Daytime with Two

I've said this before, but being home with Noah and Emma takes me straight back to four years ago when I last had an adorable preschooler-

 and a shopping buddy (who was so proud to learn how to hang onto the back of the cart!)- 

It is wonderful to still have leisure time with my littles in the morning- we whisk the big kids out the door and then the business of playing starts.

 It's plenty easy to fill up our days with have to do's, but we have had some fun this week with want-to-do's as well.  

One beautiful day we headed over to the "crazy duck pond".

 Those crazy ducks thought we had bread for them!  They surrounded us, and even when we started gathering and throwing rocks into the pond, they came swimming over to find a tasty snack.

Noah especially loved the "bloop!" sound that the rocks made when they hit the water.  We gathered and tossed rocks four times, each time with the ducks surrounding us.

Another day we headed to a tiny and adorable pumpkin patch with some friends.  

They played in the corn, on the tire swing, with pumpkin checkers, and rode on the tiny tractor train.  

That really took me back to 2009- the first time we put one of our kids in a tractor-train next to a cornfield.  I still remember how in awe I was of the fact that we lived in the Midwest!

But the best part of this day was the little petting zoo!  We were literally the only people there, so Emma had the full attention of the farmer and got to feed the donkeys and the goats, pet the chicks, giggle at the piggy, and even hold a bunny!   

 It was a good day.

And I sure do love my daytime buddies!

Someone He Can Count On

This new calling of being the Relief Society President is like a having a new full-time job.  I have the opportunity to serve women that are in need and offer them relief however I can- whether it be new sisters that have just moved into the area or have just been baptized, or sisters that are having a hard day or have a med student husband that is never home or live in the middle of the country and need a visitor once in awhile or just had surgery or a new baby.

I order food from the Bishop's Storehouse (our church's welfare system) for families in need, create and assign visiting teaching assignments (a one-on-one ministering program), plan and execute and socialize at activities, attend weekly training meetings (that start at 7 AM!), conduct Sunday meetings, teach discussions to people investigating the church with missionaries, hold my own monthly presidency meetings, make birthday visits, assign and train sisters in various capacities (teachers, supervisors, meal and rides and moving and child care coordinators), bear testimony and witness of our Savior's love, and most of all, LOVE these amazing sisters that I get to serve.

I thank the good Lord that I have two counselors and a secretary, as well as a visiting teaching coordinator and three supervisors, two teachers, a music coordinator and a compassionate service leader that all help me get this huge job done.  It's huge, and I love it, even on the days when I feel like surely the Lord must know something about my capabilities that I don't.

I love listening to latest youth music church songs.  The song "Someone He Can Count On" feels like the theme of my presidency.  All I want is to do the things that the Savior wants me to do, so that He knows that I love Him.  It's been a huge blessing in my life to get the chance to show Him that every day.

I feel something inside me
Like I've finally found my way.
I know my Savior loves me
I want to show Him 
I feel the same.

So I'll go wherever 
He will lead,
Be the person that 
He wants me to be.
And try to never let 
Him down again.

I want to be someone
Someone He can count on.
I want to be someone 
who can take on anything.

I want to stand up
for what I was made for.
I want to make it 
so it's easy to see
That he can count on 
someone like me.

I can't think of anything 
more sweet
than to follow where 
the Spirit leads
Be the answer to 
someone else's prayer.

I want to be someone
Someone He can count on.
I want to be someone 
who can take on anything.

I want to stand up
for what I was made for.
I want to make it 
so it's easy to see

That He can count on 
someone like me.

He will give me strength
when I need it
So I can be what 
He wants me to be.

Someone, someone He can count on.
I want to be someone 
who can take on anything.

I want to stand up
for what I was made for.
I want to make it 
so it's easy to see

That He can count on 
someone like me.

And I especially love moments like tonight when I get to share a piece of this service with my family.  Leah and I attended the Relief Society General Broadcast together and we were spiritually fed.  I love the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ!

Mariners Win!

 

Another guest post, this one from Grandpa Mark.  He sent me this story in an email to share with the kids last year, and it seemed like a perfect blog post.  Grandpa Mark is a great storyteller!  The day after I graduated from high school he and I loaded up my little Hyundai Scoupe and headed west for college.  As we drove from Virginia to Idaho, he shared with me a planner page-long list of stories over the course of our three days together.  We stopped so he could nap under shady trees and we stopped so I could collect my first speeding ticket, but what I remember most about that trip was the endless treasure trove of stories he shared.

And yes, my sister Heather bleached my hair just hours before my high school graduation... but that's another blog post altogether.  

