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I Am... Mama and Writer

First Mama.  Then Writer.  Though, of late, the latter has consumed a great deal of time as I work to get things in order to potentially be ...

Showing posts with label children. Show all posts
Showing posts with label children. Show all posts

Friday, February 7, 2014

My Family











My three girls love babies... even before they are born! 
Weekend Bloggy Reading

Monday, December 16, 2013

Happy Birthday

To Me!  ^_^

I'm 38 today.  I feel like such a baby in so many ways, so sit's hard to believe I'm well on my way to becoming an older lady!  HA!!!

Only 10am and it's already been a great day.  I want to share a couple things that have helped it feel that way.  First, is the joyful manner with which my children have greeted me and wished me happiness today.  Although it has subsided already, they were starting out well with their chores and responsibilities.  At least it started out well.  They could've just done poorly with that from the start (or: as usual).

I was able to take a walk.  It helps me to get out of the house and away from my load of responsibilities.  I left a lot later than normal because the weather is rather cold and I've been worried about how the mists are effecting me and baby girl.  Thankfully they were basically gone by the time I went out.  Yeay!  :)

Lots of facebook friends have wished me a Happy Birthday.  That definitely brings brightness to my day.  I'm so grateful!

The best thing, probably, so far, is the 'secret' gift my children delivered a few days ago.  They wanted to give me a surprise party.  I don't like surprises unless I've asked for them.  So... they did something that could be a surprise/secret.
Now, try and tell me that's NOT funny!!
 

That's today.

Once you read the letter,
you'll understand better what this is all about.  ^_^
 

Pretty sweet letter!  I'll transcribe it below.
 
My oldest daughter wrote the letter.  It says:
Dear Mrs. Gollihugh,
We are the mama boosters. & we have been to mama's house before. & we had a vote about a month ago & the subject of the vote was you!  We the four mama booster's all agreed that you are the best mother on the face of the earth so along  with this Letter there will also be a blue ribbon because you have won the blue ribbon of being the best mother ever miss Gollihugh we apreeceate what you do very much.  keep doing what you do & keep being who you are!
Sincerely,
the mama booster's
P.S.
Happy birthday!  from the mama boosters.
 
So, the picture before the letter is my Blue Ribbon.  How awesome and wonderful is that!!!??  Pretty sweet gift, if you ask me!  My children have risen up and called me blessed.  My business is growing bit by bit... I'm becoming a Proverbs 31 woman.  Praise the Lord, for His mercy endureth forever!!!!
 

Thursday, June 21, 2012

When a Partner Refuses Children

I don't have all that much experience with this subject, but felt like I must write something about it.  I'm really not sure why because I don't think there are all that many people (other than my fam) who read here, but here goes!  ^_^

So, I know of some folks who are not in agreement.  It's so very difficult to be in a place of not agreeing with your spouse.  I DO know a LOT about THAT, unfortunately.

Anyway... I know a couple ladies... good Christian ladies, strong in the LDS Faith (at least, seems to me they are) who refuse to have any more children even though their husband desires more and feels strongly that they should have more.  I know, for sure, that at least two of the ladies I know of  are afraid of having more children.  One of them is afraid because of health reasons.  The other is afraid because of a combination of health and financial reasons.

I love all the people I know who refuse more children.  I'm not standing in judgement of them.  I simply do not understand their refusal.  I used to feel angry about this lack of understanding on my part and I'm sure others may have misunderstood and thought I was angry at them...  But, you see, I think I'm pretty okay in the intelligence arena.  I'm not the cream of the crop, or anything, but I can wrap my mind around some pretty interesting and possibly even dificult subjects.  But I simply cannot wrap my little brain around refusing more children.  I mean, I understand the words these folks speak, but I just don't get how those words jive with their Faith.

Don't get me wrong.  I have my own issues where Faith and trust mash and don't mesh.  I have begun to remember something from my childhood and it has caused some seismic shocks unlike any of the transformational psychic shifts I've experienced in the last 8 years.  And the shock waves issuing forth from the partial memory remembrance have, combined with other experiences (a plethora, actually), created the circumstances in which I have made certain choices about trust.  To trust or not to trust, that is the question.  And I've chosen to cut way back on trusting as a result of my experiences.  There are those who would say that this is counter to having Faith and I would simply respond that they don't have enough information... and, sorry to say, but I'm not sharing the pertinent data.  In fact, I would say that I have been Led (of our Father God) to cut way back on trusting.  He is teaching me to be other than my nature.  Makes perfect sense, really.  The natural (wo)man is an enemy to God.  My nature just happens to be a bit too open as far as God is concerned.

