After cleaning half of our new apartment, enjoying Dollar Store treats (on the newly vacuumed floor - sorry, Zanner!) and meeting new neighbors, I headed home, well my parents' home, with the girls. We drove with the windows down at the conclusion of a beautiful summer sunset. As I thought upon our future for the next year, I listened to my girls: Starlet was singing a running song about her recently acquired Dollar Store Barbie and made up words, and Grace just babbled, somewhat sing-songy. I just smiled and sighed contently.
I love my girls, love my babies. I'm convinced the joy of motherhood is in the moments. I have a moment everyday where my heart swells so big with love that it almost bursts! Those moments carry me through hard parts of motherhood. Mmm!
Love my babies!
- Cool Mamma
Starlet, Michelle - Starlet's barbie, me, and Grace. Hehehehe!
As typed the title, "step by step" came to my mind and then I got "Step by Step" by The Crests stuck in my head. Push play on the video so it can get stuck in your head too! X-D
song reminds me of "One Foot in Front of the Other" from Santa Clause is Coming to Town. I LOVE that song!
Both of these songs help me remember that the journey of life and everything in it happens one step at a time. I'm not a patient person. I often know where I want to be and want to there NOW. For instance, I desperately wanted to be married so I dated a ton. When I met Cool Apa I felt such an instant connection with him, wanted to date him, and knew he wanted to date me to that I thought about twenty steps ahead. "Step By Step" helped me remember to take it one day at a time.
These songs make good theme songs for the past few weeks to a month. Several weeks ago, Cool Apa and I counseled with my parents and I cried because I realized how stuck I was. I knew that a great deal of it was my fault and felt ashamed and embarrassed. Somewhere in list making of things I needed to accomplish to get life moving again I remembered, most likely thanks to Divine help, to take things one step at a time. Just getting moving helped my mood improve. Cool Apa moved with more momentum too and got a job! (I am so relieved.) Securing the job is only the beginning, I quickly discovered. To get our lives together and rolling entails a great deal.
First step, get a job. Check. The second step, find a place to live. (We're still working on that one.) The next step? Go get all our stuff out of Grandpa Gnarly's storage in Arizona. Yup. Back to the state of the beginning of our adventure.
Well, cross that off the list. We did it. A lightning fast trip (drive to Phoenix in 14 hours on Thursday, drive back to Idaho with the moving truck in 16 hours Monday) but we did it. And you know what? I enjoyed this step! We had an enjoyable time. For once in a very long time I enjoyed the piece of the journey. Our visit was fast and furious, but enjoyable for all, I think.
Cool Apa discovered Grace's car seat was damaged and demanded we get a new one
for his baby. We had to get matchies with her sister (and we liked the model)
and I voted pink.
Our entertainment system. We had to replace the power cord however:
no movies on a 12-hour trip?! NO WAY.
McDonald's bathroom in Boulder.
We won an Xbox One from this McDonald's in 2013.
Coming up on the Hoover Dam and the Arizona border;
when we cross the border I have to hear this song.
Starlet enjoying the last leg into Phoenix.
Grandpa Gnarly showed Grace a rainstick he bought for his wife
over 20 years ago, because she missed the Utah rain.
Grace thought this was the coolest thing.
Grandma Gracious's mother is living with them and sadly suffering from dementia.
(Being 90 years old will do that to you.) I explained to Starlet that Great Grandma probably
won't remember her, but we just need to love her. Starlet replied, "I will make a necklace for her!" after
which she immediately packed her beads. Starlet made all the girls a necklace AND a bracelet with her beads.
When she gave Great Grandma the bracelet she said,
"I made this for you because I love you in my heart."
Warm fuzzies!!
We colored pictures for Uncle Lima on his mission. 500 points if you know who these two are!
Starlet enjoyed our small Gatorades which she sucked on hard enough to bruise her little lip!
(Basically a lip hickie. HA!)
Grandma Gracious gave Grace a CUTE pony tail! She showed it off to everyone.
Grace was a NATURAL! Holy buckets she took to the water so well.
By the end of swimming, she would get mad if Cool Apa or I touched her or her.
You can tell who steals the show!
Watering Grandpa and Grandma's plants with squirters!
d
Starlet requested a picture of her princess heart on her head. X-D
Uncle Grits popped popcorn for the girls and Grace thought it was awesome!
Starlet and Grace in "jail." They each took turns getting in the jail, yelling "help! help!",
and waiting for the other one to come give them money so they could get out.
No I didn't teach them about bail - this was ALL them!
And right now, I feel content to be in the next step: find a place of our own (and maybe start sorting through stuff). What a great blessing! That is a blessing from above, truly. Probably a gift or fruit of the Spirit of God.
It's going to take a LOT of putting my foot in front of the other to get settled into a new place, a new routine, a new ward, and a new chapter in our lives; getting there has a zillion little steps. Yet, at least for today, I'm ok with that. I'm ok with this step we're taking right now. Sometime in the future I will most likely be impatiently saying, "Oh my gosh this is taking forever!! I just want us to be settled in a little home that I can start making nice and developing a good cleaning routine and stick to a fun, enriching routine with my children and not have a storage unit anymore!! I just want it to be Christmas where we are settled in our little home and used to the job.," or something along those lines. But I must keep in mind to walk step by step, one foot in front of the other.
It's about time I share our good news. I've been leery of sharing with the world wide web because sharing it will curse it. However, it is now OFFICIAL! The paper trail of offer and acceptance exists! Plus, so many people that have prayed for us and showered us with love deserve to know:
Cool Apa got a job.
Yes. You read that correctly. Cool Apa got a job.
I still can't believe it! He's been unemployed for nearly a year. It's amazing how your reality, no matter how short, can seem to be your permanent reality. I know it's only been ten months, but after a few months it felt like it was going to be forever.
My heart is so humbled by this answer to our prayers. Heavenly Father gave me everything I wanted: job close to my family, job Cool Apa would like, and enough money to meet our needs and bless others. Check, check, check. Wow. It is difficult to find the words that describe my humility and gratitude upon receiving this job.
Hurray! Whew! I'm glad this adventure is over, onto the next one!
What's next? We went to Arizona to get our stuff. Cool Apa starts work on June 12th. We need to search for an apartment and move out of my parent's basement ASAP! I personally need to get back into the rhythm and responsibility of saving and spending money. Oiy!
Thank you for all your prayers! And for your love! Keep the prayers coming for Cool Apa as he begins his job!
