Easter Egg Hunt

We went to the Easter Egg Hunt at South Jordan City Park. Katy met us there with Carolyn, Kylie and Isaiah. Kylie and Ammon are the same age so their hunt was together at the far right end of the field. The age groups got progressively higher to the right. The hunt was scheduled to start at 10:00. It was crowded, and, especially in the age group we were in, there were 1-4 parents (lots of Grandparents) attached to each child. It would have been nice if parents would just let their kids stand there by the line instead of cramming in all the kids AND adults waiting for the hunt to start. Once Kylie was there with Ammon, I stepped out of the crowd and took some pictures from the other side.


A few minutes before 10:00 we heard a commotion. We looked down the field and there were kids in the oldest age group running onto the field as the people in charge were waving their hands to stop! But once one kid was out there getting eggs and candy they were all out there. The trickle effect started and soon it was not only that age group, but the group next to them, then the group next to them and so on down the field.


Pretty soon the reaction reached Kylie and Ammon. They ran out and immediately found some eggs for their basket. I snapped a few pictures and then I noticed both of them standing literally on mounds of candy searching frantically with thier eyes. I realized that they were EGG hunting. Most of the eggs had already gotten picked up so I ran over and explained to them to pick up the candy! Soon they were filling their baskets again and having a great time. Afterwards Carolyn and Ammon were excited to show off their loot!


The whole thing was over in a matter of minutes. I think the hunt was done before 10:00 when it had been scheduled to start. We had a blast, though, and it was a great kick off to our Easter festivities. While we were waiting for the hunt to begin, the Easter Bunny came through and talked to people in the crowd. Afterwards we were able to go meet him and take a picture!

Can't Fool Me

The other day Peter was banging on the railing with his hand. I thought to myself that he would probably like to play drums. With Ammon we would take a bowl and wooden spoon, turn the bowl upside down and let him bang away. He loved it! So I did that for Peter. His reaction cracked me up. He immediately took the bowl, turned it the RIGHT way, used the spoon to make a stirring motion and put the spoon to his mouth as if he were eating.

This just pointed out to me a key difference in personality between my two boys. Ammon has always been an experimenter - a problem solver. Peter, on the other hand, is an observer. He knows from watching the people around him the way things should be. It's fun to see them each being their own person.

Repentance is Sweet...

... repentance from a 4 year old even sweeter.

Last night after washing out yet another pair of poopy underwear Ammon was laying in bed and I was talking with him. He started talking about the Holy Ghost and how it is a scary monster. I explained that the Holy Ghost is actually a helper for Heavenly Father and Jesus and that he helps us know what good choices we can make and helps us know what bad choices to stay away from. I explained that the Holy Ghost can "talk" to us, but that we don't usually hear him like a voice, but more of a feeling.

Moments later Ammon erupted into hysterics literally sobbing saying, "I made a bad choice - Daddy does not make a bad choice. He makes a big boy choice. I want to be like Daddy. I made a bad choice!" He just kept going on and on with these sorts of comments. I was so stunned - he was feeling so bad! It took me a moment, but I realized he was upset about pooping in his underwear.

The fact that he felt he had made a bad choice seemed to go along with the conversation we had just been having so I explained to Ammon that when we make bad choices we can say a special prayer to Heavenly Father to tell him we are sorry and ask him to forgive us. Then we can ask him for help to not do it again. I asked Ammon if he wanted to say a special prayer like that. He said he did, so we prayed together. After we said the prayer Ammon had a huge grin on his face. I asked him if he had a good feeling inside and he said he did. I explained that the feeling he had was the Holy Ghost. It was a great experience and teaching moment for my adorable little boy.

I Remembered...

The way funny thing that Ammon has been saying lately is that whenever he wants to do something that I tell him he can't he says, "But Jesus told me I could". Once he gets on that argument, he sticks to it. I am kind of at a loss as to how to refute him with that one...

Where Did THAT Come From?

Ammon does and says so many cute things that I can't keep track of them all. Last night at Joey and Krista's house he wanted to go over to the slide. I went out with him once, and shortly later he slipped out the door by himself. I knew where he was going, but he didn't have permission and it was getting dark out, so when he got back I questioned him about it. "Ammon, why did you leave without asking me? How can I know where you are?"

His eyes got big and he patiently explained, "But Mom, I went to see my best friend Moon."

