Blessings today... I had my targeted ultrasound. I went into the doctor's office, and instead of seeing him and peeing into a cup, (all of that fun stuff...) I went to a different room where an ultrasound technician took a detailed look at Peyton. The outcome? Everything is perfect! Not a thing out of the ordinary... 167 beats per minute of that tiny heart, and that's perfect. Already showing the flexibility of her two older sisters by showing us that she is perfectly capable of sucking on her toe!

Another blessing... Original due date February 22nd.... May now be February 16th... Evan's birthday! We'll have to see what Dr. Bierer says about that one.

It was also my first 3-D ultrasound. I thought it was pretty cool. Merrill on the other hand thinks that it is only appropriate that they did it the day before Halloween... He thought it was creepy. I still made him watch all of it though!

Just trying to prepare myself for the hectic, yet fun day ahead of us tomorrow... thinking about that Snow White dress that needs a little mending. Believe it or not, I am thinking of trying to get some cupcakes made and decorated tomorrow too. Thanks mom, your delicious cupcakes have me longing for more...

Today was a fun day... after an interesting night of little to no sleep. Between Merrill and his sleeping sick sounds, Ashley whimpering in her sleep, and Lynn waking me up by pinching my nose to tell me that she loves me...
So a day with Grandma... It all began with mom trying to get a picture of all the grand kids, mind you all of their ages, 9, 7, one 4 almost five year-old, 4, 3, two 1 year-olds, and one little chunk of a 7 month old. So picture time was a blast. One adult with a camera and fie others trying to get all the little ones to focus on the camera and to get some resemblance of a smile. It's a first for mom. She has never gotten a picture with all of them. Ash asked her if they were going swimming. Mom was so happy that she remembered that. That was kind of the theme for the rest of the day, "I hope they will remember this!" She was so excited to have them all there.
The rest of the afternoon, they decorated cupcakes, ate lunch, played, and well, made a mess. At one point, she had one of the one year-olds asleep, was putting down the other one, when my dad called to see how the day was going. She loves it. Something that any other Grandma might not dare attempt, and she revels in it. I couldn't tell you how many diapers or pull-ups she changed, how many times she wiped a snotty nose, or broke-up a fight over a toy, I could tell that she was going to be exhausted, but she loved every minute of it. She was even preparing dinner for grandma and grandpa, and was still playing with the kids. There was one point when she had to chase a one year-old down the street, he saw a garbage can, and had the three year-old in tow. Meanwhile, four of the oldest were rolling down the small hill in the back yard. She came inside a little out-of-breath, and said, "I hope they remember this!" As the kids began leaving, she said that we were going to do this again, she had so much fun. We'll see. I bet she fell asleep during family home evening.
This is the contrast between the two "Grandma Worlds" my girls know. One grandma is like this... The other one buys. She isn't content with a backyard, imperfect picture. She buys coordinating outfits, and plans out the perfect holiday portrait. I am not saying that one is necessarily better than the other, but which one are the kids most likely to remember...

It's so much fun to see the different personalities in Lynn and Ash. I probably say it all the time... Tonight carving pumpkins just showed yet another side to that truth.

Lynn was a little grossed-out by the goop inside the pumpkins, while Ash loved it! She pretended like she was washing her hands in it, flinging it all over the table and floor. Lynn, at first, would only touch it if it was on a spoon in her hand. Soon, after Ashley started to fling it all over, I think, Lynn went and took off her tu-tu, then she got a little more "hands-on". She did that only while saying, "ew ew ew ew ew" the whole time. She washed her hands every other minute too. Ash dug in with both hands from the get-go, it took Lynn a little encouragement to just put down the spoon.

Merrill was in charge of opening, and most of cleaning. Because I am such a perfectionist at carving, I scraped the inside a little more, and carved.

We had so much fun picking out faces for our individual pumpkins. I drew different facial features to help the girls tell me what they wanted. Lynn knew what she wanted right off, though. Even that showed how different they are. Lynn picked classic scary Halloween while Ash thought "happy pumpkin" was the best choice. After a bubble bath, to get all the "ew" off, we took some pictures, and had some homemade cinnamon rolls, the frosting was so gooey that we dipped instead of frosting. Yum!

We can hardly wait till the big night comes! And did I mention all of those seeds....

