a clean home

I am grateful for a clean home... and you could probably guess that it isn't very clean right now, in fact, dishes are scattered across the kitchen table, counter tops and the floor. Plus there is a big pee stain that was never cleaned up from this afternoon. So that is why I am grateful when the house is clean.

My definition of "clean" has changed a lot since I started having kids. It use to mean uncluttered, spotless, not a crumb on the floor; now I can stand a few crumbs her and there and I actually really do like having toys flung all over the place. It makes my house feel like a home, okay it really doesn't because it totally stresses me out, but it does remind me that I have my sweet little children to love and take care of.

I am grateful when Jon helps me clean without me asking. It is very rare, but still I am very grateful. When we were first married, I came home from work one night and noticed he had scrubbed the tub. I started to cry happy tears and then later on, I realized that maybe the tub was probably getting a little too dingy and he was just too nice to tell me to clean up the green slime growing in it.

I love it when Hunter will do anything I ask him to do if he knows he'll get to play computer games. One day, he cleaned up the whole toy room, made his bed, and picked up his books in under 10 minutes. And he did a pretty good job at it too!

I am grateful my sister introduced me to this book. Cleaning Plain and Simple. It has been a HUGE help from giving me simple tips to keeping my home clutter free, to simple home remedies to clean the hard water stains off myshower door. I. love. it.

What are some simple tips you have for keeping a "cleaner" home?

gratitude journal: day 4

Day Bud (gotta love the way Jaina talks)

There are times in my life when I have been "blessed" with challenges. I would have to say that the birth of my third child qualifies under this. Not to say that Grey is not a blessing, because he is.

Most everyone says having three kids is the hardest to handle and then every kid after that is a breeze. My challenge I face today is having patience and learning sacrifice with having three young children and reminding myself that raising a family is the most important thing I will do in my life.

Having Grey has blessed me more than anything. It has taught me that I don't have complete control over my life. That Heavenly Father knows what he is doing and that he truly cares about me and wants more than anything for me to have joy while I am here on this earth and there is nothing more joyful that having my 3 beautiful children! I am grateful for the love I have for them that I know is only minute compared to the love Heavenly Father has for me.

Why am I grateful for Grey? Grey is the cherry on top of my sunday. He completes our family. I love all my children so much, but the first time I lay Grey close to my chest and smelled his wonderful baby scent, I knew I had been blessed more than I deserved.

I am grateful to be woken up each morning by him yelling out his crib "dad? dad?" and then to peek into his room and see him beam from ear to ear. I love listening to his little jibber jabber throughout the day and I am grateful when I pick him up, he nestles his little head into my shoulder. I love that he pushes his little toy cars in Jaina's stroller and whenever we go for drives he never fails to bring to our attention the "doggies" (horses) in the pasture that we pass each time we go to the store.

I am grateful for his beautiful, kind eyes that are the color of the sea. I love his squishy lips and his shy little smile!. I love to watch him run away from Hunter in his diaper and realize that he is growing stronger each day. I am grateful that when Jon comes home from work, Grey is the one that drops what he is doing and runs full speed for him. I am grateful that having Grey is teaching me to have patience and to set my priorities straight. I am grateful that I was chosen to be his mommy!

gratitude journal: day 3

Jee-Jee Luigi (as I like to call her)

A little over three and one-half years ago, we had boughten our first home and I was expecting our second child. Immediately I set to work painting our soon to be little girl's room. It had to be pink and it had to be perfect. I took gentle care in placing all of her tiny clothes into her dresser and all of the adorable decorations I had collected throughout the pregnancy and when I thought I got her room just so, I would change it again and again, and would smile every time I would walk by and look into the empty nursery.

I was excited, but nervous at the same time about how I was going to love another child as much as I loved Hunter. Then the day came that we rushed to the delivery room and two hours later, I was holding my beautiful, chubby, soft and perfect baby girl. I knew then that a mother's love doesn't divide, it multiplies with each child that is born.

