#10

#10: Take a family name to the temple

Tuesday was a busy day. We had to go to Mesa to buy the insulation for our attic. And trips to Mesa quickly become filled with other things we want to do while we're "in town." More shopping. Dinner and games with Adam and Heather. A visit to the temple. We had it all planned out. Unfortunately, Chad ended up having training that morning in Phoenix, so I had to go to the temple by myself. But I was so glad I went. It's been too long. And I have an envelope full of family names (that I prepared years ago) waiting for me to get my act together. Tuesday was Norma Moses' turn. Chad's great aunt. I hope she'll forgive me for taking four years to get everything done. It was a beautiful day at the temple for me. I felt close to loved ones who have passed, and I knew it was right to be there.

#12 and #25

#12: Attend a theater performance


Every spring and fall our local Copper Cities Community Players put on a theatrical production. I've always wanted to attend, and have even thought about the possibility of trying out for one of their plays and stealing the show. So I finally made it a goal to go see what it's all about. I bought a single ticket, since Chad is supportive enough to watch the kids, but won't take it so far as to actually go with me. The performances are in the theater on the top floor of the Cobre Valley Center for the Arts Building in Historical Downtown Globe (I take voice lessons in the bottom floor; the entrance is just to the left of the entry stairs). This beautiful building used to be the county court house, and I love its charm.

I had fun. I dressed up a little, even though I knew that wouldn't be the norm. And I loved being in the small theater. The energy reminded me of my years of acting in high school productions. The play itself, "The Odd Couple," was not necessarily my cup of tea (though the target audience of our community's older population loved it, I'm sure). Most of the actors were average (Globe is a tiny pool of talent, to be sure), but I was quite impressed by the two leads. I smiled. I laughed. I went home happy. 4/14/12


#25: Leave a $5 bill and a note inside a library book


I hid the cash and a note inside one of my favorite books in the Globe Public Library. Just a few words congratulating the reader on making a stellar book choice. I'm curious to see how long it will take to be discovered. I probably won't be able to resist checking each time I visit the library. 4/16/12

One year already?

There is no way this little guy is one year already. I know, all moms say that when their kids have birthdays. But because Lincoln follows a special timeline, one year seems to have come impossibly soon. At 18 pounds and 27 inches, he doesn't even register on the "normal" growth charts. Strangers in the grocery store can't believe it when I tell them he just turned one. And I'm kind of enjoying that the baby stage is lasting a little longer, allowing me to cuddle him a little more. But he is meeting milestones like crazy.

• Four teeth, and counting (the two more on the top have still not broken through, but he's been suffering for weeks)
• Babbling sounds like mama, dada, baba, gooey-gooey
• Feeds himself (still only using the palmar grasp, but it gets the job done)
• Eats most of the foods we eat (that he's able to chew), and is learning to like foods with a little spice (I know he's had enough when his eyes tear up)
• Grins (real and fake)
• Giggles, (he laughs like crazy when he strokes daddy's face, and loves cheek-to-cheek contact)
• Watches people intently, and we think more mimicking is around the corner
• Crawls (or bear walks if he's wearing shorts on the tile)
• Pulls himself to stand
• Always has some kind of battle wound on his head (from his brother's or his own doing...it's probably 50/50)
• Cruises the furniture
• Can stand holding on to something with one hand, squat to grab a toy, and stand back up
• Can maneuver in and out of any position Bree and Mason drag him into
• Sucks his thumb when he's tired

My parents and Adam and Heather joined us for a birthday celebration. After lunch Lincoln opened his presents (it was difficult to get the tissue paper away--that was all he wanted to play with). He got some new things to chew on, because putting things in his mouth is Lincoln's life.

 And then there was cake. After we sang "Happy Birthday," Chad blew out the candle for him, and got an "Excuse me, why would you blow in my face?" look from Lincoln.

Lincoln quickly figured out that sugar is his new best friend.

The sugar made for one happy boy.

And, sadly, I accidentally switched my video camera setting to "time lapse" when I was adjusting the white balance. That's the setting you use when you want to record something really slow, like a plant growing. So all I got was a super-fast recording without sound. I slowed it down in movie maker, so I suppose it's better than nothing.

