An "I Am" Poem - last one for today =)

I Am…

I am a modern, Mormon woman.
I wonder if I am doing enough to please God.
I hear a voice telling me to be more, do more.
I see the vision of where I am going and it is awe-inspiring.
I want to be with my family forever in God’s presence.
I am a modern, Mormon woman.

I pretend to have it all together.
I feel like my life is as fragile as a bubble, it can fly or pop at any moment.
I touch my soul when I sing hymns of praise.
I worry about my children every single day.
I cry when I see them struggle and go through pain and heartbreak.
I am a modern, Mormon woman.

I understand the divine plan God has for me, for us.
I say “Stand for What is True” and “Be Strong in your commitment to it.”
I dream of the peace and joy found in Celestial Realms.
I try to teach my children righteously and to be a light to the world.
I hope someday to hear the Lord tell me he is pleased with me.
I am a modern, Mormon woman.

~Lori Bottomley 2011

An Onomatopoeia Poem

This poetry form requires the use of words that sound like what they are. You be the judge of how well I incorporated that into my poem! =)

Bowling for PE Credit

Bowling with my daughter is such a fun experience!
First, you pay the cashier with a swipe of your card to
get your shoes and a lane.
Then off to pick a bowling ball, with a thump and a
heave ho to pick the right size.
They clunk and
clatter as she tries each one. Oh, this one feels
just right!
In the background you hear the other bowlers and it
can be a little intimidating.
The noise is loud and balls shoot down the lane
and end with a clash, a smash, a bang!
Pins falling here and there crack through the air.
And over the top is the occasional exclamation of other
bowlers squealing with delight as they bowl a
strike or a spare.
You must watch carefully, as you won't hear the
silent disgust or the bitter disappointment of a
gutter ball...the sound is short and hollow, but
the faces say it all and a pounding of the air with fists
confirms the defeat.
So there she goes, rolling her first ball down the lane.
She tiptoes carefully, taking a few practice swings to
get her aim right.
Then, lets her RIP! A strike? A spare? A gutterball?
Let's just say... she's done them all!

~Lori Bottomley 2011

I'm a bit frustrated with blogger as it won't get my formatting right on this poem. So far, this is the best I've been able to manage. I have some fun indents that add to the imagery. Darn it all!

More Poetry

I've been participating in a little poetry challenge on one of my email lists. It's really been a lot of fun. I had forgotten how much I enjoy writing poetry. When I was in high school I wrote a poem that was entered into a national contest. I was one of only 2 chosen from my school to enter. Over the years, I've written poems to express the deepest feelings of my heart. I remember watching my older 3 children playing in our backyard one day, and instead of getting some chores done, I sat and wrote a poem about how I felt watching them. Tom has been the recipient of a love poem or two from time to time as well. As have other family members. Anyway, these short little ditties I've been writing this week, needed a place to be shared, so I am posting them here for your enjoyment. And...so that I will have them documented somewhere until I can archive them. LOL You can tell what my week has been like just by reading my poems. They read like an intinerary of what I've been doing this week. hahaha Starting with the Sleeping at Gramma's poem and moving forward from there. =)
This is a Cinquain Poem:

Field Trip

A noisy bus

Loud singing, kids chatter

Thrilled my son wants me to be there

Rare times.

~Lori Bottomley 2011

Spring Senses Poem

Spring looks like the dawn breaking out of the night.
Spring sounds like the chatter of children playing tag.
Spring feels like the freedom of going without shoes.
Spring smells like freshly mown grass after the rain falls.
Spring tastes like strawberries and cream.

~Lori Bottomley 2011

The FHE Limerick

Tonight was Family Home Evening
We play games and watch Chuck routinely
Then a lesson for you
From our dad and mom too
Then we end with prayer and some singing!

~Lori Bottomley 2011

A Tanka Poem:

Music from my heart,
is the purest expression
of my love and soul.
When words are not enough to
tell the deepest parts of me.

~Lori Bottomley 2011

Sleepover At Gramma's

A little Haiku for your enjoyment:

Sweet giggles erupt

She smiles as she hushes them

Sleeping at Gramma's

~Lori Bottomley

In the picture are my three grandsons, Carson, Aiden, and Danny, along with my daughter Brianna. Not every gramma is lucky enough to have 3 grandsons who are less than 5 months apart! Life is good!

