Style.  Personality.  Energy.

Emma has all of these qualities and then some.  I look at this picture and can't help but laugh and hope that in 20 years she decides to re-create this photograph for me.  I'd love to see her as a 25-year-old dressed like this.  And then maybe again when she's 40.  And even better as a 60-year-old woman. 

Emma is hilarious and I love all of the cute and funny things that she does.  I especially love that she likes dressing in swimsuits and/or leotards pretty much every day of her life.  Never a dull moment with this little one right here!

This summer we spent our family vacation at one of our favorite spots, the Oregon Coast.  This will have been our third time here as a family, and we have come to love the Newport area and all of its wonders.  

This was the view from the patio of our condo.  Brooklynn and I had gone outside to enjoy the view, and I realized that it was a perfect picture spot.  Brooklynn took a summer photography class online, and throughout this vacation she was taking pictures and uploading them for her class assignments.  She has a natural talent at photography.  

I like this picture of Brooklynn because I feel like it illustrates so well her inner serenity.  In our home, with a large family, there is a lot of noise and activity all of the time.  Just like the ocean in this picture, the waves seem to continue rolling in...sometimes loudly, and other times more quietly, but always, always moving.  Yet through it all, Brooklynn is my one that has a quiet inner peace about her.  She has a wonderful calming personality and is so easy to be around.  She has a beautiful smile, and quick wit but is just as happy to sit quietly observing and listening to everything going on around her.  I feel very thankful that Heavenly Father sent her to us, I'm thankful for her good example, and for the love and kindness that she freely gives to those around her.   

It's the little things...

Meet Goose.  Goose is the newest addition to our family...Rachel begged Andy for months and he finally relented and let her have a kitten.  We all love him (even Andy secretly loves this little guy...yes, Andy you do...admit it) and he has brought a lot of joy and laughter into our home already.  

Now, Goose.  Meet the washing machine.  

I was doing laundry yesterday morning, and came into the laundry room with another load and found this little guy completely entranced by the spinning load of clothes and the flashing lights of the control panel.  I laughed and walked back out to go get another load and after I came back, sure enough, Goose was still there completely in awe of what was before his eyes.  This just made me giggle, and then full out laugh.  It was so funny to see him so completely engrossed by something that I do and take for granted every day.  

Then, it got me to thinking.  What did I used to be fascinated or in awe of that I now take for granted? 

In reality, this washing machine IS amazing.  It allows me to simply put in a load of clothes, push a few buttons and then walk away...and then about 45 minutes later I come back to clean clothes ready to be dried.  During that 45 minutes I can be working on other projects, reading a book, taking a nap, talking on the phone...or even blogging.  :)   It truly is amazing how much time this washer gifts me every day, and I just take it for granted.  So yesterday I started noticing the little things that are amazing blessings in my life that I just daily pass on by. 

I noticed the beautiful sun in the sky.  It was a beautiful 60 degree November day and because of the sun, I was able to be outside, watching my kids play and enjoying my yard.  I noticed my car.  Holy cow!  Without my car where would I be?  Well, I wouldn't be out getting groceries or running up to the school to drop off something my kids forgot...or any of the other million things that I do every day with the use of my car.

I thought of how the clouds slowly drift by, and how long it has been since I've laid down on my back in the grass to watch them and to find imaginary animals and ships, and cotton candy in their shapes.  I thought of my books, and how their adventures, and dramas line my shelves, awaiting me to open the pages and rejoin them for a few hours.  I thought of my sweet family members, one by one, starting with my husband...and concentrated on picturing their faces in my mind until I could see them clearly.  These amazing, fascinating, truly astounding people that I live with each day...yet some days allow them to walk on by without really noticing them.  And I thought of prayer.  I thought of my Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ, my Savior...and how often I take them for granted.  Prayer is an amazing thing...to think that through prayer we can communicate with our Father, an omniscient and omnipotent being who truly loves and knows each one of us and who listens to us and misses us when we pass on by without using that choice way of communicating to check in. 

All of these thoughts from one silly little kitten named Goose.  And a washing machine...doing what it does...the same mundane task over and over and over again.  So maybe those little things we do every day that sometimes seem mundane and unimportant really aren't all that mundane or unimportant after all. 

