Day 25

If a picture is worth a thousand words, I'm going to let this one do all the talking about my heart and how grateful I'm feeling today.

Day 24

I'm grateful for Sunday afternoon naps with two of my favorite people. Looking forward to next year's church schedule and more Sunday afternoons like this!!

Day 23

I'm grateful for Molly.  After we finished our back fence, we moved her fence, too, so she can be on the back porch when it is raining/snowing/cold.  We often find her peeking in on us like this:

She comes inside often, but has lots of energy and is happier outside the bulk of the time.

I've been taking her for a few night runs.  Because it gets dark so early, I would not want to go by myself, but Molly makes me less nervous.  She hears everything and is on alert the whole time.  She almost took out a couple of lighted lawn reindeer for me when she thought they were a threat.  It was pretty funny to hear her use a mean bark, so different than I have ever heard her use when she was trying to warn me.

Tonight, she kept barking.  I opened the kitchen window and told her to stop.  She did for half a second.  Then I opened the back door and told her again.  Finally, I opened the laundry room door that leads into the garage, because it sounded like she was in front, right next to the garage.  I was startled to see the garage door wide open, so I told her to stop again, and shut the garage door.  At some point, it dawned on me that it was her different bark, her mean bark.  I looked out the window and saw four people trying to sneak out of our yard.  I ran to the front door, threw it open and yelled at them to "Get out of here!"  They didn't even act concerned, and kept sauntering out along the fenceline.  It made me mad.  There have been several cars broken into, purses stolen, guns stolen in our neighborhood lately, and I wasn't about to let them get away with more!

So I slipped on my shoes and coat and ran after them.  I followed them and called 911 while I was following them.  I gave them a description and told them where they were, and then I looked up and they had disappeared.  One of our neighbors is a state cop and I think they saw him and ducked down somewhere.  So I went back home and called my next door neighbor to let her know, too.  She called me half an hour later and told me that her son had seen them, too, and actually recognized one of the boys, so I called dispatch back with a name and street where he lived.  

Jared and I were laughing, because we live in a nice neighborhood that SHOULD be really safe, but we have had a neighbor's party get out of control and a drunk drive through a fence and around our house, and some teenage kids try to break into our garage/car in the 2 years we have lived here.  We lived on Monroe Street in Twin Falls for 4 years and had drug dealers live down the street and never had anything crazy happen to us.  I think people who live in good neighborhoods sometimes let down their guard, though, so that is probably why things keep happening here.

Day 22

I'm grateful for the scriptures, and the peace they bring to our home.  I've been really enjoying listening to conference talks again, and soaking it in.  Amazing how personal and specific those talks are to me.

THIS is one of my favorites.  I love the title, "Come, Join with Us."  Whether you are already a member or not, the message is the same.  You are invited to come and be a part.

Day 21

I'm grateful for Anderson. He is such a sweet, patient baby, always quick to light up and smile when he sees you. He is a talker, and loves to go on and on cooing about his day.

Last week was the first time I had to let him fuss himself back to sleep during a nap, if that helps give you an idea of what an easy going kid he is. What baby doesn't really fuss until 4.5 months old?! 

He has been more or less sleeping through the night since he was 5 weeks old. We randomly have nights when he wakes up once or twice during his twelve hour night.

His signature face.  All the kids have had one.  The Yoda, the Zoolander, the Turtle.  We don't have a great name for it yet, though....

He has a very determined side.  The other day I put him in his bouncer(his favorite!), but he didn't want to lay back.  So I buckled him, and he sat up in there for a long time.  He started fussing for a minute, because he was too tired to sit up, but he wouldn't lay back.  I gently tried to lean back and he fought me.  He just wanted to sit up!  It was funny.

His "I think you're all crazy!" face.

Today he found his toes for the first time, he was so excited, and it was adorable.

Day 20

I am grateful for the friendships our kids have with each other. They fight sometimes, too, but they spend way more time having fun playing. I think their dog piles/wrestling matches are hilarious. 

Emma went to a friend's house this morning, and she missed Maddie so much that she just tackled her and hugged her. It was sweet and made Maddie's day.

Day 19

I'm grateful for Vicks vapor rub, Vicks baby bath and our humidifier, that help provide relief to the kids. They are fighting little colds that turned into coughs. Still not too bad, but enough that I pulled out the reinforcements. ;)

I'm also grateful that my calling in primary means I get to spend time with the cub scouts. Pack Meeting was tonight, and I just love those boys. They have amazing leaders and I'm grateful for all the hard work they are doing, all the time.

