Decade Dance

Our ward hosted a decade dance while Michael was in New York. It was awesome! The girls really enjoyed putting their costumes together.... 

Lenora - 50's and Eliza - 70's

Hazel rocked the 80's look!

My wonderful date and I representing the 40's

Dressing up was great, but the dancing was the best part! Orson was quickly scooped up my some older women in the ward which left me free to dance my heart out with the girls. I was thrilled to see they enjoy dancing as much as I do! I never caught a picture of Hazel but she danced all over with her girl friends and with me. Eliza on the other night spent her night dancing hand in hand with the boys. She's going to give us a run for our money when she's older!

Eliza and Abe

Eliza and Kash

 Lenora loved playing with the decorations but also spent a good amount of time twirling alone or with her little friends.

Lenora and her BFF Tabitha

Lenora and Onnah

I was just bummed Michael couldn't make it! I would have forced him to dance with us (he only tolerates dancing because he loves me). There's always next year!

A Love

Michael is out of town for a Deaf Education conference in New York city. It sounds like he has had a wonderful time. The conference was great, he had time to do some sight seeing in the evenings, and he was even able to attend the Manhattan Temple while he was there. Lucky guy!

We've all missed Daddy, and I've certainly missed all his help. It's been a good kind of busy week, but we've definitely been on the move. After one busy, exhausting day my mind began dwelling on some of the annoying mannerisms of my children that had made the day more difficult. Like how Hazel gets in silly moods and completely stops listening to directions. Or how Eliza loves to hide and scream "Boo!" when I walk in to a room. Or how Lenora constantly says "I do it!" or "myself!" or "I no need help" for everything then screams when I have to help her because she can't do it on her own. Thankfully, the Spirit helped redirect my negative thoughts, and this quote came to mind:

Pray for the love which allows you to see the good in your companion. Pray for the love that makes weaknesses and mistakes seem small. Pray for the love to make your companion's joys your own. Pray for the love to want to lessen the loan and soften the sorrow of your companion. - Henry B. Eyring

I had stumbled upon this quote recently and it had stuck in my mind because it was like a revelation to me. Why? Michael frequently tells me I'm beautiful. And usually he tells me when I'm in my baby-puke spotted sweats with my hair in a messy bun and yesterday's makeup. I've never really believed him and thought he was just saying it because it's what he's "supposed" to say or because he thought it was what I want to hear. Then I read this quote and realized how wrong I was. He calls me beautiful because he means it. He says it because that is how he truly sees me. To him, I am beautiful. Always. Michael is developing the love for me that President Eyring is describing.

Then I realized, what if I truly had a love like that for Michael and my children. What if their mistakes and weaknesses were truly eclipsed by their talents and successes? What if instead of reflecting on the minor things that annoy me I was thinking of the many ways they bring me joy?  To be fair there certainly are moments when I see them this way, but there are many more moments when I see them with my carnal eyes instead.

Love is the motivating principle by which the Lord leads us along the way towards becoming like Him, our perfect example. Our way of life, hour by hour, must be filled with the love of God and love for others... The family [is] an example of an ideal setting in which we can learn how to love as He loves. That is because the greatest joys and greatest sorrows we experience are in family relationships. The joys come from putting the welfare of others above our own. That is what love is. And the sorrow comes primarily from selfishness, which is the absence of love. - Henry B. Eyring

How lucky we are to have families where we can learn to love like our Savior? And how incredible that he truly can help us change the lens through which we view those around us. I hope I can learn to see goodness, kindness, talent, and majesty in all people, but especially the ones I love the most.

Five for Friday

A friend creates Five Things for Friday posts on her blog. I always have lots of little things I want to post but no good way to organize them. Now I don't have to try! So here are five fun things for Friday! 

- 1 - 

Little Miss Hazel is our toothless wonder at the moment. She recently lost her 4th bottom tooth. It was barely hanging on by a thread for days and days. But she refused to let me pull it because she wanted to lose it at school so she could get a tooth necklace. One day she finally worked up the nerve and pulled it after recess. These will likely be some of her last jack-o-lantern smiles because her two front teeth are almost here! We can see them just under her gums. After 3 1/2 years without them we may not recognize her once they grow in. 

- 2 - 

Orson is four months old today! He continues to be such a sweet, calm baby. He loves to coo and grin when you talk to him, and he has the most adorable dimple on his right cheek. At about 15 pounds already, I feel like he is growing so fast! He spits up A LOT (just like Princess Falls aka Hazel did). The other night, I was holding him facing out and he spit up. Poor Lenora was in the wrong place at the wrong time and it landed right on her head! When she's older and hears this story she's sure to never let him live it down. 

Puke Bomber and his innocent victim

- 3- 

Here's my new favorite piece of furniture in our home....  

Thanks for my amazing friend Karren this beauty joined our family for FREE! She was searching Craigslist for pianos and happened to find two listed for free. She contacted both sellers in hopes of getting one and ended up with two so she offered me one! I have wanted to learn to play the piano for many years, and 2016 is going to be the year I start! My plan is to see how far I can get watching YouTube lessons (yep, they exist) and working my way through a few beginning books then add lessons in a few months. I have missed having an artistic outlet and already look forward to sitting down to play each day. I can almost play a simplified version of "The Holy Ghost." I'm so excited for my new hobby!

- 4 - 

We had our first ER visit with one of our kids this month. We always thought Eliza would be the first emergency, and we were right. But it wasn't for a broken bone like we assumed, she cut her finger on a can of olives. I had opened the can while cooking dinner and given the girls each an olive to tide them over. Eliza and Lenora were trying to get more when I told them to be careful because cans are sharp and shut the lid. Well, determined little Eliza really wanted more olives and tried to open up the lid after I turned around. It was a really deep cut that left no doubt that it needed immediate attention (and of course these things always happen at 5:15 on a Friday night). Luckily Michael had just walked in the door so I whisked her off to the ER. 

She did SO well! After a few tears while they numbed her finger, she calmly laid still and chatted with the nurses while they stitched her up. Four stitches and three weeks later it's looking a lot better...

You can see right where the stitches were.

- 5 - 

Star Wars is the new favorite thing in our house. One of Hazel's friends at school got her excited about Star Wars and so over Christmas break we watched the original 3 movies with her. Now she's obsessed. When they dress up it's as Princess Leia and R2-D2. They have also played Halloween costumes for our whole family: Hazel- Princess Leia, Eliza - R2-D2, Lenora - Ewok, Orson- Yoda, Daddy - Hans Solo, and Mommy - Queen Amadalla. Michael couldn't be more thrilled about the whole thing!

Princess Leia

R2-D2 "Bee-boo!"