Lo's First {Unofficial} Day Of Nursery

In the LDS church, babies remain with their parents during all 3 blocks of church until they are 18 months old. As many of you can imagine, and/or have experienced- there isn't a whole lot of meeting attendance when you have a little one under 18 months. We do a lot of hanging out in the mothers lounge/hallway and foyers. The parents of these tots have dubbed the foyers the "pre-nursery class". 

Moving on- the nursery leaders approached me last week and told me it was time to start transitioning Lo into nursery as she will be 18 months on the 30th. I figured she would do fine since she does the gym nursery well, but ya never know with toddlers! Despite being very sleepy I think she did quite well. She is obviously not on the same level as the 2 other kids that are in there with her, they are 3 years old and about to transition to the regular kids program, but she held her own. We are so excited for her and know that she will enjoy being with her adorable nursery leaders and new friends. Yay for nursery!

Lo's first coloring page from nursery. We have it proudly displayed on our refrigerator.

Pioneer Trek 2013

The Hubs and I had the privilege of being advisors on the trek for the youth this year. Our Bishop asked us a few months ago if we would be willing to go and after much consideration we agreed that it was an opportunity that we couldn't pass up. We were nervous about leaving the baby for 3 days and 2 nights but she was in good hands with Bab, Roc and their gang.

The trek was held out in Blythewood on a horse farm that belongs to a member of the church and her generous neighbor. We hiked a total of 18 miles over be 3 day period and slept outside covered by nothing but a tarp. We were responsible for 2 handcarts of youth totaling 15 people. We had the greatest kids and had the best time with them. It was physically challenging as most would expect. Luckily, we weren't allowed to help with the 400+ pound handcarts unless necessary. I helped during the women's pull and that was all that was needed.

Each of our family units were given a baby that was to be carried and treated like a real baby for he duration. Each  baby came with a name and a story of a real pioneer and we didn't find out until the last day if our "baby" made it to the valley or not. Our leaders gave us the rest of the baby's story on the morning of he last day and both of our people made it and had long healthy, happy lives. Coincidentally, one of the babies that we assigned to one of our groups was the story of our bishop's great-grandmother...so that was pretty special.

After we read the outcome of our babies stories we gathered for a funeral service to bury the babies that didn't survive...talk about heart wrenching! One of the youth stood up on the hi behind our crowd of youth and softly played "Come, Come Ye Saints" on her violin...there wasn't a dry eye! It was really a neat experience and definitely an emotional one. It was neat to see that the youth finally understood the sacrifices that the pioneers  made for their religion.

Going on the trek as an adult was an exercise in patience in many ways...but at the same time, it gave me a greater appreciation for the youth of the church. These kids are strong and it gives me hope. 

Some other tidbits worth noting- we got to have Jose (Bab and Roc's bonus kid) come on our trek and be a part of one of the families that we were responsible for. I also got to have one of my cousin's kids in my group which was neat. We ate good, were privy to portable potties (thank heaven!), were super hot, got sunburned and eaten up by bugs. Got to see the youth really shine...they had to dig deep sometimes but they never let us down. It was an amazing experience that I would do again in a heart beat.

On our way

Our babies

Hubby helped design this temple that the kids  built

Relief Society

I am currently serving as the second counselor in th  Relief Society presidency in our church. Relief Society is the women´s organization for those of you who don't speak Mormon! It's still new to me and I'm figuring things out as I go...but I am enjoying  myself. My main responsibility is to be over the activities but I pitch in wherever needed. It has given me many opportunities to serve and helped me get acquainted with the difference  families  that we attend church with. I am also required  to teach once per quarter. This doesn't sound like much, but I am not looking forward to it! Maybe this will help me get over my fear of teaching adults once and for all...here's to hoping. :)

Week and Weekend In Review

Unless you've been living under a rock for the last while you know that last week we voted.  This was the longest campaign I have ever lived through and boy did it seem never ending! I think that everyone was ready for it to be over...that might have been the only thing that all sides could agree one.  President Obama was re-elected.   In other news, a local candidate rented a bounce house for our precinct and I think it was brilliant.  I only wish that Lo could have enjoyed it.  Next time...

And, in case you missed the cutest voting duo in the history of the world-

Other than voting last week we also- worked, did lots of painting, had a successful cub scout activity, fed the missionaries (who are absolutely precious), had a triple date to go shooting and watch a movie.

We also got to spend time with Kelc, I'm pretty sure that I couldn't love another person more than I love that girl.  I can only hope that my Lo will be half as good as Kelc.  She is beautiful inside and out!

We visited with Bab and Roc's crew...including Roc's sister that lives out west now.  Our baby was given/snuck chocolate chip cookie, brownieand candy corn while at their house. Lo learned to click her tongue right before bed on Saturday night.  Maybe from the sugar high?! 

Today Robert was called to be the first counselor in the Elders Quorum presidency in our ward. I really love our ward that we are currently in and enjoy the friendships that we have made.

And, don't want to jinx it BUT our realtor called and said that we should be getting an offer on our house this week from the people that looked at it this morning.  We were so happy that we both cried.  So, pray for us people!

