Appreciating the little things!

Last week, Luke and I took the boys on a little road trip, just for fun and a little family time away from California and home. It was a lot of fun actually; relaxing and the boys were superb, being that they are 2 and 6 months and we never had one fit the entire car trip, (about 9 hours all together!) Finn whined a few times, kicked my arms and my head a couple times, (dudes' got crazy long legs, thanks to me), but other than that, they were the amazing boys I know and love.

Anyhow, (and some may know the short version of this story since I posted it on FB), we stopped at a Burger King drive thru on our way out of Medford, (I love their mall!), to Klamath Falls to get some food and some hot water for Dietrichs' bottle. Some may know that both boys are/were formula fed and Dietrich won't take his bottle unless it is nice and warm, (as it should be.) I got the hot water they use for their coffee in a coffee container and was going to mix it with cold water we had from my water bottle to get it to a nice, warm temperature. I put the coffee container between my legs, while I grabbed the prepackaged formula and the cold water. Leaning forward made me squeeze my legs together and the lid popped off, sending scalding water all over my legs and into the seat I was occupying. That water travelled up my legs to my derriere. I screamed loud and long, (for a good 30 seconds, I think) and tried to stand up while in a small car and buckled in, (so obviously I got nowhere.) Luke yelled, "what the heck is wrong?!", then saw the open coffee mug that I managed to set on the center console and replied, "oh, sweetie." I was proud that I didn't cry, but we pulled into a parking spot so I could assess the damage and make the bottle slowly and without further incident. My legs burned like a really bad sunburn and the whole trip to Klamath Falls was very uncomfortable. There were three spots in particular on the my legs that felt like a hot poker was consistently pressing against them; my lower inner thighs, where the coffee cup was and the back of my left leg, where the water travelled. As soon as we got to my parents house, I went straight to the bathroom to assess the damage. On those three spots were giant blisters that were NASTY, the worst being the back of my leg. The rest of the affected areas were just bright red.

Now, there are two reasons I tell you this story in depth: 1. I ignored my mom and Luke telling me to cover them and take care of them and the one on the back of my leg is now really BAD and painful. I realized, as Luke was taking care of my leg and chastising me for not taking care of myself, that I really DON'T take care of myself. 2. I realized how quickly life can go from carefree and happy to miserable and super sucky. Let me address these.

1. When I say I don't take care of myself, I am honestly and truthfully not trying to make a martyr of myself. I know I am extremely blessed and I thank God for it every day. I have a gorgeous, hard working husband who loves me, is my best friend and a blast to be with. I have two healthy, gorgeous and super cool boys who rock. I have an extended family who are always there to help and encourage. I have a nice, working home that fits my family and keeps us warm in the winter and cool in the summer. I could go on and on with my blessings. But, when I had my boys, I stopped caring about my body, my hair, my fashion sense, my health, my sleep, etc. I know almost every mom does this; my own mother always ate dinner last, bought stuff for herself only after my sisters and I had the best and never complained when we caused her to lose sleep. I have a couple minor, and semi concerning health issues right now and I am only now, (largely in part to this burning incident), realized that I need to have them addressed and taken care of. If I want to be around when my boys graduate college, go on missions, get married and have my grandbabies, I need to do it. For them. Only now am I understanding this. So, I am taking small but truthful steps in making sure I am healthy and intact to see all of that.

2. This incident with burning my legs was obviously minor, (the nasty wound on the back of my leg tells me differently!), but it made me think about how quickly things can change in our lives. I tell the boys, (all 3 of them), how much I love them about a million times a day. I kiss all 3 of them just about that much, too. But, I am also a cleanliness control freak. I have lost my temper with Luke and with Finn when things are dirty 2 seconds after I cleaned; I put Finn in the tub the second he comes in from outside. I focus so much on keeping the house in order, that I don't play with my boys nearly as often as I should. I need to let go of some of that OCD control and enjoy the little moments that I sometimes miss, (granted, I don't miss them all!) I have heard a couple stories that make me want to make sure I do whatever I can to have no regrets when it comes to being a wife and mother. I want Luke to know how much I support him, and am always in his corner, no matter what. He is stuck with me for all eternity and I want to make sure he is always happy about that, :). I want my boys to talk about their mother with excitement, love and fondness. I want them to know how much my heart soars, just knowing they are mine. They are pieces of Luke and me. My goal, along with #1, is to make sure that I let go of some of the petty things and cherish the moments I have with these three amazing dudes.

A little bit deep and intense, but I just wanted to get it out of my head. In other lighthearted news, Finn is finally expressing himself to Luke and I more and more. He rarely takes naps and is a bit of a grump around dinner time, but besides that, he loves to run and laugh and tease Dietrich. He loves the outdoors, water and his trucks.

Dietrich is now officially crawling like a master and can sit himself up like he has been doing it for...months. Haha. He says "mama" and "dada" and "hmmm" and is completely twitterpated with Finn. He thinks dad is the bomb, (I don't care how old that saying is, I will forever say it) and loves to put everything in his mouth. He is the looking redhead I have ever seen, and I can't wait to see him discover more of his world!

Luke is my Luke. Lots of people don't understand him, but that is why our love is so flipping special. Because I understand him and he understands me. That's the sheer perfection of our marriage; we are total opposites who get each other completely. Love that man!

That is all for this evening. I love you all, and hope you are all well!