So Many Things But Just Not Enough TIME

Man I totally have the best of intentions truly with everything I do in life however, somehow I just can't always translate those intentions into works.  Anyone with me?  I want so desperately to be keeping up this blog and I have some awesome blogs that I love to check in on that help perk that desire.  But one of the motivations for this is to have some type of journaling for me, my family, my friends etc...  I'm so irregular that I don't really think it is benefiting anyone!  And I want to scrapbook partly because I have so darn much stuff that I should use up rather just sit collecting dust, but really I totally enjoy scrap booking whether it is on paper or digital.  Again I just never get it done.  And then there is my own personal journal.  Sometimes there are truly thoughts, feelings, emotions, events etc. that are just a little too personal to share out loud.  And so what do you think gets attention?  Truly none of it.  I think I overwhelm myself, and then I get discouraged because there is so much that I want to do. So I just end up with a bag of peanut butter M&Ms and a Dr. Pepper sitting with my Ipad Pinning all these cool ideas on Pinterest.  Please tell me I'm not alone on this?  Well tonight I have a few minutes before I have to get to bed so I can function to drive to SLC in the morning for more appointments for Nya and I used what little self control I could muster and traded the Ipad for the computer and thus here I am!  And because there is so much to share, I don't even know where to start therefore I have now full on hit the rambling stage!  Well I have a good friend that always told me with scrap booking, just start with current.  So lets try that.

How about school.  Another year is here yet again.  And this year has been really tough for me.  I DO NOT want my kids back in school I want them home playing with me!  I want to go do some more fun activities. (Not that we did enough or anything totally awesome this summer but I just want them back!)

Of course the kids on the other hand could not be anymore excited to be back in school.  I think they are totally ready for a break from mom.  They are ready for more friend time even if it means school work is involved.  However these kids somehow are totally growing up without my permission.

So apparently this isn't too cool anymore...

Thus the reason for all the hiding?

However just before this they were totally okay with pictures as I talked my new neighborhood into the 1st day of school breakfast that our old neighborhood has now done for several years.

 You know doughnuts, cinnamon rolls, chocolate milk totally a healthy breakfast right? (Since then we've been much better, there has been oatmeal, and granola, and eggs - no pancakes yet that requires a little too much effort - but it is on the schedule for this week)

And can I tell you Elle pretty much seriously dislikes her brother.  Yeah they fight and he can be a pain in the butt And he can also be such a sweetie to her.  He is the one that tries to give a hug here and there or just tries to do something nice.  She on the other hand will full on go out of her way to be rude or do something just to upset him.  And touching him oh heck no!  You'd think she might die the way she acts if he comes around her.  Please let this be a phase.  I mean in a few years like probably way sooner than I want, he's going to have a lot of "older" boys he hangs out with then won't she be so grateful to have an older brother?  So needless to say getting a picture of the two of them together DOES not happen often!

And of course the "1st day of school" shot.  I decided to have the kids make their own sign and I put it on card stock so that I can throw it in with their folder for this year.  Kind of fun to see what they were into?  Especially Tanner.  Elle's was more of just a throw it together because mom is not going to let me go if I don't kind of thing. Oh well I won!

This boy loves his Mine Craft and I don't totally know where "butter" came from but it's all about anything yellow or gold.

And then they were off!

This is the first year my kids haven't been bused they love it!  Elle rides her bike everyday and Tanner would probably too, if it was working but instead he walks with another little neighbor boy.  It is so fun to have so many great kids at the age of my kids and that all can play and have such a great time.

So in two days my next little princess will be starting kindergarten.  Ugh! my heart really sinks a little at the thought.  (actually it sinks a lot at the thought of them all being gone... again this would be another post)

And I can't have all these pictures of the big kids and not share the little ones too!  This was last night at the park for Tanner's 11th (sigh yes 11th birthday - 1 more year until the Priesthood, 1 year less of him being at home, 1 year closer to dating, 1 year closer to a mission the list goes on and on and I have some big plans for this next year hope I can pull those off too!)

oops back to these cute little messes.  I mean who doesn't love chocolate cake and ice cream?  And it's even better sporting the boogy nose!

