November FB Month in Review

I realized today that I update things on FB all the time but never come here to add things.  So I wanted to share some of my Facebook Posts from the last . . . little while.

Today: Isaac got the xylophone this morning - said it was his guitar. Then he said, "Actually, Mommy, I think it's a musical instrument. Yeah - it's a musical instrument, not a guitar." Then he serenaded us with original versions of Christmas and Halloween songs. He's got talent, that kid! I need to get him in some sort of lessons -- Mom at the piano just isn't the same. :-)

Even though the kids have all been sick this week - I am SOOOO looking forward to starting Thanksgiving dinner with them tonight. We're doing a pumpkin pie, a pecan pie, trying some cranberry/apple/turkey sausage quinoa (instead of stuffing), and I just might splurge and make some of my family's favorite orange rolls! I think that would be really fun for them to roll the dough and tie it in "bow knots" and then drizzle with orange icing! :-) This is a great time of year - great for passing on fun traditions.

Just when I think I am SO NOT READY to have a BABY in this Zoo - my friend Leslie Beth Twining has her precious little man and posts the most adorable pictures. Is there anything sweeter than cuddling a newborn? I mean, once you get over the fact that you just aren't going to sleep for the next 18 years . . . the rest is EASY! :-)

Tonight I get to sleep with my sick little Abby - got to hold her hand while her fever broke, melt when she told me that she loves spending time with me, cry when she said that she needed to ask Heavenly Father to make her feel better and then said such a sweet prayer for just that, and laugh after her fever broke and I heard her make up funny songs about how Mommy likes Eagles but shouldn't because they'll tear her apart - elephants are much better! Does it get any better than this? My cup runneth over!
   
11/20: One of my favorite quotes - perfect for days when you just aren't "seeing" straight:
"To look at a thing is quite different from seeing a thing; and one does not see anything until one FIRST sees it's beauty."

Don't let another year end without accomplishing your goals for better health! My friend Kelli will NEVER have a weight loss resolution again! 2 1/2 years ago, she went from an 8/10 to a 4; today she is a svelt 2!  This is not a "fad diet"; it's solid nutrition. Expect MORE than weight loss results!  Better health, more energy, improved mental clarity and focus. Results ARE typical! And they last!
 
11/19: Went out driving and dreaming with the kids tonight - Dave had a meeting to go to. We found a gorgeous area with open fields, the mountains behind it, beautiful sunsets, horses, cows, the WORKS!!! Sometimes it's fun to just dream. :-)
  
"We must develop the capacity to see men not as they are at present but as they may become." ~ Thomas Monson
  
11/18: ♥ Story time at our house is one of my favorite things to listen to. Dave will make up a story, usually including the kids in it as the main characters. Then it is each child's turn to tell a story as well. Even Brianna - whose story is usually, "Once upon a time, there was a horsey." Abby's usually tells some wish of her heart or vision she has for the future - always happy and light, always involving animals and happy endings. Isaac's usually involve monsters and scary houses, but they rarely have any sort of ending at all. Each of their personalities come through, though. Their imaginations never cease to amaze me! David is definitely great at nurturing that! ♥

11/17: Brianna's having a hard time sleeping! She's lying in bed with Dave, patting his back and poking his eyes, and yelling, "Wake U-UP! Wake U-UP!" Dave's laughing, which is only encouraging her! This is going to be a LO-O-ONG night . . . for him! ;-)

Dave made roasted red potatoes and baked ham for dinner tonight. Our house smells HEAVENLY! Too bad my kids won't touch potatoes -- that makes them an occasional treat at our house! :-)

Brianna is so different from the twins. She HATES being naked, HAS to have underwear on, but refuses to wear a diaper. And so far, she is 2/2 this morning! SO thankful it's going SO smoothly! Countdown to ONE in diapers!!!

11/16: Going for a walk with Abby down to Target to get some "treats" to potty train Brianna. I'm thinking fruit snacks, freeze-dried fruits, raisins - and marshmallows! :-) Yay for potty training weekend!!!!   

 11/15: Whenever the kids say, "I can't!" I say, "Uh-uh! I think I can, I think I can, I think I can . . . and DO!" Today I heard Abby in the hallway, apparently trying something new, saying, "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can . . . and DO!" ♥

Though I'm thankful to have an entire day to do nothing but cuddle with my little boy, it makes my heart sad it's because he's so sick! Daddy needs to come home and rescue the girls - they are in serious need of some one-on-one time!!! ♥

11/14: SOOOOO thankful that Isaac woke up with a DRY DIAPER this morning! I cannot wait to have just ONE child in diapers - for the first time in more than 4 years! Abby's all but there - just has a few accidents at night every now and then. And we're starting to potty train Brianna this weekend. Fingers crossed she is as easy as -- or easier than -- the twins. I may just find out another twin perk, though! :-)

Best of luck to you, Elder Kameron White. Or, maybe I should say, best of luck to your Mom and Dad. You are going to have the BEST two years of your life!!!

11/13: I love how you become a little boy's hero for just doing simple things like putting parts back on his car when they fall off. What more can you hope for in life? :-)

11/12: I'm thankful that Heavenly Father loves me enough to help me keep my priorities straight. I see roads I could have traveled, experiences I could have had that would have distracted from/overshadowed/postponed the eternal ones. And I feel so blessed for the humbling moments, the very real sacrifices, the difficult obedience decisions that have created this crazy life we are living! Sometimes He's had quite a tug of war on His hands. So thankful He never stops pulling and never gives up on me!

Abby's prayer tonight: Thank you that my book is broken but I still have it. Amen.
Brianna's prayer right after: Thank you that my book isn't. Amen.

I am so thankful for a Queen-Size bed that is big enough for Dave, me, my pregnant belly, and any stragglers that might find their way here at night to ALL still get a good night's sleep! Good sleep is priceless!

11/9: I am so thankful today for SNOW from a distance! I forgot how magical it is to drive around at night, the snow falling on your car and catching the light from the lampposts. Or sit inside a warm house and watch the snow fall out your window. I may or may not have added some festive music to complete the picture. ;-) Winter really is such a wonderful time!

