Love Languages

There is a great marriage book called, "The Five Love Languages". The author, Gary Chapman, is a Christian author who uses examples from the Bible to illustrate his points. He also wrote "The Five Love Languages for Children" and I have been noticing how true his ideas are with my kids.

Rebecca's main love language is physical touch. We have noticed this about her for a long time. She always wants to snuggle. She likes to sit on the couch while Jack watches the news so that during the commercials she can get tickled. Often when we are at the park, she will come over to me to snuggle up to me instead of playing with the other kids.

Miriam was harder for me to figure out. She is a very independent child, and it seemed for a while that none of the categories fit. But recently I have noticed that she acts out more when she doesn't get one-on-one time with me. It seems like quality time is her love language.

Back when Chick-fil-A had free breakfast on Fridays, we started alternating taking the kids out to breakfast as a date with Mom or Dad. The girls both enjoy this, although I'm not sure how much of it is getting to go out to eat (which we don't do often) and how much is getting a parent to themselves. But they don't let us forget, and will occasionally get up really early on their Friday so they can get ready.

Miriam and I have also started having Together Time (as she calls it). While Joseph is taking his nap, Miriam and I will read stories, play games or do crafts together. Sometimes it is hard for me to do this, because the quiet time without Joseph around is when I can get housework done. But I notice a huge difference in her attitude when I consistently take the time to give her the attention she needs.

Joseph is too young to know what his love language is. All the kids need love from all areas--quality time, words of affirmation, gifts, acts of service, physical touch-- but they are each unique in what makes them feel most loved.

Future Picasso

Here is my future artist. Joseph loves to paint. Whenever I get the paint out for the girls to paint, he wants to be up to the table to participate. So when we went to Discovery Days, he made a beeline for the paint easel. He painted two pictures of his own, tried to help other children with their artwork, and spent some time painting the easel itself. Unfortunately, the face paint made him realize he could also paint himself. I had a hard time getting the yellow paint out of his ear!

Update on Aaron

Today I saw my brother in the hospital. He actually looked better than I was expecting. He had the bed sitting up when we got there, and visited for about half an hour before his lunch arrived. He 'ate' lunch-- about 10 bites of chicken fried steak and roll-- and then seemed pretty worn out. But the insurance company decided that he had been in the hospital long enough, so he was being readied to go home this afternoon. I found out that a few weeks ago he came down with Bell's Palsy which paralyzed half of his face. To treat it, he was put on antibiotics and steroids. The doctors think the steroids masked the symptoms of the perforated bowel, which is why the condition was so serious before he was in too much pain from it. Doesn't it seem like when it rains, it pours?

Joseph and Miriam stayed with Grandpa Mike and Grandma Michele while I went to the hospital. They had lots of fun seeing them. I was also able to see my grandmother while I was picking up my kids. All in all, it was a long day, but I'm glad I was able to go see everyone!

Cousins

This week Ali and Maren, my brother Aaron's daughters, have stayed with us. Aaron is in the hospital recovering from a perforated colon, and we took the girls so his wife could focus on taking care of him and the kids could get their minds off the stress at home. It has been a great week to get to know the girls better and watch the cousins have fun together.

Rebecca and Maren are about the same age. The have had a great time playing and talking together. They have been playing hide-and-seek in the house and they have come up with some great hiding places. They compared their abilities to use the kitchen counter as a starting point to do a back bend. They played Uno together. They have become friends.

Ali is 15, so she is more of the big sister to the group. What a blessing! It has been great to watch her play with the kids and see her truly enjoy spending time with the little children. I can see that she will be a fabulous mother and a truly amazing woman. I am so grateful for the time I have had to visit with her and get to know the wonderful person she is. I am proud to call her family.

I took the kids to Discovery Days at the Longmont Museum while Rebecca was in school on Friday. They had a great time. Miriam and Maren had a great time sitting next to each other and comparing crafts. They especially loved to do the face painting. (Maren says red and black are Twilight colors. Can you tell she has older sisters???)

