Hunter Family

2 Months...and so much more!

2012-02-01T19:59:00.000-08:00

My baby boy is 2 months old. Where is the time going!? I feel like I've said that with all the kids, every time they reach a milestone (P.S. My Annie is turning 3 this week...WHERE IS THE TIME GOING!?!). He is now weighing in at 12 lbs. 15 oz. and is 23 inches long. He's growing like CRAZY!! And seriously...LOVE THIS BOY! He is super sweet and cuddly. Loves to snuggle and just hang out in your lap. And he smiles All. The. Time. I cannot believe how happy he is. He is truly a little blessing to our family. Love him.

This last week we had Uncle David at our house. We had some crazy fun playing Settlers of Catan, eating things we weren't supposed to (we were all SUPPOSED to be on a diet!) and laughing and playing. We loved having him here and pretty much already miss him.
The girls latched onto him right away, which made it even more special.

AND, even more special that he got to be here for Jack's blessing. Kris blessed Jack on Sunday in church. It was really nice. Grandpa W., Uncle David, my Uncle Dan and our neighbor Dave G. stood in the circle with Kris. I feel so blessed to have a husband who honors his Priesthood and was able to bless our son.

Love my little family.:)

Sunday

2012-01-22T18:46:00.001-08:00

1 o'clock church is so hard on kiddos...(yes, she's asleep!)

I seriously didn't realize all the difference one more adult makes in church. Kris switched crews at work and hasn't been to church with me for awhile. Today, I couldn't believe everything I got out of sacrament meeting. I actually got to listen to things today. It helped. It was our Ward Conference today, so the Bishop and his wife spoke, along with our Stake President.
The Bishop's wife talked about perspective. She used Carol B. Olsen's article "A Sense of Perspective". In the talk she talks about sense of humor, sense of time, sense of faith, sense of vision, and sense of love. Our Bishop's wife is amazing...she's always very composed, all their children are very well behaved...I am under the impression that motherhood comes easy to her. In talking about sense of humor, she related an experience she had where her kids had accidentally set frogs loose in the house. While looking for them, dinner was burning on the stove, the doorbell rang, her husband came home, her kids needed her, etc. She talked about sitting in the middle of the floor and trying to decide if she should laugh or cry. I was so glad to relate to her...I have ALOT of those moments!
Our Bishop (who is equally as amazing as his wife) related a story about his childhood (he grew up on a farm in Ft. Thomas, youngest of 11 kids) where he was always attacked by a chicken (he gathered the eggs every day). He compared it with David & Goliath. He talked about our trials, and how we pray for help and it doesn't always come, or sometimes it comes and we question if its coming from Heavenly Father or if its just "coincidence".
One of my favorite parts of the meeting? Special number. They sang "More Holiness Give Me". The third verse touched my heart.
More purity give me,
More strength to o'ercome
More freedom from earth stains,
More longing for home.
More fit for the kingdom,
More used would I be,
More blessed and holy -
More Savior like thee.

I just needed that little reminder. With dieting and exercising and trying harder to be better in general...I sometimes forget about all the things I can't do by myself.

And on that note...who's coming to our house in 4 days!?! Kris's brother, David. We are SO excited. And next Sunday we bless Jack. We're lucky kids.

Cutest. Smile. EVER.

2012-01-15T20:02:00.001-08:00

I am so in love.

Hello 2012

2012-01-02T07:36:00.001-08:00

I tried to get my New Year blogging done on the 1st...but I had grumpy kids. My New Year's Resolution? No babies this year!:) When I fill out forms and have to list my kids birth dates and I see: 2009, 2010, 2011...I shudder. So, no babies this year. We'll talk about it again in 2013!:)

This year I am resolving to be a little better. Okay, a lot better.

To my kids, a better mother, a better playmate, a better example and a better cook (Annie has called my cooking "yucky" for 2 days now!).
To my husband, a better wife, a better friend, and a better listener.
To my family, a better daughter, sister, cousin, and niece.
To my friends & neighbors, a better friend and neighbor.

And for me...this year I am going to be nicer to myself. I am going to just be happy and not worry so much about things I don't have any control over. And I'm going to change the things I can control. Like the arrangement of my living room furniture, my inability to sew, my weight, the colors of my walls, how I spend my time, and my attitude.

I am going to be better to myself.

Here's to 2012...

"May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books, kiss someone who thinks you're wonderful, and don't forget to make some art - write or draw or sing or build and live only as you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself."
Neil Gaiman

Christmas

2011-12-28T12:38:00.000-08:00

If there's anything I regret about Christmas this year, its that we didn't put up a tree. We couldn't get much for the kids, not to mention Emily puts EVERYTHING in her mouth and Annie gets into anything that looks a little interesting...so putting a tree up just seemed like a stupid idea. Unfortunately, we never got into any kind of Christmas spirit, so the whole holiday seemed pretty lame. Thankfully, my kids aren't old enough to realize that it was a tough time of year and that they didn't get much. Little people think the smallest things are AMAZING. I wish I could be like that! Next year, no matter what...tree!
Our ward party was the 22nd, and I trekked down to the church alone (Kris was working) with all 3 kids. Stupid. Who in their right mind would do such a stupid thing? Thankfully, a sweet sister in our ward came and took Emily out of my arms and invited us to sit with her family. They helped us get food and get through the program. Kris got to come late, so he was there at the end when the girls got to sit with Santa. And...we made it through this year with NO TEARS! Success!

She was SO exhausted!
On Christmas Eve our neighbors came delivering gifts from our friends, Jeremy & Danielle, in Mesa. And I bawled like a baby. With the holidays just not going like I wanted and feeling a little bit forgotten, this gift seriously lifted my spirits! It meant so much, especially because I know it took alot of time and work.

Kris worked Christmas day, so we didn't celebrate until the next day. But on Christmas morning, I opened our front door (to make sure my bench was still there, of course!) and...presents. I bawled like a baby again. Someone left gifts for our kids on the doorstep. If I ever believed in the Spirit of Christmas, it was this year! How amazing it was, and how grateful I felt to live in such a wonderful neighborhood that somebody would do something so kind for my little family.
The only gift we could get for the kids was a play kitchen. Annie was hysterical. She saw the presents in front of it and looked at them and then said, "Oh my gosh!" Kris asked her what Santa had brought her. She said, "Its....a...KITCHEN!" She was so excited. Needless to say, she and Emily spent the entire day (and pretty much every day since) playing with it.

