Big Sisters

I love having a girl as my oldest. When I was pregnant with my oldest, I secretly lied to people when I told them I didn't care if I had a boy or a girl. It simply wasn't true. I wanted a girl so badly that I wanted to scream it. And because we didn't find out what we were having, finding out in the delivery room that it was indeed a girl was the best day of my life!! I love my daughter for her constant desire to be helpful, and for her good heart. She often cheers me up when I'm down, I can tell her just about anything, and she serves our family constantly. The other day Emery and I took lunch to the school so we could eat with the kids. When Makenna walked into the cafeteria and saw us, she ran over and she and Emmie wrapped their arms around each other. Makenna was so loving and showed her little sister off to her friends. Then last night Brandon and I were getting ready to stop by a 40th birthday party for a friend. We cancelled our babysitter because we were too tired to stay at the party long, and decided to hire our own daughter instead. While we were showering and getting ready to go, Makenna had gotten Emmie ready for bed and had rocked her to sleep. Then she lovingly stayed home with Tal while we went to the party. When we got home, Makenna was still watching TV, but Tal was asleep next to her on the couch with a blanket over him. How sweet is that?? I love Big Sisters, and I especially love the Big Sister in our family because she's absolutely the sweetest!!

Protection for our house

4 weeks ago we had something very chaotic happen in our lives. It started on a Tuesday morning when I was hustling to get out the door. I put some pinto beans in some water on the stove. I turned the burner to high and placed a lid on top. Then I went to my bathroom to continue getting ready. Hair, makeup, and brush teeth. Then I helped my daughter put her shoes on before she was off to preschool. Without returning to the kitchen to turn the pinto beans to simmer, I hurriedly left the house. After dropping my child off at preschool, I raced to the Temple to enjoy a session with the other Relief Society sisters from my ward.
When we returned home, the house was filled with white smoke, even in the basement. It was a grizzly sight, and an even worse smell. I opened every window in the house, and all the doors were open to allow for the smoke to leave. After an hour, the reality hit me that more damage than I ever imagined had been done to my home. After speaking at length with my brother in law (who runs a successful resoration company in Utah), I learned that the only way to treat this protein burn, was to call in the professionals. Every fiber in my house has been cleaned. Upholstery steam cleaned, carpets steam cleaned, and every item of clothing, every towel, every linen, every rug, every drapery, every decorative pillow, had to be removed and taken to a restoration dry cleaners. Our duct work has been cleaned. Our cabinets on the upper floor have all been treated with chemicals. We lived in a hotel for 2 nights while air filters were running in our home. We evacuated one entire day, while an Ozone unit was brought in to treat the air and suck out all the oxygen. It has been one giant nightmare. But through all of it, we feel incredibly lucky that our home was protected. That our children are safe. That our memories and posession were preserved. It has been a source of stress, it has caused much anxiety, and has been more of an inconvenience than we would've expected. But through it all, we somehow have become closer, we have realized what really matters in life, and has made me even more grateful for the blessings of the temple. We still are not through. Our walls and ceilings will get treated on Monday, as well as having ozone units running here again for 24 hours. Which means we will need to go stay somewhere else once again. But it is drawing to a close, and we have learned some hard lessons through it all.

Life's bounteous blessings

Oh how I love being a mother. I love living life through a child's eyes. I am grateful that I see light and happiness in a dark world, because I get to watch my children grow up. My work as a mother is the greatest job in the world, and I find happiness every day in the blessing of this role. Thank you to my Heavenly Father for the opportunity it is to mother such angels, and for the life it breathes into my soul. I am grateful for books that help me in my great responsibility. I just finished reading a book called "A Mother's Book of Secrets". It is written by Linda Eyre and her daughter Shawni. I am so grateful for the chapter on family mottos. It has changed our lives! We came up with one based on a President Monson quote that reads, "our home.....where the storm stops, love reigns, and peace dwells." It is proudly displayed throughout our home. Our January has been happy and calm because we all vowed to live peacefully and not allow any more storms in our home. I'm so grateful for women like the Eyres who share their splendid mothering knowledge with the rest of us.