A Father

For the man whose arms are strong enough to carry my children, whole worlds, my warm, pulsing life-prayers.  For the man strong enough to take his life and lay it right down with wide open laps and storybooks and paying the stacks of bills and long, slow walks and bike rides and swinging outside and plunged toilets and even longer hours and hauled bags of garbage and laughing tag at twilight and then, night upon thousandth night, arms folded by bedsides, head bowed, heart humble before God and family,
the way a real man leads.  I love you honey.  Happy Father's Day!

Birthday Prayers

I freely admit to stealing most of my good ideas from other friends who are blessed with far more creativity than I.  My friend Catherine, over at Wild and Precious, gave me this great idea.  Gonna use it.  Last week her daughter Eliza turned six and they started a new tradition. A birthday prayer.  While talking about traditions once, she mentioned it and I listened. The thought of praying for my children on their special day - their small frame next to mine as we bent divine ears - felt meaningful and right.  Prayer. We string words - simple and honest - with the purpose of harnessing hope, laying down fear, giving voice to promises and dreams. A soft reaching for the future.  Love that idea.

Help Mama

I witnessed grace today, offered by my 2-year-old.  We were in line at a busy restaurant during lunch rush hour.  I was trying to keep Kate from wandering off and eating a stranger's cookie, schlep Abby around in her 2-ton carseat, and juggle a gaggle of toys to keep both girls entertained while we had lunch together.  My hands were full - to say the least.  The line was particularly slow today and Abby decided to let the world know that she was unhappy.  She started arching her back in her carseat and screaming.  Kate looked at me, said "help mama", took the bottle out of the carseat and proceeded to feed Abby the entire time we were in line.  What a sweet picture to see my little one helping her baby sister.  Thank you for the help, Kate!

As For Years

I just finished reading a great article in BYU Magazine titled "As For Years".  The author encourages us to recognize that every stage of our lives is purposeful - even when we question why we might be going through a certain stage or wonder what the meaning of a particular challenge is.  He talks about the Colesville saints and the Lord's commandment to them:  I consecrate unto them this land for a little season, until I, the Lord, shall provide for them otherwise, and command them to go hence; And the hour and the day is not given unto them, wherefore let them act upon this land as for years, and this shall turn unto them for their good. [D&C 51:16–17]  He writes that the Lord seems to want his people to be prepared, with equal grace, to build and leave temples, to accept both callings and releases, to live in the moment and for eternity. In this life the disciple must learn “to love that well which thou must leave ere long” (Shakespeare, Sonnet 73).  I love that idea.  Especially when I am feeling like I'm barely keeping my head above the water in raising my kids, running a home and being a wife.  We are asked not to merely pass the time but to improve every shining moment, for eternity is composed of such fleeting moments.  So here are three areas that I will celebrate more:

1) Allow Kate to help me more, even though she usually makes the mess bigger, the clean-up longer and my patience shorter.  She will learn to love the things that I share with her and the truth is: I love watching her learn.

2) Celebrate Steve's job, even when it is so unpredictable.  He loves what he does, he is providing for our family and that's all that matters.

3) Remember that a mother's mind is her children's classroom.  Continue to do creative projects, even if they don't turn out exactly like I anticipated.  It's the journey that matters most of the time - not the finished product.  And that's an important lesson to teach my girls.