We also went to Casa Bonita with the kids. We got a great table right by the pool. I loved watching their eyes light up as the performers dove into the water. They were amazed by all the action going on around them. This is the wonder of childhood.

Tomorrow I am taking the girls home. I am sad to see them go, since we don't see each other very often. I will treasure this time that we have had to develop the love and friendship of cousins.

Could You Sleep Like That?

Miriam is like the Energizer Bunny. She keeps going and going... but when she stops, she crashes. She sleeps in places and positions I can't imagine being able to sleep! But I guess it doesn't bother her too much...

This one is right after a bath cleaning up from playing at the park. She's supposed to be getting dressed.

Just so you know, I don't put her in bed. By the time she goes to sleep, I don't care where she is. I'm just thrilled she finally crashed!

A Second Chance

A few weeks ago on the news, there was a report on how traffic deaths had dropped to their lowest levels since 1994 in 2007. The report credited the higher gas prices, which led to fewer people driving with the decrease. According to a report in USA Today, there were 1,649 fewer deaths in 2007 than the year before.

I have thought about this a lot. There are 1600 people walking around today that could have died a couple years ago in a car accident and didn't. What a blessing. They have been given a second chance at life and weren't even aware of it. Are they living their lives any different? Do they have an increased gratitude for the world they live in and all the blessings around them? Have they taken the opportunity to forgive someone and mend fences? Of course not. They don't realize they have this second chance. The trauma that forces these things to our minds never came for them.

And then the thought came-- what if I were one of those 1600 people who has been given a second chance at life? What should I do differently in my life? How can I be a better mother, wife, sister, daughter, friend? Who do I need to mend fences with? How do I need to improve myself to be ready to meet my Maker? How can I be more grateful for the gift of life?

My brother is in the hospital right now recovering from a perforated colon. Things like that make you wake up and realize that this life is temporary. None of us are immune to the reality of death. But I want to make my todays here on this earth meaningful and live as if I had been given a second chance at life.

Tooth Trouble

Rebecca finally lost her tooth! She was late to lose her first tooth, just this past fall. She has lost the bottom two, even though the top one was the first one loose. Before we left for Disneyland, it was pretty loose, and she wanted it to come out so she could have the dollar to spend on vacation. That was three weeks ago! Well, Rebecca doesn't like to pull out her teeth. She doesn't want them touched at all. This tooth stayed in so long that it was starting to turn a little brown, like it was starting to rot right in her mouth. (She assured me she still brushed it.) But today it finally happened. She lost her first top tooth. She was so excited that she gave me an update about once a minute on the progress of losing the tooth. I'm glad it finally came out!

In Memoriam

Tuesday morning Jack drove to the gym as he normally does. After he came home he told me the car was making a really bad noise and we needed to have it towed to the shop. That afternoon, the shop called to say there was nothing wrong with the engine, and gave us a quote on the repairs. The next morning Jack called to see when the car would be finished, and was told that the engine was shot and needed to be replaced. A new engine (without labor) costs about what the car is worth, so we have said goodbye to our Saturn.

This is like the end of an era for our family. Jack bought the Saturn new the summer of 1999, just a few months before we got married. We drove home from the temple in it after we were married. We used it to drive out to our first job out of college in Kansas City. I drove it back and forth to Manhattan, KS while I finished my last semester of college at KState. We brought Rebecca home from the hospital in it. We brought Miriam home from the hospital in it. We loaded it up with our clothes and other essentials when we moved back to Colorado.

The Saturn has lasted while many 'garage companions' have come and gone. We had a motorcycle that first summer we were married that Jack used to commute to work. We got a little car in exchange for our living room set before we moved to Kansas (we needed two cars since I was going to be gone half the week). We got a Ford Ranger the day before someone broke into that little car and jammed a piece of metal in the ignition. We sold the Ranger when we had Miriam and realized the Saturn was a bit cramped with two car seats. Then we became the owners of our first minivan, a Plymouth Voyager. We got rid of the Plymouth before it could die on us on some country road just 3 years ago. Now we have the Dodge Grand Caravan.

