On a lighter note...

Autumn has been begging to take a dance class for about a year and a half. Frankly, the idea of my little girl in skin-tight outfits shaking her bum and wearing gobs of make-up held no appeal for me. But ballet seemed like a good compromise (still skin-tight, but tasteful, outfits; eventually make-up; no bum-shaking). This fall, I finally registered her for ballet. She was so excited when we picked out the leotard and tights. (She just wears dress-up ballet shoes for now. Does it really make a difference at this age?) The first class was a lot of fun; she was asking all week long when it was time for ballet again. After the second class, the excitement waned. This was more disciplined and structured than she had planned on, and she felt repentant. She said she wanted to go back to music class, bagging the whole dance class idea. Well, I had already registered her for the complete semester; besides, i think she's a little young to start a pattern of quitting. So I tried to build it up all week, we trudged through that class, and she's been fine (enjoying it immensely, actually) ever since.



All this background to say that Parent Observation class was a little while ago. Normally, I sit in the hall (or quickly take advantage of 45 precious "alone" minutes to run errands...alone). This time, we were invited into the inner sanctum of giggly preschool ballet class. Here is more of what I saw...

Watching My Baby Fall

Yesterday afternoon, Gabriel gave me quite a scare. Autumn needed some motivation cleaning her room, so I toted Gabe upstairs, set the gate up on the landing, and started cleaning other rooms. Sometimes, all she needs is some company to get moving. I was a little nervous about the gate; it's one of those wooden, expandable Evenflo ones with four rubber stoppers that push up against whatever surface you set them on. Anyhow, I could only get 3 stoppers on surfaces, because of the floor moldings. It seemed pretty sturdy, but I still watched and distracted Gabe when he got too close. While I was cleaning my room, I saw that he was right next to the gate. He leaned against it and I yelled, "NO, Gabe!" I came toward him, but was two steps too late. He put the full weight of his body on the gate and it came crashing down. I watched in horror as he fell face-down on one stair, and then flipped over. His feet hit a stair, followed by a nasty blow to the back of his head. I was screaming loudly now, and his eyes locked on mine. The look on his face was pure panic (likely a reflection of my own), but there was nothing I could do to help. He flipped again, landing when the wood floor crashed against the back of his head in a loud THUD. Somehow, I was over the fallen gate and to him in a second. He lay still, fully conscious, and screaming wildly. I wanted so badly to lift him in my arms and cradle him. But, since he just lay there, I didn't dare move him.

A lot happened immediately afterwards (phone calls to 911 & Clint; Micah clearing out the entryway; Jonah running to get my sweet neighbor Melisa). There was the arrival of people after people, all crowded in our tiny entryway around my tiny angel. He soon was moving his limbs and turning his head. It was decided that we should still take him to the hospital to be examined, and we did. He was concerned about the ambulance ride (and more concerned about the ambulance driver). We got through the CT scan without sedation or too much restraint. The results were normal; and, amazingly, he only has a tiny raspberry on the side of his forehead to show for the ordeal.

But watching him fall like that, and being so powerless in stopping it, has me reflecting on parenthood. So many thoughts rushed through my mind in the instant that it happened. Broken bones, injuries, brain damage, the unthinkable. But I could do nothing. Well, sure, if I was the calmer sort, I would have thought to pray. Yet, I still could not stop or even soften the fall. In the Emergency Room, I told Clint I know we will experience this again. Sometime in his future. We will watch him figuratively fall, waiting to comfort, console & help him at the bottom. It's part of life, right? I've come to love each of my children so dearly; watching them suffer is nearly unbearable. And yet, I feel an approach to divinity in the experience. I am fairly certain that God does not scream wildly as He watches His children stumble and fall, in sin and hardship. And, unlike me, He knows what outcomes await at the bottom of our personal stairs. But I cannot believe His heart doesn't ache for us; that He does not yearn to help and soothe and comfort. I know I have felt such compassion from Him many times along my way.

