Kindness

the quality of being friendly, generous, considerate

and benevolent.

having or showing a gentle nature and a desire to help others : wanting and liking to do good things and to bring happiness to others (Merriam Webster Dictionary) 

friendly: kind and pleasant

generous:  showing a readiness to give more of something, as money or time, than is strictly necessary or expected, showing kindness toward others, 

considerate: careful not to cause inconvenience or hurt to others, showing careful thought

benevolent: well meaning and kindly, disposition to do good

Have we lost the attribute of KINDNESS in our world? Here is my opinion:

It is beginning to be an attribute that is harder to find. It is starting to be something that is old fashioned, but it doesn't mean that it's gone! I know that it is not gone, I see it in my life and I know that it doesn't have to go extinct! 

It is up to us, it is up to the mom's and the dad's, the women and the men, the teenagers, children, and wise to all use kindness in their lives. We must be an example of kindness in our lives, in our neighborhoods, in our workplaces, especially in our homes and to our families. Let us be kind to our friends and our enemies. This world would change overnight if we would all stop and think about kindness and try a little harder to be a little kinder and love a little more. 

I know deeply that I am preaching to a choir here. I am blessed to have a life that is filled with many kind and loving people. But, I feel like I see on the news, on Facebook or a friend comes over and I keep seeing more and more unkind things happening in the world. It makes me sad and I hate to see the ones I love being treated so awful. So, the next time anger starts to creep up on you, think to your self how does it feel to have kindness in my life? 

This post is dedicated to a few of my closest friends who have always been an example of kindness in my life. Thank you for showing me that kindness changes the world and changes hard hearts. May we all try a little harder to be a little kinder! 

REMEMBER TO BE KIND

I really like quotes so here are a few for you all!

Pride

What is Pride?
Google's dictionary comes up with this:

"a feeling or deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one's own achievements, the achievements of those with whom one is closely associated, or from qualities or possessions that are widely admired."

Now some of you religious folks out there, I found a definition of pride on LDS.ORG:

"A lack or absence of humility or teachableness. Pride sets people in opposition to each other and to God. A proud person sets himself above those around him and follows his own will rather than God’s will. Conceit, envy, hardheartedness, and haughtiness are also typical of a proud person."

Can pride be bad? YES, of course it can. If you have pride like the one right above then yes. Being unteachable and feeling like you are better then everyone is not the best trait to have and ultimately it will cause you trouble in your lives, it sure has mine. 
But, this Soapbox message is about the first definition of pride. Being happy and joyful about what you and the ones you love have accomplished or do. 
It very well could be the culture and area I live in that I see this so often, but my big question is why can't we be good at something and be "proud" of ourselves or our kids or our friends or our family? 
I say we can! How can any of us have good self esteem if all we are doing is kicking ourselves and never being happy or satisfied with what we have accomplished?
Why is it when we are good at something we tell everyone we are not?
Why do we be little our AWESOMENESS?

So, I know that men do this also, but right now I am going to focus on the women in my life.

I am blessed to have so many wonderful woman in my life, women who are wonderful mothers, house keepers, and cooks. Women who serve with out thought, who are Christlike, women who bake, plan parties, sing, crochet, sew, are photographers, write, are awesome at exercising, being healthy, organizing,and  creating things. Women who love unconditionally, who don't take peoples crap, who see the good in the world, and make people laugh.
That list keeps going and going. And they are good, awesome, really amazing women. 
And when they are told that they are they say, "NO." You know what I want to say? (With no real authority.) "BE PROUD OF WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU ARE GOOD AT!"
Do not be a beast, do not think you  are better then others or compete with others about what you are good at. Let's me awesome together ladies! Let's be proud in a positive way that we have something to offer this world we live in. Let's be proud that we can help others and share our talents. Don't hide and be ashamed, feel joy that you have been given talents. As you share them you will get more of them and you will feel joy. 
So to all you beautiful amazing women in my life love who you are and what you can do, because I sure see goodness in you! 

Presents!

