I See You!

Today, I had a "mom" moment that was very disappointing at first, 

but after my "Ah-hahhh" moment, it will always be a cherished memory.

It started this morning.

I was in my room, saying my morning prayers.

Lucy Lu-Lu was up, and was quietly watching cartoons, so I thought it would be a good time.

Well, in the middle of my prayer, I hear her little footsteps running around the living room, followed by, "Mom?".

I listened as her footsteps went from room to room looking for me. 

I could hear her opening the doors, one by one.

All, while saying, "Mom?"

Then she came to my room.

She opened the door, saw me praying and quietly went back out and shut the door.

Well, the day continued.

We remained busy running errands.

As we were running errands, Lucy Lu-Lu kept jabbering away.

(She really does jabber.)

I was on the phone. Then had another call.

And Lucy just kept trying to get me involved with her jabber.

After we got home, I sat down at the computer to take care of something,

And once again, Lucy Lu-Lu came over, climbed up behind me on my chair and tried very hard to get me involved with her jabber.

Finally, Lucy (who was still standing behind me), leaned over in front of me, grabbed my cheeks and aggressively turned my face to meet hers, and she said, 

"MOM! Do you SEE me?"

And I mumbled "yes" and tried to move my head back towards the REALLY super-duper important stuff on my computer.

But, she held on tight and again said, 

"MOM! Do you SEEEE me?"

And then I stopped.

I realized at that moment, that NO.....I didn't see her.

And I hadn't REALLY seen her all morning.

It hit me like a ton of bricks.

I immediately stopped what I was doing,

grabbed my little Lucy Lu-Lu and sat down on the floor with her.

We talked, I tickled, I listened, we laughed and I enjoyed a priceless moment with my daughter.

I had allowed myself to get so caught up in other things, 

that I really hadn't 'seen' my daughter.

And it makes me sad.

Today, I've decided to make the time to REALLY "see" my kids.

It doesn't matter how old they are.

I want to enjoy them, talk to them, and make sure I give them part of ME!

So, Lucy Lu-Lu.....

YES! I see you!

And I love you for helping me to be a better mom today. 

Moments as a Family

FAMILY

We all have one.

Yet, they're all so very different.

We had the Blaylock Family Reunion this weekend!

Can I just say how much I LOVE my crazy relatives?!?! 

Yes.....CRAZY.

SOUTHERN crazy!

There's a difference!

And you know who you are! :)

In all seriousness,

they are amazing and I completely love them.

The time with our big extended family has made me think 

of my own crazy little bunch.

Sometimes I sit and observe our family. 

I listen to the conversations they have with each other.

I hear them laugh at things that I am completely clueless about.

I watch as they sort out their differences.

I watch them get frustrated with each other, and then exercise forgiveness.

I watch as they patiently try to deal with the chaos of a big family.

I watch as they all mature and grow up.....right before my eyes.

I watch their personalities develop.

I watch them decide every day the kind of adult they are going to be.

When Moses graduated from high school and left for college, it changed the dynamics of our family.

Then Hannah graduated and left for college, and it actually cemented in my mind that our family would never again be the same.

I know, I know.....it's part of the process.

But, that doesn't mean I have to like it.

:)

Israel is a Senior this year, and Noah will graduate next year.

Zach and Keely will be in High School next year.

And it's all happening so quickly. 

How is it that time seems to be passing so much more quickly now?

So, I've been thinking a lot about the transition of our family.

Luckily, we have a big family, so we'll have kids here FOREVER...

but the days of EVERYONE being here, waking up together, lounging together, watching Star Wars together and laughing at the dinner table together are sweet little memories of the past.

It's a hard thing to start having to accept that.

But, it also fills my heart with joy. 

I love these little creatures that I get to share my life with.

And I have loved the moments we've had together as a family.

I treasure them right now in a way that is hard to explain.

Those memories, those special moments we've had, are little treasures that I will always have.

I'm excited for our crazy family.

I'm excited to see what new adventures await us.

I'm excited for them to keep growing, changing and becoming unbelievable adults.

Although I'm excited at the sheer possibility of having an actual office, craft room, and space for all my "stuff" one day, I'd much rather have a jam packed house full of kids and noise.

