Touched

I've been thinking a lot about touch. For Caleb, touch is largely how he experiences the world. I've helped him splash the water in the bath tub. I've put fall leaves in his hands and helped him crunch them. I've brought snow inside and helped him build a little snowman on a cookie sheet....I've wrapped his arms around my neck and held them there when we've needed a hug...I've put his hands on my cheeks and let them melt to my skin. He loves it when I rub his feet, rub my face in his hair, and rub his chubby tummy. Caleb loves to be touched!
Mitchell also loves to feel my skin. Whenever he sits on my lap, he sticks his arm up my sleeve so that he can feel his arm resting on my arm. When he can feel me, he can be still.
Josh and Matthew also love to be touched. Sometimes they want to be westled instead of cradled. Sometimes they prefer a high five, especially if their friends are watching. But they thrive in being hugged, loved, and tackled to the ground!
I think that we all need to be touched. Sometimes I need someone to hold my hand and help me experience the world. Sometimes I need the warmth of an embrace. Sometimes I need to feel someone close so that I can be still.Thank you my sweet boys, for touching my heart every single day!

I know that there are two hands that are always inviting His embrace...Two hands that bear the marks of His redeeming love...two hands that gently lead me through life experiences I don't always understand...two hands that cradle my heart and help me to be still.
"He's reaching down, I'm reaching up, and somehow I feel- the Maker's touch.
(please turn off my playlist at the bottom of the screen)

Wearing it on your sleeve

Today at lunch I noticed that Matthew had a home-made paper patch taped to his sleeve. When I asked him what the symbols he had drawn on it were for, he said "This one let's me go into the future, this one is my trans-mogrifier, this one is for time travel, and this one is for duplicating"..... Hmmmm I think I need one of those patches myself!

Josh's birthday!

Josh turned 9 yesterday! I remember the day he was born like it was yesterday! My Mom had just given birth to my little sister Alisa 2 days before so our hospital rooms were right next door to each other. When Josh was born, had a hole in his lung that needed to repair itself, so he spent a few days in the NICU. When we were able to leave the hospital together, we went straight to my Mom's house. We sat in her King sized bed, and she taught me how to nurse my baby while she nursed hers. I'll never forget that moment.
In those first few weeks, I remember not being able to sleep at night because I would listen to Josh breath, and I wanted to make sure he was okay. I remember the night that I finally had to ask Heavenly Father to watch over him for me for a few hours while I slept. I learned through my first experiences with little Joshie that Heavenly Father really would help me with my little ones if I asked.
I treasure Josh. He is truly remarkable. I'm honored to be his mother!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOSHIE!



Josh pulling a goofy face...

Grandma and Grandpa doing goofy faces!

Toothless!

Matthew lost his front tooth today! He was quite specific with his tooth fairy request..."I'd like 2 dollars- all in quarters..." I wonder if that request has anything to do with the vending machine at school that delivers trinkets in plastic bubbles... hmmmmm.

A Sunday afternoon

Josh and Matthew were being very quiet... when I stelthly crept up the stairs to acess the situation, I was blocked by Mickey Mouse's head.

When I ignored his request, I was blasted with balls being thrown from... the FORT!
Who says Sunday is a day for rest?

Moody Family top ten 1/20

I haven't done a family top ten for a while... time to start off the new year with a wrap up of the last few weeks....drum roll........

10- Mitchell loves to put on a police helmet from the dress ups, roll up his pants and be a "football guy!"
9- Mitchell also knows how to get into the fridge.. hence then drip drip around the house where he's carried his beloved jar of pickles!
8- Matthew has a front tooth dangling by a thread! He also loved showing Dallan's old lucky rabbit foot for show and tell today.
7- Josh and Matthew loved going to Las Vegas with Dallan for the BYU bowl game. Matthew said "Vegas was AWESOME--- except for the two things...gambling and immodest girls......eeewwwwww!"
6- Josh recently asked, "Mom, why is it that when people get older, like you, they move slower?....you'd think they would want to make the most of their remaining years...!"
5- Josh is turning 9 this week! He's excited to be a BEAR cub scout!
4- Caleb is down to 1.5 liters of oxygen! HOORAY! We're preparing to take him back to the hospital for surgery next week. GOOD LUCK Caleb!
3- Dallan got tickets to the Jazz game from a friend...so he and the older boys are off to have some fun tonight!
2- Dallan enjoyed 5 days in Washington DC for an NCAA conference. He even got to spend a few days with Mom and Dad in the Baltimore Maryland mission home.
1- We moved Mitchell upstairs to share a room with Josh and Matthew! He loves being with his brothers, and we love the extra space in Caleb's room! Every night before he goes to bed, he says good night to the BYU football guys hanging on the wall.

