What is Love?

My sister and I always joke about how different our husbands are from most of the other guys we dated back in the day. When we were young and in high school, the stereotypical displays of affection scored big points. There were dozens and dozens of love notes, flowers, obviously well-thought out dates, etc. I have to admit too that we seemed quite skilled at manipulating (don't know about that being the nicest word) our followers into producing these love tokens (we knew how to be clear about what we wanted, and we got it :). Fast forward to now. I've been married for almost 9 years, we have four kids, a dog, a house to take care of, a fridge to keep full, a sink to keep empty, a job to bring home the bacon, some seriously time-consuming church responsibilities, etc. Going into our marriage, I knew John would never win any awards for "leading romantic man." All of his love notes were occasion cards, just not the occasion we were celebrating. My valentines card was a "Get Well" card. For my birthday I received a "Sympathy" one. And it was rare that John actually signed his name. Most of my love notes from the time were from "Travis." The first time John tried to give me a flower (bought from a lady on the pier), his approach was so comical, I seriously thought he bought it as a joke for his friend Todd who happened to be with us. I think the whole event ended with him throwing the rose in the ocean. Our first kiss....I won't even go there. Let's just say we both agree it would win awards for "Least Romantic Kiss."

But here is the point. I don't have a Costco membership. John signed up with his mom before we were ever dating, and it never seemed to be a problem until the last year or so. We liked going to Costco together, it was kind of fun. But now with all the demands on our time, it is really hard to find a night we can squeeze it in. I know we need to fix this, but that is another story. So the other night I ran out of milk (I hate that I'm in that stage of life where I run out of milk). Considering everything else I needed at Costco, I decided we better make a trip. I asked John if we could pick him up for lunch and head to the Costco by his work. Nice hubby that he is, he agreed. Well, lunchtime was coming and he called. He said he'd just meet us at home, we'd go to the one down here, and that way he'd be able to help me unload it all before heading back to work. Now THAT is romantic. The kind of romantic that doesn't win awards, but leaves a bigger mark on my heart than flowery words and plants. Right before he called, I was thinking about how much I was not looking forward to unloading everything and putting it away.

We get programmed in our culture to assess love based on the things the world has deemed "romantic." But really...what is more romantic? What is a better indicator that our spouse loves us? I love my husband. I love that he changes diapers, that he does the dishes WHILE he's watching the kids so I can take care of the Young Women. I love that he goes to work everyday even though there have been times it was total misery. I love that he will drop anything to be with me when I need him. I love that not only did he not get upset with me when I backed into his car, but he felt bad that I was so upset. I love that he shares the computer and the tv :) I love that he never complains when we are having another crappy dinner. I love that he lets me put my cold feet on him at night. I love that he'll give me his jacket even though it is my own dang fault that I didn't bring one. I love that he pushes me to do things that are in my best interest. I love that he never complains about how much I like to hang out with my family. I love that he takes out the trash. I love that he'll get up in time to take Carston to school every day. I love that when he's all out of options to lift my spirits, he never fails to resort to tackling or tickling me. I'm so blessed to have such an amazing husband who loves me in the ways that truly matter.
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1. What other grown man climbs on the M&M in New York? 2. Is it really that funny when you get in my shot of the shower I like? 3. Why in the world was it so important for me to get on your shoulders? 4. I don't think any other 30 year old man had as much fun as you did in the subway-nor was there another wife more embarrassed :) 5. Do you see my frustration in trying to get a picture of us we could actually use?













(Chelsey-John no longer has legitimacy when he calls you a "poser")

Dear Miss Kate

Dear Miss Kate,
I would really appreciate it if you would stop crawling on top of the dishwasher. It struggles even without your weight atop of it. And while you're at it, do you think it would be possible to stop eating the dog's food and splashing and dumping her water all over yourself and the floor. I know Daddy would really like it if you quit stealing his toothbrush and either sucking on it or putting it in the toilet (if you can't do both, I'm sure he'd prefer you give up the toilet thing). Macy would be very happy if you stopped crawling into her room when she is trying to go to sleep. And I'd like that too because it would mean less yelling and screaming from her. Oh yeah, about feeding the dog.... It is really kind of you to share your food with others, but the pattern of one piece for you, one piece for Sadie, one piece for you, one for Sadie....I don't think that is working out. I think it makes her a bit lazy in licking up all the crumbs. What dog would go after such a lousy tidbit when they get the jackpot every time you are put in the highchair? That was supposed to be my perk in having to take care of a dog. So yeah, that one would be great if you could swing it.
Love Mommy
PS-It would also be nice if you stopped being Sadie's partner-in-crime getting into the garbage.
PSS-If you could just leave all the movies alone, that would be great as well.
PSSS-Just because something is within your insane reach doesn't mean that you have to pull it down (ie. food on the table, drinks on the table, the lamp in the girls room, Carston's homework, the piano books, Carston's legos, mommy's paperwork, etc).

