I'm a Lady, That's Why!

I was teaching my sweet Mia Maids today.  They are so wonderful, and I have been thinking about them since I got home.  They all sit so sweetly through the lessons, smile and listen (at least they seem like they are).  And they are all growing up so fast, dressing so fashionably, but almost always modestly.  It is just so neat, when I first moved here, even when Tyson and I came into the ward 6 years ago, they were all so little, some of them just 8 years old.  They have gotten taller, thinner, changed hair styles, some even wear make up.  It is so crazy.  They are polite and soft spoken, take turns talking, we get giggly sometimes and most of them hug me after the lesson.

Then I come home and I am surrounded by my four favorite people...all boys.  They are rowdy and crazy and jumping on every piece of furniture we own.  They yell and scream, burp and make all kinds of inappropraite noises.  I love them and I fit right into their world. 

So I started thinking about it and wondered what a little girl would be like in our home.  I thought of the movie Aristocats and little Marie.  She is the sister kitten with her two rowdy brothers.  And through out the whole movie she tries so hard to mantain being a "lady."  It is so cute.  My siblings and I would always run around and pretend to be kittens and I would say "cuz I'm a lady, that's why!"  It was just so fun.  But I'm pretty sure having a girl would be a fight all the time to try to teach her to be polite admist the chaos around here.  Of course I try to teach my three boys to be polite, but it just seems that a little girl would have to be rough, but I would want her to be more delicate.

Anyways, I have just been picturing having a little girl a lot these days.  Probably some little creature up in Heaven, just dying to come and hang out with these crazy boys.  I must feel her presence or something.  :)  Or maybe I have just been thinking about how I need to be more of a lady these days.  That really couldn't hurt.  Haha

A Good Day

It is amazing how much one day can change from the next.  Yesterday was a horrible day, I was cranky and everything was problematic.  The boys were abnoxious and whiny, and I just cried and yelled, a lot.

Today was beautiful.  The boys were happy and sweet, funny as ever.  I laughed a lot, was able to handle good and bad things no problem.  The weather was SO perfect, I could barely believe it.

What changed?  Me.

I decided I really needed to start praying again.  I read my scriptures every day and we pray as a family a lot, but rarely do I actually pray, out loud, for real.  So I have been trying to just talk to the Lord through out the day, as I would a friend.  The effect has been immediate and intense.  Nothing seems out of reach or too difficult.  Life just seems better.

I read Elder Ballard's talk from this past conference (here), and it was about families.  How if we focused more on the family than everything else would fall into place.  So I am trying to do things that would be beneficial for my family, not hindering it.  I just really enjoyed the boys today.  We had things we needed to do, but I didn't stress so much about it.  I watched the kids as they played, saw the cuteness in the way they moved and talked.  It is so much easier to be happy when you just stop thinking about all the problems and just focus on the few basic, simple things in life that are the most important.

There are so many things that can wrong in life, so many things that can hurt us and problems that can happen.  Why worry about them?  The Lord will take care of us.  Even if bad things do happen, why let them ruin us?  Just like a little kid trying to walk on the little curb of concrete.  Stop looking at your feet and worrying about falling off.  Grab the Lord's hand and walk happily, enjoying the walk because the Lord won't let you fall.  That doesn't mean staying on the path will be easy, but you can still enjoy it and be so much happier when you make it home.

So, tomorrow, no matter the weather, or the challenges the day might contain, it is going to be a good day.

Sniffles and More Giggles

Giggles

Just Us Crazies

I tried forever to take a picture of little Leo and how he and Josh look way more like each other than Josh and his actual brothers (at least the coloring of their hair and eyes).  This is as good as I could get.

Aunt Carmel built an amazing fort!

Love pancakes for dinner.  Pretty good heart huh?

"Helpers"

Park adventures.

Anyone who says Tyson's job is boring, is so not right.  This is what he came back from lunch to one day:

So this is how he retaliated:

Papo came for Ammon's graduation and we LOVED having him here!  He was SO patient with the boys I couldn't even believe it.  Josh kept trying to walk them into poles, it was just so cute.  He even took us out for ice cream (yum!)

Graduating and Eagle Scouting!

 My little Ammon has graduated!!  I am really glad we were here to see it all.  When I left home Chanson was 11, Ammon was 8 and Carmel was 5.  They have changed a lot since then, obviously, people usually do.  :)  So it is really great getting to know them all again.  Ammon is a riot and I'm so glad Tyson and I got to be there on his big day!

 They have matching ties.  :)

 The Mills smile :)

 For his Eagle Scout project, he painted the SVU dugouts.  I didn't even do anything, but hang out with the kids and provide support, but it was SO hot, I don't know how these guys painted for so long!  Way to go!  And seeing Tyson working "blue collar" work, woah, I just LOVE it!  :)

 Look at that little leader.

 Such a patient Aunt, Carmel has been awesome the past few weeks!  Not to mention these cookies were super yummy.  Mom and Papo brought pizza, so really I pigged out and watched Carmel watch my kids and everyone paint.  Okay, I watched Matthew.  What a great day.  :)

 Finished dugout!  Then we topped the day off with an yummy cook-out that Ammon and friends invited us to.  Super good, and Matthew loved the watermelon!

It's a Bridal Shower!

It's crazy that Cassie is getting married SO soon!  I guess August is still far away, but the way this month is flying by, I'm sure it will be here in no time.  We threw her a party, and it was a lot of fun.  A little awkward at moments, but still a lot of fun.  Caitlin (remember the yummy looking raspberry/strawberry cookies) made these wonderful cookies for the party.  Aren't they incredible!!  I LOVE the lingerie ones, they are just so perfect.  And they tasted good too. Check out her website here: http://sugarbeascookies.blogspot.com/

   I did say it was awkward sometimes, but they were great, and beautiful brides!

Hooray for weddings!