I look forward to.........

Mondays! I do all of my clothes laundry on Mondays. Yesterday as I was loading the pant load I thought how I look forward to summer because it reduces my laundry to one load. Blue jeans are seldom worn in the summer by us. We wear mostly cotton type material which takes up a lot less space in the washer, and reduces the number of loads I do by one.


I love my washer and dryer sooooo much! We bought them a couple years ago. We have the Whirlpool Cabrio set. My washer and dryers are my babies. I look forward to doing laundry because of them.


On Saturdays I sort all of my laundry. Whites, mediums, darks and heavy duty pants like jeans. So 4 loads of clothes for 7 people. In the winter time it can sometimes be 5.



On Sunday evenings before I go to bed I throw a load in and put the detergent in their respective spots, close the lid and set the delay start for several hours. Sometime in the wee early morning hours on Monday my washer starts washing and by the time I wake up for the day I have at least 2 loads under my belt.



On Fridays or Saturday, depending on the week, I do our linens which consist of our bedding and towels. So 7 towels, 30ish wash clothes, 5ish kitchen hand towels and a king size bedding sheet set, 4 twin fitted sheets, and a crib sheet. I can usually get this all in 2 loads. About once a month the blankets need to be washed then it can be up to 4 loads.



When we were deciding to buy a new washer and dryer I was grateful a blog friend had posted this story here. This is the part that helped me. It said "When my Mom's mother passed away, she left a small chunk of change for each of her grand-kids. My mom did not tell me about it or give it to me until we bought our 1st house. It is almost embarrassing what it was spent on, but it was my Mom that made me do it....on behalf of my Grandma. The story goes something like this... she came to care for the older kids when my mom had a new baby. When she came, the washing machine was not working. My grandma asked my mom about it, and my mom explained that it had not worked for a while, but they could not afford a new one. My g-ma scolded her and said "SHAME ON YOU, MARY. Your husband has every nick knack known to mankind for his line of work. You are in the BABY MAKING business. A washing machine is a NECESSITY in this line of work. You go out this door, and don't come home until you have the best one they sell.
We had just bought a house, and did not have left over cash... I was about to buy a used one off craigslist. My mom stopped me and told me this story, and gave me the cash in order for me to buy a top notch front loading Washer and dryer that washes the equivalent of like 3 loads at once. It has a SANITIZING cycle that scours the puke, poop, and anything else NASTY. I LOVE my grandma every time I use it! It definitely makes motherhood easier and helps me spend time in more important places. I only have to do laundry once a week.... if I could just figure out how to get all put away before the next laundry day."



I love this story because often times as Mothers we tend to not want to get us nice things that will help us. At least I know I used to be like this. I tended to get what the Kids needed first. Her story completely made sense to me and It has helped me give myself a lot more allowance when it comes to purchases that allow me to be more efficient with my time as a Mother.

As an additional tip for buying tools for your job as a Mother I highly recommend that you thoroughly research the different products and really determine what does fit your needs.
The End

Friend

I have vivid memories of who my parents friends were growing up. One of my Mothers dearest friends we called "Aunt" Dale. We were not technically related but because my Mom and her knew each other since childhood, they figuratively were family.


We would go and have play dates with her children and have BBQ's. I remember one time, when I was in Kindergarten or pre-school, I got sick and my Mom must not have been available to take care of me so I went to Aunt Dale's and sat on her couch and watched Sesame Street. It was a nice feeling to feel safe at a home that wasn't mine. My Mom is a great example to me on how to be a good friend. I still have a lot to learn from her in this category.


When I was a teenager my Dad said something to the affect of, you will always know who your friends are. They are the ones who will tell you if you have toilet paper stuck to your shoes or pants, and if they have a question about you they will not ask someone else but will come to you and ask you the question. I think in essence he was talking about loyalty.


My parents both took occasional trips with their respective friends. I think my Dad went to the Bahamas with one of his buddies, and some golfing trips with others. I remember one time my Mom went to Disneyland with Aunt Dale for a week or so.


I remember that week because it meant my Dad was in charge. He had gotten a babysitter for us one day. She was terrible. I was around 4 or5 and my Brother was still in a crib. this babysitter for some reason must not have liked us because she seemed angry all the time. She then randomly put me in my brothers crib. I remember feeling very confused. I felt great relief when my Dad got home that day. She was a mean babysitter.