Pioneer Day 2012

The Hubs and I were asked to be on the planning committee for the Pioneer Day activity at church.  It was one of the first that we have ever attended and I would say we did a pretty bang up job of celebrating...pioneer style!

We had a delicious breakfast, tons of games, crafts, a couple of demonstrations, a seminar about some local pioneers and a movie.  I was able to attend part of the seminar which was being done by my Dad and it was really good.  I was so sad that I didn't get to see any of the demonstrations, I heard that they were cool.

Big Girl Class

Well, I think I might officially be an adult now!  What caused this big change?  I taught adults at church, which means that I have conquered my greatest fear of all time.  I know it probably sounds crazy, but I have always been intimidated at the thought of teaching adults. Babies, kids, teenagers?  Piece of cake!  Adults?  Instant panic attack! 

All week long I kept getting the nagging feeling like I was going to be asked to give a talk in church.  Those also make me super nervous, but I have been there and done that.  So, when the president of the women's organization at church called me late Friday afternoon and said that she needed a substitute at the last minute I accepted the challenge.  I used Friday as my freak out day and then Saturday morning I planned and wrote my lesson in no time.  Dare I say that I felt fine?!

Sunday morning came and the Hubs and I were dressed for church.  I got Lo's ensemble out to put on her, Hubby brought her into the nursery to get dressed and as soon as he put her down he looked green.  Then he ran to the bathroom where violent vomiting ensued.  Hmmm, so now the Hubs is down for the count...what's a girl to do?  I called my mother whom was running late to her own church service and she came to church with me so that I didn't have to bounce my baby on my hip while giving a lesson.  Okay, there would have been plenty of eager women wanting to hold Lo, but the last thing I wanted was an inconsolable baby with a strange new person.  Needless to say, all went well.  There was a lot of class participation which was greatly appreciated.  I had a page and a half of information that I didn't get to cover and that was my ideal situation.  Bottom line?  Greatest fear = CONQUERED!

Easter 2012

We had a really good Easter weekend. First, we celebrated Hubby's birthday on Saturday by having a barbecue with the fam. We had BBQ, collards, sweet potato soufflé, mac and cheese and chocolate ganache cake for dessert...all of Hubby's favorites! He, my Dad and the nieces and nephews had a nice day outdoors fishing and boating in the lake behind my parents house. I kept Babs company indoors while she cooked up the birthday feast. Later that day we went gun shopping and then to dinner at our favorite Greek place with some friends.

On Sunday we woke up to a home cooked breakfast by my Dad (we stayed at their place Saturday night). Then we all got on our Sunday best and headed out to church. This was Lo's first time at church so we only stayed for the first hour. It was a beautiful service, one of our dear friends (Kelc) gave a powerful talk about the Saviour and we were so glad that we went. We visited with friends after the service for awhile and then went back to my parents for lunch. Later that evening we went to Jas and Nell's for Easter dinner. We had a feast! Nell worked so hard at making everything perfect from the food to the decor. We had a wonderful time!

I should also mention that Miss Lo has so many dresses that I brought 3 outfit changes for Sunday...I ended up only doing 2 because one dress was still a little too big.

Farewell Weekend

We had a really good weekend.  Not only did we get many projects done on  the house but we were also invited out for some last hurrahs with friends.  We were invited to dinner and a bonfire with a group of Hubby's co-workers  Saturday night.  We were treated to a delicious meal made by the resident grill master, and homemade s'mores and jiffy pop made over the bonfire.  We had a good time just relaxing and talking with them around the fire late into the night. 

I've already shared the emotional farewell that we had at church on Sunday but the day turned around shortly after.  We were invited to our dear friend Shell's house for lunch with her new beau.  The made fajitas for us, we made chocolate hazelnut mousse for them and then we decorated her place for Christmas while watching Christmas Vacation.  While Hubby will see her at work for a bit longer it will likely be the last time that we are together due to the move and the general craziness of the holidays.

We also attended our church Christmas party on Friday night where the Hubs and I were in charge of the Santa pictures.  My Dad and Gigi were with us and were able to enjoy the holiday festivities as well.

New Opportunities

The Hubs got a new job!  It's bittersweet to be leaving our home that we love, a town that we love and so many people that we have come to know and love.  BUT, we are so excited to be moving back closer to our family, closer to our hospital where our baby will be born, a new job that sweetened the deal enough to get us to move.  We are going to move in to my Nana's home, one that I have many fond memories in.  The timing for this couldn't have been more perfect.

We had our last day at church in Horse Country today and I don't think either of us expected to be so torn about the experience.  We were both released from our callings at church during sacrament meeting and it was announced that it would be our last Sunday there.  It was so hard for me to leave my sweet little primary class and very difficult for Hubby to leave the young men that grew very attached to him in the last 2 years.  We were both pretty emotional when we left church.  Our ward was really good to us and we were sad to leave.

