Summing Up January

January has come and gone and EVERY day I have thought about blogging. There were several things that I wanted to post about, but now that time has past I've forgotten a lot about them. Next month I plan to do better.
 



 

Ignore the messy house (if you can). One day I will learn how to keep house & home better...or not to take pictures in my messy kitchen.
They are growing up fast! Hope now insists that we call her HOPE not Hopie and is reading like a pro. Eden has been without a pacifier for several days and doesn't even whine about it. Every once in a while she'll ask about her "jabider" and say that she misses him.  She also goes potty on the potty often (though she still thinks it's funny to go on the floor sometimes. Grrr.). Full on potty use is next!!!

Zoe has been an indoor doggie for the past couple of months. I am happy to report that Eden now goes potty on the floor more than Zoe. No...wait. I am not happy to report it. But it is nice not to have to clean up after two "kids" ALL the time. During Zoe's transition into indoor doggiehood, she and Eden have developed a great little friendship. Quiet storms in our house don't always result in disasters anymore. Sometimes I find Eden and Zoe wrestling or cuddling. Eden likes to hug/smother her and she lifts Zoe's face to hers with both hands. It's adorable and one of these days my camera will capture the moment. Zoe loves this too. She doesn't run away, she sits while Eden tries to love her and she'll even follow her around. Mostly I think she is waiting for her to drop something on the ground that she can chew to bits or lick her face clean. Sometimes, however, they unite forces and destruction does ensue. Like when Zoe got the toilet paper out of the bathroom and was chewing it up. While I was putting Zoe outside Eden was unrolling the remaining toilet paper. But their friendship is apparent and reminds me of myself & Pepper Sr. I love it and it makes me smile.

 

Noah's hair has been driving me crazy for months. He hates getting it cut and likes to wear it long. It makes me want to pull my own hair out. Last Friday I finally accessorized the problem. Don't let the face fool you - I peeked in the bathroom and he smiled the whole time he was taking those barrettes out. :)

 

 

We also visited the Natural History Museum in Salt Lake.

 

 

 

 

Next month we have a trip to Las Vegas, Valentine's Day and by golly a hair cut, and if not...more accessories.

Blessed

Sometime during my teenage years I received a very special present from my mom. She had kept the little white dress I was blessed in when I was only a few weeks old. Since then I knew I would be dressing my own little girls in that very dress on their blessing day.

Well, life doesn't always go as planned...

Hope and Eden were given a name and a blessing on January 20, 2013. I knew that Brother Brian Jensen would be the man I asked to do it. Not only was he the first Bishop that Ben and I met with as a couple, he also officiated at our wedding.

It just so happens that the girls have matching cream colored dresses and I planned to dress them in their matching Sunday outfits for the special occasion. Well, Hope wasn't having it. At first I was going to insist she wear it, despite her tears and overly dramatic sobs, but then I realized that this wasn't about what she was wearing. Originally I had wanted her to wear my blessing dress and that didn't work out either, so what did it matter as long as she is happy excited about the day?

 

 

Pictures didn't go as planned either. No one wanted to pose (normally) for pictures before church, and I took my camera to church so I could get some photos of everyone who stood in the circle with the girls, but I forgot. Here is what I did get.

 

 

The blessings were simple and beautiful and something else that I did not do but intended to, was to take some paper so I could write down everything I could remember afterwards.

 

What I remember from Eden's blessing:

she was blessed with happiness

her happy voice fills our home and will continue to

 

What I remember from Hope's blessing:

she was blessed with an eagerness to learn

and with many other ventures

she was blessed for the gospel to be an important part of her life

and to know her Heavenly Father knows and loves her

 

I was concerned that it would scare the girls because they've never had a blessing before, but they were perfect. They sat in my lap during their blessings and didn't move or make noises, which for Eden is a small miracle. I think that she was feeling the spirit and reverence naturally followed.

 

The day wasn't what I had been picturing for the last 20 or so years, but it was special. Life doesn't always go as planned, in fact, it usually doesn't, but that doesn't mean it isn't beautiful and meaningful anyway. Now I will save my blessing dress for my granddaughters.



Say What? - A Spritual Interlude starring Christopher

Yesterday Hope came home from church distraught over her lesson in primary. It started something like this.
Mom: How was your class Hope? Was it fun having class with Aubrey?
Hope: I'm not sure. It was a little fun, but we learned about the scary thing.
Then something happened and I was distracted until a while later when she said this.
Hope: Do you remember when we were in the big meeting?
Thinking she was talking about sacrament meeting I replied: Yes.
Hope: Who was that man by Jesus?
Mom a little stunned and confused: Did you see Jesus in our meeting?
Somehow it came up that she was talking about the council in Heaven and she kept talking about "Christopher."
Mom: Do you mean Lucifer?
Hope shakes her head but continues to refer to Lucifer as Christopher for the rest of the night.

Once again, a distraction: dinner pauses the conversation. Hope picks it up again when she is supposed to be going to sleep...of course. She is pretty scared by what she has been taught in primary, which annoys/concerns me just a TAD. "Jesus wants me for a Sunbeam" still seems sufficient for a five-year old to me.
Hope was scared and confused. I was confused and amused. I couldn't help myself. Every now and then a question would draw a giggle even though I was doing my best to comfort and correct her confusion.
She brought home a little paper CTR medallion to hang above her bed. About which, she said: This is to remind me that I am choosing Christopher's plan.
Mom: You mean Jesus' plan. You're trying to choose the right to be like Jesus.

