Secrets of Being a Good Mommy -- Revisited...

I once wrote for the blog, Realities of a SAHM (Stay at Home Mom).

These three blogs were my most favorites.  They reveal the secrets of being a good mommy...

• Secrets of Being a Good Mommy {part 1}
• Secrets of Being a Good Mommy {part 2}
• Secrets of Being a Good Mommy {part 3}

Enjoy!

An open letter to President Donald J. Trump

Dear Mr. President,

I don't like you.  I don't like the things you have said towards and about women.  I don't like your arrogant personality.  I don't like that you were a candidate for President of the USA.  It still blows my mind.

However, I believe in not only second and third chances, but in endless chances.  I believe in forgiveness and change.  I believe that someone can be humbled and come to their senses.  I believe that most people are good.

Here's the thing, I don't want you to fail at this.  I want you to succeed.  I want you to be the greatest POTUS ever!  I want everyone to be shocked and eat their words in 4 years.  I want you to be so amazing at this gig, that we all vote you back in for another term.

Watching so many people fight against each other, and be divided, has caused my heart to almost break.  This is not the world I want to raise my three amazing children in. They deserve better than what we are giving them.  With that being said, I know that how they treat others is a direct reflection on how they've been parented, especially at these young ages.

I want you to know that even though I don't like you, I will be praying for your success as you serve this great country.  Even though I don't like the things you have said towards and about women, I will forgive you and hope that your apology was sincere.  Even though I don't like your arrogant personality, I will humble myself and realize that your personality may be exactly what this country needs.  I will put my trust in God.  I know that you becoming POTUS was not a surprise to the Almighty God, no matter how shocking it was to the rest of the world.  I trust that He will guide His people.

My prayer is that you will live up to your promises, and that you will truly have a desire to serve and bring together this land of divided citizens.  I pray that you will think of those who are less fortunate than you, and that you will use this position to lift them higher.  I pray that you will be calm and rational before you tweet the first thing that comes to your mind.  I pray that you can recognize what this country needs.

I keep hearing that we need to stop complaining and come forward with solutions.  I cannot come up with a solution that will change the world, but I can come up with one that will change my heart.  I will pray for you everyday.  I will pray for those who are by your side making serious decisions.  I will pray for the people who are hurting.  I will do good to and for others.  I will do what I can in my community to include everyone and make them feel wanted.  I will no longer bash you and put you down...pinky promise.  I will tolerate others I disagree with by listening and respecting their opinions.  I will stand with those who feel they have no voice.  And lastly, I will try to help you make America and Americans great (Notice that "again" is left out on purpose, because let's face it, when has it truly been great for everyone?! #AmIRight) by showing genuine love to everyone I meet without judgment.

Sincerely,
A very nervous but hopeful woman!

WHAT?! An UPDATE?!

Don't have a heart attack!!  YES!!  I'm blogging!!  Can you believe it?!  


So...here is our family update!


We have a little one on the way!  I'm 27 weeks pregnant!  We are all pretty excited about this!  This is our "baby surprise" because we aren't finding out what we are having until it's here!  There are a few names we like, but we are waiting until we see it's face to name it!  Not everyone likes our idea of waiting...and by "our" I mean mine!  But I don't care!  =)  It's still so exciting...


We are getting ready to make a big change...not only adding one to the family, but moving the family...  We are moving to the Raleigh area for Brooks' job!  He will no longer be working at good ole CFP!  He will miss working side by side with his father, but the time has come.  We are grateful for this opportunity to grow and move forward with life!


Speaking of life, the children are full of it!  They are amazing!  They keep us going!  It's ironic...they give us the strength to live everyday...but take all that strength away by wearing us out!  Their perfect day would consist of:  Grandma Reece's pool, popsicles, Chuck E. Cheese, and playing with cousins and Uncle John John!  

Donnie is done with Kindergarten!  He did WONDERFUL!  His teachers were sad to see him go...he made them candy leis and painted cute frames for them!  He cried when we left his classroom...He said, "Goodbye Kindergarten."...it was pitiful.  

Layne is SO VERY excited to be a big sissy!  She said she will do everything for the baby...even change diapers!  I'd say something like, "Yeah right, we'll see how long that lasts"...but with this little girl, I'm almost positive she will!!  

