Thank goodness for daughters!

Some of you may remember President Hinckley speaking gratefully of his daughters after his wife passed away. He spoke of how they took care of him in ways that only a woman could.

I seem to post mostly about my boys, probably because they are the most entertaining at this time, however, I need to express my gratitude for my wonderful daughters. I did try to post a video of Callie's band concert, which would have been entertaining since I used the camera to record it. Always looking for the right shot, I recorded it vertically, which meant that it shows up sideways on the screen. Oops! Tyler thinks this is very funny indeed. I call it talent at all that I could capture something on video with Drew climbing all over me and trying to hold down Jacob's auditorium seat while growing a baby.

Back to my girls. After school got out for the summer and we all adjusted to being together twenty four hours a day, they have blossomed and grown and I have loved having them around. They are very nurturing and caring with their brothers, they've developed additional skills at home and in their new activities, and they have demonstrated time and again that they are up to the challenge of helping out their many times overwhelmed mother.

I've focused lately on teaching Callie how to do the laundry. She kept asking during the school year if she could do her own, and instead I've shown her how to start the different kinds of loads for the family. She is always willing to drop what she's doing to come help start the laundry or bring a full hamper from the second story down to the laundry room. I love having her help there!

Hannah has learned to make wheat blender pancakes, start to finish, on her own. I've given her two times in the last week to make them just to solidify her newly learned knowledge. Her pancakes taste great and she's got the knack of pouring nice round even ones. Yesterday morning she made breakfast and insisted that I sit down and wait. I had a wonderful time sitting with Drew singing "The Eensy Weensy Spider" and trimming the boys' nails (their request).

After breakfast I went to my voice lesson in the neighborhood. When I got home later than anticipated I was met by groans. The kids had made a fort and were planning out lunch. I was sent to my room and Hannah was the waitress that took my lunch request. Callie fixed lunch for everyone and cleaned the food up afterwards. I felt like I was on vacation.

Both girls, in the last several weeks, have spontaneously cleaned up the entire kitchen after a big dinner while I've tucked in the boys. It is such a joyful thing to observe them learning to serve and seeing them confident and happy in the good works that they do. I am so thankful for my two big daughters and the wonderful women that they are working towards becoming!