Blah

Some days being a mom is just plain HARD.

Some days I feel like I have no idea what to do.

Some days I want to crawl up in the fetal position and cry or go to Ikea.

On days like these I try to remember that the Lord has entrusted these kids to me.

That he knows what they need even if I don't.

On days like these I pray for the gift of discernment.

To be able to know their needs and how best to help them with all of life's challenges.

Life can be super sucky sometimes, but there is always light, love and happiness.

You just have to look harder to see them.

Some day's your 14 year old and 4 year old decide to dress up like you.

Proceed to do impressions of you and make you laugh so hard that you remember

how worth it is to be a mom even on those blah everything sucks kinda day.

They Call Her, Evie 2 Wheels. Because She Always Rides With 2 Wheels

So I was standing there looking at my laundry,

thinking I really should take care of it,  when Milo came

running into tell me he taught Evie to ride a 2 wheeler.

So I stood there and made the hard choice to leave my pile of laundry.

As we walked out to the front yard Milo told me all about how he taught her.

How he didn't need to hold on for to long, just a little bit.

Milo would get her going and then follow her around clapping and jumping up and down.

She was all smiles and enjoyed her new found skill like only Evie can.

Don't mind her hair,  her friends dog loves to chomp on it.

Luckily, Justin was on prep so I could call and let him know right away.

He was super happy and proud of both of his little people.

He also was a little sad,  Evie is our baby and his last one we get to

teach this kinda of stuff too.

In fact his quote was 

"I kinda feel like the therapist on What About Bob and got cheated out of teaching my son how to dive"

Mostly he was just thrilled and loved that this is something that they can share forever.

 I was feeling nothing but happy loving feelings for these 2 little folk.

One of those being a mom rocks moments.

Then I look out the window.

Happy!  Loving!  Feelings!

Back to School Feast!

My boy's wanted Chuck a Rama for our back to school feast,

sadly or happily depending on which family member you talk too, our feast this year was on Sunday.

So Chuck a Rama was a no go!

To make up we spent Saturday rednecking it up at Smith & Edwards and the North Ogden Fish Farm.

My kids love feeding the fish.

We had two main dishes all a Chuck a Rama style.

Sheppard Pie

Temple Chicken

French Bread

Salad

(Which have you tried the Lighthouse Greek Yogurt Ranch, so good.)

Orange Julius

 Lauren Photo Bombing the food pictures.

After dinner Justin gave the kids their Fathers Blessings.

Then we introduced the kids to this school years theme.

I am going to make my own typography, but my photoshop was 

acting up, so lucky I found this print out.

We selected this quote because our boy are becoming men and we want them to be strong men of God,

Lauren is turning 12, my older 3 are no longer little and need to stand on their own testimony.

To stand for what they know is right, to not care what others may say or think about them.

To stand with the lord.

We had the kids think of  school year goals earlier in the day.

We went over each of them and ways they could accomplish them.

Dallin (10th Grade),

Maintain a 3.0 or higher grade point average.

Mike (9th Grade),

Make the track team.

Lauren (6th Grade),

To have no missing assignments, and tryout for Student Government.

Milo (Kindergarten),

Learn how to read.

Genevieve (Preschool),

To learn how to write her numbers and letters.

Not letters and numbers, numbers and letters.

I love this tradition and I am so grateful to have a night dedicated to our family, our faith and the Lord.

Month 2 in the Great Pixie Grow Out

Just popping in for a 2 month update.

If I was keeping my pixie, I would be itching for a cut.

Oh no, not this time, because it's the.....

GREAT PIXIE GROW OUT!!!

I am going to wait as long as I can to go in for a trim/reshape.

I'm hoping to make it another month, but that's hoping that I won't be 

sporting a mullet.  If that happens I'll be running to my salon.

Let me say, I am supper awkward with getting my picture taken.

I keep making duck lips, not trying they just natural come.

I am also talented in the crazy eye category.

Oh and keeping my eyes open, yeah right.  

Just keeping it real folks.

Thanks Megan, for enduring my duck lip, crazy eye, closed eyes and shooting these photos for me.

So Foxy!

Tonight was back to school night for Justin. 

Which meant that he was gone all day and all night long.

All night long!

(I hope you sung that last all night.)

So when he strolled in at 8 pm, I needed to get out.

Which meant I wandered around Target and found this fox.

(source)

This picture does no justice!

If we weren't trying to be more fiscally minded

and if my kitchen wasn't the size of a pea, we would have foxtrotted on home.

Enjoy these other foxy finds.

1. fox canister 2. fox statue 3.foxy pillow 4.fox towel 5.fox plate

Just because no fantastic fox decor post would be complete with out a scene form

The Fantastic Mr Fox.

true love

I snicked this picture of my dad and mom.

It was 5:15 in the morning, my dad just helped her use the bathroom and is now giving her pain meds.

When he leaves,  I am there to help her when needed.

To make sure she doesn't fall and hurt her broken arm or break anything else.

She's a sneaky one and has fallen on my watch, luckily she didn't do any harm.

I count myself lucky to see first hand how they love each other.

My dad who is obviously tired never lets it show.

He love and cares without thought of himself.

I watch as it kills him to leave for work each morning.

I watch him and know what love looks like.

If I ever had a doubt about their relationship (which I haven't)

there would be no room left for any of it.

I watch my mom struggle with the lost of freedom.

I watch how at times her mind slips.

I sit next to her at church and know that she hurts, but her testimony is strong

even if her body is weak.

I watch her eye's light up when she see my dad.

They belong to each other, they are side by side in their faith and love. 

If I take one thing from my mom's stomach cancer, from our families stomach cancer,

it will be their love and the service I see day in and day out from my dad.

I am lucky to have such parents.

Heaven is Here

My friend Megan just let me borrow her copy of Stephanie Nielson's 

a.k.a. NieNie, book Heaven is Here.

(source)

This isn't the first time I have had a chance to read her book,

but it is the first time I actually sat down and read it.

It's not that I didn't want to but I feel the Lord new that I would

need her words of encouragement now!

I have to say that this has been the hardest year of my life.

I'm not being dramatic, but honest.

Harder then Dallin's life threatening asthma.

Harder then Justin losing his job.

Harder then Evie cutting her nerve that controlled her fingers.

(which she has made a full recovery, thankfully)

Harder then losing babies.

Well miscarrying in January is part of this being my hardest year.

I'm not going to get into why or anything.

Just trust me. Hard!

I know the Lord is always their for me and like Stephanie's

dad says in the book "he is in control".

I needed her words of comfort and strength and faith.

It wasn't easy and she suffered and was depressed,

but the Lord saw her threw it all.

Just like he'll lead my family and I have no doubt that he does.

If you know someone who could use a little pick me up, a little your not alone,

a little the Lord is on your side, a little you can do hard things.

Might I suggest this book.

We are going to show our kids this video for family home evening and talk about

how we have so many things pulling at us, but we can always knell, pray and ask the Lord.

To Pixie or To Not

At the moment I am trying to decide if it's time to grow out my Pixie?

So hard!

On one hand I love how easy it is,  most days it takes like 2 min to do my hair.

On the other hand, I have always wanted to be that old lady with the amazing long gray hair.

(source)

(source)

Okay now I want to be that old lady with amazing hair and a horse!

I know I have years before this is even any issue, but if I don't start somewhere

my dream will never come true and I'll just be an old lady mom with short hair.

(which is fine, but not my dream)

I seriously have wanted this since my good old high school days and you can't

fight what a 16 year old heart wants.

Thanks for the help blogger, it is now time to grow out my pixie.
I'll share the good and the ugly.