Copperton Park

We spent the evening picnicing after a family home evening lesson at the Copperton Park.  It is beautiful with huge trees.  It reminds us of Logan.  Most of the parks here are just grass and a playground.  This one was lush and mysterious with trails, meadows, and a one-of-a-kind playground.  I love spending time as a family!!!

Adelynn is starting to get on a schedule.  She is sleeping more deeply.  Sleeping well and enough is such a blessing.  It helps us function so much better.  I'm grateful Heavenly Father is helping us in this regard.

We are plugging away at school.  It seems everyday brings exceptions and interruptions to the schedule, but eventually we will get it.  And even when we aren't right where we need to be we are learning and enjoying it.  In a month or so I will have a better feel for how much we are progressing.  I guess I better take a good snapshot of where we are now, so progress doesn't just slowly trickle by without us noticing the huge yet imperceptible change.  I also forget to count the desserts of learning.  You know, listening to an audio-book (We are just finishing Uncle Tom's Cabin; a beautiful, powerful book!), watching and discussing a documentary, visiting a museum, etc.  Those are an essential part of education, but because they are so fun I sometimes don't count them as much a completed math or spelling lesson.  But surely they are just as important.

Well, good night!  

Daybreak Beach

This morning the big kids ran around Daybreak Lake. Tank, Adelynn, and I went slower and only part way. It had been a beautiful morning. I'm letting the kids hang out for a bit then we go back to start school. Heavenly Father has made my life Heaven.

Sleep Training

Sleep training a baby is so hard, emotionally. It breaks my heart to let them cry themselves to sleep. But Adelynn is 9 months and is waking me up 6-10 times a night, so something really must be done. She cried it out last night and now she is crying herself to sleep for her nap. She still got up a lot last night, but she slept deeper. Soon she will be well-trained! Both she and I will be healthier and happier because of it! And the while family and household will run more smoothly. I'm grateful Heavenly Father let's us train and buried our children. We learn so much of His love for us as we do and come to trust Him more in the process.

Tank's Head Bonk

Tuesday evening found us in the emergency room with our sweet, adorable Tank. He had fallen 3-5 feet and landed on the cement on his head. It was a sickening sound. Oh, it about broke my heat to see him in agony. He threw up so we quickly headed to the ER. We prayed earnestly and Jaremy with one of our ward members gave him a Priesthood blessing. I felt comforted knowing no matter what happened God was at the helm. But still I wished I could take away this angel's pain.

Everything is fine now. He was feverish and sick all of Wednesday, but he is back playing and being our dear Tank again. I'm so grateful to the Lord for this beautiful blessing.

Dentist

I'm so grateful we have insurance and dental care. It saves so much pain and suffering! I want to share or blessings with others!

Beautiful Ivy 'n Pine

Today I can see progress! Our little cottage is coming along! I'm excited! She it's organized, weeded, cleaned, painted, and comfortable. The rest can be done gradually over time. Jaremy, the kids, and I worked on the yard a lot today. I love to work in the yard and see improvement. It also helps you slow down and really see the gardens as you weed them. It's so relaxing and exhilarating at the same time. I love heating the kids laugh and chase each other around the yard. This evening we rearranged bedrooms. In fact, Jaremy & I now have one! It will be so nice to have privacy and a retreat. Heavenly Father has blessed us with all these things and every thing else! I love Him! I want to be like Him.

Oh, yesterday Jaremy & I went on a date, just the two of us. We wondered through a farmers'  market and through some shops for a bit, we drove a bit, and had dinner at a Mexican restaurant which had a guy singing with his guitar. It felt so refreshing to get out by ourselves for a few hours! Heavenly Father has blessed us with amazing, sweet babysitters, health, safety, and precious couple time.

Good night!

Progress

I'm grateful we get to gradually work on our house and lot.  We are learning a lot about priorities, work, and persistence.  The yard looks yellow and dry, but we have made progress.  We have ripped out nasty bushes, planted strawberries, some herbs, rhubbarb, blackberries, blueberries, apple trees, kale, chard, and collards.  All of which will come back next year.  Somehow, we must come up with a lot more money if we want a bigger garden, chickens, a large orchard, and such.  Time and hard work will make it productive and beautiful.