Clearly very unimpressed...

1 Month!

2011-12-20T13:55:00.001-08:00

We survived a month. Seriously…3 kids under 3 is SO hard! Adjusting to 3 kids has been difficult, mostly because they are all still so little. Everyone is still alive, the kids get fed regularly and have clean diapers throughout the day…so there’s some success.:) The house is a disaster and frozen pizza has found its way into our regular eating schedule, but I try to not focus on those things.:)

At Jack’s 1 month appointment he weighed in at 10 lbs. and 21 1/2 in. 50th percentile for both. I can’t believe how fast he has grown! He’s a great baby…not too much crying and he only gets up twice most nights. It’s pretty awesome.

Some of Jack’s newborn pictures…

After Jack’s first bath. So far he doesn’t love them.

Swimming in December!?

2011-12-20T12:53:00.000-08:00

Annie has given up her naps. It's a sad thing. Of course, somehow we still have this idea that we can close her in her room and she won't get into trouble and we can get some things done. Stupid idea. Stupid. Yesterday, she discovered the basket with her swimsuit and floaties. We walked in to find her like this...
After asking repeatedly (and I mean REPEATEDLY!), we figured out how to let her and Emily go swimming. She put on her floaties, dove for treasure (coins...cause her dad is a genius!), and splashed. It was a good afternoon.

Hello. I’m Jack.

2011-11-22T21:24:00.001-08:00

Jack Kristopher Hunter

November 21, 2011, 9:49 P.M.

7 lbs. 11 oz., 19 1/2 in.

We started our weekend anticipating Jack’s arrival on Saturday, November 19th. We couldn’t get scheduled to for our induction till Sunday the 20th. Little did we anticipate having to wait even longer! Our hospital got crazy busy. Seriously, who would’ve expected that there would be so many pregnant ladies all having their babies all at once!?

Sunday was rough. We sat. We waited. Looked at the phone…over and over and over. We thought the hospital would call that afternoon. They didn’t. We hadn’t planned for this and we were so disappointed at how things were going. Monday morning we sat. We waited. Nothing. We went to our doctor. I’m not sure why it seemed like a good idea, but it was better than sitting at home! Then we got lucky! As we were driving out of the parking lot the phone rang! I even had my hospital bag in the car, so we went right over because we didn’t want to miss out on our spot! (Thankfully we did, since we got the last room!)

Monday afternoon around 3:15 they got me started on Cytotech. I was only dilated to a 2 1/2, so I had a ways to go. When my hour was up, they took me off the monitors and we walked. And walked. And walked. At 6:45 p.m. they checked me again and I was…a 3. Really? A 3. I just thought, Awesome…this is going to be an all-nighter! They gave me my second dose of Cytotech and I was pretty uncomfortable. Lying flat on my back was miserable, and then the contractions started.

At 9 o’clock I was off the monitors and texting a friend when the contractions got bad. And by bad, I mean BAD. I laid on the bed and called the nurse and asked for something for the pain. Not an epidural, but something to take the edge off. Yeah. I never got that. I was dilated to a 5. Then I was dilated to an 8. Then I pushed out a baby! He didn’t even wait for the doctor to come, or for the nurses to be ready, or for anything! My nurses delivered him (he kind of just arrived and surprised everybody!) and then the doctor walked in a few minutes later.

I didn’t plan for an epidural, but I did plan for the IV meds. Truthfully, there’s something amazing about giving birth totally natural. I feel like Superwoman.

Jack is healthy and strong and handsome. So far he’s not a crier. More of a squeaker and a whimperer. I don’t expect that to last.:)

His sisters got to see him this afternoon. They were very impressed. I can’t wait to get them all home together. It’s going to be SO MUCH fun!

I spent a couple days feeling so grumpy because my baby wasn’t here yet. This is what they mean when they say, “If you want to hear God laugh, tell Him your plans.” I missed a few days of putting things I am thankful for up on Facebook (November tradition!) because I was definitely NOT feeling very thankful. Fail on my part…especially since I have so much to be thankful for.

I’m thankful for my sweet little family and my 3 cute little kids. I’m thankful for the safe arrival of Mr. Jack. I’m thankful to feel so much love from the people around me. I’m thankful for all the hope that a brand new person, straight from heaven, inspires. I’m thankful my Heavenly Father loves me enough to allow me to be a Mom.

Emily’s 1st Birthday

2011-11-18T20:50:00.000-08:00

Our Emily turned one…seriously, I wasn’t sure we’d make it to this day! It has been a very rough year, from the months of endless crying (thank you, colic), plus Mom being pregnant with Jack – I didn’t know how it would all turn out!

Emily is a blessing in our home. She’s definitely a Mama’s girl! If Mom is home, nobody else matters.:) She has an infectious laugh that just melts your heart. She loves books and babies and pretty much any toy her big sister has (which makes for some SERIOUS tantrums!).

Emily has been walking since 11 1/2 months. Its GREAT! She is so much easier and happier now that she’s 100% mobile.

For her birthday, we laid low since Jack was expected any day. We had some yummy cake and ice cream at home, which she loved!

October Update!

2011-10-28T06:41:00.001-07:00

I’ve had things to blog about all month. Have I done it? Nope. And next week is November. Where is time going?! It’s crazy to think in just a few short weeks we’ll have Baby J here with us and then it will be Christmas…especially when it sometimes seems like we just brought Emily home from the hospital and were celebrating Christmas with Grandpa & Grandma Hunter! I can’t believe how fast this year has gone.

What we’ve been up to this month:

We opened our last jar of jam from last summer and I thought, “Seriously, where did all the jam go?” I had some strawberries in the freezer, so in a mad rush I made 3 batches of strawberry jam (4 pints and 18 half pints). And it was delicious!

That got me in a canning mood, so I also did 7 quarts of beans. It was my first time, and we haven’t tasted them yet, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed! Hopefully before the baby comes I can get a good price on chicken and get my year supply of chicken canned.

I wanted to get a video of Emily walking, but I haven’t yet. She’s taking a few steps on her own…she might just be walking by the time her brother gets here! That’s what I’ve been hoping for!

Last weekend we had our baby shower. I have AWESOME friends, family, neighbors, etc. We had a great turn-out and got some fun stuff. Now we just need a baby for it all!

