Happy Birthday to you

It's your birthday tomorrow. 

What a great time we had celebrating a month ago in Boston!

We saw so many awesome things, 

But I can honestly say the best part was just simply being with you. 

I hope you know how much I love you.

I hope you know you mean the world to me.

I hope you know that I appreciate you and all that you do for our family. 

I hope you know that I appreciate the father that you are to our kids. 

How you love them and take them 

To do fun things. 

How you make sure they have shoes and mits for softball and baseball. 

Basketball shoes, etc. 

I hope you know that I appreciate how you love me.

I love you and I love us. 

I love that each day is a new day to love more, to try harder, to grow together. 

I hope you have a Happy happy Birthday and feel and know how loved you are. ❤️

 

 
 

 

 

Messy hair, stickers, beautiful Autumn weather, and Christmas music.

Oh yes, I did. 

 

The little things

With the recent horrific Las Vegas tragedy my heart has been so heavy this last week. Things like that really shake you and make you realize the things that matter most. 

I've been so thankful the last few days for the little things in life. 

Because really they are the big things. 

Hugs and kisses from those I love.

Smiles and giggles. 

Kids playing Legos

Hearing them play outside in beautiful fall weather.

Tomatoes from the garden

Baking bread with the window open

Warm chocolate chip cookies

Reading scriptures together 

Family prayer

Dinner together 

Reading together 

Snuggles 

I hope I can appreciate more fully each day I'm given and to appreciate the little things more. ❤️

 

Today

Ran 5 miles

Made lunches

Brushed heads of hair

And teeth

2 bowls of oatmeal for the little princess

Strawberry shortcake (the movie)

Grocery shopping with the little princess 

Corn dogs for lunch

Kids are home from school (early out)

Cleaned up some throw-up,with some accidental help from Tali🤣

Poor Sadie

Feeling better-SEP for Sadie

Finished a pillow order 

Legos with Mason and Ty

Dinner- Hawaiian haystacks 

Clean up and pumpkin cookies 

Showers

Homework 

Turning retainers

Brushing teeth

Scriptures

Prayers 

Stories

Hugs and kisses 

Goodnight😴

 

Dear Sadie...

Last spring sometime a story came on the news about a Children's Justice center in Salt Lake that was trying to raise money to improve the center to make it feel more comfortable for the children who went there. It was a touching story and I got a little emotional watching. 

You quickly wanted to know more about the Children's Justice center. Asking what it is, do we have one in Cedar City, etc. 

As I told you what it was, my heart broke as I watched the sadness develop in your usually sparkling blue eyes. 

One of the first moments of you realizing that there are people who because of many different reasons sometimes hurt innocent children. It was heartbreaking telling you this. 

You were upset for awhile and then the day went on, but your wheels in your head kept turning and you came up with the idea of making stuffed owls- girl owls and boy owls for the kids that went there so they could have something to comfort them while they told the details of such a terrible experience for them. 

So you went to work. 

Over the next couple of months you learned to front stitch, back stitch, stuff, cut and glue. You did it all, except for sewing up the bottoms, that was my job. 

Last Saturday we had an owl day and finished things up so we had 10 boy owls and 10 girl owls. 

We also put in some snacks for them as well. 

Last Monday we delivered them. You were beaming and I was beaming because I was so proud of you and inspired by your example of goodness. 

When we delivered them, the office manager gave us a tour of the center and explained a lot about what goes on. My heart was touched and broken a bit by the whole experience. Broken thinking about all the sweet children who go there and have to relive horrific details. But also touched that there is such a place for them to go and the efforts that have been made to make it so less horrific for them. 

I hope that you will continue on being a light in this world, looking for ways to help and love. The world needs it now more than ever.  

For that is where you find true happiness. 

I love you my Sadie and I'm so proud to be your Mom.

 

 

Over the weekend...

Date night hunting. Yep, that's right I went hunting! After all these years Jake talked me into going. It was fun to see what all the fuss is about and it was great to be with Jake. He only had to tell me to be quiet a few times.😉

We had a regional broadcast this morning for church so it left us with a half of a day. We took a drive up to Brian Head to see the damage from the fire. Really sad to see the toll it took, but also neet to see the new growth already rising from the ashes. 

Mckay came too! He was just asleep in the car. 
 

 

 

Colds and green smoothies

And so it begins. The kids are full force back in school and the germs are too. Poor little pookie's not feeling too great. 

