My neice

(Audrey and me summer 2003)

Audrey is the oldest grandchild in the family. And I could easily say the most beloved by all.
She was born when I was nine years old. My mother, sister, and I all flew out to Atlanta to see her. I sang "silent night," to Audrey while walking down a dark hallway to help her fall asleep. My sister Jessica and I would fight over who got to hold her. I spoke gibberish with her when she was one years old (and now she listens to me speak gibberish about raising kids). I babysat her, played with her, and adored her.

Audrey is more like a sister to me than a niece. She's lucky she didn't live by me. I would've begged her to go to lunch with me, gone to all her functions, etc., and she would've been begging me to leave her alone. Also, she is so sweet to my children and loves them. Did I mention she has amazing hair that is natural-no coloring.
(Audrey and me last summer 2009)

I admire Audrey in every way. She wasn't a drama queen in high school, and still isn't. She isn't catty or easily offended; I've yet to hear her say a bad thing about anyone. And to top it all off, after her freshmen year at BYU, she volunteered to go to India for three weeks and work at a leprosy colony: washing the patients feet, bandaging them, hugging them, talking to them, loving them-and doing it all with a smile. After my freshmen year, I volunteered myself to go to Paris, to go shopping, and eat delicious food, and stay in a beautiful home in Versailles.
She's been blogging about her experience in India. She comments on her love for the people and the blessings she feels by serving them. I keep asking my sister what's her secret in raising Audrey. If my daughters turn out like her I'd be one lucky lady. Actually, if I turned out like her I'd be one lucky lady myself.
(Audrey in India. Isn't she beautiful.)
(seriously who has natural hair color like that)

I'm so proud of Audrey.

doll party

Rick's mother, KLynn, started a tradition with her daughters long ago: doll parties. I believe they began with a simple tea party with sisters and their dolls, through the years it grew to include cousins with themes, hand sewn matching dresses for girls/dolls, booths, etc.

KLynn has continued this tradition with her granddaughters for the past several summers.
I love this tradition and wanted it to be very much apart of my daughters' lives and share it with other mothers and their daughters, which is why this last weekend I threw a small doll party and Chrissie was the youngest (due to the activities). I've wanted to do this for awhile, but, was intimidated by the idea. I decided I needed to start somewhere, tried to keep it simple, and made it a garden doll party: freshly picked flowers, flower patterned fabric, hats with flowers, activities taking place on flowered quilts laid on the lawn, etc.

It was very magical to Chrissie. She woke up thrilled, clapping her hands, and squealing in excitement as she saw me making tissue pom-poms. She quickly lined up all her dolls along the wall and then jumped up on the stool and begging to help.
Chrissie even went so far as to rearrange the wayI had decorated things to her liking: each doll table had to have a bud vase, no the purses need to be hung on a lamp, didnt' like where I placed the baskets, etc.
She helped KLynn, her grandma, with the purses, raspberry tarts and cucumber sandwiches (KLynn, by coincidence, happen to visit the same weekend I scheduled the party,thank goodness-I couldn't have done it quite so nicely without her, three young kids take more time than I realize). The doll party was a special way for both Chrissie and I to spend time with KLynn before she left for Russia for several years.
Of course the dolls need a place to sit.

Each purse had the girl's name embroidered on it.
There was a doll store full of goodies for the girls and their dolls: jewelry boxes, bracelets, barrettes, treats, doll bonnets, and fabric bookmarks. All items that could be bought with the buttons they found in their purse.
We decorated straw hats and embroidered the bookmarks.

We had a sort of "tea party" lunch. The girls all had very good manners. And I think Chrissie even pulled out her British accent a few times.

Grandma KLynn and Jane


Yes. We now have baby chicks who even joined us for the party and roamed around the garden.
I had such gracious guests who brought items for the store and had nothing, but, compliments to give.
I love this tradition; it allows women and their daughters to bond in a very happy and beautiful way.

Fathers and Sons

This past weekend Rick and Matthew went on our church's fathers and sons activity. According to Rick everything went quite well. Matthew only asked for "mama" once in the middle of the night.

Poor Rick got Matthew after a week of potty training; he and Matthew sat on the side of the road for a half hour because Matthew had to go "poopies." Eventually, Rick just put him in a diaper until they reached their campsite.
Surprisingly, Matthew woke up with a dry diaper, and finally went that morning: which took much persuasion from Rick to go on the rocks, and Matthew did it, and all the boys were so proud and started calling him "Matt."

Chrissie, Jane, and I had "girl time."

