The Dust is Settling

The grandparents have departed, and life is back to the only semi-chaotic state we call normal.

The blessing day was wonderful. I will post pictures this week. Number Five looked beautiful. Dave gave her a beautiful blessing, and we had both grandparents there.

Crockpot pot roast after church was tasty, and Number One was an excellent social director. She had us all entertained with old favorites like the telephone game and Bingo.

There was only one disappointment...one friend of ours that Dave had asked to participate in Number Five's blessing wasn't able to be there. He happens to be the Stake President*** here, and was busy with those responsibilities. He had thought he would be able to make it, but due to a conference in another ward, it didn't work out. He and his wife are two of my favorite people in all the world. They make me want to do better, while making me feel like I can. His wife was out of town, so they were both missing. But you know, you can't have everything.

All in all, it was a very special and wonderful day, and even though our surro-grandparents weren't there...this time we had the real thing so I really couldn't ask for anything more.

Number Five is the 32nd grandchild of my in-laws, and she is the 14th grandchild of my parents. I am very grateful that even though they have lots of other grandchildren to worry about, that they were all able to be here with my family for this event, and to see our newest addition. My in-laws were actually traveling through on the way to begin an 18 month welfare mission for our church. My parents made a special trip out here. Either way, I am just glad they were able to be here, as it means a lot to me, and I hope they enjoyed their stay...even if I am exhausted and prone to grumpiness.

Well...the mounds of clean laundry are pleading to be folded, and the older girls are in need of some serious shushing.

Off to finish the day and get some sleep.


***Local congregations of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints are divided geographically. A ward is the word used to describe one congregation, whose members meet together at the same time each Sunday, and coordinate all adult and youth activities together. A ward is led by a Bishop, who is not paid, and has stewardship over the congregation while maintaining his regular job. My dad continued to be a dentist for the years he was Bishop of the ward I grew up in. A group of wards (generally 5-10 wards) makes a Stake, which is led by a Stake President. Both the Bishop and Stake President have counselors to help them fulfill their responsibilities. Each year, each ward has a Ward Conference during services on a Sunday. The Stake President participates in all of the Ward Conferences, which is only one of the tasks that keeps him busy.

In My Blogging Absence...

I have been busy not sleeping, trying to decorate my house, running my kids around, and preparing for visits from the IL's and parents simultaneously.

I am exhausted. I really ought to learn to pare down my expectations now and again and get some sleep, but alas, I have yet to learn the concepts of moderation, or to not run faster or labor more than you have strength to do so.

We will bless Number Five on Sunday (with all grandparents present). I am grateful we can have some family here for the occasion, and look forward to seeing my angel in her beautiful dress.

Hope to be blogging again soon!

A Grand Adventure

On Number Two's birthday this year, we volunteered ourselves to be the victims of highway robbery...yes, we took our two older girls to American Girl Place, where a girl can be a princess, and her Daddy can pay for it.


Fortuneately, Number Two was the lucky winner of a Mia doll plus a gift certificate for the store good for brunch for four at the elementary school spring raffle. (Mia pictured here. She is the American Girl Doll of the Year for 2008.)


She wanted to go on her very birthday, and, since her birthday fell on a Saturday, it all worked out. We got a baby-sitter for Number Three and Number Four and we were off.


Here you can see them shopping already. Let the spending begin.


The lunch was a fun experience. The food was actually really good, and although it was definitely expensive for a kids' meal, it wasn't overpriced for a meal in the city of that quality.


Plus, let's face it, you are paying for atmosphere.


Any hey...Dad enjoyed it!


Mia and Nikki (Number One's doll, the 2007 doll of the year) were busy getting their hair done in the salon when we started lunch, but fortuneately, we were provided with loaner dolls for the interim. This one is Emily, friend of Molly.


And this is Ruthie, friend of Kit.


Our girls loved having their dolls at the table, and made sure they got their fill. Dave and I appreciated the clever marketing...by the end of the lunch our children wanted to purchase the loaner dolls, teaset for dolls, and the highchairs for the dolls. We didn't end up purchasing any of them, but it was fun while it lasted! I have so many children sitting at my table already that I couldn't imagine making space for dolls.


The staff did bring Mia and Nikki to our table to join us before the end of brunch with their perfectly stylish hair (which cost more than I usually spend on a haircut).


Anyway, the birthday cake was beautiful (like the birthday girl).