I am glad to be a mother. I am grateful for the experience. And I trust He will strengthen me so I can help the little ones He has sent me.

here he is, playing with Clint's scarf while we waited for the doctor

So Cruel

Footage of the fact that Gabe loves his Daddy

Happy Birthday to a Boy Who Knows Just How to Make his Mommy Smile

Six random remarks made by Micah over the years, to celebrate your 6th birthday:

1. (Background: the boys were at the kitchen table, drinking juice and calling each other names. I told them if they couldn't say something nice to each other, they should just say nothing. ) On my way to the laundry room, Micah says, "Nothing, Jonah." -- 2-1/2 years old

2. (Micah had taken off his diaper and was trying to change it himself. Clint said he thought Micah was ready to be potty trained.) Micah furrowed his brow, scrunched his nose, and - in his angriest voice - retorted, "Daddy, I not potty train!" -- 2-3/4 years old

3. Micah: "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, introducing the best - the greatest - the BOOGAR MAN!"
Jonah: "Uh, I think you mean the Boogie Man."
Micah: "Oh... the BOOGIE MAN!!" -- 3-1/2 years old

4. (Micah said he had black spots on his hands & asked me why.) Before I could look into it, he said, "Maybe I'm TURNING BLACK!"
I looked at his hands and said, "It looks like you drew on them with a black pen."
To which he responded, "Oh ya. I did." -- nearly 4

5. (Micah asked to borrow my mirror. I walked by him as he looked into it.) To himself, he said, "I think this is my mirror, because... Mommy's not in it." -- also nearly 4

6. (Pointing to his hind quarters, either meaning his pants or underwear.) He asked me, "Do you know why I put these on? ... Because then my poop will say, 'Oh my gosh! How do we get out of here!? We're stuck!" -- 4-1/2 years old

Thanks for making me laugh, Micah! I love you, and hope you know what a precious treasure you are to me.

The World of Scouting

Well, we're finally here. Scouting. With Jonah's 8th birthday came parties, a baptism & his much-anticipated scouting debut. For the first month of scouting, he had 0 meetings. They did have 1 meeting scheduled, but it was canceled due to a massive outbreak of the flu. So last Thursday was his first Scouting event...the monthly pack meeting/Pinewood Derby. Here he is right before the meeting began:

He looked so proud and grown-up carrying the scouting flags at the beginning of the meeting. Then they weighed and adjusted the cars, and here he is showing off his little number:


He could hardly wait to test her out. Unfortunately, he lost all four heats he raced in. I guess he needs graphite for the tires next time. It was pretty bad... after all that excitement, he was crushed to lose every race.

But Jonah was cheered by his trophy...best craftmanship (which was extra special since he did design the car himself.) And he was ecstatic about learning to tie knots at tonight's meeting. Good thing kids are such resilient creatures!

Baptism Day

Jonah has been looking forward to and preparing for his baptism for years now. This was completely his decision, and he has tried hard to study and learn as the time drew closer. What a tender experience to watch my first child be both baptized and blessed with the gift of the Holy Ghost. He has always been a sweet boy, always willing to help when asked & often without even needing an assignment. Having a boy first sort of concerned me; I was worried he might be a bully. From a young age, I taught him the roles of an older sibling: 1. to protect 2. to be nice. He has taken those roles seriously, and I think he is following the examples of Jesus Christ and Hyrum Smith (the ultimate big brothers) very well.



We were able to have a separate service (as opposed to the group, or stake, baptisms they usually do where we live), and that was extra special because he knew and chose everyone who participated in the baptismal service. We felt grateful for friends and family that took the time to be there. It meant a lot to him, and to us. And of course we enjoyed eating and visiting with everybody at our house afterwards. My only regret is not taking more pictures of friends and family... oh well!

Saying goodbye. Is it just me or does Nana look a little too happy about this? She was in sort of a hurry to leave this time. Hmmph.

A friendly game of war with Papa


Autumn keeps talking about that cute baby Sam, who is younger but bigger than her little brother! (She's having a hard time reconciling that one.) ;)

Daddy's Boy

On one of several car trips today, it was just Gabe & i. We'd dropped off who needed dropping and had some time before we had to start picking up (would've just said picking, but then you might get the wrong idea.) Anyhow, he was just chattering away in the back. I started listening, and realized he was mentioning his Dada. He loves his Daddy, and says all the variations of Dada he can say at his tender age... Da-da, Dad-ee, Da-dee, & Da. He would jabber about something else, but kept coming back to talking about his Dad. I'll admit it, I was starting to feel a little jealous. Why, just this morning, I brought him into bed with me. He practically plowed over me on his way to Clint's side of the bed (Clint was playing church basketball at the time.) He pulled back the covers, calling for Da-dee, then whimpered when he couldn't find him. It took a few more seconds of searching before he finally accepted that Dada wasn't there. Anyway, back to the story. He really began talking a lot about Clint, and I finally decided to look at him while we were stopped at a red light, and see what was prompting this discussion. Did he have his toy phone in hand or was he looking at Clint's coat in the back? As I turned, I saw him flipping the pages of his favorite book:



The pages are filled with illustrations of monkeys and gorillas; and, for once, I was glad he wasn't uttering the scarcely-heard "Mama." :)

Happy Halloween!

