Hot Chocolate dance

The older girls did a jazz dance routine for the church Christmas Party.
They were really cute!

Thanksgiving 2010

imitaion a sincere for of flattery

I wish I had a picture that showed my kid in action!  Especially from the other day!

Well I was curled up in an afghan reading a book on the couch the other day.
When in walks my 18 month old boy. He smiled really big around his pacifier
and looked at me.  I looked at him and smiled over my book.  Then I watched
him climb up on the opposite couch, pull another afghan with all his might to
cover him.  He got just a corner of it up on the couch to go over his lap.  Then
he picked up a big book and holding it upside down lay back against the
cushions  to "read" just like me.

Wow did I ever get the hugest  bolt of LOVE shoot me right then!

He wants to be like me!

My CAREER!

You've seen those magazines that talk about following

your dreams or bliss into a fabulous Career.

What is my bliss?

I of course want to have that!

What then should be my career? 
I think I pondered that allot as a young adult, in my early 20s.

 Following your bliss sounds sorta lame like this kind of "Pied Piper"

sorta came along and swept you off and you followed.  

Well I think that is where I was wrong!  I'm not gonna ever have a magic tune or 

potion that makes all my work bliss. 

I finally figured it out!

Here is the realization part..... I  create my  bliss!!!

In everyday moments as I do the most meaningful work I can.

That work is the full time Career of Mothering.

Of course we all have little things we especially love in life.

My sister told me that fresh new school supplies are really blissful for her .

I also love the possibilities of a new length of beautiful fabric.

So I have been looking to make some of my everyday moments have those same

feeling attached to them.  One I can already tell you is this....

Wrapping my baby in a towel after a bath and smelling his clean hair.

That is BLISS!

I have been also trying to have a prayer in my heart always so I can make 

meaningful connections with my children.  Sure I have been teaching them 

and spending time with them, but I want some moments in there that pack

a more powerful punch.  You know the kinds that help build their sweet

little souls up and give them spiritual growth, that really capture pure love.

“Work at our responsibility as parents as if everything
in life counted on it, because in fact everything in life
does count on it"  ~Elder Oaks Ensign Nov. 2007

Just like other jobs give you on the job training.  So does this one!

I also recently (August) went to Education Week at BYU-Idaho, sorta 

a "business trip" for my fabulous Career in Mothering!

I got all sorts of good ideas and thoughts on how to move forward in 

my field of labor.  

I was so rejuvenated to really put more thought and attention into my
Mothering Career.

I have been trying to catch ideas from my personal study for FHE lessons
and I am having daily scripture verse quoting (repeat after me... "Behold
how good and how pleasant it is for the [family] to dwell together in unity"
Psalms 133:1) and amazingly my kids are starting to memorize verses!

It's been working.  I have noticed moments that as I do what I do I feel
the satisfaction of doing the work I am suppose to do.

"...O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with

all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand  blameless

before God at the last day.

    Remember faith, virture, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly

kindness, godliness, charity, humility, dilligence.

    Ask and ye shall recieve; knock, and it shall be opened unto you."

Doctrine and Covenants 4:2. 6-7

Happy Home lesson

I made this coloring page to help in my Sunbeam class
We talked about how we can help make our home a happy one.
By working together and helping.

Remember "when we're helping we're happy"

I used this for a Family night lesson too.
I talked about all the responsibilities of each family member.
Mom-make dinner, wash clothes ....
Dad-work for our lively hood, garden in the yard....
kid-go potty, pick up toys, eat their dinner...
(what ever their various responsibilities are)

Then I ask what would happen if we didn't do those things?
What if Mom didn't make dinner?
.......no dinner

Dad didn't mow our grass?
....tall grass & weeds

or the dishes where never done?
..........big mess, no spoons for breakfast

or the laundry never washed?
.......nothing to wear we start to smell

The responsibilities we have are important to make a happy home
When we all work together we can have a happy house.

I also like to point out that we do these things out of Duty and Love.
If we didn't care why do it?  But we do care and so we do these things
even if they aren't fun for us at the time.
But in the end when we stand back and see the happy home
with clean spaces and yummy dinners we feel good about our work.
When we work we are really showing LOVE!

My L brought this to me and I love it!

It amazes me.

counting my blessings

one

two

three

four

Wilderness Wild Flowers

Family togetherness!

It is hard to get all of us to smile or sit still together.

These two are really close!

I like the first one because you can see all of our faces but I really love how we

are all smiling in the second one (minus one covered up face)

Anyone know how to cut and past an entire head/ upper torso? 

Just One of those days....

Woke up to lots of "Mama... Maaahhhh"from my boy.
So I got him up and had to cuddle him and try to get him to drink his milk.
Lately he thinks we give him milk to make him be quiet, so he's sorta
on a milk boycott.  I ended up caressing his head and singing to him
to get him to take the milk.  Silly boy.

(What does this face say to you?)  

Then every second I have to get my little boy out of the hot water he's in

and today that was literal  He climbed up into the bathroom sink and
turned hot water onto his toes and didn't like it! (so mommy rescued him)
He also pushed the fan out of his window and mommy had to rescue him again.

To top that my middle girl is telling me she isn't well.
Around noon, she pukes.   Joy....
sigh....  She had a rash yesterday I was worried about.
Today only her face rash is really awful looking.  The rash has been all over
her torso and arms and face.
She kept asking me to check her temperature, but it only was 99 pr 99.9 so
not too high or anything.

I did lots of laundry and dishes and it didn't seem to

make a dent.
That with my kids not being well...
It was ONE OF THOSE DAYS...