We all got to sing to her, and she blew out the candles.


We spent the remainder of our time watching the stage show, which was very well done, touring the displays, and spending birthday money. In our family, each child has a birthday budget. They can choose to spend it on a party, gifts, a combination, or save it (no one has taken that option yet). Dave and I made them use birthday money (with Number One taking an advance) for the salon. We covered the show tickets, and the raffle paid for lunch (except for the tip and cake which we decided to cover).


With some extra money from grandparents, Number Two had a decent amount to spend at the store. She did a great job narrowing her purchases to match her budget, and still left with quite a haul. This is my favorite picture of the day. I think she just looks so cute, and so happy and filled. This is my child whose love language is gifts, so even though this was an expensive day, it was one that meant the world to her, and was well worth it. Happy belated birthday my darling six year old!!!


PS In the second to last picture, our girls are standing in front of Kit's treehouse. Kit is the depression era girl. I find it ironic that Kit's family would have been unable to afford her treehouse, as its cost (including tax) is only $90 dollars less than Dave and I paid for monthly rent on our first apartment, and is way too expensive for a family who had to take in boarders and sell chicken eggs to keep their home during the depression. Now that is one really cool treehouse, but I can find way too many better uses for that kind of money.

All of My Darling Children

Exciting news today...exciting enough to justify two posts in one day.

Only 18 months after our old laptop gave us the blue screen of death, I paid a data recovery guy $89 to find my files...including some pictures not backed up anywhere else. It is SO FUN for me to see these long-lost pictures.

To commemorate this day, let's play a matching game. Can you tell me which of these children is which?!? At least one of them should be super easy.


Child A


Child B


Child C


Child D


Child E

Is there a family resemblence?!?

Wrigley Field

My cute husband grew up in Utah as a huge baseball fan with no major league baseball team in his state to cheer for. However, his family did get WGN with their cable, and thus, another Cubs fan was born.

Dave tells of being a little kid and wanting so badly to visit Wrigley Field. This was before Al Gore invented the internet, so of course, he couldn't use google maps to mark the course. KITT from Night Rider was the only car with navigation, so Dave was forced to turn to the good old atlas.

That little boy actually sat down and calculated how far of a drive it would be from his house in Utah to Wrigley Field. He figured out not only how many miles it would take, but how much it would cost to buy enough gas to drive those miles. (MUCH MUCH less than it would today, I'm sure.)

Now, Wrigley Field is a reasonable drive from our house, and just a ride on the L from Dave's office. It's a dream come true for that cute little boy with the atlas.

Dave gets to go to more Cubs games than the rest of us because of work and because he loves them (he even went last Wednesday), but we try to take the family once a year to Wrigley. This year we went for a less expensive option, and attended the first minor league game to ever be played there.





We generally park in Millenium Park Garage, because it is reasonably priced and easy. The kids love that they get to ride the train to the game. They play musical chairs a lot during the ride. (PS I do know that my belly gets ginormous when I'm pregnant. This picture makes me feel REALLY skinny now, even though I still have a ways to go before being into my regular wardrobe.)


And we bring pajamas for the ride home...does this pose look familiar from another recent post?!?

Catching up the blog on life at our house continues...look forward to future installments including two birthday extravaganzas and more of our newest precious addition.

Lessons on Marriage

In our church, one Sunday per month (almost always the first one) is set aside for fast and testimony meeting. Our services are three hours long, with the first one hour and ten minutes set aside for family worship in sacrament meeting. In this meeting all members and children stay together. We sing hymns, open and close with prayer, partake of the sacrament, and listen to members of the congregation share gospel teachings. Generally, these members are assigned to speak by the Bishop or his counselors (the Bishop is like the priest or pastor, although we do not have a paid ministry).

Anyway, on fast and testimony Sunday, there are no assigned speakers. Those who feel inclined to share their testimony of Jesus Christ and his gospel can choose to come forward at will. We are also encouraged to come fasting that day (adults and older children only, and not those who are pregnant or nursing or who have other health issues). I really love these meetings, because there is a great feeling of peace and of the spirit when people are sharing their love for their Savior publicly because they want to.

Today I felt overwhelmed with gratitude for the blessings I have received recently. I didn't get a chance to share my feelings of gratitude, or my living faith in my Savior, and so I wanted to record some recent experiences here instead.

