My kids get Mulluscum. They are little bumps that look like pimples, but just pop on their own, heal, and go away. A random virus that appears every now and then. Usually no big deal.
Until this time. Apparently having open mulluscum sores that are healing on your body are hotbeds for Staph infections.
Well, Abby fell victim. One morning she woke up and there were little hives all over her body.
Uhhh...what is THAT?!
As any mother would, I made a super-lightening fast speed call to get a doctor's appointment to find out.
Claire had a couple mulluscum as well, but managed to steer clear of the infection. She came along to see the doctor for moral support. :)
Here they are happy as can be waiting for the doctor to come in. I swear, nothing gets these girls down. :)
After a quick diagnosis, antibiotic, and dropping of my racing, worried heart; we were out of there.
She is fine now. Skin flawless and back to normal. Whew...being a mother can sure be a little nerve-racking sometimes. :)
The past few months have been crazy. Like really crazy. And I have a whole lot of things to do still and even more to blog about so that I don't forget all the neat experiences that have occurred during the crazy months.
But this morning I am going to put that aside.
I am going to document instead a little moment of inspired perspective I just had.
Blogs are a funny thing. They can really inspire. They can uplift. They can encourage and even bring answers to prayers of those who are searching.
But...
They can also make you feel bad. They can bring you down by the portrayed perfection. By the stellar moments you try your best to have with your family but never seem to turn out according to plan.
They can make it seem as though everyone is always happy and even though the rough, raw moments we ALL know we ALL have are not showcase and sometimes not even shared.
Now, don't get me wrong, I am a believer in feeding the positive. I don't want to remember the hard things nearly as much as I want to remember the joy that I experience. I know the hard parts are just as much a part of this mortal experience but I find it too easy to notice the negative and it seems in my mind to overshadow the positive. So when I blog I focus on the positive too. The picture-worthy moments instead of the crying-in-the-closet ones. We ALL have both! But I want to remember the good so much more and I am fine to let the negative have its' moment and move back into the recesses of my memory...only to be drawn forward when I can use it for something good -like sympathizing with another going through some similar trial or not making the same mistakes I've learned from over and over again.
So I CHOOSE to blog the positive. The negative is too private and personal.
But then I read other blogs that do the same and I feel as though they don't have any struggles. I KNOW they do. But it just doesn't FEEL like it. :)
So this morning, as I sat here contemplating all the "THINGS" I need to do today, and read a blog which I LOVE (just today's post was REALLY dreamy), I heard something.
I heard my little girls playing Barbies in their room. Lost in a world of make-believe and sisterly-twin love. Not worrying about a thing. The only thing that mattered to them was that they were playing together. That is true perspective. Making time for the ones that matter the most to us.
And I decided that I would take a moment and snap a few pictures to remind me of the dreamy moments in my life that can get overlooked when things get hard and crazy.
So here they are...without even knowing it....changing my perspective.
Thank you girls. :)
There is no better career in the world than that of a Mother.
She is the center of the home. She is the nurturer. Not that men can't nurture but let's face it, over all...women have this down!
Motherhood teaches me things I didn't even know I needed to learn. It teaches me about who I really am, and what is really important in life.
I am blessed to stay home and be my kids mom.
A title I hold dear.
I love being a Mother. Especially since I have the best kids! In my humble opinion. :)
I mean really, who wouldn't want this???!!!
I am truly grateful to my Heavenly Father, who has entrusted me with 4 of His precious little ones.
I often make mistakes. Like every-day-kind-of-often. But I try to learn from them. I try to be better. I try to help my kids be better. I try to be a wife first, and a mother second.
I have a wonderful mother of my own. She taught me how to serve, love, give, feel for others, and work hard. She is an angel. I love her deeply. It grows stronger all the time.
My grandmother taught me to be strong. Honor faith. Be obedient. Stand up for what is right, even if it is not popular. How grateful I am to her for her strength. Something that I see in myself.
I also have a wonderful Mother-in-Law whom I adore! She is honestly one of the most Christlike people I know. She raised the man of my dreams and I can't express enough how grateful I am for that.
Motherhood is grand. Mothering children, whether our own or those precious children around us is rewarding, and worth every effort.
Motherhood is a career that affects the past, present, and future.
Happy Mother's Day to all those who mother!
I just had a tender experience with my little Claire-Bear that I don't want to forget.
I was in the office. She came in and asked me if I could get her an orange. I picked her up. She hugged me tight. As I walked with her into the kitchen she said,
"You are the best mom for me."
"I love you."
Moms sure need moments like this. Thank you Claire. I love you too my sweet, sweet girl!
You are now my favorite child. :)
Do you ever have times where you wonder "Are they getting ANY of this??!!"
I am striving to be a fiercely devoted mother. A mother who knows. A mother who tries to teach her children. A mother who prays they get the blatant AND subliminal messages I am trying to send them about life. I go to great lengths to raise them right and instill good values into their beings.
Yet often I wonder, is any of this sinking in? Are they getting ANY OF IT??!!
