Sundays are good

Our church doesn't meet until later in the afternoon

so our Sunday mornings have time to be creative.

Like building forts, painting, reading,

making messes generally.

But I have always loved Sundays.

 It just feels different.

It is supposed to feel different & special.

It is the Lord's day afterall.

 I love how Sundays stimulate all the senses.

How it looks, feels, sounds, tastes, and smells.

Dressing in Sunday best, feeling inspired to be better,

listening to music for the soul, smelling roast & homemade rolls.

 I can even remember as a young child

how special Sundays felt.

My mom played such pretty music on the cassette player.

It felt safe & warm & happy.

We had just started going to the LDS church.

It was a big life change and I could feel the happiness increasing

in our family & home.

 I will be forever amazed at my mom's courage

and sensitivity to God's promptings to press forward after a divorce,

raise two little girls,

and leave a religion that she'd known her whole life

in order to do what she knew was right.

She joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

You've heard of the Mormons!

Provo temple

 Now that I'm a mom,

pressing through challenges & the daily grind,

my gratitude for the gospel in my life increases each day.

I am so thankful for goodly parents that raised me in this light & knowledge.

 Mia, Ella & bestie friends
at the temple grounds today
 

 I am honored to be a wife & mother.

I feel so overwhelmed by this calling sometimes.

Like at bedtime,

tucking in my babes after a long day,

my little heart pounds with anxiety!

"Am I doing a good job?  Is God happy with my attempts?

What if I screw this thing up?  I only get one chance at life.

It's so hard sometimes!  I make so many mistakes.  Help!"

 

 I'm so grateful to have the church, God, my Savior, a living prophet,

the Spirit, and scriptures as a road map to guide me

through this tricky course.

I will teach these precious children of mine

what I have come to know to be true.

You can learn more about my church and God's Plan of Happiness

at mormon.org.

Or ask me any of your questions!

b r e e f r o @ y a h o o . c o m

ebullient

 I love my job.

It's more of a calling.

It is so hard but so amazingly fulfilling.

Yesterday, my little girls & I rode around the city on my bike,

loving this weather, taking in the sites, stopping for a snack.

I was like, "Is this really my job?  For reals?  To share my days with

these darlings?"

I feel so grateful & ebullient.

The days can be s o o o o o long.

And full of so much chaos & frustration.

I feel like I'm running a marathon in my own home some days!

But I am trying to concentrate on my blessings.

And suddenly, they multiply and my heart is exploding with 

love & joy for all that I have.

Especially to be a mother.

 

 Part of the perks of being a mom?

Cookies.

To bake together, share, deliver, savor!

 PS:  I was out of vanilla extract.  Did you know that 

Mapleline works great as a substitute?

 As busy as I am,

running up & down stairs, chasing the baby to & fro,

lifting Bugg over & over,

you'd think I wouldn't have to work out.

Wrong!  well, perhaps the cookies are to blame. :)

 ......and indulgent dinners.

Actually, ever since we were first married,

Brian requested we have homemade pizza once a week.

While it's not always homemade,

pizza on Friday nights is a must.

With a movie. 

 Ha!  Pizza to this picture.  Nice.

I made these Black Bean Brownies for the church picnic today.

Basically you have to mix them up blindfolded with your nose plugged.

It just seems wrong.  But they are gooooood.

And so dense & moist.

Mapleline worked great in these, too.

No, really.  They are fantastic.  Just don't tell anyone that they have black beans in them. :)

Mia dropped them in the parking lot on the way to the picnic 

so I don't have a lovely finished product to show.

But we still shared them and had only crumbs left!

I am serious!  They are so yummy.

 Do you know what ebullient means?

Look it up.

That is how I feel about this lovely life that I get to live.

You will want to find a way to work that word into your vocab, too.

Bugg is almost always in an ebullient mood.

He is such a great example to me.

He had the giggles big time tonight!

Maybe it's because I had him wear Addie's pink bib.

Here's to ebullient sweet dreams!

day in the life

My day started with brunch with some friends.

I love brunch.  I love friends.  And I love life!

I'd like to just run, jump, & click my heels, you know?

  

 My baby turned ONE last week!

I know, wow!

 The arrival of Spring's glorious green has done

wonders to my spirits.

My word, that was some winter!

 I crave the library.

Like once a week.

Books & Spring.  Ah!

 Afterschool porch munching.

It's the best.

  A favorite quote by Jaroldeen Edwards.

 Also the BEST:

random picnics in the mountains.

I spied this hidden path a few weeks ago

and knew I could turn it into an adventure.

I didn't know where it led or what was on it

but today we packed a picnic, some books 

& just started walking down the trail..

It turned out to be a secret place,

right up against the mountain!

Mia & I were immediately reminded of the book,

Heidi, which we are reading together.

 Climbing the "Alm"...

by the way, that book is so great.

I can't believe we've never tried goat's milk.

Or seen a real barrel organ.  Or slept on hay.
and yes, Ella is in her jammies. 
Her outfit of choice most days.

Anyway.

 We were re-enacting Laura Ingalls

running as the credits roll on the show. 

 Remember that part?

It was a good day in the life, friends.

Enjoy this amazing season!