Mckay, Sadie and myself seem to be coming down with something as well. But yay for Friday!

 

Dolphins maiden voyage

We had a great time trying out the Dolphin over Labor Day. 

It was so fun and cozy with all of us in there. I loved thinking about sweet Grandma Willie and Grandpa Carl during our trip. So many fun times ahead with the Dophin!

 

 

 

 

 

Blessed

Last week I was in a pretty bad funk. I was questioning a lot of things, mostly myself. It left me feeling emotionally exhausted by the end of the week. 

Things aren't always perfect. We have bad days, even weeks.

For it must needs be that there is opposition in all things...

This week is been a good week. There's been so many sweet moments that have filled me up and made me so happy. 

-Sadie's FHE lesson, hearing her bear her testimony.

-An unexpected rainstorm

-Livie telling me " Mom, you're special."

-planning Livie's Elsa birthday cake

-so much garden goodness

-St. George trip with Mom: Target, 

Costco, Durangos 😋

-watching and listening to the kids play legos together and outside until dark.

- visiting with Katie

 Having a week like last week, left me craving goodness. It's all around us, but a lot of times goes unnoticed or unappreciated. 

How thankful I am for the bad days that make the good days that much sweeter.

I'm so blessed. 

I have so much to be thankful for. 

I love my family so much. 

Jake I love you (are you reading these days?😉)

You are a wonderful companion to me. 

You do so much for me. 

You try your best to understand me, which is not easy I'm sure. 

Thank you.

I love you.

 

Weekend!

Well we all made it through the first week of school! Yay! 

The kids have done great getting back into it and Livie and I are finding our groove as well. 

Lots of together time for the two of us, but so far so good. We started "mommy school " yesterday. She felt so left out not being able to go to like the rest of them so hope this will fill her cup. 😊

Jake and Hallie are hunting this morning.   Saturday stuff today 

Maybe a backyard movie tonight?

Need to get my sunbeam lesson ready

Dinner with friends tomorrow 

 

 

 

First Day

Yesterday was the first day of school. Always mixed feelings for me. The kids were excited and had a great first day. They're getting so grown up and it does tug at my heart watching it all. 

But I'm trying to change my outlook a bit. Instead of dwelling on how sad it is that they are growing up, changing, becoming more independent, I'm really trying to just embrace it all and be excited for them and all that lies ahead for them. They have so much ahead of them and so many firsts ahead still and I get to experience it with them. 

Life is filled with change and 

adjusting. 

It's beautiful, all of it. 

 

 

Over the weekend....

Catching Rollie pollies 

Sink baths

Also cleaning the house, shopping at the store and getting ready for Sunday. 

Jake was made a high priest and set apart as a member of the high council yesterday. Barry and Janell drove down so they could be here. His Dad gave him a beautiful blessing and the spirit was strong as great men surrounded him with their hands on his head. 

How thankful I am for the priesthood in my life and the worthy men that hold it. It truly is God's power here on the earth. 

This weekend I also finished the Book of Mormon again. 

As I read those final words of Moroni my heart was touched even deeper and my testimony strengthened of the power of those words of prophets who put faith over fear, who carried those plates around from place to place and preserved them for our benefit. There's great power in those words that I'm so thankful for. 

 

Here's to a new week and starting school!👍🏻😩😳😊😬💃🏼 

Lots of mixed feelings.

 

 

Friday!

 

 

 

Today...

-3 mile run

-kids playing Barbies all morning (poor McKay)

-registered Hallie for 8th grade 😩

-back to school night for Sadie and Mckay 😩😩

-Haircut for Mckay

-Great Harvest for Cinnamon chip bread

-Made a chocolate zucchini cake- yum! 

and played Mexican train 

-a little sewing 

-"pasketti" for dinner at 9:00

-Late bedtime per usual lately 

I'm tired. 

But my heart is so full and thankful as I think about today. 

 

When we were at Great Harvest, the sweetest little older lady touched my arm and told me, " you have such a cute family." 

I felt so grateful in that moment for this season of life. I'm sure when I get to be her age I will long for these days with these cute kiddos and the long, full days.  

So for now I will do my best to savor them. 

 

 

Left foot, right shoe

Wanting to pick up blogging again. Nothing serious, but jotting down things about our days here and there. 

I don't know what the future will be like, but I hope that what I have written here might be of value to our sweet kids one day. 

That they will be able to read this blog and know for certain that they were loved by me wholeheartedly and unconditionally. 