I remember my Dad getting us all ready to go and pick our Mom up from the airport. We were all so excited. We may or may not have looked like we lived in a home, but we were all still breathing.


Now that I am a Mom myself, I am sure my Moms homecoming was bittersweet. Bitter in the sense that she couldn't just go wherever she wanted whenever and stay up way late and sleep in. Sweet because she was home again. It is important to get away and renew yourself as a Mother. I know for me I enjoy getting together with my friends often and we have a grand time visiting and eating yummy food. It really does help renew a sometimes dreary spirit.


We had an older friend growing up. Amy seemed to be my Mom's helper. Amy was awesome.! She still is! She took us all over. It seemed like she was always volunteering to take us out and help. One year she took my sisters and I to get pictures taken for a present for my Mom for Christmas. The pictures were made into ornaments. She took us skiing, and a few times she came on vacations with us. She probably enjoyed being around a bunch of little girls since she had no sisters of her own, just a slew of brothers. She felt like a wonderful older sister. She was a true blessing. And a great friend!


It is a shame that as we get older we tend to become more guarded on being friendly with those around us. I wonder what the consequences would be like if we chose to smile more when we are out in public. Would we be more apt to strike up a conversation with a complete stranger? Maybe we could be a beacon of light to help lift a spirit that feels sad.

Did you know that the simple act of smiling will produce good endorphins in your brain? It can! "A smile is a curve that can change everything." Author unknown


One day when I was driving home I thought I would make an effort to drive with a smile and take note of what the other drivers expressions were. Most peoples faces were drawn southward, I would imagine their thoughts were somewhat consumed with their troubles. A lot of people were talking on their phones. But not one face I saw had a smile on it.
"Have we forgotten how to smile?" I thought to myself. How does smiling have anything to do with being a friend? It does. It is so much more enjoyable to be around someone when they are smiling. you are more approachable, more inviting. This week smile more and see what happens :)



For me being a friend starts with making yourself be available. Whether that is with your chosen friends or with your family friends. The rest just falls into place. I am so grateful for the wonderful friends I have. I have been very blessed. I am grateful for the example my parents set of the importance to have friends outside of the home.



I believe of greater importance is to learn how to be friends with those with whom you get to live with. Family is where boundaries are put to their limits and so to be able to come out on top with friendship is the ultimate crown jewel in family relationships. I have found that it takes 2 people to accomplish that though, and so that is why sometimes families fall apart because they may not have the tools to know how to accomplish this.


Our daughters are literally not allowed to play at a friends if they are not able to be nice to each other. I tell them that once they figure out how to treat each other in a kind way then they can go to a friends.


I want them to understand that yes it is important to have friends outside of the home but your family will always be here. ALWAYS and so the sooner we all learn how to treat each other, the more wonderful life is. When the girls are fighting it breaks my heart. When they come to me all frustrated I ask them what their solution is. I feel that it is important for them to figure out how to come up with solutions to dilemmas. If they seem to have a hard time figuring it out, I will gently guide them to help.


For me being successful as a parent will mean our children are able to be friends with each other. I know I can not force this on them, BUT I can give them the tools that will give them a greater chance in accomplishing this. I recognize that we can teach our children everything but in the end it will be up to them if they want to learn and apply. I just hope and pray that they will have desires to stay close to each other and in the end they will all be the best of friends and will be loyal to the end.

United States of America

I sure am thankful for the wonderful beautiful country I live in: The United States of America!
I still am optimistic for what the future can hold. We can all do our part, no matter how small it may be, in upholding what our forefathers envisioned this great country to be.


It all starts in our homes. Build unified homes and we will have a unified country.


Indivisible:

–adjective1. not divisible; not separable into parts; incapable of being divided: one nation indivisible.
–noun 2. something indivisible.

What did you hear me say?

I thought I would share one of the many ways I try to stay sane in the midst of all the insanity around here.

Any who have ever had children, or even any who work with children, know that they often will respond to a question with, "HUH?" or "What did you say?" or the excuse you get from older children "I didn't hear you say that!".

When Emma was a toddler I found myself repeating what I had just said over and over and driving myself insane. One day I said "What did you hear me say?" And you know what? She said back to me almost word for word what I had just said.

Praise everything that is good and wonderful! I had found a solution to this problem.

