14 years

It's amazing to me that it has been 14 years since I married my sweetheart.  

A lot has happened in that time.  4 kids, 5 moves, and 25 million laughs.

Although my life looks different than I thought it would when I was 12, the important parts of life, are just like I imagined.  I married a man of God, he loves me, he deals with me, he laughs at my jokes, he listens to me, and he even cleans for me.  

I have 4 amazing children.  They are full of life.  They have a sparkle in their eyes.  They aren't jaded.  They are pure.  And the best part....at least for a couple more years, they love me, and actually want to be around me.

Most of all, I am grateful.  I am grateful Bj loves me unconditionally.  He doesn't mind all my imperfections.  He has taught me to let go of my insecurities.  Whenever I am feeling weak, he buoys me up.  He inspires me to be a better person, by being the better person.  When I am neurotic, he soothes me.  He truly is my partner.  And even though I am getting older and the years are showing, he tells me I am beautiful.  

I am grateful!

Bragging

Every now and then, I have to brag about my children.  It's just a necessity. 

A few weeks ago I went to their awards assembly.  They all received perfect attendance, and then various other awards for achievements in their individual classes.  To be honest, I am slightly spoiled.  My kids always get awards, and sometimes spending 2 hours at their awards assemblies seems....long.  Yet, how blessed am I?  I have some pretty great kids, they all work hard, they do their best, and they are ....well  my favorite kids ever.

In our family, the grandparents have offered some awards for kids who get straight A's in every subject.  I have been pleasantly surprised to find that each and every one of my sweet kiddos has accomplished this every term.  WOW.  A little incentive does inspire greatness.

I love how Madeline looks at me with, that, look.  You know the one.  The one that says: "Mom, are you seriously taking pictures of me?  I am way too old for this stuff."

And because of that look, I want to take more and more pictures.

And, last but not least.  My biggest kid of all.  He turned a whopping 39 a few weeks ago.  This is his last year being in his 30's.  And, it is showing, his body has started to fall apart, evidenced by his constant Dr.'s appointments with various orthopedic surgeons (one hand, one back), oral surgeons, dentists, etc..  

But, even though he is falling apart from head to toe, I still love his guts.

Passing the Torch....(or candlestick)

 Bj was telling Elizabeth the other day how to do a candlestick.  She was nervous to do it.  So, he said, "come here Sarah....let's show her."  Being the wise woman I am....and knowing that Bj just herniated his back...I declined.  There was no way I was going to be the downfall of his back.  NO WAY!  I weigh substantially more than a 7 year old!

So, after some coaching...Lizard went for it.

And, now, that is all she wants to do.  Tricks with her dad.  

Random Picture Update

As I was driving to a RS meeting the other day, I looked in the rearview mirror, and saw the most amazing sunset.  Desert sunsets can blow my mind, they are so bright and colorful.  I love them.  So, I snapped a pic...don't worry, no cars were harmed during the making of this picture. 

Madeline is working on her photography skills.  She picks up the camera, and goes to town taking pictures of things around the house.  This time, it was me.....REALLY CLOSE.   Maybe a little too close, but she is learning!

The kids had their piano recital the other day.  Elizabeth was super nervous...she came home from school excited and scared, and ready to go.  The kids did great, and I love watching their skills grow! 

Yep, it was St. Patricks day...we celebrated it by making all our food green. And, in so doing, made me not want to eat any of the food.  Apparently, green eggs just don't seem that awesome. 

The other day, I needed to get to work.  The sewing kind of work.  So, I went directly to my room, and started working.  I didn't tell anyone what I was doing, I just went there...trying to be quiet and anonymous.

Magically, the kids could sense my need to accomplish something.  They all joined forces and came to do their own sewing or crafting in the sewing room.  We spent the afternoon together sewing and helping, and enjoying the day together.  I wasn't as amazingly productive as I dreamed I could be, but we did have fun together, and maybe I can pass a few little skills on to my beloved little monkeys.

We've had a fun month.  Life is pretty great.