Chin up moms, we are great!!

I've been seeing a lot of negativity lately toward motherhood. The working mom or the not working mom alike. So I thought I'd give my take on it.

I've always known that I wanted to be a mom. It was something that I felt came natural to me. So deciding to have kids was a no brainer. When we were expecting our first child I was so excited and very nervous and scared all at the same time. I had some experience with kids so I knew how to do the basics. But there are a lot of things that you just don't think of.

I hardly get to take a shower without a little intruder and I definitely don't get to go to the bathroom alone anymore. If I am eating something you can bet some little finger will be slipping onto my plate or a sweet little voice begging for a bite, only to possibly spit it right out, to which I promptly must stop my meal to get something to clean it up. Oh and the music. I don't get to listen to MY music anymore we listen to kids songs or our primary CD. Sleep, well that's pretty much limited to 5-6 hours. You can also bet this post has taken me hours or even is spread over days to finish it, because there are two little humans that need my attention and love. I know this list sounds like I'm trying to persuade you not to have kids,  LOL. But quite the opposite.

I wouldn't trade those things for the world. Sure some days I do wish I could just take a shower alone, or sleep through the night, etc.., but then I realize that someday these sweet kids will be all grown up and onto their own friends and life, and that I should cherish all these moments because they won't last forever.
Motherhood takes someone who is willing to give up a lot, to give to others pretty much continually. So when I read others degrading women for choosing to have kids or stay home, saying it is some form of suppression to womanhood, I laugh. If womanhood has become a working woman who is only measured by her status in the working world, that is also void of men who are just worthless human beings, no woman in her right mind needs, then you can count me out of that crowd. That doesn't represent womanhood to me.

Women, I believe, have different traits and qualities that make us a powerful force to be reckoned with without trying to prove in some way we are better than men or other women. Shouldn't we be untied in trying to buoy each other up and help us all aspire to what we can be?

Some moms work, some don't. Some are in school, some aren't. Each of us trying to do what is best for our families and to get along in this crazy world.

So to the women who think marriage and motherhood are for suckers, I guess I'm a sucker.
A sucker for a partner in life to stand side by side with and lean on during the difficult journey we call life, a sucker for unconditional love from little sweet children who forgive quickly and look at you as a superstar.

To those women who think we haven't achieved anything by being mothers, I say my children are counted as one of my greatest accomplishments in life. Because no matter what career you hold if there weren't moms raising the future your job would be null and void.

To all moms, hold your heads high be proud you chose to have kids, be proud if you stay home with them, be proud if you have to work to help your family out. Who cares if we are not measuring up to the worlds standard of greatness, because God is the one we are accountable to ultimately and he applauds you!

Sara

July fourth and beyond

Last I wrote was in May! A lot has happened in life between now and then. But I figured I would just start with the fourth of July! Over the fourth we saw three different fireworks shows. Kayla really loves to watch them so we took all the opportunities to see them we could. We went to one with our friends in Rogers, the Farmington show, and on the Fourth with family in Springdale. 

Fireworks with friends 

Sweet Adalyn, she didn't like them too much.

First time doing a sparkler!!

Kayla wanted Westin to do some sparklers too!!

We have really been enjoying this summer. Last year we barely stepped foot outside, but it has been a mild summer for which I am grateful. We literally go outside every day and the kids love it. We have gotten to know our neighbors really well and they have two kids right around the same age as our kids. We couldn't ask for better neighbors. So needless to say we play with them a lot and spend a lot of time in the pool!!!

Kids playing in the water table

YUM! Popsicles and one sticky girl

The girls and I have also been enjoying the rainy days and playing in the rain. I loved to do that when I was a kid, so I really enjoy watching them. 

Other than that I have been trying to organize and get a lot of those "little things you want to get done around the house but always put off", done. We've patched holes, painted,  organized closets, got new shelving in the kitchen for extra storage (thanks JIm Higgins) etc... and there is still more to be done. 

In a little less than a month I will be turning 28. WOW. Time flies I really don't feel that close to 30. But we can't stop the aging process. I'm glad about this actually. We get to gain knowledge and hopefully mature a little. I didn't hate my teen years by any means, but I definitely see teens now and have to laugh that I was probably just like them in my own world all about me. I think i'll embrace getting older. 