To this day I use the question "What did you hear me say?". It is interesting to see how Emma and Sera try to avoid answering this question at times. Especially when it proves to be a disadvantage for them. Like when I have asked them to do something and they have chosen to ignore me.

This question helps you to be able to figure out what the child has interpreted or heard. And as a parent I feel it is vital to understand your child's point of view. Even if it may be a little off from what you would like.

If you find yourself repeating things over and over, try saying to your child or spouse :)
"What did you hear me say?" I hope it works for you like it has for me.

The end of Bowman's

After Bowman's contract with Meadowbrook was bought out, Bowman's pretty much closed shop. I know that Fred and Grandpa Joe were probably old enough to retire and that is likely why everything came to an end.

After Bowman's, my Dad did a very small catering deal out of our home. He would bring lunches to a company on a daily basis, and do some side big events like weddings or parties for small corporate events.

Almost every morning on our way home from Seminary my sister and I would stop at this little bakery (which is no longer there) and pick up our Dad's bread order. It was mostly sub rolls so he could make subs for the lunches he brought to a company. One of the benefits for my sister's and me was that he would make us a sub. Yum! It had all the fixings on it. He had the packets of mayo and mustard that we could put on just before we ate it. I loved this! He also had some kind of cold salad he had made the night before. I loved his pasta, and red skin potato salads. He made the best tuna salad too, with chunks of onion with mayo and lots of dill. Sooooooooo good!

I remember the night before any lunch deliveries, he would have one of us do cookie duty. The Otis Spunkmeyer cookie ovens were down stairs and the frozen cookie doughs were in the down stairs deep freezer. He would have a list of how many of what type of cookie he needed. Once the cookies were done baking we would take out and tap the baking sheet on the table and it would slightly flatten them. We would slip the parchment filled cookie sheet off and re-line baking sheet with a new parchment and fill up and start over until we were done. The best part was we could have a frozen cookie dough.

I got to help with some of the bigger events he did. Like the Christmas parties for the "lunch" company, company picnics and some weddings.

It was always a joy for me the day before and day of the event. Our home would have smells of meats roasting, fancy salads being cooked, baked beans, cookies. My Dad would have his big check list posted up on the same cupboard door every time. When he was done he promptly crossed off.

He had these huge cooking pots to cook with. I don't think he ever really measured anything. He would just throw stuff in and then taste here and there until it tasted wonderful. When the hot food was done it would get transferred to a big pan that fit into the hot boxes and then get wrapped in aluminum foil and stuck in the hot boxes so they could stay hot. The cold foods were usually prepped the day before and kept in the refrigerator.


Then the hustle and bustle of loading everything up into the van came. We would prop open the front door and the van was loaded in no time. You learned to not get in the way, and found the rhythm of the flow.


At the events, we typically wore white shirts with black slacks. Sometimes a red bow tie. The chefs wore a white apron with a white chefs hat. They tended to the meat and grills.

At the end of the evening my legs would be so exhausted but we all knew if we all helped we could get done quicker.

My Dad continued to do this work I think for almost 8 years after Bowman's closed, until he went into the corporate world and has done food service this way for I think about 7 years.

For me the lessons I learned from my Dad all those years are priceless. I look back at the times when it was just my Dad and I traveling to and from an event and him singing silly songs like "Looking at the world through fly's eye's", "IIIIIIII Like" or us singing "Cumalata Feesta" together.

We would talk and he asked me questions and then listen. It was a great opportunity for me to figure out all the great qualities my Dad had and know what characteristics I wanted in my future Husband.

I know my parents were and are not perfect, but I sure am grateful for all that they taught me, whether it was spoken, by example or through the experiences they exposed me to that enabled me to be able to make choices on my own to help me figure out who I am and what I wanted to be and where I wanted to go.

The worth of sleep

One thing I very much fancy is my sleep. All of our children so far have been excellent sleepers due to the knowledge gained from Dr. Marc Weissbluth's book "Healthy Sleep Habits, Healthy Child" But we all know that even if your children are normally good sleepers they have bad nights too, which means for the most part, us mother's do too.


This man's depictions of a sleep deprived mother is pretty much a perfect description of what I am like with inadequate amounts of sleep. Sad but true! I am pretty positive any Mother can relate to this clip.





One part of his skit reminded me of a paragraph from this post I wrote a long time ago.

