Clean Socks

Today I fell asleep at work while typing. I have been exhausted lately and it's due to the fact that I'm burning the candle at both ends.

Don't most Mom's do this though? No matter what our lot in life, whether we stay at home or work, don't we all fill every moment with things we feel are important to us and our families?

I have to admit that initially my top priority for the night was to be in bed by 9:30. Why? 1) Because Wes is at a concert and I find it's always easier to go to bed early when he's not around tempting me to stay up with him, and 2) As stated earlier, I fell asleep while typing...not a good thing to do on company time. But alas, it's 9:45 and I sit here at the computer waiting for a load of whites to finish in the washer so that I can switch them to the dryer. Again, you may ask why? Well, let me explain.

In October 2012, Elder L. Tom Perry gave a talk that has become life altering to me, called  Becoming Goodly Parents. In his talk he reads a letter that he had written many years earlier to his mother. It is a beautiful letter, but the part that has always been so significant to me is a line that most would probably skim over and never pay much attention, it is when Elder Perry says to his Mother, "Whenever I got out of bed in the morning, I never had to worry about whether I'd find a clean shirt and clean socks."

I want to be "that" mom. My Mom was "that" mom. I'm pretty sure my Grandmothers were "that" mom. I imagine there are many women out there are "that" mom. You know what I mean, the mom who reads a bedtime story to her children, who makes a fun lunch for them to take to school, who crafts with them in their free time, who always makes sure they have clean socks in the morning. However, it's not easy being "that" mom. Frequently I'm tired at night and would rather skip the bedtime story, lunches are often thrown together last minute ruining any chance of being "fun", crafting, well that's a whole other world to me, but clean socks...I can do clean socks. It's one simple thing that I hope will stand out to my children years down the road when they think back about their Mom.

Nations may never praise my name, in the tapestry of the world, my life is but a miniscule little thread. Yet even one thread contributes to the beauty, even if it's small, and I want my thread to shine because of the little things I do for my family...like clean socks.

One of my favorite quotes is by Neal A. Maxwell, he states, "When the real history of mankind is fully disclosed, will it feature the echoes of gunfire or the shaping sound of lullabies? The great armistices made by military men or the peacemaking of women in homes and in neighborhoods? Will what happened in cradles and kitchens (or laundry rooms) prove to be more controlling than what happend in congresses?"

So here I sit, it's now 10:15pm and I have a little smile on my face as I know the washer is almost done and soon I will have clean socks for my sweet children when they wake tomorrow. They may never know that I sacrificed my sleep or how important it was for me to give them clean socks, but I hope they will be able to look back one day and know just how much their Mom loved them.

Mom

Tomorrow is Mother's Day, so I wanted to dedicate a post my Mom. She is my best friend. She is my sounding board. She is my babysitter on short notice. She is my psychiatrist. She has cooked for me, cleaned up after me, done my hair in braids. She has made clothes for me, she taught me how to cross stitch. She was a suburban bus driver to school, a nurse for my wounds, a comforter when things are hard. She has taught me, loved me and helped me draw closer to God. I love her and am grateful to call her Mom.

Christlike Attributes

This week continues to be a tough week. I don't even know what to write about because most of it would be negative, but since I have 1 week left of my health challenge and I'm still required to write in my journal, I figured I would share an uplifting video (I know I need it). When everything seems to be going wrong and life is dismal, I know I can always turn to Christ.

Christlike Attributes

Reading

A fact about me- I love to read. Currently I'm engrossed in a novel set in the 1800s of love, ghosts, murder and high society. It's excellent! I would much rather read a book than watch a movie. So if you ever have suggestions in a good book, please share? :)

Rough

One word can some up my day. Rough. Period. End of story. That's all I care to write tonight. Looking forward to tomorrow.

Gideon

Gideon bore his testimony in Sacrament meeting today. It was amazing. His sweetness emanates from him when he bears testimony. I love him and I'm so grateful for his innocent example.

Women

In this day there are many women pushing for "equality" for women among men, the LDS church is no exemption where "feminists" are concerned. Recently I have spent a lot of time contemplating on why some feel they need to have the same things men have and or do, perhaps this desire comes from feeling less honored or respected. Men are frequently seen as the "leaders" in the church and we pray frequently for our "leaders", but the honor we hold for some of the great men in the LDS church is no different than the honor and respect they have for women.



As I read last night in Daughters in My Kingdom, I found an execellent quote by Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles , he said: “We believe in and are counting on your goodness and your strength, your propensity for virtue and valor, your kindness and courage, your strength and resilience. We believe in your mission as women of God. … We believe that the Church simply will not accomplish what it must without your faith and faithfulness, your innate tendency to put the well-being of others ahead of your own, and your spiritual strength and tenacity. And we believe that God’s plan is for you to become queens and to receive the highest blessings any woman can receive in time or eternity.”
To me, as I read this, it became very clear that we are equal to men. We are sacred and beautiful in their eyes. We are just as important in carrying forth the gospel as the men, although our roles may be different. How grateful I am for the role I play and the reminder I have been given that I am important in the Church and in God's eyes.

