Sisters are my inspiration

Towards the end of the day I am tired.  I have dirty kids.  I do not feel like putting them in the bath because let's face it there are those days that I am done and just want everybody in bed.  Then I think of my sisters and my recent visit to Oregon.  If I were in Oregon right now observing my sisters, they surely would have all of the kids bathed by now with dishes done, floors vacuumed, and stories told.  Of course that was only after a nice meal had been cooked.  I don't think I have fully seen what my sisters were capable of doing as mothers until I was observing their every move as I sat all by myself without any distractions from my kids.

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As I sat in the back of my Mom & Dad's car after picking me up from the airport I recounted my trip back to them.  "Annie is sure efficient", I told my parents.  She knows how to get any job done quickly and is always cultivating herself in the knowledge sector  My sister Liza once said, "Annie is pregnant and she still runs circles around me".  I have no idea how she is able to do it all.  She is the real deal.  The kids are constantly getting all of the stimulation they need and more.  She really loves being a Mom and it shows.  When we had gone to church she busted out a notebook where she had already studied the lessons and jotted down some notes.  She made me want to be better.  

Then there is Liza.  How could just one little Momma make everybody feel so loved and important.  I really do not know how she does it.  I know she is tired but she always finds time to make a welcome or birthday banner to any special person in her life @ that moment.  She also seems to be so in tune to receive personal inspiration.  Liza's plan of action is completely different from Annie but easily just as affective.  She is fine staying at home having and basking in laughter, dancing & games.  She tells me of feelings that she really needs to keep things simple so that she can enjoy life @ home with the kids.  She also makes me want to be better.  (I also need to include that when we last took the kids to the park she and I had a race on the swing set to see who could get the highest first, just in case I were to forget)

Two sisters that go about doing things different but pretty much hoping for the same end result and that is what is most important, THE END RESULT.  In the meantime I just need to figure out how to get from point A to point B in the best way possible for my family to achieve my own personal goal. I know there are different ways of doing things to achieve the end result of having well-behaved, well-adjusted & well-learned children who understand the Plan of Salvation that was defined by our Savior.  Both sisters approaches seem to be working.

I am inspired my them & want to be better.  I came home and truly wanted to be a better Mom. 

Thank goodness for sisters who help to fill my cup.

P.S. - We mustn't forget about Mary.  She will make an excellent wife & mother, for this I am sure of.  She inspires me in many other ways and because of her I wished  I would approach things with less judgement & with less guile.  I love all of her sweetness.  She is pure sunshine.  All of her service to me will never be forgotten. Last time Mary was in town she called the girls up to take them on a date to Jamba Juice.

I pee my pants.

No need for frowning @ our house when there are such character(s) that live here.

{Fancy Nancy in the house}

Oregon

When I was 10 years old I told my Dad that I wanted to move to Oregon. He was a bit perplexed as I had never been there or had any family that lived there. I think deep down at an early age my soul must have known how much Oregon would speak my language. Last night when my Dad & Mom picked me up from the airport from my very first trip to Oregon, I told my Dad that I still would like to live there. It was so much fun being with sisters & their kids. I have a dream that someday we will all live on the countryside 40 minutes outside of Portland.  Isn't Fall so beautiful...I could not help but want to jump up into the air when I saw streets lined with brightly colored trees.

All was well when I arrived home.

I miss you sisters.  

stanky

It's a GREAT day because all 6 sippies have been located.  No more uba stank underneath the couch.

Sippies & shoes would rather stay lost than found.  

{dusk & veggies for breakfast}

I love that time of day where the last bit of sun shines before it says good night.  Today I especially loved dusk because as we sat finishing our dinner the remaining patch of light shone on my little girls face.  So many things to be grateful for today. ... 

The gourmet meal that the man of the house made tonight was so scrumptious.  All of the times he has watched cooking shows seems to have paid off.  He loves to go here for some of his recipes.  Trust me there are some really good ones there & this roasted halibut with garlic sauce was no exception.

