Happy Mother. Happy Home.

"Every day is great if you look for the great within it."

Love that!  I need to make it my motto.

Lisa introduced me to a blog.  And I relate with her more than any other blogger I've ever read.  Really.  Everything about her makes so much sense to me.

We should be friends.

Click here if you want to see how you relate.

I just read this and the part I enlarged and bolded REALLY struck something in me:

"Want to join me? Just for one week?! I think I'm going to call it my... Happy Mother, Happy Home challenge.

My hypothesis is that my house can be just as messy, my tummy can be just as flabby, my dinners can be just as burnt or not quite finished, and IF i'm happy my husband will be happy and my whole home will be better.

Yes, a lesson I have learned hundreds of times before, and just need to remind myself.

Happy Mother = Happy Home.

just watch me SMILE this week.

ask me about my day, I'll tell you... it was GREAT!!

and really, every day IS great if you look for the great within it.

right?!"

I am a Mother

And it was very apparent yesterday.

I love my husband.  He is super helpful around here.  He cleans, changes diapers, puts kids to bed, plays with kids, fixes everything, works really hard at work and for the city and is just an all around great guy.  So this story is not about him.  It is about being a mother.

So Tuesday night I made poppy seed chicken for dinner.  One of my kids favorites.  I decided to double the recipe, knowing I'd have Jolie's kids over on Wedensday night and it would feed us both nights.

Wednesday was just one of those days.  I got very little sleep the night before.  Like 3-4 hours.  John left at 4 am to drive to Idaho with his siblings for his uncles funeral.  I woke up tired and stayed tired all day.  The kids made messes 10 x faster than I could clean up one mess.  There were 10 loads of laundry on the couch waiting to be folded and I was still washing.  The to-do list and the worries are never ending and it was very apparent.  My kids just had a day where they fought and tattled and yelled and cried.  All. Day. Long.  I was counting the minutes for bed time.  This sounds famililar, right?  It was just that kind of day.

So back to dinner.  I heated and served dinner for 9 hungry kids.  As I was filling plates I was thinking there wasn't going to be enough for me.  In the end, there was a little rice and very little chicken left.  I was happy and was looking forward to that little bit that was left.  All through this, Leah was bawling.  She was so tired so I got her fed as much as I could, made her an instant breakfast to make up for what she wouldn't eat and took her to her room to rock her and put her to bed.  She fell asleep as I was rocking and my mouth started watering as I thought about the real, homemade dinner that was left downstairs for me.

I made it down and the kitchen was clean.  I asked about the food and John said "there was only a little left, so I threw it away".  I had to hold back the tears.  

I ate the rest of the peas that hadn't got thrown out and half a peanut butter sandwich Leah didn't eat and called it good. 

Funny the way things work sometimes.  It was humorous to me and I had to make myself not think about that one little thing I was looking forward to after a long day.

The kids played until 10:00 then we put on a movie.  John watched with the kids.  I continued washing clothes (last load is in the washer as I type.  Last?  Ha!!)  and folded all ten loads waiting for me.  The kids were sent to bed at midnight with their piles of clothes in hand.  I think the last two boys fell asleep at 1:00 and I was lucky enough to get everyone to sleep in until 9:00 today.  It's been a quiet day.  I've made my "list" so I can start packing for vacation and I've been taking care of odds and ends.  There has been no fighting and no video games.  It's been lovely. 

And I love being a mother!

I've changed my mind.  This story is about my husband.  As I read back through this, the one thing that stood out the most was:

THE KITCHEN WAS CLEAN.

And that makes me, one lucky wife.

I'm Thankful Today

I spent the day with my favorite people! Friday the 13th.
Fact: I turned 13 on Friday the 13th.

Today I'm thankful for many things. 
I woke up with a lot of thoughts.
John's Uncle Dennis passed away.  That's where it started.

