Sunday Gratitude...

I am grateful...

01 . that Mac LOVES to spend time with his grandparents, it makes my heart happy.
02 . to own our own home, it makes working in the yard so enjoyable.
03 . that our fence is finally completely done with gates and all, and that we have learned that any future fences that will need to be built for us will be done by us and we will not be paying anyone to do it ever again.
04 . for the warm, sunny days that we are finally having.
05 . for the feelings that are stirred up in me when I watch Mac do things that I had always hoped I would get to watch in my children.
06 . for the comfort that the scriptures bring to me daily.
07 . for the love and miracle adoption is to so many people that I know.
08 . for the happy feeling I have when I have made a meal for my little family and we all sit down together and eat it together.
09 . for patience!
10 . for a busy, fun next couple of weeks.

Scipture

"Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation. For after much tribulation come the blessings.Wherefore the day cometh that ye shall be crowned with much glory; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand." Doctrine & Covenants 58:3-4

Sunday Gratitude...

I am grateful...

01 . for the amazing wonderful man I am married to and the amazing Father that he is to our children.

02 . for my own amazing Father, he is truly one of the GREATEST men I know.

03 . to get to see so many cousins this weekend that I don't get to see very often or that I haven't seen in YEARS.

04 . that our summer fun can now begin!

05 . that it didn't rain too much this weekend at our family reunion campout.

06 . that we got to spend a fun morning and afternoon with my friend B and her boys this last week.

07 . that our garden is GROWING and that we have been able to eat alot of delicious salads using the lettuce and spinach from it, YUM!

08 . for a husband that is so eager to fill our home and our lives with the spirit, and that he is as concerned as I am about the future of our children.

09 . that Mac is on "good boy" streak, I need the little break from all the hitting and time outs.

10 . for a loving Heavenly Father who blessing me IMMENSELY in so many ways.

Happy Father's Day!

Our summer "bucket" list:

25 things we want to do this summer

(and hopefully we can do some of them more than once)

01 . service project

02 . feed the ducks

03 . go to the zoo

04 . go fishing

05 . go to the aquarium

06 . play at the coast

07 . go on a hike

08 . roast marshmallows / make s'mores

09 . go swimming

10 . go camping

11. play with sparklers

12 . run through the sprinklers

13 . go on a bike ride

14 . wash the cars

15 . look at the stars

16 . BBQ

17 . go to a movie at the theatre

18 . go to the rodeo

19 . have a picnic at the park

20 . go to the lake house

21 . go on a boat ride

22 . go to the children's museum

23 . go on a train ride

24 . go to the A.C. Gilbert House

25 . go to the Eugene Air museum

26 . go to Wildlife Safari

27 . get our family pictures taken

28 . walk around the Temple grounds

29 . go on a road trip

20 . pick blackberries

21 . pick strawberries

22 . fly a kite

23 . plant flowers and bushes in our backyard

24 . make jam

25 . play in our backyard

Gone Fishing!

We tried taking Macto a Fish Festival up the river for FREE Fishing day, but by the time we got there they had closed it because it was too full, BUMMER!! But we had already told Mac that we would take him fishing so we went to the park (that I had gone to with my Dad as a kid and fished with him) to let him fish. He was very excited about it, but wanted to do it his way and wouldn't not listen at all. I was worried the whole time that he would fall into the gross water and there was duck and dog poo everywhere. So we didn't stay very long. We will try again at the lake house over Independence day. I loved the pictures I got anyway!

In this picture he is saying, "FISHING!" when I asked him what we were doing.

I was even able to get in a picture. I LOVE Mac's face in this picture, so cute!

The Farm

I took the boys to Lone Pine Farm to play and see the goats and meet up with some friends. The boys were really excited! MacLOVED touching them and feeding the goats. He couldn't get enough really. I followed Mac around with the antibacterial wipes and hand sanitizer, he was a little annoyed by it.

They also have  a playground there and we played there for awhile. We had alot of fun. Except for the ride home and they were so tired that they both cried and screamed almost the entire ride home.

This was a cup on a pully that you could put goat food in a pull it up to the goats on the ramps above.

just for fun...

Mac wanted to take some pictures with my camera. So I set it in his lap while sitting on the couch and he snapped away. And this is what he got!

I also attempted to get a good picture of Mac and I and Mac was just being too goofy! What a cutie I have!

Sunday Gratitude...

I am grateful...

**for my little family and the time we get to spend together.

**that Hubs got home from his business trip safely, we really missed him while he was gone.

**that we were able to take Mac fishing for the first time (pictures to come).

**for sunny days to spend outside.

**to be in the arms of my husband everyday.

**for an amazing husband with a listening ear and understanding heart.

**for the life of my Savior and the example he was for me.

**for prayer...prayers are answered!

**to finally have ordered and received in the mail our Ensign and Friend magazines.

**for my husband snoring on the couch. He rarely gets the opportunity for a nap.

A jewel in my crown...

