Regarding Boys: Dirt and White Shirts

Recently I had the chance to meet a blogging friend of mine in person, Kara from The Joys of Boys. You can imagine why we connected, eh? :) During that time, she mentioned that she started her blog because every time she told people she had all boys, there followed a negative connotation.

The point struck me- because it's so true! When I tell people I have four boys, it's pretty well always a defensive or cool comment in response.

Why is that? It must be the dirty, noisy and smelly labels that seem to be attached to the male species by nature? Maybe the masculinity of boys? Thank heaven for it, don't get me wrong... but it does mean more roughness, thoughtlessness, crassness...

At least, I guess it does....

See, today I had the chance to hear a really beautiful piano solo from a young man in our Stake. I just closed my eyes and tried to absorb it... Does music feed your soul the way it does mine? I daresay there is nothing that touches me more, motivates me better. I wondered briefly in that moment why I don't have more of it in my life... music, that is. The good kind that lifts me like that piano solo did.

source

Anyhow... it was a young man playing that piano. And he was in a white shirt and tie and suit. And I pointed out to Cooper that it was a guy making that music. He leaned into me a bit :)

Tonight I happened upon this video... don't worry, you don't have to watch it all, just a bit and you'll probably know what I'm about to say next...

... that there need be no negative assumption when I say I have all boys. Do you watch any part of this and think "Oh, wow, ALL boys," with any sort of hesitancy or negativity? Didn't think so.

Boys are wild and crazy, dirty and smelly, loud and obnoxious. They wrestle a lot. They don't sit still or stay quiet very well. They don't usually understand when enough is enough. Their excitement and joy are manifest in way that can be overbearing and frustrating. 

But they are strong and good, desirous and hopeful, energetic and willing. Their roughness doesn't mean that they mean to be mean. They mean to be happy and funny and someone you can approve of.

source 

The young men in this video, at that piano, and my own sitting around me, are worthy of my pride. My heart just wants to burst at how awesome our young men are. I want to be a good enough Mom that it's my own son I'm listening to or watching and soaking in (whatever it may be they choose to be doing). :) 

As a parting shot, this video includes the song in the piano solo I heard yesterday... and showcases even more awesome young men in white shirts ;) Enjoy!

Assessing 30

Remember this post at the beginning of the year

where I had picked 30 things to try and accomplish

before I turned 30 this Fall?

Well, in just one more week- my twenties are a thing of the past...

I've been thinking for awhile now about

just how I've done crossing off my checklist of

30 rather simple tasks. Nine months- no sweat right?

 1. Sleep through a night

 2. Go on an overnight getaway with Stephen (see #1)  Well, kinda at least
 3. Sew curtains for the front room
 4. Sew a backpack for Coop, a skirt, an apron...Just sew more!
 5. Become coupon savvy I don't always take the time to coupon well, but at least I know how to do it now!
 6. Start and grow a design business on the side
 7. Make and store strawberry freezer jam
 8. Get a new family photo taken
 9. Fill a ward temple assignment
10. Plant a garden Didn't get to do the harvesting, but at least I did the planting!
11. Get new carpet! (this ones a stretch...)
12. Make carrot cake from scratch
13. Ride with Cooper on his own bike to the park
14. Host a backyard BBQ
15. Master homemade whole wheat bread
16. Pay for the person behind me in a drive-thru
17. Particpate in Time Out for Women Crossing this one off because my sisters, Mom and I are headed to Logan in just another couple weeks!
18. Take family photos for someone else
19. Go to a hockey game
20. Watch fireworks

All in all, I checked 19 of 30 off the list...

Strawberry jam? Not while I'm also trying to move!

And while my design venture was a great hope, it wasn't a great reality.

I did take on newspaper correspondence for a time, so that was a fun sideline instead.

And a hockey game? Why was that  important enough to add? Not sure now actually!

Curtains? Nope... probably a good thing in the long run!

The bottom line?

I guess it's just that there will always be

 "30 Things" type of lists in my life. There will, for better or worse,

always be those hopes that don't get crossed off or 

those earmarks that I look back on and

realize weren't important anyway. 

I think that what I'd be most satisfied with

isn't making and checking off lists,

but being sincerely ok with lists left incomplete.

Does that make sense?

In my next 30 years,

I hope I'll be able to figure our how to be satisfied

both with what does and doesn't get accomplished.

Later on I'll post a few more of my thoughts for those next 30 years too!