The Saturn has been a good car for us and helped us create lots of good memories. But now I think--isn't it interesting that we have a 3 car garage and only one vehicle?

Vinegar, anyone?

Jack has been reading about the health benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar, and experimenting with drinking some different varieties of it mixed with juice. Even mixed with orange juice, it is potent. During snack time this afternoon, Miriam went to the pantry and asked to have some Apple Cider Vinegar to drink. I told her no. This quickly escalated into a battle. Jack finally told her she could have some if she wanted, but that it would not taste good. She was happy about that, and excitedly took a big drink from her straw. She choked, gagged, and spilled the rest of the cup. A couple hours later she told me she still could taste that "apple juice vinegar cider." The kitchen still smells like it. Do you think she'll believe me next time?

Lessons from a Treadmill

Today I hit a milestone I set for myself. I ran 3 miles (5K) on the treadmill. It took me 38 minutes. I have been working hard at this goal. As I have spent lots of time trying to get to this distance, I have noticed how many of the things I learn about how to be effective in reaching this goal apply to life in general.

1. Set a goal. I decided to meet my goal of being in a triathlon, I would start out by running a 5K, which is 3 miles. As young people, we are handed goals-- graduate from high school, go to college, get married, have kids, etc. But then you get to a point in life where you don't have any of those milestones left to reach. What then? I know I need to take the time more often to really ponder upon where I want to go in life.

2. Find out where you are. The first time I got on a treadmill, I didn't know how fast or how long I could run. I just had to do it. After doing the 4 mile/hour jog setting for 30 minutes, I decided I could increase to 4.5, and finally decided on 5 mi/hour as my goal speed. In life, I also find that much of the time I spend just doing the same things. I don't stretch myself to find out what I could accomplish if I would make a concerted effort.

3. Push yourself little by little. While running, every day I would increase the time that I ran by 1 minute until I got to my goal of 3 miles. It was a small change day to day. But I could see the change in distance as well as time. It motivates me to keep going. Small changes make it easier to keep up with it, rather than trying for a huge change all at once.

4. Know when to slow down. There have been times when I have taken breaks from running. Different life factors like motivation, vacation, and children's illnesses have caused me to take time off from my routine. When this happens, I find that I cannot just pick right up where I left off. Sometimes I need to slow things down so I can build up my strength again.

5. Use tools to keep perspective. I like having the readouts available on the treadmill to tell me how fast I'm going, how far I've gone, and what my heart rate is. It helps me to keep going when I don't want to any more. I will tell myself things like, "Just five more minutes!" or "Get that heart rate back down!"

6. Take deep breaths to decrease heart rate. Need I say more?

7. Don't pay attention to anyone else. While on the treadmill, you can see everyone else who is exercising. You can see who is going fast or slow, what their 'sweat-level' is, and with those close, you can see their distance, heart rate, and time. It does no good to compare any of these factors with someone else. I don't know anything about these people, and any way I compare myself will end up being inaccurate. I struggle with comparing myself to others, and need this reminder!

8. This isn't real life. Running on a treadmill reminds me of a hamster I had as a kid. There was a running wheel in the cage. No matter how long he ran, he never went anywhere. Treadmills are just simulated running. There are no bumps and turns, no wind or rain, no dogs or kids, no hills and valleys. I have really thought about this and how our lives get to be like this. We run in our little rut and believe that this is real life. And it is, for the here and now. But eventually the wake-up call will come, and we will realize there are people suffering, people starving, people who are struggling just to survive. I need to keep perspective on what life is really like, and how blessed I am.

Next I will be increasing my speed to prepare me for my first 5K!

