Simple

The key to enjoying cooking is embracing simplicity. Simplicity in food is honesty, warmth, pleasure, modesty, even fairness. Simplicity in cooking is ease and grace...Simplicity...is not a compromise but a treasure.

-Mark Bittman

God bless us to do those small and simple things that need to be done by our hands and to do them all with a cheerful heart.

-Marjorie Pay Hinckley

Getting a flat tire, having a broken washing machine, and a few other things have thrown off our first week of January. But I have been thinking a lot about resolutions this year, and have really liked the idea of having one word to define your year. I picked simplicity. Small and simple. My mom might laugh, but I think having a second child is a pretty big deal. (Compare it to the 40 other grandkids and maybe its not so big of a deal.) And while I agree that life will continue to move on, that you can grab two kids and go and do things just as much as you could with one, I want to make sure I'm taking the time to really enjoy this stage of my life. I really want to enjoy my couple months of maternity leave. I want to really enjoy this baby in its tiny little stages, because already with Ruth I can see that what every old lady at church tells you is absolutely true: all this will be over in a blink of an eye. I want to accomplish and learn and master and DO incredible things, but I hope I can try and do it SIMPLY. So that when I look back I can remember the little joys. Obviously, this will be hard (at least it will be for me) on a day-to-day basis, and some days will go better than others. But thats what resolutions are for, right? 

My inspiration is from the book Small and Simple Things by Sister Hinckley. I have turned to this book over and over again since my parents gave it to me when I was in high school. It's one that has hit me at the various stages I've been in, and right now it hit me again. She says:

Find joy in your children. Don't overschedule them or yourself. You may not be able to take them on exotic vacations. It doesn't matter. When the day dawns brights and sunny, take an excursion to the canyon or the park. When it's cloudy and wet, read a book together or make something good to eat. Give them time to explore and learn about the feel of grass and the wiggliness of worms. 

I think that is the season of my life right now. While my kids are still babies and I can still wrap them up and kiss them to pieces. Right now, there is no where else for my baby to be but with me. Its hard to appreciate. Even hour by hour a toddler can be wonderful or monstrous. But I want a simple year. 

I also decided to have a motto for this year:

Be a woman of Christ.

This came from Elder Holland's book Created for Greater Things. There are a thousand thoughts that could go here, but basically I want to be the woman I need to be for myself and my family. He has a quote in there specifically for mothers and tells us to "cherish that role that is so uniquely yours and for which heaven itself sends angels to watch over you and your little ones." 

Our (extended) family also has a theme, which I kind of applied to my Sunday School class today (love the new curriculum for my 12-13 year olds, today's lesson went AMAZING!) which is: Who's side are you on? Or, who's on the Lord's side who? 

All of these together are big and encompassing, so I made just a small few specific resolutions for myself, and today I made a promise with my Sunday school class that we will all read from the Book of Mormon every day...so here's to 2013!

I also had to post pictures because I had agreed to accompany a choir number, and then yesterday it occurred to me that I might not be able to...because I'll be having a baby, and sure enough, they want to sing it President's Day weekend. The choir director thanked me for my willingness to practice with them, even though I would be gone having a baby. The lady sitting beside me said "I was just thinking today that I might ask you if you were pregnant or not, but I didn't think you were quite big enough to ask. And then I find out that you are due in a month!"

All I can say is, seriously?!? I had better look pregnant! Otherwise everyone's been thinking I'm just getting fat for the last 8 months! So I had Sterling take 34 week pictures to prove that I have a belly. (And no, I can't do up those pants, but I'm just so excited to wear them! I bought them when they already didn't fit-my niece tried them on for me-and I can't wait to wear them! Cause really, they are red.) I feel fat, and I can't sleep, and I am ready for the next month to fly by!