NATURE WALK & MORE

Friday was by far our busiest and most exhausting day this week. Our Joy School group went on a nature walk around Durant Nature Park. It was such a fun time. Despite the 80 degree weather, it was pretty cool in the shade. We walked about a creek and picked up different leaves, sticks, bark, and many many many gumballs along the way. Landen took about 2 steps to every gumball he picked up. The kids had a blast and it definitely wore them out. By the end Landen didn’t even want to walk up hill to the car.   

   After our looooong walk (ok, it wasn’t that long but it took us forever b/c of Landen). We were definitely the last ones to arrive… anyways, April brought paper, markers, paint, and glitter glue for the kids to make a collage. The kids loved it.

  Ok, so after our Nature Walk, I wanted to rest. But Mia had other ideas in mind. She has been wanting to make cupcakes for a few days now. After laying Landen down for his nap (he’ll finally sleep in his room now, without Christian or I, by-the-way… SUCCESS!) So Mia and I made cupcakes and they turned out really yummy. I’m not usually  huge fan of cake and such, but these were yum yum delicioso.

There’s more. Christian was outside painting our railing up to the front door and heard a loud noise. One that sounded fairly familiar. Lately, we’re heard more of these noises, especially on the weekends. Apparently, someone has opened up a business near by. What type of business you ask?… A HOT AIR BALLOON RIDE business… naturally. That noise is the fire filling up the balloon.

  

A FEW OF MY CUTIES

Ok, so we found out Landen had pinkeye (Mia had it last week) and Kalea had a fever on Sunday. So all the kids and I stayed home Monday. No school, no activies… nada. Landen’s eyes cleared up by his 2nd dose of eye drops and to be quite honest, the kids were driving me bonkers by 4pm. So I scooted them outside and locked the doors… just kidding. We played out back and I tortured them with my camera. Here’s what we got:

   

~FIN~

PHOTOS OF THE SIMPSON5 FAMILY

Last Saturday I was able to take a few pictures of Chad (Christian’s brother) and Jessica and their family. It was a lot of fun to spend time with them. I think the pictures turned out pretty good and am really happy with them. On Mother’s Day Christian surprised me by signing me up for a Photography class offered through Wake Tech. I’m really excited about it so I can hopefully learn more and get better!

Baby Spencer *only 5 weeks old*

Sada 
  

Kipling
 

The Family
 

MOTHERHOOD – A PRICELESS AND ETERNAL GIFT

Happy Mother’s Day to all the women out there who have selflessly brought another life into this world. Who raise their children to become a righteous and beautiful person. Who have shown unconditional love to their little ones and who have put their own needs on hold. I have found a wonderful blog here about mothers and has some wonderful quotes also. One in particular I read a few months ago and really stuck out to me.

President Howard W. Hunter on motherhood:

A man who holds the priesthood has reverence for motherhood. Mothers are given a sacred privilege to “bear the souls of men; for herein is the work of [the] Father continued, that he may be glorified” ( D&C 132:63).

The First Presidency has said: “Motherhood is near to divinity. It is the highest, holiest service to be assumed by mankind” (in James R. Clark, comp., Messages of the First Presidency, 6 vols., Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1965–75, 6:178). The priesthood cannot work out its destiny, nor can God’s purposes be fulfilled, without our helpmates. Mothers perform a labor the priesthood cannot do. For this gift of life, the priesthood should have love unbounded for the mothers of their children.

Honor your wife’s unique and divinely appointed role as a mother in Israel and her special capacity to bear and nurture children. We are under divine commandment to multiply and replenish the earth and to bring up our children and grandchildren in light and truth (Moses 2:28; D&C 93:40). You share, as a loving partner, the care of the children. Help her to manage and keep up your home. Help teach, train, and discipline your children.

You should express regularly to your wife and children your reverence and respect for her. Indeed, one of the greatest things a father can do for his children is to love their mother.

A man who holds the priesthood regards the family as ordained of God. Your leadership of the family is your most important and sacred responsibility. The family is the most important unit in time and in eternity and, as such, transcends every other interest in life.

I am eternally grateful for the mothers that have been put on this earth for me. Including my own mother, my mother-in-law, and my grandmothers. They have each taught me something different and have helped mold me into a better person. They have loved my family and shown that love unconditionally in so many ways.

I am thankful for my husband. He is a great example of what The First Presidency has said, “Indeed, one of the greatest things a father can do for his children is to love their mother.” I am so blessed to have him as my eternal companion. He has shown me love and support in ways that I never knew were possible. I am thankful to him for making me a mother.

