Poached Eggs

I'm grateful for poached eggs.  Can you believe I have NEVER tasted this deliciousness until our good friend, Dr. Jim Buckley, stayed for a week at our house and made us breakfast?  I love when Wade's clients come to town for Financial Enlightenment especially when they cook for us.  :D  Now, Wade makes poached eggs almost every morning while I blend us all up a fruit smoothie. I look forward to morning time even more now. Yum!

What are YOU grateful for?

Homeschool Chic

I'm grateful for my new favorite website, homeschoolchic.com. I thought their TOP 5 lies about homeschooling was intriguing! I joined the other homeschool chic moms last Thursday night here in Salt Lake to have fun while we had a mastermind discussion about WHY we love being mothers and HOW we can best influence our children, whether we homeschool or not. What a powerful community of beautiful women with righteous desires! It was a treasure to spend time with them, and I look forward to our field trips, parties, and other mom's night out times in the future.  And in the meantime, what a wealth of great information the articles on their website bring. Thanks Quinn and Jenny for creating this group and website and being an answer to my prayers.

What are YOU grateful for?

Surprise News!

I'm grateful for our surprise news!  We're expecting a baby in just 4 months. Yay!  We wanted to wait till the 5 month ultrasound to make sure everything was okay and find out the gender before making an announcement.  You can watch the video clip to find out if a brother or sister will be joining us.  ;)  Some of our family and friends already know we're expecting (it's hard to hide with my belly poking out), but we're excited to finally let everyone else know.   

What are YOU grateful for?

Help With My Lists

I'm grateful when I receive help with my lists. This happens daily! One of my kids (often the baby) will pull out my grocery list or To Do list before or after we run errands, and add interesting designs or new items to it.  My oldest daughter will even write in "ice-cream" or other fun additions to my list, which always makes me laugh.

What are YOU grateful for?

Snow for Breakfast

I'm grateful when my kids have snow for breakfast because it sure is saving me a TON on my grocery budget. haha  Seriously though, I try to limit the amount of snow they consume, but dang they enjoy munching on that white (dirty) goodness.

What are YOU grateful for?

Snow Angels

I'm grateful for snow angels. :) Growing up in Sunny St. George all my life, I didn't have many chances to make snow angels, so it's fun to watch my own kids make them ALL THE TIME.  It's such a delight to watch them play and explore.  It's one of the best parts of motherhood that makes up for the frustrating and endless laundry and dishes. ;)

What are YOU grateful for?

Message about Motherhood

I'm grateful for this inspiring message about motherhood. It made my day. I hope you enjoy it just as much!

What are YOU grateful for?

Flower and Love Note

I'm grateful for the flower and love note my daughter found from her Daddy on her nightstand the morning of Valentine's Day last week.  She was elated! I'm grateful he makes BOTH of us feel like princesses. Their sweet relationship is so important to him, and I know it will make a big difference in her life now and in the future.

What are YOU grateful for?

Clean Art Desk

 

I'm grateful for a clean art desk! I am almost singing this as I type because it brings me GREAT relief to have this area of my home decluttered at last. My 6 year-old is our little artist and spends over an hour everyday at this desk, creating, creating, creating! After we tackled my son's room and turned it from this to this, my daughter and I spent a lot of time sorting through her projects to decide what to keep and what to take a picture of and then toss.

  This is the BEST way I've found to control a child's artwork clutter. Photos of ALL this artwork can be preserved with a LITTLE less space than keeping every single thing! :)

So now, she and I have been tidying her desk every night after she's done creating for the day, so it never looks it did for "A Good Cry" post again.  Remember this?  Oh. my. word.

What are YOU grateful for?

Snow Boys

I'm grateful for my snow boys who head outside to shovel our driveway every snowy morning. They haven't had as much opportunity this winter since Salt Lake hasn't had as much snow and when we do, it melts on it's own quicker. But when needed, my snow boys get right to work and for that I'm very grateful. It's a valuable lesson Wade can teach our son when they work side by side together.

What are YOU grateful for?