Now for some cute pictures of my sweet ones.

She definitely gives me a run for my money.

SISTERS! Having an apple snack before bed.

-Sara

Too long

So I knew that I would eventually not keep up so well with the blog, but hey what can I say, I'm busy, OR at least I feel very busy. But I'll try to catch up on my oh so exciting life! Nothing major has happened and I think that is a blessing. I love nothing major weeks, months, and if you make it longer than that start really counting your blessings!

I am also sooo glad it has decided to become warm and seems to be staying that way (fingers crossed).
Both girls have had ear infections recently, I was quickly thrown back into memories of those nasty suckers when I was a kid. The kind where you just want to lay there and cry holding your ear. Oh how I do not miss that time. I wonder why as adults we seem to never get them? Needless to say we had antibiotics and that is over. So bring on the warm weather and fun in the water.

This past weekend on the 11th of May Aaron and I celebrated our 6 year anniversary and this Monday will be 10 years that we have been together. In some ways it's flown and in others it hasn't. How glad I am to have been with him all this time. So for our anniversary my mom watched the kids and we just went up to Rogers and had dinner at In and Out burger. I think their burgers are so good and we don't get to eat there much.  Then we just got a hotel room for the night. At 10:30 the fire alarms start going off. We grabbed all of our stuff (just a bag and my purse that were still pretty much packed) and headed for the emergency exit. Next thing you know here come the fire trucks. I guess some kids thought it would be funny to pull the alarm. I bet those were some embarrassed parents. All was well and we got to enjoy a night without waking up to kids. Aaron got me a bike trailer for my anniversary present! Hello workout! Pulling those kids took everything I had. But I think we will get a lot of use out of that thing.

Next on the list is Kayla's third birthday. In about a week and a half she is turning 3. She is really into sharks right now so we decided a trip to the Oklahoma Aquarium was in order. They have sharks that swim above you, she is going to love it.  Then we will just come home and celebrate with a cookie cake (she doesn't like cake she will only eat the frosting) and ice cream, and oh course PRESENTS.

Little miss Adalyn is growing so much as well. I told Kayla that we would soon have to stop calling he baby and call her a big girl too. She loves to dance to any music that she hears, wave be at all people, and go, go, go. I think the only time she is still is when her eyes are closed and she is snoozing. But I love that spirit about her, she wouldn't be her without it. Oh and she sings B-I-N-G-O.  It is too cute. She'll say B-I-O.

You can't convince me that children don't come with their own personalities. Each one of our kids has distinct characteristics that they have had since day one. Of course their environment shapes them too, but they are definitely born with certain qualities. It is so neat to watch and see.

Smile and see the good in the world!
Sara

Eating a banana (she's my fruit girl)

At the park, I just loved this picture.

Feeding the ducks at the park!

Easter Testimony

Since it is Easter and all I thought I would write a post about Jesus Christ. I have been reading the gospels in the New Testament about the last week of the Savior's life and am in awe each time I read it of what it means for Him to be our Savior.  So much is encompassed in the Garden of Gesthemane and on the cross that it is beyond our mortal minds to truly comprehend it all, but the little we can comprehend I am truly grateful for.

I know that Jesus Christ did indeed walk upon this earth. That he came and was recognized by those who had humble hearts and minds. I know that he suffered in the Garden of Gesthemane and there took upon himself our sins. But not only our sins, our sorrows, our sadness, grief and pain that we may experience, thereby being able to understand every human emotion so in depth that he truly knows each of us and knows our trials. For this I am so grateful because we each have times when we feel like no one understand or can possibly know how we feel, but HE does. From there he was betrayed by a friend and led away to be tried. He was mocked, spit upon, whipped, and finally nailed to the cross. All without harsh words for those committing these acts against him, still being the perfect example of love and compassion. In fact he prays for these men and asks Heavenly Father to forgive them. Then he dies on the cross leaving his friends and family weeping and mourning.
I imagine Mary Magdalene as a friend who dearly misses Jesus going to sit at the tomb just to feel near him as I have done with my family after they have passed. We go to visit their resting places to feel close to them. So I imagine this is what Mary was doing.  But when she arrived the stone was rolled away and the tomb empty. She was so saddened thinking someone had taken his body. But then the most spectacular thing happened, there he was in front of her nail prints and all, a glorified resurrected being. He had just prepared the way for you and I to be able to return to live with our Father in Heaven, for each and every person to someday be able to be resurrected and return again to our Heavenly home. I can only imagine to tears of joy Mary cried as she ran to tell of the great news on that first Easter morning.