This really touched my heart today! We are our own worst enemies. NOTHING is impossible if you want it badly enough and are willing to CLIMB THE MOUNTAIN to have it! You might not get it today -- some mountains are higher to climb than others, with more obstacles than you may have realized. But as long as you keep putting one foot in front of the other, you WILL reach the peak. That ability to dream and accomplish their goals is one of the MOST IMPORTANT things I want my children to carry forward from me.

11/8: I am so thankful today for a husband who knows electronics and how to learn WHATEVER he needs/wants to! (Like how to try and fix our poor broken t.v.) And for his mad cooking skills when he gets a craving for something. We're pretty blessed to have him around!

11/7: 
"Woman, how divine your mission,
Here upon our natal sod;
Keep—oh, keep the young heart open
Always to the breath of God!
All true trophies of the ages
Are from mother-love impearled,
For the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world."

~ William Ross Wallace

I wrote a post last night that someone deleted, and I just want to put it out there today. Then I'll leave it all alone. I think the "politically-correct" reaction is to be positive about the election last night. You read things like, "Get over it - move on - we're all American - let go of your pessimism - where is your faith?" But I just want to put out there that . . . there is a time and a

season for everything. A time to mourn . . . AND a time to let go and rejoice. For a lot of people who supported Romney, myself included, there were some very real differences that led to offering that support; values and ideals that we hold dear - even sacred - that we feel were lost. If Romney had won, PEOPLE WOULD HAVE FELT THE SAME WHO SUPPORTED OBAMA.

I made the analogy that, when Lazarus died - even though Christ KNEW it was NOT the end, even though He KNEW that Lazarus would be a way to begin to teach people about the beauty and hope of the Resurrection - Christ still WEPT! He still FELT the pain of the moment and what it meant for HIM to lose something that he loved and valued dearly. He didn't just say to Mary and Martha - "Put your big-girl pants on! Haven't you been listening to me? Death is not the end. I'm so disappointed in you for letting this affect you like this. Where is your faith?"

YES, we will move forward as a nation! Yes, we WILL be united in the things that make us strong and the values we share. Yes, we are so blessed to have the freedoms we do. Yes, we will have more growing pains and moments where we don't agree - without allowing them to divide us. YES, our hope and faith in Christ and God's plan are SO MUCH BIGGER than an election and WILL PULL US THROUGH EVERYTHING ahead of us. YES, we will recover and pull through TOGETHER. JUST AS WE WOULD HAVE HAD THE RESULTS OF THE ELECTION BEEN DIFFERENT and had we found ourselves on the other side of the coin.

BUT . . . there's still a time and a season for everything. AND THAT'S OKAY, TOO!

11/6: This morning, I am thankful for hot water and a clean bath basin! After we had breakfast, scripture study, songs, and morning prayers, it was still early enough that I was TEMPTED to turn on the heat. But instead - welcome, welcome morning bath!

11/4: Dave told me that I have that pregnant waddle going on. I reminded him that not only do I NOT waddle, but I just rode 8 miles on a bike, pulling a 4-year-old behind me (thank you very much!). He said, "Yep! The only time I've ever seen someone manage to waddle on a bike!" Ha . . . Ha . . . Ha David Chaffee! ;-)

So thankful this morning that growing up is a process, full of wonder and excitement in the smallest of things - and I don't have to miss a single moment of it! At the same time, I think I'd like to have a pause button every now and then . . . Just sayin'! :-)

11/3: I am so thankful to be married to the best dad any child could ask for! This morning, he let me sleep in. And I woke up to hearing him reading through the Bob books with the kids before he would let them watch a movie. He really IS the best. dad. ever.

11/2: Things I am thankful for - Days 1 and 2 (a little behind):
1) The internet. I don't know how I would have survived the last few years of motherhood without being able to connect with good friends and not feel so isolated.

2) BIKE RIDES!!! I used to take the twins out by myself all the time - then I got outnumbered, in CA of all places (LOL!), and it has been years since we went on family rides. Definitely one of my FAVORITE things. I'm SO THANKFUL that my children get to have this be a LOVE of their lives and a memory from their earliest memories of family time.

Heading out for a family bike ride and picnic! I love Friday's!!!

Abby found the worms from fishing a few weeks ago in the back yard and kept trying to pick them up to save them. Dave told her to leave them alone. She started crying, "But Daddy! If we lose the worms, we can't go fishing any more!"

11/1: I love that Dave chose to watch "Move Over, Darling" on Netflix tonight! It's so nice to have someone who can appreciate a good old Doris Day flick with me! :-)

October FB Month in Review

10/30: As sad as it makes me to hear of so much tragedy happening all around right now, I think it's a gentle reminder from Heavenly Father to be thankful for all I have. All the other worries could not only be a lot worse, but they pale in comparison to what IS a lot worse for MILLIONS of people! There aren't enough minutes in the day to pray for those who are struggling right now ~ continuing to send mine your way!

Thoughts and prayers going out to all of those affected by the hurricane on the East Coast. There's never a good time to have something like this hit. But it definitely adds perspective to the holiday season ahead - a time for gratitude for sure!

10/28: The kids had their Primary Program today. I admit it - I cried! Isaac even had his part memorized and was so excited about it! Then they didn't want to go to Primary. Abby said, "But Mommy, I already sat and sang and sat and sang and sat and sang - now I'm done! I want to go home!" Isaac just plain snuck out of Primary and up to Nursery. There were so many kids, it took me a while to notice he was up there playing. I took him back. Then they brought him back to me. The Primary Pres. said, "We're handing out gummy bears and he says that he doesn't eat sugar, it makes him sick, and he needed to come see you." While she's explaining this to me - and I'm staring at her in awe - Isaac sneaks off again to play with the toys! How did I get him to go back? Promised him marshmallows! He had no qualms about sugar that time! I LOVE my kids!

