Things that make it all worth it

Some days with young kids are just hard. They argue all day, won't take naps, make messes and have accidents at the worst times, fall down and hurt themselves after you warned them to stop doing something. And it goes on and on. But then there are the millions of things that happen every day that make it all worth it. To me these always come at the most discouraging times and I know they are true tender mercies from the Lord. Here are a few of the tender mercies I've seen recently....

Having Daddy home on a Sunday afternoon (a very rare occurrence these days!) Then seeing Eliza give him tons of loves and cuddles.

 Finding sweet Eliza asleep like this. It looks like she fell asleep saying prayers.

Spending time with the most beautiful princesses in the land! Those necklaces and rings are as bad as Legos on bare feet but I will sure miss this when they're older. 

Finding Hazel not napping but instead doing this... 

She even put the toe pads in before she put the shoes on. I just couldn't even be upset with her:) 

Finding the "72 Hour Kit" that Hazel made all by herself...

Realizing as I was blow drying Eliza's lovey so it would be dry for bedtime (she had an accident about 6 and won't sleep without Ellie) that I'm so thankful to be spending my days like this.

During the General Relief Society Broadcast I was touched by many of the talks and messages that were shared. It was truly an amazing night of inspiration. But the thing that touched me the most that night was singing the song "I'll go Where you Want Me to Go" The lyrics go: "It may not be on the mountain height, or over the stormy sea. It may not be at the battle front, my Lord will have need of me." As I sang I felt an overwhelming feeling of assurance that the Lord needs me most at home with my kids. The days may be long and I may spend my time blow drying loveys so little girls can go to sleep that night, but I'm so thankful for it!

Dryer Elves

You know those annoying little elves that steal socks from your dryer? Well mine have escaped and are pillaging the house! And they're only hitting big targets.

Right now the camera is missing (with an 8GB memory card in it that has pictures from the past 2 years in it!). So is Hazel's best friend Rafi. And our can opener. All of them have been lost for several weeks and it's making me crazy wondering where in the world they went. 

The last time we saw the camera was when we went on a picnic up the canyon. It was in my pocket right before we left and I swear I looked through the photos as we sat in the car on the way home, but no luck. I was REALLY bummed about losing it. Not for the camera but for all those pictures! Thankfully all the best pictures are on the blog and I'm so glad I've kept it up to date. I'm still hoping it turns up!

Then there's Rafi. Poor Hazel misses her so much. She tells me Rafi is on vacation and has been calling and texting her. But now Rafi got lost on her way home and is still trying to figure out how to make it back here. It makes me sad Hazel doesn't have her best friend. And for whatever reason, it makes be sad to think of Hazel going to school without Rafi. Hazel has talked about how when she goes to Kindergarten Rafi will come along and stay in her backpack all day. If Rafi is there she won't be afraid and she'll have someone to comfort her if she needs it when I won't be there. (Pregnancy's making me a tad overly emotional I'd say).

The can opener? Well, that I'm just annoyed by. Seriously, how do you lose your can opener?

So dear dryer elves, please bring back some of our things. Until then I'll be asking everyone for  every picture they have of my children for Christmas.

Sweet and Silly in Pictures

 

Thing Three

At my 20 week ultrasound there was no doubt about it.... baby number three is another girl!!! Part of me can't believe we're having another girl and the other part of me is so thrilled to have another little princess! We are excited for sure!

Just from her profile on the ultrasound I think she looks a lot like Hazel and Eliza did as babies. I can't wait to see if she's born with the full head of black hair like they were.

My parents were watching the girls for the day when we found out so I gave Hazel a call to tell her the news. She said "I'm going to have two sisters!!!" Then proceeded to tell everyone around her (they were at the dollar store at the time) that her baby was a girl. Eliza is pretty indifferent to the whole idea of another baby and pretends she doesn't know what we're talking about (though I'm pretty sure she does haha).

Once we knew the gender, the quest to find the perfect lovey began. As soon as we told Hazel we were having another baby she wanted to buy the baby a lovey. The weeks of waiting to know the gender were agony for her. We thought that surely finding a lovey wouldn't be too hard... we were wrong. Hazel is a lovey snob for sure. The lovey had to be cute, have a stain back, feel a specific way, and have a rattle in it's head. I think we finally found an acceptable one after about 7 or 8 stores. The one we found is really cute - it's a pink "sock monkey" type and Hazel is very pleased with it. She can't wait to give the baby her gift the first time they come meet her in the hospital.

