It's a Pajamas day

So, we really had no major plans for the weekend. You know, just the usual...I still had to go to work on Saturday morning. The Chief was going to take McKay and Noah to Brighton Ski Resort for their first ski/snowboard lesson. And then church on Sunday morning. But things have a way of changing quickly when someone gets sick.

Friday night, McKay went to bed on his own before 8. I went down to check on him and he told me he had a headache and sore throat. I started to worry. By Saturday morning, he reported that it was so painful to swallow, and now his ear hurt too. I had to leave for work, so the Chief decided to take him to the express care clinic. And sure enough, he has strep and an ear infection! By the time I finished work at noon, I also was feeling a bit of a sore throat. Uh oh! We spent most of the rest of Saturday just vegging as we watched the Olympics and the boys watched a movie on the laptop. (They were thrilled beyond belief for the privilege!)

Sunday dawned and I knew that I wasn't getting strep so I was feeling relieved but still not feeling super. I stayed home with McKay and Sethers, while the Chief and Noah went on to church. At least some of us could be spiritually fed.

So, I stayed in my pajamas all day. I took a shower, and then put on clean pajamas! No make-up, no contacts, no bustenhalter! It has been such a relaxed day! The boys have been laid back...no arguing or bickering...just peaceful rest.

I love pajama days! I vote we have them at least monthly. Wouldn't that be the nicest gift to ourselves?

Running a household...

It's Friday. I don't have to go into the office. But my list is still a mile long. I'm tired! I did it to myself! I stayed up late to watch the Olympics...had to watch the women's long program...I love figure skating! Then Seth woke me up with his 2nd accident this week, then not long after that the dog woke me up to go out. And then it was 2:30 in the morning and finally I got a long stretch of sleep...til 6:00 when the two older boys were up and fighting over what tv show they were going to watch! What are they doing up so early? I settled the dispute and went back to bed. Got to sleep til 7:30, then it was go time for me. Sleep beat out the shower so that will have to wait.

Thankfully, the chief got the boys their breakfast before he left and they were all dressed. I just had to supervise their piano lessons and review vocab and spelling for their tests today and of course make sure their hair and teeth were done. Then it was off to drive carpool. Then Seth and I came home and I whipped up some banana bread to deliver to my women I visit teach. Now, I'm just waiting til it comes out of the oven, and I can switch the laundry then we are off to Walmart, the bank, to get a haircut, pennies, and finally Smith's. Think I can get that all done in one hour and 45 minutes? I doubt it but I have high hopes! We'll see how it goes....

Okay, I'm off...I've got a household to run!

The bestest gift he could give...

Last night, as I was laying in the guest room bed with my 4 year old, we were snuggling under the covers and he was telling me about some little antics with his friends at preschool earlier in the day. We were in the guest room due to the fact that his sheets were still in the dryer from a little mishap the previous night, just in case you were wondering.

Within a few minutes, I could tell my little Setheroo was slowly drifting toward the edge of the abyss of unconsciousness. With his eyelids closed, he reached out his warm, moist hand and patted my cheek and whispered in his little boy voice, "I love you so much, Mommy!" And my heart swelled with immeasurable joy at the bestest gift that my little boy could give me.

I hope and pray that when other memories flee with age, that this one that evokes so much joy and love will stay forever and ever. I want to recall the feeling of his hand on my cheek when he is slamming out the door on the way to see his friends, and the whisper of his words as he shouts and hollers about not finding something important in the moment. I want to hold onto the feeling when tears and time obscure the way.

I always want to remember and feel the way I did last night when I received the bestest gift he could give. I love you so much too, Setheroo!

I adore Celine!

I know I'm not alone, although some may find it quite odd, but I adore Celine Dion! I have been a fan of hers for many years now...since my early 20's. She is one of the few artists where I own all of her albums!

We have lots in common...we are similar in age (she just turned 40 last year and I'll turn 40 this year), and we both married older men (although my man is only 4.5 years older as opposed to her man who is 26 years older!) and we both come from very large families (I have 24 siblings and she has 13 sibs). And we are both mothers!

Yeah, I guess it's only fair to point out the differences too. She has a beautiful voice, and I can't sing to save my life. She has amazingly long, skinny legs and I definitely do NOT! She is from Canada and I'm from the US.

But I still adore her! She is funny and compassionate, and so very talented. She lifts people up, and I find her to be down to earth and real. She is definitely a woman of worth, a WOW!

If you haven't seen her movie, Celine: Through the eyes of the world, try to see it, you won't be disappointed that you did! And listen to any of her albums and be of good cheer!

Finding my way closer to Christ

I recently accepted a challenge to find my way closer to Christ by reading the Book of Mormon in 80 days! I readily accepted, wanting a challenge to help me do that which I know always helps me to feel more at peace, more loving, and more patient. It has been wonderful to see the difference in my own home since I started this some 34 days ago. I'm just starting the Book of Alma. I really love the Scriptures. If you haven't ever read the Book of Mormon, I suggest you give it a try. And if you haven't read it in awhile, maybe it is time again. It really is a witness of Jesus Christ.

Being in love...

Have you asked yourself what it means to be in love? I have. I've had lots of time to think about it this week too. Don't you think we should having just celebrated Valentine's Day and all?

Well, here is some of the things that come to mind when I think about being in love...

It means having someone to give you hugs, kisses and squeezes.