Day 18

I'm grateful for our home. Keeps us warm, dry and safe. Gives us a place to put our "stuff" and call our own. It is a literal, figurative and spiritual shelter from the storms of life to me. That is what I want it to be for each member of our family, what I pray for it to become.

I'm grateful for family home evening. Such an inspired idea. I'm grateful for the chaos that is actually family home evening at our house. I'm grateful for good kids who fight over trying to teach the lesson. It was Briggs' turn, and he was so excited and proud of himself.

Bathtime

Day 17

I am grateful for these little clothes-people, they make me laugh.  I told Maddie that my little sister used to lay her outfits out like a little person every night before bed, so Maddie does this often now.  The thing about Maddie is that the bolder the colors and patterns, the more likely she is to put them together.  That coral top is actually a dress, paired with black skinny jeans, and her maroon soccer socks that go past her knees.  It is a pretty awesome outfit.  

I'm grateful for this cute boy.  I know I already said this only yesterday, but I really LOVE weekends at home.  The kind where the kids can take nice long naps, there is extra cuddle time, etc.  I love that Anderson likes to cuddle and fall asleep in our arms.  And look how much hair he has?!  A little faux hawk.

I'm also grateful for good home teachers who make our kids feel important.  And who don't seem to mind the craziness that goes on at our house while they are here.  They challenged us to listen to or read general conference talks, the kids included, and I'm amazed the things they have been picking up as we listen to them on my phone or kindle at breakfast or lunch.  Very cool experience.

Day 16

Today I am grateful for weekends at home with my family.

I'm also grateful for date night and Jared's parents, who so willingly watch the kids while we go on a date.

I'm grateful for the amazingly deep and emotional conversations I have with my favorite 4 year old.

I'm grateful for health. Jared, Maddie, Briggs and Anderson all have a cold, and sickness always makes me appreciate how often we're healthy even more.

Day 15

Today I am grateful for Jared's job. We were blessed and guided here and know this is where we are supposed to be. We still miss Twin Falls, our friends there, and the good people he worked with there, but when Heavenly Father says it is time to go, we try to listen. He knows better than us.

His job helps him stretch and grow daily, provides many learning opportunities, and he is happy.

We're also grateful for the good insurance through this job. We are especially grateful for it after having essentially zero insurance for the first few years of our marriage.

One of the benefits of this job has been our ability to pay down debt more quickly. So in that sense, we are grateful for the freedom this job it's helping us find.

I've said it many times before, but one of the greatest benefits to having taken this job, was to move to this great neighborhood and ward. We couldn't ask for a better one. And we are so much closer to family, which is priceless.

Quiet

Jared left for work early this morning, while I was up feeding Anderson. I would love to go back to sleep, but my brain just doesn't want to turn off.

I'm so grateful for this time of year, the extra focus on what is really important. I'm feeling some nudges to do less in order to be more.

I find I'm always having to rewind and simplify my life. It isn't always easy to sacrifice the things I think I want for the things I need.

Today, I resolve to be better- more patient and understanding, more focused on my role as a mother. Not just any mother, but a mother in Zion, a "mother who knows", a mother with great moral influence and responsibility. Heavenly Father entrusted these four amazing spirits to Jared and I, and I'm so grateful.

Last night, as I tucked Emma in, we were taking about who she is... smart, beautiful, fast, kind, a good friend, a great big sister, loved by Heavenly Father, a princess in His kingdom. She stopped its conversation and said, "Mom! I forgot to pray!!" She got on her knees and thanked Him for "letting her come here, even though He misses her there."

It hit me again in that moment that he "let" them be a part of our family, and I have a big responsibility to teach and love them.

One of my favorite lines from Briggs these days is, "Mom, don't let me fall!" He usually says it when he is climbing up next to meet on a chair, couch or bed. Sometimes he just says it when we're playing pretend games. But that plea resonates with me.

I know I can't keep my kids from falling sometimes, that is part of learning, but I'm working on building trust that when they do fall I'll be there to catch them and help them back up. Guess where I learned that? From Heavenly Father, who has shown me time and time again that He is there for me, through the big things, but especially through the many tender mercies I am given daily.

Day 14

I am grateful for the piano. It is a stress reliever, a source of inspiration, brings joy into our home and much more. I just started teaching piano lessons a couple of months ago, and I absolutely love it! It is so fun to see it "click" when new concepts are mastered, and the same joy that it brings me reflected there.

I'm also grateful for cleaning/organization projects. I have lots that need to be done, but it feels and looks so great when I do. Today I finished the master bedroom closet. It looks awesome- yay! :)

Day 13

Today was pretty much uneventful, relatively speaking.  But then I decided to bake some banana bread.  Chaos erupted, including flour flying everywhere.

