My Passion

I have one main passion in my life: FAMILY.

(I also have a passion for Christmas....)

And not just my own family, ALL families.  

I have found that there are 3 main ways I can strengthen families:

1.  Through the gospel

2.  Through music

3.  Through birth

I have also found that any time I do #1, or #3, I always include #2.  

I recently started a new blog, called LDS Music Mama, where I share ideas and pointers about using music more effectively at home and in church callings.  I have already gotten so much great feedback about this blog, and I am excited to share my insights with others.  You can become a follower of the blog or become a fan on Facebook to receive updates on new posts.  I also have it categorized so you can easily navigate to find ideas for certain callings and age groups.  I welcome questions and ideas!  I hope it can be a great resource for many families and people serving in music callings.  Feel free to share this blog with your friends and family, and/or add it to your blog list.  :)

Most of you are probably aware of my doula and childbirth education work.  I now can add that I am a published writer on the topic.  I recently wrote an article for an international doula magazine on the benefits of writing and using lullabies.  Click here to read the article.

Music truly can enhance any experience.  I do not view music the way a typical musician does.  There is so much more than a perfect performance.  My degree in Music Therapy has given me a different viewpoint that I look forward to sharing with you!

Easter and Magsy's Birthday

We spent Easter weekend with my mom and family in Orem, and had a great time!  Ty was a hit, as always.  There are no good pictures or videos of it, but it was the first time he has really put forth an effort with walking.  This is partly due to the fact that he was surrounded by adults, all willing and excited to help him!  He gets so much love and attention when we are with the Hillsteads!   He also got to try his very first chocolate chip cookie.  He is just like me, and can't eat one without getting chocolate all over his face.  :)

Below is a picture of my step sister and her fiance.  I love this picture because they look like they already have 3 kids!

 

If you look closely, behind Todd and the kids you will see snow.  We almost thought it was Christmas when we woke up Easter morning.  :)

For Easter baskets, my kids got these rolling storage bins.  So of course we couldn't resist giving them rides!

After Easter baskets, we threw Magsy an early birthday party.  She loved all of her gifts and kept saying "I've always wanted one of those!".  It was so cute.  Then today Todd and I took her to lunch to celebrate her actual birthday.  I can't believe she is 4 years old!  She is so tiny, and I remember still feeling like she was a baby when Ty was born!  She has grown up so much during this past year.  Here are my top 4 things that I love about Magsy:

1.  Her love of singing, dancing and performing.  It may sound a little self absorbed, but I love seeing so much of myself in her.  :)  She is working so hard in ballet class and is always practicing at home.  She is a ham for a microphone, and just loves the attention she gets for being so darn cute and talented.

2.  Her fatigue:  This also directly relates to me.  I love having a child that likes to sleep!  Magsy will often put herself to bed, meaning I don't have to spend ANY time doing a bedtime ritual with her, or fighting with her about how she needs to sleep.  She can sleep through noise too, which is a major bonus! 

3.  Her willingness to try.  Magsy has a super positive attitude, and will keep trying something over and over until she has reached her desired result.  She is curious and loves learning.

4.  Her affection:  Magsy tells me multiple times a day how much she loves me.  She loves to hug and kiss and snuggle everyone in the family.  She is very loving, and is never afraid to show it!  She makes everyone feel special.

I love you Magsy Bear!  Happy 4th birthday!

So much fun!

Our family has been having so much fun lately. First of all, my kids really enjoy eachother, and it is great to see them getting along so well. Yesterday I tried to spend some quality time with each of the girls, and had a short list of questions to ask them. I asked each of them what makes them happy, and each girl responded with the name of her sister!

Last week my BFF, Emily turned the big 30! She celebrated with a St. Patricks Day Party. We had a blast getting all dressed up, playing games, and eating way too much!

Todd and I were clearly the best dressed couple. :) I LOVE his shirt!

A friend of our's recently started a book club for couples. We had our first meeting this weekend, and it was a blast. We started out with a yummy meal, then discussed the book Freakonomics. We look forward to many more club meetings, and years of friendship!
And for those of you from Sugar City who are wondering who is standing by Todd...
Yes, it is Bryant Peterson. :)

Since our family will be out of town for Easter this year, my inlaws had their Easter Egg hunt last night. As always, it was a ton of fun. All the dads do the hiding while the rest of us try to keep the girls inside so no one peeks.

Here are all the Bigelow grandkids. The two things I love the most about this shot are: 1. Magsy's right leg popped up all cute. 2. Ty screaming his head off!
(Click on the picture to view it larger.) Below you will see Ty much happier though, as he gets some help from Uncle Brett with walking. :)

Weekend Wrap-up

Our weekend began with a cake designed to look like the Boise temple. I made it for a Relief Society meeting, and the girls had so much fun helping me. Be sure to notice our Angel Moroni (tie tac!).

We woke up to snow on Saturday, so Todd and the girls quickly went to work before it all melted away.

Every Saturday the kids get bathed, and I braid the girls' hair for church. This has become difficult with Ty around. He is always climbing on the girls because I usually have them sit on the floor. So I had the genius idea of having them sit on a barstool. It worked great with Magsy, but I was too short to braid Bronwyn's hair while she sat up there. So I compensated by standing on the chair behind her. Before I knew it, Magsy was trying to sit between my legs and Ty was trying to climb up on my chair. Todd snapped this shot just as I was losing my balance! The lengths I go to to look like we have it together on Sunday!

