Motherhood

When I was younger I never aspired or even dreamed of being a mother.  I actually took the view that to be a stay at home mother was way beneath me.  The thought of having babies and what it would do to my body was not appealing and then to just stay at home all day and cook and clean....why would anyone opt for that when there were so many "other" more important things one could be doing with her time.

I had big dreams to graduate from college, get a high paying job, wear super fance suits, and live the single life forever.  I would just have fun and only have to look out for number one....me!

So when I had my first child I was completly without any experince in dealing with  kids and totally unprepared for what would be coming.  I had my college degree in business administration, how was that going to help me with my newborn?! I am not saying that I regret going to college at all, if fact, I am so thankful I have that peice of paper and experience.  I just wish there was some manditory class out there for all females, just in case they get pregnant, that would teach the basics of motherhood and all that the job entails.

Needless to say, the first few years of motherhood for me was bumping around and trying to settle in my new career choice.  I found myself completley incompetent in the kitchen, ignorant in trying to fix up a home, and a routine or schedule for cleaning never even crossed my mind.   At the end of the day my poor husand would find me not fixed up and on the couch watching TV.  And because I knew I was not "performing" in my role I was frustrated a lot.  I felt bad about myself because I was not fixed up (why get ready just to change diapers and get spit up on?!) and unhappy because I felt I was wasting my time and my degree I had just got. 

I think I need to interject here that I found the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (or more specific the Gospel of Jesus Christ)  while attending college and that turned my world upside down... in a super, incredible, amazing way. It changed my belief systems, my friends, my LIFE!  And my career choice. 

Those first few years of being a mother were disappointing because I had not prepared,  but through dilligent reading of all sorts of books on an array of subjects all dealing with my new career choice I found joy in being a stay at home mother.  I actually laugh to myself sometimes on where I thought I wanted to be in life.  I am so incrediabley thankful that we don't get what we want sometimes because I think that path of living single, and working and looking cute in all my business suits would have been very shallow, lonely and unfufilling.

Does being a stay at home mom suck sometimes? Yes!  Do I feel compensated for what I do around the house most of the time? No!  Would I still choose being a stay at home mom over being single and taking care of only me?  YES!

I LOVE my kids and I KNOW the work that I do in this home is priceless.  I am trying to mold little people into becoming great, caring, God fearing, contributing human beings.  What work is greater than that?  My compensation does not come in the form of bonuses, vacations, pats on the back from co-workers and bosses.  It comes from four little kids that tell me they love me and a husband that loves me and takes care of me.

I wouldn't change my career choice for a million dollars or any super cute business suits.  I am content and happy where I am. 

Blessing /Barbecue

 So Tatum got blessed on April 22nd when he was six weeks old.  His Uncle TJ and Aunt Jaime came out for the special occasion.  Michael once again gave a beautiful, heartfelt blessing.  (I think I have the most adorable kids ever...don't they all look so handsome?)

 Tatum is an incredible little guy.  For the past week now he has been sleeping through the night.  (I blame it all on a book called Becoming Baby Wise...get it if you are expecting!)  He is just so easy going and full of the most wonderful smiles.  At his two month baby check he was 12 pounds 10 ounces...this kid has almost doubled his weight! 

 This may very well be the last baby I have and I really am trying to suck every special sound, touch, smell that I can...babies are so wonderful. 

 So we had a barbecue last weekend  for Mike's Birthday.  We had a whopping 38 people, of which there were 18 kids and I must say it was a lot of fun!  The picture above is Emily in Mike's massive chair.  That thing is so huge...I have told him if he carts that along to a public place and I am there, I will not sit by him.

 Mike was really cute and got some pinatas for the kids to hit. 

 Here are the guys trying to get sponge bob to stay in place.

I have written this before but it bears repeating...Cole Micheal is so good with Tatum.  He changes his diapers, he watches him when I am outside, he is just such a great little helper.  I love my boys!

Homestead Update

 So Mike has totally taken over the bee thing (thank goodness) and has decided to increase our two hives to SIX!  (He has gotten a little crazy about the bees...its really cute though.)  However, with the really warm weather we had so early, he forgot to keep an eye on the girls and they decided to swarm before we had time to put another box on.  Luckily though they did not go far. 

Carson was trying to tell me to go look at something and I blew him off all day because I was working in the yard, and you know when you actually go look at something for the thousandth time it usually isn't anything and you feel your time was wasted..terrible mom, I know!    Well, he decided to ask again later that evening when  I was still working and I felt bad for telling him no all day.....thank goodness I did.  He was the one to discover the missing swarm.

 Here is a great friend of ours named Mike who came over and captured the swarm for me because I was not going to do it. My Mike was still at work so Mike, our friend, said he would come and take care of it.   When bees swarm like this they usually don't stay for too long before they take off again thus the urgency.

 Now onto our little piggies we are doing with 4-H.  This is the day they came.  I think it was just a few days after I had Tatum. 

 We are raising one for us and the rest for others.  Pigs are really interesting..they are a lot like a dog.  I am trying not to get too attached because of the inevitable which will come in a few months but they sure have got lots of personality to them.

 I am very excited to say I have fruit on everyone of my trees this year!!!  Not a lot of fruit but they are working and doing there thing!  So exciting to see the beauty of nature.  Thanks to Marilyn B. and Jaine they helped me discover my love for this process.  This tree is a mixed cherry.

 Here is a peach and we also have pears and apples too. I hope, hope, hope we can eat a fruit off of them and keep the bugs away. 

 This little stick is a hybrid poplar.  We planted 21 of these babies but I think we have lost 8 already.  These puppies are suppose to get huge, fast and that is what we are counting on. 

 I have attempted the hay-newspaper trick in between the walkways with my strawberries. I don't know if I like it or not. I think it makes it look sloppy, but I really don't want to fight weeds all summer long.

 This was actually done today.  I am so behind on planting.  The first row on the right is all potatoes (never done before so we will see) and the next three rows are all corn.  I am hoping for a better harvest with the corn this year than last. 

I didn't start anything inside....I have been busy.  So I bought and planted tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and basil so far.  Now that we got into the 90s yesterday I better get my bum in gear and get things going!

 Here are my helpers.  They are such great kids.

 Now onto the house progress.  I think the last time I posted on the basement this is what it looked like. 

 This is what it looks like now.  Well, actually we have furniture in it but those pictures will have to come later. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!  I now have a place to banish the kids to if I have to.  Plus, I can finally get my computer out of our room and move it down here.  We put in a kids work station too so will show that later as well.  A very small space but I am going to squeeze every ounce of function that I can out of it.

 Here is the kings office.  Yes, Michael has his own room.  Spoiled?  YES

And just for the heck of it another picture of my little tater.  He is not this little now and I will have to do a catch up on this little angel too.