I think today I was especially grateful that I made it through the day on my new health diet.  Some people run marathons.   My personal equivalent to a marathon is the candida diet.  Wish me luck because this one is a doozy.  I have never been on any kind of diet, except occasionally the cookie diet so to just go all out extreme is plum crazy.  I was told though that if I could stick it out that ALL of my dreams would come true...that is if my dreams consist of more energy, no allergies, eczema, a vacation in Hawaii etc., etc...just to name a few.  Want to hear what it entails...

1st 2 weeks - veggies,nuts, eggs, turkey & fish

2nd 2 weeks - add grapefruit & berries

3rd 3 weeks - add quinoa & legumes

My diet prescription was a little more strict than what the protocol actually called for, in which I'm trying not to get all offended over.

I want some cookies.  I NEED cookies.  I eat them or something equivalent almost everyday. The chippers @ Paradise Bakery & I are friends.

Oh mercy I don't even know what I was thinking when agreeing to give this diet a whirl but by putting it out there then I feel like I have to be a bit more accountable.  I'm just glad that my woo woo doctor didn't put me on a bunch of herbs & tinctures like my parents.  Husband thinks I am funny to put so much trust into a natural homeopathic practitioner.  He would though because without doctors he wouldn't put food on our table.  When I went to see my new "doc" for the first time husband said, "Have fun at the palm readers".  My new "doc" got a kick out of that when I relayed that message.  All I have to say is if husband starts to have a pain in his left shoulder than it wouldn't be because a doll & a push pin.  I mean really, what can this new diet regimen hurt.  If I make it to the finish line hopefully I will not fall over from exhaustion but I will fall over from the excitement that I can have one of my peanut butter cream cookies. 

COOKIES....

Anyway next subject, I think I also really love it when the sun light's glimmer comes to an end because that is when we usually take our family walks.  So many of our family's hopes and dreams are defined on these excursions.  Tonight we definitely set a goal to go arrow head hunting.  Auntie Camille (one of the last true & remaining hippies) who lives in God's country @ the entrance of all of that beautiful southern Utah colored rock is our ticket to uncovering treasures left by some of the original inhabitants.  You know the ones that used to live in cliffs, make beautiful pottery & write all over the canyon walls.  Grandma used to be the expert on the land up there but since her passing all of the secrets were pretty much left with Camille. Except I did over hear husband telling the girls that when arrow hunting to make sure & do it with your back to the sun.  Did I ever mention the time Grandma went over to Camille's house & chopped down a bunch of plants...Camille apparently thought she needed it for medicinal purposes, if you know what I mean.  I really feel lucky to marry into such a wonderful family.  Truly, if I ever made a movie it would be easy because I would just base it around some of the characters from his Klan.  I love every single one of them.

Here's to vegetables for breakfast.

{grow}

"You know what I mean chili bean", said my cute little girl for the 20th time. 

Why do kids have to be such sponges.  It scares me quite frankly....you know that whole teaching by example thing.  I didn't think I said the whole chili bean thing THAT often.  What else have I taught her?  I hope it's mostly good because I don't want to fail her.

My little girl is pretty much not a fan of sitting still.  Did she learn that from me too?  No she just came that way as I remembered back to a little 3 lb 10 ounce baby who would never close her eyes.  I used to make late night visits to the NICU after her sissy came home from the hospital.  I remember whispering into her tiny ear to pls. eat & to pls. sleep so that she would grow & then we could bust out of the NICU together.  I actually made up a song called grow.  I think that was the only time when the clock stood still as I would just spend time rocking & starring out of the window @ the snow covered earth.  Time since has managed to fast forward @ a rapid pace & many things have changed but one thing still stays the same & that is my need to look to my biggest example, Jesus Christ who knows how to love in the purest way.  Whenever I am fearful of everything that comes with being a Mom then I will look to Him for He will never fail us.  It's amazing that whenever my heart turns to Him things become simplified.  I still feel overwhelmed about the responsibility that comes with being a Mom but our Brother has already showed us the way we just need to hold onto it & then pass it on.  He is the way.

To this day I still tell little Maile to slow down.  Perhaps it really is me who needs to slow down.  I love my little Maile (mymy girl). I still want you to grow.