Vintage Pearl giveaway...

I LOVE my Vintage Pearl mother's necklace! They are doing a giveaway today for 5 $100 gift certificates! Go HERE to enter.

Giving wings....

(isn't he handsome?)

My oldest turns 12 in about 6 weeks. It is making me all melancholy and sappy...on Sunday I tried putting my arm around him during church and he shook it off (first time he's ever done that, he is my affectionate boy) making me even more emotional.

In our church 12 year old boys are ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood as a deacon. Having that priesthood is a big deal, it gives them all sorts of responsibilities and such. My son will pass the sacrament, which is an ordinance we consider to be sacred and holy, to members of our congregation. The fact that my son will receive that priesthood just signifies to me that he is getting older and it seems like him leaving the nest is in the very near future. He goes to Scout Camp this summer for an entire week...without ME! I think I will be a nervous wreck. A friend of mine assured me he will come home a different kid....I don't think I want a different kid, I want him how he is. He is sweet and helpful and obedient. However I know he has to grow up.

I hate that our job as Moms from the moment those sweet babies exit the womb is to teach them not to need us any longer. Think about it...we teach them they don't need to sleep with Mom and Dad, we wean them from getting nourishment from us, we teach them to walk so they don't need us to carry them, we teach them how to get dressed, put on their shoes, make their own food etc..etc..etc... All in an effort to train them to be independent souls. It is heartbreaking and liberating all at the same time. I see those young adults who weren't given the strong enough wings to exit the nest and I know I don't want my kids to be those....so I will buck up and teach him and make him dohard things and help him grow up. Even if I still want him to be that sweet, chubby faced toddler who would run up to me every morning saying "I ayake Mom...Good norning!" (just typing that made me tear up fyi)

Being deliberate....

The post at Clover Lane really got me thinking,here are some of my thoughts.....Back in November I gave a sacrament meeting talk based on the General Conference talk entitled, "Stay on the path" by Rosemary Wixom. Much of this is from that talk.

“The world will teach our children if we do not, and children are capable of learning ALL the world will teach them at a very young age. What we want them to know five years from now needs to be part of our conversation with them today. Teach them in every circumstance, let every dilemma, every consequence, every trial that they may face provide an opportunity to teach them how to hold on to gospel truths.” Rosemary Wixom

I have always wondered why there are so many chapters on war in the Book of Mormon. I have always thought it was to keep my boys attention due to all the weapons, armor and battles. But really it is because we are waging a war today. Not a physical war where we are fighting with swords and shedding blood but one against Satan and his angels. It is perhaps more fierce than the battles in the Book of Mormon! I would like to share with you some insights I gained while reading these chapters in how to win this battle, in order to win we have to be deliberate and intentional:

In Alma chapter 43 vs. 29 it states:
And now, as Moroni knew the intention of the Lamanites, that it was their intention to destroy their brethren, or to subject them and bring them into bondage that they might establish a kingdom unto themselves over all the land;

Moroni could defend his people because he knew who his enemy was and the INTENT of his enemy. He knew his enemy wanted to utterly destroy his people and shed as much blood as possible. Do we know who our enemy is? What is his INTENT? It is to destroy us through putting us into bondage or straying from the path. All Perhaps through distraction and being caught up in what my dad always called, “the thick of thin things”.

All of these media blasts that focus on appearance and oversexualize our children are FROM OUR ADVERSARY who wants these valiant spirits destroyed so they can't perform their incredible mission on this earth! He doesn't have a body and wants o destroy ours because he knows of our potential.

Our intent should be the same as the Nephites in these chapters. In Alma 43:45-46.

Nevertheless, the Nephites were inspired by a better cause, for they were not fighting for monarchy nor power but they were fighting for their homes and their liberties, their wives and their children, and their all, yea, for their rites of worship and their church.
46 And they were doing that which they felt was the duty which they owed to their God; for the Lord had said unto them, and also unto their fathers, that: Inasmuch as ye are not guilty of the first offense, neither the second, ye shall not suffer yourselves to be slain by the hands of your enemies.

We too must defend our homes, our children and our liberties.

Moroni FORTIFIED his soldiers with the proper armor and weapons. Are we fortifying ourselves and our children with the armor of God?

Moroni fortified each city. In Chapter 50:1-3 it gives examples of how he fortified their cities:

“And now it came to pass that Moroni did not stop making preparations for war, or to defend his people against the Lamanites; for he caused that his armies should commence in the commencement of the twentieth year of the reign of the judges, that they should commence in digging up heaps of earth round about all the cities, throughout all the land which was possessed by the Nephites.
2 And upon the top of these ridges of earth he caused that there should be timbers, yea, works of timbers built up to the height of a man, round about the cities.
3 And he caused that upon those works of timbers there should be a frame of pickets built upon the timbers round about; and they were strong and high.
4 And he caused towers to be erected that overlooked those works of pickets, and he caused places of security to be built upon those towers, that the stones and the arrows of the Lamanites could not hurt them.

