Thoughts

I've been thinking a lot lately about life and why we're here and what we're supposed to do while we're here.  I find it so interesting to learn about ways to be better, to have more faith, to keep plugging away at living in a way I can be happy with.  Reading my scriptures and other books has helped me learn and grow; not just spiritually, but in other ways as well.  I find that my spiritual growth directly relates to every other aspect of my life.  When I am spiritually fed for the day (after saying my prayers and reading my scriptures) I notice a peace and ease about the day that isn't there on days I don't do those things I know I should.  It helps me be a better wife, a better mother, and in general a better person.  (I still haven't figured out how to be a better housekeeper ... eventually maybe) 

I guess I just feel grateful that the plan here on earth involves free agency and I get to choose what happens in MY life.  I get to choose whether I listen to the Lord and obey His commandments.  I get to be the one to control my own future.

I have such strong convictions on what I believe to be true, that I want everyone to know.  I wish everyone could feel the way I feel.  I believe that we are put on this earth for a reason.  I'm thankful to know the reason I'm here, and to be living in a way that makes me feel happy about my future.

I really hope I can teach my children to find equal happiness in their lives.  Part of why I'm here, I believe is to be a mother to these kids ... and I hope I'm doing everything I can to be all that they need.  They are so amazing and wonderful!  Sometimes it's the hardest thing I've ever done (many days a week it feels that way actually) but I always know it's the most important thing I could be doing.  More important than any outside job I could have.  I am so thankful I'm able to do what I do.

Anyway ... life is good.  It's not always easy, but the hard times help us learn and grow.  I guess that's what it's all about right?  Learning and growing and becoming more.

The Fair! The Fair! The Science Fair!

Brielle finished her science fair project this week and we went to the science fair last night.  There were a lot of great ideas.  Brielle's experiment was called "flower power."  She wanted to see if she put 3 different types of flowers in dyed water (white flowers ... daisies, tulips, and carnations) if they would turn the color of the water at the same rate. 

The experiment worked great ... she had fun ... and it went well.  We did her display, and she practiced her oral report. 

Last night we walked around and saw all of the projects.  There were some ok ones.  There some really creative ones (I loved the project that took red cabbage, turnips, and radishes and cooked them to a liquid and then dyed cloth in them to see which produced the darkest dye) ... Brielle's looked great.

When the time came for the announcing of the winners, they announced 1st place for Kindergarten/1st grade, 1st place for 2nd/3rd, and then for the 4th/5th catergory they announced "Brielle Beecher, 1st place!"  She was surprised and excited.  She couldn't believe it.  It was fun to watch her face.

I was happy she did such a good job and it was a good experience for her.

Push-up Crawling?

I haven't had a baby crawl the way Quinn does.  He kind of does a push-up, and then inches forward somehow.  It's pretty funny to watch.  He actually gets up on his toes and pushes his whole body up.

Have you seen this kind of crawling before?

What Do You Do For Fun?

Eclipse Anyone?

I'm excited.  Look here!!

Preschool Class Picture

Tessa has been in Preschool since January.  She has liked it ... it's everyday in the afternoon for 2 1/2 hours.  It has been nice for her to socialize; most of the kids in there are 5 already, she's the youngest one (doesn't turn 5 until mid August), but she keeps up with them and has even started learning to read.  I think it's nice for her to be doing this so she's ready for Kindergarten in the fall ... she'll be going everyday all day.  HUGE adjustment.  (she's on the bottom row 3rd from the right) 

The Temperature's Rising

Quinn has had a fever.  Monday night it was around 101.  Last night it got up to 103.7!  He was SO hot.  Poor kid.  He couldn't sleep, kept tossing and turning.  At 3:30 I finally just got up and walked around with him until he fell asleep (an hour) ... then I tried to lay him down ... it was a no go.  So I just sat up in bed with a pillow behind my head so he could sleep.  It wasn't comfortable. 

This morning I called the dr. and took him in.  He does not have an ear infection, which I thought was most likely.  He did, however, have a really red throat.  The dr. swabbed it and came back in and said it was negative for a bacterial infection ... so it's some sort of virus.  There's nothing to do about it but try to keep him comfortable.  (too bad I wasted a $30 copay to hear nothing)  On the bright side, no prescription to buy.

I guess I'll just be having a couple days of holding him constantly.  It seems to be the only way he won't cry.  (I'll get a lot of reading done! shhh ... don't tell.)

Hopefully he feels better quickly.  Sick babies make me sad.

We've Been Living

That's why I haven't been blogging too much.  We've just been busy.

• Friday was yard work day ... the weather was great and we (by "we" I mean mostly Matt) got a ton done.  Matt found a frog in the front yard which the girls all "oohed" and "aahed" over.
• Saturday is my clean/do laundry/grocery shop/cook/get singing time ready for Sunday, day.  It goes so quickly and we never get as much done as we would like to.
• We had Thanksgiving dinner on Saturday ... which is a lot of work to prepare, and more work to clean up .... but it tasted really good.  And Saturday was a stormy rainy day, so it was a fitting meal for that kind of day.
• Sunday morning we get up and just get ready for church.  It seems to take us all morning.  I had my choir performance to direct yesterday ... I was kind of nervous.  We never get many people at practice (actually sometimes it is 2 ... yesterday we had 7 which was a lot!) so I was slightly concerned about a choir performance.  I ended up having the bishop announce it as an "instant choir" ... anyone who loves to and wants to sing can come up when it's time, and we will just do a regular hymn.  I wasn't sure if I would be the only one up there, but when it came time many people came up ... we probably had 20 people, and they sounded really great!  I was impressed and pleased with the way it turned out.  I'm not sure how choir practice fits in with instant choir, but I will figure that out at a later date.
• The girls are busy with school and life.  Brielle has a science fair coming up ... I'll post about that at a later date.   Linzi is working on a school music program for May, and has a fieldtrip this week.  Tessa is starting to learn to read in preschool.  She's asking how to spell everything so she can practice writing.  Kate is wishing she could be older ... she wants to read and write and go to school, but she's only 3.  Poor girl.  She does love playing with Quinn though.  Quinn is now crawling all over the place ... I have to keep the family room floor so clean, and check it often ... the girls don't really realize that he will pick up the tiniest thing and put it in his mouth.  He's also eating food.  He refuses to eat baby food, so I just feed him whatever we're eating for our meal.  Last night he had biscuit and ham (he can't eat eggs yet ... he got hives last time I tried, so we're waiting until he's 1) ... Saturday he ate turkey and mashed potatoes and stuffing ... he does SO well with regular food.  I just make it really tiny ... and he even loves to drink water.  It's so cute.

