I typically call 4 of 5 my little snuggle bug.  So the title of this post is “bugisms” in reference to the funny things she says.  There is only one to post today but it was a good one….

Me:  Ok guys go down stairs and gather up everyone’s shoes and put them in their rooms!  You can get a green stick for that!

Bug (4 of 5):  I am off duty!

I’ve come to the realization that I am addicted to sugar!  Sugar in all its forms!  Candy bar, ice cream, white bread, chips, etc…. I’ve also been doing some research on Women’s Health because that is one of my goals this year… to get healthy.  I realized  I already knew all this stuff, but some how  reading it from a medical perspective made an impression on me.  I have resolved to cut out most sugar ,but I’m also realistic that I can’t totally deprive myself of it or else I’ll  binge on sugar.    I am allowed to have no more than 200 calories in any kind of sugar (except fruits). Yesterday was a little difficult but tonight is going to be harder.  I’m sure there will be yummy deserts at our R.S. visiting teaching conference tonight.  I’m hoping that by making my resolve public I’ll be able to withstand tonight because so many of my friends will be there.  If anyone has any helpful hints on how to curve the sugar cravings please pass them along.  I can use all the help I can get.

Trekky man turned on our bedroom lights on full blast not knowing that 3 of 5 was in our bed.  The lights woke her up.  The following conversation took place after 3 of 5 sat up in bed with a black beret on her head.

Trekky:  Oh I am so sorry 3 of 5 I didn’t know you were asleep on our bed.

3 of 5:  I am so happy!

Trekky:  Oh really why are you happy?

3 of 5 :I am sooo happy!  I am sooooooooo happy! 

Trekky:  As he is lifting her to carry her to her bed… Why are you so happy?  What has made you so happy?

3 of 5:  Once again…” I am just sooooo happy….. you guys are getting married!”

I have no idea what my child dreams about!  She is always saying and doing the funniest things in the middle of the night.  One time after I took her to the bathroom before I went to bed she took the toilet paper she used to wipe herself and started wiping the wall.  Ahhhhhhhh  gross but way funny!  Even funnier is that  she was happy to be cleaning the bathroom wall with her toilet paper. Our little 3 of 5 always wakes in the best of moods!  Even in the middle of the night.  Ahhh I wish all the kids were like that!  I guess 1 out of 5 of them is good!

My frined Amy sent me a link to a site that was hysterical. I had to share it with my blogging buddies! Fortunately Trekky man has never had to venture out to the “Doghouse!” For you ladies you can learn how to send your man to the doghouse, and you guys can learn what life is like in the doghouse and how to get out. Most imformative. Click here to check it out!

We’ve been recently truly blessed with a couple of  really wonderful moments.  I feel like the Lord is smiling down on me!  The first blessing came  with potty training 5 of 5.  Those of you who know me well know how very much  I hate, detest, despise, loathe, need I go on…. potty training.  I would love to be able to hire someone to do it for me, but alas that hasn’t been an option.  2 of 5 wasn’t all that bad to potty train, but the other 3 had ups and downs.  Just not my “cup of tea” as the saying goes.  With that said I was in no rush to potty train 5 of 5.  One day while in the bath he informed me he needed to go potty.  So I put him on the potty and to my delight he actually peed in the potty.  So I said to myself…”self now is the time….gear up…get ready, and put a smile on that face!”  Well he is completely potty trained.  He has had a handful of accidents, but only at home.  It was the most pleasant and lovely experience!!!!  He is a blessed child and will receive the family fortune (that isn’t saying much but it’s the thought!).

Our next huge blessing was all about our computers.  The computer we usually used went kapooey a few weeks ago.  So we’ve been using the lap top.  Well over the weekend 1 of 5 apparently spilled some pop on the desk and it got into the computer.  We were unaware until Monday when trying to turn it on.  We were sooo patient with him.  We calmly asked him about it and he immediately admited it was him who spilled the pop.  Poor guy felt sooo bad.  He informed us that we could send all his Christmas presents back.  Then he went and added up the prices of all his books in hopes of selling them.  Bless his heart!  IT was a good learning lesson for him.  Our simple disappointment was all that he needed to see to learn his lesson.  IT was a great teaching moment.  So Trekky man took apart the computer in hopes to see how far the damage went.  He was hoping and praying to salvage the hardrive.  Then lo and behold while I was putting the kids to bed he came upstairs to inform 1 of 5 that it worked!  I can’t explain it.  We were sure it was toast!  Couldn’t start it up for quite a while.  After FHE (a lesson on the atonement in light of the situation) ,and time for Trekky man to explain to 1 of 5 that he loved him very much but was disappointed not mad at him….then we discovered that it worked .  Makes me greateful for a good hubby and for those teaching moments.  For both our children and us!

So Wenesday evening I took 3 of 5, 4 of 5, and 5 of 5 to Walmart to get a few things.  3 of 5 was helping me buckle in 4 of 5 while I was getting 5 of 5 strapped in.  Suddenly 3 of 5 is telling me how 4 of 5 spit on her while she was strapping her in.  Then I witnessed her spitting on the floor of the van.  The following conversation took place:

me:  4of 5 why in the world would you spit on 3 of 5?

4 of 5:  (no comment/ blank expression) Then she spit on the floor!

me:  4 of 5 we don’t do that!  That is disgusting!  What do you think Santa would say to your doing that?

4 of 5:  Paused for a bit….got big innocent eyes (a look of wonder like hmm is this a trick question)…then she replied hesitantly and with a questioning tone to her voice…”ho,ho,ho?”

me:  (First I turn around because I’m laughing so hard!)  Then I look at her with a smile and say “You are sure lucky you are so cute!”  When she saw that her answer got a smile out of me she looked so relieved it was almost as funny as her ho, ho, ho!

