Oh Rats!

ey

I had to buy lawn fertilizer.

The girls came with me,

and they fell in love with baby ducks.

I didn't have my camera,

but just imagine really cute little yellow ducks.

We all got to hold them.

The begging started.

"Can we get one mom,

Please!!!???"

No, they're cute, but...

We got in the car and started talking about getting a bunny again.

Our last bunny, THUMPER, died.

Whit started to cry remembering that day.

Then out of my mouth,

"What about rats, let's get some rats during spring break."
 (my friend had told me how much fun her family had with rats)

They liked that idea.
And so,
here we are with 2 rats.
They're pretty cute.
The kids love them.
 

Little Cleaning Fairy came while I slept

It's Spring Break.

A break from

6:15 am,

hurried breakfast,

catching the bus,

getting ready to go.

 No alarm this morning.

But,

something did wake me.

The clatter of dishes.

Was someone eating breakfast?

No, I heard the dishwasher rack being pulled.

Dishes stacked.

The kitchen faucet is on, then off.

Someone is cleaning!!!

I bet it's my Whiters.

Love her.

She is my little cleaning fairy.

Can't wait until she can make a full meal!!

Inspiration

I've talked about her on my blog.

My children know her best.

I got to see her speak here.

What a sweetheart.

 Her book, 

Heaven Is Here

will be out April 3rd.

My copy will arrive and

I'm very sure 

laundry will have to wait!

Inspiration comes first. 

Right?

A little piece from something I wrote

I remember my mother.

She sat at my bed.

I would cry sometimes.

Her gentle touch was solace to my heavy heart,

as she rubbed the temples on my little, red head.

That is what she always did.

Her touch,

Her voice,

ever soft and sure.

My mother:

Pacifier to my soul!

August 18^th 2008,

I said goodbye.

To her touch,

to her voice.

Cancer won the fight.

But her life is in mine.

Her mothering is in me.

Motherhood is

the place in our hearts that continues to thrive.

A gift from our Creator that outshines darkness and pain,

and nurtures charity and hope.

My place is motherhood,

intrinsic to my soul!

Transplanted from mother to daughter,

It’s the fruit of divinity.

Motherhood is

the sympathy of my heart.

The stirring motion that turns my heart

to God,

his will,

his design.

Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin

I feel like a pig.
A pig from the infamous fable,
The Three Little Pigs

Let me explain.

The wolf is to me all the 
ugly, 
foul, 
 immoral,
stuff that  exists in our world.
The wolf can get in so easily.

If the house is not strong

and the pig wants to relax and make things easy for himself.

Copyright © URL PBS Kids, Copyright © 2000-06 WGBH Educational Foundation and Sirius Thinking, Ltd. All rights reserved

The pig with the house of bricks.
He's the pig I want to be.
When the wolf huffs and puffs 
 I exclaim,
"Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin."
and my house won't budge.
 I am safe inside.

I recite this tale to my daughter when I curl her hair.
I tell it a little differently.
I'm teaching my kids why its safer to keep the wolf away.
Rules and commandments are not restrictive.
They bring safety,
they bring freedom.

So bring it on wolf.
We're building a house of bricks.

Look to live- treatment for the wounded spirit.

My time as a teenager is instructive to me.

The day to day details of my life then are vague.

However, how I felt through those years remains with me.

I'm thankful for this.

It's made me a better mother.

I remember vividly the feelings that overcame me when I made stupid choices.

I remember the feelings that led me to make those stupid choices.

I remember how my spirit suffered.

Like our bodies our spirits can be wounded.

Wounded by 

sin, 

pain, 

anger, 

sorrow,

and

regret.

I sliced my finger once while opening a can of tomato sauce.

I treated the wound, and covered it with a band-aid

It took awhile for it to heal.

 I don't hurt myself physically everyday.

But, everyday my spirit gets "sliced".

  How do I treat the wound?

Through the Atonement.

Through Christ I can heal.

But,

I must confess.

This is not always my first treatment option.

The treatment is easy enough-

Sincere prayer often.

Repentance in those prayers.

Reading, pondering and applying the words of Christ

found in the scriptures.

