Heather – Page 3 – JimmyandHeather.com

A Mother’s Work … {is never done}

August 9, 2014/0 Comments/in Heather, Homemaking, Mothering /by Heather

Jimmy took all the kids to Seven Peaks so I could stay home and ‘rest.’ Very nice. Hannah asked if I wanted her to stay home and help. I reassured her that I enjoyed having some quiet alone time. So, we’ve got a few options of how to spend time this morning:Not that I live by a beach… but you get the picture. And not that I smile like that mother as I tidy home (oh, and I don’t really ever iron!). But this mother knows today that it will be more FULFILLING to tidy home, do laundry, catch up on those darn piles, and perhaps nest a little with babe coming soon… than to sit and read a book. A time and place for everything. And rest will come later (hopefully!). I’ve already had a bit of a respite doing this blog post and drinking ice water (my non-stress tests tell me I’m slightly dehydrated!). So – here’s to building a home for my fam.

Happy Colors – Fresh Summer Food

July 19, 2014/0 Comments/in 2014 Summer, Baby #6, Heather /by Heather

I know – It’s weird to take so many pictures of food. But I’m quite in love with all the fresh fruit/veggie colors this summer.

It’s been a delight (though an expensive delight) to have so much fresh colorful food in the fridge. I’m realizing there is a big difference to eating pure sugar in licorice, etc… vs fruit with fiber. I guess fiber helps the sugars digest more slowly so your glucose numbers stay more level. So fruit has become more of a treat this summer. I want to remember how much I enjoy eating fresh vs processed. Remember – oh, remember Heather! Plus, it’s kindof fun to experiment with my camera and take pictures of things that stay put . . . vs moving children.

p.s. my blood glucose numbers are sorta high when I eat cereal for breakfast. I keep trying to sneak Cheerios and fruit in for a snack in the evening as my sugars are lower and seem to regulate better. Also… there is some low-carb vanilla ice cream hidden under those peaches. It’s been a tasty treat as well. Oh – the watermelon slushie… just watermelon, ice, and lemon juice. I like it much better than I anticipated.

First & Last Host-a-Party

July 19, 2014/0 Comments/in Heather /by Heather

I’ve been wanting to try Jamberry Nails for a while. Seemed like something fun for summer toes… and for Hannah. My friend Lindsey is a consultant and I decided to have a party and invite girls/moms from the 8th ward. We had 8 or 9 come and it was fun to chat and enjoy fresh fruit/veggies & kneaders lemon/blueberry bread. I opted to take a nap instead of tidying my home so I was a super-grouch to my family rushing to get ready. Oops – sorry kids. Hannah helped oodles with everything! I don’t know that I’ll ever host a party like this again, but in the end I was glad I did because it was fun to visit and get to know gals in the neighborhood.

Plus, the nail wraps really are fun. They don’t cost a fortune either. They are made of a really thin vinyl that heats and seals onto your nail (with a blow dryer) without damaging it. They stay on fingernails for 2 weeks until they grow out… and 6-8 weeks on toes. They were easier to put on then I anticipated. These are some of our favorite styles.

You know what happens after you give a talk or lesson?

May 14, 2014/2 Comments/in Heather /by Heather

Oh yeah…
Bombardment of either trials, impatience, temptations, etc, etc.

For years I’ve seen this pattern after giving a lesson or talk in church.

So – Mother’s Day talk on LOVE.

So grateful Truman made it through church without losing his cool.
We had multiple friends help with the tots so our row didn’t fall apart too much.
We didn’t even sit on the stand either.
Wrestle tots… speak on LOVE … wrestle tots!

After church… not so calm for Truman. Major tantrum about who knows what.
The boys (all 3) were on INTENSE mode on Sunday.
“Just one day of kindness and calm, boys? one day!”
Maybe it had to do something with the rain this past weekend.
Stir-crazy is never a good thing for boys.

Definitely no delightful mom & kids pictures from this Mother’s Day. We’ll try sometime soon!

But we survived. At the end of the day, I expressed my gratitude in prayer for those who made efforts to make it a nice Mother’s Day. Jimmy took the kids shopping on Saturday and they bought a new frying pan, new cake pans for German Pancakes, new glorious ice cream scoop, junior mints (which tru kindly woke me up by shaking in my ear), and sweet notes from Hannah. Jimmy was sweet about me taking a forever long nap. We had simple meals which made for simple clean up!

Monday… Wowsers… A Doozy. Talk about trying my patience and testimony of calm, loving mothering.
I bawled my eyes out leaving Target with a biting, screaming Truman… and a willful Eliza.
I only needed 4 things people! 4 things! And we left without checking out.
So embarrassing!

