33 Thoughts

Yesterday was my birthday. It came and went with extreme exhaustion and very little fanfare. Ten years ago, that would have bothered me. While I am full of gratitude for another year of my fantastic life, my thoughts are generally farther away from myself than they were in past decades. I am also grateful for that.

I am going to miss the way the wild onions that grown in our back yard smell when I mow the lawn in the early summer.

I am also going to miss Aldi, Meijer, and Menards...

...and the fire flies that appear to come out of the earth as life itself at dusk in July.

I am not going to miss the humidity and the way mold grows in my bathtub almost faster than I can clean it up.

I pray for Abraham a lot. I pray for Matthew, and my other children, but Abraham tugs at my soul and I long for the knowledge and patience I need to help him.

One of my favorite things in the whole world is Private Selections Black Raspberry ice cream with Dark Chocolate Chunks.

I don't really like to be barefoot.

 I love cooking, but my least favorite chore is doing the dishes. I look forward to the day when my kids are old enough to clean up after meals.

If I could have a life time supply of anything, it would probably be butter.

I like wearing skirts...

...and an apron with pockets...

...however, I don't think I would have made a very good pioneer. I would have gone crazy in a tiny one or two room house. I am really grateful for modern amenities like indoor plumbing, refrigeration, and electricity. I am in love with the idea of pioneer life though, and often daydream about life back in the day.

I kind of miss reading my paper scriptures. I packed them away since I can read on my phone, but there's just something impersonal, I think,  about reading the word of God on a screen.

I love new toothbrushes...

...and new dish sponges...

...and being the first to stick a knife into a new jar of peanut butter.

I really hope my kids make some good friends in Albuquerque. That's something that never really happened for them here in Indiana. We've had friends they like playing with when the occasion arises, and they have little kid Matthew, but he is mean to them and not someone I want them spending all their time with. I pray there is a neighbor or someone in the ward that they just click with who is kind and a good influence.

Hyrum needs his own computer. I do too.

My kids sure whine a lot. Do everyone's kids whine as much as mine do?

 I hate that shows and computer games have been my go to source for keeping the kids relatively quiet and out of our way as we worked on the house. They've had so much screen time lately that I'm a little nervous about weaning them off the tv. I hope that during our 30 day "vacation" we can spend lots of time exploring Albuquerque, finding fun new places to play rather than sitting at home rotting our brains in front of a screen.

A pair of flip flops I've had since before my mission broke yesterday. I'm pretty amazed at some of the things that haven't changed in so many years.

I am SO excited that there is a temple in Albuquerque.

I hate handling raw meat. Boning and trimming chicken is one of my very least favorite things to do, which is why I try to do several months worth at a time.

Favorite kitchen tool: scale. I'm also a huge fan of my temperature probe and am not sure how I ever cooked anything worth eating with out it.

I am grateful for the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. I know the Lord hears my many, constant pleadings, and I know how to recognize His answers through the whisperings and gentle feelings of the Spirit.

I am definitely a morning person. Especially when I'm able to get up and start my day before everyone else is awake.

I think getting my gall bladder out was one of the best things that ever happened to me. It amazes me how one can live so long thinking things are "normal" then get something removed (or glasses or shoe inserts) and all of a sudden life is so much better than you thought it could be.

I also learned so much about self control and sacrifice because of that sludgy old gall bladder. The Lord always knows the best way to teach us what we need to know.

I love driving a van.

I'm a completely heart sick at the thought of not having any more babies, but at the same time surprisingly okay with the idea of being done. Who knows what the future holds for the growth of our family.

I prefer drinking water with meals.

I wish I was more on top of celebrating holidays with decorations and fun foods. I have this vision in my head of making these magical memories for my children. We make everything a "party" around here though, so I hope they grow up feeling like every day was a celebration.

Blogging takes a lot of time. I think I will be grateful though to look back and remember, and I hope this record will help my children know who I was and how hard I worked at the job I love: mom.