Goldie's Special Baptism Day

Goldie's baptism was extra special for a few reasons.

1.  She was baptized by a very special person:  her father, just as her siblings were before her.

2.  She got to be baptized in a special dress:  her grandmother made it, and her mother was baptized in it almost 30 years ago.  Her aunt Angela and her big sister Didi also wore it for their baptisms.  Isn't that nice?

3.  She had some very special missionary guests at her baptism:  Grandma and Grandpa Elkins were given permission to leave their duties in Virginia for a couple of days to come up for the special event.  We LOVED having them here!!!

(We also really appreciated the support from several members of the ward, who came to the service.  The full-time missionaries were also present, along with 3 investigators.  It was so nice to have a group there to support our family.)

4.  She had a very special service:  talks were given by her grandparents, prayers were given by Shark and Didi, and we had a VERY special musical number: Goldie asked to sing a duet with me, her mom!  She chose to sing "I Love to See the Temple", and sang the whole first verse solo, and we sang the second verse together.  It was really sweet!

It was definitely a very special day for Goldie, and for all of us.  I, for one, had to concentrate really hard on not crying during the song we sang together, and barely choked out the closing words, "a family is forever."  Awesome.

A Happy, Healing Day

Here is a story for you about how one of my desperate prayers was answered.  Sorry if it's kind of long.  It was an emotional couple of days for me, so I wanted to include the details. 

Tootie's preschool class didn't start for about 3 weeks or so after his 3 older siblings started school.  That turned out to be a LONG time for him to be without playmates or places to go.  As we only have one vehicle, and that vehicle goes to work everyday with Dad a half an hour away, Tootie and I were for the most part homebound.  Tootie was getting pretty bored, and I struggled to come up with enough entertainment for him and still keep a balance in my day for myself and all of my other wants and needs.   (Taking Dad to work frequently so I can have the car has not been a feasible option for various reasons).

I had a bit of a breakdown one day.   I was worried about both of us, and wondered how we would ever rectify our situation without our getting another car to give us freedom to go out and about.   There is nothing super close to our home, the stores where we shop are all 1-3 miles away.  All I had to help transport Tootie was a red wagon.  Plus,  I had misunderstood the location of his preschool--I thought it was 5 miles from us, so I really wondered how we were going to get him to and from preschool 3 days a week without burdening someone else to transport us (later I found out I just had the wrong address).

I prayed that night, very sincerely, that the next day would be better for us.  That we would have something to do, that Tootie wouldn't be bored, and that I could feel satisfied with what I got done in the day.  I was pretty serious about these requests, and hoped that Heavenly Father would somehow help me.  Hoped He'd help me meet Tootie's needs and bless me with some relief from the stress.

The next day, I decided I would brave the streets and see what that little red wagon could do.  I set Tootie up with some snacks, a hat to protect him from the sun, and I decided we were going to head out to the pharmacy where I needed to pick up a prescription (about a mile and a half away), and then we would head over to the public library to have some fun (a little farther still).

The  walk to the pharmacy was hot and tiresome.  The wagon + a 40 pound boy + lots of hills + no proper shoulder on the road turned out to be awkward and challenging for such a distance.  But we made it.  And, although I felt too beat to continue all the way to the library, the pharmacy turned out to be a blessing in itself.  Inside the store, there was a little waiting area for kids, with lots of puzzles and toys.  Tootie and I played there for I think at least 20 minutes before heading out.  It was fun.  Then right outside the pharmacy, across the street, we spied a jungle gym that belonged to an apartment complex.  "Can we play there, Mommy?"  "Sure!" I replied, and I was so glad that for once I wasn't thinking "I hope he doesn't make me stay longer than I want to, 'cause I have places to be."  I was grateful for the playground--the first one we had found in our town, so far, since we'd moved here.  There, we had lots of fun with caterpillars--"a whole family of them."  Fun!

As we headed home from there, I made the most significant discovery of the day: we walked right by a Lutheran church...one that happened to have the same name as the place I knew Tootie's preschool would be.  I inquired within, and sure enough, it was his school, where his classes would begin in a couple of weeks.  Why was I so excited?  Because I realized that his school was not 5 miles from my house, it was only just over 1 mile from my house.  It was walkable!  I wouldn't have to bum a ride!  If I could just find a stroller on craigslist or something, I'd be all set.   We played at his new school's playground for another 15 minutes before we headed home.  I almost cried as I pondered how much more mobile I felt with Tootie that day, and how independent I could be without a car.  And how at least this day, as I had requested from Heavenly Father, had been so much better than the day before.  Pharmacy task done (without a car) and waiting room puzzles completed, caterpillar family adventures, playgrounds discovered...pretty much a wonderful day so far. 