We went to dinner and ate outside (per Chrissie's request). Chrissie was so pleased and kept saying, "I just love my family...my family is the best...it's just us girls." We got her a little present. We watched a movie and did some sewing. We were supposed to play tennis Saturday morning, but, our irrigation was to come on earlier than I planned and I had to frantically mow the lawn before the yard was flooded.
I feel bad we didn't do anything really exciting and hope to be more clever next year.

Quote

A disciple asks the rebbe: "Why does Torah tell us to 'place these words upon your heart'? Why does it not tell us to place these holy words in our hearts?"

The rebbe answers: "It is because as we are, our hearts are closed, and we cannot place the holy words in our hearts. So we place them on top of our hearts. And there they stay until, one day, the heart breaks and the words fall in."

(From The Politics of the Brokenhearted, by Parker Palmer)

We're asked to read our scriptures daily and at time my studying may seem trivial; this quote reminds of the importance to study the scriptures, to know the scriptures, because storms come and go in my life. I'll be more protected and happy in these storms when I know and understand God and His purpose for me.

Mother's Day

Chrissie helped Rick with the breakfast: french toast with pears and pomegranate sauce. She decorated: spelling "mom" with balloons. And she wrapped presents with loads of tape and letter "m":chocolate chips (I had banned myself from them because we went through an entire costco bag in one week), chocolate covered pretzels, crayons, and chalks. Rick bought me an orchid.
She loved the idea of bringing me breakfast in bed and chatted to Rick the entire time they made the preparations. And kept telling me to stay in bed.

This Mother's Day I thought of all the women in my life who have blessed me as a mother. I particularily remembered my sisters and what each one has taught me from scheduling, discipline, to loving children.
This was the first Sunday Chrissie got to participate with the primary and sing to all the mothers.
I cried.
She stood up there with one blue bow, one white bow, her elbows propped up on the ledge with her big grin and I lost it. I couldn't believe I had a daughter so lovely.

Chrissie's favorites

Books.

She has an incredible stamana for reading. I've read to her Peter Pan and Wendy and A.A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh. I'm reading to her the chronicles of Narnia, and after a half hour of reading, my hoarse is dry, she's still begging me to read more. She comprehends peices fo the story, but, she just enjoys hearing me read out loud.
I find her several times a day looking through a book (Matthew is also beginning to do this, another reason I'm so glad we don't have cable).
Some books she's memorized and can "read" them to us (Brown Bear Brown Bear, and some nursery rhymes, and poems).
She squeals when she gets a book as a present.
Another favorite, that is not necissarily an object, is singing. She's always loved to sing. During Christmas she sang carols. She would go to choir practise with Rick and learn more songs and words. She'd mix words and tunes together and one day at the grocery store she belted: Lord, Lord, Lord! She continues to sing praises throughout the day.
Chrissie has taken singing to a whole new level. She now "sing talks": "Daaaiseeey, I'm geeeting you waaater...here is your waaaater." Or "Maaathew, I'm climbing this treeee." Oh, it's great. There is nothing more beautiful than hearing a child sing.

Matthew's favorite

Crayons.A box of crayons to be precise.

He loves them.
He takes them with him everywhere. I'm not sure if he enjoys putting them in the box more than coloring (he has a longer coloring stamina than Chrissie did at that age).
He takes them in the car and to the store. Just the other day the kids and I were at a store (didn't have carts) when Chrissie's realizes she forgot her shoes. I realize I forgot the baby bjorn (I don't have an infant carrier). But I'm going to finish that errand I set out to do. So, Chrissie goes on my back and Jane is in my arms. Suddenly, Matthew, with his box of crayons, in the middle of the parking lot, decides he wants the bread that he'd tucked away into Chrissie's bag in the now locked car. I look at him in dismay. I tell him will have bread when we come back. That didn't work. He decides to chuck his crayons everywhere. Everywhere, as in all over the parking lot, under cars, etc. I look at him in disbelief. He cries. And we pick up those cursed crayons.
He's even ventured so far as to request to go to bed with them.
I, of course, being the lazy parent, finished with arguing, let him go to bed with his beloved crayons. All the while telling myself, "I'll go and get them when he's asleep."
The following morning I realize I forgot to get the crayons. whew. He hadn't colored on anything. "Next time, I will not forget," I promise myself. But, I do, several times until I get him up one afternoon only to find that he colored on everything: walls, crib, sheet, bumper...why do I make my life more difficult.
He's not allowed to take crayons to bed anymore.
But he still takes them everywhere else. They're great for sacrament meeting.