Daddy Daughter

I love all of the different relationships that can exist within families, and today I feel especially blessed for the Daddy-Daughter relationship. Drew loves his girls so much, and they sure love him too. I think they're turning into Daddy's girls for sure. Tonight we went out to dinner (Taco Bell baby!) and Abbie was just so sweet with Drew. She wanted to sit by him and have him help her with her taco, and then ever so sweetly she told him, "Thank you for getting my dinner, Dad." Later as we were driving home Abigail wanted to play at a park and Drew offered to take her to one on the way. They got out and played and then decided to walk home together. Lauren and I drove home and my heart just melted as we passed daddy and daughter, hand in hand walking home. Lauren, too has just wanted her Daddy recently. Drew will pick her up and she will snuggle into him and pat his back. The other day she really wouldn't let him go so he could even shower : ). I feel so blessed for a husband who I adore that is also an incredible dad, and for such sweet girls who adore their daddy as well.

Play

Today I feel so grateful for the wonder that is a child's play. My girls have been sick for five days now, and their normal vigor and energy has been lost while their bodies are trying to become healthy again. Tonight though was a big break through. Abbie and Lauren were starting to feel more themselves and wanted to play and wrestle with Drew. It was so sweet, and touched me so much because they've just been so miserable and it's such a blessing for them to be whole again and to have that desire to just play back. Sometimes sickness helps us appreciate the normal, healthy moments all the more, and today I am so grateful that my girls are starting to feel well again.

Grandma

I don't know if it's all of the yardwork I've been doing or what, but I have just been really thinking about and missing my Grandma Linn. I feel like I have a lot of her in me, and now that I'm a 'grown-up' I just wish that I could get to know her better and learn all of her cooking and cleaning and gardening secrets that made her . As I've been working in the yard I've just been thinking about her and all of the hardwork she invested in her yard and home and in us. She sure loved us grandkids, and some of my best memories growing up are with her- in her yard, going on hikes with her, eating her sandwiches while fishing, and riding in the motorhome with her. I feel very blessed to know her and to feel such a connection to her. I love you, Grandma.

Friends (ie Jill)

Today I feel extra blessed for great friends. For great friends who can make the miserable times less miserable, even just by being an answering machine to talk to when life gets a little bit crazy. Because somehow it is just easier knowing that there is someone cheering you on, even if they're miles away.

Close Family

I am so blessed to be surrounded by so many great people and by so much family. It really is a huge blessing to me. When I lived hundreds of miles away from my parents I would remember calling my mom on days like today and just wishing she could be there with me, and her wishing the same. What a blessing it is to live so close that she is just a few minutes away and can come to my rescue at a moments notice.

Today I didn't even have to ask. She just came, supplies in hand, ready to help me with my poor, sick girls and give me a chance to catch my breath and take care of them even better.

Drew, as always, is also so great and helped not only with the girls, but also with our big yardwork project that we're working on together this week. It's great to know that even when not all the conditions are ideal, we can still get things done together as a team and take care of each other along the way. What a blessing that is.

Testimony

Today was another good, yet frustrating Sunday. We still aren't quite jiving with afternoon church, but we are making small steps to get there. Today Abbie was incredibly tired during Sacrament Meeting, but couldn't settle down enough to fall asleep. As it was the first Sunday of the month, today was fast and testimony meeting, where members of the congregation can come and publicly bare their testimonies or witness of their beliefs and what they know to be true.

I bare my testimony to my Sunday School class almost every week, but I haven't done it publicly for quite some time, and today I felt very impressed that I should. Abbie, however, seemed to have another plan for me, so despite my efforts to keep her busy long enough for me to go up to the stand, it never really worked. I wound up quite frustrated by the end of the meeting, but I guess that I truly am grateful for the blessing of having a testimony, and for going over it in my mind during the meeting, and for feeling prompted to share it, as I don't always feel that. So, it wasn't quite the scenario that I would have picked out for the meeting, but I am grateful for it nonetheless, and I have a few more strategies up my sleeve for Abbie next month if I feel so prompted again.