Meaningful Monday: Self-Portrait

So I recently came across an intriguing Photography Challenge that was just about to start at a blog called A Step in the Journey. I'm with her, I could use some decent practice with my camera. I have a Cannon Rebel XT and have had for 2 1/2 years, but I'm still using auto mode most all the time! Just before I came across the Challenge I had spent our weekend road trip to and from Hazelton flipping through the owner's manual!

Anyhow, so I thought I'd jump in on this challenge. I'm really interested in getting better at taking photos, not just editing them in Photoshop afterwards.

So this first week the assignment was to take a self-portrait.

Ugg... I dislike self-portraits. A photo of just me is, well,

just NOT me.

But I wanted to do it just so I didn't flake out from the start...

Not too hard to get it that setting the timer just wasn't gonna work... not too sad about that either. Again, I'm more me with them anyways :)

Watching them play as I sit on the back steps holding the camera out. This is my real smile :). Them hollering out for me to come swing them and me giving in (after setting the timer with camera on the picnic table).

One thing I'd really like to learn is taking photos in the

awesome soft light of summer dusk,

that sliver of time before it's too late for photos at all...

So just as we walked in the back door, I held the camera out again.

Yep, I'm looking at them. And they're looking at me.

Motherhood Rocks.

Self-Portraits? Not so much :)

But I'd say these one are as me as a self-portrait might get.

Thanks for a good learning opportunity, Laura Beth!

And Happy August all! 

A New Goal

I get tired of seeing things in my life that need improved

and not actually doing anything about it.

I'm not the only one that gets stuck in the status quo am I?

Anyhow, I decided after we moved

that I would pick one thing and

really work on getting better in that area.

Confession: I've not ever been very consistent

in having Family Home Evening.

And there are so many great promises for families if they are!

I want my boys to be good because they want to be.

I want to be a better Mom in really bringing spiritual things into their lives.

And I feel strongly that Family Home Evening will help with those desires.

So, my big goal lately has been to have FHE!

It's been fun thinking about things to do- there are so many great ideas out there! When Taron and Keaton were with us a couple weeks ago, our FHE was about Speaking Kindly. ALL of us, Stephen and I included, need help with this sometimes!

I liked this fun idea I found HERE... 

We put rocks in each others cups when we heard unkind words and candies for kind words. We talked about how we feel when we're spoken to each different way. I think the boys responded well to this... it didn't last as long as I might've liked, but hopefully a lesson was learned anyway.

Then this last week, we took some treats around to our new neighbors. I had seen this printable and thought it was a fun, easy idea that would work well. Designed my own tag just because ;). We talked about loving our neighbors and how we have new neighbors here, then the boys helped put the popsicle packages together and off we went! This one took longer than I anticipated (should've known)! We ended up walking home in the dark with some tired little dudes, but we had some nice conversations with our neighbors!

This week... who knows. Other than the fact that it will be happening! I know that as we travel this summer it will be somewhat hit and miss, but I'm excited about doing our best to bring the blessings of Family Home Evening into our lives!

Meaningful Monday: Trust

Stephen asked me a few days ago if I was still doing my Monday posts and I realized it's been awhile since I've taken time to share something that has been meaningful, outside of our everyday goings on...

One thing about moving into a new ward that's just about inevitable is being asked to speak in sacrament meeting! And last Sunday Stephen and I were no exception! Our topic was from Proverbs 3:5, "Trust in the Lord with all thy heart." I really enjoyed thinking about thistopic and preparing for the talk- it was really fitting for our life right now. Thought I'd share some bits and pieces....

When Lehi received direction from the Lord to wake up, pack up and go, how was it that he was literally able to do it? To wake his family, load what they could and head into the middle of nowhere!

When the Lord said He would shock his brothers, why did Nephi literally stretch forth his hand?

What moved the Brother of Jared to actually lay stones across the ground?

How was Moroni able to dig a hole, place his life’s work, his father’s life’s work, these plates that had come at such a price, into the ground and cover them back over with earth, then walk away?

How were the disciples able to take those first steps to carry essentially empty baskets through a massive crowd of hungry people?

What made Peter actually straddle the side of the boat to walk across the water to meet Jesus?

What answers came to mind?

I thought it was because these men were familiar with the Savior,

comfortable with His voice and requests,

confident in the outcome of obedience.

And is there also possibly a tinge of desperation involved in trust?

The woman reaching out to touch Christ's robe,

knowing very little about this Miracle Worker, and having literally nowhere else to turn?

Jarius, a synagogue leader, asking Jesus to come heal his own daughter?

