Mother, I love you --

So I went out last week and bought these three plants, the two on the right are rose bushes and the one on the left is a verbena plant. It has such a beautiful flower on it. I love the color purple and this is just the perfect little flower for me to enjoy while sitting in the neighbors backyard.

I had a great Mother's Day!! Well, actually I'm calling Saturday my mother's day!! I was able to attend the temple that morning and afterwards, came home and started working some more in the yard, to get the various flower beds ready for planting. We also decided to go and get some tomato plants and flowers, to start transplanting into our various locations. After getting the flowers at one of the local nurseries in Orem, we came home to await the arrival of the newest addition to our family: Yes, so normally I wouldn't put a picture up like this but because I want to remember the story behind it I'm going to. Heidi was told by her Kinder teacher that there was a list of 5 things she had to do for her mom, over the weekend. I don't remember what they all were but I do remember a few. Sunday morning, we woke up late, like 8:30 late with church at 9am !!! The kids were all bathed the night before so that helped, I had one late that day as well, so I didn't need to jump in the shower. Chris needed one, so before he jumped in, he managed to take this picture for me. Heidi came into my room and said, "mommy, come look in your spot!" ( the spot at the table) So I came out, and she managed to make me breakfast all by herself. I just wanted to melt. So this is what she came up with, two pieces of toast (dry) -- I like them that way, and a purple candy cane (after breakfast mint??). She also managed to get my mug off the windowsill and fill it with water for me to drink. Not much, but how sweet is that??? I must be loved!! So this picture was taken as I was when I woke up out of bed. So I look like "DEATH!! " --- remember that AMY (roomie)?

We ended up going to my mother in laws for dinner after church on Sunday and Chris took this picture of me and the kids on their swing. This picture pretty much says everything. We took a nice picture but it looked blurry so I didn't want to post it here. We sure know how to enjoy and have fun with one another.
Here is Chris working on clearing out our garden area. This was early last week, and then .....

My back yard from the very back of the yard.
And here is my garden spot as of Saturday May 10th, and it will be twice the length but the same width down the fence line. Here are the flowers that we picked up and yes, I'm slow on getting Christmas lights put away. But there are the different kinds of tomatoes that we will plant as well. I'm excited to do more than just those this year. So hopefully by the end of this week we can have the garden put in. I had some cute home-made cards from the kids, and the girls had made some "bath salt" concoctions and they smell nice!! I am blessed to have these wonderful kids in my life, even though they do frustrate me often. The joy they bring to me in my life is so worth all the "hard" times we have to go through. Hope that you all had a Happy Mother's Day.

I've had it up to here !!!

I think I'm getting back on track with being a mom!!


Okay -- really I'm way off track!!! My girls have a bedroom that is totally a MESS!!! And that's quite an understatement!!! So far today we've pulled out all of the clothes from their room, and we've now sorted them into piles to wash them. We've collected one full bag of trash ( old school papers, cards, wrappers etc..) The sad thing is there is still more to pick up in the room. So today as I wash and fold these loads of laundry I'm pulling out anything that they hate to wear, and anything that doesn't fit Heidi anymore --seeing how she's the youngest girl. So I can either throw it away or just give it to DI!! I want to paint in their room in the next month or so -- and in order to do that I need to have their room clear and free of all the clutter. I've been kind of slack on having any kind of cemented structure in their lives but today it's all starting to change. I don't want them to grow up to be irresponsible adults that don't know how to do anything, so sorry KIDS - CHORES! CHORES AND MORE CHORES FROM HERE ON OUT!!!

I know that it is frustrating trying to teach them to do something but at least if I take the time now, hopefully as they get older they will be trained and just be able to complete a job without constant over the shoulder supervision.

I'm giving them a chance to earn an incentive. $5.00 if they help get their room clean today!!! So far they are helping and doing an okay job. We're taking lunch break that's why I'm able to post right now. I want to start keeping a record of the things I do with them that work or don't so that I can remember and go forward from here on out.

I seriously don't know why parents don't come with one of those "parenting for dummies" handbooks. So that we already just know everything we have to do and can just do it. I admit part of the problem is I'm not motivated myself, or very self-disciplined -- but I do realize that if I want to have a clean home -- I seriously can't do all the work myself. They are old enough to take on a lot of the responsiblities in the home so now I think I'll practice on DELEGATING!!!

They also are able to each invite a friend over to play tomorrow if they get the room (including all the piles of laundry) taken care of today. So hey, $5.00 and a friend who would want to pass that up?? Hopefully not my girls. AGGHHHH --- some day they'll get bigger -- and hopefully they will be productive contributing adults.

The woes and joys of being a mother. Somedays it's hard and others it's downright impossible. But in the end they all do cute things that make me love them even more.

Whew!! It's not a ....

Okay so my baby, has been driving me crazy for about two weeks now. I'm absolutely drained of any energy that I have -- I finally took the little creature into the doctors office this morning. Which I think at this point in time the appointment was more for my sanity than for the actual illness or ailment of my child.

The doctor checked him out -- he weighs in now at 18 pounds and is only 5 and half months old. WOW!!

He doesn't have any ear infections like I was thinking he could have had. But the doctor did say his throat was a little red, so a mild sore throat and teething pain!!

I had intuition telling me it could have been teething pain or it could have been an ear infection since he was always grabbing at his ears!!

So yeah for me that he really doesn't have an ear infection, but sad for baby that he is in so much pain.

That's one of the difficulties you face as being a mom, that you don't know exactly what ails your child everytime they start acting funny. So you have to use your best judgement -- or to keep your sanity with an unconsolable child, take him/her to the doctor and let them reassure you that you are doing a great job!!

Because lets face it -- it isn't as glamourous as being a "movie star", and the pay isn't anywhere close --but the joy's you recieve, and the happiness your child gives you is all worth the time and sacrifice you give.