Mum's in a Pumpkin

So, tomorrow is my 28th birthday.  Nothing momentous really, except that 10 years ago I was turning 18 and I can't believe that was really TEN YEARS AGO!!  I still feel like I should look like that and be like that in some ways.  Ten years?!  I'll post pictures soon.

If someone had asked ten years ago, "What do you want your life to look like ten years from now?" I would have described my life exactly, right down to the mum's in a pumpkin as the centerpiece of my dining room table :D  I have an incredible husband and three gorgeous wonderful kids whom I can't imagine my life without.  We live in a little yellow house on three acres, less than a mile from my parents, our wonderful church, and Target.  My life is full of love and joy and peace, friends and family and precious babies every couple of years!  Just in the last 5 years I've gained and lost 45 pounds 3 times - pretty impressive.

So, evaluation time: "What do you want your life to look like ten years from now?"  Ten years from now I'll be 38 and I'll have a 14 year old, 12 year old, 10 year old and potentially (if my husband gets his way) an 8 year old and a six year old!  I'd like to have an organized, functioning, flowing home so my five children can live in a peaceful, happy environment with a peaceful, happy mom.  I'd like to be officially done gaining and losing those blasted 45 pounds so I can pare my wardrobe down to one size (instead of the pre/present/post pregnancy wardrobe which now crowds my closets).  I'd like to be deeper in love with my Savior and training my children to follow Him whole heartedly.  I'd like to be making my own "green" cleaning products and preparing all organic, healthy, made from scratch meals for my family.  So, that's the surface plan...because he who fails to plan, plans to fail.  Happy Birthday to me!

Because I said so!

"Because I said so!"...My #1 most hated phrase used by parents everywhere (including myself on occasion).  It ranks right up there with , "Don't make me count to three."  Ugh!!!  

I ran across a brilliant insight that I've been using in training and disciplining Hudson (3 1/2) & Pierce (almost 2).  The principle of authority is not that "I'm the authority so they have to obey me," but "I'm the authority and IF they obey me things will go well with them!"

Scenario:  We ventured to Whole Foods last night with all three children in tow.  Yes, we did.  We did pretty good avoiding major disasters (like toppling glass jar pyramids, etc).  When we were checking out David pulled the cart through the checkout aisle.  Hudson was hanging on to the side of the cart with his brain in la la land.  Three times I said, "Hudson, stop," to no avail.  Hudson got his face smashed between the cart and the wall.  When we got to the van I said, "Hudson, do you want things to go well with you?"  He smiled and said, "Yes."  I went on to explain the verse about honoring your parents and the benefits.  I asked, "What happened in the store when you didn't listen to me?"  His face got smashed.  "If you had listened and honored and obeyed me would things have gone better for you?"  Yes.

It's incredible to see the shaping of a heart in action.  We actually had a lady tell us how well behaved our children were in the store.  I could have laughed and cried at the same time!