A week of Miracles

I will begin with what Christmas is all about, Christ. This past week is the week we celebrate the birth of Christ, which is a miracle. When we think of Christ it is hard not to think of all He has done and still does for us. He blesses us still, and He helps lifts us up. I am grateful for his love and power.

Early this week my dad got really sick. He went to the ER late Sunday night in so much pain he couldn't move. The doctors believed it to be an infection in the colon, but after some more work on Tuesday they changed their minds and believed it to be cancer. Surgery was scheduled for wed, but the doctor changed the surgery date until Friday instead. From Tues-Fri was some of the hardest yet most wonderful moments I've had. I was scared. But each time I prayed I felt peace and reassurance. I was also reminded that out of our hardest trials come some of our richest blessings, so I had to go forward on faith and hope.

My family came together in a way I haven't seen before. We all worked so hard to help my dad and mom through this time (my dad owns a few small businesses and it took us all to even attempt what he does). The hours I spent with my siblings this week were happy times.

Through this time I thought about my dad more than ever. What a blessing he has been to me throughout my life. Especially this past year with James being deployed. He has helped me so much and been so willing to help me and is an amazing grandpa to my little girls ( Just earlier this month Lily threw up all over him he continued hold and love to to help her feel better.)

On Friday we fasted for my dad. When news of how the surgery went, came; we were all greatly relieved. It looked very isolated in the colon and hadn't spread (they did take some biopsy's of different organ to be sure but those have not came in yet.) They believe that they were able to remove it all and there doesn't appear to be any future of Chemo.

I couldn't help but think of all the prayers that had been said for my dad and that fast that was done. The Lord heard us and blessed us. Thank you to all who have prayed and fasted for him. And I ask you to continue to keep him in your prayers.

Girl Power

First off I finishesd my biggest project for Christmas. Didn't they turn out super cute!!! Check out my bow blog here to learn how to make all of these items. Having girls is so much fun. And here's the best part: EACH SET COST ME LESS THEN $10 TO MAKE!!! What super fun gifts are you giving?

One more thing, I bought a puppy for Christmas. I am so excited. She isn't old enough to leave her mommy yet, but she is ours. She is a lab/golden retriever mix and is pure black. I need help to know what to name her. Names on the to ponder list are: Ruby, Noel, Flower, Jasmin and TinkerBell. Tell me what you think and we are always open to more suggestions.

Not even a once in a life time chance.

James called me early Sunday evening (early Monday morning for him) with news. He began by telling me that he had not yet gone to bed. My immediate reaction was something bad has happened, their camp must be being attacked. Thankfully I was wrong

Here is how his night went, at 2:00 in the morning he went to a general waiting area to meet a VIP that was coming to visit (The VIP was expected to arrive at 5:00). That's all they knew, that it was a VIP. Their was some speculation on who the VIP was, but nothing for sure. So beside sitting and waiting for 3 hours they rehearsed a roll call between the Marines, Navy, Army and Air Force. And my personal favorite part is that they rehearsed cheering loudly. Yes you read that right, they rehearsed cheering loudly. (The military makes me laugh so hard sometimes!!!)


At about 5:00 A plane began to fly in.



They realized that this was no ordinary plane, it was Air Force 1. So that meant that they President of the United States was coming to visit them. He spoke to them briefly. He told them thank you for their work and sacrifice and told them to tell their families thank you for the support and sacrifice as well (The President told ME thank you!!) He shared with them some of the changes for good that have happened in the Iraqis and Afghan's lives.

He then went around and shook hands with the soldiers and spoke briefly with them. James was lucky enough to be one who shook his head. The President even rubbed James' head and told him thanks for not shaving it all off. (I won't allow him to shave it all off, ya me!)

