When we saw how beautiful the weather was going to be today, we knew we had to make one last trip to the zoo before the summer heat keeps us away. We decided to see the new show again, since the kids loved it so much when we saw the sneak-preview. It is a cute crime-solver mystery about the missing star at Lone-Star Ranch.
It is full of animals, like this “pokey-pine” (I love this Raine-isms so much that I can’t bring myself to correct her!) . . .
. . . and the opossum.
At one point in the show, they asked for volunteers. (Since we had seen the show before, we knew what the volunteers were in for.) Raine eagerly raised her hand and was selected to help . . .
. . . hold a 50-pound Burmese Python named Betty. Here is a video of it. I’m not sure how much weight she was actually supporting, but she was definitely touching it. Afterward, she told me it was squishy. You can also see her sort of slide toward the kid next to her as the snake’s head got a little too close. This girl is a fearless animal lover, she will touch pretty much anything!
And not to be left out . . . this little guy thought it was pretty cool that “Rah-Rah” got to hold the “ssssss”!!
First item on our list: take Daddy to the water park!
Carter fell asleep during lunch and Raine blew bubbles while she waited for Daddy to get back with some food.
Next item on our list: crafting!
Raine’s current favorite craft supplies are the Perler Biggie Beads. These things are great! She can design her own picture or follow the pattern. Then dump them out and start over.
Once we broke Carter of his obsessive need to scatter the beads EVERYWHERE, he got pretty good at putting them on the pegs too.
Our primary took a trip to the Dallas Temple on Saturday. Raine was really looking forward to seeing the temple and worked hard to learn the words to “I love to see the temple” before the trip. The Temple President and Matron talked to the kids while they sat on the stairs in the lobby and then the kids sang “I love to see the temple” and “I am a child of God.” It was a neat experience for them.
Playing ring-around-the-rosies with Elyse while waiting to go inside the temple.
After singing for the Temple President, we took a self-guided tour of the Temple grounds. Sister Walker, our Primary President, was able to keep their attention for a few minutes, but once we got to the big lawn and the water fountains . . . the tour was over!
We managed to pull them all out of the fountains just long enough to take a group photo on the temple steps.
“When you touch the temple, the temple touches you.” — President Monson
Raine and her best friend Elyse.
Carter happily wielding a stick.
Our eternal family.
After visiting the temple we stopped for lunch (and ice cream) at Jason’s Deli . . . mmmmmmm!
Before we headed to church yesterday, I prayed to hear something important about motherhood in the messages. This was no idle prayer. Sitting with two small children, and no husband, doesn’t lend itself to listening intently to the speakers. Fortunately for me, Savannah Beal (or “Nana” as Carter calls her) usually sits with me to help with the kids and allow me to leave a couple minutes early to prepare for Primary. Today however, I was on my own since Savannah was the youth speaker, so it really was nothing short of a miracle that I was able to hear anything in the talks.
The thing that stood out to me was a quote from Sheri Dew that Ashley used in her talk:
“While we tend to equate motherhood solely with maternity, in the Lord’s language, the word mother has layers of meaning. Of all the words they could have chosen to define her role and her essence, both God the Father and Adam called Eve ‘the mother of all living’ —and they did so before she ever bore a child.”
This really struck a chord in me. Granted, I have biological children now. But for six years of my married life I did not have children. I know people thought I was putting off a family so that I could attend law school, but that simply wasn’t the case. I went to law school because I didn’t have kids. I knew a legal education was something that I needed to pursue and, interestingly, I got pregnant as soon as I started my last semester. Sometimes the Lord has a plan for us and He insists that we do things His way.
Another reason this quote struck me was because of the position I’m in as an attorney. I have two biological children that I mother, but I have eight other children that I also mother, within the limited scope of my influence. These children range in age from two months to eleven years. I represent them as both their attorney and their guardian ad litem.
Within that context, these children are just as important to me as my own and I take very seriously the role that I play in their lives. I make life altering decisions for them. I define their family. I determine who will raise them.
I have refused to support placements with relatives who I felt would not offer them a quality life. I have asked the court to terminate their parents’ rights because it would be in their best interest. I have requested that a sibling group be split, with one child placed with one family and the other three placed with another. Each of my suggestions and requests has been ordered by the court based solely on my recommendation. That is a lot of weight to carry . . . and I do it because I am a mother.
