EASTER REFLECTIONS.

The longer I am a mother, the more I realize that this job is way more for me than for my little girls. Inevitably, I am the one growing and learning as each day passes.

This has felt especially clear to me over the last few weeks as we prepared to celebrate Easter in our home. As I tried to emphasize the Savior, His life, His teachings and focusing especially on the resurrection living again, my testimony and feelings of love towards Him have only been strengthened.

This is a pretty great job we've got, and after a wonderful Easter weekend, I'm feeling thankful for the privilege it is to learn each day with children.

V. DAY LOVE.

I think I am starting to feel a little love for Valentine's Day. For so long, it has fit into the romantic compartment in my brain, and with that, has some potential for disappointment.  This year however, I have felt the Valentine's spirit seep into other areas of my life. To my girls, my extended family, friends and to the sisters I visit teach. When I pause to remember the people I love, the list is a good one.

When I asked Hannah earlier in the week who she wanted to make Valentine's for her list went accordingly.

1. Julia--her favorite friend here in Dallas
2. Kartik--a single classmate of my husband's who has shown so much kindness and love to our girls
3. Olivia & Becca--two older ward girls who go out of their way to be nice to Hannah

Her list was perfect, I thought. She was choosing to recognize those people who she truly has grown to love. I took some time to do the same and hope to show my love to those people who influence my life for the good, not just on Valentine's Day, but always.

After Church yesterday we (mostly me) dipped strawberries for a few of those people. Have you ever made chocolate covered strawberries? It is totally easy and they turn out quite gourmet. I melted the chocolate in the microwave and then dipped away. After the milk chocolate set, I drizzled a little white chocolate on the top and they were good to go.

I hope you're Valentine's Day is a good one. We are planning a romantic Valentine's dinner tonight as a foursome. Should be fun!

Quote from Elder Uchtdorf's April 2010 "You Are My Hands" talk.

SERVICE THIS SEASON.

I taught a lesson last Sunday in Relief Society about service. So, it has been on my mind. I shared some excellent (I thought) quotes, and we had a great discussion. I am always so thankful for those sisters that contribute to the classes and make my job so much easier.

Many of the quotes I shared were from a talk by President Monson entitled, "What Have I Done for Someone Today?"

Part of that talk can be seen in this Mormon Message.



More so than ever, I have felt a desire to incorporate more service into our life. Especially now that we have four little eyes watching and learning. Especially during this Christmas season.

So, this year we decided to make it happen. We have invited friends from our ward to our home this Friday evening for a dessert open house. Along with our open house we asked our guests to bring socks or underwear for a local women's shelter. We're not solving world hunger or curing AIDS but, we are hoping that with the help of our friends we can gather enough items to help a few that might be in need this holiday season.

Monday evening, we'll pack up our girls and deliver the goods. Hopefully, Hannah can catch just a bit of what we are doing. If not, there will be next year, because I am hoping this becomes a tradition.

So, the baking is in full gear. Have you used these before? My regular old chocolate chip cookies have taken on new meaning.

What about you? Have you figured out how to incorporate service into the hustle and bustle of the holidays? I would love for you to share.

CHRISTMAS FOR A MISSIONARY.

Do you have a missionary on your list this Christmas?

We've had a missionary back in the field for less than a week now. Abby, my husband's sister entered the MTC in Provo last week, she'll leave for Brazil in February. Abby was on our list this year so we put together a little missionary care package that would be wonderful for any missionary.

We included things that I know firsthand that missionaries love.

Photos
Nothing makes a missionary happier than to see the faces he loves from home. Seriously, you can't go wrong with pictures. We got Abby a very thin album and inexpensive album that she could fill with photos to share with the people she meets. It needs to be lightweight and small enough to fit in with a missionary's supplies.

We also know that Abby is a fanatic for her four nieces and nephews so we made her a simple desk calendar. She's already mentioned in a letter that she is anticipating 2011 so that she can show off her new calendar.

Church Materials
When I was serving in Ecuador, we did not have access to as many DVD's from the Church as I would have liked. They are great tools and our copies were pretty bad. Things may have improved over the last five years, but for a foreign missionary, DVD's from the Church are a great option. They are inexpensive and the new LDS store has free shipping.

Music
Getting new music is always a highlight. Mormon Tabernacle Choir CD's are always fun, as well as other Church music if it is permitted in the mission. I found this CD at Deseret Book for a friend of mine in Ecuador, and I think it would be fun for any Spanish or Portugese missionary to receive. I especially liked the price. 

