I Love to See the Temple

I got to go to the temple today!!!  It has been a while, too long.  I swore after I had Maizy I would not take as long to get back to the temple as it had with Croix.  Well it took longer then I would have liked, but I got there sooner then I did with Croix!  A bonus of bottle feeding.  It was so so so wonderful to be there!  To not feel rushed to get home.  Oh how I needed to be in the temple.  The temple is such a wonderful place.  I was overwhelmed by my blessings.  And so grateful for the wonderful life I live.

It was sunny and beautiful as I headed in !

A little cloudy and windy when I came out.  So beautiful!

And the flowers on the temple grounds are beautiful!

Oh how I love the temple!  I also love that Brent not only watched the kids so I could go, but when he came home said, "when are you going to the temple?"  He didn't forget that I wanted to go.  He didn't complain that I was leaving the kids with him.  He didn't try and talk me out of going and staying to do something fun.  He made it possible for me to go and encouraged me to go.  It was actually him who reminded me that he had a little time off if I wanted to go!  Oh how I love that man! 

Love

This little boy fills my heart to overflowing with love! Today I made us green smoothies. Brent got home right as I was finishing making them. He and Croix went into the other room. Croix came back into the kitchen climbed up on a chair and gave me a hug saying "Mommy thank you for making me such delicious green smoothies. I sure love them so so much. I love you" Then he gave me a kiss on the cheek. I smiled and assumed Brent had told him to do that. Brent came out and I asked him if he had told Croix to do that. He didn't know what I was talking about! I about died! How is this kid so sweet and cute! Oh my goodness I love him!!! 

Here is a picture of him with a green smoothie mustache. When did he get so big? He looks like a little man!

I just got done posting this and found him passed out with his Book of Mormon stories in his bed!

The Book of Mornon

Croix and I have been reading The Book of Mormon for a while.  Just the Book of Mormon Stories actually

We have really enjoyed reading the stories together.  We've discussed Gospel principles.  We've reenacted stories for family home evening. He has picked it off the bookshelf on his own, choosing to read it.  Once when I asked him if he wanted to read the Book of Mormon he said "Yeah!  The fighting one"  I laughed and prayed that he was getting something else from the stories besides the fighting.  We finished reading it tonight.  We read of Moroni's promise to know the truthfulness.  I bore my testimony to my sweet boy of it's truthfulness and my gratitude for it in my life.  Then we prayed together and thanked our Heavenly Father for the blessing of the scriptures in our lives.  It was a sweet moment. 

General Conference

General Conference was this weekend.  It is hard to watch, listen, feel, learn with two little children.  But I did my best.  Saturday I plugged in my ear-buds to my phone and listened to both sessions while doing some cleaning.  It was so uplifting to do good in my home and hear good for my soul.  There were so many things that touched my heart.  I cannot wait to go and reread the talks.  I feel so blessed.  I was acutely aware of the wonderful life I am blessed to enjoy.  I felt so much joy listening to Gospel principles reaffirmed through his servants!

Feminist

I consider myself to be a feminist.  I don't know exactly that it means. 

Feminist is described this way.

fem·i·nist

[fem-uh-nist] 

adjective Sometimes, fem·i·nis·tic.

1.  Advocating social, political, legal, and economic rights for women equal to those of men.

noun

2.  An advocate of such rights.

 

For me I guess it just means that I feel women should be treated with as much respect and dignity, as men and we should be valued the same in the contribution we make to society, including the contributions made in the home.  Maybe especially the contributions made in the home!

 

Yesterday for the first time ever a woman said a prayer I. general conference. I was pretty excited when they announced a woman would be offering the closing prayer.  I posted something on facebook about how much I enjoyed the morning session and how exciting it was that a woman offered a prayer in General Conference.  I had someone comment on my status, a fellow LDS woman, and I felt chastised and as thought I in some way wasn't as faithful as her because I thought this was exciting.  She on the other hand "had never even noticed".  That's great she never noticed, but I was irritated at her comment.   I wasn't saying that women should hold the priesthood, or be bishops, or give blessing or pass the sacrament!  Nor do I think that any of those things should happen.  I don't doubt the Gospel, not for one second!  My testimony was not shaken or lessened because I had noticed that a woman had never prayed in General Conference.  I was excited because a woman did something for the first time in the  history of the world!  To me that is exciting.  I had other women say they didn't really care.  Well that's totally fine that they don't care!  I still think it was exciting.  

 

I have more I could say on this topic.  But I'm not exactly what my feelings are on some things, or how to state things.   But this I do know my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ loves me and his infinite atonement is the core of my testimony and the driving factor in my life.  My Heavenly Father (and Mother) love me more then I can comprehend and I pray that I can remember their love, my worth, and live up to my potential.  The restored Gospel of Jesus Christ is true, and led by a living prophet Thomas S. Monson.  My family and the Gospel are the most important things to me.

