The Power of Prayer

This sweet little thing is one of the greatest joys of my life. My home is full of the sounds of her contagious laughter and made up songs and jokes. I am continually in awe of her intellect and budding creativity. My walls are adorned with her beautiful artwork. I am constantly amazed by her endless energy. My heart melts as I see the love she has for her younger brother and sister. How I love this precious child.

And yet, she knows how to test her limits! This child of mine seems to personify the age old nursery rhyme "There was a little girl who had a little curl, right in the middle of her forehead. And when she was good, she was very, very good; and when she was bad, she was horrid." It seems there is no middle-of-the-road in her emotions or her behavior. No ambiguity. No mediocrity. She is either charming, loving and obedient to a fault, or else beligerently testing the number of ways in which she can simultaneously defy my authority and laugh my rules - and me - in the face. Though I haven't kept a tally, it seems that, most days, the good moments outnumber the bad....but some days I'm not so sure. In my heart of hearts I believe that, deep down, she is an amazing, talented, wonderful human being, but I often find myself wondering where I have gone wrong in teaching her love, respect and integrity.

Yesterday, while the Mr. was putting the baby down and I was reading stories to Angel and Grins, I asked Angel to please keep her noise level down. After my second warning she proceeded to look me squarely in the eye and scream at the top of her lungs. I calmly picked her up and carried her to the back deck, where I explained that her loud behavior was only acceptable outside, and that she would need to remain on the back deck until her father had finished putting the baby down (about 5 minutes lest you deem me a negligent mother). She laughed and I left, thinking some less-than-charitable thoughts about this child I nurtured in my womb. When the baby was asleep, the Mr. retrieved Angel from the deck and deposited her into bed. To my surprise, she requested I be the one to tuck her in for the night. As I stood at her bedside, I told her how much I love her and that I was sorry if I had seemed angry, but that I was simply trying to teach her acceptable behavior. She replied, "Mommy, when I was out on the deck, I prayed. Twice. And then I felt better. I forgive you. I love you." Holding back the tears, I held her for a while, then kissed her goodnight. When I told the Mr. of this, he tearfully replied that he knew; when he had gone to let her in he'd found her kneeling in prayer on the deck.

Will love and goodness prevail in this sweet, headstrong little girl's personality? I, too, am on my knees every night, pleading that it will.

WikiBridge

My brother-in-law just came up with a great idea; a way for people to list a side-by-side comparison of two 'competitors' or 'peers' (ie - Costa Vida and Cafe Rio) for others to get the 'quick and dirty' comparison. There are a couple of entries I'm thinking of submitting - one about Physician Assistant vs. Nurse Practitioners, and one about different methods of sleep training children - because those are really the only topics I know anything about - but I don't know how interesting they would be to anyone else so we'll see.

Anyway, I think it's a great idea, and it's just in the beginning phases so it's definitely open for submissions if there are any comparisons/bridges you have to offer! Check it out here!

Menu Plan Monday (on Saturday because I'm just so organized!)

The past few months have been such a whirlwind I've neglected my meal planning. I'm going to start back up again and would LOVE suggestions for kid-friendly vegetarian meals. Although the Mr. is easy to please, the kids are a bit more difficult, since their ideal meals are KRAFT macaroni & cheese (I don't like the homemade kind, Mommy!), chicken nuggets (at least they'll eat my homemade sneaky chef version!) and hot dogs (ugh! I don't know how these got on the top 3 - they've had them all of one or two times because I don't buy hot dogs; they are against my religion... well, against my own personal value system.)

Saturday - "Friend Party" for the kids; chicken nuggets, carrot and celery sticks, apple slices (the Mr. and I will finish off the week's remaining leftovers)
Sunday - dinner at our friends' house; we'll bring Gooey Butter Cake for dessert! :)
Monday - sweet corn chowder, mixed green salad, crusty bread...sneaky chef brownies with a dollop of soy dream for FHE treat
Tuesday - The Mr. has class - homemade mac 'n cheese and sweet peas for the kids, I'll pop a vegan quickie meal in for me
Wednesday - homemade creamy chicken-pesto and tofu-asparagus pizza (2 separate pies!), pear goat cheese salad, fresh fruit
Thursday - cheese fondue with crusty bread, carrots, celery, apples (any other ideas?)
Friday - I work; the Mr. is in charge! I love to see what he comes up with! ;)