Treats
As a foreign missionary I loved getting my favorite candies from home that weren't available in that part of the world. Cinnamon bears and swedish fish were amongst my favorite.

Accssories
Missionary apparel gets pretty mundane. New socks or a tie for an Elder are sure to be hits. A new piece of conservative jewelry, headband or flower clip would make any sister missionary happy. 

There you have it. Lots of things to made any missonary's Christmas a little brighter.

THE FIRST NIGHT OF CHRISTMAS.

Slowly but surely we are creating a few Christmas traditions of our very own. Since, we are far from family I have been looking for things that we can do together early in the month before we typically travel to our extended family.

Last night we celebrated our second, annual "First Night of Christmas", and I think it's one that just may stick.

I would call it a Christmas kick-off of sorts. As I unpacked our nativity last weekend I set it aside so that we could put it together as a family for FHE. We read this book,  with words from the Bible and talked about the characters in the nativity. It was very short, and somewhat sweet (until the one-year old tore apart the nativity), but I think we're going to like it.

At the end, the girls each got to open a new set of Christmas jammies. Per tradition I have always received pj's from my grandparents on Christmas Eve. This will continue, but I wanted my kids to have some to wear all month so I thought this was a great night to break them out. Hannah was ecstatic to open a present.

It was a good Family Home Evening. It is amazing how the spirit can be felt in even the most chaotic of environments, when you are trying to do what is right.

I unwrapped our December Ensign and read for a few minutes before bed last night. I loved Elder Uchtdorf's message,  "Can We See the Christ?" He said,

"Sometimes the most difficult things to see are those that have been right in front of us all along...We who have heard the glorious message of the coming of the the Son of God, we who have taken upon us His name and have covenanted to walk in His path as His disciples--we must not fail to open our hearts and minds and truly see Him."

That is my hope this Christmas season--to truly see Him.

ADVENT IDEAS.

Did you have a wonderful Thanksgiving? We sure did. We did the Dallas Turkey Trot, ate a delicious Thanksgiving dinner, enjoyed a thrilling game of Acorns to Acorns (this could be used at FHE any time of the year), Black Friday shopped and got most of our house all set up for Christmas. It was a great week.

Now, Christmas is on my mind. I love Christmas.

This Wednesday marks the first day of December, and with that I've been contemplating advent calendars. There are so many fun ways to celebrate each day, leading up to Christmas. I thought I'd share a few ideas that I've found.

Yesterday, we gifted each sister in our Relief Society a Scripture Candle. Along with the candle was a darling poem and a list of scriptures. The few verses assigned to each day share the life of the Savior. Regardless if you light a candle or not, I think this is a neat way to incorporate the scriptures into this Christmas season.

I also came across this very complete list of service ideas for each day of the month. I love this idea. I'm not sure I could pull some of these off, but small and simple services each day of December is sure to put you and your family in the right Christmas spirit.

Finally, I grew up with a very simple chocolate advent calendar and we loved it! Using plastic wrap and wrapping ribbon my mom sectioned off a piece of plastic wrap, added enough candy for each member of the family and tied it off. Each day we cut a section off and devoured our treat after dinner. Last year I re-created my version of my mom's calendar and we loved it. Nothing like a circle punch and some clothes pins to liven an advent calendar. I've got to pick up the candies and we'll be set come Wednesday to kick off a wonderful December.

Do you do an advent calendar or something of the sort with your children during the month of December? Please share your ideas.

THANKFUL TO BE A MAMA.

I remember almost tangibly those first months of our oldest daughters life, being overwhelmed at times with gratitude. In our eyes, she came to us, as perfect as they come. I remember kneeling with my husband each night and giving thanks that He had entrusted us with this precious baby girl. How could it be, that we of all people, would receive such a gift? We couldn't express enough how thankful we felt. I remember other nights of rocking with her in the wee hours of the morning, staring into her lamp lit eyes and being overcome with emotion. The gratitude felt overwhelming at times.

Now she is older, and alongside her is another spunky little sidekick, and I've noticed that my prayers are different. These days, I find myself asking for patience, stamina and energy to be the mom that I want to be. In the midst of their colds I pray that they will feel better, that their noses will stop running and that they will stop coughing through the night. I pray that Hannah will be cooperative and kind and that Kate will be happy and content. I pray that we will teach them the right things and know just what they need. And then there at the end, I express gratitude for them, but I have noticed that it's not how it used to be.

While there are times and moments that I gaze at my girls and feel feelings of great thankfulness, it is not as constant as I would like. It is not as constant as I remember.