Today I spent some time coloring with Emma. Two things that made me giggle. Just like ALL six of her older siblings, she tends to want to color everything a rainbow. I still remember Taylor's rainbow bunny he colored in nursery when he was 3. Also...Emma doesn't know when to quit with her M's.  She'll just keep going up and down until I tell her she's got enough.  She also adds a little q at the end of her name.  

Addy was convinced she had 3 K's in the middle of her name? Lainah added a Q as well, Matthew told people his name was Michael, Brooklynn called Rachel "Toach" for the longest time, Rachel wanted to change her last name to something easy like "Smith", and Taylor had the T-5 complex...for the longest time he skipped them when reciting his ABCs and counting to 10.  To each his own. Love these funny kids and all of their quirks. 

Lainah!

Lainah turned double digits this month, and it's crazy to think that she's already 10 years old!  She has been such a joy in our home, and I daily feel so thankful to be her mother.  Lainah loves life.  She loves being outside, rollerblading or riding her scooter, jumping on the trampoline, and playing with our cats.  In this picture she is holding Bugs...one of our three yellow cats. 

Lainah also is very creative.  She enjoys drawing and painting, and learned to cross-stitch this past year and is working on an apron!  She has made a few fleece blankets for her friends' birthdays all on her own. 

Lainah is doing so well in school, she really loves when the teachers assign projects.  She enjoys the research but loves doing the posters the most where she can organize and present her materials.  I've just been so proud of her hard work in all areas of her life.  I'm teaching her how to play the piano right now, and it has been so fun to play the little duets with her out of her lesson book.  I hope that she'll continue playing, she has a wonderful talent for music. 

Tonight, she is competing in a district-wide jump-roping competition.  She has worked so hard to be one of the top 3 from her school in the 4th grade!  We are so excited to go watch her tonight! 

One of the things that I really love about Lainah, is that she will come find me to give me hugs.  I know that sometimes as one of the middle children, she feels overlooked.  So much of my time and energy goes to her younger sisters right now, but I hope that I can somehow find ways to show her how much I really do see her, and know her, and admire the many things that she does.  Our home would not be the same without our Lainah Lorraine!

Once Upon A Time...

 there was a little girl who was born to a mother and father who loved her more than anything in the world.  She was a beautiful baby, and grew into the cutest little toddler in piggy tails there ever was.  She loved to wrinkle up her nose as and giggle and laugh with her big brother, Taylor.  This little toddler ad the cutest little dimple on her left cheek that came out when she smiled.  She continued to grow into a bright little girl who loved school and her friends.  She played dress-up every day, loved to get messy with paints and art supplies to make beautiful creations for her mama, and also loved to play baseball the same little league team as her brother.  She was the cutest little 1st baseman ever, in her piggy tail braids and pink socks.  When she went up to bat, she could hit as good as the boys in her pink batting helmet and using her purple bat.  She was all princess with a lot of spunk and grit.  That little girl soon grew into a young woman, and continued to develop her many talents and to make many more friends.  She entered her teenage years, but never lost her pure pleasure in dressing up in princess gowns, and she never lost that spunk or determination to accomplish difficult things.

Rachel...this post is for you my dear, sweet daughter.  These pictures are of you on the night of your very first date dance, Mormon Prom.  A beautiful 16 year old girl in a dress that to me, perfectly fit who you are inside.  Absolutely beautiful, pure and clean, and full of promising color.  I am so proud of who you are, who you have become.  You are a Junior now, and 17 years old.  You're already taking the SAT and ACT in preparation for college entrance, you're talking about what you'd like to study in college with eagerness and excitement.  We are down to the last 18 months of having you in our home, and I'm so excited for you but at the same time, my heart is once again breaking at the thought of one of my children leaving the nest.  You are a complete joy to be around, so talented and so smart, and amazing athlete who has accomplished so much, a hard-working student taking difficult honor classes, a virtuous young woman holding two church callings and serving on the Stake Youth Council...but most of all, you are my beautiful daughter who can get grumpy with me but then laugh with me and share your dreams, and heartaches...a daughter I can snuggle with, watching sappy Hallmark movies and laughing at all the gooey parts, a friend who will tell me if what I'm wearing looks good or not, and who notices when I'm down and asks if I'm okay.  My daughter who even when surrounded by all of your friends isn't ashamed of me and lovingly calls me "mama."  I love you more than life itself, and I'm so very thankful that Heavenly Father let me be your mother.  I know that these next couple of years will be amazing ones in your life...many life decisions will be made, and I know that you'll be ready to make them.  You couldn't be any more perfect to me...except perhaps your bedroom.  That could use some work.  And your closet.  Yep, your bedroom and closet could use some work.  :)

