An Early Christmas Gift to Myself

I have wanted a nice quality picture of the temple to display in our home for as long as I can remember.  I  almost bought one twice already this year but decided against it because of the cost.  Well, Christian decided that it was time to make my wish come true so he purchased this beautiful picture of the Salt Lake City Temple for our entryway.  My heart is overcome with joy!  The title of the painting is "Rejoice".

There is no other building as holy or sacred on this earth as the temple.  It is a place where we can and do come nearer to the Lord than any other place.  It is a place were families can be sealed together for time and all eternity.  The sting of death can not separate us when we are departed, only our own choices can do that after we are sealed.  The temple is a place to make covenants with our Father in Heaven.  Covenants that allow us the opportunity to prove ourselves worthy in this life to return to His presence after we pass on.  The temple is a place for quiet reflection and a place where our deepest questions can be answered and our hearts can be healed.

I love my family.  I love the Lord and our Father in Heaven.   And I love the temple which brings all of these things together.

(this picture of it doesn't do it justice, I couldn't use my flash because of the big glare it made so this image turned out much more yellow than it is but you get the idea)

Relief Society

This picture was taken way back in spring when we took a trip to Nauvoo to celebrate the Relief Society's "birthday".  I love these women and I LOVE the Relief Society.  Never has there been a more powerful force for good in the world than among these quiet, hard working, kind, loving, and diligent sisters!  It is a joy and privilege to be among them!

Cotton-Candy Sky

I will never grow tired of the tremendous beauty that this earth has to offer.  The colors and diversity provided to us by our Father in Heaven is reason enough to rejoice every day!  I love it when the sky is a million shades of color blended together in a perfect symphony.  When the sky is bright pink we call it a "cotton-candy" sky.  Oh the wonders of this amazing world!

Julia & Holly Swimming!

I recently learned about swimming lessons through "Swim America" in our area.  We have had our girls in swimming lessons each summer for the past 9 years at a local swimming pool.  But now that i have tried this program I am completely sold!  Holly went from being terrified to put her face in the water to full on swimming in one 3 week session.  Julia is also finally willing to put her face in the water.  I can't believe the difference in both of their comfort levels in the water!  It is truly a miracle in my book.  Now I just need summer to hurry up and get here so we can enjoy "Cropper" swim days so much more!

(cold camera plus hot muggy pool area equals very foggy pictures!)

Makes my Heart Sing

A few days ago Julia went to the doctor for her annual checkup.  When we left the doctors office she told me that she wanted to be a doctor when she grows up.  Today after swimming lessons she said, "Mom, I changed my mind...I want to be a mermaid when I grow up.  Then I can swim all day long!"  A few hours later she was sitting at the table eating lunch when she looked up at me and said, "Mom, I changed my mind again...I want to do what you do!"  I asked her what she meant and she said, "take care of my kids and make them happy."

Being a mother is what I have always wanted.  I have never felt for one moment that I was missing out on anything by choosing to stay at home with my children.  On the contrary, I feel totally, completely, absolutely fulfilled and happy.  I LOVE being a mother and I am so glad that my children can feel that!  Happy moments like this sure make the hard moments fade away!

Here is a picture of my favorite quote (I have it displayed in my entryway):

A Quick Visit

My sister Sarah is a truck driver by profession.  She was driving through the area and able to stop by over night to visit us.  It was fun to see her driving her "big rig" and the girls thought it was about the coolest thing in the world to sit in her truck!!!

Family Pictures

Yesterday I had the strangest feeling...I looked at my girls and counted them several times...it's like an "echo" feeling like someone is missing from our little family.

Thanksgiving

Tara, Brooke, Tabby, and Daisy came to visit us for Thanksgiving this year!  They were only able to be here for a day and a half but we were pleased to have them for any amount of time.  It took a lot of pleading and tears to convince Tara to bring Daisy out for a visit.  You wouldn't believe how stubborn Bayton women can be!  We were so glad they were all able to come.  Brooke took a nice long bike ride with Holly.  Tabby took a walk with Katelyn and the dogs.  Everyone helped in the kitchen this year and that was WONDERFUL!  Tara spoiled my girls rotten, just as she should.  And everyone enjoyed having Daisy around for a day.  It was a wonderful Thanksgiving.  Nothing is better than being around family and friends at such a time.  Sister Mary Lou Moore was able to join us for our meal as well.  What a wonderful time of year!

Who Needs Toys?!!

