Stand A Little Taller

"We are all children of God, and there is something of His divinity within each of us. We are of the family of God, with such a tremendous potential for excellence...

You will find your greatest example in the Son of God. I hope that each of you will make Him your friend. I hope you will strive to walk in His paths, extending mercy, blessing those who struggle, living with less selfishness, reaching out to others.

The prophet Moroni declared, “In the gift of his Son hath God prepared a more excellent way” (Ether 12:11). You have the witness of that faith. You have the testimony of that faith. You have the example of that faith. Let us all try to stand a little taller, rise a little higher, be a little better. Make the extra effort. You will be happier." 

President Gordon B. Hinckley, "The Quest for Excellence," Ensign, Sept. 1999, 2-5. (Emphasis added by me)

So, I have had a lot on my mind since Mother's Day and since this is a place for me to record my thoughts I just wanted to share that there is nothing wrong with me in my desire to improve myself (key word here is myself not Sister Somebody or Sister SoAndSo). 

This desire to improve my talents, learn new things, strive towards making my home a comfortable/clean/organized space once originated with the idea that I needed to be this perfect mormon mother (being a convert to the church I assumed that there was a certain standard for how one must be or act). I have since realized that we are not perfect - there is no perfect mormon mother example. But the very purpose for us being here on the earth is to work at being more like our Savior - so I have focused my desires on this knowledge, trying to be the best daughter of God that I can be. 


I have heard many women counsel me to aim a little lower, or to not worry so much about things that are important to me (like a clean house or doing crafts or writing Thank You notes). As a Type A person, I realize I add extra stress to my life because of my personal drive to be better. Sometimes this may stress me out but for the most part it helps me to improve upon my weaknesses. I have accepted that this is who I am and I am okay with my quirkiness and nuttiness. 


Well this past Mother's Day I have finally realized that although others may be fine with aiming lower it isn't in my nature to do so. I'm not comparing what I can do and give to what other's can do and give - I do not feel that my way is better than someone elses, it just simply works for  me. I am working on MYSELF!!! I will continue to follow the counsel of our past prophet and current prophet and apostles in that I will strive to work on me and aim a little higher, stand a little taller, be a little better. 

For Thee We Prayed

We welcome our little one

Well – he didn’t want to wait until our scheduled c-section on August 30^th. I started having contractions during sacrament meeting at church. For the 3 hours of church, I continued to have contractions, about 20 minutes apart.

When we got home, I worked on our special back to school dinner, but had to cut back on the decorating due to the increased frequency of the contractions. We did enjoy our meal and brief celebration after dinner.

After putting the boys to bed at 8pm, Gramps and Grandma came over to stay the night with them (thank you, thank you, thank you). Ryan and I headed over to Labor and Delivery and I got hooked up to a bunch of monitors where they determined that I was indeed in labor.

So we prepared ourselves with a word of prayer and then the commotion began of getting all prepped for surgery.

Yeah we look great for the middle of the night! Ha!

At 12:03am they pulled our littlest boy out of me and with very few cries I got to meet the little man briefly then they took him to clean and weigh him while I hung out on the operating table while they finished.

About 2 hours later I got to hold him for the first time and was so surprised to find out how little he was (7lbs .07ozs and 18 inches long). The smallest of our boys!

I was hit with the emotion of this being the baby that I prayed for. I was done having kids (2 was good for me) but I turned the matter over to prayer and was humbled to realize that we were to have another. I was struck with the fact that this would be our last little one. Pregnancy is just too difficult for me and my family and to endure this again would send me to the nutty farm for sure. It was a tender moment as I stared into the eyes of this newborn, so fresh from our Father in Heaven. I felt the blessing of this little one immediately and was struck with the love of my Father in Heaven by sending me this sweetie pie.

We stayed in the hospital until Thursday and had to return the next day so that I could have an Epidural Blood Patch performed to fix the epidural headache I had developed (basically spinal fluid was leaking internally and was causing my brain to sag creating the most intense pain I have ever felt). We also have been dealing with our little one having jaundice. Daily trips to the pediatrician for blood tests and 24/7 light treatments on a light blanket (fortunately today should be the last day of the phototherapy) have been tiring but we are making it.

Our older children have welcomed their little brother with open arms. They love holding him, making faces at him, talking to him. Our middle child has only asked a few times to put him back once he heard him cry. They have nicknamed him Hud-Nut.

Overall, things have been good. Ryan has been able to see to Big D’s needs with his first and second week of school. C-Man has had the opportunity to play at friends houses (thank you to my dear friends for your help with this). We have been doing our best to keep up with the busyness of school and soccer and so far things have gone relatively smoothly.

Thank you for your well wishes on FaceBook and your prayers. We are thrilled to continue our journey to eternity as a family! 

 I am the mother of three boys. Three mighty fine boys!!!