It means giving up the last piece of your favorite peach pie to your beloved.

It means rubbing his back, when he is doing his best to barf in the toilet and not on your newly cleaned floor.

It means whispering words of encouragement and support as he groans in pain.

It means holding his hand as he shares his disappointment about missing out on things due to being sick.

It means checking your pride at the door when your kids tell one of your "secrets".

It means saying, "hair and teeth" 20 times in the morning so they will walk out the door looking presentable.

It means giving multiple reminders to finish a project or send a necessary email.

It means getting up at 1 a.m., and again at 2, and again at 4 to make sure he is doing alright and to see if he needs anything.

It means wiping tears that come after puking your guts out.

It means holding your little boy who is getting so big.

It means sitting and watching the Olympics way past your bedtime so you can be with your sweetie.

It means taking an extra 5 minutes to pack a yummy lunch even though they were supposed to do it the night before.

It means letting them pick the station on the radio in the car.

It means waking early on my only day off to get them up and going to be to school on time.

It means having someone to need you, and want you there for comfort.

It means endless laundry and oodles of dirty laundry.

It means chatter, and more chatter and giggles and more giggles.

Being in love means I'm the most happiest girl in the world...because I have my sweetheart and three darling boys to share my life and my love with, and to receive theirs in return.

Being in love is one more way I know that God lives and loves me! I feel His love when I express mine for my boys!

Being a SAHM

I'm not a stay at home mom. I think about it frequently. I love my Fridays when I am home. I try to imagine how I would do if I were home every day, or even 3 days per week. I don't know if I would love it, hate it, or be somewhere in between. Would my stress level be in the normal range? Lots of my friends who are SAHMs still seem to be highly stressed. Their kids don't seem to be any more "adjusted" to life than mine. We are eating similar meals to most of them. Contrary to common belief, we don't eat fast food or microwave meals the majority of the time. Not even close. I attempt to menu plan and shop accordingly, and even prepare meals ahead of time to make the week go smoother. That helps a great deal. I have a job that allows me to be home with my boys after school 2 of the days, and a third day, I get home about an hour after them, so I'm still there to help with homework, and get projects done.

So, is working a horrible thing for me? I don't know. I would like to try my hand at being at home with my boys every day after school. Maybe my boss would let me change my work schedule to 9-3 every day with one day me working 9-9. Wouldn't that be awesome? I think that would be amazing. Maybe when Sethers gets to first grade, I'll propose it. I would love to do that, even if it means giving up my Fridays off.

In the meantime, being a SAHM is not an option for me. It is about the income, but it is also about the medical coverage that we can't give up. So, there it is....I'm a working mom. Good thing I love my job. And just for today, I'll enjoy my day off (thanks President's Day!) with my 3 boys...a day to do laundry, and make meals, and read to my son, and listen to my son read to me, and rejoice in their piano lesson, and go to the park with their bikes and one of the dogs, and maybe even stop for ice cream shakes at the end of the afternoon.

Ways to spend Valentine's Day

So, the Chief and I were considering ways that we could spend the LOVE Holiday of the Year. I consider myself to be a romantic kind of girl, but in a frugal, non-traditional sort of way! I told the Chief early in our relationship that I didn't want roses for Valentine's Day or Mother's Day. They are overpriced, and really, how uncreative are they? I've seen people peddling roses on the street corners, so all a guy has to do is roll the window down and hand over his $20 bucks and he gets his roses through the window. Does that really say, "I love you!" Not to this girl.

So, with roses out, we went on to the next idea...a fancy, expensive dinner out. Hmmm, mostly that means standing around in a crowd of people in a overcrowded lobby of a restaurant waiting for a table, and then feeling rushed as the server attempts to get you to eat faster than they do in a food eating contest, because they have loads of other romance seeking couples waiting out there in the lobby who want the table too. So, dinner is out.

We could plan a weekend away, but for that thing about me working Saturdays. We've been married 12.5 years and I've worked Saturdays about 11 of those years. It means that we rarely get a weekend away. Since I just took last Saturday off, taking another one off would not be great for my paycheck, so we nixed that idea too.

Oh man, we're getting desperate here. Finally, we decide...we'll write one another sweet valentine notes and poems, and head to Lowe's so we can price a new patio door. Because that is something that both of us will enjoy for years to come, and seems like a terrific way to say, "I love you and I want our home to be more comfortable!"

So, we left the boys with a sitter, and went to the local Lowe's. Of course, we stopped first at the Church Valentine's dinner and enjoyed a scrumptious meal.

I love the Chief! He is my Eternal Valentine and I'm happy to be his!

Its great to be 8

My middle son, Noah, chose to be baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints today. It was a wonderful service this morning, and we were happy that some of our family and friends could attend and support Noah in his decision.

He was nervous last night and spent some time laying down in his bed, but when today dawned, he came and told me, "I'm ready, mom!" Enough for me to get the tears flowing. He got dressed in his brand new "little man" suit and he looked so dashing! He had his haircut yesterday and his smile was bright!

We came home afterward and enjoyed a delicious brunch (mostly thanks to Costco) and enjoyed the company of our friends. These big milestones are certainly happy time, but they also serve to make me feel old! I can remember with precision the day Noah was born, and here we are today, 8 years later! How does this happen?

Hope you enjoyed the photos! I love you, Noah!