At one point she was very worried that Christopher might come into our house. I explained that he wouldn't and that mommy and daddy know how to protect her. I explained that that is why we do things like pray and go to church and be nice to people. This concept was lost on her as she clearly thought of Christopher as a person just like she is (but that "doesn't have skin like ours") and how would those things keep a person out of our home? I could actually see that this is what she was thinking, but didn't feel the need to try to explain further as this was deeper doctrine than I felt a five-year old (or a tired mommy) should venture.
Finally I asked: Well, did you learn about guardian angels?
Hope shakes her head no.
Mom: Well, we have guardian angels that help protect us. Would you like me to turn on your music?
Hope: No. Does Christopher like music?
Mom: Um, he likes bad music.
Hope: Does he like bad lullabies?
Mom: No. Lullabies are okay.
Hope: Doe he like the "Bad" song?
Mom: Huh? No.
Hope: But it says, "I'm bad, I'm bad." (Referring to Michael Jackson's "I'm Bad")
Mom giggles: I think that one is okay too.

Hope: Why did Christopher decide to change his name?
Mom very confused and tired: I...I don't know.
Hope: Why does he wear yellow shirts?

Hope: Do you know where he lives?
Mom not wanting to dive even further into the abyss that I seem to have found myself in: No.
Hope: But do you have his address?

Upon further reflection I have decided to look up the lesson that she was taught and make it an FHE adventure. It should be wild with unexpected twists and name changes.



Say What?

Hope: Why doesn't daddy cry in church when some ladies say beautiful things?

Lately Eden has taken a liking to stripping. I don't know if it's some sub-conscious effort to live up to her stripper-like nick name "Miss Chevious" or just a phase, but I hope for the latter. She spends most days half naked from the waist down and frequently goes potty on the floor...on purpose. Last night, during dinner, she left the table and went into the family room and took off her clothes and diaper. A few minutes later
Daddy says: You need to put your diaper back on. What if a bug crawled up your bum. Wouldn't that concern you?
Eden looks up into daddy's eyes very seriously and says: That's weird.

While watching Ice Age: Continental Drift, a gigantic crab appears on an iceberg with the characters. One character, Sid, exclaims: HOLY CRAB!!!
Hope Says: Whoa, that is a holy crap.

*Here Eden had pulled her shirt down to her waist and was running around shaking her hips saying: Shake! Shake! Turn it around.*

*Eden has decided to be boss of when I am allowed to clean the kitchen. Here she is trying to block me from the sink. She also does this with doorways.*

*Recently we got Zoe a new kennel since she has gotten bigger and it's been ridiculously bitter cold outside. Yesterday, Eden decided it was a good place for her too. No arguments here. ;) Kidding of course, but she does fit rather nicely, doesn't she?*

Last Year...

The Holidays happened at our house. Just because I haven't posted about them doesn't mean I canceled Christmas or anything. Hmmm...maybe that will be my new threat this year. Since we don't promote believing in Santa Claus coming down our chimney and leaving presents I can't tell my kids that they'd better be good because Santa's watching. Maybe now I will just threaten to cancel Christmas.

I guess that was a pretty Grinchy way to start off this Holiday post, but when you get a good idea you gotta write it down, otherwise it will just get lost in the cluttered room of my brain where I keep all my good ideas. I can't find anything in there.

We kept Thanksgiving simple this year. Noah was here though, so that made it extra special. We did do some Christmas decorating though, as per our family tradition.

Here Eden is looking through the black Friday ads with Ben in the middle of the floor. I still don't understand why they chose to do it there, but it turned out to make a cute picture.

Here are more Thanksgiving photos.

*Just a note: Last Thanksgiving I specifically remember thinking that Miss Chevious would surely have calm down by Thanksgiving 2012. Boy was I wrong, and here is to hoping I am not wrong for next year!*

 Hope had a kindergarten Christmas program mid December which was adorable to watch. There were so many kids stuffed onto the stage that she was visibly uncomfortable and kept folding her arms to make herself as small as possible. She has been learning and singing the songs for a couple of months, which means that Eden and I know some of the songs too. I love to hear Hope and Eden singing the Christmas songs, but my favorite is "I Want a Hippopotamus For Christmas."

*Hope is in the front row wearing a cream colored dress.*

Christmas is always a busy day because we either pick up or drop off Noah at 1:00 and then we go see both of Ben's grandparents. This Christmas since we didn't get to be with Noah until 1:00, we woke up, went to Grandma Verla's, then to pick up Noah, and then to Grandma Hammond's. The girls handled not opening presents first thing in the morning surprisingly well. I was very proud of them. By the time we got back home it was 4 or 5:00 so we opened presents then and had a late dinner. Everyone got spoiled as usual, and just like last year, Eden decided mid-present opening that she was no longer interested and daddy had to encourage/help her open her remaining presents.

 Ben and I decided that we would no longer be party poopers for New Year's Eve. Ben basically did everything, including entertaining everyone with his famous dance moves. We played board games, watched a wonderful video (that Ben put together with all the videos we took in 2012 and some pictures) and ate root beer floats, had lots of snacks and laughs, wrote out some resolutions and even a balloon drop! Of course we did the balloon drop at 10 so the girls could go to bed. They were getting pretty cranky by then.

 

 
After that Noah watched a movie in his room and Ben and I did our nightly routine of watching a show and then bed. Thrilling, I know, but as you can see from the last picture we were pretty exhausted by that point. Actually, Ben is making a snow angel in the confetti (packing peanuts). The night was full of great traditions to add to our list!