10/27: I've been having a hard time seeing past the moment and current sacrifices/circumstances (particularly finances). So last night I took some time to zoom out on our life map, get some eternal perspective back into the picture, and today it is time to "forget myself and go to work!" There really ARE "chances to serve all around us now - opportunities RIGHT IN our way! Do not let them pass by, saying, 'Sometime, I'll try!' Just go - and do something TODAY!'" HAPPY SATURDAY!!!

10/26: Went to D.I. to buy the kids winter shoes and coats and look for pants. An hour later we went to leave to find that Isaac had ignored us and instead of putting his own shoes back on had taken them off to put the new shoes on when we weren't looking. They were nowhere to be found. We asked him why he took them off, he simply said, "I wanted to wear my new ones!" If I could bottle sheer willpower and determination . . . I'd be a millionaire! Oh, yes I would!  

One of these days, I'm going to get all of the kids ready to go somewhere, and two minutes before we leave, they aren't going to undo everything - like running into the back yard while I'm putting my shoes on and getting soaked up to their thighs in the melted snow. In their only pair of shoes. One of these days . . . .

10/25: I have been thinking a lot today about faith . . . and freedom! I am so thankful to have a Savior who made both possible, from the VERY beginning, and to live in a country that makes it possible to enjoy both still! I'm thankful for dreams and hope and perseverance, and I'm thankful that when I look into the eyes of my children, I see ALL of it in their futures!

10/24: If anyone is wondering what a FANTASTIC present is for a child turning 4, FLOOR PUZZLES!!! Seriously, with both of them have LOVED their floor puzzles. They can't put them together enough times in a day. I think they actually have the piece placement memorized by now, and yet they still love to pull them out and put them together over and over and over again! SCORE!

10/23: Know what I love? I love that it stays dark longer so my kids sleep in more. I love snuggling, singing, and reading with my kids on the sofa. I love that four of the people I have most respected at different parts of my life are all celebrating a BIRTHDAY today! I love that my dear friend Leah is FINALLY expecting a baby after almost five years of trying. I love that my friends who are strugg

ling SO MUCH with things that pull on their very heartstrings have the strength and promises of the Gospel and their covenants to pull them through. I love that Dave picked up some early readers and that Isaac - who has been reading everything in sight for months now - is making connections between words and pictures. LIFE IS GOOD! I am truly, truly blessed!

10/22: Watched my first Presidential debate tonight - and then the commentaries on Fox and CNN. My conclusion? You can't draw a conclusion from the commentaries/news/reviews. You have to actually watch the debate to know if you agree or disagree with what they are saying. There were some debate conclusions stated very confidently and repeatedly that I TOTALLY and COMPLETELY disagreed with! Don't get your information from people who have a vested interest in the conclusions you draw. Then, as the moderator said, "Go VOTE!" God bless the USA, God bless this country where people have the right to a voice, and God bless us to use it wisely!

10/20: I'm pretty sure I'm married to the best dad ever! After our fruitless fishing trip yesterday (I think Dad was more disappointed than kids), he woke up at 6:00 this morning, woke Isaac up, got him dressed, and they went fishing together. They only caught two little rainbow trout. Put them back because Dave said they were so small that you'd need like 8 to make it worth eating them! :-) But Isaac was still REALLY excited! And Abby was about to cry until he promised her he would take her next week. :-)

10/17: Prayer at our house tonight:
Abby: Please bless that we can dress up for Halloween and that I can be a horse and Isaac can be a bat.
Isaac: No! - A DRAGON!
Abby: And that Isaac can be a dragon and Brianna can be a . . . a FLAMINGO!
Isaac: No! - A UNICORN!
Abby: And a Unicorn. Amen!

10/17: Disclaimers: Political rant because I care and have a voice, even when I respect that we may not agree; and I have only read about the debate on CNN and FoxNews this morning, I haven't actually watched it. But one thing hit me really strong. Calling a spade a diamond doesn't make it one. Things like attacking Romney for saying that 47% of America doesn't pay taxes, saying that he had binders full of women candidates for jobs when he solicited them, and saying that the auto industry - like everyone else - should have been responsible for saving itself instead of leaning on the backs of the American people. What is wrong with saying those things? Do they support some bias on his part and make him a horrible, heartless person? Do only 53% of the people IN FACT pay taxes? Could he have just as easily had binders full of men if he'd asked for them? Is the auto industry a select group that deserves to be bailed out while the rest of us fall AND pay for it? They blatantly point out what we are up against as a nation! If you want to candy and sugar coat things, then stop complaining about how things are. Because IF NOTHING EVER CHANGES, THINGS WILL ALWAYS STAY THE SAME!!!!

And guess what? For 29 of my 32 years, I HAVE BEEN THE 47%. But even in that category, I consistently worked three jobs a year to pay my way through school, and I complained with other friends as we watched our husbands do school full time AND work multiple jobs to support us on their own while other people's spouses didn't work at all and their families still enjoyed the luxuries of "welfare extras" we CHOSE not to enjoy but were paying for. AND I'M A WOMAN. A woman WHO CHOSE - and not at gunpoint - a field of study that left me grateful to make $13/hour, even with a Master's Degree. And I'm STILL disgusted that my taxes have gone to the bailouts while the value of our condo has depreciated $12,000 in the last two years. And my husband reminds me how lucky we are when some of his coworkers lost $50-$100,000 in value during those same two years.

NO ONE is bailing me out of the consequences of MY OWN OR OTHER PEOPLE'S choices -- or even just natural economic hard knocks. So why does the President and the media paint a picture that NOT recognizing where we ARE is a better tactic for a leader than just calling a spade . . . a SPADE?

Calling a spade a diamond . . . just doesn't make it one. And I think it's a sign of a GOOD leader who can identify the issues as ISSUES without turning them into INSULTS. And the sign of a people ready for real change when they can hear the truth of how things are and not take them as categorical slams against the subjects. IF WE ARE GOING TO RISE AS A NATION, EVERYONE IS GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE SACRIFICES! Don't complain about where we are and want change at the expense of EVERYONE else. It just doesn't work that way.

