Well Tyler is out of town this week and has the laptop with all of our pictures in it, so I will give an update, but I'll have to post some more pics when he gets home.
These last few weeks have been very busy around here. I'm still waiting for the weather to clear up so we can enjoy it. We had a few days of sunshine since Easter, but mostly it has been overcast and lots of rain. We have had floods all over the place, thankfully we haven't had any problems. It is starting to get very green and pretty here again, now if I can just get the sun to keep shining!
As I mentioned we have been busy. Tyler has been traveling more lately, so when he is home we are always trying to catch up on projects around the house, or working on cars. I don't know if I mentioned this, but he got a tri-bike with some of our tax return and started training for the Dutchman triathlon, but because of his travels, he has fallen out of his routine, so he will have to wait and do another one next year. He is very much enjoying his new bike (when it's not raining), and has only fallen twice. (which he says hurt his ego more than anything else). He has also been pretty busy with his calling as ward mission leader. Right now we have some Elders that, bless their hearts, are nice, but lack some social skills. So that is a bit of a challenge for him. We have had some great baptisms. The area has really opened up lately. Also, we hosted a bbq for all of elder's quorum and their families at our house last week.
As for me, I have finally been taking a little time to work on developing some talents. I've always wanted to learn how to sew, but was always so intimidated by it. Well, my friend across the street, Sandy, started teaching me. I made a dress for Mariah last month. It was very exciting to finally learn, and see that I can actually do it. It is amazing how much confidence you get when you learn a new skill. I now feel like I can do so many more things. My latest projects are curtains that I made for my kitchen, and now I am making a skirt for myself. I'm so thankful for others who share their talents with me. I have also been spending a lot of time on our piano. We had a very sweet lady give us her piano, and I love love love it. I have wanted a piano for so long. Any chance I get, I am working on it. I am so thankful that we were blessed with it.
Logan is keeping us very busy as well. He is still in karate. I've been very impressed with his coordination. This was his first session, and he has really caught on. He tested for his first belt on Saturday. It was pretty serious stuff. They had a whole panel of judges watching and taking notes while they did all of their moves. I felt all nervous just watching him. Then to make it worse, they don't tell you until the next session starts if you got the belt or not. Those of you who know Logan can imagine what type of torture that is for him. I am praying he did pass because he was so upset and concerned that he didn't have the results, that I told him he did get the belt just so he could move on with his life, and me with mine. :) He is also sticking with baseball and loving it. He did a great job at first base, and even stopped a fast grounder coming his way. I'm so pleased with Logan. He is such a good boy, who truly desires to do what is right. He has a good heart, and is always looking out for me (especially with my back). He is a big help to me with the other kids, and they look up to him so much because he is so good to them. Logan and Mariah are great friends and get along so well. They are so different, and I often have to remind my logical Logan to let Mariah be in la la land and let her use her imagination. Logan had a special experience while reading his scriptures the other night. I thought I'd share this with you because I know y'all love him. Here is an excerpt from my journal. "Every night before the kids go to bed, they get to read their scriptures in bed for a few minutes before "lights out". Mariah usually sits on her bed with it and sings the whole time. Well, tonight when I went upstairs to tuck them in, Logan came to me with tears in his eyes and said that he could feel the spirit so strongly when he was reading the scriptures. He said, " mom, I felt the spirit so strong while I read this book. My whole body feels so good all over and I just want to hug this book I love it so much. The spirit was telling me that this is a true book, and I just love it." We talked about his experience for a little bit, and then it was time for bed. He said, "I don't even want to sleep. I just want to read this book all night." What I found interesting is that at one point of our conversation I asked him what he was reading about that touched him so much. He said that he could read the words, but that he didn't understand exactly what they meant, or what story was being told. He just felt so good reading it. It was a great reminder for me of the promise that we have been given that as we read the scriptures we will have His spirit to be with us. Even if we don't completely understand them, or see how it applies to us at the time. What is important is that we are obedient. Anyway, I don't mean to go into a discourse by any means. I just wanted to share a sweet moment that I was blessed to share with my little one. "
Now for Mariah. She is growing so tall and talking so much. She is so different from Logan. She is very flighty and goes with the flow. She was just given a new doll that she carries everywhere she goes. She named it Franny. She has her own imaginary world. She has 2 imaginary friends that she talks to everyday. Jacob and Kelly (pronounced Kewee). She's always telling Jacob that he is the "wudest" and that he needs to be nice. She has several conversations with them, and often when I'm at the store she'll be handling a situation with her "friends" in a most animated way. It is hard for me to snap her out of it sometimes when she is raising her voice and bossing them around. She is so into these friends, that when I tuck her in and ask her about her day, most of it is all of the drama wih Jacob and Kelly. She is easily excited about anything. When you tell her something with an excited voice her eyes will get huge and she will get so giddy and happy. She joins in with us on cheers, or even songs even though she has no idea what we are talking about. You can start jumping up and down cheering and yelling, and she'll join right in and be just as excited. Logan would never do that. He always had to know why we were cheering first, and then he might join if he truly felt it was worth cheering about. Sometimes during the day I'll just start singing or dancing, just to see her jump right in and join me like she knows what she is doing. She cracks me up. Her favorite movie is Beauty and the Beast. She loves princesses and flowy dresses. The other night I was giving her a bath and she kept saying that she was washing her beast. I didn't get what she meant at first and kept wondering where she learned to refer any part of her body to a beast. Finally she said one of the lines that Belle says in the movie when she is cleaning the Beast's wounds after he went to rescue her. Then it made sense. Still every time I bathe her she'll take her towel and say, "I wash my beast". It cracks me up. One more story. Tonight at FHE I was telling my kids the story about Nephi and his brothers going to get the plates. I was retelling it with as much enthusiasm as I could, acting it out. She was mesmorized and listened to every word I was saying. When I was telling them how they went to talk to Laban to ask him for the plates, I asked, "and what do you think Laban said?". Mariah with her eyes all huge said, " I know, he said, 'you look gorgeous!". Totally off the mark. That is my Mariah in a nutshell!
As for Harrison. He is rolling and scooting around and always backs himself into the bottom of the couchs. It won't be long before he crawls. He is becoming quite the character himself. He loves his big brother the most I think. He cracks up at everything he does. He loves Mariah, but gets annoyed with her pretty easily. He loves to roll balls back and forth, and claps at himself all the time. He jibber jabbers all the time. Especially in the car. Usually if he is in the car, he is talking.
Well, this is so long, but I thought I would share a little of what's happening with us. We can't wait for our Branson/Dallas trip! We will see y'all soon!
