Some kind of Wonderful: Nothing like the Midwest ...

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Nothing like the Midwest ...

There is nothing like fall in the Midwest. Nothing. It. is. BEAUTIFUL! This year we've had over two weeks of gorgeous 70 degree weather, with blue skies and incredible color. Even our trees in the front are big enough and healthy enough this year to put on some fantastic color ...

I keep looking out the front window from the kitchen, as I sweep the floor or wipe the counters for the millionth time each day and every time I do a double take because it looks like I have a big orange paper pumpkin in the window ... but it is just the tree! Sugar Maples never cease to amaze me with their rich, deep, color!

There is a park close by that we love to visit. Every time we go I make a resolution to go more often. We took a picnic dinner and ate near a playground and then went on a hike. Here are my boys hiking through the woods ...

The three smiling for mom's camera under a tree ...

Miss Lilly had to have one all her own ...

Life keeps ticking away - I realized a few days ago that Big D will be the same age, in a few months, that Miss Lilly was when we first moved here. Where does the time go? I know where it goes - my time is spent going to work, taking care of moms and babies and enjoying every minute that I get to teach and hold and comfort, church callings and visits and meetings and getting to know some really incredible women (yes, I am surrounded!), kids homework, soccer practice, games and more practice (this is the last week!!!), trying to think of and fix healthy meals that my children will eat and don't take hours to prepare (ha ha - just can't help laughing at that), figuring out Halloween costumes on a very small budget - amazing what creativity can do when it only has a few dollars, reading parenting books in hopes of figuring out what I really don't have figured out, finding time to squeeze in a little canning to help ease that ever tighter food budget (have you seen food prices lately?!?) ... just being a mom is an all encompassing, ever-expanding, tediously repetitious, time consuming, wonder-moments experience. Why is it that the minutes seem forever, but the days pass like seconds?

1 comment:

Tonya Mae Wilson said...: *sigh* :); October 12, 2011 at 6:48 PM

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Words to live by . . .

“I Really Lived”
By Sister Marjorie Hinckley
“I don’t want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails.
I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp.
I want to be there with grass stains on my shoes from mowing Sister Schenck’s lawn.
I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbor’s children.
I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone’s garden.
I want to be there with children’s sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder.
I want the Lord to know I was really there and that I really lived.”

Funny things kids say . . .

