5.3.16 Mother's Day Warm-Up

The mother's Day presents have started to stack up. With multiple children I get lots. It's cute to see their excitement as they give. Today I received from my cub scout-

A birdhouse complete with bird food, and two lovely marigolds. I'm so bad with the flowers.  I will try for my sons sake to make them live. I almost gave them away already to someone I knew could care for them. My grandmother was the lucky one in years past but she is gone now so maybe I'm going to have to give it another go. Vale dirt is so different and difficult compared to the heavenly soil I was raised on.

The kids peppered me with what my favorite desserts are and what my favorite food is. honestly I make what I'm in the mood for, I don't hold back a lot on any of it being pregnant and nursing I have to go with what I can stomach and or the baby tolerates.  So they have to suffer through lots of rice (this pregnancy) and Mexican food when I'm missing the spicy deliciousness I can't stand potatoes and gravy anymore. Likewise, I endure spaghetti and fettuccine both of which make me gag at the thought, but in the end are ok to call a meal when all is said and done. I laughed when John named his two or three favorite desserts and demanded I choose. I told him none of those were my favorite he said "that's ok just choose one." Yep that's being a mom.

The best thing I get is learning and growing with all these hooligans. I'm not the type of mom who exclaims with tears and unabashed enthusiasm that I love being a mom. I've spent a lot of time wondering why I just don't conjure up those feelings. I love each child, I have chosen this path and I know it's right for me I think to me extreme emotion is just not practical or available. I'm doing the job. I'm trying to do a good job. I'm holding the fort and keeping the stockade alive. I try to support them in things that will benefit them and introduce them to opportunities where they can learn and grow and become better.

When I think about being a mother I think it is a lot of sacrifice and my love and passion is shown in the fact I don't jump ship and don't give up or quit. I work hard to notice and pay attention to needs both the first three primary- food shelter water- and then the next love, security, learning? (I might have made those up). Those 6 necessities pretty much consume my existence. So do I love being a mother yep cuz I do it. 

My little babies are getting big and my most recent babies are getting independent. I think this time may be passing even more quickly than I realize.
 Tonight as I enjoyed and savored every moment of 3 bodies massaging my tired feet and legs I thought this is glorious! They are wonderful, messy, hungry, invigorating, giving, loving gifts from a much more Knowledgeable God who knew when He gave women this responsibility He was actually giving them an endless supply of learning and love. God is good and so is motherhood.

5.2.16 Hens

This has been a terrible horrible no good weekend. Starting on Wednesday I have been working to file a measly quarterly payroll tax. This has involved over 20 hours now of sitting at my computer googling, texting, remote access explaining and cleaning and most of my nails bitten off, lots of chocolate consumer and leave me alone comments to my children. And I am still working on this craziness. I seriously HATE taxes!

But the hens title is more what I wanted to think about. I most sincerely thank God for Sunday. To take a break to leave the problems where they lay and to think about better things. More hopeful, worthwhile, important things. Which brings me to my hens thoughts.

As I've mentioned we have two batches of chicks this year on the farm. The purchased hen-less cooped up, prone to die or trample then eat each other chicks. Who are doing pretty well I think they are locked in the chicken house so I just hear reports from Reed and Mark. On the other hand I observe with fascination and wonder the 5 little chicks who roam freely, learning daily from their mother hen. A most unlikely mother figure. No arms to hold or coral no feeding mechanics on her body and she's not particularly loud in her communication. The constantly crowing Rooster is much more noticeable. Yet her babies learn and are healthier, wiser, and much easier to house. She is a master teacher and protector.

After bearing my testimony on my heightened understanding of Christ through his scripture "How oft would I have gathered you as a Hen gathers her chicks but ye would not hearken to my voice..." This hit me like a ton of bricks. It was a true ah-ha moment. I've watched the hen gather and teach and protect her chicks. As I gave Afton the water cup during the sacrament and likewise watched and assisted my other children also partake I thought I am a Hen taking my children to church showing them this is good. Establishing this habit and routine that will bring them peace and joy and eternal life. So many of my habits as a mother are to share joys I have and to warn them from dangerous delays that set them back or could make them sad.

I realized that if I listen to that soft call of Christ I too am lead to happier safer places. I am safe if I heed and come running when He calls me because He senses danger. And in the wide free world cats, dogs, hawks etc are real dangers. Yet the hen is very good at teaching her children how to aviod danger and protecting them when it is around.

We further expounded the difference of freedom and skill development on those that obey the hens call and those that are hen-less. Raised in a coop unsure of what to do if let out and completely lacking Agency. There are plenty who profess there is no God and there is nothing more to mortality I believe in a pre-mortal, now, and after life. I am teaching my children that truth. The little chicks are less than a month old and fly already! They don't have wings but their mother taught them how to get over the rough spots in their daily rotation and they have developed muscles to accomplish crossing a ditch!

Always amazing to me how the scriptures relate to life and how much there is to learn from all different experiences. How thankful I am for the scriptures and more importantly for a better understanding of Christ and his mighty atonement and concern for me and my family. Now back to taxes I have about 8 more hours till I will be late. Oh joy.