No You Didn't!

I'm grateful for the moment I dropped my jaw and said, "No, you didn't!" when Wade surprised me by getting out my FAVORITE game ever for our date last night. Many of you know, it is painful for my husband to play a game of Clue. Although he loves board games, for some ODD reason, he's never liked this one, and I'm obsessed with it. So it showed true sacrifice that this was HIS idea last night just to make me happy.  I love you babe! I realize now I should have let you win so you'd be up for another game of Clue tonight. Dangit! haha

PS) If you're wondering why I love this game so much, remember I grew up crazy about the Encyclopedia Brown and Nancy Drew books. Even the Babysitter Club books had some fun problems to solve. haha It's just in my blood to want to solve a good mystery. :)

What are YOU grateful for?

Master of Ceremonies (MC)

I'm grateful for the opportunity I had to be the Master of Ceremonies (MC) at Debbie Mitchell's event today, "Out With The Old, Find The New You!"  It was so fun to welcome everyone there, create an upbeat, positive energy, and introduce the speakers each hour throughout the morning.  I even put peppermint and citrus bliss essential oils in my diffuser to keep everyone alert and feeling exited to learn from our amazing team of speakers. 

What are YOU grateful for?

Messy Room

I'm grateful for this messy room because it when it gets this bad, it's even more fulfilling to bust out some serious de-cluttering and organizing and get the job done.  And the best part?  Making a game out of it (think Marry Poppins) so my little buddy WANTS to be right there at my side cleaning with me.  Kids need to learn right? Now his room looks like THIS once more. Yay!   He and I made some commitments to one another so every night we can do a quick tidy and not have to have a World War III battle scene in his room ever again.

What are YOU grateful for?

Muddy Shoes

I'm grateful for muddy shoes because they represent play and discovery even in the middle of the winter. We've been spending a lot of time outside lately playing in our backyard and at the park, resulting in muddy shoes. And as long as my kiddos remember to remove their shoes at the door before tracking the mud in, then I'm grateful for those muddy shoes :)

What are YOU grateful for?

Valentine's Surprises

 I'm grateful for Valentine's surprises. Wade bought me flowers the weekend before Valentine's when he went to the store to pick up ingredients to make oatmeal chocolate chip cookie dough. (I love my guy and the fact that he has a bigger sweet tooth than me! haha)

And then on Valentine's Day, my little sis surprised us with sugar cookies, which taste 100% better than the ones at the store. It's a good thing we all love daddy so much that the kids and I saved him one to enjoy, too.  They were YUMMY!

What are YOU grateful for?

Day of Love

 I'm grateful for the Day of Love a.k.a Valentine's Day. It's a rad excuse to make pink heart-shaped whole wheat pancakes with pureed strawberries as the syrup. Unlike my cool sis and mom, I didn't have strawberry Nesquick around, so I just added food coloring to regular milk. Even when I was single, I found a reason to like the Day of Love because my mom made these same pancakes for our family growing up. I don't think it's just a romantic holiday. Anyone who likes pink pancakes or all the entertaining posts on facebook could appreciate this crazy day, right?

Also, we're ALL grateful at our house for thoughtful Grandmas who send Valentine treats in the mail!  The kids each received a Valentine from Wade's mom and my mom.  THANKS Grandmas! They were pretty giddy about it. :) 

What are YOU grateful for?

Mr. Snowman

I'm grateful for Mr. Snowman (the kids named him of course!) He's a pretty cute addition to our front yard. ;) It snowed all day yesterday which our snowboarding/skiing friends were all excited for since Salt Lake hasn't had much snow this winter. And right after church, the kids helped daddy build Mr. Snowman, and they had a blast doing it!

What are YOU grateful for?

My Son's Room

 I'm grateful for my son's room just after we finished working on my daughter's room. It's super simple, but still bright and fun. He loves it!

 I didn't post these sooner since I wanted to wait till we added the pictures of what he wants most to his vision board above. But now that the vision board is full, his room is messy, so sharing these photos with you gives me GREAT motivation to declutter toys this week and clean up. :)

What are YOU grateful for?