Jan. 2012 - Big D, pointing to a sore in his mouth, "I have a kangaroo sore".
Dec. 2011 - I pulled out a book at church to keep Miss Lilly entertained that had a picture of the old LDS Tabernacle with the chior in it, and she exclaimed, "Mom! It's the Acle-Tabel Chior!" (Tabernacle Chior)
Feb. 2011 - Big D asked, "Can I be a dog for my whole life?"
Dec. 2010 - Funny things we've heard around the house regarding drinking ... Master S, as we were getting ready to leave for KY to visit counsins and discussing lunch options, "When is Happy Hour?" in hopes that Steak and Shake was on the list of places to go and Big D as we were getting into the car, 'I need my sippy cup for Drinking!'.
Dec. 2010 Miss Lilly had a candy cane in her hot chocolate - after drinking it she said, 'Now my stomach is striped inside
August 2010 Seen on a homework assignment that had quesitons to answer about his summer and his likes/dislikes ... Whom do you most admire? Why? Master S' response "I admire myself, because I'm really cool." Ah, the confidence of an 8 year old!
May 2010, Miss Lilly noticed I was emotional, she asked me why and I told her it was because I felt the spirit, that I heard Heavenly Father talking to me right here and pointed to my heart. She replied so sweetly, 'it's like a tickle in your heart mommy".
April 2010 As we left a department store Miss Lilly saw a man in his leathers getting onto his motorcycle, "Looks like he's all patched up and ready to go, Mom!" and "He looks like a guy so he might as well be a guy." She makes me laugh!
February 2010 Miss Lilly "Mom, when I'm 5 I'm going to listen to everything you say!"
February 2010 Miss Lilly "I didn't buckle my seatbelt because something crazy happened when I was born ...."
January 2009 Master S: "Do they just give you a car to drive when you get your license?" I wish!
December 2009 Big D in response to what does Santa say? "Ho, Ho, Ho, Merry, Merry!"
November 2009 I was talking to Miss Lilly about her snack day at preschool, what to bring etc. She insisted on cottage cheese (apparently they are trying new things, she said) and then said, "And we need lots of bowls" and I said, "Oh? How many?" Miss Lilly responded, after thinking for a moment, "thousands mom! we have so many kids in preschool!"
October 2009 Big D is saying this everytime he takes a bite at mealtime, "mmm good"! I love it! Wish my other kids would catch on!
Oct. 12th, 2009 Master S says a bedtime, "Mom, I want you to surprise me with something for breakfast" I responded, "How about oatmeal" to which I got glares and screams of no. He then clarified and said, "You have two choices, crepes or panackes!" Some surpise it's going to be ...
Oct. 12, 2009 Miss Lilly said, "I wish I could sleep with Mommy and Daddy" as we are putting her to bed. I said, "well, when you get older and get married you can share a room with your husband." Her response was, "My husband is going to be cranky". To which I was dying to ask, "Why? Because he has to live with you?"
Sapt. 13, 2009 Master S came out of the bathroom and very seriously said, "Mom, the toilet is paralyzed!" (apparently the toilet wasn't flushing ...)
Sept. 7, 2009 Extremely random and very serious thought by Miss Lilly, "Do your ears get bigger when you get bigger?"
May 21st, 2009 We are trying to keep the windows open and the AC off, or the windows closed and the AC on ... so when I went to bed I checked on the kids and noticed a window open. Miss Lilly was still awake and as I closed the windows she said, "Mom, I'm hot!" and I said, "well, the AC is on, we need to close them." To which she responded, "But my neck is hot and I can't feel it!" Wish I couldn't feel my neck when it was hot!
May 10th, 2009 J.D. was put in as the 2nd counselor in the Bishopric today, which meant that he also became a high priest. On the way home from church, Master S said, "Yeah, Daddy is a whole priest now!"
April 22nd, 2009 J.D. told Miss Lilly that it was Grandpa Flora's birthday. She asked how old he was. When J.D. told her she said, "Wow! That's a lot of miles!"
April 13th, 2009 We were discussing Family Home Evening and who was going to do what tonight (i.e. lesson, music, activity, treat) Master S had an activity ready, J.D. volunteered the lesson, Miss Lilly asked to do the music, then she said - "No, I don't want to lead the music, I'll just do the dancing!" It was fantastic dancing by the way!
April 10th, 2009 I was trying to get the kids to clean up the mess they had made (pillows, blankets, stuffed animals, rubermaid lids, etc. all over the floor) and Miss Lilly turned to me and said, "Guess what we made? We made a contraption!"
March 27, 2009 Miss Lilly begged to call her Daddy at work today, but I put her off, knowing that J.D. was really busy. As soon as he walked in the door tonight she ran up to him and said, "Daddy, we need to get on a plane tomorrow and go visit Grandma in Florida!" I guess our days at home aren't as exciting - or as liberating as Grandma's house!
March 27, 2009 In the car (is that where all our funny moments happen?) I actually saw a cardinal flying in the woods near our home and was so excited - I was telling the kids and Master S says, "Are they eternal?" There was a pause, as we tried to figure out what me meant ... then he said, "do they sleep when we sleep?" (nocturnal)
March 26, 2009 In the car, Miss Lilly asked if we were going to live here until she grew up. When I replied, "Probably." She said, "Will there be a concert to sing at?" Confused I said, "Concert?" She responded, "So when I'm grown up and a singer I can sing at it. Becuase I want to be a singer ..." then there was a pause and, "I want to be a singer, a ballerina and a mommy when I grow up!" Sounds like a full plate to me!
March 22, 2009 Master S and J.D. were playing a game (another creation of Master S' - this one was trac-go-golf) and he says to J.D, after a pretty good throw "standing observation"! J.D. and I kinda looked at each other -- then started laughing -- I said, "Do you mean, Standing Ovation?"
Feb. 9th, 2009 on the way to the library, Master S stated, "Food is an economic need." And I'm thinking, where did he learn that?! And then he says, "And a nintendo DS, that is red and black, that your mom says you can't have, is an economic want". The things they learn at school!
Jan.30, 2009 In the car I was joking with the kids about all the funny business going on. A few minutes later Miss Lilly piped up, as she and Master S weren't getting along and said, "He took all my funny business!"

Some kind of Wonderful

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Nothing like the Midwest ...

1 comment:

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