You Tube Talent

I recently got an e-mail forward about this Mormon boy.

Here is Adam Ashby for your listening pleasure.

I had never heard of him.

I love the ukelele.

And I love that he loves the ukelele.

When he gets home from his Mormon mission,

I hope he makes a record.

And, for Cally and Lori, I want your honest opinion.

Don't you think that he looks a little like the twins?

Although, we know that Conan was WAY better

when he sang and played the guitar at his wedding reception. :)

In this life, I was loved by you

Yesterday,

Bella was throwing a typical fit.

She even wrote me a note.

It said,

"Nobody likes me."

Did I teach her to feel this way?

To self depricate?

I worry about it.

I tried to reason with her.

I told her that lots of people love her.

I told her that if she whines and cries,

it makes people uncomfortable,

and they may not want to play with her,

when she acts like that, but they still love her.

She was on the couch pouting.

It was funny,

I had been feeling kind of the same way.

I was doing dishes pouting.

I laughed.

Just as Bella was waiting for someone or something

to make her feel better,

I had been waiting

for my husband to make it better.

I should have written him a note

that said

"Nobody likes me."

It might have been a little less subtle than my pouting.

I thought about what I wanted to hear.

I decided to test it on Bella.

To see if it would make everything better.

So, I said to Bella:

"Alice...um...I mean, Bella, I love you.

You mean the world to me.

I am so proud of you.

You are such a good helper.

Even if nobody else likes you,

I like you a lot.

I love you a lot.

I'm sorry that you are sad."

She was miraculously cured.

People say women are complicated.

Really we aren't.

We just want to be loved.

Like everybody else.

Here are the ever so true lyrics to one of my favorite songs:

For all I've been blessed with in this life

There was an emptiness in me

I was imprisoned by the power of gold

But one honest touch could set me free

Let the world stop turnin'

Let the sun stop burnin'

Let them tell me love's not worth going through

If it all falls apart

I will know deep in my heart

The only dream that mattered had come true

In this life, I was loved by you

For every mountain I have climbed

Every raging river crossed

You were the treasure that I'd longed to find

Without your love I would be lost

Let the world stop turnin'

Let the sun stop burnin'

Let them tell me love's not worth going through

If it all falls apartI will know deep in my heart

The only dream that mattered had come true

In this life, I was loved by you

Get outta here.

LG's sister, Michelle, graduated from college last week.

Get outta here.

Last week, I spent 4 days out in the hot sun.

Get outta here.

This is my fourth time in the third trimester.

Get outta here.



No really, BABY, I'm talking to you.
Get outta here.
I want my body back.

I better go at least a week early.

The due date is June 17th.

Get outta here.

Speaking Out

I read a quote on Candace Salima's blog this morning.

Thomas Jefferson once said, "All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent."

I think Thomas Jefferson would have been proud of me yesterday. In fact, I think he would like me a lot; I've never been much good at keeping my mouth shut. There are times when a mom just has to speak out and yesterday was one of those. I just couldn't turn my back on my great country.

I took all three girls to Wal-Mart yesterday afternoon. As I was waiting to check out, there were two women checking out in front of me. Between the two of them, they had three little girls. They were the most darling children. They were just beautiful. Two looked like twins and they were all about three years old.

My girls parked it on the floor behind my buggy with a People magazine. They always do this to pass the time, but this time they couldn't completely concentrate. They were totally distracted by what was unfolding in front of us, as was I.

While the new checker was completely oblivious, these little girls started loading up their arms with whatever they wanted from the shelves surrounding the check stands. We may not have paid much attention either, but they were knocking down a bunch of stuff while in the process, and I was surprised that their mothers didn't do anything about it. My girls were most certainly coveting some of the toys, lip glosses, and candy that they were gathering, but never said a word. They know that their allowance would have to be used and I was delighted that the magazine combined with these younger children misbehaving was distracting them from their usual, "Mom do I have enough money to buy this?"

So, on with the story, I was floored because the mother directed the children in Spanish to get a bag from the check stand and to put their stuff in it. The girls each got a bag and did exactly that. What really triggered me is that these sweet little girls kept adding to their loot. They were so excited about all their stuff and kept hugging one another and telling each other gracias and that they loved each other.

I looked to the front of the store to see if I could go and forewarn a worker before their exit, but there was just a teenage kid at the greeting place. I knew it was all up to me.

As the moms finished their shopping. I felt a twinge of guilt. I knew what I was about to do, but I have to say that I almost didn't because I felt sympathy as they used the last of their food stamps and were counting change to pay for the remaining bill. They had only bought one non-food item, fabric softener. These children were clean and had obviously been cared for physically. They had cute little outfits on and darling sandals.

But, I forged ahead, as it wasn't their physical needs I was worried about. My motherly instincts came out in full force as anxiety swept over me for the moral character they were being taught. Who teaches a three year old to steal? Especially when you live in a country that basically hands you everything you need, whether you are a citizen or not. And these girls were loaded up with non-essentials. Believe it or not, I was kind of scared. I started the inner dialogue with myself so that I could find the courage to do the right thing.

