Ebony and Ivory Reunion--May 2013 Edition

Last week, June and I visited Heidi and the gang (not to be confused with Kool and the Gang).

 It had been 10 months since I had flown with June, and I was nervous.

And had every reason to be.

In order to make the trip easier, I decided to fly sans stroller and car seat, since Heidi has extras.  I managed to pack everything into one suitcase, which we checked.  So it was just June and me and the diaper bag.  Easy, right?

If you are into new, creative exercises, here's one for you--hold a 20 pound weight with one hand while unbuttoning pants and using the restroom.  We call it The Lopsided Squat.

June screamed the entire plane ride which, luckily, was only one hour.  Once Heidi picked us up, the fun began and never stopped.

We went on an epic shopping trip to the outlets, where Blythe insisted on driving the empty stroller.

I always say--Shopping with babies is convenient.

We bought reinforcements:

Plain M&M’s and Reese’s Pieces.  The best combo ever.

Throughout the week, Heidi was stopped multiple times and asked if these girls were her twins.  (No one asked me because I don’t look responsible enough.)  She would say, "These are twin cousins!"

Blythe and June, hereinafter referred to as “TC” (Twin Cousins) or “Blune” could not look more different.  Just like their moms!!  Ebony and Ivory: The Second Generation!  Blythe is dark and June is fair.  Blythe’s head is square-shaped, and June’s is long and narrow.  Blythe says “Hi! Hi! Hi!” and June just keeps the same confused look on her face all of the time.

They were bff all week!  They got along like champs.  They made messes together, ate together, pooped together (one morning was not-so-affectionately named “The Poopacolypse.”  I seriously considered making shirts that said “I survived Poop Storm 2013.”), climbed the stairs together, fell down the stairs together, took bubble baths together, slept in the same room, and wore each other’s clothes.  I can’t wait until they are roommates in college!  They are both happy, sweet girls.  And Blythe was even kind enough to forgive June’s horrible biting habit.  And even bit June back once.  And we were all kind of glad.

Every place they went looked like this:

June is working on fulfilling her mother's dream of being the female drummer in a male band.  Get ready for the count off!

Heidi and I both commented several times throughout the week how we didn’t comprehend how people have twins.  Just figuring out how to pick them both up made my brain have a tiny explosion.

I had so much fun with the big kids too.  Everyday when they got home, we would do homework, jump on the trampoline, play the piano and sing, and read lots of books.





Doing homework:

Reagan and I went on an “adventure” in the backyard.  Reagan is so imaginative.  He can turn the backyard into a jungle or forest in no time.  He loves to record his adventures on his Leap Pad and watch the recordings.  On our adventure we found a “snake pig”.  I don’t know what that is, but we had a great time!

Scarlett is stunningly beautiful and excited about everything!  She loves school, loves her friends, loves Blune and loooooooveeesssssss to play "Lion" on the trampoline (I am the lion and get to chase kids until I pass out).  When asked what she wants to be when she grows up, she said, "I want to adopt babies and work in a building."  I think that sounds great.

On Friday, we watched a movie, and Scarlett danced to the closing credits:

And then Reagan put an end that that.

Anytime we were in a hurry, the garage wouldn’t close.  Heidi spent a lot of time trying to figure it out while I spent a lot of time waiting in the car and taking pictures of her exasperated face.  She tried fixing it:

And when that didn’t work, she just stared at it in this position for about 10 minutes.

And then she would pull it down.

I should make documentaries.

One day we went and bought Cold Stone.  Someone’s face was cut from this photo to protect the innocent.

And there was just a lot of silliness in general:

How'd that get in there?

Man, I miss those people.  Love you, Simpsons!  Thanks for hosting us!

June is a Swimming Prodigy

For the past five weeks, June has participated in "Baby Genius Swim Class" at the YMCA, also known as "Baby Swim Class", also known as "It's Been Five Weeks, and My Baby is No Closer to Swimming Class."

True to its title, this class is not so much centered around swimming as it is helping babies become more comfortable with being in the water.