Springtime Fun

This morning Joseph, Miriam and I went outside to enjoy the nice spring weather. We got out the bubble machine Joseph got for Easter. Both kids really enjoyed watching the bubbles. Joseph even figured out how to make the machine work. It is amazing to me how much a little soap and water can entertain children!

We also got out the sidewalk chalk. Sometimes the kids are not interested in the chalk at all, and other times they are all for it. When they are interested in the chalk, it is like you see here. We not only have chalk on the sidewalk and our hands, but also over any other item of clothing or exposed skin in the vicinity. Miriam was so excited when her friend Katelyn came out to play with her!

Lots of fun!

Torture

All across this country, there is torture going on. I know, you say that this is the United States of America. Aside from Guantanamo, we don't allow torture. There is no way there is torture going on. But there is. In strip malls and office buildings, torture is performed every day. I know, because I have fallen victim to this painful reality.

You would not know that such horrible acts were being committed in these locations from the buildings. They are respectable buildings, in good neighborhoods in communities throughout our country. When you walk into the buildings, there is a friendly receptionist waiting to greet you across a waiting room filled with chairs and old magazines. Everyone in these establishments seems friendly and cheerful. The ringleader of pain jokes with you about family, church and 10K races coming up. He seems interested in you as a person. But this man innocent-looking man is planning your torture.

Once you get past the front desk, there is no obvious torture devices. There is just another room with innocent-looking exam chairs that recline back. Once you are seated and comfortable in these chairs, the torture begins. The torture devices are small, seemingly benign pieces of metal. No big deal. How could these things hurt anyone? It is hard to imagine, but when they are combined with tiny rubber bands and a thin wire, they are fully functioning devices of torture. After the metal pieces are glued to your teeth, the wire is attached to them using these tiny rubber bands. The pulling, twisting and aching begins.

The ironic part is, the greatest pain is in the days after you leave this seemingly-innocent establishment. So as you are leaving, you are still a civilized human being, smiling to the receptionist, waiting to pay for the pain inflicted on you, and setting up an appointment to come back for more torture.

What kind of society do we live in where we not only allow torture, but we pay those inflicting us with pain to do so? It seems pretty sick to me.

Easter

Yesterday the kids had lots of fun coloring Easter eggs. I thought boiling a dozen would be plenty-- we aren't big hard-boiled egg fans. However, the kids all really liked coloring the eggs. I got a kit where we could make them glittery as well, and they really liked how that turned out. Joseph liked to use the white crayon to color on the egg. He couldn't really do much else since I didn't want him a different color as well!

Last night I was rushing around to get all the "Easter Bunny" things finished, as well as my regular Sunday preparations done. We hide the Easter baskets instead of doing an egg hunt. Rebecca had a lot of fun finding her basket this morning. Miriam looked all around until she told me she had looked everywhere except the pantry, the basement and upstairs. (It was in the pantry.) Joseph's was just on the coffee table, but he was more interested in seeing the camcorder Dad was holding than in the basket with goodies he just walked by!

The kids looked cute in their Easter outfits. Miriam said she thought Joseph looked like the President. Then after saying that for a while, she decided he looked like the bishop. I think he looked cute! The girls were cute as well.

After church Jack's parents came over for dinner and to spend the afternoon with us. We had a nice Easter dinner and a pleasant visit. Linda helped me get some genealogy figured out. John got decorated with pink grass and a pink headband. What a good sport.

Last Sunday during General Conference, I was reminded that Easter was just a week away. My first thoughts were of the shoes and candy I still needed to purchase. Then I stopped and thought about Easter, the celebration of the resurrection of our Lord and Savior. Jesus Christ, the perfect Son of the Father, the only one to walk the path of life perfectly, the one who chose to suffer immense pain so that my family and I will live again. I am so grateful for the sacrifice He made for me, for His perfect love for me. So this holiday, Easter, seems to me to be more commercialized than even Christmas. So much of it is focused on bunnies and chocolate, and so little on Jesus Christ. But in reality, it is the celebration of the most important day in all of human history. It is the celebration of the resurrection of the babe born in Bethlehem, who, if He had not chosen to live a perfect life and atone for our sins, would have been just like any baby who was born throughout the history of the world. But He did choose to fulfill the mission His Father sent Him here to do. He suffered for the sins of you and me. He chose to descend below us all, to die a torturous death, and then rose triumphant from the tomb on the third day. What an awesome gift, what a holy day to celebrate. I hope to remember its true importance more fully.