Today we were kind of lazy... like every Saturday you could say. We did a lot of playing. The girls seem to love having pillow fights with Merrill, they never get old. The normal every Saturday stuff: dishes, tidying-up the house for Sunday, laundry, last minute errands for Sunday...

Today we added one more fun errand to get ready for Sunday, we went to get pumpkins! Every year, we carve at least four, and roast all of the seeds. They are one of those treats that come only once a year, they are fun to eat! (They are real fun to digest! Changing all of those diapers never gets old...) Hopefully we'll get them all done tomorrow, maybe on Monday for family home evening. The girls get to spend the day with Grandma and their cousins Monday doing some fun Halloween stuff. A day with Grandma is a real treat, it doesn't happen that often. I don't know how excited they will be to carve pumpkins after spending a whole day doing similar activities. I was just thankful to have a good Saturday so I could take some pictures, no matter how goofy my subjects were being. The funniest was watching Ash there, trying to pick up all of the straw and placing it back on top of the bales that were scattered around the patch! She felt like the ground needed to be clean. She kept telling Merrill to stop the wagon so she could even get straw out of it and put it back where it belonged before we left. She cracks me up. Lynn, of course wanted the smallest, roundest pumpkin. It needed to have a smooth, heaven forbid a bumpy appearance. She also looked for one with a "cute" stem. She picked up about four different pumpkins by the time she had finally settled.

I can admit that this was the FIRST year we actually went to pick them out... every other year, we have just gone to the grocery store and picked some up, none of the fun in walking around and actually choosing. It's safe to say, I think that what we did today will become our tradition. Now if I can just get Merrill to stop worrying that someone will come and get them and smash them in the street... I told him that he's no longer a teenager running around, so the possibility has gone down.

Tonight Merrill took Lynn to Frightmares, just the two of them. He's so good to spend one-on-one time with each of them. I know they love it. Ash and I just hung out. Did all the girls stuff like eat ice cream, find some fun movies, and gab. They each have such different personalities, it is fun to have them separate every once in a while, and focus on just the one.
Merrill and Lynn had quite the fun time. Merrill said there were people dressed-up there walking around, just like last week, and they were trying so hard to scare Lynn. No success. One guy gave up and said to Merrill, "She's really tough." It's funny that my five year-old was encouraging teenagers who were nervous!
They got home, we are all in our pajamas, ready to watch a movie. We are bummed because Blockbuster was out of "E.T".... I guess "The Wizard of OZ" will have to do.... I hope Peyton chills out soon. This girl is kicking so hard now, I can see my tummy poking out with every jab!

Okay... I'm blogging at almost midnight because I had such a fun day! I had to tell Merrill all about it before I sat down to get it all out again. I feel like a giddy school girl!
I just have to say how blessed I am to have friends that I do. My new counselors and secretary are so awesome. It makes me so excited, takes away that feeling of, for lack of a better word right now, ugh, that was coming with the everyday "stuff".
We had our first presidency meeting ever this afternoon, it wasn't really a meeting. We got so much discussed and accomplished, but we had so much fun! Our kids had a good time too. It is just such a relief to me to find other women who feel the same way that I do, and bring such fresh, new, great ideas to the table. Ideas that get me motivated. We got so much accomplished, I felt so good afterward. So after a fun afternoon, What could be better? Talking on the phone with them even when we talked for that long! See, I am a school girl!
We even had stake leadership, which was funner than I remember as well. I just felt so good having them there with me. I felt like I had "back-up". I just can't explain it... After the meeting we had some fun "Mommy time" with other sisters in our ward and neighborhood. It was so nice to sit and visit, and not have my cell phone even ring! It was relaxing. Julile didn't get to join us though :(...
After all of the hesitation I felt at the beginning of the summer, knowing what was coming and all the un-doing that had to be done to get this, I am so thankful. In a way, I want to kick myself in the butt... If I would have done it then, how much stress would have never even happened? But I can't think about all of the "what ifs". Either I needed something between then and now, or maybe someone else did... I can refer back to a previous day, and just say that I am blessed. Gosh, I am so thankful for these women!