That they are the most wonderful thing that ever happened to me. 

That I consider myself the luckiest mom in the whole world. 

 

mama thoughts

 

The other night I went to check on each of the kids before bed and instead of the routine quick check I stayed there a minute and watched each of them sleep for a minute. I watched their sweet, peaceful faces and listened to their calm, rhythmic breathing (and Mckays snoring).

As I watched them I thought about each one of them individually and all the good that they are, all that each of them have struggled with and made it through, the things we've struggled with together and the joy and happiness that each of them have given to me. Tears rolled down my cheeks, my heart was so full. Full of love and gratitude for each day that I have been able to be their Mom. For all that they have shown me and taught me. What a gift it is to experience life through their eyes. And then came feelings of fear, worry, doubt. 

I fear the future for them, I worry about them, I worry about the job I'm doing as their Mother. 

Am I doing enough? What should I be doing better, different?

Then a feeling and thought came, 

Just love them, make sure the know it and feel it. 

So simple, but important. 

The next day came and school was out, things went a long as usual. Livie woke up grumpy and still wasn't quite over her bout of the flu. She didn't want to wear clothes, or eat breakfast. There was some fighting, some attitude and a mom fail when we drove and drove in search of " glitter mountain " that we never found. 

But that sacred Mom experience from the night before carried me through all the ups and down of the day as I tried to focus on "just loving" them. 

Love really is powerful.

I'm so thankful to be a Mother and experience loving these little people in a way that I didn't even know existed until now. 

 

This and that...

It's been awhile! Where to even start? The last few months have been full and busy, which is pretty much the normal. Life doesn't really seem to slow down much these days. The kids are growing and getting busier and busier. But we manage to squeeze some fun in too. I often think of the quote by President Hinkley, "In all living have much fun and laughter, Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured." I love this so much. I'm not always great at it, there's a lot of stuff that just has to be done, but I want to do better. Have more fun, and make more fun in the mundane.

The Holidays were great. Thanksgiving was a great time to be together with my family. We were all together, minus Gareth and Elliot, but the rest of us were together, which hasn't happened in years. It was really nice.

Christmas came and went so fast, like always. It was wonderful in so many ways. Every year brings new experiences, the kids are growing and changing and each year is a little different then last.

I just love everything about Christmas. It's always been my favorite time of year.

I'm so thankful for the reason we celebrate, the gift of our Savior Jesus Christ.

I love him dearly and am humbled daily by His grace and love.

All that I am and have is because of Him. I am far from perfect, but I'm

so thankful that each day is a new start to be a little better than

the day before.

It was so great watching the kids on Christmas. It really was the perfect day. They were thrilled with all of it. And the smiles on their faces and excitement in their eyes was priceless.

And here we are in January, a new year, a new start. I really love this time of year too, when I can start again and renew a bit. At this point the year seems so bright and hopeful and I'm excited to see where it goes, what lies ahead.

I painted Livie's  room did some major closet purging, whoo hoo!

On another note, Mckay has been one little sick boy this last week. High fever, turns

out it's the flu.  He's been down for about a week now, with little improvement.

My mama heart breaks a bit everytime I look at his peaked little face and sick eyes.

Praying and hoping for a breakthrough and some improvement soon!

And I guess that about sums it all up for awhile.

"Hourglass"

Little boy, when you speak
I can’t help but kiss your cheeks
I love the way you grab my hands
And tell me all about your plans

Rocket high, comets fly
You and I could hitch a ride
And fly away to Neverland
And give our best to Peter Pan

When you reach for the stars
Don’t forget who you are
And please don’t turn around and grow up way too fast
See the sand in my grasp
From the first to the last
Every grain becomes a memory of the past
Oh, life’s an hourglass
Life’s an hourglass

Story’s read, prayer is said
Close your eyes sleepyhead
While angels linger in your dreams
And hold you in their feathered wings
Just like you, I was small
Not that long ago at all
I wish you all the happiness
That God gives freely if you ask

Mindy Gledhill

The Bus

I

Oh how Mckay loves the bus! Oh how he loves riding the bus with his friend Carson. Every day at 12:10 we walk down our driveway and then cross the street and wait for it. Livie loves it too. We give him a hug and kiss and then watch for him to wave to us from the window inside the bus.

One day we had some errands to do in town, and were running a bit late. I told Mckay that we were probably not going to make the bus today. With big alligator tears, he said, "Then me and Carson can't do our secret hand shake!"

We haven't missed it since.