Why am I grateful for Jaina? She is my sunshine! She is the life and excitement of our home. I am grateful for her energy and for her willingness to just be happy. I am grateful that she wants to choose the right and help others. I am grateful she always asks me if she can help me cook dinner and that she loves going shopping with me. I am grateful that she likes to help me change Grey's diapers and that she and Hunter are good buddies. She does anything to make him happy from getting a toy he wants from upstairs to being his "Batman's" ever faithful side kick, Robin, for Halloween. However, that changed when she found out that she really does like princesses after all.

I am grateful that she shouts "yay!" when she is excited! I am grateful for her cute little speech impediment and that she just talks and talks like she knows exactly how to pronounce words. I am grateful she has things in life that she is passionate about , namely her doggies. I am grateful that most every night I can tell her the same made up story about a doggy that is hiding in the bushes at the park and she takes him home and gives him a bath, wraps him in a blankie and then feeds him bottle and rocks him to sleep. She'll then smile her beautiful smile and go right to sleep with one of her many stuffed doggies tucked under her arm.
I am grateful for her striking eyes that when caught in sunlight, sparkle like diamonds. Jon and I have had many talks about what color her eyes really are. They aren't really blue, and they aren't quite green. Jon says they are golden eyes, so that's what Jaina says, "I have doughdin eyes." I am grateful I have a daughter and hopefully one day a really good friend who will come to me with her excitements and sorrows. I am grateful for my Jaina.

gratitude journal: day 2

My Buddy.

There was a sister in our ward, Sunday, who shared her testimony about the power of Motherhood. She said before she went in to deliver her baby, her husband gave her a blessing and blessed her that she may find a new kind of love with the birth of their child. That is how I felt when Hunter was born. I had a feeling I had never experienced before and a feeling that came so naturally and freely. I loved that new loving feeling!

Why am I grateful for Hunter? This might sound a little weird, but I love just looking at him. I am grateful for the peaceful feeling it gives me. I am reminded often that he is no longer my dark haired, chubby legged baby. That makes me a little sad, because it really doesn't seem that long ago that I was rocking him in my arms. But, I am grateful he is learning and growing and that I don't have to feed him and change his diapers anymore:) I am grateful that he doesn't step out of his room in the mornings until he is fully dressed in his batman shirt and shorts (even in 40 degree weather). I am grateful that he takes time to study things and learn about the world around him.
I am grateful when I get frustrated, he ask me what's wrong and tries to be a little nicer to his sister. It amazes me everyday, that he is my child. He adds so much warmth and light to our home. I am grateful he tries to be kind to others. I am grateful he gives kisses to Grey and shares his toys with Jaina, even though they aren't his cooler toys. I am grateful for the special relationship he has with Jon; a bond that only a father and son can have.

(Don't worry, that's just my lipstick smeared across his face)

At times I get frustrated with the little fellow, though. He doesn't give up on a fight very easily, a trait that I unfortunetly passed to him. But he is quick to forgive. He is almost always happy, and teaches me that it doesn't take much to be happy. I am grateful he has a sense of humor. I am grateful for his silly faces and that I can search into his beautiful dark eyes and see that he is a good person. I am grateful he is mine!

gratitude journal: day 1

I have always admired people who keep gratitude journals and have always wanted to start doing one. I've noticed that those who keep one seem to be so happy and full of life because they are mindful of those things around them that really do make them happy. So I thought it would be the perfect time to start up one since it is the 1st day of November and also Thanksgiving in a few weeks.

#1 This guy

One night, Hunter kept asking us if he could take some pictures with the camera, so we let him, and he captured this perfect, blurry image of the true Jon. This is what it is like living with this man! There is rarely a dull moment with him around. When I am stressed, sad, and/or crazy, he is easy going, happy and fun! Why am I grateful for him? Because he lets me know in subtle ways, that everything is going to be okay. He makes me want to be a better person. He makes me laugh everyday! He loves our children and shows it by spending time with them and changing there poopy diapers even if he really doesn't want to. He helps get the kids ready in the morning for church, so I can have a few extra minutes to make myself look decent for one day of the week. He gladly makes delicious dinners, if I am ever craving something off the grill. And he happily takes the garbage out whenever I ask him! Without him, I wouldn't have my beautiful children. He makes me happy! And the list goes on and on!

I would love to hear what you are grateful for!