Singing Praises

My girls and I have a goal to finish reading the Book of Mormon together by the end of the year. In our Sunday School class at church we spend a year studying one of four books. This year it is The Book of Mormon. Last year it was the New Testament. Before that it was the Old Testament. Next year we study our church's history and revelations given in more modern times recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants. This goes in a rotation. As a family we try to read along.

So last week in our reading towards the end of the Book of Mormon we read one of my favorite stories. It was a wonderful experience to read this story with my girls and be able to apply it to our lives with them. 

The story tells of a man named Jared and his brother who lived at the time of the tower of Babel. These are righteous men and Jared's brother is a man a great faith. He prays and the Lord makes it so that he and his brother can understand each other still. The Lord then leads them away on a journey to a choice land.

I think it is interesting how many times people in scriptures must make long journeys. These journeys become analogies for our lives and the journey we make through mortality to our own "promised land" in the life beyond.

When these brothers and their families come to the great waters to cross, they are instructed to make boats and are helped in knowing how to make them. The Lord provides all their needs to safely make this journey and even gives them a bit of light in the form of divinely illuminated stones to take with them in these vessels designed to travel both above and under the water. 

But my favorite part of the story is told in the few verses that tell of this people's journey. The story reads as follows:

Ether Chapter 6:

4  ...and it came to pass that when they had done all these things they got aboard of their vessels or barges, and set forth into the sea, commending themselves unto the Lord their God.

  5 And it came to pass that the Lord God caused that there should be a furious wind blow upon the face of the waters, towards the promised land; and thus they were tossed upon the waves of the sea before the wind.

  6 And it came to pass that they were many times buried in the depths of the sea, because of the mountain waves which broke upon them, and also the great and terrible tempests which were caused by the fierceness of the wind.

  7 And it came to pass that when they were buried in the deep there was no water that could hurt them, their vessels being tight like unto a dish, and also they were tight like unto the ark of Noah; therefore when they were encompassed about by many waters they did cry unto the Lord, and he did bring them forth again upon the top of the waters.

  8 And it came to pass that the wind did never cease to blow towards the promised land while they were upon the waters; and thus they were driven forth before the wind.

  9 And they did sing praises unto the Lord; yea, the brother of Jared did sing praises unto the Lord, and he did thank and praise the Lord all the day long; and when the night came, they did not cease to praise the Lord.

  10 And thus they were driven forth; and no monster of the sea could break them, neither whale that could mar them; and they did have light continually, whether it was above the water or under the water.

  11 And thus they were driven forth, three hundred and forty and four days upon the water.

  12 And they did land upon the shore of the promised land. And when they had set their feet upon the shores of the promised land they bowed themselves down upon the face of the land, and did humble themselves before the Lord, and did shed tears of joy before the Lord, because of the multitude of his tender mercies over them.

I explained to my little girls that we must be like these people as we journey through hard times here in life. It must have been hard for them rocking in the storms of the sea and being tossed about by the furious winds. But it was those very winds that were taking them to their promised land. The winds were crucial to their arrival at that distant shore. 

Many of our trials in life, are like those winds that are given to help push us closer to our Savior. Sometimes these trials bury us deep in sorrow and feel as if they will completely suffocate us in grief or sadness. But if we will cry unto the Lord in faith in these times, the Lord will bring us up for air by and by. 

I LOVE in this account that these travelers weathered their storm by singing praises to the Lord all day long and all through the night. I want to be like these faith filled travelers. I strive to find the joy and happiness to sing such praises. I want my girls to realize the blessings in our trials and know from whence such merciful blessings come.

I am finding my singing voice once more. I think Christmas has helped me in that respect. There is so much joy in the birth of the Savior. I am happy to be able to sing the carols that celebrate His birth. I wonder at how I will feel giving birth to a son of my own in the coming months. I know that these are but a few of the many tender mercies the Lord has blessed me with in this storm. I look forward to that day when I will be able to kneel at the feet of my Savior and bath His feet in tears of gratitude for all the incredible gifts He has given to me.

May we all enjoy singing the praises to the Savior in this most joyous season of His birth. 

Retail Therapy

Yesterday I decided I needed a little retail therapy to get me excited about having a boy. I figured if I could find some boy things I loved to start making a "boy" space in our home, my heart would get the spirit and follow suit.

So after a trip with my mom to Target, I reconfigured our crib to be a boy crib. This was the result.

We painted the nursery light blue when we moved here a year ago just in case we ever did have a boy. So I am adding dark brown to the decor to make it more masculine. I really liked this bedding at Target and it is hard to beat Target prices. 

I must admit it was pretty sad to have to pass up the REALLY cute little ladybug bedding they had at Target. Lauren was pretty sad to be getting blue and brown dots rather than cute little ladybugs. But I think she is coming around at her own pace. I promised her that if peanut was a boy she could have a girl baby doll. Now when I ask if she is excited about having a baby brother she says, "No. I am excited to get a girl baby doll." It is a step in the right direction right?

For me, however, the retail therapy did wonders. I am really getting excited about imagining our family with a brother. It is funny how transforming the nursery and making him a space in our home has made such a space for him in my heart.