Tuesday… Sick as a dog. Belly ache, runs, body aches, barfo. Not good. Desperate enough to ask neighbors to watch my kids all day. Grateful for dinner from the Condie’s of soup, rolls, and tasty treats.

Wednesday… Almost feeling better… or not. Kids hanging out in front of the tv watching fantastic shows like “A Bug’s Life” and “Treasure Buddies”.

So – life has trials… challenges… temptations… struggles.
They are all for our good.

My icky health the past two days has made me so grateful that other than pregnancy stuff, I didn’t get goober sick this past winter. Blessings!

God watches over us and sends angels to bear us up, whether phone calls with mother, texts & emails from sisters, to watching tots, to bringing dinner, or saying prayers.

Enough of my ramblings… off to take Tylenol and rest for a while.

In other news: trying to gear up for summer… with schedules, chores, fun, etc. Can we do it?! YES WE CAN! (there is always hope, right?!)

One who wore a tattered bonnet

May 10, 2014/0 Comments/in Heather, Inspirational, Mothering, Tie on Your Bonnet /by Heather

In prep for my Mother’s Day talk tomorrow, I came across this amazing story of Mary Fielding Smith – as shared by her son Joseph F. Smith. I see the wisdom in studying history and the lives of those who went before. They have endured and overcome… and we shall too.

With the winds of CHANGE entering into our thoughts and reality (like ya-know, a possible move across the country this summer with 5 kids in tow… & a plump gestating belly), this example is so powerful to me. I am so grateful for the Spirit that leads and connects thing with our spirit.

Not Alone, by Minerva K. Teichert, oil on canvas, 1920.
Painting is displayed in the Pocatello Idaho Stake Center. {I love this connection with Steph, my bonnet friend}
This painting of Mary Fielding Smith and her young son, Joseph F., is based on their story of relying upon courage, prayer, and divine help to overcome obstacles while crossing the plains.

Twenty-eight-year-old Minerva Kohlhepp Teichert offered to create a painting for the Pocatello Idaho Stake. Her stake president, William A. Hyde, suggested in a letter that she show “the heroism, and the faith of the Mormon woman,” portraying Mary Fielding Smith at a time “when she is left alone and sets her face amid the howling of the wolves and the fear of savages, to overtake the train in advance.” Yet “they are not alone,” wrote President Hyde, for to the side is a “shadowy form mounted” on a “classical charger,” representing “the captain of the Lord’s host” and his men protecting the Saints.

This example {click to view larger} was a sweet testimony by Joseph F. Smith about his memories of his mother enduring hard times in Nauvoo and on the trek west.

i love him

May 10, 2014/1 Comment/in Heather, Jimmy, Music /by Heather

despite my cranky pregnant-woman nature lately, i do love my jimmy.
i ought to write it down for posterity sake.
he is a precise, analytical, hard-working, worthy fellow.
i am very glad he is a part of my life.
(and I’m glad he still puts up with me after 6 pregnancies and my cranky-pants days!)

{first picture together … stewart falls hike … may 2000}

sweet song & style {all of me loves all of you}

life … as it is

March 17, 2014/0 Comments/in Family Activities, Heather, The Barnlings /by Heather

Girls Dancing
Boy’s light-sabering
such is life around here.
if it’s too cold to light-saber on the tramp, they use the living room.

Prayers from the tots:
Truman: “Please bless mom to smile lots.”
Maxwell: “Grateful I can be a ‘choose the right’ kid.”
Truman: “Grateful Heavenly Father can make us be good.”

Liza – “Big Chicken”
this girl loves when we have bites of chicken.
She must be a growin’ because she will eat so much.
Her way of asking for a lot is “Big Chicken!!”

Tru: “I am easy at that game.”
Instead of saying “that game is easy for me”.

Maxwell: “Asked & Answered”
a pinterest tip to help your kids stop pestering you with the same request over and over
Max: “Can I play with Jack?”
Mom: “No, not today?”
Max: begging… pleading…
Mom: “You asked. I answered. End of discussion.”
Max: begging… pleading…
still working on this principle with this kid.
We might get this parenting thing by the time we’re … oh, like 90.

