Happy Thanksgiving!

It is that time of year. The time to fill our bellies to the max and eat our weight in food. It is the time to watch football with our families. The time of year to watch the elaborate and fantastic floats in the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. It's the time to share the family recipes and break the wishbone with another family member. The time of year where us as a people spend too much money and time waiting outside stores to get the next big toy or electronic at the "best" price. 

While all of those things can be fun, it shouldn't be the only thing we think about on this day. Why is this day special on our calendar? Why must we celebrate it every year? 

In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. For more than two centuries, days of thanksgiving were celebrated by individual colonies and states. It wasn't until 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November.

So there you have it. 

Now for me it is about the history of it but it is more of the togetherness and attitude of gratitude that means the most to me. I am thankful for the time that we don't have to work and can just enjoy one another's company without any worries. It is a way for me to share with my children what is really important in life. Not football, or stuffing our faces, or the next big sale. 

Thanksgiving has become so commercialized. I love that people all over Facebook and Instagram have decided to share their 30 days of thanks but why limit it to only November? Why not be thankful all the time? 

Every year Black Friday happens and every year it starts sooner and sooner. It breaks my heart that the employees of these stores in competition have to come in to experience the chaos that ensues their establishments just so selfish and inconsiderate customers can get that T.V. for $300 dollars or the next big toy for half off, or the next electronic for pennies. It is just so sad to me to think people cater their Thanksgiving day festivities around when they have to leave for Walmart, Best Buy, Target, JCPenney or wherever it is that they all go. 

If it were a perfect world, all establishments would be closed on Thanksgiving. 

But it's not and every year it will be the same. The people will keep going and the stores will keep opening even earlier. 

I will just continue to celebrate the real reason for Thanksgiving in my little apartment with my little family and the little bit of thanks that we have. 

Holiday activities in Utah 2013

I have been searching for activities to do that won't break the bank. I have found plenty of them and am so excited to take my family on some of these.  Here's my list that we will definitely be doing. 

Sacred Gifts Exhibition

BYU Museum of Art. To purchase tickets go here

Storytime with Santa

Lights on Orem

November 25, 2013 @ 6 p.m.

Meet at State street and Center in Orem for some fun. Bring some new socks, underwear or books. The Kiwanis club will be distributing these items to children in need. 

Lights on Provo

Santa Visits

Provo Towne Center-Nov 15-Dec 24 by JC Penney

University Mall-Nov 29-Dec 23 by Kay Jewelers and H&M

Shop at Riverwoods-until Dec 24 Mon-Sat 5-8 P.M.

Zoo Lights

Nov 30-Dec 31

Sunday-Wednesday 530-8 p.m.

Thursday-Saturday 530-9 p.m.

For tickets and prices go here

If you have any ideas that I missed, please feel free to share. Also check out enjoyutah.org for more events all around Utah. Happy Holidays!

Clint Edwards-professor, husband and writer.

If you want to laugh and be educated you need to check out a friends blog. He is a wonderful writer. He has so much to write about ranging from growing up to having kids to teaching at a college level to being a husband. It is definitely worth the time. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do. You can find his blog here.

I am a horrible mother today.

To my kids. 

I am sorry I yelled at you today when you were laughing when I was trying to rest. I know you were only having fun and playing with one another. 

I am sorry I threw your toy across the room when you tried to show me what you made. 

I am sorry that I pushed you out of the kitchen when you only wanted to help make lunch.

Madison I am sorry I yelled at you when you painted  your toes and fingers and your baby brothers shirt and your legs. You had asked me to paint your toes but I told  you later and made you go in the other room. I know you just wanted my attention.

I am sorry I scolded you for waking up the babies. I know you only wanted them to play with you because you love them so much. 

I am sorry I spent too much time on the computer instead of playing with you. 

I just wanted to watch my show. I just wanted to rest. I just wanted to be left alone for 10 minutes. I just want to use the toilet in peace. I want to be able to brush my teeth without an audience. 

I now know that you just want to be near me and with me all the time. 

I should be more like  you. I should want to be with my family all the time. I should want to share everything with you. 

Tonight, let's start over. Let's laugh and giggle. Let's make messes. Let's make dinner together. Let's wrestle and make forts. Let's build spaceships with legos and fly them through the air. Let's watch what you want to watch instead of what I want. 

You are my pride and joy and I need to treat you like that. You deserve the best mom. You deserve the mom that  you picked. 

So this is for Jackson and Madison, thank you for loving me even though I am not nice all the time. Thank you for being an example to me. I hope to finally be the example to you. 

Plagiocephaly

There is my sweet Savannah with her adorable purple helmet. She was diagnosed with Plagiocephaly.  If you had asked me 5 months ago if I was okay with either of my children having to wear a helmet, I would have definitely not described it as adorable. When Savannah was 5 months old, her pediatrician was a little concerned with the flatness on the back of her head. We decided to wait until her next check-up to see if it had changed. Nope, it sure didn't. So at 7 months we took her to a specialist to have it checked. Sure enough, she needed one. 