 Living the commandments of God.

In the past as I've read of Moses and the brazen serpent

I've always been shocked that some did not look so they could live.

Why, when it was so easy?

Today.

I ask this of myself.

Do I look to live?

Spiritual death is all to real.

I see it in the faces of those who don't know the treatment. 

I've been taught.

Repent.

Pray.

Read.

Obey.

Love.

 I find myself turning to other means to treat my wounds.

Artificial means.

Most often the kinds of things 

that dull my senses.

Dull my feelings

or mask them. 

Eating too much.

Surfing the web way too long.

Shopping without $$ (Retail therapy)

I can't see the wounds to my spirit,

but they are very real.

It's not always easy to see,

to feel.

If I'm honest with myself.

If I drown out all the things that pull my attention

from my heart.

If I pray out loud.

I hear,

I feel,

I know that the wounds are there.

I am not perfect.

I get angry.

I get prideful.

I do lots of things that tear at my heart.

My soul gets week.

Diseased if I don't look to live.

I want to overcome.

I want to heal.

I want to be whole.

 

Live like this.

I read this today.

I'm posting it on the mirror,

in the bathroom that we all use the most.

I want us to read and reread.

I want to live this quote.

I feel strongly that I have good to share.

this quote is taken 
from Sheri L. Dew's Book

No One Can Take Your Place

 President Gordon B. Hinckley

BYU speeches 1996-97

"You are good. But it is not enough just to be good. You must be good for something. You must contribute good to the world. The world must be a better place for your presence. And the good that is in you must be spread to others.

I do not suppose that any of us here this day will be remembered a thousand years from now. I do not suppose that we will be remembered a century from now. 

But in this world so filled with problems, so constantly threatened by dark and evil challenges, you can and must rise above mediocrity, above indifference. You can become involved and speak with a strong voice for that which is right."

Surprise its your birthday, no surprise that I LOVE you.

A few weeks ago we celebrated Jeff's birthday.

Gifts are a tough one for me.

I like them if they're thoughtful.

I could not figure out a thoughtful gift.

A gift that declares-

I LOVE YOU!

 YOU'RE EVERYTHING TO ME!

 THERE IS NO ONE ELSE LIKE YOU!

 THE WORLD IS BETTER WITH YOU IN IT! 

What to buy to convey all that? 

Things rust.

They get stored and forgotten.

Although,

making things is a whole different story.

A photo book,

a book of all our love letters,

daily [I love you because] written for a year and then bound in a book.

All ideas I thought of a week before his bday.

oops.

So instead.

A surprise open house.

6:30-8:30

Invited 80 on FACEBOOK and some via email.

His mom and I made his favorite desserts.

Cherry Cheesecake.

Lemon Lush.

Better than anything Chocolate Cake.

I also had a stash of his favorite frozen treats.

To make an excuse for my more than normal cleaning frenzy,

I explained that our good friend was coming to stay with us.

He bought it.
So we got ready for her arrival.
We even bought new kitchen chairs.
(The ones we had were cheap and kept breaking.)
At 6:30 he was building them in his Pajama pants.
The guests began arriving at 6:33.
"SURPIRSE!!  
100 people might be coming to our home tonight!"


It was amazing to have so many people help me 
show Jeff just home much he's loved. 
Half way through the party
I stuck some candles in a ice cream sandwich
(all the cakes were nearly gone).
We sang Happy Birthday.
And then I got all emotional and told everyone

 I LOVE YOU!

 YOU'RE EVERYTHING TO ME!

 THERE IS NO ONE ELSE LIKE YOU!

 THE WORLD IS BETTER WITH YOU IN IT!
I also shared how beautiful he makes me feel.
I can't remember what else I said.
I was shaking and crying.
My daughter heard me say it all,
so happy about that.

Wish I could have all our friends over every month.
 The tangibility of acceptance and love
is such a blessing from friends and family.
Relationships are really the richest part of life.
My marriage is one my riches.
My husband is a gem. 
Pretty sure he knows it.

Note to self.
Have my camera around my neck and
take way MORE pictures.
Jeff's dad got a few for me.

