Goats

L ast night we got two pygmy goats (a mother and a daughter). They're about 2-3 years old and are so cute! I wanted to get sheep for the property but apparently goats are much better brush and blackberry bush eaters, (which is what we need). Anyway, the kids love them, especially Lauren.

The other day when I was outside cleaning out the shed to get ready for the goats, the boys were helping and I kept thinking about what hard working boys they are and how grateful I am that now we have a place where there'll always be plenty of projects and animals around to keep them busy and teach them how to work. I'm reading the Little House on the Prarie series to the boys at night and right now we're on the second book "Farm Boy ." I love reading it because it has such great stories and the boys get to see what life was like for a boy their age a couple hundred years ago. I think it helps them realize that the chores they're asked to do around here are nothing to complain about. I told them this morning at breakfast that now that we have goats they are official "farm boys."

Eventually, we'd like to get some chickens (I love fresh eggs) and maybe when we get the property fenced some miniature ponies. I found an ad on craigslist for hobbit horses and they're for such an incredible price it's been hard to resist. I think it's probably best to pace ourselves with the animals though. It's just so much fun to be able to do these things now.

Keeping Busy

I've been keeping busy with projects around the house. Aaron just finished completing all of the molding and baseboard trim in the living room so I've been painting, painting, painting. I also stripped, sanded and painted the old door in the living room that leads to the office and was very pleased with how nice it turned out. I'll try to attach a picture of it to this post.

So Aaron worked from home today and during the kids naps I took advantage of that and and went for my run outside instead of on the treadmill. When I got back Lauren was awake and she had cream colored paint on her face and hands and there were dozens of paint drops all over the hardwood floors. I followed them to the living room where there was a smudge on the new rug and I saw an abandoned paint roller on the floor by the fireplace. Aaron was sitting on the couch busy on his laptop while on a conference call......... Hmmmmmm, maybe I should leave Jacob in charge next time I leave the house. (: Okay, so it's not entirely his fault, I was so tired of painting last night I left the tray and brush with water in it in the bathtub. Apparently when Aaron took a shower this morning he just took it out of the tub and "forgot" to put it back in. Lauren's favorite room in the house is the bathroom (she drinks from the toilet daily) and imagine her joy when she saw a tray of paint and no mommy around.

Anyway, I have also been working on a wall collage of family pictures that I am putting up. I am not using all of them but as I was going through them I just thought I'd post some of them here because I think they are so sweet.


Here they are..........

Smart Boy

I found this piece of paper today in the office (you have to click on the picture to see the writing). During the kids naps Jacob will often write, draw or color pictures, (he has AM Kindergarten). Anyway, I found this paper among others on his table in the office, he must have been working on it while I was putting the kids down for their naps. I am so amazed at how his little mind works. He has always loved math and asks us to "do math" with him while we're driving in the car. He can add and subtract such odd numbers it's amazing. Often times Aaron will give him a math problem and he figures out the answer about the same time that I come up with it in my head. I showed this paper to Aaron tonight and he asked me to scan it and send it to his e-mail address at work so he could show it to his co-workers. Apparently, he has the mind of a programmer or something computer related like that. All I know is he doesn't get it from me......

My Evolution..... (As a Mother of Sons)

Aaron says I have changed, I like to think that I have evolved........
(Any mother's out there who don't have sons or whose sons have not yet reached the age of "true boyhood," you most likely will not relate, agree or understand what I am about to say)

YES, this is a picture of my boys playing with boxing gloves (someone gave them to us last week) and YES, I did personally get my sons NERF guns with suction cup shooters for Christmas, and YES when you come to my house you will see my boys engaged in battle with light up swords we bought from "Zoo Lights" in Tacoma. Most of you who knew me four years ago would probably be shocked at these confessions, because I was the mom who never let my sons play with "those kinds of toys." And I'm a bit ashamed to confess that I thought less of mothers who allowed their sons to play with guns and swords.

So what has changed?

As I look back it wasn't one event but a process of experiences that over time have evolved into an entirely different philosophy. One of these experiences happened one morning while I was reading scriptures with the boys. We were reading about Captain Moroni and the Title of Liberty from the Book of Mormon reader. At that time (a few years ago) it was routine for me to read the story and then take a few minutes to talk to them about what we had read. I had read that story many times before but for some reason on this morning it sunk in deeper than ever before. I found myself tearfully bearing testimony to my young sons that one day they may have to fight in a war and that the Lord expects them to fight to protect their families and to defend our freedoms. I felt the spirit so strongly that morning and the reality of what I was saying really hit me hard.......there is nothing wrong with fighting-as long as it is for a righteous cause ("In memory of our God, our religion, our freedom, and our peace, our wives and our children" (Alma 46:12).

