Another Beautiful Day

On Saturday, June 2nd, Beatrice made the decision to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ by being baptized! She looked beautiful and felt excited and happy for her big day. She had been looking forward to it for a while.

Normally in our church, all the kids that turned 8 the month prior all get baptized on the same day, assuming they have made that decision. This time, Bea was the only one getting baptized, so it was a nice, intimate gathering and she was surrounded by her dearest family and friends. She was disappointed that none of her school friends or teachers came, but her favorite Primary teachers did, so that soothed her troubled heart a little. (Well, that and the cards and gifts her school teachers sent, too.)

The program was lovely, with talks by Grandma Betsy and myself (though I don't know how lovely I was), and a song sung by Natalie. Bea was baptized by Jay, of course, with grandparents, siblings, friends, and extended family looking on. It was a very sweet experience, and hopefully one she will remember forever.

Squinty Smiles! The sun was right in our faces, but we did our best

Congratulations, Beatrice! We are so proud of you for the sweet, wonderful girl you are, and your decision to be baptized. We love you! 

Classic Movies that Scare My Children, Plus A Birthday!

Last week, Beatrice turned 8 years old.

She choose to have a "movie night" with a few of her friends. They watched Annie, ate cupcakes, popcorn, and full-size candy bars, and sang "hard knock life" at the top of their lungs. It was quite cute.

Now before you ask, no, it was not the original Annie with Carol Burnett, it was the 1999 made for TV version with Kathy Bates. I know, I know, I am a horrible mother. But in my defense, we actually own the original Annie and my girls don't like it. They are scared by the helicopter scene, and they may have been emotionally scarred by Carol Burnett, only time will tell. Jay, on the other hand, loves the original, and has been known to quote it from time to time.

"Punjab, get me a drink!"

My children also don't like the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory as much as they like the Johnny Depp version. I realize that admitting these things is akin to confessing my failure as a parent, but it is what it is. Gene Wilder frightens them (which is sort of the point, I suppose). Natalie also hates the blueberry part, no matter what version we're watching.

They do like The Sound of Music, though, as long as we skip "Climb Every Mountain," so I guess I am doing some things right.

Ok, back to Beatrice. She had a lovely party, and then the next day - her actual birthday - the celebration continued. It was our last day of baseball (insert slightly guilt-ridden whoop of joy here), and then we had a very mellow family party in the evening. Bea's Primary teacher came to her last game and held up a birthday banner while simultaneously attacking her with purple silly string. It was fantastic (though I don't think the parent in the background approved of the whole situation).

The silly string is flying! 

Bea with her fantastic Primary teacher and her teacher's sweet husband

At home, we were supposed to have Bea's favorite meal of tacos, but I was frankly too tired and hot to cook, so we had leftovers instead. Thankfully, Bea does not hold that kind of thing against me. We did have a "baseball cake" and Giants-themed decorations, so all was not lost. Plus, Grandma was there, and she gave Bea a much-longed-for present: walkie talkies.

Note the towel on Grandma's shoulder. This is a Pierson / Fear habit that has made its way into my life. In fact, I'm sitting here at the computer with a dish towel on my shoulder as I type. It's like second nature. One day I'll have to make a picture book with only pictures of family members sporting the shoulder towel.

Because Bea turned 8 and will be getting baptized in a few short weeks, our present to her was her own set of scriptures, complete with a sparkly pink scripture bag. She was very pleased with them and is happy to have her own set. It has made her much more excited for family scripture study!

So there you have it. Life is moving pretty fast but I'm trying to enjoy it and be more "present" every day. It's a struggle for me, I admit it, but I'm making strides. I'm so proud of my sweet children. They are good kids... even if they are scared of Gene Wilder.

10 Things That Have Been Happening

In no particular order:

1) Dexter's cast is off! Hooray!

2) Some sweet friends thoughtfully passed down some clothes to us, so I took the opportunity to try my hand at dying ... wait, I mean dyeing, a dress for Bea. Before & after:

So fun! Everyone is now hiding their clothes from me, because I've become a little dye-happy.

3) (This was where I mentioned we were selling our old black van ("the orca") to get Jay a commuter car and then proceeded to beg one of you to buy it. But the begging is no longer necessary because we sold it! In its place we purchased a '92 Corolla... a 3 year upgrade from the '89 Corolla we recently parted with. What can I say? They are the best cars for people who are bad at remembering regular oil changes.)

4) General Conference and the Relief Society broadcast were awesome. Truly. I can't wait until the Ensign comes in the mail so I can read all the parts I missed while applying bandaids, refilling drinks, and breaking up fights over legos.

5) Jay and Cal managed to break our $6 Ikea stool. (I know, just shocking that an Ikea stool broke!) So we cut out a new seat from scrap wood, covered it in batting and fabric, and attached it back on the stool legs. Done and done.