When I'm balancing MY budget in a crisis, my personal and family fun money are the FIRST things to go. I wish we could find a leader who did the same . . . . Because "if you live like no one else, later you can live like no one else." But that will never happen or do us ANY good as long as we are a PEOPLE who is not prepared to do the same, a people that calls out leaders who suggest that we just might need to.

10/15: Isaac woke up throwing up this morning. So now we get to sit all together and cuddle. It seems as long as one of them is touching some part of me - my foot, my leg, holding my hand, whatever - all is good in the world. I QUITE agree! And even before he woke up I was thinking I needed a cuddle day with my kids today! Wish granted. ;-)

Okay, friends! I need to set up a training schedule for breastfeeding and completing a half marathon next year! Foot surgery kept me from completing after the twins, the lovely Antelope Valley and three kids kept me from it after Brianna. But here in Utah - no excuses!!! So I was wondering if there is anyone else who will be starting from scratch - maybe even breastfeeding - and would want to train with me next year! My goal is to do a 5K in March on the Couch to 5K program and then see how my milk supply is holding up and what my time is to go up from there. Any takers? YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO!!!! No one is starting from ground zero more than me, trust me - so let's DO THIS!

10/14: What does two full days and nights without Mom around result in? 1) Fast food both nights. 2) Dessert both nights. 3) Dad getting sick of not sleeping and moving the house around to get the twins in separate rooms and Brianna in a big-girl bed. I think I need to be away more often - he'll find the struggles I have everyday and, as long as his plan works, fix them before I get back! ;-D Next time I'll leave ready-made meals for him to grab, though. I love you, David Chaffee! Thanks for the break!

Welcome, welcome, Sabbath Morning! Definitely time to rest from every care and tap into my heart, my family, and my relationship with the One who can teach me what I'm supposed to be DOING with it all. Happy Sunday, friends! :-) 

10/13: Quick lesson during break - if you only get to teach your kids 10 things in their lives, what are they? Only 10 - no wiggle room. What are you doing TODAY to teach them that? From Jack Canfield

10/11: Off on a bike ride with my kids! This is the first time we've had the right parts to successfully attach the Tag-Along bike to the back of my bike and make it work! We're all PRETTY excited!!!

I missed the VP debate tonight - but from what Leah Sidwell posted, that's not necessarily a BAD thing! ;-) This is going to be an interesting election. And I still need to figure out what it was that happened in Libya - besides that four people were killed, including the U.S. ambassador. I am still trying to tap into what happened leading up to it that has everyone in such a rage.  

10/9: Vision. I'm honing in on my vision of ME and my marriage and my family! As I type this, Isaac is singing, "You gotta love, love, love, love, love yourself!" over and over again!

I love this from Alice in Wonderland:
Alice: Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?
The Cat: That depends a good deal on where you want to get to.
Alice: I don't much care where.
The Cat: Then it doesn't much matter which way you go.
Alice: …so long as I get somewhere.
The Cat: Oh, you're sure to do that, if only you walk long enough.

If you don't know where you want to go, it doesn't really matter what road you take. But when you KNOW, the road in front of you is quite clear and the obstacles so much easier to avoid/overcome!

10/8: I have a 2-year-old with a new-found freedom in being able to get out of bed, open doors, and reach light switches ALL AT THE SAME TIME!!! (Just found her sitting very quietly in the bathtub with all the toys, completely naked and just sitting there . . . at 9:30 at night.) And a 4-year-old who is so exhausted all she can do is sit and cry. Oh, the life of a mother! ;-)

Isaac: Abby, Abby! Daddy's making MUFFINS!!!
Abby: For BREAKFAST?
Isaac: No. Muffins aren't breakfast. Muffins are a special treat. Mommy? When we finish our breakfast, can we have some of Daddy's muffins, like cookies?

10/7: I LOVE GENERAL CONFERENCE! Yesterday was FULL of revelations and loving reminders! President Eyring's remarks this morning about turning your heart over to the Lord and allowing Him to direct and shape your life were SO TIMELY! I am so t

hankful that we have this amazing weekend to be instructed, uplifted, strengthened, challenged to do better, and lifted higher than we are on our own. Now to get the kids a few more coloring pages so we can keep the Spirit here for the rest of it! LOL! ;-)

10/6: Just did the math on our Family Missionary Lineup! As of now, we could have all of our children HOME from missions in the next 20 years! And we could leave to serve our first mission 8 years later. That's a LOT of planning and preparing to do between now and then to be spiritually, physically, and financially self-reliant and teach them to be the same. We're up for the challenge! Here we GOOOOOO!!!!

"You mean to tell me that you actually believe there is a prophet of God on the earth today, just as there was in ancient times?" --- YES! ---
"Well, what is he saying to you?" --- He testifies of Christ and how to follow in His ways, just as prophets of old. Come, listen and see for yourself! ---

10/5: Abby: Mommy, I can't wait for Daddy to come back! I'm just in his heart because . . . because I'm his pretty Princess!
Me: Yes you are, Abby - yes you are!
He's forming some pretty big shoes for some man to fill someday. I'm so thankful for that!

10/4: I am so tired of hashing things out with the HOA and upstairs tenants for damage to our condo that happened OVER a year ago! The HOA wants to pass blame to the upstairs tenant so they aren't responsible. The upstairs tenant wants to blame the construction worker and HOA so she isn't responsible. And both are telling me it isn't THEIR problem and they won't do anything to amend it. So here we are, left with the damage and responsible parties totally avoiding it. The HOA manager told me all I can do is go to Small Claims Court with it. REALLY?!?!?! And Dave says that's too expensive, so a cost-benefit analysis says that we'll just pay for it and get it taken care of. OY! Liberty and JUSTICE for all, right? Right . . . .

On a positive note, this all means that our condo is the most full-proof for ANY damage to ANY of those areas occurring in the future. All the faulty construction from the original build has been upgraded and replaced to be up to current codes and standards. The majority of the beams and sheet rock have been replaced as well. No other unit can say that when they sell! :-) There is a silver lining to every cloud after all!

