Enjoy The Drive

My favorite part of the day is the magical hour that comes right after lunchtime when all of my kids are nestled around me as I read from a book. I simply relish their anticipation and the wonder in their big blue eyes as a story unfolds and we all fall in love with the characters. Right now we are reading "Anne of Green Gables" by L.M. Montgomery and I simply adore that girl, Anne-spelled-with-an-"E". She is so full of life. Eager to learn. Ready to love. And she taught us all an important lesson this week:

"Do you know," said Anne confidentially, "I've made up my

mind to enjoy this drive. It's been my experience

that you can nearly always enjoy
things if you make up your mind

firmly that you will. Of course, you must
make it up firmly...."

As soon as I came across that passage I got a thrill. It's so easy to dwell on our challenges and set backs. Or even on the daily drivel that gets us down. But if we make up our mind firmly we can "enjoy this drive" and eagerly anticipate all the beauty and joy that will come because of it

. My, how I love that make-believe 11-year-old orphan girl, Anne!

Remembering What I Have

"People who pray for miracles usually don't get miracles....But people who pray for courage, for strength to bear the unbearable, for the grace to remember what they have left instead of what they have lost, very often find their prayers answered." (Rabbi Harold Kushner in When Bad Things Happen to Good People)

My most recent miracle-in-the-works may have been delayed for a season, but I have indeed been reminded of what I have left and--if you ask me--I think they're pretty miraculous, too!

Girls Only!

The boys went away for the night to a Father/Son Campout with our church and this is the one night a year I set aside my firm "NO SLEEPOVERS" policy and allow the girls to invite friends and cousins over for a slumber party.

We had our famous fruit pizza

And the girls all enjoyed pedicures.

Later we watched "Anne of Green Gables" until the girls fell asleep.

In the morning Hali and Mykaela made cinnamon crescent rolls for us!

I love being a mother to four wonderful daughters

and we look forward to our Annual Sleepover every year!

Mama Nut's Gone Crazy!

We meandered out of town last weekend to attend the temple and take the kids to the Aquarium.  It was so nice to spend some happy time together.  Unfortunately we don't have a working camera right now (one is broke, one has a dead battery and a missing charger) so I don't have pictures to share but take my word for it:  We had a great time!

 

On the way home we stopped at a gas station because Teagan had to go potty.  (Yay for potty-trained two-year-olds!)  Naturally, since Teagan had to go, so did Leah.  And Melody. And Roman.  Not Hali, though.  She will get a bladder infection before she dares to use a public restroom.  But I digress.

 

I usher all the kids into the gas station and assign Hali to stand watch outside the men's restroom and command Roman to scream if any odd behavior goes on while he's in there.  Yes, I am a paranoid mother.

 

The three girls and I shuffle into the restroom.  Teagan does her business and then I get busy de-germing hands and quickly scoot the kids outside back towards the car, wondering why everyone is giving me strange looks.  I am assuming it's because I am herding a flock of children through the gas station and I've been asked a million times if I've been asked once, always with the same answer:

 

"YES!  They are ALL mine!"

 

Anyways, I am getting a little perturbed at Teagan because she is moving so slowly but we finally approach the car and I am puzzled at the scowl on Jimmy's face when he sees us approach.  It is strangely similar to the customers' in the store and I am tempted to remind him that they are ALL his as well when he pops out of the van, pointing quite disturbedly and half-whispering, half-growling that,

"Teagan's undies are down around her ankles!"

 

Oh.  So THAT'S why she was walking so slowly and THAT'S why all those people were giving me those 'looks'. 

 

Huh.  Oh, well.  I'm from the Funny Farm.  What do you expect?