Last night, (yes another prayer story...) Ashley was saying her prayer, she was praying for Peyton, how sweet! She said, "Heavenly Father, help the baby to come soon and help her to grow up just like me." When she finished her prayer, Lynn was mad. She had her arms folded, and the grumpiest look on her face. She stomped her foot and said, "I don't want the baby to grow up like Ash. I want her to grow up just like ME!"
They were so cute at lunch today, they were discussing Halloween costumes for Peyton for NEXT HALLOWEEN... she'll be eight months old then...
Ashley woke me at about 3:30 this morning. She told me that there was a monster in her room. She said, "I promise mommy, there's a monster in my room. Come see." And because it takes me longer to drag my pregnant butt out of bed, she had to tell me to "come on" again. Once we got into her room, I gave it the best look-over I could do being that tired. I told her that there was nothing, there never was, monsters are just pretend... I gave her a kiss and tucked her into bed. As I lay, trying to fall back to sleep, I could hear her fussing around. Then I heard her begin to whimper just a little. Soon she was at my bedside again. "Mommy, the monster is back." So I asked her if she wanted to snuggle with me. I got a tearful "uh-huh" in response. It made for an interesting night. But at least she slept, and so did I, kind of.
This morning I got the best surprise EVER... Lynn and Ash snuck downstairs and cleaned the playroom all by themselves! What sweet girls!

Funny story... last night Ash was saying her prayers. She asked Heavenly Father to have Jesus keep us safe so Michael Meyers won't come and get us! Halloween was on AMC in AUGUST... what a memory. Merrill did used to have the mask, I'm not sure where the memory came from but Merrill and I had to hold back the laughter.
Today, on public radio, they addressed a talk that Sister Beck gave in conference. I remember her talk, I remember feeling reaffirmed in what I am doing with my life. But apparently some women, inside the church and outside the church, felt very offended and even put on a guilt trip. I was a little leery of listening in. I didn't want to hear any contention. I felt like it would turn into stay-at-home moms against working moms, which her talk didn't even get into. She spoke about the role of mother, and that we need to get back to what mothering really is. Keeping a clean home, nurturing our children, playing and interacting with them, home-making... I have to say that I was in no way offended. I could imagine some women that I know who might feel a pang or two of guilt, but for the most part, I felt it was encouraging and uplifting. People are saying that she is outdated and out of touch with the times... I am no June Cleaver, but I know that the Spirit dwells in my home, and it is because I work my butt off to make sure that my home is a heaven.
I also felt very blessed because there was a BYU professor who kept stressing that in today's economic conditions, there needs to be two income households in order for families to have the "American Dream". She said that in Utah's economic climate, in order to get a median home, you need to bring in $70,000 a year! First of all, since we have had children, this household has been a single income household. Secondly, I can say, we have NEVER earned that much a year, but we have a home. We do what is right, we do what is asked of us, no matter how difficult it sometimes seems, and we are blessed. I think that it takes faith in order to do what we are told, and it is because we show our faithfulness that we are blessed.
I think about how our leaders go about deciding what they address in conference. They fast and pray, just as we are to fast and pray for answers to the questions and concerns that we have. The answers come to us in the forms of these conference talks sometimes. I just wonder how many women, mothers or not, prayed for this talk.

I LOVE LITTLE GIRLS!!! Really, they are SOOOO much fun! Just listening to the way that they play together puts a smile on my face.

Lately, they dress up as princesses, what's new eh? While one dresses up as a princess, the other will take turns being her princess friend and the prince that loves her. The other day Lynn was Ashley's prince, and Cinderella. All afternoon she would pop back and forth between the two characters. At one moment when she was the prince, she saw her lovely princess, and in a plot that was discussed previously, she was to fall in love with Snow White (Ash), and want to marry her. Lynn, the prince, comes and finds her princess and holds her by both hands, spins in a circle, and declares, "You are more beautiful than any lipstick I've ever seen!" I had to try not to laugh out loud. The little girl still emerges even when she is supposed to be a prince.

Some of the other fun stuff that I get to do being the mom of two, almost three girls, is crafting cutesy stuff. I made these jewelry boxes in about an hour, all of the bracelets in them of course have accumulated over time. It is also fun for me, to look through each girls' stash and pass on the ones that no loger fit them to the next girl in line. Who ever thought that hand-me-downs could be so much fun! I have had so much fun getting ready for Peyton, even though she is still over four months away, that I have already washed and folded clothes to see what I have that will still be in good enough condition for #3. It really has been fun reminiscing, seeing what my two "big girls" used to be able to wear... make me sad too...