And then can you believe...one of my neighbors was throwing away a perfectly good stroller the following week?  I asked, and they said I could have it.  Blessing!!  It's in great condition and it's working out perfectly for the trek to and from preschool.  So much easier than pulling the wagon.  I push him there, leave the stroller, and jog home 1.2 miles.  Jog back an hour and a half later, and bring him home in the stroller.  Perfect.  And if it rains, I have learned I have 2 neighbors with kids in the same class who are more than happy to give us a ride.  Awesome.

Now the preschool classes are in full swing, Mon/Wed/Fri.  Until we get a second car, I feel we are going to manage just fine.  The extra jogging time to and from the school complements my exercise routine perfectly.  We spend plenty of time together at the playground each school day before coming home, and Tootie is so happy.  I feel I'm living with a more relaxed, slightly less productive schedule than before, but the important things are getting done, and I am not as stressed.  I am going to enjoy these next few months with just Tootie and me at home...my last school-year months of having a small child at home all day (or almost all day).   Thank heavens for our stroller, for Tootie's preschool class, and for my ability to run a few errands whenever I need to--without having to beg rides.  Why, today I even was able to walk to the bank and the post office, which are just up the road from the preschool.  I love that I can be car-less and still do a few things!  And I loved my happy, healing day, receiving all the blessings that I had asked for.  Thanks, Heavenly Father.

We Can Find Happiness

Ever since I was a young adult, I've been fascinated with the concept of finding happiness.  Happiness that overpowers stress, worry, sadness, happiness that fills you up.  The gospel is my #1 source of this peace and happiness that I continually seek.  I am so grateful for the peace in my life!  I love chances to share it, too.  I hope you enjoy this clip, as I did.

First Day of School

Our kids are going to be in 4 different school this year.  (Tootie's pre-school still doesn't start for one more week.)  And not only that, but they all leave the house at quite different times: 6:45 a.m., 8:00 a.m., 8:45 a.m., and 9:15 a.m.  And Dad leaves the house at 6:45 a.m., so if I want to work out in the morning, I get up at 5:25 so I can be done before he leaves.  That's a hefty morning schedule, if you ask me!

Shark, ready for 6th grade. And, ready for Mom not to be as present as before.  I was the only parent at the bus stop, just long enough to give him a hug, take a picture, and then step back before I really embarrassed him (ha ha).  Only one other parent was kind of there, watching from her car parked discreetly 200 yards away.  Wow.  I can't believe how grown up he is.

Shark waiting for the bus (notice the lack of parents).

Look at all the fancy new clothes!  It's so much fun to get dressed up for all the excitement of the first day.  Jazz's official first day of Teaching was Tuesday, the day after our kids started, though he'd been working on campus for a couple of weeks already.

Waiting for our second bus of the day, Didi's bus, as she's off to 5th grade.  This bus stop is about a 3-4 minute walk from our house, so there will be no more "the bus is here!" announcements from within the house like we used to have ;).

Here's Goldie, ready for 2nd grade! 

Our New Home, Sweet Home.

I may have posted this picture already, but I wanted to remind you of the fun play structures in our back yard, that belong to the elementary school--and tell you the bad news:  After talking with the principal, I have learned that Tootie and I are not allowed on the playground during school hours.   Not when the school kids are at recess, not when they are NOT at recess, not ever, during school hours.  It's pretty much one of the biggest bummers in the whole world.  Tootie has been pretty good about not crossing the line, but I think this proximity (and our using or just our being present on our own grass during recess time) might be causing a little bit of tension between the recess duty teachers (including Goldie's teacher) and me.  "Tootie, don't go over there, you're going to get me in trouble," I say : (.  I hope the tension dissipates and that it won't be a problem for the next 9 months.  Craziness.

The front of our home.  We think we have wonderful neighbors! 

Here is our pretty dining room. 

View from the kitchen into the dining room, and behind Jazz is our back door to our yard and the school.

