Temple

Chas and I were able to head to the tri cities temple yesterday. It is so wonderful to be able to leave our kids with Brooklyn and know that things will be fine.  It seems like you wait Forever before the oldest one can babysit and then its finally here, and it is wonderful! I am always grateful for the opportunity I have to go to the temple.  What a glorious place.  We did initiatory and it was a spiritual experience.  Sure glad to have a super husband who recognizes the need to go as often as possible.  Our goal for the past few years has been to go once a month.  It is our goal again this year, I am not sure that we have met it yet, but we keep trying.

Early morning walk

This morning was so beautiful! Frosty and chilly, but so sunny! I got up before everyone and else and did some studying, then came Beckett and then Chas.  No one else was stirring so I asked if they would like to go for a walk with me.  Oh it was glorious! I could walk like that forever! The sun shining off the frost is one of my very favorite things, and I should have taken my camera!! Oh it was a wonderful way to start the day, if only I could do that everyday.  But that is not possible, but everyday there is something to be grateful for and something that can make the day wonderful, I just have to find it everyday, that is the challenge!

Brooklyn's latest phtography

 this is some latest photography from brooklyn

Lessons

Today I started teaching piano again.  I was thinking a couple of weeks ago that I would really like to start teaching, (more like I would really like to get Brady's braces paid for so we can start Brooklyn's) and I was wondering how I could get some students that I could teach during the day. After school lesssons are a thing of the past for now, it's just too crazy busy at that point in the day.  A couple of days later a lady up the road called and asked when I was ready to start teaching again she would like to take lessons.  Sweet!! During the day and everything.  This is the first time I have taught an adult, and I think I am going to like it!  Things click a little faster and it seems she should be a little more dedicated than most.  So excited! Another evidence of the Lords hand in my life.

Gift in the Mail

Last week I got a random phone call from one of my favorite cousins, Jake.  He and I have always had  special friendship and try to keep in touch.  Anyway he called and asked for our address, he said he was sending something for Chas.  I wondered what on earth it was.  I thought for sure it would be some BYU related item, since Jake and Chas are both huge fans.  I had the thought, "how nice of Jake to think of Chas and send him something."  Little did I know. The thoughfulness of the gift they sent was way beyond a BYU memento.  I let Emree open the package since Chas was not home.  Inside was a small note that read, "A little birdie said you might need one of these."  We pulled out a beautiful consecrated oil vial to keep on your key chain.  I remembered that Jake's son Leighton really like to make pens and such things with his Grandpa, I knew for sure he had made it.  But where on earth would they hear that Chas needed one?  So I texted him and asked, he said they had remembered hearing him say something at the reunion.  Seriously! way back in August?  I can't even believe they remembered that and then acted.  What a special act of kindness and love.  They inspire me to be better.  I am terrible at remembering what people say the would like, or need.  I need to be more in tune and really listen when people talk rather than just present!  Thanks for being an instrument in the Lord's hands in our life today! What a tender gift of love, they are truly Christlike in their actions!  We love you Helmstetlers!

Very quiet evening

This is what it felt like.  Tonight Carson fell asleep at 6 o'clock.  It was a very quiet and relaxing evening.  Don't get me wrong, I love my two year old to pieces, but evenings are not his strong point, mine either for that matter, and so they are usually chaotic with lots of crying and whining.  So last night Chas and I actually got to sit down and talk (imagine that) before dinner.  I decided if Carson was sleeping the other kids could watch cartoons and I would enjoy the quiet. And I did, it was nice.

Family Home Evening

Last night we had a great F.H.E.  It was on controlling your emotions, we watched a snippit from BYUTV and then talked about how to control our tempers, which tend to run a little high around here.  Do you know our gene pool?  Not to use it as an excuse, but it comes naturally, so we frequently need to address the issue. After closing prayer Brooklyn thought it would be fun to try and tickle my feet and we all know that that doesn't end pretty!  It turned into a huge family wrestling match, of course with some tears, but tons and tons of laughter.  I love these times when everyone is having a good time, I wish it were like this all the time. We ended the night with some healthy, no sugar, delicious smoothies made by Dad and Carson, who only dumped the ingredients out of the blender and fell off the the cupboard one time in the process, what a great night!

I also made the effort to read with each of the younger kids before they went to bed, it's funny why such an easy thing is so hard to do.  They appreciated it and I also enjoyed it!

Everyday

I am constantly inspired by my SIL she is on the ball. Anyway she writes on her blog almost everyday and then prints them off at the end of the year. After reading this talk, "O Remember, Remember." by Pres. Eyring I have a renewed sense of why we keep a journal. I can't even remember what I did last week, let alone years ago. So this week my goal is to write on here every. single.day.