I was mad. Not because of her having to wear the helmet. It was my pride. As you can see the twins don't even look like each other, and strangers always seemed to point that out. It played out like this. "oh look at this little boy, he is so beautiful. Look at his gorgeous blue eyes and adorable smile, he is definitely the cutest baby I have ever seen." that same person would realize that he was a twin and then move up to look at Savannah. "oh she's cute, definitely doesn't look like her brother though." End of conversation. Now they probably didn't mean to say Logan was cuter but that is how I always take it. I am overly sensitive. So you can imagine the thought that is going through my head now when I have been told my daughter needs to wear a helmet. How are those people going to treat her now? So I became prideful and mad. 

Our specialist (Branch Hunsaker at Hanger Orthotics) was awesome. He started by measuring her head for circumference. He they measured from corner to corner so to speak. Her flattest side was her right. The difference from side to side was 11 mm. 12 mm is classified as severe so she definitely would benefit from this helmet. We then waited for the approval from the insurance and almost 3 weeks later, she was fitted for it. It took one week to make it and the Wednesday after Labor day she got to bring it home. 

You gradually build up to wearing it. By the 5th day they should be wearing it 23 out of 24 hours a day. We did all that we were supposed to to and by the 5th day she was wearing it. She was so cute in it. It never bothered her and we were on our way to a better shaped head. Or so we thought. She had only had the helmet for 3 weeks and she got this infection above her right ear. We had to take it off and she couldn't wear it until it was all cleared. It took 2 weeks. We were back to square one. We had to start over. By the first week of October we were back to wearing it. She was all cleared and was able to wear it all the time. We went to our follow up appointment and she had improved my 5 mm. WE WERE EXCITED!! Even after all the craziness that happened, her head was still healing. We scheduled another appointment for the 13th of November, just 6 days ago. We took her in and she GRADUATED!!! She was down to where she was supposed to be. All in all she only wore the helmet for 8 weeks. It was a miracle. We were so proud and relieved that it didn't take longer. 

Now ask me 3 months later from the first day we were told she needed the helmet, if I am mad. No way!! I was able to educate people about the helmet and explain to them what it was for. I was also educated myself. I never knew what they were for. I had never met anyone with one. I know it was a positive decision we made for our daughter. I know it was needed and she will thank us later when she is older. Did anyone tease her? No. Did anyone have nasty things to say? No. In the end it all worked out. If I had to do it all over again, I would in a heartbeat. 

Yes, having 2 kids within 18 months of each other is the same as twins.

I am part of a MoMs (Mom of Multiples) group on Facebook. I just became a member about a month ago and I love it. It is so comforting to have other moms who relate to my situation and can offer advice and tips on topics that I don't really feel I could ask my other mom friends that don't have multiples. 

Recently a MoM posted a vent about a woman that had compared her having 2 kids 18 months apart to this MoMs twins. She had the nerve to say "I had two kids close together and that is so much harder than having twins." Um....NO...it's not. If said woman had had twins as well as 2 kids close in age then she would have a leg to stand on, but she didn't. She knew nothing of the situation of the twin mom so had no right to compare. She doesn't know how it's like having twins. Therefore, she had no right to say that. Is she that ignorant? Was she just looking for sympathy of having kids so close? Was she trying to validate her life? Whatever the case, I feel bad for this woman that she thinks it's okay to state her opinion on a topic she has no experience or expertise in. 

This post made me think of all the ignorant moments we encounter  as MoMs. As a mom of twins I have had the fantastic opportunity to meet some people like this woman. The woman at the grocery store who walks up and says "are they identical?" while clearly one is dressed in blue and one is dressed in pink with a freaking bow in her hair. 

Or the receptionist at the Doctors office that had the audacity to ask if they were natural or fertility? Um....not okay to ask ever!

Or the nice people that throw out comments like.
"You're so lucky, I have always wanted twins."
"Oh my, I am so sorry."
"Oh I am so glad it happened to you and not me."
"TWINS!, that must be so hard."
"Oh twins, my friends, moms, sisters aunt, 2nd cousin has twins." 
"Oh, do twins run in your family?"
"How can you afford two babies?"
"Did you deliver vaginally or by C-section?" (again not okay)

I am sure there are more but those are the ones I have encountered so far. When I was pregnant with my singletons, no one even thought to ask me such personal questions but as soon as I let people know about the twins and after they were born, it seemed like everyone (even strangers) had something to say. 

No way am I better than anyone else. I don't know why the Lord blessed me with twins. Maybe I will never know but it happened and he thought I could handle it. So for the rest of my life I will have this unique opportunity that I never in my mind thought would happen to me. I get to be a mom to twins. I get to experience everything twice over. I get to watch 2 babies grow up a the same time. I get to see smiles, laughter, first steps, 2 graduations, 2 proms, 2 missions, 2 marriages and multiple grandchildren at the same time. Those are the moments I am excited about. Is it rough? You better believe it is, but it is so worth it. If my Heavenly Father knew I could be Logan and Savannah's mother then I need to believe in myself just like he does. And all of these ignorant comments made from people don't matter. 

