Jumping for Joy

On Friday Jolly J graduated from sixth grade. Her class selected her to speak at graduation. She was pretty relieved after her speech.

Pretty much sums up how we all feel about school being over. 

Bring on summer vacation!

Birds and Bees

What a melancholy Monday. It has been raining all morning. Thankfully the sun decided to peek out this afternoon. It is always easier to be positive when it is shining. I'm sure my mood it mostly influenced by having to return back to everyday life. A mini-vacation is SO nice; especially when it doesn't involve the kids.

This past little while my younger two and I have been doing things related to birds and insects.

We have had experience first hand with bees (I actually think they are wasps but I've never been very good at telling the difference). My husband has an old truck. He bought it before we were married and hopes to someday restore it. We'll see if someday ever happens.

We discovered that hives (note the plural) were made somewhere in this truck. We can't see the hives but we knew they were there when about 50 yellow and brown striped insects starting flying around the cab of the truck. Thankfully the glass is still all intact. It gave the kids a chance to safely see a wasp up close without too much worry of being stung. Thank goodness for wasp and hornet spray so that they weren't all let loose on some unsuspecting child that walked past our truck. 

To culminate our discussion of birds we whipped up these little treats for family home evening.

To make them melt 2 cups butterscotch chips. Add 1 cup peanut butter (we used chunky) Stir. Add in 2 1/2 cup chow mien noodles. Stir until well coated. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Using buttered fingers shape into birds nests. Refrigerate until firm and then add jelly beans for the eggs.

A little messy but tasty!

Glimpses

The other day I watched a mother as she tenderly cared for her three children all under the age of five. I couldn't help but think how that was me not too long ago. A part of me was sad that those days are gone and my children are growing up.

It is a constant battle for me as a mother to take time to enjoy the here and now. I am constantly thinking ahead, planning, preparing, and organizing the next thing. I am always striving to teach my children and help them to make it to the next stage of life.

All too soon I am going to look back on this current stage of my life and feel sadness it too is gone. Did I enjoy what a have right now?  Did I take time to enjoy my children? Did I spend enough time with them? Every once and awhile I get glimpses that life is moving on. I think it as little nudges from our Father in Heaven to say, hey don't focus so much on the future and miss today. 

Like the other day when we were discussing and planning upcoming family vacations. My husband commented that we only have about four more years that Karebear may be living with us.  Wow that isn't much time.

Yesterday while dropping off some of my kids at school we drove by the Kindergarten drop-off. Outside the door was a little red haired boy. As we passed I could see that tears were streaming down his face. My heart went out to him.  I looked in my rear view mirror and saw a mother stop her car and run back. As she wrapped her son (I presume) in her arms, my eyes filled with tears. I couldn't help but think of my son, my youngest, and how soon (too soon) he will be leaving for Kindergarten. As I drove home, I was so grateful that that day isn't now and that I have him close by for a couple more years.

It was just the glimpse of the future I needed. To be reminded that someday I'm going to miss these days, as crazy as they may be, and to take the time to treasure and enjoy them.

Grateful

Life is good. I hope by writing this post I don't jinx myself. We recently watched an episode of Chuck. Sarah and Chuck are discussing upcoming wedding plans and how everything was taken care of. Sarah states nothing can go wrong and of course immediately something does.

I won't be so brave to state nothing can go wrong and while life isn't perfect I feel to express the gratitude my heart feels lately for my life.  I am so blessed.

Blessed to have a living husband whom I get to celebrate 15 years of marriage with this week.

Blessed to have a body free of illness

Blessed to be a mother and that my children are healthy and alive

Blessed to have a husband who has a  job

Blessed to have a home that we have been able to fix up the way we want it, for the most part

Blessed to have good neighbors and live in a relatively safe neighborhood.

Life is good and I'm grateful that for now it is normal without major trial. Here's hoping it stays that way even though I felt to take a moment and be grateful.

Music to My Ears

Sometimes the best gifts are the unplanned ones.

On Saturday Jolly J took her younger siblings upstairs. They made musically instruments. Then they had a music class and practiced some songs.

This meant I had a few hours to myself -A Great Mothers Day Gift!

Oh... and we were treated to multiple performances over the weekend.

An Exuse to Enjoy

My sister posted this a few weeks ago (which she had gotten from a friend who had gotten it from here).

Carolyn's answer describes perfectly last Friday for me.  I was in tears by noon for the whole morning had gone and all I had managed to accomplish on my list was to shower, get dressed and do my hair.

Why had it taken so long just to do this?

During nap time I sat down and started to blog trying to figure out the answer to this and how I could better manage my time. After just a few sentences I decided I could care less about blogging and decided to immerse myself in a book for awhile.

You know by that evening life was great again.

Some days are just that way.

There are days my kids need more constant attention then others.

Some days I'm just not as patient with the time it takes for their needs. Like the article states, "It's needing 45 minutes to do what takes others 15".

And sometimes I need an excuse to sit back and enjoy something, just for me.

Gets Your Heart Beating

Jolly J did the second half of her purple belt test this past weekend.   

Part 1 was about a month ago.

They started out with weapons (I didn't know this was a requirement yet). 

Here she is with the bo staff

They then spent the next two hours doing forms. This is a serious of movements designed to hit an attacker in specified places and in a certain order.

Then it's Kumite (sparring). 

Keep in mind this video is after she has been sparring for at least 10 minutes.

Just watching her gets my heart pumping. 

After she finished this her comment was, "I almost threw up". 

I guess she worked hard and truly earned her

PURPLE BELT