Date Night, Scott's cycling race, love seat in bedroom (for teens), Mother's Day...Motherhood is a calling

I love the quote from the picture above. "Marriage isn't a big thing. It's a lot of little things." It's so true. A good marriage takes regular work. It's all the little things the you do on a regular basis that add up. It's the text messages throughout the day that say I love you, or I miss you, or I hope you have a good day at work, or good luck on your meeting etc. It's the nightly couple prayer and scripture study. It's the pillow talk time before bed. It's the weekly date nights and the annual overnighters so you can have something fun to plan and prepare for and some one-on-one time without the distraction of work or kids. It's not hard work or work that is unpleasant, It's actually quite nice. And the fruit (or the outcome) of such work is beautiful. 

Another date night, this time at Himalayan Kitchen. We love Indian food. 

Scott signed up for a cycling race (he said it wasn't really race like, but just more riding together with a big group and getting the miles in) that pushed him to ride more miles than he ever had before. He rode 63 miles from Salt Lake City to Ogden and then took the train back down to SLC and came home. We couldn't make it because we had multiple games that morning and Scott didn't want us to miss them. But he had his good friend Brian with him so he wasn't alone.  

I love finding a good deal, and I went on search for a love seat that we could add to our bedroom since we have the space but more importantly because the teens tend to hang out here at night when they come in to plug in their devices, and I wanted a comfortable spot for them to sit on while they visit with us (whatever we can do to encourage them to be with us and visiting with us more, the better!). I found this RC Willey love seat on KSL classifieds for $50, in excellent condition! Normally the RC Willey love seats like this price out new for around 500. Now I just need to find a 7 seater AWD vehicle for a good deal....I've been searching for one of those for months. 

Speaking of being a parent to teens, have I mentioned that I mostly love this stage. Of course their are challenges and there's a learning curve with any new stage we enter and with each child, but I am loving hanging out with them, spending time with them and the wonderful people they are becoming. 

In these pictures Elisabeth joined me for a Saturday morning workout on my Kira Stokes app. She did awesome. 

Mother's Day was just around the corner, as was my mom's birthday. I wrote a post on social media (instagram) about it. I'll share it at the end of this post.

In honor of mother's day, I asked for pictures with the family before church, and then we also had one of my favorite desserts, Berry Crumble. It was delicious. The family also all wrote me sweet notes. 

I take motherhood seriously. I have been entrusted by God with 5 spirits and I intend to do my best to raise them to follow Him so they can experience the joy, love and peace the gospel brings throughout their lives, and so we can be together forever. 

I love this quote below from our Prophet President Nelson. Such good counsel. 

 "Today is my mom's birthday. She would have been 73. And, of course, tomorrow is Mother's Day, so she has been on my mind a lot this week. I've been reflecting on the best gifts she has given me over the years and by far the greatest gift was her faith in Jesus Christ and her ability to keep an eternal persepctive. What a blessing that was fore m in my growing up years, and when I became a mother. 

The deep and often overwhelming grief I experiences in the first few weeks after her passing a year and a half ago has softened. I still miss her often, and can easily get misty-eyed, but almost as quickly as the feeling comes on, it leaves, like waves rushing in on the beach and then receding. The feeling isn't unpleasant, I actually love to think of her and talk about her, even if I do get a little teary-eyed. 

I am so grateful for the atonement of Jesus Christ and the peacea nd hope that it brings. Christ lives, He loves us, He hears and asnwers prayers (according to His will and time). Because He lives, we too can live again adn can be reunited with loved ones forever. 

We are going to celebrate her today by watching one of her favorite movies, Pollyanna, sharing memories with her, and enjoying some of her favorite foods. Happy Birthday to my beloved Angel mother." 

Nora's 9th Birthday

April 27th, Nora turned 9! On her actual birthday I got off work an hour early because Nora wanted to eat lunch at Chuckarama. Working at the school makes it fairly easy, though I suppose not working at all would make it even easier. I'm still debating whether or not to go back next year. 

She wanted to take a picture of her food...mostly she wanted to document the fact that she drank 2 slushies. 

That morning she opened her gifts from us. Charles got her the I survived book and the drink, Jane got her a water bottle, we got her clothes, shoes, a soccer ball, a swimsuit and a fitbit-type watch (but this one was only $20 on amazon). 

The weekend before her birthday she had an icecream sundae bar birthday party. 

We played the same balloon games we'd played at Jane's party. 

On the day of the party, she told me of this idea she had in her head where she'd have a sign for our ice cream bar and the girls would get in line and place their order of what they wanted and then we'd make it for them and bring it to them, like an ice cream shop. Luckily I didn't have much planned during the day of her birthday so I went to work and we made a big banner, Jane put together a menu on the computer with all the icecream flavors and toppings, and we pulled it off. A good time was had by all. That being said, parties are a lot of work especially when you invite as many people as she did, and they're loud, and so I asked that next year we do something smaller for both Jane and Nora, where we just maybe invite your closes friend or 2 to do an outing together. I hope I remember that when next year rolls around and that we follow through with that!

