Come to the Temple

Brandon and I have never bought gifts for each other for our anniversary. For us it is the time spent together that is a gift. We cherish the chance we have to pause and remember that beautiful day when we knelt across a sacred altar and promised ourselves to each other and to our Heavenly Father for eternity.

Which is why I was thrilled when a couple of friends of mine inspired me this year with fantastic ideas to celebrate our wedding anniversary not just as a couple, but also as a family. (Thanks Jill and Megan! Their blogs are private, or I would share the link.)

For the month leading up to the big day we had family home evening lessons that centered around the temple. The favorite activity was building a play dough version of "our" temple. We've pulled out the play dough more frequently since then and Marie quickly sticks a plastic fork in a chunk of it and cries, "Temp-o!"

(You can thank the blinking light on the camera for this picture.
I still can't believe both kids are looking and smiling!)

The last Monday before our anniversary we went up to our closest temple and shared with the kids our love of the temple and its importance in our lives. Being the realist that I am, I must point out that this part took about 30 seconds. The rest of the visit consisted of keeping them from falling into the empty fountain, empty because the temple itself was closed for cleaning at the time.

After saving their lives multiple times we left the temple grounds and paid a visit to an ice cream shop to consume some unnecessary but delicious calories.(Can you say huckleberry ice cream?)

When William said his prayers that night he said, "Thank you for going to see the temple today." We were pleasantly surprised that he didn't express his gratitude for the ice cream instead.

Since that beautiful day five years ago we feel humbled that we have been given the opportunity to share the truths of the Gospel with two of Heavenly Father's choice spirits. I love that these chosen spirits were placed in my arms to usher through this life. I love that William and Marie are old enough to comprehend, even in a small part, what the temple is. And I love this stage in my family's life when we get to determine and establish traditions that will be the foundation on which their lives are built. A foundation which will point them towards the temple and towards the Gospel.

I foresee this tradition definitely making it on my top ten list. I am definitely looking forward to an eternity of August trips to the temple (and I wouldn't mind a bit more ice cream either).

I Am Mother, Hear Me Roar

Read this.

Just Keep Swimming!

Despite a busy summer I managed to squeeze swimming lessons in just in time! It was the last session at the pool.

The verdict on how they went is complicated, but to put it simply --

From a former swim instructor's viewpoint I was not impressed with the management of the pool, the organization of the lessons, or the lead teacher's enthusiasm.

From a mother's standpoint I was pleased with the progress that William made and loved how much he looked forward to lessons each day. He would literally shake with excitement as he walked toward the pool. That alone made it worth every penny.

William has now informed us that when he grows up he wants to be a swim lesson teacher. That is why I will do it again. I'm thinking maybe in January when we are all tired of being in the house. (As much as I hate indoor pools, that is a definite benefit they provide, year round swimming lessons!)

Doing "superman glides". I'm pretty sure this guy is the reason William loved the lessons.

Playing "Bubble Gum"

Bubble, bubble, bubble,

POP!

the devoted spectator

Bubbles with the kickboard.
They should have been encouraging him to put his eyes in the water. Just saying ...

He was splashing the teachers so they "attacked". That smile is just priceless!

William Ate This!

By now you know the profound meaning behind those three words, right?

Cheesy Zucchini Boats -- Although we liked the ground beef version I made last week better (which William also ate), these are worth mentioning because William had 3 helpings! (He only ate the filling, but whatever, good enough for me.)

Renaissance of Tuna Casserole -- I will never make the cream of chicken/potato chip tuna casserole again. This was so fast and both of my kids practically inhaled it! (Note: If you make this, I think I almost tripled the amount of sauce. The original recipe does not make nearly enough.)

North African Meatballs -- Don't let all the ingredients scare you. I had pretty much everything in my pantry. This recipe comes together fairly fast and the combination of flavors was new and refreshing. I did not make the couscous. I just served the meatballs over brown rice.

Our Fifth Year

Our Fifth Year

We lived .... here!
Brandon .... became a shining star at work. Most Valued Employee for sure! (Good thing Bethany is writing this, he would never say that about himself.) His evenings and weekends were filled with maintaining the lawn and the house. Building the garden and sandbox were two of his favorite projects.
Bethany .... loved being at home with the kids, even on the rough days. She spent her precious free moments with blogging, crafting, sewing, and cooking. She also took advantage of the 2-3 times a week that she was able to head to the gym. Her favorite day of the week was Friday. Friday was date night with Brandon. Date night usually consisted of popcorn and a Redbox movie in the living room.
William .... turned 3. His obsession with cars, trains, trucks, tractors, etc. was as strong as ever. His greatest accomplishment this year was overcoming his textural difficulties and finally broadening his diet.
Marie .... turned 1. She took her first steps and hasn't slowed down since. She had to work pretty hard to keep up with her brother, but somehow managed. Her greatest accomplishment? Growing hair.
Memorable moments ....

• Marie has enough hair for pigtails
• trip to the zoo with Grandma and Grandpa P.
• Marie takes her first steps
• Bethany spends a weekend in Rexburg with Sara
• Marie's first birthday
• P. family gathering at "the farm"
• Thanksgiving in Vernal
• Ashley and Mike's wedding (Brandon's sister)
  
• Christmas in California -- despite the fact that William puked 9 days in a row, Brandon got a 24-hour stomach bug, and Marie got RSV it was a wonderful trip! Seriously.
• seeing "Wicked" finally!
  
• William's 3rd birthday
• Marie's first haircut
• Celine Dion concert
  
• We have a red kitchen!
• April trip to California
• 4th of July trip to Vernal
• William's first talk

And the video? Coming soon to a blog near you (or perhaps just facebook). By soon, I mean before our 6th year is over.

Our Fourth Year

Our Fourth Year

We lived .... here!
Brandon .... was a hard working electrical engineering maniac! His favorite job perk? Three hours of fitness leave a week.
Bethany .... was very quickly falling in love with being a stay at home mom, even with the challenges that a toddler and a newborn will inevitably present.
William .... took to being a big brother quite fabulously.
Marie .... did not take to being a baby too fabulously, but made up for her fussiness with a plethora of cuteness.

Memorable moments ....

• trip to the zoo
• Marie is born!
• Thanksgiving at the farm
• Marie's blessing -- almost 30 people in our little house, talk about a party!
  
• Christmas in Vernal, Marie's first Christmas
• a very tough winter full of cold, snow, PPD, fussy baby, and a stir crazy toddler (not a fun memory, but a still a memory)
• trip to California in April for Rachel's senior recital (Bethany's sister)
• trip to California in June for Rachel's wedding
• lots of time with cousins
  
• family pictures on the beach
• 4th of July in Vernal
• hiking Mt. Timpanogos, this time we made it to the top!

So, about the video. The file is too large for Blogger. At is lowest quality it is 135 MB and Blogger only takes 100 MB. I looked at uploading it onto Soapbox which is Microsoft's version of youtube. It's file size max is also 100MB. Youtube has a 10 minute max and the video is about 13 minutes long. If you are friends with me or Brandon on facebook, you can view it there because I know you are just dying to spend 13 minutes of your life watching my picture slideshow. I would really love to have the video itself on Blogger though. Anyone have any tips or tricks they can suggest?

Our Fourth Year...

... is having technical difficulties. The current file is too large to upload onto Blogger. Plus, Brandon and I are heading up to Logan to celebrate in just a couple of hours. We are leaving the kids for 24 hours, I have a lot to do, blogging not being the top of the priority list.

I know you are just going to be biting your nails waiting to see the video, but you will probably have to wait until Sunday.

Much love!

*muah*