Sunday, part 2

Annie was OUT OF CONTROL today! I think its a combination of getting over being sick, being crazy sleep deprived, and just being Annie. These are two fun pictures I got of her today (in her better moments!).
She got hold of my sunglasses.:)

And this is what happens at the end of the day...11 o'clock church plus Kris on graveyards meant no nap for Annie today! She crashed out early. Oh, and just so you know, there are 5 or 6 Fruit Loops in her little hand.

Sunday

This morning I was greeted by an overwhelming feeling of...homesick. Hard to describe, really. All I really wanted to do was call my best friend - one of my few friends I've known my ENTIRE life. I didn't really have anything I wanted to talk about, but I wanted that comfortable feeling she has. I wanted to be reminded why I do the things I do, why I am the way I am, and why its okay. She makes me feel better about me, because she's known me through everything - thick and thin - and loved me just the same.
I think sometimes we (okay, I) get caught up in how we're supposed to make other people happy - we walk on eggshells, say only the "right" things, do what we're told. Why? Here's what I know...the more I give in to trying to make other people happy, the less I feel like me. I feel like I've lost the parts of me I used to love - my vivacity, my honesty, and my sense of who I am. Why is it so impossible to act around other people the way we do around our best friends? Why would we want to be reminded of those worst parts?
I guess in a way I'm cleaning house. No more of those worst parts.

No, that's not what I learned in church.:)
Our combined Priesthood/Relief Society meeting was on missionary work and a video was shared with a talk from Jeffrey R. Holland (http://lds.org/ensign/2001/03/missionary-work-and-the-atonement?lang=eng). There were a couple parts of his talk that I loved, so I came home and looked it up.

• "I don’t believe missionary work has ever been easy, nor that conversion is, nor that retention is, nor that continued faithfulness is. I believe it is supposed to require some effort, something from the depths of our soul."
• "If He could come forward in the night, kneel down, fall on His face, bleed from every pore, and cry, “Abba, Father (Papa), if this cup can pass, let it pass,” then little wonder that salvation is not a whimsical or easy thing for us. If you wonder if there isn’t an easier way, you should remember you are not the first one to ask that. Someone a lot greater and a lot grander asked a long time ago if there wasn’t an easier way."
• "When you struggle, when you are rejected, when you are spit upon and cast out and made a hiss and a byword, you are standing with the best life this world has ever known, the only pure and perfect life ever lived. You have reason to stand tall and be grateful that the Living Son of the Living God knows all about your sorrows and afflictions."

My Mom, Part 1

Blame my feeble attempt at motherhood, a colicky baby, or a temperamental 2 year old, but I've had my mom on my mind for several weeks now. I don't remember her, and that's a little frightening. Frightening for me because I'd hate to lose the few memories I have of her. Frightening for my children because I want so much to pass on the wonderful legacy she gave to me.
Some thing I learned about my mother:

She was a risk-taker in her own way.
I was in the scrapbook store a few weeks ago. The lady that owns it went to school with my mom. She always talks to me about her, but this one particular day she said to me, "One of the things I always loved about your mom was how she just did things. She went to beauty school. She went on a mission. She went to college. If she wanted to do something, she just did it."
I love knowing that.

New Car

We are officially mini-van owners, which is pretty awesome. MORE SPACE! Seriously, I had no idea I could INSTANTLY fall in love with a car, let alone a mini-van...but here we are. It's a 2010 Dodge Caravan. We couldn't turn down the deal when they offered us $1300 over what we owed on our trade-in. I think this makes me a real mom now. Just saying.:)
The first time we walked outside after we got the car, Annie said, "Where's our car?" We told her, "This is our new car." "Oh," she said, but you could tell she was still so confused. It was too funny.


