A name and a blessing

It's been a crazy weekend for us here (and the craziness isn't over quite yet!). This weekend Patrick was given a name and a blessing for the records of the church. Grandma and Grandpa Hill, with Uncle Zac, and Grandma Linda and Grandfather Pat, with Uncles James, Chris, and Sean came into town for it.

So, a few pictures:

Meeting Grandma Hill (and being totally mesmerized by her shirt)Meeting Grandpa HillMeeting Uncle ZacMeeting Grandfather PatPlaying at the parkBlessing Patrick
The men in the circle (l-r Grandfather Pat, Uncle Zac, Grandpa Hill, Matt holding Patrick, Uncle James, Dave McDonald and Reid Allred [bishopric member])All of Patrick's visitors

A little breakfast conversation

Our day

((I'm going to be updating this post throughout the day as we do things))

6:30ish Matt wakes me up as he leaves for work. I get up, and update myself on facebook/twitter while nursing Patrick.

7ish Put Patrick in his swing while I start workout. Mentally kick myself for all the junk I ate yesterday.

7:20 Erin gets up

7:45 Workout done. I worked off most of what I gained from all the junk yesterday. No more chocolate cake for me.

7:50 Start a movie for Erin (Leapfrog Letter Factory), and run to take a shower because Patrick is starting to fuss in his swing.

7:51 Dig through my drawer to try to find my Pink Floyd tshirt. Settle for my blue koi one instead. Go looking for my other pair of jeans (as Erin got pizza sauce all over the pair I wore yesterday).

8ish Finally in the shower. Hot showers are so nice after a workout. It would be nicer, though, if Patrick weren't crying. I feel like a bad mom.

8:20 Clean, dressed! Pick Patrick up and start checking justmommies while Erin's movie finishes.

8:40 Movie is done, babies are ready for breakfast! Put Patrick in his highchair with toys so I can prepare things. Erin decides to sit in her chair and play with him. (and found the container of goldfish I keep in the diaper bag)8:45 Washed out the big pitcher and made some apple juice to mix with Patrick's oatmeal this morning.

8:55 Yogurt for me and Erin, and apple juice cereal for Patrick (which he loves). Realized I forgot to get myself a spoon.

9:17 Erin announces "Ah' done! I det dowNUH!" So I wipe her off, get her down, and snag her spoon to eat my own yogurt.

9:30 Patrick has lost most of his interest in the cereal, so I relocate to the computer to start this blog post and finish my yogurt.

9:40 Patrick has passed out.

9:45 I'm all done with posting about the morning, and hit "publish post," then puts Patrick in the swing.

10:00 Looking around on my dental insurance website to make sure a) that I'm still covered though my name isn't on the card, and b) that the dentist referral I got is a dentist my insurance will cover, all BEFORE I try to call and schedule an appointment.

10:15 Everything checks out...I finally get the courage to call and the office isn't open yet!!! I hate making this kind of call and I've got to do it again! *cry* They open at noon.

10:25 Making phone calls about Zac's shot he has to get. Gotta call dad...

10:46 Just got off the phone with mom. Have to wrap Myla's present, and get the babies dressed so we can go to the post office and then the bank.

11:02 Erin is dressed and throwing a tantrum on the floor. Need shoes for myself and then Patrick in his seat and we're good to go!11:20 Erin waits at the door saying "uh'mon! uh'mon!"11:25 Everyone's finally out the door and in the car!11:30 Into the post office

11:40 Out of the post office. Aunt Adrienne's box and Myla's present are no longer in my hands!

11:47 Sitting in bank drive through.11:57 Pass Thunder Ridge High School and suddenly realize I missed my turn. I think I'm lost until I realize the next cross street is Highlands Ranch Pkwy and I've gone most of the way to Dave and Danica's house.

12:11 Merge onto the freeway to get home

12:17 Exit freeway, catch sight of the sunlight on my wedding ring and grin. Can't help but wonder if any other not-newlywed women out there still get giddy of their sparkly ring.

12:23 Arrive home and put some chicken nuggets in for Erin.

12:24 Open the package to Patrick from Audrei. It's the blanket she made. Erin exclaims "Iss toot!!" It's true. It's very cute.

12:25 Sit at the computer to update blog while nursing Patrick.

12:35 Timer goes off, Erin exlaims "Di'din done!" I put Patrick down, making him angry because he wasn't done.

12:38 At the computer with Patrick again.