As I look back, I can see how my life has been blessed with certain people at certain times. It is easy for me to think of some people and wonder, why the heck did I even associate with them? But now, I can see that I needed certain people, or certain personalities at certain times in my life.
Right now I am primary president in my ward. Today, we cleaned house. It has been months in the making, I knew it needed to be done, and I didn't want to do it, it seemed too daunting. So in my mind, I was putting it off. In the big picture, however, I was being patient, I was really waiting for the time to be right and to have things shown to me, to make it easy. (That is what I have since learned. My own mom chastised me about procrastinating...)
So as I sat and talked with my two new counselors, and briefly with the new secretary, I could see, I needed those other sisters at a certain time in my life. The good and sometimes the difficulty that they brought, I needed it.
Now it is a different time, or a season, if that doesn't sound too corny, and I need these "new" women for different reasons. I am thankful for them, and for this time in my life so I can need them. But I am really thankful to see why things were the way that they were, to understand why I had to go through certain experiences, why some people were a part of my life, good or bad, so I don't go on thinking that they were idiots, or maybe that I was...

I got more accomplished today than I did last Saturday, the day I did "nothing"... We even got errands run. When we left the house, it was clearing up from the rain, the sun was out, we thought that the "snow storm" every news channel had warned us about was just a tease, or that it had passed over us... well, we were at our second to last stop, Blockbuster getting more Halloween shows, and it turned into a blizzard. The car was covered with snow by the time that our ten minute trip inside was over. Merrill drove over to the grocery store, across the parking lot, and I ran in to get a couple things for dinner prep. Then we began what should have been a ten minute drive home. It was crazy! Hills, first snow of the season covering the roads, same snow blinding your view, and people who have forgotten how to drive in Utah snow. Great combination for Saturday afternoon fun. A half hour later, we safely arrived at home. It makes me reflect on our morning prayers. Every day it seems like the same things are said. The girls pray that Merrill will have a good day at work even when it is Sunday... But it is the other repetitive things, that we are just in the habit of asking Heavenly Father for help with everyday. Help us to be nice. Help us to share. Help us to be safe. Help daddy to be safe at work. Bless Lynn, or Ash, depending on who says the prayer. It is those things that we just say, out of habit, that our Heavenly Father still listens to in all of our repetitiveness. Sometimes I wonder, what would happen, if anything, if those things weren't asked for at the beginning of our day. Today is one of those days where something certainly could have happened, but didn't. I am so thankful for those answered prayers. In family prayers tonight, I made sure it was not repetitive, and I made sure to thank Heavenly Father for the safety he had put upon us this day.

So we went to "frightmares" tonight. After a day of horrible heartburn, we decided to walk around Lagoon with most of northern Utah on one of the last decent fall weekends. It was fun all except for the crowds, waiting in line for I don't even know how long, for a haunted house, the CONSTANT braxton hicks contractions... you know, almost six months pregnant and it was a blast! I don't remember feeling this way this soon last time. I wish that I had been scrapbooking...
It was funny though, I ran into a girl I went to high school with. We had a few classes together, we went to some group dances in the same group, we worked together, we even played basketball together. We were both engaged our senior year, and it's funny to see that neither one of us married the guys that we were with. She has three girls and seems very happy. It's funny to think back on that time and see where I am now...
Wow, I am thankful that Merrill wanted to break up my engagement!

The holidays are so much fun... they are so much funner with kids though. As any parent will tell you, kids just make everything that much better.
We have always had fun especially around Halloween, even before kids. But this time of the year is so much funner with them. All of the changes in nature and weather... and the fun crafts and yummy treats, so much more fun with kids.
They get so excited about seeing our neighbors put up their Halloween decorations. They get even more excited about what they will wear that night. They would rather be home on Halloween than trick-or-treating, because they want to see what everyone else will be dressed-up like. They are so excited to get scared! They like to see spooky things! Their favorite activity is to pop popcorn and watch a scary flick.
Today we made cheesecloth ghosts with that goopy liquid starch. I must note that all creative credit goes to Brooke, my sister-in-law... we had a blast, the girls had a blast. It was such a simple thing! They did want to get a little too hands-on, I had to remind them over and over to not touch the starch, and the ghosts. But the excitement they had during the whole process was so cute! Everyday, they ask when it will be time to go trick-or-treating, and we try to fill the void with other fun activities. Tomorrow we'll go to Frightmares at Lagoon. In fact, Lynn just got out of bed to tell me all about it.
That makes me wonder what bedtime story Merrill just finished telling her...