Our family room...I'm super thankful for the carpet rug that we were able to add to this floor (it came with the house).  I'm not a big fan of hard wood floors in rooms that really should have carpet (bedrooms, living room...).  I'm also grateful that our floors are actually "faux" hard wood, and not the real thing--I think the real ones are too fragile.  Faux floors are good enough for me : )!

View from the family room to the dining room

Front door and stairs up to the bedrooms.  The stairs down to the basement are also on this side of the house (if you had Superman's x-ray vision you could see them through this wall).  I love our basement, and our bedrooms are the right size for us. 

We aren't done hanging up pictures, or even unpacking boxes for that matter, but this place definitely feels like home, and we love it.

A Really Big Move--Part III--Oh the Places They'd Go

A view from my favorite place on earth:  BYU campus.  No way we could leave the West without saying good bye (or "so long") to our alma matter. 

Here is the BYU music building where Jazz and I lived while getting our degrees in music.  The Harris Fine Arts Center.  It's so funny to think of how when we lived in this building, we were single students.  Now look!  We never envisioned bringing 4 kids back with us to visit this building someday.  It gives me warm fuzzies inside to think of how far we've come since the HFAC days.

This is the spot where Jazz and I met, on the stair case in the HFAC.  That was about 14 years ago!  I think we might look just a few days older than we did then, maybe...

I regret not putting myself in this photo, since it's always better to have people in the pictures you're taking of special places.  But anyway, I wanted a shot of this other favorite BYU locale of mine (and its related sister-copy centers, including the one at the MTC which is going to be torn down--boo!)--where I worked for almost 5 years.  It was a super fun place to work, and I can still un-jam a copy machine like nobody's business. 

This was a really fun hike we took with some Lovell cousins, up to a little waterfall in Salt Lake.  Our kids complained the whole way up (which I think took all of 10 or 15 minutes...could have had something to do with the thousands of feet of difference in elevation than what we're used to), but had the time of their lives once we got to the falls. I just love the magic of waterfalls. 

Yes, I know this picture is foggy.  That's the beauty of it.  It was so incredibly humid when we stepped out of our van for this little pit stop by the Mississippi River that my camera lens fogged up, and it took me several minutes to get it un-fogged. 

In front of the Mississippi River.  Speaking of which, here's a funny quote from last week...I was telling Goldie who her teacher is going to be this year, after getting a call from the school.  Then Tootie piped up, "I know who my teacher is going to be!  Mrs. Sippi!"  Get it?  Mississippi?  He he he : )

Jazz with our wheels at the Mississippi.

awwww : )!   Back on the road again...

Chicago Temple

Chicago Temple

Chicago Temple

Kirtland, OH Temple

Kirtland, OH Temple

Inside the Whitney Store, in Kirtland.  This was a really neat tour.  It was a special place for historical events for the prophet Joseph Smith, and we really enjoyed feeling the Spirit there. 

(look how long Didi's hair is!)

Next stop--Harrisburg PA, for one night.  I missed the "Welcome to Pennsylvania" sign, but I figured this one would do just as well.  Welcome to toll roads, yippee.

We drove through Hershey on the way to our new home; it's only about a half an hour from us.  What a fun place!  What could be better than a chocolate city?

Don't you love the street lights in Hershey?

I got these cool shirts at Hershey's Chocolate World, one for everyone in our family so we can wear them to Disneyland next year! Aren't they perfect? They are tie dyed (like Eugene), and have Kisses on them (representing PA), so I have both of our homes all "wrapped" into one in these shirts. I couldn't pass them up. Don't ask me how much they cost, 'cause I already got in trouble for that!

Didi is eager for a real cow-milking experience someday--this one didn't quite cut it.  This is in Intercourse, PA, part of the area where the Amish people live.  We spent a fun few hours there as tourists, after we got moved into our home and before our Lovell family members left. 

We're slowly learning the differences between Amish and Mennonite, which seem very similar.  There are a lot of Mennonite people here, even in our town.  They're most noticeable by the simple old-fashioned clothes that they wear, the bonnets that the women wear, the long beards that the men have (with no mustaches), and the horse-and-buggies that they drive.  It's sure fascinating to share the roads with them! 

Isn't this a beautiful building?  I'm really impressed with Jazz's new campus (this isn't the music building where he'll work, but I thought this was a nice representation of the campus). 

Jazz's new office!

And last but not least, here's one more teaser for the upcoming post about our home.  These units look kind of close together, but inside it feels very roomy to us.  It's so nice to come home to this place!  More later...