A few things I'm grateful for . . .

I'm not sure if it's just because it's a new year or because of some of the new responsibilities going on in our lives (bishopric, primary, Travis working double jobs, just to name a few) but I am really struggling to find time to blog. This week though I have been thinking a lot about how blessed I really am. And how often things just work out and fall into place better than I ever could have imagined. So I decided to take a moment and share just a few of the things I am grateful for this week.

1. Wisdom entertaining himself!

He has been rolling everywhere for a couple months now. I can't keep him in one place. Diaper changes have become quite a challenge but it has been fun to see him learn something new and discover more of the world. Below is a picture of where I laid him down.

And here is where I found him a few minutes later!2. Wisdom!

who is sitting up! Finally! Yea! He gets so excited when we sit him up, kicking and wiggling until he almost falls over.

3. When Wisdom sleeps!

After all that sitting and rolling he gets pretty tired. So he takes a little rest whenever and wherever he can fit it in.

4. Passion!
Here's Passion and Wisdom (peace!) just hanging out together. Wisdom LOVES to be with Passion. He just lights up when she gets home from school and will laugh at just about anything she does.

I love that Passion is gaining independence and learning a ton but I sure do miss her when she's at school. Passion really enjoys school and her teacher. I love when she has days off and am counting the days until summer vacation!

Passion loves to read. It is honestly her favorite pastime at the moment. Just tonight she spent 2 hours reading after dinner. The only reason she stopped was because it was bedtime and we made her. I can't hardly check out enough books from the library. She has been reading Junie B Jones books, the Magic Tree house Series and has just started to get into the A to Z mystery series. She has been reading 80 page chapter books in 90 minutes. She just amazes me!

5. When my kids make me laugh!

After changing Wisdom's diaper, I left him on the floor in his room and went to the kitchen to finish making dinner. After a little while I noticed how quiet he was being and thought I'd better go check on him. When I walked in the room he had rolled over to the vent and was just hanging out there enjoying the warm breeze!

Kindly says the funniest things all the time lately and really keeps me smiling. Just today while we were waiting in the line of cars to pick Passion up from school she said, "Mom, why are all these cars waiting for childs?"

6. Hugs!

When Travis got home from work tonight Kindly was getting her pajamas on. She ran out of her room to see him and Travis told her to hurry and get dressed so he could give her a hug. A couple minutes later she came out all dressed, ran up to Travis and said, "okay, I'm ready now daddy." Then she threw her arms around him.

7. Valentines Day!

Valentines day was a lot of fun. We made the traditional Valentines box and filled it with all sorts of fun stuff. Kindly really got into it this year and stuffed at least one coloring page in the box once a day for someone in our family. Here the kids are ready to open it up.

8. Kindly!

Wisdom is a pretty big fan of Kindly! And unfortunately for Wisdom, Kindly is a big fan of him too. He handles the constant attacks really well though and usually just goes along with whatever Kindly is attempting to do to him. Luckily for me, she can't open buckles yet so I always know he's safe in his highchair, swing and carseat. But in Kindly's defense, she does it all out of love and her obsession with her little brother.

This picture was taken because Kindly yelled to me: "Mom, come here and bring the camera!" Lately she loves to sit by Wisdom and put her arm around him. She's doing it here and she did it in the front of the shopping cart today at Costco. So cute!

Kindly's reading to Wisdom. Apparently the love of reading is genetic????

Despite all the craziness life has thrown at our family right now, things really are pretty great! We have been blessed beyond explanation over the last 2 months and I am just grateful for every moment that we get to spend together. I am most grateful that I get to be a mom. I really can't think of a better way I could spend my time.