Anna's new favorite activity is helping me with laundry.  She doesn't help me in the traditional sense.  No, she helps me by wearing as much of it around her head as she can.  She puts it on herself and laughs hysterically and walks around the house!  Here is a picture of her with her latest "attire" on.  This girl cracks me up!  She brings so much joy into our home, I can't imagine life without her.

(Just as a disclaimer, yes she is wearing pajama's, a swimsuit, and countless pairs of under-wear on her head...it is all clean laundry and she is too young to know better so it is still cute!)

Leah Turns the Big 3-6!! How Did that Happen?!!

This year was a very "happy" birthday indeed!  For the first time in years a real effort was made by my family to make me feel special.  I had more birthday treats than I knew what to do with.  Christian made a chocolate cake for the family and a cheese cake just for me.  Charity made me sugar cookies all by herself and our hometeachers brought me brownies!  It was a bit of a sugar over-load but it made me feel special.  Each of my girls got me a special gift.  Katelyn used her own money to buy me a necklace and bracelets that are my "type".  They were perfect!  She also made me a card that made me laugh so hard I cried, I will treasure that card for my entire life.  Charity made me a "treasure" box that she decorated with beautiful, kind words and filled it with gifts she purchased with her own money.  I will always treasure these gifts!  Holly gave me one of her prized stuffed animals after first giving me 2 "tupperware lids" to be funny!  That girl keeps me on my toes and keeps me laughing!  Julia gave me her most prized possession, her Tangled doll.  I gratefully accepted it and then quickly worked out a deal with her to let "Tangled" stay in her room.  And Christian made a real effort to make the day special.  He purchased me some DVD's that he knew I would like.

This is going to be an amazing year, I can feel it in my bones!  I feel so alive and happy inside.  I have a beautiful life filled with family, friends, laughter, and love...what more could a girl ask for?!!

Young Women in Excellence

We were recently able to attend Young Women in excellence with Katelyn.  This was her first one since joining young womens.  She presented all of the things she has learned for the value of Knowledge.  For her value project she researched all of the career paths she was interested in.  Then she figured out what it would take to go to college for each of them.  Finally, she researched how much income she would make for each given profession and whether or not she could support herself on that income using a mock budget.  As the last portion of her project she painted to paintings.  The first of a cupcake and the second of the Tree of Life.   She did a FABULOUS job.  But nothing made me as proud as when she played the "Sweet Hour of Prayer" on the piano while we all sang.  THAT was a very proud mommy moment!  What an amazing young lady we have on our hands.

Shopping With Tammy

It has been so fun having Tammy to go through this process of "dressing your truth" with.  We picked one day to drive half way between us and go shopping together at the Tanger Outlet.  IT WAS WONDERFUL!!!  I have never liked shopping before but now I don't mind it because I know what I am looking for.  I was so happy to spend the day with Tammy and even happier to share "shopping" with her.

No Use in Crying Over Spilled Smoothie

Holly accidentally spilled Julia's smoothie this morning.  Holly and Julia were both upset.  Charity quickly offered to share her's with Julia.  She grabbed another straw and they proceeded to share their morning smoothie!  It made my heart melt.  I love that my children love each other so much!

Dressing Your Truth

I feel like over the past few years I have been going through a metamorphosis.  It has been a beautiful, all be it a sometimes painful process.  I have become more confident and more self-assured as I have figured out more clearly who I am.  Such an unexpected journey for me to be on at this point in my life but  I wouldn't change it for  anything.  Up until this point, I would say that my journey has all been inward that is until now.  

This summer while we were in Utah we made one shopping trip that began me down this path.  I was on the hunt for modest Sunday dresses; a process that I dread because it is next to impossible to find any!!!!  I had seen a billboard that advertised a store claiming to have modest clothing so I insisted that we go there to shop.  The store was in the mall so one day we ventured to check it out.  Needless to say we looked in several stores in the mall including the one I mentioned above.  Not surprisingly, the shopping trip was a nightmare.  There were no modest dresses to be found.  As we were leaving the last store we noticed a store across the hall that had dresses so we checked it out.  It was "Mikarose" and THAT shopping trip changed everything.  It was an entire store of modest, sophisticated dresses and skirts.  I must has tried on everything in the store!  With Christian's encouragement I bought lots of new Sunday clothes.  Each time I came out of the dressing room Christian's eyes lit up when he saw me.  I have only seen that reaction a few times over the years but over and over he had that reaction.  Once I got home from Utah and I wore the dresses I got a ton of compliments on how nice I looked.  I don't say that because I am full of myself but I say it because it changed something in me.  I knew that I wanted to change the way I was dressing but I wasn't sure how to go about that.  Maybe for the first time in my entire life I felt like I was worth spending the time, energy, and money on myself.