It states the Moroni did NOT stop until every city was fortified. Listen to his preparation. Are we that tenacious? How are we fortifying our homes? Do we have heaps of earth (family prayer) and on top of that timbers (scriptures study) and a frame of pickets (FHE) and towers (following the prophet)to protect us and our children?

Who is the watchmen on the tower of our home? Are we vigilant about our job or casual?

One thing that really stood out to me is there was one entrance into the city and how they guarded it with their strongest men In chapter 50:20 they call it their secure place.

Is our home a secure place for our children? Are we defending the entrance to our home with the strongest fortifications? Sister Julie B Beck has likened wives and mothers to lionesses at the gate. We MUST protect our cubs. We must not allow anything to enter our homes that will weaken the foundation. We must turn off TV shows that drive the spirit away, we must not let fleeting pleasure distract us from true joy, we must not go places that the spirit cannot be, we must not let the hundreds of distractions that are around us take us from our focus of protecting and fortifying our families.



We have to be better, more focused and more deliberate than our own Mothers if our kids are going to withstand the world and not get swept away with the crowd. We have to be courageous and firm (I also happen to be teaching this Sunday on "Courageous Parenting" and "Be Thou an example ).


Most of all we need to teach our daughters AND our sons that they are Children of God and that their body is sacred. We need to teach them the doctrine of the family and why the power of procreation is so important. Elder Packer said it is the VERY key of the plan of salvation. If they gain a testimony of that on their own they will not get swept away into this world that is focused on an unrealistic image of physical beauty.

One of my all time favorite quotes is this:
“True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior.” Boyd K Packer

We don't need to fear, we have all the tools and weapons to defeat our enemy....however...we need to be deliberate and intentional in our teaching. We must be vigilant and not only talk the talk but walk the walk!

(if you are in my ward....you may hear some of this on Sunday in my lesson...sorry for the repeat:)

Wow! A must read

Sarah who writes the blog Clover Lane had this to say about our daughters and how their childhood is being cut short. I say Amen and Amen! Go read and comment back here on what you think.

Car seats...

A story on the Today show about new car seat guidelines. Interesting....what do you think?

Personally I am not going to be putting a middle schooler in a booster seat...that is extreme and ridiculous. My 11 year old has a friend who just turned 12 and isn't 4'9" yet.....and according to this he should be in a booster, I have nieces and who would have still been in a booster till they were 14!


I am okay with the guidelines for smaller children (although I was looking forward to turning my baby around soon but I won't yet). I will buy a bigger convertible carseat and keep him in that until he fits the weight/height suggestions (does anyone know what those are BTW?)

I am a firm believer in car seats/seat belt safety. I used to call a number in Utah when we lived there to report people whose kids weren't buckled. My kids are buckled all the time, so it's not that I have a problem with putting my kids in carseats...it drives me CRAZY when kids aren't in car seats and buckled....but I am telling you my almost 12 year old would NOT sit in a booster (fortunately he is tall enough we don't have to worry about it) and I wouldn't make him.

Replenishing....

I've had two experiences lately where people have been SHOCKED at the number of children I have. I mean seriously I have FIVE...I'm not Michelle Duggar for heaven sakes!

Yesterday at the park there was a woman there with her dog. Her dog ran over to my kids (and scared my daughter to death) and she came over. I had 4 of my kids with me, she looked at all of them, looked at me and asked, "Are they ALL yours?" I told her they certainly were and her jaw dropped (I am sorry but four just isn't that many). She asked if some were adopted (what?) and I assured her I birthed all of them and told her I had one more at home. Again, the jaw dropped.

She said, "And you're still smiling?" I told her they are my greatest joy and make me happy. She said, "There must be drugs and alcohol involved." I assured her there was none of that. I finally realized why she was so incredulous....she had no children of her own and never intended to have any. She couldn't possibly understand the true and lasting JOY they bring! She did say (I guess she had to find a reason why I would have so many) that God must be on my side...I wholeheartedly agreed with her.

And then today at Costco I took four children (one was a friend) with me. They were quite well behaved actually, but still being kids and I got some smiles along the way. As we got to the receipt checker at the exit he looked at the kids, counted them and raised his eyebrows at me. I said, "Oh I have two more that are in school." He said (quite condescendingly with his arm on my shoulder), "Now Mom, isn't 6 enough? (never told him they weren't all mine). FINALLY I thought quickly on my feet and said, "Nope...working on 6 more." and smiled at him and walked away.

Since when did it become complete strangers business to comment on how many children people have? I take care of my children, I feed them, clothe them, love them, and provide a loving stable home life for them. No matter if I had 1 or 12, it is nobody's business!

I will proudly proclaim that I have FIVE children and it was a very conscious decision! Iam grateful for each one of them and consider them blessings not burdens. I love my crazy,messy and chaotic home and can't imagine life any other way!

March of Dimes walk...

Our family has decided to do the "March for Babies" walk this year for the March of Dimes. March of Dimes helps educate to prevent premature birth and helps fund medical research for premature babies. It is May 7th at Town Square.