Some may wonder if it was hard for me to make such changes to Camille's crib and her room. I asked my family while we were in the hospital with Camille to remove all baby things from my house. I just didn't want to run across whole milk in the fridge and break down. For me this was just easier. So I didn't have to remove Camille's things to make this change. Those things are boxed up at my parents. I will go through them in the Spring I suppose.

Also, seeing as Camille was our fourth child and I am cheap, she didn't have much that was HERS. Her crib is THE crib. All our babies have used it and I don't associate it with Camille specifically. The same is true of the car seat, the stroller, the high chair etc... The only things uniquely hers were a few blankets, toys, and some clothes. So making these changes has not been too emotional. Some changes are good and changes to prepare for a new baby are always good in my book.

Views of Peanut

This is one of the 3D pictures we got at our ultrasound appointment today. I am thrilled to report that the baby looks healthy in every respect. I have not cared whether we have a girl or boy. But I knew that it would be an emotional trigger to discover the sex of our child. I knew whether peanut was a he or a she, I would need to do some emotional processing. 

I have known since Camille died that we would never be able to replace her. I did not get pregnant in an effort to replace her. I want the joy that a new baby, any new baby, brings to a mother's heart. It doesn't matter whether my child is a girl or boy. I know I will have that joy. 

Still, there are emotions that come with varying degrees knowing that this child will be unique and different while my heart longs for something known and unattainable. It is part of the nature of the beast. I knew I would have to face it. I chose to face it now so that when the baby is born, I will not have to deal with these emotions then. I am sure there will be enough emotions to deal with on that blessed day all by itself, without a gender surprise.

I am happy we found out today...

...that we are having a baby boy!

It is going to take enough adjusting in my mind to psyche myself up for a boy as is, nevermind the added grief element. I have become very accustomed to girls. Still if I am ever going to have a boy, now is the time to do it. There will be an almost 4 year gap between him and Lauren. And I am happy he will not have to deal with ever being compared to Camille.

Jon is thrilled. Sabrina and Ann Marie are excited to finally be getting a brother. Lauren -- well she was sad and mad. She said she wanted a girl baby so she could have Mill Mills back. After explaining that even if it was a girl it wouldn't be Camille, I had a nice little silent break down of my own. I want Camille back too. I just know better than a 3 year old that having a new baby just won't do that. Still the knowing doesn't remove the longing from your heart.

I am settling into the idea of having a son. It is weird for me to even write that word in reference to myself. But I am excited to learn first hand the love a mother feels for a son and what that type of relationship is like. I am also excited for my girls to know the love a girl has for her brother. I was always glad to have both brothers and a sister growing up so I could know both types of sibling relationships.

While I am a little nervous about this baby's seemingly spastic level of energy and movement in the womb, I am confident my love for him will only make this feature (if he is this high energy out in the world) all the more endearing.

OH BOY! Here I begin a whole new adventure!

Official Snow Day!

Yes, schools are closed and 

the fun is in! Wahoo! 

Here is what the world looked like when I woke up!

We had fun building the snow lady. 

Now it is time for hot chocolate!

Twice In A Lifetime!

Snow in the backyard at 6 p.m.

1979

That was the last time Las Vegas 

saw this much snow!

 

Snow out front at 6 p.m.

I remember that event. I was 5 and my parents were having a party. I didn't want to go to bed because it had started snowing and I wanted to go play in it. I was worried it would melt in the night. My mother assured me it wouldn't and I finally went to sleep.

Snow out front just before 2 p.m.

The next morning was Sunday and we had church to go to. Our neighbors, the Zobrist family, went to the same church and we happened to be leaving around the same time. I remember getting into a great snowball fight in our Sunday clothes just before we piled in the cars to head to the church. 

Snow out front just after 3 p.m.

The snow then lasted for days. We built snowmen and all that. There was 8 inches at McCarran Airport that year. This will likely not be as heavy as that year was. My parents said they had 3 inches and they are near the airport. But it is still snowing!?!

Snow out front at 6 p.m.

Here we have about 6 inches now at the base of our mountains and it is really coming down out there still. It has been snowing non-stop since about 10:30. It started as flurries then got heavy for several hours. It started sticking around 1 p.m. It lightened up around 6 p.m. and is heavy again now. It is supposed to continue through the night. 

Snow out back at just before 2 p.m.

I can't wait to see how it looks tomorrow.  We will have to watch the news in the morning to see if the school district is going to call a snow day tomorrow and cancel school. I hope they do. If not we may have to declare our own snow day. Who wants to drive in this anyway? And how often to Las Vegas kids get to play in the snow??? I think I see a snow man happening tomorrow!

The kids with neighbors playing in the snow out front just after 3 p.m.

 If only we had snow clothes! 

The kids eating snow off the car just before 2 p.m.

All ours are up at the cabin in Utah.  

Oh well! 

Hope you all enjoy the photos 

I took throughout the day!

The snow coming down in the backyard at 6 p.m.