Make sure you get plenty of sleep. It really does make a world of difference on how we are able to function. It is a Mother's secret weapon.

What a waste

This letter it so frustrating for me on so many levels. For one, if our state is suffering so badly with being in the red, why on earth would they send such a ridiculous letter. I am all for immunizations but for some reason I am not a fan of the flu vaccines. I am curious to know if our state went overboard in stocking up on these flu vaccines and they are trying to find a way to get people to go and get them. Let me tell you Mrs. Governor! Just because you send out this urgent letter stating that our children are at risk for serious illness and hospitalization, does not mean I will give into your unnecessary pressures. What a waste of money! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
Here is the said letter minus our address:

Jennifer M Granholm
Governor

State of Michigan

Department of Community Health
Lansing

Dear Parent,



Your child is at an increased risk for influenza (flu) which can cause serious illness and hospitalizations. It is not too late to get flu vaccines. Michigan Care Improvement Registry (MCIR) records indicate that your child has not received 2009 H1N1 vaccines.

• Get your child vaccinated with flu vaccines now if you have not already done so.
• Children 6 months through 9 years of age need 2 doses of 2009 H1N1 vaccine to be protected. Contact your child's health care provider or local health department to make an appointment if your child has not had 2 doses of this flu vaccine.

• Children also need seasonal flu vaccine to be fully protected. Ask your child's health care provider or local health department if your child needs seasonal flu vaccine.

There is no cost for the 2009H1N1 vaccine; however there may be a vaccine administration fee. Contact your local health department for information about receiving this flu vaccine at no cost.
If your child does not have health insurance, or does not have insurance that covers seasonal flu vaccine, ask your doctor or local health department about Vaccines for Children (VFC) program. This program is available for eligible children 18 years of age or younger.


If you have questions about seasonal and/or 2009H1N1 flu vaccine, please contact your doctor or local health department or go online to (website) for more information. To find a flu clinic near you

• Go to Michigan Department of Community Health website at (website) and click on Where can I get the flu Vaccine? or contact your local health department for assistance.

If your child has received all needed doses of 2009 H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccines please disregard this letter. "

I am thankful the State of Michigan government knows how to spend our tax dollars so wisely(sarcasticly said)

Make-Up

Emma when she was about 3 got into my make-up

I want to know what makes little girls act totally different once they put on lip balm or any make-up for that matter. If only I would remember to have a camera ready when our girls put this stuff on. It cracks me up. Sera especially hams it up when she gets some lip gloss on.

I wonder if it is in a woman's instinctual behavior. Because I know for me, if I want a little pick me up, all I have to do is put on some mascara and I feel like I am the most beautiful person ever. Couple that with some light blush and a lip gloss. I feel and act like a new person. I am thankful for make-up!


What does make-up do for you?

Epitome of thoughtful

Emma is the epitome of thoughtfulness! It truly amazes me, her capacity to look beyond her own circumstance and reach out to others. I am grateful for her gentle reminder of how to be thoughtful to everyone.

She is a natural caretaker. And although Sera can push her buttons like no other, they still are there for each other. These two can fight like cats and dogs, but when there is harmony, it permeates to everything that is surrounding them!


Being the oldest child is not always the easiest. Often times than not, the oldest child is like a practice child for the parents before the subsequent children come to the family. A seasoned Mother said in jest, "Oh if I could just throw away the first 2 kids, then I would have been a perfect Mother!" I take by what she meant by this is that we tend to make most of our parenting mistakes with the first 2 kids, because hopefully by the 3rd or more child you have figured out what works and doesn't work. I am grateful for Emma's forgiving spirit.

This is Emma reading a book to a very attentive baby Lucy
She really does know how to captivate others when she reads

Emma is very conscientious about her surroundings. At school she doesn't hang out with any particular crowd, she is friends with everyone. She has friends from kindergarten all the way to fifth grade. If she has met you and she has learned your name, she will remember it for the rest of her life. This is a gift she has that helps others feel special. If someone is being bullied, she will do her best to stick up for the person. She will very bluntly tell the bully that what they are doing is not right. I have been told I was being a bully on more than one occasion, and rightfully put in my place. Thank goodness for her sensitivity to what is right and wrong. It certainly blesses my life.