Abby, laughing hysterically as she jumps from bed to bed, asks me, "Mommy, why can't I stop laughing?" Um - I think someone is OVER tired! I LOVE little girls! :-)

10/2: Driving home from my sister's tonight, I was taken back by the beauty of the moments: the trees changing colors on the mountains, my three treasures asleep in the back seat, the reds and pinks of the setting sun, Soul Sister and This One's For the Girls playing on the radio, the wind blowing loudly through the car (because I don't have air conditioning - LOL!), memories of college day road trips, the hard college years. And I was overcome with gratitude that I am so incredibly, incredibly blessed. Life is good. And it just keeps getting better.

My friends Wendy Spinelli and her husband Nate ran the Tough Mudder! And I have to say - that looks like a lot of fun! I think I'm going to add it to my list of things to do - in addition to the midnight run here in the Farmington area with glowsticks, the Disneyland Half Marathon, the Nike Women's Half Marathon in San Francisco, and someday . . . just maybe the Boston Marathon! Baby steps!

Sunday with Daddy

The kids woke up around 5:30 this morning . . . which was actually 4:30 with the time change.  Isaac woke up Abby, and downstairs they went to take advantage of their new "freedom/talent": turning on the television and Netflix all by themselves.  It was a while before my tired mind cued into what was happening, and I got downstairs to bring them back up and put them in bed.  But Isaac never went back to sleep . . . Abby didn't sleep for long.  Brianna, who had been asleep in our bed since 3:00 with nightmares or who knows what, also woke up.  And Mommy never got back to sleep.

Two hours later, we realized there had ALSO been a time change.  So I went to church by myself; and Dave stayed home to put all the kids down for a nap.

When I got home, I found that NO ONE had slept yet!  Instead, they'd had a Daddy day:

They ate Daddy's homemade pumpkin/raisin muffins.

They read stories.

They learned to take pictures of each other.

They played Memory Match with the Animal Cards.

And they watched Veggie Tales.

It was a fantastic day!  When I got home, I had eyes peering down from the upstairs window and was greeted with huge hugs and bursts of excitement!  Now I know how Dave feels when he comes home every day.

We continued to play games.
And we had lunch.
And we ALL took a nap . . . all except Brianna.

Then Abby woke me up, asking if she could lay with me.  As we cuddled, she told me, "Mommy, did you know that I LOVE that there's a baby in your tummy?  And did you know that the baby in your tummy has a little egg around it to protect it?  Daddy showed us all the babies of the other Mommies in the book.  And they have an egg around them and are floating in water.  And then, they're going to come out of the egg.  Ummmm . . . I'm not exactly sure how they get out of there.  But the doctor takes them out, right Mommy?  And then we get to have a baby BROTHER!  I'm so excited for our new baby!  It's going to be SO CUTE!"  Dave bought a book on babies at D.I. and showed them all the pictures of what is happening inside my tummy!  And Abby is now ALL-KNOWING on all things baby!  Except how the doctor gets it out of there . . . . I think that one's going to remain a mystery for a while! :-)

After we cuddled and talked, we went down and played the matching game with Brianna.  And Daddy and Isaac sat on the sofa and talked and played games on the Tablet.  Until they watched a Living Scriptures DVD while Mommy and Daddy played Scrabble at the kitchen table.

We finished the night with baked sweet potatoes, steamed veggies, and grilled ham - everyone's favorite!

Before we put them to bed, Isaac started saying that there was a big, SCARY ghost in his room.  So Dave told him that tomorrow, for FHE, we are going to make "special necklaces" that keep ghosts away.

And then he said, "I think we need a story tonight.  Who's ready for a story?" This is a nightly tradition in our house - well, most nights at least.  Daddy reads or tells the kids a story before bed.

So they all gathered around to hear Daddy's bedtime story.  It started out, "Once upon a time, there was a man named Feklehump.  He had a wife - with a HUGE belly with a baby in it - and three kids:  One beautiful, sweet little girl with long, golden hair. One handsome little boy who liked to do things his own way.  And one adorable little toddler who was so much fun every time she got really tired.

One day, Feklehump turned into a ghost . . . . -- Um, Melinda?  Where is this story going?  I need a plot."

"I don't know - but it can't be scary or they'll have nightmares all night long.  Make it kind of funny like Casper."

"Oh - okay.  So Feklehump turned into a ghost.  And everyone knows that ghosts are supposed to scare people.  In fact, it's ghost CODE that they have to scare people, right?  And Feklehump was no different.  But he found out really fast that he had a very. serious. problem.  Every time he opened his mouth to scare people, it came out like this . . . ."

Then he took his hands and started to reach towards the terrified kids before suddenly yelling, 'Hahahahahaha!'" as he started to tickle them!

In seconds, fear turned into surprised delight, and they were ROLLING on the floor, laughing.  Abby was laughing that laugh that only comes to little girls when they are OVERtired and can't keep the laughter from coming out, no matter how hard they try.

And that was just the beginning . . . . .

And the ending of a PERFECT day with Daddy!

Updates Sans Pictures

I cannot believe it is almost November!  Where does the time go?

We have been constantly busy, but it seems not much is really happening!  We're trying to get some damage in the condo repaired (gotta love an HOA Manager who is great at avoiding and putting off, an upstairs neighbor who is great at reassigning blame and ignoring correspondence that would suggest liability) and get it sold.  There are too many things to manage without adding a condo on top of it, and our mortgage is high enough that it would cost us every month to have someone else manage it.  So - lowering the cost to less than what we paid for it, paying agent fees on top of it, and getting out while we're still above sunk is the only thing to do! :-)

Other than that, the kids are growing up so much!  I am reminded time and time again that they are WAY older than their 2 and 4 years.

Dave brought home a plant someone was getting rid of at work.  He told the kids it was a houseplant, and they ask me every day if we can plant our new house yet! LOL!  Get it?  House plant!