That answer caught my so off guard that I just couldn't stay mad. Since when is the moon his best friend? LOL. Actually, he has always loved the moon from the time he was old enough to notice it - probably Peter's age. I guess I just didn't realize that it was his best friend.

The fun thing about Ammon is that he is jus so surprising with the way he phrases things. The other day I was sitting at the computer working on something and he came in the room and stood next to me. He very politely asked, "May I please join you?" How adorable is that! Who knows where he learned it.

I know there are so many other cute things he has said just in the last two or three days, but my mind is blank right now, so I guess that's it for the moment.

Peter Remembers Daddy

Well, poor little Peter has been Daddy-less for more than 1/4 of his little life, and really doesn't know the difference. So, when he saw Andy this past weekend he didn't necessarily recognize him or know who he was. It was understandable but kind of sad. Andy tried to reach out to him but Peter just stared at him with a blank look on his face. Until...

Andy refused to let Peter react this way. "Oh, no!" He said. "You know who I am!" He pulled out his cell phone, put it to Peter's ear and started talking to him. Immediately recognition started to show in Peter's eyes - he knows that voice - he listens to it, on a cell phone, every day. It was so funny to watch! After that, Peter was totally warmed up to Andy.

A short while later Andy hopped out of the car for a moment to get something and Peter immediately starting shouting after him, "Da Da Da Da Da Da!" It didn't take my little boy long to know he loves his Daddy and wants to be with him as much as he can.

3 Unexpected Experiences

We just got back from Andy's graduation, and it was great! It was so wonderful to have our family together again for those few short days and especially in celebration of Andy's wonderful accomplishment. Peggy and Derrick were great travel companions/helpers, and I think my parents enjoyed the break from their long-term house guests.

Three little things that caught me off guard on our trip:

1 - At graduation I actually cried as we all had our hands on our hearts and we listened to the music of the Star Spangled Banner. It really brought home to me what an arrival Andy's graduation is for both him and me. We both have a great sense of patriotism and I am so proud of him for his willingness to serve our country in such a direct way. I realized that our family is offering our husband and dad to our country in both his time and our risks. I understand that if I have to stand and listen to that song play while his body lie prematurely in a casket, that it is a choice we accepted beforehand.

2 - Andy had a wonderful firearms instructor who supported him above and beyond the call of duty. This instructor also happens to be LDS. Here in Utah it seems that everyone is "Brother" or "Sister" so and so and we know that about each other, but when we run into other church members in their professional capacity we generally call them by their professional name. With that in mind, I had my turn to meet Mr. F and wanted to appropriately respect his career accomplishments by acknowledging him as he is known in the work place. Before I opened my mouth, however, he reached out, shook my hand and very gently said, "Sister Shadel, it is so nice to meet you." I was literally speechless at the intimacy in that introduction and was struck, as I never have been before by the sacredness of our relationships here on this earth as brothers and sisters. I realized that he was so eager to meet me, not as a student's wife, but as a Sister in the gospel. It was a great eye opening example to me.

3 - Along similar lines, I was touched when we attended the small branch in Artesia. Having grown up in a ward that easily had ten to twenty missionaries serving at a time, I have only just heard missionaries prayed for in a ward setting when they are getting ready to leave. I was touched, when on an ordinary Sunday, the branch included in their opening prayer, a blessing on the Elder they had out. They prayed for him by name. It was sweet to hear and I thought how fortunate that Elder is to have so many people praying not just a prayer that generically includes him, but one that is specifically for him as he serves the Lord.

Geo-Trax

Does everyone out there know about Geo-Trax? It is our absolute favorite train set ever! We have three different train sets, and for a long time I tried to not get my own geo-trax set because Grandma Lynn has it and I didn't want to duplicate her toys. But since we will be moving to Yuma, and won't be able to play her Geo-Trax whenever we want, we have started our own collection. We totally love it!!! I have AT LEAST as much fun as Ammon does and I am always very proud of my "creations" when I have built a new track. It is way fun for me and my boy to do together!

Great Smile!

My computer was down and out for a month and a half, so even though I have taken some pictures, I haven't been great about getting them off the camera. I was doing that this morning and found this picture Katy took. She was able to get a great smile out of Peter - I love it because it is so him: happy and bashful at the same time.

