Tigers and Elephant Rides

Caleb these days:

Can't go anywhere without tiger! I wish I would sleep this well... oh wait, I do.

This is the only kind of Elephant ride we can afford

Lucky Duck

I feel guilty when people talk about father figures.

I've written before about my father, and what an incredible man he is. So all things considered, Pops should fill my "father figure" quota. But somehow, the stars aligned and I was blessed with another father, equally incredible, but in different ways.

Jeff and his wife (I wrote about her in this post) shared their time, their holidays, their love and their ambitions with my family.

As a little girl, I would randomly receive presents from him, although they were always labeled "from a secret admirer." I still have a necklace charm that Jeff gave me when I was about 8. When, during a rowdy dorm party, my laptop was broken freshman year, Jeff spent his Christmas holiday fixing my computer screen so I would have a computer at school. When I didn't have the cash to put a security deposit down on an apartment and I was too proud to ask for help, he found out and without fanfare, there it was. When I needed someone to think I was special, someone to talk to me, to see my potential, Jeff has always, always been there.

With everything that has been going on, it's been hard to focus on "real life" lately, but in a relatively unimportant way I was really disappointed that I didn't get any Thin Mints this year. We were slightly distracted during Girl Scout Cookie season this year.

And then, yesterday, I got a package in the mail from Jeff. And I remembered: He ALWAYS sends me Thin Mints for my birthday. He never forgets. And even though a box of Thin Mints will not fix the craziness of our lives, the fact that he remembered kinda does. Knowing that I have people in my life like him, make me feel like we can get through anything.

So yeah, I think I feel guilty about the awesome father figures in my life. I am just one lucky duck.

Earth Day

We love the Earth. Seriously. We're all about it. Not all about it in a "I'm gunna chain myself to a tree" sorta way, but in a "Can you believe how amazing this place is" kinda way.

Speaking of how awesome the Earth is, I think I should mention one of it's greatest attributes. It holds on to things. Lots of things. Like my engagement ring.

Remember THIS post? How I was planting a garden (to be kind to the Earth and save some cha-ching, cha-ching) and I lost my engagement ring?

No worries. The new tenants of the place were planting a garden (go them!) and they found it. AND they mailed it to us. Priority Overnight. (Fed-ex thanks them as well).

Why they were able to find it and we could not (after two metal detectors and hours of hand sifting the dirt...) I'm not sure, but hey. Whatever works.

So yeah. Go Earth. Go new tenants. We love all of you.

Bed Time Story

A transcript of the conversation between Caleb and I as he is getting ready for bed:

(We're sitting on his bed, reading stories and he is snacking on a sandwich)

Caleb: I ready to say prayers now. You say it?
Me: You want me to say the prayer?
C: No. I say it. Dear Heav'ly Father, Thank you for Charlotte. Thank you for making her all better. Thank you for Doctors, Grandma, Grandpa and Momma. Thank you for Daddy be a doctor to give medicine medicine and make people all better. Thank you for sandwiches. Thank you for big bites (he reaches down and takes a bite of his sandwich) Name of Jesus. Amen.

And since there is no appropriate way to verbally respond to something like this, I ended our conversation with a big hug and a few tears.

I love this kid. So much. About this <-----> much.

Potty Training

I'm not sure who trains whom during "potty training" but either I haven't forgotten to take Caleb to the bathroom every 5 minutes in 12 hours, or Caleb hasn't had an accident.

Either way, (me training Caleb or Caleb training me), not changing a diaper in 12 hours rocks my world. Let me enjoy it before the house of cards comes crashing down.

Our Easter

I Believe

I'm not really the type of person who wears Religion on my sleeve. Well, kinda I do. Religion is a very large part of my life; it has shaped who I am, has influenced every aspect of my life. But I'm not the type of person who talks very openly about it. I should be better about it, but my religious beliefs have always been so special, so sacred to me, that I try very hard to give my Faith the respect and honor it deserves, and I worry that those I share it with might mock or disparage it. That fear of desecration of my Religion keeps me from sharing it with others all too often.

I think the name of Christ should be Honored, not plastered on my car as a bumper sticker. Some may follow this form of religious expression, and I respect their right to share their beliefs in whatever way they prefer, but it's just not they way I would choose to express my belief in Christ.

Make sense?

I share this just to help you understand that I don't take what follows lightly. It is meant as a genuine expression, not a trivial blogpost.

This Easter weekend, many have the chance to focus on what they believe and they spend the weekend in celebration. For the past month, our family has been very aware of the Hand of God in our lives. At times we acutely feel the absence of that Hand. At times, we feel the very Arms of God around us. But when we stop to think about what we celebrate, what the Easter season really means, we know without a doubt that our Savior atoned for us, and that His atonement encompassed much more than our sins, He felt our every pain and sorrow, our every moment of dispair.

Unfortunately, with our human nature, we don't always feel blessed, but we know we have been. Despite our human frailties, we rely on that which we know to help us get through that which we feel.

Here are two links that will help describe some of our beliefs. The first, Mormon.com is geared towards those who don't know anything about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or who might have questions about our church. The other, LDS.org, is geared towards members of the LDS church, and has links to all of our scriptures, church magazines and talks given by our church leadership.

Also, check out the YouTube Channel, Mormon Messages, to see short videos that discuss our beliefs.

These two passages of scripture have given me comfort throughout our experience.

From the New Testament,

2 Corinthians 4:8-9

We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; We are perplexed, but not in despair;
Persecuted but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

And, from the Book of Mormon,

Alma 7:11-12 (Emphasis Added)

And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.