Addie, Me & Danielle

Jen, Danielle & Me:)

I still can’t believe how fast this pregnancy has gone. I have been heard saying, “This baby just needs to get here already…” and then I heard this lovely quote from Erma Bombeck:

"If I had my life to live over...instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment, realizing that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle."

That was such a great reminder for me. So I am making it a priority to enjoy all the little things about being pregnant these last few weeks…uncomfortable as I may be!

We got the girls all dressed up in their Halloween attire early so we could send out a card to all the family. FAIL. Here’s the card that never got sent.:) Happy Halloween everybody!

Our Week, and General Conference

2011-10-02T22:47:00.001-07:00

My baby is a climber! Seriously, she’s always trying to climb into the bathtub, she’s going to fall in on her head one of these days. She loves to get into Annie’s rocking chair, and up on the hearth at Grandpa’s house. Who knows where she’ll go next!?

I am on a kick trying new recipes. We’ve had tomato soup, pumpkin muffins, ham & cheese crescents and lemon bars. The favorites were Baked Ziti and Chicken Bacon Parmesan Pasta. Seriously…delicious!

The ziti was her favorite.:)

(ignore the Christmas plate)

This last week we also had another ultrasound for Baby J., just to check his size and make sure he’s doing well. He’s a cute little booger.:) Right now he’s weighing in around 4 lbs. He’s measuring a little bit big, but not enough to worry about. Seriously, it feels like the kid is 3 feet long. I feel his little hands down at the bottom of my belly and I swear his feet are up in the middle of my chest! I am UNCOMFORTABLE!

Only 8 more weeks to go, if he goes all the way to November 26th. I just try to keep reminding myself that the girls both came 2 weeks early, which means I need to be ready in 6 weeks. BAHAHAHA…funny, huh?:)

This weekend was General Conference. As a mom of 2 little people, I’ve learned that, these days, I learn best in one-liners. I don’t get much out of regular church, just bits and pieces, here and there, so I went into conference listening for some good one-liners. These were some of my favorites.

General Relief Society Meeting

Dieter F. Uchtdorf“God is fully aware that you and I are not perfect. Let me add: God is also fully aware that the people you think are perfect are not.”

Saturday Morning Session

Barbara Thompson: “I didn’t keep a testimony through those times, the testimony kept me.”

Dieter F. Uchtdorf (LOVE HIM!):

“Compared to God, man is nothing. Yet, we are everything to God.”

“You could pile up the accumulated currency of the entire world and it could not buy a loaf of bread in the economy of heaven.”

“The Lord doesn’t care at all if we spend our days working in marble halls or stable stalls. He knows where we are, no matter how humble our circumstances. He will use in His own way and for His own holy purposes those who incline their hearts to Him.”

Saturday Afternoon Session

Neil L. Anderson (one of my favorite talks!):

“We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the Earth remains in force. … We express deep gratitude for the enormous faith shown by husbands and wives, especially wives, in their willingness to have children. When to have a child and how many children to have are private decisions to be made between a husband and wife and the Lord. These are sacred decisions. Decisions that should be made with sincere prayer and acted on with great faith.”

“Motherhood is not a hobby, it is a calling. You do not collect children because you find them cuter than stamps. It is not something to do if you can squeeze the time in. It is what God gave you time for.”

“To a righteous father, there are no words sufficient to express the gratitude and love he feels for his wife’s incalculable gift of bearing and caring for their children.”

“Where is your faith?”

“If you are concerned about providing financially for a wife and family, may I assure you that there is no shame in a couple having to scrimp and save. It is generally during these challenging times that you will grow closer together that you will grow closer as you learn to sacrifice and make difficult decisions.” (from Pres. Monson)

Ian D. Ardern:

“Let us be as quick to kneel as we are to text.”

“Cyber acquaintances are no lasting substitute for real friends who can give an encouraging hug, pray for us, and seek out our best interest.”

“Our greatest happiness comes as we tune into the Lord and to those things which bring a lasting reward, rather than mindlessly tuning into countless hours of status updates, internet farming and catapulting angry birds at concrete walls. I urge each of us to take those things which rob us of precious time and determine to be their master, rather than allowing them through their addictive nature to be master over us.”

Sunday Morning Session

Henry B. Eyring:

“In one who is wholly converted, desire for things contrary to the gospel of Jesus Christ has actually died. And substituted therefor is a love of God with a fixed and controlling determination to keep His commandments.” (from Marion G. Romney)

Elaine S. Dalton (another of my favorites):

“The most important thing a father can do for his daughter is to love her mother. By the way you love her mother, you will teach your daughter about tenderness, loyalty, respect, compassion and devotion.

Your example will teach your daughter to value womanhood. You are showing her that she is a daughter of her Heavenly Father.”

“Be an active part of her life. If, in her teenage years, she should not come home from a date on time, go get her. She will resist and tell you you have ruined her social life, but she will inwardly know that you love her and that you care enough to be her guardian.”

You are not ordinary men. Because of your values in the premortal realms, you qualify to be leaders and to possess Priesthood power. There you exhibited exceeding faith and good works and you are here now to do the same.”

Thomas S. Monson:

“Our code of conduct is definitive. It is not negotiable.”

And…I pretty much missed the Sunday afternoon session. Mostly cause I was fighting with my kids. Sundays are never very good.

Sunday…and Our Week in Review!

2011-09-20T10:37:00.001-07:00

We had a busy week this last week, but truthfully, I don’t remember most of what we did!:) We had planned to start potty training Annie, but there was just too many different things going on. Also truthfully, I’m HORRIFIED of potty training. We’ll get to it.:)

Our Fall activity was to color leaves and hang them in our windows. We put construction paper on the backs of them, so from the outside, we have colored leaves. Annie loves to color, so she had a fun time doing this and helping Mom to hang them up.

We also made pumpkin muffins. They made our house smell SO delicious! Now, if it would just turn into Fall already!

Mom at 30 weeks…

30 weeks!? Seriously, this pregnancy has gone SO fast! Still feeling pretty good…nothing serious enough to complain incessantly about!:) Uncomfortable, tired, a little sore…but I am just grateful that I finally look pregnant!

My cute girls. They have been doing pretty good to play together and have fun. It’s about time! I thought that day would never come. Annie gets a little rough sometimes, but I think its just because she doesn’t quite know what to do with herself. Or with Emily. She’s 2, for goodness sakes!

Kris decided to cut his own hair. Sad.

