Trying to catch up!

I’m so far behind, I think I’m just gong to grab some themes and throw a bunch of posts up.

But first, a few thoughts…

I am an extremely blessed lady!  I have a husband that adores me.  Wonderful children. A house to live in.  A full tummy.  Modern amenities – running water and electricity.  (We were reminded of those beautiful things we take for granted recently – we lost water for a day and a half – brushing your teeth, going to the bathroom, cooking, washing your hands – such a blessing to have running, safe water!)  We are safe – I don’t worry about my safety.  No war planes fly through the skies above my home.  We are healthy.  We have wonderful supports all around us – we are blessed beyond all reason!  My Patriarchal blessing tells me twice to be worthy of all the blessings that Heavenly Father will see fit to bestow upon me.  Am I?  Something to ponder.

The other day the girls were talking about the back yard here.  Jessi said she is so glad that she didn’t grow up here with this backyard.  That really caught my attention – this is a much nicer backyard than they grew up with.  There is a beautiful carpet of bluegrass, surrounded by a safe fence.  Inside that fence is an expensive playset and a nice trampoline.  It’s really nice, in a nice neighborhood – one we could never have afforded when she was little.  So I was intrigued and listened closely.  She and her sisters described our back yard in Houston with such love.  The forest – the section of pines growing behind the garage.  The old swing set, the old trampoline, the old leaves that served as mulch, the stumps – they were castles and gardens and forts.  That old yard was the canvas for their imagined games. And my heart smiled.  Childhood should be about playing and imagining, being outside, and exploring.  Yeah!  I did that part of raising them correctly.  Yeah!  They learned to love being outside, being together, and being free to imagine while safely in our own back yard.  I was happy and grateful.