Escaping Adultitis

AGES ago I posted about wanting to rid my life of "Adultitis" - "...a common condition occurring in people between the ages of 21–121, marked by chronic dullness, mild depression, moderate to extremely high stress levels, a general fear of change, and, in some extreme cases, the inability to smile." (adultitis.org) Then, Kim & Jason (learn more about them here) were kind enough to send me their Escape Plan manual, to enable me to do so. Unfortunately, due to 2 moves, the birth of my third child, and a few other small but nonetheless time-consuming events, I have procrastinated reading said manual. Until now. A few days ago I finally opened the book and how I wish I had started sooner! It is an easy read- takes just a few minutes a day - and it has truly started a change in my life! I am only a few days into it, and already I'm feeling more "free". I obviously still have a ways to go - about 36 days to be precise - but I am really enjoying it and want to recommend the book to anyone who feels a little weighed down with the pressures/cares of the world which we all face. I intend to keep reading and I'll keep you posted as my journey progresses!

By the way, check out http://kimandjason.com - they have a very fun website with TONS to do!! :)

Huh?

So the Mr. has been attempting to grow sideburns for a week or so but with very SLOW progress. It has finally started looking like slightly more than a spot he missed while shaving, but today Angel noticed it for the first time. She was sitting in his lap when she suddenly reached up and stroked the growth with her hand, with the most quizzical look on her face. "What is THAT?" she wondered aloud. "Daddy's trying to grow some facial hair" I responded. "Why?" was her only response. "So he'll look cool." "Huh?" she replied. I know, my dear. I know.

A Woman's Tear

If you haven't heard this, I thought it was worth sharing: (author unknown)

A Woman's Tear

A little boy asked his mother, 'Why are you crying?' 'Because I'm a woman,' she told him. 'I don't understand,' he said. His Mom just hugged him and said, 'And you never will.'

Later the little boy asked his father, 'Why does mother seem to cry for no reason?' 'All women cry for no reason,' was all his dad could say.

The little boy grew up and became a man, wondering why women cry. Finally he put in a call to God. When God got on the phone, he asked, 'God, why do women cry so easily?'

God said: 'When I made the woman she had to be special.' 'I made her shoulders strong enough to carry the weight of the world, yet gentle enough to give comfort. 'I gave her an inner strength to endure childbirth and the rejection that many times
comes from her children.
'I gave her a hardness that allows her to keep going when everyone else gives up, and take care of her family through sickness and fatigue without complaining.
'I gave her the sensitivity to love her children under any and all circumstances,
even when her child has hurt her very badly.
'I gave her strength to carry her husband through his faults and fashioned her
from his rib to protect his heart.
'I gave her wisdom to know that a good husband never hurts his wife, but sometimes tests her strengths and her resolve to stand beside him unfalteringly.
'And finally, I gave her a tear to shed. This is hers exclusively to use
whenever it is needed. That tear holds more then men could understand.
'For a woman's tear is full of unconditional love, power,sacrifice,beauty,pain,and compassion, all ten fold of what a Man is able to feel.'
'She's my gift to the world; she's an Angel on Earth. Love her and praise her, for there will be no other here on Earth that will Love you like I do than your Mother.

'You see my son,' said God, 'The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair.' The beauty of a woman must be seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart - the place where love resides."

Easter Celebrations

Easter weekend was beautiful; though a bit on the chilly side, at least it didn't snow, and the sun even graced us with it's presence for a few hours!

Saturday, the Mr. was at the hospital (what's new?) so I took the kids to a local Easter Egg hunt. The sign said "10am sharp" and they weren't kidding - they had all the kids stand behind a ribbon at at 10:00 on the dot they cut the ribbon and let 'em all loose. I'm not sure how many kids were there, but the hunt lasted all of about 90 seconds - if you blinked you probably missed it. Lucky for us we were on time for once. The 'big kids' were fast, seasoned 'egg-hunters' and therefore scored most of the goods but fortunately my kids were content with their 3 eggs each just for the novelty of it all. (I'm glad they aren't yet to the stage where everything has to be exactly "fair"!) The thing that thrilled them most of all was the real, live bunny someone brought (on a leash!) - Grins was convinced it was the Easter Bunny himself! Wiggles enjoyed the hunt because I carried her in the front pack and let her have her binkie the whole time; she was in heaven!













Sunday, the children woke up before dawn even thought about cracking (a new trend these days....super!) Because it was a holiday, and to allow myself a shower, I let them watch "He is Risen" which they of course enjoyed since screen time is such a rare treat. We ate a quick breakfast and then donned our easter finery and headed off to church - the only TRUE way to celebrate Easter, I would say, it symbolizing the Resurrection and all.













