40's Hair, Big Band Ball

Our stake had a huge Big Band Ball dance for Valentine's weekend. It was SO much fun. I practiced doing my hair in Victory Rolls and did Michelle's too. It was a fun night of dancing, big band swing music, and dressing up. I acted a little crazy and maybe embarrassed Jon Mark a little, but he was such a good sport. He danced with me and was willing to dress up, but I didn't find him a costume in time. Michelle and Jaron were so much fun to be with. Michelle is always ready to have a fun time. I tried convincing Lindsay, Vanessa, Nick and Bethany, and Jessica to come too. Jess came for a little bit. She danced a couple of songs with us and looked really pretty. 

Sometimes a good night of dancing and family is a great way to recharge and unwind. I came home from the dance so excited and happy that I had a difficult time falling asleep. Thanks to my mom for the dress and shoes!

Hair

I love this picture of Hannah. She was telling the camera that she is 2. She kept holding up her fingers and saying it over and over, "I two. I two."

So, I actually did my hair the other day and I wanted to send one of these pictures of me and the kids to Jon Mark. It's funny because about five seconds after taking some pictures, Caleb spit up in my hair and it went into a pony tail... again...

This is motherhood right here. Caleb loves poking at my eyelashes, especially while he nurses.

This is the face I was going to send to Jon Mark after Caleb had spit up all over me.

Bye Bye Intimidater

This is a picture showing that the Intimidater van is no longer parked in front of our house. It was a great vehicle for us, and it died in front of our house never to be driven by us again at 156,000 miles. It was our "lean years" vehicle. It was good to us. We donated it to Cars for Veterans. It's called the Intimidater because in Ohio I found a sticker that said "Intimidater" on it and I put it on the back window as a joke. Because, who wouldn't find an old family van intimidating? 

Pictures with Jess

Every once in a while, the kids just want to take some selfies. I usually do whenever they ask, because it helps me remember to document their lives.

This is a conversation that I overheard between Luke and Hannah as they were eating breakfast:

L: EW! What's that smell?! It smells bad! (He looks disgustingly at Hannah and moves his bowl of cereal away from her). I am moving away from Hannah because she farted so bad!

In the sweetest, most sincere voice, Hannah replies: "No, Luke, don't worry, I just pooped."

Rib and This Kid

A few Sunday's ago, this kid tried ribs for the first time and he loved them!! He licked the bone dry. He got very excited every time he saw them. 

He's a happy little guy and I can't imagine our family without him in it. He has brought us so much joy and laughter. The kids find everything he does is hilarious. He likes to copy sounds. He sounds like a little raptor because if Hannah or Luke is whining or crying, he copies their sound in almost the same pitch and rhythm. 

He loves playing in the toilet and climbing up the stairs. He heads for the bathroom every chance he gets. I yell, "Caleb Jon!" and he crawls even faster with his eyes fixed on the door or stairs. He shakes his head when he gets to his destination and then laughs when I retrieve him.

We love you, KCubby!

Elder Bednar's Talk

I was reading my scriptures two nights ago and came across this talk. The church is often criticized for having old men as apostles. People complain that these "these old men are old fashioned and out of touch" or, "that we need to get some young people put into the 12 so that the church can move forward with the times". I believe that age is not what makes the church wonderful, rather the fact that the Lord is at the head of it and that these wonderful men, although many may be categorized as "old" follow the Lord's direction. 

I really enjoyed this talk. There is so much that can be learned from these great men that I look up to. They have a vast amount of experience in matters of the spirit as well as life experience in general. This is an excerpt from that talk. This is my favorite part of the message.

I speak about this topic from a decidedly distinctive perspective. For the last 11 years, I have been the youngest member of the Twelve in terms of chronological age. During my years of service, the average age of the men serving in the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has been 77 years—the oldest average age of the Apostles over an 11-year interval in this dispensation.

I have been blessed by the collective apostolic, personal, and professional experience and insight of the quorum members with whom I serve. An example from my association with Elder Robert D. Hales highlights the remarkable opportunities I have to learn from and serve with these leaders.

Several years ago I spent a Sunday afternoon with Elder Hales in his home as he was recovering from a serious illness. We discussed our families, our quorum responsibilities, and important experiences.

At one point I asked Elder Hales, “You have been a successful husband, father, athlete, pilot, business executive, and Church leader. What lessons have you learned as you have grown older and been constrained by decreased physical capacity?”

Elder Hales paused for a moment and responded, “When you cannot do what you have always done, then you only do what matters most.”

I was struck by the simplicity and comprehensiveness of his answer. My beloved apostolic associate shared with me a lesson of a lifetime—a lesson learned through the crucible of physical suffering and spiritual searching.

When we cannot do what we have always done, that's when we do what matters most. I like this thought because it shows us how how trials can help us zero in on the most important portions of our lives. Usually, our perspective changes to focus on family, faith, and love. Because that is truly what the Lord is most concerned about. If we can put our focus and our energy into those three things, everything else will work out. 

TV Console

I wanted a project, Jon Mark told me I could spend $100 on creating a TV stand. Believe it or not, this is $100 worth of lumber. It doesn't get you much nowadays. I am happy with the way it turned out. It was fun for me to do. I didn't follow any plans. I kind of just made it up as I went. I didn't measure with measuring tape at all, I was careful and I did measure unconventionally. It turned out exactly right with the exception of a couple millimeters gap on one side that I fixed with wood putty. You'd never know. I don't think I will ever be a perfectionist. I don't like the stress that comes with perfectionism. I am a finisher.