So last night, we had a bit too much fun. So much fun that we got to bed pretty late. It was when everything was dark and quiet, as I was looking back on the activities of the day, that I realized I hadn't done this...
I took a wrong exit. One too soon. That is my blessing for yesterday. I was on my way to a paper store in Bountiful, playing the game we always play with the girls when we go down that way, "who can see the temple". I was so caught up in the game that I took an exit too soon. Well, it turned out to be the perfect exit to drive straight up the mountain to the temple. So we had an impromptu field trip to see the temple. All the way up the mountain, we kept playing the game, "who can see the temple". It even turned into, "who can see the Angel Moroni". We talked the whole drive about the temple, Lynn asking me if it is beautiful up close, if it is beautiful inside. We made the last turn. The temple in full sight just ahead of us. We parked right across the street so we could sit and view the whole face. I felt really bad. I planned jackets, because it might rain, but I didn't plan our little field trip, and I didn't bring the umbrella. Now it was raining and I wanted to take them to walk around the temple. Lynn asked, "Can we go inside?" I answered her with a, not yet. I explained to her about temple recommends, and what it means to have one. We talked about what we wear in the temple, that we learn many things, and of course, how beautiful it is inside. It's amazing, it is all the things that we have talked about before, as we've seen the Salt Lake temple or the Ogden temple, or other temples we've seen when we travel, but it was just different this time. Lynn said, "I can't wait till I can go inside." Which got me all teared-up. She knew it and said, "Let's go find that store now." As we started driving away from the temple, down another hill, she asked me, "Mom, when I get married to my husband, I want to get married in that temple. But will you and dad drive us there? I don't know how to get there." I was so happy to answer her, "Yes." And I am so happy I took an exit too soon.
To end our night, I showed Merrill some of the old video tapes we had watched without him the day before. My main goal was to show Ashley that she lived, and kicked around, in my tummy too. She looks at me like I am crazy when I tell her that. So we watched. It made me so homesick to see how small Lynn once was, to be brought to remembrance the little things that she used to do. Flipping the ring up on her binky so it would touch her nose, or her "Hurray!" phase. What was a real trip was to see how dark (not gray) Merrill's hair was not that long ago. So we all watched together. Seeing it again just made me think about earlier that same day, how long ago these times in the videos seemed to be, and how far ahead taking my sweet little girl to the temple seemed to be... I know it will all come too fast, way too fast. I know that we need to keep up on teaching our girls, and showing them too, what makes us happy, what out Heavenly Father wants for us. I just pray that it doesn't go by too fast! And I hope the next time I take a wrong exit it goes that well.

So I NEED to post my blessing for the day... I know I am a little bit earlier than usual, I usulally save it for when the girls are settled down so I don't type a bunch of jibber-jabber... but I am too excited to wait! Brooke and Austin took Evan in to Primary's for his check-up. They were told at his last appointment that he might need surgery, again, to help fix another possible problem with his heart. So we have been praying as a family the whole month that this appointment would go in a good direction. So.... today the doctor told them that the area that they were worrying about is not a problem, there will not be another surgery. They still need to watch him carefully for the rest of his life. He had major surgery at just days old to repair problems with his heart. It is such a blessing that they will not have to do it again so soon.
Kevin and Randee just celebrated their first wedding anniversary Saturday. I think about how there was a time in Kevin's life that we were constantly praying for him. He lost his way for awhile. It was around the time we were teaching Lynn to pray. We would kneel with her in her bedroom every night and there were nights that I was quite emotional pleading with the Lord that he would just wake up! He did, eventually, and what a blessing it was to be able to kneel in that same spot, with both the girls now, the day he was married in the temple and pour out my heart in gratitude that he was back on track.
I am reminded of a M*A*S*H episode (LOVE that show!) where a bomber pilot, to cope with the things he had done, i.e. bombing innocent people in Korea, believed that he was Jesus Christ. It took the camp by storm. Some people believing that he actually could be, others thinking he was crazy and trying to get out of the service, and others understanding the psychological effects the war and his service in it, had had on him. Well, trying to trip him up, that ferret-face, Frank Burns asks him why all prayers are not answered. His response to Frank was, "They all are answered, sometimes the answer is just 'No'." What a lesson that was to me. Sometimes the answer is no, and it is hard for us to take. Sometimes the answer is that we are supposed to do something that we are uncomfortable doing. Just because we don't like the answer, doesn't mean that our prayer didn't get answered.
I am just so thankful that the answer was one that we wanted to hear today.

