28 on the 28th

So yesterday I turned 28 on the 28th, I guess it was my golden birthday.
I love celebrating any occasion, and my birthday has always been a favorite for me. I love surprises that come with birthdays, it seems like I have had quite a few surprise parties in my 28 years.

When I was 10 I had a surprise party at the indoor swimming pool, tons of friends were there and not one of them let the secret out. It was such a fun surprise!

When I turned 23 I got home from working at the MTC at 9:30 there was quite a commotion coming from my apartment. I entered in my most stylish sister missionary dress to a rockin' karaoke party. Surprise!

When I turned 24 Clark and I had just been married a few months, my brothers and Clark planned a surprise party at our house. I wondered why Clark was cleaning so much. The biggest surprise of that party was when my brothers threw a football through our kitchen window (the window was closed)...After hearing the shattering glass I walked into the kitchen and both of my brothers were pointing at each other. Weston claimed that James was a bad catch, James claimed Weston was a terrible quarterback.

Tuesday night I was congested so I slept on the couch, I woke up Weds. morning to find a bag of 28 Tootsie Rolls in my Kleenex box. Throughout the morning I continued to find bags of 28 treats stashed throughout the house. My favorite was in the microwave with a note that said, "Ethan is one so he gets one glass of milk, you are 28 so you get 28 milk chocolate kisses." I was later surprised with tickets to Lord of the Dance and a date night next week. I was also surprised with cards and phone calls throughout the day.

Probably the biggest surprise for all of us yesterday was when we went to my doctor's appointment. Ethan and Clark were able to come in for the ultrasound. As we were looking at the baby, Clark was pointing to the screen to show Ethan. Right then the little baby waved it's little hand - totally waved to us! We weren't expecting that surprise at all!

We are excited to announce our new little one coming sometime mid-May!

SURPRISE!

Halloween Festivities

Last night our ward had a trunk-or-treat. Our cowardly little lion loved going from car to car and getting candy at each stop. We didn't move very fast because he was so excited and wanted to analyze each piece.

This evening Clark's school threw a party for kids. Ethan had a blast basically running the entire 90 minutes.

Why the purple wig? When I started doing my hair today I didn't feel well- so the wig was my perfect solution to not doing my hair. I wish I could get away with wearing it more often.

The one time he stopped all night, for a juice.

We learned tonight that Ethan's lion costume is perfect for outdoor activities. Tonight we took it off him before we went to the car and the poor kid was sweating to death! He looked like he had been in a sauna. The only piece of hair that was dry on his head was the ringlet that stuck out the back of his lion's mane!

How we are avoiding the SWINE FLU

Ethan's going to sit in his Tupperware bubble until about March...that should work, right?

My Little Helper

Raking leaves with Ethan is definitely more fun that doing it by myself!

Notice I did not say more efficient!

The FUN stuff!

* One lost cell phone under a large pile of leaves.

* Many piles jumped in and scattered.

* One yard bag full of leaves tipped over and dumped back onto the lawn.

* Ethan's favorite tool was a golf club, he really made those leaves fly!

* Waving to every car as it went by.

* Getting lots of extra exercise preventing Ethan from venturing into the street.

The Family is of God

Today in our Sacrament Meeting the primary children ages 3-12 put on the program. I love having a calling to serve in the primary. I love being with the kids every Sunday. They worked so hard on their speaking parts and their songs. The theme this year is Eternal Families, so the program was centered on that theme.

I loved all of the songs, but one was really touching to me today. It is called "The Family is of God." In our program we had a family sing it, both parents and their five children. It was beautiful, my heart was full of gratitude for my own family and for my opportunity to be a mother. It is an overwhelming blessing and responsibility!

Here are the lyrics if you have never heard it.


1. Our Father has a family. It’s me!
It’s you, all others too: we are His children.
He sent each one of us to earth, through birth,
To live and learn here in fam’lies.

[Chorus] God gave us families to help us become what He wants us to be—
This is how He shares His love, for the fam’ly is of God.

2. A father’s place is to preside, provide,
To love and teach the gospel to his children.
A father leads in fam’ly prayer to share
Their love for Father in Heaven.
[Chorus]

3. A mother’s purpose is to care, prepare,
To nurture and to strengthen all her children.
She teaches children to obey, to pray,
To love and serve in the fam’ly.
[Chorus]

4. I’ll love and serve my family and be
A good example to each fam’ly member.
And when I am a mom or dad, so glad,
I’ll help my fam’ly remember:
God gave us families to help us become what He wants us to be—
This is how He shares His love, for the fam’ly is of God.


Click here if you want to listen to it!

As soon as the dad in the family started singing the verse about the father's role in the family I got really emotional. I'm so grateful for the Dad that Clark is to Ethan. Last night when we put Ethan to bed he had a fever and a really awful cough that came on suddenly. He would fall asleep for a couple of minutes and then wake up crying. Clark got up with him and helped comfort him back to sleep. At 3 am I woke up and Clark wasn't in the bed. I went to check on Ethan and found Ethan snoring in his crib and Clark lying on the floor next to Ethan's crib, half way covered with a baby quilt fast asleep. He got up with him every time he cried, sometimes Ethan just needed to hold his hand through the crib to go back to sleep.
Since I had responsibilities at church today, Clark stayed home with Ethan and took care of him all day. When I got home Ethan barely even noticed, he just wanted his Dada all day! I'm grateful that Clark shares his love for God by leading us in prayer and scripture study, and that Ethan already knows those things are important and participates.

I'm grateful to know that regardless of what is going on in the world our families can be our safe havens, because the family truly is of God.

Pumpkin Night

Last night was pumpkin themed! Jessica and I had fun making dinner in a pumpkin (thanks to the recipe on Kelly's blog last year). Cooked pumpkin is surprisingly good! Jessica also made delicious pumpkin bars.

We also had fun carving our pumpkins.

Mine (on the right) is Mr. Meowkins - a cute, but a little bit scary cat. Clark's is a full graveyard scene with a ghost.

The finished products. No one wanted to carve the tumor covered pumpkin in the middle that my mom picked out at the pumpkin patch. It's scary enough!

My Brother - The Artist

At the beginning of the month my parents, brothers, and sister in laws were all able to go to General Conference together. During the session of conference I got a picture texted to me from my brother Weston of something he had drawn during conference.
If you can't read it - it is labeled "E Mon (his nickname for Ethan) Precut."

As you can see it is a lovely picture of Ethan's mulle before we cut it.

Tonight after Ethan's bath I noticed that he is back to looking a whole lot like Weston's artistic portrait of him.

Weston's art skills are impressive. When he was little he felt that his art was a success, and one time even informed an artistic wood carver, that he was just "half an artist." After his rather realistic drawing of Ethan I would now consider him at least 3/4 an artist!