MISSING OKALEE by Laura Ojeda Melchor

MISSING OKALEE by Laura Ojeda Melchor. This sweet book of sisterly love has the potential of triggers for those who have lost loved ones, especially tragically. I appreciated seeing the growth in Phoebe in light of a tragedy. The lessons she learned were very real and relatable. It was a difficult read for me at times, yet at other times it was beautiful. 

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When compared to her nearly perfect little sister, Phoebe Paz Petersen feels she doesn't measure up in her parents' eyes. Okalee is smart and beloved for her sunny disposition, which makes it hard for Phoebe to stand out in their small town in Montana. But if she can get picked for the coveted solo in the school choir, she'll stop being a middle-school nobody and finally get her chance to shine.

Despite her sister's annoying perfection, Phoebe actually loves spending time with Okalee. They have one very special, secret tradition: River Day—when they hold hands and make their way across the cold, rushing Grayling River, to celebrate the first hint of spring. This year's River Day crossing, however, goes horribly wrong, and Phoebe's world is suddenly turned upside down.

Heartbroken and facing life without Okalee, Phoebe is more determined than ever to sing the solo in the school concert as a way of speaking to her sister one last time. But Phoebe's so traumatized by what happened, she's lost her beautiful singing voice.

Kat Waters wants the choir solo for herself and is spreading a terrible rumor about what really happened to Okalee on River Day. If Phoebe tells the truth, she believes her family will never forgive her and she may never get to sing her goodbye to Okalee. Even worse, somebody is leaving Phoebe anonymous notes telling her they saw what really happened at the river.

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON HEART by Stephanie Burgis

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON HEART by Stephanie Burgis. I picked this book up thinking it might be a good read for my son's third grade class. Some people believe that if a book has a female protagonist that it's not a book for boys. I strongly disagree. This book would be a great read for boys and girls. It shows the power of loyalty, friendship, and family. It shows that as independent as we feel or want to be, there are those around that will always be there to help with things get overwhelming. This is such a good read to show those life lesson, and it's done with dragons, chocolate, and magic. Who could as for more?

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A chocolate-filled, girl-powered fantasy with a witty heroine who learns what home truly means, perfect for fans of Shannon Hale.

"Will satisfy readers who hunger for feel-good tales that pack a girl-power punch, like Gail Carson Levine's Ella Enchanted or the movie Moana." --School Library Journal on The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart

Silke has always been good at spinning the truth and storytelling. So good that, just years after arriving in the kingdom as a penniless orphan, she has found her way to working for the most splendid chocolate makers in the city as a master promoter. Although Silke loves her work at the Chocolate Heart, she's certain it's not going to last, and what Silke wants more than anything is somewhere to call home--somewhere safe. But when your best friend is a dragon-turned-hot-tempered-girl, trouble is always right around the corner. 

Then Silke gets the opportunity she's been waiting for: the Crown Princess personally asks her to spy on the Elfenwald royal family during their first visit to the kingdom. In return, Silke will have the home she's always wanted in the secure palace. But Silke has her own dark, secret reasons for not trusting fairies . . . and her mission isn't as simple as she hoped. Soon, she discovers that her city is in danger--and that maybe it's more her home than she ever realized.

Can Silke find out the truth about the fairies while keeping her own secrets hidden?

A Mighty Girl Best Book of the Year

THE MILKMAN'S SON by Randy Lindsay

THE MILKMAN'S SON: A Memoir of Family History by Randy Lindsay. I have a hard time reading memoirs. They tend to lean toward a slower paced story that I struggle to dive into. Then add family history into the mix and I was sure it would be a bomb. Hence why I was skeptical about this one, and the couple of chapters had me wondering what I had gotten myself into. However, I should have known better with Randy Lindsay as the other. The few times I've met him has been interesting. You never know where the conversation will go and I always left a conversation (which usually I just listened as part of a group) smiling. His book is no exception. After the first few chapters, I found I couldn't put it down. I wanted to know what was going to happen. His DNA journey was fascinating. I began wondering what I would find in my DNA and where my story would go. I understand that can lead to some heartache for some people and excitement for others, but I found this memoir inspiring me to see what surprises are in my family tree. I highly recommend this book to everyone. It is all very appropriate for anyone, and be careful. You just might be bit by the Family History bug.