However, when I ask whether the decision (among those I have ventured to probe this deeply) to refuse children was inspired of the Lord, I have yet to receive an affirmative answer.  The responses rest heavily on the understanding of men... the philosophies of men, if you will.  I know of one couple who recently had their final child.  I never asked, because it came up in the course of conversations, but this family truly believes that Heavenly Father has approved their family size.  And to the extent that I understand this family, it seems likely that they are absolutely correct.  I understand that.  I feel sorta sad that they are so young (younger than me and not having more children just seems young... silly, but still!),

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Sunbeams and other Small but Special bits around Here

Our youngest daughter is Tea.  She is three.  For the first time ever, she went to Primary this past Sunday.  I was sitting sort of looking at her later that day and that fact struck me so profoundly that I had to express it with a declaration: "Tea! you are a SUNBEAM!!"  She, very calmly and peacefully smiled and said, "Yep."  She loved it.  As it happens, she was in class with Kat.  I'm sure that's the best for my Tea since she's rather slow to warm up to new things and new people... just like her Daddy!

She loved it, though.  She was quite happy to be in "Sunbeams," even though she really wasn't in a special class just for Sunbeams.  They don't have enough teachers to support a seperate class for the youngest Primary goers right now.  Soon, I'm sure, they will.  But she's happy to be a Sunbeam!  And I'm amazed that three of my four kiddos are in Primary!  ^_^

Ria will enter the waters of baptism soon.  I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that she'll soon be eight!  EIGHT!  My children are growing up way too fast!

Time.  It's doesn't seem to be linear for me lately.  It's been interesting... the way I feel to perceive time.  Strange and wonderful.

Gardening is big in my world right now.  Even as the weather has turned rather cold (for us here).  I've got worms coming in the mail as well as beneficial nematodes.  Last week Jess went to a near place to buy some mushroom compost.  Good deal for what seems to be really good dirt.  It's a pain that we have to buy and bring in dirt, but the cultivated food stuff we'd like to grow will not produce much in the sand that is our land.  So, we're building it up as best we can.  Hopefully we'll have the additional 2 raised beds I've been working on and we've worked on up and going when it's time to put seeds out in the yard!  I started a 4x8 a couple months ago and Jessie helped us get another 4x10 almost compeltely ready last week.  I've also got to 1/2 blue barrells - mostly full of weeds currently, but still.  I'm hoping to get another VERY long and 1 foot deep bed set up right against the house for vining food stuffs... and maybe some vining flowers I was blessed to receive from someone.  I've also got some good flower seeds from varios places I want to get planted... hopefully in the next 6 weeks before the Spring weather sets in well.  We'll see.  I'm so hoping that the gardens will produce more this time around... lots of green from our most recent planting... lots of radishes, but nothing else.  I almost had one zucchini, but something ate it before we got to pick it.  grrr...  That's the way of it here... great for growing, but hard to collect from my efforts - it seems.

Jess has been able to have more consistent time away from work recently.  He's still working too many hours, but it's beginning to improve.

Ria is progressing WELL in all of her studies.  She is becoming quite the little baker, too!  She's also a wonderful pancake maker!  ^_^  She loves to make PB&J and anything else I allow her to try her hand at.  She's amazing.  She's a wonderful helper and tries so very hard to choose the right.  She's getting tall, too.  I can hardly believe my little Ria is so TALL.  She isn't compared to other children her age, but she IS to me!!  She's read and LOVED Eldest (the second book in the Inheritance Series).  It's been fun and funny for me to hear them pretending to be dragons and riders, as per Ria's reading and imagination resulting from her reading of Eragon and Eldest!  And then Kat, with her input of Fairies, in particular our visiting faries.  SUCH fun!!!

Kat is not far behind her big sister, who she adores, of course.  She is reading WELL now and voraciously reads anything she can put her hands on.  She loves pretend play, too, of course.  Though some might think otherwise, these little girls are not book worms.  They simply don't spend hours in front of electronic devices... and spend the time that other children may use computers or whatnot READing!  Kat doesn't stick to harder reading material without some encouragement, but she's also only 5... and harder material is a book like Eragon!  She WANTS to like it because Ria and I enjoy the series so much, but it's difficult for her to wade through at this point.  I have heard her declaring quite a few times recently that she wants to be called Kate... interesting!

Tea is trying so hard to work and produce.  She's an amazingly hard worker for a 3 year old!  She is moving along in her efforts to learn to read.  She wants very much to do her handwriting class, but I'm holding her back because her hand-eye coordination is quite low and I know the frustration that would ensue (on both our parts).  Also, I know, from experience, that allowing my children to desire something for a while before I allow it creates a longer-lived effort/endurange in them.  So, she'll wait a while.  I'm impressed and have been quite surprised by what she is retaining!  She may be my earliest reader yet... if she has HER way!  ^_^  (Latest walker... earliest reader... hmmmm.)