General Conference is coming up and we are looking forward to that. It’s hard with little kids to get much out of it, but we try. Kris will be working (as usual!), so its just the girls and me. We’ll make the most of it anyway.:)

Standing on a Corner in Duncan, Arizona

2011-09-20T10:25:00.001-07:00

My Uncle John passed away over the summer, and since then I have been trying to get up to Duncan to see my Aunt Jenna (my mom’s older sister) every couple weeks. I’ve taken my dad and my sister with me a couple times, and always the girls, but this week Kris was off and got to go with me.

When I go, I take a couple meals for her and my cousin. I’m not the best cook, but I love doing it, so its fun to get to plan different things I can take to her. I love making food for my aunt for a couple reasons. The first is that she makes me feel like I’m the most amazing cook ever! She calls me and is so grateful and tells me how good everything was. It makes me feel SO good. The second is that a lot of the time when I’m cooking, my mind goes wandering to my mom and my grandma, especially when I know I’m taking the food I’m making to my aunt. Its such a lovely time for me to get to reflect on my heritage.

This week was chicken & dumplings and macaroni salad (I should’ve taken a picture!).:)

After we visited with Jenna and Annie got to play with the puppies a bit (They are totally NOT puppies! One of them comes face-to-face with Annie…she’s huge!), we stopped at the 3 Sisters Bakery on the highway. We got cookies and ice cream. It was a fun day and I was so glad we got to spend it all together!

My Babies

2011-09-11T21:23:00.001-07:00

“To you, everything’s funny…

you got nothing to regret.

I’d give all I have, honey,

If you could stay like that.”

Taylor Swift, “Never Grow Up”

My babies are SO MUCH more than I could ever deserve. They love me – even when the dinner’s not cooked right or the house isn’t clean, if I yell or I cry, if I wear pajamas all day, if I’m fat or if I don’t have time to shower. I love my children unconditionally, but the love they show to me in return is beyond unconditional. It’s perfect.

First Haircut, Sunday & Other Stuff

2011-09-05T21:16:00.001-07:00

Last week, Emily got her first haircut. Her bangs and the back of her head were getting totally out of control. Cutting baby hair is ridiculous. RIDICULOUS! But, I totally can’t justify paying somebody to cut it when its just a little bit, and she’s just a baby (that means she’s pretty cute, no matter what). SO, Kris held her down, and I had the scissors. It was a little rough, but whatever, she’s still freakin’ adorable.

My poor shaggy baby:)

After. I did not put a bowl over head, let's just be clear on that.

This is how I found my Annie a couple days ago when I went to get her up from her nap. Those bears are supposed to be up against the wall, under the curtain. She moved them all out of her way to take a nap…ON THE FLOOR! I keep thinking, “Why would she sleep on the floor?” But I think I should just be grateful that the sweet kid sleeps pretty much anywhere!

The last couple weeks have been a little rough going. The girls have been awesome, don’t get me wrong…I just have these CRAZY pregnant hormones that I don’t know what to do with! I keep thinking to myself, “How did I get myself into this?” Oh, and then there’s the “How in the hell am I going to do this?”:)

Somehow we got this BRILLIANT idea to have Kris’s parents (and hopefully brother!) wait to come until after the holidays are over. We figured we could do this on our own (which we totally can), and since we had them for so long last time and over the holidays…it just seemed like the best idea. And yet, the closer it gets, the more I think, “What was I thinking!?”:) We have an awesome ward, plus family close by, so I don’t think we’ll have any problems. But the thought of being home alone with 3 kids when Kris has to go back to work…not going to lie, it’s a little horrifying.

So I started looking for little ways to help me know this would all work out the way it should. First, it seems a silly thing, but it was a BIG deal to my kid…the greeter in Wal-Mart gave Annie a sheet of stickers. She was crying when we walked into the store (Why? Cause she has a mean mom.), and this particular greeter always talks to me and the girls, so she had stopped and Annie had tears running down her cheeks. She offered her a sticker, and then just gave her the whole sheet. The whole trip through Wal-Mart, was AWESOME. Annie laughed the whole way through, and had a great time, all because of this little thing.

The next day, a sweet lady from our ward came with three chicken salad sandwiches, right before lunch time. She told me she had just heard I was pregnant and had been thinking about me (of course, she didn’t realize that I’m 7 months pregnant, but that’s okay). I just had this overwhelming reassurance of my Heavenly Father’s love for me.

Saturday was our ward party. Annie couldn’t have had more fun running around with all the kids and playing. I love knowing that there are all these little kids that just look out for each other. Watching her play and have fun felt like a little miracle in itself. Then, while we were eating, I got a little perspective from the lady sitting next to us (she had her 3 grandkids with her). I apologized for my kids, and she said, ‘They were angels compared to these 3.” I, of course, would’ve said the same thing about her grandkids. Perspective…I needed some.

Sunday the opening song in Sacrament Meeting was “How Firm a Foundation”. The 3rd verse is (usually) my favorite:

Fear not, I am with thee; oh, be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid.
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by my righteous, upheld by my righteous,
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.

Something about those words always fills me with peace. This Sunday, though, it was the 2nd verse that caught my attention:

In ev’ry condition—in sickness, in health,
In poverty’s vale or abounding in wealth,
At home or abroad, on the land or the sea—
As thy days may demand, as thy days may demand,
As thy days may demand, so thy succor shall be.

I even went home and looked up “succor”. It means help, relief or aid. I had been feeling so overwhelmed about all the things I need to do to get ready for this baby, and still dealing with a little post-partum from Emily, among all the other trials of life…I forgot that I’m not alone.

We just watched “Life As We Know It” (awesome movie!) and one of the lines from that movie has been sticking with me.

“Just because you accept help from someone, doesn’t mean you have failed. It just means you’re not alone.”

So here’s to asking for help…:)

Zoo

2011-08-21T23:16:00.001-07:00

Since Kris’s 5 days off started with a VERY short trip to the cabin, we decided to try to salvage the rest of the weekend by heading to Tucson. We made our last trip to Costco before Baby Jack arrives and stocked up on some things, plus we did a little Christmas shopping and saw our friend Sara. In an attempt to do something fun, we took Annie to Reid Park Zoo. It was hot, so we didn’t survive the whole zoo (okay, mom got grumpy and hot and declared we were leaving about halfway through).

