Sweetness

The other day, I came in the living room and saw this cute little scene.

 I love that Cory will do just about anything these cute little kids ask him to. :)  Are they sweet or what?

And I also love that he can make them laugh themselves silly. :)

And is there anything better than a sweet kiss from a cute little girl?  Even when she's being silly?  I don't think so. :)

Polka-dotty

We love polka dots, yes we do...

We love polka dots, how 'bout you? :)

The Natural Course of Things

This is something I've been pondering for a while now and trying to find the right words.

For the last month or two, I noticed that I was grumpy a lot on Saturdays.  I think Cory was beginning to wonder if I didn't enjoy having him around the house.  Of course that wasn't the case.  And isn't.  That's what I look forward to all week. :) It took me a while to figure it out, but I finally did.  Saturday was the day that marked the start of a new week of pregnancy.  Only now it doesn't.  This Saturday I would have been 36 weeks pregnant.  Only now I'm not.  I'm 16 weeks post-loss.  Even though I wasn't consciously thinking about that milestone, my body and my spirit felt it.  But being able to recognize what it is, helps me overcome the feelings.

After I lost the baby, it was really hard for a while.  The hurt was so fresh and sharp.  But the Spirit was so strong and so present.  It was a near-constant feeling of comfort.  It touched our interactions with each other and gave our home a little taste of heaven.  It was an almost tangible presence.  Even though my grief was the deepest, the comfort was also the strongest. 

As the days, and then months, went by, things started to feel more normal again.  The Spirit was still there, just not as strong and not as constant. And I think that is just the natural course of things.   It was like learning to walk again after a long time being carried.  At first, I still wanted to be carried.  Learning to walk again wasn't easy and sometimes it hurt a little bit.  And sometimes it hurt a lot.  And even though it took a little pushing to get me there, after a while it felt good to stand on my own two feet again.  What at first made me feel off-balance, began to help me feel more secure and steady.  Some days, I still feel like I'm being carried.  And other days I wish I were being carried.  But most days, I feel glad to be standing strong.  

As I keep moving forward on this unexpected journey, I'm continually amazed by my Savior's love, as I've been lifted, supported and even carried along the path.  I'm forever thankful for him and for his promises that remind me that there are good things to come.

This pretty much says it all.  If you don't want to take time to watch it, remember this:

"Every one of us has times when we need to know things will get better. My declaration is that that is precisely what the gospel of Jesus Christ offers us, especially in times of need... 'Don’t you quit. You keep walking. You keep trying. There is help and happiness ahead.' Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don’t come until heaven. But for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come. It will be all right in the end. Trust God and believe in good things to come."  ~Jeffrey R. Holland

Playing in the Water

We'd been working in the yard and trying to get the porch ready for Spring and cleaning up outside.  After working for a while, the kids wanted to play with the water hose.   I am loving this March weather and apparently I'm not the only one.

 I couldn't believe it when the kids wanted to put their bathing suits on!  Even though the day had been warm, by this time it was after 6:00 and getting cooler outside.  But that didn't bother them!

I was the designated water person and had fun chasing the kids down and getting them as wet as I could.

Paige played for a while before she got tired of getting sprayed (which is a drastic improvement over last summer!) and moved to the porch to hang out with her Daddy, who was the official camera guy. :)

I really wish this weather would hang around forever.  From the looks of the forecast, that's not the case.  But its not too bad.  And at least we've enjoyed every minute of this weather while its been here. :)

How Ironic

Paige has been potty trained for while now.  She's done a great job and has rarely had an accident.  But she's developed a fun new quirk.  She hates public toilets.  And the toilet at her Dad's office.  And the toilet at the kids' school.  And the toilet and Uncle Ethan and Aunt Lois's house.   Pretty much any toilet besides the one at home.  And don't even think about flushing a toilet in front of her.  Now, there are circumstances where I can get her to use a different toilet.  But its an ordeal.  How ironic is it to have a child who is potty-trained, but only wants to use one potty?