My Best Friend

OK, I was going to title this post “My BFF” but I kept thinking about Paris Hilton and various 13-year olds’ overuse of the term and thought better of it. I don’t want to degrade or make commonplace my relationship with the most wonderful woman out there. Stephanie and I were friends first and always have and always will enjoy our friendship. I remember when I had graduated from college and was single. I didn’t seem to think of Stephanie in romantic terms. However, I always thought about her. I always compared my dates to her. For some reason, I found myself talking about her to my dates. I remember one time during college talking to a friend of mine about Stephanie and the friend replied that her friend had called her a “#@*$@!”. I remember almost exploding in defense of her and how wonderful she was and how that definitely was NOT the case. I have always thought of standing up for your friends but rarely did I feel so emotional about my response as then (probably should have been a sign for me).

I believe the most beautiful thing about Stephanie is her heart. She loves people and can somehow find herself loving me despite my imperfections. She gives people the benefit of the doubt. In my experience with people, those with big hearts are also selfless. Stephanie many times sacrifices for the wellbeing of others. She finds satisfaction in maintaining her two blogs and that somehow and someway others feel lifted up by them. She loves her girls like many of the best mothers do – with all her heart and through selfless service. But she’s also a good snuggler. Mamas that not only sacrifice but also are affectionate are what help families and societies succeed and flourish.

And speaking of snuggling, Stephanie has a way of doing that emotionally with people. She loves to talk to people and find out about them. She loves people in general. Case in point: when we were at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York last week, her favorite pieces of art were portraits. She likes artists such as John Singer Sargeant (among others). While I loved the musical instruments, sculptures, furniture and other inanimate objects, she was savoring the human, emotional side of a painting. That goes the same for movies and TV. She likes drama, romance, etc. that speaks to human relationships. None of that crazy scifi stuff that daddy likes. No, wait a minute – she even enjoys some Star Trek episodes that speak to human relationships and human dilemmas. Her big heart is intimately entwined with enjoying other people and making others happy. I love how much she cares for others and it inspires me to care more for others and to be more selfless.

When I was growing up and would think of people I could envision being in heaven, I always thought of my own mother and a handful of other people. When dealing with contemporaries and friends, you tend to know all their faults and problems. So usually envisioning them in that category is sometimes tough. I admit, when I first met Stephanie I thought she was a nice person, but she was no saint. However, she’s like a fine wine – getting better with every passing day. She’s now up there with mom and others, who have impressed me so much with their Christlike love. The person Stephanie is has now defined part of heaven for me.

We have had our own struggles and challenges (mostly induced by me). But there is no one else in the world I’d rather have by my side. She is my friend in every way and I think of her as part of me. I love you Stephanie and Happy Birthday!

Oh and did I mention she is one hot, sexy woman?? Maybe that’s for another post…

A Fitting "Birthday" Gift

Well I know it isn't technically my birthday for another 90 some odd minutes, but I am going to post about the gift Jon gave me anyway.

Okay I am just going to say, photography is not one of my talents. ;) But this necklace is beautiful. My sister in law Darleen made it. Jon asked her to do it and helped conceptualize the design. Each of the five gems is a birthstone of one of my children and it is expandable for future children. 

How lucky for me that my children's birthstones also happen to be some of my favorite gems and they are Christmas colored. At the upper left is a Ruby for July (Lauren). At the upper right is a garnet for January (Ann Marie). The two green stones are Emeralds for May (Sabrina and Peanut). Lastly, in the center is a diamond for April (Camille). It is so fitting that her birthstone be the one to capture and refract light. 

I love the necklace and even more I love the meaning behind it. Thank you Jonathan and Darleen. And thank you to whoever gave the idea. I still haven't read the comments from that post. Good night friends and good bye being 33. 

I Should Have Known Better ...

I should have known that I ought to ask for NYC ideas BEFORE leaving for the Big Apple. I read the comments given just after leaving Manhattan. Not great timing. I was so bummed to not have been able to do some of the suggestions. 

Still Jon and I had a great time being together. I am a believer in alone trips. Jon and I have taken an alone trip between each child. It is a great way to reconnect and remember why you fell in love with this person you now know as "Mom" or "Dad." It takes more than a date night for me to get out of mom mode and remember I am a woman too. Alone trips do that for me. Plus they help me see Jonathan as himself too. 

This is our second time doing NYC for our alone trip. Last time was definitely warmer. It was pretty bitter cold with the wind on Saturday. Friday was nice though. We most enjoyed our time at the Temple there in Manhattan. It was so lovely, so peaceful, and it really reminded me of how much I love being in the Temple.

We also enjoyed our hours roaming the Met. I love art. There are some paintings there that I really adore and it was great to revisit them. We also went to Spamalot. Hmmm. That was probably the biggest waste of time and money in a LONG time. I have never been able to stay awake through the Monty Python Movie and this play presented an equal challenge. Plus it was far too crude for my liking.

We had decent food but nothing as memorable as we had hoped. We did enjoy a little French cafe near time square for brunch. We also greatly enjoyed spending time with Jon's sister and her family. I got my newborn fix quenched with her little 3 week old Jackson. He was so yummy. I love brand newborn little lumps of love. Especially other peoples newborns that don't wake you up to eat every two hours. ;)

Also I did get an early birthday present from my sweetheart with the help of his amazing sister and her jewelry skills. I will do a post on it another day. Maybe on my birthday. :) It is lovely and intensely meaningful. Thank you all for planting the seeds of ideas in the fertile soil of his mind.

