First read this article. Amen, is all I have to say.

Reality Check for Me...a Mom

I read this article tonight. If you want to feel better about yourself and also liberate yourself from many unimportant things READ IT. I think the woman who wrote it must have been talking about me because all the things she says she hates doing so do I. Yet I still have all those things on my mental to do list. Here's to make real New Year resolutions.

New Blog

This is mostly for Grandma's and anyone who wants way too know much info on my fam that I have started a new blog. The blog name is toyouloveme.blogspot.com you can go to it if you click here. I realized I haven't been using my blog very much because what I wanted to write was probably not what people were interested in. I don't have a lot of time and so the time I did have I wanted to spend in some sort of way keeping a journal for my sweet little kids about how amazing, silly, and fun they are and all of our wonderful experiences. I started this new one to do exactly that. It might be boring but I thought some of the Grandmas (and Grandpas) might enjoy...and anyone else who is interested...because I will keep stories about and things my kids do. However it is written in letter format to my kiddos, so keep that in mind. I am not writing to anyone but them. I am hoping at the end of the year to have it made into a book so that we can keep it. Let's see how it goes.

I will still update this blog but with more of the things that interest me, besides my kids. Love you all!

Josalyn

5 Months
What?
I guess since I am still stuck in July the idea that this little girl is 5 months old is hard for me to wrap my brain around too, but alas she is.

Though small in size she has taken over this family and changed our hearts. It is amazing how much love she has brought into our home. Not that we didn't have any before I guess we just didn't realize how much more would come just by having her here. She is the soft spot in everyone heart. We all can be grouchy and grumpy with each other....not that we ever are....but as soon as anyone sees Josalyn it is all smile and laughter. No one can be grouchy when she is around. I love that she has that effect on everyone.

She still is a tiny thing. Only weighing in at 13 lbs. but she has a ton of personality and smiles for all. She loves to play. I have been trying snuggle her a lot and carry her around in my sling but she will just whine and moan until I but her in her bouncy seat and then she sits and plays with her toys contently. I am getting the message. Toys are way more fun than me. She isn't the only one who thinks that.


She has lots of nicknames: Josy Bean, Josi, Joe, Joe-Joe, Ho Jo, and most recently when Kate discovered that baby Kangaroos are called joeys she started calling her Joey and now are all called Mom Kangaroo, Daddy Kangaroo, etc. It was fun to see her put that together.

Anyway Joe we love you and love having you here but please stop growing!

Christmas in July

It really doesn't feel like December. I just can't wrap my brain around Christmas right now. I am almost done with all my shopping but when we started getting out our good old Christmas decor and went and bought our tree it just felt strange. It really does still seem like it should be summer. The strange part....when Thanksgiving was over with I was really excited because I felt like spring was just around the corner. What?! I think living in Maryland is messing with me.

I have at least a dozen of these photos but usually Jos is happy.

The kids decorated the tree this year....no really....I sat on the couch and watched and they did it with Chris and you bet it looks awesome. Chris was concerned about how I would feel about it but I told him that how our Christmas trees looks is not a personal reflection of who I am.

Lets just say that Kate was just a little excited today. After we brought the boxes down stairs, and I was feeding Josalyn and Chris was MIA, she unloaded and unwrapped all our Christmas decorations. I couldn't get mad because she was just so excited and talking so fast about where we would put everything. For the past two days she keeps saying over and over again, "This is going to be the best Christmas ever!"

We got this little snow man out and Carter has found his new best friend. He dances and sings. It was really cute the first ten minutes but after he played with it all day by dinner time Kate was begging me to take it away from him. Like I said though he was so cute dancing with him. It melted my heart.

A Name

Our sweet baby Josalyn Holly was blessed all the way back on the first week of September. My wonderful friend took these pics just two weeks before she had her own baby. Thanks Di, as always they are beautiful. I wanted to wait for these pics before I posted. It was such a nice experience. My sister, Melynda, and dad came out for the special day and stayed an extra week and we loved every moment of it. Oh ya! and some how we roped them into re-tiling our bathroom. It was a sweet deal for us. Thanks guys!