How very lucky James was, but how very lucky we are for him and people like him who are willing to serve their country and fight for freedom. We live in a very blessed land and I am grateful for all that we have. A good friend e-mailed me a story the other day about a man who meet a marine (In a dream) on Christmas day. After a long conversation this man asked the Marine how he could support him and share his gratitude to him. The Marine answered:

'Just tell us you love us, and never forget. To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone, To stand your own watch, no matter how long. For when we come home, either standing or dead, To know you remember we fought and we bled. Is payment enough, and with that we will trust, That we mattered to you as you mattered to us.'

It is very important for us to take an active roll in our freedoms and we also need to remember to express our gratitude for those who have and are securing our freedoms. I can testify to you that God loves us and this wonderful country. He blesses us daily and he wants to bless us even more, but we need to support Him and we need to support our home.

This post has taken a turn I didn't think it would, but I feel it is important to stress that we do still live in a great land and we need to pray for our leaders and our soldiers. And we need to take an active roll in preserving our rights and freedoms as well.

God Bless America!

Lost Keys

I know what you are thinking, everyone loses their keys and it's not that big of a deal. Well first they weren't my keys and second they were to the church. I am in the Relief Society presidency in my ward and i am over enrichment. they only keys given to me are to get into the church our wards closet, but between play group and exercise group I need keys for the kitchen and library as well, so the Relief Society presidents lets me use hers. Her keys have all the keys on them, including the clerks office.
So Monday I went to work out group as usual, as I was leaving my arms were full, it was staring to snow and the girls were only wearing slippers so I had to carry them as well. Tues morning when I went to the church for work out group I couldn't find the keys. I borrowed someone else's to get in and look to see if I left them in the church, nothing. I cleaned out my car looking for them, nothing. I dumped out the diaper bag, looked in and under my couches, looked through the toy box and a million other places at home, nothing.
Through the whole process I was of coarse praying to find them. Wednesday rolled around and I still hadn't found them. I still continued to pray, and I got very specific in my prayers asking if I should look in the house more, no answer. Should I look in the car more, no answer. Should I look in the church more, no answer. Are they lost for good and it's time to report it, no answer. I only felt that I needed to be patient and keep looking. By this point I was very frustrated and down hearted. I was also beginning to realize the ramifications if they were lost. All the locks in the church would have to be changed, all the ward in our building affected, all because of me.
Wednesday afternoon I was talking with and friend in the ward and she suggested we go look through the nursery toys and through the coaches at the church to see if one of the kids took off with them. So we went and searched and searched and found nothing. I was getting really sick to my stomach by this point. We loaded our kids up in our cars and as I was getting into the car I noticed something silver poking up out of the snow in the gutter. I found the keys. I was so relieved I cried. I had been to the church 3 different times looking for them and that last time I parked in the right spot to find them.
I am so grateful that the Lord hears and answers our prayers. While it felt like I was getting no answer, or very little answer, I was really getting the only answer I needed. Be patient, have faith, keep trying and trust in the Lord.
By the way, there was one casualty, a key did get bent out of shape. But that is much easier to replace then all the locks and keys for EVERYONE.

My sweet Erin

I was having a rough morning this morning and was very frustrated. I wasn't frustrated at my girls but unfortunately I was taking my frustrations out on them. Erin then so sweetly asked me to be happier and to talk happier. So I said something nicely back to her and she said "you talked happy, see don't you feel happier!" She was right I felt much better. Her sweet spirit helped me realize the importance of using happy tones.
She is such a sweet girl and helps me so much. She is so very good at bringing a smile to my face and always makes me laugh. Here are some of my favorite Erin moments:
As we pulled into the gas station" Mommy what are we doing?" "We need to get some more gas for the car." "What happened to the other gas, did it fall out as we hit bumps?"

Erin crawled out of bed shortly after putting her down for the night concerned about her monkey. I wasn't in the mood to look for it so I assured her that monkey was already asleep and didn't want to be disturbed. She informed me that he can't fall asleep because he can't close his eyes.

While cooking breakfast on a rainy morning Erin was singing "it's raining it's pouring' over and over again. The she suddenly changed the words when she looked straight at me and sang "It's raining it's pouring the old lady is cooking breakfast."