We came home from church and found that the easter bunny had left some 'goods' which the children were of course thrilled about! Then we headed to Oma and Opa's house for Easter dinner. For dinner, we made 'easter tomb biscuits', in which you wrap a marshmallow inside a piece of biscuit dough and then bake; the marshmallow symbolizes Jesus' body, and the biscuit is the tomb. We also sprinkled butter, cinnamon and sugar on top, symbolizing the oil and spices with which Jesus' body was annointed. When an uncle asked why we were adding spices, Grins answered "So the body doesn't STINK!" After baking the biscuit, you open it to find the 'tomb' empty. Angel and Grins were a bit disappointed that their favorite part of the biscuit had disappeared, despite our reminding them "He is not here, but is risen!" Finally, Grins got it and said "Did Jesus melt?" We got a kick out of that.

I've decided that, with my little loverlies around, there is never a dull moment! I truly don't know what I would do without these sweet little angels in my life! I am SO grateful for Easter and what it means to me to know that, because Jesus was resurrected and lives again, death is not the end. That knowledge is truly the greatest gift I've ever known, and I can't imagine living without it - especially now that I have such precious children whom I so dearly love!

Draper Temple Open House

My kids, especially Angel, were SO excited to attend the open house of the Draper LDS Temple. (for more information on LDS temples click here.) Since this is a rare and special occasion for us, we all got dressed in our Sunday best and made the (somewhat long) drive out there. The children thoroughly enjoyed the tour, which is a 'silent' tour with minimal talking, and crowds just walking through quietly, pondering in their hearts the beauty surrounding them and the feelings within their hearts. The Mr. and I exchanged more than one tearful glance as we thought of what temples mean to us, and reminisced on our most special day in the Portland LDS temple nearly 8 years ago when we were married and sealed for eternity. We were pleased with how well each child did - considering the whole ordeal took a few hours (an hour in the car, a half hour at the church, waiting for the bus, a few minutes on the bus, then another hour or so in the temple, WALKING, not running, being QUIET! - not the way our children usually spend their afternoons by any stretch of the imagination!) Then, as we neared the end of the tour, we took a moment to sit in one of the larger and, in my opinion, most beautiful rooms of the temple. We asked the children to think about how they were feeling so we could discuss it later. We all sat for a moment until I suddenly noticed, in the corner of my eye, that our sweet little Grins was jumping on the couch!! Stifling a laugh at our spirited child who was rejoicing in the spirit of the temple in his own little way, the Mr. and I quickly grabbed him and held him close so as not to preserve the quiet, reverent nature of the room and building. Right after that, we proceeded to the last room of the tour, where a sweet 'mature' couple shared their memories of their own temple marriage many years ago. As they spoke, our little Wiggles proceeded to FILL her diaper. Very loudly. Very obviously. Very smelly. We found it interesting that she would wait until that very quiet moment to clear her bowels. The Mr. and I could barely contain our laughter and were relieved when the couple finished their remarks so we could quickly remove ourselves from the building and let loose. Some may find us irreverent, but I know that there is a special place in the Lord's heart for sweet little children, and, in my heart of hearts, I think he just may have been laughing with us.

David after Dentist

So, I'm too computer illiterate to figure out how to post a you-tube video on here (I'm sure it's incredibly easy but I'm just clueless - feel free to clue me in and I'll update it!) but, if you haven't already seen it, you should really watch "David after Dentist" on YouTube. The original, by booba1234. I don't usually laugh out loud but this one had me crying. Seriously. If you're stressed it's some great stress relief. And if you're not, it's just plain funny.

Pay it Forward Spring Surprise

OK, I know the picture has nothing to do with the post, but I'll never pass up an opportunity to show off my kids, and I hate posting without a pic...

"Paying it forward" - I saw this idea on my aunt's blog, and thought it looked fun so I agreed to pass it on, so here goes:

The first three people to comment on this post will be the lucky recipients of something cleverly handmade by me, to be gifted in the near future.

And here's the only catch. In order for you to comment and be a receiver, you must post this same "deal" on your own blog to keep it going. That way, we can all get a little springtime cheer. And, I'll add my own little wish, which is that you'll post what you made, too, because that would be fun to know.

I'm off to think, think, think about whether I'll cook, sew, craft, or or or . . . . Watch for my post on what I've gifted and I'll be watching for yours!

Wow!