I stepped outside to dust it off of me and try to take care of the mess, and came back inside to find Briggs dumping and playing in the sugar.  He told me it had something to do with a "bad wolf" that his train "boomed".  I'm so glad he was able to save the day.

Right as I went to post this, the banana bread had just come out of the oven and Briggs knew it was there.  I wasn't fast enough, so he just ate the whole side of the loaf.  Whew, he has lots of energy!

So today I am grateful for brooms to sweep up messes!  And the cute little boy who makes my most of the messes around here.  I love him lots.

Today we also heard the results of Clint's tests from earlier this week.  His gall bladder is only operating at 5%, so it needs to be removed.  It is supposed to be a very quick outpatient procedure, so he is hoping he can just take care of it there.  Please remember to keep him in your prayers?

Day 12

Today I am grateful for my sister.  I missed her while she was gone!  We have too many shared years and memories.  And I am so glad we were able to chat today, I NEEDED it.  She fills my bucket with optimism and happiness.  That is who she is.  Her major and her mission have put us in very similar places in our lives, even though we really are in different phases.  We love it.

I'm also grateful for my friends.  We do playgroup on Tuesdays, and I really look forward to that time with them.  My kids love it, too.  I appreciate that although we are all different with different opinions and ideas, and different parenting techniques, our kids can play well together and we can handle those differences without hard feelings.  I've been in situations where that isn't always the case.

I'm grateful for quiet nights at home.  Well, "quiet" as in no where to go, not silent, that doesn't ever happen around here! ;)

I have a new favorite food, braided twists.  I use our regular pizza dough recipe and then fill it with whatever we feel like.  Last night it was our chicken and spinach panini recipe.  It was seriously DELICIOUS.  I'm very excited to eat the leftovers today, and I'm not much of a leftover fan.  Plus, it looks really fancy, so I feel like a chef when I put it on the table.

Also, grateful for Jared.  I could really add him to every single day's post.  I'm trying to control it. :)  But I was so tired last night and fell asleep early... like 8pm, as soon as the kids were in bed.  While I was sleeping he did a couple of loads of laundry, cleaned up dinner, took care of Molly(the dog) and made sure the kids stayed in bed.  He is just a good man, so grateful he is mine.

Day 11

Day 11- Today I'm grateful for technology, and the positive ways it can be used. I love my Monday e-mails from my little brother on his mission, as well as e-mails from the other members of my family as we all write to him.

I deactivated my Facebook account this morning as a split second decision to take a little break from it. I don't have much of a reason why, except that I don't NEED it. Good, better, best.

I've also been reflecting on those members of the military who have served and who are serving for this great country. I am SO grateful for the many sacrifices that have been made on my behalf.

Day 10

Day 10- I have the best neighbors/ward ever.  And I am blessed to know this amazing family.  They have changed our lives and perspective forever.  We were so grateful to be able to help with this.  One of the best nights ever.  Here is the LINK for the video if you haven't seen it yet.

Day 9

Day 9- I am grateful for beds to tuck my kids into. And bedtime?! Yes, please! Love the kisses, hugs and cuddling, but I also love the quiet afterward.  And I love to be a creepy mom and go check on them after they are sleeping.  Sometimes I really do just watch them for a minute, study their faces.  Those are the moments when my heart feels as if it might explode with joy and love.  They are beautiful and pure and good, my job is to allow those traits to continue to develop.  Love them.

Day 8

Day 8- I'm grateful for a washer and dryer. I have lots of laundry to do today(mountains!!), and I can't even imagine how long it would take me to do it all without them! Or how awful dragging those mountains and my kids to the laundromat for hours would be. Now I'm going to go ENJOY doing all my laundry(in the comfort of my nice warm home), right?!

Day 7

Day 7- I'm grateful for the spilled food crumbs on the floor by the garbage, around the sink and on the walls- they represent my kids taking care of their own dishes after dinner.  I have often had an initial reaction of frustration to these messes, I am learning to see the good! I would rather they take care of their responsibilities(even if it is messy or inconvenient) than not learn to do them at all.

Day 6

Day 6- So grateful for Jared. He took the day off yesterday to take care of the kids so I could help at the elections. Not only did he keep them alive, but he made them a huge breakfast, got the girls dressed and ready(including hair!) and to pre-school by 9. He also came by to vote and had a nice dinner, complete with homemade breadsticks, waiting for me when I got home. Not to mention all the other stuff(diapers, bottles, snacks, dishes, etc.) in between! But as impressive as all of that is, it's not unusual for him. He works hard all the time, is an incredible dad, and my best friend. Love him SO much!