Elder Eyring said:

“I’m not giving you these experiences for yourself. Write them down.”I went inside. I didn’t go to bed. Although I was tired, I took out some paper and began to write. And as I did, I understood the message I had heard in my mind. I was supposed to record for my children to read, someday in the future, how I had seen the hand of God blessing our family. Grandpa didn’t have to do what he was doing for us. He could have had someone else do it or not have done it at all. But he was serving us, his family, in the way covenant disciples of Jesus Christ always do. I knew that was true. And so I wrote it down, so that my children could have the memory someday when they would need it."

So I do it for them, and for me, that we can look back and realize how much we love each other and how much the Lord loves us!

Each new day brings us opportunities to be better and recognize the hand of the Lord in our lives. Today is a beautiful day, almost 50 in January. It's amazing what the sun does for the soul. No wonder Jesus Christ is referred to as the "Light" of the world. I got to go visiting teaching this morning and was reminded of how much I need the Savior in my life. This was my favorite quote from the message today,"Obedience gives us greater control over our lives, greater capacity to come and go, to work and create.”

I love that when we have our priorities straight we will have greater control over our lives. Our circumstances may not have changed, but our ability to cope is enhanced. The enabling power of the atonement is something that I would like to study and learn more about this year.

Each day I will focus on one of the kids, that gives me five really easy posts!

We'll start with Carson:

Just when I thought there could not be a more "boy" boy than Brady, we get Carson. Talk about no sitting down, no sitting still, no being quiet, loves to wrestle, tackle, punch, kick, run, throw, the boy is a maniac.  Don't ever lay on the floor when he is in the room, unless your ready for a full on pounce.  

He is a very loving boy.  He sure loves his JoJo, which is so sweet to me.  She takes care of him so well, and most of the time will stop whatever she is doing to help him with whatever he needs.  If you ask him who loves him, his first response is always JoJo, not Mom or Dad, JoJo.  We are second.  I love seeing the bond between them.  He always asks where she is and if she can play or read with him. He loves to give hugs and loves waking up the other kids with kisses.

His speech is still really hard to understand.  I try not to worry about it, but there are days when I hear kids who are 18 months younger, pronounce words clearer.  He is getting better, it is just really slow. He can recognize the letter C for his name, when he sees it, he says Me, Me!  He knows a handful of colors and orange is by far his favorite, who can say orange and not red? Him!  I always joke he should have been born in Russia, as his sounds are so gutteral.

He is a massive kid and I wish he would've stayed little for just a little longer.  He is not fun to carry anywhere, unless the distance is only from the car to the house!  He is totally potty trained and has been for a few months!! WOOHOO!! No More diapers!

He does not like: going to bed, getting buckled in his carseat (becketts is much better because he can get out of it!) coming in from outside.  He LOVES making bread, making smoothies, playing zingo, cheese, anything orange and of course JO!

Knex

These little toys that I find all over my house and everywhere, are so much fun!! Today we enjoyed the sun shining through the dining room window and built some fun creations.  Carson is even kind of getting the hang of putting these things together.  This is how Beckett and I usually spend our one on one time, he is such a creative little guy. Love it!

Fondant and Art

Brady was on a kick the other day and really wanted to make some fondant and decorate a cake.  He was relentless, so I conceded and this is what he came up with, (with a little help from Brooke.)  Turned out pretty good!  Sleds, snow, trees.  Perfect for a sunday in january!  

 A couple of days ago Beckett told me he wanted to draw a yak.  Ummmm ok? Not sure where he came up with that, so I pulled up a picture on google and away he went, he "messed up" on this one and so stopped at the front shoulder, but holy cow! this was all done just by looking at the picture in front of him.  Now we all know he definitely did not get that skill from me!

Covergirl

One bad thing about having animals is that sometimes you have to make life and death decisions for them.  Last night was one of those times.  Covergirl was really, really sick, couldn't even eat, she had lost a ton of weight and it was going to be a hefty vet bill to get her better.  With her missing some teeth as well, she still couldn't eat hay, even if she was healthy.  We all decided that she would be better off to end her misery, so we put her down last night.  There were many tears shed, all the kids had their time to say goodbye, even Carson gave her a big hug.  She was the best horse for a starter horse, every single one of them learned how to ride on her.  She was one of a kind.  We will miss her, but glad she is not suffering anymore

Face Masks

So Brooklyn got these fun face masks for her birthday and decided to try them out one evening.  The girls had so much fun, primping and then Brady decided it would be cool to try it too.  Although judging from the pictures Brady did it just to get a crazy picture! Sounds like something he would do!!