au parc et au jardin

Every day we have nice weather, I try my hardest to get all the girls to the park--at least for a little while. And Monday, like every day, was so much fun! I took the camera because I knew I would want to remember their carefree happy faces and how much they love playing together. So their favorite game on Monday was trying to move too fast for the camera. Every time they saw me point the lens their way, they would sprint up the stairs or speed down the slide, laughing uncontrollably all the way.

Here are 2 of our favorite Eden looks--the scrunched nose...

...and the serious discussion mode....

By the time we walked home, we all needed a break from so much fun :)

Then we headed to the Linkous' to "help" with Grandma's garden for Family Home Evening.

I loved how close Ryn and Elle were sitting. In the middle of a huge room with 2 big couches, they wanted to be this close to each other, with their feet crossed exactly the same way. :) The perfect end to my perfect day.

lovely days of may

Perhaps I'm a little partial to this glorious month, but how can anyone not love May?! We have thoroughly been enjoying ourselves. Sunday we ate at the Linkous' and tried to coax some smiles from the girls outside. Seriously, we need some help with this...

...but we think they're pretty cute anyway.

And you're smiling in your heart when you stop to smell such beautiful blossoms (or take the picture :) )

stay tuned tomorrow for a lovely May Monday at the park ...

To my girls,

I want you to know about the happy things we did today. I want you to know how you fill me with joy every single day.

Ryn, today I loved watching you laugh and become instant friends with the kids at the park--a 6 year old boy and 2 younger girls. Heavenly Father has given you a gift for loving people. They are immediately drawn in by your uncontainable happiness (you have so much, you're constantly jumping up and down for the sheer joy of life). I loved watching your satisfaction as you learned more about reading, and I loved hearing you sing "Sur le pont d'Avignon" with me as we taught Bryn.

Elle, today I loved your excitement when you figured out how to pedal. "I'm doing it, Mom!!!" I also loved seeing how obedient you are becoming--going down for your nap, eating your food, and patiently waiting for the things you want so badly like movies and suckers :). I love what a sweet big sister you are to Eden, always giving her hugs and talking in your high, sweet voice. I loved hearing you encourage and support Ryn, too--"Great job, Ryn!" And I loved feeling your tiny, strong arms squeezing my neck as I held you--after your nap, especially.

Eden, today I loved watching you dance, swinging your hips from side to side, as you played our little keyboard. I loved your scrunched-nose smile, and how proud and big you feel when you sit up at the table with us (instead of in your high chair). I loved that you wanted to go in and help me get Elle when she woke up from her nap and how you hugged and kissed her awake. I loved holding you and having a serious conversation with you as we watched Ryn and Elle play outside.

All of you, I loved hearing your uncontrollable giggles at dinner over who-knows-what and seeing your reverence as we read scriptures and prayed tonight.

April smiles

April 1--Insight into Ryn's thought process, "I need Jesus to come down so He can teach me to be obedient cause sometimes I do mean things to Elle."

April 3--Mom and Dad had given the girls some books for Easter and as they were leaving, I reminded Ryn and Elle to "give them hugs and say 'thank you'." Elle said the words and hugged the books.

April 5--Elle: I'm a bad guy.
Ryn: No, you're one of Jesus' children.

April 7--After being taught by Elder Bednar's great talk in conference, I felt like I needed to read a chapter every day to the girls at lunch from the actual Book of Mormon in addition to the illustrated scripture readers that we read at night. It has been absolutely wonderful! On this day we were reading in 1 Nephi 7 when Laman and Lemuel had tied Nephi up with ropes, Nephi prayed for strength to break his bonds, and the Lord loosened the ropes so they fell to the ground. I asked the girls, "Isn't that amazing that the Lord did that for Nephi?!" Ryn asked, "Was that a miracle?" "Yes!" I answered. And then with a little knowing chuckle, she added, "I love that."

April 9--I warned Elle that she should stop climbing on the futon so she wouldn't fall..."I won't fall, Mom. I'm holding on to this iron rod." (the arm rest)

Ryn: "Zip your mouth!" (I can't remember who she said this to, but I was shocked to hear such forceful words from this gentle girl.) So I asked, "Who told you that?" Her reply shocked me even more. "Mama KK. All the time. She always tells me that." So Mom, I've got a few things we need to discuss..... ;)

April 11--On Sundays, we only watch church movies and one of the girls absolute favorites is The Testaments. They love it. When it showed Christ being baptized, they were jumping up and down, exclaiming, "Look! Jesus is getting baptized. He's 8!" Then, during another scene when a girl is crying as she listens to the gospel being taught and feels the Spirit, Ryn said, "Daddy, I know why she's crying--because she feels the Holy Ghost." Elle chimed in, "Yeah, that's just like Mommy at church when she's crying."

April 12--Matt, Nat, Sam, Ethan and Mia were staying with us for a wonderful week and Ethan and Elle were just chilling at the table when I heard Elle explain, "I'm a girl, Ethan." Ethan looked a little confused and asked, "You're a girl-Ethan?"

April 13--the day He-man was re-born for the next generation...When the opening song states that He-man "became the most powerful man in the universe!", Elle piped up excitedly, "Just like our Daddy!"

