Funnys

"Humor is the great thing, the saving thing. 

The minute it crops up, all our irritation 

and resentments slip away, and a sunny spirit takes their place."

~Mark Twain

One of the ironys of this great thing called parenthood, is in time ... Every bad, embarrassing and less than favorable personality trait we as parents struggle with will eventually, most probably be manifested in our children. Sorry kids. Often times we birth children very different than you (can be a blessing or a curse)and sometimes our babes will reveal behavior or expressions that is almost an exact replica of mom or dad..sadly there is no choice sheet for these.  We get what we get and TRY not to throw a fit, right? We have a few of each in our group. I do have to say, tt is pretty special when we see our children exhibit traits that neither parent bestows, which to me, confirms the reality that God sends his own children to earth, filled with their own spirits and personalities. I mean... look at her. How could we have created that heavenly beauty!

I hate to admit it and as much as I'd love to change this part about me... I am not much of a laugher. Don't get me wrong, I love a good laugh as much as anyone... I just don't laugh easily. Maybe I have known too many "over the top comedian" types or too many sarcasm-oloics. Both of which get old  fast and I have a hard time translating thick sarcasm anyway, my brain is not wired that way. My husband seems to think that I am a good judge then of what might be funny or not. Unsure if there is any truth to that but he says, "if it passes the 'Jen Test' then it is truly funny". The reality is,  I'd give anything to have a laugh like my friend Kristi Wright or Natalie Cottom, they have the best chuckles... or my brother in law Chad, OH my he has a wonderfully contagious laugh. I have the lamest excuse for a courtesy laugh... is that something you can learn? Laugh class?  My husband is very funny, he can always make me laugh and does every day because after all, we were made for each other  but he is much funnier than I. My kids make me laugh,  people falling or tripping and for some strange reason, feet. Feet are very funny. Especially pointing toes on men or kids, that about sends me through the roof. 

Our sweet children definitely got the funnys gene from their daddy. (yay) Our daughter is especially funny. So is her younger brother. They giggle all the day long. I read somewhere that the average child laughs 400 times a day and the average adult laughs 15 times a day. I am sure I have something to learn then from these sweet, funny children surrounding me. I was telling Ben the other day that most days, Daidy and Sam act like they are drunk. They are truly the very best of friends (no lie). They are the sweetest little pair you have ever seen and they really know how to giggle. They giggle all day, every day and FUNNY. Funny to me, funny to each other. I am so grateful for that and I am going to do my best to laugh with them and to keep them laughing in hopes they will never stop. Laughter is a good thing, it has a special way of healing the soul.

"The only way to get through life is to laugh your way through it. You either have to laugh or cry. I prefer to laugh. Crying gives me a headache." Marjorie P. Hinckley

Thankful Thursday - Splendid Sweetness

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” – Albert Einstein

Baby Theo is just absolutely perfect in every way. Now 10.5 weeks old, I wonder where the time has gone. Cliche, yes I know, nevertheless true.  While time moves in one direction, my memories move in another. Memories of sweet delicious moments where the clock stands still and I can revel in the raw, spiritual tenderness of a newborn beauty. Enchantment is what is it is. I bury my mind deep in those memories every day as I watch this little heavenly bundle change and awaken slowly to this world. He is awakening in every sense. His spirit is very much alive. I felt his spirit and have from the moment I caught glimpse of his flesh. Spiritual conversations occur every moment he is in my arms, conversations to which there is no language. As each day passes, I watch carefully as he wiggles free from his transcendent spiritual slumber. I see him awakening every day in tiny ways. There is sadness in that second but as the clock ticks and time passes, so does the grief. Heartache is then replaced by sincere, happy, thankful feelings of the heart for this very special spirit that has blessed our lives. Everyday I study his face, his furry shoulders, his miniature cuticles and the feeling of his sweet face pressed against my chest, breathing puffs of warm air onto my baby thirsty skin. I absorb myself into him everyday as I nurse my sweet angel to sleep. My heart ignites each time I watch milk drip from the crook of his smiley mouth down to his tiny chin and our eyes lock... time stands completely still.  I am memorizing.  Memorizing for the day when I long to wander into those memories again. Overwhelming in every way are the emotions I feel as I try to seize each fleeting day. Impossible are my attempts but nonetheless I am so very grateful for this time. This is a very special time of life. A very spiritual time of life. We are so grateful that we have him. If I am gathering even a miniscule appreciation for how our Heavenly Father and Mother might feel about their children, then I am speechless and forever indebted for the blessing and privilege to partake in such splendid sweetness.

Time does not change us. It just unfolds us.

Max Frisch

A Perfect Life

Amid the ciaos of life, I find tender mercy's from my Heavenly Father all over that remind me how spectacular life is. I have it good! I am so very grateful for my blessings but many of those blessing have come at a price.

