Embracing motherhood

I found this poem and wanted to share it with my mothering friends.

Embracing Motherhood
I’d rather sing a lullaby, late into the night than live a life of luxury, donning jewels so bright. I’d rather wipe a tear, and kiss away the pain than come home to an empty house, feeling lonely again. I’d rather invest in diapers and clothes that wear too fast than prove our prestige and wealth in things that just don’t last. I’d rather be a Mom; no greater job there is. Each child is a blessing, because each child is His. ~Becky Squire


How grateful I am to be having another child and I hope I can dedicate my life to raising my family unto the Lord.

Montana!!!

Not sure why I have waited so long to post our new news, maybe because the idea is taking a while to sink in my brain, (kinda like when I found out I was pregnat with number 5) But it is true, we are moving to Billings Montana in November. It is hard to believe we have been in Lake Charles almost 6 years, Longer than I have lived in one place since, I don't even remeber. Maybe the longest I have ever lived anywhere. Lake Charles is really home to us. This dicission has certainly not come without a lot of fasting a prayer, but it is still hard for me to feel good about leaving the roots I have planted here. It has been a growing place, I will have had every one of my children here. I have grown spiritually, and grown into a mother. I have incedible friends here that I know would do any thing for me. (Namley our whole ward). And of course my relationship with Bret has really grown as well. I never knew how much teamwork it takes to raise a large family. And he has been truly incredible in trying to balance his responsiblities between work, Bishop and Family. I am really proud of him and greatful that he is such a good provider that allows us so many opertunities including this move to Montana. below I have copied the official announcement from work. The best news about the move is that we will be 8 hours from my parents home. That is dueable in a weekend!!!!!!

So here we come Montains!!!!!!!

Effective November 1, 2008
Bret Jorgensen, Maintenance Superintendent, Lake Charles Refinery, will become Turnaround & Mechanical Planning Director, Billings Refinery, reporting to Jerry Knoyle, Mechanical Manager, Billings Refinery. Bret will relocate from Lake Charles, Louisiana to Billings, Montana.

Please join us in thanking Bret for his contributions to Lake Charles and wishing him continued success in his new assignment.

Summer Days

We have had some really great "Summer Days" and today was one of them, Sara Beth(12), Emma (8)and Lilly (5) came over to play. The girls spent the morning outide in the little pool playing princess mermaids, (whatever that is) and water base ball. It is a fun little toy we purchased a couple of years ago. the water squirts up and holds a plastic ball like a T in T-ball. they were outside all morning long. I feed them lunch outside, grapes, watermellon, and pb&J's. Jace was playing right along with all the girls. He is becoming such part of the group. Then they came in and began playing intently with their toys. (I love it when I do not have to turn on the TV.) They played the rest of the afternoon with each other with almost no argumets. I most likly owe the credit to Sara Beth, she is such a little peace maker, I wish I could adopt her. Days like these remind me that being a mom is fun. It also brought to my attention that kids really can teach us something about enjoying the simple things in life.

Among our top summer days we have also set up a lemmonade stand ( Faith made $7.50) not a lot for a saterday afternooon, but she is looking forward to doing it again. We have spend numerous mornings at the childrens museum, a trip to the sulpher water park, we might try that one again but it is a lot of stress for me and I need a break to recoperate. A few Library trips, and visits with friends. I have amazed myself at how well the house is running. the kids seem to be getting along , Maybe this is my little reprive before life gets hetic again with the arival of Baby Austin. Any how I really want to try and enjoy them right now.

House Rules

I hung two items up in my home this week. At first glace you might think they are quite contradictory. I have been trying to reach some balance between the up keep of my home and enjoying the kids. I literally could spend each and every hour of my day cleaning up after my kids. The house in itself can be all consuming. Between meal times and the kids changing clothes all day long from dress up to swim wear to Ballet Leos and back to clothes again and then their favorite Jammies. Although I have never been a stickler on rules, I have to maintain some control, so my first rule is to allow them to have Fun!! Thus the first sign: “Please excuse the noise and mess the children are making happy memories!”
The second one is a poster board we made at family home evening last week. The idea was that the kids are getting old enough to help mommy out ( also learning responsibility and teamwork as a family). Since mommy is going on 6 months pregnant with the Baby she needs a little help around the house. We let the kids come up with things that they can do to help out. Each one took turns coming up with things. I will admit I helped encourage a few. We then took a picture of them doing each chore. The “only mommy cuts hair” was Lindsay’s idea. She had gotten in trouble recently for cutting her own hair. It was so adorable to hear her blurt out the rule, and relies she was really catching on.
We are going on two weeks and the kids are doing great. They even will make their beds before coming and waking me up….We will see how long that lasts without reminders. But all in all they are good helpers. Maybe this why the Lord blessed me with girls first. Now mommy just has to help enforce the rules and keep the momentum as well. It can certainly be tempting to let them eat in the living room for connivance on occasion. But I have to remind myself this is what we decided and it will truly help on clean up if I remember to enforce it. But then when the new baby comes it might change the dynamics of everything. We will see.

Houston Temple

Childrens Museum in Houston

The girls had a blast painting their faces. Allie went to town painting even her teeth blue. the paint was not exactly like washable markers either, I had to really scrub them that night. I would not have worried so much but it was church the next day. Which reminds me that they ended up wearing their Christmas dresse for this comming Christmas. Man I am such a push over. I guess you choose your battles and I for one am not the battle fighting mom. Christmas dresses over the 4th of July sure why not.

Fireworks and Temple

The evening of the 4th we met up with the cliffords. We watched a few fireworks and then went to get some shut eye so we could take turns watching kids while the couples attended the temple. Bret and I had the whole crew for the afternoon. It was sure a sight in the back of the car. We took them by the temple and then to the childrens Museum in Houston. FUN! FUN! FUN!. you should have seen us trying to block the doorways to keep them corraled in one room. I was praying my guts out we did not loose a kid.

America! America

At the Johnson's enjoying some good BBQ. Thanks Curtis!!!

4th of July in Houston

We had a wonderful weekend, packed full of friends and Fun. We started the weekend off thursday night at Taco Cabana in Houston. One of Bret's favorite places to eat. We met up with some good friends in the Katy area and they let us stay at their place and hang out with them on the forth. They had some fun activities at a near by park. Check out pregnant mom going down the blow up slide. I even tackled a small waterslide that same day. But nobody worry the baby is still kicking.

ALLIE!!!!!!

Anyone seen Alvin and the chipmuncks latley. Well at our house their is no need for an Alvin, We have Allie. Bret says that if you haven't seen Allie in the past 20 min. you better start yelling her name and tell her to stop. Well one of those moments happend this morning while I was engrosed in a book, One of the reasons I have not been updating the blog. When I start a book I have a hard time putting it down to finish any other task, as well as take care of my kids obviously, because when I finished a certain chaper this morning Icould find Allie and Jace no where in sight. I heard the water in my bathroom running. Yes Allie was nacked sitting in the sink. Jace was in the other sink,( he was fully dressed and soaking wet) Water had been running for oh I da, know 20 min. The whole bathroom was flooded. each of the bathroom drawers were full of water. ruining make- up and just a hudge mess to clean up. I was not as dilligent as my sister in taking a picture of the deed. Would have been great, Good advice. But latter thought about the need to record such incidents. So here are a few of the clean up photos. I was laying everything out to dry.
I am doing better at not loosing it when things like this happen, but then again sometimes I feel the frequency of creative disasters is just another day in the Jorgensen House.