Write at the Heart

The other day Ella and Jackson practiced and practiced a "trampoline show." Choreographed tricks, synchronized flips, cartwheels, twirls... it was adorable watching them get ready.  And then Kaitlyn asked if she could be in their show. And the drama, OH the drama.  Ella immediately refused to let her.  Her whole demeanor just fell, and she stubbornly said NO, she did NOT want Kaitlyn to be in their show.  Kaitlyn starts crying, upset at not being included, and poor Jackson was totally caught in the middle.  He kept saying, "I want Kaitlyn to be in the show, but then Ella will leave the show, and I don't want her to leave the show!"  And they all turned to me, expecting me to solve this mess.  Yeah, like I said, drama.  I tried reasoning with Ella.  I told her not to be selfish.  I told her if the roles were reversed, she would want to be included in the show, too.  She expressed HER side, that she and Jackson have a rout...

Every single night my 6-year-old tells me, "I love you to the infinitieth power every day at every time."  It's been going on for at least 6 months now.  Every night.   I don't know where he got that saying, but it is so sweet.  I mean, you can't really top the infinitieth power.  He is the most tender-hearted, compassionate boy.  He has special magical powers-- whenever I hug him I can feel any tension melt away.  Tension I didn't even know I had.  I mean, there's something magical about hugging ALL my kids, don't get me wrong, but I think it's cause he's my baby.  I'm holding onto every last baby thing about him!  Good thing he is such a snuggly, sweet, calming mama's boy.  He tells me he loves me all day long.  He tells me stuff like, "I'm so glad I'm in this family."  "I'm so glad you're my mom." He also told me today, "If you ever kicked me out of the house, I wouldn't run away from ...

This time of quarantine has been, uh, interesting, as we all know!  There has been WAY TOO MUCH screen time, if I'm honest, but every once in awhile there is some creativity over here.  Well, the three youngest kids built a cardboard neighborhood.  And when I say neighborhood, I mean three houses with doors and windows and "rooms," a sidewalk connecting their houses together, a flower garden outside, pillows on the inside, and even mailboxes aka Easter baskets.  I mean, adorable. This neighborhood has been on display in our living room for a few days now, and today two of the kids decided to try a new venue.  They took their big box houses outside onto the deck.  And they stayed inside those boxes for an hour and a half.  I mean, I thought they'd have fun for 10 minutes, but an HOUR AND A HALF?  That is pret-ty impressive.  And it's not sunny out there today.  Oh, no, it is chilly.  And windy.  With a little rain sprinkled in...

Yesterday for Easter we watched "The Testaments of One Fold and One Shepherd," which is about Christ visiting the Americas.  It greatly moved me as a teenager when I first saw it, and it moved me even more so now, surrounded by my small crowd of children. Watching that movie prompted me to study the events leading up to Christ's death in the Americas as recorded in 3rd Nephi in the Book of Mormon.  I had a beautiful experience and I don't want to forget how I felt. President Nelson, the prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day saints, has invited us to think deeply and often, "How do I hear Him?"  I've thought a lot about it over the last few weeks. How do I hear Him? I hear Him in a myriad of ways.  Sometimes I feel like my heart will burst out of my chest.  Sometimes it's a transcendent feeling, so much so that I feel like I'll float off the ground.  Sometimes it feels like a flash of light in my brain, like everything in t...

Well-- startin' a new blog!  I have had this on my mind for a long time now.  I have felt whispers for quite awhile telling me, "You are missing it."  Meaning... I'm not writing things down enough!  Meaning, I am too distracted.  Meaning, life is slipping by, so don't miss this stage, right now! I have blogged for a long time.  I love to document, to write, to share.  I love keeping track of my life.  Otherwise, this mommy brain would forget nearly everything, that's for sure.  Just yesterday I was reading in my 7th grade journal.  It brought back so much.  Details and feelings I had forgotten.  Some things I wish stayed forgotten, haha.  But some things surprised me, and I was grateful I wrote down the thoughts of my 13-year-old self.  Because like it or not, the events in my life at age 13 helped shape who I am.  Whether we want to forget the past or not, we can't deny that it shapes us, that layer by layer i...