I read things from time to time that get my blood boiling from brilliant yet seemingly antagonistic writers in the blogosphere universe. Writers that seem to enjoy dishing out healthy amounts of negativity on us self proclaimed "have it all" bloggers. Mormon mommy bloggers seem to be a convenient target.  The assumption is such that one might think my life is perfect and heaven forbid I disclose a weakness that might reveal my real humanness. It gets fatiguing to read these self deprecating entry's. It seems as long as they can diminish the existence of the "perfect lives" of others then somehow they are vindicated and feel less inadequate because after all the "perfect lives" out there are all facades... right...? Denied. I do have a perfect little life... my life... but it has all come at a price and only I know how much has been paid for those rose tinted glasses. We are "happy shining people" because we have chosen to be, not because we have been afforded an artificial perfect life which I now chose to exploit. Rather, my life has been full of challenges, trials, hardships, pain... like most everyone else BUT there is beauty in that.  Because of those experiences I am very grateful for the joys and the tiny victories of each day.

I am ever aware of the scars that may never heal but somehow I have chosen, or rather prompted to feel and express the things that send my heart racing into a euphoric flutter. Yes, I have trials and I am aware of them daily. Yes, I have weaknesses beyond number. Yet there is nothing not real about the fact that I love my life and I do feel I have it all. "All" includes a spectacular marriage and outrageously great kids that are all my best friends. They ARE my HAPPY SHINING PEOPLE. But having it all also means my children still fart at the dinner table (sometimes I laugh) and I still pick my zits before bed, I burn my toast too and have gone many months before renewing my vehicle registration (gasp). That is real. But why would one spend their time writing about that? That is all part of life and after all, negativity is so boring. I am very proud of our life, raising 6 kids is awesome, it is our perfectly messy, loud, fantastic and sometimes hard life.

Today I read a post from a blogger afar, you know the kind of blogger who you wish you knew and are sure you'd be best friends with if only you were neighbors...? Her post was quite thought provoking. It made me ponder the regrets I have in life. There are a lot of them.  Everyone has regrets, right? But as I reflected on how I ultimately felt, I found myself grateful for the regrets I do have because that is proof I have learned something valuable and am becoming a better person. Inevitably, I will pass through another phase of life and I'll look back with regret for this or that but there again, is the beauty of this mortal life. Regret, is healthy, as long as we don't let it sabotage our life. We are all (hopefully) progressing, becoming and reaching on our tippy toes to be metaphorically taller, to be more of who we are suppose to be, to be more Christ like. Regret in a slight way, is satisfying. It is tangible evidence if you will, that we are getting better.

My perfect little life is by no means a carefully painted mirage of self righteous perfection and certainly does not translate to me being perfect.  I do have regrets and I don't entirely "get it" all the time or as soon as I would hope but the reality I choose to see is, I am REAL, we are a real family, a really big family with real challenges just like everyone else and that is all quite fantastic. It is perfect for me.  More importantly, we are REALly happy and that gives me cause to keep writing this blog journal. I could write about the shadowy conundrums of life and such, those are a given, instead I write about the things that make my spirit blossom and the things that make my world go round. Pitter patter is the sound my heart makes when I think of my job here as a mother and wife. It is not a perfectly executed task by any means but I love it and would not trade it for anything. I do love my life and I love the people in it. They are shining in every way. Life is truly a gift.

Euphoria

There is no higher form of joy. There are no deeper feelings of satisfaction. There are no equivalent experiences in life that have the ability to bring the flood of euphoric feelings, that charge my body every time I look into my children's eyes. The ecstasy I feel when I inhale the delicious warm tender sweet breaths of newborn air is entrancing. The forces of love are magnetic, captivating and all consuming. Those feeling are eternal in nature and most delightful.  I am enthralled. I am happily locked in love with these children of mine, forever. What an overwhelming blessing to have this sacred calling of being a mother.  Love! 

My LOVE!

Theodore Reed Is Here

"When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive -- to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love." ~Marcus Aurelius

Our sweet baby #6 was born June 6th. Theodore Reed, named after both Ben and I’s fathers. It was a smooth labor, which delivered an absolutely perfect child. He was 9lbs 7oz and 22 inches long… our biggest yet. Childbirth and newborn babies are magical and the spirit is overwhelming in ways that cannot be conveyed. Tiny little packages with vibrate, real, tender spirits. He is infinitely perfect, so special and we are unbelievably grateful to have him join our eternal family.

Day before delivery

In hospital.... waiting...

Baby Teddy all gooey.

His fury little skin is absolutely delicious! He really is our fury baby bear.

Getting ready to go home:)

On our way home

Leaving the hospital

WELCOME HOME! Getting to know the fmaily

My angel mother