Examples

I've had a lot of things running through my mind lately. Deep thoughts. Figuring out the life lessons the Lord presents me with. Trying to really learn them. Does anyone else have the same trials over and over and over again? Hmmm, seems to me an indication that I am obviously not learning from them.

Mortality is difficult. Everyone is struggling with something. I am grateful for blogging. It has it's cons as does everything but, I'm mostly grateful that I have been able to learn from the examples of wonderful people I feel privileged to call my friends as I've read their blogs.
 
In the Fall of 2007 I found the blog of a girl I had known my freshman year at BYU. She was exemplary in every way and I was thrilled to read her blog and learn from her experiences. Immediately I contacted her so that we could get together as it had been years since I had seen her. She had a little girl who was 2 at the time and I had a 3 month old.  The experiences she shared about mothering and children in general on her blog affected me deeply. I can't even recall all the ways that she inspired me and influenced the decisions I made as I grew into the role of motherhood. They are numerous!

On July 4th her husband, who was also in our ward freshman year, passed away after a 5.5 year struggle with brain cancer. Now she is a widow at the age of 29 with a 6 yr old daughter and an almost 3 yr old son. Reading about their faith throughout this trial has strengthened my own and I am in awe at how remarkable these people are. How Christ-like in very deed.

About a week later I received news that another friend of mine's son (who is 16 months) contracted e coli poisoning and was diagnosed with HUS. He has been in the hospital for almost a month now in critical condition as his body fights the infection. He lost some of his lower intestine and his kidneys are barely functioning on their own. They have 2 older children as well.

I have been humbled by these 2 tragic events as they happened so close together. I am amazed to watch (read about) my friends' faith as they go through these trials. I am grateful for the love and humility that comes from suffering- our own and those whom we love.

As I've been reading and studying April's General Conference I think I can say that Elder Johnson's talk "More Than Conquerors through Him That Loved Us" is my favorite. I think of the Trumans and the Todds as I read these words.

"It is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we came here to acquire."

"The furnace of affliction helps purify even the very best of Saints by burning away the dross in their lives and leaving behind pure gold."

I think faith and the spirit of optimism is contagious. I pray that I can have as much faith as my friends. May the Lord bless them.

"What greater goodness can we know 

Than Christ-like friends, whose gentle ways

Strengthen our faith, enrich our days."

{Each Life That Touches Ours for Good}

Pioneer Day Repost: Nauvoo, IL

*I've never done a repost before but, as I am preparing for Singing Time in Primary on Pioneer Day I kept thinking about this post which expresses so many of the feelings I am having today so I decided to repost this from July 2009.*

The long awaited Nauvoo post...

We arrived in Nauvoo on a Tuesday afternoon and it was raining. Some of our plans were put on hold due to the wetness. Azure did get to dress up like a pioneer though. And we got to play some pioneer games.We were surprised to find out that Nauvoo doesn't have any quality places to eat. If anyone's up for starting a business, start a Pioneer type food restaurant there and you will do well for yourself! We did find a buffet that wasn't too bad, but Azure had a meltdown during dinner due to her lack of sleep and Charles had to take her out. A man saw him struggling with her and said, "Someday you'll miss these times." I think he's right, but today wasn't that day.

Lest you think we didn't enjoy our time here, the next day was amazing! Everyone was caught up on sleep, and it was a bright, sunny day. Charles went to the temple first, and then I got to go.
What a beautiful temple! The greatest thing about this temple is it's history. It was burned in 1848 by mobs, but rebuilt in 2002. This is the temple that most of the early members of the church received their endowment in and were sealed to their families. That was the strength they needed to make the long trek from here to Salt Lake. Having made eternal covenants here in the temple, bolstered their faith when they had to bury their children, fathers, and mothers, on the plains. Knowing that they were sealed together as a family here in the temple, and that they would be together again in the next life is what helped them to keep on walking, leaving graves behind. How I love and admire them for their faith!

Statue of Joseph and Hyrum on their way to Carthage, never to come back.

The Mississippi River

Joseph and Emma's house

The red brick store, owned by Joseph Smith. The Relief Society was organized here and also the completion of the translation of the Book of Abraham. The first endowments were also given here before the completion of the temple.

We also saw the pageant which we both enjoyed. It was a little late for Azure, but she did okay.
This is a very tender view. As Joseph Smith and those that were with him were led to jail in Carthage, IL, they looked back at the unfinished temple for the last time. I imagine they saw something similar to the above picture.

Along Parley St. as you come to the Mississippi, there are markers with quotes from the Saints as they left Nauvoo for Salt Lake. In regards to the temple, and the above picture, this is one of the most touching:

“I was in Nauvoo on the 26th day of May, 1846, for the last time, and left the city of the Saints feeling that most likely I was taking a final farewell of Nauvoo for this life. I looked upon the temple and City as they receded from view and asked the Lord to remember the sacrifices of his Saints.” -Wilford Woodruff

We, too left Nauvoo via Parley St. on our way to Carthage and could not help but cry tears of sorrow and joy.
More tears were shed in Carthage Jail. We sat in the room where Joseph, his brother Hyrum and other friends were, when the mob broke in, rushed up the stairs, and shot them to death. In front of this window is where Joseph stood.

