Utah

We spent a little time in Utah this summer and tried to drink in family time. We were so happy to be there for a little while!


Could Bella be a cowgirl?



Loving Grandpa Ron and Grandma Kris.

Salem Pond with all of the cousins. It was somewhat inpromptu and so much fun!

We love and miss them soooo much!

I'm Just So Grateful... (This was written on Mother's Day-but didn't post)

Today I am just so grateful I get to be a mother. I know what it is like to really have a hard time on Mother's Day-I have been in the trenches-but today I am going to soak up the joy and the gift of it all. This particular part of my life is evidence of God's miracles-I don't deserve her, but I'll take her and love her!





Bella's schedule has been altered for the past four days and she is "a donkey on the edge" in a lot of ways. We made it through the first hour and some of church but there was a great meltdown in nursery. To save everyone from emotional trauma (Bella and her nursery leaders) I picked her up and she came with me to Relief Society. Within minutes, she was snuggled in to me, wrapped in her favorite blanky, and snoring loudly. She never falls asleep in my arms and so, today, that was the greatest gift I could have ever received. I drank in the opportunity to have her in my arms.





Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Easter!!

A Breath of Fresh Air

Tonight I was taking the trash out when I cautiously took a breath. I realized that it didn't bite or sting my lungs, so I tried it again, taking a deeper breath. The air was not cold at all and I smelled dirt. I thought, Yes! We've made it! We have made it to Spring! As I returned to the house, I realized that thought not only expressed my feelings about nature, but also my feelings about this journey we are experiencing in beautiful Massachusetts.

This adventure has been driven by faith that the Lord would provide. We have lived in constant cyclical unknowns since we have been here-when one thing gets figured out, another goes uncertain. But through it all, we have indeed been provided for. We have made it! Today we know how we are going to pay for next year's tuition, our summer's rent, where Shawn will coach next year, and, most importantly, how we are going to pay for another adoption. This stress ball that has been tightly wound around our little home is beginning to loosen as unknowns become knowns. We feel so very blessed.

I cannot begin to recap the last few months, but I will share some pictures and a promise that I won't let it go this long again!

Bella and I were blessed to go home to Utah for a week in December and then we came home to Grandma and G-daddy staying at our house through Christmas.

The end of December began a several week long slam by mother nature who buried us in snow and ice. I have not fallen on the ice as many times in my whole life as I have this winter. I have not pushed stuck cars as many times in my whole life as I have this winter-including ours-several times. I have never felt defeated by snow, but this year, I respect its presence and can't wait for it to all just go away!

Hello Spring. We are ready for you!

Happy Fall!

Happy New England Fall!!

We are trying to drink in this beautiful change of seasons. It isn't that hard when you live on this street...

with this yard and this beautiful baby who still likes to go for morning walks even though it is considerably colder.

Today Bella just took off into the trees because the leaves are so deep that the ground is soft and noisy. Don't you wish there was a whole yard full of leaves as deep as your knees?

Oh...I forgot to mention....SHE WALKS!!!!!!

Jordan

He is a hero...he was our student. We are grateful for the time that we got to be a part of his life.

Here is another news article on him.

Concord

Yesterday I visited Concord. I say "I" because, although my husband and daughter came, they opted out of everything so that I could enjoy the literary homes and sights. I will love Shawn forever for allowing me that pleasure.

We went to the city museum which provides an overview of the city and includes some pieces of interest, i.e. one of the lanterns used in the church tower the night of Paul Revere's ride, the entire study and personal books that belonged to Ralph Waldo Emerson, the chair, desk, and bed that belonged to Henry David Thoreau and that he used in his home at Walden. I visited Emerson's home, Louisa May Alcott's home, and the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery where the transcendentalists used to meet together and eventually turned it into a cemetery to keep the peaceful surroundings. I was amazed by how interconnected everyone was at the time and how they, together, were able to instill change in their community. They (Emerson, Thoreau, Alcott, Hawthorne, Carlisle, Whittier, Melville, etc.) could not have known how their talents would affect the rest of the country. Some of what I learned by touring the area made me understand the authors better, thus allowing me to understand their work better. (I kind of miss teaching...I could add so much after having this experience) The experience was incredible and I like them all even more! Next time we will visit Walden, the Old Manse, and all of the Revolutionary War history-cause it kind of began in Concord-bless their hearts!!!!

On the miracle note: We are seeing miracles unfold as we are here. This is an incredible experience.