So, today, on this Thanksgiving, I am giving thanks for the gift of these two small children in my life. I am thankful for what they have taught me, what they will teach me and for what they have helped me to become in the last three years. They are indeed two of my choicest blessings, and I want to be forever thankful to a loving Heavenly Father for the blessing it is to have them in my life.

Happy Thanksgiving Mamas.

SHARING YOUR GRATITUDE.

You know that tradition where everyone goes around the Thanksgiving dinner table and shares one thing they are thankful for? Does it work in your home? I've never actually sat at a table, where this activity has worked. Where the family honestly shares their gratitude with each other. Usually, we are all just too hungry to take it seriously. Maybe there's something wrong going on over here.

I decided though, that we ought to express our gratitude to each other. We ought to recognize our blessings within our families. So, this year we are going to approach it in a bit different of a way. This year we will be playing Acorns to Acorns after our feast. Adapted from the popular game Apples to Apples, Acorns to Acorns, helps us all to come to know and recognize what each other is grateful for.

Here's what you'll need:

Blank paper to make name cards
Little strips of paper (5 per player)
A big Bowl
Pens and Pencils
A prize for the winner

Here's how to play:

1. Everyone in the group is given a set of cards with every name in the group written on them. They can be pre-printed or everyone can make their own as the game starts.

2. Each person take three to five strips of paper (if your group is large it could even be one) and write one thing they are thankful for from the past year on each strip of paper. Fold the strips and place them in the bowl.

3. Someone then pulls each blessing from the bowl and reads them out loud. Each person then decides who the blessing belongs to by choosing from their name cards. On the count of three the cards are turned over. The person of whom the blessing belongs, speaks up and everyone who got it right receives a point.

4. The person with the most points wins!

Do you have a tradition of sharing your blessings with each other on Thanksgiving Day? Does it work in your home? I'd love to hear if you do, and if not, play along with Acorns to Acorns.

Acorn image via
President Monson quote from "Finding Joy in the Journey"

CULTIVATING AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE.

While most of the trees around us have lost their leaves, the painted tree in our kitchen is filling more and more each day--with leaves of gratitude.

During a painting expedition with my daughter last week, I harnessed my creativity, and with a bit of brown paint and some posterboard we now have our thankful tree. Each night since then we have each shared something to be thankful for. Amongst our many blessings sit long naps, jogging strollers, the Scouts and the gospel. I have been amazed at just how much our little daughter gets what it means to be thankful.

With just a bit over a week to go until the big day, we've got to get counting those blessings so that our tree stands tall and full come Thanksgiving. We'll ask the Elders, who are joining us for dinner tonight, what some of their greatest blessings are.

Any more fun Thanksgiving ideas out there?

P.S. The quote comes from an excellent talk by President Monson entitled, An Attitude of Gratitude, given in 1992.

THANKFUL TRADITIONS.

 

Photo via Missy Heid. Project Thankful printout from martawrites.com.

With Thanksgiving almost a week away, I thought it was time to share a few Thanksgiving traditions. You all know how much I love traditions. 

I asked Missy, a blogging friend, to share some of her family's thanksgiving traditions with Mamas Who Know. Missy and her husband, Devin, live in Southern California where they are parents to two young girls. 

Thanks for sharing your ideas Missy!

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So happy to be a "guest" on Mamas Who Know. November is a favorite month at our home as we decorate with pumpkins and experiment with new turkey art projects.

Last year we started a tradition called our Thankful Jar. On November 1st I gathered my little family together and announced we would be filling the jar with things we are thankful for. Each day, we would each write something on a slip of paper (of course I helped my little girls) and stick it in the jar. It was fairly easy to figure out what my 1 year old was thankful for each day and my 3 year old caught onto it quick!

By Thanksgiving day we had just over 100 slips of paper. The results were even better than what I hoped for! Once we started writing things, more kept coming and we didn't limit ourselves to just one a day. It ended up being 2 or something 3 things a day. Small and big things alike, as we read them before eating our turkey dinner my eyes filled with tears. After a particularly tough October last year, the feelings overwhelmed me.

And so we started it again this year. My (now) four year old remembered it. My two year old understands and loves coming up with things. My husband is traveling more this year for work, but still drops in slips of paper when he is home. When he is out of town, my daughter Avery asks him what he is thankful for so we can add it to the jar. It makes me happy that she wants to hear what we as parents are grateful for each day! Again we are finding out that once we begin writing things down, the number multiplies and I find myself jotting 2, 3, or 4 things each day.