Emma holding baby Kady

Is there anything better for a Mother to see than to behold her children adore their siblings? It is one of my most favorite things about Motherhood. Capturing the essence of love! Emma has always been a great helper with her sister's. If I ask her to help with them she always responds with an "yes I will help!" I feel bad for her at times because her sister's are not always as willing to let her help them. But she works through it like a pro and more times than not is able to convince them to let her help them. She especially adores Eliza right now. She is finding it more difficult to hold her as Eliza is very wriggly.

Emma snuggling baby Eliza

I have a chart with different responsibilities we all rotate doing weekly i.e vacuuming/sweeping, clear table area, load dishwasher, unload dishwasher, clean living room/ family room. This week Emma is in charge of the table area. Last night after dinner, she decided to work extra hard in scrubbing that table clean and making sure the floor around the table was picked up. She did this for a surprise for me. I didn't notice until after the girls were in bed. Do you know why she did this? She told me this morning. She said, " Because I knew it would help you out!"

Thoughtful? Indeed yes, this Emma is thoughtful!

It is such an honor and blessing to be able to know such a fine person.

Meadowbrook

Here is a link to a aerial view of Meadowbrook. Those who worked here will recognize the landmarks I talk about in this post
http://wikimapia.org/1198058/Meadowbrook-Music-Festival-oakland-University-campus



Meadowbrook holds a very special place in my heart. It was an outdoor theater that Bowman's Catering had a summer contract with, for at least 8 years that I am aware of, to take care of all of the food for the shows and concerts.



I recall being able to start working there when I was around 8 years old starting to learn how to scoop ice cream in the ice cream parlor. My Dad then taught us how to take a customers order and give correct change and the most important rule, that the customer is ALWAYS right. This may have scarred me because to this day I have a hard time going out and ever being impressed with the customer service I ever recieve. It seems it may be a lost art. I digress.



All summer long we would spend at Meadowbrook. Wheather it was running around or listenting to the concerts, I was always sad when summer drew to a close and knew that school was going to entail having to be stuck inside most of the time made me want to soak up all that I could.



I was exposed to all varieties of music from Bob Dylan to Rafi. I loved 4th of July time because we would sit on top of the hill and there would be this marvelous display of fireworks going as the music pavilion would blast the pre-recorded music that had the likes of Neil Diamonds "We're Coming To America!" and all sorts of patriotic music to stir the soul. Sundays we called "D.S.Slow" Instead of "The D.S.O" Which stood for The Detroit Symphony Orchestra. We called it this because not many people came to watch them and so the business was always slow.



I had a promising romance between my 4th and 5th grade summer. It lasted a week with a boy "Drew" He was in town for a family reunion with one of the part owners side of the family. He was cute and we talked for hours and walked all over Meadowbrook. I don't ever remember kissing, but we did talk about getting married. After he left I was heart broken. We wrote back and forth for a few months. I still have those letters.




Something that was always fun to do was taking the empty cardboard boxes and sliding down the very steep back side of the hill. I can still remember the smell of fresh cut grass. Another pass time was that we walked around collecting cans from the trash or ground and then cashing in on the Deposit (in Michigan you get 10cents per can). Lots of drunk people would leave their empty beer cans around. I didn't need a talk from my parents of how to say no to drinking. I was convinced enough from how I saw people act, those many summers, that I never wanted to try alcoholic beverages.




There was a huge cement stair way that ran up the middle on the hill where the food court was and it went straight up the hill to the ticket booth area. We would do running races up and down those stairs. We occasionally explored the back wooded area. We would see some wacky things in those back woods. Let's just say drunk people were very entertaining for us.



Being friends with the nurse had its advantages. Her nurses station, which was attached to our facility, had a small bathroom in it. If we ever needed to go to the bathroom during intermission time she always let us use hers. This was heaven sent for a child like me with a seemingly small bladder.




The smell of popcorn popping continually for a good 1/2 hour before any intermission was the sole job of "The Colonel" Mike Cowper. This area was located just at the entrance of where the customers came and went to the hill pavilion theater area for the concerts. It was also located right next to the bathroom area. So between the wafts of fresh baking Otis Spunkmeyer cookies and popcorn, it easily drew in customers and effectively drew in many customers. Before the intermission rush you would also hear the roar of the pop machines making the pshing noises as the carbonation mixed with the syrup. I can still hear it in my mind. We would fill cups with the best selling flavors so we would be ready.