6) My Etsy store is doing better and better as it gets closer to Christmas. I think my "grandopening" coupon code still works, so check it out! I add stuff every week, like this new Halloween outfit. (Dear Santa, please send a new camera so my pictures actually make people want to buy stuff. Thank you.)

7) The kids are doing great. Natalie started violin lessons, we need a preschool for Dex that doesn't cost an arm and a leg, Bea is just plain awesome, and Calvin is the world's strongest 2 year old. I don't know how to go about officially claiming that title, but I'll look into it.

8) I am starting to have an unhealthy relationship with Pinterest. And that's all I'll say about that.

9) The D-Land countdown chain is getting smaller and smaller! The trip is the main topic of conversation around the dinnertable, despite the fact that Pirates and Small World will both be closed while we're there. *Sigh* Oh well, more time for churros!

10) I miss you. Yes, you! All of you, including you Robin S. (and you too, Robin L., though we do have a Words With Friends relationship going.) And you, Joyce! And all my friends from SJ and various other cities 'round the state. And don't worry my Ascent/Sony peeps, I haven't forgotten about you! Let's get the band back together soon. And I miss you, too, family, even if you don't feel the need to comment on my blog posts anymore. It's ok. I will heal somehow. I suspect chocolate will be involved.

The End.

The Best Decision of My Life

(Elder Smout, me with very thick bangs, and Elder Kitchens at my baptism, June 9, 1991)

20 years (!) goes by very fast, but the memories of that day, and the blessings that I've been given since, will stay with me forever.

Wherefore, you must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.

2 Nephi 31:20

One of my favorite scriptures from

The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ

To Every Thing, Turn, Turn, Turn ...

As we discussed the Word of Wisdom in Relief Society on Sunday (I realize that phrase didn't mean a lot to you non-Mormon folks, so let me translate: "During a lesson on health during women's group on Sunday..."), someone mentioned that we should eat foods that are in season. Right on cue, a voice from the back called, "Well, it is Girl Scout cookie season!"

We all had a good laugh... but I had the last laugh when I went home to this:

"Samoas" and a CFDC! (I won't say how many boxes cookies I polished off....)

Happy Girl Scout Cookie Season, everyone!

Beautiful Day

Last Saturday, Natalie was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It was a beautiful day. She was so excited and happy ... it was amazing to witness. We had many family and friends there to support Natalie, which just added to the sweetness of the day.

When we got home, Natalie took my advice and went upstairs to write down her feelings. She was up there a lot longer than I expected. I remembered doing the same thing over 19 (!) years ago, and over the years those pages have become priceless to me. Of course, I was 15 at the time, so my thoughts on my baptism are much different (and longer) than Natalie's, but nonetheless, what she wrote down was beautiful and heartwarming. I know she will treasure those words as the years go by.

The next day, as Natalie stood in the congregation to be welcomed as the newest member of our ward, her smile was ear-to-ear. It is obvious she is happy with the decision she made, and we couldn't be happier for her.

I Have One Thing To Say

NURSERY!

Have a blast, son. If you need me, you can find me in Sunday School! (shock!)

What Service!

Ever since General Conference, we've been trying to emphasize the importance of serving others, as taught by our prophet President Monson.

I guess Dexter has been paying attention! :)

A Food Storage Tale

Members of my church have been counseled for generations to set aside a little reserve for the hard times that inevitably come. A little reserve of money, and a little reserve of food. 3 months of food storage is recommended, and a year's supply of essentials is encouraged. Some people may think that this practice is a bit strange. I guess I can see why it might come across as a little paranoid, but let me tell you, it sure comes in handy...

Imagine if you will, a young mother at home late one night, depressed because things aren't going her way. The young 'uns are all asleep, her husband is toiling away at his place of employment. The young mother wants comfort food. She goes to her cupboard, intent on whipping up a batch of cookie bars, but alas! She is missing several ingredients. She can't go to the store and leave her babies alone. What is she to do?!?

If the young mother is prepared, she has no reason to fear. She simply goes to the garage (or closet, or under the bed), grabs a box of cake mix and a bag of chocolate chips, and gets back to the kitchen! In no time flat, the cookie bars are made and consumed, and the spiral of depression is stopped. Happiness returns. And it is all because of food storage.

Betsy's Cookie Bars

(super simple, super good)

1 box cake mix (yellow, white, or chocolate)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cube of butter, melted

1 egg, beaten

3 tbsp of water

Mix all ingredients together (I mix by spoon, no electric mixer)

Stir in one 12-oz bag of chocolate chips

Spread mixture into a 9 x 13 (or similiar) pan, and bake for 20 minutes** at 375.

Viola.

(**maybe longer, depending on the oven, as Betsy correctly points out in the comments) :)

Westward ho!