Love you forever, and for always,
Mama

This morning, as I was working on memorizing The Living Christ, I couldn't help but think on my family.  I feel overcome often with emotion as I think on them throughout my busy days and take the time to let my heart feel over and over again how incredibly grateful I am for each one of them.  My heart is over-filled with love for these eight people in my life.  I cannot imagine my life without any one of them.  There would be an impossible void if one were to not be with us any longer.

I am so thankful for my Savior, Jesus Christ, and for His infinite atonement.  I'm so thankful that because of Him, that we have a way to return to our Heavenly home...and that in God's Holy Temples and through sacred Priesthood power, that we are sealed together as a family forever, for all eternity.  I know that never will any of my children be lost to me, as Andy and I continue to keep our temple covenants and to live the covenant path, that we will always have our children.

Last October, our Prophet, President Russel M. Nelson, challenged the women of the church to join with him in gathering Israel and gave us 4 goals to work on.  I am happy to say that as I have followed his challenge and engaged in the work of these goals, that I have felt an increase of spiritual strength in my life, and have felt more priesthood power and peace in my home.  One of the challenges was to attend the temple more regularly.  Andy and I already went once or twice a month but I asked Andy if he would be willing to try for an every single week temple attendance with me.  I know that one of God's laws is the law of the harvest.  That only after working to plant, and take care of the seeds and then the plants, do we reap the fall harvest.  Attending the temple each week for the past four months has taken faith and diligence.  We have had to rearrange schedules, sacrifice different activities, and put forth a very conscious effort in order to be successful in this goal.  However, I have come to look forward with anxious joy at the thought of once again being in the Lord's house each week, and most week's I wish I could be there every single day.

I know that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the World, yet that He also knows and loves me...little me.  I know that He knows and loves my husband, and each of our children.  I know that when we pray individually and as a family that our prayers are heard and answered.  I know that as I live worthily that I can literally call down the power of Heaven to protect my children.  I have felt power in my prayers as I have done this, calling down special blessings and protection during different times and I have felt the Spirit acknowledge and seal my prayer.  I know that this confidence and power comes from following the covenant path and from returning to the temple each week to renew and remember those sacred covenants I have made with God the Father.  I know that the Savior's work is the Father's work...bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of man...and to me that means eternal families living in their presence.  I am so thankful to be the wife and mother of this wonderful family, and I'm so thankful that we will be together forever.

Matthew Receives the Aaronic Priesthood!

What an exciting year it has been already, and we haven't even made it through January yet!  Matthew turns 12 in March, and was excited to be able to enter the Temple to do baptisms, and also to hold the Aaronic Priesthood...but President Nelson and the First Presidency made yet another monumental change to church procedures.  Starting this year, the youth advance in their classes and Priesthood quorums according to the year, not the month of their birthdays.  So if you turn 12 during the year then in January you are able to advance to the next class or quorum.  So, on the 13th of January, Matthew was ordained a Deacon in the Aaronic Priesthood by his dad, and everyone was there to watch and support, even Taylor made the trip home from BYUI so that he could attend. 

We took Matthew to the Boise Temple on Saturday the 19th to do baptisms.  He was baptized for 5 family names, and Andy did the baptizing.  Rachel and Brooklynn were also there with us.  It was a great morning in the temple.  Matthew is growing up so much.  He's getting so tall, nearly as tall as I am...but its more than that.  He is maturing into such a fine boy.  He's a great friend to others, and he is so smart and loves to learn.  I love how he wants to share with me what he has read about in science or social studies.  Social Studies is his favorite class this year.  He has learned about India, China, Egypt, and absolutely loves his teacher who brings all of it to life.  When they were learning about India and the caste system, poor Matthew was one of the unlucky ones in the classroom to be placed into the lowest caste, and to be an "untouchable" for one week.  I think it really opened up his eyes to how terrible it is to treat others unfairly.  We had some interesting dinner conversations that week. 

