Lofty Goals

This, my friends, is what it's all about.

Here it is again, closer:





    I work hard as a mom.  To the outside world, it may not seem like we do much.  When we had Lincoln in Law School, Steven had classmates express their disbelief at my decision to stay home.  One girl said, "There is only so much you can play with a baby... I hope you guys have cable for her to watch."  Actual conversation.  And for her information I don't watch T.V. during the day (boo-ya).

    I work hard at home, but I love it.  I don't stay home because I wasn't smart enough to get a good job or because I was tired of working, I LOVED the opportunities that my varied work experience had opened for me and I loved feeling like I was helping individuals and therefore making a positive impact on society.  I chose to stay home to do a few important things: raise my children to be good people, teach them how to navigate through the world and how to overcome when you falter, and to keep our family happy and together.  Some amazing women can work and these other things but I am not one of them.

    Everything we do as a family is to increase unity, build our relationships, and teach morals and principles.  We love to play and have fun with each other, but in the end, isn't it for a greater good?  That is why I read the same Curious George book 4 times a day, let my children "help" me with laundry and cleaning, and grit my teeth, sigh, and answer calmly and patiently when I have lost my cool and am frustrated. 

   This isn't what I ment to post when I started, but this is what I have been feeling lately.  Young men are leaving the Church (and any organized religion, infact) in droves these days.  That makes me desire to work all the harder to keep my boys faithful.  God loves us, he has sent His son to atone for our sins.  His church is restored on the earth.  Plain.  Simple.  True. 

    So there you go.  I used to play hard rock and alternative in the car.  Now I play the Children't Primary Songs.  Being a mom has changed me for the better.  But just so you don't think I'm too far gone, I still blast my hard rock when I run :)

    Back to the beach...

   

 Chase wasn't so sure at first...

But he quickly warmed up to things!

He mostly rolled around on the towels in the shade and chewed on stuff, but he LOVED playing with the sand when given the chance. 

Lincoln on the other hand was so excited to dig and build sand castles. 

Like any good almost 3-year-old, he ran around, kicked in the water, and ate all the good beach snacks before anyone else could. 

Every afternoon when we started to pack up to go, tired Lincoln would refuse to carry his toys and say, "I don't like the beach!"

Every night he would beg to go back and tell us, "I LOVE the beach!"

I don't get it.

Despite the moodiness we had a tremendous time. 


We ate our lots and explored and hopefully gave Lincoln a few more stories to add to his repertoire of the 4 he repeats daily. 

  

And hopefully even if he doesn't take home any new stories from our beach trip, he will remember how he felt on the trip and that he has a family who loves him very much.