I am also extremely grateful for the best example of what a mother is through the mother of our Savior, Mary. She was chosen by our Heavenly Father to bear and raise the Savior. She was guided by the spirit to teach her precious child the things the Father wanted him to learn. She was faithful and the ultimate example of love. I thankful to her and for her worthiness to bring our Redeemer into this world. 

PRIMARY TEMPLE TRIP

 

The Primary in our Ward planned a temple trip for the children and their families this past Saturday. It turned out to be only the girls and I because Landen has become nocturnal so Christian stayed home with him.  The Primary had everyone take a little tour around the temple, take a picture in front of it, and provided us with a yummy lunch.
~My sweet girls ready for the activity~

~ All of the Primary children sang “I love to see the Temple”. (Mia refused, naturally.)~

~They had some fun activities for the kids also. They colored and blew bubbles while they waited their turn to go and walk around the temple.~  

~Thank you to everyone who planned this fun event for our children. It is so important to teach them what a blessing it is to have a temple so close to us and that we can be sealed together for all eternity.~

NEW BEGINNINGS

So Landen got his new bed… well, not so much new… very, very used bed is more like it. His cousins used it first and then it was passed down to Kalea. Then to Mia. You get the idea. But it’s in really good shape.

Look at the smile. Looks thrilled doesn’t he. Don’t let him fool you, he hates it. He refuses to sleep in it unless I am sleeping on the floor next to him or literally sitting on his bed rubbing his back while he lull’s to sleep. He has some SERIOUS separation anxiety. It’s ridiculous. However, I am such a pushover with this guy that and I hate to hear him cry. Last night was the first night I let him cry it out. I went outside into the garage with Christian while he worked out so I didn’t have to listen to it. 45 minutes later we came back in and Landen was out cold… by the door. I didn’t dare open up for fear of awakening the beast. He woke up again at 2am and cried for almost an hour. But I held my ground and didn’t go in there. He woke up for the last time at 6:30 am and cried. I did go in there this time because I didn’t want Kalea to wake up too early for school and be a zombie the rest of the day. (Yes, the girls can sleep thru his tantrums).  I’m hoping the more he gets used to it, the less he screams. Kalea and Mia both went through the sleeping-by-the-door phase also, so I don’t worry about that one.

On a side note, there was a tall shelf (over 6 feet) in his room. It’s not expensive, it’s not solid wood, and it’s not nice in any way, but it’s useful. Anyhow, we knew it needed to be removed from Landen’s room because it was just a matter of time that he would try and climb on it or pull books out of it. So we moved it into our bedroom upon my request. I emptied it and Christian moved it. He didn’t like it there so he brought it downstairs into the toy room. Have you ever SEEN OUR TOY ROOM?!  It is packed full beyond belief… piano, toys, large moving objects, etc. I DID NOT WANT IT THERE. Mostly because the books on the shelf are church books and are important to me and I didn’t want the kids to think they owned that too. It turned into an heated discussion ( I did most of the talking). So Christian went and sat on the couch and watched tv…and I went a little ballistic (not gonna lie). Suddenly I was Samson, or Zena, or Goliath, whoever you want to use as a reference. And all 5’1, 98 lbs of me picked up this shelf and carried it up our flight of stairs back into our bedroom. (Christian said he looked over at me and thought, “Kristy’s officially gone crazy.”) And put it back into our room in a different spot then the original spot picked and started loading the books back on it. It’s not the most attractive thing in our room, however it’s not in the way and it’s in a decent spot where the books are accessible. Moral of the story: well, there is none. But it does remind me of people who suddenly have super human strength and can lift cars to save children. Not quite the same, but whatever. rawr.

Houdini

Oh, just a little update… Landen hates sleeping. He wakes up at least once a night crying for me. It’s getting EXHAUSTING. It’s always around 3 am and the little stinker learned how to CRAWL. OUT. OF. HIS. CRIB!! Yes… you heard me right. The first night (Saturday) was his first attempt. He fell, but nevertheless, succeeded. Then last night (Sunday) he apparently succeeded without falling and hurting himself because the next thing I knew my door was opening and I assumed it was Mia. But as soon as I heard his little run and the sound of his diaper, I knew it was him. I was absolutely baffled. This little guy is so determined to sleep with me and be with me 24/7 that he has risked life and limb. What a stinker. So now what!? Do we put him in a toddler bed and let him escape all the time? Or do we keep the crib up and let him break his neck trying to get out all of the time.  I know what you’re thinking, it’s a lose - lose situation. I agree. I guess it’s probably time for a toddler bed and we’ll just put one of those baby proofing door knobs on his door. That’ll teach you, Houdini.