Little joys from the past few days...

Watching the girls play safely and freely outside...

...a kitchen that finally has enough space for all four girls to help me make cookies...

...and sweet girls who get funner and sweeter by the day. :)

A surprise visit...

... from Grandpa!

Here are some very sleepy girls with Grandpa before he left.
Thanks for visiting, Grandpa!

Even through the madness...

This week has been a blur. I feel like my children and I have been through a long tunnel of moving, scrubbing, cleaning, and never-ending tasks. Last night, I came to a point where for a moment, it felt like it would never end and tears came to my tired eyes.

But last night, Matt brought us back home, and this morning, moved boxes to the side so that we could have space to breathe today. Today, the girls and I have just played and enjoyed the sunshine. What a relief to our souls.

And somehow, even though last night I felt like nothing more than a wall-scrubbing robot with no skin left on her hands, today I feel inspiration starting to come back.

My mind is filling again with ideas of how to create and inspire, how to make a difference and change the world in my own way. Last night I felt empty. Tonight I am filled with compassion and love again.

To me, even this small little week in my small little life is such a testament to me of the atonement, and the renewing power it has. Everything can be okay again. Even when our minds and hearts become drained and down, whether by something large and horrific or something small (like moving), somehow, I believe that everything can truly be healed and made alright once again.

And somehow, even though we may be busy and tired, there is divinity in each of us, the ability to create and inspire, and to change the world.

Halloween

We moved on Halloween! What a day! But we still managed to have some fun. :)

We had a fairy princess...

a mermaid...

a ladybug...

and a cute little yellow something who loves to dance with her daddy. :)

Quietness

This week is filled with a flurry of activity, as we prepare to move to a new home. My heart and mind are caught up in many thoughts as I pack, throw away, and try to get my family ready.

I have thought a great deal about our first year in Colorado. This past year has been a quiet, yet burning crucible, with some of the more difficult trials that we have faced. They have been so personal that I have not written many of them.

But as I look back on this year, I am astonished. It has been a year of tremendous growth and beauty. This year has changed us forever, and we will never be the same. And that is largely because of the difficulties that we have faced. I wouldn't trade those things, painful as they have been, for anything.

The other thing that has astonished me is that we have somehow been okay. This year has met us with burdens that are great, as we have been unable to sell our home and as we have gone through a very costly cross-country move. Yet somehow, as we have strived to follow what the Lord has directed us to do, we have been alright. In fact, we are flourishing. We have been blessed abundantly, and somehow, we are doing well, in spite of the turmoil in the world.

It has truly taught me something. That has we try to do our best at following what the Lord says, we will be taken care of. I had a conversation with an acquaintance recently who was angry at me for suggesting that she trust the Lord, and she stated that "If we leave it up to Him, we will suffer. I have to make my own decisions." While it's true that you do need to make decisions, and that you do have the possibility of suffering, the only way to joy is through Him. I felt nothing but sorrow for this woman, whose pain was evident. But my sorrow was not for any misfortune she may have had. It was for the lack of trust and love for her Father, Who so dearly loves her.

Somehow, regardless of everything, the Lord has blessed us beyond what seems possible. And I believe it is because of this, which has been my creed since before I had a family:

"And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.

And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places."
-Isaiah 32:17-18

I believe that, regardless of where we have lived or what has been happening, we have dwelled in a "peaceable habitation," because we have tried to follow our Father. I am truly one of the most vastly imperfect people that I know, so imperfect and full of error that at times it causes me great sorrow. But I believe firmly in a loving Father who sees our hearts, and Who knows, in spite of imperfections and sins, the desires of our hearts, as well as our potential. Somehow, even though we are terribly imperfect, He blesses us anyway, when He knows we are genuinely trying our best to be righteous. He blesses us with peace, quietness, and assurance. He blesses us with a peaceable habitation.

And sometimes these blessings come to us in different ways. This past year, some of our greatest blessings have been our profoundest trials. And some have been bounty in spite of leanness. But always, as we have strived to do our best, there has been a peaceable habitation, and quietness and assurance.

As we prepare to go to a new home, my greatest hope is to create for my family a "peaceable habitation," a "quiet resting place." And I know that the only way to truly do that is to follow our Father, and to strive with all my heart to do as He asks.

A birthday and an announcement...

My birthday was this weekend. It was perfect. Quite possibly the best birthday I've ever had. We just spent time together as a family, and it was heaven for me.

We drove to Estes Park on Saturday, to just enjoy the air and the quiet together.

My little women. :)

My best friend.

What a sweetie. :)

Who gets to be married to that handsome man? :)

Playing by the lake was so pleasant and so peaceful.

It was heaven to just leave the rush behind for a day.

We spent a lot of time throwing the foxtail around, too. :)

It was a happy and perfect day, which was such a gift to us, as so much turmoil and sadness and difficulty has been going on in the world and with so many of our loved ones. It has all weighed on all of us, and it was such a blessing to have a day to reflect on the blessings of life, rather than being overshadowed by the difficulties.

...and I suppose I'd like to use my birthday post to announce something that many of you do not know yet.

This is one of the greatest miracles that has ever happened in my life. More about this miracle later. :)

Teeth, teeth, teeth!

What a big week for our four-year-old!

First she lost one tooth...

...and then two were gone!

The tooth fairy has been very busy! And our oldest is about to lose another tooth, too, so the tooth fairy will be back again soon! :)