Blessings - Day 2

With so many things I am grateful for, it is hard to decide on just one for the day but I will because I have to :)
Today I am grateful for a house that is ours. A home that we have created together for our family. A house  to live in, my children to grow in, stairs to run up and down, rooms to clean, doors to slam (the children not me), a yard that needs attention, a kitchen that is never clean because there are always dishes to do, a house that is OURS!
We went to do some financial stuff today and it just got me thinking how blessed we are that we have a mortgage (I know it might be strange to be thankful for that). We are putting money into something that according to the world is ours, we own it. I am thankful I don't have to worry about a Landlord or paying rent. We have lived here for 2 years now and it feels like home.I am very grateful for walls to keep us warm, safe and together!


Moving in April 1, 2009



A Great Weekend! (Counting my Blessings Day 1)

I had a really good weekend! Steve and I went out on a date Friday night. I had wanted to go to the Dingy Dock Pub on Protection Island but the weather was junky and we opted to leave that for a sunnier evening. So instead we went MATTRESS SHOPPING! I know that sounds like a super romantic date but really it was! We had fun trying them all out and imaging we had the money to buy the amazingly comfortable $8000 mattress set. We also hung out at the mall like cool teenagers and then went to Montana's for dinner, so yummy!
On Saturday I got to go to our Stake Relief Society Meeting. Boy I needed that! There were talks, workshops, songs, etc... are centered around the idea that "I am a Daughter of a King". I mean, I know that I am a Child of God but that was just an extra boost to me to know that I am a Princess and should be acting like and treated like royalty! Sometimes I forget that I am a special, beautiful, elegant Daughter of God. I am hard on myself, I call myself down at times, I criticize what I do and I do not act like a princess (shocking I know!). It made me feel inspired to be better and to set a better example of a Righteous Woman for my daughters.
Some of the notes I took from Saturday were these:
-think about what it means to be a Daughter of God
-How do I feel about Me? (a really good question that prompted goals for a happier me!)
-have private morning Devotionals, it will change your days
-Satan tells us that we are NOT enough, HE LIES! (It is so true, the world will say that we are not good enough, that we are not thin enough, pretty enough, smart enough, tough enough but that is just lies to bring us down)
-Faith vs. Fear, Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all thine Heart
-if I have Faith in myself, I can do anything!
-A conviction to know I am a daughter of God will bring me comfort, peace and serenity
-we are all cherished equally. He doesn't measure us, He loves us and cheers us all on (Elder Holland)

"Don't worry about searching for who you are; focus your energies on creating the kind of person you want to be! You will discover that as you pursue that journey you will not only find yourself but chances are you will be surprised and proud of the person you find along the way" .~Joseph B Wirthlin

I so appreciated all the things that were said on Saturday. I've been feeling alittle down lately and it was just what I needed. I really felt the love of my Heavenly Father from hearing the talks given. I am a Princess!
Sunday was good too! I got to go to church with Lindy and Nicole (Steve stayed home with Renae) and the talks were great. Tammy Toor gave a wonderful talk on Gratitude, I totally needed to hear that. Not that I am ungrateful but we can always do better. It's easy to feel sorry for ourselves for the things that are going wrong or the things we don't have, we forget to count our blessings.She is going to email me her talk so I can read it with Steve (a good reminder for both of us) So that is my goal right now, everyday I am going to blog about something I am grateful for (I'm aiming for a 30 Days = 30 Blessings). I also got to visit my Aunt who has not been well, it was so good to see her! Then we met up with some friends for a picnic dinner and play at the park. I love my friends! They make me laugh and help me remember that I am not alone. It was a really good weekend!

So, onto my goal.......Counting my Blessings - Day 1
I am grateful for my Mom and Dad. It seems like I could almost use that for 2 things but I'm not going to. I love my parents so much. They continually teach me about myself and help me to grow.
I love my Mom because she is my friend. She listens to me. She laughs with me. She gives the greatest hugs that melt all my cares away. She loves my children. She is such a good Grandma, my children adore her! She teaches me about cooking. She talks to me about the Gospel. She reminds me that I can be better and happier. She wants me to succeed and have joy in my life. She was there for me during my pregnancies and deliveries (and she survived!) She tells me I am beautiful (and I tell her it's because I look like her) She makes me feel loved.
I love my Dad because he has always taken care of our family. He works hard for us. He will play games with us. He jokes around with me. He will listen to me if I need to talk. He asks about how things are going. He'll call me from work to say Hello. He makes sure our vehicles are working good. He fixes things for me. He will play with my kids when they ask him to. I feel love for my Dad because he shows us he loves us in his own ways, but I know that he loves me and my family.

 Our wedding day, with my Mom and Dad

 Celebrating a birthday, my Dad LOVES cheesecake!

 Camping on Quadra Island. They got a Motorhome a couple of years ago and love it!

 Playing with the girls. Lindy wasn't quite 2 there and Elena 1 1/2

 Grandma with a newly arrived Nicole Lynn Hobbs (my fastest delivery at 9 hours)

 Playing with Renae

 With all the grandkids in April, they played outside with them for quite a long time!