Overall, this was a trip that I didn't know I needed as badly as I did. It brought me out of my funk and renewed me. I was walking down Park Avenue to go meet Jon after his meeting and I thought, "This city is so full of LIFE."

There was a time when I lived that sort of independent life. I lived out East and traveled by foot or subway or cab through my years at law school. I have backpacked Europe and Mexico. All this I did as a single independent woman. This trip was a reminder to me of that woman. It was like taking a vacation to a former life. It was empowering. I am glad to be home with my family and very glad to live in a warmer, more settled atmosphere. But I am also grateful to remember my capabilities and strength as a woman.

Big Apple

I will not be blogging this weekend. My husband has a meeting in the Big Apple. Yep NYC! And he has a companion ticket. :) So I am tagging along. It is supposed to be really cold and rainy/snowy but I am hoping to enjoy the Christmas feeling in the Big City this weekend.

Our plans include a nice dinner somewhere, cheesecake, lots of good food (can you see the pregnant mind at work here?), the Met, maybe a show, a session at the Manhattan Temple, Rockafeller Center to see the lights, and a bit of window shopping. Plus we get to see Jon's sister Darleen and her new baby boy just 2 weeks old (yes and her hubby Seth and 2 older kids).

It should be a fun trip. I will surely post about it when we get home. 

Enjoy your weekend! 

19 Weeks

We had a "formal" night for our Young Women tonight at church to recognize their accomplishments this year relating to faith, divine nature, individual worth, knowledge, choice and accountability, good works, and integrity. That is the reason for the formal attire in the photo. I think I was lucky this one still fit. :) Thank heaven for the empire waist. This bridesmaid dress has gotten some good use. Thanks Kathryn for picking such a good one.

I have entered the "growing" stage of pregnancy. I usually gain between 30 and 40 lbs. during pregnancy. About 30 of that, I gain in the middle three months. Usually I am so sick in the first 3-4 months that I gain nothing and for the first 3 kids I lost weight. Then the sickness ebbs away and I start growing. 

I have only put on about 5-8 lbs. so far this pregnancy, though it looks like lots more. But I know the numbers on the scale will be leaping up each time I step on now. I am 19 weeks. I feel good. No more sickness. None of the uncomfortable feelings that come later on yet. This is the good part of pregnancy.

I have started to feel the little kicks and movements of the whosit inside. That is always fun. We still don' t know the sex of the baby. We do want to know. I will let you know when I know. 

I watched an episode of Birth Day and a show called Amazing Birth Stories the other day on the Discovery Channel. It got me excited for the birth of this baby. I still have a long wait till then, but I am really looking forward to the birth. I think births are some of the most spiritual and can be some of the most wonderful occasions.

I have so much hope for the child growing within me. I am anxious to explore the reality of this new life with this precious soul. Grow baby, Grow!

Keeping It Real

A fuzzy picture to symbolize the picture of my life seen through the lens of my blog.

 

I want this blog to be a real reflection of how I am doing. I don't want it to be all the pretty things of my life or all the hard and painful parts either. Just after Camille died I wrote every day about my grief. At that time it was my whole life. All other aspects of my life were seen through the filter of my grief. 

As time has passed and my heart has healed some, I have written other types of posts about other subjects. Posts about Camille have been sprinkled in where I was feeling them. 

This is the thing I am learning about grief -- it moves like the tides with waves rolling through it. The tides do not rise and fall with the cycles of the moon but with the seasons of our lives. At certain times the grief tide is low and will stay low for a long time. People will think you are all better perhaps. You will even think you are all better, or at least close to it.

But the reality is that often the tides will rise again. There is no reliable predictor for when this will happen or what will trigger the rise. Maybe there is no trigger. Maybe there is just a biological rhythm to this that we don't know about. But when the tides rise the waves of grief come with it. They hit without warning and can sweep you off your feet.

And with time these tides fall again. They recede. The waves seem inconsequential again. All the while life goes on. 

I have had a good long while of low tides. But lately, since just after Thanksgiving really, it seems the tide has been rising. I know I am doing well in my healing progress. I know this is normal and just part of the journey. I just feel I need to keep this portrayal of my life through this blog as real as possible. 

And the real truth is that I have had some really hard nights in the last couple of weeks. I share this only because I want others who are on this path or who know someone else on this path of grief after losing a child to know that this is the nature of this grief. I don't want to seem like some super human person who is "all better" now and is done with the grieving thing. 

I don't think we are ever "done" with the grieving thing. I think the tide just stays low for longer and longer periods of time and waves become less and less frequent. But it does seem to me that the further along the path we get the harder it is to open up and talk about the high tides. They are hard to "bring up" since "how you are really doing" is not the subject of most your conversations anymore. And when you have been doing well for a long while, it is hard to let people know that you are hurting again. It seems people get more "worried" about you if you have a hard few days when you are a year out instead of just a month out.

But the reality is that hard days come at six months out or a year to five years out. That is just the nature of the beast. When they come, they come with intensity. Perhaps this high tide is due to the holidays. Maybe it is the internal clock telling me the 6 month mark is coming. And then again it could be a combination of both or neither. 