Green Straw

Ammon went through this phase where he was obsessed with straws. And not just any straws - green ones. Every morning he would ask for his drink and then say, (because I heard it so often I taught him to be polite about it), "May I please have a green straw?" This went on until we ran out of green straws. He was disapointed, but then came the daily question, "May I please have a blue straw?" Again this continued until we ran out of blue straws. Next he asked for red, and finally yellow straws. Eventually we ran out of all of them. I went to the store and found some straws randomly hanging in one isle, thought of Ammon and brought them home. They were great because they were all the same color - red and blue striped. I could just grab a straw at random and give it to him. And I did. Every day. Until they were all gone.

Every once in a while Ammon still asks for his straw. I keep meaning to buy more - I just haven't yet. And so I remind him that we are all out of straws. This morning was one of those days - he very sweetly asked for a straw and I told him we were all out, mentally reminding myself that I have GOT to go to the store to buy some. Strangely, Ammon asked, "Will you just check anyway?" So I did.

My mom had gotten some straws and put them in the "straw" place so I was pleasantly surprised to open up the cupboard and find a big bag of straws. I forgot which one was Ammon's favorite - I just grabbed one out and handed it to him.

We were lucky. I just happened to grab a green straw. Ammon shrieked with delight. He asked, "who bought the straws?" and I explained that I think Grandma had gotten them. He immediately ran downstairs to where she was and gave her a big hug. I was so impressed by the sheer happiness Ammon felt in response to a simple green straw and thought it might be good for me to reflect on what some of the "green straws" in my life might be. Happiness is so often and easily found in some of the simplest forms and today Ammon was a great example of that.

On a different note - I consider this to be a little bit more than a "green straw" happy thing - we finally figured out when Andy's first raise will be (actually his second raise - they had a 3% cost of living raise increase at the beginning of the year). There was a question about when it kicked in - it used to come 7 months after the academy in conjunction with a test they took. They don't have that test anymore, so we were not sure what to expect. Now the first raise (which is 14%, so it's kind of a big deal to me) comes six months after he started! So we'll actually be seeing it in just a few more months. I am pretty excited about that!

Bed Time Bliss

The first few years of Ammon's life, I was stupid. I guess I just didn't realize that babies will somewhat automatically put themselves on a schedule if you just help them decide what it is. For our entire marriage Andy and I had worked nights, and although I quit my job, Andy was still working nights and not getting home until late - even though he generally left the house for school at 6:30 in the morning. So having a bedtime for the baby didn't occur to me. Ammon slept when he fell asleep and was awake the other times. There was absolutely no rhyme or reason to it. And it wreaked havic on our lives as he got older.

Because I never forced bed, Ammon never really learned how to unwind and fall asleep. We got into the very bad habbit of driving to put him to sleep. We would get in our car at 2 or 3 in the morning sometimes because Ammon had still not gone to bed. We were always up at least until midnight or 1:00 and often times later than that.

We lived this way until Ammon was big enough to not take naps at all. And then our lives changed for the better!

Now I have two boys who are perfect at going to bed! Peter has always been really good about adhering to a schedule, and lately Ammon has been coming to me telling me he is ready for bed. And I am talking about 7:30 at night - none of the midnight stuff anymore!

Tonight I put Peter to bed at 7:30 like I always do. Ammon was having a good time playing on the computer so I decided to let him stay up "late" until 8:00. I came down half an hour later to put him to bed and he was no where to be found. After a few minutes searching I found him already snuggled into bed sleeping. It just cracks me up that he put himself to bed!

I am so glad that I can rely on bedtime every night. It takes half an hour or so by the time I nurse Peter, get him to bed, and then help Ammon get his teeth brushed etc and get him to bed. But it's never a fight with either one of them and by 8:00 every night I am free and clear and able to do whatever (usually talk to Andy for a few minutes) and have some child free time before I go to bed myself. I am so glad for my boys who love their sleep!

No Cavities!

Ammon had his first ever sucessful visit to the dentist today! Hopefully now we can just keep the routine of checkups every six months with an easy cleaning and flouride treatment. It is just so much easier this way than when there is lots of extra work to be done.

Since Peter already has 7 teeth, I am taking him in as soon as he has his birthday. Hopefully we can keep his teeth from having the same problems Ammon had. He has a couple of advantages that Ammon didn't have, though. He lives where there is flouride in the water (Ammon didn't when he was Peter's age), he doesn't use a bottle, and, after our experiences with Ammon, I am much more paranoid about juice and candy.