As he was shot, he fell out this window.
The bullet holes remain in the door. I'm crying again as I write this post. Words can't express my deep love for Joseph and the life he lived. I understand better my relationship with Jesus Christ because of Joseph's example and teachings. I know he was truly a prophet of God. I didn't need to go to Nauvoo or Carthage to know that. But, as I walked where he walked and stood where he died, the spirit of God couldn't help but confirm to my heart for the millionth time that he was the Lord's chosen prophet and that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true!

I was saddened at the fact that he died so young but, remembered a scripture that brought me comfort:

"Many have marveled because of his death; but it was needful that he should seal his testimony with his blood, that he might be honored and the wicked might be condemned" (D&C 136:39).

We loved Nauvoo and can't wait to go back!

Vince at 17.5 months

Vince is a completely different baby than he was 2 months ago. I am in awe at his developments.

As far as physical development goes, for the past month he has been able to get up and down the stairs with no problem so we took down the gates. He walks 75% of the time and crawls about 25%, usually when he's unsure of the terrain or when he's experiencing social anxiety with unfamiliar people watching him. He also struggles to keep his balance when wearing shoes. It's been interesting to watch him ease into walking over the past 2 months. I didn't start allowing him to self-feed with a spoon until we moved to our new place at the end of April because our old dining room was carpeted. Now, that we have tile I let him loose with a bowl full of yogurt or applesauce. He still gets quite a bit of it in areas other than his mouth but, he's improved since the end of April.

My boys wearing chacabanas at Tybee- perfect attire for a beach wedding (John & Tara's)!

His ability to communicate has sky-rocketed! Signs he knows: dog, cat, bird, bath, butterfly, horse, bear, car, star, more, please, eat, cheese, thank you, flower, sleep, sad, hurt, shoes, fish, dada, hat, water (using 1 finger instead of 3), ball, train (not perfect but, I recognize it), baby, hot (this is Savannah in the summer! He signs this and says it whenever we get into our 120 degree car after it's been sitting in the sun), brush teeth, bug (not perfect but, I recognize it), and airplane. That's 30! I would have been shocked to know he could do 30 signs right now 3 months ago!

Words he can say: dada, mama, azure, babo (globo/balloon, bubbles), tweet-tweet (bird), all done, ma (more), ut-oh, eat, cheese, please, thank you, flahw-flahw (flower), no, I don (I don't- think he got this one from Azure. He hates getting his diaper changed. 90% of the time he cries and tries to roll off the changing table. "I don" is what he chants during most diaper changes. It's always a wrestling match with a lot of screaming. Not my favorite thing to do), Hi (this is usually accompanied by a wave), at (hot & hat), teeth, ball, and Gi-Gi (Jesus). 20 words.

Directly in front of his high chair is a pic of the Newport Beach temple. He has learned to put his little fingers together like a spire and sing, "I" in perfect pitch with "I love to see the temple". I switch between singing that song and "I am a child of God" to him every night before bed. He instantly recognizes those songs and "Jesus wants me for a Sunbeam". It's so fun to see his face light up when we start to sing them.

I am still nursing him 2x a day. In the mornings and before bed. My original plan was to omit the morning feeding and just keep the bedtime feeding around 18 months but, there is something so special about waking up to him in the morning, sometimes groggy myself, to just sit in the quiet darkness of his room and glide together in the glider. He is so serene when he first wakes up and he looks up at me with such love and trust with his big, beautiful blue eyes. I'm not ready to give that up. So, I'm not.

Since we still only have one car we've done a lot of dropping Daddy off and picking him up from the hospital where he's doing his residency. It also happens to be the hospital that Vince was born in. As soon as we pull into the parking lot, Vince always says, "Dada!" and sometimes does the accompanying sign. He's beginning to recognize places outside our home.

He has a keen sense of awareness and is a great listener. He will frequently sign words that he overhears me saying to Azure. For example, a couple days ago Azure asked for something and I told her she needed to say please. Immediately Vince said, "Peas!" and did the sign. Azure followed suite.

Nicknames: Chunk(a)-monk(a), Chunk (this is what Azure calls him most of the time and it makes us laugh for 2 reasons. 1) It's the name of that kid on Goonies and 2) He's really not that chunky), Chubba, Vincey.

He is improving in his social development as well. It takes him awhile to warm up but, once he does he interacts well with both children his age and adults. He has gotten a lot more independent the last few months which I am so grateful for! He can play upstairs in his room alone for up to 20 mins while Azure & I are downstairs. Yesterday we went to the soft play in the mall and he did pretty well playing with the other kids there.

