Another Week Down, Many More to Go

a sweet picture of my girl, not so good of me. It was a Sunday afternoon and I was trying to entertain her. Dad was sleeping on the couch.

I love Sundays. Because we try to make Sunday a holy day we have a rule of no movies or tv, no friends, and we don't really go anywhere. So the kids make their own fun together out of desperation. The games that they play together are so funny to watch. It reminds me of being young at home on Sunday in a family of 10 kids. I remember that we found a place in the hallway where we could climb up and pretend that we were spiderman by firmly planting hands and feet against each wall side inching up. come to think of it, I never was able to manage it really. But my joy was full in watching my older brothers do it and in feeling like I was a part of the fun. I just tagged along and relished in the opportunity.

For some reason both R... and I... never would pray when I would try to tell them the words to say for them to copy me. They both wanted to come up with it on their own or not say it at all. R... has a new found success in saying prayers. She would never pray before, but now she wants to say it all of the time. Her older brother is irritated that it is the same prayer every time and that she doesn't use the proper format. I think it is so cute. This is her prayer to bless the food, before bed, and you name whatever else: "Jesus wants us to be happy. Jesus loves us. Amen."

Another thing that I think is darling that irritates older brother is that R... says the same thing every night when I ask everyone at dinner what their high point and low point of the day was. She excitedly yells, "I have a high point! The yellow tree tomorrow!" We have no idea what she is talking about.

My favorite time of day is Mark's least favorite. I love putting the kids to bed. I can sympathize with Mark because sometimes I have felt the same way. They want so much attention and it can be drawn out. If I don't want to give anymore, but so much is being demanded and cried for and there is so much unhappiness,s it can feel pretty suffocating.

Mark and I have recently settled on a new way of doing it that I don't know why we didn't think of it before. After we have family scripture study and prayer, I put the children down and Mark studies. It works better if I don't try to put down everyone at once. I have to do it individually. Last week R.... asked me in a hopeful tone, "Would you lie down by me? I wouldn't talk (head shaking for emphasis)." How could I say no? So, I talked to her and sang to her and played with her hair. I absolutely cherish this time.



Master I calls this time "special time." He likes to talk about his day and laugh and joke about things. Mostly, he likes to put off going to sleep and relish in the attention.

Last night when I was tucking R.. in she was talking to me about Lake Tahoe. In her broken English she tried to commit me to taking her to Lake Tahoe again. "You promise? No matter what? We save our money? We go to Lake Tahoe?"

We celebrated I...'s birthday on Saturday.

We started by going to Panda Express-- his new favorite food establishment.


After that, Mark and I had a date at BYU for the Christmas concert, so Johnny and Stacey (pronounced Dacey) watched the kids.


Then we went to Tay's house for a surprise birthday party for Master I with his cousins. He was shocked and didn't know what to think. He had never heard of a surprise birthday party before. It was very fun.

We had dinner together.



He wanted doughnuts for the birthday cake, so we made an eight for him.

Here is my allergy baby. Happy as ever. He loves the new found freedom of crawling around the house. He loves when I make him laugh by playing peek-a-boo or tickling his collar bone.

Honestly, I love my life. I love being a mother. I wish that I could freeze life and the age of my children because I am enjoying them so much. W.. is cuddly, happy, and gurgley. R... is silly, optimistic, happy, and sentimental. I... is attached, intellectual, happy, and adventuresome.