While sitting in sacrament meeting Erin asked when was it time to go to nursery. I explained to her that we needed to sing one more song and say one more prayer and then it would be time. She took this as a cue to sing, so off the top of her lungs she began singing like the little mermaid.

As I was making mac and cheese for lunch and draining the water off my hand slipped and I lost half the noodles. In frustration I exclaimed, Oh Pooh! Erin hearing this stopped what she was doing and told Lily "My mommy needs me." and she came running.

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

I sure love this girl and I am so thankful for her. She is a wonderful daughter and big sister. I am the luckiest mother in the world to have her (and her sister).

Thanksgiving

I love Thanksgiving. I think it is a perfect way to start off the holiday season, being thankful for what we have and realizing our many blessings. This year I started a Thanksgiving tradition with my girls, my mother-in-law has given me a bunch of FHE kits and one of them focused on Thanksgiving. You start this on Nov 1st and go through the 25th. It says to do it everyday, but I am crazy and couldn't keep up with it so I did it for FHE every week and just did a weeks worth. Anyways, each day you read a card and it tells you something to be thankful for and then you make an offering for that blessing into a jar. At the end you donate that money to someone in need. We decided to use it for a sub for Santa gift. The girls loved it. At the end of the month we had about $11. One of the sub for Santa we had picked was a toy for a 6 month old baby. So the day after Thanksgiving I took the girls shopping and let them pick out a toy for this baby.

It went so well and I am excited to do it next year again.

Day 1: Are you thankful for the blessing of electricity? Give 2 cents for each light bulb in your house

Day 2:Most of the world population lives beyond the reach of medical care. Give 10 cents for each box of band aids in your house.

Day 3: Are you thankful for a roof and doors to keep out the wind and rain? Give 10 cents for every exterior door on your house.

Day 4:Are you thankful for clothes? Give a nickle for every closet in your house.

Day 5: Are you thankful for indoor plumbing? How about toilet paper to go with it? Give 5 cents for every roll of toilet paper included all the ones stored away.

Day 6: To people in refugee camps even a thin sliver of soap is precious. How many bars of soap does your family have? Give 5 cents for each bar and 10 cents for each container of pump soap.

Day 7: Do you have to walk to town to get a bucket of water for washing, drinking, bathing and cooking? Or are you blessed with faucets that bring precious water to you? Give 10 cents for each faucet. Still thinking about water, how did you get clean today? Give 10 cents if you took a bath and 20 cents if you took a shower.

Day 8: Most of the world is starving while we are concerned about being overweight! Put 1 cent for each pound mom and dad think they are overweight.

Day 9: What a blessing it is to see. Put 10 cents for each pair of glasses (including sunglasses) your family members wear. Give 5 cents for each person in your house who wears contacts.

Day 10: Jesus loves the little children. Give thanks and 10 cents for each child in your family.

Day 11: How would you like to live in your car as some families have to do? Give 10 cents for each car in your family.

Day 12: Epidemics often follow natural disasters. Give thanks if no one in your house has been to sick to go to school/work and give 50 cents.

Day 13: The comfort of a clean bed is an undreamed of luxury for millions of people. Give 5 cents for each bed in your house. Did a cozy blanket keep you warm last night? Give 1 cent for each blanket in your house.

Day 14: Was it cold enough to wear a coat today? Were you thankful for your coat? Give a penny for every coat, raincoat and jacket in your house.

Day 15: Most people in the world cook over an open fire. Aren't you glad you didn't have to chop wood this morning? Give 5 cents for every n=burner on your stove, 10 cents for every stove and 25 cents for every microwave.

Day 16: Unfortunately, this time of year many people loose their homes to fires. Give 10 cents for every phone in your house you can call 911 from in case of an emergency.

Day 17: Many people in the world suffer excruciating pain from lack of dental care. Give 5 cents for each toothbrush in your house.