Thankfully my hubby brought home dinner!

big smiles

My girls at a horseback riding lesson.
Loved the smiles here!
So much I thought I'd try and paint it.
You can see my attempt here.

Motherhood: An Eternal Partnership with God

Disney fun

Lots of fun at Disneyland!

What's in your window well?

We think it was attracted to the baby bunny

that was down there a few days ago and

decided it would be a good snack.

Now it's stuck 4 feet down in our window well.

Any ideas on what to do with him now?

child's drawing

Saw this and I thought What in the world is this!?
What do you see in this picture?


Do you dare find out?

Post your thoughts on this one...
Then I'll reveal what she told me was in this picture...
but I still don't know why!

M checks out the view by the light house with Uncle L

M &M Up a tree

wish she would smile like this all the time
got a lot of attitude this trip

Palos Verdes

Wedding Trip!

Motherhood 101

I have been learning how to be a mother.
Things I guess I really was naive about but didn't realize until recently.
I naively believed that because I was a woman
being a mother would be second nature for me.
Ha ha ha!  Not so much.  Just because you have a baby doesn't mean
you always know what to do when that baby is crying.
With the birth of my son and my 4th child, some how
I felt even more that I needed more than my womanhood
to be a true mother.  I needed the Armor of God.
Why that took so long to figure out I am not sure.
Perhaps the fact I had a son, a little man, and I will admit
I don't understand men very well and teaching a future
man how to be a honorable man seems daunting.


"The responsibility mothers have today has never required 
more vigilance. More than at any time in the history of the
world, we need mothers who know. Children are being born
into a world where they "wrestle not against flesh and blood,
but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers
of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness 
in high places" (Ephesians 6:12).However, mothers need not 
fear. When mothers know who they are and who God is and
have made covenants with Him, they will have great power 
and influence for good on their children.

Who will prepare this righteous generation of sons and 
daughters? Latter-day Saint women will do this—women 
who know and love the Lord and bear testimony of Him, 
women who are strong and immovable and who do not give
up during difficult and discouraging times. We are led by an
inspired prophet of God who has called upon the women 
of the Church to "stand strong and immovable for that which
is correct and proper under the plan of the Lord." He has 
asked us to "begin in [our] own homes" to teach children
the ways of truth. Latter-day Saint women should be the 
very best in the world at upholding, nurturing, and 
protecting families ". (Julie B. Beck, Mothers Who Know)


 Then my hubby and I talked about how many children we
wanted an we decided to have some more.
Oh boy did the gates open up there!  It seemed when we
made that decision everyday was full of contention and
rivalry.  I thought how can I be a mother to more when I
clearly can't do it now!
It became clear that I was up against a force that wanted
me to fail.  Yep that's right the father of all Lies the one who
always tells you you can't- Satan.  He was attacking us. (still is)
That is when I figured it out!  That needed the Armor of God.
I needed a Shield of Faith, a Breastplate of Righteousness,
and Sword of Truth!  I needed Jesus Christ to direct my mothering!
And you know what as soon as I realized my need
He empowered me!  I was immediately emboldened to live my
desires and felt the courage to face the foe and be all that I
could be with HIS help!  How truly wonderful is that!
Now don't think that I am now perfect at this job...
not even close.  But I have been given strength and I have
received whisperings of direction from the Holy Ghost to
help me.  I still get discouraged but then I remind myself that
those thoughts aren't from God.  He knows I can be the daughter
he made me to be and he has girded me up so I can do it!
Onward ever Onward!
Sending Love and hope out to all the mothers!  God is on our side!
Love D-lyn

My Love Bug!

Macaroni

livin on a prayer!

She says we've got to hold on to what we've got
It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not
We got each other and that's a lot
For love we'll give it a shot!

Whoa, we're half way there
Whoa oh, livin' on a prayer
Take my hand and we'll make it I swear
Whoa oh, livin' on a prayer


 Okay I heard this song today on the radio and I thought SO true
We are living every day on a prayer and all the other stuff
it doesn't matter because with out each other  my hubby my kids
I would be nothing and with each other we are EVERYTHING!!!

Livin' On A Prayer lyrics
Songwriters: Bongiovi, Jon; Sambora, Richard; Child, Desmond;

Tommy used to work on the docks
Union's been on strike, he's down on his luck
It's tough, so tough

Gina works the diner all day
Working for her man, she brings home her pay
For love, mmm, for love

She says we've got to hold on to what we've got
It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not
We got each other and that's a lot
For love we'll give it a shot!

Oh, we're half way there
Oh oh, livin' on a prayer
Take my hand, we'll make it I swear
Oh oh, livin' on a prayer

Tommy's got his six string in hock
Now he's holding in what he used to make it talk
So tough, mmm, it's tough

Gina dreams of running away
When she cries in the night, Tommy whispers
"Baby it's okay, someday"

We gotta hold on to what we've got
It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not
We got each other and that's a lot
For love we'll give it a shot!

Oh, we're half way there
Oh oh, livin' on a prayer
Take my hand, we'll make it I swear
Oh oh, livin' on a prayer
Livin' on a prayer!

We gotta hold on ready or not
You live for the fight when it's all that you've got

Whoa, we're half way there
Whoa oh, livin' on a prayer
Take my hand and we'll make it I swear
Whoa oh, livin' on a prayer

Whoa, we're half way there
Whoa oh, livin' on a prayer
Take my hand and we'll make it I swear
Whoa oh, livin' on a prayer

Easter day~

Cousins and The park!

Happy happy

Birthday J & W!





We had so much fun!

Come see all the decorations! HERE