I tried to convince them to go with the "Snow White" theme. Autumn was temporarily on board; this happened during an exhausting trip to a GARGANTUAN mall while we waited for a plane that had room to take us home from CA in August. At the Disney Store. So she was stuck. Gabe really had no vote, but ended up loving his Dopey hat almost as much as his prop the spoon (too bad I don't own a wooden one. For the first time in 10 years, I needed one.) But Micah would have NONE of being his sister's prince. (He said she might kiss him.) And Jonah could not abandon the hope of impersonating his hero H.P., even though the lure of a dagger-wielding woodsman was strong. So, here they are, the way they were either forced or at some point chose to be:



Micah did follow his pre-Halloween costume selection process. First, he chose a typical Halloween character (a ghost this time.) Then, he firmly decided to be a character completely unrelated to Halloween, got super excited about the idea and told EVERYONE (a chicken... smothered in white feather boas, donning yellow tights and rubber glove feet), and for the final days before the main event his costume ideas switched on the hour...until I finally set a deadline. And he chose to wear what Jonah did last year. One less costume for me to make...thanks, bud!!



Here's proof that Gabe actually did enjoy dressing up (he's just not big on picture-taking):


Autumn before I took her to preschool. I really should have worn my sunglasses, even though it was quite overcast. I tear up EVERY year at the sight of little ones all dressed up on Halloween. I was totally blubbering when one of her teachers opened the car door and unbuckled her seat belt. Embarrassing.



S.W. & her sidekick, again



Just look at those eyes... and I hadn't noticed Autumn's artwork before looking through these pictures. Nice drawing of Daddy.



And, in case you were wondering....

still crawling!

Mawwiage

So, unless you've been living in a bubble for the last few months, you've heard all about the upcoming votes in California (Prop. 8), Florida & Arizona on same-sex marriage. I've thought a lot about how to add my voice to the support of these measures, being as how I don't live in any of these states. And I think my little part is to blog about it. In a world that is shifting daily on a million fronts, I am thankful for the stability my home and marriage bring to me, to my husband and to our little ones. I think of times when the only word to describe how I have felt with my family is "heaven," and know that those same experiences could not be recreated had I married a woman. Without passing judgment on those who are living alternate lifestyles, I believe in safeguarding traditional man/woman marriage.

I agree 100% with this position, clearly explained in great detail, and released by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is worth the minute or two to read over why a non-political Church has devoted many resources in support of Prop. 8, in particular. And, lastly, I was especially relieved to hear both Palin & Biden (in the VP debate) reassure us that neither administration would support same-gender marriage, and that they each agree with extending rights, such as those mentioned in the press release I linked.

Ok...thanks for letting me get that off my chest. More light-hearted, birthday, family visiting, and such posts to follow!

Happy birthday, little guy!

As to be expected, Gabe wasn't entirely sure what to make of opening presents. At first, he seemed curious. Then, he tried to wiggle off my lap. Tearing strips of wrapping paper off the box caught his attention for a minute. And, in the end, the boxes and ribbons were the biggest hit. :)



J & M (especially J) were bummed that I was stealing this little guy away on his actual birthday (for a trip to CA to be discussed later). They've been looking forward to celebrating with him for.... well, a year now. We did the next-best thing, and that was to party a day early. I told them that Gabriel doesn't know the difference, which was a very small consolation. We did all enjoy, no less than we would have the next day, watching our little angel devour his pint-sized birthday cake.


(He got so much frosting up his nose, he sneezed yellow buttercream until it all cleared out.)

A trip down Memory Lane

Ten years ago last night, Clint mustered up the courage to take me out on our first date. It wasn't anything spectacular... dinner at a 50's diner & then a movie at a sort of run-down theatre in Provo, the city where we were both going to BYU. At the time, it was really just two friends, testing out the waters of more-than-friendship. The waters, as it turned out, were quite nice...although I'd say it took one more date for us to figure that out.

