You are doing a great job! Sure somedays are crazy and there’s more yelling than is needed, but you keep getting better every day, week, month, and year. The Lord is working miracles in your life and the kiddos. They teach you, you teach them.

You love them and they know it! Those big brown eyes think you are AWESOME! You’re the center of their whole world. And while that is overwhelming it is also a gift. Just think of it, everyday they wake up to see you and what kind of adventures you have lined up for the day. And you are doing a great job of the slow transfer from dependence on mom to dependence on the Savior. Keep teaching, keep listening.

You can improve too! Isn’t that exciting? You’re not stuck this way, you haven’t signed a life long contract to struggle with the same problems. There’s always improvement and change of life. This next year focus on smiling and laughing. It’s time to get over the fact that you’re tired, and move on to how much FUN motherhood is. It is fun isn’t it? David’s laugh, Jessie’s cuteness, Auretta’s passion and Patrick tenderness. Oh it’s fun. Listen to David and Patrick playing right now. Don’t let their energy and excitement take yours, let it add to yours!

Keep at it beautiful lady! Keep kissing the pain away, wiping the tears, sharing the laughs and telling the stories that will shape them. Truly the hardest job on earth is the greatest! Remember to be quick to smile and play! Have fun!

Love ya,

maggie jo

I finally had a party for Chad; what a good wife I am  Idaho Falls was the middle grounds for a lot of our family so that was the place. Chad’s whole family showed up and a fair amount of mine did also. Soccer balls were kicked (or missed as the case may be), burgers were cooked, pies were devoured, and a great time was had by all. And no kids were lost in the process which is impressive considering we had 11 under the age of 6 at a very busy park.

We spent the rest of the weekend in Dillon. It was wonderful and the kids were in grandparent heaven. I count it as a great blessing that my kids have amazing grandparents on both sides. Grandmas and grandpas are up there with Santa and cookies, especially when they have a four wheeler and a trailer. May every child have a good grandparent, biological, adopted, at church, neighbors, etc. I am grateful that families are an eternal part of the Lord’s plan. They are crazy, drive me crazy and drive crazy, but I couldn’t imagine life without them.

It seemed kind of silly this whole birthday thing. So what, Chad was born on April 21. Who cares? I mean his mom did 30 years ago, but now, that day is the same as any other. But I wanted to take this chance to say, “Chad I love you! I celebrate your life everyday. You mean the world to me.” And other cheesy things. So now it’s said and I can milk it for all it’s worth on my birthday!

the wedding theme carried over all the way to Montana

Today I finally started my post  baccalaureate application for BYU. I have to send my transcript from BYU-Idaho. I was a little shocked when I saw that in the summer of 2004, the semester before Chad and I got married, it had Calculus II D-, class retaken. I was shocked because I have no memory of this. I kind of remember that it was on my transcript but I do not have any memories of that class or the one retaken. I don’t remember failing it, I don’t remember a teacher, I don’t remember anything!

This is surprising for two reasons. First, I’m good at math. I’m not the best but I’m good. Second, I’m highly prideful, especially about math (in case you missed that with the first surprise), and I’m highly emotional.  How do I not remember failing a math class? Where are those memories? I had to be devastated! I imagine that I complained about the teacher, the class, everything except me, while inside feeling like the dumbest scum of the earth. Upon asking Chad about this event, he confirmed that I was a wreck.

All of this grade business has me thinking. You know the quote about no success making up for failure in the home? I once heard the reversal of that. Some failures will be compensated by success in the home. I’m not saying it’s ok to fail calculus. I had to retake it to get my degree. I did the next semester and got an A. So maybe a little extra time getting to know Chad before we got married, preparing for entering the temple and other spiritual preparations (let’s stress spiritual here) helped it be ok. Maybe not. Maybe it was too much time with Chad that had absolutely nothing to do with spiritual and I just forgot. I remember the spiritual times and the fun times, I just don’t remember which one I decided to do instead of calc homework. Heck, for all I know, maybe I worked my butt off and I just wasn’t enough for that class the first time around.  All I know is I remember and see everyday the success of the marriage so far and never even think about the failure of the classroom.

I also got a C- in a class that I look back fondly on. I learned a ton about my subject, my future career and me. I got a C- and it just doesn’t matter. The world’s labels fall off. Some take longer to peel away but they fall off. It was fun to pull out those “judgements” and see how they haven’t affected my life. I’m glad I worked hard, I’m grateful I learned, I’m grateful for the piece of paper that says I finished, but I’m most grateful that Heavenly Father isn’t going to ask for my transcript.

p.s. Please don’t take this the wrong way. Work hard, get good labels, just don’t let the good or the bad define who you are.

I had a ton of fun planning and decorating. Wedding’s are a lot more fun when they’re for a 4 year old, lot less stress (and cheaper). I also thoroughly enjoyed her excited girly giggle. Before her nap which was right before her party, she asked, “Mom are you going to wear a dress?” After I answered in the affirmative, she giggled. I could hear her giggling periodically for the next 10 minutes over the intercom. Oh, I love her!

On her real birthday (Conference Sunday) Michael and Clarissa came down and we made some hamburger cupcakes.

Cake, brownies, green coconut, and fry sauce frosting

She’s emotional and girly and just wonderful. She has an incredible memory, continually sings and dances, and is a great manager, just ask David. I’m grateful for our little girl! I think both Chad and I at one point or another thought how someday it won’t be a April’s Fools joke but a real wedding. And somehow it made us realize it will go too fast. She’ll grow too fast. So right now I’ll treasure that little giggle and give her an extra big hug and kiss tonight.

We went to the park with our neighbor friend. She doesn’t know very much English, but the kids haven’t even noticed.

I also ran my first race since Jessie with a my friend Dione. It was a 10k. We didn’t do so hot (the first 3 miles were up hill). But we had a good time! We put lucky charms on our shirts, the race was a leprechaun thing.