Many who know me, know that I love Christmas. I start putting my decorations up after my birthday (November 8th). I love the music, I love the lights, I love the stories and spirit of the season. I love that we have a holiday dedicated to celebrating a birthday, this alone gives me permission to love birthdays too!
But, this year something happened...
I hate presents. Don't get me wrong I really do love presents, but during this time a year it seems so ridiculous.

I love making my parents and Tay's parents their calendar each year. It has meaning and is something they love. They get to see pictures of their families all year long. I find joy making them. I find joy making neighbor gifts, going and telling my neighbors and ward members Merry Christmas and letting them know that we care about them. I find joy spending time with my family and friends, eating good food, playing games and making memories. But, what is with all the presents!?!
Have we really sunk down so low that our children have to go back to school competing with one another on who got the most or best? Have we sunk so low that we go thousands of dollars in debt to get the biggest or bestest?
Christmas is about the birth of our Savior! Showing our love and giving isn't a bad thing at all. If you came to my house you would see presents under the tree, but have we forgotten why we are getting these presents? Have we forgotten for what purpose we buy and wrap them? Have we forgotten for who we celebrate this season for?

I am not preaching because I know this more than you. I am on my soap box because I found myself getting caught up in the presents and I stopped and realized that the spirit of Christmas was not what I was feeling. I was feeling anxious and grumpy.
I don't want a holiday I wait for all year to become something dreaded. I don't want it to be a burden or a hassle, but instead a wonderful beautiful time full of love and Christ.
So may we each stop and think about those gifts we are buying and think of the love behind it. Think of what we can do for others and think of what memories we can make with the ones we love.
Merry Christmas my lovely family and friends! May the spirit of Christmas be with you this Christmas Season and may the Spirit of Christ be with you all year long.

November Rant

My birthday has come and gone. It seems as if my birthday never would come and now I blink and summer is over and fall is here.
November used to be my favorite month of the year, but since my darling Graydin came and left it just has not been.
This year I am trying to make it different, trying to change that. I don't want to dread my favorite month, I want to embrace it. Yes there will be tears and hard days, I do know that. I assume that November will never be the same and that those hard days will never go away. And to be completely honest... I don't want it to. I need the reality of my children, that they are real and that my heart still yearns for them. November = Love now and that means it is going to bring all the emotions that come with loving two little people with all my heart. And you know what that is a blessing.
I am not trying to be Mrs. Sunshine by any means, the loss of a child is tragic, hard and heart wrenching... I know. The grief of a mother who have lost a child will never end in this life, but remembering, loving and feeling isn't a bad thing. Sure it is a hard thing, but at the moment of my sharpest pain it is a blessing that they are real. A blessing yelling out LACIE!  Those babies are you yours! You are their mother! You love them!
So, November does not mean PJ's every day, drowning in my sorrows, weeping and wailing and being ornery. It means LOVE and all that comes with it.
So, my angel mamas and all who may be reading this who have someone you miss, make those moments of pain turn into love. Do something to remember them. Go to the cemetery, call someone who was there with you when you lost them, have a Dr. Pepper for heavens sake, go on a walk and find a dandelion or a butterfly, feel the wind blow into your face or the sun beat upon you cheeks, write a letter to them, listen to a song that reminds you of them, just tell them you love and miss them (they will hear you). (Mom take Grandma and go have a coffee at Crackle Barrel)
November doesn't have to suck for me anymore and I hope your dreaded season, month, holiday or moment doesn't either.

With Love,  Graydin and Alice's Mom

Soapbox

" Soapbox is a raised platform on which one stands to make an impromptu speech, often about a political subject. The term originates from the days when speakers would elevate themselves by standing on a wooden crate originally used for shipment of soap or other dry goods from a manufacturer to a retail store.

The term is also used metaphorically to describe a person engaging in often flamboyant impromptu or unofficial public speaking, as in the phrases "He's on his soapbox", or "Get off your soapbox. A modern form of the soapbox is a blog: a website on which a user publishes his/her thoughts to whomever they are read by."   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soapbox

I have a few friends who tease me about my soap box messages I have and as I was talking to my husband I thought why not record them. I do not believe all that I get passionate about would be called a soap box, but it it fun. 

A goal I have as I live the year before I turn 30 is to blog once a week, my family blog is fun but I often do not have things to post every week so, this will help with the goal that I have.