Right as the second woman was finishing up and the first woman had gathered all the girls around the buggy to leave, I approached. I looked the woman straight in the eye and pointing to the children and their loot bags I said, "They did not pay for those things. They can't just take them."

This mom was stunned. She gave me a non appreciative look which silently stated, "Mind your own business.", but proceeded to take the things from the girls and she placed them on the adjacent check stand. She never quit glaring at me. The one little girl (who I believe belonged to this first woman) went ballistic, throwing a pretty good kiddy tantrum. The other two twins almost seemed relieved.

I guess they don't want to live among tyranny either.

And, someday maybe my kids will remember me as a mom who wasn't afraid to stand up for what was right. I hope they won't just think that I don't know how to mind my own business because I could have very easily kept my mouth shut.

The moral of the story: don't check out in front of me if you are the kind of parent who corrupts my world. This mom happens to be one who still believes in the pillars of moral character that they teach at school. (Ironic that I took this photo at the school just one hour before this incident occured, huh?) And I believe in doing what it takes to teach my daughters and yours, and when you fail, you give that right to me.

Who snores at your house?

I love you LG!

A few posts back, I confessed something HUGE.

Yep, LG and I are in marriage counseling.

I would like to take this opportunity to clarify a few things,

as LG was a little (o.k. A LOT) worried about telling the world.

And even though I got his permission for disclosure

way before I even considered writing the post,

he was still very skittish about everybody knowing.

In fact, he checked my comments hourly for the two days after the post.

He was convinced that I would get no comments at all

because people would feel awkward with the topic.

So, even if you feel awkward about it,

I beg of you, support my hubby and leave a comment.

Or don't. (He'll get over it)

LG wanted me to make it known that

just because we are in counseling,

he and I were never really on the virge of divorce.

O.k. there may have been a week or two there a few years back,

like the first and second year of law school.

(But I am sure most couples are on the brink of disaster during law school.)

Or I may have entertained divorce frequently our whole first year of our marriage,

but recently we have been mostly happy.

We just started having many experiences that our own weaknesses

were becoming very evident.

Our own "baggage" was affecting us way too much,

and it was eating away at us individually

and at our marriage.

We wanted to change the cycles.

So, we went with an expert.

Because we are humble and smart.

Not because we are weak or ignorant.

One of the first things we learned in therapy is

that we need to not point fingers at each other.

I read this quote this morning and thought it very appropriate.

"A marriage is always made up of two people

who are prepared to swear that only the other one snores."

And after months of counseling,

I still say with a sure knowledge that LG snores

way longer and louder than me.

But, I can now also admit, that I snore too.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

And, I'm not pointing fingers.

I have video.

A message for the mothers

I read John's blog yesterday. He was a little worried about his assignment to preach a sermon on Mother's Day. I shared my thoughts with him about what a huge challenge I think that would be. It is a hard task to pay tribute to motherhood without making mothers feel guilty about what they aren't accomplishing, or further hurting those who've lost their moms, or the women who can't have children for whatever reason who long for nothing else but motherhood.

I think one of the greatest challenges about Mother's Day Sunday though is forgetting the worship of our Savior. So many years, all you ever hear about are the mothers, and it seems to be forgotten that Sacrament Meeting is meant for worshiping our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Lori posted this video today from the church website. I thought it was a PERFECT Mother's Day message. Not only because it spoke to me so strongly a few weeks back when I first heard it, but because the message of our Savior taking on himself all of our trials and discomforts is exactly what moms need to remember. Jesus Christ NEVER stops thinking of us and he never gives up on us, even when it may seem like we are all alone in a insurmountable task of raising God's children.

Well Rounded

We are trying to teach our girls to be well-rounded.

This photo is one proof that we are succeeding.

Sophia is a fashionista who plopped down to read in the field

as soon as soccer was over last week.

Another proof happened last Saturday.

Here was the conversation between LG and I:

LG: "The girls don't want to eat their lunch until this round is over."

Me: "This round?"

LG: "Yeah, didn't you know that they watch WWF every Saturday."

And then Sunday after church,

here was the conversation between the girls and I.

Me: "O.k. girls, let's do something else besides watch T.V. today."

Abigail, "Well, what about the opera?"

(They have been watching the opera every Sunday.)

Me: "O.k. you can watch T.V. if it's the opera,

or we will help you pick a Sunday appropriate movie."

Sophia replied with, "I'm not in the mood for the opera."

Abigail screamed, "Can we watch Harry Potter?"

I've told them that they can watch any movie on Sunday

as long as they can tell me how that movie

helps them think about God or Jesus Christ.

hmmmmm...I wonder what Abigail's answer

to the frequently repeated question would have been:

"What does Harry Potter teach you about God or Jesus Christ?"

I am sure she would have come up with something.

Our girls are well-rounded like that.

They have keen understanding.

It's all because of the WWF and the Opera;

And the soccer and the reading.