 

Thank you to so many of you living angels out there who have shared so much love to me. I never knew when I thought about doing an angel tree for Camille that I would so need these angels in my home. Thank you. I will write more about the angel tree later this week. I want to get a photo up of it. It is beautiful.

Whatever it is, I am hoping it will pass gracefully. I hope I will feel my way through it since there is no way around it. And between the waves I will treasure the blessings in my life and the moments of joy that these blessings bring me everyday. 

Family Home Evening

One night each week, usually Monday night, Mormon families everywhere gather together to spend a night together. They have a family "meeting" of sorts that is called Family Home Evening. This practice was introduce almost a century ago by one of the prophets. Joseph F. Smith, in 1915. 

In these Family Home Evenings the family grows together and parents have an opportunity to teach their children their core values and beliefs. They also get to spend uninterrupted time with their children. In todays busy age of technology and distractions, this time is invaluable.

A typical Family Home Evening starts with a prayer and then a song sung together by the family. Perhaps a scripture will be shared. A prepared lesson is given by one family member and then the family does some sort of activity together. At the end another song and prayer are said and a refreshment is enjoyed. 

Now that is pretty textbook. In reality, many Family Home Evenings (at least at our house) are not as well prepared as they should be and sometimes we combine the lesson and activity together. Still, the time spent together is worth all the trouble to pull something together. I know for those with teenagers it is sometimes difficult to get kids happy about participating, but our little kids LOVE Family Home Evening. We keep the lessons short to account for their attention spans and they adore the activities.  

Tonight we had a great Family Home Evening. I thought I would share what we did. We started with our prayer and then I asked the girls to sing a song they have been learning in church for the ward Christmas party. It is about how heavenly choirs must have had children and how they must have sung at his birth. It is a great song. They did a great job singing it.

For our lesson I read to the kids an email story sent to me by my cousin. It is about Santa coming and telling us to teach our children about Christmas and its true meaning. (I will paste the story to the end of this post so those who want to can have it). It goes over how so many of our Christmas traditions can point to the Savior if we look at them symbolically. 

After the lesson, we gathered together and made a gingerbread house out of a kit I bought at Costco. 

It was a fun time together. The kids loved it and Jon and I had fun too. Next, Jon sat to the piano and played a bunch of Christmas songs. Annie played Jingle Bells, We Wish You A Merry Christmas, and Jolly Old St. Nick on the violin, and we all sang. (The girls emptied the dishwasher while singing and I did the dinner dishes.)

By the end of the music it was time for bed so we had our closing/family prayer and put the kiddos down for the night. All in all, it was one of our better Family Nights. 

Family Home Evening may be a "Mormon" teaching, but it is a great idea for any family. The lessons can be whatever beliefs any parent holds. What is most important is that the program strengthens families. Even if it is just spending a night playing games together, the time spent together deepens family relationships. 

So whatever your beliefs may be, I challenge you all to pick a night and try spending a Family Home Evening with your family. Adapt it to your needs and situation. If you take the challenge, let me know how it goes. If you already do this, share one of your best Family Home Evening Ideas. I always love good FHE ideas!

Here is the email I got for those interested:

The Meaning of Christmas

Just a week before Christmas I had a visitor. This is how it happened. I just finished the household chores for the night and was preparing to go to bed when I heard a noise in the front of the house. I opened the door to the front room, and to my surprise, Santa himself stepped out from behind the Christmas tree. He placed his finger over his mouth so I would not cry out. "What are you doing?" I started to ask him.

The words choked in my throat, as I saw he had tears in his eyes. His usual jolly manner was gone. Gone was the eager boisterous soul we all know. He then answered me with a simple statement, TEACH THE CHILDREN!

I was puzzled: What did he mean? He anticipated my question, and with one quick movement brought forth a miniature toy bag from behind the tree.

As I stood there bewildered, Santa said, Teach the Children! Teach them the old meaning of Christmas. The meaning that a now-a-day Christmas has forgotten! 

Santa then reached in his bag and pulled out a FIR TREE and placed it on the mantle. Teach the Children that the pure green color of the stately fir tree remains green all year round, depicting the everlasting hope of mankind. All the needles point heavenward, making it a symbol of man's thoughts turning toward heaven.

He again reached into his bag and pulled out a brilliant STAR. Teach the Children that the star was the heavenly sign of promises long ago. God promised a Savior for the world, and the star was the sign of fulfillment of that promise.

He then reached into the bag and pulled out a CANDLE. Teach the Children that the candle symbolizes that Christ is the light of the world, and when we see this great light we are reminded of He who displaces the darkness.

Once again he reached into his bag and then removed a WREATH and placed it on the tree.

Teach the Children that the wreath symbolizes the eternal nature of love. Real love never ceases. Love is one continuous round of affection.

He then pulled out from his bag an ornament of HIMSELF. Teach the Children that Santa Claus symbolizes the generosity and good will we feel during the month of December.

He reached in again and pulled out a HOLLY LEAF. Teach the Children the holly plant represents immortality. It represents the crown of thorns worn by our Savior. The red holly berries represent blood shed by Him.

Next he pulled out a GIFT from the bag and said, "Teach the Children that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift. Teach the Children that the wise men bowed before the holy babe and presented Him with gold, frankincense, and myrrh. We should give gifts in the same spirit as the wise men."