Day 18: Many children in the world barely get one meal a day. How many did you have? Give thanks and 5 cents for each meal.

Day 19: Would you like to walk to school, church or the store? Most people walk wherever they go. Give 10 cents for each bike, skate board, roller blades or anything else with wheels.

Day 20: Give us this day our daily bread. Thank Heavenly Father for the food you have and give 1 cents for every slice of bread your family ate today,

Day 21: Count all the cans in your cupboard or pantry. Give a penny for each one and thank God for the technology to can food.

Day 22: Count all the packages of frozen foods and meats in your freezer. Thank God for refrigeration and give a penny for each thing you counted.

Day 23: Make a list of all the fruits and vegetables God created that you can name and give a penny for each.

Day 24: Many children in the world do not have the opportunity to attend school. They barley learn to read or write. Give an penny for every pencil and pen in your house.

Day 25: Most people in the world have never touched a computer. Give 50 cents for each computer in your home.

We truly are a blessed people and I am grateful to live in such a wonderful place and have so much. I look forward to doing this every year and remembering all the many blessings I have.

Recipe #2 Daddy Pancakes

Most of you probably have your own version of this and own name, but since I am focusing on James this week this is what I am sharing. I believe the most official name for these are German Pancakes, I have also heard them called rollar coasters. I grew up calling them pop-eye pancakes. The reason we called them pop-eye pancakes is beacuse when you take them out of the oven they have large bulges is them that resemble muscles. When Erin was 2 we made a batch and the muscles were the biggest I had ever seen, James jokeingly said those aren't pop-eye pancakes they are daddy pancakes. Ever since we have called them daddy pancakes. Even though they are a breakfast item we usually eat them for dinner. Oh well, we love them.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put 6 Tbsp of butter in 9x13 pan and place in preheating oven(watch it so it doesn't burn). In the mean time mix

7 eggs

1c flour

1c milk

dash of salt

in your blender. Scrap sides and mix again.

Pour batter over butter and bake for 20 min.

We like to top them with powder sugar and lemon juice. I have also heard of just regular syrup or a apple strussel type topping for them. But I like to stick with powder sugar and a little lemon juice.

More on James

James just sent me some pictures of him and Afghanistan. He went and visited some of his teams located in the mountains of Afghanistan.











These helicopters are called Chinooks. This is what they travel in.













Living conditions. The huts they
sleep in, their "bathrooms" and the
kitchen.

Some pictures of my handsome soldier

A village in the mountains.







I sure love you and miss you James!

Happy Birthday To My Wonderful Husband

Happy Birthday James. A little while ago Andrea posted a some Q&A about husbands on her blog and to celebrate you I am going to steal it from her and apply it to you.

How long did you date before you were married?
6 months
How long have you been married?
6 1/2 years

What does he do that surprises you?

He sends me flowers at the most random and wonderful times

What is your favorite quality of his?
His kind and tender heart. He really is so wonderful!

Does he have a Nickname for you?
Not that I can think of

What is his favorite color?
Red

What is his favorite food?
This is a hard one. I am going to say bread. Great Harvest is one of his favorite places. He also loves ice cream

What is his favorite sport?
For participation it's swimming for viewing its football

When and where was your first kiss?
Mid January in the common room of my dorm.

Favorite thing to do as a couple?
Play games

Do you have any children?
Two beautiful daughters

Does he have a hidden talent?
He plays the piano, better than he thinks he does

How old is he? 29

Who said I love you first?
I did (He is a little shy)

What is his favorite type of music?
80's

What do you admire most about him?
How hard of a worker he is. He believes in doing a job well and right.

Do you think he will read this?

Yes

I love you so much James and I thank you for everything you have done. I wish you were home so I could wrap my arms around you and give you a big kiss and hug.

This was the day James left for his deployment

Doesn't he look handsom as a soldier

On his last leave before going to Afganistan

we spent the day in park city and rode

the heber creeper. Erin loved it!

Lily's blessing day.