Abby reminds me every day that this is not our house and we are going to get a new one that is going to be better and have room for horses, chickens, cows, and roosters! (And a dog - but I'm not convinced on the dog yet!)  About three months ago, I took them out looking at various properties, dreaming about where we want to live and what our house might look like.  And she has HELD ONTO THAT dream with both hands!  I love it!

Isaac is determined as ever!  Yesterday I had them down for a nap and was just (thankfully) falling asleep myself when I heard Elder Bednar BLARING from the iPod downstairs.  Yes, Isaac had snuck out of his room without a sound, down the stairs, out the door into the garage, in the car for the toy I had taken away from him (because he climbed to the top of the closet to get it), turned on the iPod (thinking it would be too soft for me to hear) and was scared when it was so loud and started to cry!  When we went shopping for winter clothes/shoes at the local thrift store, Isaac nonchalantly took his "old" shoes off (even though he had been told repeatedly not to) as soon as we were distracted with the girls, put his "new" shoes on, and lost his old shoes.  I looked everywhere for them only to be told by the workers that someone else probably bought them - what do you expect from used shoes lying around in a thrift store? LOL!

Then today they had their FIRST Primary Program.  Last year, Isaac watched as the kids in the Lancaster Primary walked up to the stage and excitedly asked to join them.  I told him he would get a turn next year.  And there they stood in front of the entire (incredibly large) primary.  Their parts on the program were at the VERY end, so they had to keep reverent the entire time before it was their turn.  Isaac had his part memorized, "I can keep the Sabbath Day holy by listening my home teachers!"  He was so proud to say it!  Abby's was, "I can keep the Sabbath Day holy by reverence in Primary."  We found a suit and a gorgeous dress at the thrift store for them - cost us $11 for both!  And they looked so good!  I can't wait to take and post pictures.  We were going to get some today, but our Home Teacher came over right after church and by the time we had time, they were done with church clothes!

After the Primary Program, we took the kids to Primary.  Abby immediately started to cry and put the brakes on!  "But Mommy, I already sat and sang and sat and sang and sat and sang - now I'm done!  I want to go home!"  She has always struggled with that part of Primary for some reason, even last year she would cry about having to sit so long and sing so much. :-)

Isaac, on the other hand, didn't tell us he didn't want to go to Primary.  And it wasn't until I looked up from playing with kids and getting things out in Nursery and realized we had an extra large child playing in there that I got the hint that he was done as well.  I have NO IDEA how he got out of Primary undetected, but somehow he did!

The even more classic Isaac ingenuity and determination stepped in about 15 minutes later.  The Primary President brought him to me and said, "Um - we're handing out gummy bears, and he told me that he doesn't eat sugar because it makes him sick and needed to come and find his mom."  I was stunned!  And he wasted no time with her and I distracted by conversation to jump back in and start playing with the kids.  After I asked him about it and got the same reply she had - that he doesn't eat sugar because it makes his throat hurt and his tummy sick - I sent her back and said I would bring him.  Then I offered him marshmallows if he would sit all the way through Primary and not sneak out again.  It worked!  I guess the sugar in marshmallows and the sugar in gummy bears affects him differently! ;-)

Brianna is keeping up and then some!  In one day, she learned to climb out of the pack and play (her bed), turn on the light switch, and open the door!  If she can apply that same determination to potty training, we'll be set!  We have finally moved her into a toddler bed (for the most part) as well, and we moved her and Abby into the toy room to sleep with Isaac alone in the "boy" room.  Lots of changes all around, but I think we've almost worked through all the kinks.

Other things that have been going on?  Dave spent a week in Tuscon, Arizona for work training.  Then he came home and took the GMAT the next weekend.  It was actually horrible!  Guess what section he bombed?  Math!  When an Engineer bombs a business-school entry exam math test, you know something is up!  In our case, it felt like the Lord was telling us it wasn't quite the right time for Dave to start school again.  He had planned on starting in January - and with our little boy coming in December, that timing would have been hard, all around!  So - for now - we're firmly planted in just working and living and enjoying life!

And that was our other BIG news!  We found out that we are having a BLUE Christmas this year -- a baby blue Christmas, to be exact!  Our little boy is measuring at 36 weeks, so he'll be born sometime between December 10-17th.  As long as it isn't the 15th, I'm okay with whenever! 

I Love to See the Temple

A few weekends ago, we took the kids to meet up with my dad and my sister's family to walk through the Brigham City Temple Open House.  It was such a special experience to be able to take them.  I hope their little minds and hearts - which seem to absorb EVERYTHING these days - really took in the Spirit and the joy they felt there.  I am SO THANKFUL we were close enough to attend an Open House before the temple is dedicated. 

One of my favorite quotes from the introduction to the temple that day was by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, "I don’t know how to speak of heaven . . .in the traditional, lovely, paradisiacal beauty that we speak of heaven…I wouldn’t know how to speak of heaven without my wife, or my children.  It would not be heaven for me.  Now, you can say that’s wishful thinking, you can say, ‘ Well that’s just because you love each other and you’ve gotten cozy here on earth and you like each other’s company.’ It’s a lot more than that.  There is something eternal in the statement that neither is the man without the woman, nor the woman without the man in the Lord.  That isn’t just good sociology it’s good theology, it’s eternal" (Holland, Between Heaven and Earth).

I, too, would NOT be in heaven if David and our children were not there with me.  An eternity without them would be an eternity of hell.  I am SO THANKFUL that I don't have to know that misery.  And the hope of it makes me want to live to be worthy of it SO MUCH MORE during my time with them each and every day on this earth.