All three girls have LOVED the painting project I've allowed them to begin and/or work on.  They have each created materpieces on our walls.  And Jmy has had his hand at coloring on the walls, too... he used crayon, but still!  This may sound odd, but it's an exciting project!  Each of our girls has been given some painting space, taped off, and they have went at it and created beautiful paintings right on our walls.  There are going to be a few more... and then they'll be framed by actual wood (if I have my way) and then a chair-rail will go up, rather high, between the paintings.  In my mind's eye it is wonderful... and what already IS is also wonderful!  ^_^

Jmy is wonderful. He's a sweet lil' guy.  He's usually happy and if he's not there is usually a VERY good reason for it!  ^_^  He's still nursing well and strongly, but he LOVES table food, too.  He's eating basically everything we eat (less peanut butter, eggs all by themselves, strawberries, and things like that which he may be sensitive to).  He LOVED the mixed greens and black-eyed peas we had for New Year's Day party.  He's on the verge of being a toddler.  He totally CAN walk, he just chooses NOT to for the most part!  It's so fun and funny to observe his efforts.  He walks well and confidently along things (cruising), but to take two steps away from something... u-uuuhh! no way!  He is also a very hard worker.  He likes to observe how things work (like the wheels that keep turning after being pushed slightly on his monster truck) and take things out (like folded clothes from drawers), and watch things fall (like when he drops something on purpose.  You know, all the wonderful sweet baby-learning things.  He's a smartie!

I'm doing well.  After the two illnesses in December... because of?... I fell off the daily exercise habit wagon.  :(  grrrr... Before that fall I started to stay up to see Jessie when he came home from work.  THAT was more because I was concerned for his job (again!) - our boss had threatened his position and I felt super-duper uneasy...  So, I was staying up at night to listen to and try to discern how our position was (firm or almost lost, etc - so I could prepare, at least mentally, for unemployment and the financial difficulties that would follow - should the worst come to pass).  Hopefully the reason for my concern is firmly behind us because I desire to regain the two steps I feel to have back-stepped (sleep and exercise)!  I also hope for continued improvement in our financial "house"!  I dislike how I've been feeling since I've been staying up late, not getting enough sleep, and not being able to exercise daily!

Life is good.  Even amid the trials, difficulties and muck of the journey... LIFE is GOOD.  I'm so grateful for my family, my life, and the favor I see the Lord let fall upon us!  God is Great!!!!

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Masks

Were you able to attend my wedding? Or did you get to see pictures? Well, if you had to answer NO to either, then you might not understand this post without a bit of info. I apologize to those for whom this info is redundant or annoying because you've "been there/done that".

Jess and I had a wonderful wedding that started out as a party and ended as a party with the wedding in the middle. It wasn't just any ol' party, though. It was a masquerade "ball" of a party. Our wedding favors were actual masks to which we attached our wedding info. We had ALL kinds of masks. Here is a taste of the variety we had to give to our friends and family: we had Mardi Gras feathered masks, half masks, full masks, animal face masks, goofy people masks, and more. Every aspect that we could think of, for our wedding, was full of symbolism. The masks symbolize (not too difficult to figure) the faces that people wear out of necessity during phases or through experiences in their lives. Neither Jess nor I actually wore a mask for our party/wedding, but we did wear the symbol of the nickname the other gave. (Jess is my king, he wore a crown. He called me his angel, so I wore wings. You get it, right?) ^_^

Well, I think every person has masks that they wear in real life. It's not as obvious as sticking on a Mardi Gras full feather mask, but happens none-the-less. I know I certainly have a Mean Tori mask that comes on at times. My whole life has been a struggle to make that particular mask less horrible, if it comes out, with the ultimate goal to never wear it. I guess that's probably not so terribly unusual. Lots of people probably have that same mask to struggle with. Well, for the first few years Jessie didn't have it, as far as I knew. I have come to recognize his... MUCH more subtle than mine, for sure. But... in a way the subtlety just makes dealing with it that much difficult, in my opinion. Anyway... more recently (the past 2 years, perhaps), Jessie's mean mask has become, in my mind, his "jerk costume". When he puts it on, I put on my own costume relative to a girl. Didn't you know I tend to mirror for others what they put out toward me? Yep. It's not a talent, really, it's quite horrible because not only do I mirror, but I intensify and sort of cook-it-down, so the person pushing out meanness gets at least as much back as they push to me.

Basically, I'm explaining that Jess and I had a really horrible night last night. He was mean and I was nasty right back. Thus, my hell of yesterday and today.

My girls are surely the most wonderful cherubs (without being truly perfect, of course) on the face of the planet. I hope, of course, that if you are a parent you will completely and utterly disagree because your own children should be exactly what mine are to me. You need not tell me how wonderful your kiddos are, I'm sure, and I'm glad for you! ^_^ Anyway... yesterday was a really rough day for me and my girls were just SO easy! I know women who have a difficult day and their kids are more troublesome than normal. And, I'm sure, there have been days like that. But not lately for me, with my girls. I am so blessed!!!

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