Build an Ark

We were watching this music video to this new Primary song in the Friend magazine (a children's magazine published by my church). It is one I started to learn with my nieces several weeks ago. It has a very sweet melody and message. Enjoy!

LDS.org - Friend Article - Build an Ark

Baby Steps

About a week-and-a-half ago, our little eleven-month-old Kate took her first steps. She'd been close for quite a while and got brave enough to start standing at the beginning of the month. After that, we knew walking was not far off. And it wasn't. This video was taken Friday. Now she nearly always chooses to walk rather than crawl. It's pretty cute.

Maggie likes to practice walking too. Sometimes after Kate walks to one of us, Maggie asks for a turn, tries to look all uncertain, and stumble/falls into our arms. It's pretty cute too.

I am trying to appreciate baby steps of my own. I think it may be a life-long quest. Sometimes I get discouraged when I think I should have been able to get more done or when I don't have time to accomplish everything I want to or when I realize that I've spent the whole day just cleaning, vacuuming, changing diapers, feeding kids, cooking, and doing errands, with a little time-wasting thrown in, when I wanted to just sit down with the kids and play on the floor or work on a household project or write in my journal or blog.

I hate when I have a project I want to start or journal item I want to write that stays on my to-do list for weeks on end. (Though better on my to-do list than cluttering my head.) I think what bothers me most is that I can never get ahead. I tend to be overly optimistic in my planning, even when I am trying to be realistic, and always seem to think I am Wonder Woman or something and can do more than is possible and do it perfectly. I will always have more ideas of things to do than time to do it. I can be super efficient sometimes, but then other times I can't even figure out where the time has gone. And I don't even watch much television or spend a lot of time on hobbies. Nothing I am trying to do is usually very long or difficult in and of itself, it's just hard to account for all that laundry-folding and dish-doing, the hand-washing and shoe-finding, the vegetable-chopping and counter-wiping. And Kate turning off the computer when I am in the middle of typing (I guess she was trying to tell me something :0) ). Or Maggie putting soap all over her legs while on the potty right before we are trying to go somewhere.

Recently I was trying so hard to get ahead, feeling a bit discouraged about all the goals I had, and feeling that I couldn't possibly get them all done. But then I began to reflect on all the improvements and accomplishments of the past year and came away feeling encouraged. I really have done a lot this past year. And what's more, I've been making a lot of small changes that have led to improvements in my cooking, baking, and housekeeping abilities, my parenting skills, my spirituality, and my relationship with Mike. Also, we do have a lot of fun around here. That should count too. We sing princess songs and dance to "the lady" (an old Nursery tape) and play Candyland and go on outings and eat pretend food. I just always want more.

So I keep adjusting our schedules and creating new, hopefully more productive, routines. Reprioritizing. Reorganizing. Finding fifteen minutes here and fifteen minutes there for praying and scripture-studying. Blogging and writing. Sewing and reading. Calling or writing people I love. Working on church assignments or helping with my community mom's club. Just thinking. Holding Mike's hand. And holding my little ones on my lap. And enjoying it. Because they are growing much too fast.

Maggie tells me: "I three years old. Kate three years old too."

"Really," I say. "I thought you were two."

Maggie: "Oh yeah. I two old."

Our sweet neighbor Iris, who is in her seventies, really got a kick out of Maggie saying she was "two old." "I'm too old too, Maggie."

Maggie and Kate are really getting too old too fast for my liking. But I am loving every minute. They are so much fun. Kate has such a fun-loving personality and loves to laugh and hug and play and Maggie talks up a storm and is liberal with her compliments. I am so lucky. My life is great. And it just keeps getting greater. It's been a wonderful year. I have a lot to be thankful for.

So in conclusion, even though I like to make big improvements and do major projects all at once, I am slowly learning to do a little here and a little there. And isn't that the Lord's way?

"For precept must be upon precept; line upon line; here a little, and there a little" (Isaiah 28:10). "And out of small things proceedeth that which is great” (D&C 64:33). Or as Alma said to his son Helaman, “But behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass” (Alma 37:6).

Someday soon, I will make time to paint the girls' room. And hopefully my kitchen. (Those are two items have been on the to-do list a little too long for my liking.) But in the meantime, I am thankful. For all the fun times my girls and I have together. For the autumn walks. The fun outings. The generally tidy house. The projects I have been able to complete (like the curtains in my living room or the bench in the girls' room). The yummy meals I get to make and eat. The time I find to exercise. The library books I have read recently. The phone calls with my sisters. The dates Mike and I have together (biking + gourmet hot chocolate = bliss). That I haven't had potatoes go bad in a very long time. Video chats with my family. Our new/old car we were just given (blessing!!!). The routines that are making a difference. Wonderful conference talks that change my life. Inspiration I received when I needed it. Time spent with friends and family. The good haircut I got today (my first in eleven months...I know, I should get it cut more often). And all those other small and simple things that are helping me in my quest to become better than I currently am.

Just saw this on my soon-to-be-sister-in-law's blog. Watch it. Love it. Happy Thanksgiving!!