Family Pictures

Happy Birthday Ethan!

Ethan turned four years old on November 23rd! He is growing up so fast I can't believe it.

This year he started planning his own rainbow themed birthday party well in advanced. He even invited all his friends before talking with Mom and Dad! We had a blast playing "pin the cloud to the rainbow" and other fun games. We had a yummy lunch complete with rainbow jello, a rainbow fruit platter and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with his favorite rasberry jam. He had a wonderful time with all his joy school buddies.

Later than night we had a family party with Grammy and Granpy. We enjoyed a rainbow birthday cake and his choice of dinner which was bacon, eggs and cranberry orange biscuits.

His favorite color (though he loves the whole rainbow) remains purple.

He loves bacon.

His blankie (my old blankie) remains his special comfort along with that callused thumb.

His best friend is Bridger Poulton from Joy School and of course Elizabeth and Caroline--and may I add Mommy:)

He loves to play jokes on Mommy and Daddy--including booby trapping daddy with pins in the carpet.

He loves to kiss anybody and everybody and tell them he loves them. Including all the nurses at the doctors office who adore him. 

His favorite movie is Tangled and he is always begging me to grow my hair as long as Rapunzel's.

He LOVES singing time in primary and especially his singing teacher Sister Dean.

 He is probably sweetest little boy I have ever known. One night when Craig was out of town and we were saying family prayer, I began to cry. Without saying a word he came and put his arm around me, and after the prayer told me he loved me. Once at the park him and a friend had removed their shoes. His friend hurt her foot and he realized it was because they had taken their shoes off. He ran as fast as his little legs could across the entire park, found her shoes, and came running back to her. He sat her down, looked at her foot and then helped her put her shoes and socks back on. He has a talent of seeing others needs and then doing something about it. He is such a blessing in our lives and we love him more than words can express.

Caroline's Blessing pictures

Here are some of Caroline's blessing pictures. If only I was a professional photographer! Good thing she is so pretty to make up for bad pictures:)

I spent far too much time and made her blessing dress, shoes and headband. I embroidered the bottom edge and shoes to match. I was pleased with how it turned out but decided on this project to just accept life's imperfections:)

Happy Halloween!

It is nice to know, even in the midst of trials and grief, we can dress up, play pretend and escape to an evening of fun and sugar. Halloween is just wonderful with children!

This year Liza went dressed as a ballerina princess hybrid and Ethan stuck with his long picked theme of 'Robot'.  They were adorable and raked in the candy! Since it rained on Halloween evening Ethan was well protected in his tin foil while poor Liza got a little wet. Even so they were persistent and without notice to the wet, trudged forward without fear collecting treats by the handfuls.

I guess Elizabeth does take after me in some regard--she wouldn't smile for the picture!

My brother Ben

I try very hard to keep this blog as up beat and happy as possible. I actually do that for myself so on hard days I can reread my posts and remember how blessed I am. But sometimes sad things happen that are a major part of life and need to be recognized.

My little brother Ben passed away on October 13th. The day Caroline was blessed. It was a bitter, unexpected, surprise that stung more than I could have imagined. Craig, Caroline and I were able to attend his funeral in Idaho that week which was a blessing.

Ben is my little brother. I remember giving him a bottle of apple juice as a baby, I remember his baptism, I remember mom accidentally shaving his head bald the night of the pinewood derby and everybody rubbing it for luck. He took it with a smile and raced his car enthusiastically. He was my partner in crime, he was my rival growing up, he was my friend, he was hilarious to joke with, he was fun to explore new places with, he drove me crazy, he made me laugh. He is my little brother who I will miss forever in this life.

I will always be greatful for a talk given by Elder Uchtdorf a year ago about healing relationships, particularly sibling relationship. I felt impressed to call him that week an apologize for all the horrible things I did and said to him when we were kids. I was an awful older sister.  I can remember one instance where Eric and I  created a treasure map that led him all over the yard. It ended with an X and he dug all afternoon to find his treasure. Sadly, we were horrible and had planted an old chocolate box with a dirty diaper inside. Sufficeth to say: I was HORRIBLE. When I told him I was sorry and that I loved him, he laughed and said he had deserved all the tricks we played on him anyway. To my great relief he forgave me. I do believe it was divinely inspired that I felt impressed to talk with him that day.

The whole terrible night I learned of his passing the only words that came to my mind over and over were:

"Lead, Kindly Light, amidst th'encircling gloom,
Lead Thou me on!
The night is dark, and I am far from home,
Lead Thou me on!
Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene; one step enough for me."

