New Projects

So, I finally updated my blog including a new format (brown for my "boys" and pink for me!) and I'm actually writing a new post for the first time in months! It's crazy how quickly time flies by.

Life has been going well lately here and we celebrated Aaron's first birthday in June and Ethan's 6th birthday in July. My little men are growing up so fast. Then Chad and I will celebrate our 9th wedding anniversary on July 31! Summer has been really fun so far, and we've had lots of trips to the Dinosaur Park, scenic picnics, and even an adventurous camp-out in our backyard (we didn't dare venture any further for a first time camp-out with a one year old!)

Our biggest adventure this summer that's taken up most of our time is selling our house and building a new one out in West Haven! We've sold our house to Joe and Jennifer Salmond, a very cute couple that used to live in our ward, and (hopefully) we plan to close on August 11. Unfortunately our new house won't be finished until October so the Arnold's have been kind enough to let us rent their basement apartment until our new house is built! We're so happy to stay in the ward for a few more months!

Building a house has been so much fun! I've always heard people say that building a house is the most stressful thing on a marriage, but once we finally decided to do it (okay, that part was really stressful) the process has been a really great experience. It's been fun to pick out everything for our house, all the way from the house design to the color of the carpet, and it was exciting to see them start building a couple of weeks ago. I go out to check on the progress once a week, and last Wednesday they had the foundation completely finished. I'm hoping to see some framing going on when I go out for my visit this week!



So, all in all, life is really good and we're staying busy and, of course, having fun! It makes me want to cry when I think that summer is half over all ready! But I'll try to be a "glass half full" kind of girl and smile about the other half of summer that's still left. I love it!

P.S. I created a slideshow of my pictures on Photobucket.com but I couldn't get it to post. I got an error message about not having an ending tag. Anyone have any advice on posting slideshows and/or know what the html code should be? :) Thanks, in advance, you're the greatest!!

Surviving on the Mercies of Motherhood

I just read a really good article on LDSLiving.com, and just like all really good articles, it made me laugh and cry! In honor of Mother's Day (or rather the day after) I'm posting it here on my blog. Enjoy!

Surviving on the Mercies of Motherhood
by Whitney Permann

People think I’m crazy when I tell them I love childbirth. It’s not that I like pain—I don’t. But there is just something about working really hard to get something really good. My husband and I have the routine down: we do whatever it takes to get through a contraction, then I slump back on the bed, as limp and peaceful as a noodle (as peaceful as a noodle can be) and rest before the next one hits. It’s hard work, but when the baby is finally born, the pain doesn’t matter anymore—and I experience joy beyond description. (Then I swear I’ll never do it again.)

It has recently occurred to me that childbirth can be one huge metaphor for motherhood. We “labor” day in and day out, moment by moment—scrubbing, brushing, wiping, flushing, buckling, holding, washing, folding—it’s a wonder more mothers don’t drop dead from pure exhaustion!

So here’s my theory: Heavenly Father knew how challenging motherhood would be for each of us—physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually. So He sends us “mother mercies.” You know the moments—the ones that sneak up on you and make you smile or laugh—or teary-eyed. It’s like the time I caught a whiff of my five-year-old and realized he’d put on his daddy’s deodorant that morning. Or when he used to pray nightly, “Please bless that morning will come in five minutes.” It’s the time I found a bar of soap in my bathroom with one (and only one) set of teeth marks in it. Or when my preschooler asked me, “Why did Jesus cover our bones with skin?”

Perhaps these little mercies are like the pauses between our contractions of motherhood—the moments that make us say, "Oh yeah. I really love this mothering stuff."

Contraction: Baby spits up.
Mother Mercy: Three-year-old cries in alarm, “Mom! She’s spilling!”

Contraction: Five-year-old climbs on counter to find sweets.
Mother Mercy: He explains he was simply finding desert for “Family Home Ming-Ming.”

Contraction: Patting your squishy tummy left over from pregnancy.
Mother Mercy: Patting your baby’s squishy tummy that you got in return.

Contraction: Feeling overwhelmed and grumpy.
Mother Mercy: Oldest child says sweetly, “Mommy, if you say a prayer, Heavenly Father will help you feel better.”

Think about it—what an interesting phenomenon—in our very hardest moments of mothering, Heavenly Father sends us these little flashes of reprieve to help us keep going with a smile. True, we have diapers and back-talking and tantrums and spills, but we also get kisses and first steps and stick-figure drawings and hand-pulled bouquets.

Look for the Mother Mercies in your own life. I promise they will pop up everywhere—when your toddler trips the alarm at the library (like mine did) or when he pours pop down the bowling alley lane (yes, mine) or when you find your envious child stripped down to his nothings at the park, staring longingly through the fence into the city pool (Whose kid is that? Oh, it’s mine). The Mother Mercies are always there. Don’t miss them!

One Sunday while I was juggling my three little ones, an older sister in my ward leaned over and said, “This will all end someday, believe me.” To which I replied, “Oh don’t tell me that! I’m having so much fun.” Who knew that doing something so hard could bring me so much happiness? And just like the finale of childbirth, I’m hopeful that this mothering thing—this exhausting labor of love—will someday bring us joy we could never comprehend was possible.

http://www.ldslivingmagazine.com/articles/show/1518

"Professional" Mom?

Those of you who work from home must know, as I know, how difficult it is to make a "work" phone call at home. It seems like you have to get all the stars and the moon aligned to create a quiet moment that you dare to make the call. Even then, more often than not, it's still interrupted. One time I tried hiding myself in the bedroom while the boys were downstairs playing, closed the door and made the call. Right in the middle of making a job offer I was interrupted by little pounding fists (okay, mistake to close the door) yelling "Mommy, where are you?!" I probably didn't sound very professional then, did I?

Anyway, over the past few weeks I've been recruiting for seven internships at our corporate office--SEVEN. Keep in mind I only work 12 hours a week! So I saw this little cartoon and it made me laugh. It's me! (Minus the slinky shirt, of course.)