What Matt will do for a dollar

Matt noticed his first loose tooth a couple weeks ago and has been really excited about the tooth fairy leaving money under his pillow.  Jason offered to pull the tooth for him.  Matt considered it for a while, then said he wanted to give it a try.  I didn't think he'd really do it until he came downstairs carrying the dental floss and telling Jason he was ready.

Next thing I knew Matt was lying on the floor with his mouth wide open and Jason managed to wiggle the tooth out without any screaming or crying.  Then we had some drama when Matt couldn't find his tooth after we took a picture of him holding it.  He enlisted Rachel's help to look for the lost tooth and they finally found it in the pantry (gross!) and immediately put it under his pillow.

Now the tooth fairy just needs to remember to stop by Matt's room...she's known for being a little forgetful at times!

Cucumbers or pickles?

Rachel had a facial today at a friend's house.  When she came home Jason was asking questions about her evening and she said she put pickles on her eyes.  I laughed out loud when I heard her and asked her if she meant to say cucumbers.  She thought for a minutes and said, "Well, I don't remember exactly.  It was pickles or cucumbers."  I thought it was adorable.  In just a few days I'll register her for kindergarten.  When we moved here she was still a baby, so it makes me a little sad to see her grow up.  I love when my kids do or say silly things that help me realize they're still little.  They can be little for as long as they like, as far as I'm concerned!

Date night and good eats

For us, date night must involve food.  No exceptions.  We've made this awesome chocolate cake a gazillion times and it's still our go-to dessert for date night, it's so good!  It's chocolate cake with a gooey pudding center.  It's fairly quick and easy to make, too.  Seriously, you must try it!  Here's the link:   http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/anne-thornton/gooey-chocolate-pudding-cake-recipe/index.html

A new favorite is a quick salsa recipe using canned tomatoes.  Here's the recipe I used:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/speedy-homemade-salsa/  

Tonight we're going to watch a movie while we snack on chips and salsa, then eat our chocolate cake with whipped cream.  Perfect after a very hectic week!

Some indoor fun

I made "cloud dough" for Rachel today and she LOVED it.  It's just 8 cups of flour and 1 cup of baby oil mixed together.  I loved how it smelled and didn't mind when she asked if I would play with her.  While I was squeezing the baby oil into a measuring cup Rachel said it looked like I was milking a cow.  Then she told me how she thinks cows and pigs are "just gross" and she doesn't want to work on a farm...ever!  Funny girl!

Legoland vs. Grandparents

Anyone who has a school-aged boy in their house has heard about Legoland.  Will and Matt have been dreaming of visiting Legoland for I don't even know how long now.  They hear about it at school and have drooled over the computer looking at the website.  We decided this was the year and we told the kids we'd take them there this summer.  We laid out a plan for them to help us save for the trip (it's a really great way to motivate the kids to stop asking for every toy or every piece of candy they see in front of them) and we've all been pretty excited about it.
The past couple of weeks have been extra crazy and I was talking (ok, more like complaining) to my mom about how much I wish we lived closer to one another.  She thought it might be a good idea for me and the kids to come stay at her place for a few weeks.  My mom works full-time and is also busy with church callings as well as helping to care for her sister who has downs syndrome.  She and her husband also spend countless hours outside working in their garden, taking care of fruit trees, berry bushes and they recently added a chicken coop to the mix.  Needless to say, it's very difficult for her to get away for more than a couple of days.  We haven't had a long visit since...honestly, I can't even remember (how sad is that!).  We talked about the kids and I flying in for the visit while Jason could get some work done since he's been overloaded lately.  I brought the idea to my sweet, supportive husband and it quickly started to take on a different shape. We talked about driving together instead of flying (tickets are between $400 and $600 per person), and taking a couple of days to visit with Jason's parents on the way.  So the kids could see both sets of grandparents and I would get a much needed reprieve from my happy yet crazy life here.  I seriously cannot express how much I need the help only grandparents can offer.  While I love reading books to my kids, singing silly songs, giving piggy back rides,  having tickle wars, making fun snacks and all the other million and one things I do with my kids, it is exhausting!
There was one problem in all of this planning though.  There's no way we can visit grandparents and go to Legoland during one summer.  Legoland would have to wait.  It was time to break the news to the kids.  I know they love and adore their grandparents and I felt confident they'd prefer a trip to visit grandparents over Legoland.  Sometimes my kids surprise me though, so I was a little unsure when I brought it up with them.  Not only were they ok with it, they were jumping up and down and saying, "thank you, thank you, thank you."  I love it!  I love that they love their grandparents so much.  So today I am overwhelmed with gratitude for family, and especially for their love and support.