My current church calling also gives me the opportunity to expand my motherly sphere. As the Second Counselor in the Primary, I have around forty children each week to mother for a couple hours.
When a young CTR5 is having a hard time separating from his mom, I give him a job so he feels like it’s worth it to stay. When a little Sunbeam falls asleep during sharing time, I find a soft mat for him to lie on so he can get the rest he needs. Obviously I teach the children the gospel as well, but the most important part of my calling is showing them just how much their Father in Heaven loves them . . . and I do that by being a mother.
Each of these hats that I wear stem from my divine role as mother. Some are difficult, some are heartbreaking, and some are rewarding, but they are all important. The most important and rewarding however, is being the mother of Raine and Carter. Being a stay-at-home mom was not easy for me. Honestly, it took me a couple years to get used to it. But I am so glad that I stuck with it because it is the best life in the world!
I love going to parent-tot classes with my kids and watching them gain confidence in a new skill.
I love taking them to the zoo to explore this amazing world around us.
I need structure and schedules so classes, activities, and outings are what keep me sane. But everyone needs a PJ day every so often, and I love those days too. We rescue baby jaguar, take all the cushions off the couch to have “jump class,” play with puzzles and blocks, and read PILES of books all snuggled up on the couch. These moments are priceless!
I love to see their faces light up at the simplest thing and to have random conversations with them.
I love to see them learn and grow.
This is my motherhood, and it is the greatest blessing!
It was a beautiful Mother’s Day morning today. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and the kids didn’t get up too early. Once everyone was up, and too rambunctious for our bed, we went out and enjoyed a lovely waffle breakfast. Raine and Carter like waffles, but they were really excited for Momma to open her presents, so that soon followed. They each had a box for her to open. Carter was so exited, you would have thought the present was FOR him instead of FROM him.
Kim finally got the last few charms to fill up her bracelet. She has been getting a few for every holiday and special occasion since Christmas, and now it is full.
The last present she opened was a book from Grandma Dewey.
Carter knew it was a book before it was opened, and once the wrapping paper came off he wasn’t going to do anything until he had read that book.
After presents, we all got dressed and went to church. The sacrament speakers were great, Raine did a fabulous job in her first time singing with the primary, and the Bishopric counted tithing during priesthood so we could go home as soon as church was over. That was nice.
I don’t want to brag too much, but when we got home I made a pretty darn good dinner of boneless pork ribs, broccoli, watermelon and croissants. Very tasty indeed!
It was a wonderful day of reflection and celebration of mothers, and all they do for us.
These two are so much fun! Carter always wants to do what Raine does, and Raine always helps him out and includes him in her play.
The other day we were at the zoo play barn. Carter kept trying to climb through the chicken coop but just couldn’t quite pull himself up between levels. The coop is a series of levels with an off-set hole in each level to climb up to the next. Raine was climbing through it at lightning speed with the new friends she had made — up the levels, across the top, down the slide, repeat. As soon as I pointed out that Carter needed help, she told her friends that she needed to help her little brother and ran to his aid. She hoisted him up every single level until he was on the second story of the barn. The other kids kept flying by them as they slowly made their way to the top and it would have been so easy for Raine to get impatient and leave Carter, but she didn’t. It took her a long time and A LOT of effort to get him up there, but she stuck with him and heaved his little bum all the way to the top. Carter was so happy to be up with the big kids. I was such a proud momma watching my kids show just how much they love each other — if I was a crier, I would have shed a tear!
The other day we had a Relief Society meeting on food storage and the lady was asking, “what do you want to store?” She meant it in the context of figuring out what your family wants to eat so that you can then figure out how to store it. But honestly, the only thing I want to store is these cute kids. Someone needs to figure out how to put THAT in a bottle!! Until then, here are a couple videos that DJ and I find hilarious, but that I would be surprised if anyone else even found mildly amusing. They show Carter watching Raine’s every move, and Raine being the in-charge big sister. They don’t capture these kids very well, but hopefully it is enough to remind me of how much fun they are.
This first video is from last Sunday morning. I was getting ready for church and left the bathroom to get dressed. When I came back, this was the scene.
