Pinterest? Please!

I check out all the precious mudrooms that Pinterest has to offer.  So clean and organized, everything in its place, children and parents who place their boots and scarves in their proper position.  What a joke!  This is a true-blue Montana mudroom right here!

 

Need to find something?  Well, good luck to you.

Righteous Pride

Last night, Jacob received his Arrow of Light in Cub Scouting.  Righteous pride moment for mom and dad, ya'll!  So proud of Jacob.  He is so pure and good.  He worked hard for this grand accomplishment.  I didn't take a very good picture of the actual award because I wanted to make sure we got the Texas flag in the background.  He went through Cub Scouting in Texas -- all three years -- so I wanted to honor that great state along with his wonderful leaders and teachers who helped him along the way to reach this point.

 

After our mega-quick pack meeting, we rushed home a hundred miles an hour on icy roads to get ready for the Christmas concert at the school.  Jimmy and his 2nd grade class sang a few darling songs (with sign language), and Jacob played the flute with his 5th grade class.  So beyond proud of these ding-dongs.  I was practically doing toe-touches in the gymnasium -- these boys are awesome.

Jimmy decided to pose like a complete and utter goofball before heading out the door.  I love his face.  I hope this kid never changes.  I hope he stays as happy and funny every day of his life as he is right now.  I want to see pictures of him on his mission making this face.

A wonderful evening for sure!  And one more proud moment:  Jacob is tying his own tie now!  Stud!

Watch Out! I'm Standing On My Soapbox!

I was reading in the Book of Mormon today (I know, I'm so righteous; right?)  Reading Mosiah 14 and it's Abinadi counseling King Noah and his "priests."  I was struck by and always find it interesting that ancient prophets as well as modern-day prophets recite the Ten commandments so often.  It's nothing new!  The gospel is so beautiful in its simplicity.  Prophets testify of Christ.  They remind us of God's commandments.  They plead for us to be obedient to His commandments and the covenants we make.  Done.  That's it.  So simple, really.

It seems that we, as members of the Church and as a society as a whole, tend to over-complicate things.  We lose sight on what it really means to live the gospel.  I'm grateful for Abinadi -- and all the prophets since him, really -- for bringing me back to the basics, cutting out all the fluff, all the chaos, all the monotony, and just reminding me of simple and basic gospel truths.  It is these truths that really are at the center of Christ's gospel.

We push God and/or Christ out of our lives and we will not have His protection.  We kill unborn babies and yet are terrified and angry that children are killed in a kindergarten classroom.  This world and our country are so backward.  We care very little about basic, fundamental values, about the Ten Commandments, about religion, morality, manners, decency, suffering, and the principles our Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution on and yet we expect God's protection.  Not going to happen.

I don't want our schools to become locked-up prisons where I have to be "buzzed in" anytime I want to see my kid.  I don't want gun control.  I don't want to lie awake at night, unable to sleep because I'm so afraid all the time of what might happen to my family.

President Monson taught that fear and faith cannot co-exist at the same time.  We'll either be living by one mindset or the other.  I have to choose faith.  Have to!

What I want is a peeling back of all the madness and a return to basic human principles of loving one another, of teaching our children the Ten Commandments in the home and at school.  If every person on Earth showed genuine love and concern for their neighbor, think about the difference that would make.  If parents loved each other, stayed married no matter what, even for the sake of their children, what an impact that would have on a child's life.  I think everything good or bad that happens in your life funnels back down to the family and the relationships we have within our families.  What's that saying?  "Whatever happens in between, we begin and end with family."  Something like that.  It's so true.  Those relationships are what count.

I was talking to my sister Amy today and we agreed that bad things may, could, and will happen!  I know.  Earth-shattering observance; right?  But it's true.  Any one of us could lose a child in some tragic way.  We may/could/will experience trials, disappointments, unspeakable grief, terror, mind-blowing sadness.

And everything will be all right.  If we are covenant-keeping and obedient, we will be okay.  Our children will be okay if they die.  My brother reminded me that this life is a life of sorrow so long as we are in the flesh.  And he is absolutely right.  This life is a moment.  We've been asked to keep the commandments, to be believing, to endure to the end, to be humble, grateful, and to serve others.  Our family relationships are eternal.  So is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Whether we believe it all or reject it all, it's still true. 

Sorry for the mega-long humongous essay.  Had to vent.

