If you don't have anything nice to say....

then don't say anything at all!

Please pardon me for the chatty hiatus I have taken on this blog.  It seems as of lately the cat has gotten my tongue.  I have been in a bit of a funk, life seems to have gotten me feeling a bit down in the dumps and not much in the writing mood.  But.... alas, I am emerging from my bloggy silence.  I am trying not to let the hard parts of my life weigh me down and overwhelm me.  I am trying to look on the brightside of things. But frankly,  sometimes there just ain't enough sugar to turn lemons into lemonade.  I am doing my best, each and every day, I am doing my very best.  I have a dream for my life, a dream that involves having many children, being loved deeply, and going to my church's temple.  My dream also involves a darling house with a white picket fence, a vintage volkswagen bus to transport my many children, and a very large gift card to Jo-anns.  I hope with all my heart, God sees how hard I am trying, and will bless me, for my dream to become reality. I am not ready to give up my dream, no matter how many challenges I meet.  Someway, somehow, I will make my dream a reality, I am just not done having sweet little babies.  On a happier note....  Life with little Ollie in it is simply wonderful, he is a beautiful, sweet, snuggly little boy.  I am so in love with him - as I am with each of my 3 little men.  I really cannot imagine my world without them.  There are days when motherhood wears me out, sleepless nights, leaky boobs, a never-ending amount of poopy hinys to be wiped....and then of course terrible tantrums, and fighting, biting children make me want to scream and pull my hair out.  But I love these boys, and would not trade this little life with them, crazy days and all, for anything else in the world.  Each day is a crazy journey, and a learning experience as to what can make the next day better.  I may never earn the crown of BEST MOTHER IN THE WORLD or the title of MOST PATIENT MOTHER either... but I think my boys will look back on their childhood and know without a doubt how much their mama loved them and how hard their mama tried to make the sun shine for them on the cloudiest of days.  In my bloggy quietness, we have been very busy.  Nearly each and every day, we pack up the stroller with toys and snacks, I sling baby Ollie to me, and we set off to the park.  A word of wisdom to mothers...DO NOT LET YOUR TODDLER CONVINCE YOU THAT HE CAN DRIVE HIS FISHER PRICE COZYCOUPE CAR 7 BLOCKS TO THE PARK WITH EFFICIENT SPEED....THE TODDLER IS LYING!!!  Another word of wisdom to mothers....DO LET YOUR CHILDREN RUN THROUGH THE PARK SPRINKLERS, ALL THE OTHER MOMS MAY LOOK AT YOU STRANGELY AS YOUR CHILDREN STRIP DOWN TO THEIR UNDIES AND RUN THROUGH WATER AND MUD, BUT YOUR KIDS WILL BE THE HAPPIEST KIDS EVER, AND YOU WILL BE A HAPPY MOM, BECAUSE YOU HAVE JUST AVOIDED A VERY LARGE TANTRUM.  So, we have had many, many trips to the park.  We also made the journey down to the duck pond behind the grocery store.  The same duck pond we visited last summer, and accidentally let a cow loose and had it accompany us to the blockbuster video.  I am pleased to report, we did not have any incidents with cows or police herding cows back to where they belong, on this most recent visit.  Just a simple, mundane, visit to the duck pond to feed the ducks.  We walked to church today, and afterwards had a day of play.  Tomorrow we are going to plant some seeds, bake a batch of cupcakes, and head to the park for an evening of adventures.