I went to the dentist a few weeks ago and also had no cavities (no surprise there - I can't remember the last time I had a cavity...) Andy needs to get to the dentist, but apparently Artesia doesn't have any dentists that work hours which would accomodate him. He is pretty frustrated about it, actually.

Anyway, if nothing else we can get him in to see our dentist here one last time before me move. After being double covered on insurance last year and still spending a good 5k out of pocket on dental stuff, I am eager to keep every one current on their check ups!

Tip of the Day

Yesterday I went to CostCo with my mom. I had already checked Sam's Club for the Twilight Books (they were about $18 a piece at Barnes and Noble and I couldn't bring myself to do that!) Sadly, no luck at Sam's Club. But, while at CostCo, I decided on a whim to check out the book area. Sure enough, Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse were all there for $11 each! We walked out of the store with 6 books in hand!!! I bought all three, Mom bought Twilight, and Katy requested that we get her the first two (she heard that a new edition of Eclipse will be released soon with the first chapter of the next book in it so she is holding out for that). Anyway, if anyone else wants to buy the books at a good price, CostCo is the place to go. The books are hardcover. ;-)

Sick and Miserable...

It started with Ammon having a runny nose. That was last week. Other than the runny nose, though, he seemed to be fine. Until Friday, I think. That was the day we just sat around watching TV because he kept telling me how sick he was. Then I started feeling like I was catching something. For me it started Saturday night. I have always heard that the third day of a cold is the worst, and if today counts as the third day, then I totally believe it. I am miserable! And the disheartening thing is that Ammon still seems to feel lousy too. Last night he started coughing so hard he actually threw up. (The picture is of the girl cleaning it up...) This morning he is just miserable and has asked me, "why does it have to be morning?" I think he is saying that he wants to still be sleeping. I told him he can close his eyes and go to sleep anyway, but he is petty adament that morning time requires conciousness... what a funny boy.

Random

Can you tell from Peter's unsure smile that he is wondering if he is allowed to be happy with me a full three feet away from him! He is just at that age!!! He is so cute and can really keep himself entertained IF he forgets to worry whether or not I am in the room. But he will be playing just fine and if he suddenly looks up to see me, and realizes that I am over on the couch instead of on the floor next to him he will start to cry. He does this funny thing lately where he puts his hands over his ears and cries in major distress every time he is upset. I really spent three weeks wondering if he had ear infections before I determined that it is just what he does when his feelings have been hurt.

Ammon was sick today, which was a bummer. I encouraged him to lay low and watch TV most of the day. He loves Diego, though, and I don't turn it on for him very often, so he got up and had fun. Diego was doing some sort of race today and so Ammon ran and ran - even though he told me it made him tired. I love all these interactive TV shows they have these days. (Although I guess I should let him watch them on the days he's NOT sick - it kind of defeated my purposes today...)

The other day I took Ammon to get an icecream cone at McDonald's. He heard me order the "Kiddie Cone". Ever since then he has been asking if we can go back and get the "Kitty Cone". Then he started calling it the "Kitty Cat Cone". It is funny to realize what kids think they hear.

Andy did awesome on his law test today. 12 out of the 43 guys failed it and Andy's score was in the high 80's. He thinks he may be the only guy in his group who hasn't failed at least one of the law classes. He has been doing so well in those classes! It is really impressive. I wish we were rich, because next weekend is another three day weekend and I want him to come home again. The only consolation is that we will be going there in three weeks. But even though three weeks will get here, it still sounds like a long time compared to next week!

I have been supposed to be binding a quilt - which is so small it should have been done 2 weeks ago, but I have been reading in all my spare time and haven't even been getting to my book much, so the binding has been put aside. However, I finished Eldest today, so I can finally get back to the other things I am supposed to do when the boys are sleeping (like getting some sleep myself...)

I am not sure how much I love the books Eragon and Eldest, but I am intersted enough that I will read the rest of them when they come out. I think the next one comes out in August, though, and that is when the next book from the Twilight series comes out. There is no debate in my mind as to which one I'll read first! Now that I am finished with this book, I just may read Twilight again!

I am kind of disapointed that Eldest culminated on the great revelation of Eragon's family background since I had figured that out back in the first book. I expected it to come out in the second book, but the way it ended on that note made it seem like the whole book was just building to that discovery. Oh well. Like I said, I am far enough invested in the story that I am curious to see it through now.

