Thpeech Impediment

Ben was getting some applesauce for Buster, and he called it "applethauthe." Sunny, who has a lisp, tried to correct him. The following conversation was rather entertaining, as it went something like this:

Ben: Do you want some applethauthe?
Sunny: No, Daddy, it'th not applethauthe, it'th apple-THAUTHE.
Ben: That's what I said, applethauthe.
Sunny: (trying very hard) No, it'th apple-THAUTHE!
Ben: Oh, you mean applesauce.
Sunny: Yeth, that'th what I thaid, applethauthe.

Quotable Quotes X

1. Tonight at dinner with my parents, Missy said to her grandmother: "You look like almost like you did when you were a real mom."

2. Recently, Sunny was getting in trouble for hitting her sister.

"What happens when you hit your sisters?" Ben asked her.

"They say ow?" Sunny replied.

"Uh, no. After that."

"I go in time out," she pouted.

Quotable Quotes IX

Today after a fairy tale, I asked Missy and Sunny if living happily ever after was automatic after marriage. Sunny said, "Yes," and Missy said, "No."

"Why?" I asked her.

"Because then you have to have kids."

Inspired Insanity

We have big news! We are expecting baby #5 in November. I was talking to a friend at church about it after a particularly wild sacrament meeting. I told him that sometimes I think I must be crazy to be having a fifth child. When you really feel it's the right thing to do, though, you do it anyway. "It's inspired insanity," I said.

So yes, with all the remodeling and moving, I have been pregnant. I feel very blessed that I have had less morning sickness with this baby than with the last several. Until now, I have felt progressively worse with each pregnancy. Maybe I have just been too busy this time to notice!

Happy Mother's Day!

Well, it's that time of year again--Mother's Day. It's a day that many women dread, and I must admit, I approached it with a little trepidation myself. Due to some odd coincidence, Ben is often sick on Mother's Day, so I often end up with less help on Mother's Day than on ordinary days. He did wake with a headache today, but he pulled it together and helped a ton with getting the kids ready! It also helped that they canceled the ward leadership meetings.

My family has been great today. The kids have done tons of cute things. I have received multiple bouquets of wildflowers from our yard, and of course they each made a cute thing for me at church. Ben got all the kids in the car after church while I had a few minutes to talk to my friends.

I enjoyed one talk in particular at church today. It was given by a young mother who is also our Primary President. She mentioned two particular lies that Satan likes to feed mothers: the temptation to compare ourselves to other mothers and that we shouldn't take time for ourselves. She had two great quotes about comparison. The first was "The mother in church with the quiet children is probably as surprised as you are." The second was "When we compare, we are often comparing our worst moments to someone else's best moments." On the second point, if we don't take time to refuel ourselves, we have nothing left to give. Well, nothing positive. It seems there is always more criticism and yelling to give, unfortunately. She mentioned that it's also important to ask for help from people and not just God when we are really struggling.

My tangible gift from Ben today was a Kitchen Aid mixer!!! This is something I have been wanting ever since I got married almost 10 years ago. A week or so ago, Ben asked me what I wanted. Although I knew what I wanted, I was silent.

"You want something you think is too expensive, don't you?" asked my perceptive husband.

"Yes," I responded.

"What is it?" he pressed. I told him, but I didn't really expect him to get it for me. I was so pleased. Now I can't wait to find all my kitchen stuff so I can bake!!! (Most of our furniture is in, but our boxes are in the garage.)


Finally, I could not write an entry on Mother's Day without expressing gratitude and admiration for the wonderful women who have influenced my life. My own mother, of course, comes to mind first. I am so grateful for all her hard work and effort over the years. Being a young mother is very hard work, and she did it so well. My mother possesses a gift for loving and enjoying little children, and she is so good at making them feel special. Although I don't have many memories of early childhood, almost all of my memories are of my mother and her kindness towards me. She showed me such an example that I hope that I can cherish each of my little ones as much as she cherished her own and her grandchildren. My mother also did a marvelous job of teaching us the gospel through her words and actions. Again, I hope I can follow her example.

I love to spend time with my mom even more now that I am grown. I am so grateful for all the help and support she gives me. We lived with her for over a little over a month between houses, and while I'm glad to be in my own house again, I miss seeing her so often.

I am also grateful to all of Ben's mothers. Barbara and Kay both influenced him so much and taught him so well. Our children love their Grandma Terry very much, and I enjoy my time with her, as well. She has been giving us excellent decorating advice on our new home, which I appreciate. Her home is so beautiful!

My grandmothers also come to mind. I could wax rhapsodic, but I think I've gone on long enough. Suffice it to say that I am grateful for them and the time they have spent with me and the things they have taught me. I'm also glad they did a good job raising their children so they could raise me!

I hope that all you mothers have a very Happy Mother's Day. May you each remember, no matter how you may feel about this day, that you are special, and that even if you are not doing a perfect job as a mother, you are the perfect mother for your children.