Yesterday was her last class, her "graduation" you might say.  It was without ceremony, as is probably best for young babies.  A fellow classmate screamed and cried the whole time.  June, whose prime Baby Swim Class event is pushing herself off of the side of the pool into my arms in the pool, refused to do so.  Another baby girl, who is the only baby in the class that can stay on her back for an extended period of time, kept flipping over to her belly.  It's like all of the babies reverted back to how they were the first day of close to honor their teacher's efforts over the past five weeks.  How special.

As for her highest achievements, June can:

 1.  Hold herself up at the side of the pool.

2. Stay afloat while her mom makes weird faces.

3.  Stay under water for two seconds (apparently while Dad holds his breath for her).

 4.  Pull off a midriff-baring bathing suit better than anyone I know.

5.  Tolerate affection from her fans.

Yay Junie!

Spring Break and June's Birfday

We had visitors for June's birthday.  My cousin Cami is a high school senior, and her family brought her and a friend, Mallory, down for their last Spring Break with her.

Uncle Sherm and Aunt Susan and Tanner and Devon stayed in a hotel in Clearwater, but Cami and Mallory wanted to do their own thing and so they stayed with us.

Let's review . . . staying in a hotel near Clearwater Beach . . .

or

Sleeping on our fold-out couch . . .

They obviously made the right choice.

I had SO much fun with these girls.  They couldn't get away from me.  As much as I love being married, I do miss the gigglefests and ridiculousness that comes with having fun females around.  We would stay up late (past 10) and play uno or watch movies.  Daniel reminded me that I am no longer 18 more than once during the week.

If my own daughter(s) end up like Cami and Mallory, I can die happy.  They are confident, beautiful, smart, and low-maintenance.  And super helpful with June.

And they let me pick the movies we watched.

This is my exact movie cover.  Can we please discuss the fact that SJP's hair never looked like that in the movie?  And look at their heads!  Obviously just pasted pics of them onto some bodies.  Creepy.

And . . .

Sigh.  Both classics.

Cami and Mallory didn't seem to share the appreciation for these movies.  While I was laughing hysterically at scenes I have seen 398247 times, they watched silently.  I offered to rewind certain parts because they didn't seem to realize how funny they were.  They declined.

I also wanted to watch Goonies, and they asked, "Is that like the other two we watched?"  I took the hint.  Not everyone loves the 80s like I do.

Hanging out with family was so fun.  We went boating with them and out to eat, and they even helped us celebrate June's bday.

I had my friend, Tara, make the cake:

I took a photo of the top of it, but the pic won't load onto the computer.  But, to give you an idea, here is the smash cake:

Isn't that so cute?  She even made the chicks herself!  

Please note my amazing photography skills.  June waiting in the background foreshadows the upcoming event of:

I received mucho flako from the hubs and extended family about bringing her tub to eat it in.  But I still think it was a good idea.  Easy clean-up!

Thanks to Sherm, Susan, Cami, Mallory, Tanner, and Devon for coming to visit us!  We had so much fun with y'all.  I just can't believe I don't have a single photo of us all together!

Some odds and ends:

What is a dad to do when Baby's shoes won't stay on?  Tape them, of course!

Another example of my photographic genius.  I always say--There should be more vacuums in photos!

June playing with the present Sherm and Susan gave her.  She loves it.

I hate selfies, don't you?  Plus this is how mine turn out.

Happy Birthday, June!

General Conference

I love General Conference!  

It's funny how we change our attitudes toward it as we grow up.  As a child, and a part of the one of the only families in the U.S. of A. who did not have cable television, my family and I always made the trip up to the Independence Stake Center to watch conference.  My mom would pack a picnic lunch to eat in between sessions.  I thought that was the best part.  The hours spent during the actual sessions of conference consisted of trying to get out of watching conference.  I would draw pictures of the speakers, walk up and down our pew (or worse, the silver fold-up chairs--ouch for the bumster!), try to locate snacks, and take my younger brother, Mark, on walks.  Every kid in our family asked to take Mark on "walks" around the Independence Stake Center up to the time he was 12.

Now I look forward to conference.  It is a supreme combination of uplifting messages plus kicking-my-bum-into-gear that I often need.  Of course, now we have June to watch it with us.  That means it's payback time.  While I tortured my parents through conference, now I get to be tortured as I try to glean anything from the words of the prophets while being poked, bitten, jabbed, crawled on and climbed under.