12:44 Patrick's done, which means that I can go make myself lunch. PB&J, with creamy peanut butter. Less to chew.

12:50 Erin proclaims "All done!" and starts tugging at her bib "off! off!" She then requests that I start Bolt.

1:30 Called the dentist. Thurs. morning at 8:30. Ack.

2:10 Bolt is over, Erin's in bed (I admit that I skipped the movie forward a bit).

2:15 Patrick is asleep in his swing too....I should totally take a nap as well, but...I'm going to watch Last of the Mohicans.

2:27 A good friend (and another angel mommy) that I had lost touch with just friend requested me...and TOTALLY made my day!

2:49 Decided to risk putting Patrick in the crib (hopefully he'll sleep through the move) and then lay on the couch to watch the movie...and maybe sleep.

2:53 Patrick woke up before I even touched him. As if the THOUGHT woke him up. Maybe I'll just snuggle on the couch with him.

3:18 He passed out once his tummy was full again, so now he's in the crib. I'm headed back to the couch though.

3:42 I lied. I'm still on the computer.

4:13 Movie's over. What to watch now? It's too late to try and take a nap, missed my opportunity. *sigh*

4:45 Erin's awake

5:24 Patrick is waking up and I have to start dinner.

5:40 Erin announces "I wet!" Sure enough, I'd forgotten to change her diaper before her nap, so now she's soaked through. I bring the laptop into the kitchen so I can multi-task. Patrick sits in his carseat and plays with his toys where he can see me. Erin's watching Kung Fu Panda and is still laying on the floor pantsless (though now with a dry diaper)
5:58 Patrick is letting the world know he doesn't like his seat anymore.

6:23 Matt's home, Patrick's fed, and water is finally boiling!

6:53 Dinner is finally ready!

7:30 Went to the library to pick up a few hold items. Then to target to look for a blender.

9ish Got home, Matt read Everybody Poops to Erin and then into jammies and bed.

9:10 Fed Patrick

10 Waiting for Patrick to fall asleep so that I can sleep!

10:41 Patrick's asleep on my chest. I really hope I can transfer him to his crib without him waking up!

10:44 Transfer successful! Off to brush teeth and bed!

Facebook

I just got sucked in. If you have an account and I haven't given you a friend request, come find me!

Happy Father's Day from Erin

I just want to also wish Happy Father's Day to the wonderful fathers in my life. My husband, my dad, my father-in-law, my grandfathers and to my brothers and brothers-in-law! Fathers are amazing people.

Lazy Saturday

Okay, so not really lazy. I've been pretty productive actually. Now the babies are asleep, and Matt just went to lay down, and I'm sitting here in peace and quiet. Should I scrapbook? I really should clean the bathrooms, but I told Matt he needs to help me so I'm not going to do it while he's napping.

Logic is telling me I should take a nap too...but I don't know if I want to.

Maybe I'll go lay down and read. I'll eventually fall asleep but then I won't feel like I'm just going to bed...*rolls eyes at herself*

What do YOU do with your Saturdays?

Scripture Study Topic: Resurrection

((I feel the need to post this. Not sure why, but it's my blog, so I'm going to. In the past four years I have read straight through the New Testament, the Book of Mormon, and have just finished the Doctrine and Covenants. I decided to do studies by topic for at least the rest of the year. This particular topic was inspired by a friend who was asked to speak on resurrection in church and said to me that she was having a hard time because "We die. Christ died and rose again so that we can live again. What more is there?" [If you're reading this, have no clue what I'm referencing and/or have questions, please follow the link and/or post a question in a comment!]))

Why do we die?

• Genesis 2:17 "But of the ^atree of the ^bknowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the ^cday that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely ^ddie."
• Genesis 3:22 "And the Lord God ^asaid, Behold, the ^bman is become as one of ^cus, to ^dknow good and ^eevil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever"

Adam and Eve were commanded not to eat of the fruit or they would die. They did partake of the fruit, and brought death into the world.

Why is death necessary?

• 2 Nephi 2:25 " ^aAdam ^bfell that men might be; and men ^care, that they might have ^djoy." It wasn't a senseless act. Adam fell so that we might come into the world and have joy.
  