To quote a favorite hymn: I know that My Redeemer lives, what comfort this sweet sentence gives.
Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, He is not dead, but lives and we too will live again. I testify that he knows each of us and wants us to be with Him. May we each have a blessed Easter day and celebrate it's true meaning.

Happy Easter
Sara

Cable and Les MIserables

About a week ago we shut off the cable. We had been discussing this for a long time, but Aaron really wanted his news back then and we had a show or two we watched. But recently we can get all of that online or on our phones now so off the expensive and ever increasing cable went. I don't know why it was kind of tough to do. I rarely watch the thing in the day and about the only time we watched cable was when The Walking Dead was on and at night before we went to bed. But we did it.

We decided to get an apple tv. Kind of like a roku. So we still have our Netflix and we can stream shows wirelessly from the iMac, so it's nice. I don't think we'll miss it much.  My in laws may be doing the same thing soon because cable is so expensive.  I went to turn in the HD box (we got this when we threatened to cancel last year when our bill was going to jump about 40.00 for nothing, they gave us free HD for a year and no price jump), anywho a lady was in the store saying that her bill goes up but she sees no benefits are added things from it. The customer service rep just said that is just how it is.
They may not last long with that attitude.

So for Les Mis. We finally watched the new Les Miserable over the past two nights.  Thats right TWO nights because IT SUCKED. We forced ourselves to finish it thinking since there was so much hype and raving it must get better. Nope. The Les Mis with Liam Neeson and Uma Thurman, phenomenal movie. I don't mind a musical but literally singing every word was painful. The actors are top notch but they cannot sing, so that made for bad acting and bad singing.  Most of the time it felt like they were forcing words into the music that didn't really match. If I hadn't seen the other Les Mis I'm not sure it would have even come together, there wasn't much character development between Cozet and Jean Valjean nor between Cozet and the beau.  I was really disappointed and bored. Glad I didn't pay to see that in the theatre, I probably would have left.

On a different note I am sure ready for the cold to go and the warm to stay. I'm ready for Easter and the awesome celebration of Christ's resurrection. We decided to start a family tradition this year of visiting a loved ones grave each year on Easter and discussing death and the resurrection. I'm excited to do this. I think this year we are going to visit Aaron's grandpa Haney. I think we can really get the Easter message to our kids this way.

Valentines, Snow, and the Temple

So there is lots to catch up on......
First, Valentines Day. Pretty low key, honestly I'm not a get me chocolate that I will devour and don't really need (not for weight purposes, but I don't need it because it's not healthy), or another stuffed animal to sit around. I do like flowers though, they are pretty and I can actually put them out and they look nice. So any who we had a pretty low key Valentines, I got a You Curl, I told Aaron I wanted one. One of my friend's Patricia told me about them and her hair looked so good I thought I would try it.  Maybe I just didn't do it right but it didn't work out too well. So I took it back. We got the girls balloons and some candy. Our ceiling in our living room goes all the way to the top floor so we thought it would be fun to let one of the helium balloons go and see how long it would take to fall. Kayla thought it was pretty funny!

Sideway,  but there's our balloon up there. 

I don't love the cold, but Kayla has been so eager to build a snow man. It finally snowed enough good packing snow that we made a tiny one in our bird bath. Kayla hated the snow getting packed on the bottom of her boots though, so she would get so frustrated walking around. I had to kick it off the bottom of her boots quite a bit, but all in all it was nice to actually get outside and play a bit. Plus, Aaron got to stay home. He had to work still, but we got to see him and play with him on his breaks.

SNOWMAN!!!