I'm so blessed with really great kids and family they keep me on my toes and happy and laughing and grateful for little every day blessings!

Be the Helper

I've had so many thoughts flushing over me the last couple of days with the bombings in Boston.

And now with more deaths being reported it brings up more thoughts. I always think about my kids.  Man talk about humbling experiences that help you realize just how important and fragile life really is.

So yesterday I just absolutely loved and adored all of the different posts about the story from Mister Rogers that his mother taught him of "find the helpers"  And wow were there ever so many different pictures of that man portrayed all over FaceBook.  (ok yes that's where I stalk)

For a few little facts about the Story of Mister Rogers check out this site.  Yesterday is really the 1st time I've noticed this story but apparently this quote has been used often with the tragedies that have happened over the years.

For me this quickly brought up thoughts of Newtown.  I may be a little off on my thoughts about these tragedies.  And don't get me wrong, please if I never have to deal with this type of experience hitting too close to home it will be too soon. Please don't ever let one of my children be taken from me like this.  Please don't let me let life pass me by too quickly.  Please don't let me send my kids off without a hug and a kiss...

But there is one thing that stands out so very vivid to me. Also what shaped these thoughts came from the lesson I taught in a Relief Society the Sunday after the Newtown shootings entitled "Righteous Living in Perilous Times".  For me this was perfect timing.  What this did for me was helped me focus on what am I doing to make sure my children know of their Heavenly Father.  Of the plan of salvation. And mostly of their ability to return and live with their Father in Heaven.  Of all the terrible and horrible events that happen and continue to happen more and more frequently, I can't much control whether or not they will happen, but what I can control is what my children know.  And it is up to me to make sure that I do the best job possible in teaching them the most important things in life. (and truly I'm terrible and I struggle everyday because you know what I love watching them in soccer (x2) and baseball (x2) and dance (x2) and helping them with 4H (x3) and and and.  But at the end of the day these are not the most important things in their nor my lives.  I can be their biggest cheerleader at all of those things, but if I'm not also their biggest cheerleader in teaching them the Gospel, then I have failed.  I need them to know what they need to do on their own to return to their Father in Heaven so that when faced with tragedy, they can be strong, they will know what to do, they will know how to be the helpers for those around them.

So today I began wondering how to help my children "be the helpers" not just to find the helpers.  Of course these thoughts were coming to me at the grocery store.  I've been trying to work on helping Tanner be more of a gentleman (a SERIOUS work in progress) and I thought what if each of my kids, okay big kids, rounded up one stray cart in the parking lot and just put it back in cart area.  I know thinking big here wasn't I.  It wouldn't make much of a difference over all but it would make a difference and that's what a helper is just one person making a small difference.  Once I can get my kids to work on small things hopefully they can become bigger or better yet hopefully they can become a helper without mom's guidance and reminding.  So off I went to pick kids up from school - so no they didn't get to try out my new helper idea because they weren't even with me - and as I'm driving in the nasty cold wind I see a lady pushing a cart out the back entrance of Smith's when she left her cart and picked up her bags to continue walking home with her groceries and I thought see what a perfect time for my kids to help.  They could so easily run that cart back to the front.  And then the car right in front of me stopped and offered to drive this lady home and she gladly accepted, at least from what I could tell as she quickly plopped her groceries and herself right in the back seat of that car in front of me.  So I was even more excited here was another helper.  Again small gesture made by one person, but the important thing is that it was made at all!

This world is scary and I don't think it is going to get any better before it first gets worse.  I don't want my kids to live in fear because of the tragedies.  I want them to know they can be the helper.  They can be the ones to make a difference.  They can be the ones to know even with the horrible events that continue to happen around us we have such a bright future to still look forward to.

So I just want my kids to not only look for the helpers, because yes they will absolutely be there but for them to look for and find ways to Be the Helpers.