Pray Always

This week Jack had an important meeting. I was concerned about him and the outcome of the meeting. Throughout the afternoon, I found myself saying little prayers for him, that he would have peace, be able to present his message effectively, that the outcome would be positive. I prayed as I changed diapers, walked to school, did the dishes-- throughout all my day-to-day activities. When Jack called me to tell me everything went well, my first thought was to go to my knees and give thanks to the Lord for the peace and help he gave.

As I have reflected on this experience, I realized that this is exactly what the Lord commanded us to do when we were told to "Pray always." This constant, small prayer in my heart and mind for something important to me will always be answered, whether it is about an important meeting or how to deal with an unruly child or how to cope when I am exhausted. I don't know why this is a challenge for me to remember to do. I pray in the morning and night, over meals, with my family. I know the Lord wants to help me, and will do so as I keep a prayer in my heart for all the little things that I need help with.

I Remember

I just finished reading a book about a girl with terminal cancer. As I read this book, I remembered my childhood experiences growing up with a step-sister with Cystic Fibrosis. CF is a genetic disease where the mucous membranes in the lungs and intestines work in overdrive, making breathing and digesting food difficult. It is a disease that used to be a childhood killer, and now many with this illness live to adulthood. While our circumstances were very different from the family in this book, many of the experiences I could relate to. Here are my memories, clouded, inaccurate memories of childhood.

I don't remember the first time I met Katie. But I remember some things about those early months before Dad and Michele married. I remember Katie as just a kid, a year older than me. I remember she had tons of movies, would watch Fraggle Rock, and had those McDonalds character plates we all wanted to use.

I remember after Dad and Michele married, I saw more of Katie's daily regiment. She would take lots of pills with every meal (like 15+) Sometimes she would open the capsules and mix the little pellets that were the drug with applesauce to make taking the drugs easier. I remember the nightly ritual of Katie getting pounded on the back and her coughing and spitting up mucous to help her breathe. I remember my Dad telling me that having two Katies was too confusing, so since she was older, she was going to be Katie and I would be Katherine.

I remember going to visit one summer and having to sleep in the living room because Katie liked Christine better and wanted to share a room with her, but not with me. I remember going around door to door trying to sell lollipops decorated with some cute cover Katie made. Someone driving down the street stopped and bought one from us. I remember Katie telling ghost stories and sleepwalking stories, none of which I believed. I remember hearing people say they didn't know why Dad and Michele were trying all these treatments on her, she was just going to die.

I remember Katie was always the one to get the first pick of what she wanted to eat for dinner. I remember she got to go to a special CF camp, and I didn't get to play softball. I remember hating it that people said Katie and I looked alike, just because we both had red hair. I remember she liked unicorns and magicians and such.

I remember Katie was very outgoing, loud, obnoxious. She filled any room with her presence. I remember stopping by her boyfriend's house one Christmas Eve. I remember when she got married, and wondering what he was thinking. Didn't he know she was going to die?

I remember when Katie had her first baby. She named him Drake. I remember thinking-- who names their child after a baby dragon? I remember seeing Katie on Christmas Eve at Dad's house. I remember talking to her about normal 'mom' things, like nursing babies and taking your kids to story time at the library. I remember thinking maybe we aren't so different.

I remember visiting Katie at her home. It was a wreck. I remember her showing me where she worked on her crafts. She made figurines of mythical creatures (unicorns, Pegasus, etc) and sold them on ebay. She did well enough that she had an online business. I remember not realizing she was so talented. I remember my kids looking at her funny when she had coughing fits that would be a sign of pneumonia in a healthy person, but were just part of life for Katie.

