Saturday, September 27, 2008

Its the weekend for college football upsets!!!




ROLL TIDE!!!! #8 Alabama beats # 3 Georgia!!!! 41-30 Go Bama!!! #1 USC loses, #4 Flordia loses!!! Lets see where the standings are tommorow!!!!!
Can you tell Im a fan? :O)

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Mothering with spiritual Power

So I have been thinking a lot lately about my callings, not necessarily callings such as Visiting Teaching and other types of church callings, but more like my eternal callings such as being a wife and mother. I pray every day that I will be the kind of wife and mother that my Father in Heaven wants me to be, that I can do those things each day which are pleasing unto him and will help with the eternal progression of my family.

I have been pondering a lot lately on all that my calling as a mother entails. I look at the world around us and all its evilness. I watch society crumbling and see all the moral decay and the hatred for one another all around me. At one point in my youth I decided that I was not going to bring children into this world, I was not going to subject them to the evil that was so rapidly growing.

 It did not take me long however to realize that it was up to me to bring children into this world, to raise them in truth and righteousness, because without righteous generations rising up the evil would just grow and grow. I am reminded of the scripture in 2 Nephi 2:25 "Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy." That's what the whole plan is about. There is reason for being here, a reason for life..... JOY!!! Even in this ever changing world, that is and will always be the constant. There is joy to be found everywhere. I look to the sky and see a ray of light poking through the clouds and am reminded of the Savior coming to the Americas. That ray of light, that ray of hope is what makes this world beautiful. If we chose to see the bad all around, then it will consume us, but if we look for the good, and its really not that hard to find, then we will find that eternal joy, that reason for life itself.

"There is beauty all around, when there's love at home." That's where it starts, that's the purpose in being a mother, to show our kids that love, that true beauty, that light in a dark world. The small and simple things that make life so special. That hug from a small child, the call for mommy in the night, the bruised knee that's made better with a kiss, the artwork that covers the fridge, the little hands that find there way into yours, those are lifes greatest blessings, lifes greatest joys.

So how do we become those parents, those mothers that make life joyful, that help our children see the good that is all around? Parenthood is such a delicate tightrope of right or wrong choices. How do we know what is right for our child? Whats right for one but not right for the other? How do we punish our children for wrong choices lovingly and let them know that even though their choice was bad, they are not? So many questions each day. How do I know if I am doing the job that my Father in Heaven wants me to do? Am I being the kind of mother my Heavenly Mother is?


All these thoughts race through my mind on a regular basis and so there they were as I browsed the books at Deseret Book, and then suddenly there is was "Mothering with Spiritual Power" by Debra Sansing Woods. And there at the bottom it read "Book of Mormon Inspirations for raising a righteous family". The Book of Mormon has all the answers to lifes greatest questions, including all those I had been asking myself. Why had I not thought of this before? So I bought the book and I LOVE IT!!!! The author takes different Book of Mormon versus and applies them to motherhood. Its a very eye opening book and one that I know I will go back to time after time, it has also helped me in my reading of the scriptures. You always hear people say to apply the scriptures to your life, I have always done that. I have however only applied them to life in general, kneeling in prayer for answers to my questions, learning how to stay on the straight and narrow, righteous decision making, ect.... but I have never really thought to apply them to my sacred calling as a mother and wife, so now as I read, I see the scriptures in a whole new light.

Two scriptures that she dicusses in the book have really stood out for me:

1) "And Christ haith said: If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me." - Moroni 7:33

I often pray for the strength to make it through the day. I found myself doing this even more as a pregnant mom with a toddler.... "Please help me to have the strength to keep up with Landon today." But to think that I could ask for that strength and through my faith be given it each day is a wonderful blessing. To have the strength to be a righteous mother, to have the strength to put myself in time out when I find my patience running thin, to have the strength to admit I can't do everything and sometimes need help, to have the strength to raise righteous posterity. My job as a mother is not one I have to go alone, its not one that any of us has to go alone. We have been told that we can do whatsoever is expedient in him.... wouldn't that include being a righteous mother? When we feel we don't have the strength to get on the floor and play cars (dolls), or bake a yummy snack, or even punish an unruly child with sternness and love we know where that extra boost of strength and energy can be found. What a wonderful blessing and promise we have been given..... why not act upon it?

2) "Ye will teach them to love one another, and to serve one another" - Mosiah 4:15

Again with the song "There is beauty all around, when theres love at home." That's what will change this world, that's the only way to make it better, is love. And where will that love be learned if not within the walls of our own home? The drop in school attendance, in poor grades, in the rise in crimes, for many of those people its almost to late to change, or to fix, but if it is to be done it needs to start at home.