Picnic @ the Park
Last Monday we had a day off of school for teacher training.
Wasn’t up for much, but the weather was actually supposed to be semi-warm.
But if the sun isn’t out and it’s breezy, 55 doesn’t seem warm at the park.
So – we headed to Krispy Kreme donuts to redeem “A” report cards for free donuts.
Tasty treat!
Then a maniac mother decision to take 5 kids to Target to buy Max new Sunday shoes.
Never take Eliza into the girlie-girl shoe section. She wants to try on every sparkly shoe there.
Finally… lunch time…
picnic at the park
the sun came out and kids even took jackets off.
what kiddo doesn’t love freedom of playing at the park?
The trick is finding a park that the big kids and little kids both like.
(and a park with shade and bench for mama)
Tru rocked the monkey bars too! He’s growing up, I guess.
It was fun to have a lazy-ish sort of activity with no pressure to keep kids in line or quiet (at a museum, etc).

We might just spend all summer having picnics at the park.

Then a few days later, it snowed. Tru was so delighted and acted like it was the first snow of season.

So then we made pasta salad to delight Hannah. Love the color … and veggies!

Let’s see… somewhere in there Jimmy had a conference.
He was gone 4 1/2 days.
We lived!
I barfed…
from changing poopy diapers… to emptying garbage… to doing dishes… to coughing… to brushing teeth.
But we lived!
And were so grateful when Jimmy got home.
Single parenting is not my strength.
He showed the kids pictures from his trip to Las Vegas.

Pregnancy Update:
15 weeks.
Starting to feel a bit better.
whenever I say that I end up upchucking everything.
But there is always hope.

Anyhoo… there is a small smidgen of our life.
I need to update Abe’s pinewood derby…
and spotlight Hannah’s upcoming Eleanor Roosevelt Wax Museum Report.

someday…

Sunshine on my Shoulders & a Baby in my Belly

February 26, 2014/3 Comments/in Heather, Jimmy, Mothering, The Barnlings, The Family: A Proclamation to the World, Tie on Your Bonnet /by Heather

The past few days have been warm (as in high at 65!) and full of sunshine! Today when I was dozing at 5 a.m., I felt HOPE. Sunshine & warmth makes a huge difference in our life. So grateful that spring is coming. Our tulips are starting to poke their leaves out of the ground. So great!

In other news… yep, a baby! When the Spirit prompts, we try to listen & obey. The feeling that we had yet another little Spirit waiting to join our family didn’t go away, so despite my ripe ol’ age of 38, 6th c-section, etc, we are moving forward in FAITH! The docs are great and watchful. Dr. Bean makes me laugh, though I also know he is cautious. The high-risk perinatologist group at Utah Vally Hospital have been helpful.

Every time a nurse takes my blood pressure, they stare at the screen (while I hear it beeping alerts!). They say, “Find your Happy Place, and we’ll take it again.” I assure them it’s probably correct though higher than we’d all like. They aren’t going to give me meds until my blood pressure is 160/110. It’s sitting around 140/90. Anyhoo… let’s see… Placenta parked itself right up front. We’re all hopeful that as the uterus grows, that placenta will move up and out of the danger zone of 5 other incisions. Fun topics.

We finally told most of the kids. We’ve needed the oldest 2 to step it up a little as I’ve been quite under the weather… either so tired or trying not to barf. They have done well to help a bit more. Jimmy is the best husband ever and helps manage the home when I’m sinking. Hopefully in 5 more weeks, I’ll feel much, much better!

This will be a stressful and physically demanding year!
Yes, indeed it will.
But the blessings will exceed the trials.
So grateful for miracles and Tender Mercies!
Good thing we know that we can do hard things together as a family WITH GOD on our side!

Tweet Tweet

February 18, 2014/0 Comments/in Heather /by Heather

There are signs of spring outside.
We hear birds chirping.
It is lovely.
The snow has melted in our yard.
It’s been in the mid-40s.
We have survived winter.
A brrrrr cold dark winter.
We are ready for sunshine and green grass.
Walks on the trail.
Tulips.
Thank you birds for bringing HOPE to February.

Getting some ZZZZzzzz…

January 9, 2014/0 Comments/in Heather /by Heather

It’s always so nice to make the rounds before bedtime to watch the children sleeping so quietly and sweetly. The other night Jimmy noticed Max’s crazy position. This is very common for him. I really want to have a sleep study done to see how well he sleeps. I still think he needs his humongous tonsils out so he can breathe better. Anyhoo…. Liza snoozing restfully. Tru kept stirring because I either kept trying to put medicine on his gashed lip or taking pictures with a flash. Hannah – princess Snow White with ruby lips. Abe content and comfy. I love quiet sleep time… one of my favorite times of the day. (p.s. I would so super mad if someone took a flash picture of me sleeping. My sleep is so precious… don’t waste the time. Not that I sleep with my mouth open or look horrible when I sleep or anything).