I felt more encircled by gloom than ever before in my life. Yearning desperately to be with my family, yet on the other side of the continent, I prayed with all my heart to God. I prayed for my brother and my remaining family. I felt a glimmer of hope. It was almost too dull to notice, but there it was. My knowledge of God. My knowledge of a kind and loving Savior. I know He lives. I know he died and atoned for us, for me, for my brother. I feel more inspired than ever before to reach for Him, to love and serve my family and show the kindness He did to all I know.

I believe Ben is in a better place now. Surrounded with love and both of my Grandfathers who love and care for him. I imagine him chatting with the great characters of history sometimes and wonder what kind of questions he is asking them:)

I miss you Ben. I will see you again.  

Caroline Mae's Blessing Day

We blessed Caroline on October 13th. It was a beautiful event. I am so happy her Daddy was able and worthy to give her a priesthood blessing. She was blessed with beautiful promises that touched my heart. I felt strongly as the blessing was given that this little girl is a special girl and that her Father in Heaven loves her. Her potential is limitless.

It's hard to describe the depth of a mothers love. What I love is that as deep as my love for her is, God's love is even greater. And His love, is actually worth far more than mine. I felt this on that Sunday morning. I felt that God loved her, and if God loves my little baby girl as much as I do and probably more (again, hard to fathom) her worth is of eternal importance. This beautiful child, born with talents and abilities, is loved by God so much that he gave his Son, Jesus Christ, for her. Again, her worth and potential must be limitless with so high a price.

Just a few thoughts while I look at my little treasure...who is currently crying to be held:)

Nanny, Craig and Caroline (Nanny and Caroline share a middle name:)

2 years old!

Elizabeth is two years old! Kind of crazy how fast it has gone! We went down to North Carolina to visit Craig's family for her birthday. We went swimming that afternoon with all the cousins at the rec center which was great fun. Her favorite activity is swimming:) Then we met up at a beautiful park for pizza, cake, and ice cream. She had fun playing with her cousins and of course inhaling her sprinkle birthday cake. She got lots of dress up clothes this year and so far has had lots of fun with her three tutus and four pairs of princess dress up shoes. She walks in heals better than I do--no joke! She is becoming such a pretty little lady and we love her immensely.

(I have some more pictures to add soon, but my card is being funny.....so.....stay tuned)

Our favorite place is down at the park!

Elizabeth was a big helper yesterday. She was promised if she could be good, take her nap, and listen to Mommy she would get a trip to the park. She was so excited! After being stuck in the house sick with croup for the last week we all needed a trip outside! She woke up from her nap, ran to the garage door and starting saying "Pa Pa Pa" for park--which is huge for her speech by the way! She helped me pack her new backpack with snacks and we were off. I loved seeing her so happy. Ethan had other things he said he would rather do, but was willing to accompany us:)

Confessions of a Chocoholic

Last night Craig was holding little Caroline. He looked down at her and noticed a huge gob of brown something all over her jammie collar and neck. We were obviously alarmed fearing what all parents of small children would fear....you fill in the blanks. He gave her a sniff and was shocked to realize it was actually chocolate.

I laughed and didn't say anything....because I knew the truth. In the midst of two very sick children, constantly nursing and changing a new baby, and trying somehow to feed, clothe, and keep all these people and myself alive, I sometimes boost with a handful of chocolate chips--darn those giant costco bags!! One must have fallen on her some time and melted in her neck. Chubby little babies can hide all kinds of goodies in their double and sometimes triple chins. Oh I laughed, and laughed, and laughed as I bathed her. She obviously enjoyed her chocolate encounter as well! Poor girl is certainly predisposed to this horrible disease I suffer from:)

Doesn't she have the best smile:) There is not a better feeling in the world than seeing your child smile.

Family 5K

We survived our first family 5k! I pushed baby Caroline and Craig pushed Ethan and Elizabeth. It was great! I am glad we had been running before so it wasn't too much of a shock:)

There was even a kids dash afterwards and Ethan won for his age group! He has always loved to run. When he was smaller we use to take him to the mall so he could "go running" and let him run up and down the big department store wings. The sad thing is neither of us saw him run his race! I was at the start but there were so many people there that I didn't make it to the end and a friend told us that he had won...so we are not sure if he did  for sure since the picture Craig snapped looked like he was behind. But he came home with a gold medal...so we assume he won. Either way, we are very proud of him! Now when he runs away from me at the park, grocery store, down the street, or wherever we happen to be I can take comfort in the fact that he is faster than more than just me!