Dear Children, we are busy busy busy until school gets out. And then we are busy again for another month or so. Dear J, it was so fun talking with you about things I can only talk to you about! I am so excited to see you this summer, it's going to be so much fun! I love You! Dear Girls, I spent 4 hrs at gymnastics and a cheer show. You all did so great! I bought tickets for us all to go to the two shows, which was a little pricey if you must know. Kade got tired and grouchy half way through the first show and went to sit in the foyer. Hazel threw a fit about going to the second show. I didn't want them to go to waste, but there was no way I was taking them again just to ruin my time. Luckily I found a friend who was about to buy some and gave them to her. I love watching how they have improved! Dear Avary, this is your first year in gymnastics. Something you have dreamed of doing your whole life. You are built like a gymnast and super strong. You have just taken off and love every minute of it. You were so excited to do a peanut roll and front and back walk over. I am really excited to see what you are capable of in the future. Dear Hazel, your music concert was so adorable. You were a flower, the cutest flower. Dear Hailey, I just checked your grades and I am so proud of you for putting more effort into getting good grades. You went from not doing your homework with a D to ending with a 96%. Good enough for me. You are smarter than you realize. Dear Kade, not a day goes by that I don't thank the Lord for the blessings and really the miracle of guiding us to Q96/Empower plus. It has changed your life from night to day. And mine from the deepest heartache to such a hopeful bright future for you. I can't wait to see what next year holds for you. It brings me to tears to think about what we have been through together, what you have been through, what our family has been through. I wish I could share this miracle with the world. Dear Mothers Day, I was awakened by the kids bringing me breakfast in bed. (i don't love food made by children). They made me pancakes from scratch, the kitchen is a witness of this. I though "oh this might be ok" and then Hazel with her smiling face shining up at me with excitement says "it's ok Mom only most of it fell on the floor so we just picked it up and put it back on the plate".......I was at a crossroads of what I "should do" and "what I wanted to do". I stared at it for so long, thanking them as they all stared waiting for me to take a bite. I decided to have Hazel show me the parts that didn't fall on the floor and became so full as soon as we ran out of those parts. I guess I can not say that I have never done that to them haha. Will had work all day, but left me a nice card and some pretty roses. After breakfast the kids ran out of their sweetness and were just lucky that I am their mother and love them anyway. Although getting a journal from each child with a note in it to be used each Mother's Day made me happy. Dear Becca, thank you for the note and for remembering me on Mother's day. You never forget those special days and that means a lot. I Love You! Dear Will, regardless of what this life throws at us you are the only person I want by my side. You are the one I want to weather the storm with, to laugh and cry with, sometimes both at the same time. I can see that the Lord wants our faith as a couple and as a family to be sure and unbreakable. And He is providing the many opportunities for us to strengthen our faith in Him and His plan for us. I can only imagine what the Lord has in store for our large family. Dear Self, for heaven sake can't I get a break! I must really need to be a better person because I always have trials that require me to walk around in the dark desperately trying to follow the spirit. Although I wouldn't trade what I gain from these trials, sometimes I want a longer space in between them. But I know the Lord knows better and always has a bigger blessing in store for me afterward. I am not as strong or capable as He thinks I am.
