Sunday Sermon and a little harvest

This weekend I had a wonderful opportunity. Remember Sister Chavez? When I previously wrote about her, I did not know her well.

But through working with the Young Women at church we have become good friends. She is just as awesome as I thought!



This Saturday, she went to the temple. What a fabulous experience it was. The Chapel was so full of people who had come to support her that they had to ask for volunteers to sit out because we were breaking the fire code. I appreciated those who did cause there was no way I was gonna miss this!

She tells me that God put me in her life because He knew what she needed but I really think it's the other way around-He put her in mine because He knew what I needed. I love my friend, and I love my Heavenly Father, because he always knows what I need.

So I had been noticing that my beloved peas were getting all brown and crunchy on the bottom. The pods were getting fat and I was enjoying watching them get all plump. But the brown leaves were bugging me.



Mom informs me that peas are cool weather plants and once they give me the pods, they will kind of die off. Sad. I was really starting to like them. Anyway, I figured it was high time we started picking some of those fatty pods.

Ava and I did a little harvesting. We got quite a few peas, and a couple of beans. I figure this year I will be having a stir-fry garden, meaning I'll probably never get enough of anything at one time to serve a whole bowl for dinner. But maybe I will have enough to make a stir-fry-mixed-veggie type of deal.




But Ava and I were so curious about how the peas would taste that we sat down on the back porch and ate,




them all.



And you know what? Those fatty peas were not nearly as good as the smaller ones. I am not just saying this because it's my garden but I have never had such delicious, sweet, little peas!



(Okay, one time I did, at a little restaurant in Shakertown, in Kentucky. Those peas were also fresh from a garden.)

Ava and I were popping 'em as fast as we could. Dan even admitted that they were good and he doesn't like peas.

And tonight we ate the first tomato on our hamburgers. Yum yum.


The bouganveilla is blooming and I am falling in love all over again.



Some strawberries have shown up but I hope they get better looking because really, look at this,



I would not eat that!

Still Swimming

I was thinking as I watched Ava's swim lessons yesterday that when she first started I was so amazed. And now it seems kind of old hat because she does it all the time.

But when I really think about it, it still amazes me. She is doing well and enjoys it a lot. And she has improved too.

As we put on her swimsuit the other day, she said, "I feel like a berbabe, Mommy" And whenever we're driving home from a swimming lesson, she says, "I want a go a swimmin nessons again!"

Here's a clip from Tuesday's lesson. She flips over by herself now, Mr. Rudy just points her in the right direction.

For some reason, the regular video didn't want to load up. Dan lowered the pixels or whatever they're called, so I apologize for the poor quality of the picture.

Take a peek!

Catching up

I am a nap time producer, meaning most of my stuff happens when the kids are asleep. And for reasons I really can't even think of, this week the naptimes haven't lined up or something and I find myself feeling behind on my posting. So here's the catch up.

In Dallas this past weekend, Mom and I took the kids to Cabela's. What a fun store!

They had every type of "stuffed" animal you can imagine (deer, lion, elephant, bear, zebra, on and on) and some pretty tasty fudge.

Luke Daniel Boone

Playing in the paddleboat

Relaxing in the cart

Ava with the moose

Luke with the moose

Luke also enjoyed his very first Oreo. The verdict: Delicious!

Ava loved following "Burphy" around as usual. This was Luke first real taste of Big Murphy and he was as well received as the Oreo.



We also went for our first swim of the season at Mom and Dad's neighborhood pool.

It was a teensy bit cold,

But after a few minutes,

nobody seemed to mind.


It was great to be with Mom on Mother's Day! I better be careful because I think I'm getting a bit spoiled being so close!

I still have lots more to come as there have been some developments in the garden, we cruise in 6 days!, and I want to share my latest sewing endeavors. Till next time!

Mother's Day Sunday Sermon

This weekend in Dallas, we took a little trip to the park and fed the ducks.

I love this time of year, because it's baby time. On the drive from our house to my parents, we could see lots of new baby calves and then at the park we saw these mommy and baby ducklings.

I loved this little family,




The Mommy was so sweet how she let her little babies get all the bites of bread.




Finally after they had all gotten their fill, she took a few for herself.