Kicking the snow off

Yesterday we had the opportunity to go to the Oklahoma City Temple. For my non-mormon friends temples are a the House of the Lord, a place we consider to be sacred and more than just a church building. Here we are able to learn more about our Heavenly Father and reflect on our lives and our part in His plan. Here's a link for you more curious souls. http://www.lds.org/topics/temples?lang=eng

We have ben trying to go to the new temple in Kansas City, MO, but we had  sickness the first weekend and then I had obligations the next, then Kanas decided to have a blizzard so I just said let's just go to whatever one we can. I'm glad we decided to do this. I really enjoyed my time with just the two of us. We got to talk about all sorts of things from politics, to our jobs as parents, to spiritual things.

I wanted to mention a few things we discussed.
First, we both have political opinions and we can both be really passionate about our views on certain ones, but our ultimate conclusion was that the place in which we can do the most good in making real change in this world is within our own home. We see many people so engrossed in the newest political saga or talking point that it literally get's their blood boiling. Or others whom all they talk about it seems is this stuff (personally I feel to start arguments) I mean come on unless you know everyone who's seeing it agrees with you, you know an arguments going to happen. Anyways, my point is does all the ranting and typing and sharing really make a difference, or are you spending a lot of wasted time on that while things of more importance are slipping by unnoticed?
We also have decided to cancel cable. This is one of our ways to get our house more in order, not so much because we watch it too much, but more so because there's not much good to watch. So we are going to try apple tv and we have Netflix, so we will see how that works out.  I'm betting we won't miss it much.

What things in your life are maybe not bad, but for you personally may be something you need to take a step back from? Facebook, pinterest, tv, etc... It could even be things we wouldn't consider to be bad at all, do we feel the need to have our phone always within reach or must we check it at every buzz or ding? Kind of reminds me of Pavlov's dog's. We so quickly become conditioned. Maybe take a step back and feel how it feels to not be able to be contacted or found at every moment. Now I say this all pointing the finger at myself, that's why I share these are some realizations I am coming to, thought others may need them as well.
Have a great Week!!

Job and kids

This week I started my "job" if you can call it that, I do get paid and it does take me away from home, tutoring. I am having fun.  So much less stress than the full time gig of teaching, though I really miss that at times too. This week was parent teacher conferences and I was not at all envious of the teachers. Thee weeks are the most tiring. But the kids are great and sweet!! I really miss my girls while I am gone, but it is probably good for them to be with someone else (grandparents) instead of me all the time.

So if we're friends on facebook you may have seen the video of Adalyn walking.  YAY!! I love when they start to walk, life changes a lot, but in a good way (at least to me). She rarely wants to crawl, so she hold onto whatever is in reach to get from place to place crawling if she must. 

I always thought Kayla was quite honoree, but Adalyn is out doing her in that department. About three weeks ago she decided that she was no longer going to eat baby food in the jars.  Only table food. Then she refuses to drink from a sippy cup. What a stinker. But today Adalyn finished all of Kayla's chocolate milk out of her cup. Hmmm....

I know what your thinking all she talks about is kids kids kids!! Well they are my life so...

Kayla is starting to really crack me up. She speaks so well and says things all the time that just make me laugh.  The other day she stood on the table and said "Mom do I look crazy standing on this table?" What? Just had to laugh. Then we were talking about her smoke alarm in her room and how it makes a loud sound, etc.. I was asking her if she was scared of it and she informed me she was not "freaked out." HAHAH! She really likes sharks right now. Her and daddy play sharks and get in boats to get away from them. Also, if the shark is not nice it goes in time out!! HAHA. At least I know she knows what time out is for.  She also has her smarty pants side. She is often in trouble for talking back and she's only 2 1/2. Example:  She won't eat her diner so I tell her to put he drink down and eat or else I will have to take it away so she'll finish eating. Her response would be. "I'm going to take your drink away," I often have to turn away she doesn't see me laugh.  She's a mess. I guess it's all part of the learning process, what's okay and what's not. I think at this stage she's just doing a lot of mimicking so a lot of what I say is being used against me. 

Drinking out of KAyla's cup

And again

Daddy and Kayla playing piano