Quincy is Eleven!

The Shuggie Bear is eleven! We are so lucky to have this star QB on our team! She is a vibrant, creative, daring, dramatic old soul. She always has a question for you and it’s always a good question. She is a supporter of all handmade art and is confident with her own way of doing everything. She amazes me every day with her boldness and wit. I love this girl! I love that her earrings never ever match. I love that she enjoys school and genuinely likes to learn.  I love her contagious laugh and her direct, unfiltered commentary. Happy Birthday to my very own magical unicorn.

Nativity and Noel

The Christmas season is off to a great start in NWA and the Willy house.  Reese went up and down the lane and personally invited every one of our neighbors to the Nativity and Noel hosted by the Bentonville and Roger’s stakes. We attended Saturday night, and on Friday night, two of our neighbors went with my parents, thanks to Reese’s invitation. 

This was a wonderful event and the efforts of those in charge really showed. The nativities displayed all over the room were beautiful. The live nativity had two sweet mom friends of mine playing Mary each night avdbtheur newborns both made an adorable baby Jesus. The children loved seeing grandpa Hal play a wise man. I think he loved it, too. It was good to see him pal around with Brothers Cabrera and Jensen. I think leaving friends of forty years must be one of the hardest parts about moving to Arkansas. Where they lived before, everyone knew them and they had worked and served abs raised families along side so many peers. They don’t have much of a history of their own here in Arkansas yet, so it was just really really good to see them get involved in an event like this, just like they would have in California. 

The music was good. Really good. The Ozark Mormon chorale was better than I’ve ever heard them before. Crisp. Is that a good word to describe musicians? I think so. They sounded crisp. Everything was just excellent from diction to pitch. It was feast for the ears and heart as the Spirit was felt through testimonies were borne through song. 

The little ones didn’t last. Aaron knew I would love to stay to sing hallelujah chorus (my favorite part of the evening), and generously offered to take the younger three home. I stayed and drove my parents home.

After treats, the girls and my mom and I helped a little with cleanup. Reese and Quincy groaned, but it was good experience for them to be aware of the work that goes into setting up for a large community event. They folded and put away like 300 chairs and were “sore” the next day.   

It wasn’t the right day for it, but it could have been my “honor thy parents” act of service. I grew up with my parents running events like this one. I know the hours they put in. I know they would stay at the church until 1am and not leave until the work was done. I couldn’t get in my car knowing there were 300 chairs to be folded up, when I also knew I had only shown up for the feast and there were wonderful people who had spent an entire weekend working in those gyms to set up, orchestrate, and take down. My parents taught me how to work, so I honored them on Saturday by teaching my girls the same.   

It was a rich evening and everyone there felt the spirit of Christmas. 

Primrose Lane Bunco

My mom hosted the Primrose bunco babes last night. There were 12 of us there but I only managed to get 7 photos. We had an ornament exchange, ate delicious food and laughed and laughed. My mom is such a fun hostess. 

Love Thy Neighbor: Guerilla Decorating

We decided Thelma’s geese needed some holiday cheer. Last night, Thelma told me she lost a brother and a brother in law in the space of four days abs hadn’t felt very festive, this Christmas, but the holiday geese really cracked her up. She’s going to have the kids help her get her lights out this weekend.  Then, when I was picking up gifts for the kids’ teachers, I found tiny Santa hats! Couldn’t resist! Hahaha 

After bunco, Nita, Kathy, Katie, Laura Fogle,    Lady, Mary and I all piled into the fun bus for late night Primrose shenanigans. It was bitter cold but we laughed until we cried adding some Christmas cheer to the port a potty next to J’s house.  The builder, Jim and crew were out laughing and taking pictures before the sun was up. 



This morning, we had a good laugh with Jim. 


We told him to blame this little creep. He replied back with a meme of Cousin Eddie emptying the septic tank 😂

Merry Christmas, ya filthy animals! 

I love my neighbors dearly. We have a lot of fun around here. 