• 2 Nephi 2:21 "And the days of the children of ^amen were prolonged, according to the ^bwill of God, that they might ^crepent while in the flesh; wherefore, their state became a state of ^dprobation" Merriam-Webster defines probation as "subjection of an individual to a period of testing and trial to ascertain fitness." So it is not an never-ending period of time. We were never meant to live on this earth everlastingly.
• 2 Nephi 2: 22-23 : "And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden. And all things which were created must have remained in the same state in which they were after they were created; and they must have remained forever, and had no end. And they would have had no ^achildren; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no ^bjoy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no ^csin." Again, it was necessary to bring death into the world, so that they could bring LIFE into the world.
• 2 Nephi 2: 11-12 " For it must needs be, that there is an ^aopposition in all things. If not so, my first-born in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility. Wherefore, it must needs have been created for a thing of naught; wherefore there would have been no ^apurpose in the end of its creation. Wherefore, this thing must needs destroy the wisdom of God and his eternal purposes, and also the power, and the mercy, and the ^bjustice of God." A thing cannot exist without its opposite. So it is with joy/suffering, good/wicked, life/death.

Is death the end?

• Job 14:14 " If a man die, shall he ^alive again?"
• Job 19:26 "And though after my skin worms destroy this ^abody, yet in my ^bflesh shall I ^csee God."
• Isaiah 26:19 "Thy dead men shall ^alive, together with ^bmy dead body shall they ^carise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead."
• Daniel 12:2 " And many of them that ^asleep in the dust of the earth shall ^bawake"
• Matthew 28: 5-6 "^aAnd the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is ^arisen, as he said. Come, see the place where the ^bLord lay."

How is this possible?

• 1 Corinthians 6:14 "And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also ^araise up us by his own power."
• 2 Nephi 2:8 "Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, ^asave it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who ^blayeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to pass the ^cresurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise."
• 1 Corinthians 15: 21-22 "For since by man came ^adeath, by man came also the ^bresurrection of the dead. For as in ^aAdam all ^bdie, even so in ^cChrist shall all be made ^dalive."

To recap: Death came into the world because of the transgression of Adam and Eve. But by their Fall they made it possible for us to come into the world to gain by experience, to learn from our mistakes, and to repent. By nature of it being a test, it had to be temporary. But because Christ died and rose from the grave again, we can all be raised after we die, to live in and with Him.

I am so grateful for this knowledge, because without it I would just be lost. We death around us every day, but because of our Lord and Savior death is temporary, and we will be raised to eternal life (and exaltation if we but give our lives over to Him and repent). Because of Him, Cora's short life isn't all that there was of her. The separation we have between loved ones, family and friends won't last forever, but our joy in them and with them will. Isn't that just wonderful???

Be still my beating heart

I know, I know, 2nd post in one day...but I had to share my adorable boy. He's so stinking KYOOOT! Definitely stolen this woman's heart for good.

Yet another park day

So, one of my favorite parts about living here is that there are so many parks around. Now that I know where a few are...lol. My ward has a weekly playgroup, where several of us mothers of young children get together and let our kids play while we sit and talk. This month we are at Falcon Park.

Erin loves it, because of one thing. The water feature. All I can say, is that whoever designed it looked at it all from the child's perspective and not the parents. It's a fountain that eventually ends up in the sand.Which means wet sandy children. But happy wet sandy children.And Patrick likes to sleep...lol

4 years

Sometimes it seems like just yesterday. Sometimes it feels like we've always been married. I never would have imagined then that life with my husband could be as wonderful as it is.

Splash Park and Mac&Cheese

Sometimes I can't help but let my mind wander while watching Erin, and wonder what Cora would have been like. What my life would be like. I sort of ignore the fact that if Cora had lived I probably wouldn't have Erin. It wouldn't be a physical impossibility anyway, as Cora was full term. I wonder what the interactions between Cora and Erin would be like. How Cora would like Patrick. Would Cora have been more adventurous than Erin has a tendency to be? So as I sat watching Erin wade around in the water, I had a picture in my mind of her holding her sister's hand. A curly-haired redhead helping the straight-haired blonde over the rocks. The two of them splashing each other. These imaginings are no longer accompanied by gut-wrenching grief. They're more wistfully sad. And hopeful, too, knowing that Erin and Patrick will know their sister one day. Knowing that I'll get to hold her in my arms again, and watch her grow. And it will be a million times better than anything I could possibly imagine. So, for now I am mostly content. Happy with the chance I have to have Erin and Patrick in my life. And watch Erin chow down so single-mindedly on her mac&cheese, and just laugh. And take a million pictures so I don't forget a moment.