So I was just laying in bed, finally able to lay for more than two minutes without having to get up and help someone go potty or get a drink or tell them to stop calling their sister a baby... ANYWAY... I was reflecting on the day, well more like the past couple of weeks and what a spiritual high I've been on. Two weeks ago was our primary program, big deal. It went great. I got so many phone calls, comments in passing, and even a note in the mail, all from people who were saying thank you and what a great job the kids did. Then there was general conference... need I say more? Then the baptism Thursday, then fast and testimony meeting today. It has just been awesome. I feel so blessed and so loved.
Right at the moment, I hurt though! But I feel so blessed at the same time. Pregnancy hurts. You know, leg cramps, sciatic pain, braxton hicks, heartburn... see why getting up and down is so much fun tonight? Yeah, but I am so thankful that I get to do this. I really do love being pregnant, I enjoy every minute of it. In fact, Peyton is getting so active now, others can actually feel her movements on the outside! Merrill enjoyed a little dancing bit last night and Lynn felt her for the first time during sacrament meeting. I loved seeing the look on her face when she realized who was making those tiny thumps. That brings us to a whole other realm of motherhood, something else I am entirely thankful for, even when someone spits at their sister because she called her a baby...

I love that I did nothing today. Well I really didn't do "nothing". I made waffles for breakfast, got a couple loads of laundry done, did some dishes, played with the girls... but I really did nothing. I didn't have to leave the house, I didn't even get in the car today! I am so thankful for days like these when I can do nothing. I think the girls love them too. We just all play, we are relaxed. There is none of the stress and rush of going here or there or behaving (heaven forbid). I love Sunday for the same reason, but today, was just different form a Sunday. There is a certain stress that comes with Sunday. Usually there is an argument or temper-tantrum involving going to church or what we wear to church. Then comes the rush of trying to be there at least a little early, so I can attend to my own responsibilities. Just getting everything accomplished there so people don't look at me and think I am a nut, or wonder why on earth someone called ME to be primary president, when I can't seem to keep my own kids under control... I love Sundays, but I am thankful for today, and for doing nothing. I hope the girls remember that we had days like today, even if they didn't seem to come that often.

Today I am being brought to the realization of how old the kids are getting. The way that they play together, the things that they say or remember, the things that they learn... Lynn seems to have this crazy memory, she seriously remembers things that have happened two to three years ago! She'll hear a song or see a movie maybe only once and she remembers lines and can tell them to you. She sings primary songs perfectly at home but won't even try at church... She talks to people in a movie or on TV to tell them what they should or shouldn't do or say. We witnessed her doing the same thing last night with Ash. Ashley started in on Merrill with an attitude bigger than she is. She got a punishment, time out on her bed and her care bear taken away, Lynn snuck up to rescue her. She took her her care bear and then told her what she should say to Merrill to let him know how she felt about him. Ashley came downstairs and said, "Daddy, you're a dingbat." Well, they both got a talkin to after that one. Merrill suggested to Ashley that she not follow Lynn's advice.
I am having a hard time believing that Ash is actually three! It has been a week really, and all I can think of is how she should still be tiny... but she is so fun to see grow and change too. I love to hear her say that I look "beu-bull" or to hear what her "fa-brite" things are. Other favorite mangled three year old words are, mobie=movie, bood=food, lub=love... there are so many! She snorts when she laughs now, which is funny because I seem to do that too, only when I am pregnant, and big.
This baby, Peyton for now, is getting stronger and I do believe I am feeling her hiccup now. She is practicing breathing and swallowing in her amniotic fluid now. She stuck her bum out at Mer the other night. He was so happy to feel her move. She always stops kicking when he tries to feel. It was so cute feeling her wiggle her bum in his hand.
I am just so blessed! I love my life! (This however does not give anyone permission to come and mess with my happiness though!) Then I get to look out the front window and see the gorgeous fall scenery that is laid out just for me... the mountains are so beautiful and I am so thankful to live as close as I do to them. They feel like protection to me. I think of my favorite primary song, "I Know Heavenly Father Loves Me", and I see this and I KNOW that He does!

