Sunday, August 29, 2010

a nice change.

I can't tell you how nice it is to have older nieces and nephews around to entertain and help me with my boys. I have not really had that for their entire lives and I take full advantage of it now. We live one house away from Matthew's niece and nephews who my boys love to be around, even though they are teenagers and my not always love being around them...they are still so nice to them.

On my side of the family I have some older nieces and nephews as well. They are so cute with my boys and my boys never stop talking about them. They love their twin cousins Annie and Katie(probably because there is one for each of them) but they also love the other ones as well. On this day they got to go to the Gateway fountains with their cousin Sydney. She is truly a little piece of sunshine and I just love her to death. We had a lot of fun, and we even got a fun picture of Sydney with a dragon fly on her swimming suit.




Saturday, August 28, 2010

Where's the daddy?

Well the Hogle Zoo is nothing like the Jacksonville Zoo, and we really miss the Jacksonville Zoo. However, there is one thing that the Hogle Zoo has that the Jacksonville Zoo doesn't.....that is family. What a blessing to go to the Zoo and be able to meet your family there. This particular day I met my mom and my cute sister-in-law Kim, as well as her kids and my other adorable niece and nephew. We had a great time. My all time favorite moment was watching the new baby elephant playing with his mother. It was so fascinating. While we were all mesmerized by these elephants my boys were somewhat disappointed, repeatedly asking..."where is the daddy elephant."

It's pretty much the same thing at our own home. As much fun as I may think my boys and I are having it is never very long before I hear the question "where is daddy?"






















































Friday, August 27, 2010

Homesick.

I found that while on my mission and while living in Florida there was always a bit of a homesick feeling whenever I thought about Temple Square. There is a feeling there that I can't get enough of, and it reminds me of one of the greatest reasons I love to live in Utah.
My cute mom is a volunteer tour guide for the church office building. The week that Matthew was taking the bar I stayed with my mom and dad. We had a lot of fun together going to the Zoo, Gateway, shopping, Pioneer park, and also a visit to temple square. We were able to have lunch with her at the church office building and then she took us on a tour to the very top, so we could see the amazing city below. While she finished her shift at the church office building, the boys and I had fun roaming around temple square.

We smelled the flowers, and Daniel said they smelled like pink. We played by the fountains, we talked about the temple and visited the statue of Jesus. We went through the visitor centers and the church history museum.

While in the visitors center Nathan figured out he could watch any prophet speak just by touching their picture on the computer screen. I figured he would be like most children pushing each one over and over without ever really listening, I was quite surprised when he sat and watched a conference talk for about fifteen minutes. Even I was restless telling him we needed to go, but he would say "no mom, i am watching my show." It was cute. While Nathan watched "his show" I of course was hunted down by the missionaries and asked for referrals....I couldn't let them down, because I know just how they feel, and yes they are still contacting me!

It was a wonderful day....a perfect day!















Pioneer Park

One of my personal favorite places to go in good ol' Utah. I love learning about the pioneers and I am so intrigued by the way the lived their lives. "This is the place park" was a perfect place to go during the 24th of July week. The little train ride was the highlight of the day for my boys. It was a HOT day but we had a lot of fun.


















Papa, what this do?

It's almost like it happens overnight. My two babies turned into little boys...super smart little boys who need to know EVERYTHING about anything. When you have the same questions coming at you double all day long....it can get tiring. I am also learning that my quick answers will not suffice them anymore, and they are just to intelligent for me to make up simple answers. So I have come to the realization that this is my stage in life to explain, explain, explain and explain some more. I dont want to be annoyed by it, because really I wouldn't want it any other way. What a blessing to have children with inquisitive minds.

On this particular day we were trying to get ready to go to Pioneer park. I couldn't even get pants on this child because he was so involved in my dad's wood shop. My Dad had to tell him about every machine and every tool and then actually show him how it worked. My dad was laughing to himself as he is trying to keep up with Daniel. He was also pretty amazed that Daniel actually had some of the tools figured out and was busy working them on his own.

It was a cute thing to watch. I am so excited to be the mother of these boys, to watch them grow and learn and turn into wonderful little people. There really is no better gift.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

National Women's Self Appreciation day.

I was inspired by my friend Katy's blog to do this post. I think it is a great idea and I think it really should be a holiday to celebrate.

I know I am not the only girl out there who has at times focused on my flaws instead of appreciating the great things. So here goes. I will post some things I appreciate about myself, and then I would love to see you do the same!

1) I appreciate that I don't feel the need to always be right.

2) I appreciate that I am NOT a perfectionist.

3) I appreciate that I don't need a lot to be happy, and that something as simple as really good shaved ice...can make my whole day.

4) I appreciate that despite what others may see, I really think of myself as a cowgirl at heart:)

It can be easier to love everyone else more than yourself, but now is your chance to say what you really do love about you!

Saturday, August 14, 2010

taught by such a simple statement


I have always taught my boys about Jesus, but this time was different.

Daniel brought me a picture of Jesus and asked me why he had holes in his hands and feet. I am sure I have explained this before, but I could tell he really wanted to know everything I could possibly tell him. So that is what I did.

I told him about his life, his death, and his resurrection. I told him the details and wondered if it may be too much for a barely three year old to hear some of these graphic details, and much more to understand them.