As people have found out we're having our third girl in a row several have made comments about how Michael must be a great dad because it takes a special person to be a father to so many girls. I would have to agree - he is a great dad! Today at church he shared his testimony along with his gratitude for the women in the church. He talked about how he wouldn't be the man he is today without the influence of his mother, me, and other wonderful women in his life. He also talked about how women are God's greatest creation and truly make this world a wonderful place. It really made me think how blessed we are to be raising all these girls. They will be the future generation of women who change the world with their powerful example.

So, yay for little girls and the blessing to parent them here on earth. We love you sweet princess and can't wait to meet you!

Become as a Child

Children are so close to the Lord. It never ceases to amaze me how much my children teach and inspire me. Here are some of the things the girls have done recently have had me in awe of their sweet, innocent spirits. No wonder we are counseled to "become as a child."

Hazel:
As we were leaving church one day Hazel looked at me in all seriousness and asked "Mom, why did they kill Jesus?" She was so upset just by the thought of people killing our Savior that she burst in to tears. Hysterical tears. Her love for Christ is so boundless and pure. It was wonderful to be able to explain to her that even though they had crucified Christ that He was resurrected and live again.

Eliza:
One day Hazel was talking about what she wanted to be when she grew up (a princess was the final decision). Then she asked Eliza what she wanted to be. Eliza answered without hesitation - a missionary! The rest of that week they both talked about how they wanted to be missionaries. They also decided Daddy was really lucky because he went on a mission already AND he would get to go on another on with Mommy some day.

Hazel and Eliza:
The other day instead of building a fort to play in the girls built a temple out of blankets. Then Eliza got all dressed up so she could get married in the temple. So sweet!

I LOVE my beautiful little girls! I feel so blessed to be their mom. They truly teach me more than I teach them.

Colorado Trip

 Last weekend we make a quick trip to Colorado for Harrison and Rebecca's open house there. It was SO good to be back in Colorado. Both of us want to move back someday.(And of course I forgot the camera so excuse the less than stellar phone pictures)

Thursday we had an uneventful drive out to Colorado Springs where we stayed with good friends. See why we LOVE Colorado so much? This was honestly the most bright and beautiful rainbow I've ever seen in my life.

 Friday we got busy making all our stops in the Springs. Michael stopped at UCCS to visit a good professor friend (and keep up good relations so they hopefully will have a job for him once he gets his PhD). While he was there, the girls and I stopped by the Alpine Autism Center for a quick visit with my old co-workers. Their building was very close to the where the Waldo canyon fire burned so many homes and it was devastating to see all the fire destroyed. After that, we headed to the park for a playdate with all of Hazel's old friends and friends from the ward. Thanks everyone who came to see us! Last we met up for a late lunch with one of Michael's old interpreters. It was such a fun visit to the Springs!

Sleeping Angels

The rest of the weekend was spent up in Denver for family festivities. Saturday morning my Dad had to introduce Eliza to Tiny Town and the train. She LOVED it! She wanted to ride the train over and over and cried when we left. Then Willie's Wings for lunch and the open house that night.

Blowing their train whistles before Tiny Town.

Sunday we had planed to go to our old ward in the Springs, but we were just too tired to make the drive and the girls needed time out of the car. So we went to my "home" ward instead. Then Monday was stop in to visit Great-Grandpa one more time and the drive back, which was long, but thankfully uneventful again. It was so fun to get away for a quick weekend!

Four Generations!

Harrison and Rebecca are Married!

My cute little brother married the best girl two weeks ago. We LOVE Rebecca and are so happy for them!!

Michael and I got to meet her on their second date to the BYU vs. Gonzaga basketball game. The very next week I'd asked Harrison to watch the girls while we went to the temple and he wanted to bring Rebecca with him. After talking to her more that night, I knew she was a keeper. Part of why she and I get along so well is we are a lot alike. Our brains just work the same way:) Love that we get to keep her!

They were sealed in the Draper Temple August 23rd. Plenty of miracles attended the day. We realized at the last minute there had been a miscommunication with the people we thought would be watching the girls outside the temple while we attended the sealing. Just as I was going in our great friend Tom was coming out from his granddaughter's sealing. He sat with the girls (and the girls LOVED hanging out with him). Such a blessing!

I got the girls to take naps in the church where the luncheon was held. Mommy miracle right there!

Rebecca reading Harrison the cutest love story at the luncheon.

Then, that night before the reception it was POURING rain! It was literally coming down in sheets and the reception was all outside. They ended up having to do all their pictures under this large porch, but again miracles happened and the rain stopped in time for everything to get set up and perfect.

Hazel and Maya

Hazel, Eliza, and Maya (you can see a bit of how hard it was raining)

Gabby and Brenna after the storm.