Following in Grandma Robin's Footsteps

When my mom was a young lady, she was in the Junior Miss pageant. It was quite the big deal back in the day. Not only did she WIN, but she also won an award for her hairstyle which she designed herself. If I had the picture, I'd scan it for everyone to see. Her hair was a little past her shoulders, and she curled one side under and flipped the other side out. They had pictures taken from all angles to make sure it was well documented for replication. Switch over to Avery. Just like her grandma, she doesn't like to follow the crowd. Who wants to follow trends when they can start them right? I'm sure many people in my family have probably been embarrassed by some of the things she comes up with that I let her walk around in. I just can't find it in me to make her conform. I don't want her to follow the crowd or conform in other areas, so why not let her gain confidence and be happy expressing herself in her appearance? Anyway, the other day, she topped herself for sure. She came up with this little winner.

"I want this side pulled back in a ponytail, but I want this side to be down around my face. And you can put these pretty, sparkly ones in it."

So what do you think Grandma? Could this one be a prize winner?

Kate's Birthday Bash

Kate wasn't quite sure what to make of her candle or her personal birthday cake. After a taste though, she dug right in!For someone who doesn't really like cake, I always am surprised by how much I enjoy making them. I have a REALLY good recipe that uses a cake mix if anyone is interested :)

Everyone except for Kate was really excited to open her presents.

Mommy! PLEASE FIND A DAY!

This girl is SOOO ready for the potty. I keep feeling guilty remembering how the other two had accomplished the feat of potty training long before the 2 year 7 month mark. Dang preschool and 1st grade. All those trips driving to drop off and pick up sure make it hard to stay home for a day with the floor covered in plastic and towels. And dang all the after-Christmas clearance. Because those sure aren't helping either. I can't miss the Target clearance (mutiple times and multiple stores). Or the Dillards New Year's day one. Or the Kmart pj's one. Or the Barnes and Noble one. Or.......Sorry, I got distracted remembering my personal store that is nicely organized in the basement. Back to the story at hand. My little go-getter seems to be taking it upon herself. There is a chocolate chip prize for any pee-pees in the potty. At least five times in the last two days she has taken it upon herself to get her diaper off while I'm running in to find her peeing on the pot. Very exciting. However, tonight when she took off her diaper after she pooped.....NOT so exciting. I love this little girl. She has one huge independant streak that I'll have to try and keep up with!

December Sayings

Carston
*Avery was upset with me because I put her footsie pajamas in the "too small" box. In response to her whining Carston said, "That's what I hate about being 6...not being able to wear footsies."
*I was pushed to my limits one night with all the sick kids. When I went to say prayers with Carston that night he asked that "everyone wouldn't be whiny tomorrow, that Kate wouldn't throw up" etc. It made me cry knowing he was sensitive to my struggle and did the only thing he could think of to help me.
Avery
*I was talking to John about how Avery's imagination slows her down in her reading. Two minutes later I had this example. We were reading one of her books from school. She was on the last page of the story, but on the opposite page was her new words to practice for the next book. She stops mid-sentence when she sees "rat" on the new words page. "Rat, rat, rat...there's a rat in the house!...There's a rat at the wedding!" It took her a little while to remember that she still had a few sentences to finish reading!
*We trained Sadie right from the start to sleep with Avery. She came out one morning and said excitedly, "Sadie slept in my bed for like HOURS!"
Macy
*I asked Macy to help me get Kate's jammies, so she took off down the hall shouting, "Power Girl to the rescue!"
*"My Carston is my BEST buddy!"
*Before Christmas ever arrived, Macy went around telling everyone that Santa was bringing her a present and a dog.
*Avery was being sweet to John when we were getting everyone in the car. "Daddy's the BEST!" she said, to which Macy responded, "Yeah, and Mommy's the WORST!" I'm glad she knows her opposites :)
*Macy likes it when she thinks she's being funny. We were all driving in the car one night, actually quiet and peaceful surprisingly. Out of nowhere Macy says, "Mommy, Carston's crying. It's hurting my ears! Tell him to stop crying!" She was pleased with herself when everyone laughed :) That same night she thought she was pretty clever when she said she'd done a "burpstar" instead of a regular old burp.
Kate
*Kate was sick a lot in December, which meant a lot of waking up in the night. I was so tired after getting up several times with her that I finally sent John in. He took her out and she was just screaming and freaking out. He tried a bottle, changed her diaper, everything he could think of. Meanwhile I was in the room thinking it was a waste to make John get up since I couldn't sleep with her screaming. Finally he brought her in, I took her, and she quit crying immediately. Apparently she was just freaked out with the change in her nighttime caretaker :)
*John came home from work one day and Kate greeted him with, "Hi Da Da! Da Da!" I cant get her to say "ma ma." Instead of imitating me she just smiles and usually says "da da!"