Kitty Cat Hugs

I'm grateful for the kitty cat hugs my baby gives Diamond every day, all day. She gets so excited to see "Titty, titty!" It just makes me laugh.

What are YOU grateful for?

Love & Logic Classes

I'm grateful for the opportunity Wade and I have to teach Love and Logic classes throughout the community.  Tonight was our first class in Lehi, and it was such a success!  We have been preparing for weeks to become certified facilitators and begin training and empowering parents to have more peace and control in their homes with their children. Tonight, we focused on the magic formula that makes Love and Logic different and parents less stressed as they offer their children choices within the boundaries they, the parents, set. It makes being a parent fun again because you're not constantly begging, bribing, or threatening good behavior! We're so excited to teach classes in Sugarhouse in March, April, and May. Teaching Love and Logic classes has been part of our life vision and goals for years, and it's so amazing to finally begin this journey.

What are YOU grateful for?

Children's Literature

I'm grateful for children's literature and how certain books can enroll my little ones to creative thinking, imagination, exploration, not to mention quiet, peaceful moments. You gotta love that! 

What are YOU grateful for?

General Young Women's Presidency

 

I'm grateful for the General Young Women's Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  I'm grateful they testify often of Christ and the importance to be kind and good like HIM. I'm grateful they emphasize the blessing of being virtuous in our youth and throughout our lives. Oh, how I love these special women!  

Ann M. Dibb, President Monson's daughter, gave our young women's group a tour of the General Relief Society and Young Women's building tonight. She invited each of the girls to sit in Sister Dalton's chair and imagine themselves in her shoes. I was overcome with emotion as I watched each of these beautiful young girls who I have come to love so dearly, take their turn. I could truly picture each of them in that position in years of come because of their purity, goodness, and righteous desires now.   I feel very blessed to associate with them and learn from them daily! 

What are YOU grateful for? 

Rock Climbing Wall

 I'm grateful for the rock climbing wall that gave my kiddos a chance to put their fears aside and just go for it. I was so proud watching them climb higher and higher! I guess life is kind of like that, right? There are so many opportunities for our children to overcome difficult tasks, and we, as their parents, need to be their biggest fans and really believe in them.

What are YOU grateful for?

Auto Expo

 I'm grateful for the Auto Expo we attended last month. Our friends, Travis and Cynthia, had extra tickets and asked if we wanted to join them. We had never been, and it did not disappoint!  It was so hilarious to watch the 4 older kids get crazy excited "test driving" these fancy new vehicles.  The big boys (Travis & Wade) also got a little excited, too, of course. ;)

 The kids enjoyed riding around in the power wheel jeeps.

 Here's Wade loving the wild terrain of the jeep course!

Both my boys came out with big smiles and thumbs up for me after the jeep course.  They almost didn't let my son ride because he was an inch too short of the requirement, and man alive was he ever thrilled when they finally decided to give him a chance. He was SO brave and was talking about the "awesome jeep ride" for several days after.

What are YOU grateful for?

No Facebook for a Week

I'm grateful for no facebook for a week. What a productive week this will be without my favorite distraction begging for my attention! I have big plans for playing with my kids, cleaning my house, actually making dinner, and reading my favorite Love & Logic book to help me prepare to teach our parenting class on Friday.  I dare you to join me and stay off facebook for a week, too. ;) Are you in?

What are YOU grateful for?

Leslie's Thoughts on Homeschooling

 

I'm grateful for Leslie's thoughts on homeschooling tonight. Wow, she nailed it right on!  It's the most enlightening article I've read in a long time.  My kids are thriving, and I love what we are experiencing with homeschooling, but sometimes the critics are more than I can bare, so I feel defeated. Dumb that I care what other people think I know! I'm trying to ignore the judgement. Being authentic here, I'll just say years of being a people pleaser is wearing on me. How exhausting right? I am slowly coming out of that lame stage we all have been through where we seek validation from others.  I appreciate positive comments, yes, but I'm learning to be true to myself, despite positive or negative comments. I love my life and am glad we listened to our heart and chose a different path for now. And guess what? We're having a blast on that path. Learning through play is pretty cool.

