Happy Birthday Isaac!

Isaac's 6th Birthday, blowing out the candles.

I can't believe my little boy is six years old, where does the time go? Isaac is a very good boy, and he has done a lot of growing up this year. He has changed so much that he doesn't even seem little to me any more. We moved and he has adjusted to a new area. He also became a big brother again and he has been so helpful with his baby sister, Lucy. He also started kindergarten. Isaac has loved school and he has done very well. His teacher says very positive things about him. He is kind to other children and can be a very good friend. He also does not having a problem sticking up for himself, so it is unwise to cross him. Isaac is also very active. He likes things to move at a quick pace and it is a challenge to keep up with him. He can be very loud, which sometimes drives me crazy! He also thrives on attention. He rides the school bus and is friends with all of the big kids. It is so fun to be Isaac's mom. I count it as one of my greatest blessings. He has taught me so many things but possibly the most important is that God loves each of us equally and we are all more alike than we are different. I love being his mom and I love him so much! Happy Birthday Big Kid!

Tag, You're It.

I have been tagged by Jen. This has never happened to me in the blogging world but I always loved the game as a kid. Initially I wondered if I knew 5 people that blog but I think I can come up with them. RULES: Answer these 15 questions on your blog. List: 3 joys, 3 fears, 3 goals, 3 current obsessions/collections, 3 random surprising facts. Tag 5 people by leaving their names at the end of the post. Leave a comment on their blog so they know they have been tagged.

Joys
1. My kids! I know that this is kind of an obvious answer but they really are adorable. They make my life so good. I can not believe that Lucy is almost a year. She has been a complete delight. She is such a happy girl. I am completely smitten with her. My boys are also very fun. They can be exasperating at times but they do such cute funny things. These three little people really are what brings me joy.
2. A clean orderly home. I love it when the whole house is clean and all the laundry is done. I just want to sit down and have it stay that way for about 15 minutes. Is this asking too much?
3. Flower gardens. I love to visit beautiful flower gardens. We are very lucky to have several breathtaking gardens right close to home. This summer I think everyone should visit Temple Square, Red Butte Garden and Thanksgiving Pointe.

Fears (I am not really an afraid type person and never have been so this one was difficult.)
1. Something happening to one of my kids.
2. Snakes, but I am not nearly as afraid of them as my husband.
3. Being fat forever (I hope this wasn't too honest, I am now going to get yelled at by both my sisters.)

Goals
1. Develop CONSISTENT, healthy eating and exercising habits.
2. Complete the Spudman Triathlon in July.
3. Have a beautiful flower garden right outside my door.

Current Obsessions/Collections
1. Lucy
2. Diet Mt. Dew
3. Finding the perfect rugs for my house.

Random Surprising Facts
1. I have really short toes, two of them are kind of webbed. You would think that I could swim fast but I can't.
2. I have trouble going back to sleep if I get woke up at night.
3. Mealtimes are my least favorite times of the day.

I now tag Sarah, Mindi, Jocelyn, Jerry and Kim S.

Have you ever heard of glue ear?

Lucy in her patient gown.

This is before they took her away.

Little Miss Lucy has had a nasty ear infection for the past couple of months and we could not seem to shake it, so the little doll had to go in for tubes last Thursday. She had what is called "glue ear" and the ENT said that it would not have drained on its own. Thank you to my family for all of the help with my boys. She is not back to 100% yet but I think it will help.

I do have to share a cute story about my parents. My mom brought my boys back home and she was visiting with me for a few minutes. Pretty soon my dad calls. He of coarse wants to talk to Lucy. I put the phone up to her ear and she immediately smiles and starts jabbering to grandpa. My mom is so delighted that she is almost moved to tears and even though I couldn't see my dad he was very pleased as well.

Happy Mother's Day!

I hope everyone had a great Mother's Day. I had a good day. We went to church and the kids sang to all of the moms in sacrament, for me this is generally the highlight of the whole block schedule. I couldn't really see my kids very well. Isaac only agreed to go up if he could be in the back row. Truman was trying to inch his way to the front as they sang the songs, but at least he was singing. I think all of the kids did a great job! I love the Primary songs. They teach the gospel in such a simple but profound way.

It was also Fast Sunday and I don't know if I ever remember having a Fast Sunday on Mother's Day. I think every person that got up commented about their own mother and her importance in their life. One lady commented that she knew of many mothers that don't really enjoy the day either because they feel inadequate in their efforts or because they do not have any children of their own and the day is a painful reminder to them. I have to admit that I do understand both those perspectives. Before I had children of my own it was difficult for me to hear mothers complain about their children or complain about what a hard job being a mom is. I wanted to be a mom more than anything else so sometimes Mother's Day was difficult. To make it easier I tried to focus on the positive examples of motherhood in my own life.

My mom is an incredible woman. She is a hard worker and a good thinker. She has loads of the not so common, common sense. She gets more done than any ten ordinary women and she knows how to do everything. She has spent her life in the service of her children and family. I am very proud of her and I am grateful for all that she has taught me. I am also thankful that she picked a great man to spend her life with. He is a very cute dad. (You should check out his blog.) Mom, I love you!

Another great example of motherhood is my mother-in-law, Alice. I have learned many things from her over the years and I know that her children and grandchildren are very important to her. Alice is very organized and she is a good homemaker. She keeps her home tidy and I appreciate her for passing this habit on to her son. David is definitely the most tidy and organized at this house. Alice has many strengths in areas that I need improvement and I appreciate her example.

My Grandma Truman is another exceptional mother. Grandma always did what she was suppose to do; there was never any question. She saw the good in others and always gave them the benefit of the doubt. She was gifted in getting people to do what they should. She could also say what needed to be said to someone without offending them. She loved to garden and work in her yard and she made the best pickles. She is one person that I truly hope I can become more like. I love and miss her.

Of all the blessings in my life I consider being a mom the greatest. I love my kids so very much. They bring me every emotion, everyday. I love watching them make progress and I love catching them being polite or kind. I know that being a mom is hard and I make lot of mistakes but, it is definitely the most rewarding job around. I am thankful to all the women and mothers that have been influential to me and I hope you had a great day.