I’m amazed at how much Annie knows about animals. One day we were walking and she started talking about squirrels. I said to her, “How do you know about squirrels?” She just smiled. She’s one smart kiddo! We knew that she would love the zoo!

Checking out the elephants…She kept saying there was a Mama Elephant and a Daddy Elephant.

Emily wasn’t too impressed…but she enjoyed the ride.:)

Checking out the turtles

She tried SO hard to say Rhinoceros!

Peacocks

SO worth the 50 cents!!

Annie hated the aviary. HATED. There was a bird that growled at her.:) Plus, they surrounded her (they were behind a netting). She screamed and tried to run out of the cages.

What a way to end the morning…apple juice in an alligator cup!:)

Mountains

2011-08-21T22:59:00.001-07:00

We tried to go up to our cabin for a few days…but we only lasted one night! Between kids not sleeping and parents not sleeping and a pregnant mom…it was pretty obvious after that one night that the rest of the trip would be pretty bad.:) We lasted long enough to get some cute pictures, though.

Emily & Grandpa

This is what tired looks like…

Once she got her second wind, Annie ran up and down the stairs. She had a ball playing in the dirt and gathering sticks.

Emily watching from inside.

Kris making breakfast…potatoes, Spam and eggs!

Who doesn’t LOVE bubbles!?

9 Months!

2011-08-15T22:45:00.000-07:00

Emily went in for her 9 month visit this last week. She’s growing up so fast, I can hardly believe it! She’s weighing in at 19 1/2 lbs.(75th percentile) and is 27 1/2 in. long (50th percentile).

Emily is crawling like CRAZY! She can get into anything she wants to and follows her big sister everywhere! She’s also cruising along the couches, which hopefully means she’s walking by November. That, of course, is a double edged sword…but I’m pretty sure it will be MUCH easier on this mom if she is walking, and I don’t have to carry her everywhere!

Emily loves to talk and laugh, especially with Annie. They egg each other on and can make each other laugh at the drop of a hat. She loves her big sister! We had a little incident at church…she clobbered a baby smaller than her with a toy. I hope that’s not a sign of what’s to come with Baby Jack!:)

Sunday

2011-08-07T21:06:00.001-07:00

Here’s my confession…At the beginning of the week I chose to watch a movie that I absolutely shouldn’t have watched. A friend said it had a good story to it and it wasn’t “that scary.” I’m a big baby when it comes to scary movies…I like the feeling of being scared, I just don’t like it to last. And usually I don’t watch anything where that feeling lasts – because, let’s get real, there’s no such thing as zombies or vampires.

Here’s what I learned…what you allow in your home (as far as media, TV, music, etc.) affects the Spirit of your home. No kidding, right? The prophets have been saying that for years. I’m a proud person, though, and have always kind of considered myself immune to that…like I am unaffected by it and can watch/listen/read pretty much anything I want and it makes no difference.

Wrong.

All week, since watching this movie, I can’t get these VERY vivid images out of my head. What’s worse is that all those images from the movie have led to ridiculous thoughts in my own head.

I haven’t had a good night of sleep in a week. Emily has had a hard time getting to sleep with me (Kris is on graveyards), because as soon as I walk into her dark room, I panic, my heart rate goes nuts and she can tell.

I’m embarrassed and ashamed that I would knowingly let this feeling into my home. And very humbled.

That’s probably why our Sunday was so awful. I’ve been a total grouch all week. Annie has hit that phase where she just chatters all the time. I want her to be quiet. Like, 5 minutes of quiet would be awesome. She just goes. It’s crazy. All morning, I wanted to tape her mouth shut (no lie). And all morning I kept thinking, “Church better be good.” Yeah, of course its going to be stellar with that kind of attitude.

Our Relief Society lesson was about getting the monkeys off your back. Two things I needed to hear:

The opening song – “Count Your Blessings”
“If anyone can change the dismal situation into which we are sliding, it is you. Rise up, oh women of Zion, rise up to the great challenge which faces you.” GORDON B. HINCKLEY (I Googled this quote and loved the end part of it: “My message to you, my challenge to you, my prayer is that you will rededicate yourselves to the strengthening of your homes.”)

I’m feeling a little (okay, A LOT) more determined to get rid of my monkeys, those comfortable little things that give me lots of excuses for doing things I shouldn’t (should’ve, would’ve could’ve). First step, no more scary movies at my house.

Sundays are exhausting…

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to…

2011-08-03T22:34:00.001-07:00

Today my Annie is 2 1/2. I didn’t think I’d really care after she turned 2. I mean, no regular doctor check-ups until she turns 3, no big milestones like when they’re little and tackling everything. But seriously, I care because my kid is freakin’ AMAZING.

Annie is so full of spunkiness, I am seriously always laughing. It’s awesome. She has been saying and doing the most ridiculous things lately. On our trip to Vegas, we bought her fruit snacks that had smiley faces on them. She called them “Happies”. When she would finish them, she’d say, “Happy no more,” and shake the package upside down. On our way home from Vegas, she was sleeping and Emily was crying. She woke up and said, “Mom, baby’s crying. Get a bottle. And binky.” Seriously, who is this kid!?:)

She is very quick to say please, thank you and you’re welcome (even when its not necessary). She also loves to walk up and say, “Mom, what are you doing?” She does it several times in a row, so it isn’t always cute, but the first few times it is.:)

Yesterday in the car, she was pretending to have a camera. She’d say, “Smile!” and then take a picture and say, “Oh that’s so cute.” I can’t believe the things she not only picks up on, but how long she remembers them for!

One of my favorite things she does is, after cleaning up toys or doing something we’ve asked her to do, she throws her arms up in the air and says, “I did it!”

Annie is a great helper. She gets diapers, blankets, wipes…pretty much anything we ask her to do (within reason, of course). She LOVES her little sister. It’s awesome to watch them when they actually play together. Annie makes Emily laugh faster and louder than anybody else can. Annie stands on the opposite side of the living room and calls to Emily, “Come here baby.” The best thing is that Emily crawls right over to her!

Annie has also really started loving books and songs. She wants to read books before bed every night. Her latest favorite is “One Fish, Two Fish…” by Dr. Seuss. She even knows some of the different pages and counts or says certain words with you. She loves to sing and has finally started learning words and actions, so she can tell you what she wants to sing (oh, and she DOES tell you!).