Then there was the Terrace Cafe for those who wanted to have a more formal dining experience. It was located on the back terrace of the building with ample amounts of shade from the large aged trees in the back wooded area. It had lots of those fancy French country style black iron tables with chairs to match. They used real plates, cups and silverware and covered the the tables with fresh white linens. People who wanted ambiance to be apart of their meal ate at the Terrace Cafe.




Then there were those people who loved food for the love of it. They would go through the food line inside the facility and get their food in take out style containers and eat out at the eating area on the other side of the building. The tables on this side had these large sun umbrellas on them that you could tilt to keep the sun from heating you to death. It seemed like us kids were frequently put in charge of winding them up at the beginning of the shifts and then getting to wind them down at the end of the day.




The food line always had the best fried chicken you could ever think of eating, the yummiest potato salad, fresh fruit salads, hamburgers, cheeseburgers and the best hot dogs ever. Better Made potato chips were a staple. Sandwiches in many varieties. My favorite was the roast beef on the onion roll. I would slather that baby with Hellmann's mayonnaise and make sure it had plenty of tomatoes and lettuce.




In the prep kitchen I loved to watch the action that went on here. I always remember Amy slicing the meats with the commercial grade deli slicer for the sandwiches and making the large batches of divine pasta or potato salads. Oh and lets not forget those fabulous chocolate chip cookies of Nola Smith. I think she made those in the early years before Bowman started getting the Otis Spunkmeyer cookie doughs.




Then there was the ice cream parlor. It was a nice long narrow working space that was filled with a long deep freezer that encased the many varieties of the large tubs of Strohs ice cream. My favorites were the Black cherry and the butter pecan flavors. Both boasted large chunks of either black cherry's or pecans. They also would occasionally get a raspberry cheesecake flavor, that had a hint of cheesecake with a raspberry swirl and then this yummy graham cracker crumb thing going on through out the ice cream. YUM!




I was taught that if you got something to eat you had to eat all of it. No waste! I learned how satisfying it was to work hard and then play after. I learned that if you scoop ice cream for several years you will have nice looking arms. I watched how employees worked out their differences. This ranged just as wide as the selection of music I was exposed to.




I learned that at the end of the day after all of the workers had left it was not the end of the day for the bosses. I suppose that's similar to a parents job.




I was fortunate to have spent almost all of my childhood summers at such a wonderful place. And for someone like me who tends to be a deep observer, it really helped shape my ideas of what I wanted to be when I grew up and the kind of person I strove to be. This is very much an abbreviated version of my memories of Meadowbrook. I tried to capture the essence of my experiences. It was sad when a local business gurue guy came in and bought out everything and Bowman's was no longer contracted to do the food. It was a truly magical to have spent all those summers working and growing as a person. Such great memories for me!



The end!

A Mother's Best Friend

I know scissors may have a bad rap with Mother's, but hear me out.


When it comes to meal time scissors are truly a Mother's best friend! This is especially true when you have more than one child help.



Lets say you have made a delicious lasagna for dinner. You have plated the lasagna up on the child's plate. You have a few choices you could make in how you cut up to make it easier for your child to eat.


one:use the old fashion knife to cut up said lasagna


two: use the fork to cut up said lasagna


three: use a pair of scissors to cut up said lasagna



I pick choice #3


Why? Because it takes less time to snip snip through the meal and takes less energy thus enabling us to get to the reason why we came to the table in the first place.


To eat our meal!



I can not tell you how many times, when we have had guests over how astonished they were when I whipped out the scissors and started cutting up our childrens food within a matter of seconds.


They will always say "I have never thought about ever using scissors to cut up our child's food! What a great idea!"


We use scissors on anything that needs to be cut up for our childrens food. From pancakes to pizza.


Give yourself a few extra minutes of your life and be converted to the scissor way.


You will never turn back!



I fancy scissors!

Soothing sounds

One of my most favorite sounds to listen to is children giggling. It will instantaneously kick a fowl mood out and welcomes a happy one!


Maybe that explains, when I remember to, why I will do my best at encouraging laughter in our home, because it truly is a balm for my soul.


Whether it is dropping everything on my to do list and putting on some wacky music and dancing or making up some kind of song that is relevant to the situation.( i.e people are whining and I will start to sing in some silly opera voice "Oh how I love when I hear children being happy, oh soooo happy") it will inevitably change all of our sour attitudes and, what do you know, laughter and happiness is in abundance.