We also have a sweet puppy!  His name(s) is(are) Milkbone (Milkie, Whiteboy, or Monkey)...everyone loves him...everyone does not include Brooks!

Well, that's our update...Not very long...that's why I haven't blogged in forever...not much to blog about!  But we hope everyone is having a great summer!  Stay safe!  We love you all!  I will probably update after the baby is born...so don't expect anything before then!  =)  

Who's got a birthday?!

The first thing I heard this morning was, "Mama!  I'm 4!!"...I couldn't help but smile.  Indeed, my Princess was officially FOUR YEARS OLD!  Where did the time go?! 

I'm afraid I've waisted it.
I'm afraid I've jipped (is that even a word?!) my babygirl of an awesome four years!
For someone so small and sweet, she has been through much more than you could imagine!

In four years she has:

Been born...(we all know how rough that is!)
Learned to walk...
Learned to talk...

Lived in 2 different states...
Broken a leg...

Had to go through 3 1/2 years of her parent's marital issues...
Lived in 6 different houses...
Learned to Tahitian dance & made quite a few stage appearances...

Been to preschool...
Attended 3 different wards/nurseries...
Traveled across the country more than once...

Wow!!  What a life!!  I can say with all my heart that she was truly heaven sent!!  She was perfect timing for my life (as well as everyone's!)...  Right when I needed to feel the Savior's love the most, the Lord sent her to our family!  She has the most contagious laugh!  She has the most beautiful eyes that change from blue to green!  She has the most beautiful porcelain skin.  She has the most beautiful long hair that we can't even decide what color it is!!  She's feisty, loud, funny, tender, happy, and giving!  She loves her brother more than life itself!  He is her best friend!  She has a personality all her own!  She knows exactly what she wants and how she is gonna get it!!  She is even pretty when she cries! 

Through these last four years, I, her mother, have never thrown her a birthday party...like, a REAL birthday party!  Her first bday luau was thrown by her nana because we were living in Missouri...so we came to NC to have it...  Her second bday was also thrown by her nana because I was working in Ohio...however, on her actual bday she was with me in Ohio and we went to a water park!!  Her third bday we didn't do much...clearly because neither her father or mother can seem to remember it! 

So this year, life seems to be as it always should have been!  So that means, SHE GETS A PARTY!!  That's right!!  We are having an "Alice in Wonderland Mad Hatter's Tea Party"!!  She is so excited!!  We sent out invitations to her friends and cousins, we bought the decorations, and we have started the countdown to Saturday!!  She LOVES the 2010 "Alice in Wonderland"...so that was her theme!!  I'll be sure to post pictures after the party!!

I'm so grateful that the Lord trusts me enough to be her mother.  I know that she is destined for greatest!!  I know every mother must feel this way about their children, but seriously, there is just something about her!  What other child prays for the devil?!  LOL

I can speak for her father when I say that she holds our heart in the palm of her hands.  She makes us smile.  She is our comic relief when the realities of life set in.  She is our angel!  We love her more than she will ever know. 

Fun fact:  Layne was born on the same day as my father's paternal grandmother!!  So, Happy Birthday Gram!  We love you and miss you so much!!  I'm so honored that the Lord saw fit that my oldest daughter was born on the same day as you!  I pray she is just as wonderful a woman!!

Maybe a tad bit stubborn?!

Last night, after scripture study & family prayer, we piggy-backed the kids to their beds.  We couldn't find Layne's blankie...(She likes to sleep on top of her blanket with her blankie covering her, because she does not like to ruin her bed!  Needless to say, she's a bit of a perfectionist/OCD!!)...so she had to sleep underneath her actual blanket!!

It would be an understatement to say she was freaking out about it!!  She did NOT want to mess up her bed!!  She did NOT want to mess up her bed!!  She did NOT want to mess up her bed!! 

Oh, did I tell you that she did NOT want to mess up her bed?! 

Another blanket just wouldn't do.

After explaining that it was okay to use her blanket, and after promising I would make her bed in the morning she still refused!!  She gave me one of her "looks"...you know, those, "THIS IS THE WORST NIGHT OF MY LIFE AND I HATE THIS!  I HATE THIS!  I HATE THIS!  I HATE THIS!"...Her breathing was getting huffier and puffier!!  Her face was red, and I was trying so hard not to laugh!! 