The Mitchell dance

Three words

I think that the 3 most powerful words in this world are I LOVE YOU. Sometimes I wish there was a better way to say it, a fancier way to write it, or a cuter way to accessorize it. Sometimes I wish there was a font that would automatically glam up those words with glitter, sparkles and sound effects.
But then... when I really think about it...I know that love isn't always like that. Sometimes it's subtle. Sometimes it's simple. Sometimes it's private.
I know that the greatest gift of love I have been given was in a garden, in a private moment without any fanfare. It continues to be quietly given with hands that bear a loving reminder. It is subtle, it is simple, it is private... it is profound.

(Please turn off my playlist)

Wonder of Winter

I have been in awe of Winter the past few days. Even on the coldest of days, Heavenly Father sends surrounds us with evidence of his love!

Winter came down to our home one night
Quietly pirouetting in on silvery-toed slippers of snow,
And we, we were children once again.
~Bill Morgan, Jr.


Let us love winter, for it is the spring of genius. ~Pietro Aretino


“In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy.” William Blake


only in the winter, in the country, can you have longer, quiet stretches when you can savor belonging to yourself. ~Ruth Stout


Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home. ~Edith Sitwell

Frosty...

When I woke up this morning my whole yard was covered in glittery frost! The sun was shining just perfectly on every frost covered leaf and twig. It was just magical! I couldn't capture it in a picture, but I captured a glimpse of heaven in my heart! What a sparkly way to start my morning!

What are your goals?

Tonight for Family home evening we had a lesson about setting goals. When I asked the older boys what they wanted to work on for a spiritual goal, Matthew broke out in song & Josh quickly joined! I couldn't stop laughing- especially since Matthew has a super loose front tooth and Josh has a mouth full of skittles!

The snowman that wasn't

A few weeks ago after our first big snowfall, my neighbor called to see if she could sit with Caleb while I went outside with my boys to build a snowman! I was so touched! Just that day I was wishing I go outside to experience the magic of snow with them! So when the boys came home from school, we bundled up and went outside! Mitchell was so cute as he tromped around the snow in his boots, and Josh and Matthew immediately started throwing snowballs. After about 10 minutes, Mitchell was screaming because he had taken off his gloves and his hands were freezing, and Matthew decided he wanted to be inside where it was cozy and warm. So it was just me and Josh.... Josh is my oldest little boy. He is remarkable! He amazes me with his talents and his soft heart. He often quietly sacrifices his time with me when I get busy caring for his little brothers... We had a great time throwing snowballs at each other, and we started building the walls for a great snowfort!
So our outing in the snow all together didn't work out the way we had planned. I'm sure it wasn't what my sweet friend had envisioned. But it was exactly the way it should have been. Josh needed me all to himself, and I needed him to be all mine...even if it was just for a moment. So instead of a snowman, a memory was made that was just right.

Snowflakes are kisses from Heaven

"Life is like a field of newly fallen snow.
Where I choose to walk every step will show."




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Genes

Mitchell might have some of my genes because every morning he tells me "Mommy, I NEED chocolate! Give me chocolate, pleeeeeeeeeeease!" Then I tell him "you can have one treat after lunch." To which Mitchell promptly replies, "No, FIVE!" Ah, a boy after my own heart.
On the other hand, Mitchell also has Dallan's genes, because today at nap time the songs he wanted me to sing to him were "Take me out to the ballgame" and the "Cougar fight song."
Later that afternoon I asked him, "Mitchell are you cute?" "NO!" "Are you my baby?" "NO" "Are you my sweetie pie?" "NO, I'm a football guy!"
It looks like he's got a little bit of both of us!

A birthday wish...

Birthday wishes really do come true! Caleb came home from the hospital yesterday just in time to celebrate! My heart was a little bit tender because I didn't have a chance to prepare for a celebration...but some sweet sisters in my ward brought over dinner with birthday paper plates, festive food, special drinks and a birthday cake with a #4 candle on it! We were just tickled!! We were also surprised with a special gift...! We were so touched, incredibly humbled and completely excited!!! Happy birthday sweet Caleb! You are so precious to us!

Preparing to come home from the hospital!


Some festive FUN


It's time to celebrate!

The best gift of all...being together!


Four years old!