Mothering

"Motherhood brings as much joy as ever, but it still brings boredom, exhaustion, and sorrow too. Nothing else will make you as happy or as sad, as proud or as tired, for nothing is quite as hard as helping a person develop his own individuality, especially while you struggle to keep your own."
--Marguerite Kelly and Elia Parsons

"...how grateful I am during those moments for the teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ...to know that my work as a mother -- and it IS work -- is the most important thing I could be doing in my life and is worth every effort...Through His tender mercies, a loving Father in Heaven allows those days of absolute exhaustion to come punctuated with moments of incandescent joy."
(unknown, taken from a friend's blog)

"The greatest job that any mother will ever do will be in nurturing, teaching, lifting, encouraging, and rearing her children in righteousness and truth. None other can adequately take her place.”
President Gordon B. Hinckley

The Hand of God

Did anyone else try to copy Elder Eyring and his journal about seeing evidence of the Lord's hand in his life, and in the lives of his family members? He said, "I realized that trying to remember had allowed God to show me what he had done...[I] urge you to find ways to recognize and remember God's kindness. It will build your testimonies." This has been so true for me over the last few years. Even on the day where everything seems to be going wrong, there is evidence that God is watching over me. Here are some simple examples:

*Because it was a crazy Sunday for both the Mr. and I, it meant I had to take all 4 kids with me to a meeting at the Stake Center for youth leaders. It was right after church, the kids were tired of being still and quiet, and Moosey fell asleep in the car when we drove over. So there I went down the hall with a sleeping 2 year old in my arms, a baby trying to hold her own bottle while she toddled around, and two other kids following behind. When I got to the small room, it was way more packed than I had anticipated. There didn't seem to be a seat for me let alone for all five of us. As I passed through the open door, my sweet neighbor and visiting teaching companion saw me. She came right out and said she'd watch my kids for me (since she was in the presidency and already knew the information they were giving). I hate getting help, and I'm stubborn about doing things on my own and being able to take care of myself, but I was left without any other option. She probably didn't think anything of it, but it made me know that God was aware of me, and that He would provide a way for me when I needed it.

*Every day, there is a small window between picking up Miss A. at preschool and then the Little Mr. at his school for Moosey and Miss K. to get a nap in. I frequently have to wake them up to get the Little Mr.. It was VERY obvious that Moosey was tired and needed a good nap. I tried to get her down as quickly as I could, but she needed a diaper change in the middle, so she fell asleep a half hour before we had to leave. Obviously, I really didn't want to wake her up. My cousin has her daughter at the Little Mr's school, so I thought I'd call and see if she was doing carpool that day. When I called her, she said she wasn't, but she'd been debating all day whether she should pick up her daughter so she could get a picture of her in her "Little House on the Prairie" get up. She said she'd love to go pick him up. Again, she probably thinks little of it, but for me, it brought tears to my eyes because it was a big deal for me, and I knew God was watching over me.

Again, these seem like small simple things, and if I wasn't looking for them, I'm sure they wouldn't move me in the way they did. I probably would have brushed them off. But because I was looking for it, it was as Elder Eyering put it, the Holy Ghost helped me see what God had done for me.