Who knows maybe us MoMs are made MoMs so we can educate. 

Veterans Day 2013

I love this day! I wish there were more days to honor these

 brave men and women. 

You could argue that they chose this career or that they knew what they were getting in to. You could even say "they didn't have to join." I would never say any of those things. Yes, they did choose. Yes, they did know what they were signing up for, but we don't know their circumstances. We don't know their family. We don't know what their lives were like. Maybe it was what was expected. Maybe they come from a long line of military. Maybe they are really patriotic and feel like they can make a difference. Maybe they want the GI money so they can further their education. Maybe it just seemed like the right thing to do. No matter the choice, I am eternally grateful for them.

From our earliest wars to the current war, we have so many military members to honor. They have made it possible for us to live in this free land. They have stood up for right. They fight for a country that they love and honor. They may not always agree with what they are doing, or even know what the next mission is but they do it because they were trained to do so. They know the end goal and they all work together to achieve it. 

I have mentioned before that I only got to be a part of the military for a short time which I am so grateful for. It opened my eyes to so much and I will cherish that time for the rest of my life. My wonderful husband spent his 4 years serving his country. One of those years was spent in Iraq. He is a better man because of his time spent. He learned some wonderful life lessons while working along side of his buddies. He made some great friends. I made some great friends because of him. They are all scattered across the country but I am sure if they met up, it would be like no time was lost. 

These men and women are family to one another. They have each others backs.  (i got your six) They would die for one another as well as you and I. Unfortunately some of them have. 

It is our job to honor them. Let them know we care. Shake their hand when you see one. Hug them. Take care of them when they come back to us. 

So today as well as every day we should salute the troops. They are allowing us to have freedoms that other countries do not have. Let's not let them down. We need to fight for our country too. Not out in the battle field but here on our own soil. Let's not lose what they have fought for, for so many years. Let's keep our freedoms. 

I love Toby Keith's American Soldier 

you can watch it here. 

More Favorite Things

1. Hot Wheels Cars

These toys are an inexpensive reward for the kids. You can get them for $.97c at Walmart

2. The Ensign (LDS Magazine)

This is a way for us to be inspired and lead by our leaders. Many awesome articles in these magazines.

3. UVU

This place is giving my husband a better education so we can have a better life. I am extremely grateful for that. 

4. My Smartphone 

I know this is crazy to have this a favorite, but without it I would forget my appointments.

I would forget phone numbers. I wouldn't be able to keep in touch with my family and friends.

It puts so much at my fingertips and even teaches me children. I am grateful for it and the people that came up with this 

sort of technology.  (its a samsung nexus)

5. My Recliner

My mom bought me this recliner and had it delivered while I was in the hospital with the twins.

I have never owned a rocking chair or recliner before. It seriously was the nicest gift.

I use it all the time and it is wide enough that I can hold both babies at the same 

time and still be comfortable. I love it! (currently on sale at RC Willey)

A letter to my kids

Dear Jackson, Madison, Logan and Savannah

In the almost 5 years I have been a mommy I have learned that you are my greatest joy. You were what caused me to know what I was meant to be. You bring me the most happiness that I have ever had in my life. 

I would like to tell you a few things that hopefully stick with you forever. My mom (your grandma) used to write me letters all the time and those are some of the most cherished memories I still have. I hope this will be one of those for you.

First know that you are special. You were sent down to this earth at this time for a specific reason. You chose to follow Christ and Heavenly Father in the pre-existence. The world is a scary place right now and the Lord saved his most special spirits to come down now. You 4 are some of them. The Lord loves you so much and wants you to succeed. He is always there to listen to you and guide you. You can always talk to him. The Holy Ghost is your constant companion if you will allow it. He is there to protect you and help you make the right decisions. Keep him close. 

Second, know that I love you. I am so honored and humbled that you chose me to be your mom. I am the luckiest mommy in the world to have the 4 of you in my life forever. I hope that I teach you right and am someone you can always come to just like Heavenly Father. I will be there no matter what. 

Third, stay strong. Resist to follow in the worlds way. Hold to the iron rod. Read your scriptures. Pray daily. Get adequate sleep. Study hard in school. Join clubs. Play sports. Make lots of friends. Be a friend to everyone. Smile a lot. Sing in the shower. Join Choir. Play an instrument. Eat your veggies. Find a hobby. Read. Be nice to animals. Get a passport, and use it. Exercise. Go on a mission. Get married in the temple. Have a family. Smile some more. Rely on me and daddy. Rely on the Lord. Pray. Dance in the rain. Ride a roller coaster. Climb a mountain. Get an education. Share your testimony. Most of all be happy. 

I love you so much. If you stay strong and rely on your testimony and the lord, you can do anything. 

Love,

Mom