Birthday #17

(How did this happen anyway?)

I love this awesome kid! He is so good and talented at so many things. However, he is a hard one to shop for. . .he just doesn't want much and the things he does want he is very particular about. We debated and debated and went the rounds because we wanted to surprise him yet make him happy. Thankfully we did okay. He got a design-your-own shoe from Converse, a blank canvas to paint something for his room and this world map. No, he's not holding it upside down. The title of the map says: "Who says North is up?". . .just his kind of map---always questioning the norm! When I went down to his room to help him decide where to hang it, he had a periodic table the same size of this map that his Chemistry teacher was throwing away. His room is going to be an academic shrine--he is making a historical artwork collage on his canvas. Love this ultra smart kid!

Fashion Girl

Yesterday I found Tess in this attire. Putting her swim suit on her top closet shelf, apparently, wasn't a safe place. And while she was acquiring the desired swim wear, she found her long lost winter gear also. Great combo! I'm still not quite sure how she maneuvered to get any of it. I think I don't really want to know. (This is her "DON'T. Take. My. Picture. expression. Isn't she a little young for this?) After I put the camera away, I found her riding her scooter, in true lady fashion with one leg gracefully out, down our steep driveway. Not much fear in that girl. At least we are entertaining neighbors!

The first sight I caught of her this morning was in the swimsuit also. . .she was wearing an unneeded swim diaper with it and said, "Pretend I'm a baby". It's going to be a fight getting her to church in something other than the swimsuit.

Camera Upload

My camera proves that life has happened in May even though my blog doesn't. It's not a very accurate snippet, but it is documentation nonetheless. Here's what my camera said happened in May:

One of her new "monkey" tricks. (She and Curious George seem to be soul mates. . .except she can't repair her mishaps quite as neatly as he does.) We learned that Tessa loves frozen peas. At least for a few days.

Caleb loves to do these kinds of things with the girls on Sunday afternoons. You can see the girls love it!These are Greta's curls right after a bath. Very cute! And by evidence of the long sleeve onesie, this May has been quite cold. Greta face planted off the couch one day and this is the damage it did to her glasses. Didn't take visual documentation off the damage on her face. Good thing baby skin heals quickly.Greta had a low grade fever for 5 days. Not fun to have a sick baby, but we didn't complain about the extra cuddles.I only got a beginning picture of Tessa's day being occupied by toys. By the time she was finished, we had a true disaster on our hands. But I didn't mind one bit because she actually entertained herself for a few hours. Very rare.Tess and I took a few self portraits one morning. She's a fun girl.Like I said, not super representative of our happenings or most members of our family, but I guess something is better than nothing. However, it does show where a lot of my energy goes right now. . .

Life is good!

Bogs, Mire and Love

I've been feeling a bit bogged down today. . . nothing significant. . . just feeling the busy of 5 kids. . . .Primary's feeling a bit heavy right now. . . .I'm a little run down because I'm not getting enough sleep. . . .I've got a few too many nagging piles of clutter. . . .just regular stuff. But I decided I needed a little pick-me-up so I turned on a Mormon Tabernacle Choir CD tonight after I got Tessa to bed (all the boys in the house are at Father's and Sons). The CD shuffler put my all-time-favorite hymn, Redeemer of Israel, first on the list. As it played my memory went back as to why this has become my favorite hymn. Then the tears came because the message so neatly packaged in that song sent me the same comfort today.

I was newly divorced and feeling so lonely and the weight of single motherhood hung heavily. I wondered what my future held but at the same time I couldn't see too far passed the towering mountain right in front of me that required me to be caretaker, breadwinner, cook, maid, counselor etc. to three young children all while my injured heart still had open wounds. One night during that time, I had a MT CD in and Redeemer of Israel came on. The 4th verse spoke to me as never before: As children of Zion good tidings for us, The tokens already appear. Fear not and be just for the kingdom is ours, the hour of redemption is near. The thought came so powerfully that I had seen the Lord's hand in too many instances to ignore (the tokens already appear) and I needed to not be fearful or even worry. The Lord would take care of me and in His own due time provide redemption. In the mean time He would make my burdens light. It was such a powerful, shaping experience. I could not deny the love that Heavenly Father had for me.

So as I relived a portion of that era in my mind tonight, I couldn't help but count up the wonderful blessings that have been added. I get to teach another little baby to walk. I get to witness an exuberant three year old yell out the back door then report "My echo isn't working very well." I get to be a stay at home mom and I have a wonderful husband who supports me in that. I get to be inspired daily and experience kindnesses by many wonderful people in this ward. (And I'm lucky one of them is still my friend after a child, who will remain nameless, peed on her carpet.) And that is only to name so very few of blessings that have been added. . . All of these blessings add to my testimony that Heavenly Father truly loves His children. I can trust Him to lighten my load whatever it is. The tokens and evidences are abundant!

Life is ever changing and is such a balance to keep emotionally afloat during trying times and good times. But I'm thankful Heavenly Father still sends little reminders that He is keenly aware of me, even when I'm bogged down and sinking in my own mire.

A Mother's Education

As I read this article in the BYU Magazine about women who have used their education in their nurturing as mothers I got thinking about what kind of legacy I might be leaving. I wasn't super impressed with what I came up with--mostly in comparison to the examples in the article. Thankfully my mind was filled with ways I could do better and I committed to tackle a few of those ideas. However, the thought then came to me that while my children can be more blessed by my education than they have been, I have been greatly blessed by at least 3 women's education.

My Grandma Bingham graduated with a degree in home economics education from Utah State back in the day when girls attending college was fairly uncommon. Surely her education largely influenced the way she raised her family. I've always regarded my Grandma Bingham as a promoter for education and have traced much of my strong desire to graduate from college to her. And It was because of her that my mom finished her degree. I owe lots to her.

My mom's home economic degree has also blessed my life. Ashamedly, while growing up, I resented to some extent, my mom's desire to pass these skills on to me. Cooking was okay in my mind, but I could have totally passed on the gardening, nutrition, cleaning, canning and sewing. Her suggestions to take Home Ec in high school fell on deaf ears. I just knew I was meant for bigger things. Now twenty some years later I can see that there isn't anything bigger or more important than raising a family. It is how you have the greatest influence. And you use homemaking skills daily in nurturing, caring for and maintaining a family. What little I gleaned from my mom's attempts to teach me have made it possible for me to apply the few things from my education that I have. Without these important skills I know I would struggle with much of this important work. Thank you, mom, for your tireless efforts!

Tom's mom's education has also been very valuable to our family---she has a teaching degree. Tom is so educationally minded and in any given day, he naturally teaches things from money management to reading skills to computer tips to life skills. He is also a huge proponent for education and expresses the value of it often. I know these skills and values stem from the way he was raised.

Oh how my life has been blessed by these women's educations! Happy Mother's Day, Grandma, Carolyn & Mom! Thank you for your influences and legacies!

Tessa's Prayer

I came into the room yesterday and Tessa was reading The Friend. She immediately told me that she had just prayed. I asked her what she prayed about. . . I could think of a host of things she might appropriately pray for . . . . but no. She said, "I prayed that Heavenly Father would get this picture for me for my birthday." At least she knows she can pray. . .