The Drive

In other news...I got a pretty steep speeding ticket on my way to the March.

I know, right?

The Walk

Okay - I'm going to once again thank all the people who donated. I know I'm being repetitious but I am so impressed with your generosity. Team Tessa raised over $1220 which helped contribute to the over $100,000 that was raised at the Lowell March for Babies alone.

I also need to especially thank the other Team Tessa members - Traci, Tracie and Tessa, as well as the other "kids + one mom" who joined us on walk day.

(As you can see from the heavy shadows it was a bright, sunny day - but not too hot - pretty much the perfect weather.)

I really tried to get a good pic of the two girls...but they had a different agenda entirely.

Note Tessa's position on the blanket in this photo - she was at the limit of her mobility since she refused to let the her skin touch the grass.

I almost forgot...

...to do a last minute reminder about Team Tessa and the March for Babies, there is still time to donate.

But even more important I'd like to thank those who have already donated! I really do feel like the March of Dimes has made a difference in the care of preemies.

In fact years ago my Mother helped in some March of Dimes fund raisers. This was 17+ years ago. Well, 17 years ago the treatment for a baby born at Tessa's gestation was to put them in an incubator pumped full of oxygen and "see what happened." I know this because a nurse in the NICU had a baby born at 27 weeks gestation and that very very miraculously survived when it wasn't expected that she would. The research that made so many medical advances in the mean time was partially funded by my Mom's efforts. She never had any premature babies, in fact hers where either at, or beyond term, and I know that asking people for money, even for a good cause, was quite out of her comfort zone, however she did and made such a difference.

So once again, thank you to all who have donated!

No more doubt

It is really truly spring here!

With the change of weather I find myself MUCH more motivated to go on walks with Miss T. I guess until now freezing my tush off was not a good enough reason to get out.

Here are some pictures of our neighborhood

I must admit that I schedule our walks to lead into nap time

Timing it so that she's sound asleep but not rested enough to wake up when we get home is practically science.

Quilt Captain

Look what I did -

I was an official "Quilt Captain" as part of a Stake Relief Society service project. A title which I brandished with only slightly less pride than that of "Wife and Mother."

And of course I must acknowledge those at the activity who tied the quilt very energetically!

(If you are wondering the quilt pattern is called "Scrappy Diamonds" and was in the April/May 2008 issue of "For the Love of Quilting"...and it is really fast and easy)

Daddy Time

Aaron has been working a lot lately, so here are a few pictures for him of recent Daddy-Daughter moments.

Remember the "Day Off"? Well, here is a picture of him reading with the two girls...


And this is the sign of his popularity, they are waiting for him outside of the bathroom door.


Here is another picture of Daddy and Tessa reading


And as a final touch here is a picture of the two of us missing him

(I mean, LOOK at the expression on Tessa's face)

With that I'll just tell Daddy that while I'm posting this his sweet girl just cleaned out his whole bottom drawer and mixed everything in the with dirty clothes she dumped out. I hope that doesn't make you too "homesick".

A book longer than 123 pages...?

I hesitated to respond to this tag because as you can see from the rules it required a book longer than 123 pages and all within my sight are board books (123 pages would be HEAVY). Oh, and the scriptures, which I not against quoting from, I just think it would a mis-representation of how pious I am.

So I am finally going to go searching for a big kid book...

Here are the rules:
1. Pick up the nearest book (at least 123 pages)
2. Turn to page 123.
3. Find the 5th sentence
4. Post the 5th sentence on your blog
5. Tag 5 people

Book: Eat, Pray, Love
Sentence: Like all great philosophical ideas, this one is simple to understand but virtually impossible to imbibe.

Now if you want to know what this philosophical idea is you should read the book. I haven't actually finished it but I intend to. I loved reading what I've read so far. I liked it because it has a lot of ideas in it and it is fun to pick through all the "philosophical ideas" and find the ones that I agree with, and to find the ones that I don't. In this book 25% of it was stuff I might incorporate into my life, 50% was stuff that was interesting, that I may or may not agree with, but that I wouldn't incorporate and 25% was stuff I rolled my eyes at. I think that is a pretty good split.

Oh, and Mindy, Laura, Christin, Alicia & Christin are tagged, if they so desire.

Bread Machine Recipies...

...Any one have a good one?

To Lift Up my Spirit...

It is a gloomy Friday afternoon and I've been spending it watching news coverage of the Polygamist Ranch in Texas. The thought of all those poor children makes my soul ache yet I cannot tear myself away. My gloomy feeling is compounded by the fact that while watching I am exposed to the other news headlines which are equally, if not more, depressing.

How lucky I am then that this past weekend General Conference was so uplifting and filled with such timely messages. There were many good talks, but one in particular stood out to me and touched me with three specific messages. You can read the entire transcript here and I'll just share some excerpts and my thoughts on them:

"…Each of us must make an individual evaluation. First, we need to measure the depth of our gratitude for membership in the true Church of Jesus Christ. Second, we need to know by the power of the Holy Ghost in what ways we can do better in keeping the commandments.