 

Nevermind me...

So, I changed my mind.

I'm going to stay here.

I just got a little nervous.

I'm probably going to change a few things, 

but

I'll still be here.

Funny.

I've done this before.

I reconsidered then too.

I want to share my life.

I want the world to know there is good.

I've met dear friends this way.

Sure,

there are creeps out there.

My husband says,

"They're not going to be spending time reading your blog."

He's probably right.

Plus,

There is this to consider.

  Matthew 5:15

Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

 

Changes.

update:

if you tried to send me an email and it was rejected,

try again.

the email is now correct.

 

 I've made the decision to make my blog private,and I will be starting a new blog-It will be more general not so personal. Please email me if you want an invite.twenty4     7  mom    at    gmail   .com  I will posting my new public blog info soon.  

  March 17th  will be last day this blog will be seen publicly. ♥

Absence makes the heart grow fonder

Abby says,

"I miss her tons and tons."

"I have no one to play with when she's gone."

I caught this picture the other day.

Love it.

 

My worth.

 I was under the weather today.I'm not feeling horrible,but I'm not 100%.Feeling really lazy and tired.I think tomorrow I'll go for a walk-jog.I need to get moving again.I spent most of the day in bed.I did some research on starting up my own business.Photography business.Is it for me?Am I afraid to fail?Am I good enough to charge for my hobby?Will people like me?I laid in bed.Mascara smeared.Room a mess.House a mess.Didn't do much at all today.I have a tough time feeling good about me,whenmy to do list isn't touched by day's end,Jeff walks in the door and I look like I just woke up.I've always felt like my worth is attached,to my accomplishments.I shouldn't.I try not to.But sometimes I do.Being.Doing.Becoming.There is work to do.Am I enough.Don't compare to that girl on that blog.Don't compare to the girl at church.Don't compare to the girl in line. Who am I?What is important to me?What makes me smile?What makes me cry?I am unique.Think about why I'm me.I won't find me,when the list is done,on Pinterest,or on any .com.How do I stand alonein my own skinhappy, content,comfortable? Faith!Faith in God.He's more than me.He's more than all the stuff.A foundation.Build my life on that.Earnest study,understanding,prayingpondering.Trying,repenting.Doing His will.Not mine.
 

 ♥

Creating a friendship.

Whitney's duck. Picture taken by her big brother.

 Yesterday was awesome.A friendship is stronger.I LOVED the deep conversation.I LOVED the sincere laughter.I LOVED an honest response.I LOVED the sense of belonging that comes with new understanding and commonality.Creating a friendship,like drawing on a page.Where the page was once blank,there is a new creation.A relationship,that enlightens that brings joy.I didn't want to say goodbye.She spoke to my heart.I understand her. Thank you my friend.
    ♥

Sisters

 I'm the big sister.But,sometimes I feel small.I'll give them a call,they'll help me feel tall.That is all.    ♥

Growing a man

 

 This boy of mine.

He loves his mamma.

He asked me for a XBOX.

I said no.

Playstation?

NO.

Our neighbor has one.

I don't mind it a little here and there.

But,

NO.

You may not sit in your room

with your very own big screen TV,

with head phones on,

and play for hours and hours.

NO WAY.

I say, 

I'm raising you into a man.

I'm raising a missionary.

You've got to know how to work.

How to talk.

How to get along with out being plugged in.

I was addicted to Super Mario Brothers.

We didn't have it at home,

thank goodness.

Just at our cousins.

He has a DS.

I don't really like it much either.

He only has 1 game right now.

He does pretty good.

In the winter I've got to remind him to put it away.

I'm so thankful for our ease of life.

We don't have to hunt for food,

or build or own home from the trees on our land.

But man,

I bet families back in those days knew how to really get things done.

Everyone must have had to pitch in.

I hated work when I was a kid,

but now I see what it did for me.

Ethan.

He's learning way before I did.

Its not easy for him.

See's how some live a different way than we do.

But,

 he's not a brat about it.

He hugs me.

He says he understands.

I'm thankful for him.

He's a sweet boy.

 ♥