True Joy

Thought I would include my journal entry from yesterday for the kids to look back on someday.

Sunday, February 02, 2014

I just spent the last hour and a half or so interviewing the kids.  (James delegated that to me for the first time.)  What a great experience!  It made me think of some of the great things that I have noticed in our family recently and I had to turn on the computer before they were just forgotten history.

Yesterday, Talmage spent the entire day with James at the house.  He put on his insulated coveralls and my mission boots (actually Danner steel-toed work boots) and off he went with James.  It makes me so happy to see my working boy.  When I picked him up last night at about 8 o’clock when I took them their fasting meal, Talmage was in the best of spirits.  He and James and truly enjoyed each other’s company working together.  True joy.

Yesterday morning I told Bryant and Sariah what their Saturday’s chores were and left it at that.  I was most pleasantly surprised when come late afternoon, Bryant pulled out the cleaning supplies and went to work on the bathroom.  I honestly didn’t think it was going to happen, and I was so pleased to see some personal responsibility come out in Bryant.  He stayed home from church today with a yucky cough and when we got home he had done the dishes and the entire lunch was on table!  Seeing him be positively proactive is so encouraging as a mom.  True joy.

Sariah was more than distressed to go back to school at the beginning of the week after being home sick.  Her teacher went out of her way and invited Sariah to a special lunch date.  Sariah’s fears dissipated and demeanor completely changed.  How grateful I am for a caring teacher.  Sariah takes it upon herself to do her piano and chores almost all the time.  I’m so grateful for that.  True joy.

This week, great-grandma Gibbons was on the couch and said she was thirsty.  Hyrum, all on his own, went and got her a glass of water.  How sweet it is to observe your children being tender.  True joy.

Lyle is a happy kid.  He gets really exuberant over the simple things of life and shows it.  I love it.

Rex has a sparkle in his eye most of the time and can be a real tease.  He went around growling at people today.

There was a time I couldn’t imagine it, but those little guys are true joy.

So grateful to know and feel joy.