I love my husband

Today in Relief Society we had the lesson on Eternal Marriage by President Kimball. I loved the lesson so much (especially since it's the first one that I have been able to sit through in a lot of weeks because that is the time the Quincy is usually needing to be nursed and today Bump had her in priesthood). It really got me thinking about my marriage and how good it really is. The teacher talked about the fact that just because it's a temple marriage doesn't mean that it will be a bed of roses, or any easier. In fact the divorce rate is just about as high in temple marriages as any other - sad. I am grateful for a kind and patient husband who has the same goals, standards and priorities as I do. He lets me be a stay-at-home mom like I want to be, even though it's really a challenge not to have that second income. He loves our kids and wants to spend time with us over anything else. He treats me like I am the most important person in the world, and I know that I am to him just like he is to me. We love being together. He is my best friend.
I am so grateful to have had such a good example to what a happy marriage is from my own parents. They enjoyed just being together and would never even try to imagine what life would be like without the other one in it. They taught me that divorce was never an option, that it shouldn't even be a part of your vocabulary. I remember asking Mom who I would live with if they were to ever get a divorce. She said that would never happen so it didn't matter. I remember pressing her for an answer by saying that I knew that it would never happen, but what IF? She still just said that it wouldn't happen and that was my answer. I know that would be the same answer that I would give my own kids if they asked the same question, and it's nice to know that Bump would answer the same.
Everything that was brought up in the lesson about having a strong and happy marriage was something that we either agree with or are already doing. This is not a brag session about how wonderful we are as people, but just a realization that what we are doing is right and that is why we are so happy. All around us we are seeing friends struggle because of choices that they have made in and outside of their marriages. With many of them it isn't a simple fix and they are in for a long up-hill climb. My heart breaks for them but it makes me appreciate what I have even more. I have a husband who puts the Lord first in his life and second his family; everything else just seems to work out. Not that things are easy in our life; life isn't meant to be easy, but when you keep in mind what is really important the other things don't seem to matter quite so much.
Did I tell you that I love my husband? I am lucky enough to have married a saint. He didn't get so lucky, but he makes due just fine with what he got. I am grateful for a lesson that helped me to sit back, reflect and appreciate what I really have. I really love my cute husband and I will for all eternity.

Hanging out with the family

Since many of you haven't gotten a chance to hang out with our kids much here is a little clip of Gabby showing pictures of animals to Quincy. It's a bit dark and I look absolutely terrible in it, but the kids are acting their normal selves and it's short and cute.

Boys. . .

It was finally nice weather again today after a freezing cold weekend with snow. The kids were driving me nuts at their usual time in the afternoon, about an hour before Bump gets off of work (I know there are several of you that can relate), so I sent them outside to play. One nice thing about living with my in-laws is that they have a great, fully fenced back yard that the kids cannot get out of, so I don't have to watch them every second. I can easily hear their screams if I am urgently needed and they can come in the house if they need to talk to me, it's great! Also, Grandma and Grandpa keep a good eye on what they are up to when they are up and around.

This summer Bump's parents had a really big pine tree taken out of their back yard. It took up the whole back corner of the yard and kept causing problems with the power, phone and cable lines that wound through it. It looks great, but it left an empty corner where no grass has grown and where they usually pile any old yard debris that is waiting to be taken to the dump. Since the tree is gone some funny plants have started to sprout there this summer and one type are some little seedling plants with berries on them that start out green and turn bright red. No matter how many times I tell the kids not to play with or touch those berries they just can't keep their hands off of them, especially Corban. Hopefully they aren't dangerous, I haven't been too worried about them.

Well, as I said, I sent the kids out to play in the back yard late this afternoon and they were actually playing really great together. Bump came home and was helping me finish making dinner when his mom called him upstairs saying that the kids needed him. Moments later he came in carrying Corban and telling me that he had been playing with the berries (big surprise) and he stuffed one into his ear. Red juice was all over around his ear; it would have freaked me out if I didn't know that it wasn't blood. So, Bump held him down while I got the tweezers and pulled the slimey, squished seed out of his ear canal. Luckily it came out pretty easy. Then I sprayed both of his ears with water, just to make sure everything was out.

What is it with kids and sticking things in crevices that they don't belong?! I am sure that this won't be our last experience with this kind of thing, especially having a boy in the family who is really quite stubborn - he really wanted to leave the berry in his ear. Oh, and when Bump brought Corban into the kitchen to tell me what he had done, he caught him trying to sneak another berry into his other ear! BOYS!! Tomorrow I am getting out the weed wacker and mowing down that whole corner of the yard. There will be no more of those berries in our yard, or in our ears!

Is Corban Color-Blind?

As one of 4 daughters born to a color-blind father, we were all raised knowing that if any of us gave birth to a son he could very well be color-blind. Up to this point we are at 100% in our boys that have tested positive for color-blindness; or in other words, both of Tracy's boys are color-blind. Jamie can't help because she only had girls, and Tera and I can't add to the percentage until we quit wondering if our boys just don't know their colors yet, have unique choices of what colors look beautiful together or prove to us that they really can't see colors the same as most people. I keep reminding Bump that it took Gabby a long time to get her colors down, in fact it really hasn't been that long since she started getting them all right. He is just sure that Corban can't see colors the same as we can, but I am not making any assumptions and just keep helping him to learn his colors.

Today we went out to Tracy's house and she let each of the kids pick out a pumpkin from her front porch (Thanks again, Tracy!). She told them to pick their very favorite pumpkin. Gabby took her time picking up several pumpkins before choosing her favorite. Corban immediately picked up the only green pumpkin on the porch and wouldn't let it go. So. . . does he love it because it's different, or did he just choose the closest "orange" pumpkin out of the bunch for convenience? Time will surely tell.

Gabby and her trike

A wonderful thing happened this summer - Gabby was given a tricycle from Tera's mother-in-law, Susan. Every morning she asks right after breakfast if she can go outside and ride her trike. She has gotten a lot better at knowing where her wheels are and, thankfully, hasn't been running over our toes quite as much. The greatest thing about this trike is that there is a little step on the back that is just perfect for Corban to ride on. Since we have never invested in a double stroller it makes it nice when we want to go on walks. Gabby rides her trike, Corban rides patiently on the back and I can push Quincy in the stroller. Gabby has been the best motivator for me and has really helped me to get out and move after having our last little family addition. I think I have been getting more exercise with these three kids than I have my whole life. Most days begin now with a walk, at least around the block, in the morning and sometimes another walk with Bump when he gets home from work. I normally don't mind winter, but I have to honestly say that I am not looking forward to giving up these fun walks with the kids. I guess I will just have to be motivated enough to bundle them all up and just make every body walk themselves. It just doesn't seem as exciting as "going on a trike ride."