I reflected today as I looked way down the bench past four little children to my husband, that though these children have brought us together in some ways, that often they divide us as well, just as they were doing on the bench at church.

But this fifth one has really brought us together again in a way I never imagined. I had no idea how much I needed Dave's paternity leave...how much our marriage needed it. I am such an independent soul. The past few years Dave's schooling and career have taken him out of the home more and more. And I just move on. I am grateful that he supports us, and don't resent him being gone, but I have just learned to do it all on my own, and expect very little from him apart from a paycheck. I haven't left him out on purpose, but I see now that I didn't make enough of an effort to keep him unified with me, and our family, and he hasn't made the necessary effort either. Honestly, I don't think either of us realized just what was missing.

If you would have asked me earlier this year if I were happily married, I would have honestly answered yes. But now in retrospect, I see that our marriage needed to be strengthened, and am so grateful that this new baby has made that so clear, and offered help on how to do it.

Before the paternity leave, Dave was so out of the loop as to real daily life in our home. In generations past, this was the norm, but I know there is a better way.

The bottom line, is that we love those whom we serve, and are usually loved by them in return. And Dave needed to experience daily service in our family. Physical service...changing diapers, taking children to school, planning some meals, taking over for me while I napped because I was so sick with mastitis. I needed to feel loved by him through service. He needed to feel closer to our family.

For the first time in a long long time, I really couldn't do it all by myself and needed him. And he needed to be needed.

I am so grateful to a loving Father in Heaven who provided me with the experiences, and insights and understanding to be able to see more clearly what I need to do to build my marriage and family.

I know that families are important to our Heavenly Father. The family is the building block of the church, and of society, and so much of what is wrong with society today can be directly traced to the crumbling of the family.

I know that Jesus Christ is real. He loves us. He set a perfect example. He served and loved so well during his earthly ministry, and invites us to do the same. He taught about forgiveness, faith, obedience, prayer, baptism, the spirit, repentance. And I know that real and lasting peace, joy, and happiness come from living those teachings to the best of our ability.

That two weeks of paternity leave was busy and flew by, and I just pray that we can hold onto the huge boost we received in our marriage as a direct result. For now, we are making it a goal to remember to pray more frequently as a couple. We do a superb job with family prayers, but need to do more praying with each other, sans children.

Dave went back to work on Tuesday, but he has been so much more helpful this week when he has been home. I can see him trying harder to be involved with our family, and I am thrilled and enjoy it. I am learning how to let him help more, and how to encourage him to stay involved.

I feel very blessed and deeply happier than I have in quite some time.

Now off to find that husband for a little one on one before my bedtime while the kids are quiet.

Happy Fourth of July?!?

Yes, I am WAY behind...never even finished blogging about our cross-country trip. I know the suspense must be torturing my few devoted readers.


Anyway...on to (or back to) the Fourth...It is our family tradition (along with a good portion of other American families) to get the Old Navy Flag Tees every year. This is our EIGHTH year. Gosh, that makes me feel old.



A couple more of our attempts to get the whole family using the timer on the camera.


A very pregnant me. (Happy day!!! Not pregnant anymore!!)


Number One "on stage."


Number Two loves chocolate...wonder where she got that from?!?


Number Three loves chocolate too...hmmm...how strange.


Number Four also enjoys treats. Shocking, no? I am sensing a pattern.


And here is the Number One before the Number One. I sure like this guy!!


Watching a show for a little break after we had worn them out.


Two made it up for the fireworks.


These two did not.


Dave has always loved taking these "hold the camera while taking your own picture" shots.

So...a belated Happy Fourth of July to all of you. Just think, next year we will need SEVEN shirts!! Crazy.

(And it will probably take me until Christmas to get next year's photos posted.)

First Day of School

Number One




Number Two

Busy busy busy here...with LOTS to catch up on.

Here are the traditional first day of school photos from our house. Number One is now in second grade, and Number Two is in kindergarten.

The first day of school was the day after Number Five and I came home from the hospital. Thankfully, Dave was here to help. Kindergarten only required a 30 minute, parent and child meet and greet with a few other kids. Half the kids did theirs that Tuesday, the other half Wednesday, and Thursday was the official first regular day for them.

Of course, Number Two wanted me to be the one to accompany her...three days after giving birth. I was able to find an outfit that made me look just fat, rather than still pregnant, so I went.

I sure love my kids!!

Stay tuned...more to come on life in our crazy household over the last few weeks.