Boys make me laugh.  This morning I came into the kitchen.  We were well on our way with our morning routine.  Most everyone had eaten breakfast.  Most everyone was dressed.  But not Ian.  I found him, still in his pajamas, sitting at the kitchen table.  The day before he had filled a plastic cup with water, dropped about 10 gummy worms inside it and stuck it in the freezer.  This morning, he got it out and proceeded to chop the ice to bits to remove the frozen gummy worms.  By the time I found him, he had freed about 6 of the gummy worms who were now wet and slimy and dripping all kinds of yuckiness all over the table, not to mention the chunks of ice that had melted and were now making puddles all over the table and floor.  The gummy worms may have survived a night in the freezer, but they were no match for a Mama trying to get her kids ready for school.  But not before I had a good laugh. :)

Paige is just as girly as ever.  She loves lipstick.

How ironic that the only place she doesn't have lipstick is actually on her lips? :)

Last night at ball practice, Elise found an inch worm.  Paige was utterly fascinated.

We were all horrified when Merry Grace came and sat down on the little green inch worm, but in a miracle of nature, when she stood up, it was happily crawling up her pants leg.  Hooray! :)

This week the weather has been gorgeous.  The kids have been doing their homework on the front porch after school.    Its awesome.  This picture is so typical of Ian.  He's intently focusing on his assignment.  But I'll bet if I'd captured a picture just a few seconds before, he would have been intently tracking down flies with that swatter lying beside him. :)  And way back in the background, if you look closely,  is the explosion of paperwork and other stuff that happens every day when he comes home from school.  If you ever wonder where he is, just follow his trail of shoes, jacket, papers and folders.  He's sure to be at the other end of the trail. :)

My parents have been down helping my brother and his wife with their new little baby and stopped by the park last night on their way back home.  Thanks to Elise, for catching this priceless moment--the double decker swing.   What can you do when its the adults who do the dangerous things? :)  Thankfully, they were safe and Merry Grace giggled through the entire thing.  Gotta love that Papa. :)

We had fun today eating lunch with Elise.  Her cousin, Emmy, is on a different school schedule and was out today, so I picked her up and we grabbed lunch and took it to Elise.  Those girls are so cute and I'm glad they have each other.  They spent a good portion of the lunch plotting ways to spend more time together.  But even that is pretty cute. :)

This wasn't taken today, but I wish I had taken my camera because they sure were stylin' :)

Fun times in our neck of the woods! :)

Featured!!!

One of my blogging heroes has featured me on her blog today, in her Meet My Readers Monday post!  She lost her little girl a few years ago in a choking accident and has blogged her way through her grief and been an inspiration through unimaginable pain.  She has also turned a horrible situation into something good by starting a foundation to help parents who have lost children afford headstones for their burial.

So check her blog out for my featured post at The Jacksons and her foundation A Good Grief, if you'd like to donate to her cause.

A Spring in Our Steps

I think we're all feeling a spring in our steps with the beautiful weather we're having.  Saturday was perfection.

Any day where you can eat all three meals on your front porch, is just amazing. :)

 Paige was in her own little world eating her her food.  Yummy and adorable. :)

 These two sisters are a mess.  Sometimes they aggravate the mess out of each other.  And other times they are the best of friends.  I love it when that happens! :)

 Are these four kids cute or what?!

 I just had to take a picture of Paige and her lion's mane. :)  That girl and her crazy head of hair...

It reminds me for the world of cute little Merry Grace when she was little. :)  Same crazy hair, different kid.  Love it!

 

After breakfast, we headed to the park for Ian's baseball practice and Elise's softball practice.  Paige entertained herself by playing in the dirt.  Hey, if it makes her happy, I'm all for it. :)

And when we got home after the park, we enjoyed lunch on the porch.  

We also cleaned up some in the yard, planted some flowers and soaked up as much sun as we could.  If every day felt like yesterday, I might never come indoors. :)

Lepruchans

Yes, they struck our house this year.  Some years we've gotten off the hook.  Maybe the Lepruchans just overlooked us.  Or maybe they were luring us into a false sense of security.  Or perhaps they were just tired from all the work they do all day.  :)  Whatever the case, they got us good this year.

