Here he is chatting with the ceiling fan and chewing his fingers, two of his favorite things. He is so excited in the afternoons when the big kids come home...I get boring by 4pm! We are really enjoying our time with him (even though he is growing up WAY TOO FAST!).
Thursday, September 08, 2011
Sweet Sixteen
Here he is chatting with the ceiling fan and chewing his fingers, two of his favorite things. He is so excited in the afternoons when the big kids come home...I get boring by 4pm! We are really enjoying our time with him (even though he is growing up WAY TOO FAST!).
Tuesday, September 06, 2011
I Have a Confession to Make.
Back in the day...
Labor Day Birthday
Niles will be 16 weeks old on Thursday---hard to believe he's grown so fast.
The gift James opened was the 25th Anniversary Edition of Michael Jackson's Thriller album, complete with a fun DVD. The kids LOOOOVED it! They do love to boogie.
Saturday, September 03, 2011
What Needs to Be Done
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Yesterday, September 2nd, was the anniversary of my grandfather’s death. While I was sad thinking of the surrounding circumstances and loss of this time last year, mostly my feelings were positive. Mostly I was thinking, “We made it! Look what we’ve done in a year!” I woke up ready to make a memorial offering of my day and I think I did a pretty good job.
First of all, I sent my kids off to school and my husband to work and I played with my baby. I fed him, I snuggled him, I bathed him and lotioned him and sang him into his morning nap. I did a half hour of smooth flow yoga on BYUTV, and then started my business for the day. I filled out papers and made up treats for my kids’ teachers expressing gratitude for their hard work. I cleaned up the kitchen and took the baby to deliver treats and paper work to the schools before lunch began. My Addie was sick, so I brought her home and we shared a salad and Emergen-C drinks, trying to make and keep our bodies healthy. I took a rest with her and Niles. Rich came home early today and we moved the bedrooms around so Grandma Lyn will have a comfy place to stay when she comes to visit us. We cleaned and beautified. Then I made dinner and we invited friends over to share the bounty, then attended a baptism. The closing song was “I Know That My Redeemer Lives,” and as I folded my arms at the end of the song I thought, “This is the perfect ending of a perfect day. It’s the kind of day Grampy would want me to have. And know what? I DO know that my redeemer lives and THAT is why everything is okay.”
Last year on September 3rd, I woke up with a sadness hangover and felt totally justified staying in bed to cry and sleep. As I rolled over, a voice spoke to my heart and said, “Get up and do what needs to be done.” Grampy worked so hard to teach me to stop being self-absorbed, to think about something besides what I wanted to do or how I felt. He taught me to see the bigger picture of being about our Father’s business daily. I felt that the best way to remember him on that day (and every day) was to get up and do what needs to be done.
And I have done a lot. In a somewhat prophetic move on my part, we chose as our family theme last school year ,”I Can Do Hard Things.” I had NO IDEA how hard the year would be, and how exquisitely joyful and beautiful, too. I did a lot of Hard Things. I stayed home with my family when I wanted with all my heart to travel to the funeral , because that’s what needed to be done. I endured another pregnancy and gave birth to a beautiful boy because that’s what needed to be done. I walked a zillion miles and cut out sugar and refined foods and made hundreds of meals and read voraciously and repented and forgave and hugged and snuggled and washed the clothes/dishes and made new friends and taught dozens of lessons and wrote hundreds of blogposts and letters and took the sacrament and meant it because that’s what needed to be done.
The veil is too thick yet, at least for me, to obey out of pure love for my Father. I wish this weren’t so, but it is. I am often selfish and natural, and I forget Him too often. But somehow it’s easier to try to follow Grampy’s counsel. With him, the veil seems thin, my memories of him are strong, and his example is fresh in my mind. I like to think- -I hope--that Grampy is kind of a bridge, and that someday my relationship with God will grow and mature to be like my relationship with my grandfather and my life will reflect it consistently.
Meanwhile, it’s time for me to get up and do what needs to be done this sunny Saturday. I’m thinking of my extended family today, especially my Gram. I hope yesterday was as peaceful for you! Thanks all of you for your examples and for carrying on so gracefully.
Thursday, September 01, 2011
Back to School
Heidi at her locker, right outside Mrs. Meador's room.
Heidi was so excited to have her very own desk this year!
Our Busy Week
That sober face just cracks me up. "Being a baby is serious business."
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Last Thursday we went to play at the ranch for one last hurrah. I failed to take pictures of most of the fun, but I did get Addie and Izzi playing on the beach.
Heidi is ready to let loose, too!
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We had a super fun time at the activity, then we had a double date with the Petrys. Their daughter Hannah babysat for us and we all went out to play games and chill at the ranch house. We'd originally planned to see The Red Elvises at Pine Creek, but didn't want to pay a cover charge for a band we'd already seen for free. It was really fun and something we need to do regularly! Needless to say, that was a very busy Saturday and we were so dang tired on Sunday, we won't be out late on a Saturday again any time soon. I did sharing time, then came home and crashed. It was a great last weekend of summer for the kids.
Monday, August 22, 2011
FAMILY LETTER 07.28.19
Dear Loved Ones, We have just ...