The 2,000 Stripling Warriors

knowing that God would fortify them,

but also knowing that if they didn’t step forward,

their people would again face massive destruction?

And how do we get to where we feel that we could do the same as the people in these examples? How do we become familiar, confident, comfortable with our Savior?

From President Uchtdorf:

“Have faith. Seek, and you will find.

Knock, and the door will be opened.Serve the Lord by serving others.

Become an active participant in your ward or branch.

Strengthen your family by committing to live the principles of the gospel.

Be of one heart and of one mind in your marriage and in your family.Now is the time to adjust your lives to be able to have a temple recommend and use it.

Now is the time to have meaningful family home evenings,

to read the word of God, and to speak to our Heavenly Father in earnest prayer.

Now is the time to fill our hearts with gratitude for the Restoration of His Church,

for living prophets, the Book of Mormon, and the priesthood power that blesses our lives.

Now is the time to embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ,

become His disciples, and walk in His way.”

Hear all those basic answers in there? :)

I am SO grateful for the chances I have to learn to trust Him more and more and for the Atonement that makes it so that the times we falter because we don't, can be forgiven!

SEVEN years and more...

SEVEN years ago yesterday, I wore a cascading, perfect white dress.

There were purple flowers and ribbon and vests and ties.

There was a continual stream of  supportive people that meant a lot to us.

There was an elk across the back mountain that captivated the groomsmen.

There were two adorable little boys chasing each other around the grass.

July 10 marks our anniversary! (of course) :)

This year my parents offered to have Ry and Coop at their house for Friday night and Saturday while we celebrated! It was Ryder's first time with them alone overnight and I was so relieved he did great. We spent the day at an archery shoot above Ririe and had a great time! We totally enjoyed being in the mountains and just being together.

Thanks Stephen for making my life begin seven years ago and being my very favorite person to be with!

 I love you!

In other news today...
I am kicking off a fun week of giveaways for my blogging friend Ginger over at Ginger Snap Crafts!

While Ginger is on vacation with her family, she's scheduled two giveaways each day this week! You can find a simple mix of handmade goodies from me up for grabs this morning! 

Catch-up: Fruit Bars and Sewing

Thought I'd post a few pics that have been sitting in my folder waiting to be posted for awhile now... I have lots of cute recent stuff but don't have the time to upload and edit right now!

Don't those fruit bars look delish?!? They're our very favorite right now. I'm excited to try some homemade versions once our life gets settled back down, but for now, this box at Costco is awesome!

You think the boys and their cute friend Stella are satisfied? :) And, no, I didn't braid her hair while she was over. ;)  So fun taking pics of kids and popsicles! Love these ones of the boys below...

Also thought I'd share the cute little sunglasses case I whipped up not too long ago- I love the ruffles on this and knew as soon as I saw it at Positively Splendid it was something I wanted to sew! It's actually the first thing I've sewn with a lining and I learned a lot doing it, simple as it may be! Obviously, it's not perfect, but cute nonetheless! 

I'd like to do a few more of these to improve enough to maybe sew myself a purse! I wasn't too happy with the combination of fabrics I used either- oh well, it's been very useful at any rate!

Meaningful Monday: Goodness and Change

Yet again, Monday is over, but here I go :) First a few meaningful things that have made me smile lately...

I love a rainbow of colors together! I've wanted to do something with paint chips for awhile now and finally whipped out a fun little stacked bunting for my living room shelf. I framed three free printables that I found here and am so happy with this shelf right now!

These two fun pics of my boys together... pure goodness. :) Coop reading to Ry and them eating apple slices inside a living room fort....... love love love. And with two little boys, sometimes this is what you get when you  go to take the last sip of your drink...

... a plastic frog and a smile :)

And the most meaningful thing going on around here right now...

... the views around our house are about to look more like this. Before this month is over, we'll be packing up our life here in south central Idaho and moving east. Closer to Taron and Keaton, closer to both of our extended families, closer to the more productive hub of our business, closer to real mountains, closer to where we've known we wanted to be. A fresh start and a new ability to grow.

This weekend we found a house that we are really excited about in the Groveland area of Blackfoot. It sits at the end of a dead end street and will be great for the boys and their bikes. It's very near both the elementary school and the church. It has large trees and a fun yard. It felt right.

