a Mother. So then that leaves me with the question of which phrase to use...."Stay at Home Mom", "Housewife", or "Homemaker". I used to write the first phrase but the other week when I was writing my "profession" on a questionaire, instead I chose to write Homemaker. I have really been thinking a lot about this. Yes, I am a Stay at Home Mom but, I believe that my role as a mother and wife goes far beyond that of a woman that stays home all day to tend babies, do laundry, and make dinner. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Over the last week as I have unpacked box after box and arranged things the way that I want them to be, it has really made me consider and ponder on my role as a homemaker because that is exactly what I am doing....I am turning an empty house into a home....into OUR home. Into a place where my children and husband will come and feel loved and happy. I want our home to feel like the sanctuary it should be. A sacred place filled with kind words, laughter, lots of love, faith, prayer, and learning. As a woman, I feel certain that one of my greatest responsibilites, besides nurturing my children, is to create this type of home for my family. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I know for certain that it is within the walls of a home, that faith is born, character is molded, and potential is realized. I know this because I was raised in such a home. I don't remember exactly how my mom organized the medicine cabinet (although everything had an order and place). I don't remember my mom's cleaning schedule (although it was always clean), nor do I know how she managed to keep everything always running so smoothly and effortlessly (although she always did). But, I do remember kneeling together as a family in our living room. I remember my Dad leading our family in scripture study at our kitchen table. I remember walking in on my mother as she privately knelt by her bed in prayer. I remember coming home at the end of a long day of school and feeling the comfort, peace, and security that rushed into my heart as I walked through the front door of our home. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the process of unpacking and finding a "home" for all of our stuff, I am also trying to get myself better organized and create better systems. Meanwhile, I'm also trying to remember that finding the perfect space and look for closets and drawers is not nearly as important as the quiet moments of conversation with my 8 year old, the perfect opportunity to share a scripture story with my six year old, the horseback ride given to my two year old, or the sweet priceless moments of laughter with my 10 month old. Life is too short and precious to waste a second of time. Afterall, I'm not just in the business of making a home. I'm in the business of creating an eternity with the most important people in my life. So yes, I am a Homemaker, Housewife, and a Stay at Home Mom, but I'm not sure that any of those titles adequately fit the true description of a Mother...not just of a mother, of a woman. But recently, I came across the following quote and in it I found the perfect job title... "The hearth, and the fire within, was once the center of domestic and social life because it provided warmth, illuminated homes, and cooked food. Placement in the center of the house maximized the number of people able to get around the warmth of the fire. If Jesus Christ is the center of our homes - the light that illuminates, warms and nurtures - women are the guardians and caretakers of that light." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ So I guess next time I am asked what my occupation is I will say, "A Guardian of the Hearth". :) I love it.

First comes love, then comes...

...marriage, right? Well not according to the commercial Cory and I heard last night. They said, "First comes love, then comes family." Really? How sad is that? Even in some silly little saying, they have to change it to be politically correct. It just makes me so sad. This morning as I was running, I noticed the front page headline of the newspaper that had been thrown into someone's yard. It read, "Obama makes history as he endorses gay marriage." I was shocked as I read it, but then again, not really. It's just the world we live in, the world that is increasingly becoming more and more contrary to not only God's law, but also to the very core and foundation upon which this nation was built. A people that sacrificed everything in order to have religious freedom, in order to build a nation under God and one that was indivisible. Those founding fathers who had such faith and hope in this nation, in us, and also all the dispensations throughout the history of this world, have all looked forward to our day. A day in which we stand divided. Divided in our faith, our vision, our beliefs, our morals, and our character. I pray that as the chasm begins to grow even greater and the division more drastic, that I will remain true to the faith that our parents have cherished. True to the truth for which nations have perished. That me and my family will firmly stand planted on the Lord's side of the line as we boldly and proudly support, reverence, and honor the sanctity of marriage and family. Yes, I am just one voice and my circles of influence are very small and may be insignificant. BUT...what if somehow one person comes across this post on my tiny little blog. I want them to know what I stand for, what I live for, and what I will defend until my dying day.