Blessings of the Temple

I spoke in Church the Sunday following Thanksgiving. I was supposed to speak the week before, about gratitude, but we found out we had visitors from the stake, who gave really wonderful talks. I accepted the invitation to speak the following Sunday on the topic of temple blessings. This week was a treat because our ward had a young elder return from his mission and speak about his faith building experiences in the mission field. One of the young women I used to work with also spoke, and she shared great on the importance of temple work.  I was fortunate to jump right up after and piggy back on the testimonies of two wonderful young people. Because flexibility with time constraints while public speaking is not a skill that I have, I wasn’t sure how to cut 15 minutes of prepared material down to 6 minutes. During a musical number, I skimmed through and highlighted what I felt prompted to share. And then ended up reading those parts of  talk directly from my phone. Here is that content, give or take and my testimony. I love the temple. 

President Monson said, “As I think of temples, my thoughts turn to the many blessings we receive therein. As we enter through the doors of the temple, we leave behind us the distractions and confusion of the world. Inside this sacred sanctuary, we find beauty and order. There is rest for our souls and respite from the cares of our lives.

Well doesn’t that sound lovely right now? Beauty and order?  Rest and respite?  Sign me up! 

One October day, I went to the temple with the specific intention of receiving this very comfort and peace to aid me through a trial I was experiencing.  I felt that I had done or was doing everything I should, but just couldn’t seem to get to a place of resolution on my own about the problem. I was exhausted, but hopeful. 

So I entered the temple doors knowing both by faith, and from past experiences, that this peace and respite I craved could surely come.  

But I went with the expectation that my conversation with the Lord would go something like this: 

Me: hey This is really hard and I am weary. I know that you see me. I know that you love me. I know that you hear my prayer. Now, please take away this trial. Please and Thank you in advance, Amen. 

Well the answer came, as I knew it would, but was obviously not exactly what I’d had in mind. I will never forget it.

Instead of the warm fuzzy comfort and pat on the back, I felt an almost strict instruction to do 5 very specific things. 

A to do list intercepted all thoughts and I could no longer focus on anything else, let alone my self pity. 

I repeated each of the tasks in my mind as I sat there in the temple, until I was confident I could remember everything. When I came out to greet my family, I quickly wrote down the instructions I received, in the order they had come to me.  To my surprise, seeing the to do list written out on paper, the first letters of each task in the list stacked to form an acronym, which helped me to remember what I needed to do. 

I do not have a crystal ball that could have  told me what the next year would look like following that day in the temple. There is no way I could have known what my family would need from me. I was pretty unaware  that specific physical and spiritual reserves in my life needed fortification to get me through some of the difficult experiences I would face and hard things I would have to endure. 

Over the following year, as I worked on each of the things I had felt prompted in the temple to improve, I saw how each instruction would act as a safety net for myself or for my children when circumstances beyond our control were frustrating or painful. 

The acronym was S-E-T-U-P and I know that following the instructions that they stood for indeed were a “set up” to prepare me for the trials of this past year.  

The temple is a place to understand and perfect our personal ministry. 

President Monson said, 

“As we attend the temple, there can come to us a dimension of spirituality and a feeling of peace which will transcend any other feeling which could come into the human heart. 

We will grasp the true meaning of the words of the Savior when He said: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. … Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

I testify that this is true. 

The scriptures describe the temple as a place of refuge, thanksgiving, instruction, and understanding, “that [we] may be perfected … in all things pertaining to the kingdom of God on the earth

Instead of a break from my trial and peace that everything would get easier, I received peace in the temple through the reminder that Heavenly Father gave me this trial for my growth. I felt peace when I remembered that He has faith in my ability to learn long suffering, and patience, and resilience, and obedience, and sacrifice, and unconditional love.  I received a break in the temple, not from the trial, but a mental break-through so I could see and trust beyond my doubts and fears that had clouded my vision. The blessing of the temple, for me, were refuge, Thanksgiving, instruction, and understanding.  I could not see what trials lay before me, but the Lord set me up with a perfectly detailed survival kit. I do not believe there is anywhere outside the temple where I could have had the clarity to tune in so clearly to the Lords will for me. 

Elder Cook said:

“My brothers and sisters, in our lives we will have temptations; we will have trials and challenges. As we go to the temple, as we remember the covenants we make there, we will be better able to overcome those temptations and to bear our trials. In the temple we can find peace. 

