My Investment

Christmas break is over and it's back to normal for everyone. All the kiddos are back in school this week, except Ethan. He's in New Orleans for the JEN Conference (Jazz Education Network). My day started off by getting up at 3:40 to take him to the airport. I went to bed last night at 11 but couldn't sleep, so I decided to transcribe my favorite chapter of Insights so I could share it with Joseph. Insights is a book I just finished about President Nelson. When I was done with that around 1, Lily knocked on my door saying she couldn't sleep. I told her to do her best. I went to bed and was about asleep when she knocked again at 1:30 kinda panicked and saying she felt like she was being watched. So I gave her some church music to listen to, then I struggled falling asleep again. Peter was up a lot last night too - he has a bit of a fever.

So, my day and new year have started off pretty "mom's normal", although I am grateful that there was no throwing up this year on new year's eve (Daniel threw up on me last year, Owen on New Years Eve 2016.) Peter feels lousy and just wants to be held, so that's what we've been doing all morning.

The little girls and I have violin today, but other than that I'm just going to try to get back in routine. I hope we all go to bed early tonight.

I'm am striving against feelings of being stuck and unproductive. I sat on the couch with Peter, I read this post about being a mom that was shared on facebook. I liked it. But I might change it from being condemning to the world for how it might not choose motherhood, to being happy for the choice I've made and that I've been able to have it as an option. Still, I liked it. My favorite part:

The souls that move in bodies in and around my home? They are a legacy and an investment that I do not ever regret giving it all for. When I’m weary and feeling empty, when my life goals feel lifetimes away and my body isn’t the one I hoped I’d have, I can promise you that I wouldn’t give them up for a thousand trips around the world, a perfect waistline, or a name linked to fame.

Being a mom is a blessing that I am grateful to have been given. I don't regret holding my babies when they are sick. I know I am blessed to have this opportunity to be a wife, to be a mom, to have my little ones be my entire focus every single day. Not everyone gets to live this simple and beautiful life and I never ever want to take it for granted. I'm grateful to be a woman and to have this divine calling, and to be able to work during my life serving these twelve kids. Having so many kids is humbling. I'm really glad that I've been able to capture so much of it here on the blog - like 12 years worth! It's a challenge to make the time, but 'll try to keep at it. I'm doing it for my kids, so they can know the younger me after I'm old and so that I can already have something prepared when I can't remember "how I did it" - in case they ever ask. If they do, I am sure I'll just shake my head like "....um, I have no idea..." So yay for having these little posts where some of it is written down for when they are in the role of parents. Ok, that's all Peter is giving me time to write. Have a great Monday!

Later tonight: Corey holding Peter after I got home from violin.

"He feels really warm."

I took his temperature, and yeah, he was. I took his temperature, it was 103, pretty high fever little guy! I held and attended to Peter all evening. I love this little boy. Maybe we'll take care of the house and all the mundane tomorrow.

Unofficial Christmas Card Greetings

Tonight we had carolers come by for the 3rd time. Abi was in tears yesterday cause she missed it (she had to change clothes since they had just been playing a game where she was the boy and of course you can't be seen like that in a dress shirt and tie and everything... she changed quickly, but by the time she came down the stairs they were on their way to the next house. She was a wee bit inconsolable for a half hour...)

So anyway, Abi wants us to go caroling. I don't think it's gonna happen. It's a nice idea, but it's cold out there and we got little kids that would make it hard for them and hence for us. Maybe the older kids could? I guess we usually divide and conquer anyway. Still, not very likely to happen. Our last caroler were wonderful neighbors and they brought by treats too. And a holiday greeting card with it's family update. Then Ethan started giving us a hard time about doing a family card, cause we keep getting them in the mail... "Where is ours? You guys are slackers!!" I told him I've done pretty good for the past 10 years, but now I blog, and so people know what's going on with us if they want to know. And I did pass out Christmas treats last year, thank you very much. That wasn't too hard... I still have the gift bags I used, we could do that again on short Christmas Eve notice... I'd just have to run to the store in the morning for white chocolate chips and pretzels and a few other items. That might help us save face.  Ethan continued to tell us we had to do a card, and came up with all sort of ideas of what we could wear and what we could do. It's a little late to get those done in time for Christmas, but there's time for a New Year's Greetings card I guess... Corey told him to be our guest, you want a card done, you go right ahead. And then lookey here what Ethan did - He came to the computer and whipped this out. Not bad Eth.

Not a totally recent picture, but it could do. I still don't know that we'll print them up and mail them, but I'll post it here and share it on my facebook. Does that count as a half effort? Hey, we do what we can. Er,.. we'll do what we can with what you did. Although I guess to make it official I need to give a 2014 sum up or something of that sort? Hmm. I told the kids to go to bed, so that's not something I want to do right now. It will have to wait, I shall send out our "official" Holiday Greetings Card later.

(Ethan's had a class at school on photoshopping and he's got a good knack for it. He made a birthday card for Melodie (that I'll post here when I find it) and has made coloring books for his little sisters for Christmas with printed and a few photoshopped Disney princesses. This boy may come in handy for next year's holiday card, knock on wood.)