Anyway here she is~

This is my girl. This picture sums her up. She has this piercing gaze and she uses it on everyone. She has bright, dark blue eyes, with eyelashes that reach her eyebrows. When she looks at you with those baby blues it feels like she can see into your soul. At least when she looks at me she seems that intense. I love it because it makes me feel like I can tell a little bit about who she is when she gives me those stares.

My amazing friend, Dessi, sewed Josalyn's dress and shoes. I hesitate to use her name because now everyone who knows her is going to be knocking down her door to make them something this gorgeous. She did two test dresses and at least three fittings to make sure she got it right. The most amazing part is she didn't use a pattern. I pulled up a picture on the internet and said this is what I want (with a few alterations) and she asked me a few questions and after some sweat, a little blood and luckily no tears I ended up with this beauty.....the dress not the baby.

Then when my sister Melynda came she made the headband and rosettes that went on her dress.

Remember when I posted three times ago and I said I can never get Kate and Carter to look at the camera at the same time well they finally did it. Hooray! Oh wait....now Josalyn isn't looking.

Love this!

After this experience needless to say I am feeling very loved. Three wonderful women whom I love dearly all had their hand in creating and preserving this day for us. Thank you so much ladies.

Josalyn's blessing was a day for me to remember what a real miracle it is to have her here. More important it reminded me that 1-she has been waiting a long time to come her and begin this experience and 2-it was a day for me to really remember and focus on my part in all of this. Which is to prepare her for this life and the challenges that will come and help her along to return to her Father in Heaven. Huge responsibility....that sometimes I get distracted from.

When a Baby Is Born

I'd rather be mother than anyone on earth
Bringing up a child or two of unpretentious birth...
I'd rather tuck a little child all safe and sound in bed
Than twine a chain of diamonds about my [carefree] head.
I'd rather wash a smudgy face with round, bright, baby eyes
Than paint a pageantry of fame or walk among the wise.
-Meredith Gray, from The Beauty of Motherhood

Two ladies in my life have just had or are having babies right now as I write this. The night before one of my best friends went in to have her baby I called to wish her good luck and hoped that everything would go well. As I said goodbye I felt this overwhelming surge of emotion for the experience she was going through and what was to come. Kate asked me why I was crying and couldn't really answer her. I felt so happy that she was going to meet her sweet baby boy in only a few hours and hold him in her arms. I felt awe at the fact that he had been waiting countless years to get to this point in his journey and that this life is something that we all wanted so badly that we cheered when we found out we would get to come to earth and obtain a body. It is such a sacred thing to have life, give life, and help life along in our own journey of life. And I was happy because she is like my sister and her joy was mine that night. Right now my other sister Jayanne is in the hospital having her baby boy-his name is Calvin...probably. I talked to her this morning as she was waiting to get into her room and we were talking about what a big day this is for him and how exciting it was. Chris would always remind when I was pregnant, and feeling overwhelmed and wondering why being pregnant had to be so hard, that you only have a baby a few times in your life. Being a mom is the hardest job you will ever have but will also bring the greatest blessings we can ever obtain in this life. I am grateful to be a mother here on earth and in the life to come.

Our Stake Relief Society President shared a thought with us at a meeting before the RS broadcast. She said that when Adam named Eve he called her that because he said, "she was the mother of all living". This was before Eve had ever bore a child or cared for one on earth, so whether you have given birth or not we are all mothers in different stages of our journey. I try to remember that this isn't just a job I have right now but an eternal part of my identity.

What, might you ask, happens when mom falls asleep on the couch and Dad is in charge?......

This! Same corner on the ottoman....twice.

And to end...

"She who can paint a masterpiece or write a book that will influence millions deserve the admiration and the plaudits of mankind; but she who rears successfully a family of healthy, beautiful sons and daughters, whose influence will be felt through generations to come,... long after paintings shall have faded, books and statues shall have decayed or shall have been destroyed, deserves the highest honor than man can give, and the choicest blessings of God. In her high duty and service to humanity..., she is co-partner with the Creator himself."
-President David O. McKay