We lived in Washington for 5 years, 3 years at Fort Lewis, an Army post where Dad worked, then 2 years in Edmonds, which is near Seattle.  Dad was going to school at the University of Washington, and we liked to visit interesting sites as a family. Seattle has cool places, like the Space Needle, and Pike Street Market, where you can buy big salmon fish that the fish mongers (sellers) throw around the store.  Better duck!

Seattle also has a baseball team called the Mariners. A mariner is a boat driver, someone who can take their boat out onto the ocean and sail it, sometimes long distances. They use the moon and the stars to navigate, making sure they don't get lost on their long journey.  We would go to Mariners baseball games and sit way up high in the Kingdome to watch the Boston Red Sox, Oakland Athletics, or Kansas City Royals. Mom would pack a dinner, and treats, like S'mores! Yum!

One time we went early to watch the Boston Red Sox team warm up. The players would stretch, throw the balls to get their arms ready, and hit practice balls. This is called batting practice.  The best Boston player was Wade Boggs, and when he started batting the balls, he would hit them very far, even over the fence where we could catch them. He was very strong and very good.

When he would hit a long ball, that looked like it would go over the fence, Dad and Aaron would rush over, with lots of other boys and men, and try to get the ball. But only one would get it. It was a real prize, and if you got the ball, it was special. A Home Run!

While Dad and Aaron were chasing balls, Mom started to feed fussy baby Jared. She warned Dad that she wouldn't be able to get out of the way of a long ball over the fence, but Dad said "don't worry, if one comes any where near you, I've got it!"

Sure enough, Wade hit a very long ball that started coming over the fence, and right towards Mom. She yelled, " Watch out, here it comes!" Lots of guys ran to where the ball was headed, but it hit the seats, bounced over all our outstretched hands and heads and landed in the seat right behind Mom! She was able to reach back, and pick up the ball, all without disturbing baby Jared, who just kept on snacking away.  Mom yelled to all the guys " Hey fellas, look here! See! Moms can do two things at once!"

We still have that baseball in Grandma's cedar chest--Grandma and Jared's Wade Boggs baseball! And Grandpa still cheers for the Mariners!

You could also tell about hanging over the bull pen fence where the pitchers warmed up and Aaron telling Mark Langston that Heather had a crush on him. Leah might like that. I think you kids were 5,7, and 9 then.

Captain Adorable

This is a guest post by Miss Leah.  She loves reading the blog and wanted to share some of her own thoughts on her cute baby brother.

Noah is the cutest thing in the world!  He is always so cute with his monkey.  He is so sweet and funny.  For example the time he wiped paint all over his face was super funny!!!

Noah is so cute when he talks.  He calls me "Yay-yah".  I like when he says chicken.... pot pie! 

 Today he learned how to say bagel and he says it like this: ba-gow!  

He loves when Adam pulls out his legos.  He shrieks "a-yay go!!  and dumps them all out.

And he has such a big imagination!  He found Adam's  electro-mech and pretended it could fly!  

He also loves his toy rocket. He calls it, " a-rocket!"  

Mome taught Noah a little trick! She says "who's the cutest baby in the whole wide universe?"  then noah says "Me!" and raises one finger! It's so cute!!=)  

And he has realised that when you give something to someone they say thank you, so when he hands things to us he says"dank you, dank you, dank you!" until we take it from him.  I love him!!!

A Napping House

It's 2:00 on Saturday afternoon, and half of the house is asleep.  The weather is turning colder, I can hear the neighborhood kids playing in the yard, and the big Iowa vs. Iowa State game is tonight.  But we're in the house for now.  Because it's fall, and Jason's work load is really heavy now, and will be until Thanksgiving.  And because Adam is one of sleeping babies.  He came home from kindergarten yesterday exclaiming, "I'm so tired!  I'm just so tired!"  And a few minutes later, I'm so cold!  I'm just so cold!"  And he's been feverish and napping ever since.

I think he is enjoying kindergarten.  Mrs. Johnson is strict and very down-to-business and goal-oriented (he gets to earn tickets for good behavior and redeem them for various activities), which is good for Adam's personality but exhausting for anyone at the end of a long week of trying to be on their best behavior.

I think we are all already looking forward to our week-long break from school next month when we get to go to Auntie Michelle's wedding and cousin Savanna's baptism.

Aren't they cute?  I'm so happy for Michelle. 

I have had horrible allergies for almost a month.  I've never had allergies before and I have a whole new level of empathy for people that suffer with them.  It has been horrible!  Restless sleep, itchy eyes, and an embarrassing amount of sneezing and sniffling every day.  Probably the worst side-effect is that I don't have any real taste for chocolate or sweets lately.  It is so sad!

I've been super busy with my new calling as well.  There are so many events, meetings, visits, and needs to take care of.  My favorite part is getting to know and serve so many different kinds of women at our church.  The hardest part is being away from my family, but those moments of absence definitely make my heart grow fonder!