I remember Dad and Michele having some special grass growing in their kitchen that was supposed to help Katie when she blended it up and drank it. I remember Katie being on oxygen after the birth of her third child. I remember Katie still filled the room with her presence, even when she was an adult.

I remember the last time I saw Katie alive. She was at the University of Denver Hospital. She had come to Denver to get everything started to get on the lung transplant waiting list. While she was in the hospital for that, she had a relapse and never went home. I remember seeing her in a hospital room where I had to dress in protective clothing to go in. When I got there, Katie was undergoing some treatment. I didn't know what to say or do. My first words were too loud, too upbeat for the situation. What do you say to someone who is dying? I remember while I was there talking about the children, how they were doing, how they were handling the situation. I remember watching Phillip comb Katie's hair. I remember thinking-- I am watching true love. I almost felt like an intruder in their last moments.

I remember finding out just in the next couple days that Katie went on the respirator. The doctors had to put her into a medically induced coma to do so. She chose to let them do this. She didn't have the energy to keep breathing on her own any more. I remember wondering what that decision would be like-- choosing to see your last moments of consciousness in this life.

I remember getting the phone call from Dad that Katie had passed away. I knew they were planning on turning off the respirator that morning. Dad and Michele were driving up to Denver to be with Phillip when he did it. I remember the call came earlier than expected. She had passed away only a few hours before the scheduled time. I remember being grateful that Phillip didn't have to do that. I remember the peace that came over me, the knowledge that this life isn't the end, and that our Savior would watch over those children whose mother had gone to the other side.

I remember looking at Katie for the last time. It didn't look like her, all puffy from the drugs and treatments that she had undergone the last days of her life. I remember watching Phillip take the children up to the open casket to say a final farewell to their mother. I remember the two older children crying and getting upset. I remember Becca, just barely 4 years old, on Phillip's hip, looking around, obviously unaware of what was going on. I remember wondering which way would be easier for a child to deal with-- old enough to know what was going on, or too young to understand.

I remember saying the opening prayer at the funeral. What do you say in a prayer at a funeral? Not "We're glad to be here." I prayed for healing for the family. I meant not only for the sorrow at the death, but for the years of heartache and bitterness that have wounded the family. I remember listening to the eulogy and speakers talking about Katie, and realizing that these people-- friends, associates from church, distant relatives-- knew Katie better than I did. Who was this person who wanted to serve others even when she could hardly care for herself? Who was this person who had the courage to get up every morning and try her hardest when she felt miserable? I found myself sad that I didn't take the opportunity to really know her. I knew of her, I made some effort to get to know her as an adult, but I didn't know her. I remember regretting the years of criticism and resentment, when I could have known a valuable, beautiful daughter of God.

Chivalry

During our trip to Disneyland, we used a double stroller we borrowed from a friend. It was great for walking around the park. Getting it to and from the park on the public transit bus was a little challenging, but we had a system worked out where I would take the back pack and the kids onto the bus, and then Jack would bring the stroller and swipe our passes.

The problem was when Jack took one of the girls back to the park for some alone time after lunch. I then had to get Joseph, the other girl and the stroller on the bus, swipe the passes, and keep the children and stroller from falling all over the bus. I had a plan: fold the stroller while waiting for the bus, leave it outside on the sidewalk while getting the children situated and passes swiped, and then go back out to get the stroller. Then repeat the process in reverse while getting off the bus.

Every time I rode the bus without Jack, I was amazed by how kind the other riders were. There was someone who would help with the stroller, sometimes holding it on the bus, but always someone else carried it off for me so I could care for the children. I was so grateful for the kindness and thoughtfulness shown to my by complete strangers. It reminded me that chivalry is not dead. It also reminded me to look for opportunities to do small services for others-- things that don't take too much effort on my part could mean so much to someone else.