Will they ever stop hitting their siblings?
Will they ever eat a meal without grossing others out with their work-in-process table manners?
Will they learn to sacrifice something they want for something better? Or better yet, for someone else?
Can I really teach them all they need to know in the relatively short window of opportunity that I have to raise them?
Well...I am happy to report that today my spirits were heightened. Those moments where your heart leaps inside of you because they
"GOT IT."
I like to call these "mommy paychecks."
It started out with Jake running late, and Morgan asking me if she could make his lunch because she is his secret friend this week.
It then went to his smile and affectionate hug to his sister for genuinely helping him in his moment of need.
Then it was Abby and Claire playing together all day. Happy as can be. No friends, just each other. And loving every minute of it.
I got another paycheck a couple of days ago when Jake quickly rescinded and apologized for a snippy comment he made to me...without me even reminding him to watch his tone. It was genuine repentance and a desire to be good.
It was tonight when sitting with my little girls reading a longer book without constant interruptions and they even noticed when the character was sad. And when they understood why he was sad.
Lastly, it came about 15 minutes ago when I sat with my Morgan and we talked openly about things she was struggling with but holding inside. One of those moments you are so glad you are there for, because not only do you get a chance to get inside her deep thinking head but you also know what she needs from you as her mother.
What a payday I had.
Motherhood is truly grand.
Tonight I write from England. If you have wondered where I have been (you probably haven't, but just in case :)) Trev and I have spent the last 1 1/2 weeks exploring France and England. It is just us...and I will document more on that than anyone but us would care to see...but since I have filled memory cards and no photoshop that will have to wait.
Writing tonight is simply about finding a way to comfort my head and heart. It is about missing my children...and feeling "Missing in Action" for my children.
Each day, I am blessed to be a mother. I am severely loved and needed by 4 great kids, and 1 loving husband. I am fortunate enough to stay home and raise these kids I adore, and create a home where loving, lifting, learning, and laughing occur. I am a truly, truly blessed woman.
Now, not all the aspects of motherhood are fun and glamorous. Some are downright difficult. It is easy to get caught up in the "thick of thin" things. And it is often all you can do to stay positive.
But it is amazing how much you miss it when you step away from it for a little while.
Earlier this year, Trev was recognized as one of his company's top sales reps. An honor in it's own right. In addition, he was awarded an all-expense paid trip to Cannes, France for him and I to enjoy! Since then, we have been dreaming, planning, worrying, and anticipating.
SIDE NOTE: I also need to mention that ever since we have been married we have dreamed to go to England. Trev's father grew up there before joining the LDS church as a teen and immigrating to the U.S. So we thought, "hey, if the company is paying...we should just do England while we are over there!" We even worked it out to have Trev's mom and dad be there at the same time to show us around and get a full English experience along with first-hand family history! It was perfect!
The only problem was that it would need to be 2 weeks to make it worth it. How does one pack up and leave their life for 2 whole weeks??? Answer: Lots, lots, and lots of planning and preparation.
When planning, there are lots of things to get in order. However, of all the things to prepare for this amazing trip...the thing that occupied my heart and mind the most was the question "how can I leave my kids for 2 whole weeks?!!"
Well thanks to lots and lots of sacrifice on the part of many (particularly my dear mum - like that English rubbing off on me?), I was able to work it out. I left last week still worried but confident in the planning and the love that I knew everyone would show to my kids. So far, everything has gone according to plan.
But 2 days ago, 2 of my girls got sick. Morgan developed a "boil" on her leg, and Claire came down with pink eye. I immediately felt guilty for not being there for my girls - to comfort them, to care for them, etc. But my mom took them to the doctor, got the needed medicine, and everything seemed to be under control.
Tonight, however, when I called my mom she told me that after she dropped of my kids off to the places they would spend this final weekend of our trip, Abby and Claire started running fevers. As I write this, my sweet neighbor is taking them to the doctor.
I feel so grateful for a loving mother and friend who are taking such loving care of my kids...but at the same time, the guilty feelings are back. I am their mother. I should be there to hold and comfort them. I should be the one on the way to the doctor. So not only and I missing my kids, but I feel like I am "Missing in Action" for my kids when they need me.
I recognize that I need to just push those feelings aside. But I think since I am missing my kids as it is, my heart can't help but let those feelings linger.
I am waiting to call back to get an update on what the doctor says and I am praying that they are just little colds.
But I just needed a way to get these feelings out. To work through them in my mind and heart. It doesn't necessarily make them go away, but I can feel it helping.
It is amazing how one experience of "Missing in Action" reminds me of how much I love being that "Mother in Action."
A role I am and will be eternally grateful for. One that I look forward to going back to.
To my sweet kids: I love you all ever so much. It hurts my heart to be away from you. Please know that Dad and I have missed you terribly and can't wait to hold you the moment we get home. A moment that can't come soon enough. Thank you for being brave while we have been gone. We love, love, LOVE you all soooo much! XOXOXOX - Mom and Dad
