Little Patch of Heaven

This is our home. 1400 square feet, 4 bedrooms, 1 bathroom. Quaint, close... cozy. Within these walls homework happens, and hugs, and tears. Laughter, family home evening. We also have deep discussions and life's lessons and scripture study. We're raising future missionaries and children who know their Father in Heaven. We pray here. We pray for our children and our neighbors and our family. We pray for each other and the prophet and the bishopric. We pray for strength and wisdom and help. In this home we sing really loud - and off key- but we sing! We celebrate, we practice, we learn. Sometimes we disagree, but we hope that a disagreement teaches a lesson; if nothing more than how to disagree pleasantly and then love again after a disagreement. Sometimes we have time outs. Mom and Dad need them, too. Here we have sewing lessons, and cooking lessons and gardening lessons. We play games and run and squeal. We practice the cello and ballet and gymnastics. We have campouts and cookouts and stargazing. We are constantly doing home improvements. Sometimes we check the water. We weed together and plant together and harvest together. Then we offer thanks for our blessings. Our home has a roof and doors and walls just like other people's homes. It may be small but it's what happens inside that matters most. We dubbed our home "Little Patch of Heaven" when we first bought it, so thankful for a place to celebrate our family. I think of the book "The Little House" about the little home that was so loved. That's our house. Our home. Good things happen here.

John & Matthew's trip to the Jazz vs Nuggets NBA playoffs game 6

Yesterday I heard nothing all day except "I am going to a Jazz game tonight."

"You are not going to a Jazz game tonight."

"Are they here yet to take me to a Jazz game?"

"Daddy is going with me to a Jazz game tonight."

"You have to stay home to go grocery shopping and fold laundry but I get to go to a Jazz game tonight!"

"Ohhhh, 'tonight' is NEVER gonna get here!"

"Is it 'tonight' yet?"

"I am going to a Jazz game tonight!"

Boy, I tell you, I have never been so relieved for "tonight" to get here, and I didn't even get to go!

But John and Matty had a BLAST with Aunt Mary, Aubrey, Ashlee, Mandy, and "Princess Grandma".
Here are some of the highlights in Matthew's words:
The big bear was riding on a stand up motorcycle and shot t-shirts out of a BIG gun! It was HILARIOUS!!

Balloons and little tiny paper came out. But there was a big bear and a little bear and both of them didn't come up the stairs, but they did come out.

The basketball players, they just slammed the ball!


Princess Grandma thought the blue guys were the Jazz! But it was the white guys!

It was so loud! Really, really loud!


Those players were really HUGE! They would beat Daddy any day!
(Way to go John! You have changed your four year old's image of you forever!)

Now, today all I have heard is "Go Jazz, Go!" (Green #1 fan finger stabbing the air!) And the other two have joined in the celebration!

"It was such a fun night!" Matty said this morning as he dribbled his new Jazz basketball around the kitchen in his Jazz basketball clothes.
I have a feeling I won't be hearing about anything else for a long time!

*Note: They did win! And it was an INTENSE game that the rest of us got to watch at Great Grandma's house!*

Joseph Smith III

Spencer recently had the opportunity to play Joseph Smith III in a performance of "My Servant Joseph" which Aubrey and Ashlee's student ward sponsored. It was so fun to see him practice his part and go from embarrassed and unsure about it, to confident and ready.



He had a solo singing part as his only actual 'spoken' lines, and he was only in three scenes total, but he had a great time, earned some money (we paid him for every time he sang his lines, and so he went around the house with a little note book making tally marks each time he sang it), and gained a little more appreciation and a greater testimony for the prophet Joseph. It was an amazing first performing experience! We are so proud of him!


Spencer with Nate and Erica as Joseph and Emma Smith

Olivia and Matthew were so excited for Spencer!

...and we have a thumbsucker!!

Nothing says innocent and precious as a thumbsucker. I know I will probably hate it when she's older, but right now it just makes me think of my baby. And Baby Girl, stay that way!!

April Fool's Day!

This was the April Fool's joke we had played on us this morning. 8 inches of crummy snow! We didn't think it was very funny!

watching Avonlea grow

From the bottom left: newborn, 1 week, top left: 4 weeks, 8 weeks

I'm going to pay more attention this time. Because she's our last? Maybe. But I should have slowed down with the others as well, and I didn't. And I really can't this time. But I'll try. Already I can see a difference, just in eight weeks. It doesn't seem fair, that they grow up so fast. I think of the almost ten years that we have had Spencer, and how fast they went. These next 10 years are going to go just as quickly and then he'll be on his mission, and Olivia will be 15, and Matty won't want to be called "Matty" at 14. Jacob will be just about to receive the aaronic preisthood and begin passing the sacrament. And Avonlea will be ten. In just ten short years. I have said before when asked why time must go so quickly, Heavenly Father misses us so much, that pregnancy seems to drag on, and then the years just fly by so that he can get us back with Him. That's what I think anyway.

sweet Avonlea's blessed day

Blessing a new baby is always such a neat, nerve racking and busy experience, and preparing for Avonlea's was all of those. And perhaps more. It was our last one. I needed everything to be perfect.








Perfect dress, perfect luncheon, the kids all on their perfectly best behavior, the weather needed to be perfect. Everything. So to make it that way, I spent hours working on her dress and blanket. We carefully planned the menu for the luncheon (although it was more a dinner since our sacrament ends at 3:30 in the afternoon), we sent out the announcements, cleaned the house, the clothes were coordinated, ironed and ready.




Olivia, Avonlea and I all had matching bracelets, and matching hair bows for the girls. The boys all in their black dress pants and shoes, with white church shirts and ties. And John always looks so handsome in a suit. The food was bought and prepared and the RSVP list long - a possibility of 82 people!



So did it turn out perfect? No. Matthew and Jacob both came down with ear infections which were draining out their tear ducts, and they looked awful. Olivia had pneumonia in both lungs and ear infections, and she felt awful. I completely lost my voice. And because the kids were sick, I spent extra time taking care of them and the house no longer sparkled like I wanted it to. The gravy for the hawaiian haystacks didn't thicken. I forgot the butter for the rolls, the salt and pepper, and although we had cups to drink from, I forgot the drink and ice. But those are the minor things and our family rolls with the punches. No one seemed to care that there was no ice and we found pitchers at the civic center and served water.





The important things were perfect. The family all came. An impressive 12 honorable priesthood holders stood to give Avonlea her blessing. And it was beautiful! Avonlea was perfect, never made a sound even though she was hungry. She slept quietly as though she knew how important this day was. She was blessed to be close to her brothers and sister, to develop a close friendship with them and help each other, as there is strength in family. She was blessed to listen to her parents,, to choose the right, follow the commandments and to be obedient with a desire to do what is right. She was blessed to choose good friends and to be a good friend to which others will come to for love and strength. "Blessed to recognize the goodness, strength and beauty of your mother, whom you are named for, and to be like her in many ways". She was also told to seek education, wisdom and knowledge and to recognize the importance of these things, to strive to do her best in all things, and of course to marry a righteous "brother" in the temple. There was such a sweet spirit as that blessing was given! John made sure I saw him hold Avonlea up at the end of the blessing as is tradition, and I appreciated that. Our last baby blessed. I hope to hold that image forever as John lifted her up and smiled. So sweet!
So in the end it wasn't all perfect, but the important things were. The important things still are. Family is together, the gospel is true and we have blessings that I wouldn't trade for anything. It was a perfect day!