 

Bowling

We went bowling in August.  Croix thought it was lots of fun.  Brent and I did too!  Maizy slept through most of it.  I was super impressed at how she slept though the bowling balls dropping on the ground.  She was only 2 months old, it was actually her two month birthday!  We had gone to this place in Gilbert that I heard was really awesome.  We got there and it was packed and really loud.  They had almost an hour wait, so we went to one closer to home, got right in and had lots of fun.

He thought that the control panel was a game he was playing.

We used the little ramp for him, it worked great!

I rocked Maizy with my foot.  She was so little!  Makes me a little sad, she's getting so big so fast!

We got some french fries, the only thing on their menu I could eat.

Because I was still nursing :)

He was having a great time.

Love his little face here.

Never misses an opportunity to be a monkey with this child.

Croix found these footprints on the floor and had to "match" them.

Final score, Brent bowled for me while I fed Maizy, that's the only reason I did so well.

Hurray for a fun family outing.

Yawn

So after I posted how much I hate teething it became evident that Maizy's pain was not just teething.  She could not sleep. I would go on and comfort her bounce her back to sleep on the exercise ball and she would wake up screaming (not crying screaming) after only 20 minutes.  So I put her in the wrap went and laid in the recliner and tried to sleep. She slept a little longer but not much.  So around 11:30 we headed to urgent care. The doctor confirmed my suspicion of an ear infection. I was thankful it was an ear infection and not another UTI. From urgent care we went to Walgreens to fill prescriptions. I got to bed well after 1AM. Brent was up coughing all night. At one point I told him he should call in sick the next day. Thankfully he did and I was able to sleep in a little. This morning Croix woke up at 5:30 and wouldn't go back to sleep. That's too little sleep two nights in a row! I'm tired! Yet thanks to our wellness challenge I'm sitting on the exercise bike! Have I mentioned I have a perfect score right now! I'm awesome right!?!

Last week Brent had gone to the Dr. about his cough. She asked him what he thought was going on and if he needed a prescription. Lame right? She sent him home with a Rx. So yesterday he went to a new Dr. we won't be seeing the one who wanted Brent to diagnosis himself anymore. He came home with a few Rx, no real diagnosis. Apparently coughs are hard to diagnoses. Today he was coughing so hard he threw his back out and couldn't move. I gave him a hot stone massage and sent him to the chiropractor. He is at least loving now. But still hobbling along. I took the sweeper part off of the broom for him to use as a cane. We went to his Moms for dinner so he could use her inversion table, we came home with a walker! Good heavens we're not THAT old yet!

Yesterday after a day and night full of holding Maizy and bouncing her on the exercise ball I was in lots of pain. I think I threw a rib out of place. Thankfully I feel a little better today. But I'm still pretty sore. I'll be headed to the chiropractor tomorrow!

Oh and tonight we got home from Corinne's and there was a plate of brownies and some coloring books on our doorstep! Too bad there wasn't a note. (If it was you thank you!)

Ok well I'm going to play words with friends for 5 minutes until my 45 minutes of exercise is up and then go crash!

Patio Story

We were all hanging out in the back yard.  Croix was getting bored so I told him to make up a story and I would write it on the patio.  This is the story he came up with...


Once upon a time there was a bad fairy and she wanted to eat chalk because the story written of her was bad.  She came in  the chocolate house, there  was a gingerbread man.  She ate him!  She said "I'll go out that door and eat EVERYTHING!"  She ate everything and then started to rest.  Her tummy felt SICK.  She was as Jesus aspinx {Croix's made up word that not even he knows what it means}.  She ate a tree.  That's THE END because I know it.

Adding to his story.

Signed, Croix and Mommy/Terina  :)

We were both so focused...

Then I noticed Maizy, notice a puddle

Oh boy!

Busted!

(Pretty sure she's chomping on a rock, she's obsessed!  I can't keep them out of her mouth!)

Croix joined in the fun

Dang she's so cute!

I love them so much!  I love our back yard! I love Arizona this time of year!  The weather is perfect the air is filled with the scent of orange blossoms which just happens to be one of the best smells in the whole world!  We're going to soak up every minute out doors that we can before the heat chases us inside!

Teething

I hate it!  HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT!!!  Maizy is miserable!  Croix was super grumpy.  I'm so ready for the day to be over.  But I"m not  quite sure why.  I know we'll I'll be up with Maizy multiple times tonight.  Sigh.  Stupid teeth come through already!!!!

Pals

Croix and Maizy are such good pals.  It's pretty amazing to me how well they get along, how much they both seem to adore each other.  If Croix is outside and Maizy is inside she stands at the sliding glass door and pats on it babbling away.  It is the sweetest/saddest thing ever!

On a side note, look at her lashes! Lucky girl!

This wasn't posed, happened all on it's own.

Look at the rolls on her legs! I just squish them all the time!

We are loving the fact that we have a back yard and are savoring every moment we can before the heat chases up indoors for the summer!