Another experience that followed shortly after this happened at church during Stake Conference. Jacob was about 4 and Joseph was 3. They were both standing in the breezeway between the double doors at the entrance to the building running around with half a dozen other kids who were also being rowdy while their parents kept them corralled in this "viewing" room. I observed Jacob trying to be friendly with a boy about his same age who didn't seem like a very nice little boy at all. He would scowl at Jacobs attempts and started trying to pin Jacob between the door and the wall. I don't know what was wrong with me that day but I remember thinking I was going to hold back and let this play out. I wanted to see what Jacob would do. Well, the boy continued to be a little stinker and kept harassing him until I saw that Jacob was about to lose it and start crying. As he again pushed the door into Jacob (now trapped in the door jam) I started heading to the scene to intervene but was stopped by what I saw happen next. My 3 year old JoJo, boldly ran up to this older boy and began kicking him repeatedly in the leg saying, "You leave him alone, Jacob's a good guy!!!" And guess what, I let him keep kicking the boy until he let my son go!

There have been other experiences that have happened along the way but what I have learned through it all has taught me so much about men and boys. My boys will be men in less than 20 years. I hope that they will never have to be in a fight or fight in a war or pull the trigger of a real gun. But if they do I want them to be ready and I want them to win. My days of stifling their inborn heroic nature and telling them that "we never fight, or hit" are over. I now teach my sons that they do not start fights or hit people or pretend that they are shooting or killing people. But I do teach them that if they see someone picking on someone or hurting another kid, I WANT them to get in there and stop them. And if it means that they get sent home with a suspension for fighting I will be so proud of them for it.

Playing with guns, fighting with swords and boxing gloves is only the beginning. One day it may be that all those years of "play" will have prepared them to be a good fighter, a straight shooter and an aggressive warrior to fight in defense of their God, their religion, their freedom, their peace, their wife and their children.

The Passing of a Great Man

Sunday evening Aaron got a text message on his phone that announced the passing of President Gordon B. Hinckley. In that moment there was a stillness that fell over the house. Although it was not surprising it was nonetheless a startling moment. I remember in a recent conference address President Hinckley stating that he felt like the 'last leaf on the tree'. My heart went out to him as I imagined how lonely these past few years must have been for him without the companionship of his wife. And so even though it is a sad time for us it is wonderful that a man who lived such a good life can now "lay this mortal by" and return to loved ones awaiting him on the other side.

Earlier today I watched a slide show that someone e-mailed me of President Hinckley. As I was watching it, the boys came in and gathered around the computer to watch it too. The tears flowed freely as I watched and listened and remembered our beloved prophet. Jacob (who was sitting on my knee) kept looking back at me every few seconds and Joseph asked a few times why I was crying. I could only manage to mutter between my tears "because I'm going to miss him".

Words cannot express the deep love and appreciation I have for this man. I have felt closer to him than any other prophet. I have loved and admired him for his Christlike ways, for his enthusiasm for the gospel, for his embracing nature and love for his fellowmen. More than any other prophet I think he has done more to reach out to the world and those not of our faith and tear down walls of self righteousness and teach us that we are all children of our Heavenly Father. Whether from Africa or Asia, whether Buddhist or Baptist, Convert or pioneer ancestry. He has loved us all and been a great prophet for our time. How I will miss him!

Below is the link to the slide show:

http://magazine.byu.edu/?act=view&a=2167

Hitting a Milestone

Yesterday we hit a milestone in our parenting journey. Our first child lost his first tooth. I know it may not seem like a very big deal to most people, but as I held this tiny little baby tooth between my fingers I remembered ( all too clearly) the day that I first saw it poking up through the gums of his little 6 month old mouth. My heart felt heavy as I realized that this tiny little tooth was the same one I took a picture of when he was such a little baby boy. Sadly, I remember it like it was yesterday. Just for fun I thought I'd post it here along with a picture of him when he was 6 months old. My, how he's grown!

The Sweetest Thing

Before I brought Lauren and Ben upstairs for their nap this afternoon Joseph leaned close to me and said he wanted to tell me a secret. He then whispered in my ear, "When Lauren takes her nap I'm going to go outside and pick her a flower, okay Mommy?" Okay, I said. Then I went upstairs and laid them down for their naps. First, Lauren in her room and then Ben in his. After Ben fell asleep I sneaked out and walked past Laurens room and saw this piece of paper taped to her door with a very "pretty" dried up weed taped to it too. It's hard to see in the picture but there are two hand drawn hearts and in a little 4 year olds handwriting he wrote Laurens name and on the next line the words "I love." Once again my little JoJo has melted my heart. What a lucky little girl Lauren is to have such an adoring older brother. It really was the sweetest thing.