What is most important to you?

    Today Shan and a group of men and youth from church gathered at 7:00 am in Joplin at the command post to receive direction in helping with the clean-up of the Tornado that hit this past Sunday. Shan was up at 5 am getting ready for this day. I just have such an appreciation for him. He works so hard for our little family. He came home last night as I was finishing up dinner and just dove in and started helping me finish cooking. He then took Sofie girl upstairs and read to her and put her to bed. He just does things without me asking. (Now don't get me wrong this isn't "always" how I feel, but "Mostly" how I feel).  I am so thankful for my little family especially as I see first hand the loss of so many and so quickly!  I truly desire to show more gratitude after this last week. I hope that I can hold on to what is most important. To me it is Eternal Life. Knowing I have a purpose while living this earthly life and knowing that I can live again with friends, family and most important my loving Father in Heaven who created me. I am thankful to witness the goodness of so many who are willing to give up furniture- homes- money- to the many who are in need at this time.  I have been most affected by a family who lost 2 of 3 small children and the wife is pregnant. The one who is alive is still in the hospital at this time. My heart holds a quiet prayer for this sweet family.  May we all be grateful for all we have and look for opportunities to serve.  No matter what the circumstances are.  Today I am reflecting on what is most important to me. With that I hope to LOVE MORE...

HOLY MONDAY!!!

 If you look close at this photo you can see that the detergent made it in where the liquid bleech should go. Sofie climbed on top of the washer and helped herself to washing her blankie.  When I found her it was a little too late... These photos will tell you the whole story... all over a blankie!!!

 Then a few minutes later she is found in the kitchen cutting up my measuring tape.  Oh this face. She is something else!  I guess my Time out is over and it is back to reality... Now if I can remember to keep holiness in my parenting.  I did put my hands softly to her cheeks and I lovinly explained that she needs to ask mommy before she makes these messes. HOLY- MONDAY!!!

What a fun TIME OUT

 In December I came across TIME OUT for women. I think it came through my e-mail. I thought how awesome it would be if it was going to be here in Oklahoma this year.  Sure enough it was coming to Oklahoma City. I was so excited. Last year I went in Utah with my friend Alissa and we had the best time. I love being able to go and listen to these inspired women.  This year I was able to go with my sweet friend Rosie. We were able to save some funds and stay at her friends home who lived only 15 minutes from the convention center so it worked out perfect. We ran into some sisters from our stake and also a couple of love birds from our ward:)

 Mary Ellen Edmunds has such a great sense of humor. She talked about how unique we all are and that we are much! We can do great things because we are real. (Once you are real you can't be ugly unless to those who may not understand) We are daughters of God. He knows our names and we are dear to Him.

Linda Eyre and Shawni Eyre Pothier are a mother and daughter who spoke about Holiness in motherhood. I loved them. I follow Shawnie's blog (71toes.blogspot.com) She focuses on the joy in the journey of motherhood. I was taught to "Love More" and enjoy the moments that will be hard in parenting. To make those moments Holy by being a little more gentle. A little more loving. ( I practiced this just this morning with my 3 year old:) 

This is Sister Mariama Kallon. She has a dvd telling her story and also has a message on you tube. It is worth it. She is from a war torn country in Sierra Leone. She saw many things as a young girl and witnessed her own sister getting her legs and arms chopped off. She didn't get her first pair of shoes until she was 15 years old. She was introduced to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and found hope in God and peace in the knowledge of Eternal Families.  She is a woman of great faith and encouraged us to be grateful for all that we have.  She was so powerful as she shared and quoted scriptures all in memorization and with such a power. Hillary Weeks another speaker was sharing with us that Mariama carries a HOT pepper to all the restaurants. Hillary tried it and she said that she still can't fill her tongue. So when Rose and I went to lunch at this Mexican restaurant for lunch Rose tried this salsa that was very very hot. I then said how funny it would be to take some back to our friend Mariama. So we did and she was so happy.

Hillary Weeks is filled with a voice of song and words. One minute she has you laughing and the next minute crying. She always teaches me but this time I learned that my children are only little for this short time and will be adults for eternity. So choose to be grateful and positive.

The messages were so inspiring. I came home wanting to stop worrying about my weaknesses and celebrate my failures. Yes that is correct. I am choosing to BECOME what I want to be. Believing that all things are possible with the help of a loving Father in Heaven.

TONY THE FROG

Preston was so excited to find a frog on the back porch. He was determined to catch him and take him to school.  He named him TONY the frog and was so proud. He put him in Hermie the Hermit crabs cage that died a few weeks ago. Took him to school that next day.  When he got home he decided that Tony might die if he didn't let him go. We had been telling him that if he didn't feed him that this would happen. So I told him that he should say a prayer that Tony would find his family and that he would be okay. 

 So he said a little prayer and then sat there for a minute deciding if he really wanted to let his new friend go... This was very hard for him. Honestly it was making me feel so sad even though I knew he was doing the right thing.

This sweet photo is a heart breaker. We had one sad boy who was going through the bushes trying to find Tony. He really wanted to keep him after his friend hopped away...