And now the big decision for my night... binding or bed? (Or, knowing me, good intentions for both and in reality niether...)

President Monson

Today I watched the press conference which announced our new first presidency. It was neat to watch. I felt the spirit in various ways throughout the meeting and am confident the this is the Lord's church and He is at the head. President Monson, President Eyring and President Uchtdorf truly are servants of the Lord.

When I first turned on the TV Carol Mikita was reporting but the conference had not yet begun. She is a good reporter, though, and basically knew, through her own observations what was going to take place. She reported seeing President and Sister Monson, Sister Eyring, and.... Sister Uchtdorf. As soon as she said that, it was an easy assumption of who the new first presidency would be.

Moments later in walked our prophets and apostles: the men who lead the church and bring the words of our Heavenly Father to the world today. At President Hinckley's funeral procession, it was noted how orderly they are in following their order of senority. Well, I didn't have a clear view of the TV because I was tending to Peter, but from the corner of my eye I could see eleven men walking in order to sit in the chairs for the apostles, and three other men walking to the chairs for the first presidency. Before any formal announcement was made, President Monson sat down with President Eyring at his right and President Uchtdorf at his left. I just got chills as I watched this newly formed presidency make themselves known to the world for the first time.

Someone asked President Monson what he did in response to the realization that this responsibility would come upon him. His answer touched me. He said that he knelt in prayer and asked the Lord what is offered in D&C 84:88, that the Lord would "go before my face, and that He will be on my right hand and on my left, and that His Spirit shall be in my heart, and His angels round about to bare me up." I love listening to the Prophets and Apostles because so often they speak the words of the scriptures whether we realize it or not.

The other answer I remember (I can't recall what the exact question was) was that the best thing the youth of the church can do is pray and have confidence that they will receive answers to those prayers. It is my responsibility to live this way, and more importantly to teach my children the power of prayer. I feel like I am already being taught and instructed by President Monson.

I am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who has provided for us these watchmen on the tower who help us find the light in an ever darkening world!

YOU Need a Blog!

OK. So I got tagged. This is the explanation of what that means:


Quick Rules:
A: Each player answers the questions about themselves.
B: At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blog and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

The problem is that Kara is the only person I know who keeps a regular blog and she is the one who tagged me!

Well, part A is fine... I'll get around to it. But part B is a problem. So I am going to "tag" the people who read this blog who I WISH had blogs that I could read too!


5 People I Tag:

1.. Amanda
2. Krista
3. Rae
4. Kim
5. Deanne

I feel bad because I know there are people I left out and honestly, I want EVERYONE to start a blog because I would love to know more about what is up with you. So even if you aren't on the "list" consider yourself "tagged" to start a blog. (And then don't forget to tell me about it!!!)


OK. On to the questions...


10 Years Ago:
I had just turned twenty. I remember my parents being concerned about me because they felt like I was "drifting" and didn't really have a clear direction with what to do with life. I didn't understand what they were talking about at the time, but in retrospect they were dead on. I struggled to be motivated with my education because I felt like the next year would either bring marriage or mission, both of which would potentially disrupt school. I didn't know what to prepare for or how to do it. If I am specific to 10 years ago this month I was working full time in the returns department at Franklin Covey. I went to the "Wellness Center" every day after work and didn't realize until later but was in the best shape of my life and probably looked my best too.


5 Things on My "To-Do" list for today:
1. Keep the boys alive
2. Stay as sane as possible
3. Read more of my book
4. Clean the bathroom
5. Work on laundry


3 of My Bad Habbits
1. Worrying about finances - even the finances of other people I care about who are much better off than I am and of who's detailed finances I really know little of. I just worry about money for everyone.
2. I have to-do lists - great plans of what I should and could do - and then I don't accomplish most of what is on them.
3. I stay up on the computer when I should be getting much needed sleep!


I Enjoy:
I enjoy knowing what is going on with friends and family. I enjoy sleep. I enjoy cooking when I am doing it because I want to and not because I have to. I enjoy snuggling in a warm blanket and feeling all cuddly. (I don't know how that will work in Yuma.) I enjoy watching my boys play and grow. I enjoy playing games with Andy. I enjoy a good romance whether it is a book, movie, or real life. I enjoy having a good friend to talk to. I enjoy going out to eat. I enjoy paying off bills and having money left to pack away into savings.


