Signs of Spring

Here are a few signs that spring is right around the corner:

1. Purple and white crocuses are blooming in clusters around my yard.

2. We left our coats at home on Saturday and Sunday.

3. I've eaten three (yes, three) bags of Brachs jelly beans in the last two weeks.

4. I want to go shopping! (I'm loving all the cute spring styles)

5. Madi filled out her science fair project form tonight.

6. I filled hubby's allergy medicine at the pharmacy today.

7. I removed Baby C's snuggly liner from her car seat.

8. I started deep cleaning - attacked the kitchen cupboard shelves and conquered the fridge.

What's your sure sign that spring is coming?

Sneaky Photographer

My digital camera insisted that the memory card was full...But I'd only taken a few pictures. I plugged it into the computer and downloaded over ONE HUNDRED photos - most of which I had not taken. I gathered the children in a crimal-type line up. "Who's been taking pictures?" I asked. Truman stepped forward. "They're pretty good," I complimented. We viewed them on the computer and picked the best three to post. Do I have a clandestine budding photographer??

Snow Miracle

When I was old enough to pray, I prayed regularly for three things: 1) that my Dad would get a new job (he was in the army and looking for a change), 2) a baby sister, and 3) snow. The last item would actually require the biggest miracle because we were living in Mobile, Alabama.

The year that I turned five years old, my prayers were answered...my Dad got hired to be a Coast Guard helicopter pilot, my family adopted my sister, and it snowed. (I'm going to write a book about it someday). But for today, I just wanted to write about the miracle of the snowstorm. I had only seen snow in books or on TV. So when I finally saw it falling from the sky and tasted the cold flakes on my tongue, it was incredible. We did not own any sleds, so my Dad got out our slippery blue sleeping bag pads. We trudged to the top of the small hill behind our house and sledded down the hill again and again until the green grass showed through.

I think because I prayed three years for snow, that I still LOVE when it snows. It still holds a miraculous element for me.

On Sunday and Monday we enjoyed a huge snowstorm along with the rest of the East Coast. We made the most of it, sledding, drinking hot chocolate, making snow angels, and building snow castles in the back yard. As I listened to the girls say their nighttime prayers, I had to smile.

They thanked Heavenly Father for snow, and prayed for more. Just like me.

Little Things

I've decided that it's the little things all added together that can make a huge difference in a family. It's a whole lot easier for me to wrap my mind (and limited energy) around doing small things on a regular basis, than trying to tackle the huge, overwhelming, looming task of successfully raising five happy, loving, responsible children.

Here's what I mean by "little things": When I was school-age, I brought a packed lunch to school nearly every day. Each day I'd sit down at the long white cafeteria table, open my brown paper bag, and remove my neatly folded napkin. On the napkin was always a small, handwritten message from my mom. Some days her message was as simple as "I love you" and other days her message was more specific like, "Good luck on your test today." I could always count on her love notes, written with black marker on kitchen napkins. There were days when I tucked the note away quickly and headed right to the food, there were other days that her message sustained me throughout the rest of a difficult day, and then there were days when my mother's influential words directed my actions and decisions.

Like my mom, I write love notes to my children on their lunch napkins too. It's a little thing. But I hope all the love notes added together over the years will make a difference in their lives.

Another little thing...as I was growing up, each night and morning my family knelt together in a circle for "family prayer." We each took turns saying the prayer. I loved hearing my parents pray for me and my sisters by name. After the "Amen" we all put our hands in the center of the circle for a football-style cheer. We'd yell, "Sure Love Ya!" Again, it was just a little thing. But there were times when doing the cheer, I felt like we were the best family in the world.

With my own family, we have daily family prayer. And following the prayer, we do a "Sure Love Ya!" cheer too. Then about two years ago, the twins (who were enamored with Telletubbies) wanted to add a "Big Hug!" at the end. So we do that too.

Little things.
Love notes on paper napkins.
Family prayer.
Cheers.
Hugs.

Little things can make all the difference.

Beating the Winter Blues

Ooooh. Mid-February through March is a difficult time for me. It's always around the end of February when I become just plain tired of the cold weather. I'm tuckered out with being stuck in the house, and I've had it with the bundling (coats, hats, mittens, baby blankets) necessary just to go to the grocery store. And then March can be such a tease--with a couple sunny warm days followed by a late snow storm.

The only person more grumpy than me about the weather is T-man. He's got the stir-crazy syndrome bad! Lately, he prowls around the house looking like a WWE wrestler waiting for his chance to tackle someone. And his sisters are the prime targets.

My usual tactics to battle the winter blues include outings to the library, sending the kids to the unfinished basement for some bike riding, scheduling playdates, and the ever faithful DVD collection. However, everything has lost its luster.

Today is supposed to be a balmy 59 degrees for the high. You can bet we'll be outside as much as we can. I've already scheduled a playdate with a friend who has a trampoline. And as soon as the big girls come home from school, we'll be off to the park.

Watch out Winter - I'm coming out swinging!

Madi turns 9

Here are some photo highlights of Madi's year...

Madi on the morning of her baptism.
On the roof overlooking New York City!

County fair with the bunnies.

Madi becomes a big sister...for the fourth time.

Madi's favorite past time.



The best part about being Madi's mom is that she is so much fun to be with.
She is bright, talented, and a source of joy.
As I held her in my arms nine years ago in the hosptial, all bundled in a white blanket, I thought it couldn't get better than that moment.
I was wrong.
That was only the beginning...
And it just keeps getting better.

Dirty Laundry

I know it's time to do laundry when...I know it's REALLY time to do laundry when seeing my mis-matching socks, Meya pulls up her pants and announces "Mom, we're twinners" (notice one has a ruffle, but, hey, at least they're both pink)...

And just to appease my Little Sister's spot-on scrutiny of bloggers, I did not write this post until after four loads of laundry were completed, and I'm typing to the sound of the dryer.