A house of love needs to be built. A house filled with the spirit. Its not always easy and many times takes personal sacrifice to be able to create a house of love, order and where the spirit abides. How will our children learn to love and serve one another if they do not see us doing it? I can recall countless conference messages where we are told by general authorities that their greatest examples of love and service where their parents own acts of selfless love and kindness. I think that this scripture not only applies to our children loving one another but to us in our loving them. Do we always see them as Christ sees them? Do we love them with pure unbridled Christ like love? I find myself on my knees, or saying a quick prayer while going about my household duties, asking for just these things. That not only in times of joy and happiness but also in times of chaos and craziness and times when I feel like my toddler will never learn, that I will be able to see him, to see all my children, the way Christ sees them, to love them as he loves them, to know what perfect beings they are and how great their spirit is. If we don't show them that love, and show them how great they are and what a marvelous spirit they have, who will?

The world pushes them down, its hard, its not always easy, but when they are at home, it should be a refuge from all those things that threaten to harm the perfect spirit they are born with. We need to, as mothers, make sure we have built a barrier, a mot if you will, around our home to keep Babylon out and to keep the Pure love of Christ in.

There are many more wonderful, thought provoking and inspiring chapters in this book, I could go on and on, instead I will just highly encourage every wife, mother, sister, daughter of god to go out and read this book. Its something great to have in your library to read time and time again. Hopefully you too will be able to find as much inspiration as I have.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Happy Birthday dear Noah!

Today is Noahs.....gasp...... 22nd birthday. Twenty two years and two kids!!! What a man!
I am so greatful to be able to have celebrated 6 birthdays with Noah. Each year has been an adventure and each birthday a milestone. We met shortly before my 19th birthday and his 17th. Our birthdays are a month apart, so for that month we are.... :O) 3 years apart?

Happy birthday honey. I am so blessed to have you in my life and so greatful for all the memories we have made together and all the good times we have had. I wish I had our scanner hooked up so I could scan in he baby pics and you could see how cute he was.... :O) but alas I do not!!! So these will have to do!













* I love how silly we can be together.
* I love that he loves the sames sports teams I do. Sure eliminates a lot of arguements. :O) He has his own teams too but he roots for mine as well.
* I love that we can talk about anything and everything. I would much rather talk to him in the car then listen to the radio, we can grow old, sit on our porch drinking lemonade and still have things to talk about.
* I love what a good father he is to our sons.
* I love that he likes to learn new things. Cooking, games, fix it things....ect.
*I love that he sees in the who I can be, and not always just who I am at that moment. He thinks I can do all and that I do all and I am greatful for his faith in me.
* I love that he honors his priesthood.
* I love his silly faces.
* I love his over the top out going personality, (never seen it, just get him away from the crowd for a bit and ta da!)
* I love that he is always a kid at heart.
* I love that he takes forever to get ready and is like a girl when it comes to clothes and shoes, it drives me crazy but I love it none the less. I always have a built in fashion expert when we go shopping.
* I love that we watch movies every night together and spend quality time together.
* I love the kisses that we sneak in among the crazy hetic times we have at home.
I love so many more things about him but I could be here all day. HAPPY BIRTHDAY HONEY!!! I love you and cant wait to have an eternity more of birthdays with you.

Boys, Boys and more Boys, is it ever anything else?

So it seems like all I ever write about is the boys, so I was trying to think of something else to talk about, but all that comes to mind at the moment is the fun things the boys are doing and what we as a family have been doing. I suppose since my boys are my life, and this blog is about our family life that lots of posts about them are not bad....right? :O) Braddoc really does not like the binkie all the time. When he wants it, he wants it but most the time he sucks for a few minutes and then pulls it out. Here is one picture of him sleeping and where he has pulled the binkie out, you can see his little finger through the hole, sorry its not a better picture, still working on my photog skills. :O)
We went on our ward camp out this last weekend. We did not stay the night, I did not want to brave it with both the boys, but we did stay late into the evening and eat dinner up there. Landon had a blast running around with all the kids. The big ones were catching frogs and Landon loved to look at them, he would stick his face right in there. :O) No fear!!! This picture is of him with his nursery teacher "Curtina", as he so lovingly calls her. He adores her. The week leading up to the camp out he kept asking for her and it took me a bit to figure out who he was asking for. He followed her around all evening and would yell her name if he could not see her. I am so greatful that he has such a loving wonderful nursery teacher, he has really been through a lot in nursery and its nice to know that he loves it again. I am greatful that she is so patient with him too, since he did not leave her alone most the night.
This is the picture after he was told he could not ride in the car. Poor little hurt face. Mom was a little upset too, but hey, it was not his car or ours so what do I do? He had a blast other then that and played baseball, soccer, and bounced a Pooh Bear ball off his head with Peter Poll, that was all he talked about the next day.
This is some friends of ours little girl Afton, she is 8 days older then Braddoc, but look at how much longer he is then her. I have monster babies! I can not believe how long he is. :O) We went to an appointment yesterday and he was 24 1/2 inches, and that was not even all streched out. Landon was 36 inches (3 feet) and its supposed to be if you double their height at a 2 1/2 years then thats what they should be. So as of right now he is 6ft but he has 4 more months of the growing to do.... so we shall see. He was also still holding strong at 27 pounds and Braddoc at 10pnds 1 oz. My tall skinny men. :O)
Braddoc loves for you to play with his mouth. He thinks its so silly and smiles and coes and attempts laughing. Its so precious. I was cleaning his gums the other day and he just laughed and laughed (well as much laughing as a 6 wk old can do.)