Snacks I enjoy:
I love nachos. I like carrot sticks with Ranch dressing. I LOVE icecream - especially Ben and Jerry's Peanut Butter Cup. I love salad's although that is usually more of a meal than a snack. I love ritz crackers with cut up pieces of deli meat (turkey) and slices of cheese. I like apple slices. Trail mix is a favorite. Oh, and dried mangos from CostCo. I also love cinnimin bears, chocolate covered nuts and Jamba Juices or really any smoothie.


If I were a billionaire:
I would pay tithing and put an equal amount into spendable money (first and most important purchase being a house). I would save the rest in an account with a good return. Every year I would take half of the interest out and let the rest continue to build. I would spend my time thinking of all the good I could do with the money for myself, my family, my friends, my church and the world. Then I would lament because my ideas will always exceed my abilities. Then I would go spend more than I intended to on the people and causes I love.


5 Places I've Lived:
1. California
2. Washington
3. Utah - Magna, South Jordan, Logan, Rose Park, Taylorsville, Lehi, West Jordan
4. Texas - Humble, Beamont, and Bridge City
5. Louisianna - Cameron


5 Jobs that I've had:
1. Taco Bell - Line Worker, Supervisor
2. Capstone Entertainment - TSR, QMR, QMR Supervisor
3. Franklin Covey - CSR, Returns Specialist, NAR (finance dept)
4. UPS - CSR, QMR
5. Discover Card - NAR

Ammon's Prayer

The other day we were visiting Carolyn and Kylie and Katie invited us to stay for dinner. Kylie was called on the say the prayer, and Ammon was selected to help her say it. He still has a hard time figuring out how to start (I am clueless as to why) so he turned to me for help. And so the prayer began:

Jenny (in a whisper to Ammon): "Heavenly Father"
Ammon (in a whisper to Kylie): "Heavenly Father"
Kylie (out loud for all to hear): "Heavenly Father"

Fortunately for all of us, Ammon decided that he could take it from there:

Ammon (NOT in a whisper - don't know why...) "We thank thee for Jesus."
Kylie: "We thank thee for Jesus."

Ammon: "We thank thee for the food"
Kylie: "We thank thee for the food"

Ammon: "Please bless President Hinckley to get fixed so that he can be put together again"

silent pause.

Kylie: "What???"

Anyway, we were able to bless the food and start eating, but I thought Ammon's prayer was so sweet. He and I had talked about President Hinckley dying. I explained that his spirit left his body and went back to live with Heavenly Father. When we watched the funeral and saw the coffin, I explained that we are keeping President Hinckley's body safe in that box until his spirit comes back with his body. So even though Ammon did not know the right words, he prayed with his four year old love and faith that President Hinckley would be resurrected. What a touching thing for him to come up with all on his own.

"You're Driving Me Crazy!"

I have to admit that lately I haven't been the most loving or patient mother in the world. In fact, about every ten minutes it seems like I am saying to one boy or the other, "You're driving me crazy!"

A couple of weeks ago Peter deviated somewhat from his sleep schedule so before I totally forced it, I decided to check online and find out how much I should expect him to sleep. I thought that perhaps he was at an age where the sleep schedule changed. The main bit of information about his age, however, was not about sleep, (turns out he should be maintaining the exact schedule he was on, and ever since then he has been,) but about separation anxiety. I had noticed that he was a little more clingy than normal, but it didn't seem to be too big of a deal.

Yet.

Since then he wants me to hold him constantly and fusses more than ever if I even look in a different direction. It really is driving me crazy. And that is a fact I am not quiet about.

The other thing Peter has been doing these past few days is refusing to eat. He will sit in the high chair for about two bites. Then he decides that he wants to squirm around and play. If I have the highchair anywhere near the table, he climbs onto it. If I have the highchair in the middle of a room somewhere he gets on the tray and looks over the edge as if debating whether or not he should jump! I try strapping him in, but he even squirms his way out of that! So basically I have this baby who insists on being held constantly and refuses to sit still long enough to even eat! AHHH!

Then there is Ammon. Poor boy probably feels like he can't do anything right. I have to tell him about ten times before he does ANYTHING I ask him to do and I get so impatient with him these days. He is big enough to feed himself, put on his shoes and jacket by himself when we get ready for school, get his backpack himself, etc. But he always wants me to do everything for him. I think the poor boy just wants more one on one time with someone. He basically is at the age where he gets ignored because he can play by himself. There are so many other demands that it is easy to forget that just because he can entertain himself, doesn't mean he wants to be left alone ALL day EVERY day. But still, it's been hard to do it all - and yesterday was especially rough because I wasn't feeling well. I think my ten minute muttering turned into an every-other minute thing.

