Sillyness

As my kids grow up, I look back on  some of the  things my kids remember most, and it's funny.It's not that great present I got for my birthday, or a trip out of town, it's the silly things we do just to celebrate holidays and be together. This was Valentines Day, sometimes I think my teens think these things are going to be dumb and won't participate, but they always surprise me, and claim they are doing it for their younger brother and sister. We played the usual how many conversational hearts can you pick up with chop sticks and how many marshmellows  can you shove in your mouth. It was fun and I know when they are away I will miss these times, but it just reminds me, it doesn't have to be big things for us to enjoy each other and make memories.

Eating a cookies without your hands

Peter is so competitive. He wanted to beat the boys

Knocking over the cans with tennis balls and panty hose.

This is us being silly again, we played a minute to win it and the older boys said"Oh this isn't going to be fun for us because these are things only and Hudson and Emma would love. Well, they were wrong, they had fun and really go into the competition of the games, especially Peter he had to beat the teens. It's all about time and finding ways to stay close and have fun. I am so blessed with my family, they drive me crazy, and keep me sane at the same time. Just like I've heard my whole time mothering, it's time and creativity that makes the memories, not money or material things. I hope I have instilled that to my children.

Ethan making a smily face with the candy, only using a straw

Well here we go again...

I've finally realized as I've gotten older, I am a great starter. I can start any project, be super excited, then reality seeps in, and I've got so many things on my to do list that the things I enjoy slip away. Well I have also decided that ( with the help of a sister in law and a wonderful book), I need those things that get me so excited, to be a part of my life to keep me truly happy. If I just take a little time each day to do those things, I am a better wife, friend and mother. And you know it's kind of crazy but I have been working on this about a week now and I've gotten my to do list done, with the things I truly enjoy. I feel so focused on the to do things because I know the things I love are going to happen. This is a part of the things I love, my blogs, I have never gone whole hearted into the blog but I am going to try starting today. I will be posting on this blog the happiness of my life, which is my family. All 7 of them are crazy, funny, moody, silly, inspirational, and are such a joy to me. I will post  the good the bad and the ugly. 

What brings happiness to my house?

This is what makes my kids the happiest, it's visit from their cousins. It has been a really busy

summer, it went by way to fast. Hayden and Jacob spent the first 4 weeks in Little Rock Ark.

visiting and helping their cousin Haldan with his Eagle scout project.

Then Jen came for a visit and when she left Haldan and Weslie stayed with us for 4 weeks.

It was heaven, if you know Emma, Weslie is so special to her and she was here

for Em's Birthday and she had a playmate for 4 weeks. Haldan helped Hayden

get his Eagle Scout project done. Then when Jen and the rest of her family came back

we had the Hearn&Hansen family vacation, we went to the lake ALOT, and

then we went and stayed at The Wilderness, which is a water park hotel. So everyone

was so happy to spend so much time with their cousins. But now it has been

6 weeks since we have seen them and when it gets to that point everyone is missing each

other, it used to be a 4 hour drive now it's 9 so we are looking forward to being

together in October. I am so grateful my kids are so close to their cousins, it's an

amazing relationship I don't think I have ever seen. After being with each other for 8 weeks

the older boys just seemed closer than ever. You never hear them fight or get aggravated with one

another, it is truly an amazing thing to see. Most of all I am thankful my boys have someone they

know has their best interest at heart. All of them just seem to gravitate to one another.

No one is left out and no one feels alone, they just hang, and seemed so content to be together.

I think that is why this summer was so special, we realize things are about to change, Haldan 

already graduated high school and got a job, Hayden will be next to graduate. 

We felt like this was they last summer of their youth and wanted them to  enjoy each other, 

because now that they are growing up it won't be so easy to just hang together.

