Bedrooms, Birthdays, and Baptism

Brianna loooves books. Here she is "reading" on her new bedspread, with her newly decorated wall (stickers).
Wall stickers can be used for walls, dressers, toy baby doll cribs, etc.

And the rug was just the right finishing touch, don't ya think?

A looong time ago, when Ben's 8th birthday seemed REALLY far away, I told him he could choose how to decorate his room when he turned 8. Well, 8 rolled around and what did he decide? Camouflage, of course! Why didn't I see that coming?

Well, a promise is a promise. So we set to work, and in the end, I think it turned out REALLY well!

The loft above his bed used to be another bed. Now it is a "command post".

My mom's good friend came and painted AN INCREDIBLE MURAL on Ben's wall. It is fantastic! More than we could have imagined, and it totally feeds the imagination of my VERY imaginitive boy!

She told him that the eagle is to remind him to work toward his Eagle in scouts.

And, here is the amazing artist herself! Thank you Miss Judy!! Can you believe she did it all in one day?? Pretty dang amazing! And she's a terrific person to boot!

In April, Ben turned 8, and the first Saturday in May he was baptized by his father. It was so special. Ben was truly prepared. He understands the covenants he has made, and I honestly have seen a positive difference in him since he was baptized and received the gift of the Holy Ghost.

I am so grateful for the gospel in my life. I know that it's true. I know that Jesus truly is our Savior and Redeemer, and that He will save us if we will let Him.

I also know that a testimony is something that has to be fed, just like our physical bodies. If we neglect it, it can grow weak and even eventually die.

I am so proud of Ben and the decision he has made. I hope he learns to feed his Spirit and testimony every day.

I am having trouble adding Brianna's birthday pictures, so I will do a separate post for her, but she did just turn 4 years old! What an amazing little spirit she is!

Did You Know ...

This handsome man is my best friend, my heart-throb, my eternal love. I met him thirteen years ago this month. He told his sister the next morning that he had "met the ONE". He told me that he had "some loose ends to tie up", which meant he needed to dump his girlfriend. He proposed to me three and half weeks after we met. We were married in the Mt. Timpanogos temple three and half months later. I have never regretted that choice. We are not perfect, but we have a pretty dang good marriage!
This kiddo wouldn't stop taking his Earth-prep classes in heaven until his Great Grandma Erma came up there and said, "Enough already!! Your parents have been hoping and praying for you to come for four years now! Get down there you wonderful little soul!"

He will be eight, EIGHT, this week! His baptism is scheduled for next week! He is amazing and wonderful, and incredibly complex! He will also likely start counseling this week to help him learn to deal with his anger and anxiety in appropriate ways (i.e., not throwing and breaking furniture, not choking sister, and not physically fighting mom.)

This little munchkin joined us another four years after Ben. There was much praying and trying, and hoping and charity that brought her to us! We will FOREVER be grateful to her birthmom for having the courage, strength, and faith to give Brianna to our family to be adopted!
I just bought her some summer clothes and I had to buy her size 5T!! What the?? She's only 3! O.k., almost 4, but still! I guess all that praying I did that she'd grow quickly so she could ride the rides at Disneyland are being answered. She used to be in the 5th percentile for height and weight. I wonder where she'll be now.

She is a very literal-minded child. I was telling her all the things that I love about her the other day, and I said, "Brianna, I think your laugh makes the sun shine!" She thought about that and sincerely asked, "really?"

We were at dinner the other night and she was complaining that her foot felt strange. I asked her if her foot had fallen asleep, she said, "Yes. My foot is snoring!"

At the end of a talk this last Sunday, the youth speaker said, "I want to bear my testimony ...." Brianna asked, "Why is there a bear in her testimony?"

I am so blessed to be livin' the dream!

It's All MY Fault

This morning, I woke Ben a little after six; laid out his clothes for him; turned on the gas fireplace (his favorite place in the morning); put a blanket on the hearth; put his homework with a pencil next to the blanket; made him breakfast; packed his lunch; combed his hair; and, miraculously, got him to school on time.

Ben, for his part, got dressed; went by the fireplace; worked at a snail's pace on the homework that he ignored yesterday, despite my repeated instructions to get it done; threw a major fit, which included knocking over kitchen chairs, and looking at me with complete hatred in his eyes; refused to get out of the car at school; caused us to be late, even though we were to the school on time; caused me to go into the office in my jammies and glasses to sign him in late; and sobbed when I left him to be taken to class by an administrator.

We captured this photo during another of Ben's meltdowns.

I need a hug, a massage, and some chocolate. Ben could probably use the same.