My heart is full when I look at this photo.  I always wanted to be a mother. I think I hid my dolls in my closet until I was 13. I always loved children and worried myself sick thinking I would never get married and be able to have children.  After a few years of marriage I miscarried a couple of times before having Morgan. That was a prayerful time for me. Now I look at this photo and I am so thankful for these precious kids of mine.  I truly feel so blessed.  I have been thinking quite a bit lately of my divine heritage.  I love when my Grandma or my mom share stories and I enjoy the memories I have of our family reunions. My heart swells for so many wonderful women who have influenced my life for good.  I feel that this is a bond between us as family.  I then reflect on my spiritual heritage as one of His daughters. Belonging to the largest organization in the world. The Relief Society. I am never alone as I know that I have sisters who would be at my side in a minutes time if I needed it. Also knowing who I am and what I can become because of my loving Father in Heaven gives me a confidence in my own mothering. I know that with Him I can help my children in this earthly life.  It is not easy to always be serving and giving of self. We all know that this is what is required in motherhood.  This quote was shared in our Relief Society lesson today and I loved it...  Go give to the needy sweet charity's bread- for giving is living the angel said. But must I keep giving again and again?  My selfish, thoughtless answer ran. "Oh, no," said the angel piercing me through, Just give 'til the master stops giving to you. How thankful I am for His perfect example of how I should be as a mother.  It is not always easy but I know in the end it will be worth it!

Shannon and the missionaries cooked the dinner. Elder Peneke made homemade pasta and alfredo and Elder Daniels sauted some mushrooms for the delicious steak that Shan marinated and grilled.  It was so yummy. To top it off Sydney made some brownies and we had them with some ice cream. I was so full!
[Image] My friend Sherry is a nurse and had to work on Mothers Day. Her kids were away on a band trip for school so she came over and celebrated with me. She brought me over some beautiful flowers. Thank you Sister Landrum:) 

 To top off the night we have a new missionary Elder Daniels from Sandy Utah. Of course he had to go to Heaven on the ironing board. After it was over he admitted that he had done this before. Shame on him!!!  What a wonderful day and before I forget I have to say I got the best gift from my hubby. I told him all I wanted was some peace and quiet in my room for some of the day. So he bought me some cordless headphones for the TV and so I put those babies on and watched a hallmark movie and didn't know what was going on outside my bedroom door. It truly was HEAVEN- (speaking of heaven:)

To all my family and friends who are female! 

Happy Mothers Day to each one of you... I LOVE YOU!

Love this Tradition... 13 years and counting!

 I love my momma! Thirteen years ago she was inspired to invite me and her daughter in laws to Women's Conference. It is at Brigham Young University in Provo Utah, once a year. Woman come from all over the world to listen and attend classes on many different subjects. You can choose from many different ones. They are all on Christ centered subjects that pertain to anything from the young to the old.   My mom created this a tradition that we all look forward to each year.  This year we missed our Sister in law Andrea as she was in the middle of teenagers and Proms.  My momma is very dear to me. She truly is a sweet lady who has always been an example to me. She has a special gift. It is one that I try to practice in my life as a mother. She truly listens to those promptings of the spirit. Growing up I knew my mom was a woman of Faith. She encouraged me to always pray and to read my scriptures. She knew what to say at just the right time.  I am so thankful for her influence in my life.

I love being with my Sister in laws. It is a time when we can open up and share our hearts with one another. I feel so much support around them. I never had a sister as a child but as my brothers got married I was blessed!  What a blessing they are to me and to my kids. 

 As you can tell from these pictures we share many laughs.  My momma and her swimsuit. She had to model it because we were all proud of her for finding a "GOOD DEAL". She is known to never check a price. Her motto is... "If you like it? Buy it"!  This was a very good find and we were all so proud of her.  Then Jaclyn was in the back seat and she was wearing these sun glasses.  I started laughing and she could not figure out why I was laughing at her.  I couldn't believe that she was serious. Did she not know they were broken? Well, she didn't until I told her.  The funny thing about this was her husband had recently told her that those glasses weren't his favorite.  So she was thinking I was also making fun of them.  It was one of those moments that you had to be there to find it as funny as we did.

 I was so thankful for the things that I learned this year. Usually I come away feeling guilty. This is my greatest weakness and one that I have been working very hard at over coming.  So this was a time for me to celebrate because for the first time in thirteen years I came away feeling guilt free, humble, and thankful for the Atonement of my Savior Jesus Christ.  I felt so thankful to be a "Mormon". To see all these woman come together to fill boxes and boxes full of hygiene kits and school supplies for all those who may be in need when tragedy strikes was incredible. The feeling was indescribable.

To top off my trip I got to celebrate my birthday with Krispy Kreme donuts and a dinner out with my Grandma and Grandpa who are so precious to me.  I love them dearly and miss them so deeply.  It is so hard to be away from all my loved ones.  I will always love this tradition and look forward to the day my daughters will get to share in this tradition that their Grandma Joy started.