Happy Blessings to You,

Jar Full Of Beans

We have had a few weeks of less than desirable behavior here in our neck of the woods, about a month or so ago. I was so tired of having to always be correcting the negative behavior that I needed something to help focus more on the positive (while still disciplining for the not so stellar behavior).

So as I was looking through the different blogs I came across another’s idea of a Treasure Chest. Now I can’t take credit for this idea but I am totally blaming my inability to find or remember where I saw it at to my pregnancy/mother brain. I really wish I could give credit where it is due, but please forgive me. I have been scrolling through the blogs I subscribe to and I can’t find it. If you know who originally posted it, please let me know!!!

Anywhooooo, we had a family meeting where we discussed the behavior and attitudes of each of us and how it contributes to our family. We made a list of “rules” of how we ought to act and we all agreed on them.

I then shared with my boys their Treasure Chest Chart and their bean jars (the bean jar part is something I added to help reinforce the good and bad behavior). I explained that every time their father or I caught them doing good things and following the family rules we would add a scoop of beans to their jars. If they pointed out the good things they were doing, they would not get beans added. If they added beans on their own the result would be that I would empty their entire jar and they would have to start over. If they were observed doing negative things then their father or I would remove a scoop of beans from their jar.

Before bed each night we look at where the beans are and if they reach to the top of their name tag, they get to add a sticker to their chart. If the beans reach to the top of the jar, they will get to add 2 stickers to their chart. Once they have 5 stickers on the chart (with the 5^th one covering the treasure chest), they get to pick something out of the treasure chest basket (which is filled with all sorts of toys and trinkets).

Note: When the beans reach the top of their name, I leave them like that for the next day. They get to start off with the jar so close to the top. When the beans reach the top of the jar, I empty the jars and they start over from the beginning the next morning.

I can’t express to you the change in behavior we have had. It does sound a little silly saying “I don’t want to take any beans out of your jar” but, after a week of doing this program, we rarely have to even remind them. They get very excited when they see us adding beans and it seems to hit home when they see us taking beans out!

There has been less raising of voices, more kindness and thoughtfulness, and an overall better feeling in our home!!!

What are some things that you are doing to encourage the good?

Happy Family to you,

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to you! Motherhood is a fun adventure, with never a dull moment. Three cheers to all the mother's out there.

To feel of your great worth as a mother please click on my Mother's Week posts from last year:
* Aren't we all mother's?


* Motherhood is not what was left over 


* Nothing less than the best


* It's about perspective


* No One Has More Influence


* Happy Mother's Day



Happy Mothering to you,

Is that a basketball under your shirt?

I am indeed showing and have been since the end of February (I was only a few months along then). So here I am, a few weekends ago with my mom and sister at a family birthday party. I am 20 1/2 weeks in this shot.

Not sure where Christine is looking!

Okay, now we are all looking at the camera

My boys and me
Please excuse the red eyes on my oldest, I don't have a program to fix that!

I have realized that I have very few pictures of my pregnant self - I will have to talk to my husband about that. I'm usually the one who grabs the camera. 

Happy Memory Making to you,

I keep hoping....

.... that I will feel better and be able to get back to my life. I want to do fun crafts, play games with my boys, open the fridge and not dry heave, I want to feel well enough to plant my garden, I want to spend more of my time out of bed instead of in my bed, I want to clean my house, I want to have the energy to do my hair, I really want to go running, I want to serve in my church calling completely, and I really wish I could eat food (any type of food and not be limited to toast, applesauce, and apples). BUT - I know this won't last for ever and maybe, just maybe, I will feel less like a green Martian and more like me before this baby joins our family near the end of August.

Okay, I'm done, no more complaining!!! Can I confess that I have resulted to smelling a package of baby diapers just to keep me going. Something about that clean, baby powder smell that reminds me that it will be all worth it!!!!

Just to Clarify

... I don't usually have the luxury of keeping pregnancy a secret for too long. I unfortunately have very difficult pregnancies and through pure necessity I need to disclose the information a lot sooner than I would like.

At the risk of sharing too much I feel that I have a story to tell and that it might help someone else along the way. Most who know me know that I wear my emotions on my sleeve and I have no problem talking about them. So in an effort to share but not make you feel I am ungrateful for my trials and struggles, please know that I am not looking for sympathy and I am very aware of my Father in Heaven and my Savior, Jesus Christ, who is making this current struggle something I can bear.

You see, nothing about pregnancy is easy for me. I am grateful for my two boys but what a mighty struggle it was to conceive, be pregnant and then to deliver them through c-section.

