Go! Diego Go!

Thanks for a wonderful time Grandma and Grandpa! Luke still can't quite believe that he saw the "real Diego".

Snow Pictures

Here are some pictures from our Snowy Sunday. It is so pretty here-- everything is still covered with ice. The eaves of our house are decorated with the most diverse icicles. Today was one of those very cold but very clear days that winter brings. It kept taking my breath away to see the sun shining through the ice-- a winter wonderland. So beautiful, even magical (and fleeting).










Hope you're all staying warm!

Baby-ed!

So yesterday I was on the phone with Carrie and she expressed her disappointment that she didn't know about my baby shower. ("I didn't even know it was happening. I didn't even get an invitation. What kind of jerks are you?") So here are a few pictures of my shower just for you Carrie.

Here are some friends from high school. Stacia and Serena (the one in the hat and the one in the yellow) helped host. It was pretty cute. We had all my favorite foods (veggie trays, seven layer dip, fruit slush and cream puffs) and we didn't play any games. Phew.


I haven't seen a few of these girls since I got married. It was good to catch up and talk.


And here are the three Emilys. Aren't they cute?


Ok Caleb wants me to clarify that he was NOT at the shower, but this was earlier that day and I think this picture is hilarious. We can't even hug anymore. There's a baby between us. Is this a sign of things to come? Perhaps...

More snow!

We got another big storm yesterday, adding to the record breaking amount we already have. Church was canceled and we had a lovely day. We went for a snowy walk, played in the front yard, and just enjoyed watching the snow come down. Luke and I also spent a lot of time snuggled under the down comforter reading Laura Ingalls Wilder (Little House in the Big Woods to be exact-- we are loving it). I will post more pictures when I get the chance but right now I have some beef stew that I need to put in the crock pot. This is winter living at its best and we are loving it!

A Valentine Wish

From a drooly little man with a sucker

How to survive winter...

Lots of Grapefruit

So much snow!

We are supposed to get another 3-4 inches of snow today. Crazy.

I have been trying to take snowy pictures for a few days but none of these really do it justice. The amount of snow that we have is unreal!

Here are some things for you to visualize:
The mounds at the end of the driveway are as tall as I am (and I am no shorty).
The accumulation is taller than Noah .
There are several drifts in our yard that are as tall as Luke.

It's fine with me because it's still February. I'll even be okay with March snows but come April it might be a different story.

Fort Play

Inside play continued today. We made some improvements to the fort and Noah learned how to get in. Luke got suited up to be able to make some repairs. In case you were wondering, sheets make better roofs than down comforters.

Snow day

We got a terrific amount of snow today. This meant that Lukey's morning playdate and afternoon music class were canceled and we had the whole day to ourselves. It was a welcome change because I felt like I had barely seen Luke all week between playing with friends and going to school. I needed some quality big boy time.

Nat and Luke shoveled the driveway before Nat braved the morning commute to work. It was a complete waste because the storm just got worse as the day worn on and it was terribly windy. But, it did get Luke out of the house for a while this morning.

Noah likes to stand at the window and watch his brother and dad when they play outside. He screams "DA" as loudly as he can and bangs on the window to get his father to wave to him. Better than watching T.V.


I opened the window and let Noah play with the snow that had collected on the sill. He was enthralled.

Then Nat made it to work and we started our fort. I wish I'd taken better pictures because it was a really good fort. It later morphed into a reading nest, from which I am currently writing this post.

I called Nat when he should have been getting home and he told me that the roads were terrible and his bus had been detoured. He was going to have to walk a portion of the way home. I told Luke about it and we decided to go for a rescue. I packed the boys into winter gear and we met Nat on his way home. Luke informed me that he needed to wear his cape on the outside of his clothes so that people would know that he was on a rescue mission. Logically.


When we got home Lukey and I decided to play outside. We chased the bunny tracks to see where they were weathering the storm and then went sledding down the driveway. The driveway is a pretty slow run and so we went down the street to the park. When Luke told me that he was getting tired I told him that we could turn back. He stopped looked at me and said, "Nothing is going to stop me!" So, we trudged through the one set of tracks (made by the only person brave {read:stupid} enough to drive down our unplowed street) and took a couple of runs down the hill. Then superLuke was tired enough to ride my shoulders home from the park and enjoy a waffle dinner.


I am really enjoying all the snow. Winter, to me, seems bearable if there is fresh snow on the ground. Watching Luke play in the snow brings back the most poignant memories of sledding with my dad and siblings. Is there anything better than playing in snow drifts as big as you are?

A gift

Luke attended a Batman/Spiderman/dinosaurs (I just love little boys and their party themes) party this week. We thought some dinosaurs wrapped in hand decorated paper with a gold ribbon would be an appropriate gift. I loved the way it turned out.

