Family Night at the Discovery Gateway

I started this post yesterday knowing that we'd be going to the Gateway last night for FHE. They have a Children's Museum there and until last Thursday the boys and I had never been. We had the chance to go with a friend and her boys last week and the kids had SUCH a blast. I ended up buying a 6 month pass because it was only $25 more than what we were paying to get in anyway and now we can go for 6 months. The Gateway is a really fun outdoor shopping mall. Our favorite thing about it is that it has an awesome fountain in the summer that shoots water from the ground and is set to music. The boys LOVE it and we usually go at least 3 times while the boys are on summer vacation. Anyway, we had so much fun last week that we wanted to take Mark there to join in the fun with us. I planned on taking lots of pictures but unfortunately my camera batteries died after my 2nd picture. So cookie faced boys are the only pictures I have to share. :) We had a blast, it's kind of like entering a new world where everything is set to "kids" size and the adults are the minority. There is so much to do and explore, and you can just see their little minds soaking everything up. We were all so tired by the time we got home that everyone went straight to bed. All in all, it was a great night!

Hugs from Heaven

WOW! What a difference a little better perspective can make! Yesterday was kind of a nothing day. Saturday was SUCH a LONG and stressful day (more about that later) and Sunday was great like always but full, so yesterday I felt no motivation to do ANYTHING at all. The bigs went back to school so it was just the littles and I with NO motivation to get anything done. I had to return a pair of Jeans to Gymboree because I had gotten the wrong size and didn't realize it until I put them on Gabe and they were too tight. Since I didn't have anything planned for dinner I called Mark and suggested we meet at the mall to eat. He was SUPER tired but willingly obliged, we had a yummy dinner, I took back the jeans and we let the kids play in the dino-land for awhile and came home. I stayed up WAY too late but had the chance to read my cousin AD's blog and felt totally inspired. Her story was simple but it totally touched me because MY kids are like those sweet little kids right NOW, they are small NOW and I am throwing days away because of silly excuses of being too tired. I KNOW how fast kids grow up. I've seen how fast my Sister and Brother's children have become teenagers and adults, one of them with nearly two children of her own (Courtney's baby girl is due in March), and I swear every time I blink mine get bigger - so WHY do I let a day like yesterday totally go to waste?!! So last night (actually this morning as it was 3am) I vowed to make today count, I knew I would be tired but I am determined not to ACT tired, it is my fault I stayed up so late, not theirs! We had pancakes (the boxed kind that you microwave---I DIDN'T SAY I vowed to be SUPERWOMAN!) and fruit for breakfast and then we went into the FHE room and had a lesson on Jesus and becoming Fishers of Men. Gabe said he wanted to say the prayer and it was so cute because he totally doesn't repeat after you, just says what you just said in his own way...Mom: "Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the boys, help us to have a good day today, Help us to enjoy our lesson, Help us to think of thee all day"...etc. Gabe: "Dear Jesus, tank you day, tank you Mommy, tank you Mah (Sam backwards without the "s"), tank you Zosh, Jesus Tyst, Men" Anyway, the boys loved it, they missed their bus - we watched it drive right by out the FHE room window, but it was worth it and I don't feel tired AT ALL, I'm sure it will hit later, but I feel great. SO THEN to top it off, my visiting teachers came by today and the lesson was WONDERFUL, she talked about Elder Eyring's (I think) lesson about writing down when we feel that we've received extra help from above. She called them "Hugs from Heaven" and included a little notebook for me to write them down and a bag of Hershey's Hugs. SO SWEET! My Heavenly Father LOVES ME! Little old ME, I am just one little person on this full to capacity Earth yet he makes sure that I feel of his love and devotion at times when I need it the most. I am SO blessed, he has sent me an incredible and loving husband, 4 beautiful and inspiring boys, a wonderful family and still he never leaves me alone, he's still always up there sending me hugs right when I need them and I couldn't be more thankful for that!