 Laughing with my Mom during the 30th Birthday Speech!

 My Mom, making me something delicious in my kitchen!

A classic of my Dad. They will come for a visit and at some point he'll sneak to the couch for a little snooze!

Playing at the Park

We met up with some friends on Monday night for a picnic supper and a play at the park for the kids. We had a lot of fun watching the kids, visiting and laughing. It was a good way to end the May long weekend. Thanks to Melissa for sending me her pics, I am soooo into getting a camera like hers (it's a Canon Rebel T2i EOS). I wonder how long it will take me to convince Steve???

My Nicoley

So Nicole's new thing is to say "You've got to be kidding me!". I have no idea where she got it from but she uses it in the funniest ways. She also tells me that things are "ridiculous". I love how she is starting to use grown up words (as long as they aren't too grown up). She cracks me up and frustrates me at times with her attitude. I am really hoping she is getting it out of her system now and then once teenage-hood comes along it is going to be a breeze! Okay, I know that will probably not happen but a Mom can dream right!

Nicole showing me her attitude pose, isn't she lovely!
I also love to hear her play her little games with her dolls, the dialogue that goes on is HILARIOUS!!!

I love my Nicole, she gives the most marvelous/ferocious hugs and loves me like crazy!

Sweet Chubby Baby

I love my chubby baby so much! Renae has been such a lovely addition to our family. This past year has gone by so incredibly fast and it makes me sad. I love her at this age though, she is so funny! She is very much a Momma's girl (which is good and bad) and she follows me around.
I kiss those cheeks a million times a day, I cannot get enough! Her sisters love her a ton too, they are starting to include her in their games which is fun and alittle frustrating for them at times.
She is such a different little person then the other girls, I love how different they all are, it keeps things interesting.
She loves to eat! She has really gotten into feeding herself and likes her food in front of her to pick up. Which makes for some messy clean up but seriously cute pictures. Can you have TOO many pictures of your children?? Probably not, because this time is going to go by so fast that I want to try and capture all of the moments so I never forget how sweet they were at this precious learning age.
Renae has a cute sparkle in her eyes, she loves to tease and play games, she has a fantastic sense of humour and amazing belly laugh but she can win a staring contest if she needs to. She is very thoughtful and watches people alot. Words cannot fully express the love I feel for my children, even when I am tired and frustrated, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE them!!!!

Happy Easter

This is alittle behind but I wanted to post a couple of pictures and it took me a bit to load them, I'm not on top of it like others out there who load pictures the same day that they take them.

We had a fantastic Easter weekend this year. Last year Steve was gone because he took his Young Men down to Salt Lake for Conference but he was home this time. We got to be with my family for part and his too, which makes it fun for everyone.

I was so grateful to be able to see everyone that weekend, the kids had so much fun and it just made me really grateful for the family that I have. We did Easter egg hunts in both places and had delicious dinners too.

 My beautiful girls in their beautiful Easter Dresses! Daddy did not think they were necessary this year but seriously I ask, are they ever NECESSARY??? No, so Mommy went ahead and got them anyway!

Friends

I love my friends! Someone once said to me that we as women needed women friends to survive. Our husbands are wonderful but we need good girlfriends in our lives too. I totally have a testimony of that. I have made some amazing friends since I've moved to Nanaimo and I am so thankful for that!

With Steve being gone, I really rely on the company and love of my friends. I have not been disappointed so far. They are awesome! I've met some really wonderful Mom's from Forest Park and I hope that we will continue our friendships as our children grow and go to school together.

I held a Scensty party last night which was so much fun. I had quite a few friends come and it was so nice to socialize and laugh together. Then my friend Chelsea came over to watch Nicole and Renae this morning so I could go for a dentist appointment. It was soooo nice to go and do that knowing that my girls were in such wonderful hands. Catherine came over after with her girls so we could go for a walk at the Colliery Dam and then come back for a picnic lunch. And even though I am tired today from staying up too late last night and being busy today, I am so grateful for my friends!!!!

From my birthday, some of my wonderful friends. Rachel, Dana, Catherine and Melissa. It is really hard to get a picture of me and my friends. We are always taking them of the kids but not of ourselves. So if you are not in this picture, look out cause I'm coming to get you!

Little bits of Sunshine

This weather is really irritating. It's hard to make plans when we aren't sure what is going to happen outside. I loved to see the sunshine this weekend but I was not impressed by the rain today. I guess I just have to take advantage when it comes.
Steve is gone for the next 2 weeks working. This is only day 2 so I'm doing pretty good so far. But I just have to keep that same attitude. Enjoy the bits of sunshine when they come. My children are lovely little girls but they do challenge me. They make me laugh and cry at times. There are moments that I love and I have to savour those when they happen.
I love the soft kisses and hugs. I love the morning snuggles (as long as they aren't too early). I love the squeals of delight and the belly laughter I hear. I love to hear the play dialogue that goes on when they are playing, it makes me laugh.

I will miss Steve a lot while he is gone but I will treasure this time with my girls. It really will go by fast, the next 2 weeks but also these few years. They are little for such a short time and I know I will miss it.