Sometimes I can’t believe how lucky I am to have this little girl in my life. She’s so smart and funny and beautiful. Even on the worst days, she always manages to find a way to make me laugh. I can’t wait to see what she does with a little brother!

Comfort Food

2011-08-03T22:08:00.001-07:00

Tonight was Chicken Fried Steak with buttermilk gravy, mashed potatoes and green beans. Comfort food.

Monday would’ve been my parents 36th wedding anniversary. That’s just a random bit of information and not helpful to know, other than it means you know I had my mom on the brain.

Kris and I were having a conversation about different people we know that just seem to have kids for the sake of having kids. Like they’re a status symbol. Like they’ll save them from their lives. It’s not about sharing your life with another little person, teaching them and watching them grow. It’s about what a child will do for you.

I never wanted kids. I don’t make much of a secret out of that.

When I was little, I wasn’t around kids enough to really think about having my own someday. By the time I was old enough to care, I had enough things happen in my life to know that I would never want someone else (especially someone I was responsible for) to endure the pain and loss that I had. And when I was even older, I knew for certain I would screw a kid up. Bad.

I’m not sure what really changed my mind, probably a combination of things. I remember the day I felt like I was okay with losing my mom. I knew I was okay, and I knew that I had no control over it. Just like I would have no control over the things that would happen in my children’s lives. Some things just happen. Death is one of those things.

I also remember the day when I was okay with the decisions I had made and the person they had made me. They weren’t mistakes. They were decisions. Moments in my life that I had taken advantage of my free agency. Mostly I realized I had more courage (and maybe sanity) than I originally gave myself credit for, because I pulled myself out of that place.

That’s when I met Kris, and I knew from watching him with his nephew Kevin, that I could have kids with him, and it would be okay.

Truthfully, though, I never thought I would enjoy motherhood like I do. Motherhood is my comfortable place. I may not always do everything right, and it’s hard (3 days of baby diarrhea make it harder), but it’s the best place to be. I love my babies…out of control, unexplainable love. The best thing is that I don’t care about the sleep I’m missing, the things I don’t get to do anymore, the money I don’t have, or the friends I don’t have.

I don’t have many memories of my mom, but I remember being 8 years old and riding the Matterhorn at Disneyland with her. In that moment, she was my very best friend. It’s okay (now) that she’s gone, because for the briefest time, I had the greatest mom EVER. I’d sacrifice anything to make sure my kids have that one memory of me where they feel that way.

Las Vegas pt. 2

2011-07-26T08:58:00.001-07:00

Sweet Holli took these pictures…love them!

Annie picking out her chocolates at the Chocolate Factory.:)

Riding in Grandpa’s walker

Aaron, Annie and Gleanie

My kids were pretty much in heaven with their cousins!

Viva Las Vegas/Hunter Family Reunion

2011-07-25T17:06:00.001-07:00

Our second vacation of the summer was to Las Vegas! We’ve been planning for a few months to meet Kris’s family there (it’s exactly halfway between home and Twin Falls!). We made all the arrangements so everybody could stay at the time share (thank you bonus points!) – it was so much fun for us to all be together. We missed David & Brian, but I’m pretty sure we had enough fun for them, plus some.:)

Our trip started on Saturday, when we drove to Mesa and stayed with our friends Craig & Bethany and their girls. Annie got to sleep in somebody else’s bed for the first time! I’m not sure her and Eden got ANY sleep, but who would!? We got up Sunday morning and headed to Las Vegas. No lie…both girls slept from just outside Phoenix all the way to Kingman. That’s a pretty big deal for them. Especially Emily, who is a pretty rotten sleeper. We planned to get to Vegas on Sunday night to get everything set up and ready, and everybody else would arrive Monday.

Monday afternoon the Hunter gang arrived from Idaho: Grandma & Grandpa, Julie, Eric & Leah & company, Holli & Aaron, and Katie. Poor Holli and Aaron…their car broke down – what a MESS that turned out to be! Thankfully they got to squeeze in our van a few times – we really loved having them (Katie, too).

Tuesday we went to the Ethel M Chocolate Factory. They had a self-guided tour and free chocolate tasting (yes – FREE chocolate tasting!). We spent too much money there, but seriously…it was SO worth it! My favorite was the Peanut Butter chocolates. They make their own peanut butter, and the chocolates are in the shape of peanuts. The Pecan Brittle was equally as delicious!

Tuesday night (after 2 nights of having Annie in our bed), Eric offered to let her sleep with his kids. Poor Lianna woke up Wednesday morning and told us she didn’t like Annie sleeping with her. She didn’t have enough space.:)

Wednesday we hit the Strip. Emily got to stay at the resort with Grandma.:) I was pretty miserable. Pregnant and hot (and in pain!) was not a great combination. We took Annie to the M & M store and got her and Emily matching shirts. We also saw the castle (Excalibur), which was pretty awesome to Annie. “It’s the castle, the castle,” she kept saying.

Thursday was family day, which ended up being mostly running errands and swimming for us. We had wanted to go to the temple, but it was closed for maintenance. We were SO disappointed! Thursday night we went to the Bellagio to see the fountains and the Conservatory. I LOVE the Conservatory there. They always have the most beautiful displays! The fountains were pretty, but there were SO many people and lots of different smells. My pregnant self couldn’t handle it all.:)

Friday. I seriously don’t even remember what we did Friday. That’s how crazy the week was! I do remember swimming, because Emily fell asleep in the pool with Grandma. Let’s see…Kris and Eric made breakfast that day. I also made an ungodly amount of deviled eggs. We had taken 4 18 packs with us (one was hard-boiled for deviled eggs at the beginning of the week) and then Leah bought a 60 pack at Costco. We cooked all the ones we brought, plus 7 out of the 60. The rest became deviled eggs. We were sick.

The girls in their matching swimsuits.:)

Saturday we headed home. The Idaho gang drove straight back to Idaho, and we just drove to Mesa. We were SO tired, there was no way we could’ve made it back in one day! It was worth it though, cause we had so much fun. We’re already looking forward to next year, when we go to Idaho to celebrate Grandma & Grandpa Hunter’s 50th Wedding Anniversary!

I’ll have more pictures to post. Since Holli is also into the photography thing, between all of us, we had some great pictures!

4th of July

2011-07-12T10:10:00.001-07:00

We didn't do much for the 4th of July (poor Kris wanted fireworks...), but we did go watch our neighborhood parade. Every year they set off the cannons at 5:30 a.m. and the fire trucks drive around town with their sirens blaring. It's ridiculous, but its tradition! We live right on the parade route, so at 6 a.m., we walked down to the corner to watch.

