Jake

Ward Halloween party

She's got style

That's a doll dress...

Proof

See, there's proof that baby isn't always sad! He's actually really smiley when he's not sad.

Leaf drive

We caught the end of the leaves between Jer's many Sunday meetings yesterday.  It was a lot colder than we thought it would be... it's really too bad that we didn't bring coats.... But look at this lighting!  AND it was snowing in the top of the mountain.

Hey look... our first family picture with all 6 of us...yay!

I was trying to take the picture with the timer... climbing in a dress with a baby in your arms in 5 seconds didn't leave much time to sit down in a nice looking place.

Firsts

Guess who rolled over and slept through the night for the first time all on the same night.... Yay!

A week late

Conference weekend pictures....

Chunky Monkey

All of my babies have been different... this one is no exception.  Ada was always bigger... but proportionally so... 90% height and 70-80% weight.  Sam was always smaller.  30% height and 6-20% weight.  Evelyn was right in the middle... 50% weight and height and Seth...?  Well, he's 90% for weight and 11% for height.  He's my cute little short chunky monkey.

The life of a three year old

Three year olds are awesome... Evelyn started to throw a tantrum that I told her to go get clothes to put on for the day... She decided that she was sad enough to put herself back in bed.  She came back to me just a couple minutes later crying that there was poop.  I asked if her diaper was poopy and she said, "No!  There's poop in my room!"  Ahhh!  I ran to see and she directed me to her bed, where apparently she had eaten and gotten really messy with some M&Ms.  I told her it wasn't poop... she still doesn't believe me days later.  I changed her sheets for her, then she continued to get in bed and cry about having to get dressed.  Melodramatic anyone?  She did eventually get dressed and was happy the rest of the day... just decided not to be that morning.

7th birthday

Ada had a blast of a birthday.  After requesting tuna fish sandwiches for both breakfast and lunch... we let her open her dancing ribbons from mom and dad and sent her off to school.  Then the kids and I went to take a treat to her class and stayed for lunch and recess.  Sam and Evelyn had a blast and I loved meeting Ada's friends.  Giselle and Cora were just a couple that came up to tell me that they were Ada's friends.  I love elementary age kids!  I loved that Ada could be friends with boys, girls, skinny kids, fat kids, white kids, latin kids, black kids... and no one says anything bad about it.  I love people, Ada loves people... but within a year or two people start making fun of other people... I'm glad that Ada's not one of those people.

After a doctor's appointment and some excitement elsewhere, we met Jer for ice cream at Baskin Robbins.  When we got there, Ada got to open up her other present from mom and dad... a purple journal.  She's been writing in it non stop for three days.  (I love to hear all that she has too say... just not in the middle of testimony meeting.)  Jer had to leave after that to go to a YM's overnight thing... and I took the kids to the rec center to swim.  Ada had a blast and even ran into a friend of hers from school, who's name is also Ada.  (She calls her Ada from Math class).  Then it was home to play My Little Pony Monopoly and get in bed.  Ada told me contentedly, "Mom, today was the best day ever."  (Not to mention getting to play with cousin Emma the next day... they 'decorated' my mom's upstairs with every imaginable blanket and dress up they could find.)  Too much fun.  And I still can't believe that this:

has turned into this:

 

 

God is mindful

I've often been reminded that God knows us individually.  When my dog got lost when I was 10, I prayed and God told me to go to my piano teacher's house where I found my dog in the back yard.  When I was told to go on a mission even though I had no desire to do so, I had the most amazing growing experiences I've had and met some of the most amazing people that I'll ever meet.  I was reminded as an 18 year old in Zanzibar with her bank account frozen and required to pay another $20 to get on a plane to get home... after a prayer with my sister, a total stranger walks up to us and hands us $20 each.  When I started dating Jeremy, I prayed and asked if I could be happy with him. I got the answer that yes I could, then he fell in love with me and asked me to marry him. I had no reservations and we've been very happy for the last 10 years. 

This last conference, we were told over and over how God knows and loves each individual person.  I was reminded of this again on Friday. It's not my story to tell, so I'll leave out the who, what and where... but I'll tell a little of the why.

Something happened. God didn't stop it from happening, but He provided the people at the times and the places that they needed to be just at the right times. 

Thurday night, I had dreams all night about being somewhere that I really didn't think I needed to be.  Friday, the kids had a doctor appointment... I decided to go visit where I didn't think I was needed after the doctor's visit.  It was a quick check up with immunizations for baby Seth. The nurse came in to ask if I wanted flu shots for all the kids as well... I debated, tried to call Jer, and finally decided that they should have the shots... but that made our appointment all the much longer.  That made it so that I got to the place at 2:30 instead of 2.  That was important because I would have come finished and left before 2:30 if I had planned it my way.  At 3, someone I love very much ended up getting very sick.  But because we were there, I was able to take care of what needed to be done... and there was someone that was able to take care of my kids while I was busy... Then about an hour later, a third person thought that they should take her to the hospital.  They walked in, and while checking into the ER, she passed out. 

Through this whole thing, I was struck that God could have kept it all from happening... but He didn't.  He just made sure that people were where they needed to be, when they needed to be there.  I'm very grateful for a loving Heavenly Father and that He cares for us.  And He cared enough for me to make me an instrument in caring for another of His beloved children.