The Atonement of Jesus Christ is not an easy thing for me to wrap my head around. There is a lot I don't understand or even comprehend. I remember studying it ALL the time on my mission, and I still do. However, the more I understand the more I realize I don't understand, and that's when I remember my faith, and hope, and realize somethings we won't understand until we leave this earth.

As I wrapped up my long explanation of the amazing story of our Savior. I sat there for a minute wondering what was going through my three year olds mind and what would soon come out of his little mouth. He then looked up at me and very sweetly, all he said was.......

" Oh,......I lub Jesus."

May not seem profound, but to me it was. I was again reminded that I don't need to know, understand, or comprehend EVERYTHING about our Savior Jesus Christ and his sacrifice for me, maybe all I have to do is just "lub" him.








Thursday, August 12, 2010

Five years.......but I say ten

I kept telling Matthew how excited I was to celebrate our 10 year anniversary, and how this was the BIG one!! He kept reminding me that it's only been five, and felt bad thinking that our five years together has seemed like ten. I realized that I was saying ten because that is how long we have been together, as best friends. It really has been a great ten years, but a more important five.
We had a little luck with our five year celebrations, and I like to think it's a preparation for great things to come!

We decided to go to Park City, where we spent our Honeymoon. Matt had reserved a very cute inexpensive room at a lodge near a ski resort. We were so excited to have three days and two nights to ourselves. We checked in and entered our quaint little room, wanting to just relax. I went to turn on the air conditioning because we were on the third floor and it was ninety something degrees outside, and even hotter inside. We soon realized my sweet husband did not check for air conditioning before reserving the room, because what kind of hotel wouldn't have AC......ours! It is of course a ski lodge used mainly for the winter months. I quickly began to panic. I tried not to be a complainer but I explained to Matt that the purpose of the trip was to relax, and there would be no relaxing in such a HOT room. I could tell he was a little worried, but I realized again why I loved him so much when he calmly said "don't worry it will work out, and if it doesn't, we will have some great memories to laugh about." However, I was not laughing. I called the front desk and asked if there was anyway to get out of our reservations.

The hotel manager said he would work on it and then call me back. Quite awhile went by, and we started to call other hotels, only to find that most were booked or way to expensive. So I called the manager back hoping he didn't cancel the reservations yet, because we had nowhere else to go. He said he was working on an upgrade, but it was a ridiculous upgrade and he might get in trouble for it. So I started to work my magic, telling him how we had twin boys and this was our anniversary, and we really needed a break, and so on, and so on. So he told us to pack our bags and come downstairs. He then walked us to our new hotel room, a five hundred dollar upgrade.

A full kitchen with granite counter tops, a view of the whole valley, two stories with three bathrooms, three t.v.'s, leather couches, with a separate living room and dining room. Most importantly......AC!!! So we paid sixty dollars a night for all of this. Matt said we should call them back and ask if they had a bigger t.v. available, and more pillows.....we didn't:) Really though I think Matt felt a little guilty taking such a nice place for so little, but I like to think of it as a little blessing that may just be preparing us for some good things to come.

We had a wonderful time and took full advantage of our little getaway to do all the things we don't usually get to do, like talk to each other without interruption, and sleep in as late as we want.

The next day was cloudy and rainy and we didn't even need air conditioning, but we weren't going to let the manager know that.


HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO THE LOVE OF MY LIFE!!

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

I'm still learning.

It has been nine months since we have lived in a place that we could call our own. Just recently my boys have started talking a lot more about our home in Florida. Every morning while making breakfast they ask "momma is this yours kitchen?" Again and again I explain to them that we are living at Grandma's house until Daddy is done with his big test and he finds a job. Of course sweet Grandma Lorz always shouts from the background "of course this is your kitchen, this is your house." I love living with my mother-in-law, and I love having family around. I have learned that I can live with a lot less and that I don't miss much of anything that is in storage right now. However, there is a few things that I miss.......deeply.

I remember days when the last thing I wanted to do was cook dinner, or clean the bathroom, or organize the garage. I remember times when I let the laundry pile up far too long, and the family ate cheerios every morning for a few weeks in a row. I remember not wanting to pick up the boys toys, or vacuum the stairs. I remember overwhelming feelings of housework, and laundry, cooking, and grocery shopping, on top of church callings, and twin toddlers, and of course the famous last words of my husband saying, "well I am off to go study!" I remember it all too well, and it is exactly what I miss.

In the last couple months I have realized more than ever how much I love being a homemaker. I think it is one of the few things that I am good at. I don't claim to have a whole lot of talents, but it makes me feel good to know that this may be one of them. From a young age I had a very clear idea of what I wanted my home to be like for my family.

You know that feeling you get when you have worked really hard all day, making nutritious meals for your family, and homemade bread with a smell that lingers into the night, cleaning your bathrooms and kitchen, organizing closets, and throwing out clutter. Putting kids to bed and curling up on the couch with a good book and the light of a candle flickering in the room. I'm not saying this is what I did everyday, but this is what I miss. I have always had this strong desire to change, create, and decorate the space around me. I miss having that "space" of my own to create.

This is not a boohoo post. I am very thankful for this experience. I will never look at my work as a mother the same way again. It makes me feel good to know that even at a young age my boys miss having their own home, I like to believe that they do remember the feeling that was in our home. When the time is right we will have a place of our own, and instead of waking up each morning overwhelmed by all the house work that needs to be done I will be happy just having a house of my own.