Down Time

Our nights are usually crazy trying to fit everything in before bedtime so the kids don't wake up tired. The other night was such a blessing though. We had about an hour where we were just chilling. I was sitting on the couch, Carston snuggled up so he could tell me about his day, the girls were dancing to some sweet tunes. Even Kate was joining in, trying to spin and put her arms out pretty like she was one of the big girls. Pretty soon, Carston was showing us the steps he was learning in school (one, two, three, bow...One, two, three, stop). Then it turned into Avery and Carston dancing together and me showing them some basic lifts (John was wondering if he needed to step in at this point, but the look on my face was enough to tell him he had better not :). It was just so nice. One of those nights where I look around, surrounded by people I love more than life, and realize how blessed I am. I wish I could have bottled up the evening and saved it to enjoy again and again.

Miss Kate Leaves Zero Behind

I can't believe that Kate is one today. I know everyone already says it, but time seems to fly by the more kids we have. I am so grateful for this sweet little girl. She is so good tempered and just goes with the flow in our crazy, busy house. I'm constantly having to wake her up early from naps, throw her in the car, make her skip naps completely, and she just rolls with it, always waking up with her cute dimpled smile. I remember a year ago when she was born. We didn't find out if she was a girl or a boy. Both my mom and I had bought lots of newborn boy clothes, so when I pulled her out and saw she was a girl, I was VERY surprised. We brought her home to a house full of sick kids, kept her locked away in our room for the first month while I changed clothes every time I went to take care of her :) It was quite an adventure for me! But I'm so grateful we get to have her as part of our family. She has blessed my life since the time she shared my body with me :) Here are some things to know about Kate:
1. She has the cutest dimpled smile, and she is never slow to share it.
2. She thinks it's fun to laugh along with anyone who's giggling-Macy and her were cracking up at the fish at the doctor's office the other day :)
3. Whenever John is wrestling with the kids, she heads over as fast as she can to join in the fun.
4. She LOVES sneaking into Macy's room and crawling up on her bed (much to Macy's dismay if she's in there: "NOOOO KATE! NOOOO! MOMMY KATE'S GETTING IN MY BED!)
5. If the gate to the stairs is ever left open, she bolts over as fast as she can to crawl down. She gives herself away though because she gets so excited and starts laughing :)
6. She is still a big baby: 24 lbs. (88th percentile) and 31.25 inches (97th). She has also decided to follow in the footsteps of her siblings and join the "head-size off the charts" club :)
7. She is a snuggler. She has been giving hugs forever. I love it :)
8. She is constantly moving around, getting into cupboards, pulling clothes out of drawers, spreading napkins all over the floor, taking all the movies out, etc.
9. She often stops in the midst of her roaming to find me for a quick snuggle. Then she's off and crawling again.
10. She is currently walking 1/2 the time and crawling 1/2 the time. She gets excited when she's walking (which can sometimes cause her to fall), but she often resorts to crawling when she's in a hurry to get somewhere.
11. She likes to growl :)
12. She actually pets our dog Sadie. Literally pets her instead of "petting" which involves mauling and poking eyes out.
13. She gets super excited when we go to Grandma's and starts giggling when we're going up the walk.
14. She is currently trying to master the sippy cup and often exclaims in frustration when it won't come out because she isn't holding it high enough.
15. She'll play with actual toys only as a last resort. She'd much rather spend her time investigating other things.
16. She shares a room with Carston, and he usually prays that she won't cry in the night (she did that a lot over Christmas when she was sick :)
17. Much to my liking, she has remained a Kate, and not a Katie (although I think Macy slips that one in every so often :)
18. She likes to help herself when she's hungry. She usually smells like pretzels because she can most easily get to those in the pantry.
19. She LOVES taking baths. She likes to lay stomach down, push herself up on her arms with her legs straight out, and rock back and forth.
20. She is obsessed with getting a hold of John's toothbrush.
21. Her middle name is Leta in honor of my Grandma Gladys (Leta means "Glad," even Grandma would have been opposed to using Gladys :)
22. We love her so much and can't imagine our life without her sweet little spirit.

Late Christmas Pictures...

