Monday, April 11, 2011

Trip to Klamath

My sister, Jessica, and my cousin Lauren and her little boy, Oaklen, and me and my boys all made the LOOOONNNNNGGGGG drive to Klamath a few weeks ago. Despite the many hours driving, it was well worth the trip. I vow one day to live close to my family because it simply is too painful to be 12 hours apart and to only see them once every 3-4 months.

My dad has a golf cart, so we (mom, dad, Jessi, me and the boys) got to go for a ride and had a great time. Being out on the cart brought back a lot of childhood memories- something about the smell of the air, the crispness of it, and the beautiful scenery. It reminded me of running down the driveway with cold toast, hoping to catch the bus, and being freezing cold but wearing shorts because it was "supposed" to heat up later in the day. Ah, good times!
This is another thing that we did when we were kids....play with each others hair and scratch/tickle backs.
Mumsie with Shay.
Jessi and baby Saige. Can you tell she's a little baby hungry? She needs to have one of her own! (Hint hint...wink wink)
Is she not the cutest little girl? This is my brother, Brad & sis-in-law, Molly's baby girl. She is 3 months old now, and it we FINALLY got to meet her while in KF.
(And just because I have to say it...don't mind my funky face here. I just got back from the dentist and was still numb, so I couldn't smile right...so if I don't look more than enthusiastic to be holding her- that's why. But inside I truly was!)
My boys love books. Shaffer has especially been into reading lately (which I LOVE), so we make sure to hit up his favorite books every day, and Saige got to join in on the fun.
Shaffer & Saige.
We love to go to my parents house because there is so much space. Not only on the inside, but outside for my kids to run around and play. Every time we're there it makes me want to live some place that we can have at least a small amount of land. My boys had entirely too much fun playing in the mud, throwing rocks, running, running, and MORE running, and playing in the dirt. For the most part I love it too, but towards the end of the week and after SEVERAL batches of laundry I considered staying in this cramped apartment for the rest of our lives merely to avoid having to clean my children that many times a day. =)
There are plenty for mud pictures that I will post later (*cough*...when I get them...*cough*).

Shaffer is a mama's boy through and through, but Auntie Jessi did the job just fine. He would got to her just as easily as me.
We were able to see my brother, Ty and his partner, Alan, for a few hours is all. Their spring break was the week before everyone else's, so we caught them just as they were leaving, but for the few hours we did have it was great!
I have to say that I have the most thoughtful, kind, hardworking and genuine brothers alive. I am so grateful for the brothers that I have and for their tender hearts.
I just had to put this one on here!
Shaffer has been very cuddly lately and I LOVE it. This is what he does when he wakes up from naps, and I had to capture it because I want to be able to look back and remember his sweet hugs.
Logan & Shaffer all dressed up for church. I have some seriously good-looking kids (even though I have some seriously bad picture taking skills)!

During fast and testimony meeting in KF, a lady (Amy Seever) got up to bear her testimony and I loved what she said. She said something like this, "I may not always be happy with the monotony of motherhood, or waking up in the middle of the night several times for a crying baby, or changing countless diapers, but I AM HAPPY!" I thought about how true that statement is. I could make a pretty long list of all the things about motherhood that I don't necessarily like or that don't necessarily make me happy, but I AM HAPPY! There's not a thing that could make me happier than my kids (& hubby)!
She also said that she was talking with her dad and semi-jokingly commented to him about how much money he and her mom could have, had they not had 8 kids! Then with all seriousness his immediate response was, "I am the richest man in the world because I have you!".
That hit me really hard! Sometimes I think about all the things that we could have, or the body that I could have if I limited myself to having 2 or 3 or 4 kids, and then I get these sweet reminders that what I want most (and more than a six pack like all the chicks on "Insanity" or money) is kids! Now, that isn't to say that I'm going to have 8 kids...or even 4...but I want my heart and priorities to always be in the right place because that's what counts.
I am grateful for the kids that I do have, and for how great motherhood really is, even though it is really, really, really tough!

4 comments:

The Bell Family said...

Glad you were able to go home, isn't it the best to go home. I was thinking if in the summer you ever want to go home we could possibly car pool together. We still need to get together and catch up. Oh and your boys are getting so big and they are SO darn cute!

Doug & Stef said...

What a cute post! We just moved by my parents and it has made the biggest difference for my oldest boy - he loves it and I love it especially because my family are my best friends. I loved your last paragraph - you are always so uplifting for me and help my perspective! & you do certainly have cute cute boys!! If we have anymore boys, we may have to steal the name Shaffer because I love that you call him Shay!!

Unknown said...

You're so darn precious. Amen to it all, sis.

Lora said...

Looks like your trip was awesome! And we're glad you made the LOOONG drive back (that is an exceedingly long time in a car with kids).