Santa then reached in his bag and pulled out a CANDY CANE and hung it on the tree. Teach the Children that the candy cane represents the shepherd's crook. The crook on the shepherd's staff helps bring back strayed sheep from the flock. The candy cane is the symbol that we are our brother's keeper. 

He reached in again and pulled out an ANGEL. Teach the Children that it was the angels that heralded in the glorious news of the Savior's birth. The angels sang 'Glory to God in the highest, on earth, peace and good will.'

Suddenly I heard a soft twinkling sound, and from his bag he pulledout a BELL. Teach the Children that as the lost sheep are found by the sound of a bell, it should bring people to the fold. The bell symbolizes guidance and return.

Santa looked at the tree and was pleased. He looked back at me and I saw the twinkle was back in his eyes. He said, "Remember, teach the  Children the true meaning of Christmas, and not to put me in the center, for I am but a humble servant of the One who is, and I bow down and worship Him, our Lord, our God."

BOLT!

It is a rare event for me to go to a movie. I just think they are way too expensive and not worth the money usually. For most films, I wait for them to come out on video and if I still want to see them, I rent them. 

So I don't often do a movie review. But last night my sister invited us to go with her and her boys to the new Disney movie Bolt, and this is one I feel is worth reviewing.

The new Disney Animation Movie Bolt is great fun for the whole family. The story of a dog who believes he is the super hero he plays in his life as a TV star, Bolt, is a lovable character that even cat lovers can appreciate. 

While many animated films are only entertaining to the children in the audience, Bolt delivers solid laughs to audiences of all ages.  The writing is witty, the characters well developed, and the story both funny and touching in all the right parts.

The animation is incredible. I didn't even realize it was a cartoon for the first few moments of the film. The scenes of Las Vegas were spot on and very well illustrated. They even had images of the famous Welcome to Las Vegas sign that my great aunt designed. (It did however show this sign in the middle of the desert which has not been the case for about 20 years. It is now next to a huge shopping area known as Town Square.)

In all I would recommend Bolt to nearly everyone. Whether on the big screen or as a rental, this is one movie worth your time. My mother, sister, her 5 year old boys and my 7, 5 and 3 year old girls all loved the movie. There were a few loud somewhat scary scenes that had my 3 year old wide eyed and nervous but she was not crying and wanting to leave. But those prone to be scared by loud noises or scenes with intensity like were in the Incredibles fighting scenes should beware.

Bolt was a bit overshadowed in its release by the Twilight release. I also saw Twilight. I went in with low expectations and was very pleased at how much I enjoyed the movie. Still, Bolt should not be held in the shadow but will be an enduring classic in the Disney collection. If you saw the movie let me know what you think of it. 

Stellilalagoogoos and the Christmas Flower

Stellilalagoogoos and the Christmas Flower

 

Once upon a time there was a little fairy named Stelli-LaLa-GooGoos. She was about this tall (show about 2 inches) and she lived in a magical forest in a little house with her mother. Throughout the forest there were beautiful flowers of all different colors. The fairies in the forest loved to drink the juice from the flowers. 

 

Everyday, Stellilalagoogoos went out exploring in the forest. She took her best straw with her to drink flower juice. One day she was out exploring and she saw, in one of the most remote part of the woods, an amazing, glittery, white flower with a broad stripe of red at the edge of each petal. It had a deep green stem and shimmery green leaves. It sparkled like diamonds in the sunlight.

 

Certainly this was the most beautiful flower Stellilalagoogoos had ever seen. So, she decided to have a drink. She got her straw (hold up a fist) and she stuck it down into the middle of the flower (slam your fist against the open palm of your other hand). And then she started to suck up some juice (put your lips to the top of the fist and make sucking noises).

 

At first it tasted like warm gingerbread then, fresh whip cream. Next it began to taste like rich hot chocolate with whip cream and hot buttered toast strips. This taste then faded into warm sugar cookies. Finally the juice began to get sweetly minty like a wonderful candy cane. All this rich warm sweet juice made Stellilalagoogoos very sleepy. She fell quietly asleep on the petals of this glittery yummy flower.

 

Stellilalagoogoos slept long and deeply with images of sugarplums dancing in her head. When she awoke she felt warm and full. She looked over the edge of the flower’s petals and what she saw took her breath away. There beneath the flower were beautifully wrapped packages with bows and tags on them.

 

Quickly, Stellilalagoogoos flew down to the packages to see what was written on the tags. Each package had a tag told for whom the package was intended. Stellilalagoogoos flitted around from package to package searching for one with her name on it. She found one for her mother. She found one for her friend Jackimorgan. She found one for her neighbor Hughberkbunk. She even found one for Sabannieblanch, the ornery old lady who lived in the furthest tree in town. In fact, she found a present there for every person in the fairy village, except her.

 

There was no present for Stellilalagoogoos. Stellilalagoogoos was very sad. It didn’t seem fair that everyone got a present but her. Still she wondered what was in the packages and there was no one nearby to open theirs. Nobody in town even knew there were presents waiting. Stellilalagoogoos decided she would just have to deliver the presents.

