McLaughlin Clan: If ever I need to smile...

Monday, September 14, 2009

If ever I need to smile...

I pull out my kids' artwork. Works every time.

I especially love the eyelashes... and all the sunshine.

I love this artwork

where I can see the world through my four-year-old's eyes

where everyone is happy and dancing.

Where there is so much brightness, hope.

Izzie has that affect on me...

and I especially needed to smile and see the simplicity of life through a child's eyes this weekend.

I got the sad news that a friend that was once very dear and close to me was killed in a freak car accident. He was only 42. His sweet family survived...all four boys and his wife.

When my friend sent me the news, I fell to my knees. I'm so thankful for the simple beauties in life. The simple joys, the little things Curt does to make me happy, the things the kids say that make me laugh out loud, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, our eternal families. My heart goes out to this family as they pick up the pieces and try to move on with a perspective that one day they'll see their beloved dad/husband again.

I love the new song my kids have been singing and humming around the house... It's such a simple message based off the

The Family: A Proclamation to the World and goes like this:

Izzie's portraits leave me in stitches...

and leave me with a smile in appreciation for the simple bounties...and families.

3 comments:

Sims Family said...: Sorry to hear about your friend. Tough road ahead for the family.

On a lighter note, Izzie is quite the artist!! You should feel like a wonderfully accomplished mother to have such a happy sunshiny little girl. That's a beautiful thing. :); September 14, 2009 at 10:39 AM
rebecca said...: we were just talking about this today. So, so sad. Incredible that everyone else is all right. Couldn't agree more that perspective makes all the difference in the world. Thank heavens our little ones with such pure hearts remind us of the joy right before our eyes.; September 14, 2009 at 5:58 PM
Heather said...: I was very sorry to hear of the lose of your friend. I can't imagine the sorrow his family is feeling right now, but so incredibly grateful for the knowledge of eternal families.

PS. Izzie is a fabulous little artist! I noticed that while we were out there visiting!; September 15, 2009 at 9:31 AM

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"Mom, how come that moon is following us wherever we go?" --Izzie 2/17/10

While eating a pear...."But if I eat a seed, a flower will grow in my mouth."-Lexie 1/19/10

"Don't even try to make this our cuddle time, cause that just doesn't work for me." -lexie when I try to cuddle her before bed & call it our cuddle time.

"I can't stop hugging you, Mom!" -lexie everyday

"I want my name to be Uniqua..you know, from the Backyardigans." -lexie 2/5/09

Izzie says, "That was Izzie" when pushing the Staples 'that was easy button.' -Izzie 1/09

After returning home from the movies Izzie exclaimed, "blankie!!! I missed you!" 11/27 /08

"Mom, do I have sprinkles on my face like you?" (I think she meant freckles) -Lexie 11/20/08

"How do raisins get in our fingers when we're in the bath too long?" -Lexie 11/18/08

"Where did the other one half of the moon go?" Izzie 11/08, when looking at a half-moon in the sky.

"I'm pretty sure that's a caminel over there..." Said Lexie while looking in a pasture at the horses--thinking they were camels. 10/15/08

McKenzie hurt her wrist and wrapped it up all the while complaining how it hurts so bad..."I probably have ortholitis or something." 10/12/08

We were headed out the door to go visiting teaching and Izzie said, "when we get there, no running, no whining, no yelling!" At least she can ramble off proper manners unprovoked! 9/25/08

"I'm dramatic and exhausted," exclaimed Lexie after playing at the park." 8/9/08

"Mom...can Brother and Sister Cox (her Sunbeam Teachers just released) sleep over at my house? I'll let Sister Cox sleep in my bed and brother Cox can sleep downstairs." --Lexie 7/6/08

I have repeatedly asked Izzie how old she's going to be on her birthday...consistently, with a ginormous grin on her face she replies, "six and a hab (half)!" She makes me laugh, my little two year old turning THREE! 6/2008

Out of the blue this morning Lexie came to me and exclaimed, "The Parry's need a brother...they don't have one, so I'm giving them Monson. He teases me so they can have him." 6/9/08

I was rocking Lexie and she looked up at our family photo before she was born. She got tears in her eyes and became a little upset because she wasn't in the picture as I explained she was still in heaven. This morning we were looking at baby pictures of Curt, as Vivs is his twin at one (who knew?!) and Lexie said, "Where am I in that picture?" We told her she was in heaven, to which she replied, "I don't want to be in heaven anymore when I'm not in the pictures." 5/23/08

We were reading about our Prophet, President Monson, in the Friend magazine tonight. Izzie said, "No, it's not President Monson, it's President Brayden!" Izzie makes me laugh. 5/8/08

"Patty pake patty pake bakers man, snow it, roll it as fast as you can." Sounds more like making a snowman than playing patty cake!-
Izzie's version 3/14/08

As we were driving today I pulled down my visor and opened the mirror to make sure nothing was in my teeth. Lexie saw this and like she discovered treasure she excitedly said, "MOM! You have a mirror there???" And then very frankly & sharply said, "You ARE KIDDING ME!" Like it was the greatest invention ever made. 3/10/08

"I want to see my Hinckley" (she wanted to see a picture of Pres. Hinckley)--Isabella 2/7/08

Curt took Lexie to ballet/tap on his birthday and by habit drove her to the basketball place instead. She got really frustrated and said "Dad, I'm going to tell mommie on you that you took me to the wrong place. I'm going to mess up your birthday!!" 1/9/08

"Mom, I want Aunt Brooke to be my mom. But you can come visit sometime." -MY Lexie!!!!! 1/7/08

In her prayers tonight, "Bless that Santa Claus will bring me the rest of my kitchen." Lexie 12/29/07
(she got the pbkids oven...the pie cabinet hasn't arrived yet)

While trying to get to sleep Lexie said, "Mom, I can't sleep without my dreams." -12/14/07

Luckily I knew exactly what Lexie was talking about today while she was sick and said, "Can I have some alligator, Mom?" She meant gatorade...for some reason she calls both gatorade and elevators 'alligator.'

Izzie insisted on wearing pull-ups and then had an accident. I told her pull ups are for big girls and when you go potty on the big toilet you can wear pull-ups and big girl underpants. She replied, "you need to wear pull-ups, Mom!"

"Izzie, what do you want Santa to bring you for Christmas?" Without a beat she responded, "Disneyland!!!"

Lexie was sick for a few weeks so I often kissed her forehead to see if she was feverish. This morning she pointed her head towards me and said, "mommie, smell my fever." I guess she thought that's what I was doing when I put my lips to her forehead-maybe my nose is just too big and she couldn't feel my kiss!!! 11/07

"Can we do Halloween again today?"--Lexie 11/07

"The moon's not going night-night because it doesn't have a bed." --Lexie 10/07

"I can't give you a kiss, Daddy... because I have to check my email." --Lexie 10/07

"My bottom hurts--I need Heavenly Father to give me a new one." --Monson 12/03

"Mommie-turn the rain off."--Lexie 7/06

At 6 years old Brayden declared "Daddy is one of Santa's elves." I said, "What makes you think that?" Bray replied, "Because he has pointy elf ears." --7/03

"If that's an english muffin, what does a spanish muffin look like?"--McKenzie 8/03