A Younger Mother Writes

This month can be an overwhelming time for moms, especially those with many children.  I love this little reminder...oh boy, I need it this week!  It always makes me cry-and gain some new much needed perspective.

An Erma Bombeck Column:

A young mother writes: "I know you've written before about the empty-nest syndrome -- that lonely period after the children are grown and gone. Right now, I'm up to my eyeballs in laundry and muddy boots. The baby is teething; the boys are fighting. My husband just called and said to eat without him, and I fell off my diet. Lay it on me again, will you?"

OK.

One of these days, you'll shout, "Why don't you kids grow up and act your age!"

And they will.

Or, "You guys get outside and find yourselves something to do ... and don't slam the door!"

And they won't.

You'll straighten up the boys' bedroom neat and tidy -- bumper stickers discarded, bedspread tucked and smooth, toys displayed on the shelves. Hangers in the closet. Animals caged. And you'll say out loud, "Now I want it to stay this way."

And it will.

You'll prepare a perfect dinner with a salad that hasn't been picked to death and a cake with no finger traces in the icing, and you'll say, "Now, there's a meal for company."

And you'll eat it alone.

You'll say: "I want complete privacy on the phone. No dancing around. No demolition crews. Silence! Do you hear?" And you'll have it.

No more plastic tablecloths stained with spaghetti.

No more bedspreads to protect the sofa from damp bottoms.

No more gates to stumble over at the top of the basement steps.

No more clothespins under the sofa.

No more playpens to arrange a room around.

No more anxious nights under a vaporizer tent.

No more sand on the sheets or Popeye movies in the bathrooms.

No more iron-on patches, wet, knotted shoestrings, tight boots, or rubber bands for ponytails.

Imagine. A lipstick with a point on it. No baby sitter for New Year's Eve. Washing only once a week. Seeing a steak that isn't ground. Having your teeth cleaned without a baby on your lap.

No PTA meetings.

No car pools.

No blaring radios.

No one washing her hair at 11 o'clock at night.

Having your own roll of Scotch tape.

Think about it. No more Christmas presents out of toothpicks and library paste.

No more sloppy oatmeal kisses.

No more tooth fairy.

No giggles in the dark.

No knees to heal, no responsibility.

Only a voice crying, "Why don't you grow up?"

and the silence echoing, "I did."

Christmas 2014

It was a good one this year, quite possibly of the best. 
It could have been a combination of a few things. Let's see...
We feel completely settled in our home. It feels like ours and not a new home we just moved into. 
The kids are older and I think they get way more excited as grow up to understand the true meaning of Christmas and really get into the spirit of Christmas. 
But overall it was special and meaningful We kept simple and nothing over the top. 
Christmas eve we had dinner with the whole family and we played the chimes and sang carols. 
We all loved spending time with the whole family and just hanging out. 
The kids didn't wake up early Christmas morning, instead Clint woke up them and reminded them what day it was. I love looking at the big smiles on their faces when they first run through the paper and look at presents that Santa has brought. 

Feeling so very blessed this Christmas. I thank God for the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. I thank the Savior for the gift of His infinite atonement. I am grateful for the blessing and the hope of an eternal family & for friends who have blessed my life. May God bless & watch over all of us in the coming year.

Christ came so that we might have life and have it more abundantly. I am grateful for the abundance.
-Maya Angelou 

Noah and Pre-school

First day of preschool was a success! lots of smiles and excitement. 

Noah has a huge crush on his teacher Miss Amy. 

He just loves spending time with her in the classroom doing just about anything, I think the feelings mutual. When I picked him off he had a huge smile and couldn't wait to share what they had done in class. I was able to capture a few pics before we left and some at school. Love my brown eyed boy! What a cutie! 

This guy

Noah starts preschool tomorrow which will make it his 2nd year.

He talks about it everyday. How much he loves going and doing homework.

He really likes his teacher Miss Amy. They have a special bond. I think its kind of

hard not to with this kid. He is just simply, sweet. I'm excited and nervous mainly for me!

I'm going to miss my little guy. My little man. It's only 2 hours 3 times a week. Yes I know

I'm a wuss. But I just think Miss Amy his teacher is pretty lucky to have him.

Arn't all teachers pretty lucky and fortunate to have our kids for that length of time. To teach them,

be in their presence.

I just love Noah's goofy personality in front of the camera. He pulls the funniest faces.

We sure do love Noah...

San Diego

Last week we took the family to San Diego for a week to have a little family time and getaway from the daily grind. We drove to St.George stayed a night to break the trip a little. We arrived in San Diego Saturday afternoon tired and grumpy from the long drive.

As soon as we got to the hotel the kids wanted to swim at the pool and we the parents wanted to relax and rest in the hotel room. We stayed at the doubletree in Mission Valley. We had so many fun attractions near by which was a plus cause it meant we didn't need to drive a lot.

We sort of planned the week. We had 7 day passes to Seaworld we did that a few times and saw all the shows with Shamu and Dolphins. We fed the Seals. Tried out the roller coasters. Ate really expensive food and water. Overall it was fun and exhausting. But the kids really loved, including Blair. She constantly pointed to an animal when she saw one.

The other days were spent on the beach. We tried out 4 different beaches. My fav was Del Mar which is north of La Jolla. Clint's was Coronado Island. Liam's would probably be Mission beach. They were all cool and unique in their own way. The weather was a warm 73-75 on most days and a little overcast. But the kids and Clint still got sun burnt.

I loved the mall that was 5 mins away from our hotel. Fashion Valley mall had so many different stores than what we are use to in Salt Lake City. That was a treat for me. I did a little shopping, mostly for the kids.

The food! Oh my gosh, the restaurants and grocery stores have such variety and I found everything fresh. Including the seafood! Whenever we go to San Diego we always eat a lot of seafood. Mainly because its so fresh and there so much variety.

By the end of the week we were sad to be leaving but eager to get home.
The drive back was a nightmare, we got stuck in Barstow, CA which a town in the middle of the Californian desert. It was hot. There was a big accident and the traffic was backed up for more then 30 miles. That really messed our drive back and we got to St.George at 2am exhausted. We slept in our clothes, woke up and had breakfast and started our journey back home.

Here all the pictures from the trip... Enjoy!