Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Father/Daughter Greeting

Ben and Ellie hanging out together tends to go something like this...

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Once There Was a Snowman

We had a pretty major snowstorm here on Thursday (the 11th).  It started snowing at 6ish in the morning and didn't stop until 10 or 11 that night.  We got about 6 inches of snow which is record-breaking for Texas.  School was cancelled on Friday, so Ben got to stay home and play with us!  Melissa and her kids came over and we all set out to build a snowman!


TADA!  A very health conscious snowman (apples, a carrot, and a green banana made his face).
Here are some pictures of Ellie experiencing the snow.

Yeah for snow!

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

7 Month Cutie

On the left is me at 6 months (I think), and on the right is my niece Miriam at the same age.  And below is my Eleanor at 7 months.  I think we're related, don't you?
At seven months Ellie is more entertaining than ever.  She's trying to figure out how to crawl, but mostly loves to roll around and wiggle in circles.  She loves eating solids and even kind of takes a bottle on occassion.  Oddly enough, she isn't the hugest fan of bananas (she'll eat them, but not with the same vigor as peas).  But she loves sweet potatoes, carrots, peas, green beans and applesauce.
She also cut her first tooth about two weeks ago.  Here it is in her silliest grin.
How can you not want to cover this face in kisses?

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Late Night Snack

I'm so proud of Ellie for being on such a great regular schedule.  Well, I'm also proud of me for helping her get there too!  She usually goes to bed around 6:30 and then wakes up sometime between 8 and 10 for a little late night snack and then back to bed.  Last night it was business as usual.  I laid her back down and though she clearly wanted to play, it was bedtime.  I kissed her goodnight and left the room and went to brush my teach.  She was talking to herself a bit and then all fo the sudden I hear a little screech, and then another.  I quickly finished and then went to check on her.  She had rolled over (as usual) and I picked her up and saw a little puddle of spit up.  I laid her in on the changing table and flipped on the light and was greeted by this cute little face!
I guess the snack was so good she wanted it twice.

Monday, February 1, 2010

On a Spiritual Note...

We had a wonderful stake conference this past Sunday.  I feel renewed in my commitment to live the gospel more fully.  I love it when I walk away from church feeling humbled, but stronger.  One of the things I committed to mysel to do better at is regular, daily study of the gospel.  This morning after reading from the Book of Mormon, I picked up a book that my in-laws have called "Answers" by Joseph Fielding McConkie.  I've really, really been enjoying it. 

There is one thought in particular that I wanted to share.  He writes,
"It is beyond mortal ability to determine what consitutes a blessing, for we have no way of knowing what will bring us nearest to God."
I love it!  So frequently I think of blessings and the nice things I receive in my life, not usually my trials.  But what great blessings they are when I use them to bring me closer to God.  I remember my mom teaching us to look for the silver lining in things, particularly after the death of my sister Cheyenne.  In that instance, one such silver lining was that we could go to Disneyland sooner as a family (the "rule" was that everyone had to be tall enough to ride all the rides).  It was silly and small, but it was a silver lining.  While the death of my sister Sierra was certainly a trial for my parents, it provided them with a wonderful opportunity to teach myself and my brother Daniel about the promise of the resurrection because of Jesus Christ and the gift of eternal families because of covenants my parents made in the temple.  And that for me has been one of the greatest blessings in my life.  From a very tender age (I was almost 3), I remember knowing that because of Christ's sacrifice and resurrection that death was not the end of my existance nor my beloved family. 
I hope I can always view every aspect of my life as a gift from God, a blessing that will allow me to draw closer to Him, to become more like Him, and eventually return to live with Him.