Anyway, we decided to recreate that first date (all right, I decided & he somewhat-reluctantly went along with the idea) .

First, we revisited the diner...


...which is now a Japanese restaurant. They haven't changed the door, the fixtures or the main layout. And the food was an improvement over what the last place had to offer. It was fun to reminisce about our first date 10 years ago. I remember that Clint ordered a big meal, and then finished off my salad afterwards. That was my first hint at the man's appetite. Nothing's changed in that arena over the years:


Though, to be fair, we did share this "Love Boat" until we were both so bloated (the waitress may have been overly efficient at refilling our waters, if that's possible) we couldn't finish off the rest.

Then, instead of trying to find the obscure theatre (which has probably been demolished by now), we decided to take a walk through our old stomping grounds. It's been a while since we visited BYU's campus. I think the library may have been finished last time, but several more changes have transpired since then. Anyway, it was fun to walk around and enjoy the beauty of that place, in every sense of the word!


After the date that followed, we've rarely spent a day apart. It was fun to think back on the beginnings of our relationship, especially as we sat and walked and talked in some of the places where it all went down. We've definitely grown and changed, and i'm sure also regressed in some ways, over the years. We have seen places, grown to love new friends, enjoyed happy times, experienced hardships, worried over children, exercised faith, and let out many laughs along the way. Clint, I love you. Thank you for making this journey with me. (And thanks for watching the kids last night, Grandma & Grandpa!!!)

Do As I'm Doing

Follow, follow me.

Happy (late) 11 months, Gabe!

The Greatest Show on Earth/Longest Post EVER

Last week, we were treated to a visit from my sister Eve, her husband Greg, their adorable Wren & my boys' playmate Shibby. While they were here, the kids took part in a neighborhood circus (coordinated by two much more ambitious moms than me!) The kids performed acts, sold snacks, sang & danced. The money they charged for admission & concessions was used to buy school supplies to put together school kits for children in other parts of the world. A writer from the local paper even showed up.

The week before the show, I took the kids to sign up for their acts. Autumn immediately decided to be a muscle man, but Jonah (the sexist) said that was all wrong and persuaded her to be a ballerina, instead. I have to admit, she makes a very graceful ballerina:


...and I'm sooo glad she didn't fall off that tight rope!! In the middle of this sea of pink, here she is doing the bunny hop. (Disclaimer: Autumn is not at fault for what you are about to see. That is the little girl's big sister.)





The boys did a magic act towards the end of the program. They practiced a lot, and most of the tricks went off without a hitch.


Though, Micah was definitely a better assistant than his big brother...the turkey!!



Thanks again for coming Eve & Greg!! (Sorry I didn't get a picture of you, Greg... and thanks for watching the babies while we enjoyed the circus!! And i hope you're feeling better, Eve.)



A & M being silly


Clint trying out for next year's performance



And, if you're still here, here's a copy (with our city edited out) of the newspaper write-up:

Clowning around

By Devin Felix

A three-ring circus came to town Wednesday night, but instead of riding from town to town on a train, the performers mostly rode their bikes and then went home with their parents.

It was the second annual Neighborhood Kids’ Circus in ???.

The tradition was started last year by Laurie Hurst. Hurst grew up in Grantsville, where residents put on a first-grade circus every year. She and her daughter were disappointed that they couldn’t take part in that circus, so they decided to put on their own in their yard and involve their whole neighborhood.

They charged a 50-cent admission and sold cotton candy, root beer and other concessions. They then went shopping to buy school supplies, which they donated to needy schools through a program run by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The event was such a success they decided to repeat it again this year.

This year’s circus featured about 20 different acts, including dances, animal acts, clowns, magic and more. About 100 family, friends and neighbors gathered to watch the event. Most simply walked over from their homes.

“I think it’s fun, and of course it’s mainly for the kids, but it’s also a great way for parents to show support for their kids,” said Bryan Hickman, whose sons were in the show.

Hickman said the community is great because the people all know each other and events like the circus aren’t uncommon.

Hickman’s son Kaden showed off tricks with his pet bird, which spent much of the evening perched on his shoulder. Other animal performers included three costumed dogs, one of which stood on its hind legs and jumped to and from platforms on command.

