Last year I took a class on “Becoming a FRESH AIR FAMILY.” I was intrigued, mostly because I worry about the amount of digital screens in the lives of our children today.
The class gave three simple tips to getting kids – and families – outdoors on a regular basis. These are simple, fun, and easy to remember.
Thanks to my sister, Mamie, for joining me on this week’s episode of Nettie’s Notes.
And enjoy these beautiful views of the Land of Enchantment!
People shared lots of advice with my husband and me before we were married.
Many of those helpful ideas were similar: NEVER GO TO BED UPSET!
Well, over 20 years later, here’s the BEST MARRIAGE ADVICE my husband and I NEVER took.
Mealtimes can be Magical… *IF* …we can ever all sit down together!
Here are THREE TABLE TIPS that are SIMPLE and PRACTICAL, and may make your family eating times a little bit brighter and smoother.
Wanna know a secret? One of our favorite family summer outings is BYU-Idaho Education Week in Rexburg, Idaho.
Why?
It’s affordable. It’s for all ages. It’s three days of classes and activities for the whole family.
We’ve gone for two years and our kids LOVE it! They love the counselors, they love the easy schedule, they love meeting and mingling with other great kids.
What’s my favorite part? My kids are busy while I’m attending classes with my hubby. And our evenings are free for family fun: family dancing, bowling, planetarium, swimming, a concert and the ropes course!
BYU-Idaho Education Week is a well-kept secret. The registration fee is affordable and it’s a great place to meet good families from across the nation. Check out their official website here: http://www.byui.edu/education-week
More info on my Two-Minute Tip this Tuesday!
I became pregnant with my 10th child when I was 41 years old.
Initially, I was totally mortified. In fact, I felt like a terrible disaster had occurred in my life. I dreaded my first prenatal visit. I avoided the grocery store. I was hesitant to face my cute, skinny friends who were already finished with bottles and diapers. I was convinced that my pregnancy—and our upcoming child—meant the end of my independence and freedom.
I wondered how I could go into public at my age carrying a carseat. I worried about the impact of another baby to my already busy family—our nine older children and my husband. I felt exhausted at the prospect of adding one more child to our home. In short, my 10th pregnancy sent me into a spiral of self-doubt. Surely, I reasoned, this baby would be nothing but a burden for our family.
But I was wrong. In fact, I was dead wrong. My pregnancy was not a tragedy, it was a tender mercy. My 10th baby was an incredible blessing that I did not anticipate.
Now my baby is almost 4 years old. He is everything to me. He is everything to my husband and to our nine other children. He is the light of our lives. We can’t begin to imagine a world without him.
He is the sparkle on our cold, dark mornings. He is a ball of blankets to hug and hold when we are lonely. He is the first person we all want to see when we come home after a long day. His toddler words and laughs and antics are the softest and sweetest and most comforting. He is the last smile we seek at night. He is the spice in our world. We love him dearly.
And, in addition to the fact that we adore him, all of our previous parenting skills have gone completely out the window. No more motherhood theories. No more trainings or teachings or natural consequences. He eats his ice cream first. He sleeps in our bed. He gets McDonalds nuggets for lunch. He stays up past 8pm. In fact, raising our baby is SO. MUCH. FUN.
When he wants a toy at the grocery store, I buy it. When he needs new shoes, we pick out the cutest ones. When he asks to ride the merry-go-round, I let him. This is my last chance at parenting, and I aim to enjoy every minute. Continue reading
MOVING people is one of the MOST DIFFICULT tasks of motherhood! UP in the morning, DOWN the stairs, to the TABLE, or KNEELING for prayer.
Yes, TRANSITION TIMES are definitely TRICKY!
BUT, Instead of using my voice to yell, or call, or nag, or remind…I’ve found that SINGING is an effective way to MOVE children. Here are three times our family uses MUSIC for transitions.
The most constant element of motherhood is EXHAUSTION! It doesn’t matter if you have one child or ten children, parenthood is demanding.
Strings that are ALWAYS taut eventually lose their ability to bounce back, and mothers are no different.
I recommend taking a break AT LEAST twice a year! Spend time with your hubby, by yourself, and as a couple. AND, rejuvenate your whole self: spiritually, physically, mentally, and socially.
I love love. Not in some sissy way or anything like that. I love love because it’s real and sustaining.
It was love at first sight. Really.
Neither one of us admitted it during the following years of our courtship, but I would have married him that first day if he would’ve asked.
He was that good. And that real. And that solid. And that true. That’s how love should be.
Holidays are an ideal time to make memories. Here are some tried and true Valentine traditions that have been in our family for generations! Thanks to my sister Mamie and my mom Louann for sharing their thoughts.
Blue January is over… But even though Pink February has arrived, we still have long, grey days to deal with!
Sometimes on cold mornings I can hardly get out of bed and face my life as a mother! Life feels hopeless and dreary.
Here are four tips I’ve found to deal with the WINTER BLUES.
Meadowlark Media 