I Love You Because

Apparently we're not quite done celebrating the holiday of Love.  Or at least documenting it.  Haha. Yesterday, after church, we ended up having a belated Family Home Evening lesson that never happened LAST Monday.  Grace was in charge of the lesson {and actually pulled something together that was really great} and Sophie planned the activity.  For Grace's lesson, I suggested that she do something to go along with the ongoing Family History project I'm trying to get the kids on board with.  {Which -- in case you're wondering -- is not really capturing their interest.  Haha}.  In the end, she threw together a pop quiz, featuring questions from all the information we've gathered so far on our immediate family members plus a few extended family members, and then had us pair up in twos to practice "interviewing" each other for future family history info gathering.  Aside from a certain number one son doing his ABSOLUTE best not to cooperate with anything or anyone, it was really fun and a good little lesson.  Sophie capped the evening off with a really cute activity of cutting out hearts for secret admirer notes and all of the girls got really into it.

Some of the notes that were put on Grace's bed.  Everyone got a few, and Jane was really cute about wanting to hang hers up on the wall right next to her bed.

 

 Cute little Jane on her Valentine for us from preschool.  It was originally wrapped in tin foil to look like a Hershey's kiss and this little gem of a picture was inside.  

  I found this little gift on my nightstand the day after Valentine's Day.  I'm pretty sure it was in response to Grace's finding out that Ethan brought me breakfast in bed the day before.  Hahahaha.

  A packet of notes was clipped together inside.

 My two favorites were, "Your so funny!" and "I love your hair! {heart}"

This weekend has been an interesting one of contrasting experiences and emotions.  On the one hand there have been MULTIPLE meltdowns and full-on trips to crazy town from each and every child in the family, while on the flip side, there have been moments of real sweetness and tenderness that leave me thinking I have the most wonderful and amazing children in the whole entire world.  It is quite the roller coaster ride up in here.

In church yesterday, I taught a lesson in Relief Society that happened to be on "Strengthening and Preserving the Family."  It's always so ironic when I'm assigned to teach something and then everything in my life conspires against me during that time to prove that I am the LEAST qualified person in the world to teach the subject!  Believe it or not, we do NOT have this on lock down over here.  I'm most certainly not a perfect mom {as my kids most certainly will attest} and I know that I make mistakes on a daily basis.  What I do know, however, is that it is my heart's desire to strengthen and fortify my family as best I can so that we can weather through any storm or challenge that comes our way.  The quest to be a better mom and a better woman is at the forefront of my mind and heart every single day.

When I hung up our family picture over the fireplace a few weeks ago, I hung a picture outtake on either side over which I wrote what I hope will become our family motto.  I took the following sentences from "The Family: A Proclamation to the World":

Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities.

 I believe this is a recipe for happiness.  I have hope that even though the children are not always cooperative when it's time to read scriptures, or say prayers, or go to church, or even just get along with each other -- as long as we are doing our best to build our foundation on the Savior and His teachings, things will work out for the best.  Life can be trying and challenging and difficult and all kinds of hard things, but it can also be joyful and full of light and love.  Sometimes all in the same day.  Like today.

With another day off of school and Scott home from work as well, we tried our best to make it a "fun family day."  And I think we were mostly successful.  Even though we had our low points -- with mega-fits from certain firstborn children -- we also had a lot of highs as well.  The Lego Movie was our morning destination and it did not disappoint.  We braved the outing with all 5 children and were pleasantly surprised when all of the kids made it through the movie without having to be taken out once.  Of course, they did wear us down into making a mid-movie run to the concession stand since they were "starving," and lover boy only made it through because he fell asleep in my lap about 20 minutes in, but still.  All in all, it was a big hit -- even if the sensory overload of the animation did give me a pounding headache that lasted for the rest of the day.  Hahaha.  After we got home, the kids pretty much did whatever they wanted until dinner time and then it was Family Home Evening and off to bed.

  Everything is Awesome.

Life is good.  And sometimes, everything really IS awesome!  Like when I'm able to corral the children into "circle time" and convince them to play "I Love You Because" for the umpteenth time that week.  For those whose lives have NOT been entrenched in the world of Greg Heffley and company, this game is in one of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, and believe me when I say it is hilarious to hear Alex parroting the older kids and quoting the line from the book each and every time the bottle spins to him :  "I love you because -- you help me keep my body clean!"  Hahahahaha.  {Although, technically he misquotes it as "I love you because you keep my body clean."  It's still hilarious, though.  Then again, we're all really biased.}  Whatever the reason, it's always nice to hear that they love each other -- especially when their actions prove otherwise so much of the time!   Until next time...