Camping Reveals True Character

I am so grateful for camping! It's beautiful and fun! It's a great way to bond with the family and nature. However, it is not always easy or comfortable. When the going gets tough and we feel out of our element our true character is revealed. In years past I haven't always liked what has been revealed about myself. This year has been a lot better. That might have a lot to do with the fact that my youngest is two and a half and sleeps through the night most of the time. New babies and tiny toddlers are a lot to worry about camping. So this year is tons easier than in times before.
Our families goal this year is to camp once a month. We are doing pretty great. We did skip February. And we were snowed out in March even though we were at the campsite and everything. January we camped in St. George, April in Oregon, May in Green Canyon, and June in Dry Canyon. We have bought new backpacking gear and that adds a whole new realm of possiblities. We have really simplified packing and unpacking. We have lots of big helpers. It's really been fun!
Last weekend we backpacked in a mile and then camped. It was tons of fun until night. The ground was very hard and I got a migraine headache. I wasn't able to sleep from 11pm until 3 am. But I'm very grateful for the experience!!! Even at the time I knew it was helping me understand a tiny bit of what millions of other people experience everyday. Pain, discomfort, minimal shelter and amenities, displacement, poverty, etc. Just like fasting helps us feel a bit more understanding and compassion for those who are truly hungry, camping helps me understand and feel campassion for those less fortunate. It helps me better imagine what they have and are going through.
Before I had children I heard of a pioneer woman having a baby in the back of a leaking wagon during a rainstorm. I thought that would be hard and awful. But when I was in the middle of labor myself and recalled the story it took on a much deeper meaning. The woman must have suffered greatly. She must have felt a terrible amount of fear. She became superhuman to me then.
I'm so grateful for these physical experiences that draw me closer to my fellowman and my God. He has blessed us so very much!! I love Him!!!

Duggar Book

There are millions of books out there. Finding one that is so perfect for me, answers my questions, resolves my challenges, and guides my ideas (therefore my life) would seem near impossible. Yet I believe Heavenly Father has led me to many wonderful books that have are are improving my character and life.

Duggars: 20 and Counting such a book. I gobbled it up in a couple of days of reading here and there. They are amazing!! They are truly guided by God because they follow Him. The book gave me tons of ideas for organizing a big family, training little ones with kindness, keeping close to our teenagers hearts, saving and investing, relying on the Lord more and more specifically in prayer, staying motivated in homeschooling, and cherishing family time. It was a beautiful book! I'm so grateful for their example and wisdom! They have really encouraged me to lift my sights and more completely turn my life and heart over to Heavenly Father. Now that's a good book! That's a blessing from Him from who all good things come!

Ornery Mother Bear

Sometimes I feel like an ornery mother bear. Everything rubs me the wrong way and the kids get on my nerves. Everyone seems louder and more troublesome than they really are. I need to be less self-centered and stop thinking about how everyone is bugging me and start caring about my kids. I pray I can turn this afternoon around. With Heavenly Father's help I know I can. Without it somebody might get a raking over the coals.

Health

I've been a bit under-the-weather, plus pregnancy, plus cramping today. It's nice to still be able to keep up with the basics. I'm so blessed with good health. I'm grateful I can take care of my family. The last two days we've been taking a sister in the ward to the hospital and caring for her two little girls. That would be so hard to be sick and not have a husband or older kids to help out. Her husband is in the military. Natalie, Hyrum, and Ella have been so good to entertain and care for the girls. Tank (2) isn't used to little kids (besides him) crying, so he gets kidda irritated with them. He says, "It's okay!" He's tone is more "Good grief, it's enough already!" Finally, after the little girl cried for a mom for awhile he just threw up his hands and said, "Fine, than just go to bed than!" Hopefully, he will be a little more patient with his new baby brother or sister. But he's a cutie! Have a great day!

Can I Just Pause This Moment?

I have let myself get a bit behind on recording a bit about our precious family life. When Tank snuggles up in my lap, or Ella gives me a big hug and kiss, or Hyrum lands a jump on his bike, or Natalie bakes a beautiful batch or bread, or Moroni gets up at 5:00am to have 100% homework, or Benjamin shares his feelings with me after being out with his friends, or Jessica makes another one of her witty comments I just wish I could push some sort of pause button. This time is so precious!!! I just love having my kids around!! They don't always think so, because I can get grumpy, especially when I'm pregnant. But I do love it!! I have always dreamed of having a beautiful family like ours. I'm so blessed to be surrounded by these amazing, wonderful people: my children. Heavenly Father has given me ever so much!! I will try to be a better wife, mother, and daughter of God. I will hold my tongue and reach out in love. I will live each day with more awareness of my blessings and obligations. Did I mention I love my life!?!

Peaceful Priorities

Today was a gorgeous day of warmth and sunshine! We played outside on the big driveway out back and at the park. Logan has lots of great parks. That is pretty nice because our yard is about 6 feet by 10 feet. And in that space there are 3 large trees, so not much run-around-room. We try to go to a park at least once a day for exercise, fresh air, sunshine, and fun. It's been really nice not to have to worry about a huge yard, gardens, and a farm this spring. I've been able to learn some new skills like foot zoning, massage, and sewing. I've also been able to focus more on the kid's schooling. Morning sickness has slowed us down, but at least everything hasn't come falling down because of it. I mean, if we still had lawns to mow, gardens to weed, animals to feed, and trees to prune most of that wouldn't be getting done right now. Stressful! Of course, I do miss it a bit, but next time we do a yard it is going to be very small, simple, and natural, so we can just enjoy it and not feel like it's taking over our lives. There are so many vitally important things to do: teaching and nurturing our children, bearing children, temple and family history work, sharing the gospel, fulfilling our Church callings, studying the gospel, etc. We can't let the good, fun, but nonessential things crowd out the essential ones. Heavenly Father has gently taught me this over the years. For instance, I think quilts are beautiful. I thought it was part of a homemakers job to quilt, craft, paint ceramics, sew frills, etc. Now I know these are nice, but not really important. Teaching a child to read, singing hymns as lullabies, attending the temple, really praying and pondering are the things that will make eternal investments. Silly decorations and pop hobbies are in the end a distraction from things that matter the most. They clutter our houses, time, thoughts, and lives with cute, beautiful, yet vain things of the world. A clean, orderly house with a few carefully selected, meaningful items is much more peaceful and focused than one full of a bunch of stupid stuff that takes time and money to accumulate and dust and rearrange, etc. If you spend your resources on vain things of the world you could have spent those resources on food storage, charity, family history, etc. Even if you don't think about it you are choosing one over the other. So often we feel we need these things, but most of the time we only need them to try to appease or impress others. Get over it and you will find true freedom! I can't tell you how peaceful, relaxed, and meaningful our life has become because we have done away with the endless wish lists and started being content with all our blessings. Since we have stopped caring about what anyone thinks and only care about what our Heavenly Father thinks. Stress levels have plummeted, true productivity levels have risen. It's easy to be productive and busy, but if you are just in the thick of thin things that don't really matter, who cares how many check marks you make on the busy work to-do lists.

Spring Evening

This evening we walked (well, the boys rode their new bikes) to the Merlin Olsen Park a few blocks away. It was a peaceful evening. We wore jackets and the temperature was perfect. Finally, not too cold! We watched the daring boys go off jumps and down steep hills. They are good! They take after their dad! It was such a peaceful family home evening activity outside in the beauty of the evening! I hope everyone had a good time too.