Brennen is 2 1/2 and has decided he will dress himself. It’s a lot of work for him but he is bound and determined he will do it without help. One night he came running up to me and said, “Look Mom. I got dressed all by myself!” He kept looking at his pants like something wasn’t quite right but couldn’t figure it out (they were inside out). Then he looked down at his shirt and was puzzled by the fact that the batman logo wasn’t on his chest (his shirt was on backwards). But, all in all, he was pretty proud of himself.
A few minutes before this we were having Family Home Evening. During the lesson Brennen decided to strip naked and streak through the living room! So, he had to put his clothes back on. Things are always eventful during Family Home Evening at our house!
And yes, he is still wearing his cowboy boots day and night! And boy are they STINKY!
I am a pharmacist. I went to college for five long and grueling years. I always knew I didn’t want a career. I always wanted to stay at home with my children. My fellow students all thought I was crazy to put myself through the torture of pharmacy school when I didn’t want to work full time when I graduated. Well, when I did graduate, I worked full time for a few years to help Phil finish school and get his career started. Then I went to part time after I had my first child. My mom watched Ella, then Preston, then Brennen as I worked 1-3 days a week. I never had to continue working. It was just something I did because I could. I always felt I had the best of both worlds because I still felt like a stay at home mom. I only worked part time and my kids weren’t going to a babysitter. I also felt like I got out into the “real world” a few days a week and was able to contribute to the family income.
Well, earlier this year I started feeling a little stressed with the three kids, work, house, and the prospects of having another baby. I knew in my heart that I needed to quit work completely. I kept feeling this way and knew something had to be done. When Phil and I found out we were expecting another baby, we knew it was time for me to say goodbye to work for a while.
I didn’t think it would be so hard for me to give up especially since I only worked part time and I was excited to spend more time with my kids at home. But, it was tough. I started working there when I was 16. As you can see by the photo above that I have worked there exactly half of my life! That is a long time. The economy is really bad right now too and I felt nervous about quitting a good job when so many people are looking for work. When I expressed this concern to Phil, he said, “Heavenly Father’s ways are not the ways of the world.” That really made me think. I know that logically with the economy the way it is, I should work and continue to contribute to the family income. But, I know that Heavenly Father wants me to stay home with my kids and teach them His ways. I know my family will be blessed because of this and that makes me happy. So, for now I am a mother!
Sounds like an unlikely combination doesn’t it? Well, we recently returned from a family vacation where we stayed with my brother Brad and his family. For dinner one night they took us to a little diner near Penn State where my brother attends. This was a real diner with all the original fixins. They had a great selection of burgers and shakes. While cruising through the menu, Phil came across a delightful combination of bacon cheeseburger on a glazed doughnut bun with the name of “Crazy Burger.” I think it is because you have to be crazy to order such a thing. Since Phil’s two favorite foods are doughnuts and cheeseburgers, he thought, “How can you go wrong?” Well, while he continues to enjoy doughnuts and bacon cheeseburgers, he has decided the “Crazy Burger” is a once in a lifetime treat. He thinks he will eat them separate from now on.
The other day, Brennen was in the basement playing with blocks. He said, “Mommy, I built a temple!” I hope there are many more two year olds out there that know how important temples are to their families!
Brennen found these cowboy boots about a month ago. They were from a Halloween costume. He immediately put them and has rarely taken them off since. He wears them outside to play, to church, out to eat, to bed, to the swimming pool, to the store, to the kid’s tennis practice, on vacation, etc…
This is Ella’s last week of school. She sat down to do her homework tonight and then I checked it over. At first glance the worksheet looked like every worksheet she has done all year. After closer examination I noticed the directions were different. I asked Ella if she had read them. Of course she hadn’t because it was the same worksheet she has done all year. So she passed over the directions and finished the worksheet. I told her that we can relate this to our own lives. Each day may look the same to us-get up, go to school, learn, lunch, play, bedtime etc. Just because things appear to be the same, we may miss something really important if we fail to pray and ask for directions for that day.
As the boys were outside playing today, I laid on a blanket and enjoyed our beautiful backyard. When the boys came over to join me, we talked about the beautiful world Heavenly Father and Jesus have given us. We went for a walk to find other beautiful things in every color. Preston found these white flowers. I enjoyed his brown dirty hand even more! We also enjoyed the blue sky, green grass, and purple flowers.
If you know Phil, you know he’s no handyman! He avoids fixing things at all costs. He doesn’t enjoy it and it causes him stress! But, when the cabin filter on my van needed to be changed and Phil found out the cost to have it done, he put his fears aside and changed it himself. At the same time, the bulb on our TV went out too. Again, to save a few hundred dollars, he figured it out himself. I am very proud of him.
This afternoon was a little crazy. The kids were running around while I was trying to make dinner and I was stressed. Then, I noticed that I didn’t hear them. I went into the family room and this is what I saw. Isn’t it the sweetest sight a mother could see?