Quote of the Day

Quote of the day-
"A grateful person is rich in contentment. An ungrateful person suffers in the poverty of endless discontentment ." -Luke 12:15

Children

 “Children are an heritage of the Lord: and … happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them.”

 

"The ultimate end of all activity in the Church is to see a husband and his wife and their children happy at home, protected by the principles and laws of the gospel, sealed safely in the covenants of the everlasting priesthood. Husbands and wives should understand that their first calling—from which they will never be released—is to one another and then to their children."

 

We have been taught both in the scriptures of old and by the later day prophets that children are important. As a mother of 4 young children, I am reminded every day how important my children are in my life. They help me grow spiritually and emotionally, they show me Christ-like attributes of forgiveness, simple joy and unconditional love. Christ taught...

 

“Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

“Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven."

 

These small ones that run through my home creating noise and chaos, are also the ones who have provided me the greatest example of what it means to be like Christ. Makenzie is no exception. As she folded her arms tonight during family prayer my heart melted and I wondered at her sweet innocence. I couldn't help but catch a picture to always remind myself. May we all do as Christ has commanded and "become as little children".

 

 

 

 

Create

There are 2 weeks left in my health challenge. My desire to win is waning, but I'm in second place (behind by 6 points) and I'm hoping for a small miracle. It's only $60, but I would love the extra cash to put towards some new shoes. :)

I don't have much to blog about tonight. It was another busy day, I cleaned and went for a walk, took mom to her doctors appointment, made dinner, had FHE, etc. So since I don't have a lot to share about my day, I thought I'd share my favorite church video. I have never thought of myself as a creative person, but after watching this for the first time a few years ago I realized that I am creative, but it is a different type of creativity. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do and feel as reassured as I did that we are all creative beings.

Create

Wrong Roads

Found this awesome video on lds.org tonight that kind of goes along with my post about faith from a few days ago. It explains that sometimes we have to make a choice, and although it may not be the "right" choice, there is a reason behind it and eventually Heavenly Father will lead us to where we need to be.

I have made a decision and although I'm not positive it's the right decision, I know without a doubt that it will help guide me to the place I need to eventually be. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ will not leave me helpless, they will always guide and direct my path.

Check out the video, it's worth the time. :)

Wrong Roads

Jail Breaker

Tonight as I was putting Makenzie to bed she was acting super cheesy. (Which I sorely needed because I had a rough day.) I wanted to capture some pictures, but she continued to laugh and squirm while I did so. Then she decided to try something new......

 

 

Looks like my little Jail Breaker will be moving to a big girl bed sooner than I thought. 

Faith

I read Elder Nelson's talk last night for my scripture study, it's called Let Your Faith Show. I remember hearing parts of it in the midst of crying kids, but there was so much I missed and it is such an amazing talk. I think it especially hit home last night because it talked about "faith being the antidote to fear". My Dad used to tell me that faith and fear cannot abide together. I thought this applied to moments of life-threatening type fear, but not until recently did I think about how this applies to me right now.

One thing you must know about me is that I am an indecisive person. I become anxious over even small choices, it has gotten better over the years as I have grown into my own skin and have gained some confidence. But, when it comes to big decisions I stress and become worried and fearful I will make the wrong choice.

Last month I was offered a promotion at my job. It came right after Wes and I held a fast that he could get a new job that would better support our family. I have turned down 2 other promotions because I wanted to put family first, and thought I'd turn this one down too, but I decided to pray about it first. After many many weeks of praying, studying, pondering and praying some more, I received no answer, or at least that is what I thought. Lately most of the time when I pray for things I'm devoid of any feeling. It's felt kind of aweful, kind of lonely, and somewhat depressing. I have had plenty of spiritual experiences especially when it comes to studying about Christ and His atonement, but when I try to seek for answers, I feel...well I feel nothing really.

So today, as I pondered this talk and spoke with my wise sister Sarah about these feelings. I realized that perhaps Heavenly Father isn't answering my prayers with a "yes" or "no" because he is expecting me to utilize my faith, stomp out my fear, and make a choice on my own. Perhaps that is my answer. Maybe He is making me dig a little deeper. I know I have definitely studied more than ever lately in hopes to receive answers. Here is what I also know- I know that as I do what is right, as I try hard to make a good decision, He won't let me fail. Perhaps I will make a choice that will be hard and bring a little sorrow, but I know that even in my trials I can grow and He will be there for me, always guiding me.

At the end of Elder Nelson's talk he quotes President Monson who states, "Of course we will face fear... Remember that all men have their fears, but those who face their fears with [faith] have courage as well.” What is courage? It is "the ability to do something that frightens one".

It's time for me to put my fears aside and make a decision. I need to have faith in Christ and with that faith will come courage. I can do this. I can grow. I can become the person my Heavenly Father sees in me. I know He is there, even when it's quiet and there seems to be no answers, for He is always there and always will be. For this knowledge I will be eternally grateful.

