Sometimes it is just nice to have someone to listen :)

I only have a few minutes.  Life is pretty busy right now.  But it has been a long time since I have just posted about everyday, same-old same-old... in other words just life.  Life isn't perfect right now, but it is full of perfect moments!

• Moments when I wake up to go hit the gym.  Jared, who had somehow found his way into mine and Brad's bed in the middle of the night, reaches for me when I get up.  He, eyes still shut, reaching both hands and leaning for me until he is almost off the pillow.  Then he silently says, "Mama?" and then pats the pillow where I was laying.  It is so sweet and something that always makes me feel so loved!  He also sings, "Basssss.......ket..BALL" over and over and over in the car!  It never gets old!
• I love watching Bryan.  He talks to everyone.  At the grocery store.  At the gym.  On the trail.  On the ice.  Anyone he makes eye contact with, he has something he needs to share with them.  I love how the people here generally aren't too busy to listen to a cute little five year old as he shares his world and perspective with them.  Bryan is also crazy about Legos and I love listening to all his manly sound effects echoing though our apartment.
• Paul is hooked on basketball right now.  He craves going to the gym and counts down the days/hours to when his Pee Wee Basketball starts.  The other day he and his friend Brenner played one-on-one before practice and I was so happy to see him light up and enjoy playing some ball with a friend! Paul also ran a whole mile the other day with me!  I was so proud that he did it, overcoming side aches and all! He impresses me!
• Hyrum, on the other hand, dreads basketball.  He isn't assertive or aggressive and is annoyed at being left out.  But that little smarty pants is always using his brain.  You see, he knows there are half the kids on his team just like him.  The kids who AREN'T the ball hog, who feel left out, who just want to go home.  Hyrum was a team captain and picked all those kids to be on his team for some scrimmage.   Which was easy, the other team captain wanted all the "good" aka "ball hogs" on his team.  SMART.  All the ball hogs on one team, and the mild, well mannered boys on another.  Hyrum said the ball hogs were all fighting over the ball between themselves the whole time.  While Hyrum's team has the best time and passed the ball around and each got to take shots!  Hyrum also goes running with me.  I love that.  LOVE IT!  He went FOUR miles with me the other day.  Although, I did have to listen to him talk about video games the whole time.  It amazed me how much they mean to him and how complicated they are.  My kids don't get to play a lot of video games, they have a mean mom :). 
• Brad makes me happy every time he looks me in the eye with a smile and pulls me in for a hug.  I sure love him and love that he loves me.  He tells me every morning how beautiful I am.  As do the rest of my boys.  Brad also just got diagnosed with diabetes.  He's got is real bad.  We are working together to eat more healthy and give him the time he needs to be at the gym.  He is so motivated to lose the extra pounds and hopefully get his health back.  I am so happy that he is working so hard and is so dedicated!  It scares the heck out of him, I think, to have hunting taken away from him :) His goal right now is to lose 20-40lbs in 6 months and see where we are at from there!  And btw...  This scares the heck out of me too...

Life is too good to be true at times when I look at those sweet, perfect moments and notice all the love, joy and craziness around me, I realize how truly blessed I am.