We struggled mightily, during the beginning of our marriage to bring a little on into the world. After a few miscarriages I finally turned to my husband and told him that if we did not have a baby by my 25th birthday, we were going to start the adoption process - for I wanted to be a mother whether it be my own flesh and blood was beside the point! Wouldn't you know that 5 days before my 25th birthday we welcomed our first child into the world. After 4 years of marriage we were thrilled to have had a successful, albeit, hard pregnancy. I was sick my entire pregnancy. I was no stranger to IV's to be rehydrated, or trying different nausea medications to find one that would help squelch the sickness. After a somewhat long labor, we were rushed into an emergency c-section and our son was safely delivered.

Fast forward 3 years and we were happy to discover we were pregnant again and my pregnancy was just as difficult, with trips to the ER for iv's and lots of nausea medicine that made me feel like I was passing life in a blur. The mother guilt was the worst this pregnancy - for my serious sickness made it impossible for me to be the mom I wanted to be to my 3 year old. He would bring me crackers and we would lay down and read books together and we made it through another 9 months of haze and sickness. Our second son was born via c-section and spent a few hours in the NICU until he was able to breath on his own.

After his birth I was so stunned by the awesome task of raising two children. Now I have friends who have many children and I am always in awe of them. I was struggling mightily with my feelings of inadequacy and pure doubts that I couldn't do my job, my calling of that as mother.

Now both of my boys are amazing! I am blessed to have great children. Don't get me wrong we have our struggles, our frustrations, our joys, etc.... but I was so overwhelmed with the struggles that I didn't enjoy the bliss. Most of my close friends know that I was done having children. That I felt I was stretched beyond belief. They helped me through my doubts and by their examples taught me that being a mother is wonderful and that I don't have to be perfect at it.

For the last year or so, my dear husband has been asking if we could think about having another. I couldn't even fathom the idea of another child, but the spiritual experiences I was having while working on the Youth Pioneer Handcart Trek that our stake went on last year truly changed my heart. In fact, while we were on the trail, covered in dirt, I realized that I was indeed not done having children and I was scarred beyond belief. I was not sure I would be capable of being that sick again, or deal with the thought of maybe loosing another pregnancy, or if I would be able to deal the thoughts that I would be abandoning my family as I dealt with my severe pregnancy sickness. I was so scarred and then one day I realized that I didn't have to face those fears alone. Not only would my husband be there to support and sustain where I couldn't, but that my burden would be lifted! I became increasingly aware in the scripture in Ecclesiastes (3:1): " To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven." It was time to put my fears aside and do my part in welcoming another of God's sweet spirits into our home.

Yes we are pregnant; yes I am scarred; no I am not that far along; nor am I oblivious to the fact that we are still at risk of having a miscarriage, I have faith that I will be lifted when I need to be; yes my husband and children are being so very helpful as I have spent the last 2 1/2 weeks in bed, and I pray that I will be able to manage the sickness well enough to not feel like a bystander in my own life.

So in August we will welcome the newest Kanzler into the world and in the meantime, we are praying mightily that all will go according to our Father in Heaven's will.

Thanks for your prayers and your support.

This just makes my life a little easier

Can I share with you something that makes my life just a little bit easier...........

Quilted Washable Underpads (not what you were expecting was it)!

Carson has almost mastered sleeping through the night without any accidents (about 4 months ago he decided he was done wearing diapers) and I tell you these underpads have been a life saver! Instead of having to change the sheets everynight or morning, I simply take off the pad (which is placed on the top of the sheets) and then place a new one on in its place. Then I can wash the soiled one and reuse it the next day. I would highly recommend using them and would even recommend that you get the ones that are tuckable (they have long sides that can tuck under a mattress). This would prevent the pad from moving while the child tosses and turns through the night. I love things that make my job easier!

What is something that makes your life easier?

UPDATE: Jennie asked where did I get the underpads, a family member actually gave them to me, but look for places that sale assisted living or home care products. There are several websites that sell them like: http://www.northshorecare.com and http://www.assistedlivingstore.com .

Happy Mother's Day

"Recognize that the joy of motherhood comes in moments. There will be hard times and frustrating times. But amid the challenges, there are shining moments of joy and satisfaction." M. Russell Ballard, "Daughters of God," Ensign, May 2008.

This quote has gotten me through many a tough time! I just keep clinging to the joyful moments (the slobbery kisses, the "I love you's," the random acts of kindness, the dandelion bouquets, etc...). I still have days that I struggle but I really wouldn't trade this "job," "responsibility," "choice," etc.... 

May you all find those joyful moments! 

With much love and respect, Megan

No One Has More Influence

"No one has more influence over boys and girls, young men and young women, men and women, and the families of the Church and even of the world than do you, my sisters, whose influence because of your mothering and mentoring nature us unparalleled. Never, ever make the mistake of underestimating the influence of women. There are few things as powerful, as nurturing, or as life-changing as the influence of a righteous woman." Elder M. Russell Ballard, 2003 BYU Women's Conference.