Then this little Momma came with her babies.





They ate their bread and then swam on. The Mommy climbed up on the bank and her little ones waited down in the water as they were still too little to climb up after her.



And just as we were about to leave we noticed from another family heading over for a bite.




At first we thought there must be some fostering going on but after seeing up close that her 13 babies were completely identical, we knew they were all hers and this Mommy had her hands full.



Perhaps it was because it was so near to Mother's Day, but I could not stop myself from drawing comparisons between myself and these ducks.


The first little Mommy reminded me that I am selfish. It is very hard for me to watch my little ducks eat all the food when I feel hungry too. Yet my love for them compels me to sit back and let them get what they need. I never imagined the difficulty I would find in becoming a mother and letting my children take precedent in a life that was formerly mine. I am not so good as that little mommy duck who waited so patiently, but someday I'd like to be.

And the second Mommy duck was just the likeness of my own mother. I remember reading a quote by Emerson, during which I could not remove the image of my mom from my mind. I believe the quote was this, "If you would lift me up you must be on higher ground." I cannot begin to write here about my mother or the impact she has had on my life because I do not have the adequate words but she is/was always a steadfast example of faith and obedience and her stance on the "higher ground" always made me want to climb up and meet her.

And finally the last duck with all the babies. The Mormon duck, maybe! As I watched her I couldn't help but think of all the work that goes into one child and then for her, multiplied by 13. I thought of my dear Chandra and all of her ducks that she loves so much. And I thought of a story that my Mother in Law, Linda, shared in a comment on this very blog. Which I cannot, for the life of me, find. But that's okay cause I remember what she said (and if I botched it up too bad, Linda, don't be scared to set me straight!). She told a story about the wife of a prophet, I think. Although at the time of the story her husband was in a bishopric. She had many children and a sister in the ward, after watching her struggle to keep them all in control by herself while her husband was on the stand, came and sat with her children and helped her out. After the meeting, as she thanked this sister, the woman said back to this mother, "Your hands are full now but your heart will be full later." I just love that!

The following is an excerpt from my journal written shortly after I had Ava and first became a mother,

October 9, 2005
"I have been learning a lot with my new position in life. I enjoy so much being a mother. But I did underestimate the difficulty in it, especially with a young baby. There is mental stress that comes with knowing you are responsible for every need of this person- that they depend on you for life.

Ava

Luke

And I've also realized that this will never end. My responsibilities for my child may change as they grow but they will never be over. I am fully invested in Ava and my future children and will be until forever. I am not sorry or sad about this at all. In fact, this comes with a lot of joy. Still it is hard and tiring. For the first time in my life, it is no longer about me. It is a strange feeling to be bumped down your own list. But I'm grateful for it as well. I feel like I have no opportunity to be more like my Savior than when I am serving in the capacities of wife and mother. I have also realized how far, far, far, I have to go.




I am learning and feel that I have reached a spot in my life where I feel I have a lot of room to grow. I have a lot to work on and get better at and in a way it feels good. Sometimes we get to points in life where we feel stagnant or that everything is going just great or maybe even that we have mastered the things that we're working on, kind of like we've hit the ceiling. This has opened up a new dimension. I realize just how "unmastered" I was at so many things, like suddenly the ceiling has risen 100 feet or so and having this great desire to do and think and be better.
It's hard to explain but there is something in the "uncomfortableness" of this new role that is exciting, almost like being on the edge of a great breakthrough or the start of a new journey. I think that the climb to the top of this part of life will continue to be good and hard. It will give me the opportunity to grow and learn and get better and as I make up the difference between the bottom and the top, I increase myself and most exciting, I increase my capacity for joy and love.




I am so happy to be where I am and who I am. I am so happy to have Dan. I am so happy to have Ava. I am excited to have more children. I hope this entry can be an encouragement to me through this growth process.
It is Heavenly Father's plan that we will grow in this life and it is my greatest desire to live with him and those I love for eternity. I realize that who I am today is alright but there is so much room for improvement. I want to love my husband and children like Heavenly Father loves them and me. With His help and the Atonement of Christ I can improve, and I will!"




I am so blessed, challenged, and happy to be a mother. Happy Mother's Day to all those who read this!