My day started kind of early. It was that short time before dawn that the sun isn't up yet, but the sky is giving up the darkness. Ashley was crying, in her sleep. I can usually just let her whine for a few seconds and she quits. This morning, she didn't. On and on it went. I clumsily got my preggo body out of bed and went to her. She was surely asleep. I started to console her as she kept mumbling, "Daddy left me.... Daddy's gone..." I thought for sure she is having a very unpleasant dream. Then Lynn's sleepy voice comes, "I thought I would talk to you in my sleep to make you feel better..." there's a yawn and some lip smacking, "...but I don't think it's working." She rolled over and was out again. I just laughed. I thought it was so sweet that even as groggy as she was, she was still trying to help her sister to feel better.
I got to attend a baptism tonight. It was awesome. I was in awe at how well the program was put together and which songs were selected, I was thinking about what an amazing job the elders had done only to find out that this ten year-old girl had put it together herself! Asked the speakers and everything! I am so thankful for those experiences, that even though I had a hectic day, I am able to go somewhere that I am guaranteed to feel the spirit.

So today there will be no chance of forgetting it... I'll get right to it. I am so blessed to have my awesome husband. He is so incredible! He works all day, well, even before that came he helped his grandparents move early this morning, then came the eight hour work day, then home to play with our girls before enjoying family dinner. Immediately after dinner he's off to perform another good deed for his dad, which he takes our girls with him (any ride in the truck and they want to be a part of it...). That in turn gives me the chance to give myself a manicure and a pedicure!!! I leave for a little meeting, which I thought would last only fifteen to twenty minutes, to arrive home an hour later to find all is very well and the girls more than content and happy. What a guy! I know it is a blessing that I get to enjoy every day, but it is one that blesses my family every day. From the thoughtfulness of him preparing breakfast for our early-bird three year old so I can sleep for just that little bit longer, to the sweet bedtime stories he tells them before bed... he's so great. In fact, he's snuggling with them on the couch right now. I just love him!

Okay... Placenta effect! (Or maybe it's because this is my new and exciting toy!) My purpose, my whole goal with starting this blog, and my first post, I space it!!!!
Believe it or not, I can think of two blessings, that just jump out and grab me, already today.
Number one: A phone conversation I had with a friend that makes me feel like I am such a good person, and that what I am doing with my life is great! Being a mom has always been a big deal to me. I broke off one engagement because his opinion of what I should do when it came to mothering vs. working, changed. I have family who does not necessarily agree with the choice my husband and I have made when it comes to my staying home. So to have friends who are supportive and have the same struggles I do... are conversations and moments I cherish.
Number two: A car that started! Our car decided to not start the first few times I tried to start it today. I am not a car person, so my best guess was that there was something wrong with the battery. It is only a year old, the battery that is, but the car which is almost ten years old, has never given us any problems. (Knock on Wood.) We know the inevitable will happen, someday we will have to get a new car, but today I didn't want to think of that. I silently prayed, "Heavenly Father, not today, I don't want to worry about this, not right now please." I waited just a minute and listened to the girls talking about how the car was "broken" and "we'll have to buy a new one", opened a letter, and tried again, it took a few seconds longer than it should have, but it started, I got a cheer from the girls, and got my errand done! And it started right up again when I needed it to. Some might try to explain it away saying, that it probably was a battery issue and driving it charged it. But to me, it is a blessing.
Lesson: No matter how dumb we think our problems may me, how small in comparison to others needs and concerns, if it is important to us, it is important to Him.

So here goes....

I have been putting this off for far too long. Thanks to a good friend for giving me that final push, not to mention some fine counsel from a great leader.
General Conference was this past weekend. A lot of things that I needed to hear, one of which, keeping a DAILY record of our family life. President Eyring, (I sill want to say Elder...) said that he started keeping a record when his family was still young. He kept a record of how the Lord had blessed his family on a daily basis. He said that it helped him to recognize the Lord's hand in his life more. I pray that this will be a blessing to MY family.
I hope not only to document those daily blessings, but the sweet experiences I had every day being a mother. There are so many things that I have forgotten about when the time rolls around to record, with my old fashioned pen and paper. I don't want to lose those daily memories.
So my goal: To find a time, every day, to get them here!
But don't be surprised if there are a few missing days here or there... I am not perfect, but I am pretty fun!