He now has 11 teeth. 4 molars (2 on top, 2 on bottom), top front 4, 2 bottom, and number 11 in just this week (bottom left incisor? tooth).

He has his 18 mo checkup in 2 wks. After that I'll update this post with his height and weight.

I love this stage of increased independence!

My Country 'Tis of Thee

Let it be officially known that the 4th of July is my 2nd favorite holiday! Or did you already know that?

I should report how blessed we feel to be living in our new home. At first we wondered if we shouldn't just save money and live one more year being squished and cramped in our little 2 bed condo. But, we're so glad we made the decision to move here. With every new home we move into I feel more and more like a real homemaker where I'm able to decorate and be a "real" adult. We just bought our first couch Memorial Day weekend and have for the first time in our 5 yr married life, a real living room! It's such a blessing and a desire of my heart fulfilled.

We bought a 9 cube organizer which I'm using as our "mantle" to decorate for the season. Here's my 4th of July decor:

This was great fun! Waving flags while humming (by humming I mean saying "knee, knee, knee") the tune "You're a grand ole flag, you're a high flyin' flag" aka "Do your ears hang low?" These are the joys in motherhood I try to relish to get me through the times when both of them are whining and screaming while I'm trying to get dinner on the table. But, look at their faces. It's totally worth it right?

I love my boy!

We were blessed to spend 4th of July weekend for the 2nd year in a row with Evelyn & Mike! One of the greatest blessings in life is to spend time with friends who truly know and love you. I was happy to soak up some much needed Ev time (it had been a yr). So happy in fact that we forgot to take pics together apparently :(

We had high hopes of a rousing game of The Declaration of Independence trivia and a reading. Didn't happen. Hopefully next year.

We did do some sight seeing with the Smallwoods. We hung out at Tybee for a couple hours in the evening while the kids played in the sand and the water.

On the menu we had BBQ chicken (brined and grilled by my fabulous husband), corn on the cob, pasta salad & a patriotic berry trifle made with Ina's flag cake instead of pound cake. The 4th of July dessert is always the crown jewel. This year didn't disappoint.

The day of we headed to Hutchinson Island to watch the firework show on the Savannah river. Charlie didn't want to pay $3 to park so we explored the island and found a new housing division filled with empty lots and a golf course where we could watch it for free. We had fun walking and exploring except for when Charlie got attacked by fire ants. They crawled all the way up his body and even got a bite on his face! And the rest of us got attacked by mosquitoes. Wish I would have brought the bug spray.

Silly girls (& crawling boy)

We brought our camping chairs and the kids sat in the jogging stroller while we watched the show and oohed and ahhed. We left a little before the grand finale so we could beat the traffic off the island. We ran and made it just in time. The kids crashed on the way home so we weren't able to do our own fireworks. Overall- a splendid holiday.

Azure thinks before she speaks

I asked Azure not to put water on the table with her paintbrush. She paused for a moment and asked, "Mom, what does 'who cares' mean?"

With  my eyebrows raised I replied, "That's something you never say to Mommy or Daddy. It's very rude."

"Oh, ok."

I'm impressed with her critical thinking skills and her ability to use them before speaking!

Summer 2011 Fun List

It's summa-time!

One of my favorite things to do as a kid was make a summer to-do list every summer. I've usually kept it up but, realized that I've skipped making one the last few years! To mend this atrocity I am now publicly posting our list on the blog.

source

• Go to a waterpark- CHECK (We went to Summer Waves on Jekyll Island. So fun! No pics :(

• Ride bikes on Tybee- CHECK (We did this on May 21 to celebrate our sealing day, an extension of our anniversary. A new family tradition!)

• Go to the Georgia Sea Turtle Museum-CHECK (This was a double whammy right after Summer Waves since they're only a mile apart)

• Make a summer treat for our neighbors

• Beach trips to Tybee and Hilton Head- So far Tybee 6 HH 0

• Berry picking then making homemade ice cream from said berries

• Sing "America, The Beautiful" in Sacrament to celebrate Independence Day with 2 of my beautiful voiced friends- CHECK

• Splash in the pool in our backyard- CHECK

• Play in the water at Hull Park- CHECK

• Play in the water at Forsyth Park

• Take a trolley tour downtown- CHECK (Did this with Miah & Trini)

• Take a romantic evening stroll downtown through the squares sin chillens- CHECK (part of our anniversary date)

• Have monthly girls' night outs (Jen, Cassie & I had our first one eating frozen yogurt and shopping at Bed, Bath, & Beyond last week. I love girls' night!)

• Have a "sleepover" with Azure in our living room. Watch a movie, eat yummy treats, build a fort and sleep in it all together.

• Make homemade popsicles

• Go bowling

• Have a waterballoon fight 

• Go swimming in the pool on post with the Coopers- CHECK 

 

• Go to the children's $1 matinee with the kidlets. Azure still has yet to see a movie in the theater yet!- CHECK

This list is still in progress. What do you plan to do this summer? I need more ideas to add to our list! Please share. Happy Summer!