fleeting warmth

Winter is here and our house is FREEZING! We don't have insulation and our heater is broken... We had sunshine today and we made use of our window of opportunity to enjoy some outside play. Here are a few of my favourite shots from our backyard ...

I cannot wait for Spring!

daughter

Dear India,

I look at the picture above and find it hard to believe you were ever this small and vulnerable. I worry I will never be able to tell you just how much I love you but I hope that you feel how much I do. You are developing into this little person, you’ve always been there, I know you were born complete with thoughts, feelings, desires, talents etc etc… but being a special witness to your development is simply miraculous. I’m a spectator to your increase and I have the best seats in the house!

You love nail polish and music and dancing and bike rides. You love white sauce {mayonnaise} and tv and painting and lip mackers {lip gloss}.  You hate bugs and potatoes and bedtime. You love to read and your favourite books are 'muddled up farm', 'big and little', and 'funny faces'. You breast-feed your dolls, and have even tried giving Reeve chichitas.You make up your own songs. You are terrified of unexpected noises and run – fast – when my phone makes any kind of sound. You are a great friend and sister and cousin.

You have taken on this endearing shrug whenever you ask a question. It’s my new favourite thing about you. You ask for Family Home Evening almost every night and you even asked for a Book of Mormon. You are beginning to pray on your own… and the prayers you offer can be both humbling and highly entertaining!

I don’t know what I did right {and occasionally I don’t know what I did wrong} to be blessed with the stewardship of your head strong spirit. I take my responsibility of raising you very seriously but I hope you don’t feel that seriousness in our everyday life.  I want you to feel free to become whoever you are here to become and I want you to feel loved… especially by me… for whoever you choose to be.

I love you boody,

Your Mama xxx

My Rough Welcome Home from Thailand

Reeve gave us a big scare my first real night home. I had put him to sleep when he awoke ½ hour later SCREAMING! He wouldn’t settle in his room so I brought him out into the light to see him better. He was pale and crying and a bruise/rash was creeping up his neck! He would not respond to our calls and he began to sporadically convulse… I was out. of. my. mind. with. worry! Through tears I asked Bax to administer a blessing to our son and the moment Bax laid his hands on Reeve’s head his screaming ceased! As I positioned my boy under his Father’s hands he went from fully fledged battle cries to instant silence. As the blessing continued Reeve became unsettled once more, but the earlier screams did not return and he began to regain colour and to respond to our voices. I knew to check the rash to see if it was one to be weary of and sure enough it was! Once Grandma arrived to watch the blissfully, ignorant, sleeping India, we rushed off to the closest E.R. It took over an hour to be seen by the Doctor, by which time Reeve had returned to his usual, albeit tired but happy, self. He did, however, still have the rash, which concerned the Doctor enough to have her senior also check it out. It was determined that Reeve does not have diabetes  (random fun fact) and that he was to be monitored closely by us over the next few days for signs of the rash spreading or high temperatures. Short of these things Reeve should make a full recovery and the rash, though strange/concerning,  could possibly be put down to an oncoming cold. So after being poked and prodded and even pricked for a blood test, the only one to leave the hospital worse off and crying was me! Reeve is now doing fine and, minus the odd tantrum, he is a really content little trooper.

It’s been hard to shake the anxiety that has plagued me these past few days… but harder to shake is the feeling that the Lord has been with us and with Reeve. Thinking about the blessing he received there is little room left for me to doubt that this played a major part in Reeve’s recovery and I will forever be grateful  for the blessing of the priesthood in my home.