My challenge is for each of us, wherever we live, to see ourselves in the temple. President Monson has stated: “Until you have entered the house of the Lord and have received all the blessings which await you there, you have not [yet] obtained everything the Church has to offer. The all-important and crowning blessings of membership in the Church are those blessings which we receive in the temples of God. 

I testify of the enabling power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. He is our Savior and Redeemer.  I know that Satan uses doubt and fear to alter our perspective and lose understanding of how powerful and effective the Atonement  can be in our lives. Satan tried to convince us that change is not possible, that our goals are unattainable, and that we are not worthy of the Saviors love or help. 

When we attend the temple, one of the greatest blessings is the peace and clarity that can be felt in the absence of worldly distractions.  

We can all start today to work on necessary changes that will make us worthy to attend the temple, and have a more enriching experience there as we make sacred covenants and receive the blessings that are waiting for us.  May we each spiritually prepare our hearts and homes to receive the blessings of the temple. 

Willy Thanksgiving 2017

I may have gotten carried away with desserts, this year. I made an Italian Cream Cake, a Pumpkin Pie with the famous Emily L. pie crust, an Apple Blackberry Pie, and a Layered Chocolate Mousse Pie. 

My dad smoked a turkey and my mom made pioneer woman stuffing and sweet potato casserole. I made homemade rolls, fresh cranberry sauce, and mashed potatoes. We had my parents over for dinner and board games, and then Jimmie and Kasey M. And the  Missionaries came for dessert. We’ve got the sweetest set of Sister missionaries right now. I could just adopt them right up into my family.  Love them, and their efforts to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with the world.   

I’m grateful for the intentional season of gratitude. I have much to be thankful for, starting with these beautiful people I live with. 

I’m thankful for Aaron’s sense of humor, love for the Savior, and always quick obedience to God. He is selfless and generous, and humble. He is a wonderful husband who lifts me up and supports my endeavors. He is funny and makes me laugh everyday. He is honest and responsible and compassionate.

 

I’m thankful for Reese’s patience with me as I learn to parent a teenager.  I’m thankful for her sentimental love of tradition, her gentle and compassion heart. She is a fiercely loyal and uplifting friend. Im thankful for her love of service. She is always thinking of ways to bless others, from acts of kindness to leaving positive notes out for siblings to find. She is an excellent missionary and knocked on every door in our cul de sac to personally invite all of our neighbors to the Live Nativity and Noel. I also love her sense of humor. Reese drops perfectly times applicable movie quotes and song lyrics like a dream teen. It’s hilarious and a talent she inherited from Aaron that I love. 

I’m thankful for Quincy’s honesty. She is bold and brave. I’m thankful for her confidence in her maker and her belief that everyone was created perfectly. She recognizes Heavenly Father as an artist and sees people exactly how they are without trying to change them. I’m thankful for her big ideas and for her recent discovery that she can change the tone input home by choosing her attitude about things. She makes an intentional effort to play with her younger siblings and I love listening to her interactions with them. 

I’m thankful for Corbin. He is so good at being a boy and a little brother. If there is a screen, a ball, or food in your hands,  he will gravitate toward you like a moth to the flame.  I’m thankful for these easy routes to Corbin’s heart and his attention. I’m thankful for his love of facts, logic, and strategy.  I love to listen to him read out loud, or be in the same room when he watches a funny movie, because his laugh is so great. I’m thankful for the way Corbin watches and learns from examples, because I know he will grow up to be an attentive father. Corbin loves fun, loves to play, loves to win, and loves to keep moving.  

I’m thankful for Soren. He is such a pal. He appreciates beautiful things. He loves art and creating things. He is very self reliant and generally just an easy guy to be around. He is very coordinated physically and picks up new skills quickly with confidence and determination. He pals around the neighborhood with anyone who wants to play, but also is quite content to play alone. I’m so thankful for the invaluable peace he adds to the chemistry in our family. 

