Week 6

We all love to read in our family, so the library is always a place of excitement. One of the best things in the world is reading to my children in the evenings. I love how it calms the day and brings us all together. I love watching their imaginations come to life and see an old story renewed through their eyes. If I had a million dollars to go shopping with, I would probably spend a vast majority of it on children's books! 

Week 5

Planning Christmas for these kids makes me oh, so happy! Their excitement is tangible and I cannot wait to see their faces as they unwrap all their gifts!

Week 4

I had a bit of a rough week this week but it's awfully nice to know that pink moon boots exist. You just can't go wrong with a pair of pink moon boots! Life is good.

Week 3

Forget-Me-Nots along the way

Oh how these boys melt my heart! What a lucky mother I am. I am loving their excitement this week. It snowed for the second time and they were ready. Christmas is almost here and you can see the anticipation exude from their smiles! I am going to try and be as happy in the little things as they are here. In one of my favorite talks by Elder Dieter Uchtdorf, he says:

So many people today are waiting for their own golden ticket—the ticket that they believe holds  the key to the happiness they have always dreamed about. For some, the golden ticket may be a  perfect marriage; for others, a magazine-cover home or perhaps freedom from stress or worry.

 There is nothing wrong with righteous yearnings—we hope and seek after things that are       “virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy.”⁴ The problem comes when we put our happiness on hold as we wait for some future event—our golden ticket—to appear.

...The lesson here is that if we spend our days waiting for fabulous roses, we could miss the beauty and wonder of the tiny forget-me-nots that are all around us.

This is not to say that we should abandon hope or temper our goals. Never stop striving for the best that is within you. Never stop hoping for all of the righteous desires of your heart. But don’t close your eyes and hearts to the simple and elegant beauties of each day’s ordinary moments that make up a rich, well-lived life.

The happiest people I know are not those who find their golden ticket; they are those who, while in pursuit of worthy goals, discover and treasure the beauty and sweetness of the everyday moments. They are the ones who, thread by daily thread, weave a tapestry of gratitude and wonder throughout their lives. These are they who are truly happy.

I am going to focus on the Forget-Me-Nots of this week. I like them better than roses anyway :)

Week 2

This is Emeline in her pj's. She loves to sleep in my or David's t-shirts and I think it is wonderful. I used to love sleeping in my Dad's giant t-shirts too! 

This week I bought some Clementines at the store and Em has been eating about 2 a day. One morning I peeled one for her and she turned around and grabbed another one out of the refrigerator. She asked in a little, sweet voice if she could peel one for me since I peeled one for her. It was one of those "good-mommy" moments that illustrated something good that I had taught her and she was reciprocating it. It reminded me of what is stated in the The Family: A Proclamation to the World, 

"Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations."

  

I hope that my children remember the good and positive things that I teach them instead of the negative things. I hope I can utilize the time that I have as their mother to teach them the things that are the most important to me. Most of all, I hope that the way I act towards them lets them know how much I love them and how much their Father in Heaven and their Savior loves them. No matter what. 

Week 1

I have been thinking really long and hard about how I can contribute a small part of me to my family and to my children. I want to inspire them, in my own way, to be good citizens, full of gratitude and recognition of the blessings God has blessed us with. Some days are hard. It is through the little acknowledgements of these blessings in my life, and a lot faith, that I make it through each day.

My Heavenly Father has graciously given me the gift of being a wife and a mother. This truly brings me joy every single day and I want to try and highlight my favorite moments of motherhood with my camera. I will post a picture of my favorite moment each week and how it inspired me to be a better mother.


Individual Worth

 

There is something incredibly beautiful about the innocence of my Emeline. Oh to have the ability to be this comfortable in your own skin! This week Emeline inspired me to be a little less judgemental of myself and those around me. We are all special and unique to our Heavenly Father. Sometimes it is hard to view ourselves and others the way God views us. I find it helpful when I can consider things from an eternal perspective and recognize my strengths for what they truly are. I am a daughter of my Heavenly Father, who loves me, and I love Him.  I am so grateful for this knowledge!