Thankful Thursday

I am thankful for friends who offer to till my garden this year after they have spent long hard hours doing their own and probably just want to go home and take a shower.

I am thankful for roasted/salted soybeans.  Delicious, nutritious, crunchy and munchie.

I am thankful for when Andy takes out the trash, locks up all the doors, turns out the lights before bed, gets me my water, weeds the garden, mows the lawn, stocks the water softener, and any number of little things I easily forget and take for granted but now have had to do these past few days that he has been out of town on business.  I am thankful he comes home today.

I am thankful for squishy baby thighs.  I love to squeeze them when I am holding Ruby.  Squishy legs are only cute on babies.

I am thankful for giggles during nursing just because I looked down at her.

I am thankful for smoked Gouda cheese.  That stuff is GOUD-A!

I am thankful for 5 yr old logic that tells you that the I love you sign language sign is that way just because it has three fingers up for the three words and if you put your thumb and pointer finger together and leave the last three fingers up it means the same thing.  Its a good thing that we don't know anyone who relies on sign language because they would misread my son's attempt at sharing his feelings with them as calling them a bad name.

I am thankful it is almost Memorial Day weekend.  I am thankful for the many service men and women who shared their dream of a free America by giving their life for it.

Pin Curls = Princess Hair

Last night we put pin curls in Corilynn's hair.  She was pretty excited to see how it would turn out in the morning.  This is her as soon as she woke up before I took the pins out.

There is nothing so cute and so funny as a little girl who sees herself in the mirror and knows she is beautiful.  I wished right then she would always feel beautiful.

Of course since she had princess hair she needed a princess outfit so she picked one out she says is like a princess dress.

Isn't she so beautiful?  I love how excited she is and how she loves to take peeks at herself in the mirror.  Humility can be learned later in life.

Thankful Thursday

I tried to compile the things I wanted to say for Thankful Thursday today.  But the list got longer and longer and longer.  All the fun we have had in the past few weeks and also the silly moments in my life  - but what to include today?  I decided today I was thankful for my camera.  It has caught the memory it all and I am thankful for it. 

I am thankful for the time it found my flowers in bloom. 

Or when it helped Andy sneak a peek at some new baby geese.

Or when it caught the handsome face of my son when he presented me with his preschool craft gift more Mother's Day.

And when I saw it was the most adorable water vase ever.  I was so proud of him - I felt he was as talented as Michelangelo.

And I am thankful for how it catches all the funny things my kids do, like style their stuff animal's hair (or in this case -ears).

I am thankful for how it helps me to remember friends who move away.

Or sons that grow up to fast.

I am thankful to be able to capture the fun youth activity where they showcased the "Story behind the dress" and I got to see my beautiful wedding dress displayed again and remember the tender moments of my engagement.

I am thankful for my camera and how it reminds me of the little reasons to take pictures.

A word on happiness

When I got married at 19, I found there were many types of reactions to it.  I had those that were thrilled and super supportive.  I had others who were nervous for me, didn't want me to make a mistake but were willing to bet on that I was happy and so they were supportive.  I had others who were supportive in the not-going-to-say-anything-about-how-crazy-this-is sort of way but who came to the wedding either out of morbid curiosity or because they didn't know how else to act when they received a wedding invite to their old HS classmate, or student.  I also had those who were not supportive - I didn't know their reasons, and they never came to ask me mine for getting married but they didn't come to the wedding. 

It has been almost 8 yrs since that decision was made.  And I have many friends on both side of the matrimonial fence.  Some are happily single and some have found their "happiness", if I may use that word as a noun.  I cant lie and say that I wasn't a bit hurt when some of my friends didn't come to the wedding but I also couldn't explain adequately my reasons for getting married at that time.  I didn't see the age then.  All I could see (and still see) is that I found my "happiness" then.  Some people find their happiness at 25 or 40 or any range of times in their life.  I found mine at 19.  When you find your happiness, the only logical and rational and feeling thing to do is to snatch it up and hold it close to you forever.  I didn't want to wait until what the world considers a more appropriate age to bind my happiness to me both in heaven and on earth.  Why should I have?   If I had won the lottery at 19 nobody would be telling me not to spend it until I was at a more sensible age to make the decisions on what to buy.  Guess what?  I did win the lottery at 19.

I am happy.  I have been this whole time.  The magical thing about finding your happiness is that when you find it, and if you take care of it, it will only get more and more profound in your life.  When others have found their happiness they know, they understand this.  Happiness, unlike misery, is not selfish.  People with happiness in their lives are thrilled and excited for those who find theirs, and want everyone to find such happiness as they have.   The common saying is that misery loves company.  People who are unhappy want others to be unhappy as well.  It makes them feel better about the voids in their life.  When I got married I knew that others wouldn't understand it, I think since then many have come to understand it.  Probably there are still those who do not understand it.  I don't mind - they will find their happiness someday (I really hope they do) and then maybe we can get together for dinner.

And one more thing, you could say "well she got lucky, she married young but it turned out that they were right for each other."  And I would have to say "you are right, I am lucky - lucky to have found my happiness so soon in my life."

Give your happiness kisses tonight.  I have 4 happinesses in my life.  A kiss for each of them.