 

First she took Jackimorgan his. He was so excited to get a package. He ripped the paper off and found a train set. “Oh just the thing I wanted most in the world!” he said. He gave Stellilalagoogoos a giant hug and thanked her over and over with a smile on his face that lit up the whole room. It made Stellilalagoogoos feel warm inside to see her friend so happy.

 

One by one, Stellilalagoogoos delivered the presents to each person in the fairy village. Each person got the thing they wanted most in the world. Her neighbor Hughberkbunk got speedy ice skates, and her best friend Nikkibuff got real makeup.

 

Stellilalagoogoos had been a bit nervous to take the ornery old lady Sabannieblanch her package. But as soon as Sabannieblanch saw the package her whole face changed from a sour expression to surprise and wonder. Her present had been a doll she had wanted ever since she was a tiny little fairy girl. She cried when she saw it and gave Stellilalagoogoos a big hug and a kiss on her forehead. She told Stellilalagoogoos to come over to visit anytime.

 

With each delivery, Stellilalagoogoos found her heart feeling warmer and warmer, happier and happier. It was so much fun to see what was in each person’s package and she loved making them so happy.

 

The last package Stellilalagoogoos delivered was to her mother. When Stellilalagoogoos handed the small, golden wrapped package, her mother got a big smile on her face. “I see you have found the Christmas flower today,” said her mother.

 

“Christmas flower?” asked Stellilalagoogoos. “Is that what that red and white flower is called?”

 

“Oh yes,” replied her mother. “And you are very lucky to have found it. It only blooms one day a year and often no one finds it. When someone does and drinks from its nectar, everyone in the town gets the best gifts.”

 

“Well almost everyone,” said Stellilalagoogoos, remembering that she did not get a package. “There wasn’t a gift for me.”

 

“Oh yes, there was a gift for you,” said her mother. “It may not have been wrapped in a box or had a tag but you got the best gift of all.”

 

Stellilalagoogoos was confused. But her mother did not explain. Instead she opened her package. Inside was a beautiful golden locket. It had a picture of Stellilalagoogoos on one side and a picture of her mother on the other. “Just what I have always wanted,” said her mother. “Now even when you are not at home I can always hold you close to my heart.”

 

Stellilalagoogoos’ mother gave her the biggest tightest hug of all. Just then, Stellilalagoogoos realized what her present was. She got to spend a whole day making everyone in town happy. She got to play Santa for everyone she knew. “You know Mama,” said Stellilalagoogoos, “I think you are right. I think I did get the best gift of all. Today has taught me that the best gift of all is the gift of giving.”

Thanks for the Ideas

I think Jon enjoyed his birthday. We took a few of the ideas given. Thank you for them. There were lots of great ones to which I am sure I will refer in future years. I wrote a play about Jon's life and the girls performed it for him. They were really cute and I got the whole thing on video. 

At his request, I made coconut cream pie instead of banana cream. He was in the mood for something new. It turned out great I guess. He is the only one in our family who likes coconut so he is eating the whole pie by himself piece by piece, day by day. He has mentioned how yummy it was about 4 times since he had the first piece so I guess he liked it. If you want the recipe, it is on foodnetwork.com. It is Emril's best coconut cream pie.

Then after the kids went to bed he hopped in the hot tub for a bit and then I gave him a relaxing back massage. He loves massages and I rarely ever give them so that was a special treat.

Thanks again for the ideas. I am working on a Stellilalagoogoo story for tomorrow. I have told it to my girls a couple of nights in a row now working out the fine details. It is a Christmas version. I will try to write it up tomorrow in time for anyone who wants to tell it to their kids for bedtime tomorrow. It is one of my favorite that I have made up so far. Watch for it tomorrow.

Thirty Five

Thirty five years ago my mother in law gave birth to a baby boy. Today I send a huge thank you out to her for her sacrifice in bearing, and her even greater sacrifice (if all the stories his siblings tell are true) of raising, my sweet husband  -- Jonathan McKay Waite.

And now for one of the many ideas people gave me. I will share 35 things I love about Jonathan.

35) He is silly. As seen in the photo above. He keeps things lighthearted around here and balances out my seriousness.

34) He is sensitive to others. Shortly after we met I took his roommates and him on a drive to go see the changing leaves in Provo Canyon. On the way I put in a mix tape of music that I had gotten from my very recently ex boyfriend. The boys started making fun of the music. I got very quiet, regretting my decision to invite these boys, but saying nothing. They were still making fun of the music on our way home. One of them was trying to include Jonathan in the jokes and fun. He had stopped participating. Finally, he turned to his roommate and said, "Stephanie is not laughing. So I am not going to be making fun of it anymore." I knew then which of the boys in the car was worth my attention.

33) He loves children. Here is a photo of him playing with my friend's daughter, Savannah. She preferred to play with him than any of the rest of us the weekend they came to visit. Even though he had to work, he was happy to take time out and spend it with her. 

32) He plays the piano. I love his talent. It is the first thing that really made me notice him and cemented in my mind who he was. We had met several times but every time I reintroduced myself and then thought, "oh yeah, I think we met." Once at a party I was having I saw him turn up  the classical music playing on my stereo. I found that odd for a guy so I went over. He was commenting on how slowly the pianist played Fantasy Impromtu by Chopin. "Like you could play it," I commented. "Actually, I can," he responded. I totally did not believe him. That Sunday in Gospel Doctrine someone started playing the piano for an opening hymn. I couldn't see who it was behind the tall piano but turned to my roommate and said, "WHO is THAT, and how can I get to know HIM?" She told me it was Jonathan Waite. "Oh," I said. "Maybe he really can play that piece." I never had to ask his name again.