We won't talk about the times I forget to be the creator of a happy environment. Only because you know what I am talking about and well frankly I repent and then try to forget about those moments and move on. Why dwell on it. It is not healthy on so many levels.


My motto for myself is "As long as I am making more strides forward than back then I am doing a great job!"


As Mothers I feel that we can be a little too harsh on ourselves. If we were to just step back and LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE we would recognize and realize that we truly make so many more good strides than we do bad.


Focus on the positive, self-evaluate in a good way, and if there are changes that need to happen, instead of sulking about it, do something about it! You will find that you will be freed from unnecessary guilt and suffering.

I am thankful for the many time I remember to giggle with the kids!

Have I done any good?

Have I done any good in the world today?

Have I helped anyone in need?

Have I cheered up the sad and made someone feel glad?

If not I have failed in deed.

Has anyone's burden been lighter today because I was willing to share?

Have the sick and the weary been helped on their way?

When they needed my help was I there?

Then wake up and do something more than dream of your mansion above.
Doing good is a pleasure a joy beyond measure, a blessing of duty and love.

There are chances for work all around just now, opportunities right in our way.

Do not let them pass by, saying, "Sometime I'll try," But go and do something today.

'Tis noble of man to work and to give;

Love's labor has merit alone.

Only he who does something helps others to live.

To God each good work will be known.

Then wake up and do something more than dream of your mansion above.
Doing good is a pleasure a joy beyond measure, a blessing of duty and love.
LDS Hymn#223

This song has been constantly running through my head for a couple of weeks. I pretty sure my children are starting to get sick of me singing this song in an opera voice. ( I just pretend I can sing opera)


But really, is there any better way to realize what joy there is in this life, even when life around us can seem troubling and overwhelming, than to get outside of ourselves and reach out to those who are in need of help?


For me service is like
water is to a plant or
food is to our bodies or
laughter is to the soul
It is necessary thrive!



There are many components to finding and having joy in our lives. I feel that service is one of the main components to that joy. Without it we will be more apt to finding the negative in everything and everyone.


If you are struggling daily or several days a week go out and do some meaningful good. I can guarantee as you open your eyes and look beyond your own trials and circumstances and serve, you will feel better! At least in my own life I have found this to be true.


This is a message from our Prophet President Thomas S. Monson

Some of the People Who Worked at Bowman's

Employees of Bowman's Catering were always a hoot to be around! Two of the joint owner's at Bowman's were Fred and "Grandpa Jo". Fred was always loud and fun. He always had some cheeky thing to say to us especially if we stuck our tongues out at him. He had always threatened to stick cheese on our tongues.

One day I had gone into the kitchen area and he happened to be there working on a cheese platter. As I neared him I stuck out my tongue and he slapped a big wad of nasty stinky cheese on my tongue. Needless to say that was the last time I stuck my tongue out at him. He seemed to have a knack with creating great cheese, cracker and fruit spreads. Still does actually. You could always count on him to be boisterous and silly. To this day, if you let him, he will talk for hours telling great stories about everything and anything!

"Grandpa Jo" The main owner, I think, seemed to always have Toblerone chocolates on his desk. If he was in the office he would offer one to me. He has a thick Swedish accent and I remember how he had a hard time enunciating the "th" sound. As a little kid I enjoyed listening to him talk, mostly because it sounded different. I remember at lunch times watching him over at the massive gas fired stoves in the kitchen whipping some kind of wonderful concoction for lunches. He was always kind and I never felt like I was in the way. We called his wife Grannie Jo. I have too many memories of the two of them and the many acts of service I received from them to write down. What wonderful people!
Kris Harris was one of the chefs. A really good one! I remember her letting me sit on her lap in the parking lot and while she controlled the accelerator she let me have control of the steering wheel. As a child I thought I had died and gone to heaven!

Mike Talbot was a chef as well. I watched him woo all the ladies. I think he may have dated all the non-married ladies or at least it seemed that way. He was always a tease and he would show all the kids his "special teeth!" He had an extra set of teeth behind his front teeth. I always thought this was gross but entertaining. He started working there when he was a late teenager and pretty much grew up while working at Bowman's.

