A Thanksgiving Post

The wheels on the car went round and round
Round and round
Round and round
The wheels on the car went round and round on the way to Arizona.

The Kiddo in the car spewed some chunks
Spewed some chunks
Spewed some chunks
The Kiddo in the car spewed some chunks on the way to Arizona.

The Baby in the car spit-up and pooped-out
Spit-up and pooped-out
Spit-up and pooped-out
The Baby in the car spit-up and pooped-out on the way to Arizona.

The Daddy in the car went, “Aargh! Dirty windshield!”
“Aargh! Dirty windshield!”
“Aargh! Dirty windshield!”
The Daddy in the car went, “Aargh! Dirty windshield!” on the way to Arizona.

The Mommy in the car went, “Not again . . .”
“Not again . . .”
“Not again . . .”
The Mommy in the car went, “Not again . . .” on the way to Arizona.

The Family in the car was grateful for Wet Wipes
grateful for Air Freshener
grateful for Car Washes
The Family in the car was grateful for Clean Clothes on the way to Arizona.


Gotta’ love family road trips! :) We do. And we’re also grateful for fun family, yummy food, early Christmas celebrations and safe travels.

Happy Belated Thanksgiving!

Sometimes, being a mom is tough.

Don’t get me wrong, I love it, more than I know how to articulate. But in reality it is sometimes hard for me to imagine why the Lord entrusts these perfect little beings into our care, when I am so imperfect, so quick to anger (or at least frustration).

This Little Man recently arrived in our family:

He fits perfectly, a little addition that feels as though he’s been here all along. It amazes me that I wondered about him for nine months—I was anxious to know who this little person is, his looks and personality. And yet from the moment he arrived, he feels so familiar, and so completely in place. I love it.

The labor went smoothly. As contractions increased to the undeniable point, my heart turned to my firstborn. I was worried for him. His little life was about to be seriously stirred up; and while I personally know the joys of siblings, I also know that adjustments take time. For now, this new person would just be an intruder, a thief of Mom and Dad’s time. I just wanted to hug him and somehow reassure him that it would feel better soon. I felt as though I was inflicting pain on my own son, and I wished there were some way to skip the transition phase, to skip to the days when everything feels normal again.

Well, here we are in the transition phase. Our Little Man is one month old. For the most part, The Kiddo’s been a real trooper, taking great interest in his brother and even helping with diaper changes and fetching the pacifier when needed (and reading him stories, which melts my heart).

At night, as I watch my boys sleeping peacefully, I have to sigh with happiness. I'm beginning to understand the refining process that is parenthood. I cannot see a better way for us to achieve the level of patience described in Elder Uchtdorf’s talk. Nor can I see myself ever feeling as completely humbled as I feel right now.

AND I am grateful for the opportunity to experience LOVE for another human being at the level and depth of a parent. I hardly knew we had the capacity to feel this way.

Sometimes being a mom is tough; but I think that’s what really makes it worth it. And I feel the peace of knowing that these boys were meant to be brothers: at times best friends, and at times best enemies. I’m so excited to see it happen.

Just Some Pics . . .

. . . because my brain feels medicated today. But we're lovin' this new little boy and I wanted to share him with you.

Good Things

Many GOOD THINGS are rolling forward for us. Mike’s got an internship set up with Discovery House, a drug rehabilitation facility, which means we will both finally be officially graduating in December. Cannot describe how good that feels.

And of course: pregnancy. I’m almost 34 weeks along now. The Kiddo made his debut around 37. I sure wouldn’t mind if this little fella’ did too . . . Summer and pregnancy don’t mix.

Swimming, badminton, Kubb, board games, Nintendo, and movies: basically we’re in a constant state of play. Reading, cooking, sewing, evening walks, and picking black berries intermingle a little too. We also went to the Tracy Aviary and The Kiddo had so much fun looking at the birds and playing with his cousins.

Another terrific 7-week break is underway. (For the last time!)

Changes Changes

We no longer reside in Rexburg. Weird, I know. Almost two and a half years were spent in this house: I miss it, quirks and all. It was our first home together, the source of so many memories and the setting of so much growth. We now live with my parents, who so willingly took us in for what we hope will only be a few months. The Kiddo and I struggled to transition for the first few weeks. I cried for familiarity; he cried for a schedule. Happily, we’ve found both.

Mike just deals. He’s good at that. And at being patient with me and my silly emotions.

So, as we face the liminality of our situation, I am forced to acknowledge that this is hard for me. I hate not knowing where we’re headed. I hate not knowing how it’s all going to work out. But at least I know that it will. And honestly, I think I’m growing more by not knowing the details. Darn.

"When it's dark enough, you can see the stars." - Persian Proverb

In the Good Old Summertime

There's a time in each year
That we always hold dear,
Good old summer time;
With the birds and the treeses
And sweet-scented breezes,
Good old summer time.When your day's work is over
Then you are in clover,
And life is one beautiful rhyme,
No trouble annoying,
Each one is enjoying, The good old summer time.To swim in the pool,
You'd play "hooky" from school,Good old summer time;
You'd play "ring-a-rosie"
With Jim, Kate and Josie,
Good old summer time,Those days full of pleasure
We now fondly treasure . . .

In the good old summer time,
In the good old summer time,
Strolling thro' the shady lanes,
With your baby mine;
You hold her hand and she holds yours,
And that's a very good sign
That she's your tootsey wootsey
In the good old summer time.
- Ren Shields

We're finding time to enjoy it. Hope you are too! :)

Reasons for my Obsoleteness

I am fully aware that this blog has become somewhat obsolete. I apologize. My only excuse is that schoolwork drains me of all creativity. While this makes classes more interesting, there is little left for output here.

I also cannot promise that this will improve over the next three months, seeing as another semester starts in a week. So for now, I will simply bombard you with pictures of recent goings on.

BIRTHDAY

EASTER

GRADUATION

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Baby #2

9 weeks.

Woo!