The New Year

Well another year has gone by and it is crazy to me how fast the years are flying by, they never seem to drag anymore. With 3 teenage boys in the house you can imagine the dynamics everyday. I often feel like my boys have all turned into Axel on the sitcom the Middle. If you have teenage sons you have to watch this show. It is funny but also sweet, it gives me hope that I am not the only mother our there who wishes their son would show some type of emotion. I often see them as the little boys they used to be and I feel so overwhelmed that in less than a year one of my sons will be 18. I just pray that I have prepared him for all that he needs to be successful in this world. When I say successful it doesn't mean have tons of money and tons of toys, it simple means I hope he will know true happiness and contentment with who he will become. As I have grown older, I have realized our success is not what we have but who we have, as I reflect, I think of a loving husband, who for the past 18 years has helped me to see somethings about myself that I love, he has helped me to finally have some self esteem to know I can do anything I put my mind too. I also have realized we have such a wonderful relationship, we are not afraid to be perfectly honest with each other( yes, this includes do I look fat in this he will tell me the truth and I am so thankful for that one!) I also think about each one of my children, and how they have each taught me something about myself, I could have never learned without them. Hayden will be 18 and that is amazing to me, sometimes I say things to him and he says "mom I'm 17" I have to remind him I still see him as my sweet little white haired boy that loved to snuggle with me. Hayden has taught me that family is the most important thing, that time makes you the happiest.He has also taught me to be organized, that boy can clean, his wife is going to be very blessed! Jacob will be 16 and he is the most honest person I know.  He will always tell the truth, he has been asked if he did somethings, which he could of lied, but he didn't he told the truth, and it  hurt him but he has always been that way. I want to be like that. Ethan will be 14 in March and he is so excited about everything, He has taught me to do new things and be excited about them. Hudson has taught me to alway be sweet and loving to people, I don't believe this boy has a mean bone in his body. He has such a sweetness about him, I hope he keeps it forever. Then there is Emma, wow what can I say, she is the girl I always wanted to be growing up.

She loves girly things but yet she is not afraid to try any boy thing. I am also blessed with amazing parents that bring so much joy to my life, they are prime examples of Christ by the way they serve others and love us unconditionally. They have done so much for me .

I am so excited about another year in the life of me. I've got somethings on my list I can't wait to cross off and I've planned to get them done this year. What a blessing it is to look forward to another year and know that Heavenly Father loves me so much and has blessed me so much, with the family I have and the support that they give me even when I'm having a hard time. So all I can say at this point is I hope all of you have these precious things in your life and I hope you realize that this is what will make for a very Happy New Year!

The most important things

 You know I can remember holding little Hayden in my arms and thinking, oh my all the things I am going to teach my son. I want him to always remember his dad and I are always looking out for him and that he can always come to us for anything. But the main thought that came to mind was I want this boy to have empathy for others and truly care about people and their feelings. I know boys have a harder time with this than girls. I'm not trying to stero type, it's just a fact of life.  As more and more boys came along in our family I was just beginning to believe that boys just can't be loving to their brothers, especially when they are all three teens. Well I just wanted to share this glimmer of hope I saw this weekend. Ethan is doing the play Captain Louie, he didn't  tell many of his friends about the play because he didn't want to be made fun of, and he also knew his brothers would also give him a hard time after they saw him singing. Well Friday night was the opening, we ALL went to the play as a family.  As the last song was ending I looked up to see that Ethan's big brothers were the first to stand and clap for their younger sibling. It was so amazing to hear his brother's compliment him and say things like, "man E I would have puked if I was up there on stage." At that moment when I saw them stand, I felt like I had instilled in them a little of what I wanted them to have, and I tell you the impact of this moment really made me thankful that I was able to catch a glimpse of what exception men I have in my home.

My GG's dressing

1. Well my dad 's birthday was this week and he wanted me to cook for him. So I asked him what he wanted and he thought, then said Chicken in dressing, now I know this doesn't seem like a big deal, but in our family my mom's mother has made it every Christmas and it is a family favorite. Well as you know GG has dementia now and is unable to do alot of the things she used to, so I just thought my mom would be the one to pick up the spoon, and start making it. But now I'm thinking it's going to be me.. I know nervous about dressing, come on. I just want eveyone to say, "oh it taste just like GG's", so that we can have that after she is gone. I have one possession, that is so precious to me ( besides my wonderful husband and my 5 kids) it's my cookbook. In 1991 my grandmother took all of her "famous recipes"  and copied them in her own  handwriting and gave them to me. She also wrote me a note that gives me comfort, now that she is not herself. This book is so special, I often read the letter and just get chilly bumps, because alot of the things are like she is telling me it's ok now. So back to the dressing, I am making the corn bread and hoping it is just like GG's so that it can bring those wonderful memories to my family now like it did then. I'm using my cookbook to help me, and I kind of feel like she's right here telling what to do. She always would say we want it to be moist, do you think it is, she always had a way of making me feel like I was the most important person in the world, when we cooked together. I will never forget these times and hope I am creating the same times with my kids and someday my grandkids.