In Memory

We found out late last night, right as we were climbing into bed. My phone buzzed that I had received a text message. Jessica wrote the news that our sweet Prophet had died. My emotions are still so mixed; Sadness, joy, longing, gratitude, reverence. I'm sad for myself, for all of us. President Hinckley is a forever part of my spiritual growth and testimony. At the same time, I am so happy for him. He is, at last, with his cherished wife. He is undoubtedly in the company of the great leaders of the Church before him. His life was used so perfectly. A joyous and revering welcome awaited him.

June 23, 1910 ~~ January 27, 2008

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

Ecclesiastes 3:1-2

Blessings

• Progress downstairs. We're still creeping our way to completion with our basement. I think I could have gone to enough Home Depot do-it-yourself workshops to finish everything by myself at this point. But the bathroom tile is down, thus completing the flooring process. The vanity has been set in the bathroom. The plumber comes back on Wednesday to set the toilet and finish up the shower. Then we just need the electrician back, the finish lumber completed and voila. (5 months later)

• Having Cori home on Saturdays. Things are getting more and more busy at work and at Church. For example, we see him for 30-45 minutes on Wednesdays. It is so nice to spend the weekend together. Especially when he helps me clean the house like he did yesterday.

• Good food and lots of friends. We hosted a little get together last night. We had a couple that Cori knows through work as well as a couple from the Branch and all of every one's kids over for a mid-winter BBQ and a viewing of the LOST finale from last season--in preparation for this week's premier. Well, the adults watched LOST and took turns playing with the kids downstairs. Fun was had by all, and good food too.

• Our country. I had a very perplexing discussion with my friends from the Jehovah's Witness church (who have made my home a regular Friday stop). I'm in a good mood now, so I won't go into the grittty of it all, but it has built up the flame that burns in my heart for our country. The system isn't perfect, nor are the people who work in it. I know there is corruption. But I am free. I believe in being a good citizen and in fully participating in the social contract that is government. I am grateful for countless leaders and soldiers who have sacrificed to create and preserve these freedoms. I am grateful that I am free to vote. I am grateful that I was free to have those well meaning ladies in my home, and that we were free to have that discussion--regardless of how frustrating it became.

A Disclaimer

The previous post was in no way meant to be an endorsement for billion dollar government bail-out programs. If they're sending the money out anyway... I was just musing.

$$$

So, have you heard about the tax rebate that may shortly be on its way to a mail box near you? The government's hope is that we will all go out and spend it as soon as it arrives so as to stave off the recession that is knocking at our country's door. Well, I'm nothing if not patriotic and feel strongly that I should do my part to help the economy. Maybe this letter would help assure the powers that be that this is a really good idea:

Dear Uncle Sam,

I thought you might be interested in knowing the plans I've already made for the tax rebate you want to send me.

First, I would use some of it to complete the funding of our new camera (and a fancy lens) (and a tripod) (and maybe a flash). I've wanted it for so long now. I pledge to run from my mailbox to my computer and order it as soon as I see your return address on that little check sized envelope.

Secondly, we have approximately 13 boxes of books that are homeless. If dropping dough at the BYU Bookstore, Barnes and Nobel, and Borders could have helped the economy... well, we did our part. This rebate could be used to build our little library some beautiful shelving downstairs. And maybe a comfy chair to read in with a nicely appointed lamp.

Thirdly, Cori and I could really use a getaway this spring/summer. We'd love to spend a few days staying at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. We would use the rebate to take carriage rides, eat lots of fudge, pretend to be Jane Seymour and Christopher Reeve in Somewhere in Time, and buy souvenirs for our friends and family.

What I'm really saying is that if you send us the money, we'll spend it.*

With thanks (and you're welcome for us paying the taxes to you in the first place)

Jesse

*Of course, I reserve the right to put it all into savings instead.

