Forgive Me

I did something tonight. Something that I promised myself that I would never do. I became my mother tonight. Let me explain. I grew up in a home that was less than perfect. I promised myself and my husband that I would never, ever, EVER become that person in my home. I kept part of my promise. I didn't do anything to the kids. I did it to Charlie, my dog. An innocent animal that didn't deserve that. He had decided to chew on Heidi's homemade book, a few too many Littlest Pet Shop toys, a Wall-E stuffed animal, and a couple of kids shoes. I know he was just trying to get our attention and play, but I had had it. I spanked him one to many times. I saw the look on his face. It was the same face I remember making whenever my mother was angry at me. It was FEAR. I broke down in tears and locked myself in my bathroom for half an hour. Heidi was (and still is) worried about me, and I don't blame her. I scared my kids because they didn't know what was going on. I broke my promise and I'm sorry. Forgive me.

Bedtime Stories

Every night in our house, after family prayer, our children get a bedtime story.  Jacob and I switch nights reading to little Jake. Every third night, Grammy reads them a bedtime story from a DVD she created for her grandchildren as a Christmas present.  Every once in a while, Cherish and Heidi will join Jacob and I while we read.  Tonight I head something that made my heart melt.  I had just finished reading little Jake his bedtime story and was walking out of his room when I head Heidi talking to Cherish.  I almost walked by without paying any further attention since the girls talk to each other every night, but for some reason, I stopped to listen.  I realized that Heidi wasn't talking to Cherish, she was reading her a story.  I listened until she had finished reading Cherish her story, then told her that I was very proud of her.  Her smile lit up the room.  Litttle acts of service show me that my children are taking to heart the lessons of Christ and are trying to live like him.  Thank you, Heavenly Father, for such sweet and loving children.  Thank you for their sweet spirits and for touching my heart today. 

Workin' Mom

Today was the first day of my new job.  Sarah Morris, a good friend of mine, started a business a while ago.  She recently realized that she needed help, so she posted on Facebook that she needed help.  A few ladies (okay, okay, A LOT) replied that they would love to help out.  She hired a few (including me) to help her make the product, fill orders, and ship them for her.  I never realized how much work she did to make her dinnerware look awesome.  Whew!  I'm not complaining, though.  I've been looking for a way to help bring in money and Sarah Morris was an answer to my prayers.  So, thank you, Sarah Morris.  You're awesome.

Promised Pictures

I am not quite sure what Cherish and Jake were looking at, nor do I care to. We were in my LEAST favorite part of the zoo, where all the creepy-crawly things live. Unfortunately, this is one of my children's favorite parts of the zoo.

Yuck.

This wolf loved to stare and pace around his pen. It was awesome to watch.

My children are big fans of tigers. They love posing with the tiger statue each time we go.

This mama giraffe was on guard watching all the people watch her baby. It wasn't like the last time we went to the zoo. It was quite entertaining, walking around the zoo with family, and then having a lovely summertime rain and thunder storm happen right outside the giraffe pen. Our family, along with a bunch of other people, took refuge inside the giraffe building until the storm was over. There was a certain giraffe who didn't blink the entire time the storm was occuring. Quite funny.

Here is the newest addition to the zoo! Such a cute baby elephant! It was so cute watching her wake up (quite suddenly, like a little kid waking up from a bad dream) and then running with her noodle-like trunk over to her mother for a quick snack, then flopping back down to finish her nap.

This cute teenager is telling the girls and Jake about an elephant's lower jaw. The girls were fascinated with the jaw and the elephant's teeth.

Now he is showing the girls different types of elephant and rhino skin.

Right as we got to the zoo, we sat down for lunch. While eating, little Jake suddenly appeared at my side and showed me his missing bottom tooth. The children found this statue of a rhino and saw other children climbing up on it to get their picture taken. They immediatly wanted to do the same. It took us a few minutes to help little Jake climb up onto the back of the slippery rhino.

Busy, Busy Week!

Wow, I can't believe I finally did it. I officially have a blog. Let me introduce myself for those of you who don't know me. My name is Amber Mock, and I am married to the BEST guy in the world. We have been married for 11 years. (WHOA....where did the time go???) We have three wonderful children, who fill our days with laughter, most of the time. We have lived in the same neighborhood for 7 years and have loved every minute of it.

This week is going to be nuts! Heidi is going on a fourth grade campout for two days. She is SO excited!! She has been wanting to pack her duffle bag since last week. I know she is going to have a great time. When she returns, she will only go to school for one more day, then all three of our children have Fall Break.

(Wait...didn't they just have a day off last week??)

Over the weekend little Jake lost another tooth within two days. He now speaks with a lisp. Listening to him talk brings a smile to my face every time. The tooth actually came out while we were at the zoo.

Have a great week everyone!