My Path

Several months ago, I was sitting in church and there was this lady sitting behind me (a visitor for a baby blessing). I confess, I broke the 10th commandment because I was totally coveting her. She had gorgeous salon hair, fancy nails, tailored clothes, and her son was wearing some expensive outfit. I was wondering when it will be "my turn" to be beautiful like that.

Shortly after that, I was helping my kids get snacks and I was watching them play together, and share their snacks with the little boy behind us, and the family in front of us. They were getting along, and I was in awe of them all. THIS is my tailored clothes. Their smiles are greater than manicured nails.  Salon hair styles don't compare to the joy my kids bring to me.

Two nights ago, after dinner, I was sitting at the table, trying to get motivation to clean up. Karleah was standing at the head of the table, talking to Aaron. I was watching her, and actually teared up for a while. I flashed back to the day we found out we were pregnant, and the day we found out we were having a girl. The day we brought her home, the day she crawled, walked, etc. I stared at my beautiful daughter, and as I reflected on all the memories with her, I remembered the lady at church.

I chose this path. I chose to be a mommy. I wouldn't trade it for ANYTHING. It reminded me of this quote from Sister Hinckley (Thanks Connie!)

“I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails.
I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp.
I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbors children.
I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone's garden.
I want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder.
I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived.”

I am really living. I LOVE my kids, and I'm so glad I chose the path that I did. They are my joy!

Vacation!!

Last week, we had our first family vacation since Nathanael was just a few months old. It was a huge success! We started out at Arches:

The kids loved it, we stopped at just about every scenic spot and walked around/took pictures.

We stopped in Moab because the van was making noise, and the mechanic we talked to said it wouldn't be a problem to keep driving. So, on we went to hole-in-the rock:

it was a short hike, we had lunch, ran around the rest stop park. Then, got back in the van. Next stop was going to be the hotel, but we were pretty far ahead of schedule so we decided to push through to four corners and then we'd have more time for the other sites later. We got to the monument just before they closed:

Then we went to the hotel. Once we unpacked, I asked Aaron to run and get some dinner. We were all tired of the snack/junk food we brought along. Unfortunately, the van wouldn't start. Some of the other guests at the hotel heard Aaron trying to start the van, and came out to look/help while I tried to scrounge through the food we had and get the kids fed. Eventually we called our travel club but because it was so late, and we were so rural, they couldn't help until the next day. I won't share boring details of it all, but the van was finally towed the next afternoon, and the shop tried "everything" for two days before they finally figured out what was wrong. Luckily, we were at the hotel before the van "died" and there was, thankfully, a park within walking distance so we could take the kids over there and play.

Finally, Thursday night they got the van fixed. We were supposed to have been home by this point, but Aaron called in sick and we decided to take it slow driving home Friday (we had already paid for an extra day at the hotel, anyway). We toured the "Edge of the Cedars" museum, but I forgot my camera so no pictures of that. We stopped in Price for lunch, and saw a sign for a Prehistoric Museum, and I talked Aaron in to going there :)

All in all, we had a great time. I'm proud of my kids, they behaved exceptionally well. We had a good time relaxing and playing and exploring. I am so so so glad I get to be their mommy!