One of my favorite moments at the Open House was with Isaac.  He couldn't get enough of the 12 Oxen - symbolic of the 12 Tribes of Israel.  When he saw them, he said, "Wow!  Mom - look at that!" And as he stood at the head of the Baptismal Font, he exclaimed, "That is just PERFECT!"  Then he proceeded to explain to me the differences between oxen and cows and bulls and yaks.  I still don't even know how he knows what a yak is, but these ARE my kids who request to watch Animal Atlas and Word Girl on Netflix! LOL!  We had talked about the oxen and looked at pictures online, but I honestly don't remember ANY mention of a yak! :-)

One of my other favorite moments was when we first got there and my sister's little boy, Elliott, asked where his brother, Isaac, was.  With SO MANY girl cousins, I'm SO GLAD these two have each other!  I think they will always be great friends, even more so as the age gap narrows. And since his last visit with the girl cousins on Dave's side of the family ended with him asking in his prayers that they never had to come back again, I'm glad we live close enough that he can enjoy some "boy" time with Elliott.  Just this last weekend when we got together with them, they were making all sorts of animal noises and grunts and growls at the breakfast table.  When we asked them to stop, Elliott said, "But we boys!" LOL!  Already, they're getting each other into trouble! :-)

I LOVE Living in Utah

NEVER thought I would say that.  But I do. Let me count the ways . . .

1. Dave only works FOUR DAYS a week and gets home just 15 minutes later than he did the ENTIRE time we lived in California. AND we are within five miles of any small town we could ever want to live in.  Which means he can also bike to work - and we save about $200 in gas every month.  PLUS we get to have fun family days EVERY WEEK, no extra sacrifice required.  LOVE it!
2. I am NEVER afraid to open my garage door and see huge cockroaches scatter.  And really, even the biggest spider I have killed here was STILL smaller than the smallest cockroach I killed there. I will actually step outside my door without shoes here because I don't have to be prepared for the worst all the time.  And the only thing I'm afraid of the kids finding in the backyard is mud . . . that they made themselves with the sprinkler.  Not a bad trade, if I do say so myself.
3. We live SO CLOSE to so many temples!  Within 30 minutes, we can have a fun family getaway and be home again in the time it would have taken us to GET to the temple in Spokane or Los Angeles.  HUGE blessing!!!  And I may actually get to go to the temple while breastfeeding a baby this time around without having to plan my entire life around it.  I may go by myself, but with four children ages four and under, I am SURE there are worse things than a temple trip all by yourself!
4. The weather here is getting PERFECT for family outings.  We can take the kids walking, hiking, camping, biking, it's PERFECT!  And great as well for an early-morning getaway before the kids wake up.
5. There are so many things you can do in Salt Lake without having to LIVE like you live near a big city.  We have access to all the cultural and social perks that we could ever WANT to take advantage of without having to live in the middle of all of those who want the ones we wouldn't choose.  We can be to the country with cows, horses, farms, barns, and fields within 10 minutes of our house.  Or the city within 30.  Great arrangement!
6. My sister lives close enough that we can get together once a month.  I don't even have to PLAN a trip to her house if I don't want to.  And since I am pretty sure Isaac is FEELING his lack of male cousins, it's great to be around the only one his age for them to grow up together (however long it lasts) and not get ganged upon or left out by all the girls.

So those are my top six.  And with such a FABULOUS top six, do I really NEED any more?

Last Sunday we went for a family trip to the Salt Lake Temple and took pictures of the kids.  We also ran into some friends who have recently moved here from California as well.  So even the difficult time making friends here so far may have just been solved!  Heavenly Father has blessed us SO MUCH.  Our entire family dynamic has changed.  And I am SO THANKFUL for that.  

Searching for Understanding

I believe my last post was about my nephew passing away.  And I want to say a huge thank you to those of you who reposted it and responded so lovingly and quickly to our plea for help.  Thanks to your support, we received exactly the amount we needed to cover his funeral expenses.  It was truly a miracle - almost the moment we had "sufficient for our needs," the donations stopped coming in.  What a tender love note from Heavenly Father that He sent via so many family members and friends.

As Abby and Isaac have tried to understand what happened to Jared, and since they are a little older this time around than they were when my Grandma passed away a year ago, we have had a few discussions with them about the Resurrection, where Jared is, and that they will see him again. 

The other night before family prayer, we asked the kids to please remember to bless Uncle Orlan and Aunt Cindy and Kameron because they were having a hard time after losing Jared.  Abby said, "Where is Jared, Mom?"  We explained that he was in heaven.  Isaac asked, "Did he die from a gun, Mommy?" No - he was sick, very sick, and his body needed a rest for a while.  So Heavenly Father decided to take him home to live with Him again.  Abby asked what was going to happen to him.  We explained that Jesus died and was resurrected again - which means that He lived after He died and Jared and Great-Grandma and everyone else who died would live again, too.

Abby: How's he going to do that?  How's he going to live again?
Me: Jesus will bring his spirit back to his body and he will be alive again, just like he was before.
Abby: But what about the box, Mom?  How will he get out of the box?
Me: It isn't locked, Abby - Jesus can open it for him to get out.
Abby: Oh.

Then we had prayer, and this was Abby's prayer:
"Heavenly Father, thank you for this day, thank you that Jesus will bring Jared back and open the box, and please bless that he can come back soon so Orlan won't be sad."

Man, they think about everything, don't they?  Tonight she remembered them again - no discussion prompting her this time.  Her prayer went something like this:
"Heavenly Father, thank you for this day, please bless that Heavenly Father will take his two hands and put them on Jared's head and that Jared can come back home soon.  Please bless Uncle Orlan and Aunt Cindy that they won't be sad anymore."  And Isaac asked the same thing - that Jared could come back now and that everyone would be happy again.

I think I take for granted at times the fact that I truly know that death is not the end.  I remember having some probing questions when my grandpa passed away -- but to hear the questions and the thoughtful, sincere prayers of my children as their three-year-old brains search for answers . . . it has really touched my heart on a deeper level.  I am thankful that death is not the end.  I wish that the pain was easily erased and that the resurrection could happen tomorrow so there wouldn't be sadness or loss or pain.  And I am thankful for the strong spiritual connection I feel from their simple prayers as they seek for understanding.  I have no doubt that Jared has found a peace he has not had for a very long time!  And I pray for that same peace and those same hands to come down and bless his family as they work through the loss, the longing, and the pain.