Day 5

Day 5- I'm grateful to live in this country and to have so many freedoms and opportunities. I am grateful to have the right to vote!

Day 4

Day 4- I'm grateful to live where we do. I love Idaho, and being in Pocatello where there is such a variety of things to do with our little family. We have such a great neighborhood and great neighbors. I love that I don't have to worry when the kids are outside or when they are walking to a friend's. I snapped this picture from my front door while they ran across the street to Jill's this morning.

Day 3

Day 3- I'm grateful for the little feet in my life (and the little people attached to them!). I can't begin to put into words how much I love them, how much they teach me, how much purpose they give my life, and how incredibly grateful I am to be their mom. In this picture, Briggs snuck out of his room while I was doing Emma's hair, shut my bathroom door, stuck his feet under and just started giggling. It was pretty adorable.

Day 2

Day 2- I'm so grateful for the amazing people in my life! My niece was baptized this morning, and it was incredible to watch her be surrounded by those who love her. Then we came home to (hopefully) finish our fence. Our kids pitched in and helped. Family members and friends just kept showing up and went to work without us ever asking. Others watched the kids, brought over yummy birthday treats, ran errands. I had so many sweet messages on Facebook and phone calls. Then we were able to go bowling with a group of great friends while Jared's parents watched our kids. At the end of the day, I can't help but be overwhelmed with gratitude for the people Heavenly Father has put in my life.

Lots of hard workers!!  Briggs was counting pickets for us.  Brendan picked some up and started to walk off and Briggs said, "Hey!!  I was counting those!!"  Emma was handing brackets and screws to Jared.  Maddie is taking a break and eating an apple here.  And obviously I wasn't working hard because I was taking these pictures! :)

The beautiful and delicious birthday cake made my friend, Lori- http://decadentdesignsbylori.blogspot.com/.  So yummy!  And I don't even like cake normally!

After getting done with the fence, Jared's brother was throwing a football with his boys, and his wedding ring flew off into our grass.  Once again, everyone pulled together to search (on hands and knees) for his ring.  We eventually found it.  I also think this picture perfectly depicts Derek and Connie's relationship.  Does not surprise me one bit that he would be on the ground combing through grass and leaves for his wedding ring.  They are so sweet.

The fence, from beginning to end.  Day 1- Holes measured, marked and dug.  Hit a water line this day.  Our friend Rob and Jared's dad helped this day, Spike loaned us his tractor and auger.

Day 2- Posts set and cemented.  Of course there was more marking, measuring and leveling.  My dad drove all the way here to help this day.

I just wanted to show how perfectly straight this fenceline is.  This is a picture once all of the posts were set.  They are so in line that you can only see the first.  Impressive, huh?  Jared's attention to detail is part of why he is so great at doing projects.

Day 3- Filled in the holes with dirt, and put up rails and pickets.  SO much help today!  Derek and his boys, Rob and his family, Mark.

Finished!  Beautiful, huh?

On Day 1, they hit the water irrigation line(that is for the whole neighborhood!).  It is hard to tell, but it is a 3 inch pipe and not a good one to hit.

On Day 3, when the fence was done, MORE help showed up and we were able to get the pipe fixed, too.  I also love this picture because Briggs is standing the exact same way as Jared, with his hands on his hips.  We often joke about how much that little boy loves his Grandpa, but his Dad is still his hero first.

Day 1

For the record, I am not posting in order of things I am most grateful for- I'm just going with whatever pops into my head.  It will probably be a little random.

DAY 1

I am grateful for this Bosch mixer I found for only $75!!  And it has since turned into an early birthday present for me!  I love it!  I enjoy baking, and I don't mind stirring and mixing and kneading, but this baby just made me more efficient and more productive!  I will be putting it to good use for sure!  Oh!  And did I mention I scored TWO of them for that price?!  My sister-in-law got hers for her birthday, too.  Pizza nights will be forever changed for both of our families.

I'm also grateful for days like today with my kids.  I literally have no where I HAVE to be, or anything I HAVE to do.  We will be staying in our pajamas today(except for Maddie because she likes to get dressed or something).  Our do-nothing days are the days we work out together, get the house caught up, laundry done and usually some baking done.  Oh, and lots of extra cuddles and stories.  Can't wait!!  We will also be making our "gratitude tree" today.  At the moment I am tossing an imaginary football back and forth with Briggs.  Who knew I was such an athlete?!  He is doing his touchdown dance now, I think he scored on me!  Time for me to put the computer away and focus on winning! ;)  Hope you have a day filled with many things to be grateful for!