"We know from prophecy that not only will the true and living Church not be taken from the earth again, but it will become better. Our lives will be transformed for the better as we exercise faith unto repentance, always remember the Savior, and try ever harder to keep His commandments. The scriptures contain promises that when the Lord comes again to His Church, He will find it spiritually prepared for Him. That should make us both determined and optimistic. We must do better. We can. And we will."

This quote was what first caught my attention, particularly that "it (the Church) will become better." As I mentioned the news headlines are all doom and gloom, full of evil, war, and economic woes - Aaron and I often joke "Where are we going and why are we in this handbasket." To be reminded that regardless of what happens in the "world" the stakes of Zion will be strengthened is so reassuring. I can't effect the whole world, but I can make sure I am aligning myself with the righteous force that will be strong regardless of the course of the world.

"…My sense of gratitude stems also from blessings to my family. It is the sealing power and our knowledge of it which changes and transforms our family life here and our expectations for the joy of family life in the world to come. The thought and the hope that I can have eternal relationships carries me through the trials of separation and the loneliness which are part of mortal existence. The promise to the faithful in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that we may have associations and an expansion of families in the eternities. That assurance changes forever and for the better all of our associations in families.

"For example, I am at a stage in my life when, because of great distances, I cannot come to know well grandchildren and, in time, great-grandchildren. There are also people who have never had the opportunity for marriage and parenthood who have the same yearning as I do to somehow be close to family. Because of the restoration of the knowledge of eternal families, we are more hopeful and more kindly in all our family relations. The greatest joys in this life center in families, as they will in the worlds to come. I am so grateful for the assurance I have that if we are faithful, the same sociality which we enjoy here in this life will be forever with us in the world to come, in eternal glory."

This was a personal insight shared by President Eyring directly to me (okay, and millions of other people at the same time). I have been feeling so anxious the past few months that our extended family is "missing" all the sweetness and joy that Tessa brings to us. In fact I was feeling like I was being selfish, although I am certain that this is the place we are "supposed" to be right now. So it was nice to hear that living away from family doesn't make you unrighteous (as silly as that sounds) as well as to be reminded of the eternal nature of family. This quote also touched on the issues of infertility that are often on my mind.

"…There is another improvement I am confident will come. Families across the Church are searching for ways to strengthen and protect their children against the evils around them. In some cases those parents are desperately trying to bring back some in their family who have wandered. I am confident that there will be, increasingly, a reward given by God for their efforts. Those who never give up will find that God never gave up and that He will help them.

"Much of that help will come from those called to serve in the Church. The spirit of reaching out will increase so that many will be as the young Bishop Thomas Monson was, inspired with practical ways to invite and encourage those who may, for a time, not recognize the blessings God has in store for them. President Monson to this day remembers people he labored to rescue when he was their bishop. My hope would be that all of us would have the confidence that God will guide us in reaching out, and back, to those God would have us bring with us as we go home to Him."

I won't go into much detail on this because I don't want to embarrass anyone, however it touched me deeply and was such a reassurance.

Another wonderful experience in this conference was the experience of the solemn assembly, held worldwide through the blessings of technology. I was especially touched to see the Aaronic Priesthood members in attendance at the Conference center stand to raise their hands in sustaining President Monson as Prophet.

Thank you for indulging me in these personal reflections.

Cool

It just may be spring around here (I hate to speak to soon). On a recent walk we tried out Tessa's new sunglasses, which at first only stayed on because I tucked her hands into the blankets. The first few times I put them on her she closed her eyes when they were near her face. Eventually she realized she could see through them and that they were really quite useful.It WAS still chilly though (okay, at times downright cold) but I looked and looked and looked and didn't find her hat...until we got home of course. So she got to wear Mommy's hat, at which point the coolness quotient was off the charts.

Some sort of sick joke.

Warning, when I find my camera this post will contain a picture of a "poopy" diaper. (I know, ew)

Months ago I came up with the following super April Fool's joke. I decided to rework the classic (not classy by any means) baby shower game of "Candy-Bar-In-The-Diaper" into holiday hijinks. I melted a candy bar, put into a diaper, and put said diaper slightly under Aaron's pillow. Then I waited, snickering to myself.

It wasn't until late at night that he was feeding Tessa on the bed and I heard "Is this some sort of sick joke?" I have to say I disappointed that he only saw it and didn't get some on his hand or even better, LAY IN IT. (And as he pointed out, execution is 90% of the joke). Anyway, I decided to add some more ew-factor and I took the diaper from him and stuck my finger in it and took a lick. At that point he caught on and stated "Its chocolate, isn't it."

Then turns out the joke was on me, after 5 hours of sitting in the diaper the chocolate absorbed the absorby chemicals in the diaper and my little taste made my mouth dry the rest of the evening.

~~~***~~~

If you want to see an even better April Fool's joke click this link

Snoop Dogg Converts to Mormonism

Before you get to excited I'll point out that it was a hoax. However I will still quote my favorite line from the "article".

“I was hooked from the start,” Snoop Dogg said. “We talked about the purpose of life, played Mousetrap, and ate brownies. The kids thought it was off the hook, for real.”

After all, you can't deny that Mousetrap is a really cool game.