So this morning, I was passing out my frustrated exclamation to both of them - although starting to realize how constant a statement it was getting to be and that I really needed to bite it back. I asked Ammon to turn off the TV because we were going upstairs. Instead, he walked over to the computer and pushed the power button to turn it off. Ammon used to turn the computer off like this all the time and so I finally sat down with him and explained that he either had to turn it off through the start menu (which he is certainly computer savvy enough to do) or just leave it on. Since he knew this, I was so frustrated that he turned the computer off wrong and said, (as I have been so often,) "You're driving me crazy!!!"

Ammon just turned around, looked at me and said, "Mommy, YOU'RE driving ME crazy!"

I think I deserved it.

The End of an Era

About the passing of President Hinckley, the Quorum of the Twelve issued this statement:

“Members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles express our heartfelt love and admiration for President Gordon B. Hinckley and the singular life of service he lived. He was our prophet, our leader, our brother and our friend. We feel a deep, personal loss at his passing. He unfailingly demonstrated his devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ, whose witness he was at home and abroad. “We will miss his wit and his wisdom, his leadership and his love. However, we cannot but rejoice in his reunion with his beloved Marjorie, with his parents and other family members who have gone before, and with the prophets of God, both ancient and modern, among whose eternal ranks he now stands. As the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles we echo the voice of the Master, ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant. … Enter into the joy of thy Lord.’ ”

Is there a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints who doesn't absolutely love President Hinckley? It would seem difficult to find one. He and his wife won over the populace of the church years ago not only in our desire to sustain him as the President of the church, but our eagerness to care for him as a person. He was an example and a wonderful leader, but there was also something down to earth and real about him that made him so appealing. His work was magnificent, and his example extensive as he lived his life in accordance to the Lord's will for him. I love him and will miss him. I feel priviliged to have lived during the time in Church History when the people were able to call Gordon B. Hinckley our prophet.

Soccer

Last night Ammon had his first Begining Sports class. It is a community class that he is taking with Carolyn and Kylie and their cousin Trent. I dropped Ammon off at his cousins house and Jeremiah took all the kids. I used the time to run to Sam's Club where Peter and I bought diapers, but was a little bit disapointed to miss watching Ammon. Jeremiah said that they were really cute. Ammon was so excited when he got home. The information about the class said that it would focus more on soccer than other sports. When Ammon got home he was eager to tell me that he "got one in the goal and one not in the goal". He seemed to have a great time.

Home For a Moment

A week ago Andy called me and said that he found some really cheap flights and that he was considering coming home. Considering the length of time he has already been gone (6 weeks) and all the things that have happened since he left (mostly miscarriage and death of his Grandpa) we were eager to be reunited for a few short hours. His flight came in at 10:15 Saturday morning. His parents were due to return from Vermont that evening and he wanted to surprise them. It was SO HARD to not post anything all week about him coming home. We were all so excited!

The weekend was fast but fun. We didn't do anything special - didn't have time even if we wanted to. Ammon and I picked Andy up at the airport and while we were waiting Ammon decided that he needed a snack. So we got Jamba Juices on the way home. When we got home we played Geo-Trax and just enjoyed being together. We went to the store to buy ingredients to make dessert and then ate lunch at Peggy and Derrick's house and got ready for them to come home. I headed out to the airport, Kara and Dale came up with thier children, and Andy ordered the pizza and picked up the salad we were having for dinner.

When we got home from the airport, Ammon went up to his Grandma and said, "Welcome home. I missed you." She gave him a hug and started to cry. Then she hugged Will. Andy called out from the back room saying something about her crying. I think it took twice before she realized where the voice was coming from and looked up to see Andy there. It was so wonderful, after the loss in the family with the passing of Pa, to be able to be there together - even just for the few hours. We had a nice dinner and Andy demonstrated his arrest technique by stepping Ammon through the process to arrest him, and then by showing us the process on Dale. Peggy and Derrick showed us some of the family artifacts they brought home from VT.