Girl Talk

Here is Cutie Pie Ava, four and a half months old, shortly after she got her ears pierced.

I know not everyone agrees with piercing a baby's ears, but for me, I think it's the cutest.

We have never had a problem with her ears, the earrings, or infections. Ava doesn't even notice them, probably because she can't remember differently.

When I got back from Girl's Weekend, in a random conversation, Dan mentioned that I really should be more careful with my sewing supplies seeing as how he found a pin in Ava's bed. Yikes! I agreed and wondered to myself how in the world that would have gotten in her bed.

A day or so later, I noticed "the pin" (aka an earring) that Dan had set on Ava's dresser. I looked at her ear and sure enough, one was missing. So I decided it was high time for some new earrings.

We went to Walmart and Ava picked out some "pink jewels".

I sat her down with some M &M's to keep her occupied and changed them out.





Unfortunately, these little jewels were too small and within a few days her ears were looking pink and the earrings were starting to pull through the back!



We finally found some new jewels, nice and wide sparkly flowers. We started the putting the cleaning solution on them again. And now they are looking just dandy. (and the sunburn is gone!)

The other night as I was rinsing her hair in the tub, I couldn't believe how long her hair has gotten.



It's practically to her waist! Although when it's dry, because the ends are curly, it doesn't seem quite so.

Speaking of hair, I did one of the Laurels hair for prom. It really brought me back to my hair-doin' days. I was worried I wouldn't be able to do it and even though we really ran out of time, I think it turned out okay. She looked gorgeous in her pictures and said she had a great time.




I snapped some terrible pictures as she was running out the door. Maybe I can get her to email me some in her dress. Anyways, she is a sweet sweet girl and we had fun.

Now we're off to Dallas to celebrate with my Mommy. Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful women in my life!

Formal Introductions

I have some friends I'd like you to meet.

We are still getting acquainted but I have the feeling that in the coming days we are going to get along very well.

Very well, Mwuuhahahaha! (that's my evil laugh.)

So let's begin with the Tomayto family,

Aren't they cute?

These are their neighbors, the Tomato (pronounced with a short A sound) family, and they're pretty cute, too.



Nearby we have Mr. Bell and his son.

Mr. Bell is kind of shy.

It's okay, Mr. Bell, come on out! I won't bite!

(At least not yet, anyway! Mwuuhahahaha!)

There you are!

Notice his little baby right up next to him?

Now I'd like you to meet the Squash sisters,


Aren't they beautiful?

Up next are some of my favorite new friends. I like them because they grow so fast and are tall (just like me!) and are so cute the way they wrap around each other. I like to think of them as a close-knit family. I'd like to present to you,

The Peas!



Unfortunately, some strong winds caused our first fatality around here.


Look closely and you'll see that one stalk snapped. But his little friends just keep hanging on to him. "Let him go," I tell them. But they just won't. That's what I mean about close-knit.

But just look how darling they are. Simple white flowers, with pretty little pods.



Last and kind of least, I'm a little ashamed of these guys. They're my friends in low places, so to speak. They're kind of seedy. In fact, I didn't even know they were around. They never introduced themselves. And by happenstance, I brushed some leaves and discovered a bangin' party that I wasn't even invited to.

It was so dark down there, I had to use the flash to take their picture. So here they are, The Beans!


I'm still getting over their rudeness but now that I know they're there I'll go out of my way to say hello.

More new friends are showing up every day and I'm eager to make nice (and dinner!) Mwuuhahahaha!

Again?

I kept telling myself that the fever, ear pulling, general fussiness, and lack of sleep was just the par for the teething course.

Luke with his drugs, still sporting a smile

But when the drips were coming out of his eye as well as his nose, I knew it had to be more.

Double ear infections. Again.



What a sad, sad baby we have on our hands. When I got him up Saturday morning, his eye was practically glued shut. And his nose, Ohmygoodness! I thought about taking some pictures, but decided against it for the sake of our stomachs.


If he's not better by tomorrow, the next step is an ENT. I just want him fixed.


Ava pulled out her little tricycle today.



We haven't practiced much yet and while steering is still an issue,



major progress was made today!