Emily wasn't too impressed. Every time the firetruck sirens would go off, she would jump.
Annie could hear the trucks coming before she could see them...

The best part of the parade? Candy at 6 o'clock in the morning.:)

The Latest...

2011-07-01T21:03:00.000-07:00

For those who haven't heard the news...

And just cause she's so gosh darn cute.:)

Sunday

2011-06-26T22:21:00.000-07:00

Let me just say, having Kris home on Sundays helps IMMENSELY. He got up this morning, made us eggs, bacon and potatoes (AND cleaned up his mess!). We could tag-team with the girls when they got rotten. It was great! Kris got out Annie's tunnel this morning and she and Emily had so much fun playing in it. They were so worn out, both of them took naps during Sacrament Meeting, which pretty much never happens!

I read two really lovely quotes from the Ensign this morning (that's right...I had time to read the Ensign! Why can't Kris be off every Sunday!?). They are from an article, "Faith and Infertility" from April. I didn't relate to everything (since clearly infertility is not really a problem at this point), but I did relate to the message on faith.

“When someone has an ailment or an illness and they are healed as the result of a blessing, their faith is being strengthened. But for those who aren’t healed but continue faithful, their faith is being perfected. The first is a faith-promoting experience. The second is faith-perfecting.”

“Sometimes we get caught up in the one-size-fits-all mentality, and we feel that our lives should look like other people’s lives. But that’s really not true. Everyone has different trials, and Heavenly Father is aware of those. If we are humble enough to follow the plan He has for us, we’ll be happy.”

I figure someday things won't be as hard as they are now. That's where the whole faith thing comes in.:)

Everything after church was pretty much a nightmare. No naps. Alot of crying and pouting and fit-throwing. Annie even got her first time-out for spitting out her peas at dinner. I was definitely grateful to not be fighting that battle alone tonight.:)

Motherhood

2011-06-13T22:25:00.000-07:00

Two blogs in two days...I know, hard to believe!:)

We have been going through the Terrible Two's for too long at our house. TOO LONG! I love my Annie but sometimes I look at her and I want to run! She can go from happy to tantrum in 3 seconds flat. Of course, her little sister has a similar ability so I am predicting the next few years are going to be pretty rough.
This is not quite what I imagined motherhood will be.
I'm really lucky to know a wide variety of women. Alot of them are like me - moms with a few kids. It's a great place to be in life...I wouldn't trade it for anything. I know other women - some single and wanting desperately to be married with a family, some single and wanting desperately to stay single, newlyweds, married without kids, divorced...the list could probably keep going. I'm always intrigued by what those women I know who don't have kids think motherhood is about. I think some of them have a clue, especially ones with much younger siblings. I was one of those who had NO IDEA what I was getting myself into.
My dad, a single dad for the last 19 years, told me today that having kids is a bigger sacrifice than most people realize. Yep. I've been through some rough things in my life, but none harder than just being a mom.

I wish I had known how little sleep I'd get. Sometimes I get 6 hours of sleep a night. Sometimes I get 2. Sometimes I get a nap, but most of the time not.
Showering? I wish somebody would've told me to enjoy my showers before I had kids.
Eating? While they eat, I babysit to make sure there's not food on the floor, wall, in their hair, etc. Then I rush through whatever cold food is on my plate. Sometimes standing up.
I don't have more than 2 items of clothing that aren't stained. I go to the bathroom with an audience. My house is generally a disaster. I stumble over toys in the dark. I find diapers in the weirdest places. I am constantly sticking my fingers in little mouths trying to figure out what they're eating. I am also a giant tissue for boogers.
I yell more than I should and I do things I always said I would NEVER do. I am not ashamed to say I have ZERO problem with this. I let my child get away with things I probably shouldn't, because I don't have the patience to fight with her about it.
I cry on a pretty regular basis because I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'M DOING.
The good news is that, because I don't know what I'm doing, I'm never really sure if I'm doing it wrong. For all I know, I'm doing everything right.:)

Motherhood just isn't what I anticipated. It does have its perks, though.

I am the first to be warned if the food is too hot.
I always have somebody to hold my hand, especially when I'm sad.
When I rescue a binky or a toy or something else equally as important, I'm pretty much the greatest thing EVER.
I'm pretty much the greatest thing most of the time, regardless of what I do.
Emily smiles bigger for me than anybody else. She lights up all over the place when I come in the room and cries if I walk past her without talking to her.
Annie, without any encouragement or prompting, runs up and hugs me and says, "Love you Mama."

I'll clean up crushed Cheerio's and deal with crayon on the wall just for that.

Sunday

2011-06-12T20:11:00.000-07:00

I hate Sundays. I think I've said that before...probably more than once. HATE. I've always felt like Sunday needed to be "different". My kids need to know that Sunday is a special day. I decided no TV, cartoons, etc. before church, so we could have a "spiritually uplifting" kind of Sunday.

In a perfect world, the morning is lovely. We wake up at 7 a.m., change diapers, turn on some church music and make pancakes and eggs and enjoy all our morning before we get ready for church. Cute, huh? This morning: Emily woke up at 1 a.m. and finally managed to get to sleep around 5:30 a.m. (Annie's in on my perfect world, though...she had to be woken up about 7:15!). Kris went to bed (he's on graveyards) at 7:30, Annie had a banana and milk and Emily had a bottle. I had a ham sandwich. And we watched Toy Story 3. They did let me make cupcakes (picture at the bottom). Emily only cried the last 10 minutes of trying to get that done. Then she cried for the next 45 minutes. And she spit-up on her dress.

We got to church and Annie was so wound up I wanted to scream. She's 2...truthfully, I don't know what I expect. But seriously, a little quiet would be awesome. She chattered, jumped up and down, laid on the floor. To deal with that on 2 hours of sleep was ridiculous. Why did I go to church?

Oh right, so I could listen to 4 talks (4 TALKS!?!) about the importance of the Sabbath. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Humble yourself, before the Lord humbles you.

I missed most of the talks, but here's what touched my heart. When I came back in from taking Annie out (she's lucky there was people in the foyer...she had a spankin' coming!!), the last speaker was talking about having little kids and how difficult it is to get to church, read scriptures, do Family Home Evening, etc. with little people. Then he talked about the intentions of our hearts, and how our intentions AND our obedience are what the Lord looks at.