Spending Habits

While we were on our trip to Disneyland, the girls each had birthday money to spend on souvenirs. We also let them earn money for good behavior-- they started out each day with $5 and would lose a dollar for misbehaving. At the end of the trip, they both had money to spend on things they wanted. It was interesting to watch the ways they went about spending their money.

Rebecca didn't look around too much to see the options available. She found some small character statues that she liked and started looking at the bottoms to see the prices. Then she looked at some mugs. I don't think she really looked at the pictures on them, she just looked at the price tags. Then she found some character pins she liked. She decided she wanted to get the Tinkerbell figurine and a pin. There was a whole wall full of individual pins that she was looking at, and her main concerns were finding one that was a princess and was the cheapest price. She told me she didn't want to spend all her money. So she got two things and still had some money left.

Miriam wandered around the store a little until she came to a display of character place settings. She immediately pulled a princess plate, bowl, cup and silverware off the shelf and asked me if she could afford them. After I said yes, she was finished. Let's go pay for it.

Then while we were at the airport waiting, we went into a shop and looked around. The girls found the Disney display, and decided they wanted to spend some more money. Rebecca found some lip gloss rings and insisted on buying them, even after mom and dad told her she could get it at Wal-Mart for half the price. Miriam found a Minnie Mouse bag that she could carry her things in.

It is interesting to me how each girl has some characteristics of my spending habits. I am very price-conscious. I will look around and try to get the best deal. Like Rebecca, I want to get the best deal, even if it might mean not getting exactly what I want. I also want to have some money left over. However, I want to get something useful with my money. Like Miriam, I would rather get something that I can use every day, not something to just sit on a shelf to look at.

It was an interesting experience to watch the girls learn about how to spend money, and to learn a little more about them as people, too.

Eternal Families

Just to remind us we are back in Colorado, we woke up to snow on the ground and gale force winds that knocked out the power this morning. Since the power was out and we didn't have any milk (seeing we just returned from vacation the night before), Jack fired up the Coleman stove out in the garage and cooked us some gourmet oatmeal for breakfast. Just as he was coming back in the house with our hot breakfast, the power came back on. An hour or so later we lost power again, but it came back on just in time for General Conference.

I love to listen to Conference. I get such a spiritual boost from listening to the inspired messages and music. Today the message that really stood out to me was of the importance of eternal families. I am so grateful for my husband and children. We were just able to spend a week together building memories and having happy experiences. I am so grateful that we are able to be together for not only this life, but through the eternities as through the sealing power of the priesthood. The knowledge that our family will remain intact even after death is the most powerful blessing I can think of. What a loving Heavenly Father to put us here on the earth with families that we love so much, and then make it possible for us to live with them forever! I feel so blessed.

Home

This morning we started slow, just needing to get picked up by the shuttle by 12:20. We got our hotel room cleaned up and our stuff all packed, and then headed over for a stroll through a nearby outdoor mall. We looked in the shops, took pictures, I got a new dress, and then we had lunch at Johnny Rocket's. Then it was time to head back and get off to the airport!

The biggest problem with taking the shuttle to the airport is that you have to go when they tell you. We were at the airport 3 hours before our flight left, and at the terminal 2 hours prior to takeoff. We distracted the kids by walking around, looking in shops, eating snacks, coloring, etc. Then we got on the plane, and of course it sat at the gate for 30 extra minutes. But all in all the kids handled it well. Joseph had the hardest time since he didn't get much of a nap.

Once we got in to Denver we were all hungry, so we ate at the airport. We managed to spill juice, pop and pizza on the floor. The janitor had to get out the wet floor sign and move the whole table to clean it! I felt bad, but was glad it wasn't in my kitchen!

We had a great trip, but now we are thrilled to be home!

