DATES

Over the past two weeks we have been doing our annual summer tradition of going on dates. Me one on one with the kids. I love this tradition. It is such a fun way to spend individual time with my kids. There is hardly ever any time to just hang out with just one of them alone, I really enjoy it-- plus it is a great way to get the school shopping in! The kids love it because we get to go out to eat and they get to pick the restaurant. Usually we pick an outing to go with the lunch and then do school shopping. This year all the girls wanted to see Ramona and Beezus (way way cute movie!!) so we all went to that together one day then for the individual stuff Ellie and I went first and ate at Olive Garden. Matt and I did a session together at the temple, then hit Red Lobster for lunch. Lindsey and I went to Cheesecake factory. Katie chose Cheesecake factory and with each girl we did our school shopping. I am proud to say that I am done with that!!!!! YEA!!!!!
Two short weeks from today Matt will be leavin on a jet plane... OUCH! It's starting to get hard. . . I think I have repressed the feelings all summer and now it's inevitable. The next two weeks are going to be so busy- with getting him ready, the farewell and school starting-- I am so excited for him, he is so excited and happy to go, but I have to admit- this is a toughy for moms.

UTAH TRIP

Aug 6th my sister Lisa got remarried... long long story short... she married the man she was engaged to when she was 21 years old and then broke it off because she had cold feet... and then yada yada yada... life happened and they found each other once more! :) SO glad to see her happy!!

BUT the DUMB part is I forgot my camera, Lindsey brought hers and then left it in the car... so we have NO shots of the wedding. BUMMER. It was a great day at the Lion House and all of my family was there for it. It was really nice.

After the wedding Dave and Matt went to do a temple session in the SLC temple together. I stayed with the girls and we walked around temple square and went to see our FAVORITE thing there... the Joseph Smith movie. I could watch that over and over again and never tire of it! It is incredible. I love it. We got to go with my brothers Tim and David and their families. It was great.

After that we met up with Dave and Matt right outside the temple and were able to take a few quick shots before a huge storm blew in.

It was so nice to get away for a while. Saturday we hung out with Dave's family for the day and had a nice time.
Lindsey and Katie stayed the week with their cousin, Cosette and then this past weekend they drove to Colorado with the cousins for braces weekend where Matt and Ellie flew in and joined them. They all flew back together on Sunday. Dave and I sure missed them. Our house was so quiet this weekend. Dave worked Friday and I worked Saturday, so we didn't even get to really do anything fun. But it was nice having some "me time" I must admit.

It's been such a great summer. So hard to believe it is coming to a close already.

We are now just gearing up for Matt's big day and school starting. Matt's farewell is Sunday August 29th and we have lots of family coming into town! Yea! It will be fun. We are having an open house at our home on Friday the 28th. Then he takes off on Sept 7th. WOW. Too soon!

I thought I had SO MUCH time to be with Matt this summer and I am quickly realizing it is almost over. Life is so busy and I didn't get the chance to ever just have quiet moments alone with him... I can't think about it much or I will cry... so for now I am in denial. I am going to miss that boy more than words can say~ but I am also so happy for him! He is SO EXCITED.

His great friend Trey left almost 2 weeks ago and yesterday he got a letter from him from the MTC. He is doing AWESOME. The missionary spirit is just incredible. I am so excited about it!!!!

So onward and upward... we will keep on truckin! Life is busy, fun and sometimes a challenge... but I guess that's what it's all about eh?! :)

MOTHERHOOD

So recently I have been thinking so much about being a mother...

I work in postpartum and take care of all the new moms and their babies and so as I wheel these new mom's and their babies out to their cars I get a little sentimental sometimes. ( and sometimes I am glad to get that weird woman and her family into her car and out of my day- ha ha!!!) I look at the new baby and remember each time I was in the wheelchair with my new infant in my arms heading home and how that time is frozen in my mind. But as the years go by, I have forgotten so much about when my kids were tiny. I remember bits and pieces, but honestly, I think I was so sleep deprived that those memories are far and few between. I want to tell all these new mom's that what they are about to do is the hardest, the MOST IMPORTANT and the most rewarding thing they will ever do.

There are so many phases of being a mother:

The new mom, the mom of adolescents, the mom of teenagers, and the mom of adults.

Each one of these phases comes with it's joys and challenges. I have been in almost all of these phases and am now embarking on the last one. I can't say that any one of them is easier or harder than the other, honestly. But I do know that in each phase I have learned new things, struggled with new things and found joy in each one of them.

Being a mom at times makes you feel under-appreciated, unnoticed, overlooked and overworked...

BUT 90% of the time it makes you feel LOVED, important, admired, respected and grateful.

I love my kids so much and am so grateful for the lessons I have learned/am still learning being a mother.

Here are a few things motherhood teaches: ( somedays better than others, of course)

patience

selflessness

unconditional love

gratitude

humility

compassion

organizational skills

cooking

seeking spiritual guidance

cleaning skills

nurturing

how to listen

flexibility

empathy

multi tasking

maturity

The list goes on and on...

But as I ponder these things I am so grateful for this blessing. Being a mother teaches me SO much. I definitely have not done a perfect job and at times have wondered if I have ruined all of my children!! I have had meltdowns, tantrums, freak outs, depression, and exhaustion with being a mother... TRUST me. But over all it has been the BEST, MOST AMAZING journey and I wouldn't trade it for anything else. EVER. I love my kids! I am so grateful for each one of them and their unique and special traits and the love they give to me!!