Playing in the Rain

Rich is off playing ball hockey and he took the two older boys so Andy and Lincoln and I decided to have some fun in the rain - it's been raining - no pouring on and off all day and it's supposed to be this way for the weekend. We soooo need the rain and as long as that tornado warning doesn't come back rain can be a lot of fun!

Memories

I was digging around in my storage containers looking for a music book when I stumbled upon some lost treasure! I love these pictures and thought I would share them - they are a little tiny but if you click on them you can see a larger view. I love these kids and wish so much that I could go back in time just for a while to relive my favorite memories.

Isaac's Birthday

Yesterday Isaac turned ten and I don't have any pictures to put up her because I cannot find our memory card - so many things go missing in my house because of my little lincoln.

We started the day off by giving him his favorite breakfast - pancakes - and I made them huge -the full size of the frying pan - with whipped cream and chocolate and caramel sauce - so yummy and full of sugar - great way to send him off to school. He loved his present - which hopefully I can get a picture of and post it here.

At school I brought him cupcakes (that I made into a pull apart cake - super fun) with chocolate molds that said HAPPY BIRTHDAY

After school he played outside with his brother and the neighbors - at 6:00 we headed out to our Baden Powell dinner - it was a great night for Isaac - the cubs performed a skit called 'Important Papers' and Isaac was the king, Isaac and Merrill were presented their badges and at dessert time his cub leader brought out cupcakes with candles and a present for him - he was super thrilled.

I love what a wonderful young man he is becoming - he is fantastic at helping with Lincoln - he puts up with so much from him and I am very proud of him. He isn't always excited about doing chores but he will do them. He loves the gospel and is the only one who participates in the morning for our family devotional. I think he is amazing and am grateful everyday that Heavenly Father blessed me with him.

Like Father like Son

Obviously Lincoln has seen someone else doing this.....

I love how proud he is of himself!

SNO more SNOW

That really isn't a typo I was just trying to be funny - it made me laugh anyways.

Dear Mother Nature,

You have been very generous to us this year up in Edmonton and the evergreen trees have never looked so lovely but...I think we have enough snow...

You can't see it so well in the picture but the snowhills are almost as tall as I am - and we have a larger front yard than others because we live in a bungalow - some of our poor neighbors have snowhills over 7 feet high!

This is my friends car - burried under the snow

Discouraged...

Some days it just seems that all my efforts are not acheiving much. I remind my kids every day to turn off the lights and every day after they leave for school every light is on downstairs - that is 8 lights that are burning sometimes 9 if they've gone into the storage room...Everyday they know the routine of getting ready for school but every morning it seems like I am asking them for the first time. I dread after school and dinner time because of the homework battle and coming up with ideas for supper that the kids will eat without complaining - I can only handle kraft dinner once in a while. I have FHE lessons about being kind to each other, serving each other, choose the right and don't fight and everyday I am breaking up mini wars. I beg my children to behave when we are out of the house or having company -but they really must not be able to hear me. I wash and fold and put away all their laundry and the very next day it is all strewn about on their bedroom floor.

Being a mom and a housewife is my job - it's what I do everyday, and everyday it seems that I am told that what I say or do does not matter - so I get discouraged and wonder why I am trying at all - why not let my home fall into ruins - it would be so much easier and I am going crazy trying to keep it all together - my children don't seem to care. To me this is the same as slaving away at a job and your boss continually destroying your work or simply ignoring all that you've and demanding more.

Anyways the ranting is not the purpose of this blog. I read the following years ago before I even thought about getting married and having children. It was really inspiring and uplifting then and once I let myself let go of the trumoil that I am feeling these past few days I know it will be uplifting and perspective changing....

YOU ARE DISCOURAGED

In the street of life, walking in the darkness of the shadow, hungry old Satan was out hunting with his dogs. The little imps of human weakness. A man came walking through life's street. Satan said to the little devil, with a bitter face, 'Go get him for me'

Quickly the imp crossed the street, silently and lightly hopped to the man's shoulder. Close in his ear he wispered, 'You are discouraged'

'No' said the man 'I am not discouraged'

'You are discouraged'

The man replied this time, 'I don't think I am'

Louder and more decidedly the little imp said again 'I tell you, you are discouraged'

The man dropped his head and replied 'Well I suppose I am'

The imp hopped back to Satan and said promptly 'I have got him, he is discouraged'

Another man passed. Again old Satan said 'Get him for me'

The proud little imp demon of discouragement repeated his tactics. The first time that he said 'You are discouraged' the man replied emphatically 'NO'

The Second time the man replied 'I tell you I am NOT discouraged'

The third time he said 'I am not discouraged - You lie'

The man walked down the street, his head up, going toward the light. The imp of discouragement returned to his master crestfallen. 'I couldn't get him. Three times I told him he was discouraged. The third time he called me a liar, and that discouraged me.'

You see I feel better already :)

Reversable Apron

I just finished this apron for a family friends daughter and I totally love it. I used a pattern that a lady in our ward designed - she is amazing - the same lady that taught me how to quilt as you sew. I just had to figure out a few adjustments because the pattern isn't originally reversable. I am so proud of this and I can't wait to make more - so all my little nieces out there may find one of these under the christmas tree - we'll see how ambitious I am.