Naomi's Prayer

So, Naomi gives the best prayers. I have to hurry and write tonight's prayer down before I forget.
"Dear heavenly Father,
Thank you for everybody giving me nice birthday presents. Thank you for all you have given us. Please help that the poor people can get less poor and that we can all be nice to each other. Please help mom and dad, well just dad to make more money and please help Will and Jake and Luke, well, mostly just Will and Jake to be more nicer to each other and that we can all be nicer to each other. We love you, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."

Thanks Naomi.

Rollerblading Buddies

The BEST thing about the Orme family trip to St. George. 

Peer Pressure from Cousins!

Now we rollerblade. 

How I have waited for my boys to get down and dirty with me on blades.

Here's to hoping for family roller hockey games together on Sunday afternoons. We've still got to practice some more. Get our confidence up. Naomi got some rollerblades for her birthday. Now she gets to join us!
Watch out...here come the Ford's!

My Five (5) year old daughter

My good friend who is from Honduras showed up at Naomi's birthday party with this amazing pinata! She told me, "In my country, you DO NOT have birthday parties without pinatas!"

It was the biggest hit of the party. The girls were in complete heaven. She even made us do it the right way and adjust it up and down on the tree to make the kids work for that candy!

A couple of the mom's hung out and helped me paint the girls nails. How in the world do you have a five year old birthday party without nail polish?

Don't ask. It's a pink Phone birthday cake. It is amazing, I know.

 Last night before James whisked her off to bed, I knelt on my knees and wrapped my arms around that big 5 year old. I squeezed her as tight as I could. I looked in her eyes and said, "thank you for letting me be your mom for the last five years."
She squeezed me back as tight as she could. She responded, "thanks for being the best mom in the whole world for the last 5 years." We held each other tight. My baby girl and me. I love her. I love her. I love her. I teared up as she walked to her room with her dad. That's my baby girl. Going to bed. I never knew how amazing life could possibly be. Now I know. These four show me every day.

My Soccer buddy

Jake's second soccer season just ended. I am kinda sad.

I loved it.

This is him and his best buddy, Owen.

This is Owen and Jake. They were the best defenders ever. They rocked the whole back end! They look exhausted. That's because after one game I asked Jake why he didn't hustle. He explained to me that he didn't really feel like using all of his energy for the day. I told him that he better never come off that field again without wanting to throw up from hustling so hard. He looked at me like I was crazy. I told him I was serious. It wasn't worth playing if you aren't going to give it everything you've got.
The next game was hilarious. He totally rocked it. He was all over that field. About 15 minutes into the game I saw him holding his tummy and panting. I think he honestly was about to throw up. I yelled at him to ask his coach for a rest. But he did it. He hustled every game after. Love you, Mooch!

He's STILL "got it"

No, not Luke, my husband.

A few weeks ago, in Miami.

At a bar. 

With many other doctors at a medical conference.

He felt a tap on his shoulder.

He turned around.

He saw HER.

a girl.

Smiling at HIM. My husband.

He ignored her.

His buddy next to him stated, 

"hey, if you're not going for that, I am."

My husband left the bar shortly after that.

He debated whether or not to tell me.

I am glad he did.

I am kinda proud of him

He's STILL got it.

We're There...

If you've been a parent, you know exactly what I mean.

The stage.

You can't get a single thing done without those adorable little hands in the way.

The only time you can achieve anything is when those adorable little hands go down for a nap.

But the problem is,

as soon as those adorable little hands go down for a nap,

you have no energy to get anything done.

Simply because you have been keeping those adorable little hands out of mischief for the last three hours, and you were up in the middle of the night putting those adorable little hands back to sleep.

How I love, LOVE those adorable little hands.

as you can see, the silverware...aka..knives, have been removed from the dishwasher. Smart mom, I know.

Bad Mom

Four years ago...I was doing this with my baby girl

and tonight I did this...

I told her to choose two stories and wait for me in her bed. I would be up soon.
I wasn't soon enough.
She chose Cinderella and Hooray for Diffendoofer Day.
Not quite sure why I feel so bad. Maybe a sentimental day. I don't know.
But I do know one thing.
I love my kids.
Seeing her laying here. Innocently. Just waiting. Waiting for a mom who was too busy for her.
Forgiving.
She will wake up and I KNOW she will remember. She remembers EVERYTHING.
It's exhausting, really.
But she will forgive me.
I think Heavenly Father gives us these experiences to help us remember.
Remember the most important things in life.To remind us that it is missing these moments that we will regret in 20 years. He doesn't want me to really regret it. He wants me to live it. And to love it.
I feel like a bad mom.
But my sweet Jake's voice is running through my mind.
A couple weeks ago he wanted to me play basketball with him outside. I did.
But only for small increments of time.
Luke was inside and kept crying everytime I left him.
I kept running back inside to comfort him and then head outside again.
Jake came in to ask me when I was coming back out to play with him.
I felt horrible. I wanted to play with him but I couldn't.
I told him, "I'm sorry you have a bad mom, Jake. I just don't have time right now."
He sat down next to me.
"Don't EVER say that again, mom. You're really, really good mom."
I almost started crying.
And I have REALLY, REALLY good kids.
And I never want to miss a moment.