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

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