My dad has always loved nature hikes. Some of my favorite childhood memories involve hiking. Dad almost always takes a hiking stick that he uses to point out different trees, plants, and animals. I’m glad he’s passing that love on to his grandchildren. (Brennen)
My mom has always loved music. She got that love from her mother. I have many fond memories of both my grandma and my mom singing and playing the piano. I’m glad she’s sharing that love with her grandchildren. (Ella)
Sometimes my days are really long and really hard! But, I have been thinking a lot lately about how grateful I am that I don’t have to work and I am able to stay home with my children. This week Ella signed me up to bring over four dozen rolls in to her class for their Thanksgiving feast. The night before I had to make them, I was so tempted to run to the store and purchase them. It would be so much faster and easier! I thought about how that would disappoint Ella. She loves my homemade rolls and that is what she was hoping from me. I thought about how there is nothing more important that I could do with my time than making my daughter happy. I made the rolls because I am blessed to be able to stay home and make rolls. That is something I could do for her so why would I not do it? I knew it would make her happy and that is what makes me happy.
There are things in my kids lives that I don’t have to miss. There are times that they need me and I get to be there for them. I get to take my kids to school every day so they don’t have to ride the bus two hours a day. On picture day last month as it was pouring rain, I got to walk them to the door one by one under my umbrella. I got to take Ella to school one morning only to come home and find that she had left her homework folder along with two days worth of homework on the counter. I got to go back to the school and take it to her so she didn’t have to go to study room during recess. I get to see the pure joy in Brennen’s eyes as he says goodbye to his preschool class everyday when I pick him up. I get to snuggle with my baby Griffin every day. I got to help with Preston’s fall party and see how my shy son raised his hand to answer a question which I know takes much courage for him. I got to make over four dozen homemade rolls for Ella’s class.
For those reasons and many many more, I am grateful!
“Hands” are the theme for the photo challenge this week at “iheartfaces.” As I looked back through some of my photos I realized that I love taking pictures of hands. They can tell a story all by themselves. I had to pick the photo of Preston’s dirty hands handing me flowers from last summer as my entry. I loved the flowers but I loved his dirty little hands even better! Here are a few of my other favorites.
And I simply couldn’t resist this photo-it’s Mr. Potato Head’s hand holding Ella’s tooth so the tooth fairy can find it!
Ella: “Skinny jeans don’t really make you skinny, they’re actually just tight.”
Me: “Darn, I just bought some today. I was hoping for a miracle!”
Ella’s Nana Ceci took her school clothes shopping. She had so much fun picking out clothes, two pairs of boots, and skinny jeans!
Ella’s class planted flowers for their moms for Mother’s day. Ella is allergic to flowers so her teacher let her go to the office where they were giving away free vegetable seeds so she could pick out something for me. She looked through and decided on squash because she knew I liked it. So, while everyone else planted flowers, she planted squash. She brought me the squash plant today and it made me laugh. I told her that I was sure I was the only mom who got a squash plant for Mother’s Day! I loved it.
Ella was baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints today. I can’t believe she is already eight years old. It was a special day for her. We were thankful to have so many of our friends and family there.
Ella did her math homework tonight. The directions said to “show your work.” So, she drew a picture of her finger for each problem to show that she counted on her fingers to figure out the answers!!!