It Takes a Village

Do you ever think about each one of your children and wonder, how did I get such wonderful children?!  Of course if I'm being honest, there have also been occasions that I have wished I could kick each one of them to the moon, but overall I really can't believe what amazing little people I have been blessed with.

Sunday at church, Christian bore his testimony in sacrament meeting.  It was heartfelt and profound for someone of his age.  He also received a 4.0 this term.  Christian disappears into his room to study at 3:15pm, and I don't usually see him again (except for dinner) until 10pm when he says goodnight.  He is very disciplined and self-motivated and a wonderful example to his siblings.  I often tell him, "You make me look good!"  and we both laugh because we know that it is all because of his efforts.

Yesterday was parent/teacher conferences at school.  Madison is in a 5th and 6th grade combined class of 60 students.  Her teachers say that she is by far the hardest worker in the class and because of this, was chosen to have lunch with the Mayor.  Madison struggles in a few areas academically, but I couldn't be more proud of her perseverance and extremely hard work even though there are things that are very cumbersome for her.  She also loves to be around me which I am so thankful for, and I am hoping that this continues in the future because she is quickly moving into her teenage years.

My little Huntie, who is 9, just finished reading the Book of Mormon from cover to cover.  Wow.  I don't think I did that for the first time until college!  It was kind of funny because the morning after he finished it, he got out the scripture readers for young children and proclaimed, "Now I'm going to learn what I read about!"  Hunter enjoys his time by himself like me, and I appreciate his peaceful and calm nature.

Elisabeth has been recognized at school for her incredible story writing as well as her amazing art work.  On Saturday, we went on a date to Bird World in Bountiful which is one of her favorite places to go because they have lots of puppies there and they always let her hold one.  She is such an animal lover!  Every story she writes or picture she draws has animals in it.  I couldn't help but laugh the other day when I realized that EVERY teacher and administrator at her school refers to her as "Tigerdog".

Ashton.  I'm not going to lie--this boy is a strong-willed little handful and sometimes I wonder if he even likes me.  He is such a bear in the morning, that we each argue whose turn it is to wake him for the day.  But he is an avid talker and I can't help but admire his strong opinions and extreme determination to do things HIMSELF (even if it kills us both).  He loves to wear one glove and his shark pajamas all day.  I enjoy spending time alone with him each day, watching him proudly ride his bike or point out all of the tiny crawling creatures I never would have noticed on our walk, had he not pointed them out.  He makes me find joy in the simple things.

I have been very mindful of the fact that to raise children, it truly takes a village.  There are so many wonderful people that are helping me raise my children and I am so incredibly thankful because I definitely could not do it myself.  I was grateful for my church as I sat beside Madison at Young Women's Conference and they taught her such vital things as virtue, honesty, and benevolence.  I was also thankful for my church when Christian bore his testimony inspired by a challenge given by his teacher's quorum advisors.  My children also have wonderful grandparents that show interest in their lives and are willing to come to their important events or take care of them occasionally.  They have also been blessed with great teachers at school--teachers who really take an interest in them.  As proud as I am of my children, I acknowledge that there are many people that are helping them along the way.  So thank you!

OREGON. In Pictures.

Blanketed in moss

Yaquina Head Lighthouse

Ran across this cool makeshift shelter on the beach

Haceta Head Lighthouse

Cannon Beach, Haystack Rock

I had never seen a beach like this--large stones of volcanic rock,
millions of years in the making

Handsome Robert

Loved this quaint, old house we discovered on our drive

A covered bridge we had to get out and explore

See the raindrop?

I love the feeling this picture invokes.

Low tide

The house we lived in when we lived in Seaside

This is taken in the forest in our backyard
from when we lived there.

Ghostly looking moss flowed from these trees

The waves were massive and vicious--probably after-effects of the tsunami

This was taken from our hotel room deck.

Spectacular

Seriously windblown.  This is how many of the trees grew.

I could post so many more, having taken close to 600 pictures on our Oregon adventure.  It was incredibly peaceful and a true testament of God's love for us in creating such beauty.

2 Thoughts

This is what I have been pondering lately:  Everyone wants to be heard. We all want to have our humanity acknowledged – to have others see us for who we truly are. We all want to know that we are valued, we are heard, we are understood.  I think one of the kindest things you can ever do is to sit across from someone and utter two little words: "Tell me."  One of my favorite quotes from Oprah Winfrey is, "Every human being, no mater what age, no matter how old we get is looking for the same thing. What everybody wants is to know:  Do you see me? Did you hear me? And did what I say mean anything to you? That is what everybody is looking for."  This is a profound concept to me.  In this age of technology and fast-paced everything, it is incredibly easy to forget to take the time to really "see" a person when we come in contact with them.  It is so effortless to see life only through our own colored lenses without regard to another person's life experiences.  When I hear myself thinking,  "I can't believe what that person did or said",  I try and catch myself and wonder what perhaps brought them to that point in their life.  I really want to strive to do this better with my children, my husband, my friends, but also with the random person at the check out counter at Target, or at a fast food drive through.  I have been amazed at the light that appears in someone's eyes when I make eye contact with them during a seemingly insignificant event and genuinely see them as a child of God, a person with dreams, struggles, and a story.  Everyone has a story to tell and something that we can learn from.  My husband Robert is gifted at listening and hearing others.  It is like water to my soul to simply be acknowledged and truly heard by him, without judgments, in my worries and frustrations.  Listening with your whole soul and seeing someone as a fellow spirit, travailing through this life is a gift to them, and to you.


The second thought was introduced to me many years ago, and it is the concept of listening intently to your internal dialogue.  This can be a fascinating exercise and shed tremendous light on your attitudes and moods.  Are your usual subconscious thoughts things like, "I'm not a good mother", or "I am always falling short" or "I'm ugly or fat"?  Or are they things like "I like my life", "I did a great job with that!" or "I am a good person"?  I often think of the truth of this statement:  “We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think."  (Buddha)  There is immense power in thought.  We sometimes are not even aware of the complete nature of our free agency when we are not conscious of how our own thoughts are shaping our actions and reactions.  Try listening to your internal dialogue for a day and see what you find out about yourself.  You may be surprised!

I am "Buluvid"--(Beloved)

The beginning of a GREAT day!  I love this girl!!

Ashton Turns 4

Ashton, 6 months

Age 4

We went to the dinosaur museum for his
birthday

It's been a long day...