Soooo... bring on the boxes and the antibacterial wipes. (I think I'll let that shelf above be one of the last things that gets packed!) It goes without saying I may be around less over these next few weeks :)

Meaningful Monday: Ordinary People

I realize Monday is all but over, but thought I'd carry on with this post anyway! I actually had in mind to share this Conference talk from Elder D. Todd Christofferson. Stephen had to listen to it multiple times for his Elder's Quorum lesson yesterday and there were several parts that struck me.



As I was searching for the article, I clicked through to Elder Bednar's (my favorite!)  recent address at Women's Conference and was struck, again, by this quote below. So here's a few different colors of a quick word art that hopefully will strike you too. :) Click, then right click and copy, then paste into Word to print 4 x 6 for a frame if you like! :)

Meaningful Monday: Practice

We've all heard how many times that "Practice Makes Perfect." I've been thinking a bit about the things that we can't exactly practice at in life.Or maybe better said, things that once we've got the practice in, it's too late. Like, these two for example...

Anyone else thinking parenting falls into this category? I had these great thoughts that my boys would turn out like my brother. Conner is just, well... rare. Amazing. I thought my kids would feel toward me the way I feel toward my own parents. Respectful, aware, awed. I cared so much about my parents approval as a kid, and still as an adult really. That was the reason for a lot of the decisions I made. 

But ya know what, I don't think my boys have that. Cooper thinks we're equals- that he can tell me the way it is just as much as (or more even) I tell him. He has no problem ignoring me before I'm even finished making a request. And Ryder, well he's still so young, but he doesn't seem to care too much about what I say either.

 I don't think I had the delusion that my kids would be perfect, I guess I just thought it would be... well, more natural or something. I realize I'm so new to parenting, but it kinda strikes me that it's not one of those things that practice can actually perfect. Certainly improve, but not perfect.

I guess I'm just thinking that I can see I'm stumbling as a mother in lots of ways right now. I hope it passes to a degree, that it's just their ages or their age difference or whatever else. I hope they do actually care enough that I affect their choices someday. Like any Mom, I just want the best for them. Want them to want the best for themselves.

How do you ever feel like that best is... well... you?

Another thing probably best not to practice: catching bees! This is sting number two in two days! Yes, indeed, Mom's warnings to catch other bugs instead went in one ear and out the other...



PS. Find my article in today's Times News about a benefit cookout in honor of a local injured Police Officer by clicking HERE!  Probably my fav story I've covered so far. :)

Meaningful Monday: Don't Blink

One thing being a correspondent for our area newspaper, the Times News, gives me (beyond just the chance to write), is also the chance to have a moment of time to myself when gathering for a story. Last week I was on the way home from an event I covered and heard the song "Don't Blink" by Kenny Chesney on the radio. Usually the radio is OFF when I'm driving cuz I don't want the extra noise, but in that moment I had the chance to actually hear the music and absorb the lyrics.


This isn't a new song or my favorite artist or anything like that, but I thought the lyrics were, well, meaningful...

I turned on the evening news

Saw a old man being interviewed

Turning a hundred and two today

Asked him what's the secret to life

He looked up from his old pipe

Laughed and said "All I can say is."

Don't Blink

Just like that you're six years old

and you take a nap and you

Wake up and you're twenty-five and

your high school sweetheart becomes your wife

Don't Blink

You just might miss

your babies growing like mine did

Turning into moms and dads

next thing you know your "better half"

Of fifty years is there in bed

And you're praying God takes you instead

Trust me friend

a hundred years goes faster than you think

So don't blink

I was glued to my tv

when it looked like he looked at me and said

"Best start putting first things first."

Cause when your hourglass runs out of sand

You can't flip it over and start again

Take every breath God gives you

for what it's worth

Don't Blink

Just like that you're six years old

and you take a nap and you

Wake up and you're twenty-five and

your high school sweetheart becomes your wife

Don't Blink

You just might miss

your babies growing like mine did

Turning into moms and dads

next thing you know your "better half"

Of fifty years is there in bed

And you're praying God takes you instead

Trust me friend

a hundred years goes faster than you think

So don't blink

So I've been tryin' ta slow it down

I've been tryin' ta take it in

In this here today,

gone tomorrow

world we're livin' in

So am I "blinking" too much as a Mom? Is there any possible way when they are grown that I won't feel like the answer is yes? I just hope I'm doing the same... taking it in. Hope you are too, whatever "it" is! :)  If you haven't heard these lyrics in awhile, hope you'll watch the video- hearing it is, of course, lots better than just reading!

P.S. These pics are from a warm day we had last week that Cooper called "The Hottest Day Ever!"