A Sunday Afternoon at Temple Square

I just wish we could take a picture of the feel of the warm Spring sun mingled with the cool Spring breeze or the smell of the hyacinths, daffodils, and tulips.  I love Spring and I love living in Salt Lake.

 

Sparkle Shoes

I bought Miss R some sparkle shoes to motivate her to hike. I wanted them so much for her, but then I found out how much they were and I couldn't bring myself to do it. So we walked out of the shoe store empty handed with R saying that she was so sad that the sparkle shoes were too much money.  Then I felt a feeling that was so familiar to me....wanting to do something for your child and not being able to. I remembered how much I wanted to give Master I a dump truck for the sand at the park when he was one.  I still feel a little sad I didn't get it for him.  I wanted it so much.  So, I determined that one way or another I would get those shoes!  I shopped everywhere to find them on a sale good enough to be able to buy them.   I really wanted them for her and ended up getting them on sale for about $15. She is so proud of them, as is obvious from the picture

This is our big year to teach Miss R to hike.  We mostly carried her before.  She is excited about it, but tires in a walking at all

These are my loves.

Master I created s a store with the hiking snacks that Miss R had to use her fake credit card to buy things with.  I am seeing a pattern with him frequently setting up stores.  He has Grandpa's entrepreneurial blood.

yearning

gkjg

The Sunday Evening Post

This didn't last long.  Way too many giggles to fall asleep.  Finally she fell asleep downstairs with me.  About an hour later Isaiah woke-up by throwing up all over the bed.  The party was over.  William woke -up after me having put so much effort into getting him to sleep by me and I knew that it was a matter of time before Isaiah exploded again.  I packed everyone up in the car and drove to Salt Lake at 12:00 at night.  This was my low point.  A perfectly good party....ruined.  Or at least cut short.

Rachel discovered her reflection in my eyes and said in absoulte delight, "I see Rachel's in your eyes!"

Rachel and I were out running errands and an older woman told her that she was beautiful and asked what her name was.  "Rachel," she promptly responded. The woman then complimented William and asked Rachie what his name was.  There was a pause, but then she gave her answer, "Twister."  That won a shocked look from the woman.  Twister is William's nickname.

Rachel has begun to read.  She loves sounding out S-T-O-P on the red signs.  She is so thrilled and proud of herself.  I took her through the neighborhood instead of on the freeway so that she could have lots of opportunites to practice.  That night she showed her daddy and she kept thanking me for teaching her.

I had a wonderful time teaching Rachie's preschool class.  We were learning about the body.  We put together these hinge bodies to sing our Hinges song to.  We also put some organs in the bodies and assembled mini skelletons.  We are going talk this week about treating your body like a temple and we will learn about healthy food and modesty.  We are going to make modest cloths for our dolls.  I am having the time of my life.  I love this stuff.

We went to see Seth's play this weekend.  I didn't anticipate how important this would be for him.  When he stepped on the stage he immeadiately combed the audience with his eyes looking for his fan club.  When he saw us he smiled and raised his hand about an inch by his pockets, in an attempt to give a discreet hello.  He was the only child that I saw do this.  I also didn't anticipate what it would be like for the cousins to do this for Seth.  They were so happy to be there for him.  They called out his name and chhered for him.  We gave him a Root Beer at the end for his flowers.  This was his choice.  He was so proud of that Root Beer. 
To see the love that my children had for Seth and to see the appreciation that he had for them gave me joy.

Grandma Jean's Baptism

A Winter Walk Through Red Butte Gardens

 

We honestly don't know how to survive Winter.  We love being outdoors so much.  We dream of being able to put our own Orangerie in our house like the one at Red Butte Gardens and we wonder if we could l ever get into Winter sports if we had the money and our children were the right age to participate.

Happy Birthday!!!

 William's birthday cake was a Jamba Juice since he can't tolerate a real cake with his allergies.
  He loved, loved it.

As I contemplate the last year with William, I marvel that all I feel is love and sorrow that it is over. I wonder at how I can cherish days that were so challenging. It is difficult to try to soothe an inconsolable baby. William was that baby.  It was especially hard on Mark.  I remember Mark saying that there is no sound of a baby crying that was pleasant, but something about William's pitch was just torture for him.  In those moments that I walked the house with a screaming baby I remember turning to jelly beans and mint Oreos (allergy free) more than anything else.  I remember feeling the dread of trying to help him and failing.  His cries made me feel that I had failed and was continuing to fail as I sought to calm and comfort him.  I would do anything to just stop the sound of that crying, but I couldn't.  I couldn't just leave him to suffer on his own in his crib so I just tried the best I could to soothe him... and ate so many Oreos.  Now, William's suffering is over, my stress levels are back to normal, and all I am left with is an overwhelming feeling of love for this boy.  Could I feel the same love for him if I left the care of him to another for this year and then came back to be his mother?  I can't imagine how that could be true.  Maybe the last year of caring for him under such difficult circumstances was the price I paid to feel the love that I do.  Would I do it again?  There is no question.  My only question is what I can do so that I might always be filled with this love.

Our "party"was the following day.  We went to Dad's work and brought him lunch.

William has such a happy temperament now. I think it was probably his allergies that made him so miserable.  I love this look that he gives me.  You can kind of see it here.  He puts his chin to his chest and looks at me  through long lashes, giving me the sweetest grin.

What could be better than this?