Leah has been marching dutifully off to school each day as well.  Her third grade teacher Mrs. Keese is a delightful woman, and I can tell that she is challenging Leah's mind and creating a loving bond with her as well.  She wanted me to take this picture because she tied her shoes all by herself.  

3:05 is my favorite time of day because it's when Leah and Adam get home.  The house goes from silent and clean during naptime to a post-school whirlwind of backpacks, snacks, activities, and stories shared by everyone.  

School feels like it takes up so much of our days and our energy, we haven't been doing much else since school started.  I started up piano lessons again- this year I have two students- and we have our usual violin lessons, Activity Days, gymnastics, and piano practice.  It feels like just enough, at least for now.

We went to the temple in Omaha last weekend, and spent the day at the children's museum there.  It was loud and busy and so much fun.  

The weather has been beautiful, and we've been trying to enjoy the outdoors whenever possible, which doesn't feel like often enough.  

There just aren't enough hours in the day, but we're trying our best to embrace this season of the year and of life while we can. 

First Day of Preschool

Finally her turn came!  Emma started preschool this week and she is thrilled!  

 She told me not to stay too long the first day, that she would miss me, and that she was "super excited to go!"  

 She marched right into class, introduced herself to her teachers, and got right down to the business of playing.  

 It helps that she has three little friends in the class to help her feel right at home.  

And she is ready!  She's writing her name- 

 making her own lunches-

 and picking out her own fashions (nothing new here).

 Every time I turn around she's grown another five inches

She's constantly saying things that make me realize that this little blue-eyed beauty of ours is really growing up!
A few of the latest Emma-isms- 

While driving through downtown Omaha, we passed an elaborate sculpture of several prairie animals.  Emma looked out her window and exclaimed, "Look at all the buffalopes!"

"The what?"

"The buffalopes!"

(Prairie friend of the antelopes, I suppose.)

*****

While sorting through a pile of new-to-her clothes, she fell in love with a silky dress.  "I love it!  It feels heavenly."  But rejected a pair of cute khaki shorts.  "Not these!  They go in the no pile because they are gray."

She wanted to wear a new-found Rapunzel shirt immediately, but I explained that it needed to be washed first.  "Oh right," she said.  "Because it's been sitting down in the musty old basement."

*****

While dancing around with "Uni" the unicorn, Emma decided to decorate her.  "Her tail is so soft, and I will put a fancy bow on her "you-n"."

"Her what?"

Pointing to her golden horn "Her you-n" (sounds like the first two letters of her name- un).

*****

Worried that she couldn't set down an opened tube of yogurt on the counter, "I can't lay it down or it will all bloop out!"

*****

Reasoning with herself about her encounter with Tinkerbell this summer-

"That couldn't be the real Tinkerbell because she is fairy size and that Tinkerbell was a human size and there are no human-sized fairies!"

Similarly she was distressed one day because she wants to be a princess when she grows up.  "Like a real princess with a fancy dress and long hair!  But I just can't!"

*****

While walking home from a friend's house, I found Emma in a crumpled, crying mess on the front lawn.  When I asked her what happened, she said, "It was so bright out that I closed my eyes and was walking like a zombie and I bonked into the tree!"  

And as we recounted the story later in the day to Leah and Adam, who laughed, she declared emphatically, "It's not funny, Leah!  It's not funny!"  She says that a lot.  "It's not funny, Mommy!"

*****

In most of Adam's prayers he asks that there will never be a fire or a tornado.  Emma added to that yesterday, "and please bless that there will never be any hot lava running down the streets of our city."

Today she prayed that we will always have a good view from our seats in the car, whether we are sitting up high or down low.

And she usually thanks Heavenly Father that we have a wonderful life and a happy day.  She was asked to give a prayer during Sharing Time at church.  She marched right up to the podium, took the mike in her hands and said a loud, clear, and sincere prayer, ending with "and please bless that we will all be happy because we came to church."

She is one sweet girl, and while I'll miss her during the five hours she is going to spend at preschool each week, I am delighted for the fun and adventure that lies ahead for her!

Adult Time

I've heard so many older women say that life never slows down, that we never get less busy.  At least not while we are raising our families, and I'm not sure that that job ever really ends.  And I'm finding that it's absolutely true.  The further we get into adulthood, the more time directions we are pulled.  We spend all of our time working, serving, and, once in a while, having fun.

It's always so lovely and refreshing to spend time together as sweethearts.  Jason loves not having to make small talk, like he does for most of his business meetings, and I love that when we are together, I can truly relax and enjoy myself.  (No cutting meat into tiny bites required.)

