Friday, August 21, 2009

What is a home without children? Quiet. ~Henny Youngman

Ok...so the first day back was not as organized as I would have liked, but everyone survived and tomorrow is a new day! :)
I was thinking about how fast the years are going by and got a little depressed thinking that next year Marchus will be gone too.
I know...there is part of me that is longing for the freedom that will come when I'll be able to go grocery shopping without finding extra things in the cart at checkout. When I can go to the bathroom...alone. When the room I just cleaned stays that way for more than 1/2 hour.
Then, there's the other part of me that knows as soon as this happens, I'll be secretly missing the little voice in the store. The knocking on the bathroom door and the superhero action figures in their landing postions on the living room floor.
I love being a mom!!

I am so grateful that the boys were able to get blessings from Pete the night before school started! I remember the peace that those school blessings always gave me, and it was so neat to see that they gave the boys that same peace. Even Marchus got a blessing and the next day he kept telling people he saw, "my daddy put his hands on my head and it's making my foot better!"
I love his testimony and gentle spirit!
I am so grateful for Pete! He is a marvelous father and is always finding ways to encourage and teach the boys! He is a great example of a worthy priesthood holder to them as well, and that will do more for them in their lives than either of us can comprehend!

I found these fun quotes about children and thought I'd share some! Enjoy!! :)

Children are unpredictable. You never know what inconsistency they're going to catch you in next. ~Franklin P. Jones

Children seldom misquote. In fact, they usually repeat word for word what you shouldn't have said. ~Author Unknown

While we try to teach our children all about life,Our children teach us what life is all about.~Angela Schwindt

Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing up is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing. ~Phyllis Diller

It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men. ~Frederick Douglass

The real menace in dealing with a five-year-old is that in no time at all you begin to sound like a five-year-old. ~Joan Kerr, Please Don't Eat the Daisies, 1957

A characteristic of the normal child is he doesn't act that way very often. ~Author Unknown

You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance. ~Franklin P. Jones

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Bear Lake-Carlson Reunion 2009

We had such a great time this last week at the Carlson (Pete's mom's family) reunion up at Bear Lake. It was beautiful weather, great company and great food!!
We spent Monday night catching up with family we haven't seen in almost 7 years. Then, we listened to grandpa Carlson tell us the infamous story of 'Ole Ephrium. It's a family tradition and I am amazed at how much I enjoy it still every time I hear him tell it. It's fun to see the boys get into the story and watch their eyes light up when he cocks the old rifle (not loaded, of course) as he describes how the bear was hunted and finally killed.
Tuesday and Wednesday were spent either in the pool at the Bed and Breakfast we rented or on the beach. Zachary, in particular was in the water unless he was eating or sleeping. He is a total fish. Which, by the way, explains why he got more sunburned than anyone else despite my best efforts to keep him lathered with sunscreen!
We also got Le Beau's famous raspberry shakes both days and revelled in the creamy texture not created anywhere else. Mmmmm...my mouth is watering just typing this! :)
We had a family talent show on Wed. night and Christian stood up and took questions from the family on rocks...which happens to be his obsession and speciality! He loved the questions and surprised even me with his extensive knowledge. He wants to be a geologist when he grows up!
I feel so blessed and grateful to have married into such a marvelous family!!! They are so loving, accepting, generous, guileless and truly Christlike people...all of them. I am grateful for the relationships I have been able to benefit from in the Carlson family.
I look so forward to our Porter (my mom's side of the family) reunion in AZ this Dec. !!
These relationships and memories are so much of what we take with us when we leave our mortal bodies and move on. I am determined to create more of these memories in my life and with my own family!!