Our last surprise from Christmas...our new doggie Sadie. I owe it all to my friend Micaela :) She came over this summer and told me about her prompting for her daughter of, "She needs a dog." Avery seems unable to get enough snuggles, so I'd been praying about that for a while. The phrase, "She needs a dog." would not leave my mind, so I jumped on board :) We looked long and hard to find the right dog for our family. It wasn't easy with all the requirements. We needed a dog, not a puppy because Mommy has no time to train one with all the other munchkins she's training. We needed one that didn't require 1-2 hour walks (I don't know how those dogs find the right home). We needed one that would be gentle with all our kids, especially little Miss Kate. I wanted one that would bark to alert visitors-or more importantly strangers-but not one that barked incessantly. One who didn't shed too much would be a plus as well. Anyway, we scoured the ads online (I can't believe how many dogs, especially puppies, are out there). We even went to an animal shelter, but it was too hard to get a feel for the dogs since they were in such a strange environment. Finally, we found one on KSL, so I sent them an email as quick as I could. The family had so many responses they removed the ad within a few hours. They decided to let their 12 year old daughter pick the family, and we were her first pick! We took Kate over and met her, and we felt like she'd be a good fit. She is a good dog, and I'm grateful she's now a part of our family. She likes to sleep and cuddle up with Avery, she cleans up after Kate when she eats, she plays with Carston, etc. We probably have a few more weeks of adjusting, and we want to fine tune her training so she can have more freedom, but we are pretty happy with things. I think it was a good choice not only for Avery, but our whole family.

Avery and her snuggle buddy-3 year old Sadie

Kate likes to pet Sadie and try to steal her food. They have a lot in common :)

Macy was all tuckered out after celebrating Christmas. That's what happens when you run on full speed every waking moment :)

Carston loved his ninja costume and video game :) He also got a video camera so I'll have to start posting some of his things :)

First Surgery in the Family

(Sorry it is blurry-it's a phone picture)
So after everything we've been through the last 3 years with Avery's ears, she went in this morning and had tubes put in. I'm so filled with gratitude for Heavenly Father, for him guiding and directing us as we prepared her so she would be able to be calm and unafraid (she does not have a good track record relating to anything medical). I feel like John and I were also guided with the various decisions we had to make throughout this journey, and we were able to feel peace. I was really impressed with the Utah Valley Hospital. The had a great program we went to a few days before for kids who were having surgery. Avery got a hospital doll that she drew a face on, they took her through all the steps she'd go through when she had her tubes put in. I know if we didn't go to that, it would have been another story entirely. She was so composed and cooperative this morning-there were no tears and no cries for her mommy. She told me after that she was a little shy there, but overall, everyone there made her feel so special. I'm grateful for that. I guess it is common for doctors to recommend an adnoidectomy when kids get tubes, but John and I decided against that, and I feel good about that decision. It would have made the surgery a much bigger deal than it was.

I kind of had a hard time when I realized that we were out of options and Avery would need the tubes. She has been struggling with her ears for about three years. Throughout all that time, John and I prayed a lot about what we should do, routes we should take, etc. We tried several different things, and they'd work for a time, but the trouble would always return. I never wanted to do the tubes though, and I knew people thought I was crazy, but I just never felt like we should. So when we found ourselves on this path, it was hard for me. It made me doubt my ability to be in tune, recognize, and follow the promptings of the Spirit. I wondered if it was my own fears that had pushed me away from tubes rather than the Spirit. If that was the case, then what kind of a parent was I? Over the last few days though as I have studied the scriptures, the Lord as truly blessed me. I feel like I was guided to study the things I did so the Spirit could speak peace to my heart. I first read about Nephi obtaining the plates. Here was a very righteous man, and I'm sure he was praying for guidance as he sought to obtain the plates from Nephi. But he didn't reach the objective on the first attempt. He didn't even reach it on the second attempt. Was it because he couldn't recognize the Spirit? Of course not. But there were other purposes that needed to be accomplished, other objectives he did not understand, that were accomplished through his failed attempts. Another day I was studying about the early saints of the church. They relocated at least four times before they found a place of refuge. I'm sure everyone was praying that they'd be led to the right place. And yet, even as they were being led, they weren't immediately led to Salt Lake. There was a reason why the Lord led them to the other places first, even if those places did not offer the sanctuary they were seeking. The last thing I read about was Zion's Camp. It was organized with the purpose being to help the persecuted saints seek redress and recover their property. They traveled almost 1000 miles, suffered hunger, thirst, fatigue...And in the end, when they reached the saints, they were disbanded. So, did that mean that the Lord did not lead them to organize the camp? No. To those who were a part of it, they thought the purpose was to help the saints, but the Lord had another purpose unrelated to that. It prepared many of those involved to lead and guide the saints to the Salt Lake Valley.
I don't understand why I was guided to try all these other things for Avery's ears, when in the end, none of them were the final solution. But I do trust that I was guided, that there are purposes and reasons I do not know about or understand, and I'm so grateful for the insights and comfort I've received this past week as I've studied the scriptures. I know that is one of the most powerful ways for the Spirit to speak to our hearts. I'm grateful for a Heavenly Father who loves me, and watches over me and my family. I am so blessed.

