Loving these years

My husband has been in California for a job interview. Fifteen minutes from the beach. Wouldn't that be nice. Maybe one of the possibilities, but we'll just have to wait and see. The point is, he's been gone and busy, so to find a card and my favorite candy this morning was a sweet surprise!

LOVE YOU!!

At preschool yesterday Macey had made me and Ben a valentine's day card. As she gave it to me in class she said "This is for you and dad because you got married and you love each other."

We are making valentine cookies today.

Loving the Little Years: Motherhood in the Trenches

by Rachel Jankovic

If you have little kids, Get it, read it. A friend lent it to me. You will thank me. It only takes 2 hours.

It was kind of like Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy was for me when I was pregnant. Funny, informative and not so serious that it's stressful to read. Just pure good advice and a reminder that what you're doing is dang hard and totally worth it.

Something I'm learning to accept is the "slowing down" part of this time of life. This is not common sense to me people. I don't have a hard time understanding why kids can't come to everything but I do want to be the exception. And yes, I understand I'm not. And I'm learning I'm not. I can't always have a babysitter every time I want to do something sans children. So, I can't do certain things I want to do at this point in my life. It's a little depressing if I don't look at the big picture and realize this is such a short time in my life. Just keep it together self. Ben and I had a nice long chat about this last night. This is code for me talking a lot and him patiently listening and then giving me much needed words of wisdom. The answer always seems to be simplify:)

One of my favorite concepts in the motherhood book she writes about is this: your virtues are your vices are your virtues.
A simple way of saying bad characteristics or traits are manifestations of good things and vice versa. Our job is to help shape our children, so learn how to enhance their strengths.
I remember Macey's preschool teacher telling me to take the negative words I think of when describing her and think of positive replacements. i.e. sensitive=compassionate. Your kids hear you talk about them. Every negative behavior has an equally positive attribute. Do it for your husband, too:)
So my next question that formed in my head was: how do you take your vices and make them virtues, or just get rid of them??

Ether 12:27: "If men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make ^eweak things become strong unto them."

Weaknesses (like vices) ...are blessings?! HUMILITY is ESSENTIAL. God's grace is too.

We made mac n cheese with gnocchi. Let's call it gnocheese. I did it the lazy way and just used a mac n cheese packet. It's goood. Thanks pinterest.

Macey has really been loving to make her bed lately.

She likes to fold blankets. Cute bum:)

 For Cody's birthday his grandma Sylvia gave him a dollar for each year, then a five for his sixth year. Ten dollars that was burning a hold in his pocket. So after agonizing about getting a toy, we went to a couple stores to find the perfect toy. A remote control spinning race car.

Happy Valentine's Day!!