Happily Ever After....

"Happily ever after is not something found only in fairy tales. You can have it! Your own wondrous story has already begun. Your once upon a time is now."  -Dieter F. Uchtdorf

I came across this quote the other day and it fit perfectly with some of the thoughts I have had lately. I have always been raised  with the mentality that you can be as happy as you want to be. If you are not happy with something in your life, change it. It doesn't do any good to complain about things, so just change something. As we have been preparing for Ren, I have been trying to make sure that our home is a place that is worthy of this pure perfect spirit. The quote above is really just stating what the atonement does in our daily life. I have been praying to know how to use my time wisely and how to bring about the greatest happiness in our family. As I strive to listen to the spirit, I have been able to get more done throughout the day, give the girls my undivided attention, and spend more one on one time with them. I have been prompted of when my girls need one on one time and have been blessed with greater understanding of what is going on when one of them throws a tantrum. It seems like I have so much more time do focus on the things that matter most. 

I have also been filled with greater love for Ron. I feel like in our marriage as well, we can be as happy as we want to be. And I want the fairy tale:) I am so grateful for my amazing husband that does so much for our family. On Saturday, I went to the temple, and when I came home, Ron had washed and vacuumed out my car. This seems like such a little things, but it is huge to me. I have had this on my list of things to get done before Ren gets here and Ron must have seen my list and did this for me. The girls were so excited to surprise me as well. I don't really care about gifts, flowers, but I feel loved when my husband washes my car. Ron and I have talked a lot about what kind of example of a marriage we want our children to have and we want them to have the fairy tale as well. We have strived to do the little things each and every day that will bring about the greatest happiness in our spouse. In stake conference last weekend, one of the councelors in the stake presidency stated that, "One of the greatest things that our children can hear is their mother and father praising each other." I loved that and we have been trying to do that more. It's amazing to think about, but there are endless things that we can do for our spouse, our children, and our own self that can bring about greater happiness than we can ever imagine. That is the life that I want for myself and for my family. The atonement is real and it inspires us and motivates us to be better and to live in that "better world." I love my family and I feel so blessed everyday to be a mother and wife. It truly brings me greater joy than I have ever imagined!!