Parental Payday

This past Sunday we had the opportunity to attend the one of the dedicatory sessions for the Oquirrh Mountain Temple. We attended the 3:00 pm session (thanks Mom and Dad for watching the kids so we could both go). It was fabulous, the speakers were great and the spirit there was incredible. Probably, the best part (for me) was that our oldest son, Bryce, was able to attend the session with us. It was wonderful to have him there. It was a little bit long for his attention span, but he did hear a lot of stories that he has shared with his siblings since then. The highlight of the day was when we were all able to participate in the Hosannah shout and then we sang "The Spirit of God" and our wonderful son sang his little heart out (thank you primary leaders who helped him learn the song a couple of years ago). He belted it out with all the umph his little heart could muster and it put me in tears.

Often, as a mom, you spend so much time fixing crisis and solving problems that you don't really get the biggest payoff day to day. It is easy to get overwhelmed and feel forgotten. But moments like this make all of the headaches and heartaches worth it. I can't imagine a bigger blessing than being a mom.

Oh How a Decade Flies By

As of today, Josh and I have been married for ten fabulous years. It seems like just yesterday that we were on I-15 headed toward the Salt Lake Temple when I realized I had left my recommend at home and he sped through the pre-dawn darkness like Mario Andriette back to my West Valley abode so that we could still make it to our scheduled appointment with a bit of time to spare. That's when I knew he really did love me (just kidding). Really, the time has gone by so fast, and yet at the same time, it seems like we have always been together. Sometimes it momentarily surprises me when he doesn't remember my foibles from when I was eleven years old. I have to remind myself, oh yeah, he wasn't around then.Our world has changed a lot since those blissful, newly wed days. We now have five, nearly six, little monsters that we call our own. I can only imagine that life without them would be much slower and very dull (although probably cleaner). We have a house that we love, Josh has a job he never would have imagined but that he adores. We have been blessed beyond measure, and I could not be more grateful for a Heavenly Father who has helped us maneuver our life to find such happiness. Not to say that it has been a piece of cake, but a piece of sweet bread at least.

We are both a bit heavier than we were when we started this adventure, we have learned a lot and are hopefully growing wiser as time goes on. I cannot imagine my life without this incredible guy that was crazy enough to marry me. He makes me more happy than I ever thought I could be, and I am looking forward to another ten years and then eternity after that. Thank you, Josh, for making my life a joy.

(Ok, pregnancy pictures are really not usually my favorite thing to post, but this is the most recent pic I have of us together. I love the emphasis on my gigantic belly that Josh adds by sticking his hand there...oh well)

Just Like the Pioneers Did It

I am always looking for new fun (and hopefully easy and not too messy) things to do with my kids. One of our favorite things to make is homemade ice-cream. We have been doing this for years, and they love it and so do I (a perfect combination!!).

Ok, we start with 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup sugar in a small plastic bag and seal it. Then, you put the small plastic bag in a larger plastic bag that has a bunch of ice in it, put salt all over the ice, and the kids shake and mix the sealed bag until their milk mush turns magically into their favorite frozen treat. Finally, we put toppings or mix ins on or whatever, and it's off to the races (there is no slow eating in our house resulting in frequent ice-cream headaches...someday they'll learn).

This time around, Bryce informed me that we were making ice-cream just like the pioneers used to do it. I thought, "Yes, they pulled out their plastic, Ziploc containers, extracted ice cubes from the fridge's automatic ice maker, poured in their pasteurized milk and away they went." I guess it all depends on who you count as pioneers. I've done this with my grandparents and they are pretty old, especially to Bryce, so maybe that counts. Anyway, lots of fun, really simple, and minimal clean up (just make sure your bags seal well or else your ice cream tastes like salt water...not my favorite flavor, but I don't judge).