Disneyland, Day 3

Since we had such a late night last night, we didn't get such an early start today. But we managed to make it to California Adventure as they were opening at 9:30, and got in line for Soaring over California. Jack gave it such rave reviews, we decided to try to beat the lines and start there. It worked well, and Jack took the girls while Joseph and I waited. Then Jack took Joseph while Rebecca and I went on it. It was amazing. It really felt like you were hang gliding over different areas of California. I am amazed at how they make the rides so realistic. Then we headed over to the Jumpin Jellyfish, and again Joseph and I waited while Jack and the girls went on the ride. Then we were off to King Triton's Carousel, only to find it was under construction. We discovered that there is quite a bit of construction at California Adventure. We decided to head back for an early lunch, and it's a good thing we did because by the time we got out of the security area, Joseph was asleep again. Time for a good nap!

Joseph got a good 3 hour nap, and Rebecca fell asleep for a while as well. Jack took Miriam for some one-on-one time at Disneyland. They rode Soarin' of California twice (did I mention Jack liked it?) and then played at Mickey's Toon Town until we joined them. Miriam's favorite attraction was Chip and Dale's Tree House. Jack said she went through it many times.

There Jack and the girls rode the little roller coaster (I don't do roller coasters) and Miriam didn't like it too much. Rebecca likes the roller coasters, though. Then we headed over to a performance of Aladdin. It was an amazing performance. However, Joseph and Miriam thought the Sultan was scary, so I took Miriam out to the bathroom at the end. Then we had dinner and watched a street parade where the girls got to dance in the street with the performers. We finished off our Disneyland adventure by going on the Alice in Wonderland ride one last time. As we were walking out of the park, we stopped in and let the girls buy souvenirs with their money. We are all pretty worn out from our fun vacation!

Disneyland, Day 2

I know, that was yesterday, but it was a late night and I just went to bed when we got back!

We had a great second day at Disneyland. We ended up seeing more shows and not as many rides. We started out the day going to the Enchanted Tiki Room. Miriam was especially excited about seeing the birds sing and perform. We also saw the Playhouse Disney Live on Stage. Rebecca's favorite characters were Mickey and the gang. Miriam really liked seeing Rocket and Little Einstein's. We also went through Tarzan's Tree House, which I think could have been simplified to be called, "Stairs". There were about a million of them! The kids had fun with it, though.

We also went on the jungle boat tour, which was more mature humor (head hunters and such). Jack and I thought it was hilarious, but I'm not sure how much the kids got. There were also neat robotic animals in the river that the kids could enjoy. We went on the Mark Twain River Boat, which was nice and quiet.

We also went to the Muppets 3D show (again, not sure the kids got the humor) and the Crush the Talking Turtle show. This one was pretty neat-- it was an interactive video where the turtle on the screen talked to you and interacted with the audience. Rebecca was the first one Crush asked any questions of, and I think she got a little stage fright-- I had to prompt her on answers to questions like "Where are you from?" and "Who brought you here?" But I think she had fun. We also went through the Tortilla factory tour and the Bakery tour, both of which had free samples! Jack managed to squeeze onto the Soaring over California ride on the last ride of the night, and he thought it was the best ride he'd been on. Then we also went on the Winnie the Pooh ride, which we all thought was pretty neat. I took the girls on the rocket ship ride, as they called it.

We also went over to A Bug's Land, an area of California Adventure where the rides are all geared toward younger kids. They are based on the movie, "A Bug's Life."

We all took naps during lunchtime at the hotel, so we decided to make this our late night and stay for the fireworks. As we were walking to the Winnie the Pooh ride while we waited for the fireworks, Joseph went to sleep. He managed to sleep through the whole ride, being transferred to the stroller and adjusted, walking back through the park, Mom taking him out of the stroller and walking to the bus stop, the ride back to the hotel, and being put to bed. He was one tired boy!

The girls and Jack stayed for the fireworks display and reported back to me on it. They said that they were told some of the history of Disneyland and that Tinkerbell flew over the castle. Miriam really liked when all the colors were mixed together in the fireworks. They all managed to have lots of fun and stay awake until they got back to the hotel-- but just barely!