The next big step for me came when I attended Time Out for Women with Tammy.  She had been introduce to "Dressing Your Truth" by Carol Tuttle.  On the way home from our trip I read the book out loud for us both the hear.  Basically, it is an "energy" profiling system.  First, you have to figure out what energy type you are (there are 4).  You have a piece of all four energy types in you but there will be one that is dominate.  As I read the book it became VERY clear that I am an energy type 3.  In fact, I am about as 3 as a 3 can be!  I was astonished that she described me so well!  After you figure out what energy type you are then you buy their program for that energy type and they teach you how to dress yourself.  It seems silly that a 35 year old mother of 5 would need to learn how to dress herself but there you have it, I was clueless and always had been.  The program teaches you what colors to were and what "shapes" the clothing should have too.  It also teaches you how to do your hair, makeup and accessorize!  I have been astonished by the results.  As I have been "dressing my truth" I FEEL so different.  I have been dressing like an energy type 2 my entire life, no wonder I have never felt comfortable in my own skin.  The way I have dressed has NEVER reflected who I am on the inside!!!!  What a crazy concept.  I had never thought about this concept before.  My energy is high, I am bold, active/reactive, and intense and I had been dressing the opposite of that.  I am not suppose to were black, white, or gray.  Looking back now it's no wonder when I wore those colors I always felt like an old hag (not joking).  It's because those color are far too "still" for my energy.  I have also discovered that I LOVE ACCESSORIES!!!  I had NO idea.  I love jewelry  scarves, shoes, and purses!!!!  I can't believe how alive I feel when I wear these things.  It has been a process for me.  I have had to deal with thoughts that it is too much or I am acting vain or loving the things of the world.  BUT I have come to accept that that is not true.  I am anything but vain and although I say that I love accessories what I mean is, I love how they make me feel NOT I love them and am seeking after them.  In other words, my heart is not set on these things.  I could give them up at the drop of a hat and not look back if I need to or was asked to.  

Most recently I got a haircut and I love the way it makes me feel! When I got home after the haircut Julia said, "your awesome Mom!" Charity said she didn't even recognize me and the proceeded to ask me if she could get a haircut just like me! Holly said it looks like I am wearing a wig. I told her I wasn't sure if that was a compliment or not to which she said she wasn't sure either! Christian said that if I was happy then he was happy.  As I have been going through this journey of self discovery I am reminded of the quote by Marjorie Hinkley when she said of her husband, "he gave me wings to fly and I loved him for it!" I feel that exact same way about Christian. He has supported and encouraged me through this process and I LOVE HIM all the more for it! 

(Just as a side note, I went shopping at the mall with my 2 youngest kiddos recently.  This is something I have never done before but with most certainly do again.  It was GREAT!  I went in stores that I would have never gone in before and I bought things I never would of bought.  It was SO easy because I knew just what I was looking for.  I was so happy!)

Here I am dressing like a type 3 head to toe!

Halloween

I have to admit that Halloween isn't my favorite holiday.  All of the scary, evil stuff, the candy, the out of control crazy kids BUT this year was better (from my perspective) than usual.  This was the first year that Katelyn "aged out" of trick or treating but she found the she still really enjoyed herself.  She liked helping the youth with the carnival.  She also liked passing out the candy on Halloween night.  I took the younger 4 kids out trick or treating.  It was a cold night so the youngest 2 kids only lasted 2 blocks but the older two lasted for 2 hours.  They had a great time and the was plenty of candy for everyone!

Entry-Way Project

Our entryway has been falling apart, the paint was bubbling and falling apart and the wood was warping.  Christian took his day off and ripped the thing apart down to it's foundation.  He had previously ordered a new entryway and had it ready to put up.  Christian took another day off and put up the new.  It doesn't look any different, it simply isn't falling apart anymore.  We hope that we will not have deal with this problem ever again.  After it was all put up we painted it.  The new color has a bit more green in it than the old paint but we like it!  It looks a bit like camouflage green.  Right after painting it started raining a bit so we quickly jumped into action.  Our solution was to put a tarp up over the front door.  We bungee corded the tarp in through the upstairs windows.  We got more than one strange look by passers-by.  In the end it all turned out great.