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Raised in a family he bore little resemblance to, Randy was jokingly referred to as "the milkman's son." This warm and candid memoir chronicles the unraveling of a family secret, which begins with Randy's dad having dreams about deceased relatives urging him to complete their family tree. Randy agrees to help with the genealogy, but after his searching leads to a dead end, he takes a commercially available DNA test. The results reveal a possible genetic match to a sister, which begins a familial quest that forever changes the author's life.

Featuring a cast of vivid characters richly drawn from two distinct families, The Milkman's Sonreveals one man's family tree, pulling back layers of new information as he gets closer to the truth—a biological father, siblings, and family members he never knew about.

This is a story of accepting, forgiving, and reuniting. Most importantly, it's about the bonds that connect us and the unconditional love that makes us feel like we belong.

I'm offended

It's been awhile since I've written a blog post like this, and I'm probably opening myself up to some criticism but I'm feeling like I need to share my viewpoint on things. Especially in light of some opinions I've seen posted about different presidential candidates.

This is not a political post, at least not in my eyes. I'm not saying who I think you should vote for. I'm not sticking up for one candidate verses another. You might say you've figured out which way I'm leaning, but to be honest, at this point in the ball game I have no idea. I'm not thrilled with either choice. That's probably about as political as I'm going to get.

What I really want to talk about is offense. How's that for being subtle? :) There was a time in my life when I would walk on egg shells around a particular person because I was afraid of offending them. It felt like anything I said could and would be taken as me trying to offend them when in reality it was the furthest thing from my mind. It became so stifling and hard to live that I finally stopped doing it. The moment I allowed myself to not worry about whether or not something I said was offensive was very freeing. I knew in my heart that I wasn't intending to offend someone. I wasn't out to cause hurt. I wasn't purposely trying to say hurtful things. And I couldn't control how someone would react to what I would say. I began to take control of what I could control and let the rest go.

It feels like a lot of what is being said in the media about a particular someone is that they are abrasive and offensive. Here's the thing about offense, it's a choice. Even if the person meant to be hurtful, that doesn't mean I have to believe them. It doesn't mean I have to take those words to heart, internalize them, and allow them to shape and affect who I am. That's my choice. Remember the saying, "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me?" I believe that.

Now don't get me wrong, words can hurt and they do hurt. But again, do I allow them to shape who I am and what I think of myself? No. Do I think about them and sometimes cry about them? Yes, but I give myself a time limit and when that time is up, I do my best to push it aside. Those words are not who I am.

A friend recently posted that she's afraid of the influence of someone on society because of their viewpoints toward women. She's afraid for her daughters and what that influence will do toward their future husbands. Even if these viewpoints trickle down into society, which I have no doubt they may, are we going to allow them to shape who we are and who our kids think they are? This is where I firmly believe the teaching of parents comes into play. 

As a parent, I firmly believe it is my job to teach my children appropriate viewpoints toward others. In fact, in a the general women's conference this past weekend, Sister Bonnie Oscarson quoted President Russell M. Nelson saying, "...we need women who have a bedrock understanding of the doctrine of Christ and who will use that understanding to teach and help raise a sin-resistant generation."

This tells us that it is our duty to teach our children what is right, not society. We should not depend on society to educate our children on correct principals not only religiously but socially as well. Because they will teach them incorrect ideas. So if society has a less than stellar viewpoint of women, it is our job to educate our precious little ones on what is an appropriate viewpoint of women. We need to teach them how to stand up for that and show the world how women should be treated. Teach them that it's okay to think differently. It's okay to voice our opinions. It's okay to stand up for the harder right even though friends are choosing the easier wrong. Society doesn't dictate how they should feel and what they should think.

Personally, I will not allow society to dictate that to my children. Do they still have their agency? Yes. I can teach them the best to my ability and they still may decide to go their own way, but it won't be because I didn't do my best to teach them.