All 3 are napping at the same time - don't think this has EVER happened before, at least since I can remember. :) Going to take advantage and fold the 4 loads sitting on the dryer, start on dinner, and mop the kitchen floor...

but first I have to jot down the latest 'kid-isms' lest they are forgotten: (It's been TOO long since my last post, simply because what with planning a very large medical student event, trying to keep up with Angel's reading lessons, getting through potty training Grins, trying to train Wiggles to sleep on her own, plus my own very serious bout of mastitis that nearly landed me in the hospital...it's been a busy few weeks. Now just trying to catch up on the housework, etc.)

First, there is the pronunciation of words. I'm sure they are't unique but they are so endearing and I hope my kids always speak this way:

Angel -
~prastic/prasticing (practice)
~pretect (protect)

Grins -
~bizanya (lasagna)
~lellow (yellow)
~swain (train)

Then, there's the events:

We RARELY watch TV in any version (movie, TV or otherwise) but the kids were given "Horton Hears a Who" for Christmas so we had a special family movie night and watched it together. Great flick but unfortunately has some language issues; Angel the other day was angry at me for some reason or another (seems to happen more frequently these days, since I'm either "not a very nice mom" or "the best mom EVER!", depending on her frame of mind at any given moment....anyhow, she said, "Mom, you idiot!" (a word she could only have learned from Horton) to which I said "Excuse me?" Without skipping a beat she sad "Mom, your name is Lydia." Would that I had such a quick wit about me.

When I put her hair in pigtails and then she examined herself in the mirror: "I look like an airplane!" (um..really? ok. how about a ponytail?)

We were playing "Pirates" the other day - during which we are each in a "boat" (the couch, a basket, a pillow, etc). Angel dumped out a box of balls and I said "wow! Balls! Are those our cannon balls?" She answered "No! They're pirate heads!" Yikes! Where does she come up with these things? :)

Grins is the ever-sensitive little gentleman. He is quick to soothe either sister if ever they are sad by saying "It's ok, (sister). I'm here. (Grins) is here. Don't worry. I'll pretect you." I cherish his sensitivity but have to remember to take things slow with him - a few weeks ago we visited a candy factory and he was HORRIFIED - he seemed to think we were at an airport and would be "going up" and insisted on being carried (which was somewhat of a challenge with Wiggles in the front pack, and holding Angel's hand, but mothers with 3 ages 3 and under must learn to juggle, mustn't we?). He was terrified - although his tension eased considerably once a piece of chocolate was sampled....a boy after my own heart, I tell you.

Next big adventure: Theatre movie. My children had never been to the theatre so when Oma and Opa offered to treat us to Velveteen Rabbit, the Mr. and I thought it would be a special treat. Grins literally jumped into the Mr.'s arms and clung to his neck with all his might. Again, the tension eased once the actual show had begun, but it took quite a bit of coersion to keep him there at first. Who knew what great lengths we would go to to get our child to watch a movie!

Latest hurdle: the wind. Yes, my son is truly afraid he is going to blow away. At the slightest gust - no, the gentlest puff - of wind or breeze, he comes running to me and CLINGS with all his might to whatever part of me he can grab hold of (usually the pant leg, although hair, clothing, and even certain unmentionable parts have all been squeezed). I ought to just get the poor kid a leash, but as long as I remain within an arm's reach at all times while we're outside, he's ok.

I feel guilty for feeling this way when my sweet little innocent son is so terrifed, but I find his phobias hilarious. It's just so funny to see him get so worked up over something I know is very benign and safe. Don't worry - I try VERY hard to keep my humor concealed. But I suppose that's how our Father in Heaven views us at times. And, I have to admit, I love how much he trusts me to protect him. And I love his sensitivity - I know he gets much of it from his father, and I think it will serve him well in life.


Although there are days I am pulling my hair out, overall I am just overwhelmed with how much I love these sweet little pure and innocent souls. They are truly the light of my life and the most meaningful 'things' to which I have ever devoted my time. They make it so hard to think of anything else and I'm afraid my friendships, career and housework have all seemed to go by the wayside, but truly, I am happier than I can ever remember being in my whole life. I cherish these moments and I, while I know it's a fantasy, I wish and hope and pray that I can stay in this moment, with my children these ages, forever. They are perfect.

Publicity

Since I've received one too many email forwards regarding this, I felt it appropriate to post the following quote, taken directly from www.lds.org. today:

"The Publicity Dilemma

SALT LAKE CITY 9 March 2009 Like other large faith groups, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sometimes finds itself on the receiving end of attention from Hollywood or Broadway, television series or books, and the news media. Sometimes depictions of the Church and its people are quite accurate. Sometimes the images are false or play to stereotypes. Occasionally, they are in appallingly bad taste.