No post is complete without an adorable picture of Ty. He sure loves playing with his birthday balloon!

Fastest Year of My Life!

It is true that the older you get, the faster time goes. I can hardly believe that I created 3 kids in just 4 years! And it's even harder to believe that my "baby" is one year old! I have had many sleepless nights with sick/crying kids, that seem to last forever. But somehow the weeks/months/years continue to come and go so quickly. If I sound melancholy, it's because I AM! I really wish I could slow things down. Enjoy and savor things longer. If I had the choice, I would choose to completely relive the last year of my life, as it was one of the best I've ever had.

My sister spent Ty's birthday week with us, and it was almost as awesome as her bandana. :) Ty LOVED his auntie! The girls loved taking funny pictures together, and I just loved having my twin around for several days.

Anyone else notice the similar profiles? Here Ty is with Grandpa Bigelow at his birthday party.

Here I am leading Ty to his birthday present from Todd and me. I wrapped it in a blanket because I'm cool like that.

Ty loves his activity table from us! Actually, all the kids at the party thought it was pretty fun!

My mom has also spent the week with us. Here she is with her sassy new hairstyle!

Ty ate TWO pieces of pumpkin cake! It was so fun to watch him. He loved all of his gifts and dessert. He is just such a good boy! I love this little guy sooooooo much!

4 years and counting...

February 2005

February 2006

February 2007

February 2008

February 2009

February 2010

Valentines 2010

In honor of Valentine's Day, I wanted to do a post highlighting some of many things I love about my family, starting with Todd. First and foremost, I love that he loves me and chose me to be his wife! I love the 10 years we have spent together, and the beautiful family we have created. I love that he worked hard in his education so that he can provide for us, and I can stay home with the kiddos. I love his family, and I love our life here in Boise!

He may not believe me, but I love that he is a dreamer. He is SO creative and full of ideas. Every now and then I do have to get his head out of the clouds, but I do love that side of him. I love seeing his eyes light up and hear the excitement in his voice when he tells me about his latest and greatest idea. There definitely is a million dollar idea in that noggin!

I love that he is SUCH a great dad. Like most men, Todd comes home from work tired, hungry, often frustrated, etc., but is ALWAYS ready to take the baby or tickle the girls. He is bombarded from the second he walks in the door, and he never complains. He can tell when one of the kids needs a little extra daddy time, and he makes it happen. He is very in tune to our childrens' needs, and puts them first because he wants to, not because he should.

I love his support and belief in me. Todd has played in integral role in my business and it's success. Even during the years that my business was really more of an expensive hobby, he could see the potential and kept me motivated when I wanted to throw in the towel. He is so understanding when I get called to a birth at 2:00 am, and is thrilled for my success. Would it be too cheesy to say he is the wind beneath my wings? Probably, but I said it anyway because it's true!

There really is only one thing that I don't love about Ty: his inability to sleep through the night! UG. But other than that, he is 100% lovable! I love how he loves me. How he lights up whenever he sees me coming towards him. I love how he loves to snuggle. I love how when I walk into his room to put him to bed, he instantly puts his head on my shoulder and starts humming while I sing him his lullaby. I love how he loves being a part of our family. He is always so excited when the 5 of us are just hanging out together, and he gets to crawl all over everyone and be involved. He is the perfect addition to our family!

Just thought of one other thing that I DON'T love: how quickly he is growing up!

So much about Magsy is cute, funny, adorable.... Her voice, animation, body language, all of it cracks me up and brightens my day. I love her zest and personality. It is really hard to explain unless you know her, so I am not doing her much justice.

Magsy loves to snuggle, and still seems so tiny. I love picking her up and dancing with her. She has such a natural ability with dance, and we love dancing together. We had a ward Valentine party on Friday, and while all the other kids were running around the gym, Magsy and I were practicing ballet. We have SO much fun together.

Selfishly, I love that Mags still lets me call the shots now and then. She can throw a trantrum, but usually will settle down quickly and come to grips with whatever limitation I have set. I also selfishly love that when she is tired she doesn't fight it. She often asks if it is time for her to go to sleep yet. Ahhh... A child who loves sleep. I love that!

Bronwyn becomes more and more lovable all the time. Obviously, I have always loved her, but life with her hasn't always been easy. I love the huge amount of progress she has made. I love her courage. Just last week she was at the Pediatrician, and the nurse commented on how fast Bronwyn's little heart was beating. I knew she was nervous, because any medical appointment makes Bronwyn feel very anxious and nervous. But she was sitting quietly, and being very agreeable with the nurse. I was so proud of her. She is really growing up and trying hard. In every setting of her life I have seen so much improvement. Overall, she is happier, more confident, more loving, more friendly, and more agreeable. I LOVE how much stress that takes off of the family, and I LOVE that she isn't being held hostage by her issues anymore.

I love watching Brownyn gain her own testimony. Her eyes light up when we teach her gospel prinicples, and she frequently asks to hear stories about Joseph Smith and Nephi. She loves Primary and Family Home Evening. I love hearing her correct adults who will simplify church stories! Which takes me to the next thing I love about her, her AMAZING memory. This child remembers EVERYTHING, and it is hilarious! She will bring up the most random things from literally years ago, right out of the blue. I will ask her how she remembers that, and she will reply "That's just how Heavenly Father made me!". So funny and awesome.


I love that both of the girls love to sing, since singing was such an important part of my childhood. They love to make up songs, and will often sing to me instead of talk to me. Here they are singing their latest song: "The Nature in the Breeze". Enjoy!