Lately I've been feeling the need to hug my babies. 

Enjoy the noise. 

Embrace the chaos. 

Listen more closely and love more completely.

One day, it will all be different.

Still wonderful, but different.

I love my family.

Time always brings change,

so I'm grateful we have strong roots.

The Things I Take For Granted

I ran across this quote this week. 

For some reason, this has had a profound effect on me.

I keep thinking about all the little things I take for granted.

There's a song at church that says, 

"Count your blessings, name them one by one."

And this week, I seem to be doing that a lot more.

I've realized that I'm not nearly as grateful for all 

the good things in my life as I should be.

I've realized also that I've gotten pretty darn good at recognizing all the things that aren't exactly how I would like them to be.

Life is a tricky thing.

Every moment has value, but some of those moments can be hard to really appreciate.

I've found that it's also really easy to allow myself to get into a rut, to become complacent and to not REALLY see all the wonderful things around me.

It happens slowly.

It sneaks up on you.

And before you know it, you are taking too many things for granted.

So...

I'm going to focus on some of those things.

There are so many things I take for granted on a daily basis.

And I don't want to be that person.

I want to be aware daily of how wonderful and great my life is.

Because it really is just that.

WONDERFUL!

and

GREAT!

I've been very blessed, through every season of my life.

And I thought it would be fun to think about some of those things.

So, today.
I'm grateful for one of those moments that is not the most enjoyable in some ways...but in other ways it's incredibly rewarding.

I'm grateful for the chance to take Noah to get his driver's permit.

We were there for over an hour and a half.
A very long hour and a half.

With Lucy.

Enough said?

hahaha!

Actually she tried hard to be really good.

We were sitting there and a teenage girl was standing up at the counter where she was told she didn't pass the test. She broke down in tears and walked out.

Noah was next.

I got a knot in my stomach.

Noah had gone into the back room to take his test.

I waited...and said a silent prayer for him to be able to do his best.

Then, sweet Noah came out. 

I heard him call my name from way up in the front of the room.

Then, he proudly told me, in front of everyone, that

HE DID IT!

The look on his face was priceless.
And the fact that he was excited to tell me his good news was even more priceless.

It's one of those moments that could easily be taken for granted.

But, I will always be grateful for that moment I shared with Noah.
The wait was well worth it.

Time to appreciate all the good things in life!

Here we go!

Just Breathe...and Smile.

There are many moments as a mom when I'm a bit speechless. 

I have to just sit for a minute...

take a breath...

and THEN try to respond.

This was one of those moments.

Here is my sweet little Lucy Lu-Lu.

Such a cutie.

LOVE her piggy tails.

Did I mention that I love her piggy tails?

Well...

She decided that she didn't.

So...

on a lovely day when her golden locks were neatly placed in a lovely ponytail, she cut it.

 I found a chunk of hair mysteriously lying on the floor.

And then this followed...

"LUCY! Where did this hair come from?!"

(said with dismay and disbelief)

"I don't know." said Lucy with such convincing innocence.

"Luuuccyyyyyy...."

"Where did this hair come from? Turn around please."

As she turns around I notice half of her ponytail is missing.

Breathe.

"Lucy...did you cut your hair?"

"Yes...I DID!"

said with a mischievous and proud grin.

"Well, we have to go get the rest cut off so we can fix it."

HORROR.

COMPLETE HORROR on her face.

"NO!!!!"

"I don't want to cut my hair!!"

(said with huge tears rolling down her cheeks.)

As she was getting it cut, I watched her. She kept looking in the mirror with confusion.

When she was done, she just sat and stared at herself.

She looked so different.

And as her mom, I sat and stared too.

She didn't look like my Lucy anymore.

I started to feel myself get emotional.

She kept looking at me, so I smiled and told her, "YOU LOOK SO BEAUTIFUL!"

And she did.

She just looked so different.

But, I'm happy to say that it has grown on me. 

I now love her little haircut.

And I love that she loves it now too.

So...

just a reminder to all you moms out there.

It all works out in the end.