The house needs a lot of updating, but it is perfectly comfortable the way it is.  It would be nice if it was safer, prettier, and more organized, but we are still enjoying it just the way it is.  Contentment is a virtue!  One must stop, breathe, sit on the porch, and soak in the beauty that is all around us.  We must count our blessings and not just our wish or to-do lists.  Our blessing list is always infinitely bigger than our wish list.  I'm so grateful Heavenly Father has taught me this!

Homeschool Day

We are having fun learning even if the house is cluttered with books. Sick Moroni and the little ones are asleep. We are making progress! Slow but sure! I'm grateful Heavenly Father has blessed me with hope instead of a sense of despair. Yes, we are attempting something big! But with the Lord we can learn all we need to in order to make the world a better place, become self-reliant, and happy!

Answers to Prayer

Heavenly Father sent hope, love, and direct answers to my prayers and fasting.  I was reminded Heavenly Father lives me even though I struggle. He is willing and able to help me. I must turn to Him in every thought. I must humble myself.

I was reminded to parent as a true teacher and leader not a dictator.  I must encourage not humiliate, train not reprimand. I must search for the positive and let them know I noticed it. You are their friend not their enemy. You are their champion (advocate) and fan. Build them up! Give them the benefit of the doubt. Forgive and forget, so we don't get trapped in the same old problems. Let them be themselves & love them. Stop trying to remake them and just love them where they are right now. Accept and adore, comfort and cuddle. Let them save face like you would to friends, extended family, or strangers. Tone it down & don't take everything so serious. Teach them correct principles and let them given themselves.

Stop with the pride and comparison. Be grateful to the Lord and your family for what you have right now. There it's so very much! Don't worry about what others think. If they don't understand you or your lifestyle or why you are so happy and so at peace, so what. Focus on what matters not on opinions. Live as if opinions didn't exist. Just do your best and enjoy it! The world will never understand why you are so happy, so don't ruin your happiness by trying to get or do the things the world tells you should bring happiness. You have peace and tranquility so don't abandon it to look normal or successful. Don't try to explain it just let them wonder why you are so completely happy and joyful.

Don't stress about businesses. Put first things first and Heavenly Father will take care off the rest. Pray for help and work hard and try knew things. But don't feel bad if you can't accomplish it all. You have a once in a lifetime experience to raise these little ones. Don't ruin it by thinking you are falling because you haven't started a Fortune 500 company this year. Just do the really important things first (because time is limited & you have a houseful of extremely important people you may only do the really important things & not have resources left for second tier items.) That's totally okay! Be content to do what the Lord has given you strength, time, money, and other resources to do. Be diligent! But if you are doing your best be thrilled with the progress in your corner of the vineyard.

Failure

I have set some goals and been working like crazy on them. But my temper seems to be getting worse not better, I am not losing weight or saving money. All around Ivy 'n Pine I am surrounded by disgusting flooring, ripped, ugly wallpaper, dead grass, and weeds. Adelynn is sleeping no more than an hour at a time. It seems every interaction with my children annoys or enrages me! I feel I am so swamped at home that I am not contributing to my community or world, which needs some help. The world around me screams, "FAILURE!!!" I feel like throwing in the towel. I am questioning my judgment and ability in every aspect of my life. It seems I can't even form sentences or pronounce words.  My poor family!

So today I am fasting and praying yet again! I am struggling with hope that I can change. I've been trying so long, but you wouldn't know it. I'm passing for help to speak and act kindly. Oh, how I need the Lord's help! I must believe He can and will help me. I can't give up! I can't despair! There it's no faith, or hope or charity in how I am feeling. Maybe it is hormones because usually I am full of hope. But lately I have let Satan tempt me in to thinking what had hope bought me. What has changed because of it? So I must repent! And turn my heart to the Lord.