Annie at the dealership. Like father, like daughter.:)

Sunday

Two Sundays in a row...somebody must be trying to tell me something! Last Sunday I decided we would work harder on trying to have better Sundays (you know, more "Keep the Sabbath Day holy" kind of stuff). No morning cartoons, no afternoon movie, better attitudes, get to church on time, etc. We've been tuning into BYU Radio and "Music and the Spoken Word." Annie actually really enjoys the music. She sings and dances around. Emily doesn't really care.
Last Sunday was rough. This Sunday was rough too.
For whatever reason, Emily cries. I mean seriously, she just cries. It feels like ALL THE TIME. I know its not...it just feels that way. This Sunday when I realized there was no way I was going to make it on my own (Kris was on day shift), I called my good neighbor (a.k.a. Grandpa). Of course, as soon as I made the effort to ask for help, Emily was OUT. Oh well...Annie appreciated the company.:)
We got to church on time and listened to the prelude music. Annie spread her paper and crayons all over the pew, which was just awesome, since as soon as I limited her paper supply, she FREAKED out and everybody looked at me like I had cut her hand off.
Between two little girls, I had a really hard time listening to the speakers. The first adult speaker, we'll call her Sis. B., she took her talk from Heber C. Kimball's talk in the January Ensign (http://lds.org/ensign/2011/01/the-potter-and-the-clay?lang=eng), "The Potter and the Clay". I missed most of her talk, until I heard, "Jump, I will catch you." She was talking about subjecting ourselves to God's will. And faith. WOW.
In last Sunday's blog I mentioned this certain challenge I've been facing. It seemed like this last week it was just getting more and more difficult, and LIFE just kept happening around me. I hate that.

I loved this quote that she read from Elder Kimball's talk:
There are many vessels that are destroyed after they have been molded and shaped. Why? Because they are not contented with the shape the potter has given them, but straightway put themselves into a shape to please themselves; therefore they are beyond understanding what God designs, and they destroy themselves by the power of their own agency, for this is given to every man and woman, to do just as they please. …

All week I've had two thoughts in my head:

• ...Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. (Mark 9:24)
• Humble yourself, before the Lord humbles you.

Hearing that "Jump, I will catch you..." was just like being smacked in the head. I'm beginning to realize that if I'm going to pray about something, and get an answer, I'm better off to just act on that, with absolute faith, than sit around and hope that maybe I get a better answer.:)
The closing hymn was "Be Thou Humble." Okay, seriously...I got the message.

2 Months - Emily

Today we took Miss E in for her 2 month appointment with the good doctor (we LOVE our family doctor!). He said she looks like Turk, from Tarzan. He laughed, so I figure it was a funny sort of compliment, but I totally didn't get it.:)
Emily is weighing in at 12 lbs. 4 oz. and is 22 1/2 inches. She's in the 75th percentile for her weight and 50th percentile for her height. She's starting to look more like me, which is pretty awesome.
Annie and Emily are alot different...Emily is quite a bit more high maintenance than Annie was (i.e., she cries WAY more than Annie did). Of course, even the crying isn't that bad...it could be so much worse. Emily was bigger than Annie when she was born, and has grown crazy fast. I just pulled out the 3-6 month clothes for her, whereas Annie stayed in 0-3 months till after she was 3 months. I love how different they are. It reminds me how important individuality really is.
Emily is a super sweet baby, and has started cooing and focusing in on your face when you talk to her. We're still not sleeping through the night, but we're working on it. It'll happen eventually.:) She's got the cutest dimples ever (just like Annie's!) and the most adorable smile. I don't know what it is about baby smiles, but they're simply amazing.
Annie is a great big sister to Emily. She loves to give her kisses and hugs. Emily listens so intently when Annie talks to her...I'm sure they will be great buddies!