We took the boys home and got them to bed. Andy and I had planned to go out for dinner, but we decided to arrange the family dinner instead so we weren't hungry when we finally had time to ourselves. We just got gas in the car and looked for a couple of things at Wal-Mart (which we didn't find). It didn't really matter what we did - we were just happy to be together.

Andy had really missed cooking, so Sunday was all about being a normal day and just having him there. He made us breakfast in the morning, we went to church, and then he grilled chicken in the afternoon. All of my siblings came over at some point in the day. Most of them were there for lunch. We missed Krista and Kambria since they were out of town, but Andy was able to see everyone else. After we put the boys to bed we watched Amazing Grace with my parents.

That was pretty much our weekend. Andy woke up at 4:30 AM to leave. My dad took him to the airport and just went to work from there. There were several bumps in the road trying to get home, but he made it there ok by mid afternoon.

The weekend went way too fast, but we are so grateful for the time we had together. We are already counting down the days to graduation when we can be together again (for a similarly short amount of time, but together non-the-less).

No School

Well, last week we went back to school after Christmas Break, only to have no school this week except for today, and no school on Monday either. After Monday, we should have school as normal until Spring Break. I am not sure when that is.

No school has actually gone pretty well for us. On Monday we went to a neighbors house where I visited with a friend and Ammon played with his friend. It was nice. Ammon had such a good time there that he ended up staying when I took Peter home for his nap. Then, when Peter woke up I went back to get him and ended up staying another hour or more.

On Tuesday we were supposed to go to Rexberg to see the Temple Open House. I was a little bit worried about the car ride with Ammon and Peter but also excited for something to do. In the end, my dad needed to stay home to attend an important meeting at work, so we didn't go after all. We ended up playing with Kylie here at home while Carolyn was at school and then we played with Carolyn that evening at her house while Kylie was visiting a friend. It was fun for Ammon to get some one-on-one time with each of the girls.

Wednesday we went back to Pierce's house. (He is the friend we visited on Monday.) When it was time to take Peter home to sleep, Ammon stayed again and I got to leave the sleeping baby with my mom, the playing 4 year old with my neighbor and rush off for a quick trip to the mall. I bought a new pair of jeans.

:)

Last night Ammon, Peter and I also ended up going on an impromptu trip to McDonald's with Amanda. It was fun to see her; it's been too long.

Peter stayed up until 9:00 last night. It drove me crazy. Andy has been gone for 6 weeks now and Peter has never even stayed up until 8:00 since he left. I know he stayed up because he was hungry. We had baby food to feed him but it wasn't the "right" food. He basically refused to eat all day yesterday. I went to the store last night after he finally fell asleep and got a whole bunch of his favorites. He has been eating much better today.

What I Remember

Yesterday at 1:45 PM my grandfather Willard Conant died. There are a few things that come to my mind as I remember him. One of the very first things I can ever remember is a picture of he and I sitting on a porch eating jelly beans.

When I was nine I remember going to visit my mom's parents for the first time. They owned a flower shop in Williston. I remember going to get the flowers from a warehouse. Then watching Pa cut every thorn from every rose. Then watching Grammy and others make the arrangements. Pa and I would go deliver the arrangements. I loved to work with him. He made me feel important; he made me laugh. The first time I bought a rose for Jenny I was floored that the florist didn't cut the thorns off the roses. Not to mention the terrible wrapping job. I took out my pocket knife and removed the thorns myself. Then I repackaged the rose in order to make it presentable. I was always very proud to know how to properly care for flowers- how to select roses that will look good and how to make them last longer longer.

I remember helping him with the addition on their home. We built a small room over part of the deck. The thing I remember most was helping him get the bottom of the deck covered in so it could be insulated. I am sure there was someone more qualified than I was to help but I enjoyed the time I spent working with him that summer. We would go between the shop and the and house working all day long.

I will remember him as person who loved to work. Even in his spare time he did Family History. Work that will last beyond this life time. It will leave a legacy here for those who understand it's importance and for those beyond the vale it has left an eternal impression on their lives.

He is someone who a life could be modeled after; a person to look up to; a man to try a lifetime to be like. I hope at the end of my life I will have touched as many lives as he did.

I will miss him until the day I can see him again in the hereafter.

Stairs

One of Peter's more recent accomplishments is climbing the stairs. It is a fun for him to conquer each step. He especially enjoys it when Ammon comes and climbs the stairs with him. Ammon is a great instructor and Peter enjoys trying to keep up with his big brother. They have a great time together.