Happy Birthday Lincoln

4/15/12

Truly Easter

Easter is a tough holiday. I mean, I have no problem with pagan symbols and traditions when it's Halloween. Because it's just Halloween. But on Easter we're supposed to be commemorating Christ's resurrection, and it's difficult to explain that darn bunny and a bunch of colorful eggs to my kids. So I basically told my kids that the bunny and eggs traditions just happen to fall on the same day we celebrate the resurrection; just a coincidence. We can celebrate both, but we have to remember which is more important.

(Cute Easter cupcakes we made with supplies my mom sent us in the mail. Bree and Mason decided which friends and neighbors to share them with.)

And yes, the kids had baskets filled with candy and silly gifts.

 

 

And we found eggs.

But the Easter Bunny also left something special in our basket. It was a letter. The Easter Bunny told our family to remember Christ on this special day, and asked us to watch a special video called "He is Risen" on lds.org. He told us that the reminder of what Christ did for us was the best gift he could give us. So we all watched the video, and even though it's difficult to say how much of this stuff was sinking in (especially when 4-year-old Mason can barely sit still on the couch, let alone contemplate the significance of the atonement and resurrection), it really set a nice tone for the day, and the Easter Bunny was all but forgotten as we got ready for church.

After church, Bree showed me the treats that her teacher had given her, and I commented on how lucky she was. The she said, "Today was the best day at church, ever." I asked her what the best part was, expecting to hear that it was because of the goodies. She said, "The best part was learning about Jesus and his resurrection." I said, "Awww," and told her that made me very happy. Chad commented later that she was probably just telling me what I want to hear. I told him, hey, at least she knows what the best part of Easter really is.

And if she only said it to make me happy, then I'm okay with that.

Jungle Safari Birthday

Bree had big plans for her sixth birthday. "I want to go to Chuck E. Cheese!" "Let's go swimming at a hotel." "How 'bout we have a big party and invite lots of friends." In the end, she decided that what she wanted more than all those other things was a jungle safari. I convinced her that the nearby Pinal Mountains were pretty close to a jungle. And a treasure hunt was pretty much the same thing as a safari. And since we've been playing a lot of Lego Indiana Jones around here lately, the kids were pretty excited about being treasure hunters.


So we packed up the Suburban with every single camping item we own, managed to squeeze ourselves in there too, and drove the 30 minutes to Pioneer Pass to claim the best campsite. We had the place mostly to ourselves. We set up camp, had lunch, and sang happy birthday so we could enjoy some delicious jungle-themed strawberry cupcakes. Strawberry flavor is kind of Bree's thing..

Then I hid the treasure and drew a map for the big hunt. The kids loved it. I think it actually lived up to their expectations, which is always good.

Chad took the picture below at some point during the stay. Bree drew her own treasure map, which led us to where she had hidden the chocolate and graham crackers for our S'mores.

The kids also got butterfly nets and magnifying glasses to help them scout out exotic bugs, with Chad's help.

And we managed to relax quite a bit too, since Bree and Mason were more than content to romp around the place, climbing on rocks, and miraculously escaping injury for the whole trip. Lincoln stuck pretty close to us.

Actually, Lincoln was not a happy camper. I attribute it to the complete lack of napping that went on that day. And it did get a little chilly. Because usually he is the happiest, most mellow baby ever. But we're determined to try again. No child of ours is going to hate camping.

It's been almost two years since our last camping trip. And no, it's not that easy with kids and a baby. But we were all so glad we went. There's a kind of peacefulness that only exists when you're camping in the mountains. And being there together as a family was priceless. I'm sure Chuck E. Cheese would not have compared.

That explains it.

Why my kitchen towel is always on the floor.

Oh, the places I'll go (#29)

Goal #29: Make a list of places I'd like to visit during my lifetime.

Chad has encouraged me to make this list, to help us dream and make goals for future vacations. I'll probably keep adding to it, but this is a pretty good start. (In approximate order of distance)

Lowell Observatory, Flagstaff, AZ
Bisbee, AZ
London Bridge, Lake Havasu, AZ
Havasupai, AZ
Santa Monica Beach, CA
San Francisco, CA
Carlsbad Caverns, NM
Butchart Gardens, Canada
Alaska
Mt. Rushmore, SD
Smithsonian, Washington D.C.
Statue of Liberty, NY
Boston, MA
Hawaii
London, UK
Ireland
Paris, France
Italy (Rome, Venice, Florence)
Queenstown, New Zealand