As Catholics, Jews and Muslims have known for centuries, such attention is inevitable once an institution or faith group reaches a size or prominence sufficient to attract notice. Yet Latter-day Saints – sometimes known as Mormons - still wonder whether and how they should respond when news or entertainment media insensitively trivialize or misrepresent sacred beliefs or practices.

Church members are about to face that question again. Before the first season of the HBO series Big Love aired more than two years ago, the show’s creators and HBO executives assured the Church that the series wouldn’t be about Mormons. However, Internet references to Big Love indicate that more and more Mormon themes are now being woven into the show and that the characters are often unsympathetic figures who come across as narrow and self-righteous. And according to TV Guide, it now seems the show’s writers are to depict what they understand to be sacred temple ceremonies.

Certainly Church members are offended when their most sacred practices are misrepresented or presented without context or understanding. Last week some Church members began e-mail chains calling for cancellations of subscriptions to AOL, which, like HBO, is owned by Time Warner. Certainly such a boycott by hundreds of thousands of computer-savvy Latter-day Saints could have an economic impact on the company. Individual Latter-day Saints have the right to take such actions if they choose.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as an institution does not call for boycotts. Such a step would simply generate the kind of controversy that the media loves and in the end would increase audiences for the series. As Elder M. Russell Ballard and Elder Robert D. Hales of the Council of the Twelve Apostles have both said recently, when expressing themselves in the public arena, Latter-day Saints should conduct themselves with dignity and thoughtfulness.

Not only is this the model that Jesus Christ taught and demonstrated in his own life, but it also reflects the reality of the strength and maturity of Church members today. As someone recently said, “This isn’t 1830, and there aren’t just six of us anymore.” In other words, with a global membership of thirteen and a half million there is no need to feel defensive when the Church is moving forward so rapidly. The Church’s strength is in its faithful members in 170-plus countries, and there is no evidence that extreme misrepresentations in the media that appeal only to a narrow audience have any long-term negative effect on the Church.

Examples:

* During the Mitt Romney election campaign for the presidency of the United States, commentator Lawrence O’Donnell hurled abuse at the Church in a television moment that became known among many Church members as “the O’Donnell rant.” Today, his statements are remembered only as a testament to intolerance and ignorance. They had no effect on the Church that can be measured.
* When the comedy writers for South Park produced a gross portrayal of Church history, individual Church members no doubt felt uncomfortable. But once again it inflicted no perceptible or lasting damage to a church that is growing by at least a quarter of a million new members every year.
* When an independent film company produced a grossly distorted version of the Mountain Meadows Massacre two years ago, the Church ignored it. Perhaps partly as a result of that refusal to engender the controversy that the producers hoped for, the movie flopped at the box office and lost millions.
* In recent months, some gay activists have barraged the media with accusations about “hateful” attitudes of Latter-day Saints in supporting Proposition 8 in California, which maintained the traditional definition of marriage. They even organized a protest march around the Salt Lake Temple. Again, the Church has refused to be goaded into a Mormons versus gays battle and has simply stated its position in tones that are reasonable and respectful. Meanwhile, missionary work and Church members in California remain as robust and vibrant as ever, and support for the Church has come from many unexpected quarters — including some former critics and other churches.

Now comes another series of Big Love, and despite earlier assurances from HBO it once again blurs the distinctions between The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the show’s fictional non-Mormon characters and their practices. Such things say much more about the insensitivities of writers, producers and TV executives than they say about Latter-day Saints.

If the Church allowed critics and opponents to choose the ground on which its battles are fought, it would risk being distracted from the focus and mission it has pursued successfully for nearly 180 years. Instead, the Church itself will determine its own course as it continues to preach the restored gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world."

Angel the fashion diva

Angel has always loved dressing up, but lately she has taken to dressing up her younger sister. Every single day, she picks out an outfit, complete with socks, shoes and a hat or a headband, for the baby. But one morning she went the extra mile and added another accessory, all by herself:


Her fashion sense is rubbing off on Grins as well...one morning I went looking for him since he had been alone - and QUIET - in the bathroom for a while, which usually means trouble. This is what I found:


My kids are seriously funny. Who needs TV?

Your Ideas, Please??