They messed up our kitchen...

 Wrote messages on all our windows and mirrors, and sprinkled gold confetti stars all over the house.

I'm thinking about next year requesting that they just trick us really good and clean the house from top to bottom.  What a trick that would be!  No one would see it coming! :)

And to celebrate our good luck day, we ate rainbow colored pancakes for breakfast.  The lepruchans also left treasure hunts for each person, with a bag of gold (or chocolate candy wrapped in gold paper, which in my book is almost as good!).

We had fun celebrating and all made sure to wear green, even those of us who don't look so great in green.  :)  And Merry Grace won the green award by wearing 11 different shades of green, even down to her socks and panties. :)  Happy St. Patrick's Day, Y'all! :)

Pleased as Punch

That's exactly how we all feel about our new niece and cousin.  We're soaking up as much time with little Isabella as we can.

We made trip after trip to the hospital to see her.  Do you think she feels loved yet?  Honestly, these little girls couldn't possibly be any prouder of Ella, if they'd given birth to her themselves. :)  Paige has been begging to changer her diaper, but Merry Grace is calling dibs.

And now that she's home, we've dropped in as much as we can.  I really can't get a moment's peace from these girls unless we go see the baby every few days. :)

Today we dropped in for a visit and the menfolk of the family finally got to meet her.  Cory has been sweet to watch different ones of the kids while I have gone to see the baby.  And Ian knew he didn't have the patience to be still enough to go to the hospital.  (When I had Paige, he was quite rambunctious and ended up raising my bed over five feet off the ground. :)  We decided those are some of the gifts we won't be sharing with others.)  But they both got to hold her today and they loved it.  Ian kept snuggling her and saying, "Isn't she just so cute?"  Cory got to see her ball up her little fists and put them under her chin.  I think she already has him wrapped. :)  Paige and Merry Grace also got to help with diaper changes today.  Two to be exact.  And one was a poopy.  They were positively giddy.

But Ella is sweet and beautiful and lovely and we can't get enough of her.   I think her parents are wondering if we've moved in. :)

For All the Mothers....

This is one of my favorite messages ever.   I cry every time I watch it.  And I feel uplifted.  It is beautiful.  It reminds me of why I do everything I do.

Its So Fluffy!!!!

Have you seen "Despicable Me"?  If so, you probably remember this cute little clip from the movie:



But I doubt she could be any cuter than THIS little girl:



It makes me laugh. Every. single. time. :)

Pedicure

You're looking at the best pedicure ever...

Because those toes were painted with love...

By this little imp.

And I have absolutely no plans to repaint. :)

Beautiful...Just Beautiful

My brother and his wife welcomed their first baby into the world yesterday.  Little Ella was 8 days late and we were beginning to wonder what on earth she was waiting for.  But when she finally made her appearance, we soon saw that she'd had to spend a few extra days growing her hair!

Can you believe that?!  

So yesterday afternoon, Elise and I stopped by to hold this sweet little darlin', so fresh from Heaven.

And, of course, she already has us all head over heels in love.  We held her and kissed her and loved on her.  

And since that wasn't nearly enough time, I took Elise and Merry Grace back today and we got some more love from that sweet little girl.  

One thing we know for sure, this is one lucky little girl, to be coming to such sweet parents!

(Don't you just want to eat her with a spoon?!  I wonder if she's tired of my smooches already...)

Baby Dolls

My girls LOVE playing with baby dolls, and Paige is no exception . The baby doll clothes have been a big hit and I think they play with them even more, if that's possible.  Almost every errand we run, there is at least one baby doll in tow.  A couple of times, both Merry Grace and Paige have carried a baby doll stroller and pushed their babies through the store. :)  I absolutely love it. :)

And if you're wondering why this particular baby is covered in baby wipes watch the video below.  :)