It sounds terrible, but it was so funny!! 

I told her she could just go to bed.  She was fine and she needed to just sleep under her blanket.  Seriously, if you knew the day I had, you would have agreed that she could get over it!! 

Brooks and I were in the kitchen talking about his day, and we weren't paying much attention...I guess because things got quiet!  I just appreciated the fact that they went to sleep and she listened to me and just fell asleep under her blanket...without her blankie...

Then, about 30 minutes later Brooks and I decided to go to bed...
When I walked down the hall, this is what I saw...

Yup, that's right!!  She said, "What the heck ever, mom!!  I'm RE-making my bed and sleeping on TOP!!  By the way, I do NOT want to mess up my bed!"...

Trying to find my GOOVE!

So lately, I've been way out of it!!  I've lost all ability to write a song!!  I just can't do it!!  I used to be able to write something so true, beautiful, and impressive in twenty minutes or less!!  Now, I can't even write a hook!!  It's kind of sad...I can feel what I want to write inside, but for some reason, it's not coming out of my fingers!!  I can't even seem to write a blog for goodness sake!!  I've written a few posts, but haven't published them, because, well...they were terrible...and now I'm afraid this one is as well!!

I've been working on my website, projects for family members, being involved with PTO, sticking to a strict schedule, and everything else.  I've lost myself somewhere in between all of that.  There seems to be so much I need and want to do but never enough of me to go around, or enough money, or enough time!!  I guess this has been the song of many women through the ages though...and I guess that just means that life is just as it should be...I don't know...

I do know that if I could, I wouldn't change a thing right now!  My husband is the greatest!  My kiddos are the sweetest!  They make me happy!

But hopefully, sometime in the near future...I'll find my groove...you know, where you feel yourself gliding through the tasks of the day and being over productive while humming and smiling all the day long...and never snapping at anyone?!  HAHAHAHA!!  That just sounds too good to be true!!  Someday, I'm gonna write a song that keeps us all going strong...where we never lose our groove!  Someday, when I'm not so busy!! 

Here is evidence that I've had a groove before!!

http://www.exfactor1201.blogspot.com/

I'm back!!! Did you miss me?!

Well!!  After YEARS of NOT blogging, here we go again!!!  =)  I don't know if y'all are ready for this?!  I feel fresh and new!!  Totally re-energized!!  I never thought I'd pick up this blogging thing again, but alas...I gave in!!  I did enjoy it way back when and hopefully you'll enjoy it now!!
As many of you know, I sort of fell of the radar.  I'm definitely not proud of what, how, and where everything went down in my life, but the truth is, it did!  I'm not proud of my choices and decisions I made, however, I'm not ashamed to tell the world I'm working on it!!  How grateful I am for the knowledge of the Atonement.  There are so many goals and hopes I have for my future...for what the Lord has in store.  If going through everything I went through could help any of you or anyone you know change their ways, let me know.  I'd be more than happy to help! 

Oft times I feel overwhelmed and inadequate.  I don't feel like the super mom my kids deserve.  I don't feel like the "Leave it to Beaver" wife my husband wishes he had.  I feel so plain...so ordinary.  I feel so down about not having awesome talents and skills that seem to drip off of every other woman I know!  I see so many woman that have their ducks lined up in a row...that have their mess together...that have schedules and lives to live!  I feel like a side liner or a mere drifter...never stable or steady...Why can't I be like the rest of the women?!  Sometimes I question my ability to be a good friend or sister...I wonder, "how can I help or be of service to anyone else if I feel like I can't even keep up with myself"?! 

Then I realize...it's life!  It's this sweet sweet experience we call life!  What a joy!  Because even when I feel like an inadequate spiritually crippled mommy that can't get up and down the stairs or in and out of the car without making some sort of noise...my kids still hug me every night and kiss me every morning!  My husband still tells me I'm beautiful and still puts up with my OCD way of folding towels!  My friends still laugh at my pathetic attempts to be funny and my sisters still tell me secrets!  Life is good!