Elisabeth wanted to take her out to lunch for her birthday but never had the chance so when she made a cake with Tanner as an activity for one of their 'day date dances', she offered that to Nora as her gift. 

Come Follow Me Messages, Elisabeth Senior Class Officer, Youth Group

I loved this scripture from my studying this week. It's a good reminder for parenting teens: When correction is needed, don't do it in front of others. Wait til you're alone. 

 Even Jesus did this... 'and Jesus left alone...and saw none but the woman(who had commited adultery), he said unto her...go, and sin no more." 

I loved this thought from the Hank Smith and John Bytheway podcast about how love is a choice and we can choose to love our spouse. People talk about falling in and out of love as if they have no control, but the truth is you get to choose your thoughts and your actions which can lead to love or turn you away from it. Love is a choice. 

Last year Elisabeth ran for class officer but didn't make it. She just ran again, for senior class officer, and made it! She also decided not to try out for cheer her senior year for various reasons (cost, politics, time etc); so life will have some changes for her in the upcoming school year! We're proud of Elisabeth for all her hard work and perserverance in all she sets her mind to. 

Since the Pandemic began, I have been serving as a counselor in the Young Women's presidency at church. I get to work with Annabelle's age group which has been fun. We met via zoom for weekly activities during the beginning of the pandemic, then together with masks and now we're back to normal for the most part. 

The girls plan all the activities. I just help guide them to stay within the 4 pillars (physical, social, spiritual and intellectual) as they're deciding on an activity and then I send a reminder to the one in charge and her guardian, the week before and see if she needs help with anything. But usually they have it covered. 

This was a combined activity our class 1 was in charge of, so it was with all the young women in our ward. We parked at a church parking lot about 1/3 mile away from the Oquirrh temple and then we 'climbed the mountain to the house of the lord'. 

We met on the grounds for a short devotional about the importance of keeping our sight set on the temple.

Afterwards we walked back down to our cars and drove to Nielsen's frozen custard for ice cream cones. 

Working at the elementary school, double dutch, and my 38th Birthday

This year I've been able to work at the girls school for a few hours each day as a copy and recess aide. This usually means I'm outside at lunch recess for an hour and a half watching the kids and then I'm in the teacher workroom helping with copies, lamination, binding, cutting etc. I love getting to see the girls during the day and it's been fun making friends with all different kids. I watch out for the ones who are alone or looking sad and I have several 'regulars' now that follow me around and who help me 'investigate' situations. They are fun to talk to and make the time go by faster. Some of the things they confide in me are sad, like issues in broken families, but they also tell me all the good things, too. 

Going from working zero hours to 17 hours a week has been an adjustment and although it's a good fit schedule wise and I'm on the girls school schedule, it's also tricky at times trying to get all the things done at home that I'd like, like writing and editing my books, and cooking and being home if one of the older kids is sick or just wants a day off or their concurrent (college) classes end early. So as of right now I'm not sure if I'll be going back next year or not. It is nice being able to save extra money right now knowing we have lots of years of missions and college ahead of us that we'd like to help with. 

We bought double dutch jump ropes and have been learning how to do it which has been so much fun! Scott is the best in the family, then probably Elisabeth and then me and Jane. The others haven't tried enough to be able to get in and keep jumping. 

Friday April 9th Scott and I went on my birthday date. We had dinner at Chabaar which is a delicious Thai food restaurant, and then we went to Hale Center Theater and watched Les Miserables. 

We had sticky mango rice for dessert at Chabaar and it was delicious!! I LOVE sweet sticky mango rice. 

I love Les Miserables. It is one of my favorite stories and musicals because I love the story of Jean Valjeans redemption. 

I told Scott that what I wanted for my birthday was to go shopping. So Saturday April 10th I went shopping at the Uptown Cheapskate thrift store and found this cute dress along with exercise clothes and some shirts,  

And then I found this cute and springy dress at Seagull Book. I actually found it first and put it on hold and then checked several other stores for springy dresses and then came back to this one as it was the Springiest and loveliest. I love the turquoise color and all the flowers. 

Here we are Sunday at church...Nora was still pretty excited about having her braces off. 

Monday the evening of May 12th we spent at the baseball field watching Charles game. We bring Penny to about half of the games. She enjoys going. It's been fun to watch the boys play this year as they're older and better. 

Tuesday April 13th, on my actual birthday, we ate Indian food for dinner (scott got take-out), Elisa Ludwig took me out to lunch at Costa Vida, and then Scott made my favorite berry crumble for dessert. In the picture below I'm wearing a tie dye hoodie sweatshirt I ordered for a birthday gift for myself (i love amazon), along with the 'tree of life' necklace my mom made for me years ago. I am grateful to be alive, grateful for friends and family, grateful to be a wife and mother, and grateful to be a daughter or a loving Heavenly Father and angel parents. It's great to be 38!

Dinner from Guras Spice House

My favorite Berry Crumble with Cocowhip