As you may know, the Mr. is nearing (a long-awaited) graduation from Medical School in just a few months! Since he's worked so hard and has handled everything so beautifully, I would love to do something special for him to celebrate. But since I am lacking in the creativity department, I would love any ideas any of you may have. Keep in mind we are on a very limited student budget (as in, the cheaper, the better) but I do want this to be special. I am working right now to save aside a little 'celebration money'. :)

Some ideas I've come up with:

~Dinner at Five Alls (he's wanted to eat there ever since I can remember but I've never heard anything about it....does anyone have experience/know details such as pricing, ambiance, etc?)

~A Party or Get-Together of Sorts (possibly medically themed with scalpels for knives, face prosciutto, brain jello, etc - I know the Mr. would enjoy it but is that too grotesque for guests?)

~A little vacation (since he'll be working at least 80 hours per week for the next 4 years of his life!)

....that's all I have come up with, which is why I'm asking for your clever thoughts and suggestions! :)

What I see when I get out of the shower each morning...

in case you can't find her, the baby is actually in her little swing, showered with gifts from her doting older siblings. at least she can still breathe...

The REAL Sleeping Beauty

How adorable is she? How lucky am I?!

Is there life after birth?

(Our little Wiggles, moments after her entrance into the world)

Maybe you've read this before, but I hadn't and I found it thought-provoking!

"A womb had twins growing in it. Their joy grew in proportion with their consciousness: "Isn't it wonderful to be alive?", said one to the other one day. "Oh yes," said the one spoken to. Over time the twins began to discover their world. In the process they found the cord that connected them to their mother and fed them.
Delightedly they said: "How great must be the love of our mother that she shares her own life with us!" Weeks passed that way and they noticed themselves changing. "What does it mean that we are changing over time?" one of them asked the other.

He answered: "It means that our time in this world will be over soon."

"But I don't want to go," replied the other and added: "Do you actually believe in life after birth?"

"Yes, it exists. Our life here is only meant for us to grow and to prepare us for life after birth, so that we will be strong enough for what awaits us."

"Nonsense, that is not possible. What is that supposed to look like anyway, life after birth?"

"I don't know exactly either. But it will certainly be brighter than here. And maybe we will walk around and eat with our mouths?"

"What nonsense! Walking around, that's impossible. And eating with the mouth, what a strange idea! We have the umbilical cord that feeds us, and it's too short for walking around even now."

"No, it's definitely possible. Everything is just going to be a little different!"

"We are going to lose our life cord. But how are we going to live without it? Others before us may have left this mother's womb, but none of them came back and told us that there is life after birth. No, birth is the end, I am absolutely sure! Nobody has ever come back from 'after birth.' Life ends at birth, afterwards everything is dark and torture." The one then fell into a deep grief and said, "If conception ends with birth, what purpose does life in the mother's womb have? It's senseless. Maybe there is no mother?"

"But she has to exist," the other argued, "how else would we have gotten here? And how would we have stayed alive? Even if I don't know exactly what life after birth is going to look like, we will at least see our mother then and she will take care of us."

"Mother? You believe in a mother? Tell me, have you ever seen our mother?" asked the first one. "Maybe she only lives in our imagination, and we just made her up in order to better understand our life. Where is she supposed to be?"

"Well, here, all around us. We are and live inside her and through her. Without her we cannot be."

"Nonsense! I have never experienced a mother, so she doesn't exist."

"But sometimes, when we are really quiet, you can hear her sing. Or feel her touch our world..."
The last days in the mother's womb were filled with many questions and big fears. Finally the moment of birth arrived. When the twins left their world, they opened their eyes and what they saw exceeded their boldest dreams and imagination."

~Author Unknown

We Love our GG!

The kids are having a great time in Oregon and we make sure to visit GG (great-grandma) every day so she doesn't get lonely! Here she is with 3 of her great-grandkids (the 4th is in the background in Aunt Abbie's arms!)

Unto Us a Child is Born

"For unto us a child is born" had an extra special meaning to our family this year, as our little wiggles joined our family shortly before Christmas. Our kids LOVED having a "real, live baby Jesus" for our own little rendition of the nativity story this year. They were SO adorable - Angel was so gentle and motherly, carefully holding little Wiggles, while Grins reminded us "I'm Jo-fuf" and continually pulled his headband off. Not an entirely quiet or reverent rendition, but very touching indeed! I'm so grateful for the holiday season in which we pause to remember the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

She's Here!!!

She's here, she's beautiful, and, already, she's VERY loved! Her parents are having to compete with her proud older brother and sister for any time with her! More pictures and details to come - we're simply too busy enjoying her right now!