Ward Family

When we moved here we felt like this was the house we needed to be in. At the time I thought it was because of the local elementary school. Our experience with this school, however, hasn't been all sunshine and roses, though when we're done with it we might be able to see the positives.

No, I think one major reason we needed to live here was for the ward. We've been in some truly wonderful wards in the past. Our ward in Wisconsin saved my sanity. I made so many wonderful friends in our Pleasant Grove and Provo wards. Our time in our first Wymount ward is full of happy "we're all in this tiny-apartment-no-real-income-too-much-homework situation together" memories.

This ward has welcomed us, certainly. But they've done more than that. They've taken care of us. They've brought meals, watched our children, invited us to dinners and desserts and play dates. They see our kids as adorable and smart and kind of feisty, but not as the naughtiest children in the Primary. I know we've been here for almost six months so we're not the new kids anymore, but I'm still amazed that they've done (and continue to do) so much for our family.

I need to learn from their examples.

The War Room

Last night I went into the playroom (we put the boys back together while our family was in town and haven't separated them yet) to gather the kids for dinner. The light was off, so I flipped it on and this is what I saw:

Just before I took this picture Peter was using his flashlight and an orange plastic car track to point out various locations on the map. This is what I heard:

Peter: Over here will be the Navy, and on this side will be the Coast Guard, and in the air will be the Air Force.

This is when I flipped the light on to get a better look.

Phoebe:  Hey! This is Shadow Class!

Cooper: Yeah, this is Spy School!

Phoebe: Yeah, but mine is Princess School.

So I turned the light off and let the lesson continue while I took pictures in the dark.

Choose the Right

This week Cooper got a special note thanking him for being well behaved while waiting in line. Because he got the note, his name was entered into a drawing. This morning he was one of ten kids from the whole school chosen to get a prize.

It's been a rough year for our boys, so this is proof that Cooper made at least one good choice during the school year.

The Women, part 2

Look, it's four generations of strong willed women! Here's the version of this picture we took three years ago.

Peace

When we got to church on Sunday Sophie was not in a good mood. In the last month we've learned that she is quite good at communicating her needs and wants, and in the few minutes before church began she was communicating at full volume. I had visions of not being able to hear the blessing over her screams. So I did the only thing I could think of: I whisked her away to the mother's room.

In twelve minutes she went from being an angry baby to being clean and fed, which equals happy in her world. Still, I was nervous.

When the time came, Bryan carried Sophie up to the front of the chapel. During the blessing I didn't hear a peep from her. I wondered if she'd gone to sleep. I was able to hear everything that Bryan said. Afterward, Bryan told me that she was wide awake and watching him during the whole blessing.

One thing that Bryan said that stood out to me was that Sophie would bring light and happiness and peace into our family. I think her calm demeanor during her blessing is a beautiful display of that peaceful nature.

Family Ties

When we found out that Sophie would be born in December, I realized that there was a chance we could have a baby blessing and a baptism on the same day. And that's just what we did. We're thankful that so many family members could join us for these two important events.

This picture was taken after the blessing and before the baptism. 

Dressed In White

Yesterday was a very important day for our family. I don't have access to many pictures yet, but I will share two that should give a good idea of what happened.

Event one:

Event two:

Generations

Do You Hear That?

We discovered something magical. The sound of running water acts like a tranquilizer on Sophie. She hears it and within seconds she's succumbed to slumber. It's awesome. I am currently listening  to the sleep-inducing sounds of a water white noise app.

Now, if only it would encourage her to sleep for more than two hours at a time...

Dazed and Confused

Over the last few weeks several people have asked me how I'm doing. They ask it in a probing, head-tilted-to-the-side-to-convey-caring kind of way. I've given the same answer to each one. In a sing-song voice and a smile on my face, I say, "Tired."

And that's precisely what I am: tired. So tired. I don't expect to be anything else at this point. I also don't have any lofty plans like cooking dinner or cleaning my house. I did manage to prepare a meal a few nights ago. We dined on macaroni and chicken nuggets. Gourmet, I know. My visiting teacher came over this morning and I asked how she felt about doing some service. Then she helped me fold the six loads of laundry that were piled in my hallway. That's the most cleaning I've done in a while. But again, I figure that's how things should be right now.

So if you happen to see me and I look like I haven't slept in weeks, or talk to me and I sound distracted and confused, just remember, I'm really tired.