Gratitude

Yesterday morning as I was running, I decided that it was time to change my attitude. It was time to start focusing on all the many reasons that I have to be grateful. Honestly, I think I just needed to start running again. I took all of last week off to let my body recover after the marathon...and because I was totally consumed with the whole moving thing. So now, with the help of extra endorphins and the amazing psychological change that happens when you start focusing on gratitude, I'm feeling great. Sure, my house is totally crazy and I'm not really sure where I'm going to fit everything, but at least I have all my girls' rooms unpacked, organized and looking good. I may not totally love my ward yet, but at least I have been asked to serve in one of my favorite callings ever...teaching Sunday School to the youth (16 and 17 yr old class). I may not be used to this CRAZY hot weather, but at least today feels AMAZING because of the storm that rolled through last night. AND...who wouldn't totally LOVE running around our neighborhood?? I took these pictures on my run yesterday morning. I love running along the side of fields, cows, barns, and horses. The smell used to bug me, but not so much anymore. I just love living in a place that is just on the edge of the country. I think that maybe someday I would actually like to have a barn. Hmmm...I wonder if Cory would give up malls for a farm? Oh wait, back to being grateful. :) I'm so grateful for Cory's new job. He is so very busy but loving every minute of it. He loves the company he's working for and he loves the challenge that comes with his position. I'm also SO grateful that I recently bought President Monson's biography. It is AMAZING...of course it is, because HE is AMAZING!!! Okay one more thing to be grateful for and then I need to go do some more unpacking. I'm SO grateful for my huge gigantic closet that is bigger than our master bathroom in Chattanooga. Yep, it's amazing. It even has a big window in it. Oh wait, that reminds me of one more thing (last thing, I promise), in this house I have converted our dinning room into another library and I'm so excited about it! I don't know why that is such a big deal to me, but it is. On that note, I think I'll go unpack some books.

Impatiently Waiting

It usually takes me at least 6 months living somewhere before it actually feels like home to me. But, I just wish this process would speed up a bit. I have loved moving around so much in the 11 years that Cory and I have been married. The experiences we've had, the people we've met...I wouldn't change a thing. I have loved living in so many places. So many people, places, and experiences that have broadened my perspective and made me into the person I am today. But, I'm just really dragging my feet this time around. I'm not sure why. Maybe it is because I'm getting older and don't want to feel like I'm starting over once again or maybe I'm just needing to have a better attitude. Whatever the reason, I need to get over it. I love our house, I love that I'm finally sleeping in my own bed again, I love that I'm with my family, I love that Cory loves his new job, and I love that I'm actually living close to family now....but, everything else....not loving so much. What's my deal?!?! I know what you are thinking....it just takes time. I know it does. But...I'm just feeling so impatient.

Marathon in Pictures

Here we are before the race...Jenae, me, and Stephanie. We were SO excited, anxious, nervous, and giddy. We arrived at the starting area at about 5:30 am (the race started at 7). So for an hour and a half we spent our time walking around a little, forcing down some carbs and water, going to the bathroom, and mentally preparing ourselves for the hours to follow.

There were 40,000 people participating in the race (that total includes half marathoners as well...in fact there were WAY more who were participating in the half than the full). As we stood in our corrals waiting for our turn to start, I took a picture of the view in front and behind. The following pictures gives you somewhat of an idea of the sea of people that were all around us. There was SO much excitement in the air. There's just NOTHING like it!

The race was on Saturday but we actually drove down Friday afternoon because we had to pick up our bibs, swag bags, t shirt, etc at the Expo. I loved going to the Expo. There are runners and running gear everywhere!

This picture show the line to the bathroom right before the race. They actually have porta potties everywhere, even all through the course. But, beforehand, there is a mad rush to try and get everything out before the race begins. I did have to end up going about half way through the race, but luckily I didn't have to wait in a line. THANKULLY, our friend Whitney (who ran this race last year) had sent us with cute little good luck baggies that had a little pack of toilet paper. I was so glad I had it because with so many people going to the bathroom, they ran out of tp.