My Babies Are Two

Parker and Madison turned two this past week. My how time flies. It seems like just yesterday that I had Paige. I have realized that I need to treasure every moment with my 3 kids because they will be out the door before I know it. We had a fun birthday with the twins. We started the day out with chocolate chip pancakes, then we waited for Paige to get home. At three we had a video call with Grandma and Grandpa Stoddard and they watched the twins open the presents they gave them. We then had Spaghetti for dinner at our favorite resteraunt. We came home opened the rest of the gifts and then instead of a cake this year I made catapiller cupcakes for the twins. It was a fun day.

FAMILY HOME EVENING

Tonight we had Family Home Evening. Paige took on this task and I was quiet impressed. She had us open with I am a Child of God with mom playing on the piano, Madison leading the music and Parker was assigned the opening prayer. Paige then opened her scriptures and began to read to us and teach us about the gifts of the spirit. Brendon and I were super impressed with her spirituality and the things that she is learning at church and bringing home to teach us. She then went and pulled her brownies out of the oven and we had a nice chat around the dinner table, while snacking on our brownies. It is times like this that Brendon and I thank Heavenly Father for a wonderful little family. Sometimes with all the caoutic stuff going on that as a mother you stop and wander if what you are teaching yourself and by example is really getting through to your children. Then they ask to teach FHE (for the first time) and you say to yourself, YES, something is being taught and something is staying with them. Thank you Heavenly Father for this wonderful gospel in our lives.

THE BEST DINNER EVER

MY LATEST HOUSE PROJECT

I have hated how our kitchen chairs have looked for so long, with all the gross stains on the seat from the kids and other things. During Christmas break I spent time on line looking for new material to redo my chairs with. I found the most beautiful material and ordered it immediately. I spent a lot of time looking at fabric stores around here but just didn't like anything at all. Well here is the result. I also took all the pieces apart of the chair and cloroxed each of them down. Another project complete. Yahoo.

Well a new year with new goals for myself. I am happy to say that my working out everyday is going very well. I have a lot of weight to loose and am really trying hard to do that by having my family eat healthier, making myself work out and have a positive attitude. I am happy to report today that I have lost a pound and a half. Now to others that may not be a big deal, but for an overweight mother of three who needs to loose 25 pounds to feel better about her physical appearance I am estatic. My daily scripture reading by myself is going supurb and I am gaining a stronger testimony of the gosepl and increasing my spirituality. My journal writing continues to be great and I am happy to report that I have written in my journal for 2o years now and I haven't missed a day. I have been called to be Achievement day leader over the ten and eleven year olds in our ward. I look forward to this calling to being back with the young people again, thriving off their zest for life and their energy. I know that the Lord gives us callings to strengthen us and help us and so far he has strengthened me and guided me with what these girls need in order to stay close to the church, the gospel, and the parents. I am thankful for my own parents who instilled in me a testimony at a young age and has grown and blossomed over 33 years now. I am thank ful for my children and my husband whom supports us and gets us the things we thrive on. My children are the best and I am thankful to be home with them each and every day to take care of them, teach them, discipline them and love them with all the hugs and kisses possible. It is also a good thing that I am a stay at home mom because Paige has strep throat, Maddi just got over strep throat and Parker is starting strep throat. Hello doctor bills. Happy New Year. May your goals, dream and wishes come true. Love, Em