4.28.16 Squirt guns

My very thoughtful sister gave Reed squirt guns for his birthday. She is smart and gave him a whole box full of different sizes. This has led to some serious fair fun this spring. Thank goodness for the nice weather and a fun minded aunt!

I have many fond memories of water gun fights when I was growing up. It was one of my most favorite summer activities so I'm glad my kiddos get to have this memory too. These kinds of moments tickle the senses for the freedom of hot summer days. They can't come quick enough these test filled long cool days of April. I guess summer is sweet because winter has been endured, sickness survived, schooling saturating the senses and all in all it's time for different sweat inducing experiences. We are anxiously waiting for those. Best to you today.

4.26.16 FHE Reality

I erroneously or hopefully wrote that I missed our spiritual deep discussion FHE last week. That was far past prideful to write. Our FHE's happen everyone is there, but deep discussion with outpourings of spiritual witnesses.... uhm not so much maybe 5% of the time. So I thought I would take these very telling pictures of what it really is.

The squirming for a few moments captured little ones voicing their disgust with being quiet.

The obvious deep thinkker of the group who used the time to get some sleep.

And the rowdy's who are in physical attendance but day dreaming of any number of odd topics.

It's all in the habit forming I'm told. So we continue to try to solidify the practice of family togetherness, learning together, and make the time bearable by offering some desired sweet treat at the end. 
I will say these nights are the hardest to get them to be quiet and go to sleep, not so much sugar related, but  rather I think the good feelings that are generated and linger in this practice of family togetherness make them want to enjoy visiting just a little/lot longer on this night.
So maybe we are making headway and that's just what families are about shared experiences and loving each other through the up's down's, exciting and boring, it's a habit we will persist in cultivating.

4.25.16 Wood project

This weekend was wet and cold and warmed by wood. One participant remarked wood warms you about 6 times as you work with it. This time we were not favored to be in the forest, but saved the hours of drive time with more time to work. We went right around the corner from our house and cut and loaded logs for a morning of service. I'm so thankful for this big capable family of mine and our friends who are always there to share the work.

This project was made especially nice with the addition of two skidders who hauled the logs, cleared the brush and made the project much less taxing. I loved how the bucket could snake right to where we were loading no long lines of passing wood just lift and dump!

Greg finally got to use his new chainsaw!! My brother in-law is a woodsman and sharpened the teeth razor sharp. Greg cut through everything like he was slicing butter. Beautiful! These guys were hard pressed to keep up with the many hands picking up the pieces. Even though they had a 2 hour head start we caught them.

It was pretty awesome to watch this operator lift the enormous stumps and dump them to the ground to rid them of excess dirt before adding them to the large burn pile. He was constantly raking to remove the small branches that were so bothersome to walk over when loading the split logs.

The burn pile and truck. We loaded this silage truck with about 6 cords of cut wood. We deliver about 3 cords to people who will use it this winter. And left about 2 cord for others to come get when they can. That's a lot of wood for one morning. I made donuts to share which kept my little girls occupied while sitting in the car for hours waiting for Greg to cut the last piece, he never leaves a project till it is A-b-s-o-lutely done. It's always good to work together and nice to have a project done. Afton gave us a scare with pink hands from playing in the sweet corn seed sitting in the car but thank goodness she didn't eat any and had no bad side effects. Just my car was a muddy seedy mess but all's well that ends well. And mom wasn't stuck at home washing dishes wondering what was taking so long and what they were doing. I much prefer dealing with clean-up after and being part of the crew than just waiting at home.

4.22.16 new explorers

Yesterday Millie started crying that Afton had got her. When I came to investigate this is what I found. 

This was new. I have not had a little one climb in the fridge and start emptying it before. Oh the adventures that keep happening. Still not sure how Afton got up there but she was pretty mad about being removed. I was pretty discouraged with the ranch dressing everywhere mess. Hope you have a peaceful weekend

4.19.16 FHE adjustments

It's so hard for me to change plans. I prepare and study and get excited for FHE and the deep lessons and spirit filled evening we will have and we end up spending "quality family time" working together. This has happened the last two weeks and after being really mad last week because we bi-passed the lesson I learned that time and being together is also acceptable from a conference talk.

 So this week the garden was mulched and roto-tilled. And because it was fresh dirt and we are farm kids, shoes came off, hoes came out and we tilled that gorgeous spring dirt.

We enjoyed the amazing aroma of the early lilacs. They are so heavenly too bad the last such a short time.

Some kids got their first tractor ride and I got a break from said kids! It's a great trade off.

And some were busy driving to and fro carting bodies from one location to the next. Including Reed who recently mastered this skill thanks to uncle Matt. He jumped on the empty 4 wheeler fired it up spun around and headed back to the tractor to take Greg some water. The girls cheered and I  watched mouth agape at my little guy independently manning up to the job at hand. Oh my what a summer it is going to be.

Some stay busy while scriptures are being read folding towels.

And so it goes. We work together, we play together while we work, and we learn together. I just keep thinking thank goodness for next week and another day where maybe we will be able to fit more in, and sincerely hope the important lessons are being taught amongst all the necessary ones. Best to you today.