friendsgiving

We had our Joy School Thanksgiving feast this past week.  It was so fun to see these little people talk about the things that make their hearts say thank you.  They went around and said something they were grateful their body could do, Evie said she is grateful her feet and legs can move. We made little pilgrim and Indian hats and danced around to Dulaman, a musical favorite my children are loving these days.  Evie will close her eyes and slowly move her arms and hands to the music while Avett just yells "AGAIN!" each time it ends. 

Holidays are so much fun with children! 

❤️

This man with our children.  Wiping little noses, bounding up to their rooms after I've put them to bed to comfort them when they are crying, changing diapers willingly. I am so inspired by his kindness, selflessness, and sensitivity to them.  I am grateful we get to raise these two precious souls side by side.  The way Avett is looking at him in this picture is just how I feel too; safe, cared for, lucky, intrigued, enamored.  I don't know how I did it but I am certain I am living the life I always hoped I would.

      

      

     

that felt good

Oh I love opera! I love it I love it I love it.  And I miss it.  

My mind races back to my college days quite often.  I loved learning and walking the streets of a busy city surrounded by tall buildings.  I loved learning how to manage my time and coping with the stress of long to do lists.  I was so excited and envigorated being surrounded by music in rehearsals, lessons, classes, and all of the concerts I attended.  

Music was one of my first great loves.  It is something that no matter what stage of life I'm in I want to be doing it in some capacity.  I have to.  Whenever I go long periods of time with out and then I come back I can't believe how starved I was for it.  

This weekend I got the opportunity to sing at a talent show.  Oh how it filled my heart with joy.  It was a simple low pressure situation and yet it felt so familiar and comfortable.  Although it took me a minute to settle down in to it.  Right around "felice mi fa" I let loose and just let it all soar right out of my mouth.  I've been singing this song since I was 12, which should not have happened but that is a story for another day! So it was nice to say hello to an "old friend".  I'm so grateful for a talent I hope to use for good all of my life. 

the garage

I've been trying to get myself and this home organized.  My mother comes home from her mission in exactly 6 weeks! She will be home Christmas Eve and we are all starting to get pretty excited over here! 

There is so much to be done and I am trying to catch up on some of the outside work since we've finally had a few days without rain.  Yesterday I spent over an hour blowing leaves off of the driveway.  With all of the rain and the lack of maintenance we had developed a pretty thick coat of packed wet leaves.  It was oddly satisfying to work to get them all cleared away and to see the concrete freshly unveiled.  The kids played in the camper completely keeping to themselves the whole time.  I would stop occasionally to bring them a snack to keep their blood sugar high and their minds occupied while playing in the camper.

Then we cleaned out the garage and I broke down about 30 cardboard boxes.  Then simplified everything.  It felt so good to declutter.

So tonight we waited in our freshly organized garage for daddy to come home while running around and peering out the window at our twinkle lights that have been on the Bla-bla tree for over a year now.  The kids took turns on the pink bike, which Evies legs are finally almost the right length for.  They practiced good manners and sharing.  Until the end when they got hungry.  I fed them meatloaf which they love!

When John was close we turned off the lights and sat on the couch in the dark as quiet as could be to scare him.  We all practiced saying "boo!" at the same time and they were so excited.  When John walked in we gave him a good scare followed by lots of giggles and a big group hug. It is so nice to have so many places to escape to on this home.  It constantly keeps thing feels new and fresh, we sure will miss that when we move to Athens.

Love my very wiggly noisy funny busy bodies and that they go along with my silly ideas. ❤️

the rewards

I love spending my days with them. I'm doing a job that is hard and exhausting and busy.  There are times when I question every little thing I am doing as a mom and I wonder if I'm already messing them up.  And then there are moments that sneak up on me and surprise me and give me the encouragement that I'm actually doing a pretty darn good job.

A few things lately that have touched my heart:

-Evaleigh wants to sing Avett a song before bed every night, she always chooses I am a Child of God and she knows every word.  She stands by his bed side and softly strokes his head.  She refuses to let me sing along.

-Avett has gotten particularly great at sharing.  If there is a conflict for the most part all I have to do is ask the kids to have "a conversation" about it and then they work it out.  Avett is such a humble little guy he is usually the one to give in and make peace.

-Evaleigh loves to "give service" around the house.  Today I told her she could help me do laundry and I left to go to the bathroom.  When I came back to the living room she had carried all of the clean laundry from the laundry room and piled it on the floor.  She loves to remind me with a huge smile and wide bright eyes, "Mom! Thats giving service!"