Kids really say some of the funniest things!

I haven’t had a chance to write about our experiences with family proclamation week.  Trekky man and I have really grown to cherish our time with the kids.  (I say this now as the children are behind me wrestling and screaming so loud I can hardly think!)  Did I say cherish????  Yes, yes I did!  We really did cherish these past 2 weeks.  These past 2 weeks helped me  realized that “good family relationships don’t happen by accident they happen intentionally.”  We’ve always wanted to have and tried to have good relationships with the children.   But it seemed it was so easy to allow things to get in the way.  I needed a break,  needed  to clean this up, had to get dinner done, clean the table off, etc…  I’ve discovered that when we’ve put our family first all these other things come into place.  Dinner got done with their help, chores got done …with their help,….and I discovered that I wasn’t so in need of a “break” because we were genuinely enjoying our time together.  We’ve had lots of fun together and have had some really faith promoting experiences together.

Although having lots of fun together was a big thing for us I also realized that if I want my children to develop faith in their Lord, and gain testimonies of their own we had to have those teaching experiences in our home.  I couldn’t expect them to learn and grow just from attending church weekly.  It was more important for those experiences to come from having the spirit in our home.  I recognize the great responsibility that lies on the shoulders of parents all over the world to teach, inspire, and show our children how to be good people.  My children are a great blessing to me.  I have learned and grown much from my experiences with them.  I’m grateful for the times I’ve had with them thus far and look forward to many more wonderful moments with them.  Family proclomation week has become a tradition for us.  One that will occur several times a year.  There were also several things that we did that will become weekly or monthly traditions as well.  I’m not saying things went so perfectly, or that they were easy because they weren’t.  We wanted this to be a wonderful experience for all of us so we put forth the effort, and it paid off in the end.  It was well worth the sacrifices and effort.  Time with our family was as that one commercial says: “PRICELESS!”

Today was the primary program at church.  The kids did such a good job.  Most of the kids had their parts memorized (u primary mom’s and dad’s can give yourself a pat on your back!) and they spoke so eloquently.  I was really touched and had a hard time not crying as I sat up there on the stand.   I have had this overwhelming sense of love for these little ones.   Especially the ones that we seem to be having struggles with.  I can’t even begin to explain the feelings of love I know that our Heavenly Father has for them.   I’m grateful for those little moments and feelings of the spirit that allow me some small sense of His great love for His children.

So today I got asked to speak in church on the 23rd.  That is Trekky man’s birthday!  They should’ve asked him to speak as a birthday present ha!  I’m actually pretty excited to speak.  I’m one of those psycho people who actually enjoy public speaking.  Doesn’t mean I don’t get nervous or anything but I enjoy it.  My topic is “Vigorously acting to strengthen our families.”   It is based on this talk by Elder Oaks entitiled “Good, Better, Best.”

So I have 2 questions for everyone the first one is: What do you do to vigorously strengthen your family? (other than the neccesary pray, scripture study, attend church… u know)  The second one is: What challenges/temptations do you think there are in the world that cause us to put our “best” family time on the back burner?   I hope that second question made sense to you all.  I had a hard time trying to word it just right.  Just read between the line on that one ha!  Thanks for any and all your help.

I’m getting more and more excited about the upcoming Twilight movie!  Several friends are getting together for a “twilight party.”  Then they’ll be going to see the midnight showing of the movie.  Alas it is on a school night sniff!  So I’ll have to wait and go to the movie with Trekky man later that day.  Have fun girls!  But no one is allowed to say anything about the movie to me….good or bad!  If you do then I’ll have to just not be your friend anymore ha!  JK!!!!  (about not being your friend not the other stuff!)

What is most dear to my heart are my 5 children.  I know of no greater joy than to have held them as babies in my arms.  Looking into their eyes and seeing what an incredible miracle I was able to partake of and witness…. Basking in their innocence, and feeling a love I had never known I was capable of feeling.  That love of my own children has expanded to encircle other little ones.

With the election fast approaching I’m reminded of a very serious issue.   I was reading a talk given by Elder Russel M. Nelson about abortion.  He stated some figures that just flabbergasted me! The death toll of World War I… over 8 million , the death toll of World War II over 22 million…together being over 30 million men and women who died!  But even worst than that is the  worldwide reports that state that over 40 million abortions are performed each year.  Most certainly we have a moral crisis in the world.  The Lord states: “Thou shalt not kill.”  Then he adds “Nor do anything like unto it!”  There can be no question that abortion is breaking a commandment of God.

The argument is that the woman should be allowed to choose what she wants to do with her body.  But I would say she has made her choice!  How did an act so hideous  become acceptable in our society?  There is a sign I see on my way to drop the kids off at school it says “Morality like art consists of drawing a line somewhere!” Where do they draw the line?  What is too wrong?

It is no wonder that the world is in such financial disarray.   The “Lord tell us repeatedly  in the scriptures ‘That  people will prosper if only they obey the commandments of God.” (Elder Nelson’s talk)  I know that if the people would be more righteous, honest, preserve life (not allowing abortions to be as common place as going to the store), be less self-centered,  and strive to have true charity things would be different now.

When my eldest son learned what abortion meant he was appalled! Not just at the act of it but that people could be allowed to give others the right to perform that act.  My friend Sherry stated something that really hit home.  She said (and I’m paraphrasing sorry Sherry)  that she would rather see her children go through another depression than to have them witness such moral decay as to see the murder of babies be common and acceptable.  I have to agree.  Their spiritual well-being is of greatest concern to me above all else.  We can go through physical difficulties, financial struggles, but if I was to lose one of my children to the ways of the world….I can’t begin to express the heartache I would experience.

Here is a video that I thought was done so beautifully and tactfully.  It was created with the catholic voter in mind, but you could substitute any religion in the video.