Mothers Who Bless

I hope that when my children have grown they will remember...

The candle lit mornings gathering for scripture study...

Relishing in sunrises with me...

Enjoying warm dinners that fill their bellies...

And eating warm cake after they get off the bus in the afternoons.

"Never has there been a greater need for righteous mothers - mothers who bless their children with a sense of safety, security, and confidence about the future. Mothers who teach their children where to find peace and truth and that the power of Jesus Christ is always stronger than the power of the adversary. Every time we build the faith or reinforce the nobility of a young woman or man, every time we love or lead anyone even one small step along the path, we are true to our endowment and calling as mothers and in the process we build the kingdom of God. No woman who understands the gospel would ever think that any other work is more important or would ever say, "I am just a mother" for mothers heal the souls of men."

~Sheri L. Dew

 

Playing in the Snow

I have lost track of how many times I have put on and taken off snow gear and mittens over the last couple of days! Playing in the fresh snow has been one of their favourite things to do. Lily is constantly begging me to go out and play, and once she's suited up, she dances with glee until both her and Sawyer head out to play. 

I love watching the wonder and excitement of little children at each new season. They truly know how to delight in everything around them and make the best of life!

Counting My Blessings

Today we woke to the most gorgeous scene in our front yard. These spruce trees hold a special place in my heart when Winter arrives. They are so beautiful all dressed in white!

The buses were cancelled today, and I was happy to let everyone stay home from school and play in the snow today. I loved watching Ollie play with Lily as they ran through the kitchen while I canned tomatoes. Fin was piggy backing Sawyer and calling it his rocket ship ride. They spent the majority of the day lost in games of make-believe and I lost track of how many times I put their snow gear off.

The big boys enjoyed building snow ramps and jumps for their GT racers from crazy places in the yard. They are loving the steep hill just beyond our front stairs and have made it quite slippery! They are hoping their jumps freeze over night so they can test them in the morning.

When they got in from outside, they were happy to smell fresh cinnamon buns. The entire pan was gone in minutes. 

I was grateful to sneak into town with the truck to do our weekly grocery shop sans kiddos. The big kids do a great job keeping an eye on everyone while I'm gone. I am also grateful for big kids who help lug and unload said groceries after I get home. 

We were blessed to enjoy a warm meal together as a family in a warm home. Fin and Ollie asked to put Lily and Sawyer to sleep tonight and I loved listening to Sawyer laugh as Ollie read his book humorously. Fin tickled Lily before saying goodnight and her giggles echoed through the kitchen. It was nice to have everyone being helpful and getting along today! 

 

Winters Arrival

Winter has arrived with a big ol' dump of snow!

...ready or not!

 

Maple Cookies

This afternoon, while the house was still, I decided to make up a batch of Maple Cookies for everyone to enjoy. They were pretty yummy!

 

Coronado Island

Today we enjoyed a Sunny day on Coronado Island! When we arrived, we had plans of going stand up paddle boarding, but apparently they were closed for the season. So we made our way to the beach side and enjoyed feeling the sand between our toes and watching the massive waves crash into the shoreline. There were some brave surfers in wet suits, and a few others scattered along the beach, but for the most part it was fairly quiet and layed back. The water was a lot colder than we imagined it would be, so we weren't too sad about the SUP place being closed. We let the waves crash into our legs as we walked and enjoyed listening to the sounds of the ocean.  

Twenty-Nine Week bump.

Pictures don't do this sight justice. Even from our hotel across the bay we could hear when these jets took off (and about three car alarms would go off as well). The sound these fighter jets produce is unreal and it was so fun to watch them fly along the shore and land at the base!

Once we had walked most of the shoreline, and the boys had had their fill of watching the fighter jets, we decided to head to Orange Avenue for some lunch,  shopping and sight seeing.

When our feet were tired, we made our way back to our rental car and headed back to the hotel for a quick rest!

The evening brought us back to the pier for a walk in search of gelato!

We spent over an hour visiting outside this little gelato place while the sun set and the city came to life with the evening crowds in search of food and drink. 

Speedboats & USS Midway

This morning we set out a little bit earlier than usual to meet up with our guide for a speed boat tour around the bay. Each couple hopped into their own speed boat and made our way slowly to the open water. Once our guide got everyone off the dock, he came ahead of us and led the way to some different sights.

After a long run across the bay, we circled around this dock full of sea life! Apparently this is where the fisherman come to get their bait, and the bait draws in the seals. 

They were jumping and swimming all around us, which was pretty cool to see!

Next, we were led over to the downtown area of San Diego where we looked at the various buildings, the Midway, and some tall ships!

We boated right up next to the Midway and learned a little bit more about its history and the role it played in the war. 

Seeing these tall ships up close reminded me of our time in Halifax when Camilla and Hyrum were small.

I was happy to let Mr. Stannix drive the entire time as I clutched onto my seat cushions and told him to slow down constantly. I hate hitting big wakes, and I'm usually terrified of flipping. Ha!

All in all, it was a gorgeous and informative morning! When we were finished, we all slowly came back to the dock to tie our boats. We then headed over to the USS Midway Museum for a few hours. We saw all of the cool planes and fighter jets, learned how they take off and land from the boat, and got a tour of "the island" on the ship where everything happens. 

We finished our afternoon with a late lunch/dinner on the pier across from our hotel where we enjoyed the sunshine and the company.