-Both of my children are loving and affectionate.  They love to hug and kiss and Evie loves to ask to tell me a whisper.  Usually it is, "I love you." Or "You are a sweet mom."

I'm honored to get to do this job and I'm so thankful for the times these kids make me laugh or feel proud.  It's such a reward for all of the hard times.  

halloween recap

Before we get too far away from Halloween (which we kind of are Thanksgivong is just a little more than two weeks away!) I want to document our Halloween this year.  It started off with a fun Halloween Bunco party here at Stock Gap and so many lovely women from the Monroe Ward came. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I just love women.  I had too much fun decorating for Halloween this year and did a little more than usual because of Evie.  She LOVES Halloween.  She would beg me to take her to the Halloween store next to Target and we would just walk around and look at all of the decorations.  She was obsessed and it was so much fun to watch her like something that I never taught her to like, it is a part of her personality all on her own.  So we decked the house out for Halloween and she would walk around saying, "spooky scary!" While wiggling her fingers at me.

Then we went to my sisters where I had a pumpkin carving accident while trying to make a Halloween memory with the kids. My hands were slippery from scooping out the pumpkins guts.  I went to carve the eye with the aerated kitchen knife I was using and the blade was up and while pushing my had slipped down the blade.  I kept my cool in front of the kids and just stood up and said calmly, "I need to go to the emergency room." My sister took me to the ER for stitches while Joe was a hero and watched all 5 kids while we were gone. Bekah helped to keep me calm and keep my mind off of it and then held me after the traumatizing shots to numb my fingers before they sewed it.  It was painful but I'm healing, I almost have the use of my fingers back. 

The next weekend we had our trunk or treat and Evie finally got to be the green witch! She had been dreaming about it for months.  She and I were the only two that went since John stayed behind with Avett and his poor little chew up tongue that he bit through at the Joy School Halloween party.  I still feel sick about it and sad.  

The next night we went to my dads for trick or treating and only went to 4 houses.  The kids were exhausted and Avett was not feeling well because of his tongue. 

We were kind of a mess this holiday with all of our accidents but Ive never seen Evie enjoy a holiday more. Looking very much forward to more but I think I'll hold off on pumpkin carving for the next few years!

windows down

As a family we have really been trying to focus on keeping the Sabbath day more holy.  After all it is one of the 10 commandments that God has given us for our benefit.  If we treat this day just like every other day then how is that keeping it holy? How is that setting it apart from the rest of the week? If Sunday doesn't feel or look different then are we using it as God intended "as a rest from our labors"? 

As I've been teaching the Old Testament this year I have read over and over how the Lord commands the Israelites time and time again to keep the Sabbath holy.  The beautiful story of the manna is such a tangible representation for them.  I've wondered what's the point of keeping the sabbath day holy? Why should it be considered holy? Why does the Lord value tje Sabbath so much that he put it in a list that includes not killing and lying?

As I've pondered this something that has been impressed on me over and over has come when I've thought about where the sabbath came from.  The first "sabbath" so to speak was the 7th day of creation when the lord tested from his labors.  I think this shows how much the Lord values and respects the creation.  It was such a sacred event that he rested for a whole day to marvel at what He had done.

The Sabbath is a day for us to rest and marvel at what God has done for us.  I love it! I look forward to this day all week.  

A couple months ago we had stake conference and on the long(er) drive home the kids were getting restless.  In an effort to distract the children John put the windows down and let the cool approaching fall air blow in.  He encouraged the kids to feel the wind and enjoy the drive home.  It was a magical moment and the kids loved it.  I'll never forget driving home with giggles in the back seat and my hair whipping around my face with my love by my side on that beautiful peaceful Sabbath drive.

Joy school lately

Joy school has been incredible! We have made so many memories and learned and strengthened beautiful friendships.  I am so in love with the Joy School curriculum and what has been taught to my children.  We have the best group of kids and moms and I am so honored to be with such a special group of people.  My children look forward to going and once every two weeks it is at our house and that is fun too. Evaleigh is starting to open up more socially by doing the hand motions and singing to some songs, that is a big inprovement for her.  She is not one to show off unless it is her idea.  I have enjoyed watching her social skills change and grow over the past few months. Here are some of the many many things we have done:

Nature day

Feed cows

Ride on BOB

Paint with feet

Trace our bodies

Homemade applesauce 

Bake cookies

Make homemade veggie soup

Go to a zoo

Made pinecone peanut butter bird feeders

Plant seeds

Make ghosts out of trash

Halloween costumes

Assembly line for apple toast

Puppet shows

Learn about our bodies communication honesty the earth and so much more! 

And COUNTLESS arts and crafts 

We love this program and the friends who do it with us!