I look forward to going through them again before eating Thanksgiving dinner.

Some other things we like to do around our home...

* I got this book and my four year old loves it! We read it together and she is fascinated by the facts it provides (what do pilgrim children wear? did they take baths on the Mayflower, what was the pilgrims first winter like?) and I love that it teaches the history behind Thanksgiving day and why we celebrate it.

* I picked up a pack of multi-colored feathers at Michael's and plan on hiding them around the backyard for a turkey-hunt (think: egg hunt at Easter, but with turkey feathers!)

* Both my girls love to help me in the kitchen. So, we have been baking lots of pumpkin chocolate chip cookies! We always end up taking some to our neighbors with a hand print turkey card made by my girls which they love (they always get shy at the door dropping it off though;)

I would love to hear what traditions other families do! I think it is my favorite holiday as it kicks off the season with what it really is all about.

Me too mamas, what things are you doing with your family to get the spirit of gratitude in your home?

A HAPPY WEEKEND.

We had a great weekend. One that included trunk-or-treating, a bit of trick-or-treating, spider web cupcakes (half of which were dropped on the floor), dinner on the lawn at the hospital (to visit the Dad), stake conference and family pictures. Glad those are over!

On to some more good things.

A few weeks ago, my Relief Society president asked me to demo "Pancake Art" at a Relief Society activity. She had seen a segment on Rachael Ray about it and thought the sisters in our ward might enjoy it. I studied the art, practiced a bit and the demo was a success. Halloween turned out to be a great time to put it into good use. Nothing like Jack-o-lantern pumpkins to kick off a Happy Halloween. I think we'll be using pancake art for birthdays and other holidays. I'm sure your kids will love it.

Directions for Pancake Art

You will need:
Regular Pancake Batter
Food coloring or natural preserves to color the batter
Empty condiment bottles

- Mix regular pancake mix thinner than normal. Make sure that all the lumps are out. I ran mine through the blender.

- Use empty condiment bottles for the batter.  Make sure the tip is wide enough that the batter can pass through.

- Use preserves or chocolate syrup to color the mix. I went with a little food coloring to make the colors bright.

- Heat griddle well so that the batter will cook quickly. Make outer edges of figures first and fill in with batter after. Cook different pieces of your figure separately (ie; pumpkin, mouth, stem will be cooked separately).

- Put the design together when you plate the pancakes.

- Use chocolate chips or sprinkles to decorate. Enjoy!

We also did a butterfly to celebrate our Halloween costumes!

Hope your Halloween was successful and you've figured out how to get rid of all that extra candy!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN MAMAS.

 

It seems that our mothering job really comes alive on holidays. I am just finishing up one butterfly costume for our ward's annual trunk-or-treat this evening. I am praying that it doesn't need washing because I am just sure that hot glue and foam will not bode well in the washing machine.

Our weekend is full, and I like it that way. Wholesome recreation, if you will. We have stake conference too this weekend so it makes things a bit crazier.

I personally love Halloween and even more so with my kids. Everything is just that much more magical.

We'll see you back here Monday with costume photos and belly aches. Have a wonderful weekend!

HALLOWEEN IS IN THE AIR.

Are you getting geared up for Halloween over at your place?

We've got a little orange and black around here and the excitement is brewing. Everyday, Hannah keeps asking me when her butterfly wings will be arriving. Somehow she agreed to one costume idea and hasn't wavered. I was almost certain that her costume choices would change with each day. But a butterfly she will be. That means that our Kate bug will be an accompanying Ladybug. Luckily, Kate doesn't voice her costume opinions yet, so we're good to go.

Do you have any fun Halloween traditions?

We've had the same Halloween dinner of tortilla soup with a few families at our house for the last two years, but I'm not sure that qualifies it as a tradition. I'd love to start the tradition of homemade donuts and cider after trick-or-treating, but honestly, I'm not sure what we'll be doing since the big day falls on a Sunday.

I love that Halloween decorating is so easy. Pick up a few pumpkins at your local grocer and you're in the spirit. Add a bag of candy corn to a glass jar and you're that much more festive! You can really go all out, but we try and keep things simple around here.

Hannah keeps talking to me about when she was a sheep (last years costume), so I decided to add a little Halloween throw-back to our decor. I had some photos printed from the last few Halloweens, got a teeny bit scrap-booky and ta-da, we have a few more decorations. It's fun to remember our happy memories and have something to talk about around the dinner table.

So mamas, what are you doing to get in the Halloween spirit?