Some may say that I don't have the same perspective and fear because I don't have a daughter. I may not have a daughter but I have sons who will be dating and marrying someone else's daughter and I will teach them the appropriate way to view women and the appropriate way to treat a woman.

So when someone is speaking to you and you feel those stirrings in your gutt saying you don't like what is being said, what are you going to do? If someone speaks harshly, is abrasive, is rude, says things that aren't PC, speaking offensively, how are you going to react? Are you going to allow those hurtful things to fester inside of you? Are you going to allow yourself to be offended and in turn say hurtful things toward others? How are you going to choose to react?

What's interesting is I've found that more often than not, the people that are extremely offended are those who are outside of the conversation. It's not the people who the comments were directed toward. Most of the time those individuals are forgiving, kind, gracious, and respectful to whomever said the harsh words. It's relatives, friends, co-workers, and other outside acquaintances that are the most offended. Again, this is just my opinion. Yours may differ. This is just what I've noticed in my own observations.

Please don't take this as I'm perfect in this area. Words still affect me. It's a daily battle it seems like for me not to be offended, but in the end I come to the same conclusion. I will not be acted upon, I will act. I will choose not to be offended because the other person cannot choose for me, even if their intent is to offend, I will not let them tell me how to feel. How are you going to choose to react?

CONFESSIONS OF A MOM

I went to my first BJJ (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu) Tournaments last weekend, as a spectator. I wanted to see what I was in for if I decided to compete. Several things happened. I will admit that I was a bit surprised at how aggressive the competitors were, even the little, little guys. Once I got over my surprise, I watched in fascination at how things played out on the mats from the difference in each ref to how each competitor reacted to a win or a loss to the spectators around the mats.

I was told the kids competitions were going to be more crazy than the adults. So very true. I walked in to walls of people with the decimal level pretty high as parents and coaches shouted. It was difficult to find a spot where I could actually see the matches taking place, but once I did I switched my focus from the competitors to the spectators and back.

Parents and coaches were yelling at their students/children. "Get to mount!" "Now arm bar!" "Hold him where he is!" "You've got this!" Words of encouragement and advice were being shouted from all different angles. With five different matches taking place, I found myself wondering how those poor kids were able to figure out which words were meant for them. Some of the kids would search the crowd until they found who they were looking for. Their heads would turn in what seemed like an attempt to decipher what was people said. I imagine that some kids heard the correct voice and some didn't. I found myself getting anxious for those poor children.

It made me think of the different voices we hear today. We are consonantly bombarded with all sorts of voices trying to give us advice, encouragement, criticism, and many other things. How are we to know which voices to listen to? I have thought about that for a long time. Do we listen to those voices that continually tear us down? Do we listen to those that are encouraging us to do something we know we shouldn't? Do we listen to those that are guiding us in the right direction? And how do we hear the voice we want to hear?

In all aspects we need to be able to decipher among all the voices that are shouting at us and make that decision of which one we are going to listen to. For this particular situation, those kids had to really know their parents and coaches voices in order to tune in and follow their direction. I don't know what was going on in those kids heads or if they were even aware of what was going on as they fought. For me it was a reminder of how and what I need to do to be in tune to the Spirit.

I saw the same thing over and over throughout the day. Yes the crowd thinned and there weren't as many spectators hovering around the mats but there were still teammates, coaches, and friends that shouted encouragement. It was really an interesting and fun thing to watch.

Throughout the day I had the privilege of watching some pretty amazing people compete. It made me excited about the possibility of competing myself. I also realized how in tune I need to be, not only on the mats but off the mats and in life.

Who are you going to listen to?

CONFESSIONS OF A MOM

So I began a new adventure a couple of weeks ago and I'm loving it! We signed Tigger up for a martial arts class (more specifically a Jui Jitsu) toward the end of the summer. In watching him practice I found myself really wanting to learn as well. My reasoning was that I needed to know how to "defend" myself when Tigger figured out exactly what he was doing. So after several weeks of trying to figure out scheduling for the adult classes I was able to find a time that worked. What I didn't expect was how much I would love it.

