Trials

I just watched THIS video, and it was a much needed reminder to me that trials and adversity are often the catalyst to help us become who we really want to be...and who Heavenly Father knows we were meant to be.

Kindergarten Graduation

Do me a favor and pretend it is not now three months later and that summer break isn't already over ok?

When we moved to Utah there were just 4 weeks left of school here and so I had decided that there was no point in sending Jack to school.  Well, about 5 days into that plan I realized that with me sick as a dog with morning (ie all day) sickness, and the business of house hunting, Jack needed more in his life.   So a midst some strange, but kind looks from the local Elementary school secretary, I enrolled Jack in Kindergarten for three weeks.

It turned out to be perfect!

He got to be in the same class with his cousin.

His teacher, Mrs. Bailey was an ANGEL (the two of them bonded on the first day.  It is so nice when someone else loves your child as much as you do.  I am so bummed I didn't get a picture of her!)

And he joined the class just in time for all the fun end of year field trips (Zoo, Dinosaur museum etc...and field games.)


Plus both sets of grandparents got to come watch his cute Kindergarten graduation program where he announced that he wanted to be a lawyer when he grows up. (Chad!  Did you hear that?)
(mom...dad...?  How long are you going to be in Australia again?  Seeing this picture reminds me how much we miss you...not that we need reminding really.)

Love that little boy!

For the record, Marian (who I love) was TERRIBLE during the entire program.  She kept crying (perhaps yelling) because I was videoing Jack and not her during the program.  Sharing the spotlight is not her strong point.

Thank you

Just a quick thank you to the man we don't know, and doesn't know us, who unbeknownst to us volunteered in church last week to mow our lawn and then just showed up and started mowing last Wednesday night.  Thanks also for making Marian feel so special by stopping the mower to take time to kiss the picture she drew for you and then carefully folding it up and putting it in your pocket as if it were a treasure.

Thank you to my Aunt Barb and cousin Julia who showed up with McDonald's chicken nuggets and decorated cupcakes for dinner.  My kids thought they had died and gone to heaven.

Thank you to my "Boston Family" The Englunds for the beautiful flowers you sent

Thank you to the neighbor (who I haven't actually met) who just called and offered to put together a birthday party for Marian.  Apparently Marian has invited the neighborhood girls to her birthday party tomorrow...so fun...I had no idea!!  I wonder what Marian had planned on doing!  This super nice mom said she figured that there wasn't really a party since I was on bed rest but that she would be more than happy to throw Marian a party at her house tomorrow. How nice is that?  I told my neighbor that she didn't need to throw Marian a party but we would love to have her girls over for cake and ice cream tomorrow night.   We are doing family parties this year (which we have told Marian about several times) and for Marian's b-day activity Chad is surprising her (SHHHH) by taking her and Jack horse-back riding on Saturday.

Thank you to the other neighbor who brought me a box of "Sweet Tooth Fairy" treats to enjoy in bed.

Thank you to my mom's amazing next door neighbor Wendy (my next door neighbor too when I was growing up) who came over the week after I was put on bed rest armed with a bag full of delicious produce from her garden, home made bread and jam, and a listening ear belonging to someone who had been on long term bed rest with several of her own children.

Thank you babies for staying put! (Even though your nightly 11to midnight dance parties are keeping me awake, I actually love the re-assurance it gives me).

Thank you to my dear dear Boston friend Brianne who has been in my situation before, and calls me every week to encourage me and see how I am doing, even though I know it must bring back difficult memories for her.

Thank you to the next door neighbor who I could hear mowing his lawn a little bit ago...and now I can hear him mowing ours.

Thank you to my mom's friend Cynthia who called me last week to say she was coming over the next day because she had heard that our usual Tuesday helper was sick.  Thank you for vacuuming and not telling me my kids were poorly disciplined and out of control (when clearly they were) and for driving Marian to dance class, Jack to track, and stopping at the grocery store to buy things you noticed we were out of.

As always, a ginormous thank you to my weekly Angels (Megan, Liz, Anne, Heather, Grandma Jean, Alicia, Grandma Marian, Nina, Sonia, Evan and Linda, and Hillary) for doing for me and my family, what we can not do for ourselves!

THANK YOU!

Do you have?

If Jack were a blogger...this is what he would say:

Do you have a cool uncle and aunt who fly in from NYC to take you and your sister to Bear Lake for a weekend (so your parents can have a break)?

I do.

Do you have a cool uncle and aunt who let you drive the speed boat?

I do

Do you have a cool uncle who lets you hang on the back of his life-jacket while he water skis?

I do!


