tag you're it....

gurr family reunion-yellowstone park 2013
(picture taken from steve frahm's photos)

so grateful for all these people in my life.  i wish we were closer geographically, 
but even though we aren't, we still have a good time when we do get together!

lately, i have had some tender feelings of empathy for the sacrifices parents make 
for their children.  while we do not always make perfect decisions, we continue to 
repent and endure with faith that we will be made perfect

through god's grace!! i am so blessed to live the life that i live.  i am learning slowly 
to be a little more kind and a little more gentle and to "use my words to lift not hurt."

(from a local church sign)

the other day a friend told me something that kind of made me think. she was 
talking to a neighbor and the neighbor made the comment that all the stay at home 
mom's on our street are lazy. and implied that we don't work hard because we don't 
have  a "real" job.  i am so passed being offended by these types of comments.  instead,
 i feel PROUD to be a stay at home momma!!  i feel proud to stay home and to be able
 to put real TIME into not only the physical care of my home, but the spiritual!

i love that i can have time to prepare healthy meals and have dinner together(most nights) 
as a family, spend time reading to my children, playing games, teaching them to work 
and the value of education, and especially teaching them about christ and how to pray 
and listen to the spirit!  this is my DIVINE NATURE!  it is who i am.  it is my god-given
calling to care for god's children here on earth!  one day i will stand before god, and i hope 
that he will be proud of how i raised HIS children!!  i feel the weight of this responsibility and
it is what drives me to get up every day and to keep on keeping on!!

i am truly thankful to my heavenly father for his awesome plan!!

...i must admit though, the mornings when everyone is gone, it isn't hard to be just a little bit lazy!!