Now, back to the happy stuff!  Our family really rallied to help us this weekend especially as we quickly tried to get the house and yard in top condition to put on the market.  My Dad and Gigi came and stayed Thursday thru Saturday.  Dad and I painted the master bath and sunroom and  spacked, sanded and touched up all of the places where we had hung pictures and mirrors.  Saturday brought Bab and her crew to help with the yard.  We raked and trimmed hedges while the Hubs did some carpentry work inside the house.  We also took down our light fixtures and put in builder grade stuff for a more uniform look.  I consider our house to now be de-personalized and as vanilla as we can possibly stand!  Now, we start working with the relocation company to get our house listed and the packers/movers scheduled to come move our belongings to our new home.  We hope to be moved by the 23rd is all goes well.

Trunk or Treat

We had our Trunk or Treat at church this past Saturday.  We were in charge of the photo booth which was super easy because Horse Country has some photogenic kids as it turns out.  We decided to pair down our trunk display this year because the activity was done when it was still light outside and that makes it less spooky.  We did blast our Halloween CD...there's nothing like a little Monster Mash to get you feeling festive this time of year!  It must be said that I totally ran out of candy and the mini tubs of play-doh that I was handing out.  I was unprepared and therefore lame to the last 10-15 kids that left our trunk empty handed.  Oh well, you live and you learn!

Baptism Squared

I am posting this picture because who wants to see a pictureless post?  Not me!  However, I do respect the privacy of others and I feel like "the hand over the face because I'm in so much pain pose" makes this child unrecognizable! This is me torturing Miss M by french braiding her extremely thick hair prior to the baptism.  Beauty is pain! 

Hubby and I had the opportunity of attending the baptism of our besties little girl this weekend.  I can't believe that she's 8!  The Hubs got to participate in her confirmation and also got to participate in the confirmation of one of his friends who happened to get baptised right before Miss M.

Eight Is Great

Well, my new calling at church is working with the 7 turning 8 year old kids.  I am so excited about my new calling.  The kids are just the sweetest!  And, for those who don't speak Mormon...we baptise at the age of 8 so this is a big year for my class.  I have been teaching for 2 weeks now and have thoroughly enjoyed my cute little class.

The End Of An Era

I was released from my position in the primary presidency in my ward about a week ago.  It felt weird to attend Sunday School with my husband for the first time in a very long time and then to sit in Relief Society with all of the women.  This presidency that I served in was very different than the last one that I was in.  I made lasting friendships with the last 2 ladies that I served with because we went through some rough times together.  I felt a little more detached from the ladies in my last gig mostly because we were new to the ward and I still felt awkward and was in the whole adjusting phase.  I don't feel like I contributed very much to the primary other than filling in for a teacher, wrangling kids and teaching sharing time a few times a year.  But, I  feel like I did all that I was asked to do and I guess that's okay.

What I took away from this calling: I feel like I learned to value and love each individual child as they have very different personalities and very different needs.  I also feel like I was a little more laid back this go round than last which was a nice lesson learned...or just age!  I also got to experience a very involved and supportive bishopric and stake leadership which was/is fabulous. Being in the same ward as the stake president and the stake primary president has it's perks! And lastly, since we were brand new when I accepted this call, I was able to learn peoples names and family connections through the children.

Of course, I have already been asked and accepted a new calling at church and will be sustained this Sunday.  To Be Continued...

Climbing the Ladder

This week my Hubby was asked to take a position as a lead engineer.  I am so happy for him, he has worked really hard and I think he deserves it.  Of course, this means working longer hours and I'm sure there will be more stress but we are both grateful that he has been given the opportunity. 

We got our new HVAC unit installed this past Thursday...hallelujah!  It's hot where we live and being without it for 4 days makes me appreciate it more.  Of course, nobody should feel bad for us because we had a window unit while we waited our turn for a new one.  We tried to find the humor while being limited to our bedroom where the window unit was located.  We laughed at ourselves one night when we had dinner spread out all over our bed as we sat on our small couch in our master bedroom to eat.  I wore my hair curly all week because there was no way in heck I was bringing out a hot tool to tame the tiger!

The countertop that will finally complete the kitchen remodel is being made as we speak.  We hope that it will be delivered this week so we can wrap this up.  I was really impressed with the way Lowe's handled the situation, they have been really good to us.

We went to the shooting range with a group of friends on Thursday.  One of the people we went with had a grouping that looked like a paw print, what are the odds?!  We went to the dirt track on Friday night with Hubby's work friends.  Hubby used to go when he was a kid but I had never been to such a thing.  It was much more fun than I anticipated and much less dirty than I originally thought.  I will admit to reading a People magazine while the cars were qualifying...that was lame!  Saturday was spent with our Horse Country Shell and her parents that were in town for a visit. We kind of claim her parents as our own, they're pretty adorable!  We went to church today...I bet nobody saw that coming!  I had a cub scout meeting directly after church.  (the leadership position that I hold at church has me overseeing the cub scouts as part of my responsibilities)  We came home and grilled out and have been resting up for the week ahead!

Hubby and I at the dirt track

***It was brought to my attention that trying to comment on my blog posts was next to impossible.  I have had issues commenting on others blogs recently and I don't know what the deal is.  I changed some settings around so comment away!  If you are still having issues please let me know.  Thanks!