Do you have a cool uncle and aunt who buy your sister presents (note the fancy earrings)

even after she wouldn't stop crying because the boat was "too scary"?

I do!
-Jack

Thank you Adam and Katie!  Jack and Marian had such a great time and are STILL talking about the trip.  (Katie- FYI, Marian keeps asking if she can go to CA to visit your brother Will and his puppy Sadie.  The dog may have been the highlight for her!  Well the dog and the earrings!)

1st Day of Preschool

Marian started Pre-school right after Labor Day and she couldn't be happier about it.  An incredibly nice mom in the neighborhood has a daughter in Marian's class and so three times a week she picks Marian up and brings her home.  Each time Marian comes in the door with a school bag full of crafts and projects that she has done.  The pre-school is awesome.  Thank you Alicia for telling us about it!

 

From the Mouth of Babes

Marian:  Mom!  The doctor gave me shots today!

Me:  Oh no.  I bet that hurt.  Were you so brave?

Marian:  Nope!

Jack:  I'm not good at basketball
Me:  Well what do you think you could do to get better
Jack: I have no idea.  I will never be able to make a basket
Me: Whining about it isn't going to make you any better
Jack:  It doesn't make me any worse

Lucy:  I want popcidules!  (popscicles)

Jack: (after spilling root beer IN HIS EYE...don't ask how that happened)  Oh great!  Now we all have pains!
Me: what do you mean?
Jack:  You have pains from the babies (I had just sneezed and it really really hurt my sides), dad has pains from work, and I have pain from root beer.
Chad: what pains do I have from work?
Jack: it makes you so tired

Lucy:  (from her crib at 6:45 am)  Daddy?  Daddy?  I wake now.

Jack:  At track today...if it had been a real race...I wouldn't have won the gold or the silver, but I would have won the BRAWN!

Saturdays

Saturdays are pretty low key around here these days.  There is usually a trip to Costco and Home Depot (for Chad and the littles) and then lots and lots of College Football.  I am not even going to talk about the BYU-Utah game last week because let's be honest, it is not worth mentioning.  So let's just skip that and enjoy this picture.

The kids LOVE to cuddle with Chad on the couch.  They also love to wrestle with Chad on the couch.  It's pretty much a mandatory Saturday event around here.  Lucy however thinks it is horrifying and no matter how much everyone tries to explain to her that it is just for fun, anytime Chad wrestles with Jack and Marian she desperately tries to get Chad to stop!  It's so cute...and so sad.  Eventually I can  usually convince her to come sit with me on the couch where it is safe.

p.s. When I took the curlers out of Marian's hair the next morning she looked in the mirror then squealed with sheer delight, "Jack, Jack!!!! Come see!  I look just like a poodle!"  It was true.  Fortunately she thought that was a good thing!

Bed rest: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

4 weeks down (literally) and 12 (hopefully) to go till these babies have reached full term.

I keep getting lots of questions about how bed rest is going so here are my answers:

THE GOOD:

I have so many "Angels" that come in and help us with the kids, cleaning, and meals on a daily basis...that's another post all by itself.  The outpouring of love is overwhelming

It's working.  I've been to the Dr. twice since being put on bed rest and our prospects are really good!

It has given me time/forced me to reflect on what kind of wife and mother I really want to be.  And what really matters

I am getting lots of things done I NEVER would have otherwise

• read Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (for the second time)
• read Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother (Fun read but I am not a fan of the Tiger mother mentality)
•  stitched 100's of stitches in a cross stitch- pictures coming soon.  It's pretty awesome
• made 2 scrapbooks 
• read more blog posts than I care to mention (was I the only person who didn't know about Nienie dialogues?)
• learned all about aeronautic history playing Geo-Safari with Jack
•  watched just about every Mormon Message video (they are awesome...you can watch them here)
• researched every baby name we are considering...multiple times
• shopped for my dream nursery bedding and decor on-line at Pottery Barn Kids.  I haven't ordered anything...yet. 
• praised Amazon prime daily.  Free shipping..love it.  Free streaming of Downton Abbey...life saver!
• decorated my living room, kitchen, and family room...in my head...several times.  It has become clear that I need to bring in a professional to help me pull it all together
• mastered the easy level of Sudoku
• played kids Bingo in bed with Lucy and Marian about 100 times

THE BAD:

Chad has to be Mr. Breadwinner by day and Mr. Mom by night...and late night...and early morning  (it's not bad because he's bad at it...but because that is a lot for just one person to do).  Single parents...HOW DO YOU DO IT?

