On Being Happy

Yesterday I was hormonal and had a blah day. It was overcast and rainy, I was stuck inside and lonely and San Antonio just wasn't feeling like home. I let it get to me. Usually at night, if I'm not sleepy (and on my A game), I have a period of reflection on what I should have done better that day and ask for forgiveness. Last night my spirits were low and as I was reflecting on what I could have done better. I started to think "I could have done every thing better." It was really one of those days. But then, I had images come to my mind, quick snapshots of the day. Of Lucy laughing about something with me and sitting next to Ashton as he practiced the piano. Of coloring next to Mallie and scratching Hannah's back. I saw my calm reaction when Mallie knocked her smoothie off the table and left berry marks on the ceiling! I saw Scotty's little gummy smile in my mind as I tickled him after changing him. It was a tender mercy from Heavenly Father that I had done more than okay and that tomorrow was a new day. "Tomorrow!" I promised myself I was going to be cheerful! So today, I chose to be happy. And I was! And these guys all ended up on my bed for storytime so we took a family selfie. I think it was our first as a family of 7. I may be cheerful but I'm still self-conscious about the braces (one step at a time), so you get the funny face one!

Family Prayer

4 year olds say the best prayers. They are old enough to articulate their thoughts but not old enough to filter themselves. The other night we were kneeling down to prayer and it was Lucy's turn. She and Mallie have been buddies lately so she told me she wanted Mallie to help her. She started the prayer and Lucy repeated everything she said. In the middle she said, "Please bless Jesus because he died on the cross for us." Lucy mumbled "for us.." and Mallie continued, "and please bless Daddy because he hurt his foot on a screw." to which Ashton said in the middle of the prayer, "No he didn't!" and Mallie responded with, "YES HE DID! On your booby trap!" and Bug conceded. Then Mallie and Lucy closed the prayer and said Amen. David and I were almost in tears laughing by the end of it.

Over Christmas break we let the kids watch Home Alone for the first time. Since then Ashton has taken a particular interest in setting booby traps around the house. Well, one day over the break David walked inside the front door and stepped right on a screw facing up. It didn't puncture him or anything but he said it hurt. When he tried to tell Ashton why he couldn't set traps I just laughed and laughed. We had been had. Kids = 1 Parents = 0

Sometimes I still feel like we're not old enough to be put in charge.

New Years

We have been so spoiled with visitors since we've been here. We've only been here for 5 months and we've had 5 different sets of visitors. We love it!! My parents have come down twice. David's parents have come down once. We've had David's little brother and sister come down for a weekend and Ben and Emily came down for New Years. We have missed them like crazy since we've left FLW and they braved a supposed 12 hour drive (+2 because of traffic) to reunite the kids and come play with us. It meant the world to us to have them here!

They were hoping to escape freezing cold Missouri and enjoy some 60 degree temps down here. Instead it was cold and rainy!! We went to Sea World and I severely under dressed every single one of my kids; the forecast said 49 but a storm rolled in. They were were wearing fleece hoodies and it was 33 degrees outside with some serious wind. I felt so bad. Just walking through the parking lot all their teeth were chattering so I walked right in the park and I had to buy 3 fleece blankets to wrap the kids up in at the first souvenir stand. We didn't think we would survive till the night shows but we did it and it was so fun! The bonus was that no one caught pneumonia.

Here we are hiding out in the penguin exhibit with hot chocolate for 30 minutes. David met up with us after work and we sent him right on a roller coaster with Ben. Emily and I had it totally under control in a busy theme park but just looking at this picture reminds me how many kids we have between the two of us!

Oh how the kids love the Azul show! It is always amazing!

Night time Shamu show!

The girls kept playing hide and seek behind the lit up trees. Oh how they love each other! I told Emily once that they're going to need a mini van just to hang out as teenagers once you add in Lucy and Ellie.

This is proof that the Ashton kids owe me for their first Chuck E Cheese experience! Mallie and Anna got a free turn in the ticket blaster because we ordered so many pizzas. Emily didn't have a panic attack because of the germs, so I consider that a win!

This is hugely blurry but the next couple of days we were stuck inside because it was freezing so we busted out just dance. It was a big hit! Until the girls started singing the Spice Girls around the house later that day. Hearing a 4 and 5 year old sing, "So tell me what you want..." was hilarious and simultaneously horrifying. Since then we have purchased the Disney version of Just Dance.