There have been so many happenings since I last blogged.  Brooks and I were shooting for a divorce...we were separated for almost 2 years...life wasn't so good.  The heartbreaking thing is that our children suffered the most.  My soul still aches for what I put them through.  During that time I found what I was really made of...some of it was bad but mostly good.  Some of my favorite people in the world talked some sense into me...through love, compassion, and forgiveness I was able to see through the darkness and clouds of misery that the adversary hangs over our heads and hearts, to find the pure love of Christ that awaits each of us.  I'm excited for life--for the ups and downs...I pray that from now on my life can be that of an example that would show you the love and great respect I have for our Savior.  If I could change the past I certainly would...but the lessons learned are irreplaceable...life will never be the same for me...

My heart is always full of gratitude...I love you all for your prayers on our behalf and for your faith in me...
Stay tuned...

Everyone Has To Check Out...

This is what I'll be working on/with from here on out...

Go to...

www . cboy1 . homestead . com

Of course there are no "spaces" between all of that...
And make sure you scroll all the way to the bottom...

My new hobby...

I've been having WAAAAY too much fun with all of this!!

It's Official!!

Allison has entered the TERRIBLE TWO'S...someone, anyone, have mercy on me!

Here are some BIRTHDAY pictures I took of her this morning!! She one beautiful baby girl! I think she looks quite a bit like her dear mama!

Donnie's 1st Talk in Primary!

I was one proud mama on this beautiful Easter Sunday!! Donnie is such a big boy and did an amazingly spectacular job on his talk! He remembered everything he needed to say and do - and not only that - I think he even had a "deeper understanding" of it all on a smaller level. For example - Okay - so a couple of days ago Donnie was fighting with the baby - aka Baby Lata (as he calls her) - our conversation goes as follows:

Donnie - Give it to me!! Give it to me!! Moooooooooom, baby Lata won't give me the basket! I waaaaaaaaaaaaant iiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!!

Jaz - Donnie, she had it first. You can pick another toy to play with or you can wait your turn.

Donnie - ((screaming)) I DON'T WANT TO WAIT MY TURN!

Jaz - Excuse me?! No sir!! We do not scream at mommy!! You need to calm yourself down.

Donnie - ((screaming even louder)) I DO NOT WANT TO CALM DOWN!

Jaz - You need to think of a way you can calm down or you need to go to bed and get more sleep!

Donnie - ((all of a sudden completely happy)) I know MOM!! I can read my talk!!

Jaz - That's a fabulous idea son!!
**we go through his talk**

Donnie - ....I say this in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen! Okay!! I'm calm now!!

--------and he walks away, just like that!!---------

What a sweet sweet son I have been blessed to raise and even better than that - I have been blessed to call him my son! I love this boy so much that sometimes I can't hardly stand to think about the time we will eventually have to be apart. He is such a blessing in my hectic life and has taught me more than I have taught him! I owe so much to my Father in Heaven for my Donnie.





So here is what he is saying...

JESUS CHRIST IS MY SAVIOR
JESUS CHRIST LOVES ME VERY MUCH
HEAVENLY FATHER SENT JESUS
TO DIE FOR US ON THE CROSS
THEN IN 3 DAYS
JESUS WAS RESURRECTED
WHEN WE SAY OUR PRAYERS
WHEN WE READ OUR SCRIPTURES
WE CAN GO BACK HOME TO HEAVEN
I LOVE JESUS VERY MUCH
I LOVE TO SEE THE TEMPLE
I KNOW THE CHURCH IS TRUE
I SAY THIS IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST, AMEN

All Growed Up!

I asked Donnie what he wanted to be when he grows up! He says, "Mom, I want to be a drummer. Oh! And a breakdancer! Like the JabbaWockeez! And the skating JabbaWockeez! Mom - JabbaWockeez is nice, because I like JabbaWockeez!"

Here is the link for the video!
We've watched it a BILLION times!!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4lNKb31-mA

Don't You Love These Faces?!

Buddies!

Kody & Little Lyla Alana are so much alike! Their personalities are both gentle and sweet! They seem to love everyone no matter what! These two take the beatings from Donnie & Allison...I love them!

Premature Bathtime!

After dinner a couple of weeks ago Rex put his babies in the bath. Since Little Lyla seems to always get hurt when she is in the bath with everyone I give her a seperate bath. Donnie gets a seperate bath as well because he's getting too big to take one with the girls! Anyways...while I was cleaning our dinner mess I asked Brooks where the baby was! Well...look for yourself!