And even though the kids resist our leaving (kind of... actually, not really, they love their baby-sitter nights), we know that they love knowing that their parents are in love.  As quick as they are to tell us to stop kissing because it's gross, they are always suppressing a smile when they say it.  And we love that too.

But like all of the best things, it takes work to make our love lasting and to keep it working.  So we plan on date nights as often as we can.  Sometimes we go out to eat.  Sometimes we run errands that would be torture to take the kids with us, and sometimes we just sit at a park and share a dessert and catch up on all of the things that we don't get a chance to say during the daily grind.  But once in a while we go on really awesome dates!

We really wanted to go stand-up paddleboarding while we were in Puerto Rico in January.  But the wind was strong and the waves were high that day, so we decided to put it on our 2015 Iowa Bucket List.   

It was one of the few things we could do in Puerto Rico and Iowa.  And we did it!  And had a blast!  We are fortunate to know an older couple from our church who are really into SUP-ing, and they were kind enough to take us out on a nearby lake for a date night.  I was a little terrified, but Jason was a pro once he figured out the turning and steering combo.  I just didn't want to fall into the water, and I didn't!  It was a nice arm workout and a great chance to talk with each other and our friends.

It was so thought-provoking to talk with them and hear their story of transitioning into empty-nesting.  They weren't used to being together so much, they wanted to find something that they could enjoy doing together, and this became their new passion.  Now they're traveling around the country, trying to paddleboard in all 50 states together.

We are deep in the season of "Mom and Dad".  The idea of traveling alone together, or even sleeping through the night alone together, is completely foreign to us right now.  But it won't always be that way.  Someday we'll go back to just the two of us- alone together again.  And it's fun to know that when that day comes, in another season of life, we will have our own adventures like stand-up paddleboarding our way across the country to look forward to!

The Magic Nesting Doll

  

by Leah, age 8

Once there was a girl named Alli.  Her grandma was very sick.  She was laying in a bed.  Alli came into her room and her grandma said, "This is for you."  Then Alli's grandma pulled a nesting doll out of her pocket and handed it to Alli.  She was about to open it when her grandma said, "Stop!  That is a magic nesting doll.  You can only use it three times when you really need it's magic."  Then she said, "Remember me."  Then she passed away.

For the next few days Alli missed her grandma.  Then she went shopping at a baker's store and he let her sleep there.  One night he told her the story of the prince and how he was a man of living ice.  Alli was amazed.  She wanted to see a man of living ice.  So the next day she set off to go see him.  She brought a basket of warm bread and the nesting doll was in her pocket.  Soon she was out of town and in the woods.  At first she was a little lost, but then she got there.  She climbed up a tree and peeped through a window.  There was the prince, laying in bed looking a nice icy blue against the red, velvety bed.  

All of the sudden someone yelled, "Who are you?!!"  She looked up, startled by the question.  "My name is Alli", she answered.  "I just wanted to see the prince.  I have never seen a man of living ice."  The guard said, "Someone put a spell on him!"  Little did the town know the prince's evil uncle had done the spell.  He had done it so he would be the new king, not the prince.  Not even the guards knew!  Alli wondered who did it and how to break the spell.

She asked, "How do you break the spell?"

"No one knows," replied the guard.

"May I come in and see him?"  

"You're more than welcome," said the guard.

When she got there she could see him up close.  Then she heard someone yell, "Throw her in prison!"  

Soon the guards had her in prison.  They only gave her bread and water twice a day.  Soon she decided to use some magic from the nesting doll.  She took off the woman's head and saw a bear's head instead.  A bear started to form.  Soon it was a live bear.

She said to the bear, "I do not like it in this dungeon.  Can you help me?"

The bear replied, "I think it would be a nice cave, but as you wish.  I will free you."  

Soon the bear had gotten the door down with his claws.  She said thank you, then he disappeared. 

After the prince's uncle found out then he had thrown into a ditch.  She opened up the nesting doll again.  This time it was a wolf.  It asked, "What do you need?"

"Can you get me out of this ditch?"  Alli asked.

He replied, "It would be a nice den, but I guess I will do it.  Hop on my back."

So she did.  The wolf leaped out of the ditch.

"Thank you!"  And he was gone. 

The third time she was put on top of a jagged cliff.  Once again she opened the magic nesting doll.  It was a fire bird.  It said, "How can I help you, dear?"

Alli replied, "Can you help me off this cliff?"

"Of course!  It would be a nice nest but I will help you get off."

"Thank you!"

The bird got her down and disappeared.

Now she had to save the prince.  She walked to the castle and saw the prince still frozen.  She told the baker she would be back by the end of two days and it was almost the end of the last day!  She was about to leave, so she kissed the prince good-bye and he unfroze!  His evil uncle froze and fell over and shattered into a hundred pieces.  And the prince and Alli got married and lived happily ever after!

The End.