Sunday

I've had one of those "reflecting" Sundays. You know what I'm talking about...the ones where you wake up and every song you hear pierces your heart, every speaker in Church seems to be speaking right to you, every lesson seems to have been written specifically with you in mind. I've been reflecting on many things today (which really is kind of a surprise, considering I had to take Annie out during Sacrament meeting and Emily was awake the whole 3 hours), and here's my 3 thoughts (in no particular order):

• Elder Wirthlin's talk from the October 2006 conference, "Sunday Will Come." http://lds.org/general-conference/2006/10/sunday-will-come?lang=eng
• "Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven." (Praise to the Man, v. 4)
• "...unto whom much is given, much is required." (D&C 82:3)

From Elder Wirthlin's talk:

Each of us will have our own Fridays—those days when the universe itself seems shattered and the shards of our world lie littered about us in pieces. We all will experience those broken times when it seems we can never be put together again. We will all have our Fridays.

But I testify to you in the name of the One who conquered death—Sunday will come. In the darkness of our sorrow, Sunday will come.

No matter our desperation, no matter our grief, Sunday will come. In this life or the next, Sunday will come.

I don't know what it was about today, but as soon as I sat down in Church, I felt like I had just been waiting all week for that moment. Of course, it's been one of those weeks.:)

All morning I was thinking about "to whom much is given, much is required" and I was lamenting on ALL the things required of me.

Then I got to thinking about it the other way around...to whom much is required, much is given.

The week has been particularly difficult, with a pretty high-maintenance toddler, a colicky infant, a husband working 13 hour graveyard shifts (6 nights in a row!), and me not getting more than 3 hours of sleep a night... You can imagine why I'd start to think, "Why me?" Putting aside all the expected challenges that motherhood, wife-hood, and life in general bring, I have been thinking mostly about a specific challenge that is demanding every bit of faith I have. One that makes me think, "Really? You've got to be kidding me." One that makes me think, "Okay, Lord...I'll do it, but I'm going to need a lot of help."

To whom much is required, much is given.

That's how my challenge makes me feel, as many challenges often do. The reward will come later. My Sunday will come.

We Love Fridays!

Annie was especially happy today, and I decided it must be because she knows how great Fridays are!:)

Sassy Annie

All of a sudden my Annie Bug is SO sassy! It's hilarious. She chatters all the time and is so much fun to talk to. I decided I have to start writing down the funny things she says, and this is as good a place as any!
The other day we were sitting at the table eating hot dogs. Annie finished hers and was actually being really good, waiting for us. All of a sudden she looked at me (with the most pathetic look!) and said, "Please, please, please, please, oh pllllleeeeeaaaasssse." I asked her what she wanted. "I don't know," she said. (Get used to it, kid!)
The same afternoon she was playing in the living room when all of a sudden she let out the longest toot ever. When she got done she looked at me, smiled, and said, "Whoa."
I love how she always keeps me laughing.:)

Christmas

Christmas was CRAZY fun at our house this year. We were so lucky to have Grandma and Grandpa Hunter with us for the holidays, so it was extra special for the girls (and us, too). Kris had to work on Christmas day (Thanks, Freeport!)... we celebrated a couple days later.
We tried to keep it low-key (who wants spoiled children?).

This is Annie in her princess skirt. She fluffed around the living room all morning in it.

For the grandparents, we (no, seriously, I) made magnet boards. Grandma & Grandpa H's said "Grandparents are God's gift to children" and Grandpa W's said "My Greatest blessings call me Grandpa." We made Grandma cry.:) We also gave them Disney gift cards for our upcoming trip to the Magic Kingdom.

Last Christmas Annie wasn't really into the presents. This year she was a little slow, but she caught on to the whole idea of ripping the paper. Her first presents she opened, she would rip a piece of the wrapping paper and then bring it to me. Then she'd go back to her present and rip some more and bring me more paper. It was so silly. Annie got alot of fun presents - a play tent, a bean bag chair, a desk and chair, and some clothes and other toys.
Emily got some clothes and toys. She was pretty mellow the whole morning.:)



The girls in their Christmas jammies...

A couple days after Christmas we finally got some winter weather and rain. The day that Grandma & Grandpa left, it rained and there were lots of weather warnings along their whole route home. We were sure sad to see them go, but SO grateful they were able to come and be with us for so long.