Hannah's new book

Every once in a while we will wake up in the morning to find a stack of papers placed neatly on our kitchen counter or nightstand. It only means one thing, Hannah has stayed up late in bed creating something for us. I really shouldn't encourage her staying up late because she really needs her sleep, but I love to see what goes on in her little mind. Yesterday morning we found this book. Can you tell she loves birds?

We have had no problem with monsters in our closets...

But we do have a "scary robot" under our kitchen sink.

Isn't it funny to see the world from the perspective of a two year old.

Tag!!!

I don't really know how Tags work because I am new to this whole blog thing, but Jessica said she wanted everyone to do this, and I'm game for anything. Thanks for the idea Jessica!

I am... my own worst critic, and the biggest fan of my husband and children.
I want... to remember what life is like right now, forever.
I wish... I could say the 's' sound without lisping (see previous post)
I hear... babies crying, even when everybody is sleeping soundly
I search...for the one lost shoe, marbles under the oven, missing school papers
I wonder... how long the leaves will stay beautiful and vibrant this fall.
I always... check to see if I have my keys before I lock the doors.
I usually... take a short nap every day
I am not... ready for winter.
I dance... when nobody is watching
I sing... "old McDonald had a farm" to Maddie...over..and...over...and...over
I never...thought I could be as satisfied as I am with being a wife and mother.
I rarely...go an entire day without laughing about something John or the kids have done.
I cry...only when laughing isn't an option.
I am not always...the best at returning phone calls, I'm working on that.
I lose... track of time, often.
I'm confused... about how to tackle daily tasks until I make a list.
I need... to make a list for tomorrow.
I should... Hug my children more.
I dream...of the day when I have time for my hobbies.
I TAG... everyone that is on my buddy list

To Bling or not to Bling...

...that was the question two years ago. In the end, I decided to go ahead and bling (get braces) for the 2nd time in my life. You may wonder why I would go through the humiliation of having them put on again at the age of 28. Well, when it comes down to it, the answer is that I inherted a very large mouth. The usual 28 teeth that are sufficient for most people weren't sufficient for me. It turns out that extra teeth (dental implants) can be pretty expensive and we didn't have the funds for them 10 years ago-- so I am on my way to getting them now. Yay! I got my braces off on Tuesday, and was given two monsterously thick retainers to keep my spaces secure for the implants. I now have a really bad speech impediment. I need to call my orthodontist and ask if this is normal to not be able to talk, in the meantime John has been introducing me as his "very special" wife.

Finding Joy in the Journey

"Be aware that the tiny finger prints that show up on almost every newly cleaned surface, the toys scattered about the house, the piles and piles of laundry to be tackled, will disappear all too soon and that you will miss them profoundly."
--President Thomas S. Monson--
October 5th 2008
Sunday Morning Session

I love conference weekends, there always seems to be something just for me. I am so grateful for our Prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, and I love to listen to him speak. He was able to vocalize the feelings that keep surfacing in my heart every time I start to get even the tiniest bit discouraged about the never-ending cleaning, cooking, wiping noses, changing diapers, and then starting over again. In fact, this is the very reason that I decided to start this blog, to record the small moments that bring me joy, or would bring me joy if I had the time. Sometimes it seems like life moves at breakneck speeds, so lately I have felt an overwhelming desire to take the time to record the small moments. I know that someday they will mean everything to me. I think that I would cry if I ever actually wiped the jelly off the table, or cleaned the fingerprints off of our living room mirror for good. I will gladly continue to do this if it means I can enjoy the blessings of motherhood. In the meantime, yardwork isn't even on my radar...maybe next year.

Commy Mommy

Hannah is studying coinage this year in second grade, and for some reason she has shown very little interest in it. I decided to try to make it more fun for her by getting a few rolls of "the real stuff" to sink her fingers into, play with, sort, and actually buy something with. Since most of our purchases are digital these days, we really don't keep many coins around. We have had a tradition for the past few years that the kids are able to pick 3 sweet snacks at 3:00 (now it is 4:00 since they are both in school at 3:00). Usually it is three chocolate chip cookies or something. Well I decided that they love their sweet snacks enough that they would probably be willing to buy them from me (so I could keep the money of course). I decided to make it super enticing by getting a few bags of Halloween candy and labeling them with different prices. They still only get 3 snacks but they have to buy them with the money that I put on the table. When I was telling John my plan, he smiled and told me that I was running a Communist government. I didn't really make the connection before, but I guess there are a few similarities. I didn't mean for it to happen this way, but for this purpose it works. Eventually I may convert to a Republic, but in the meantime the kids really loved buying these treats, and didn't seem to mind that I kept all of the money for myself.

Speaking of Johnny...

What a little techy our five year old boy is. It is funny, and a bit freaky how much he takes after his name-sake in that area. I never knew John as a little boy, but I bet he and Johnny would have been great friends had they grown up together. I love to look at these pictures of Johnny with his cousins on the Loveless side.




He has so many cousins that share the same interests and I can tell that he idolizes the older boys that know so much.







I thought John's mom and siblings might appreciate this last picture. It is of Johnny counting to 100 feet on John's big tape measure,