Anyway ... that's what we've been doing ... we're just plugging along.  I somehow manage to read little bits here and there while I'm nursing Quinn ... I wish I had more time to read.  I have been faithfully doing FHE every Monday, and we are not watching TV during the week ... with school and homework there's not much leftover time anyway.  I have noticed a difference in the peacefulness of our home without TV ... it's nicer.

(if you got through all of that you deserve a gold star ... sorry it's so long ... I'm basically using this as a family journal)

My Heavenly Father Loves Me

This morning I woke up before all the girls, and Quinn let me get out of bed without waking up ... both of which was a slight miracle.  I opened all the curtains and it looked cloudy and slightly rainy.  I sat on the couch and said a morning prayer and then started to read in my scriptures where I had left off.  I came to a verse about the love of God.  I looked out the window and the clouds parted and the sun brightened the room ... it got brighter and brighter until it was hard to look at.  It was like I could see the sun coming through all of the dark coulds.  I know it seems cheesy, but at that moment I KNEW that God loves me and knows me individually.  It was like a little moment that HE was telling ME that He knows me, sees what I am doing and is pleased.  I haven't seen the sun again today ... it's raining, but that little moment this morning left me feeling happy and "full."

If only every morning could be equally inspirational.

Q Can Crawl

he's so cute!!

Today is a National Holiday

Seriously.  Today is National No Housework Day.  I for one wouldn't want to ruin the holiday.  So I plan to STOP ANY HOUSEWORK I have been doing (I've been working on the kitchen all morning) and do something fun.  Anyone up for reading perchance?

Come on, do it with me.  Celebrate this awesome holiday!!

No Housework Day

When : Always April 7th


No Housework Day is your chance to do anything, except housework. Better still, have someone else do the chores for a day. Housework is a daily, seemingly endless and repetitive groups of tasks. It often goes unrecognized and worst of all..... taken for granted. But, watch out! If the dishes aren't done, or there's no clean towels, somebody takes note.


There's two ways to celebrate this day:
If you normally do the housework around the house, cease and desist for this day. Instead, kick back and enjoy the day. Relax and do anything, except housework.
If you are a spouse or significant other, do the housework for your mate. It gives her (or him) a break from the housework. And, you just might get an appreciation of how much work it takes to keep up the house.
--------------------------------------------------
Origin of No Housework Day:
Our research did not uncover a particular person who started this day, or when it was first celebrated.
We're pretty sure it originated by someone who was a wee bit tired of doing the daily chores, and just needed a day off. Most likely, they threw up their hands and said something like "That's it! I'm taking a day off from all of this work".
Whoever the genius was who first created this day, we salute you!

He Does Have Hair

It looks crazy and sticks up in the middle of his head in the morning. 

Most of the time it's too light to see though.

Easter Goodness

The Easter Bunny told me that next year and each year afterward, he plans on coming Easter Eve morning, so we can keep our Sunday morning special, and not about candy.

This year, however he came Sunday morning.  (*wink wink*)  The girls each got a little "basket" and then hunt around for a couple other little things and some eggs.  They had fun I think.  And they liked the things that were brought.  (some candy, books, coloring books, pencils, erasers, sidewalk chalk and toothbrushes)

We had a nice breakfast after our Easter fun.  It was a good morning.

Easter

I really enjoyed my Easter Sunday.  It was nice getting to stay home and watch General Conference on tv.  I love listening to the talks by the prophet and general authorities.

With all the girls, it's a little hard to get to actually sit and listen with reverence and quiet, but we did hear a lot of it.  I especially noticed how much they talked about protecting our homes and our families.  (at least that is what stood out to me)  I know that it's so important to protect our children from the wickedness in the world.  It's really a BIG job though.  Even the commercials we see on tv during "appropriate" shows are sometimes sending the wrong messages to our kids.  I appreciate being reminded, by the speakers Sunday and Saturday, that we need to stay diligent in our efforts to keep our children clean and pure.  I have been thinking about this a lot lately, and the talks I heard just solidified to me how important it is, and how much more I could be doing.

Anyway ... it's nice to feel spiritually fed.  And then we actually were physically fed a nice meal with good family afterward.  (Matt and I did ham, deviled eggs, and cheesy potatoes ... Matt's parents brought rolls and angel food cake, my mom and George brought a yummy spinach salad and green beans ... and then I made a chocolate dessert.  It was delicious!!)

Hope you had an equally satisfying Resurrection day!!

Why?

*Deep breath*

*DEEP BREATH*

That's all.

(I'm wearing my angry eyebrows again. *sigh*)