There's so much to be thankful for

      I put my kids to bed tonight and looked around to see a kitchen that needed to be swept, sink full of dishes, counters that could use a good wipe down, toys scattered from one end to the other and a bathroom full of laundry. As I began to clean up these messes that were made by my little humans that roam this house who expect laundry to be done, breakfast, lunch and dinner prepared, a refrigerator to be stocked with healthy and delicious food, and a mother who has energy to play with them each and every day. I realized how much I enjoy my job as a stay at home mother. I feel blessed that my night was spent cleaning up after two incredible boys who are snuggled up warm in their beds waiting for the sun to rise and make a mess again.

     Parenting is hard, and as my husband and I talk about expanding our family I feel overwhelmed and scared, but then I have reflected on what I have already endured in my life. The blessings I have received and how much the Lord has helped me personally, and by that I am assured I can accomplish anything I righteously desire. That sentence is comforting to me and allows me to expand my dreams, overcome my challenges, and blossom in so many ways. I can say with everything I know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true.



"The greatest joys and the greatest sorrows we experience are in family relationships. The joys come from putting the welfare of others above our own.  That is what True love is.  And the sorrow comes primarily from selfishness, which is the absence of love. The ideal God holds for us is to form families in the way most likely to lead to happiness and away from sorrow."

Our Perfect ExampleHenry B. Eyring

Alycia

I know it's true.

   Every Sunday morning I rise early and give myself the pep talk to prepare for what may lie ahead. My husband is gone attending his Priesthood meetings and I'm left to get my two boys ready for church. I know, I know, having two boys may not seem like a huge task compared to the wonderful super-moms who have more, but two for me is difficult, especially on Sunday mornings.  My oldest Seth somehow finds a reason to counter every word I say, and Ashton, my oh so sweet Ashton just doesn't like much of anything....well besides breakfast.

 A normal morning would consist of Ashton screaming when I try to change his diaper, more screaming when I struggle to clothe his cute chubby body, and again when I do his hair, which is why most often then not its never done. My sweet Seth loves to sneak the iPad and play on it knowing he shouldn't. He does a great job at dressing himself, which is such a huge help for me, but he never fails to change out of his clothes and into a costume 10 minutes before we need to jet out the door. By the time we reach our church building, Seth is eye balling the parking lot to see which of his friends are there that day, and Ashton is just excited to get out of the car. 

My husband isnt able to sit with me during the Sacrament (if you don't know what that is click here) so I have the sole responsibility to keep two children as reverent as I can for a little over an hour. Seth normally does well, he is old enough to color or draw, but Ashton on the other hand isn't. He scatters the crayons, steps on Seth's drawings, hits Seth with whatever he can find, and usually has at least two screaming fits especially when he sees his dad at the front. It can be quite challenging, and I feel so inadequate when I see mothers doing it with more children then what I have. They are my inspiration to help me get through each Sacrament meeting, and to have the patience to handle the plate that I have been given. 

I don't do this every week to torture myself, or to boast that I am a Christian. I do this because I know that Jesus Christ lives. I know that the only way to find that pure and true happiness is from the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know this is true because I have witnessed it myself in my own life. I used to wonder where I came from, why am I here and I struggled with finding true inner happiness. Once I learned about the gospel of Jesus Christ and really understood the why of many unanswered questions I had, that happiness that I longed for entered my life and has yet to leave. 

I know that by sacrificing small things, such as a Sunday to learn more about our purpose here on earth, we are blessed for it. I know that if we take that first initial leap of faith doors will open we didn't know existed, and a life we could only have dreamed of would be reality. I love my life as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and I am proud to -- "stand as a witness of God at all times and in all things, and in all places, even until death."-- Mosiah 18:9.

I love this Gospel and I love and treasure those who dared to stand alone to help me reach my fullest potential and be the best wife and mother that I possibly can. 

Alycia.