 It was such a wonderful day! Best of all was the sealing. Rebecca's great-grandfather sealed them in a very sweet ceremony. We are so blessed to know families can truly be together forever!

Goodbye summer

Summer has just flown by and now it's time to get back to the real world. There are many things about our two part-timer worker job scenario that aren't great. No vacation or sick time, paying for private insurance, the inconsistency of hours, etc. But one thing that is wonderful is the Michael gets to be around so much especially during the summer. This summer he wasn't teaching at all and just had school in June and July. With me working slightly more this summer (20 hours a week instead of my normal 12) it still left tons of time for family. So while I long for the day when he's done with school and working full time, I am so thankful for the time we have now. Not many kids get to spend so much fun time with Daddy and they love it!

We honestly didn't do as much as I would have liked this summer as my first trimester tiredness lasted most of the summer. But we did have lots of fun at home and hit up Seven Peaks from time to time.We tired out best to keep cool in record breaking heat, ate lots of yummy fruit, played tons of dress up, made it on one hike and one camping trip. Mostly we enjoyed those stinking cute little "twiners".

Now it's back to reality. Michael will be teaching two classes at UVU again this year. He was also offered a job at BYU and is teaching one class there! It's so exciting to see him getting more and more experience and we're thankful for this huge blessing (well Michael is until he remembers he has to shave more now haha). Add to that the two classes he will be taking for his Masters, teaching institute one night a week, and his new calling on the high counsel and he is going to be one very busy guy!

Thankfully I was able to cut back my hours again and will be working from home half the time so that will be great. I plan to home school Hazel for preschool again this year both to save money and because I'm not ready to send her off just yet:) I think I'll be a wreck when it's time to send her to Kindergarten next year. Here's to an exciting new school year! 

Here's what you get when you ask your husband to take a first day of school picture:)

Temple to Temple 5K

We have had the wonderful opportunity to live in Provo during a very exciting time. The Provo Tabernacle which was severely damaged in a fire several years ago is being re-built in to a Temple. (For more information on Temples click here).

I had several fond memories of the Provo Tabernacle from when I was attending BYU. I heard President Uchdorff and his wife speak there shortly after he was called as an apostle. Shortly before we were married Michael and I had the interview for our sealing with the Stake President in one of the small side rooms off the main assembly hall. I attended my brother-in-law's graduation when Hazel was about 9 months old there; during the ceremony she dropped her pacifier from the balcony down on to the stage and nearly hit someone in the head:)

It's a wonderful building and I'm so excited to see it become a temple. Our stake is the "home stake" for the tabernacle which has made the whole process even more exciting. Recently they held a Fireside with the project manager overseeing the construction. He went in to detail about some of the amazing things they've done as they've turned this 100+ year old building in to a temple that will stand for generations to come.

Part of the process has involved suspending the building on stilts then digging 40 feet below it to create a basement. We visited the construction site last month and it is incredible to see what they've done.

At another point in the fireside our Stake President shared an experience that really touched me. He was the Stake President when the fire occurred. He, like so many, loved that building. But he felt the additional burden of "why did this happen on my watch? I'm supposed to be overseeing this building." He was with the fire investigation team in the days after the fire. When he saw this famous painting he felt an overwhelming sense of calm. He also felt as if the Lord was speaking to him saying "LeGrand, you know whose house this is. If I want to do a bit of re-modeling to my house, what's it to you?" (I love how our Stake President talks in such a down to earth tone haha).

He then went on to describe how often our "houses" (our lives, our plans, our families, etc) need to take a major shift for the worse so the "remodeling" can begin. It is in the times of trial and change that the Lord is making our houses become the exulted Temples we want them to be. But it's hard! It's hard to have faith in those times of great trial. And yet, if we can but endure the Lord has planned much grander, more beautiful houses for us.

I love the perspective his talk put on our lives. I often feel frustrated by not knowing where our family will end up (for goodness sake, we have no idea where we will be living a year from now). But it is such a comfort to know the Lord is guiding us. It also helped me realize that should I be called to face one of those "burn your house to the ground" type trials it would be on the path to transforming my house in to a temple.

To raise awareness about the temple and promote family history work, our stake hosted a "Temple to Temple" 5K Run/Walk on Pioneer Day. Where else in the world can walk from one temple to the next? No where!

We got up bright and early to start at the Provo Temple (Mike was running so he had already moved in place to start when we took the picture).

Then we finished just over an hour later at the new Provo City Center temple. (An hour is pathetic I know. Remember Gabby and I had 3 children with us and Hazel walked most of the way)

Afterwards, Hazel and Eliza enjoyed some more time hanging out with Brenny before she headed home.

We feel so blessed to be here as the Temple is built!