At Jared's funeral, Orlan wanted so badly to sing "In the Hollow of Thy Hand," which was a favorite of his and Jared's and which he had dreamed of singing at Jared's mission farewell someday (before the strokes made it impossible).  But he knew he couldn't do it alone, so my sisters and I sang with him.  Bless his heart, he made it through the first verse, a prayer to heaven as his son accepted a call home and walks a new path, fulfilling in many ways the mission he always dreamed of fulfilling here on earth and gaining understanding that his brain did not allow him to gain during his life.  For the second verse, we re-wrote it as a prayer for the family, that the Lord would hold them (us) in the Hollow of His hands as we work through it all and move forward.  I am putting the revision here, more for us to look back and remember and in hopes that reading it will bring peace and direction to the family for years to come.

"In the Hollow of Thy Hand" 

By Janice Kapp Perry, Revised for Jared Orlan White's Funeral

Dear Lord who blesses us with love, please send this day Thy Spirit from Above.
As this Thy Son accepts a call from Thee, help him we pray, in great humility.
Direct his footsteps every day, and keep him ever walking in Thy way;
Inspire him as he spreads the Gospel plan . . . Lord, hold him in the hollow of Thy hand.

In the hollow of Thy hand as he grows from boy to man, 
Help his understanding deepen and increase.
In the hollow of Thy hand as he grows from boy to man, 
May he know the special blessing of Thy peace.

Dear Lord who hears and answers prayers, please keep this family always in Thy care
As we prepare to be with him again, please keep us tuned to Thy eternal Plan.
Protect us from all worldly ways, and always send Thy Spirit when we pray.
Give us the courage to return again; please hold him in the hollow of Thy hand.

In the hollow of Thy hand as he grows from boy to man, 
Help his understanding deepen and increase.
In the hollow of Thy hand as he grows from boy to man, 
May he know the special blessing of Thy peace.

As we face this greater plan, and we strive to understand,
Give us shelter in the hollow of Thy hand.

Please Help

Dear Friends,

I have posted on Facebook but realized I have not come into this blog-o-sphere yet.  My nephew passed away a few days ago.  As a family, to literally try to raise money to cover the minimum costs of a funeral and bury our sweet Jared, we created a blog.  I would really appreciate it if you could link back to it on your blogs and help spread the word. No donation is too small.  By small and simple things are great things truly brought to pass.  Thank you so much in advance!  Much love to you all.

Melinda

Jared's Story/Blog - http://helpforjared.blogspot.com

My Little Helper

I just need to brag about my Abby-girl today.  That little girl is 3 going on 20!  It's like she has grown up over night, budded and blossomed without me even realizing anything was happening.  A few highlights:
~ Whenever there is laundry to be folded, in the last week or so she is right there as soon as I bring it in, asking if she can please help and beaming with pride when she folds something!  I need to get one of those cardboard folding stations.  My mom has one and my nieces just LOVE it! Of course, I would need two -- maybe three! ;-D
~ Every day, she is in the kitchen asking me if she can help me make the meal.  And she is so excited about it!  She actually falls apart, like her heart is aching at the thought of being excluded, if I don't JUMP on her invitation to help.
~ The other day I realized she had been in the bathroom a bit longer than normal and went in to find her with the bucket out from under the sink, the floor soaking wet with water.  I was a little miffed by the mess and asked her what in the world she was doing.  She said, "Mom, I'm just cleaning the floor!"
~ Tonight a very tired and wired Isaac hit a very tired Brianna while I was getting Abby out of the tub and dried off.  I immediately went in to get Bria next and wrapped her up tightly in her butterfly towel.  When I unwrapped her to put her diaper on her, she fell apart!  So I wrapped her back up and just held her for a minute.  She calmed right down.  Then a naked Abby ran over to me and said, "Oh, sweet Brianna.  I so sorry you got hurt.  Mommy, can I please cuddle and rock Brianna, too?"  So I took Bria and put her in Abby's arms, me having to hold half of her because she really is more than half Abby's size and way too big for Abby to cuddle like a baby. Abby just nuzzled up next to her forehead and closed her eyes before kissing her temple softly.  The sweet look on her face was priceless, and Brianna was LOVING it!  Then Abby looked up and said, "Mommy, I sure wish I had a baby!" LOL! She is just so good and so sweet with Brianna.  They literally NEVER fight -- NEVER!  Isaac and Bria are getting there as well -- he's learning to be a little less rough and tumble and Brianna is learning she doesn't have to have her arms out in defense every time Isaac comes near her!  But Abby -- she is just a little mother heart and really loves her little sister! (And the other morning, she out of the blue said to Dave, "Daddy, do you think we need more babies?"  And then she answered him that we probably did.  How old is she again?  Where is this coming from?  I guess her favorite little boy in Primary just got a new baby brother -- so maybe that's it.)
~ Isaac went outside, half naked, no shoes, without even telling me he was going.  That is a big no-no around here, for obvious reasons!  So I put him in his room in time out, explaining that he didn't ask if he could go outside and he wasn't even dressed to be out there.  Abby asked if she could go out, and I was a little frazzled from Isaac and told her no.  As I was cleaning in the kitchen, I turned around from the kitchen table a few minutes later to see Abby, completely dressed in a clean shirt, pants, and socks, putting her shoes on.  I sad, "Abby?  What are you doing?  Why did you change your shirt and get dressed?"  She told me she wanted to go outside.  I told her that I thought I already said no to that.  She very matter-of-factly, in a voice that said, "Mom, you are being ridiculous and we both know it, but I'm trying to be nice here and not point it out," told me -- "But I thought you'd say yes!" I laughed!  She burst into a smile and laughed with me, then she said, "Now can I go outside?" Of course EVERYONE ended up going outside and playing for an hour before naptime and an hour after!  Abby built a "nest" out of grass and dandelion "flowers" for the baby eggs to rest in.  Isaac broke her heart when he kicked it to pieces because, "But Mom, there ARE no baby eggs!" And I tried to mend it when she fell apart. Then they took turns on the slide, the trampoline, and riding the bike around the patio. In other words, it was a PERFECT "Spring" day for being outside and I am so glad that she lovingly put me in my place when I was, in fact, being utterly ridiculous!