Lord help the mister that comes between me and my sister ...

Baby Animal Days

The American Heritage Center in Logan has an event where kids can come and pet hold and see a ton of baby farm animals.

There were hoards of people there. I can see why…the kids loved it. Seeing baby farm animals was a novelty for my kids. It’s not every day they get to hold a duck or sit next to a baby calf. Even wallow in the same pen as some baby piglets. They had train rides, pony rides, food and balloons.

It was really fun to watch my kids hold the babies. Up until Claire thought that giving the babies a tight squeeze around the neck showed just how affectionate she felt. Those poor baby animals.

Dear 16 year old me….

I have so much I want to tell you but don’t want to spoil all of the surprise. You have so much to look forward to. I just have a few items of advice to give from an older more experienced you.
Remember when we were 12 and couldn’t wait to reach 16? I know that now you are wishing you were 21. Hang in there it will happen before you know it. Being 16 is fun. I know you hate that old Eagle Wagon that you have to drive around but be grateful. At least you have a car. Work hard and save your money you will have a better set of wheels before you know it. Try to drive slower. I know you are in a hurry but you will be terrified when you go to court and stand before a super scary judge later in the year. Speeding is over rated. Lets not lose our license, you have only been driving for few months.
I know you think you are so smart and know what is best for you. Trust me you don’t and when you are 30 you won’t know it all either. Listen to your parents. They really just want you to turn out a well rounded woman. They are not trying to destroy your fun. You will always turn to them for advice. I know you think that a 10 o’clock curfew is rough but one day you will wish you still had a 10 o’clock curfew.
Work hard in school. All your efforts will help you in the future. Don’t give up on your goal. You are going to love being a nurse. It will provide for your family, and put your husband through school. Plus putting in an IV is fun.
Enjoy your skinny healthy body while you can. After a while it gets really hard to keep it that way. Oh and stop wearing those short shorts. You will stumble across pictures of you in them when you are older and you will cringe. Don’t worry, I burned them so our little daughter won’t see them but seriously stop wearing them. Be modest. It is worth it.
In a year you will meet a boy that will change your life forever. He is a little rough around the edges but you can’t get enough of him. He is energetic, loud and just plain fun. You will like to kiss him but don’t get too carried away; you will have a whole lifetime to kiss that boy. Make sure you encourage him to serve a mission. It will change both of your lives. You will both grow up while he is gone. While he is serving you will receive a letter that will break your heart. It will be painful but time will dull the pain. Date while he is gone for you will find that there is no one else that comes close to what you want. When he returns he will fill the hole in your heart. He will take you to the temple and you will be sealed to each other for time and all eternity.
Motherhood has always been a part of you. You have always loved babysitting, helping young mothers and taking care of your younger siblings. After you get married that baby hunger will get very strong. Don’t give up. Good things come to those that wait. You will have the chance to be a mother and really come to understand a mother’s love for a child.
Stay strong in the gospel. Support all your Young Women’s activities and absorb all you can. Later on you will be asked to serve in youth capacities and you will take that experience and use it to help other young women. Pray always and listen to the spirit. He will always be there to direct your path. And trust me it is a great path.
I love you. See you soon.
Sincerely,
Almost 30 year old you

If you could go back and tell your teenage self something what would it be??? (Thanks Kendra for the fun idea.)

Caught you!!!

I walked into my bathroom yesterday to find Claire had climbed up to the mirror to admire herself. I ran to get the camera as fast as I could. She was distracted by the camera momentarily but quickly returned focus on her beauty.

Easter Weekend

Saturday morning we bundled up for the Richmond Hunt. It was freezing but the weather didn't seem to dampen the kids festive spirits.

Easter morning the bunny left a few gifts and Randy hid eggs for the kids. We ate cinnamon rolls and ate our dyed Easter eggs for breakfast.

It was nice to have General Conference over Easter. The talks were wonderful. I loved how much they focused on the family. It makes me feel like a chicken trying so hard to gather her chicks. I have a refreshed outlook on motherhood and needed the encouragement.

Randy and I closed on our house last year over Easter weekend. The year has flown by. I remember spending the first weekend in our house and loving the sound of the birds chirping in the morning. The birds have returned and I am looking forward to some warmer weather.

One really good day can make up for several really bad days

I REALLY struggle to ask for help. I have always felt like a very independent person. Growing up I always had a job, paid for my first car, my college education and found satisfaction in providing for myself and my family. I am sure when I was a toddler I used “I do it!!” frequently.

The last few months have been a really rough ride for me. Some of you know that I have struggled with my health. I will spare you the details because no one likes a bellyacher. I don’t mention this in my blog to generate pity or sympathy. I just want to give credit where credit is due. The last few weeks my health escalated into something I have never experienced in my life. My only option was to take a drug that spiraled my body into a wild range of side effects and unexpected circumstances. I felt desperate and scared. I made a difficult phone call to my mom. Not difficult because I didn’t think she was willing to help, but because she bends over backward for anyone’s aid. I literally sobbed to her on the phone… and she let me. She took care of me and my kids without skipping a beat. I appreciate it and love her for her empathy and understanding. I wish from the deepest part of my heart that she had my luxury. Unfortunately her mother passed away when she was 14. She didn’t have a mom to call when she felt overwhelmed, emotionally weighed down, or just plain angry. I am sad for her. I am one fortunate girl. Everyone deserves a mommy. I am so grateful for our almost daily conversations. It is nice to have someone to talk to.

I am generally a pretty private person. I do have a rationale for writing about this tender experience. I want to pay it forward. My hope is that one day my children with stumble upon my writings . I hope they read this and know that I want to be there for them too. I want to tell them that they don’t have to struggle on their own. I want to be a support to them. I want to help sustain them and buoy them up in time of need. IT IS OKAY TO ASK FOR HELP!!!


I feel much better now…

I have felt so good the last few days. It is nice to have myself back. Now that my feet are back on the ground, I feel like I can catch up with life again. I decided to celebrate Easter a little early. The kids and I dyed Easter eggs while we waited for daddy to get home from work. Claire made a disaster of a mess but it was worth seeing her silly grin. Brad worked like crazy getting every egg perfect. He was so proud that he could dye 10 eggs in the time it took Claire to do one. The next day we made Easter cookies for daddy’s employees at the bank. We got a fun Easter surprise from Nanny and Pappa who are on vacation for Easter. They LOVE packages.











The last two days have made up for EVERYTHING!! I love my kiddos. I am excited to have a nice quiet weekend at home with Randy and the kids. Happy Easter.