Simply Sunday: A Happy Heart: A Child's Heart

I know I've said it before, but I love my Sundays. I've been thinking a lot today about the pressures of life. It's so easy to get lost in the day-to-day stresses of life, and I don't enjoy that. I believe that life is meant to be enjoyed, regardless of our age or circumstance. Yet, for some reason that's really hard to remember as adults.

I typically don't get out of bed every morning ready to party the day away. I get out of bed and deal with real life. Kids who are amazing.....but, they are real kids. A life that is wonderful.....but, it's the real deal with real stresses, just like everyone else. And everything else in between. I think I'm generally a happy person, so at the end of the day, I want to feel like I really enjoyed it. And on the not-so-enjoyable days, I want to feel like it was still worth it. I don't want to get so hardened by life that I don't feel those things any more. How do I do that? Well, my kids are my best reminders.

I looked out the window the other day and four of my cutie-cuties had created their own little world in the backyard. I watched them as they dragged logs over for their seats, they had made wands out of sticks and flowers, they created some makeshift cauldron which had some scary looking magical potion in it, all while enjoying their left-over Easter candy. They laughed and danced around the yard. They used 'magical powers' and had the time of their life.

I loved watching them.

It brought back memories of my own childhood. Then I started thinking of our other children. They are all clever kids and know how to entertain themselves. We don't have many fancy gadgets and gizmos in our house, and we don't typically go out to places for entertainment. They also know better than to tell me they are bored. All these things have made our kids good at entertaining themselves. They laugh with each other, they play with each other and they use their imagination. They are learning that life is what you make it. They are learning that no one is here to entertain them. They are learning to create their own happiness.

And I love that for them.

There is a childlike innocence you feel when you are around kids like that.

When I see them in action, it's a good reminder to hang onto that little part of me inside that still knows how to have fun. The part that knows how to create happiness and the part that can still enjoy life like I did as a child. It reminds me to not get lost in the seriousness of life, but to still make time to be silly, to laugh and to enjoy the fun little moments that make your heart happy.

I agree. 

I don't want to grow up completely.

I want to hang onto those childlike tendencies. I don't want to just live my life, but I want to love it.

Watching my kids play, hearing them laugh, seeing how they love their lives makes my heart happy today.

A Happy Heart: Precious Moments

There are moments I have as a mom that many would consider insignificant, yet somehow they feel like the most important moments in the world. 

That happened to me yesterday.

My sweet Hannah is home, and I can't even begin to say how much I love that one simple fact.

Anyone who knows us, knows how much I love her. She really is one of my best friends and it's been so fun to have her walk down the stairs every morning and be able to spend the day with her. I love that we are transitioning our relationship to an adult one. It's very strange how that happens when they become adults. But, it's SO MUCH FUN!! I love our conversations and literally could talk to her for hours. Well.....actually.....we DO! I am loving this little creature who has become this amazing young adult. I'm so proud of her. It's fun beyond words to see her figure out life and who she is. 

Right now, those moments seem so precious to me. 

Maybe it's because I know these moments are very temporary.

Maybe it's because I've been without her while she's been at school, and I know I'll be without her again.

Whatever the reason, they are priceless.

We sat yesterday and we talked.

We TALKED and TALKED.

We laughed. She made me cry. We enjoyed every moment.

As a mom, I know these moments are so precious.

And I'm very thankful for them. 

Today, these 'moments' make my heart very happy.

A Happy Heart: Time is Going Fast

Well, it has been a busy week, with not enough time on some days to do everything I need to do. 

(All you moms know exactly what I'm talking about.)

The best part of my week was having Hannah come home from college. I also had a great conversation on the phone with Moses. It's strange to have kids grow up and leave home. When it happens, you realize that life as you've known it doesn't exist anymore. It changes. It's still wonderful, but it's different. I have so many precious memories of everyone at home, and I miss it.

I know that this is life. I know kids grow up. I know it's all part of the plan. But, that doesn't mean I have to like it.

Right? 