Thankful Thursday

I am thankful for this little girl.

I am thankful for the beauty and trust in her eyes and the delight she has when she looks at us.  I am thankful for the moments when she wants to share something with me and so she will pull back from snuggling me to gurgle something and then snuggle in again. I am thankful to be her mom.

I am also thankful for the humble moments I have had recently to be taught or to teach by the spirit.  A friend from HS died last week tragically and I had the chance to teach my son something more about prayer as we knelt down together to pray for the boys family so that they could have peace and comfort during this difficult time.  I am grateful to be Lyman's mom and I hope that he will learn to depend upon the Lord during his times of trial too.

Motherhood is...

Motherhood is squawking like a goose with your 5 month old because she likes to hear you make her noises.

Motherhood is falling in love with your 5 yr old when he gives you a page full of hearts he drew for you.

Motherhood is delighting in watching your 3 yr old daughter mother her babies and knowing she is learning from you.

Motherhood is detaching one child from nursing to quickly take another to the potty before they have an accident.

Motherhood is smiling encouragement to your two primary children as they stand up to sing to you at church on Mother's day even though they utter no words.

Motherhood is hugging them and thanking them and telling them what a great job they did when they come back to sit with you after never having sang anything.

Motherhood is dumbly sitting surrounded by your children in wonder at how you got so lucky.

Motherhood is realizing that your own mother was a genius and or nuts.

Motherhood is embracing your new curvier shape because it reminds you of what you sacrificed for your children and because these curves hold more power than the ones you used to have.

Motherhood is being addicted to your children's laughter.

Motherhood is getting a corsage from your husband with three roses on it, two pink and one yellow, symbolizing your three children.

Motherhood is feeling beautiful on Mother's day even with spit on your shoulder and a bow to match your 3 yr old's hair.

Motherhood is wearing the foam necklace your daughter made you for Mother's day.

Motherhood is getting a glimpse into the love God has for each of his children.

Motherhood is seeing yourself move to action in service of your child before you could think about whether or not you wanted to do that action.

Motherhood is multitasking at its best.

Motherhood is self critique at its worse.

Motherhood is the feeling that you couldn't love your kids more.

Motherhood is finding that you can and do.

Motherhood is anticipating all the joy you will have with your kids.

Motherhood is realizing it is better than you imagined.

Happy Mother's Day Ladies!  To all the beautiful Mamas I know and all the ones who don't know how beautiful they will become when it is their turn!

Thankful Thursday

I am thankful for the special bond that Lyman and Ruby have.  They are both very sensitive towards the other and tune to each other's needs.  Ruby always cheers Lyman up when he is sort of grumpy and he always notices when she is crying and runs to get her pacifier whenever that is - even if he is in the middle of playing something else.  The other day he and I were talking about what happens when you loose a tooth etc and it lead to a discussion about growing up and I mentioned that I would be a bit sad because he would grow up and go to college and not live with me anymore and I would miss him.  A few minutes later I found him crying because he said he was sad because he wouldn't get to live with Ruby anymore and he would miss her.  They have such a sweet relationship.

I am thankful for the nice weather.  It is getting me excited for the summer and I am debating on having a garden again this year.  I really would like one but its also easier to just drive the 20 minutes to the local pick your own farm and get all the fresh veggies I want.  Yesterday Corilynn and I went and picked 3 lbs of fresh asparagus for $1.10/pound!  We grilled them up on the BBQ last night and it was delightful.

I am thankful that Andy usually does the mowing.  I really enjoy my evenings with him and the lawn really needed mowing.  We have a half acre and just a push mower to do it with.  It usually takes him 2+ hours to mow the lawn and so I miss out on a big portion of my evening with him when the lawn needs mowed.  So yesterday afternoon as soon as I put Ruby down for her nap I took the other two kids outside and decided I would try to mow the lawn so I could still have my evening with Andy.  1.5 hours later and a bit pinker from the sun and a lot exhausted - I finished the mowing.  Afterwards I just laid on the kitchen tiles with my water bottle in front of the A/C vent for 15 minutes.  Why cant they make push mowers with like a fifteen foot mow path?

I am thankful for Corilynn and how she calls those pesty little yellow flowers in the yard "Andylions". 

So much to be thankful for!

Roll Over Ruby!

This morning I went into Ruby's room to get her after she woke up from her nap.  I came in and found her happily gurgling on he back.  She usually sleeps on her tummy so it was a fun to surprise to see she learned to roll over!  Good job Ruby - big girl!  Also in the last few days she has learned about her tongue.  It is hilarious to see her chomping on it and blubbering and blowing bubbles in her spit now that she has this fascinating little lump in her mouth to play with all the time.

Dads and their girls

Its genetically impossible for a Dad to not fall completely in love with his little girls. 

Have you seen this boy?

Have you seen this boy?  He has been charged with being too cute in a Mohawk.  Also he has been sentenced to 3 yrs in a Maximum Tickle Confinement.

Lyman has a few boys in the youth at church that wear their hair like this and other ways he likes so he wanted his haircut to be like theirs.  They don't have it shaved on the sides either, just shorter on the sides and longer just on top.  He likes to do the comb over look too.