I love this picture. He looks so grown up, but that binkie just consumes his head. Peanut head!
Brothers!!! I love it, they are so cute together and so loving. I can already tell Braddoc adores Landon and Landon just loves his baby!!! He calls him "Big (or little) guy" "Baby brother" "Baby Braddoc" "my baby" and of course Braddoc. He helps me with him all the time and is so attentive to his needs and wants to always be near him or have him right by us. I am so glad that they love each other so much, I hope it continues to be that way.


Heman!!!! I think this picture looks like hs is showing his big muscles!!!!
I love this big eyes. Whats with me and having babies with such big eyes. I wont complain, I think its so cute!!!
Landon is in this new "I get myself dressed" and " I want to wear every sticker I can find" Phase. We had a play date at the park and he insisted that he wear this outfit, (pj bottoms and his mcqueen top) and that he wear all the stickers on his mickey mouse sticker sheet (another obession, Mickey Mouse). It was cute, but my poor boy looked a little homely.... good think all the other ladies had boys and theirs are going through the same phase, so they understood. :O) I actually think all three boys had on either a pj top or bottom. Whats with little kids and pjs? :O) Okay they are super comfy.:O)





Thursday, September 18, 2008

Story of my life

So here I am playing catchup again, seems like thats the story of my life these days. I am enjoying being a mom of two so much and havig so much fun. My boys bring me such great joy, and keep me SOOO busy! This is the first time I have uploaded pics and got on here since we moved. Its just been crazy. So here is a bunch of catch up pictures.
Braddoc is now almost 6 weeks, (tommorow) in these pics he is 5. He is holding his head up pretty well, trying to roll over, sleeping very well, smiling and "talking" to us.

We have been having movie night with Landon once a week. Palate on the floor, popcorn and a movie, its been a lot of fun and he really seems to enjoy that we are all right there in the same room. He also thinks that the bowl of popcorn is all his!!! :O)
Landon and Ila found Noahs ties in our closet and my shoes and had a good ole time trying them on. They play so well together, I really enjoy watching them play together and am go glad that Landon has such a good friend.
My other sweet sweet boy, I love those eyes!
Landons CHEESE!!! face. I love there matching outfits and even better they were on sale. Yes Im the dorky mom who likes to match my boys!

BEST BUDS!!! I can be trying to get Braddoc to smile and Landon walks up and looks at him and says HI baby brother, and out comes the big grin. Braddoc loves Landon and Landon love Braddoc, its so wonderful.

I think Annabelle thinks that Braddoc is her baby. She gives him kisses and if he is around her she stands guard and "protects him".
Landon loves to have his picture taken, but he wants to take them too so its hard to get really good ones. He drug this box into the living room, dumped out the toys and climbed in.

BIG KISSES!!! BIG ONES!!!! Thats what Landon says when he gives you Big kisses, where his wraps his arms around. Other wise they are just little ones and not nearly as drooly as the BIG ONES!!!! (he says it all hard and loud too.)

Landon wants baby to sleep with him at night and at nap. We have to explain its not safe and baby has to sleep in his bed, so this had to do.

My 3 wonderful men!!!
Landons new playroom!!!!
Ilas Grandma "Oma" had adopted Landon and Braddoc, she gets them Pjs and spoils them too. She is very sweet and we are greatful for her love. Landon had a lot of fun getting Oma time when she was in town the other day.
Such a grown up little man, proping his head up with his hand.

There is my smiles!!! Well sort of, he is still working on it in this picture, they are lots bigger and longer now!!!

Braddocs blessing was so wonderful. It would have been nice to have some family there, but our wonderful friends from the ward made a wonderful substitue, they are like family anyway. My parents showed up late and missed the blessing, (two in a row, they are on a roll) I was not getting my hopes up that they would show, its again the story of my life for them to be late and miss something that is important to me, I am surprised that they even showed frankly.
They day was beautiful and Braddoc looked so cute. I cried as I watched all of our guy friends and my wonderful husband place their hands on Braddoc and bless him and give him his name. It was such a beautiful spiritual moment. I am so greatful for all the wonderful men in my life, we are truly blessed with amazing friends and it was so wonderful to have them in on the blessing. for my memory ( Joe Leeman, John Armstrong, Steve Matthews, Riley Booth, Vaiula Fuiava, Peter Poll, Bishop Cody Lewis, Paul Swartz, and Jacob Huffines, we had some other friends we would have liked to stand in but they could not make it...) Thank you to all who participated and Thank you Noah for being a worthy priesthood holder who holds his calling sacred and was therefor able to bless our new son.

Landon has started breast feeding his babies. Its rather comical! He sits down with my, puts a pillow down, pulls up his shirt and pops the baby on. He sits there very patient too. He likes to feed all his babies!!!!