The Little Man

Our little man is 4 months old today. I can hardly believe it. Here's a little glimpse of what its like in his world these days:

• He's long and not nearly as plump as his sister was at this age. He is in the 95th percentile for height and just under the 50th percentile for weight.
• His 3-6 ms. pants fit him around the waist but look like capris. His 6 ms. pants cover his legs but fall off when I pick him up. Gracie's socks fit him best. He has really long feet.
• Grant is very ticklish and loooves being tickled. His eyes light up, he smiles and squeals and laughs, laughs, laughs all over.
• He won't take a pacifier. This isn't the end of the world, its probably better this way. But so much of the sleep training I figured out with Grace was made possible by her binki. Not only won't he take the binki, but he won't be rocked or held to settle down. So when its nap time, I put him in bed, talk to him for a minute, say good night and close his door. He squirms or cries for a few minutes and then he's out.
• Speaking of crying, he's been doing a lot of that lately too. Whining would be a more accurate description. Grant spends about 50% of his awake time whining unless I'm sitting with him and helping him play. And even then, he gets fussy really quickly if his diaper is wet, the radio is too loud, Grace is too excited... He knows what he wants and how he wants it. I'll just have to patiently wait for him to learn to tell me. Time to brush up on that sign language!
• Even when he's really fussy he'll go from frowns to smiles in a flash once I figure out what he wants. He really wants to be happy, I just know it.
• Grant is too busy to be a peaceful eater--a trait which makes nursing an adventure. He is always looking around and sometimes doesn't realize that he's sucking on his lip instead of his food source. He takes a bottle much better, because it can move around with him, but I'll keep nursing him as long as I can.

A few of his favorite things:

• the fuzzy green boppy
• the fabric colors book with the rattle on the end
• being in the Baby Bjorn facing out
• undivided attention
• talking with Gracie- he loves his big sister
• the animal mobile on his crib
• his Mommy (don't worry, Grace has always preferred Cori to me, so now we're even)

Wordless Wednesday: Bed Time

Silver Lining

Yesterday was one of those days that just didn't turn out right. I went to sleep Sunday night actually excited to be starting a new week. I had a list made of things that I not only wanted to do on Monday, but they were things that had to be done on Monday. I woke up before the kids and got ready. And everything after that is a blur of a fussy baby, construction workers not showing up on schedule (AGAIN!!!), stubborn two-year-old antics, lots of phone calls to our contractor and the flooring company, waiting around for construction workers to "maybe" show up, the kids staging back to back crying episodes for about an hour, clearing our driveway for the workers who never came, finally putting Grant into the Baby Bjorn and toting him around so that I could actually get some things done, and one desperate phone call to Cori wherein he volunteered to pick up some dinner on the way home. Of course, once Cori got home Grant fell peacefully and soundly asleep and Grace was an angel (which only added to the little insecurity that had been nagging at me saying "is this all my fault!?"). We had a lovely dinner and F.H.E.. Then, after baths and bedtime routines and good night kisses, I went to get our grocery shopping done; A task usually performed Monday morning. My children may never step foot inside a grocery store again.
Here are some of the luxuries my solo shopping trip afforded me:

• getting into and out of the car in record time, with only my seat belt to buckle
• stopping into Bed Bath and Beyond for a five minute errand, and having it take only five minutes
• once inside the grocery store, turning on my iPod and actually turning up the volume, thus tuning out the world around me. I never get to do this with the kids. I've always got one eye and one ear devoted to giving them attention--even when they are sleeping. Gracie and Grant make pretty good shopping buddies, but Chopin and Brahms were much less demanding.
• using the whole shopping cart for groceries
• not racing the clock to get home before nap time or the next feeding time
• putting the groceries away as soon as I got home--with Cori's help (I usually have to feed Grant or get Gracie into bed etc...)
• driving the 4Runner in all its 4 wheel drive glory- which was a really good thing. The roads were snowy and slippery.
• having some time completely alone

Why didn't I think of doing it this way earlier? I think our weekly routine has just made a change for the better. In any case, it was the silver lining of an otherwise disheartening day.