Mom

My mom's birthday was on November 29th.

My mom is top notch. She brought me into this world, taught me the Gospel, and put up with me for so many years. Those things alone merit praise. She set an example of selfless service and love for others. She worked tirelessly to help us develop our talents and find success at home and in school. She made our home a warm, welcoming environment filled with music, song, and laughter. Now you know what I mean when I say she is the best.

I can now attest to how difficult it is to bring a human being into this world. My mom delivered me via C-section because of some difficulties with the pregnancy. How grateful I am for that initial sacrifice. I'm also grateful for modern medicine and technology and that she chose to bring three other children into the world after me.

We had a spiritual devotional every day before school. They were well-thought out and inspirational. In addition she made sure that we read scriptures together as a family, had family prayer, and attended our church meetings. We also had a longer devotional every Sunday. She gave me a solid foundation of Gospel knowledge.

Waking up at the crack of dawn to drag me to the piano must not have been easy. She did it for many years with me dragging my feet. I couldn't see the benefit in working so hard at learning to play an instrument. I'm grateful for her devotion and wisdom in knowing that it would be beneficial in the long run. She told me I would thank her one day: thanks, mom.

Especially at this time I think of the warm loving home I grew up in. My mom made sure that the holidays were celebrated and that everyone felt loved. How grateful I am to her for those precious childhood memories. She was always singing, dancing, laughing, and having a good time. We enjoyed dancing together after dinner.

Thanks mom for everything. I can never thank you enough. I love you!

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, a Remarkable Book

I've been reading The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Like the scriptures it has had a profound and transformational impact on me because it is based on true principles. It has increased in me my desire to reverse bad habits that are deeply rooted in my character. There is hope. I can change. So can you. If we aren't striving to repent and mend our ways then what are we here for anyway.

I do want to share some insights that I've gleaned from this book.

The first habit is to be proactive. We need to work within our circle of influence rather than our circle of concern. We need to be more solution oriented, less problem oriented. By taking responsibility for the things within our direct control and by giving no heed to those things that are not we become more proactive. 

Here is an example from my own life. 

Madelyn was born and my world changed. I was ill-prepared for the strong emotions that I would feel and the postpartum baby blues that set in. Lack of sleep also took it's toll, which was out of my direct control. It was not only difficult for me, but for Chase. He struggled to adjust to a new member of the family acted out in negative ways to cope with feelings of jealousy and stress. It was painful to watch. I took all of that guilt upon myself and was distraught.

Once Madelyn and I started sleeping through the night, I started eating right, and exercising. I changed. I no longer harbored guilt caused by someone else's actions, even those of my son. I took responsibility for helping Chase deal with those feelings of jealousy and stress in a loving manner. I made deposits in his emotional bank account and disciplined out of love when necessary. Moral: when I started taking care of myself I liberated myself and was better able to serve others. My sense of self-worth was no longer being derived from someone else.

Let me switch tracks to other harmful behaviors: blaming, criticizing, and fault-finding. These characteristics rarely inspire change, and if they do they often damage relationships in the process.

Occasionally Steve comes home late from work. It is out of his control, yet sometimes I blame him. It is damaging to our relationship.  The other day I decided to try a more loving approach. When he came home late I said something similar to "Wow, it's late. You must have had a long hard day." His response was "I really wish I could have been home so I didn't miss out on..." By showing empathy he sensed that I cared and he responded positively. Before we speak we should ask ourselves whether our words will inspire or hinder change and progress. 

My proposition would be to be proactive in changing things within our circle of influence, to take care of ourselves, and to build on each other's strengths and not tear each other down. And to look both ways before you cross the street.

I hope you enjoy the book or enjoy a refresher if you have already read it. I know I will reread it often.

Danielle

Danielle got married to Eric last April. She was a stunning bride. She could have been cut from a magazine. It was so fun to be there with her for that special day.

Danielle knows what she wants out of life and is going to get it. Her ambition is inspiring. I have no doubt that she will be successful in her schooling. She is fun to talk to and be around. I look forward to seeing her and Eric in December and getting a chance to talk to her even more.

We love you Danielle!

Nicole

I stopped doing my birthday posts after having Madelyn and moving. I want to finish them but they would no longer be birthday posts. Instead, I'll just spotlight the members of my family.

Nicole is so beautiful: watch out Snow White, you have some competition. I love her jet black hair and beautiful skin.

Nicole is such a sweetheart. She has volunteered to babysit so that Steve and I can go to the temple together. She is an excellent babysitter because she is trustworthy and responsible. She is also a very fun aunt always playing with the kiddos on the floor. She is even willing to do the not so pleasant jobs before being asked such as changing diapers. I have really enjoyed getting to know Nicole better.

We love you Nicole!

Madelyn

Madelyn at her 2 month checkup

Young love :)

Her sweet smile

Would someone please press pause? I want her to stay a baby for longer. She is growing up way too fast. This is Madelyn at almost  months.

Madelyn's Blessing Day

We blessed Madelyn at our home in Massachusetts. After the blessing Steve suggested that everyone bear their testimonies. It was a great way to invite the Spirit. I would love to have all my children blessed at home. We are so grateful that Madelyn is here. She is the closest thing we can get to heaven.

