A Good Day

What makes Grace sleep so well?

A day filled with bug eyes...

Wild Pigs...

Climbing Tall Trees....and

Laughing at mom swinging like a monkey!

Fishing Weekend

The morning was spent here....

watching this guy swim while.....

Drew was fishing!

You've gotta love TEXAS!!!

Mother's Curse!

My mother cursed me!!!

I don't know how many times she said

"I hope you get the chance to raise a daughter just like you!"

I found Grace in our bed the other night talking on the "phone".

Boy, oh boy, we are going to have our hands full when she's a teenager!

I spent WAY TOO MANY hours on the phone growing up!

Dear Alia

Dear Alia, I just finished reading Ashley's blog entry (dated August 20,2007) about snakes. After a chuckle and a nod of the head I remembered one of my favorite memories growing up. My younger brother, Tim, had learned about snakes during school. He was probably six. Tim was telling my mom all about the things he saw and learned. In the course of his narration he told my mom how to tell the difference between male and female snakes. This topic seemed to fascinate Tim because he spent quite a bit of time talking in detail about boys and girls. My older sister, Karen (12 years old at the time), was in the other room "listening" to the conversation. Now when I was growing up Karen was the one who always had a comment and most certainly knew more than anyone else on the planet! She couldn't contain herself any longer....Tim just kept talking and talking about these snakes. The lengthy description of the males and females was just too much for my dear sister. During a brief pause in Tim's informative speech we hear Karen yell from the other room... "The easy way to tell the boys from the girls is to look between the legs!" Everyone paused for moment stunned. Next thing I remember was hearing "SNAKES DON'T HAVE LEGS!" So there you have it Alia. Snakes don't have legs and they don't have bums. Sorry kid. At least you are learning these lessons while you are young and not while you are a preteen!

Sunday Promise

Attending church with wiggly Grace and unpredictable Anne has been quite the experience these past few weeks. I must admit that after church last week I wondered if it was truly necessary for young families to go to church especially when church co insides with nap time!

Sundays are less than favorable days at our home. Edwin leaves early for meetings and often times comes home late. Getting Grace dressed (and having her stay dressed) feeding and changing Anne multiple times and trying to dress myself in a pleasing manner is a bit overwhelming. Every week is the same routine and as much as I try to plan and prepare ahead of schedule there seems to be no way to minimize the Sunday morning panic. Dinner needs to be put in the crock pot, Edwin needs a lunch/snack, Grace needs activities and food, and Anne needs a plethora of diapers and clothes (just in case it's one of those days!) With all that I do for everyone else I find it a miracle I make it to church dressed at all!

Getting to church is only the first hurdle in our race. Once at church I feel compelled to keep my children quiet as possible. A hungry, tired toddler is no picnic to entertain let alone keep interested in sitting still for an hour. By the end of our Sacrament wrestling match my hair is a mess and someone is usually telling me my clothes are revealing a bit more than they should! Thankfully Edwin does a pretty good job noticing my skewed clothes, but people are polite enough to say something so I don't spend the entire day with my skirt turned around backwards or my blouse unbuttoned!

With all the finagling we do during the services I can barely remember anything that was said. Often times I can't tell you who spoke or their general topic for discussion. Even though Grace is now old enough for nursery that is no guarantee that I will be able to listen to the Sunday School lesson or Relief Society lesson. When Anne wakes up its time to eat or time to cry. Either way I'm out in the hall. Not a very uplifting place to be when you are actually interested in what was happening in the classroom.

I know I'm not alone in the Sunday crisis. I see other women struggling too. There is no way to know what goes on prior to church or after church in every one's home, but at church we are experiencing the same things.

In the midst of my distress and frustration I found this beautiful promise that will carry me through the difficult days.

"And every child, without realizing the full portent, can absorb much from a sacrament meeting. They will absorb something every time. " Spencer W. Kimball.



Thankfully my parents helped instill in me the habit of church attendance no matter what my circumstances may be. I too will join the hundreds of other parents who take their children to worship the Lord on His Holy Day. And I will do it with a joyful heart and a happy countenance knowing it is making a difference for my tender young children.