I love the 1st bath pictures

How sweet and tender they are!

side note

Just a quick side note: I am going to use the busylizzybows blog to post cute how to crafts. In a couple of days I will share tutus with you. So keep checking.

Chocolate Almond Cheesecake Bites

Yes they are as delicious and as naughty as they sound. Friday night I did a girls night out at which I had a blast. We pot lucked snacks and treats and I made these fabulous treats. Not that I am tooting my own horn, it is just a really good recipe. They are a bit of work, but worth every ounce of the work. So if you guys want a really good recipe for special occasions here it is:
Crust:1 c chocolate cookie crumbs
1/4c butter melted
Filling: 1 pkg cream cheese
¼ c sour cream
¼ c sugar
1 egg
¼ tsp almond extract
Coating: 2 ½ c semisweet choc chips ( I actually prefer milk chocolate in this recipe)
3 Tbsp shortening
2 oz white almod bark
1 tsp veggie oil
Preheat 300°. Line 8x8 pan with foil. Grease foil. Mix crust and press into bottom of pan. Mix cream cheese, sour cream and sugar on medium speed until fluffy. Beat in egg and almond. Pour over crust. Bake 30-40 min (edges should be set and center should be soft). Cool 1 hr on cooling rack then 1 hour in fridge.
Cover 2 cookie sheets with waxed paper. Remove cheesecake from pan (just lift foil out). Cut 8x6 to make 48 bites.put half the bites in the fridge. Microwave chocolate chips and shortening at 50% power for 3 minutes, stir then microwave at 15 sec increments until melted and smooth (I prefer to melt on the stove with a double boiler method). Place 1 cheesecake bite of fork(I use my hands) and dip into chocolate covering it (works best when bites are cold). Place on waxed paper. Put in fridge and repeat with 2nd half.
Then microwave almond bark and oil on high 1 min, stir and microwave in 15 sec increments until melted and smooth. Drizzle over bites.

So I was thinking since I really enjoy cooking, of sharing a recipe of the week. I would also be really happy to have any of you share a good recipe. Tell me what you think.

Quirky Me?

My friend Rachel tagged me 3 days ago to write some of my quirks. I have had a really hard time thinking of some. I asked my mother and James what some were but they had a hard time thinking as well (or they were to afraid to offend me). Anyway here is what I have come up with, with a little help as well.

1- Sippy cup lids. My lids have to match the cup, it doesn't matter if its the same type of cup I strive to keep the original lid with the cup. I don't know why I do this, but for some reason it drives me nuts when the lid doesn't match the cup.

2- Loading the dishwasher. Everything has it's own place and please don't mess with it. My mother-in-law has tried to help me load the dishwasher a few times and I have to unload and reload the dirty dishes to where I feel they belong. (I love my mother-in-law and I am grateful for her help, just don't touch my dishwasher)

3- Fidgety. My hands are super fidgety. I took sign language for a few years in high school, I don't remember to much but I remember the alphabet and I find myself spelling things with my hands all the time.

4- Sleeping. I have to sleep against something. In high school I slept against the wall, in college we had beds that doubled as a couch and I wouldn't pull mine out so I could sleep against the couch cushion part. After getting married I had to be next to James and with him gone I sleep with a body pillow. I blame this on my mother for letting me sleep with her when I was a young child :)

5-Driving. I hate it! I know this is really bad, but I can't stand to drive, so I usually talk on the phone while I am driving longer distances to help break up the monotony. Don't worry when it is bad weather or traffic conditions I do get off for safety.

6- Cooking. I am a messy cook. I mean this in more ways than one. While I enjoy cooking (and I believe that I am a half way decent cook) I can't help but use every dish in the kitchen. I also barley follow the recipe and I use a lot more spices then called for, so these end up all over my counter. I am really bad at putting something away when I am done using it, so my counter is cluttered with all the different ingredients I am using. I also am not a very accurate measurer, so dumping ingredients causes more mess. This really is something I need to work on.