I’m thankful for Sloane. She is full of life and attitude and a million things to say. She is so funny. She loves everyone in our family and is a tiny bossy mama.  Sloane can get our entire family rolling in laughter. I’m thankful for the way she puts my face in her hands and speaks to me eye to eye, and the way she moves my shirt out of the way to put her cheek against my skin. I’m thankful for the flexibility she has shown this year, being usurped as the “baby” of the family, and sacrificing a lot of my attention for Wren, and then jumping right back into the roll anytime mama needs a baby in her arms. 

I’m thankful for Jaycee, for Allie, and especially for Wren, for sharing their lives with us. 

I’m thankful for my parents. Their move to Ar made it possible for us to stay in the home we love in a neighborhood we love without going completely insane trying to get everyone where they need to be. They make it possible for me to go to the dentist and court appointments, and take little ones to bio family visits. They’ve really saved me too many times to count. I would still be weeping over how to get kids home from school of it weren’t for their help. I’m so thankful my kids are getting to make memories with grandparents like their cousins have been so blessed to have. “Ride your bike and take _____ up to Lady” is  a regular phase around here and I love. I grew up living far away from grandparents and was always a bit jealous of friends who had grandparents at their piano recitals and school plays. I’m so thankful my children will have the experience of grandparents cheering them on at a game or performance. 

It’s good life 

Holiday Crafting

Willy Christmas Crafting is turned up to eleven, this year.  It started when I saw this Christmas bed on Pinterest...

Here’s my “design on a dime” version. All that’s missing is....ok almost everything, but changing my sheets sure made my room look so happy and Christmasy... 

Our ward relief society activity was a super Saturday of crafting. I didn’t sign up for anything, and had mom commitments in the morning, but cut and stapled some boards together and went to the last hour to visit and put on a coat of red paint. My mom has a silhouette machine and shared her vinyl stash and we had so much fun making a few things with it. I’m stoked to hang it over my own Christmas bed!  The boys and Reese made rag trees with fabric scraps and wood craft leftovers in our craft bins. They turned out so cute! 

I saw this giant Merry Christmas sign at Kirklands, but it was a fortune. I had enough wood lying around to make myself a smaller 12x24inch version (bottom)for free. I posted pics of some crafts on Instagram and my friend, Jenni, saw them and asked me to put together some things for her shop, The Lovely Ambition Mercantile, in downtown Eureka Springs. The shop opens in January. I’m pretty excited. 

 kids painted ornaments and Corbin spent hours on  a tiny nutcracker. 

Valerie C. taught my mom and I how to make felt flowers and now we’re putting them on all the things! My mom put hers on a yarn wreath and mine ended up in a wreath but on this piece of barn wood. I love it! 

I made this advent calendar a few years ago with Katie G. Each day has a picture of Christ on the back that you flip over.  I have wanted to put a title on the top and finally did one this year. 

I embroidered names on most of the stockings last year, but once I brought Wren home, I never had free hands to finish!  I’m working on adding Mama and Dad to the last two stockings. I cried when I pulled out Wren’s stocking and was relieved I never got around to stitching his name. I would have bawled picking the letters off.   The children insisted we hang it anyway, I think partially because it feels right to put it up, and partially with the hope of having another sibling in our home before Christmas.  I assumed we would have another placement in our home “any day now” for months. We just missed out on two infants the week of thanksgiving, that were placed within minutes of receiving the texts. One went to my friend’s family (a perfect fit!) and the other call came while I was at the hospital getting x rays with Soren today (that’s another post) and couldn’t answer the phone. But Aaron saw the text and HE made the call back to accept, but baby had been placed just moments before he called. The days before Christmas also were a roller coaster of emotions when we were called back on another placement, the caseworker wanted come to our home, but after talking with another family about how strongly they felt he should be placed with them, we couldn’t accept the baby knowing another mother wanted him oh so badly. Who am I to break up that kind of connection? Lastly, on Christmas Eve Eve, we prepared all day for a little boy Corbin’s age to join us for a few weeks. We changed the bedding and filled the bookshelf by the bed with Pokémon and Star Wars. I picked up clothes and made a late night run to Walmart for Christmas pajamas and ethnic hair products.  At the last minute, a miracle, the foster home where his sisters are placed opened a spot and he was able to join some of his family for Christmas. 