Thank heavens for that, cause my intentions are usually pretty good. I'm trying. So hard. And when I think, "How am I going to do all this with 3 kids?", I feel a little better knowing that at least I'm trying. I haven't given up yet. Yet.:)

When I got home, my cousin (who just got called to be R.S. President in her ward...she's pretty incredible, no lie) had left this comment on my Facebook (I put that I was giving up on Sundays). She said, "I remember not long ago thinking this same exact thing. My wonderful mother often reminded me there is a time and a season in each of our lives for everything. The important thing is you are teaching your beautiful little girls the importance of obedience. Even when you go and don't feel like you got anything out of it. They are growing up realizing you spend Sundays at church. And some day in the not to distance future you will get your spiritual uplifting Sundays back. And then you will be called to be the RS pres."

So next Sunday we'll go back to our BYU Radio and skip the cartoons. My family needs to know that Sunday is a different day. And I'll do my best to not think about how HARD it is going to be after November.:)

Snickers cupcakes. They helped ease the difficult Sunday.:)

June - What We're Up To

2011-06-07T21:48:00.000-07:00

This has been a pretty laid back month for us, so far (with the exception of the one day we tried to potty train Annie....yeah, we'll be waiting a little while longer...). There's still 20 something days left for us to find some excitement, though! We were planning a few days at the cabin, but thanks to the threat of forest fires, that's probably not going to happen till the end of summer. We are getting VERY excited about our trip to Las Vegas next month. We'll be at the timeshare for a week with some of the Hunter family. It's going to be SO much fun!
My house is a mess, but seriously, its SO hot already, doing anything that takes much energy...well, it just isn't happening! I am not looking forward to these summer months. Been doing alot of baking (stupid cravings!), but nobody minds. Last week I made Strawberry Lemonade and Mayan Chocolate cupcakes.

This week I made Texas Chocolate Cake, and a friend just shared a recipe for Snickers cupcakes. SNICKERS CUPCAKES! I'm dying to make those...they sound DELICIOUS!
Things we've discovered so far this month:

Emily LOVES strawberry jam.:)

Everybody loves chocolate cake batter.

Annie LOVES her new bed.

Nursery (and 11 a.m. church) exhaust poor Annie.

I read this poem on a friend's blog and it hit that little spot in my heart (the one that always makes me cry!). I find myself ALWAYS thinking, "I need to be a better mother." Not that I think I'm a bad mom...I don't beat my children (although I am guilty of thinking about it...ha), I feed them and bathe them and keep them safe, I kiss them goodnight and most importantly, I tell them alot how AMAZING they are and how much I love them. But, there are things I could do to be better (scriptures, prayers, FHE, etc.), and so that's what I'm working on. I wanted to make sure I had this poem somewhere, though, cause I didn't want to forget it!

If I had my child to raise all over again,
I’d build self-esteem first, and the house later.
I’d finger-paint more, and point the finger less.
I would do less correcting and more connecting.
I’d take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.
I’d take more hikes and fly more kites.
I’d stop playing serious, and seriously play.
I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars.
I’d do more hugging and less tugging.
~Diane Loomans

Tea Time

2011-05-24T14:29:00.001-07:00

Pretty much ever since we got back from CA, Annie has been VERY spirited (lots of "I did it!", "Ta-dah", and jumping up and down) and she has been learning and doing alot of new things. It's pretty awesome to watch. Today I watched her prepare a tea party for her and her bear. I almost died! She got out her bear, put a funny hat on him, set the plates and a cup and poured him some tea.:) She sat there and talked to him just like she talks to me or somebody else. I'm not sure where she learned this...it was the first time she's ever done it!
I can't believe how big my kiddo is getting!

What's For Dinner

2011-05-21T14:23:00.000-07:00

I'm not so much into the whole food blogging thing, cause I barely have enough time to blog about my cute kids.:) BUT...on this occasion, I have to take a minute and share a picture of this yumminess I made.
Since Kris got the new supervisor, he's not in the control room anymore. He's out in the stacker and always working and can't sit and eat his lunch. I've been looking for new and not boring things for him to eat (like today we're having hot dogs...BORING!), so I found a recipe for crockpot Philly Cheese Steaks. Kris loves these, so I thought, why not!? DELICIOUS! They were just as ooey gooey delightful as it looks.:)

6 Months...Already!?

2011-05-17T20:58:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe how fast time is going. Maybe its because I'm busy with 2 kids now, but it seems like time is flying with Emily. She is growing quickly and is getting to be so much fun!
We took her today to her 6 month appointment. She did great on her shots (only a little bit of crying after the third one!) and even showed the good doctor how she doesn't like strangers, but she loves her big sister.:) She's weighing in at 17 lbs. 12 oz. (75th percentile) and is 26 in. long (50th percentile).
Emily is slowly getting over the whole cry-until-I'm-blue-in-the-face-for-absolutely-no-reason. She's now a sitter (yay!) and that has helped tremendously. She loves to sit and play with Annie, and Annie sure gets a kick out of watching Emily laugh at her. Emily is definitely a chatterbox and can definitely hold her own in a conversation.:) She's a fun kid, and is getting cuter and cuter by the day!

Sunday - Words I Wish I Wrote

2011-05-15T21:07:00.000-07:00

I have a few excuses for my lack of originality right now. Its mostly that I'm an emotional boob. But lately I keep hearing things and I think, "That's exactly how I feel...why couldn't I have written that?"
So, for your brief reading pleasure...a few things that have touched my Spirit over the last few days.

*****

"Faith in God includes faith in God's timing."
--Neal A. Maxwell

*****

The Road Not Taken
--Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh,
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

*****

"The Prodigal Son"
--Glenn Rawson

"Now, what I've wondered: How did that father even know he was coming, unless he'd been watching for him? Anxiously that father had watched and waited, and the moment that boy came into view, the father ran all the way out to meet him, quick to forgive.

I believe that so it is with our Heavenly Father. He is not sternly aloof, withholding His love until the very last steps of repentance are walked. He doesn't demand of us to take every return step alone. He loves us so compellingly that our first feeble steps in His direction are answered with marathons in return. I believe that no one returns to the fold alone.

Now, when through repentance people return, if our celebrations could be as festive and forgiving as those in Heaven, maybe more people would undertake the journey."