Since our experience last year we are wanting to give back for the miracle we received. If you feel so inclined we would love to have you join our team. Our team name is "Drew's Dream Team"

We have pledge to raise $500.00 and all proceeds will go toward March of Dimes, we can't raise that ourselves. So there is a button on the sidebar which will take you to our team page where you can sign up to join our team, or if you are so inclined and in a position to do so to donate any dollar amount.

Being a mother is enough....

One of my favorite blogs "Clover Lane" shared THIS blog post today. LOVE IT! Expresses so much of what I have wanted to say

The title of this post also comes from her blog. I wrote it down and put it on my fridge!

Okay so onto my commentary from the articles posted yesterday. Venessa made a comment that we cannot judge that first mother because we don't know all the circumstances. That is true, we do not. (I realize in many situations a working mother is necessary, I am not here to judge circumstances and I dont think that a working mother necessarily means priorities are in the wrong place nor do I think stay athome Moms hearts are always inthe right place....it's all about where our hearts are.)

However I have watched a trend happening among women recently. I have heard countless stories of women leaving their families because they fell in love with someone else they met online or in a bar or renewed an old flame on facebook, or they had to pursue this, that and the other.

I realize those are extreme examples,however I see it happening on a smaller scale too. I won't list examples because I am not here to condemn or offend. I am also not saying that we shouldn't better ourselves. There is nothing wrong with taking classes, having hobbies, going out with girlfriends etc.... We should be the best women we can be, which will in turn help us to be the best mothers and wives we can be.

The problem comes when those activities we choose for ourselves become a road block to the actual improvements. Satan really would like us to get so distracted and caught up in improving ourselves and having "me" time that we lose focus as to what is really important. Too much "me" time is dangerous.

Plus aren't we told in the scriptures that those who lose themselves for the Saviors sake shall find themselves?

Being a Mom and wife is HARD! It takes everything I have most days to survive! However in doing those hard things I have learned more about myself than I ever thought possible. I have discovered more of who I truly am through this motherhood journey than in any other pursuit I could find. I am helping to shape 5 human beings...seriously what could be more important or fulfilling than that?

My mother had 7 children....6 in 10 years (I came along 6 years after #6). My Mom is a strong woman. For as long as I can remember she has taken classes to improve her mind. Whether it was institute classes, computer classes, university classes etc... She also has always exercised to improve her body. She was very involved in serving in the church and community. She had her interests and hobbies. I would consider her influential and "self aware". However those never distracted her from her real and most important focus...her husband and children.

I am grateful for a 3 year old who doesn't let me get lost on the computer or in my book or even in cleaning and laundry. She will come grab my hand and PULL as hard as her 3 year old body will let her and say, "Mommy...come play BABIES (or a game or outside etc) with me!" I can't resist that face and that darling voice. No better feeling than being her favorite playmate!

Selfish vs Selfless

Totally Selfish



or



Totally Selfless (Dave's cousin...same one who was the lung recipient)



Read these articles and let me know what you think. I will write more after I get some comments and audience participation. Come on now people...COMMENT! I know I have more readers than commenters (my little sitemeter at the bottom of the page tells me so). Come out of the woodwork :) It's okay, I blog stalk too!

Miracles happen....

This is Dave's cousin, Dave and his cute wife Julie. Julie received new lungs this weekend. She has lived all of her life with Cystic Fibrosis. Read their blog HERE and be uplifted and inspired. And if you live in the Salt Lake area....attend this benefit. It will be great and it's for a great cause for a great family!

Honor

In case you aren't a fan of BYU basketball....let me fill you in on recent happenings. BYU last week earned a #3 spot in the NATION with a 27-2 record by beating #6 in the nation. BYU and their fans were flying high! They were a lock for a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament and predicted to perhaps go to the final four!

And then the BYU Honor Code got in the way. Monday it was announced that Brandon Davies (#0 in the picture) would be suspended for the remainder of the season, including the NCAA tournament due to honor code violations. While Brandon isn't THE player (that would be Jimmer), he is crucial. He is the #1 rebounder, the big man on the team and the 3rd leading scorer.

Turns out he is pretty crucial to the team. Last night, at home BYU got beat by New Mexico. Bad. There goes a #1 seed. There goes millions of dollars to the school by going far in the tournament.

This is ALL over the nation. All the national sports media have picked up on this story. Very interesting discussions it is igniting. I have heard a few sportscasters say, "Couldn't they be a little lenient on this one? This team was on the cusp of making it BIG, going all the way!"

However, the majority of the buzz I have read and heard are commending BYU for sticking to their principles...even when, NO especially when it does NOT benefit them in the least right now. These players know what they are getting into when they sign on with BYU (Davies is from Provo...think he doesn't know what it entails?). They sign the honor code, they meet with an ecclesiastical leader yearly. He had an opportunity to go elsewhere, but chose BYU.

I am grateful that there is an institution that sticks by it's principles even when it's not in their best interest to do so. I am grateful that those in administration at BYU are standing with Honor behind their code. Showing that integrity is more important than winning, fame and money.

However, I am grateful that my mistakes aren't being broadcast all over the nation. Poor guy, I hope he is okay and is getting support because this must be agony for him!