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Better Late than Never...right?!

THE SNOW DAY!!

First let me start of by telling you that it took us longer to get ready than what it did to actually PLAY outside!!

The following account of the snow day is based on COMPLETE and ABSOLUTE TRUTH!

We woke up one morning and WOAH! It snowed! I was the MOST thrilled out of the bunch! We ate breakfast then cleaned up. Then I gathered the Upstairs Reece's clothes and hauled everyone downstairs. I then gathered the Downstairs Reece's clothes and put all of it in a very neat pile. Oops...the diapers & wipes! I had to jump up and walk about 7 feet to get them. Within the .89673 seconds my back was turned - the clothes were EVERYWHERE! It's okay though! I'm still soooooo excited about the snow! So I get the clothes together and start the march through hell.

That's right! Dressing 4 bodies-that-seem-to-turn-into-jello-when-it's-their-turn-to-get-dressed toddlers is my idea of what hell is like!

I do youngest to oldest - that's just my flow. However, hair comes at the end! What's the point when they RIP it out if I'm not a NAZI!

So about 45 minutes later everyone is dressed. Then it's my turn! Am I an idiot?! Who gets dressed AFTER they dress monsters?! Well apparently I DO! What was I thinking?! I come out of the room like a morbidly obese burnt marshmallow to CHAOS! ALL 14 of the couch pillows/cushions were on the floor - the TV was pushed clear to the window - the 2 little fireplace glass doors were off the hinges - EVERY SINGLE TOY we owned was scattered across all of Missouri - boots were off - and I was in a moment of FURY! I quickly relieved myself of all anger with one extremely high pitched longer than long at the top of my lungs SCREAM! Then all was well in Zion and we hustled outside!

They had no idea what to do! Their eyes were HUGE and their little hearts were pounding through the 5 layers that hugged each of their tiny malnourished bodies! Donnie JETTED for the snow - on the concrete - to make a snow angel. Kody JETTED for the road - because he wanted to race the cars! Allison JETTED for the dog food because she said she was hungry! I popped the doggy snack out of her hand and said, "Child - you are NOT that hungry! GO play"! Little Lyla JETTED for nothing! She just wanted me to hold her! When she realized how much fun her brother was having she had to join in the fun!











There were two boys walking by and the baby started to giggle! Yes folks, my daughter was flirting! She was walking in the snow after them and waving. She kept saying, "bye! bye!"...Donnie found it un- amusing and said, "No sissy! Do not talk to them boys. Otay?!"...inside I was ecstatic that he is already a phenomenal body guard!







Everytime I turned to look for Allison she was thoroughly enjoying the taste of the snow! Seriously - all that little girl wanted to do was eat it! And that is all she did! She did NOT want to play at all! Just eat. You will see in every picture she is eating! Hilarious!







Donnie and Kody decided to challenge me to a snow ball fight! RIGHT ON! I was in heaven! For those of you who don't know - I love winter and the snow with a passion! Anyways - it was on! I'll skip the embarrassing parts and just tell you that they WON!! We all went over to the hill on the side of the house and starting rolling down! It was so much fun! I looked over the baby and she was so tired of being outside that she fell asleep! Yes, right out there on the snow, asleep! It was darling! I could only see her little eyes closed - everything else was nice and bundled up - so don't worry Nana, she wasn't freezing! Allison did NOT want to roll down the hill - so she continued eating snow! However, I noticed her glove was missing. I thought to myself "hmm, where could it be?! oh well...I'll get it when I go inside!"... I would roll down the hill as the boys were walking up and knock them down! They thought it was the funniest thing ever!




As I was checking on my sleeping snow bunny (to make sure she was still alive) I heard, "aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh"...and then I heard, "hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha - - gotcha Alli"! The boys decided that if Allison wasn't going to roll down herself they would roll her for her! So they did! She rolled right into the neighbor's wooden fence. Poor baby! She cut her lip and it started bleeding. Since her glove was gone her hand was so so so cold! When she saw the blood she started screaming, "BOKEN! BOKEN!", she thought she had broken her hand because it was so cold and there was blood in the snow! I took that as my queue to head the troops inside!

We stripped down to a dry layer in the kitchen and had hot chocolate! The kids were exhausted and crashed for the next couple of hours...as did their ring-leader!