I would like to introduce you to my best friend. My Darling husband. The Father of the 7. I just love it when he smiles. My DH has a sensitive side to him that I adore. He also has the "Yea I'll hold your purse but I am still a GUY" side. I heard a song by Brad Paisley the other day called "I'm still a guy" that reminded me of my DH. I laughed and laughed when I heard that. My DH is putting together a Map and Compass series of classes to teach young homeschoolers the importance of not losing your way in the woods, in a big city and most importantly spiritually. It is called Terrian Logic. I am so excited for him. He loves the outdoors. He would live out there if he could. That is why we choose places to live that have lots of trees and not alot of people. Northern Idaho is the best. Not alot of people, beautiful scenery, lots of trees and wildlife. We would go the the lake everyday of the summer and enjoy the outdoors. I loved it. He loves it. That is something that I would like to touch on concerning our husbands. Doing something that they love to provide for their family. I have watched my DH join in the medocrity of life for these last 15 years. Get up, go to work, come home, eat dinner go to bed. Wake up the next day and do it all over again. Then God introduced him to something wonderful, finding your love, serving the Lord and prospering because of it. My DH of course is in the baby stages. I encourge him to follow what he loves to provide for our family. I love the scripture "Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy." 2 Nephi 2:25. God wants him to have joy here on earth. I love this man, my best friend.

I miss this age!!!
I found this picture tonight and thought I would share my thoughts. This is darling #7. She is 4 now and quite ambitious in voicing her independence. Got to love it!
I look back on pictures and have so many memories that flash through my mind. I'm sure you will agree that it goes by so painfully fast. I am learning that it is better to live here in the NOW and not wish for the future. I miss this part of my life and at the same time am ever so grateful for NOW. All of my children, even my teenagers all tucked in and safe tonight at 11:36pm. Under my wing you could call it. I like that thought.

Gluten-Free & Loving It !!!

I love this website. In my next post I will share my journey to healing.

Teenagers!!!!!

AHHHHH!!!!

Will I ever survive the teenage years.. For you that have teenagers will understand. The girl that climbed in my lap and wanted me to hold her, now is claiming her independence!
Pray for me.

It is amazing how fast they grow. I just love everything about being a mom. How peaceful she seems just laying there in the afternoon amongst all the chaos. I remember when she was born. It seemed like yesterday. Time flies.
It seems sometimes that it goes to fast. That I am on this rollarcoaster with no brakes. That I can't stop it so I have to ride it out. How can One's heart feel so much happiness and so much sadness at the same time? Longing to capture every moment, not to take anything for granted. She brought me some roses from outside the other day and said "Here mommy I picked you some flowers." Those were the sweetest words adorned with "I Love You Mommy." God's greatest gift to me. I spend everyday keeping my head above water. Feeling like if I let go that I will sink. That everything will become further away from getting done. That the laundry will get too high, that the dishes will run away by themselves, that those letters will never be mailed, that dinner will be late, that the pictures will never make it into the scrapbooks, that I won't be able to get back to the top. Then just as I feel as though I can't tred any longer that I feel that I have used my last bit of energy, the you know that feeling of " How can I give anymore feeling"
The Savior reaches down and takes my hand and saves me.
I will remember to take the "Here are some flowers" moments and cherish them. To spend time where it matters.

I know that we have all had one of those mornings (to often then not) where things just don't go the way we think they should go. Does the morning seem to go on longer then just the morning? Maybe it goes into the afternoon or the end of the week or the end of the month. When things aren't flowing for me I know that I need to reevaluate what I am doing. Maybe I need to say "Heck with it" or "Maybe this isn't what I am supposed to be doing right now" or "maybe I should walk away for awhile". This morning kind of went that way. I had some frustrations this morning but that frustration was a chance for me to sit quietly for a minute (after of course calling and venting to my Dad) and "reevaluate" the situations in my life. What is life trying to tell me. "Shhhhh"...... I said to myself. Just listen. I have learned from one of the best teachers in my life "MY MOM" when to just let things go. "You don't have to say yes to everything", "always sit up straight", "make sure your dishes are done and the whole house will seem clean", "make your beds right when you get up", "every once in a while go to a bookstore and buy a book or two or three or four or five or six" (well you get the picture mom), and when the times get tough and you feel closed in "take the kids to a movie and get some ice cream"(mom by the way, that activity has saved my life with the kids ). There were times throughout these 15 years that I didn't know how to get through a crisis or a very difficult situation and I would call my mom and ask her to tell me to "Buck up" and pull myself together. All those times when I was a child and through my growing years my mom would tell me to "buck up" get back up on that horse and ride. When married life and motherhood came into the picture life got really hard sometimes riding the emotional, physical, and mental rollar coaster that we all have tickets for, I would call my mom to beg her for those words "buck up" or "Come on you can do this". I am ever so grateful for the sacrifices that my mom had walked through and continues to walk through for me. I don't live close to my mom right now and it has been a blessing. "What"? you say, after saying so many great things about your mom. Being away has helped me every single day (especially with teenagers) "groan", appreciate her more then I ever thought I would. I am constantly saying to my kids "oh, what I put my mother through" and I would feel a genuine sadness for saying or doing or whatever it was that I did. Not realizing at that time what she was actually doing for me. I have to admit I thought that only the Grandchildren was what she wanted now but I was wrong. She loves me and needs me too. I Love you mom, my best friend.