It's been years since I've tried something new, and I love stepping into an entirely different world than I've ever dealt with before. Jui Jitsu is mentally and physically challenging and it's so much fun. On the flip side, I didn't expect the yearning to be able to give it the time I want to. When I begin something new, in the past I've been able to give it six to eight hours a day.

For example, in my cello days I would practice the six hours a day then have classes and rehearsals on top of it. I loved it! When I began seriously writing I had the ability to write for eight hours a day. Now that I'm in the Jui Jitsu world I'm finding I'm yearning to be able to give it that kind of time and I'm not able to right now. It's frustrating. Maybe that's why I haven't tried anything new for awhile because I subconciously knew I wouldn't be able to give it the time I would want to.

I've always been someone who's said that you can make time for anything you want to, and I still believe that's true, but . . . you also have to look at what is the most important way to spend your time. That's why Clyde (my cello) has been neglected as of late, and my writing isn't happening like it use to. That's why I'm not able to spend the six to eight hours on the mats like I want to. There are little people that need my attention at the moment.

Now there will come a moment in time when I will be able to do that again. Then I will have to choose which world to spend my time in. As for now, I'm enjoying the time I'm able to spend in my various worlds. I have to remind myself to be satisified though and not regret "time lost" because it's never truly lost, just spend differently. How blessed we are to be able to make those kind of choices.

Then with it being so close to 9-11, I found myself explaining to Tigger what happened those many years ago. It was a humbling and sobering experience to try to explain those events to a four-year-old. I am continually amazed at how aware he is and his understanding of things around him. He asked very good questions and seemed to accept the answer I gave him. It's for these little ones that we fight and remember for. It's so no one forgets the sacrifices made. It's so we remember how truly blessed we are. Always Remember.

CONFESSIONS OF A MOM

Choices. How many choices do we make a day? Tens? Hundreds? Thousands? I shouldn't be amazed, but when I think about it I am amazed at how many choices we have. And every single one of them have a consequence (positive and negative) attached to it, whether we see it right away or many years down the road.

For example, I chose not to post the last couple of weeks because by the time Friday came around I either forgot or decided I was too tired. Not that there's any big consequence other than me feeling bad.

However, choices have been an my mind lately. I understand that some people don't have control over their choices, i.e. addictions, mental disabilities, things along those lines, but for the majority of us we do. Now when I began this post, my thoughts were going one way and since then they have gone another. So I will do my best to merge the two. Bare with me.

A couple of weeks ago I realized/learned something about myself. As a family we went to SeaWorld and I was nervous (that's probably an understatement). Those of you who know Tigger know that he doesn't stay in one place very well. We talked to him and talked to him about the importance of staying with us so we wouldn't lose him. For the most part those conversations went in one ear and out the other. The morning of our visit I found myself very ornery, uptight, and grouchy. I was short with everyone around me and no one was excited to go anymore.

I did my best to take a step back and I realized that I was acting that way because I was scared. I was scared of what Tigger would do. I was scared he'd run off and we wouldn't be able to find him. I was afraid of losing him. With that realized I began to wonder if I was choosing to be that way. I know that I've struggled with the fear of someone taking him from me since before he was born. I know those feelings hightened after Lion went home. But am I choosing to be that way?

Right now I have no answer to that question. I believe fears are there for a reason, a warning per se, but then I'm brought back to the whole you can't have faith and fear at the same time. So I really don't know the answer to that question. At least I've realized what's triggered other emotions and I can work on controlling them.

As for other choices since our SeaWorld trip, I've realized that I'm struggling with some choices I made many, many years ago. I find myself questioning and justifiying different thoughts. I want to feel like I fit in, and it appears that everyone else is doing certain things. I want to feel a part of and yet I know that I've never done what everyone else has done. I've always done what I've felt to be right even if it makes me the odd man out. It shouldn't matter, but I've found that it does. In a way I don't feel comfortable in my skin anymore and I'm trying to figure myself out again. Who would have thought those feelings would continue after high school? :)

So here I find myself wondering if I'm choosing to feel a certain way and struggling to reaffirm the choices I've made years ago. It's an interesting position to be in. Who knows. Maybe I'll actually figure it out and be able to shed some light on things, if not for myself, then for someone else.

