Thursday, July 31, 2014

Lehigh Valley Zoo

Ah the Lehigh Valley Zoo, a smallish regional zoo that takes a short afternoon to meander through, but set amongst the most beautiful Pennsylvania rolling hills to make the drive completely worth it. It helped that upon leaving the zoo, the drive taking you out to the main road goes past a reserve with deer, moose, and bison and through a river even. I think Boy Howdy enjoyed the zoo but, darn him, sighting and/or collecting rocks still seemed the highlight of his trip. Sigh. Anyway, without further ado, some pictures of our excursion.
 Boy Howdy with our friends the Brintons looking at the reptilian denizen of the cage. Enthusiasm is this boy's middle name. 


 Petting goats. What little boy wouldn't love them. "Doats" is what he called them. He also loved the rocks in the doats' pen, and even tried picking up some poop pellets. Thank heavens for the hand sanitizer stations readily at hand.

And even a picture with his momsie.

And not to be forgotten is this little angel who impressed everyone with hanging out the entire time in the stroller without a fuss. Boy Howdy did well willingly getting back in the stroller, but still, the award for model child goes to Cheeks. Oh how I love that face.

Saturday, July 19, 2014

At Least They are Playing Together

This happened last week along with a few other choice moments. Yeah, it wasn't a banner week for the children and me. Monday they found my face powder and decided to make it snow all over themselves in the shower. Wednesday they somehow found a stray Sharpie and wrote all over their legs. Friday they found the apple juice mix and decided to play in it. And when I say "they" I mean Wee Boy, but Bitty Girl always seemed to be present. Somehow when Wee Boy is by himself, he finds his cars to play with or a window to stare out of. When she is with him, however, the destructive flood gates open and my house and sanity suffer. Oh how they suffer.



This week, two things happened. I cut doors and windows in some over-sized boxes we had stashed in the loft and we made a sandbox on our deck. So far life has definitely changed for the less messy but they are still playing together. Hey!

I'm starting to think that maybe my sanity and house aren't doomed for the next few years after all. Oh how I can hope.

Sunday, July 6, 2014

I Belong to Jesus Christ

Today at Church we talked about taking upon ourselves the name of Christ and what that entails. For me, it means claiming Christ as my Savior just as readily as I claim Booren as my family of origin. I am a Booren - that means I come from loud, opinionated, on-time and very direct stock. If you know me, you will know I live up to my family name. I am also a Christian which, to me, means that I cling to Christ's teachings no matter what popular opinion may say. It means that I look for ways to love and serve my fellow man no matter my circumstance or comfort level. It means that I know with everything I am that my Heavenly Father loves me and is intimately eager to see me be the best version of myself possible and is actively giving me challenges and tender mercies to make that happen. It means that going to Church on Sunday, reading my scriptures, praying, and actively seeking out ways to live the way Christ would live are not tasks to check off, though sometimes they might feel that way, but rather the Lord's way to make my life better, more fulfilling and easier. I am grateful to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am eternally grateful to call my God Father, and to have Him call me daughter. So, if you know nothing else about me, know that I KNOW my Savior and Redeemer lives and that His Gospel, the Gospel He taught during his mortal ministry, is on the earth again in its fullness in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am a Booren, I am a Marler, I am a Christian, and I am a Mormon.

Thanks for your time.

mormon.org