Doing

Look whose getting around....

























She is off and in constant search of death and injury, I tell you. She is at the lovely age of preferring electrical cords, hangers, pencils and car keys to safe, colorful, approved baby toys. It doesn't matter how big the pile of toys is, if she can see danger, she prefers it. Plus she has 4 razor sharp chompers.

As I was following this little sweety around the house yesterday saving her life over and over, I called my Mom to check in. She gave me some troubling news about my youngest brother. He's struggling, making bad choices and is wading waste deep in some very dangerous waters. I know it breaks my parents hearts. It breaks mine too, even though he was just a bit more than a toddler when I moved out. The conversation made me thankful that, for now, most the dangers we face are electrical cords and car keys. For Kaden and the twins it's friends who say bad words and less than nice TV shows.

We still have time. Thank-goodness.

I have been on a mission lately to undo the damage that I let hit our family over the last year of pregnancy, recovery and then a baby who I couldn't get to eat for 4 months and who got severely sick. I was too stretched thin to do a good job with the family as a whole, because I was just desperately trying to get through each day.

Now, I feel better and there is work to do. I laid in the dark the other night filling Scotts ear with all of my concerns. He responded to me,

"Hun, we're trying."

I lovingly replied that,

"all parents try, we have to do."

The next morning while I scambled the eggs, that wonderful, famous scripture from Nephi came to my head.

"I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded for I know the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing that he commanded them."

I called Scott and reminded him, that Nephi, tried. He did. He tried on his own to get those plates but couldn't, until he found out from the Lord...how to do it. And that is where I am at. Trying to find out just how to raise each of these 5 little wonders in my home.

Because do you know what else Nephi said? He said:

"And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do."

So since I NEVER know beforehand the things which I need to do, I am doubling my efforts to FIND OUT!

I want to make those magical days where everyone treats each other kindly, where everyone says "thank-you", where we're cheering each other on, where were making good choices, serving others, working hard, enjoy the world around us and being THANKFUL, happen more often. And so, I am madly at work implementing certain strategies to teach these values better, to have more of them myself, to DO and not just TRY.

While we were at the beach, Scott and I worked on a family motto. I went through stacks of hotel scratch pads. And then on Friday, while Scott and I stood in the wet sand watching Brylee swim, I traced the final version into the sand and Scott said,

"Yup, that's it."

Be Thankful

Work

Enjoy

Service

Kindness

Now, I am eagerly awaiting the wall hanging, that is currently in production. I cant tell you how carefully we picked those words.

Be Thankful: When we first started working on the motto, my first priority was Gratitude. There is just not enough of it in the world and I want my children to be grateful people.

Work: Well, of course.

Enjoy: This one, I feel has some unique importance to our family. It simply means enjoy the beautiful world we live in, for example, notice a nice spring breeze, notice the sun set, notice how awesome the world is and let it be a reminder of how much Heavenly Father loves you. I wanted this one because I just feel close to Heaven when I am hiking, or picnicking, or playing out back, being out side is wonderful.

Service: True happiness comes from serving others, the sooner kids learn that, the sooner they are happy.

Kindess: This is the number one Christlike quality that I want my children to have. Be kind to EVERYONE, don't gossip, don't criticize, go the extra mile to make someone feel loved.

I am no Nephi, that's for sure but I am so thankful for the chance to raise a family and I am so thankful to know where to go for help.

Now, I will GO and DO some life saving in the form of digging that rubber band out of Cali's mouth.