Having Hannah home again has been wonderful. She is different. She has actively been building her own separate life away from us. Same with Moses. I'm very proud of both of them and it's fun to see them becoming adults. As I have thought about both of them, many fun memories have been dancing around in my mind. I've thought a lot about those memories this week. Memories of life with everyone at home. And I've realized that those memories are the foundation of what our family will become. Those memories have become little treasures that mean everything to me. I have realized that life is going to continue to move forward. All of our kids will eventually grow and move on. And things will change. Those are things I am very excited about, but it also brings with it a measure of sadness. 

I wonder, did I appreciate it as much as I should have when they were all here?

Did I give them enough of "me"?

Am I taking time to enjoy the seven that are still home?

Life is so full of.....well, EVERYTHING.

There are schedules, appointments, cleaning, cooking, homework, projects, laundry, and daily stresses.

Sometimes I have to force myself to slow down, to take a breath and remember where my time is most valuable.

I read this quote the other day and I love it. It reminds me to slow down, to enjoy my family, to make time for the things that are most important and to have my priorities in order. It's going fast. And I don't want to miss a thing. 

It's not about all the grand gestures, fancy crafts, making sure they have the newest "toys", or the big elaborate parties I could throw for them. 

It's about the small and simple things.

It's about giving of my time, my love, my attention and my best efforts.

Time is going fast and I'm feeling more aware of that simple fact than I have in a while.

Today, the time I have with my family is feeling very precious. 

And the fact that I have that time with them makes my heart very happy. 

I plan on enjoying it.

A Happy Heart: Lucy's Words

I was snuggling with Luke a couple of days ago, and out of the blue he said, "Mom, you make my heart happy." It was such a tender thing to say and I loved that he was trying to express the sweet feelings he was having for me at that moment. Then he said, "What makes your heart happy?"

I've been thinking a lot about that this weekend.

There are many things that make my heart happy.
Every day there are new things.

I love that about life.

I love that every day we can have moments, at some point, that make our hearts happy.

So, this month, I'm going to focus on what makes my heart happy.

Similar to things that I love, but different in some ways.

Today, Lucy's little words make my heart happy.

As a mom of little ones, there are many things that are said on a daily basis that melt my heart. These are little things that are easy to forget as they grow up and get older. That was one of the motivating factors in me starting a blog. I needed to find a way to remember them. I don't have time for major scrapbooking, and so this is my solution.  It's been fun to document some of the little daily things that have brought me so much joy.

Lucy is a toddler, so her speaking skills are still improving. She still mispronounces words, which I know I should correct more often, but I think it's darling to hear her say, "BUKE!" instead of Luke. She says "cancake" instead of pancake, "ganburger" instead of humburger, "Keety" instead of Keely, "Churty" instead of Charity, "Altimes" instead of Valentine's, but my favorite saying has to be this.....

I've been loved by many,

but I've only been "yubbed" by Lucy Lu-Lu.

I love being "yubbed" by her.

She makes my heart happy.

Simply Sunday: Do Not Run Faster

Enough.

Today I've been thinking about a lot of things. 

Lately we've had a lot of sick kids, crazy schedules, stressful "stuff", 

and life has just seemed a bit more out of balance on some days.

I even stopped taking time to post things on my blog to try to find some balance again.

I grew up in a home of 10 kids.

8 of those 10 kids were girls.

And 8 of those girls are over achievers.

We all have a struggle at times finding our balance.

And it's mainly because we all love to give.....and we all love to give the best we can.

And then after we give the best we can, we sit and kick ourselves for not giving more.

hahaha! 

I have sisters who will read this and they will KNOW that I speak the truth! 

And then they will laugh.

There are some days when all that I want to give and all that I need to do, just isn't possible.

 And that can be discouraging.

I was sitting the other night, with 20 gazillion things that I needed to do...and wanted to do. But, then Lucy came up to me with her book and wanted to read it. I told her, "We'll read it in just a little bit", but she came back.....and then came back again. I stopped and looked at her and realized that nothing at that moment was more important than sitting down and reading a book to her. 

So, we sat and read, "Llama, Llama, Mad at Mama".

I don't want it be "Lucy, Lucy, Mad at Mama", so I'm grateful for the little reminder to re-prioritize what I was doing to make time for that which was most important.

I love this saying. 

To me it's a reminder that I need to have balance. 