1.  I am thankful for great in-laws.   I would love to name them all because they are so dear to me.  I feel very lucky and blessed.  (Okay fine.......karey, travis, richard, kara, nairn, maria, (bruce), robert, teresa, lori, scott, lisa, john r., leslie, (aaron), spencer, kristi, mark, suzanne, and of course the greatest mother in law and father in law anyone could ask for).  They along with my own side of the family are my best friends!  (as well as many nieces and nephews that are great examples to me).  All my family teaches me many ways to LOVE.
2.  I have asked my Heavenly Father for 16 years what he saw in me to give me the husband he did.  I've never felt worthy of such a man.
3.  17 years ago today, John was diagnosed and cured of cancer.  I worry about my kids often and try not to fear.
4.  16 years ago today, my best friend asked me to marry him.
5.  35 years ago today, I was born and my dad said "she's beautiful".  Thanks for that remembrance mom.
6.  I have six BEAUTIFUL children.  I'm learning every day to love them more and enjoy them more.
7.  I'm thankful I can try over and over and over again to get it right.  It will work one day, right?!
8.  I called my grandma Jamison today.  She is 94 years old.  I am thankful for her wit!  She is funny and fun and I adore her.  And I miss her.
9.  I'm thankful I have my grandma Kimball and I will call her next.  She is beautiful and has always written the most beautiful cards and letters to me (and everyone she loves).
10. I am thankful for two grandpas.  Grandpa Kimball's first words when we saw or talked to him were, "I love you".  I am thankful they were good to Ryan and wish he had them a lot longer than he did.
11. I am thankful for my dad.  He got confused with life but it didn't change his heart.  He was always a good man.
12. So far today I've sung happy birthday to myself every time my kids fight to help remind them to think beyond themselves.  So what am I thankful for?  That I haven't lost it even though it would be easy to.
13. I am thankful for my mom who jumps in to help at any moment it is needed.  She is happy and fun and a great example to me.  She loves people and is so kind hearted.  She comes from good parents and has great siblings who all show Christlike love to all.  A WONDERFUL example.
14. I am thankful that I learned that Jolie sweats in the same spot I do and we just discovered that Emily does too! Why be thankful?  Because I think it's funny.
15. I am also thankful that I found out that Jolie and my mom both cry at the little things.  Fireworks, baptisms, patriotism, weddings, funerals, the overwhelming feeling of a beautiful life by seeing or hearing about the simplicity of anything.  My mom said we take after Grandpa Kimball and that makes me cry too.  He was such a sweet and tender man.
16. Grandma Kake.  My dad's wife.  She stood by his side for a lot of hard years and I wish her many years of a wonderful life ahead.
17. Jolie.  She saves me over and over and over.  I can call at the last second and she appears and makes everything better.  Thank you!
18. Ryan.  Who found his testimony and love of the gospel and Savior and is unwavering.  Keep it up Ry.  I am thankful for his example.  And he always calls me on my birthday.  Thank you!  I love you Ryan.  ;)
19. Sean and Laura for being great spouses to my brother and sister and I am so thankful for them and their children whom I ADORE.  How thankful I am for good family.  Including my aunts and uncles and cousins.  I love to spend time with them.
20. John's parents serving a mission.  Again.  It hasn't been easy for them or any of us.  But we are thankful for their example and love.
21. I am thankful for the temple.  I LOVE the temple.  I love the peace in the temple and the knowledge that when I come out of the temple, I will be armored to battle life again.  It happens every time.  Then that armor wears off and it's time to go back and get fit again.
22. I am thankful for the pass of all passes because today I can take my kids to Seven Peaks to celebrate my birthday without having to pay a penny!
23. I am thankful for my 2 year old, Leah, who came into my life at just the right time.  We waited for many years for her and I KNOW Heavenly Father saved her for just the right time.  14 years ago, He made me aware that she was going to be part of our family.  I am thankful for that so I knew to keep going and not miss out on the blessing she is to me and our family.
24. Speaking of, I am thankful for the MANY tender mercies.  Daily.  From a loving Heavenly Father who knows much better than I do what I need in my life.  If I could, I'd take some of those things out but I know there is purpose in molding me to who He wants me to be.
25. I am thankful for a sweet primary class of 6 and 7 year olds.  I love them. 
26. I am thankful for all of the callings I've been given through the years.  2 times Relief Society presidency, 2 times Young Women Presidency, Wolf scouts, Primary chorister, nursery leader, sunbeam teacher and primary teacher.  It think that may be it.  Oh, there was a short stint being Relief Society chorister.  I seem to not catch on until I am released.  Weird that it works that way but I learn each time and will hopefully be better the next time around.
27. I'm thankful that Emily just got home from camp and had a great time.  I'm thankful to hear all about it and a little bit wish I was there with her and all the cute young women all week.  (I keep feeling my heart being tugged to the young women :)
28. I'm thankful that little John got himself a job and has made a HUGE LEAP in responsibility this summer.  It has been amazing to see.  He faithfully reads his scriptures and is an all around good young man.
29. I am thankful for my home.  I love it.  There are a lot of little projects I'd love to do to my home but I'm thankful I'm content and love it the way it is.
30. I am thankful for good neighbors.  We have been blessed with a good village to help raise our children.  :) 
31. I'm thankful for a beautiful field behind our home.  We love to watch the farmer bale his hay and work in the garden.  I hope it stays this way for many more years.
32. I'm thankful for many, many, many GOOD memories of my life growing up.  I am trying to remember and recognize all of the good things in my life in the past and present.
33. I am thankful John has a good job that supports our family.
34. I am thankful for the cabin.  we LOVE the cabin and would love to spend our entire summers there if we could.  I am thankful for great grandparents who made it happen and for grandparents that have kept it standing so we have a place to go vacation.
35. I am thankful for another birthday!  Jack has reminded me many times that I am half way to 70.  I'm okay with that.  I'm looking forward to another 35 + surrounded with all the people I love.  I'm thankful for the KNOWLEDGE of life.  Why we are here.  Where we are going.  My purpose as a daughter of a King (which I'm still learning).  I have good family.  I'm thankful for the good friends they are to me and I hope I will be better at being a good friend and example to my friends and family and neighbors.  I love life!  The good and the bad.  I know there is purpose to the good and purpose to the bad and the hard.  I hope I keep being willing to learn (always learning and falling and learning) so my life will end up with what Heavenly Father has prepared for me.

And one to grow on because I named three of my children.  Here are the other three....Thomas, Jack, and Sam who keep me laughing and busy and can play and play and play and talk and talk and talk about anything and everything from the minute they are up to the minute they go to sleep.  Sometimes I go crazy.  Usually I laugh.