For now, keep in mind that we never truly know what someone else is struggling with and/or going through. Choose to be kind to everyone!

CONFESSIONS OF A MOM — #choosekindness #kindness

My heart has hurt the last couple of weeks. I watched my Facebook newsfeed turn ugly, mean, and hateful as the new legislation passed. The things that were said made me so sad. I wanted to post, "Can't we agree to disagree and still be friends?" but knew that my comment wouldn't be received well.

I truly feel that way though. I may not agree with you, and you may not agree with me, but does that mean we can't still be friends? Does that mean that hurtful, hateful things need to be said? I would hope not, but I was proven wrong.

It makes me think of what we are teaching our children. My thoughts turned to my boys and the world they will grow up in. Are we teaching our children that because we have differences we can't and shouldn't associate with each other? I sure hope not.

Part of me is wondering why it seems so hard to be kind to someone who thinks differently than we do. As a musician I've associated with all types of people. I have many, many colleagues who live a different life style than I have chosen. That doesn't mean that I can't have a relationship with them. I have family members who live a different life style, but I love them dearly and pray they still want to keep up our relationship.

I hope and pray that this post doesn't offend people. It's not meant to at all. I'm just hoping that we can see that we agree to disagree and still be friends. That's all.

Here's to spreading a bit of kindness all around, not matter if we agree with each other or not.

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY — CONFESSIONS OF A MOM

Happy Fourth of July. Happy Independence Day. How grateful I am for all the people who have fought and still fight for our freedoms. How blessed we are.

I thought this video was an interesting pairing of people. I also really enjoyed the pictures in the background. They are good reminders on a day like today. Let me know what you think.

CONFESSIONS OF A MOM — The Hershey Kiss

I had a hard time coming up with a picture to lead into this post, but I think this one will work well.

This is how the conversation went with Tigger the other night.

"Can I have one?" he asked.

"Not right now," I responded. (He was giving me a hug right before bedtime.)

"But I really want one."

"Great. Not right now."

"But I won't eat it."

"That's great. Not tonight."

"But I'm just going to take one and save it for the morning."

"No you won't."

"But I'm just going to put it on my dresser."

"I said no."

"But . . ."

By this time I have to admit that I was less than patient. It had been a long day, and Tigger was stalling for bed. I had gotten them out because I needed some chocolate therapy. I knew I should have hid them but I was slow on responding to my thought. So once again I lost my patience.

After he was in bed and my thoughts returned to this situation I felt bad for my lack of control. And, as it often does when I find myself in this situation, my thoughts turned to my relationship with my Savior. Do I push my Savior like Tigger pushed me? Do I refuse to take the first answer given to me? Do I continue to push after the same answer has been given multiple times? Does my Savior lose His patience with me?

The only question I can answer with assurance is the last one. No, my Savior never looses patience with me. As for how I respond to when answers are given me . . . I'm not a hundred percent sure. I would like to say that I don't push. That I do accept the answer given, and I think there are many times that I do. Then there are those other times.

Like Tigger, I'm sure that I push or I don't hear the answer given. Or I don't want to hear the answer that is given. I know that sometimes I feel I know best but I'm always humbled when things backfire. I feel like I'm drawn to this thought process a lot lately as Tigger is pushing and trying to figure out boundaries. It drives me crazy because he seems to think that anything and everything is up for negotiation, and he's good at negotiating. Hubby continually says that Tigger will make a great salesman or a great politician. His reasoning ability is amazing, and I'm finding I'm having to be very careful with the way I answer things. But I'm very grateful for the lessons he's teaching me. I'm grateful for the self-reflection that he is causing me to have. It is helping me become a better person.

So, I'm doing my best to have extreme patience at all times but I am continually falling short. It's part of the learning process. I'm working on it. But as I'm working on it, I'm reminded of the extreme patience my Lord and Savior has for me. He knows me. He loves me. He is always there for me. For that, I am eternally grateful.

