Its the little things that count.

Did I mention I'm grateful for great friends?  The ones who come work out with you, who inspire you, who motivate you, who help you watch your kids.  The ones... wait, oh yeah.  I did already.

On to the next item.
Raman Noodles.
Go ahead. Laugh.
But my one-year-old, previously fantastic eater, has turned on the picky-eater gene.  Foods she previously loved she despises.  Delicious foods don't appeal.  Case in point: her cupcake for her birthday was eaten as follows: bite - spit. bite - spit. bite - spit.  I'm not sure she swallowed any of it.
Hence.  I love raman noodles. She loves them. Devours them. Does not throw them on the floor or spit them out or dump her bowl.  Not to mention its as cheap as dirt and I can throw eggs, peas, and corn and there sneakily.  Ha.  Got your vitamins anyhow.  Thank you inventor of Raman.

I am also terribly grateful for music.  Good music.
Guy has been listening to the scripture mastery scriptures put to music.  Genius idea to the "Sons of Ammon."  I've known for a while that my children respond well and learn quickly through music.  Since they're bound to learn lyrics,  they might as well be learning scriptures.  Its working!  Guy has surprised me by randomly singing scriptures I had no idea he knew.  Its a beautiful thing- and yes, I might be bragging and slightly biast.  Even better, Eddie girl is picking up tidbits.  I've been trying to play uplifting, good, upbeat, good music in the mornings to help us start the day off right.   All in all I love, love, love good music.

Dates

I love dates.  That might have something to do with who my date is...
Last night we dropped the kids off at Grandma and Grandpas and hit the town.  After re-finding our favorite scone shop (NOT scone-cutters) we went to see the BYU Young Ambassadors.  It was fabulous!  Good music. Dancing. Cabaret.  A funny date.  A chance to dress up (very, very slightly... we were still in jeans...).  It was wonderful.
Not only was it good music, but good entertainment always leaves me wanting to improve.  Be a better me.  A better wife.  A better mom.
Good timing.
My first test came at 2:30 am when the toddler threw up for the first time... and then again at 3:00.  Needless to say, we had a napping party (or at least I did) during church while she watched a movie. 

Snow

My better half.

I'm not sure what I'd do without my better half.  Be half as good- that's what.  I'm thankful for his smile.  His great sense of humor.  His kindness.  His hugs when I've had a hard day.  His great attitude.  His great dad skills.  His thoughtfulness.  His concern for others- ALL others.  Just him in general.  You'll never meet another quite so good at accepting and loving others, despite how much he knows about them and their shortcomings.  He sure makes my live a whole lot easier, a lot better, a lot more meaningful.
That's all.  I love him a lot.  Lot, lot.

Sentimental

I'm feeling quite sentimental. Today I'm thankful for touch.  You know, hugs, holding hands, holding kids on my lap while I read them a story.  Seeing old couples hold hands as they walk down the street.  Giving my honey a squeeze before he walks out the door to work.  It spells comfort and love to me. 
Today as I laid my baby down for her nap she wrapped her little arms around my neck and laid her head on my shoulder.  Uncharacteristically, she stayed there.  Normally she is so busy she just wants to go, go, go and see new things!  Today, she sat.  I loved every single second of it.  I held her for a few minutes, standing in her dark bedroom, thinking about how much I love and treasure my sweet girl and my great kids.  Sadly, I was the first to let go since the two-year-old downstairs was starting to call for me.  But I am still grateful for those sweet, tender moments. 

Fine Feathered Friends

Today was a lovely day spent in the companionship with a dear, old, friend.  Not old in age, nor particularly in terms of years known.  What is it now?  Eight years since we met?  I digress.  It was a lovely afternoon with a lovely person.  Which brings me to today's item of gratitude: friends! 

 (Note: pictures aren't exceptional, chronological, all inclusive nor in order of importance.  They just ARE.)

I have marvelous, stupendous, exceptional friends.  Some have helped me through the toughest, most frustrating situations of my life and continue to love and support me despite the gained insights into my state of sanity.  They are kind.  Loving.  Inspiring.  Joyful. Individuals with testimonies of truth be they members of the church or not.  I am grateful for the mentors and help they have been along my way.  I sure love. love. love. them. 

Books are great

I've been trying to read good books! I love them! I am so grateful for them.  Some are self-improvement books, others are the word of God.  Others are just a good story, and still others are based on truth.  I have always loved to read and will always, ALWAYS be grateful for a good book to read.

Current or Recent Reads: The Power of Positive Thinking, The New Testament, The Book of Mormon, A Joyful Mother of Children...

Thanks, thanks, thanks.

A tad behind:
I'm grateful for strollers.  Silly, I know.  But I love having ours to take kids walks in rather than holding the baby and trying to keep Eddie out of the road.  Thank you stroller inventor: specifically the sit-n-stand inventor.  You make my days easier.
I'm thankful for King. Obviously.  He lets me take naps after church when I just. can't. stay. awake.  Subbing for nursery will do that to you!!  He also helps immensely when I'm in a bad mood.  Its hard to stay mad when the nearest intelligent source is cracking dry jokes and smiling at you. Bless you, dear husband.  He inspires (and motivates) me to do better, to reach farther, to push myself.  I am no good at that.  Give me an organizing task or a to-do list: fine.  But ask me to push myself, to exercize, to do something (ahem: no sweets) hard?  I need King at my side first.
I'm also very, very glad we get to vote.  I may not like the tone of the campains, I may not like who is elected, but at least I got to vote!! 
Just one more:
I'm very, very grateful for popcorn.  Going without sweets is made bearable by this salty little kernal of joy. 