I just cannot imagine one of my children being pulled away from the others, especially over the holidays. Gut wrenching. The kids still are disappointed that they “cleaned his room for nothing” but someday, they’ll understand and be grateful for the miracle.  Our part wasn’t and is never about what we actually accomplish, it’s about keeping our hearts open and being willing to love and lift God’s children any time that he asks. 

Anyway, Mama’s stocking is almost done and we still have one hanging and ready to fill with love. Our next family members will come to us when they are supposed to. 

Happy 1st Birthday, Wren!

Tonight we celebrated with ice cream at the Spark (because dessert first!) and takeout for dinner.  Reese pulled up her favorite and most recent picture of Wren on her phone and set it up on the table and we sang Happy Birthday to him. It should have felt awkward, us singing to a person who was there, but it wasn't awkward. It was good. 


I did a kickboxing workout with sons girks in my ward this morning. I'm not very coordinated, or maybe they've all taken dance classes or something, but if was way difficult for me to get the arm and kick combinations down! Not. Easy. It was great for me to do something totally new and feel so much vulnerability all at once. And j got a workout in, so bonus!   Laura O, Ali F, Mary S, were there, and Katia M taught. Girlfriend is very talented and crazy strong!  I had a great morning. Thanks ladies!  


After a shower and some time at home with my littles, I had thanksgiving lunch with Corbin at Cooper, then raced down to Fayetteville to take Donuts to the nicu nurses and parents of premies at Washington regional to honor our premie Wren, who is now a great big one year old!  I talked with several families and a nicu mama in the nicu family lounge, and one nurse came out of the nurses lounge to see ms because she remembered me and remembered Wren. 

Oh how I long to see this baby boy again.  He is so special and we were so lucky to be his family, this year.  I love you, Wren. Happy First Birthday, angel. 

Buttermilk Syrup

I've probably posted this recipe before, but I can never seem to find it when I need it, so here it is (again). 

Caramel Buttermilk Syrup (from Carly P) 

1/2c buttermilk 

1/2c butter 

1c sugar

1T corn syrup

1 t vanilla 

1 t baking soda

Mix first 5 ingredients in. Large sauce pan (go big! As you can see in the pic, it foams up when you add the baking soda.) 

Bring to near boil, add baking soda, cook one minute while stirring. 

Remove from heat and let cool. Add pancakes. :) 

Gold Slip for Corbin

Last week, Corbin's Cub Scout leader paid a big compliment to my parents about how well behaved and respectful Corbin is at Cubs, each week. 

Corbin's teacher said he is a model student in the classroom at school. 

Yesterday, Corbin brought home this gold slip from his PE teachers, expressing the same compliment. 

At home, I've noticed a significant improvement in Corbin's obedience as well, especially when he does something the first time he is asked. He has added a lot of peace to our family, and his relationships with Quincy and Soren have benefited from his efforts.  Thanks Corbin! Nice work! 

Independent Play

I caught a moment of Sloane playing with some little toys, this morning. She does voices for all her characters, who today, were sharing pretend ice cream cones on a little people airplane. Pretty precious. Its a good life to be two. 

Happy Birthday, Grandpa Hal

My incredible dad celebrated his 73rd birthday last weekend. He is such a great father and grandfather. Because of my dad, I learned to recognize and marry a really good man, who loves his wife and family more than anything in the world. I'm so grateful for the gift of how he lives his life. So much of my own happiness has come from the examples of compassion, hard work, sacrifice, obedience, love, service, logic, responsibility, creativity, and faith that he has set. 

We made a ham dinner with homemade rolls, scalloped potatoes, and bread pudding. 

Here's the bread pudding recipe from Julie Shaw. Instead of cinnamon bread, I used the sourdough from the centers of the bread bowls that my neighbor brought to Bunco night at my house. Best not wasted bread ever! I sprinkled cinnamon on the bread pieces and let them

dry out a day or two. I also added a big handful of fresh cranberries for some tartness. Delicious. 

Here it is with the vanilla sauce poured all over it. Yum. I will make this again.