LOVE IS A CHOICE by Lynn G Robbins — #reviews #books #amreading

LOVE IS A CHOICE by Lynn G Robbins. This has been a very interesting, informative read. A lot of us read about falling in love and the perfect romance. We see it depicted on the big screen. We watch people fall in "love at first sight" and our hearts thrum and we set our expectations on what we believe love really is. This book shows us that love really is a choice. It shows us that we need to take responsibility for our own actions. We need to give marriages a chance, even when things get tough. Now I'm not saying that you should never get divorced. There are always exceptions and situations which are not healthy and people should get out of. All I'm saying is that this book gives great guidance on what love really is and can be. It is one that anyone and everyone who is in any type of relationship should read because it's not just in a marriage relationship that we love someone else.

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We all know that actions speak louder than words. We may say “I love you,” but do our actions back up that claim? Elder Lynn G. Robbins teaches us that love is more than a feeling — it is a commitment, a promise to be responsible, respectful, and responsive to the needs and experiences of other. And like any other action we undertake, perfecting the act of love requires a lifetime of practice and good choices.

As Elder Robbins teaches, the daily choices we make in our marriages and families are what shape lasting love. He helps us to recognize the role that our agency plays in developing forgiveness, patience, kindness, responsibility, and other virtuous traits. We come to see that as we actively try to do things differently, Christ helps us to bethe people He wants us to be — people like Him.

Whether you're engaged to be married, a newlywed, or someone with decades of marriage under your belt, this counsel from an inspired leader will help you develop more Christlike love for those around you. As you draw closer to the Savior through your daily choices and actions, His love will fill your home.

*A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

Happy Father's Day to all the wonderful men out there. Whether you're a father or not, you have influence on so many people. Thank you for all those men who have touched my life, especially my own dad, my adopted dad's, my husband, brothers, friends, neighbors, and many more.

CONFESSIONS OF A MOM

I found this plant last week for an extremely discounted price. Normally, I would pass by something that looks like this. It's broken, beraggled, brown in some parts and it just didn't look healthy. I kind of rolled my eyes and wondered why they were even trying to sell it. I'm mean really, who would buy a plant that looked like this?

But as I looked at other plants I kept being drawn back to this one. Maybe it was because I felt a lot like this poor plant: broken, stressed, overwhelmed, browning, and just down right ugly in a way. In the end, I picked up the plant because I felt like it just needed some TLC and I was just the person that could do such a thing.

I felt lighter and happier as I purchased the plant and was exited to get it repotted when I got home. I couldn't wait to see how my plant would thrive with some TLC and positive vibes. I also got to thinking about how often we might feel like this plant: a little broken, a little brown, a little down and out, in need of some TLC. Who do we turn to when we have those thoughts and feelings? What do we do?

A lot of times I'm not sure who to turn to. First, I have a hard time admitting when I feel that way. I have a hard time asking for help. Second, I realized that I need to turn to my Savior more when I feel that way.

Another reason I bought the plant is this . . .

Do you see it? The little light green part at the bottom. New growth. New life. New hope. So whenever we are downhearted there is always new hope to be found somewhere. Sometimes it's buried deep within us or deep within the situation, but there's always hope. Then, if we nurture that new hope, that new growth, it will grow and develop into something lovely that will eventually take over the old, broken, browning part of us.

So here's my happy plant now. I'm excited for the new growth on it. I'm excited for the opportunity to watch it grow. I'm excited for the lesson that I was able to learn from this little guy. I am loved, but sometimes we all need a little more TLC in our lives. I hope that when we find we need it, that we'll be able to turn to those who love us, including our Savior.

And can I just say . . . How blessed I am. I hope everyone has a great day! :)

CONFESSIONS OF A MOM #choosekindness #51actsofkindness

What? It's Friday night again? I just cleared my phone of all pictures because the nasty message that my storage was almost full and I couldn't take pictures anymore kept popping up. So I have no pictures to share.

I'm feeling very out of sorts at the moment and I tend to blame that on no sleep. However, I had a great time at a writing conference last weekend and should have insights to share from that, but do you think I can even remember that far back? Nope.

All I can think of right now is noticing all the little acts of kindness that have happened to me. We had a flat tire that needed to be repaired. I had an appointment but there were still five people in front of me. So as I got my kids settled and I stood in line, the gentleman in front of me offered to let me go first. It was so kind of him.