Just a Taste of Disneyland

We had a WONDERFUL vacation to Disneyland for Spring (ha, ha, ya right!) Break! And, while we both drove out in a snow storm, and returned in one, the weather was significantly warmer on our vacation! We were blessed to be able to spend some time with James' parents both on the way to and on the way from Disneyland. They are such great examples of kindness, generosity, and hospitality.
Here are just a few of our pictures. I will try to write more about our trip later, but it's late now, and tomorrow the kids and I are off to take care of my mom for a couple of days. It seems that I gave such rave reviews about how fun it was to have my gall bladder out last summer, and then fly back east to visit my sister six days post-op, that my Mom just had to try it herself! She had surgery today, and flies out next week to visit my sis! (Seriously, mom, the surgery and recovery part really weren't that fun, but the visit will be wonderful!)

Conversations with Brianna

Brianna: I wish I were the George's kid, instead uh yours.

Me: You wish you were the George's kid, instead of mine?!

Brianna: Ya.

Me: O.k., ... why?

Brianna: Weyw, I don't wuv you in your jammies. I do wuv you in your dress, but I don't wuv you in your jammies.

This was all said matter of factly, and without malice. I guess my tendency to lounge around in my jammies for half the day is getting to her.

**********

Brianna: Where we goin'?

Me: Well, we're going to run home, and check some things, and then we're going to run some errands.

Brianna: I don't wanna run some errands. I'n too busy to run errands today.

Me: You're too busy?

Brianna: (Big sigh) Ya.

Friday

There was so much whine around here today that I should be completely drunk!

After picking up the fifteen hundredth teeny tiny lego today, I put a household-wide ban on legos for the foreseeable future.

Just a question: why is it that a dog will methodically sniff half the lawn before choosing a place to pee? Is it all about "location, location, location"?

I made dang-good oatmeal chocolate chip cookies today, and they were beautiful to boot. Come on over and we'll share a cookie and talk!

Snow - by Ben

I love to sled, one time when I went I fell off and did a flip and then I lay there, so I made a snow angel. Before that I went ice skating with my family. It was hard because your in shoos with blades on ice. I like to go sledding because your going down a hill or mountan very fast. Snow angels are fun, but you usually get snow down your back, of course not when you have your hood up. Skating is hard but fun. It is hard becaus your on blades.

Monday

It's Monday.
Monday is one of my laundry days.
Thursday is the other one.
I find that with two laundry days my laundry load (no pun intended) stays manageable. Otherwise, I get overwhelmed.
I get overwhelmed easily.
Most of my laundry today is in our large suitcase;
Waiting to be unpacked and washed from our wonderful, sunny, weekend.
It was hard to get into the car and head back yesterday, because the temperature was 60 degrees.
60 degrees and sunny is heavenly.
Brianna got to plop herself down in the wet red dirt and dig.
Ben climbed trees and beat his dad at the actual old-fashioned Battleship game.
We went to a park where the kids played on the swings, the slides, and on several twisty-spinny playground things that I'd never seen anywhere else.
James and I were able to go to the temple, and even stayed awake for most of the session.
I love the temple.
Caspian got to play at a dog park, and with his doggy-cousin.
James' parents fed us fabulous food, and we laughed and visited.
Great-Grandpa was a delight, as usual, and the kids each ended up with a crisp one dollar bill from him.
Now, James is at work.
Ben is at school.
Brianna is playing in the bathtub.
Caspian is in the backyard (he can hardly bring himself to go out in the 30 degree weather now).
And I'm writing this post.
When I'm done I'll sort the laundry, start a load of darks, and unload and load the dishwasher.
It's Monday, afterall.

You know, Mondays aren't so bad after a wonderful, love-filled, sun-filled, family-filled weekend!

Sing. Sing a song. Sing out loud. Sing out strong.

Brianna LOVES to sing. She usually knows most, if not all, of the words to the songs she sings.

We gave the kids a karaoke machine -- really a microphone that hooks up to an ipod -- for Christmas. She loves it! She has no fear of performing in front of others, and often does so for us.

She is now in Primary (Sunbeams) and her class sits in front of mine during opening exercises, sharing time and singing time. I pretty much ignore my class during singing time, because I can't tear my eyes away from her. It's so cute to see her singing along and feeling so grown up! She is one of the loudest singers in there, and it just melts my heart to see her throwing herself into the music.

My favorite thing to hear her sing is I Love to See the Temple. Partly because of the sacred experience that we shared with her as a family when she was sealed to us; and partly because instead of singing the line "I'll prepare myself while I am young..." she sings, "I'll prepare myself while yum, yum, yum, this is my sacred duty." :)

I love our musical little firecracker!

A Word to the Wise, ... From the Not-So-Wise

Even when you're in a hurry, the garage door still only opens at one pace.

Please be sure it's all the way up before you throw the car into reverse and apply the gas.

Really. It's a good idea.

Really.