So...Playmates

Today I am thankful that my sweet daughters are the best playmates.

I've been dragging lately, as my belly grows and my energy level shrinks.
I am so thankful that these girlies play so well together and that they forgive their mother for being busy making a baby.









Right now I can hear the muffled sounds of First and Second Daughter playing "Christmas morning" upstairs in the guest bedroom (in a British accent) and it makes my heart happy. They have no idea how much of a gift it is to their mother that they are great playmates.

And have I mentioned how incredibly patient my children are with me?
Well, they are.

One of the hardest part of pregnancy for me is not feeling on top of my game - or anywhere close - as a mother. I feel so sad for my kids when I feel so incapable. But thankfully, my kids are patient with me, they still love me, and in fact they understand and forgive me.

Second Daughter said to me just the other day, as I'm laying helplessly on the couch - "It's ok Mom. You just rest and take care of that baby."

First Daughter, just days before that, woke up with her little sisters, took them downstairs and poured them all cereal and milk, turned on the TV for them, and did her best to keep them out of our bedroom so Husband + I could sleep in. She later told me she just wanted to let us relax.

Third Daughter, last night, snuck into my bedroom just to give me a kiss on the cheek while I slept (or so she thought) and then climbed back into her bed without one word.

Besides being the best of playmates, these kiddos just simply are the best.

(stay tuned for more thankful posts starring the Daughters.)

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So...My Siblings

Today I am thankful for my brothers and sister.


my wedding, October 2003
Sadly, this is the most recent picture I have of us all together. It was taken eight years ago.

My siblings have become my best friends, and most favorite people in the world. I love being around every single one of them. They are the ones who I feel like I can be 100% myself. 100% of the time. They always can make me laugh hard. And I like that they laugh at my jokes. They make me feel like I'm still funny and still pretty cool.

I love the memories and the bond we have. They are just the coolest people.
It's hard living so far away from most of them. Everytime I'm with each of them I feel like I need more of them in my life. I wish it was easier to get together. I love my siblings.

Since Little Brother has returned home from his mission, he has been out here attending BYU. I am loving this. I get to hang out with him at least once a week. I'm so glad that he likes to hang out with me. Though he was an annoying little brother for many of our growing up years, he has become one of my best friends. I love that he is a part of my girls lives.

Today I am thankful for my brothers and sister.
They are a huge blessing in my life, and four of the most important people to me.
I'm thankful for their love, support, and friendship.




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So...My Friends

Today I am thankful for friends.
Well, everyday I'm thankful for friends.

I didn't realize how important friends were until I became a wife and mother. I've always been the independent type - don't really like to lean on others for support. I've always liked for things I did to be my own idea, or my own accomplishment. I've always liked to do my own thing in my own way and not have to check in with anyone. I've always preferred to be a leader, not a follower.

Growing up is humbling me.

I've discovered that no matter how I like things to be, no matter how independent I want to be (or think I am) I need others. I need support. I need help. I need to not feel alone. I need to feel understood, to feel appreciated, to feel important. I need friends. Close friends.

It wasn't until I became a mother that I realized how much I needed friends. I mean, I always had friends, but I never quite felt like I needed them, or needed to be close with them. When I became a mother, I found myself needing women in my life that I could relate to. Women that I could talk to about things that were meaningful to me and to them. Friends that I could depend on. Friends that could help uplift me. Women that understood the emotions I was struggling with and could support me through difficult times. Women that could show me unconditional love and patience. And that I could do the same for them.

Being a grown up is hard. Becoming a wife and a mother at such a young age, I had to grow up very quickly. There have been lots of things I have learned in the process - about myself, about others, and about life - and there are struggles I have faced along the way. Having good friends has made such a huge impact on who I've become and who I'm striving to be. I learn so much from the wonderful women in my life that I am blessed to call my friends.

And I truly believe that the Lord answers our prayers, and shows us His love, through the people that are in our lives. Especially our friends.

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So...My Body

Today I am thankful for my body.

Even though I don't always feel like it as of late - with all the growing, and stretching, and squishing, and aching - it is true. I am thankful for my body and all that it can do.

From growing a baby...

...to running a half marathon...


...to healing itself, and everything else.
My body is a gift, and I am thankful for it.

p.s. I am 29 weeks pregnant with a baby BOY!




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So...Our Home

Today I am thankful for our home.

Last March we moved literally around the corner into a new (to us) home. This house provides us with more space, more room to grow, and thus more time living in this neighborhood that we love oh so very much.