Jacob's 11th Birthday

Just as a side note:  I promised myself, since having a December baby (Jacob), that I would never ever ever use Christmas wrapping for his presents nor would I ever take birthday pictures in front of the Christmas tree.  As you can see, I wrecked that promise in its entirety!  Bad mom!  Sorry, Jacob.

 

New golf clubs!  He's been spending lots of time with dad practicing and now they can play together.

We filled up Jacob's room with balloons the night before his birthday so when he woke up, his room was all balloon-ified.

Cake, singing, and more presents.  Could my house be darker?????  Every picture is so dark.

He got golf balls, tees, some art supplies, a couple shirts, etc.  Just stuff.  Look at Jimmy's face -- ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!  Classic!!!

Cute family.

Jacob likes to lay out all his presents and take inventory.

 

Happy Birthday, Jacob.  Sorry for the Christmas theme!

Scout MacDougal

I'm usually completely opposed to adding more stuff to do during the holidays.  As if it isn't enough to break your back getting gifts for your family, friends, neighbors, kids' teachers, visiting teachers who visit you, the sisters you visit-teach, home teaching families, the bishop, etc.  On top of that, I'm making food galore thanks to all the ridiculously delicious-looking recipes I'm finding on Pinterest every day.  Not to mention all the Christmas parties at church and school.  And don't forget sending the Christmas cards out, shoveling snow, regular grocery shopping and cooking, laundry, homework, lesson preparing for church, work parties, and Jacob's birthday.  All the while, we're fighting colds and doing scouts and making it to the gym, when possible. 

And there's Elf on the Shelf.  Thanks to my adoring sister, Amy, she sent us this darling little guy with the book so we can start a new tradition in our family!  At first I was sooooooo mad.  But seriously, it has turned into something really fun and easy.  I don't do anything too creative with him.  Some days my kids are a little disappointed that he's not doing something mischievous like they might see other families do.  We just go with it.  He's cute and funny.

So thanks, AMY!!!!!  We love our Elf who we named Scout MacDougal.  He's a bright red laser beam to our dark and dreary holidays.  Ha ha ha!

Jacob's birthday post is coming up next.  Hooray!

In Other News

I had a birthday.  I turned 36.  Wait.  Is that right?  :(

 

 

We went to our ward Christmas party.  Jacob was too old for Santa's lap.  And Christie stayed home with dad because she had a cold.  Still does.  The endless cold.  Never goes away.  Jacob had to do a reading during the Primary portion of the program.  Good job!

 

And we decorated our tree.  I played around a little bit with my camera's manual settings and came up with these cute shots.

 

 

Merry Christmas, ya'll.  I hope you've been good all year!

Christmas Pictures

We took these pictures in November.  We hooked up with our dearest friends, the Grahams, in Billings for a fun photo shoot.  Jason wasn't with us because he was driving a moving truck from Texas back to Montana.  Besides, I wanted to surprise him with a picture of the kids and I for Christmas so it worked out okay.  Thanks, Jana, for the amazing shots and for the gorgeous coral jacket I borrowed from you.

In other news, I have deleted entire years off my blog to free up some picture space.  I guess I had reached the maximum storage capability of Blogger.  Weird.  I refuse to pay for more storage because I'm mad that Google/Blogger/Picasa/whoever owns my pictures.  Even though it's five bucks, it's just the principle of it that bothers me.  They're my pictures and I don't want to have to ask the noble gods of blogging for permission to use my pictures.  So there.

More pictures to come.  I might have to delete some more!  But I have to get through 2012 so I can make my yearly blog book.  Come January 1, who knows if I'll maintain the blog or begin a new one.  I didn't upsize my pictures this time; left them small.

My Jacob turned 11 today.  (Tears strolling down my face.)  I just can't believe it.  I walked around his room today and I was struck by the fact that he is transitioning into teenager times.  He's hanging on to his childhood with his teddy bear displayed and his Lego guys posed perfectly in his bookshelf, his pillow pet propped against his headboard.  And then there's his new set of golf clubs he got for his birthday, his suit hanging in the closet, his Christmas gifts that he's making for Jimmy and Christie jammed underneath his bed, books and birthday cards on his desk, alarm clock on the nightstand next to a picture of him 4-wheeling in Idaho with his beloved Uncle Marty.  He wants to be so grown-up but he also is hanging on to his childhood things.  It's a careful balance. 

I was just struck by that today since I'm emotional that he's had another birthday.