Leap of faith

We've taken a huge leap of faith in our family as Jason has started a side business.  It isn't easy, being so busy already with a full-time job and a busy church calling.  It's something that started out as a good idea that he was really excited about and has become more as he's felt it's the right path for our family at this time.

It's a scary thing, investing time and money into an idea that will hopefully become a successful money-making business. This is where faith comes in.  Not only is faith required, but plenty of patience as well.  I have faith where sometimes I don't have patience.  I'm learning to have both.

I definitely don't understand the Lord's will for us, especially regarding Jason's employment.  We've had such clear answers and guidance, but I find myself wondering why we can't be lead to something a bit simpler and less scary.  I've always thought that real faith means turning over my will to the Lord and accepting His will for me, inevitably making the Lord's will my own.  This is what I'm trying to do.  Sometimes I get so caught up in asking why and how that I forget to trust in the Lord.

I am incredibly grateful for two things that make times like these bearable.  First of all, personal revelation and the tender mercies of a loving Father in Heaven.  I often feel a sense of peace and reassurance that all will be well and I actually start to feel excited about all that lies ahead.  I'm also incredibly grateful for a hard-working and loving husband.  Lately I feel like the kids and I don't see him much, but when we do he makes every minute count.

In case you read this and don't know what Jason has been working on, here's a link to his website:  http://www.salesproxie.com/

Ice Fishing

Unfortunately I was sick all day yesterday with food poisoning.  I don't think I'll ever be able to eat at Wendy's again.  While I was home cursing the fast food industry, Jason took the 3 oldest kids ice fishing.  It's something he's always wanted to try and Rachel convinced him it was time to go.  She had begged and begged for her very own fishing rod the day before so we took her out to find one.  It shocked me when she didn't want one of the Barbie or Disney Princess rods because those were "silly" and "too little" for her.  She wanted a real fishing rod for some real fishing.  Jason was beaming and grinning ear to ear.
I didn't get many details from anyone about their fishing trip until today, because when they came home yesterday they all smelled like fish and I immediately went to my room and locked myself in for the rest of the night.  They loved it and couldn't wait to tell me all about it today.  Rachel said it looked like a volcano exploding when Jason made a whole in the ice.   The boys didn't describe it in quite the same way, but they thought it was pretty cool anyway.  They all caught a bunch of fish, so it was a successful day on the ice.  Jason was a little worried the kids would complain they were freezing the entire time, but surprisingly they didn't.  They actually enjoyed it quite a bit and would like to do it again.

I'm glad they got to go and I'm actually pretty excited to try it out myself.  Who knows, I might actually buy a fishing license and my very own rod this year.

Some thoughts on grieving and love

February is always bittersweet for me.  My father passed away in February of 2003.  Life changes in an instant when you lose someone you love.  I still yearn to talk with my dad.  He was always there for me, whenever I needed him.  He always reminded me how much he loved and cared for me.  A year after he passed away, on February 14, 2004 I had the opportunity to be sealed to my parents in the Columbus, Ohio Temple.  I am so grateful that I will see my dad again.  I still grieve, but I take comfort knowing that it's just temporary.
Recently I was in the temple pondering and praying.  I prayed specifically for comfort regarding my dad.  I think the hard part about grieving is that there are times when it gets really tough all over again.  Someone I was talking to once compared grieving to a washcloth, sometimes so wet it needs to be wrung out.  It can be so painful!  This was one of those times.  I prayed for comfort and after praying noticed a set of scriptures right next to me.  I picked up the scriptures and turned to this verse:

Alma 40:11  Now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection- Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life.

I felt so much peace when I read that scripture and so much gratitude for a loving Father in Heaven who heard my prayer and answered with words of comfort.                                                                                                                                                                

I cherish the memories I have of my father.  I'm grateful he was able to get to know Jason before he passed away.  I'm pretty sure Jason was the first guy I dated that my dad liked.  They got along really well, which meant the world to me.  And then Jason was by my side as I lost my dad and when I was sealed to him in the temple on Valentine's day a year later.  That makes Valentine's Day one of my favorite days all year, as I am filled with gratitude for my dad and for a loving husband who's been by my side through so much!