But at night the adults played Just Dance and during a dance off with Ben to "Eye of The Tiger" I broke the lampshade. He was winning at the end and I wanted to make sure I nailed my last few moves. I had no idea that my arm extended with the added length of the wiimote made me that tall. Oops. I never liked those shades anyway.

And this is what it looked like when we told the kiddos to say goodbye. It was so sad!

Here all 9 kids! We LOVE and miss them already! They even completely my house the night before they left, vacuumed, swept and wiped up. It was probably cleaner than when they arrived and I love them for it. Thanks for coming Bemily!! We are coming to you next time!

It's okay to not homeschool!

I almost homeschooled. In fact, for a solid 2 months over the summer I was in homeschool mode. I read all the books, researched how awful the public school system was and was pretty sure I could have my children get their GEDs by age 15. I had all the reasons I was going to homeschool ready to explain when people asked, I could teach them more efficiently, they wouldn't be exposed to the horrors of public school and I'd get more time with them. But those were the secondary reasons. Principally, I wasn’t doing it for the right reasons; I was doing it out of guilt. I use to feel guilty every time I talked to a homeschool Mom or read a homeschool blog. Do you know why I felt guilty? Because I was under the illusion that homeschool Moms loved their kids more than I loved mine. They were willing to never have a “break” from their kids. They wanted their kids with them all day long because they loved them so much. They were willing to put all their blood, sweat and tears into the education of their children. They were willing to do hard every single day because they must love their kids more than I loved mine. So naturally, I thought to prove my love for my kids I should homeschool.

I don’t think I’m the only one who fell into this trap. In fact, several of my friends automatically bumped me into the next Mom category when they heard I was going to homeschool. I received more, “You’re such a good Mom!” comments than I can count.  But then I learned an important and necessary lesson. Homeschool Moms don’t love their kids more than the rest of us. I don’t think it’s the homeschooling Moms that project this attitude (okay, well maybe a select few) I think it’s the rest of us that can’t figure out how to acknowledge that that is what works for them but that we shouldn’t feel guilty that our choices are different. But, do we realize what a slippery slope it is to judge who is the better Mom based on a single choice? If you feel inferior for not homeschooling let me broaden the subject for you so you realize how outrageous it sounds. Those who feed their kids all organic must certainly love their kids more than you. Those who have just one child so they never have to split their affections certainly love their child more than you. Or is that those who have 10 children most certainly love their kids more than those with only 2? Those who let their kids run and play and get dirty most certainly love their kids more than those moms who are teaching their kids to read at age 4.

Guess what? We all love our kids enough to do what is right for them and our family. My kiddos are thriving at school with teachers who love and adore them. They are a good influence on their friends (most of the time) and they are exactly where they are supposed to be. Is the public school system perfect? No. Is the homeschooling system perfect? Guess what, it’s actually not. There are hundreds of reasons on both sides of the argument. So this is my shout out to all the Moms out there to quit feeling guilty. Take confidence that you love your kids in the exact, individual, and unique way that they need to be loved and that is the reason God saw fit to make you their mother. 

Christmas

Christmas Eve was perfect. It was so much fun to have my parents in town. The kids acted out the Nativity. This is my favorite Christmas Eve tradition every year.

Scotty crawled around as the perfect sheep while the other performed. We start them young.

I don't know what it is but whoever's turn it is to be Mary completely embraces the part. It's like they understand how they are meant to act as the mother of Jesus. Mallie our normally wild child was so docile and loved on that little doll so calmly the entire time.

Then we played Christmas Bingo!

 I did this every Christmas Eve growing up, this one comes down from my Dad's side.

 David wore this Santa hat all day on Christmas Eve and my Mom couldn't stop laughing. He never takes himself too seriously.

 This is as good as a family picture as we got on Christmas Eve. Lucy and I are copying each other's serious faces. Really I'm trying to cover my new braces. Yup, braces again. Tell your kids to wear their retainers.

We put the kids to bed and played all sorts of games with my parents. My Dad was horrible and Pictionary but shockingly good at charades. He beat us every time.

 And I took a whopping one picture Christmas morning. Ashton stayed out all morning with his new remote control truck. It was the perfect picture of a little boy and his new toy.

 David got me a bike and a trailer. I love living in a neighborhood and can't wait to pull Scotty and Lucy all over the place!! I got David a bike for Christmas too so the family bike rides can commence. I'm so grateful for my Savior. David and I talk all the time about every good thing that has ever happened to us is because of Him. It is the truth and we are so very blessed.