so soon

Christmas is just days away. I am so grateful for my Father in Heaven and my Savior. I love this time of year to celebrate the miraculous birth of Christ and the opportunity to concentrate on family.

I am so blessed in that department. This year has been very challenging and it has brought one thing to my attention... I have a wonderful family. It's not that I didn't realize this before, I really just have a newfound gratitude and admiration for all of those loved ones in our life. My husband is wonderful, of course, and I love my children to death always, but our extended families have done so much for us in our times of need and I don't know that I can ever fully express the impact that has had on me. My dream is to, one day, be as kind, generous, loving, selfless and Christ-like as these precious ones in our lives.

I hope all of you wonderful people in our lives have a Merry Christmas. I hope you make great memories with your families and remember the true reason for the season. I will be missing my parents and siblings this holiday very much. Have fun in Idaho!!

Crazy?

If you are still in the process of raising children, be aware that the tiny fingerprints that show up on almost every newly cleaned surface, the toys scattered about the house, the piles and piles of laundry to be tackled will disappear all too soon and that you will—to your surprise—miss them profoundly. President Thomas S. Monson

I stole this quote (well, technically from President Monson) from my Relief Society President's blog--thanks Amy! I love it. Just love it. I was at church the other day and some one asked

"You have four kids?"

"Yeah" 

"How old is your oldest?"

"Five."

"Really? Wow."  (accompanied by a look questioning my sanity)

I proceeded to have a similar conversation after church with someone. I seem to have that conversation a lot. Is it really that hard to believe? That someone....that I, would have decided to have four children in five years?  I suppose it could be a possibility that John and I are not educated in the many different methods of birth control, this is not the case. We planned and expected each pregnancy, in fact, there would have been less of a gap between a couple of the kids if we had had things our way. No, I don't like being pregnant. No, I am not particularly silly about babies. No, I am not crazy.

Yes, my life is crazy. There is more cleaning, laundry, sticky messes, ouchies, whining, crying, kisses, band-aids, playdates, Happy Meals, toys, yelling, hugs, cartoons, mac and cheese, diapers, bottles, noise, carseats, wipes, fighting and frustration than is probably healthy... but I am not crazy. Our house is usually clean, the kids (and myself) are bathed, they have good manners considering their ages, we aren't late too often, I even get time to myself occassionally.

 

It's so amazing. I love that they have each other to learn from and to grow with. I am so proud that Abbi loves reading to her little brothers, and Isaac is so sweet to everyone (most of the time), and Jake is more boy than any boy I have ever encountered, and Ethan is just so entertained and adored by all of the older kids. I am proud that they are well behaved, happy children. I am so grateful to have them in my life and I will never fully be able to express that. So yeah...Wow. Really.

28...Ugh!

So yesterday was my birthday. UGH! Not that I didn't have a good birthday, as far as birthdays go. I got some awesome gifts and my hubby took me on a great date. There was a blizzard. It doesn't get much better, really. What is really upsetting to me is that I am closer to 30. Why does 28 seem so much closer to that dreaded number? I mean, I was 27 less than 48 hours ago, but 28 just seems leaps and bounds closer to the big three-oh. I don't get it. I really never thought that I would care-I do.

I really think it's just hard to wrap my brain around. 30 is middle age ( I do still have two precious years)  and I am not middle age. I am a kid. I am a teenager, a college student, a young adult, a young wife, a new mother....where has the time gone? I just feel like my life is passing before my eyes and I am on the sidelineswaiting for it to get started. I need to get in the game-I am just not sure how, I guess. I need to work on that one.

Thanks to all my loved ones for making my big day a happy one...numbers aside!