"We all live with the objective to be happy; our lives are all different and yet the same." -anne frank.

"Seek first to understand then to be understood."

"When you point your fingers at someone, remember how many fingers are pointing back at you."

Our cute three year old is very fun-loving and loves to "rough-house" with his two younger sisters which usually ends in tears...which usually leads to "time-out" for him...which now when anyone is crying no matter the cause our three year old will automatically say, "I didn't do it!" I guess he has been blamed too many times.  I am trying not to blame him for things that he didn't mean to do, especially if it's something I could have prevented before things get out of hand....

I came across this quote on the Sullengers blog (sullengers.com)...they are the family that are written about in the march issue of the Ensign magazine by Elder Foster.  It is a story that pulls at the heartstrings.  

"A person soon learns how little he knows when a child begins to ask questions." -Richard L. Evans

"I've learned it is possible to create light and sound and order within us no matter what calamity may befall us in the outer world." -Helen Keller

i'm always amazed by people that stay calm and level-headed no matter the situation. i am not one of those people! But i love how Helen Keller says "it is possible to create light and sound and order within us"  no matter what is going on around us. Instead of "reacting" to situations and being acted upon, i'd love to be the sort of person that stays in control of my emotions.  I think a lot of it has to do with putting our trust, hope and faith in God. 

The Constitution is the guide which I never will abandon.

George Washington

It will be found an unjust and unwise jealousy to deprive a man of his natural liberty upon the supposition he may abuse it.

George Washington

Truth will ultimately prevail where there is pains to bring it to light.

George Washington

               
           HAPPY PRESIDENTS DAY!!!

"Think of the good that comes from broken things: Soil is broken to plant wheat. Wheat is broken to make bread.  Bread is broken to become the emblems of the sacrament.  When one who is repentant partakes of the sacrament with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, he or she becomes whole." -Elder Randy D. Funk

Elder Funks conference talk from Oct 2013 helped me understand better the meaning of a "broken heart" and the importance of preparing to partake of the sacrament with a repentant heart.

LOVE

"Spread love everywhere you go: first of all in your own house, give love to your children, to your wife or husband, to your next door neighbor...Let no one ever come to you without leaving better or happier.  Be the living expression of God's kindness.  Kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness, kindness in your smile, kindness in your warm greeting." -Mother Theresa

"LOVE IS A VERB"

"Take time to love and be loved, it is God's greatest gift."

Divine love is a sacred flower which in it's early bud is happiness and in its full bloom is Heaven." -Dallin H. Oaks

HaPpY VaLeNtInEs DaY!!!!

i've posted this one before but i needed to post it again to remind me to listen to my little ones.  Lately our 2 year old has been saying to me "mom, i want to tell you something" and it's usually when she's in bed and supposed to be sleeping so my initial reactions is "go to sleep!" but i know she won't be little for very long and it really is so endearing to hear the cute 2 year old things that come out of her mouth.

" God left the world unfinished for man to work his skill upon. He left the electricity in the cloud, the oil in the earth. He left the rivers unbridged and the forests unfelled and the cities unbuilt. God gives to man the challenge of raw materials, not the ease of finished things. He leaves the pictures unpainted and the music unsung and the problems unsolved, that man might know the joys and glories of creation." -Thomas S. Monson

When we were first married we bought our dream home.  We loved just about everything about it right down to the beautiful finish work and paint colors.  The only thing that was missing was that joy that comes from creating something...it was already "perfect" in our eyes and there really wasn't anything we could add to it.

We ended up selling our dream home and purchasing this home:

 We found so much joy in the process of bringing it back to life after sitting abandoned for many years.  This home had a lot of history and we wanted to preserve that history and also make it our own. Once it was finished we lived there for a short 6 weeks before my husband took a job in another state.  We have never regretted doing it and continue to find joy in creating even the simplest of things.

Wash on Monday
Iron on Tuesday
Mend on Wednesday
Market on Thursday
Clean on Friday
Bake on Saturday
Rest on Sunday

- Little House in the Big Woods.-Laura Ingalls

we read this in a cute children's book from the library recently.  kind of sounds like our weeks these days...well except the mending on wednesdays:) I don't do much mending! 

"I will speak ill of no man, and speak all the good i know of everybody." -Ben Franklin

"Don't criticize anybody or anything for 24 hours....and see how you feel."

Why is it so easy to judge and to criticize others? It never feels good though. I still remember the time i was in jr high and i said something negative about someone else not realizing they were right behind me and heard everything i was saying! I felt horrible. I wish i could say that was the last time i spoke ill of someone.  There is so much good in everyone and everything...i'm going to try to take that challenge of not criticizing for 24 hrs...and speak only good...hopefully i can do it!

TO SUCCEED IN LIFE :
1. establish principles to guide your life
2. don't make exceptions to your standards
3. be loyal
4. live so that the Lord can guide you
5. serve others
6. smile
7. don't complain
8. always have a church assignment
9. worship in the temple
10. follow the Savior's example
-Elder Richard G. Scott


This came from the most recent Ensign (feb 2014)...what caught my attention to read it was the title "living a life of peace, joy, and purpose." so good. i would like to write more but my kids are begging me for a snack, so to take his advice i will smile, serve them and not complain;)
 

This quote reminds me of when my parents were serving a mission in Montreal, Canada and as they welcomed in the young Elders and Sisters into the mission field my mom would give them a pillow case with this quote stenciled on it.  My mom would also share with them the story of the little fir tree and the need to embrace who we are and enjoy the present and not continually long for the future or yearn for the past.

a bend in the road is not the end of the road... unless you fail to make the turn. 
-author unknown

"The Love of Learning, the Sequestered Nooks, and all the Sweet Serenity of Books." -Longfellow

One of my favorite things to see as a parent, is my children looking at books together.  I especially love when our 3 year old "reads" books to his 2 year old sister, they are usually the books we've read over and over again so he has them memorized.  One of my favorite things to do when there is a moment of quiet or even sometimes amid the chaos of the day is read a good book!

"Be constructive in your comments to a child--always.  Never tell them, even in whimsy, that they are fat or dumb or lazy or homely.  You would never do that maliciously, but they remember and may struggle for years trying to forget--and to forgive."
-Jeffrey Holland.

Sometimes i catch myself living vicariously through my husband who has to go out into the workforce every day...when he comes home he often fills me in on situations at work that i will think about how i would respond if i were faced with those challenges, work relationships, opportunities etc...Makes me ask myself, do i see my day-to-day life at home with the kids as an opportunity to do a great work?  Sometimes i get caught up in the mundane of it all instead of seeking ways to really teach, really love, really build a relationship with my kids and help them build a relationship with their Heavenly Father.  I wish i could express myself better...i guess that's why i like quotes because they usually sum up better what i am trying to say!

"A friend knows the song in my heart and sings it to me when my memory fails." -unknown

When our third child was born, our two older kids really became great friends...They moved into the same room together, they became playmates and mischief makers together, and they helped each other when i was busy with the newborn.  Now i've noticed they really watch out for each other.  If i'm about to give something to my daughter my son will say, "oh mom, she doesn't like spinach!" or if i'm cleaning up my son's toys my daughter will say, "mom that's not yours that's henry's leave it there!" Makes me hope that if someone isn't treating them right when i'm not around, they will stand up for each other or if they start to head down a path that isn't in line with their good character they will remind each other of who they really are.