Thankful Thursday - Chocolate

Yesterday Brent and I were having a little disagreement. We were pretty much at a stalemate and had to move on with the evening. We started pulling out ingredients to prepare dinner, and among things, Brent pulled out a box of brownies. "I'm not feeling very well, I need my comfort food."
That made me laugh. Something about chocolate can make just about any unhappy feeling go away for a minute. Happy or not, I think I need a piece of this cake.

The Spirit of Elijah

Megan had the opportunity to attend the temple for the first time to perform baptsims for the dead. I had the opportunity to accompany her. I was able to find the name of my great, great grandmother for Megan to stand as proxy. I have found in my research that the ordinances for some of my ancestors have already been performed. I don't know the source. When I reviewed the pedigree chart, I realized that this sweet woman, Mollie C. Gibson was still waiting while everyone around her has had their ordinances completed.

Truly, I did not expect to have the experience I did in the temple today. As I watched Megan descend into the waters of baptism, to accomplish for her great, great, great grandmother what she could not do for herself, I felt such an overwhelming sense of joy. I just don't have the words to describe all I felt and experienced in the temple this day. How privileged we are to be a part of this great and marvelous work! "Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to thier fathers." (Doctrine and Covenants 2:1-2)

Thankful Thursday - Two hours with Jeremy

I told Angela last week in a comment that I've been feeling very grumpy lately and needed to start posting thankful Thursday. I'm still feeling grumpy but forcing myself to count my blessings. At least today's a Utah holiday, so I'm also thankful to have Brent home today, and an added bonus, tomorrow as well. Yay-a four day weekend.
Yesterday I had to run errands in town. I'm also thankful Megan is old enough to tend the boys so I can run errands more efficiently. I always take Natalie, but she was sleeping, so I decided to take Jeremy. It's been a long time since I've had completely uninterrupted one-on-one time with Jeremy. He was so patient at each stop as I took care of family business matters. His silliness brightened the dullness of waiting for our turn. His "race you to the car, Mom" after each stop just made me laugh. There was so much of his personality I saw that doesn't readily surface among a household of siblings.
I started this post this morning and was interrupted by waking children. At days end I reflect on another day of "I don't want to's" and tears from not wanting to share and not being shared with. We're definitely at a stage where one-on-one time with our kids is more of a scheduled effort than a natural occurrence. I'm thankful for the two hours alone with Jers that just sort of happened to remind me of the truly fun, sweet, and thoughtful child he is.

Don't Try This at Home

This stunt should only be attempted by trained professionals.

I love watching them grow!

Fireworks

We had a lightening and thunderstorm last night. Andrew woke up frightened. When Brent showed him the lightening out the window, his fear transformed into excitement. He came running to share the news. "Fireworks, Mom, fireworks!" he exclaimed.

Sisters

I had dressed Natalie for church today and set her in the swing until the rest of us were ready to go. In the meantime the boys had fun playing with her, apparently taking off her shoes and headband. When it was time to go, I asked Megan to take Natalie to the van. Megan, ready to scoop her up, looked at her and said, "You're missing all your accessories!"
Megan officially began attending Young Women's today. It just doesn't seem possible that it has been twelve years since she was as little as Natalie. My hope is that although many years separate these two, they will always find a closeness as sisters.

Pink

Matthew's most recent favorite color is pink. I happened to find a pink dress shirt on the clearance rack at Walmart. And it happened to be his size, so I had to get it. It hung in the closet for a while until I happened to find a tie to match it. Now it just happens to be his favorite church shirt to wear.

Church Day

Every Sunday Jeremy rhetorically asks, "Is it church day?" I say rhetorically because no matter how many times we tell him yes, he insists that it's friends day, and that he's not going to church. Last week was the first Sunday he actually got dressed for church without protest, EXCEPT he needed to wear his eye patch because he had an owie. We considered his willingness to get ready for church an enormous victory and decided it wasn't worth rocking the boat. Aaaaargh!

My Favorite Day

Sundays are my favorite day of the week. Although I can't say that getting five chilren ready for church by 9:00 in the morning is my favorite part of the day. As my children are getting older, I find more and more there are situations that I just don't know how to handle. I rely more heavily on the guidance of the Spirit to direct me in how to teach them, and attending my church meetings fine tunes those whisperings of the Spirit. I also like Sundays for the family time we have to enjoy being together -no laundry, no household chores, no "to-do" lists, no errands, no revolving front door, just us. And then there's my favorite weekly tradition-making a Sunday treat! It's usually Brent who heads this up, and is very patient with letting the kids "help". Last week when Brent was making cookies I heard him threatening to fire one of them. And then I heard Jeremy say, "Are you still going to fire me, Daddy? Don't fire me Dad, don't make me hurt you!" OK, that was just funny.
This week Andrew was "helping" me make a cheesecake, which means "I get to lick the beaters when you're done."