Happy Mothering, Megan

It's about perspective

Motherhood, I'm learning, is about perspective! I am finally (it's taken almost 7 years to get here) in a place where I have accepted that most days will be less than stellar, but that it is my choice to focus on the negative or to celebrate the positive. I HAVE to put on my "joyful" glasses and only look through those and see the joyful things.

Here are my thoughts on mothering based on the following scripture:

"And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain...the intent to do good - to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted." Jacob 2:19

There are times when I feel like I'm not giving enough in my efforts to keep the covenants I've made with my Father in Heaven, and in those moments I search out the scripture listed above to help me re-focus my perspective. The mounds of endless laundry is my way to serve my family and "clothe the naked;" the snacks, meals, and treats that I prepare are how I "feed the hungry" and when my little ones get sick or hurt I get to "administer relief." 

It's when I realize that these basic things (that I do every day) really are a significant contribution to building up the kingdom of God here on the earth that I feel better and am re-energized to continue in my efforts as a stay at home mom!

I really am so blessed!

Happy Mothering to you all, Megan

Nothing Less Than The Best

"The mother loves her child most divinely, not when she surrounds him with comfort and anticipates his wants, but when she resolutely holds him to the highest standards and is content with nothing less than his best." ~Hamilton Wright Mabie (1845-1916)

"To nourish children and raise them against odds is any time, any place, more valuable than to fix bolts in cars or design nuclear weapons." -- Marilyn French

"Being a full-time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs in my field, since the payment is pure love."  ~Mildred B. Vermont

“God could not be everywhere, so he created mothers.” - Jewish Proverb

Happy Mothering to you, Megan

" Motherhood is not what was left over after our Father blessed His sons with priesthood ordination. It was the most ennobling endowment He could give His daughters, a sacred trust that gave women an unparalleled role in helping His children keep their second estate. As President J. Reuben Clark Jr. declared, motherhood is “as divinely called, as eternally important in its place as the Priesthood itself.” Sheri L. Dew, “Are We Not All Mothers?,” Ensign, Nov 2001, 96

Happy Mothering, Megan

Are We Not All Mothers?

"When we understand the magnitude of motherhood, it becomes clear why prophets have been so protective of woman’s most sacred role. While we tend to equate motherhood solely with maternity, in the Lord’s language, the word mother has layers of meaning. Of all the words they could have chosen to define her role and her essence, both God the Father and Adam called Eve 'the mother of all living' 3—and they did so before she ever bore a child. Like Eve, our motherhood began before we were born. Just as worthy men were foreordained to hold the priesthood in mortality, 4 righteous women were endowed premortally with the privilege of motherhood. 5 Motherhood is more than bearing children, though it is certainly that. It is the essence of who we are as women. It defines our very identity, our divine stature and nature, and the unique traits our Father gave us." Sheri L. Dew, “Are We Not All Mothers?,” Liahona, Jan 2002, 112–14 (footnotes can be found on the link to the talk)

Happy Mothering Week (one day to celebrate mother's just isn't enough), Megan

{100th Post}

I had no idea what would be in store for my 100th post - maybe some philosophical words or a fun dance video! But this morning, while I was getting ready to go over to my new girlfriend Melissa's house, I heard Little C calling my name from the dining room!

Look what was waiting for me...


... a bashful Little C, covered in, you guessed it, baby powder!


A close up of the counter top and if you look real close at the bottom left corner, you can see the floor covered in powder too!

Oh the adventures of a 2 year old!

So, happy 100th post, another post to show the nutty side of my days!

Happy Mother's Day

"My dear sisters, you marvelous women who have chosen the better part, I stand in great admiration for all that you do. I see your hands in everything...

Well, you dear women, I say thanks to you. Thank you for being the kind of people you are and doing the things you do. May the blessings of heaven rest upon you. May your prayers be answered and your hopes and dreams become realities".

- President Gordon B. Hinckley

I have been spoiled today! At around 9am, Dallin came into my room, with a hand towel drapped over his arm and a breakfast menu in hand. I was then presented with a scrumptous breakfast in bed (which consisted of Swedish Pancakes, hashbrowns, bacon, and juice). After my yummy breakfast I was presented with 3 giftboxes that were filled with 3 beautiful dresses. We then went to church where I was presented with a lovely bookmark with the quote listed above, some nice paintings from my boys, and a rose from Dallin's Primary teacher! At home, Ryan treated me to a yummy dinner (baked brie with blueberry chutney, steak, artichokes, and watermelon) with my favorite cheesecake recipe for dessert!

I am truly grateful for my family! My wonderful husband who supports me in everthing I do! He is a helpmeet for sure! I am so lucky to be a mother! I love my boys so very much! Even on those days where the joyful moments are but a fleeting thing, I would not trade the slobbery kisses, the silly laughs, and humbling experiences for anything. I have never grown or learn so much! Life is good for sure!