Family Life

I was able to see a glimpse these past couple weeks of what our family life could be and what it should be and it has been amazing. We just got back from a three week vacation in Idaho and we all came back refreshed. Well maybe just me. It made Joel very homesick for Idaho. I have never seen him get that way any other time we have left Idaho. But we all made an effort after we got to our new home here in Cali to be united as a family. The relationship between Joel and I has been very good--mostly because Joel refuses to let me fight with him. He has been a master diffuser and very appreciative of anything I do. He has been a peacemaker in our home--which really should be my job. One of my goals is to let Joel be the head of the home and try to be the heart of the home.
Peace was the topic of our family home evening tonight at dinner and we talked about what it meant to have peace in the home and why it was important. I feel like the kids really are getting some of what we are teaching them but more importantly I have realized that they are picking up what we are DOING more. Which makes it imperative that I shape up and act like an adult at all times. I can't expect my kids not to throw temper tantrums if I can't control my own.
My kids teach me so much and the situations I find myself in teach me about myself and my strengths and weaknesses. Being a mother to me truly is a refiners fire and if I make it through I might turn out pretty good.

My Family

I have a family here on earth
They are so Good to me
I want to share my life with them through all eternity

Family Night Hike

This was at Stough Canyon Nature Center on their family night hike. We made it to the top! Which is only a 1 1/2 miles but with London it felt like 4. She is such a girly girl. But we will keep on trying! Sawyer seems to really enjoy hiking. Coen is just chill as usual. I don't think God makes them any more chill than Coen. He is the perfect third child.

Boy Robots

Sawyer requested a giant robot today while we were drawing on the sidewalk and after I drew the main frame of the robot they were adding stuff to it (like an antennae at the top, eyes, a belt, a heart, etc.) London drew something in between its legs and said "a wiener!" Totally made my day.

DAT

D- Decibels
A- Agency
T- Tone

A new strategy I am trying to implement when talking with my children. 5 Spiritual Solutions for Everyday Parenting Challenges, Richard and Lynda Eyre

Parenting

So I feel like I just go through the motions most days as a parent (feed, clean, yell, feed, clean, yell, hug, clean, yell, kiss, feed, clean, yell, hug, kiss, play, yell, feed, clean, bed) and I feel like I run into the same problems everyday. So I've decided to write them down to help me brainstorm about them and try to come up with solutions. I read a quote this morning that said "Challenge is cental to helping people think critically," (Developing Critical Thinkers, Stephen D Brookfield) So I am going to try to be proactive and become a critical thinker. One of my biggest dilemmas is discipline, how to do it positively. And when to do it. After thinking about what I have learned from parenting books and my religious background, I came up with three responsibilities that we have as parents-in no particular order of importance.
1. To keep them safe
2. To teach them right from wrong
3. To provide for opportunities for growth

I try to keep this in mind when I am choosing my battles for the day.

Joel's Home!

After a 6 month job on Transformers and crazy insane hours away from the family. Joel is back. And the kids are so happy to have their Daddy home. They are watching Blackbeard's Ghost (Soy picked it out). His favorite thing is watching a movie with his Dad. (I wonder why?)