The Circle of Life

I wanted to take a picture of these flowers, mostly because it's the only place of natural beauty in our yard aside from a front lawn. We were so looking forward to putting in the backyard this summer, but now that we're under contract our hands are tied. I just love all the vibrant colors of summer flowers. Flowers always remind me of my Grandma Bodnar. She had a beautiful flower garden, and I especially remember her rose garden that ran along the fence next to her driveway. When she would come to visit us, she always wanted to go in our backyard and look at the "posies", as she would call them. She died twelve years ago today, just five days after Megan was born. I was able to see her one last time in the hospital before she passed away while undergoing a medical procedure. I only wished I could have brought Megan with me so she could hold her.
Today, Brent and I to completed her and my Grandfather's temple work. My friend Laurie was able to attend with us and serve as proxy for my aunt.
After my grandmother's death, as a token of remembrance my dad transplanted one of her rosebushes in my little rose garden at our house on Dover Court in Redlands. How I wished I could have taken it with me when we moved to Utah. Roses will always remind me of Grandma Bodnar. However, I am most grateful for the Gospel that gives us the knowledge that our ancestors are more than just a memory, and the power of the Priesthood that binds us eternally.


I hope this next part doesn't kill the sentiment of this post, but I have boys, so I can't leave it unnoted. As I was taking the picture, I noticed the carcass of this grasshopper on the flowers. It was just a few days ago that we were observing this creature, fascinated by how well it blended in with the green on the flower stems. My boys are very "hands on" when it comes to insects. Tired of being "pestered", he jumped away onto the nearby wood beam. It was amazing to see how quickly his color changed to blend into his environment. But now he's gone; another evidence of the circle of life.

First Prayer

Andrew said his first prayer this evening at dinner. It surprised all of us when he volunteered, unsolicited. He very clearly repeated the words prompted by Brent. Laying up for ourselves treasures in heaven.

My Best Birthday Ever

After celebrating her 12th birthday, Megan has declared this was her best birthday ever!

In the morning, she was greeted by Buzz...

and all her siblings,

who were very excited to see what she got.

Finally, she was able to open that box!

It was her American Girl doll, Julie, from Papa Joe and Grandma Shelley!

Natalie enjoying being a part of the celebration.

Mom, Megan, and Natalie all went out to lunch. We had a visit from Dad, who surprised Megan with the pink iPod she had been wanting. We girls then went Walmart shopping to purchase makeup, jewelry, CD's, and iPod accessories. Thank you Granny, Papa Mike, and Grandma and Grandpa Ririe! She got everything she wanted.

Later in the evening, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends joined us for a birthday celebration. Here are all the girlies hanging out.

Happy birthday to you!

YES! So excited she had blown out all her birthday candles. She wished BIG!

We're glad you had a great day, Megan! May the rest of the year be just as happy.

Eighteen, Nineteen, Twenty....

Check out the latest models of Ririe grandchildren

Taylor & Blake, Cami & Cali, Brent & Natalie

So who's next? :)

Two Peas in a Pod

Jeremy and Makaela

Windows of Heaven

After creating the post of Andrew looking out our bedroom window, I thought of the scripture in Malachi, "...and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it" (Malachi 3:10). And then I thought of the scripture in Matthew where Christ admonishes, "...lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor dust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal." (Matthew 6:20). Temporal sacrifice for eternal rewards. As I consider my children, and the joy we experience from just being a part of their daily existence, I realize I could never record even a fraction of what transpires. Most definitely as we parent these children, we feel the outpouring of the Lord's blessings, even so much that it feels like there is not room enough to receive it. Teacing them, loving them, guiding them, sacrificing for them...laying up for ourselves treasures in heaven.

Tractors

He's watching our neighbor work on his yard. Of course, any loud machinery-type noises outside are sure to attract my boys to the window. "Tractor, Mom, tractor," he says. Lately, life with five children has been extemely overwhelming. Having a front row seat in my children's lives as they discover their world is the oxygen I need when I feel like I'm suffocating in my own world of endless responsibilities.

Anticipation

With her birthday just around the corner, Megan, accompanied by Natalie, has been taking a daily walk to the mailbox hoping to find something addressed especially to her.


Yesterday, she was happy to see Ms. UPS lady who delivered this package. She wasn't too happy though, when her dad told her she had to wait until her birthday to open it. Hmm.... I wonder what it could be?

Natural Domain

When I saw Andrew playing out in the dirt today, for some reason it made me think of this picture I had taken of the cat a couple months back. Ali, the cat, had made herself at home in my flowerpot on the front porch. Andrew seemed to have that same "I belong here" look with his truck in the dirt. Later in the afternoon, he had gone back out to play in that same spot. This time he was really tired and looked like he could fall asleep right there in the dirt. Boys can dress a Barbie, or play house with the girls, but when it comes to dirt and trucks, it just seems to be their natural domain.

