The Little things

Blogging has been extremely difficult for me lately.  This year has been filled with emotional roller-coasters.  Not to mention the "delicate emotional state" I am currently in (read: pregnancy).  There have been challenges, disappointments, and just down right awful days.  On the upside, we have had some really beautiful, wonderful days as well.  Since there have been quite a few challenges in my life lately... I have found it difficult to be "up" about life and the things I was going through.  I feel that because I am LDS and have the gospel, I really have no excuse for not being happy and inspiring to those around me - but.... I have come to find that I need to do some reflecting on myself and that sometimes we just have challenges we have to work through before we can experience the greatest happiness.

  I keep thinking about what I titled this blog "Our Everyday Adventures" and I remember why I started this blog.  Yes, I am being bold when I say this but: ANYONE who knows my children know that there are certain personalities in my family that cause each day to be an "adventure".   This evening, I was talking with my mom on the phone and she said that it is always interesting talking to me.  ok.... not the exact wording, but, mostly to the point.  Basically, what she was getting at is that there is always something going on over here.  Problem is.... most times it is drama related or stressful and honestly not "laundry" I really want to hang out here in the blogging world.  Generally, I am a pretty outgoing person and I really try to have a life with low drama levels.  However.... Heavenly Father felt it was wise/or funny..... not sure which one yet...... to stick my personality in YW!!!  Normally, I would say - awesome opportunity, wonderful chance to feel young again!  Woohoo!  In the years since I have matured since my time in YW, the level of respect and responsibility in our youth has diminished.  I am honestly BEYOND shocked!  Maybe it is just an east coast thing, but the ways in which our youth talk to us at times are just horrific.  Cell phone use is a constant, allowing for simple yet IMPORTANT communication and "etiquette" - for lack of a better word - has been lost.  I know that respect cannot be an entirely foreign thing in most of the houses in the LDS community.  Mostly because I grew up in that generation - ok.... so maybe just AFTER that generation.  =)   Afterall, my oldest child will only be 6 this summer.   My challenge is knowing where my boundaries are.  Do I correct a youth who is speaking disrespectfully or not conducting herself properly?  Or, do I pray like there is no tomorrow that their parents will do something about it?  If I deem it necessary to correct someone, how do I do it?  In the society in which we live, it is a constant struggle to know what would be deemed appropriate in a world where our youth do as they please.  These spirits have been sent now because they were MORE valiant than us!!  Why is it that they seem to be showing less and less respect?  Are they slipping off the straight and narrow?

Anyway..... those are just some of the puzzling questions I have been mulling around in my computer network (brain).  If anyone has suggestions, please leave a comment for me!  It is challenges like these that make serving the youth difficult.  It is teaching me very quickly that when my children don't listen to me now and it bothers me.... it isn't going to end!!!  There are girls 10 years older than them who still don't respect and listen to what is being taught/spoken!  Now, not all of the YW are a challenge.   Some are easier to serve and more easily understood.  Some are almost never a problem. It is the few that ruin it for the whole at times. Isn't that so true of life as well!?  It's amazing to see the parallels in life.

There is a lot of "military activity" going on in our ward - and will continue to over the next few months.  Many families both military and non-military will be relocating in different parts of the U.S/World.  Our family may become one of them.  We will relocate as far as commands are concerned, but how far of a distance has yet to be determined.  I know I have been saying this for YEARS, but, I really hope (and pray) that we are located somewhere NEW.  More importantly than that though, I want to go somewhere that will help my husband to continue to advance to make more money for our ever-growing family AND somewhere where my children will receive the best education that they can in the most positive atmosphere possible.  We are still waiting on hearing what our options are, if they are almost the same as what has been recently released, I am afraid that we don't have many options.  Moving would also mean leaving days/weeks after I deliver this little baby girl.  For those of you wondering what life as a military wife is like - especially during a deployment - there is a WONDERFULLY touching book out (from deseret book) called "Band of Sisters" by Annette Lyon.  It is beautifully written and definitely reflects/communicates the worries and coping strategies of many military wives.  Some of what is shared in the book are ways in which I cope at times.... others are ways I have observed other women cope during deployment.  I encourage you all to read it - with tissues nearby of course.  The life of a military family is no piece of cake.

Hunter has been doing a lot of growing up lately (or so it seems).  He is trying to say more words (although none of them are completely clear) and shows that his understanding of what we are trying to communicate is becoming greater.  He loves to try on shoes.  Any shoes sitting by the door downstairs (or anywhere he can get to) are put on his feet at least once during the day.  He will walk around in them (no matter if they are his sisters or his dad's size 13's!) and smile.  He really enjoys his sandals that I got for him while I was visiting my sister in Oregon.  Since the weather has been so warm here lately, he wears them the most.  Today during sacrament meeting, he took his sandals off and was wandering around in the pew (sp?) barefoot and loving it!  At one point during the meeting, he turned around and proceeded to play peek a boo with someone sitting in the overflow (we are the back row kind of family).  He was enjoying himself so much that he started to laugh when he saw the person looking at him as he peeked up from behind the back of the pew.  For those of you who haven't heard my son's laugh, it is one of pure joy.  His laugh carries and definitely commands the attention of anyone within earshot.  Being that he his almost 2, he gets fussy and this particular game had him quite amused.  So much so that he had stopped fussing, so.... I tried to shush him so he would be a little more quiet and allowed him to continue his "game" for as long as he was interested.  He got to the point where instead of poking his whole body from out behind the back of the pew, he would only lift his head enough for his eyes to see over the top and watch the man playing the game with him.  I could almost see a foreshadowing of a really amazing game of hide-and-seek or paintball in the years to come! One of the best things about my little man is that he still cuddles.  He doesn't ALWAYS do it like he did as a baby, but, he still enjoys laying his head down on your shoulder when he is tired and giving hugs and kisses.  Mostly, I guess, he likes me.  Knowing that tickles me pink.  Minus the drawbacks of ALMOST being terrible 2, I almost have the best of both worlds (a two year old who loves me and WANTS to be cuddled and a newborn who loves me and NEEDS to be cuddled)! 

My girls have been mostly wonderful lately as well.  I really can't stand the knock-down-drag-out fights they tend to have (not sure I phrased that saying right) but once I scream loud enough for them to knock it off =)  things seem to get a little better.  When they are in better moods, it is great to see them get a long and to watch them help their brother or play with him in the playroom.  Those "good" moments may be far and few between some days, but when they happen, I can't help but be proud and amazed by the children that I have been entrusted to raise.  Life doesn't get much more humbling than that: knowing that the Lord trusted YOU enough to raise the children He has given to you (especially since we are working on our 4th child!!).  That is a LOT of responsibility.  Yes, there are days I think of giving them back and saying - FORGET IT! THIS JOB IS TOO HARD!  or - I can barely take care of the ones I have and I am having ANOTHER ONE?!   Raising three daughters is going to be no easy feat.  I know what my parents had to go through to just get rid of me.... they had two more to get rid of AFTER me and I can only imagine the headaches they have gone through.  Here's to hoping I can make it through it - and that they live long enough to experience their own "headaches".  

As I wrap up this "novel" of a post, I am going to try harder to share our "everyday adventures"  as often as possible on this blog and fulfill the reason I started this in the first place.  Stay tuned for some fun adventures!  My life is never boring!