What Do I Want to Remember About Today?

Sometimes, knowing the wide range of people who read this I don't get as personal as I'd like. I want this to be a better history of our family. Maybe we will end up going private as well. But I will start with what are the things I want to remember about this week of our family life?

We started out the week taking Pele to the vet. She started limping Friday night when we brought her in. I checker her out and couldn't find anything, and her appetite dramatically changed the next morning. So Monday she went in, it sounded like Lyme disease, but the lab work came back negative. I have some anti-inflammatories for her, but she's still limping a lot and we don't really know what to do for her. She doesn't seem to notice it, she still just wants to run in the snow. But, just as I felt with Sydney's stomach weirdness last fall and with her breathing issues two weeks ago, it's hard for me to seek the medical help when we end with more questions than answers. She goes back to the vet in two weeks and I hope we can figure something out by then.

We all are now recovered from one of the worst colds I've had in a long time. No matter which decongestant I tried it didn't change a thing. We all got better just in time for Sydney and Cora's birthday. They're a year old now. It's unbelievable. I was so focused on just making it to x amount of weeks, then to six months. Now they're at a year and sleeping through the night (most nights). They are both walking. They love playing with Jeremy, Katie, Pele, and I. They growl and roll their tongue. I am constantly so happy with all of them and so overwhelmed at how much is demanded of me every day. I don't know what I'll do when they're in bigger car seats. I currently take all three to the store by putting Katie in the seat in the cart, one of their carseats goes in the cart, and I have one strapped to my chest. When they're out of those seats I may be in trouble. All three girls will be in Nursery together this year. Those poor people. My children are loud! As for what we did for their birthday, I made jello and stuck a candle in it. I don't mean to be a party pooper, but I know they won't remember it right now, they got plenty of presents for Christmas and from family, so we were fine with no gifts.

We were so happy to have Jeremy home for the weekend! New month means new rotation and we're back to a better call schedule. Church was a little rough though. Better put, we almost killed our children. It was ward conference and our first family going to afternoon church (the girls and Jeremy stayed home sick last week). Well, because everyone was tired we were spinning in circles. Poopy diapers, trips to the bathroom, singing Christmas songs when no one was singing, throwing fits, shouting things to anyone near by, falling on faces, and fits in the isle - it's one of those things you can't understand unless you've done it. Then our Sunday School lesson was on teaching your children by example and we were both wondering how we could not kill them. Yet we survived. We got them to bed that night and I just cried. I love them. They're beautiful. There's nothing else I want to do, but what I wouldn't give sometimes to have a couple of hours to myself that wouldn't be used to make dinner or clean the house. Or to have a reliable babysitter who doesn't charge $12 an hour so Jeremy and I could go snowshoeing.

And for whatever reason, after balling my eyes out I felt so much better this morning. We had fun again. Katie loves to just sing anything - LOUD. She puts two hats on her head and tells me she's an elf. Then she will give something to Sydney or Cora and run over and tell me "I'm choosing to be a angel. I shared with her. I'm a angel." She wants to help me make anything in the kitchen and always wants to read stories. I wish I could take her on winter wonderland adventures, but as long as I have two other babies we are very limited in our outings. As everyone loves to remind me, I will look back on this and miss it. There are definitely things I will miss. Sydney, Cora, and Katie love to be held, rocked, and sang to. I love how quickly they give their love and smiles. I love watching Sydney and Cora play tug-of-war with things - a plastic cup to a stuffed animal to a cookie cutter. I love how our family home evenings last about 2 and a half minutes - including the song, prayer, scripture, and lesson. But Katie loves them and we look at each other knowing we're doing all we can.


I have an incredible husband who teaches me so much about patience, endurance, hard work, and love. He laughed so hard when he was playing with the girls tonight. They would tackle him, then he'd tickle them and they would squeal and giggle. It was a beautiful sight. I'm so glad Sundays are important to him. I'm glad he likes what I cook and that he's so determined to do things well. He is a miracle in my life.

As for me, I feel like I'm relearning how to reach out to people. I never thought it would become so difficult to do when I became a mother, but I really have to work at it. I am seeking to learn from so many women who each know things about mothering that have helped and guided me.

We are going to have a great year. It may be just as insane as the last as we go through Fellowship applications, three toddlers, and a currently gimpy dog, but I can't help but feel things will keep getting better.