The Perfect Mom . . .

I think the perfect Mom is the mom described below by Sister Hinckley. But, this is an amazing idea too. It is probably exactly how she lived her life.

Sing Songs of Home
Whisper to children
stories of love,
kindness and softness;
Let the sweetness of purity
swell within you.
Be as fair as the sun,
& as clear as the moon.
Take hold of the iron rod
With a grip
that will never fail.

I like to think that this is what I should strive for. Especially on those days when I'm not fair or clear or whisper. I like that "whisper" - talk softly. Share your ideas on how you do this - or what you think about this.

Snow Day

I know my sister has snow days all the time and she does some incredible things with her kids. Play in the snow, swim in the pool, and all that fun stuff. This was our first snow day this year (and it was self proclaimed). I didn't feel that it was worth driving in a blizzard to get to school or work.

So, my son wanted to watch movies. I get tired of the TV on all the time. So, I said no - he could read. He went in my room and decided to build a fort - where he could babysit the little one and read to the lantern. He loved it. Sister, not so much.

We love to read . . .

A few years ago I made up an advent calendar for Christmas. It was rather ambitious. Since we love to read stories each night. I decided to gather 25 books on Christmas to read with my kids. So each day my son would unwrap one book and we would read it. (I think the wrapping part only lasted this year - it seemed to be to much). I now just put them in a basket. He can read and we have way more than 25 Christmas books now. Books are in a basket and then he can pick whenever he wants. This year - I have expanded my Christmas books to all seasons. I love Scholastic and the books are cheap and cute. So, each season I buy a few more books. The books rotate and go in the basket. I have also decided to box the books up after the season with the other decorations to make it new each season. We are loving it. Here is a photo of the Valentine Books, A few winter, A Groundhog book, and some President's Day books. This has encouraged my son to read even more and gives him something to look forward to with the passing of each season.

Yummy Fruit Salad . . . very fresh and almost too easy!

This is one of our favorite recipes at our house. It's SOOO easy! My son makes it!



Fruit Salad






Ingredients:
1 Banana
5 Strawberries
1 Apple
1 Orange
1/4 Cup OJ



Cut up fruit into bite size pieces. Cover with orange juice and mix. The orange juice will make it so the fruit doesn't turn brown and gives it a additional boost of flavor. Makes enough for 1/2 cup servings for 4 people.

Enjoy!

My identity . . .

"Our Father in heaven needs us as we are, as we are growing to become. He has intentionally made us different from one another so that even with our imperfections we can fulfill his purposes. My greatest misery comes when I feel I have to fit with others are doing, or what I think others expect of me. I am most happy when I am comfortable being me and trying to do what my Father in heaven and I expect me to be.

"For many years I tried to measure the ofttimes quiet, reflective, thoughtful Pat against the robust, bubbly talkative, and energetic Jeff Holland and others with like qualities. I have learned through several fatiguing failures that you can't have joy in being bubbly if you are not a bubbly person. It is a contridiction in terms. I have given up seeing myself as a flawed person because my energy level is lower than Jeff's, and I don't talk as much as he does, nor as fast. Giving this up has freed me to embrace and rejoice in my own manner and personality in the measure of my creation. Ironically, that has allowed me to admire and enjoy Jeff's ebullience even more.

"Somewhere, somehow the Lord "blipped the message onto my screen" that my personality was created to fit precisely the mission and talents he gave me. For example, the quieter, calmer talent of playing the piano reveals much about the real Pat Holland. I would never have learned to play the piano if I hadn't enjoyed the long hours of solitude required for its development. The same principle applies to my love of writing, reading, meditation, and especially teaching and talking with my children. Miraculously, I have found that I have untold abundant sources of energy to be myself. But the moment I indulge in imitation of my neighbor, I feel fractured and fatigued and find myself forever swimming upstream. When we frustrate God's plan for us, we deprive this world and God's kingdom of our unique contributions and a serious schism settles in our soul. God never gave us any task beyond our ability to accomplish it. We just have to be willing to do it our way. We will always have enough resources for being who we are and what we can become.

--Patricia T. Holland, LDS Women's Treasury: Insights and Inspiration for Today's Woman.

I REALLY LIVED

"I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly fixed and with long perfectly manicured fingernails. I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to Scout camp. I want to be there with grass stains on my shoes from mowing the neighbors' lawn. I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbors children. I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping weed someones garden. i want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder. I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived. "

Marjorie P. Hinckley