Ethan was concerned about the loin cloth modesty issue: "Does He-man have clothes on?"

April 17--I was painting the girls finger- and toenails per their request and Elle said, "My toe nails are saying, 'Why are you painting us?'" I asked if they liked it. "Yes, they're very happy."

April 20--Elle is always very quick to praise and thank me for every kind word and deed and it melts me every time. "Mommy? You're a good mom." I asked why this time. "Because you're happy."

Another killer when Ryn asked, leaning in really close, "Elle, do you know what I love more than chocolate?..... YOU!"

April 22--Since being exposed to He-man, it's one of the favorite games we play. I am always Skeletor, of course, so the girls can have a formidable foe :) and I love how serious they get when they threaten me. "We're going to take your power and kill your warriors!" Then I chase them and grab them and tickle them and show them that they'll never really beat me, but then they start me shaking in my boots with, "But wait! I have my capturing thing!"

April 24--Kevin took Elle with him to Sams, where they saw some cow tongues. Kev held one up to her and told her what it was and she flatly refused to believe him. "No, they're not cow tongues! Cows' tongues stay in their mouths! Except for when they go like this (and she did a big lick of her lips)."

April 25--Another Sunday viewing of The Testaments and they both were thrilled again when the Savior appeared to the Nephites. "That's our big brother!" Elle added, "And that's our Savior, too, because of the marks in his hands."

April 26--Ryn asked, "Elle, did you know that people in China like to eat with chapsticks?"

Elle asked, "Mom, who gave us this beautiful, wonderful house?"

April 28--During another He-man round (in an all-girl house), Elle asked me why Skeletor wanted to take He-man's sword. "I think he wanted to have He-man's power." "No, he wanted to be the fairest one of all."

April 29--Elle LOVES to help me clean. Lately I've been giving her clorox wipes and letting her clean any stray marks off the walls and doors. And she keeps me laughing constantly. "Look at this mark! It's so cute! It's a yittle tiny baby one!"

Happy Mother's Day

We are so thankful for the incredible mothers and grandmothers we have been blessed with. The longer I work at being the best mother I can be, the more I admire, love and thank Heavenly Father for these amazing women. Here is the painting we had a ball creating (Eden was giggling the whole time as I brushed paint onto her tiny hands)....

and the song Ryn and Elle sang for Mama KK, (great-) Grandma Turtle, Grandma (Carma), (great-) Grandma Nora/Johnson, and (great-) Grandma Linkous--we did lots of takes, trying for as much audible participation as possible. Here are the best 2, even though Elle's trying to "wash" her hands through most of the second :):



I love being the mother of these girls!!!!! (Even when they're not thrilled about taking a picture after 3 hours of church :)) They teach me so much every minute of every day. What an honor to be the one to guide them and help them become who the Lord needs them to be. And I love the sweet man who shares this amazing ride with me as their father. For this one day alone, he filled every window of our kitchen/living room with hanging flower baskets, fed, changed and took care of the girls so I could beat my entire family in online Settlers and talk to my mom after church, made nutella and cream cheese french toast this morning and his signature grilled salmon for dinner. Yes, I'm one happy Mama!

I'm thankful for

modern revelation. Several bits of April's different conference talks keep coming to my mind at the very moment when I most need them. Sister Beck's talk was another testament to me that the Lord knows me, Kit Linkous, and knows exactly what I need to keep hoping when hope seems to be gone, to keeping giving when I feel like I have nothing left to give, and to keep smiling when all I want to do is cry.

Here are a few of my favorite parts:
"A good woman knows that she does not have enough time, energy, or opportunity to take care of all of the people or do all of the worthy things her heart yearns to do. Life is not calm for most women, and each day seems to require the accomplishment of a million things, most of which are important. A good woman must constantly resist alluring and deceptive messages from many sources telling her that she is entitled to more time away from her responsibilities and that she deserves a life of greater ease and independence. But with personal revelation, she can prioritize correctly and navigate this life confidently. The ability to qualify for, receive, and act on personal revelation is the single most important skill that can be acquired in this life."

Quoting Eliza R. Snow, "Women should be women and not babies that need petting and correction all the time. I know we like to be appreciated but if we do not get all the appreciation which we think is our due, what matters? We know the Lord has laid high responsibility upon us, and there is not a wish or desire that the Lord has implanted in our hearts in righteousness but will be realized, and the greatest good we can do to ourselves and each other is to refine and cultivate ourselves in everything that is good and ennobling to qualify us for those responsibilities."

"Good women always have a desire to know if they are succeeding. In a world where the measures of success are often distorted, it is important to seek appreciation and affirmation from proper sources. To paraphrase a list found in Preach My Gospel, we are doing well when we develop attributes of Christ and strive to obey His gospel with exactness. We are doing well when we seek to improve ourselves and do our best. We are doing well when we increase faith and personal righteousness, strengthen families and homes, and seek out and help others who are in need. We know we are successful if we live so that we qualify for, receive, and know how to follow the Spirit. When we have done our very best, we may still experience disappointments, but we will not be disappointed in ourselves. We can feel certain that the Lord is pleased when we feel the Spirit working through us. Peace, joy, and hope are available to those who measure success properly."