Fire Station Tour

This summer, school age kids have been encouraged to participate in a Play Unplugged campaign.  There are several activities that can be done in order to accomplish badges.  Within my neighborhood, a group was organized so that some things could be accomplished in a larger group.  Even though Leila isn't school age yet, I decided that I would tag along to those activities which I knew would interest her.  And so, this morning we got to go on a tour of the fire station.  We had a ton of kids show up and so we were split into two groups.  Our group got to tour the fire trucks first.  Leila loved every minute of it.Afterwards we swapped and made our way into the fire house where we watched a short video about fire safety.

Mormon Miracle Pageant

Jason's parents came into town for a visit and promptly insisted on babysitting as much as we would allow.  They were kind enough to take the girls Friday afternoon so that I could go play with my Mom.  We met up with Jori and Ben for lunch up in Sandy and then she and I went and saw Inside Out.

Then, at the last minute Jason and I decided to go down to Manti for the Mormon Miracle Pageant that night.  We headed down after Jason got off of work and got settled in our seats not too long before the show started.  It was a perfect summer night and as I sat at the foot of this majestic temple, I felt peace.

Peace isn't always an easy thing to for me to find in a household with two young children.  But today was even a little bit more challenging than usual.  This morning, the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in the United States.  And suddenly everyone and their dog had something to say.  The world is becoming more and more divisive--on both large and small issues.  Everyone has an opinion about everything and, thanks to social media, they share it frequently.  Don't get me wrong, I'm all for voicing opinions.  What bugs me is when people don't agree and sharing turns to shaming. I have my own opinions, but that doesn't give me the right to force them onto anyone else.  And I would hope that others would extend me a similar courtesy.  Sadly that's not always the case.

But for a couple of glorious hours, none of that mattered.  I wasn't being flooded with negativity and doomsday talk.  I was with my husband, enjoying a night to ourselves and soaking in the wonderful Spirit of the pageant.

Unfortunately my peace didn't last too terribly long as we would hear from my in-laws that Leila had thrown up and Ellie didn't fall asleep until almost 11.  We stayed at a local hotel that night and then cut our overnighter a little bit short the next morning to go and relieve them.

Swim Lessons

I finally broke down and put Leila in swimming lessons at the local rec center.  She loved it but she is also still very nervous about deep water.  She tells me that her teacher has taught her to "float like a pancake" and do "alligator/ice cream arms."  Apparently she is not very comfortable being on her back in the water so she'll get to repeat this level again, but she still improved in the last two weeks (and it got us out of the house), so I'm counting it as a success!

Fathers' Day 2015

Elder Robert D. Hales once remarked that "parents have the privilege and the responsibility of teaching gospel principles by [their] example and testimony to [their] loved ones...examples that become memories that guide [their] lives."

This sums up my dad to a tee.  It is only natural that my mind (and emotions) is frequently drawn to my dad and just how much I miss him on this holiday.  He provided a great example for me.  The traits that stick with me the most are his spiritual strength and his commitment to family.  No matter how busy life was, he always made time for family--both immediate and extended.  I am truly blessed to have so many wonderful memories to remember him by.

 But my dad is not the only father figure in my life who exemplifies the traits detailed by Elder Hales.  My father-in-law is also a wonderful man who lives his life in a way that provides a great example for his children.  He is the hardest working man I've ever known.  He is self-driven and is able to balance his time as needed.  He is also extremely friendly and is always willing to tell a tale or two.  He loves to interact with others and puts everyone around him at ease almost instantly.

Finally, my wonderful husband is providing a similar example in my own home.  He loves his daughters fiercely and is willing to do anything for them (and me).  Leila enjoys her special
daddy playtime" so much that she asks for him all the time while he is at work.  More than once, she has burst into tears when he has to leave in the morning.  And she always runs out to greet him as soon as she hears the garage door open.  He is our very own superhero.

I am so grateful for all of these wonderful men in my life, as well as grandfathers, uncles, cousins, and friends who have helped mold me and have provided me with examples of righteous priesthood holders.

Legacy Princess Fair

Jason took Leila to the Princess Fair at the Legacy Center today.  That girl had the time of her life.  She has been completely obsessed with all things princess the last couple of weeks and this was seriously a dream come true for her.  She got to meet all of the princesses, got her face painted, got yummy treats, and got to dress up.  So much fun and well worth our ten bucks.

Melting Pot Date Night

Due to sickness and scheduling difficulties, I had to postpone my birthday dinner date for a few weeks, but I was finally able to cache in yesterday.  I jumped on the train and met up with Jason in Salt Lake and we went to Melting Pot for dinner.  The last time we went there was over 6 years ago, the week before we got engaged.  That was also the night that I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jason was the man I was going to marry.  We had a great time eating good food and just enjoying being with each other.  We definitely need to make date night a more regular occurrence because the break did us both a lot of good!

Highland Splash Pad

We made a family trip to the Highland Splash Pad this afternoon.  This was probably the most Leila has ever enjoyed a splash pad.  It helped that there was a little stream that she could play in instead of only fountains.  Ellie liked it too, until she got cold and then her and Daddy hung out.

Miscellaneous May

May 8-I tried out a new sewing pattern for a friend's kids' birthday gift and decided that Leila need one too!

After she was done being a turtle, we made some bread while Jason was at a father and sons campout.  Leila wanted to watch the bread every time it would mix.

May 14- I'm officially saying that Ellie is no longer stationary.  She rolls everywhere!  In this picture, she started off on that blue blanket.

May 15-Leila informed me that I needed to take a picture of Minnie Mouse and Rapunzel.  Love my cuties!

May 18-Leila had a really, really early morning (like 4am) and as a result she fell asleep well before lunch time with her iPad on her face.

May 19-I love post-bath fuzzy baby head!

May 21-Leila got to pick out a toy for filling up a sticker chart in her potty training process.  She chose a Belle doll to go with the Rapunzel one she picked out a few weeks ago.

May 22-Leila is definitely entering into a phase where she loves to dress up.  Today she was a pirate with a treasure box.

May 30-We've been stuck in the house a lot the last couple of weeks as Leila and I battled a nasty head cold.  As an escape, we went out in the backyard for a picnic lunch.

May 31-Leila and Ellie took their first bath together.  Since Ellie can't sit up on her own yet, she got to sit in her Bumbo throne.