Raine and Carter share a room. When they wake up in the morning, Raine always makes sure that Carter has something to play with while he waits for me to get him. Some mornings I have gone in to find Carter literally up to his neck in toys. Lately, Raine has been climbing into the crib to “read” to him. I love listening to them through the baby monitor.
I wish I could capture their spontaneous laughing fits, or their make-believe, or their hug-fests, but as soon as the camera comes out they shut down, so I just have to relish it in the moment. Maybe there will be re-runs in heaven!
Carter and I are taking a parent-tot tumbling class this session at the rec and we are having so much fun! Carter loves the obstacle course best.
He also really likes the bars. He starts laughing every time he hangs there and always ends up laughing himself right off the bar.
“Ta-da!” On top of the vault.
No fear walking the wide beam unassisted — well, it’s more of a shuffle than a walk.
A note about the shirt he is wearing: This is the only shirt that Carter ever wants to wear. Why? Because it has a ball on it. This kid is very opinionated about what he wears and it kills me! ONE YEAR OLD BOYS DO NOT GET TO BE PICKY!!!
On Saturday, we had our 3rd Annual Easter Egg Hunt and BBQ. The weather was perfect, the food was good, and the kids had a blast.
Raine and Carter hunting eggs. (Those poor bushes all got fried during the record heat last summer. We were hoping they would come back, but as you can see, they are gone. So sad.)
Raine showing off her basket.
Boston, Elyse, Raine, Carter, and Cade playing duck-duck-goose. Boston was trying so hard to organize a bunch of games with the kids, but kept getting frustrated. He was the oldest one there by about two years and the rest of the kids just didn’t get it. It was funny to watch.
They finally settled on hide-and-go-seek and that seemed to work well.
Although everyone kept hiding together in the bushes so the finding part wasn’t too difficult! Carter was always the last one to the hiding spot so he would just stand between the bushes since there wasn’t any room left behind them.
On Easter morning we all woke up and eagerly went hunting for Easter baskets.
Raine liked the chocolate.
Carter liked the ball that lit up when you bounced it.
We dyed Easter eggs and then ate them for breakfast.
After breakfast we took all of the foam Easter egg crafts that Raine has been making — about 30 in all — and decorated the house of a sister in our ward. Raine loves to make crafts for this lady and she loves receiving them so they have a great relationship!
Blowing bubbles while Carter napped.
Raine in her Easter dress.
After dinner, the kids had some “Daddy jungle-gym” time. Here is Carter “Daddy-surfing.”
We had a wonderful Easter weekend. Carter is finally old enough to get excited about finding eggs. And Raine is finally old enough to understand what Easter is really about. Grandma’s passing in February made it a little more understandable for her because she now sees why it is such a blessing that we will be resurrected and see our family members again.
On Saturday, we had our 3rd Annual Easter Egg Hunt and BBQ. The weather was perfect, the food was good, and the kids had a blast.
Raine and Carter hunting eggs. (Those poor bushes all got fried during the record heat last summer. We were hoping they would come back, but as you can see, they are gone. So sad.)
Raine showing off her basket.
Boston, Elyse, Raine, Carter, and Cade playing duck-duck-goose. Boston was trying so hard to organize a bunch of games with the kids, but kept getting frustrated. He was the oldest one there by about two years and the rest of the kids just didn’t get it. It was funny to watch.
They finally settled on hide-and-go-seek and that seemed to work well.
Although everyone kept hiding together in the bushes so the finding part wasn’t too difficult! Carter was always the last one to the hiding spot so he would just stand between the bushes since there wasn’t any room left behind them.
On Easter morning we all woke up and eagerly went hunting for Easter baskets.
Raine liked the chocolate.
Carter liked the ball that lit up when you bounced it.
We dyed Easter eggs and then ate them for breakfast.
After breakfast we took all of the foam Easter egg crafts that Raine has been making — about 30 in all — and decorated the house of a sister in our ward. Raine loves to make crafts for this lady and she loves receiving them so they have a great relationship!
Blowing bubbles while Carter napped.
Raine in her Easter dress.
After dinner, the kids had some “Daddy jungle-gym” time. Here is Carter “Daddy-surfing.”
We had a wonderful Easter weekend. Carter is finally old enough to get excited about finding eggs. And Raine is finally old enough to understand what Easter is really about. Grandma’s passing in February made it a little more understandable for her because she now sees why it is such a blessing that we will be resurrected and see our family members again.