Several people held the door for me as Tigger pushed Bear through in the stroller a couple of times. Rather than get irritated with the curiousity of Tigger, I found smiles on people's faces. It made our wait much more pleasant.

It doesn't take much to brighten someone's day. Look for those opportunities to be kind, and also, look for those acts of kindness that have been given to you.

CONFESSIONS OF A MOM — #choosekindness #51actsofkindness

"Love the world in groups of one." Martine Leavitt

Be kind to others.

CONFESSIONS OF A MOM #choosekindness #51actsofkindness

Be kind.

It's amazing what can happen we are civil to each other, even if we disagree. 

Just be kind.

Most often that kindess will be reciprecated.

It may not be immediate, but people remember.

Speak kindly of others, people remember the words we say.

I have found myself looking for ways to do little acts of kindness.

It has changed my view of my day.

Be kind.

CONFESSIONS OF A MOM #choosekindness #51actsofkindness

This week I decided to read several articles and pay a little more attention to what's going on in the adult world. I have to admit that part of me wants to just get lots in the little kid world again. My heart aches for all the tragedy and horrible things that are happening. It solidified in my mind the need to be kind to others. We just don't know . . . We don't know what they are struggling with. We don't know if they hardly ever hear kind words. We don't know the real reason behind the hard exterior. We just don't know.

Make the choice this week to be kinder. Encourage those around you to be kind. Do a small act of kindness for someone. Not only will it help them, but it will help you as well. #choosekindness

*pick flowers for someone

*smile

*say hi

*call when you think of it

*text when you think of it

*invite someone to join you in an activity you're going to do

*keep it simple

CONFESSIONS OF A MOM #choosekindness #51actsofkindness

We just got back from a family overnighter and I'm not thinking very clearly at the moment. I planned on having this really cute picture with a saying about kindness but the picture is currently on a different computer. Of course. So that will happen next week.

For now, this will have to do . . .

Kindness is no "laughing" matter. #choosekindness

Some examples of kindness I've witnessed this week:

*flowers picked for someone

*a smile

*sharing an old picture with a friend

*dropping off something anonymously

*picking up some trash

*knocking on someones door to say hi

*sending a text

How were you kind this week?

CONFESSIONS OF A MOM #choosekindness

I have seen many acts of unkindness this week and it makes me very sad. There's a phrase I posted on Instragram this week that I think if we all keep in mind will help everyone around us.

You never know what the person next to you is going through. Choose Kindness.

How do we know if the driver on the road who is getting under our skin isn't a new driver? Or someone grieving? Or someone under extreme stress?

How do we know if the person living next who us you rushes inside and completely ignores you (in your opinion) isn't upset because of a medical dignosis? Or received bad news from work or a family member? Or is just having a horrible day?

How do we know what is the real reason behind the tears we see in someone's eyes?

The truth of the matter is we don't. Would it hurt us to look outside of ourselves and be kind to someone else? You can tell I'm on this kindness campaign. There are so many people around me who are suffering for many, many different reasons and I feel helpless. The only thing I can do in a lot of cases is be kind. Whether that be listening, providing a meal, holding a door, smiling, calling, sympathizing. Sometimes it really is the simple things that are needed. I really believe if we all looked around and did something simple it would make the world a better place.

So for now, choose to be kind. You just never know . . .

#BecauseHeLives I Know I'll See My Son Again—CONFESSIONS OF A MOM #51actsofkindness

Happy Easter. This attached video is a short, sweet message of something I hold dear. I know that my Savior, Jesus Christ lives. I know that on the third day he rose from the tomb and was resurrected. I know that #BecauseHeLives I will see my sweet little Lion again. #BecauseHeLives I will be with my family throughout eternity. I know this to be true. I believe it with all my heart. I hope you enjoy the video.

I also hope that you are looking for ways to be kind to others. We've been down for the count this week with some bug but here are a few things that I've seen happen this week.

*Dinner to a neighbor who suffered a loss

*Swept rocks back into a yard

*Asked a cashier how she was doing

*Picked flowers for someone

Happy Easter. Be Kind. I know He lives.