ABOUT TIME

I haven't posted on here in forever. To say I have nothing I have been grateful for would be a flat out LIE.

Most recently, I am grateful for helpers. I am grateful for guidance and patience of friends - even that gracious patience that we all need when we have a tendency to put our foot in our mouth.

I am grateful for all of the people who have held my head above the ocean of my life in the last six months - some not even wondering why I need it, but just doing it.

I am grateful for prayers, and answered prayers. For learning about faith, for making mistakes and learning from them. I am grateful for learning the value of the little things - and learning that the little things are the roots of that vital tree. I am grateful for my freedom to pray, and read my scriptures.

I am grateful for my freedom to parent my children as I wish. I am grateful to have two amazing children who are gentle and kind. I am grateful for friends who remind me that my kids are doing ok - when I am feeling especially frustrated over something minuscule, and realize I am a perfectionist in everything. I am grateful for my talents, even if I feel a jack of all trades and a master of none. I am so grateful for a supportive family.

I am grateful for a friend who died this past April, teaching me when I was angry, and then sad - that life is too short. That now is the time, and that everything should be appreciated. He was 23. Every choice matters!

And - before my post gets too long - I am so, so grateful for conference earlier this month. A specific talk by Larry R. Lawrence of the Seventy gave me the courage to talk to a friend about an issue they were battling, in a way I never would have approached it before - because the words that were spoken rang true, and rattled my bones. I think that his talk titled "Courageous Parenting" could easily be translated into many titles - "Courageous Friendship", "Courageous Sisterhood", I think we should all be Courageous Women.

Just a little miracle

We've had a LOT of snow lately here. Last fall, we didn't get our trampoline taken down, so it was being weighed down by the snow. Yesterday Benson decided to take the net down in hopes that we don't ruin it by leaving it in this weather. Tank joined him outside and enjoyed playing in the snow.

Later in the day, Benson needed to leave for work, but couldn't find his keys. He looked all over the house, in his coat pocket, in his pants pocket.... they were not to be found. He finally asked Tank if she knew where they were.

"Yes Dad, they are under the trampoline."

Apparently they fell out of his pocket while working on the tramp. They surely would have been lost until Spring if our little Tank hadn't kept her eyes open. It may be a little miracle, but I'm sure glad for it!!!

Garbage picking miracle

We've been working really hard on our house lately, and with all the construction, we had gathered an awful lot of garbage.  We've been putting it out to the road a little at a time and making  a great dent in the pile of junk.  We had 2 things that the garbage man wouldn't take without us paying for it... a dryer and a water softener.  We put both items out by the road in hopes that some garbage picker/scrapper would pick them up.  The dryer disappeared within a day!  However, the water softener just sat...  and sat...  for 2 weeks.  I finally called the garbage company and asked them to pick it up despite the $45 charge they were going to add to my next bill. 

By some little miracle, someone decided to pick up a water softener that night.  I was able to call the garbage company and cancel the pickup, and save $45!  This Christmas season, that is no small miracle to me!

A "lucky" pick

My son finds sitting in primary very difficult. Lately he has started to show some improvement because he has decided that he would like to have a turn during sharing time. Today he had his arm held up as high as he could because he wanted a turn very badly. His teacher reminded him that he needed to sit reverently so that he could get a turn. The Primary President was choosing children using the sticks in an effort to make her choosing as fair as possible. My son tried to sit as still as he possibly could so that she would call on him. I quickly said a prayer that he would be chosen and his good behavior would be rewarded. The next stick the Primary President chose said his name. She made the comment that it was a lucky pick because I think she was silently rooting for his name to be picked as well since she knows how difficult it is for him to sit still. I knew that it wasn't a "lucky" pick at all, rather it was an answer to a prayer and a very special blessing for a little boy learning to be reverent in primary.

A Mother's Wisdom

This past week, I am grateful because I have learned a valuable lesson -

That sometimes, when you are at your wit's end - when you refuse to ask for help, and aren't even looking for it - another mother's wisdom can be a diamond in the rough.

Photographic Blessings

Lately I have been feeling a little talentless...and anyway I had a friend just have a baby and took this picture, and I know it may sound silly, but it just gave me a bit of hope that maybe every once in awhile I can do something ok :)

I do have more of my photography over at corrinescapturings.blogspot.com if you want to see some more.

Teaching Reverence

This past weekend, we were watching the Sunday afternoon session of conference. My three-year-old son looks up at me from his lunch and asks, "Mom? Can you turn off the church now?"

Trying to hold back a laugh, I explained why we were watching conference. Satisfied with my answer, he sat still for a little while longer, and I watched him as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sang - followed by a very powerful talk - and my three-year-old sat with his arms folded, eyes locked and mouth gaping - as the song came to a conclusion.

Sometimes teaching something to a three-year-old feels sooo frustrating, but there were no more complaints through conference - and later in the day, he was even talking to me about things he had seen and heard.

I believe Heavenly Father is helping us - patiently - to work with our children. I am grateful for his guidance.