I miss being the mom and doing the mom stuff like baths, walks, back to school night, pick up and drop offs at school, and running errands.  Boring stuff like that.  I really miss it.

I am no longer the supreme commander of our home.  That means that grocery shopping is done at Wal-mart (sigh), Lucy and Marian often take creative liberties in their clothing choices, kids aren't always super crisp and clean for church Sunday mornings, and Oreos, corn-dogs, and Mac n Cheese are now staples on weekends.

I miss feeling useful.  I know growing these babies is the most important thing for me to do...and no one else can do it.  But I do feel a bit like the concubine in Pearl S. Buck's "The Good Earth"  big lady, lounging around the house all day, demanding to be fed and cared for...while denying other people their personal needs...yep!  That's me.

I feel like my muscles are going into atrophy.  Some days I feel like I can see the pregnancy chub taking over any muscle mass I may have had right before my eyes.

I miss family Sunday dinners (but I do appreciate the plates of food Chad comes home with)

I miss being able to use my body!  I fantasize about dancing in the kitchen, walking down the street, exercising, picking up my kids (not so much Jack...he's huge), and riding a bike.  Oh, jumping on a tramp sounds about like Disney Land to me right now.  Ok not while I'm 6 months pregnant with twins but you know what I mean.

I miss homemaking.  Don't laugh, but I miss being able to clean the kitchen and straighten things up before bed.  I never was a super tidy homemaker...but in my bed rest mind...I sure would be if I had the chance.  But don't count on it until a solid year after the twins are born!

THE UGLY:

Kids cry for me and I can't go to them.  They cry when they need help, when they're hurt, and when they're scared at night. It really is the worst to have to just lay there.  I often think of the part in the Christmas Carol where the ghost of Marley is tortured by seeing other people in need but he no longer has the ability to help them.  Such a desperate feeling.

Kids are smart and know that they can get away with more around me.  I need to come up with better from-the-bed disciplining because the Jack vs. Marian fights are getting OUT of CONTROL.  The fact that my kids have never been shy around or intimidated by other adults doesn't do me any favors either.

Even though I feel a great deal of peace and optimism in regards to this  pregnancy...always in the back of my mind is this fear that this will all be for naught...or that this is just the beginning of this trial.  I know need to push those fears and doubts out of my mind, and I will work on that.

Good news is, my schedule is pretty open tomorrow (and the next day and the next....) so I've got time!

Happy Birthday Jack

Back in July- this awesome little guy (who is not so little any more turned 7)

I LOVE Jack!  I love his sweet smile, his big heart and his love of monochromatic clothing.  I love how he asks every night, "what's the plan for tomorrow?" I love how he always wants to include his sisters in whatever he is doing. I love the way he walks in the door from school with a big grin on his face and can't wait to tell me all about his day.  I love that he still loves to run.  I love that he is a pro at making his bed every morning.  I love that he will serve me whatever I want to eat (Nutella sandwiches, jell-o and cereal are his specialties) while I am stuck on the couch or up in bed.  I love how Jack is friends with everyone.  I love how he is fearless: high dives, water skiing, wave running, Alpine slide, and speed boat driving...for example.  Most of all, I love that I get to be his mom.


For his birthday we surprised him with a trip to "Cowabunga Bay" water park.
He was THRILLED!

Jack rode every ride!  The boy is truly fearless...much to Chad's enjoyment!

Lucy loved the water

Marian liked not getting too wet and not going on slides taller than she

Chad liked getting a little rest.
Good thing too because this was PBR (Pre Bed Rest) and he was going to need all the energy he could muster soon.


That night we celebrated with the requested "Green Lantern birthday cake"
(I think the only reason he even knew who the Green Lantern was, was because of the Happy Meal toys at McDonald's)


It was so fun to have our good friends the Donahoe's in town so they could come celebrate with us.

I LOVE this boy!  

Hope

My mom (who is awesome) sent me this video after reading my last post...it is too good not to share.

Hope

I've been studying the principle of hope today.  Here are some scriptures and quotes that have helped me the most.

Just as doubt, despair, and desensitization go together, so do faith, hope, and charity. The latter, however, must be carefully and constantly nurtured, whereas despair, like dandelions, needs so little encouragement to sprout and spread. Despair comes so naturally to the natural man!
From here


The principle of hope extends into the eternities, but it also can sustain us through the everyday challenges of life. “Happy is he,” said the Psalmist, “that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God” (Psalm 146:5). With hope, we can find joy in life. We can “have patience, and bear with . . . afflictions, with a firm hope that ye shall one day rest from all your afflictions” (Alma 34:41). We can “press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. 
From here