Truth

"Truth is truth! It is not divisible, and any part of it cannot be set aside."
-Elder Nelson

This quote reminds me of something my Dad said to me while walking together one night. He said to the effect, there is no such thing as half truths and there is no need to say the "whole truth", because either it is true or it is not, and either you are being honest or not. There is no in between when it comes to truth and honesty. He was so wise and how I miss his counsel and wisdom. I can only pray to live up to the kind of person he was and I'm sure is on the other side.

Selfies

We live in an age of selfies. What is a selfie? Wikipedia explains, "A selfie is a self-portrait photograph, typically taken with a hand-held digital camera or camera phone. Selfies are often shared on social networking services such as Instagram, Twitter, Vine,Snapchat, and Tumblr. They are often casual, and are typically taken either with a camera held at arm's length or in a mirror."

There is a quote that I've seen roaming around Facebook that goes something like, "I can't cook, I can't sew, and I can't knit, but I can take an excellent selfie." I know that's a little extreme, but I often wonder where people find the time to take so many of them much less get ready for them. Or maybe I'm just jealous because everyone else knows how to take cute selfies and mine always turn out less than desirable. So in my case I can't cook, I can't sew, I can't knit and I can't even take a selfie. Looks like I need a different hobby. :)

With that being said, I found a few selfies tonight. The best part, I took 3 at slightly different angles with my hair moved in the faintest or ways. Who knew I was so vain, or maybe it's not vanity, maybe I just adore the sweet girl next to me and all of her cute faces. Love her. Enjoy!

Cooking

I would not consider myself a cook, in fact I would probably rather clean a bathroom than cook. I believe it's a Wasburn trait since not one of my sisters enjoys cooking. However, with that said, I do like it when I try my hand at something new and my family loves it. Tonight was one of those nights. I decided to try a new recipe for roasted sausage and potatoes. In an attempt to make it healthier I added a lot if extra vegetables. I was worried it wouldn't turn out, but it did and it was fabulous! It was nice to have so many compliments from my family, including picky little Gideon.
The best part of the night was when I was prepping and Lily said, "I like this Mom, we should do it more often." So new goal- cook more with Lily. :)

Because of Him

April19th-
Today Mom and I took the kids to the park across the street for a ward pancake breakfast and Easter egg hunt. Then Mom so kindly watched them for a few hours so that I could get some chores completed. Wes got home thuds afternoon and we went to out family dinner at Peter Piper Pizza. Afterwards we did a glow in the dark Easter egg hunt. The kids had a blast all day long and although it was busy it was worth every fun-filled minute.

April 20th-
Today is Easter. I have had a lot of thoughts go through my mind and the Spirit has been close to the surface for a week or so now. At the Easter pageant this week I watched the parable of the 10 virgins scene and thought to myself how hard it must have been for the 5 who had enough oil to leave behind the 5 who didn't. They were probably leaving friends and family, but they had to press forward, they could not wait and possibly lose their salvation. We have to do the same, we cannot let those who are not prepared keep us behind.
Then today as I watched the #BecauseofHum video on Mormon.org I was filled with so much awe and wonder and saw the atonement as I never have before. I would share those feelings, but they Are tender and everyone should see it themselves. The following is the link, happy Easter.

Because of Him

More Reminders

Things that I was reminded of today....
1) Never judge, we never know what others are going through. Sometimes even those we are closest to have trials we will never know of or understand.
2) Sometimes it requires every waking moment in order to focus on not yelling at your kids, and even then it's difficult.
3) Michael's and 4 children do not mix well. (Hence the previous comment.)
4) One on one time with a child is amazing and needs to occur more frequently in our home.
5) I miss my husband and do not sleep well when he's not home.
6) Love is something we need to consistently work at, it is not always something we say, it is something we do.
7) Perfectionism hurts and should not be forced on others.
8) Cleaning and organizing a closet while the kids play, means the other 95% of the house is trashed.
9) 5 Guys has delicious hamburgers and fries (and are better when eaten with friends) and Mi Amigos fajitas are fabulous (and are better when eaten with family).
10) The atonement is real and applies to all of us!!!!

Christ- His Last Days

This video explains the last days of Christ so well.

The Last Days

Christ- Was a Little Child

In the craziness of my evening I forgot complete todays Easter week activity with the kids, which was to read Luke 2:40 and 52 and sing "Jesus Once was a Little Child". It looks like tomorrow we'll be doing 2 of the 7 day activities.

However, I did read a few scriptures to the kids about being kind to our brothers that I found in 3 Nephi 12. Steele was shocked when I read him the part about those being angry with their brothers or calling others a "fool" will be in danger of "hell fire". We talked about the need to be kind to our siblings because that is what we are commanded to do by Christ and our Heavenly Father. I think the "hell fire" part might have scared him a little bit, hopefully he will think about it next time he calls Gideon a name or starts to pick on him. :)

I sure love these sweet, but crazy kids. I learn from them daily. I hope every day that I can help them to "increase in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man." Just as Christ did as a child and also to "[grow] and [wax] strong in spirit". This is my main focus in life in hopes that they will choose the right path and we can eventually be together for eternity with our Father and Jesus Christ.