I'm so glad I'm not the last one to post about December and all its festivities :) It seems like my life continues to get busier and busier (I guess that's what happens when I keep popping out kids :) but I really do love almost every minute of it and want to remember all these sweet moments with my family. I was awful about getting out the camera this year though, and I vow not to do that again because the pictures are what trigger my memories. I do need to let myself off the hook a little bit because I was dealing with a sick baby the week of Christmas. I'm the awful mom whose baby threw up at the Christmas Eve party where 50 of John's relatives were gathered. I was impressed with myself for holding back the tears long enough until I got home. I felt so bad knowing that everyone would be pretty upset if their kids woke up puking on Christmas. No one wants that. I've got the best sister-in-law though who sent me a sweet text telling me not to worry. Little kindnesses truly do go a long way. Anyway here is my catch up :) And I still have a few more to come...hopefully.

December to Remember

Things to Remember

-Staying home on Christmas day
-Doing the puzzle I missed last year
-Carston complaining that no one else had to do Math homework over the break
-Sledding with all the kids
-John's "sledding" hill in the front that is taller than he is
-Macy saying, "Oh Thank You Mommy! Thank You!" after opening each present
-How Avery was so excited to play Mary in the nativity. She had her little grin on for the whole thing.
-Our Christmas tree ending up bare for the bottom three feet because we had to keep moving all the ornaments out of Kate's reach
-Performing surgery on Avery's gingerbread house as a last resort to keep it together (we did succeed!)
-Black Friday shopping by myself from 11 that night until 8 the next morning
-John pushing me straight to bed and letting me sleep until late afternoon when I returned :)
-Sick little Kate, so sad to see her devoid of all energy and strength
-The pile of laundry that never ended as a result of all Kate's vomit and poop :)
-Avery's ear rupturing again, me feeling like the worst mom, and finally calling the ENT
-Arranging our Christmas surprise
-John getting mad at me because I kept saying, "Let's not get each other any more presents...we already bought the freezer and saw" (maybe I am a bigger scrooge than I want to admit)
-Candy cane cookies-and me once again wondering why I always pick such labor intensive ones for the cookie party (they were good though!)
-Realizing half-way to Salt Lake that I forgot the stroller for my field trip to the Children's Museum with all 4 kids by myself (we survived-thanks Micaela for the tickets). I also lost my parking ticket before making it out of the garage. Apparently I've lost part of my mind as well.
-The Lord helping me do things that did not come naturally in order to serve a loved one
-Probably the only Christmas (past and future) we had a good present for my Dad
-Making the big Christmas breakfast myself because Mom was gone. Luckily John and Randy were there to help out.
-A Sunday birthday. Not the most exciting day for a birthday. John tried his best, but there isn't a whole lot you can do.
-My kids wanting to know where the decorations were for my birthday, when I was going to open my presents, what about my cake, and when were my friends coming over for my party
-Me deciding that as much as I hate disappointing my kids, I did not want to clean up decorations, I already opened John's present, I did not feel like making my own birthday cake, and my family, i.e. my friends, were all out of town so they better not get too excited about a party :)
-Kate getting the raisins out of the pantry, prying the lid off, and helping herself
-Carston's internal battle between wanting to read before bed but not wanting to give up all the fun late-night activities abundant in December
-Carston being in heaven because the 1/2 hour electronic allotment went out the window for Christmas break
-Mom going crazy because of all the electronic time going on!
-Lots of singing and practicing with the Laurels
-WAY too much sweets and candy sitting around the house

I want to add more, but I'm out of time...maybe later :)

Miss Independent

Macy decided she's not waiting for Mommy to catch a break in her schedule. She's going to do the potty training all on her own.