Gratitude Day 1

November: the time I remind myself- REALLY remind myself- to be grateful.
Thank goodness the first day is easy.

 My baby turned one.  

I'm not quite sure how that happened.  Last Halloween I was walking around, sticking out a mile, and wanting this baby HERE!  Today she is B.U.S.Y.  She's our earliest walker, our happiest (post-colic) baby, our most social, our largest, and I'm thinking our most active.

 I love that her siblings dote on her and spent so much time and energy making her happy.  She spends a lot of time every day pushing the kitchen chairs around the dining room- using them like walkers, though she doesn't need them.

 We love her smiles, her funny/quirky expressions, and her joy when Daddy comes home.

We sure love you Millaker!! We are SO very, very grateful to have you in our family.  Happy Birthday little one!

Focus

Parenthood.
It's all consuming these days. 
But isn't it supposed to be? 
I have been thinking a lot since General Conference two weeks ago.   My favorite talk so far was given by Elder Perry.   He counsels us to take the time to become goodly parents.  He encourages us to focus on a healthy, strong family culture.  Since he by far more direct, elegant, and clearer than I will ever be, I'll just quote him. 
        "Lessons taught in the home by goodly parents are becoming increasingly important in today’s world, where the influence of the adversary is so widespread. As we know, he is attempting to erode and destroy the very foundation of our society—the family. In clever and carefully camouflaged ways, he is attacking commitment to family life throughout the world and undermining the culture and covenants of faithful Latter-day Saints. Parents must resolve that teaching in the home is a most sacred and important responsibility. While other institutions such as church and school can assist parents to “train up a child in the way he [or she] should go” (Proverbs 22:6), this responsibility ultimately rests on the parents. According to the great plan of happiness, it is goodly parents who are entrusted with the care and development of Heavenly Father’s children."

It's reasurring and validating to have someone so important echo the thoughts running through my head.  He gives specific directions including prayer, family time and worship (scripture study, Family home evening, family meals), using your resources such as teachers and leaders to influence your children, sharing our testimonies and creating deep, meaningful family cultures.  This last one made me smile a bit- I've been reading loads of books by the Eyres.  They must have been studying principles of the church when they came up with their concepts and books about creating family cultures, economic systems etc.  I could go on and on ...  I won't. 

So I've been searching.  Inwardly and outwardly.  I want to do better.  I want to reaffirm my commitment to my family and improve my behaviors and how my home is run so I CAN have this kind of family life.  I've set some goals after reading a few different sites.  I've also started looking good and hard at my list of goals.  Scriptures seem to be leaping off the page when they address my weaknesses.  Shall I elaborate?  Take James 1:18-19.  I'm not quite that far in the New Testament, but ran across this anyhow.

 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:  For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

Ouch.  That may or may not have been written directly for me.

Other goals have been the fore-front of my mind as well.  Since I truly believe no commandment given of God is just for our physical benefit- but spiritual also- I've coerced (literally) my family (the ones I grew up with and their spouses) to do a month-long fitness/health challenge.  It includes getting your daily intake of water, fruits and veggies, limited sweets, exercize, and eliminates extra eating at night.  It's already helping me- really, truly.  I can tell.  As much as I HATE, DEPLORE, and DESPISE!! passing by treats (Costco!!), and though the book-club may tease me for turning down cookies (also TERRIBLY uncharachteristic of me), I think it will be worth the struggle in the long run- so long as I don't sprint for the nearest cookie the day this challenge is over.  I've also got a few more goals up my sleeve that I fully plan to implement.  I just need to focus.  THIS is important.  My FAMILY is important.  And improving myself so I can better teach, lead, and serve them is worth every effort- no matter how difficult.

I found the best poem today.  It perfectly defined many of my current feelings about motherhood. 
And since I can't think of a better way to summarize my ramblings- I'll let her do it.

Warp and Weft

Somewhere along the line,
your friends dispersed
like seeds scooped from a sack,
a few slipping through fingers
and back in the bag with you —
the rest flying out, pitched to far cities,
to root down in places
other than here. Here, you inch forward
in a line of cars, wondering if
the other mothers dropping off kids
are like you, or if they would like you —
and pondering the irony
that you are alike at least in this:
each of you has narrowed
the scope of your focus
to encompass only
the most pressing needs
of your family.

But you remember
when you’d woven your living
in with the weft of your friends’ —
not planning social events
in the cracks of packed schedules,
but pooling your leftovers
to share improvised meals.
Most days, now, you improvise alone —
if you don’t mind defining alone
as shadowed by a chattering child —
and later you commune with friends
through a cold screen.
You spend your time observing
your child’s likes and dislikes
and which scraps of thought
she chooses to voice;
you try to see these
as seeds of her adult self —
like fiddlehead ferns
with their Fibonacci spirals,
slowly unfurling.
You can picture, down the line,
the fully opened fronds
and how they’ll form a crown of green —
this is how you remind yourself
that in time, and with luck,
she’ll become your dear friend.
But it’s not enough, or it’s too much
that you’ve concentrated on one spot,
like a magnifying glass
clutched in patient suspension,
intensifying the rays of the sun
to the point of combustion.
You must widen your gaze.
Recall the critical importance
of dropping your shoulders
and allowing your chest to rise,
to draw open your lungs,
to permit the intake
of a full breath. And then —
remember your need
for friends to stand beside you
and breathe too.
© Sarah Dunning Park, 2012. All rights reserved.