I have been really watching Luke as he draws lately. He still isn't really into product yet. His focus is process. He draws a scene as it unfolds in his imagination. This particular piece involved Batman and Spiderman going to jail. I really like that he enjoys the process so much. There is something gratifying about his enthusiastic scribbling as he tells the story. How long do we have before he starts caring about representation? It's a small tragedy when kids start hearing that inner critic and no longer feel they are the best artists around.

Asleep

"Parents everywhere realize that the most powerful combination of emotions in the world is not called out by any grand cosmic event, nor is it found in novels or history books, but merely by a parent gazing down upon a sleeping child."
President Thomas S. Monson

Amen.

Update

Luke has remained amicable to the members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the 12 since Presidency Hinckley's funeral. The only one he doesn't like, he informed our friend while sitting on his lap during sacrament meeting yesterday, is the one who lives in the forest with the wolves.

{see comment on the sweet remembrance post for more of the story, I do love those Bushes}

A conversation

A sweet rememberance

We have been talking non-stop about Gordon B. Hinckley this week. Luke has wearied me with questions about where he is now and what would the prophet do if. I have racked my brain to come up with more and more stories about President Hinckley. I also pulled out that sweet Family Home Evening binder Emily MacKenzie Donaldson made for us with teachings from the prophet's life. Luke has insisted on FHE every night this week. I also found myself reading articles on the internet and then having to explain to Luke that my tears were happy tears.

He came to me at one point and said that we could still do what Gordon B. Hinckley wants us to do, even if he is dead. Luke also decided that President Hinckley is as good at teaching people to be nice to each other as Mr. Rogers is. (Sidenote: we also told Luke that Fred Rogers is dead this week. He took it well and asked if he was with the prophet. I ventured a guess at yes.) He has asked questions like, “Why did Gordon B. Hinckley get old?”. He also told me that I was turning 30 this year and that was really old, probably older than Gordon B. Hinckley. This has been the best introduction to death that I could have thought of. He has been so inquisitive and sweet through this whole process.

He was also REALLY mad at Thomas S. Monson for taking his place. He told me that if he saw a statue of President Monson he would just push it over. This wasn’t so sweet. But, it is understandable. Luke, like most three year olds (and some older ones too), is resistant to change. President Hinckley is the only prophet he knows and his little three year old mind can’t imagine another leader to love. His reaction reminds me a little of the stories of the early saints that didn’t know what to do when the prophet Joseph died. They were, like Luke, children in the gospel and inexperienced in the ways of succesion in the church. I prayed that Luke’s heart would be touched.

This afternoon we went over to the church to watch President Hinckley’s funeral. It was beautiful. Noah was a little restless but perked up and paid attention to all the songs, humming along in monotonous way. Luke whispered all sorts of questions throughout the proceedings. He wanted to know why they put President Hinckley in a box and who put all those flowers on it. I told him that Grandpa Lee and Spencer were in the audience and he wanted to see them instead of “those apostles”. When President Monson came on a scowl came across Luke’s face and he told me that he could never love another prophet. Then President Monson’s calm voice filled the chapel as he told the story of President Hinckley’s last hours of mortality. I whispered to Luke that Thomas S. Monson was one of Gordon B. Hinckley’s dearest friends. Luke was mesmorized, as we all are, at President Monson’s story telling. After he sat down Luke leaned over and told me, “I changed my mind, I can love Gordon B. Hinckley’s friends too.” Luke was able, like the early saints, to see the image of a prophet in his succesor.

I learned again this week that the spirit is able to do things that I absolutely can’t do with that child. I tried banning hate speech about President Monson but that just egged him on. He started saying mean things about all the apostles just to get a reaction from me. I finally started pulling him into my lap or holding his hand while I told him that I understood that he was sad and that I loved President Hinckley too and that I knew he would love President Monson as well. Then I just had to wait. President Hinckley’s legacy of miracles was touced upon beautifully in today’s services. Well, another small miracle was wrought today in the heart of a three year old boy sitting on his mother's lap in the Regent street chapel this afternoon.

Called to Serve

Well it's official folks. They really are going. They went and got their pictures taken this morning by the Official Missionary Photographer. (I know that's not his title, but it should be.) Aren't they cute? It's really starting to feel real. Look for them in an upcoming issue of the Church News! Are we still taking bets on where they're going? Caleb is rooting for Peru (he really wants to see Machu Picchu.) Me? I'm keeping my fingers crossed for something like Texas or Arizona. Call me selfish but I want to have my cake and eat it too. (Mom=cake). Love you all!

Ashley