A Great Recipe

Break out the smarshmallows, it's s'mores night at the Miller's! Another great night of fun with the Anderson's and the Miller's. We haven't all gotten together since New Year's. With our three families it's always high energy; we have a total of fifteen kids amongst us. Even so, we managed to keep our pyromaniac son, Jeremy, from burning down the place and McKay Anderson from heisting all the chocolate. (No worries Paula :) In case of emergency, future firefighter Andrew was ready with the hose. If he didn't manage to drown Heather's garden, he certainly nearly drown himself. Friends+food+fun=a great recipe! Thanks Chris and Heather, we had a great time!

Trumped

I was so tired last night after a long holiday weekend of too many late nights in a row. I was extra anxious for the kids to get into bed. Jeremy insisted on a cup of milk before bed. OK. And also insisted on pouring it "all by myself". Not OK. (It was a full gallon) And so ensued the argument. In exasperation, I proclaimed, "Because I'm the boss." Jeremy quickly retorted, "No you're not, Jesus is!" Hmmm. Well at least he was paying attention at some point in church yesterday.

Flat Broke

Another "Jeremy" moment. We were getting in the van to pick up Megan at the pool. Jeremy grabbed my wallet on the front seat; he wanted to know if I had any money. "Nope. I'm flat broke," I told him. He looked at me quizzically and asked, "Your tire's popped?"

One Step Ahead

Headcount. It's a constant headcount when we get brave enough to venture out into the world with our little clan. It's usually Andrew who disappears. He moves so quick, you'd think he teleported. We are constantly having to stay one step ahead of this little guy. All too often lately, he's been too many steps ahead of us.

Fireworks. On the 3rd we went to the Eaglewood golf course in Bountiful to watch the fireworks show. While I was taking Matthew to the bathroom, Brent was keeping the others in check while assembling glow bracelets. He looked up to put one on Andrew and.... POOF! He was GONE! After a futile search, Brent finally called me to tell me he couldn't find Andrew. Fear struck me as I thought of the nearby pond and the busy street a few yards behind us. I hurried back to stay with the others so Brent could search with full effort. As the fireworks began, we stepped aside to a nearby tree and offered a prayer for help and guidance. What I hoped would be an enjoyable evening with the family was turning into my worst nightmare. Ultimately Brent thought to call 9-1-1 and was connected to the local police patrolling the event, who confirmed they did have Andrew at their command center. Brent retrieved Andrew, no worse for the wear and completely oblivious to the scare he had caused us.

Swimming. It's constant vigilance. Over the weekend we took our whole family to the community pool. Andrew L-O-V-E-S the kiddy pool. It's constant splashes and running jumps. I had been hanging out with Drew when Brent came over to relieve me of kiddy watch so I could get in the big pool with the big kids. I was gingerly getting in, acclimating to the water temperature when suddenly there was a blur and a big splash. Andrew had taken a flying leap in, expecting I'm sure to safely land on the bottom. Except there was no bottom. Thankfully I was there to retrieve his fast sinking little body.

Church. Today at church I was out in the foyer with Andrew during sacrament meeting. Nothing unusual. He jumped out of my lap and headed for the door. I stood up, hoping he would stay there long enough for the deacon to bring out the sacrament. My eyes on Andrew, the deacon tapped me on the shoulder. As quickly as I took the sacrament, Andrew was out the second door and heading for the parking lot. I chased after him (in high heels, of course!) grateful it was a quiet time for parking lot activity. But then he kept running and I couldn't catch up to him fast enough. Headed for the street, he kept going until he was at the curb. He stopped momentarily, ready at any second to leap right in front of the car that was now coming. Thankfully he responded to my shout of STOP! and I was able to catch up to him before he ran out in front of the car.

I asked Brent if he thought Heavenly Father gives us a few extra angels to keep up with our kids. Just in case, I've decided I need to pray and make sure we have added protection. I just can't seem to stay one step ahead.

Independence Day

"...I seek not for honor of the world, but for the glory of my God, and the freedom and welfare of my country." (Alma 60:36)

FREEDOM! What we celebrate, what we fight for, what we sacrifice for, what we cherish.

Natalie 4 months old!

Look at this little girl grow! I love this little giggle smile she gives us all the time. I'm always intrigued when one of her siblings approaches her; she seems to have a distinct sense of recognition with each of them. She's improving on her hand-to-mouth coordination skill. I've noticed it's typically the left hand that goes in her mouth. Hmmm. Maybe we're going to get a "south paw" after all.