Okay I am now suppose to tag 6 people to write 6 of their quirks, since I know most of you won't do it (your all bums) I am going to try 3 of you. Amy, Brittany and Ashley

Learning Something New Everyday

I have heard this old adage of "learning something new everyday" many times. I believe it to be true, even on the days we don't realize we have learned something. I have been stuck in a rut of feeling like I am not learning or growing, but this past week that changed. I learned so much, some of it was fun and some of it really helped me grow. All of it is wonderful.

Fun thing #1- Tutu making. No I haven't made it yet but I have ordered the stuff and I have learned how to do it, I am excited and can't wait. I will post it for you when I get it.

Fun thing #2- Ribbon board. My girls have so many bows I couldn't handle them all so I made a board to keep them on. I think it's super cute.

(I did take 1/2 the bows off for the picture)

Fun thing #3- Fancy hair do's. This is a fun thing that came from something I needed to learn.

So #4 is Erin needs me. Long story short, Erin has been getting naughtier all the time, making me more stressed making her more naughty etc. After 1 long hard night where we both cried a lot I realized/learned that she needs me to understand her, love her more and really be there for her. So we started mommy time. I wake her up early before Lily gets up and I do her hair fun. We talk about anything. Dreams, jokes, stories and we even sing. It has been so good for both of us.

If you are interested 2 of my fav websites to get these from are http://hair4myprincess.blogspot.com/ andhttp://babesinhairland.blogspot.com/. These will also link you to a bunch of other blogs.

#5- Be less stressed and laugh more. My stress is wearing on me, on my children, on close family and close friends. I remember a talk in conference that talked a lot about learning to laugh. So instead of letting things stress me, I am laughing more and enjoying life more. The amazing thing is that both girls are behaving better.

These girls really are princesses

#6- What a wonderful resource friends and family are. While everything I have learned has been an answer to a prayer, I wouldn't have learned any of this without

you. So many of you through your friendship and caring and sharing have taught me so much. Your blogs help me learn and grow as well. Thank you for support and love. I really would not be the mother I am today without the help of ALL of you.

Free Hair Bows

I just thought I would let you all know that I am doing a bow give away on the bussylizzybows blog. I will be giving away two of my newest bow the Princess Pink Rose Bow. If you are interested visit http://busylizzybows.blogspot.com for more details.

I hope you enjoy!

Pumpkin Walk

A bunch of Neighbors and I went to the Benson Gris Mill in Stansbury for a little pumpkin walk friday. It was so cute. There were tons of fun pumkins to look at and lots of fun things to do. We went on a hay ride, there was a little maze for kids, we decorated cookies, there was a treasure sandbox, and much more.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

My favortie part was the face painting. They had a large poster with different designs for the kids to choose from, the rest of the kids enjoyed picking out pictures (Jack, rainbow, nemo, spider etc.) Erin pointed to the "e" in "FACE PAINTING" and wanted the letter E because it starts her name. At least the lady doing it was creative and made it fancy. What a silly girl Erin is, I sure love her.

Hair Bows

I have started a hairbow blog. I am excited about it. I have been making and experimenting with bows for a while, and I am finally really happy with what I am making. I started making bows because I wasn't willing to pay what I saw others asking. Since I am not willing to pay that uch, I am also not willing to charge that much, so my bows are much cheaper than I have seen other places. I am also willing to customize to what you want, I do have a large number already made to choose from as well. I hope you all enjoy them and tell your friends. The blog address is busylizzybows.blogspot.com. There is also a link on this blog to it.

Suggestions?

I need help. It is time to start planning enrichment activities for next year, but our ward has struggled with the mini groups. So I would like to know what you have done or seen done in your ward and liked. Any suggestions are most welcomed. Thanks!

Gardner Village

A neighbor and I went to Gardner Village to day with our girls. It was a blast. I love this place, especially at Halloween. The witches were so cute and they had fun arts and crafts and fun Halloween music playing. It was perfect weather today as well.