31) He works hard to make sure I am happy. Even when we argue and even when I am totally at fault it kills him to see me cry and he would move heaven or earth to make it all better for me. Once when we were engaged (I lived in DC and he lived in LA) we got in a fight over the phone one night. The next morning he called to make up. I was still mad at him and my feelings were still hurt. I was not being very understanding. Suddenly as we were talking on the phone there was a knock on the door. I answered to find Jon standing there with cell in hand. He had flown overnight to be there in person to make up.

30) He is smart - really smart. I have always considered myself pretty smart. I am so glad to be married to someone who I admire intellectually. He is one of the few men I ever dated that I felt was smarter than I am.

29) He has beautiful eyes. He is the source of Camille's eyes. Need I say more?

28) He has wonderful hands. They are strong and yet handsome. And they make beautiful music on that piano. I love to hold this man's hand.

27) He honors his priesthood. I love that Jonathan sees himself as the servant of the Lord in his position as the head of our home and in his callings. He always is quick to emphasize "ministration" as being more more imperative than "administration."

26) He reads my blog. 

25) He is a good provider. He works really hard to provide well for our family. He sacrifices so much personally to make sure he can do this. He is a hard worker and is not a quitter even in times when he has hated his job. 

24) He is by the book on gospel subjects. I love that he doesn't go off on his own theories about crazy, unessential, gospel topics. 

23) He is obedient to the promptings of the Lord. Jon didn't like me as anything more than a friend for the first 2 years we knew each other. I could see that our relationship could be the foundation for so much more. Still he had not interest. I always said it would take an act of God for him to like me. And I knew that if the Lord ever told him to date me, Jon would do it whether he wanted to or not. Well, that is pretty much what happened. One night Jon felt the prompting that he should date me. Despite his lack of interest he was obedient. Then on our second weekend of dates (we were on separate coasts) the act of God came. In a 24 hour period, and by total miracle, Jon fell crazy in love with me. We got engaged the next week.

22) He is quick to apologize. Even when he isn't at fault.

21) He is teachable. There are things about him that earlier in our marriage I have told him were not cool. I notice that he works really hard to better himself in these areas. Many he has completely stopped doing.

20) He makes really really REALLY cute girls. When we were single, one day I was playing a game with a friend. Who in our ward would make really cute kids if they married? Who would make really ugly kids? Well my only answer for the second question was me and Jon Waite. I told Jon this when we were engaged. He assured me this was a total impossibility. He COULDN"T make ugly kids, he said. It wasn't possible. Boy was he right on that one.

19) He is willing to do things he hates to show love. He squeezed pomegranates with us this year - JUST because he loves me.

18) He loves to travel just like I do.

17) He is an incredible Dad. He knows how to take care of our kids as well I do. He is great about spending time with his girls and showing them he loves them.

16) He has many of the same interests as I do. We enjoy the same type of "dates."

15) He has a great smile.

14) He has a really nice back side. :)

13) He is a great gift giver. I have never been disappointed by a gift from him. Some birthdays he has been able to totally turn my day from a bummer into wonderful with a gift he has given me.

12) He is patient with me. 

11) He loves my cooking. 

10) I admire him.

9) He reminds me about what is important in life.

8) He likes different desserts than me. This is great because I am never tempted by his treats and I generally get my treats all to myself. :0)

7) He has a strong testimony of the Savior, the gospel, and the prophet. I never have to feel like I am pulling him to follow the Savior.

6) He is honest. Good or bad, flattering or not, he is always honest. I know this about him and so I trust him completely. 

5) He has integrity. If he says he is going to do something, he does it. He is careful and honest in his business dealings and works hard to make sure he doesn't take advantage of others in any way.

4) He is thrifty in all the right ways and spendy in all the right ways (for me that is). He is debt phobic like me and is cheap in what he will spend of lots of things but he never gets mad at me for any money I spend. (Not that I am a big spender either.) He also is willing to spend money if we have it on things that are important and will be a lasting investment.

3) He always makes me feel beautiful, even when I don't feel it looking in the mirror.

2) He makes me laugh. He is not only silly but he is also funny. I adore his humor.

1) He is truly my very best friend and I would rather just BE with him than with anyone else on this earth.

Happy Birthday my dear Jonathan. I love you. Thank you for sharing this wonderful, terrible, crazy, and dynamic ride we call life with me and for loving me through it all.

Stephanie

Not to Be Outdone

OK, I just read my wife's recent post. And I have NOT read any comments. SO, not to be outdone, I am making the same request with the same guidelines she made in her request. Any ideas for me? What can I do for her birthday?? I promise to not read her comments so make sure we have uniques ideas on each side -- I don't want to come to the party with both of us holding hearts made out of popsicle sticks. Come to think of it (after picturing me making crafts out of household stuff) -- I don't care if it costs $$ as long as it's not over the top.