Let Summer Begin!

I have come to the conclusion that this time of year around Liam's Birthday and now Lance's Birthday (since they are 11 days apart) is a time of accomplishment for me that I made it through another year of parenting! It came as a surprise to me that parenting is no easy task! Everyday when I wake up I need to take a minute to gear up for the task ahead of me! Though I live by my day planner and I try soooooo hard to be organized I must admit that most days are a juggling act of attempting to get myself showered and ready, getting my kids dressed and fed, doing the laundry, cleaning the house, paying the bills, trying to keep up with my calling, grocery shopping, playing with the kids, making dinner, keeping Liam from clobbering Lance, calming down temper tantrums, cleaning up toys...... and trying to stay sane and make life fun for my family in the meanwhile.
I feel really blessed to have heard Elder Ballard's talk at the last General Conference in which he asked the question, "What can you do as a young mother to reduce the pressure and enjoy your family more?" Then he advises, "Recognize that the joy of motherhood comes in moments... Amid the challenges, there are shining moments of joy and satisfaction." He quoted a mother whose children were all grown who said, "The biggest mistake I made as a parent is the one that most of us make.... I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of my three children sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day. I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less."

That quote just makes me cry, that is exactly what I need to tell myself everyday! So I am taking a big step right now and pledging that this summer - starting today - I am going to treasure the doing a lot more! I am going to toss my day planner, let the laundry pile up, and spend less time doing the next thing and more time swimming, playing at the park, having picnic lunches, eating icecream, riding bikes..... This is a big step for me because I am a perfectionist, but if you come over to my house and it is clean - you should be disappointed in me!