Porter's Birthday

It's been over a week since Porter turned 1 but I wanted to write about this amazing little boy. I can't believe he is already 1 years old. It seems like just yesterday that I was pregnant with him. He's an amazing little boy. Not walking yet but he gets around fast anyway. He smiles and the whole world lights up. I love to hear him laugh. Nothing can get me giggling the way that he can. He is an anchor to his family and especially to his mother. I love being his mom. He loves to cuddle and gives me hugs and even will come up to me with slightly puckered lips for a kiss. He says "mama" and "dada" and a few other words that only mom can distinguish. He loves to play with his brother and sister and they love him too.

For his birthday we just had family time. With daddy being deployed soon, I wanted to just be together as a family for one more birthday. He had a Curious George birthday cake per his sister's request. He actually ate it all too, and then smeared frosting all over his face and hair. Then of course, he had his cerimonious bath which I give to all the kids after their birthdays, usually because they are covered in cake. We had a good day. Man, I love my children. I love Porter.

LDS_gaurd_family : LDS Gaurd/Reserve Family

LDS_gaurd_family : LDS Gaurd/Reserve Family

This is a link to my new yahoo group dedicated to the families of National Gaurd/Reserves. It is primarily directed toward LDS members since I am one myself. I firmly believe in supporting the families of our troops and with such a vast amount of National Guard/Reserves serving overseas their families are left behind without the luxury of living on a base where they can be surrounded by others who are also in the military. They do it alone, sometimes, very alone, and this is a forum to get support, perhaps meet someone close to you with whom you can bond and help. If you yourself don't need this group but know someone who does, please pass it along. Thanks.

Porter Joseph

Thought my family might enjoy this. I will do one child a day hopefully. This time it is Porter. My sweet little baby. He is the most easy going happy baby I have ever known. I love being his mom. I love to hold and snuggle him. I love to read to him. What's even better? He actually likes those things too. He will be one years old in a month and I can't believe it. I feel like I was just pregnant with him. Here's my tribute to him. I love this perfect little angel.

Picture Perfect

I was just looking through some old pictures of the kids and came across these two. I was still pregnant with Porter at this time, that's why he's not here. We were up on top of the Space Needle in Seattle when these were taken. Just perfect shots of two perfect kids. Aren't they just picture perfect? I sware they could be little models. I just love being a mom, can you tell?

I know I haven't added much to this site lately and to be honest with you, I set up this site as a vent for myself as a mom but lately I haven't had much of a need to vent. My kids' behavior has vastly improved, largely because my attitude has changed. I've joined this AMAZING service organization called American Mothers Inc. I am the secretary of the Utah Valley chapter and it has been so rewarding. I'm learning how to be a better mom and I get to do all this service and take my kids along to serve as well. I love that they are developing a passion for serving those who are less fortunate than themselves. I've always heard that if you want to be happy, serve someone else, and I've always done little things before, always wishing that I could do more, but now as I have thrown myself headon into service, I realize that everything anyone has been saying is so very true. It's so wonderful to forget yourself and go to work helping someone else. It's so amazing the power it has over yourself and your family. May we all strive to serve MORE than we think we can. When it comes to service, if you only do what you think you can, you won't do anything. Jump in and do something. www.americanmothers.org and coming soon www.amiutahvalley.org or www.fightpornography.org . Join us in our strive to better ourselves, our children, our community.

A Trip to the ER

Remember Emma, well Saturday night Mom went to the Emergency Room with dear sweet Emma. Why? Because after spending the day up at Grandma and Grandpa's cabin, Emma arrived home and was being gotten ready for bed when Mom and Dad discovered she had a porcupine quill in her bum. No kidding!!!! To the ER we went. I had to hold my daughter down while they numbed her up, which was the worst part of the whole experience for her. Then she laid there, pretty still, while the doctor took a scalpel to her bum, cut it open, extracted the quill, and sewed her little bum cheek up again. 2 stitches in all. Not to bad, but man, I felt so bad for her. Doesn't seem to phase her all that much though. She can't wait to go back up to the cabin. Proof that nothing phases a kid.

Potty Training

Meet Emma, she turned 2 in February. I find as we begin to potty train her, I am scared. I don't exactly know how to do it. Yesterday she just started stripping and asking to use the big girl potty, but I know there is still alot of work to do. Today she runs around in big girl pants and I won't let her go play outside which she's not overly happy with me about. My oldest is a boy and he just decided he was ready a little after he turned 3, so for me Emma is early. I know that girls tend to potty train early and I'm excited at eliminating the cost of diapers, good golly they are expensive, but I'm also sad because it's just another blaring reminder that my little girl is growing up. I look around at my kids and it makes me sad. I don't always feel old enough to even have them and they just keep getting older and older. I wish I could press pause sometimes. I'm so proud of Emma though. She's extremely sweet. She can be mean and naughty sometimes, but really she is one of the sweetest loving little girls I have ever met. She loves her brothers so much. They are her best friends and when she is separated from them for even a little while she always greets them with big hugs and kisses. Nothing is sweeter than seeing your children really like one another.

The Frustrations of Motherhood

I've decided to have a separate blog just about being a Mom and how wonderful and yet how very frustrating it is. I have the most stubborn children in all the world. They can be so sweet and so obedient for OTHER people. They won't do anything for me, and are even worse for their father. My oldest is four years old and he definitely has a will and a mind of his own. Can't figure out how to reason with him when he's screaming in an all out fit or running away. Any suggestions? My daughter is two and terrified of almost everything. She's always asking us to "take her" because she's scared of something or another. The only one who behaves is the baby and he's been very fussy lately. He's scared of his sister because she keeps coming along and hurting him. She's not melicious or anything, it's just that she loves him so much, she's over loving. Plus, if she thinks he should be doing something than he has to do it whether or not he wants to. I love them, but I need to vent and I hope that all will endure my venting.