Heavenly Music

I decided that it was time for me to put a new post on here. Sorry it has been so long! I feel like 2009 got the best of me, yet, I learned how that feels and now, I've decided that will not continue into the new year! So, among the things I am getting back into touch with, is the joy I have of writing. And, since I love music so much, it seemed appropriate to use that as my first topic of the new year.

I love all kinds of music from pop to jazz, classical to broadway...yes, even country! haha I'm not super fond of rap...but hey, I'm old, so that's to be expected right? However, nothing can touch my heart, or bring me more joy, than singing sacred music and hymns that express my deep love and gratitude to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This music pierces my soul and allows me to express feelings that words alone aren't adequate to express. I am privileged to sing in a choir that performs all varieties of music. Yet, when we sing the sacred songs, there is a spirit present that is palpable and real, and I go home feeling a deep sense of love and gratitude. How grateful I am to a Heavenly Father who loves me enough to give me the gift of music in my life!

If you want to know about my choir, Resonance Vocal Ensemble, go to www.resonanceve.com where you can listen to music clips or find out when our next performance is.

I found this beautiful video of Andrea Bocelli singing The Lord's Prayer with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. There is a moment in this song, where I literally got chills and my heart beat an extra beat. I am sharing it here so you can see what I mean about sacred music. Hopefully, this video will be able to stay viewable from here for a long time. I will be listening to it over and over...I promise you! =)

Enjoy!

Il Divo in Rome

I loved this video and wanted to share it with you all. I am a devout music lover. It speaks to my soul and is the voice of my soul. I also have a strong connection to my Heavenly Father. I try to make Him the center of my life. This song reflects both that conviction as well as the beauty and love I have for music. ENJOY!

Finally! I blog again! (My Job)

I cannot believe how long it has been since I posted a blog! So much for my attempts at using it as a journal! lol Oh well. The joy of life is that we can always pick up where we are and go again. So, I downloaded some new pictures onto my computer and will blog a few entries about the milestones that have gone on in our family the past few weeks...ok, couple of months. Sheesh! I always have to be so darn REAL about it. =)

So, what has kept me so distracted that I didn't take a minute to send out into cyber space an update of my life? Mostly, it has been my job. What a strange place I find myself in at this point in life. I never thought that I would be the one with the professional career and Tom would be working behind the scenes picking up what I can't get to. Yet, that is pretty much what our lives have come to right now.

And, I find myself having strange moments of awareness that our roles have completely switched. For instance, I rarely think about what is for dinner anymore. Tom will suddenly ask, "What would you like for dinner honey?" Thursdays are the only days I pick kids up from school anymore. It seems so weird to pull into the carpool lane and have the new aide not know which kid I am there for! We've only been at this school for 11 years now! You guessed it, Tom is the chauffer for most things right now. Another strange moment was when the other day, he was counseling me to take a break. "Go read a book honey." What??? Usually, you can't tear me away from a good book and the occasion of mom reading means ramen for dinner for a night or two.

I've also noticed that when I am with others, I don't know what to talk about anymore. The major part of my life has been work and work related stuff. How interested can someone else really be in how many people registered for our latest workshop, or whether or not our website is up to date? So, I find myself doubting every casual conversation I have wondering if I am boring people to death or if I am really listening to what THEY have to say.

I always thought I would be a SAHG...stay at home gramma. That is what I always thought I wanted to be. And I do....to some degree. I discovered that I do find a great deal of satisfaction in completing a job well done at the end of the day. I also enjoy the knowledge that I have gained as I learn some very useful information about the business world. What I know is that I want to create that part of my life in such a way that there are plenty of SAHM, and SAHG moments. Because as fulfilling as my work is, and gratifying as it is to be a life coach and watch lives change before my eyes, the lives that truly matter to me are those of my family. I want to be a meaningful part of their lives and know that each moment I had with them was precious and full of love...and I want there to be plenty of those moments to look back on and remember!

I have learned much as I step into the professional world. The biggest thing I have learned is that nothing will ever match the joy I get from spending time with my family, and lovin' on my grandbabies, and reading to my son, and chatting with my girls, and snuggling with my sweetheart. So, thank goodness I have them in my life to tug at me and say...time to put the computer away mom! I want to eat! =)