Nola Smith was the baker! OH BOY did she make the best chocolate chip cookies. Bowman's had this massive Hobart mixer and she filled that huge caldron up with a bunch of ingredients and would make hundreded of heavenly cookies. Last year when I was pregnant with Eliza I was craving these cookies. Since Nola goes to my church where I live I tried getting the recipe but she was unable to find the blessed thing. I told her it was probably better that I didn't have it :)

When I was about 4 my twin sister wanted to play barber shop and insisted she was only going to pretend to cut my hair. My Mom was away so my Dad was in charge of watching us. Well my Dad was in the other room watching TV when our "pretend" haircutting took place. When my sister finished off my hair with shaking baby powder all over my head and handed me a mirror to behold her "pretend" masterpiece it was obvious she had used real scissors.

As a result of my boy haircut, when I would have to walk pass the kitchen at Bowman's some of the chefs would say "There goes the boy twin!" This traumatized me a bit.

I had a huge hood on my winter jacket. It had that faux fur on the edges. So I figured out if I pulled my hood over my head and looked down and ran past them then I would not have to listen to their taunting. It worked for me and in my mind that's what made the taunting stop. I'm sure in all actuality it probably stopped because somebody said something. Who knows.

Bowman's was contracted with an outdoor music festival theater named Meadowbrook. Next week I will talk about those wonderful memories!

Organized Destruction

It will be 8 years at the end of this month when we bought our home. We have a cape cod home about 1875 square feet. I felt it was the perfect starter home. We moved away with 2 kids and when we moved back we had 4. We had 2 renter families those almost 2 1/2 years we were gone.

When we got back unfortunately our home was not how we had left it. So for the past 2 years we have been gradually working on re-doing rooms on our list of what we feel needs to be done. We don't go into debt for things, so we have saved and then done. Which is why it is a slow process. But it is so much more rewarding in the end. Our last big demo project was the down stairs bath.

My friend Amy came by Wednesday evening to help me start the demo on the upstairs bathroom. The before pictures are from 2005 before we moved, and pre-renters. The bathroom needed to be re-done then but it was not in the budget.



It was more evident when we started demolishing and realized the people who lived here in years past just sorta slapped things together.

Yes this is a sewing pin holding the wall paper together

So this is stage one of our demolition process. We will rip out the rest of the walls and ceiling sometime this coming week. Possibly the floor and tub if we have enough space in the trash cans. I fancy organized destruction!

Hypophosphatasia

Hypo what? Hypophosphatasia is a rare metabolic bone disorder, and our daughter Sera has it! This past January she began an Enzyme replacement therapy research study through Shriners Hospital in St. Louis

I am thankful that Sera wants to willingly help others out even though all of the tests they have to do are not the easiest. She is a hero!

This picture was from their last visit in January. Jared and Sera got to do a lot of sight seeing!



One of the characteristics of child onset Hypophosphatasia is early loss of baby teeth. She lost her first tooth when she was 23 months, and has lost a total of 12 teeth so far. She has a partial for her bottom teeth as she only has her two bottom molars left. Here she is visiting the childrens' Dentist specialist in St. Louis.



I'm thankful for a competent husband who has been able to go and be with Sera the last 3 trips down to St. Louis. The next visit Eliza, Sera and I will be going since it will only be a 2 day visit. Jared and Sera have been down there all this week.

One of the many times she has to get her blood drawn.

Her first visit back in November they had to have her on a special diet to see how her body responded to calcium intake.

I am thankful that they have on-site tutors to help the patients with their school work. She loves her teacher!

Lying

I don't know how any parent could not be able to relate to what Bill Cosby defines as brain damage. This is one of those clips that when I am having a bad day I can watch and it will help me feel like our kids are normal and everything will be okay.




To preface the movie below, I had made hot egg sandwiches for lunch. Lucy really wanted to have a rice crispy treat. I told her she could have one once she had eaten all of her food. I was putting Eliza down for a nap when Lucy came and told me she had finished her lunch and asked if she could have the treat now. I told her she could. When I had come down and saw an upside down plate on the table I knew exactly what was under it and could not resist recording what possible story she would tell. I also love how the movie demonstrates how Kady has been our little playback recorder lately. She loves to mimic what the girls say. I could have gotten more information but Kady thwarted my agenda. So here is a video to show one of the ways I handle when our children lie to me.