I'll leave you with one of my favorite parts of Leslie's article:

"I remember one defining moment when my daughter was the age of a 6th grader, and we hadn’t formally talked about math all year long.  We had solved incidental problems together that had come up in natural life, but there had been no real ‘math lessons’ to speak of.

To get her ready for the standardized test that year, I bought her a math workbook for her grade level, and said, “Just see how much of this you can do. Let me know if you get stuck.”  A few times she brought it to me to get some clarification on what they wanted her to do, but she had the entire workbook completed in a couple days.  Because she wasn’t drilled on it every day of the year, she actually found it interesting, challenging, and fun to do.

I believe we’re all born with an innate desire to learn all the things we’ll need to know to complete our ‘life’s mission’.  We’ll naturally be drawn to the interests that will play a part in our life’s work, and we’ll naturally get frustrated when we don’t know what we need to know. Suddenly, in a situation like that, the knowledge MATTERS, and we are hungry to learn it because it already has application for what we want to be doing. That’s how I learned to build websites. That’s how I learned to publish books."

What are YOU grateful for?   

Focused on Jesus

 

I'm grateful when the world is focused on Jesus and people genuinely try to be more like HIM. It means so much to me when I see a stranger or even someone I know go out of their way to show more LOVE.  Other times, it makes me sad to think of the hurt, anger, and abuse that exists in this world. I guess the most important thing for me to remember is that I can't control other people's actions, but I can choose for myself whether I'm going to be a little more patient, a little more understanding, and a little more kind to the people around me.  

 

I wanted to post this picture with my thoughts today because it warmed my heart to see my son set up the Nativity set with literally everything and everyone directing their attention towards Jesus.  What would the world be like if that was always the case, I wonder?  Maybe someday...

What are YOU grateful for?

Making Love & Money Work

I'm grateful for the Making Love & Money Work event. What a cool title, eh? Shannon and Dino Watt rocked it today along with Tony Lister and Angela Johnson.  Dozens of powerful tools were shared to assist me in building my business and sharing my gifts with the world without sacrificing my marriage and family.  Between the Love & Logic classes Wade and I teach together, healing families with doTERRA essential oils, promoting Live BIG, Live BIG Jr, and the Prosperity Tribe with Gerald Rogers, and keeping up on my gratitude blog to spread happiness everyday, it can be A LOT for a little red headed girl to handle. But I know I have SO much good to do taking care of Wade and the children AND sharing my gifts with my church and the community, that I'm learning to balance the most important aspects of my life and say, "no" to those things that can wait.

The MOST important lesson learned today that EVERY woman needs to remember is to treat your man like the superhero he is with admiration and respect, and he in turn will treat you like the wonder woman you are! Awesome insight and Wade totally agreed with that.  Looks like I need to go shopping for a superman cape I can give to Wade (figuratively speaking) so we can have a super powerful marriage! :) Love it.

What are YOU grateful for? 

Stubby Thumbs-My Best Giveaway Yet!

 

I'm grateful for my stubby thumbs. They are the same thumbs as a lot of the amazing kids with Down Syndrome I've had the honor of being a part of my life. I have been teased for YEARS about my stubby thumbs, especially by the boys in 7th grade.  Sometimes I cover them up, and other times, I'm proud to be called "Stubbs." Last night at dinner with Wade's clients, they told me that the Dutch have stubby thumbs like mine, and that they are so delighted when they're able to pass it on to their children.  Since I have dutch roots in my family history, I thought maybe that's why my thumbs are the way they are, even though none of my family was "blessed" to have them, too.

Today being the first day of a new month, my GIVEAWAY is going to be a thumbs up just for YOU because you're the bomb diggety.  Feel free to pass on the love and share my post with others so they too can get a special thumbs up from my unique stubby thumb as shown above. ;)

What are YOU grateful for?