Avery's Dance Class

Avery's dance class had a day where parents could come and see what they did each day in class. It was so much fun to watch her. I love not knowing how my kids will act when it is their first time doing something. Like Avery and her Primary Program. She went up to the mic to do her part and just stood there for a while looking around. We didn't know if she'd spit it out, if someone would try to help her and she'd bury her head, or what. She ended up spitting it out so cute on her own :) Anyway, right below is a picture of her and her buddy Ava. Ava is pretty serious when it comes to dance, she's afraid to do anything wrong and gets anxious if she thinks she messed up. Avery vacillates between being a leader and a follower. In dance class, she tends to follow Ava's lead. At the end of each class each girl is supposed to have a time to dance all by herself showing her "favorite steps." Ava has always refused and Avery follows her example. They just barely did it for the first time (probably because the teacher let them do it together :) Needless to say, I was curious to see what she'd do when everyone was watching. She did just fine, doing all her steps, no tears when she stumbled. I loved the little grin on her face when they did their jumps. One of the other highlights was John doing the "Obstacle Course" with her. I think he missed his calling as a ballerino. He definitely showed enthusiasm. I told him it wasn't right to steal the spotlight from the little girls. Anyway, I love Avery. I can understand more how my parents lasted through the HUNDREDS of hours of dance recitals.

Sunday before Christmas

I thought Avery looked adorable. All my kids did, but this Sunday was even busier than usual so the only picture I snapped was in the changing room :) This year, I led the Laurels in planning a special Christmas program to share with all the youth. It was a lot of work and practice, but I was really happy with how it turned out. We highlighted people involved in the Savior's birth. The Laurels researched their person and then wrote a few paragraphs about that person, what it would have been like, what we could learn from their example. After each person shared their thoughts, we had a song for each person's perspective. I found some really beautiful songs. I shared some thoughts at the end about the examples of the people present that night. Would we have responded as they did, or would we have missed out because we allowed various things to hold us back. We also talked about giving a gift to the Savior. You know, many times, it can be hard to fulfill and magnify my calling. It is a huge time commitment and it can be hard to balance the needs of my family. It is also hard emotionally sometimes. I love these girls so much, and when they are struggling or face difficult challenges, there is a weight upon my shoulders that I cannot shake and that brings me to tears. But it is worth it. Times like this program, when I know that hearts have been touched, that they have been pushed closer to the Savior, it's amazing. I know I'm a better person because of the work I've been honored to do. Anyway here are some cool songs we used:
Breath of Heaven
Joseph's Lullaby
Bethlehem Dawn
One King
If I Had Been in Bethlehem

Bye-Bye Grandpa and Grandma

This Christmas was pretty different for me and my family. Each year, John and I try to respectfully split time between our two families. I am definitely a family girl, and I struggled in the past to miss any part of "My family's" Christmas (or any other holiday's) festivities. It took 7 years of Christmas Eve before I found myself tear-free and reasonably patient for the party with his side to end. Well, this year brought a first. This was the first Christmas that we didn't have either my Grandma or Grandpa with us. It has been pretty hard not having them as a part of our lives (I'm bawling just writing this). But it has of course been the hardest for my mom. It turned out that Heather would have to stay in Texas this year, Chelsey would be there with her in-laws, and we all thought it would be a blessing for my mom to have this Christmas in a different setting. So my parents and brother went there for Christmas. The night before they left, we had a little party with them. My mom gave them some cute PJ's and slippers, we watched a movie, and just had a lot of fun. I am so grateful for my parents. I know I am so blessed to have such loving, unselfish, good people to call mom and dad. Just today my mom took Avery for most of the day, let her run errands with her, and just made her feel so special. And my sweet Dad spent hours putting together their Christmas presents. My parents would do anything for me without hesitation. I love them.

Here's miss Kate. She found the Marshmellows later and helped herself :)

My little fireball!

Avery's excited to have something else to love :)

Gotta love Macy's mood swings!