The circumstances (on our end of the deal) around us ending up in this house was nothing short of miraculous. Even in the middle of a recession and a horrible housing market, everything fell perfectly into place for us to sell our previous house and purchase our new one without any glitches. The fact that we never had a month with a double mortgage payment was a miracle in of itself, among many.

Some many blessings fell into our laps surrounding this move. It was a risk, moving during such economic uncertainty and being upside-down in our previous mortgage, but we approached the decision prayerfully, trusting that things would work out the way they were meant to. And as we watched every roadblock we encountered (and there were lots - along with all the hoops we had to jump through with the banks) pass us by, our prayers for guidance were turned to prayers of thanksgiving as it becamse clear that this move was in fact the right thing for us to do, and that the Lord had provided a way.

Our home is perfect for us.

After six months of settling in, it feels very much like home.

And as heartbreaking as it was for me to leave our other home - the home full of so many of our memories; the home we brought two babies home to; the home we lived in during such precious years of our family's life - I see a whole future of family memories here before us. I can picture my babies as teenagers sitting at this new counter doing their homework or chatting with me while I cook. And that makes me happy.

I know we have many wonderful years ahead of us here in this home, and I am so thankful.

I am thankful to have a beautiful home in which we can raise our beautiful family.

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So...I'm Thankful

Today I am thankful for patience.

Patience is a virtue I am constantly trying to acquire. I'm never quite sure if I get it. It seems the more patience I exercise, the farther my patience is tested and pushed just barely out of my reach. It often feels right at my fingertips, but just far enough away that I can't quite grasp it.

The idea, I think, is that as it is challenged it will be stretched and therefore it will grow. I hope this is happening. I pray everyday for more patience than the day before, more patience than I feel I have, and more patience that my family deserves. I go forward with faith, believing and hoping that my little successes can be magnified through my efforts and desire to be better.

But that's not the patience I am thankful for.

I am thankful for the patience of others.

I am not perfect.
In fact, I'm no where close.
I make mistakes all the time. One's I really wish I didn't make.
I say stupid things.
I hurt people's feelings.
I yell at my kids.
I don't do things I know I'm supposed to do.
I don't do things I know I want to do.
I can be thoughtless.
I can be careless.
I can be selfish.
I get frustrated with others.
I can get pretty down on myself.
I complain.
Sometimes I even whine.

And I very easily can get frustrated with myself and all of these things that I do that I wish I didn't. I get frustrated that I can recognize these things that I do that I don't want to be doing - or the things that I'm not doing that I want to be doing. I get frustrated and discouraged that I'm not succeeding at changing, or that I can't see my progress.
I don't have very much patience with myself.
(And if you don't either, read this talk - it's so very good.)

But I am incredibly thankful for the patience that others have with me. I am thankful for their forgiveness and unconditional love.

Patience, I believe, is one of the most genuine forms of love.

I am thankful that they can look past my flaws, mistakes, and weaknesses (even when I can't) and still be my friend. I am thankful for their example. It is so helpful and motivating to have inspiring examples of patient people in my life.

Husband is the ultimate example to me - of so many things, but especially patience.
He is patient with me, through my mistakes and weaknesses, but also through my struggle to be patient with myself. He hears my complaints, my discouragements, my frustrations, my struggles, my sadness, and listens very patiently. Repeatedly. He doesn't get frustrated with me. He listens and tries to help, even though I know he doesn't relate to the same feelings I struggle with. He loves me, and I feel his love for me all the time. Unconditionally. To say that I am thankful for his patience is an understatement.

And I am incredibly thankful (though this merits it's own thankful post) for the fact that through the love and patience of the Savior, I can try again each day to be a little better. Through and because of Him, my weaknesses can become my strengths.
I truly believe that.
And for that I am thankful.



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So...A Backyard Visitor

One afternoon back in July, I looked out the window and saw this:


I took a double-take.
Is that an animal up in my tree???

At first I thought it was a cat.
No...that's too big to be a cat.



Then I thought it was a koala bear.
Then I remembered I live in Utah.

Then I thought it looked kind of like a sloth.


Again, I live in Utah.
Sloths don't live in Utah.
I don't think.

Could it be a racoon?
I know racoons live in Utah, even though I have never seen one.
But can racoon climb trees?



Yes, yes they can.

I called animal control about this "little" visitor.
He was awake and out during the day, and twitching a little bit, which made me very nervous. Especially being outside with our dogs - one of whom does not have a rabies vaccine {{i know, i know. my head is hanging with shame}}.

The guy from animal control showed up later that night.
He said there was nothing he could do.
Isn't that what you do Mr. Animal Control Guy????

In the words of my brother-inlaw -
"Thank you for nothing"

Where's Tim Riggins when you need him?!