So excited!

My sister Mindy is an artist. I am always amazed with the beautiful creative projects she creates (doll houses, superhero capes, cakes, etc). Several years ago she started designing paper dolls. I love the dolls she designs! One year they saved me at Christmas time when I could not figure out a single thing to get for Rachel. Rachel loves her paper dolls. She got to color them, cut them out, and still enjoys playing with them. I knew Mindy had been working on creating a blog to showcase her dolls. However, life took a tragic turn with the death of my niece Allison. So I was so very happy today to get an email announcing her Heritage Paper Doll Blog. Check it out and be sure to read her first few posts!

Heritage Paper Dolls

Potential

Last Sunday our Bishop announced a special adult stake meeting for this coming Sunday night. There have been confirmed rumors for a few months that our ward will split (at Stake Conference the Stake President said that they would be forming a new ward sometime this year). Now the rumors will be a reality this Sunday. Potentially four things could happen:
Our ward could remain largely intact
Our ward could be drastically divided and we would remain with our current Bishop
Our ward could be drastically divided and we would get a new Bishop
Some other option that we can't even imagine

There. I should be right with at least one of those options;-)

Although I know perfectly well what's going to happen's going to happen, ("Just make sure it doesn't happen to you." Name THAT movie if you can!) I found myself awake last night thinking about change. Specifically the fact that by Sunday night both Paul and I could be released from our callings. I think I have always assumed that Paul would get called right back as Scoutmaster (you don't take a good Scoutmaster for granted). But last night I faced the idea that he has been in the calling for 8 years and maybe someone will think it is time for a change (insert laughter here- I know this is a long shot but it could happen).

The thing that surprised me was not how happy I was, but how sad. As time consuming and challenging as being a Scoutmaster is (or on my part the Scoutmaster's wife), Paul has loved the calling. I especially have loved the last three months when Joseph has finally been able to go camping with Paul.

So, Sunday night we might both be out of callings (I will mourn my calling- RS 4th Sunday teacher- which I have only had for 5 months) or just as likely, we may still have our same callings. Or quite possibly (as my Mom suggested) Paul will be called again as Scoutmaster but start his 10 year (tenure)over in the new ward!

We are excited and sad and a lot of other emotions. If it is time for the Scoutmaster portion of our life to be over (for a time- I have a feeling this is a calling that will haunt me for many years) we will happily hand over the trailer, the canoes, the cook stoves, the leftover equipment, the full cupboard of records, the troopmaster login, the blue cards, the merit badge books . . . Hmmm maybe I won't be as sad about the change as I think;-)

Across the Counter

Everyday I face these three across the kitchen counter. They like to eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, ramen, apples, bananas, and cinnamon toast. Today two of them chose leftover pizza.
I grew up in a family with all blue eyes- which I loved. However, I must admit I also love the mixture in my little family. Paul has hazel, I have blue, Joseph has hazel (bright green when he is mad), Rachel has hazel (bright green when she cries), Skye has hazel, Adrie has blue, Katie has blue, and Nathan has brown. For the record, I don't really know what color eyes Paul, JT, Rachel, and Skye have- I just use hazel to describe their brown/green/ gold/ chameleon eyes.

Tooth

Today after a very warm, long (it was two hours of course but somehow seemed much longer) Stake Conference, we declared that EVERYONE needed a nap. A few minutes into our nap (5/6 children are asleep [insert heavenly music]) Adrie's little face appeared at the side of our bed "My TOOTH!" Her bottom tooth finally came out. She is so excited: Her first tooth! She is much too excited to sleep and I don't often get to spend one on one time with the children so now we will go make lemon bars together. You should hear her laugh when she read that last sentence! ("Now I get two exciting things!!" said Adrie")PS
Happy Birthday Mindy!
Happy Birthday Robin! (Adrie picked out her dress all by herself and I thought it was a great choice for today!)
(Adrie: "Now I'm so excited because two birthdays, I lost my tooth, and lemon bars- four things to be excited about!")

Reflections on a Birthday

Skye, Rachel, Allison, Johanna

Today is my niece Allison's 12th Birthday. When I think of a twelve year old, I picture a child standing on the edge of childhood- not quite a teenager, not quite a child. There are so many possibilities, so much excitement. This will be how I picture Allison- her life paused.

The last few months have been hard. They have been a time of mourning. I have felt sadness and a little shock at the way time marches on. Clothes get dirty, dinner needs to be cooked, children go to bed and suddenly it has been nearly three months since the sad night in October when we lost Allison.

Recently my sister Amy sent an email where she shared some thoughts on grief. Her description really struck home to me and I would like to share a few portions of her letter (with her permission):

It darkens. I have lost the ford.
There is a change on all things made.
The rocks have evil faces, Lord,
And I am [sore] afraid.
(Hilaire Belloc, with alteration by Elder Holland)

"Grief is a huge thing, it isn’t something we can fix by talking at it. It isn’t a pothole that we can repave with a sixty-pound sack of asphalt, although people sure like to try. To carry the image in the Belloc poem forward, I think that grief is instead like walking across a river at a ford, and all of a sudden the bottom drops out and you go under and you find yourself swimming, struggling through deep and turbulent water, trying to keep from drowning. There is barely any energy for anything but trying to keep your head above the water. You know that you are wearing a life jacket, but even with a life jacket, the dark, rushing river takes every bit of effort you have. After awhile, maybe months, maybe years, you start to notice that there are rocky footholds every now and then and eventually you find your footing again, but you find that you are crossing the river at a different ford, one that is much deeper than the one you were used to. The whole landscape is different. 

I’m sure I could develop the image further, but I will end my comments on that subject here except to note that the one part I didn’t mention are the people who are wading on the edge of the river, who are also struggling with the current, but who aren’t in as deep, who are calling out words of encouragement and can sometimes point out a foothold."

So on this day, that should be a day of celebration, I would like to send my love and support to my sister and her family. Even though we are not in as deep, we mourn with you.

Happy Birthday, sweet niece, until we meet again.

What Questions Do You Have?

This morning (at 7:00) Rachel came into to kitchen and as she wrapped her sandwich for her lunch she said "Mom . . ."
I was expecting:

Where is the peanut butter?
Can I have those leftover Oreos for my treat?
Can I have yogurt with my toast?

Instead she said:

"Mom, in the scriptures and and church history, sometimes the men can have more than one wife. Can the wife ever have more than one husband?"

She continued "And why can only men hold the priesthood? And why do only the men hold leadership positions in our church?"

And that is what I faced at 7:00 this morning, before my brain could even figure out why it was awake.

I had all the answers (at least my own answers- I am sure that she will find the answers to those questions on her own as she learns and grows).

I am at peace and happy and know my answers to be the truth for me. It was a good reminder that I do love my answers/my testimony.

It was a better reminder that I love this girl and her questions. She has always been a challenge to me and yet everyday I am in awe of her. She has a grown up spirit in that little body.




PS Does your house ever look like a bomb just went off and you can't quite figure out how they do it? Especially the little one who is personally trying to polish off a 10 lb bag of semi sweet chocolate chips despite my best efforts to hide the bag and distract the child. Chocolate chips in warm little chubby baby hands and walls are not a good combination.

What do you get?

When Katie opens the refrigerator and lets Nathan help himself to a snack?

Yum. Yum.
There is nothing like skipping the baking stage and going straight for a stick of butter to fulfill your calorie needs.
And doesn't he look so pleased with himself?
And would you like to try and take a stick of butter from an 18 month old?