Patience.

Mornings are always hectic for me.  I sleep in a little later than I should, I take too long in the shower which means my hair will be a little wet when I leave the house because my thick hair takes 8 million years to blow dry, I don't take enough time on what I'm wearing, I forget my earrings, I am making Ayla's lunch last minute, Ayla is watching her "Super Bass" music video that she loves so much, then I'm trying to brush her hair into a messy bun while trying to strap her into the car seat at the same time...  You get the picture.

This morning we were in the car and running late and I was hitting EVERY RED LIGHT!  And every other car was going SO SLOW!  I kept saying, "OH MY GOSH!" and "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! GOOOOO!"  From the back seat Ayla said, "Paincience, mom!"

Patience is a word that I have explained to Ayla about 3 times in the past week.  I say, "Baby, you need to be patient!  That means you wait and you don't cry.  You be PATIENT."  That's the best way that I can describe it to my barely-two-year-old.  She'll repeat the word to me in her cute little voice, "paincience".  She throws the pain in there, which I think is appropriate for the word and it's meaning.

I once had someone laugh at me and say, "I love how you talk to your daughter, you treat her like she's an adult!"  In a way this is true.  I don't really baby talk to her.  I talk to her like a friend and even though I use big words, I explain them the best that I can for such a little person.  Some times I wonder if that is a good thing to do.  I say yes because she is 2 years and 3 months old and she has an astounding vocabulary!  She remembers and a lot of the time seems to actually understand what she's saying.  I love my intelligent little girl!  (Don't worry, we still have fun and I do realize that she's only two, I am not pushing her to be a grown up or depriving her of anything just because I don't use a high-pitched voice and use little words and add "y" to the end!)

This morning when Ayla said, "Paincience, mom!" I had to laugh.  I cracked up and said, "You, little miss, are way too smart for your own good!"  But she sure hit the nail on the head.  I was running a little late, but I still had time.  I did not need to be hitting the steering wheel and freaking out because the car in front of me was going the actual speed limit.  Some times I need to remember to breathe!  Good thing I have my little girl to remind me.

I love my little "old soul".

Ayla and I got to join the Lee family on a recent trip down to Arizona.  I wish I took more pictures, but I was having too much fun to remember to get my camera out of my purse apparently.  We got to attend a wedding and a mission farewell.  It was so much fun!  The weather was fantastic!  I sure wouldn't mind spending my winters in Arizona every year...  We all got sick except for Debbie and Kyle, they lucked out!  Even being sick the trip was still great.  I sure love his family.  I couldn't ask for a better group of people to spend time with.  Ayla and I are so lucky to have these people in our lives.  I know they didn't pick us, that was on Kyle, but they have opened their home up to us and they make us feel welcome (even if it's not the case, they don't show it!).  We love the Lee family!

Jaycee and I at the Mesa Temple

Ayla folding her arms and being reverent!

My Kyle and my Ayla :)

Taking a walk around the Temple

I love them!

Cute kids!

Enjoying the sunshine!

Those are really the only pictures that I got of our trip down south!

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The current theme of my life is patience.  It is a virtue I do not possess and one that I hope to acquire.  All of this work that I have been doing on myself, and the work that I need to continue doing and improving on everyday, will pay off.  It will!  I will achieve the goals that I have set out and this patience and all of this waiting, it will be so very worth it!

In the great words of Tom Petty.... "The waiting is the hardest part."