One of my favorite things to do is go and check on Mac before we head to bed ourselves. Sometimes I like to linger a little longer than just to check on him. There is something about our own babies asleep, that is so magical, and that brings out my gratitude for this beautiful little guy in my life. He has filled such a huge hole in my heart since he came into my life two and half years ago. And that hole was meant just for him, no one else could have filled it. He is the little one that made me a Mother (from the arms of his Birthmother), and the wait for him was worth every heartache, every tear, every moment of despair. He was so worth it!

I also know that Mac's Birthmother C feels the same way on her end, she has told me many times that Mac is such a blessing in her life. I know she feels that all those moments in her life that brought Mac into our lives were worth it to have him in her life.

Something in my Patriarchal blessing that has always stuck out to me, even before I was married, is a part that talks about me being a Mother. It literally brings tears to my eyes every time I think about this phrase... "Your children will make up the jewels of your Eternal Crown."

Mac is definitely my little jewel that I wear proudly as his Mother, and I can't wait until I receive the rest of my little, glorious jewels.

The wait for their added shining, beauty in our lives will most definitely be worth the wait!

Sunday Gratitude...

I am grateful...

**for the gospel, what a true blessing it is in my life and home.

**for the amazing words that were spoken at Stake Conference this weekend.

**for the spirit that teaches me and helps me to be a better mother and wife.

**that I am ready and want to be happy with Heavenly Father's timing in regards to adding to our family.

**for an amazing husband who helps me to be better and who serves me daily.

**for the things that the scriptures can teach us when we STUDY them.

**that we finally have grass sprouting in our back yard.

**for the time the Mac gets to spend with his grandparents.

**for water, how I LOVE to drink ice cold water.

**for some sunshine!

applique craft...

My cousin is going to be having twin boys very soon. And I had these in mind to make for her baby shower gift. But the typical me came out and I procrastinated until the couple of days before. When I got all the stuff and went to start my project, I couldn't find the foot pedal to my sewing machine (still haven't found it actually). So on the way to the baby shower I stopped at the store and bought two packages of diapers to take as a gift. I felt lame, but I know diapers are always welcomed, especially with twins. So recently my mom brought over her sewing machine and I finally got down to business yesterday. This craft project was much harder than I anticipated. But I will probably make more for future babies of friends. For girl ones, I would probably put some ruffles on the bum. Anyway, the top picture is the babies initials. And although the fabric looks kind of girly in the picture, in real life it looks more baby-ish than girly. I used a straight stitch on the letters and a zig-zag stitch on the whale and boat. If you look closely at any of them, they don't look perfect. Oh well... I think they turned out pretty cute.

missing...

I have had this overwhelming feeling like we are missing someone in our home. I have had it for awhile, like more than a few months. It is what finally drove me to spend every second I could on getting our adoption paperwork approved. On one side it is comforting to know that we will be able to add to our family, and I definitely have faith that it will happen. And on the other it breaks my heart that I can have this feeling and then do everything in my power and then we have to just wait an undisclosed amount of time. It could be two weeks or it could be two years, or even longer. I have no clue when I will have my baby in my arms, and it hurts alot. It is crazy to miss someone so much yet you don't even know if they exists on this earth yet.

I have a solid testimony that it will all happen in God's timing. I know he will orchestrate our miracle every step of the way, just as he did with the our miracle, Mac. But that doesn't make me ache less to be holding my baby in my arms.
Meanwhile, I am enjoying the time we have with just Mac...I love him more than words could ever describe!

Laundry and gratitude...

Today these go hand in hand for me. I really dread the laundry, just as most do. But this morning it was different for me. It took me 30 minutes to spot clean Mac's clothes and spray-n-wash and scrub the collars and cuffs of Hubs's 6 dress shirts. Usually I would get so frustrated and annoyed, but today I realized while I was spraying and scrubbing, that I was more than happy to do this for my boys, and I was utterly grateful for the opportunity I have to serve my son and husband in this capacity. It is a complete privilege. I know crazy huh?

In the 30 minutes I was doing all of this I felt grateful that I was scrubbing the collar and cuffs of Hubs's dress shirts because it reminded me that I have a husband who works everyday really hard to support his family and make sure that we have everything we need, and also that my husband is a worthy priesthood holder who willingly goes to church every Sunday, he partakes in the sacrament, he has a testimony, he is willing to serve the Lord to his greatest capacity. He is completely devoted to me and our children.  How lucky I am that I have a sweet little boy that is mine to keep forever and that he is here with me getting his clothes dirty by being a kid and having fun. I am so lucky that a special young lady has trusted enough to care for the child she carried for 9 months. How lucky I am for all of these things.

I don't know exactly what got into me, except that I am more aware of the little things in my life to be happy about since I have been doing my Grateful Sunday posts.

I AM BLESSED BEYOND WORDS!