Matthew is also in concert band this year!  He plays the French Horn, and has worked really hard and plays 1st chair!  He really likes the French Horn, and he polishes his horn at night and takes really good care of it.  We thoroughly enjoyed his first two concerts this year, so fun to see him learning and engaging.  Another thing he did that took me by surprise was that he joined a book club!  I love that Matthew is not afraid to do his own thing and to explore his interests. 

I feel so blessed to have him in our family.  Something that Matthew has always done is to come up to me and give me hugs.  He also calls when I'm not home just to check in and see where I'm at and when I'll be home.  I love how he makes me feel special just from those little things.  It's going to be a great year!

Things that are Hard

You want to know what's hard?  Unfair judgement.  Assumptions.  Stereotypes.  I'll make this short because I don't like to complain but sometimes, I just have to say it.  Just because I don't leave my house, to drive to a different location, to check in on a time clock, to perform different tasks for someone else, to then receive a paycheck for these duties, and then return home at the end of a certain amount of time, doesn't mean that I don't work and doesn't mean that my schedule isn't completely filled most of the time and that I'm not completely exhausted most of the time by all of the many things that I accomplish each day.  I find myself continuously rearranging MY schedule to accomodate others...sometimes this is for my children, for my husband, for the church and my busy church calling, for employees who work for us, for my own parents and extended family members.  I find more often than not that others ASSUME that I don't have anything else going on that could or should stop me from the things that they are needing/wanting at the time.  My latest example is that I am currently serving as my ward's Relief Society President.  What a tremendous responsibility, especially considering the fact that I am the mother of 7 children, all of which are currently at home and my youngest just barely turned 3.  I have been serving in this compacity since my baby was 14 months old.  On average, I spend about 20 hours a week serving the sisters in my ward and fulfilling my responsibilities.  I know that they don't know or understand how much sacrifice this takes.  Some of them think that they do, I can tell by the criticism they freely give, or little snide comments that they make.  It wears on me.  I have a 4 year university degree, and I chose not to pursue my masters degree and a career because I decided that the most important thing that I could do with my life was to be a full time mother, to give all of my time and energy in raising my children to the best of my ability.  Because of this decision, Andy and I have had to scrimp and save and go without many, many things that other families have.  This church calling has required me to sacrifice that which is the MOST valuable thing that I have in my possession, the most valuable thing that I could ever sacrifice for the Lord, and that is TIME with my children and family.  I know that people judge me and look down their noses at me, and that they assume many incorrect things about me.  It gets so very old.  I wish we could all just learn to give each other the same respect that we desire.  We are all different.  Everyone has a busy schedule, with important things on their schedule.  Just because they are different doesn't mean that one's schedule is more expendable than another's.  We should treat everyone and their time as a very precious commodity.  No one has it easy.  Everyone faces extremely challenging situations, everyone has heartaches, every single individual person on this earth will be stretched to their very limits at one point in their life to another.  So don't assume.  Don't stereotype.  Don't judge others.  You.  Don't.  Know.  Them.

Valentine Time!

Brooklynn was super excited for her 5th grade class Valentine's Party this year.  They were having a contest with their homemade Valentine Holders with prizes for the biggest, most creative, etc.  She decided to make hers into a Valentine Briefcase.  She got the idea from Pinterest, and Rachel was her big helper for the evening.  They had a lot of fun with it!  Give my girls a glue gun and free rein of my craft room...and amazing things can happen!

It turned out really cute...hard to believe that this is Brooklynn's very last Elementary School Valentine's Party...she's on to Middle School next year!

 

Brooklynn is a huge help to me at home.  She is so responsible, and needs very little reminding to do homework or chores.  She works so hard at everything she does...and loves to work with her hands.  She has a beautiful voice and I love to hear her sing throughout the house.  I'm excited for her to start choir next year and get more opportunities to sing in front of others. One of the things I love most about Brooklynn is her sweet smile and cute little giggle laugh.  She has had the same laugh since she was two years old...and I hope she holds onto it for always!