I need to be patient with what I CAN do.....and patient with what I can't. 

On some days, what I have to give is an awful lot. And I can do great things. But, on the days when I can't do as much, I'm grateful to know that it's ok. That I'M ok. That what I have to give really is enough. And that even on those days, I can still do great things.

Reading to my Lucy was a great thing.

Sitting and having a conversation with Charity on my bed was a great thing.

Taking some time to go to the boy's room and talking to them about their day was a great thing.

The laundry didn't get finished, the kitchen floor was still sticky and my desk is STILL a mess.

But, what I COULD do, was enough.

And I'm grateful to know that.

I Love...Motherhood

Today I Love That I'm a Mother!

Because it's the last day of my Month of Love, I couldn't think of anything I love more.

But, I haven't always been a mother.

I remember being a little girl, sitting in my class at church and when they asked us what we wanted to be when we grew up, I remember responding, "I just want to be a mom." And that was the truth. I didn't want to be anything else. I didn't have any grand plans for my life...except to be a mom. And I started getting it all planned out in my head at a very early age.

It started with my dolls. I played with my dolls like CRAZY! I named them and took them everywhere with me. They were my babies and I loved them. As I got older, I planned my 20+ children's names. 

I still remember Tiffany and Tyler were my favorites for a long time!

Then the plans for exactly HOW MANY kids I was going to have. Again, I had it all planned out. 

I even had a set of twins planned in there somewhere! 

hahahaha!

Yes, I was one of THOSE crazy girls.

When I first got married, I thought, "Here we go!" and I was so excited that I would finally get to have the one thing I had been dreaming about my whole life.

But, there was obviously a different plan for me. 

And it was very painful and extremely difficult to accept that.

To have to come to grips with the fact that I would never have children of my own seemed like some nightmare that I just wanted to wake up from. How do you make sense of that? How do you learn to be ok with that? 

For me, it took a lot of tears. It took a lot of prayers. 

It took a lot of encouragement. and it took a great deal of faith.

I feel like I finally was able to let go and trust that Heavenly Father was in control of my life and knew what was best for me. I learned to trust Him and His timing.

But, it was so hard.

Now, I look at my crazy life and there are days 

that I don't know what to think. 

I feel like it has been this whirlwind of unexpected miracles.

To be a mother is something I cherish.
 It's something that I try really hard not to take for granted.

It's something that I find great joy in. 

In my opinion, there is no job more noble than that of a mother.

Warning: 

Too many photos of me ahead!

But, this is my way of kind of scrapbooking my life as a mom, 

so just scroll through them quickly if you would like!

I'm not a perfect mother.

I never will be.

To be a mother doesn't mean you have to be perfect. 

It doesn't mean you aren't going to be tired. 

It doesn't mean you won't be overwhelmed.

It doesn't mean you won't be cranky.

To be a mother, means you get up every day and you keep trying. You keep loving your kids. You keep giving it everything you can that day. It means you do your very best, and trust that the Lord will take care of the rest. 

Today, I love being a mother. 

Not because I'm super-terrific at it, but because it's something that I have to work really hard at. 

And because I work so hard at it, I find great value in it. 

I'm very grateful I have such forgiving and loving kids.

They see my imperfections every day.....and they love me anyway.

Today, I love them.

Thumbs Up!

by Lucy Lu-Lu (or Foofie) Blaylock

"Thumbs Up" is one of Lucy's favorite things. 

It is something that happens all the time...and has many meanings in Lucy's cute little world. 

I'll give you some examples:

• (thumbs up) "Mom, I NO go nigh-night right now. K?" (another thumbs up with a confident nod)
• Luke howls as Lucy reaches over and takes his precious sucker and immediately starts to drool all over it. After a stern look from mom, she give the thumbs up...and then waits to see if I think she's cute enough to let her keep it. Another semi-stern look with a touch of a smile and she hands it back to Luke, and then a last thumbs up to let me know she did the right thing.
• Coming downstairs fully decked out in Luke's spiderman costume. Strikes her best superhero pose and wait for it...DOUBLE thumbs up with a facial expression that convinces you that she is not a superhero to mess with.