Saturday, the family and I went to our church's celebration of Pioneer Day. For you non-Mormon folks, that's the day Brigham Young and the Mormon pioneers arrived in the Salt Lake Valley. The girls were dressed in Laura Ingalls style dresses that had been passed down via cousins. We only have one dress, though, so Bea wore the full length apron and pretended it was a dress. It worked out pretty well, but probably only because we had enough bonnets to go around. The bonnet is the most important part of the pioneer girl outfit, as everyone knows.

The first activity we attempted was the "make your own butter" station. The girls seemed excited at first, but after shaking the jar of cream for about 30 seconds, they were done. That left 9 minutes and 30 seconds of shaking for me.

Next, the girls went for a ride in a handcart. I have to admit, I was a little jealous. They had fun taking the ride, but completely tuned out when I tried to recite the history of handcarts. I guess they aren't quite ready for all of that. Or perhaps they were just distracted by the potato gun station.

By that time, the sun was really beating down on us all, so we headed over to the Bobbing for Apples station. The girls had fun sticking their heads in buckets of water, and I tried not to think about all the other kids who already put their mouths in the same water.

Alas, neither one of girls were able to snag an apple. That's when Jay stepped in:

It took him about half a second to get an apple, and he was proclaimed the champion of the Bobbing for Apples Contest - in the Oldest category. Let me say that again... in the Oldest category. Just in case you missed it the first time.

By the time we got in line for lunch, the girls' whining had reached a fever pitch: "I'm hot," "I'm sweaty," "Can we take off these dresses?" I told them to toughen up and act like real pioneers, dang it! You think those pioneer girls could just take off their bonnets and dresses and lounge around in shorts?! Luckily for my girls, I only talk tough. I let them take off the pioneer garb, at least until it was time for the family picture:

Despite what Jay says, I totally would have made it as a pioneer. Though, I would never have tied my bonnet strings - I'm just a rebel that way.

An Ode to a Man (Who Is Not My Husband)

When I was beginning those horribly awkward teenage years, I was blessed to meet a new friend. A boy, actually. A boy who liked me despite my braces and my Cure t-shirt with mismatching gold cardigan ("borrowed" from my sister, naturally). A boy who sat next to me in science class and passed me notes to be read after school. A boy who would listen to my tales of woe as I tried to sort my way through the aftermath of my parent's divorce and all the other complicated feelings of adolescence. A boy who invited me over to his house to bake cookies and watch movies. A boy who always tried to do what was right. A boy who stood up for his beliefs.

A boy who changed my life.

18 years ago, that boy gave me the greatest gift that can be given. He taught me of Jesus Christ, and the restoration of His Gospel. He taught me by word and by action about the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He was there as I learned and changed, and as I entered the waters of baptism, which was the catalyst for all the tremendous blessings in my life.

Because of him, I have my beloved Jay. Because of him, my children know and love Jesus Christ. Because of him, countless generations after me will be blessed.

And I don't know if I've ever thanked him.

So today, with a full heart I say.....

Thank you, Jeremy.

Sunday Mornings With Four

Getting ready for church on Sunday mornings is always an adventure, and Easter morning was no exception. There is always drama with at least one of the kids...

Nope, not either of the girls this time - they are ready and looking cute....

Nope, not Calvin this time either...

Oh, it's Dexter's turn to freak out! (Although, it's not really his fault. We had to wake him up from his nap so that we could be on time. I would be pretty cranky, too.)

I hope everyone else had a peaceful Easter morn! :)

A Sunbeam, A Sunbeam!

Jesus wants me for a sunbeam, to shine for him each day!

Sunday was Beatrice's first day as a Sunbeam!

For those of you who are not LDS, Sunbeam is the name of the youngest class in Primary, our church's organization for kids ages 3-12.

Because I teach the 11/12 year olds in Primary, I was able to watch Bea during opening exercises and singing time. It was so cute to see her sitting in her little chair, singing along to the songs as best as she could. She is in a small class - 3 little blond girls and one cute little boy. I think she's going to have a great time.

Sunday afternoon I asked Bea if she had fun (she did) and what her lesson was on. She turned to me with a big cheesy grin and answered, "I am a child of God!" I thought it was so great that she actually remembered! When she was in the nursery the only thing she remembered was what they had for snack.

Natalie also started her new Primary class. She is now a CTR 6 (meaning she's in a class with other kids that will turn 6 years old this year). She seemed to really like her new teacher, and she already knows all the kids in her class so that wasn't anything to worry about. I noticed, though, that she has a bit of a problem paying attention when seated next to a certain friend. I'm hoping it was just due to the excitement of changing classes, but we'll see. This was also the first Sunday that she brought her own scriptures to church... she looked very cute and proud with her little improvised scripture bag. (It's really a carrier for one of her stuffed animals.) :)