Open the Heavens

David, Isaac, and Abby were all sick today. So, even though I offered to stay home and watch the babies to let Dave sleep (he didn't sleep all night long and more than once last year when I wasn't feeling well I wished with all I had for just one time that Dave could miss class or call in sick to work or miss Guard and let me have a morning off; so I wanted to do him that same favor), he still was good enough to ship me off to church.

What a glorious gift that was! I can't remember the last time I got to sit through Sacrament Meeting and LISTEN to all the talks and THINK about what was being said and how it could/should be applied to my life; what I needed to repent of and change; how I could better serve God and be a part of His great work; what my family needed to thrive, etc. It was SUCH a blessing! Then I got to go to Sunday School and the lesson was JUST what I needed that day to remind me of some weaknesses I have that I can improve upon. Then I went to Relief Society and the lesson was PERFECT as well -- filled with so many uplifting, empowering messages that left me literally floating on air and just so excited and happy to be a woman, to be alive, to have the Gospel, to have my little family, to have the Priesthood in my home, to get to visit sisters in my ward and learn to know and love them, etc. It was amazing! I felt like the heavens just opened and the revelation poured down in abundance!

There was one part of the RS lesson that really caught my attention. At the very end, we read this quote from the first prophet of our church, who restored the Church of Jesus Christ in these latter days. He said, speaking to the women of the Church, though it really applies to everyone:

“If you would have God have mercy on you, have mercy on one another. … We are full of selfishness; the devil flatters us that we are very righteous, when we are feeding on the faults of others. We can only live by worshiping our God; all must do it for themselves; none can do it for another. How mild the Savior dealt with Peter, saying, ‘When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.’ [Luke 22:32.] At another time, He said to him, ‘Lovest thou me?’ and having received Peter’s reply, He said, ‘Feed my sheep.’ [John 21:15-17.] If the sisters [love] the Lord, let them feed the sheep, and not destroy them. …

“Sisters of the society, shall there be strife among you? I will not have it. You must repent, and get the love of God. Away with self-righteousness. The best measure or principle to bring the poor to repentance is to administer to their wants.”

“Notwithstanding the unworthy are among us, the virtuous should not, from self importance, grieve and oppress needlessly, those unfortunate ones—even these should be encouraged to hereafter live to be honored by this society, who are the best portions of the community. Said he had two things to recommend to the members of this society, to put a double watch over the tongue: no organized body can exist without this at all. … The object is to make those not so good reform and return to the path of virtue that they may be numbered with the good. …

“… Search yourselves—the tongue is an unruly member—hold your tongues about things of no moment—a little tale will set the world on fire.”

“The little foxes spoil the vines—little evils do the most injury to the Church. If you have evil feelings, and speak of them to one another, it has a tendency to do mischief.”

“Do not injure the character of anyone. If members of the Society shall conduct themselves improperly, deal with them, and keep all your doings within your own bosoms, and hold all characters sacred.”

It is so true -- all of it! So my new goal (though not for the first time) is to completely avoid saying anything negative or harmful about anyone.

Ebbs and Flows

Wow! Has it really been two months since I posted anything on here? What a two months it has been, too!

Dave got through AT and then we went to Boise for him to photograph his sister's wedding. It was a beautiful wedding, and he did a GREAT job with the pictures. He also finished his summer class and his SMART Orientation in California. Last Friday (Aug. 14) was actually his last day of work at Schweitzer as well, so we have ONE week to just enjoy each other and life and pull together some last odds and ends before the next school year starts! Crazy! We're planning on taking the babies backpacking in the Seven Devils, just outside of Riggins. It will be an experiment for sure -- both in their endurance and our strength to carry them -- but it will be a LOT of fun! I'm really excited!

I celebrated my REAL 29th birthday in July! I can't believe this is my LAST year as a 20-something. But 30 is the new 20, right? Dave surprised me with a late birthday party -- we went up to his sister's in Spokane, she babysat while we did sealings in the temple and then we had a bbq and poolside party at her apartment complex (she had TWO cakes -- cheesecake and german chocolate, Dave made chicken and fat free everything -- french onion dip, my favorite potato chips, diet root beer, etc.). After that he surprised me with a cruise -- a lake cruise, that is, of Coeur d' Alene lake. The weather was perfect, and though we would never spend the money to do it again, it was a nice day on the ferry and very fun to just get away. Then he surprised me by choosing and buying me a new dress for church -- a skirt and top combination, actually. We probably should have stopped with one, but while he was picking through Ross's selection, he found so many things he liked that we came home with three skirts, two dresses, and two tops! I'm already planning on returning one dress and one skirt! ;-D A girl just doesn't NEED that many new items for church once a week!

Isaac and Abby turn the big ONE next Saturday! Can you believe it has already been a year? I sure can't!

Abby is Abby -- cute as cute can be, a prima donna, true sugar and spice and everything nice. She has her two canine (vampire) teeth coming in on the bottom, though they are taking their sweet time and I'm not sure they'll beat the ones on top that are threatening to peek through as well. Her hair is growing in and just so, so, so CUTE!!! And she really is just so sweet! I can't think of a better word to describe her than that. She's a timid explorer, but a curious little explorer just the same. And when she isn't sick, she is getting just bold enough to take ISAAC'S pacifier instead of sitting back and crying every time he takes hers. She's going to be a challenge for him one of these days -- and he's going to regret all the times he pushed her around, let me tell ya!

She has been sick once a month since May -- same thing: fevers to 104-105, loss of apetite, vomiting, lethargic, etc. I've been doing some research, though, and found that this is all very similar to the symptoms for what they have termed PFAPA. The cure, though no one knows why, is to remove their tonsils. So we need to do some autoimmune system tests to first rule out anything there that might be causing all of this and then I'll start talking to specialists (though I'm not exactly sure who or what that means) about this other thing and maybe getting her tonsils taken out. She also got a cold last week, which she has since shared with every member of the family (Daddy being the latest recipient and, unfortunately, the greater casualty).

Isaac is Isaac -- isn't it a relief? . . . . Sometimes. He is truly toads and snails and puppy dog tails -- as long as he can follow them, grab them, pull them, and otherwise explore and investigate and partake of EVERYTHING in his sight. Dave gets frustrated that he simply CANNOT leave anything in order. If he sees clothes folded on the sofa, in the laundry basket, or even in his drawer, he simply cannot resist the urge to PULL them out, THROW them around, and just mess them up. Dishes in the cupboard, books on the bookshelf, things in the drawers, ALL are basically at his mercy and will certainly LOSE.

Our latest development for him is that his two front, bottom teeth have broken through and are quickly rising to the top! So much fun that he could get them in before his 1st Birthday!

Isaac has also recently decided to audition to be a vocalist in the next Jurrasic Park movie. He is making sounds that even I have never heard before. I would tell someone to tell Hollywood, but he's increasing in volume and intensity so quickly that I am sure no one else will have to tell them -- he'll take care of that himself!

So life at the Chaffee residence is pretty much busy, busy, busy and fun and stressful and crazy and wonderful every minute of every day.