Steve's Family

Love at First Sight

The Girls

Grandma and Madelyn

At the Hospital

Introducing Miss Madelyn Glena

Madelyn was born on May 28th at 1:35 p.m. I went into labor around 10:00 the night before with intermittent contractions until 6:00 a.m. when they started coming more frequently. I was a little nervous about not getting to the hospital in time especially after being inundated with horror stories from several people. We dropped the boys off at a friends house around 8:30 and arrived at the hospital at 9:00. At 9:30 I was dilated to a 4. At 12:15 they gave me an epidural (at which point I was dilated to between a 7 and an 8). I started pushing at 1:15 and at 1:35 a beautiful, dark haired, princess was placed in my arms. We felt and continue to feel so blessed that she is a part of our family.


Ellen Patton took these adorable pictures.


The boys have loved her from the start.



One more for good measure.

Happy Birthday Dayne!

Dayne was called on a mission to the Dominican Republic. He leaves June 6th. I said goodbye to him in April. I couldn't be more excited for him. He is going to be immensely successful.

Dayne has many qualities I admire. He loves learning and is doing very well with his education. He is dedicated to the Gospel and to it's core principals and lives them. One thing I really admire is his concern for those around him. He is always there to give a kind word when you are down. He is very good at helping to bear others burdens.

I love you Dayne and wish you success on your mission! I wish I could be there for your farewell.

Chase and Christian

Devin took these cute pictures of the boys around Christmas time. Thanks Devin.

Happy Birthday Rachel!

Rachel is my beautiful sister-in-law who I love dearly. She is smart and intelligent and again beautiful on the inside and out. She is a very good wife to my brother and will be a great mother in April. Rachel and I have a lot of the same interests. I just wish we lived closer so we could spend a little more time together. I hope you have a great birthday today, Rachel!

Happy Birthday Papa!

True to form, I'm late on posting Papa's birthday post.

I hope it was wonderful. This year was fun for us because we were able to go visit Papa at his work on his birthday. There are many things I admire about Steve. He is a very hard worker. He is always lending a helping hand either at his own house or at ours. He has also devoted a great deal of time to learning both spiritual as well as secular truth. He is a truth seeker, and will always kindly let you know if you have been misinformed. He delights in service to both his family and to the members of his ward. He is also a very good Papa to Chase and Christian. 

Happy Birthday Papa!

Happy Birthday Diane!

I'm grateful to have such a wonderful mother-in-law. She has always helped me feel welcome and has treated me with such kindness. I love many things about Diane. I truly admire her compassion and her love for others. She believes that showing love and building relationships are more important than checking things off of a to do list. She is a great listener and will listen to anything you have to say whether she has time or not. In fact, you would never know whether she has time or not because she would never tell you. You always feel that she has time for you. What a great example that is to everyone around her! I love you Diane and Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Devin!

This year I wanted to write a note to the members of my family on their birthdays. I'm already behind for which I apologize.

I was able to serve with Devin in Hungary. I was impressed with Devin's work ethic and his ability to learn such a hard language. He learned to speak Hungarian very well. I also noticed that he took the work seriously but didn't take himself too seriously. He was able to laugh about his mistakes and be generally positive. I admire Devin's ability to make friends. If you were looking to be his friend I don't think you would be put on a waiting list. You also don't have to have any qualifications to be Devin's friend. I've always gotten the feeling that Devin is fairly non-judgmental and sees the good in everyone. We hope you had a wonderful birthday Devin!

Home for Christmas

It was such a blessing to be able to go home for Christmas. We enjoyed  every minute of it. We were all sick  on Christmas with a stomach bug but we were sick together. We don't have pictures from Christmas day because I don't think anyone felt well enough to get off the couch and get the camera. :)

Polar Express

My mom took us to ride the Polar Express. We had a great time. 

This is not too bad of a picture with Santa. Both of the boys had a little bit of a hard time with him this year. :)

Chase Birthday Festivities

Yummy Pizza. Birthday dinner of choice.

He was very much looking forward to this construction cake and still talks about.

Bliss. What could be better than chocolate and construction vehicles when you are 3!

Christian's introduction to chocolate and cake. He didn't get any on his birthday. He has such cruel parents...

Have you ever stuck your nose in vaseline and then tried to get a pom pom to stick to the end. If not, you have got to play this game. It ranks high for it's entertainment value. Not many of us could do it without gagging on the ribbon.

Such a great picture of these guys!

Pinching pennies. This game is a riot. I purposefully left some people's picture off of here so as not to embarrass them. My mom just looks cute. 

Present time! Chase had a wonderful birthday and was thrilled to have everyone there to celebrate it with him.

Christmas with the Sears

We had Christmas with the Sears before we left for Utah. Christian was enjoying himself. He always smiles a lot, but he could not stop smiling. I love Nicole's face in this picture. 

Just to prove my point. Danielle looks cute too. 

They are both taking this so seriously. :)

Classic Christmas Picture

These were all so adorable it was hard to pick just one.

These boys both love music and singing around the piano!

Tree Lighting in Boston

Our first Christmas celebration, the tree lighting in Boston.

Family Vacation and Halloween

 Steve took a few days off in October so we could spend some time together. Here we are in Western MA with the beautiful fall leaves.

Here we are on top of Mt. Greylock, the highest point in MA at 3, 489 feet.

Christian started crawling in October at 10-months-old. 

Here we are at the aquarium on Halloween.

Our race car driver Chase before he went trick or treating.