There were plenty of clowns in the show, who performed classic clown gags including cramming themselves into a tiny car and battling a burning building, complete with cardboard flames.

At one point in the show, a group of about 10 “muscle men” entered the stage, flexing to show of their bulging muscles. They did pushups and lifted impressive-looking dumbbells — which the two tumbling girls had carried on stage with one hand.

“I’m really good at acting,” said 11-year-old Alex Orth, the strong men’s leader, when asked why he wanted to be in the circus.

Several young magicians — clad in capes and top hats or wizard’s robes — wowed the crowd by making things appear and disappear. Tight rope walkers — including some probably not long out of diapers — waltzed confidently across planks suspended many inches above the ground.

All of the performers were from same neighborhood, said Katrina Smith, a parent who helped organize the event.

“They have to be able to bike here,” Smith said.

Hurst said that, in addition to raising money for needy schools, the purpose of the circus is to give the children confidence and a chance to learn leadership. It also builds their friendships with each other, she said.

Many mothers in the neighborhood helped put together the event, but the kids also played a large role, Hurst said. They choreographed dances and skits and helped decorate the arena, which was complete with three painted rings.

Happy 10 months, Gabe!!

Sorry, I just couldn't resist posting it...



While Daddy & Gma were with Gpa at the hospital during open-heart surgery, your sister took the opportunity to play dress-up...with you! You didn't really know how you felt about all that head-gear. You kept reaching up to remove it, but stopped yourself short each time.

This month, you've learned to crawl on your hands and knees, growl like a scary monster (that gets a reaction you LOVE), blow kisses, and bite. You're always very remorseful after digging into my shoulder with your teeth, but can't seem to completely stop yourself yet. We're working on it!

What everyone always says about you is that you are such an easy baby. And it's true...normally, you just hang back and observe quietly. Then, after you've had enough of that, you start babbling away at full volume, with occasional "scary" growls. You are a sweet, sweet boy, my little angel Gabriel.

This is why I haven't been blogging

We've been hiking & making wishes,


Catching some MUCH-needed zzz's on the way home from camping at the reunion


Micah after his last t-ball game. He is a very coachable kid, and really enjoyed playing both soccer & t-ball for the first time this spring/summer. But he looks WAY too grown up in a baseball cap!! Where has my baby gone!?


I've been enjoying the beautiful part of the world we live in


Clint on our last hike


Clint has kept busy, among other things, building this chicken coop (the bldg. behind the shed) and the fence. Right now, we have about 22 chickens. We'll eventually (after several Sunday dinners) get down to 6 or 7 hens. In other words, we've got a whole bunch of roosters!!! Sorry if that grosses you out...I won't post pictures of the slaughter... because I'll be hiding someplace inside while it happens.


Playing games with friends and family. These guys just couldn't get enough of each other! Jonah misses you, Caleb!!


Hanging with some cousins at the reunion. Micah's silly face kills me!


Making soda bottle rockets at the family reunion last week: (This is one of the most exciting events of the year for J & M...even A really got into it this year!)


Creating on a lazy summer morning... (Autumn had just been accidentally tipped over the front Gabe's baby car by one of their neighbor friends. It was a pretty icky sight, but now she's all healed up)


Taking a picture after our first hike of the season. It was a little cold that day.


After finishing up with Jonah's basketball team, Clint got roped into coaching Micah's soccer team. They sure were a bunch of cuties!! Here they are, minus a couple absent players:




Jonah doing his 2nd-favorite thing w/ the soccer ball. His very favorite became head-butting it.



He ended up on a great team this year...his cousin's cousin (not himself) was even on his team!



We're just enjoying our summertime! Warm weather is harder to come by now that we've moved from sunny California. And Clint has still got almost 2 weeks before he starts his new teaching job (with a 7-minute commute...yea!!). So you probably won't hear much from me until then. Hope you're all enjoying your summer, too!

Caught in the Act!

While my niece Natalie was over, I set her and Gabe down with a pile of toys. I didn't realize what a hot item FNAM's old purse would be, but quickly grabbed the camera to document the drama that began to enfold.

Here sits Gabe, innocently playing with a toy purse. And look at Natalie's face...i love it!! She's NOT going to stand for it!


And the swipe...completely unexpected by Gabriel.

Look at the sheer glee filling Natalie's face...

But, what a sweetie...she gave it back right away. Awww...