• Daddy walks out the door to work and Lucy shuts the door. "I love daddy", she says. "You do?"  (thumbs up) Nods with a sweet gentle smile.
• Gets to go to church after missing for a couple of weeks (which she has been so upset about). Buckled up in her carseat. HUGE grin. DOUBLE thumbs up!
• Lucy whining about who knows what. "Lucy, can you stop whining please?" She gets a look on her face like someone just turned a light on in her mind..."Oh!" (the whining stops immediately)...she turns to me and smiles...a big thumbs up.

Why do I love "thumbs up" so much? Because this small, innocent gesture reminds me EVERY day, all throughout the day that we all have those "thumbs up" moments. Lucy's world is a very happy one and she finds happiness in the smallest things. In her way, she's expressing gratitude, contentment, and joy mixed with a huge dose of Lucy humor and mischief. In our home her "thumbs up" has been contagious. We all find ourselves giving her the "thumbs up" right back and we now jokingly do it with each other. She reminds me that it's the small and simple things that help us create homes filled with love. 

I have a "thumbs up" life and I'm grateful to Lucy for helping me to remember that.

The Magic of the Human Touch!

Being the mom of nine is absolutely as crazy as it sounds. You take the noise, the drama, the contention and you multiply it...by a gazillion! :) 

OK...so a little exaggeration. But, you get the point...pure craziness at times.

I've been asked before how I do it. Well, the truth is, I do it just like any other mom. You take one little meltdown, one little heartache, one little last-minute homework project at a time.

In my home, there is no perfect parenting. There are perfect intentions, but no perfection anywhere else. I'm just like you, I scratch my head on a regular basis trying to figure out how to instruct, how to help, how to guide, and how to comfort. 

I promise, I scratch my head OFTEN!

How do I handle the craziness? Well, Ricky has taught me some good ol' tricks as well. He did handle 6 of his own for a while! 

(Have I told you he's wonderful?)

Just last night we had a little "hiccup" (my codeword for the "less than perfect" occurrences in my home). 

Onto our hiccup...

Keely and Luke were arguing lovingly sharing their differences. So...they got the Ricky special.

Sit on the couch...and hold hands.

(my kids hate this when they are angry)

(hee hee hee...oh, the wicked laughter begins)

The best thing about this "consequence" is that no matter how determined they are to hold on to their frustration or anger, no child of mine has ever been able to make it last very long while they are holding the hand of their enemy. It's only a matter of time before the giggling ensues. With Keely and Luke, they were giggling and making faces before they even sat down. 

I believe there's something magical about the human touch. I also believe that it's a critical part of our existence in this life. There's something magic that happens when they touch hands. They can no longer be mad. I have some very strong willed kids...and boy do they try. I can only remember a couple times when their stubbornness ALMOST won.

And then the big guns are brought in.

The Big Daddy Super Special!

You must kiss your enemy on the cheek.

Can I just say that we win every time?

AH-ha-ha-ha-hahhhh!

I love the magic of the human touch! 

Finding Joy

So very true. I believe finding joy as a mom is a choice. It's tough to be a mom in the world today. Each day is filled with those moments where we have to choose. But, I have learned that each day is filled with wonderful moments that bring joy. I just have to make the choice to recognize them. Great joy is mine, even when it's hard.

My joy so far today...

• Kids woke up happy...such a treat.
• Everyone was on time...still seems like a miracle when we accomplish this!
• Seeing Lucy with eyes half asleep, saying "I love you Mommy. I need to hold you."
• The fresh hole in the wall from wrestling teenage boys is actually smaller than I imagined!
• Boys walking in from early morning seminary and being so excited to see Luke and Lucy...so sweet that they love them the way they do.
• Watched Keely and Charity interact this morning and felt so thankful that they have each other. 
• The spilled milk and cereal only required TWO wipedowns! Success!
• Hearing laughter in my home as two sets of little feet run around chasing each other.
• The fit about sitting on the potty eventually subsided...thank goodness. 
• A bit of heartache while missing my college kids, but so happy they are where they are...doing what they are doing. So proud of them.
• Found a long lost little shoe. It no longer fits, but I did find it! 

It really is about the simple things...