This is Erin and Breanne. Erin loves Breanne and wants to play with her all the time. They are so cute together.

Lily, Erin, Breanne and Maddie in the carriage. Lily and Maddie didn't like it much.
Lily and Maddie Dancing to Halloween music. I wish you could have seen it.

We made cute witch hats. They were so fun, (At least Rachel and I enjoyed making them for the girls.)

This was such a fun day. Thanks Rachel for coming with me, I had a blast.

Blessed

Last Oct (I believe) Pres. Erying challenged us to write down how we have seen The Lords hand in our lives each day. The Bishop of my ward encouraged this challenge and made it the ward goal. I have been doing my best at following this counsel. In doing so I have come to realize how much My Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ know me, love me and care about me. Since it has been 1 year, I have been reading through what I have written. Then tonight I had another great little blessing. I would like to share with you a few favorites.

1- Today was a hard day. I ended up putting the girls to bed at 7:45 (1/2 hr early). They had short naps, Erin had two accidents, Lily pulled a plate of frosted cookies down on my floor that had been mopped for about 30sec. I felt like I had cleaned all day and my home was still a mess. Etc, Etc. It was a hard day. I was ready to scream and cry and I wanted to disappear. At about 8:15 the doorbell rang. Confused at who it could be I went to answer, I opened the door and saw no one. Confused and even more frustrated I started closing the door only to notice something sitting on my door step. I was a darling basket full of Halloween treats and a note that I had been "Boo-ed". How extremely simple and silly, but I sat down and cried. Heavenly Father new I needed a boost, and found someone to give me that boost. I am thankful to my Father in Heaven for looking out for me and I am thankful for my neighbor who cared.

2- Last Dec. we went to a choir concert of my moms. It was cold, snowy and icy. Since the concert was in the evening we packed the girls jammies to put them in and then head home. Since Erin was in her jammies I did not want her walking across the icy wet parking lot. So I placed her on my shoulders. When we were about 1/2 way I slipped and fell. I landed on my hands and knees and scrapped them up horribly. Yet somehow the child on my shoulders remained there, perfectly safe.

3- In April I woke up with the stomach flu. I was sick and exhausted and couldn't do anything. Erin (who was defiantly in the midst of terrible 3's) was a perfect angel and extremely helpful. Lily (who has been a very clingy baby) was happy with Erin and easy going. The morning routine exhausted me. I was down. Come lunch time I knew I needed to get up and feed the girls, but I could not find the strength in me. As I lay listening to them, feeling like a terrible mother, I hear Erin find a box of cereal and began feeding it to Lily and herself. She, for one miraculous day was a pure angel and a wonderful little mom. (After realizing that I couldn't even find the energy to feed my girls lunch I did call for help.)

4- May- Erin woke up shortly after falling asleep tonight from what must have been a nightmare. She cried for a long time and was hard to console. I tried to tell her everything was okay as I held her, but she was still having a hard time calming down. I was trying to think of a way to help her understand that a prayer might help calm her, but I just couldn't see it making sense to a 3 year old. Then the thought popped in my head, I am sure as help from the Holy Ghost, to sing "I am a child of God". The effect was immediate. She smiled and said "I sing that in church." After that she slept beautifully.

5- I bought a bunch of wood today to build my gardens. While trying to get it to all fit in my little car I began to be worried. Out of no where a perfect stranger came and helped. I wouldn't have been able to do it otherwise.

6- At swim lessons today Erin had to get out and go potty. So I grabbed Lily and took Erin to the potty. While I was helping Erin wash her hands I had to set Lily down. In what felt like 1 second Lily disappeared. I ran looking for her quickly. By the time I saw her she was at the edge of the pool. There was nobody near her. Her feet were over the edge and she was getting ready to jump. I am certain that the only reason she was not in the pool by the time I got there was that some unseen force was holding her out. I have been blessed in so many ways. I know the Lord is watching over us and blesses us daily.
My blessings