What Matters Most?

This has been a post a long time in the making... Trying to figure out what to say, how I feel and what really MATTERS MOST!!!

It really started nagging me a few months ago when a dear friend of mine died after a long struggle with cancer. She was an inspiration to me in her years of health and years of trial. She never let much get her down and never passed a moment up to show her love and compassion to those around her what matters most to her. She had these trials and she lived through them with the best attitude! I thought about this a lot and wondered how I would handle what she went through, I most definitely would not have handled it as well as she did. She was remembered by her friends and family in such a great light. It really made me think of what matters most to me and how I would be remembered.

*How do I want my family and friends to think of me? If they were asked to describe me what would they say?
*What would or do church members say about me?
*What would my children say about what type of mother I am?
And the list could go on for ever! And this made me start thinking man am I a little conceited! So I started asking more and more questions.
*Am I selfish at wanting people to think so great of me?
*Was I trying too hard to have the approval of the world?

In some aspects I believe I was, and in other I just wanted to feel like the Lord is happy with me. I have great examples in my life of people who focus solely on what matters most. This knowledge is what is going to keep me going. All of these wonderful people in my life were not doing what they were doing because they wanted to be recognized by those around them, but that they truly know what the Lord wants for them. This gives me great comfort! I want my life to be focused on what MATTERS MOST! I believe that this is going to be an ever changing aspect in my life. Because what matters most to me right now will be different in a few years. I will have hopefully grown spiritually so I will have to set new goals and challenge myself to be better.

I have pondered this quote I read on my friends blog. "Life is God's gift to us, and what we do with our lives is our gift back to Him." What little time we have to show our Heavenly Father how much we appreciate what we have been given.

Today I was looking for talks to study so I could prepare for my talk on Sunday and I got a little side tracked and found this wonderful Mormon Message. So I am going to share it. It made me want to finish this post. So here it is...


This is just the beginning of what I am going to do as I prepare to focus on what really MATTERS MOST!

"Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved." I love this quote, it keeps me wanting to be better to those around me.

To make me accountable I am going to post my goals of becoming a better mom, sister, friend and companion.

Autumn Time!!

Well once school started for Brody our lives changed funny how that happens. He had to be up and ready to get on the bus at 8 in the morning. Which does not seem that bad, but he is my child that loves to sleep in so I have let him. He still was usually up by 8 but he was never ready for the day. It just takes time for him to get moving. So we now have to wake him up by 7 to get him moving. This made him very mad and he would cry having to go to school. He just needs his sleep. So he now has to go to bed at 7pm so he wakes up happy. This one simple change has made all of us change our routine. But it works out and well I really love that my kids go to bed so early, a lot more free time for me!!! We couldn't do as many of our evening family outings. But it is great we still have the week ends. We now get the joys of doing homework in the evening and making sure we get reading in. Ok so it really just makes us have a routine. We are really enjoying it. Brody had his Paddington Bear for a week and we had fun taking it around with us when ever we went some were.

Brody and his silly faces. He loves to stick out his tongue!

Brody and Paddington Bear on a train. He loves, loves, loves trains.

He had to share ice cream with Paddington Bear.

Reading with Cole and Paddington Bear.

Showing off for the camera! He has BIG muscles.

Just love this picture of daddy and Brody!

Camilla has just grown and started to repeat words and talk. She really is so fun. Most of my pictures are of her making funny faces or closing her eyes or looking at something and plotting what she is going to do next. I just can't seem to get too many pictures of her with her great smile. She is just non stop and too busy. But that is what I love about her. She is so inquisitive and always wanting to run and play. I love that she will bring me books so she can read them and really it is me pointing to a picture and saying what it is and she repeats me. When Brody is doing homework she has to do homework also. She really loves to learn, I hope she stays that way through out her schooling.

No pictures mom I'm busy!

Trying to drive the train, getting mad at dad because he is trying to move her away from the edge of the train so she does not fall off.

Loves to pull out all the containers to find the perfect one to play with.

I love shelves!!!

Loved the water and dirt!!!

I just love this time of year! We always try to get out and have fun playing in the leaves and looking at all the beautiful colors. Here are some pictures of what we have done.

We did not get to eat our watermelon!!!!

This critter loved it.... And he ate more than just this watermelon from our garden. He loved the spaghetti squash too.

We has a wonderful Halloween. It was such a wonderful night. It was pretty warm and clear. We loved going first Trunk or Treating at church and had fun going around with the kids and seeing everyone. Brody getting mad that Camilla is breaking his lego...

Camilla waiting to go trunk or treating. She loved using her bag as a hat.

The trunk!

Camilla and Brody had so much fun getting to go Trick or Treating also. We only went to a few homes and that made them soooo verrrry happy. Brody just wanted to say "trick or treat" and get his candy and then he would try to ask about something he saw in the peoples homes. Our little busy body. Camilla figured out that she could smile hold out her hand and everyone would say how cute she was and then give her a handful of candy. She was not really ready to stop when we got back home. But she found the bucket of candy that grandpa was handing out to the tricker treaters ( that was left on the piano bench at her level) and she started taking handfuls of candy from the bucket and putting it in her bag. She would not let go of it or share at all. She loved getting all the candy, and sorry but she did not get to keep the candy she took from the bench. Silly little girl. Brody just saw his candy and wanted to start eating it. I am such a mean mom and only allowed him to have a couple of pieces. He did have to get up and go to school. We more fun this year now that the little ones understood a little more of what was going on.

Tayloranne, Mallory, Camilla and Brody

I almost forgot... My mothers dear friend Kay came to visit so we took her around the Springs and got to go to one of Brody's most favorite places. The United Stated Air Force Academy, because of all the planes. He loves them. Camilla just loved being able to run and play. We have decided that we are going to be the parents that just focus on the Air Force Academy and hope that is were all of our children go... A good education and a job that follows. Hope it works out for us. (wink wink)

He loved looking in the plane.

His thumbs up to seeing the plane.

Yay we get to run.

Wow big plane!

We are such a cute family!!!!!