Despite some distractions, I felt my prayers answered in a couple of ways I feel the need to share.  Thank you for indulging me.

1.  The doctrine on the family.  Let's be honest; this is a tough one.  Even though I have a testimony of the church and gospel, it is still really hard to reconcile all of my feelings on this from time to time.  I have good friends who are gay, inside and outside of the Church.  I feel like I have heard arguments all across the spectrum, and everyone has a good point or two.  

So lately, I have felt myself pleading with the Lord to understand more about this issue.  To be stronger in my testimony of the family.  To maintain all of my friendships.  To have the courage to voice my opinion.  And to do so with love for all of my fellow man.  To live my life full of faith, not fear.

All during Conference, I felt the Spirit testifying to me time and time again that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God.  I know that's true and that it's worth fighting for.

I have also had words of a talk by Elder Quentin R. Cook of the Twelve going on in my mind--

Let me be clear that all voices need to be heard in the public square. Neither religious nor secular voices should be silenced. Furthermore, we should not expect that because some of our views emanate from religious principles, they will automatically be accepted or given preferential status. But it is also clear such views and values are entitled to be reviewed on their merits. (October 2010 General Conference)

I need not be afraid to express my view in the public square.  Also, I need not be afraid to let others, though they disagree with me, voice their opinions in the public square.  And, at the end of the day and conclusion of our discussions, I hope to be still considered a friend to all.  I want all people to feel welcome in my home and a part of my life.  For I consider all I engage with to be my brothers and sisters whom I love very much.

2.  Motherhood.  Going along with the doctrine on the family, I have needed some reminding on the importance of motherhood.  Sometimes I fall into the trap of feeling like being a mother isn't a valid use of time.  I feel like less because I don't have a career.  

How wrong it is to think that way!  

Now, please don't misunderstand me.  Everyone is different.  Lots of moms work because they need/want to, and that's great.  I work from home.  Sometimes it's a nice mental break from "Did Junie make a poopy?" and sometimes I hate it because I feel like it's hard to focus on work and June.  I'm not trying to make a statement here about how other women should be mothers.

But I have been needing to understand myself that motherhood is enough.  Not only enough, but the most important thing I can be doing with my time.  That mothers save the world by teaching their children the Gospel.  That mothers make all of the difference in the life of a child.

Thanks for allowing me to share my thoughts.  If you would like to read/watch the LDS Conference and don't know where to go, please visit http://www.lds.org/general-conference/sessions/2013/04?lang=eng.

I Love Daniel Jolley

Tonight, on my way home from errands, I got a flat tire.  As you may remember, this happens pretty regularly around here.  I made my way onto the shoulder of the road.  I called Daniel, and he cheerfully said he was on his way.

When he arrived at our location, June was screaming and I was screaming in my head.  Something about being stuck on the side of the road as cars whoosh by unnerves me.  I watched each car in the rear view mirror as it would come closer and closer to me and then, seemingly at the last minute, it would dart out of the way.

It was dinner time, and June knew it.  She was not happy.  Daniel walked from his car to ours and said, "I thought you guys might be hungry, so I brought some food."  He crawled into the back of the car with us, and he fed June while I fed myself.

I wasn't quite sure if I would be able to navigate Daniel to our location.  I am terrible with directions.  So I was completely relieved when I saw Daniel because it meant this whole ordeal didn't have to be made into a bigger one.  When I saw him, I said, "I'm SO glad you found me!"

As soon as I said it, it hit me that it had a deeper meaning than I originally intended.  Daniel and I celebrated our three year anniversary on the 12th of this month.  I am sooo not a romantic and do not let Daniel know often enough how grateful I am for him.  I am SO GLAD HE FOUND ME.  So I would like to list here a few reasons I love Daniel Jolley:

1.  Daniel is a terrific husband and father.  Cliche, right?  But seriously, Daniel Jolley was born for the job.  He loves our family and loves serving our family.  While I was a little hesitant about tying the knot, he was certain and ready.  People always say, "Marriage is hard work" and I would always think "I hate hard work."  Marriage is hard work but he makes it worthwhile.

2.  Daniel is enthusiastic about whatever he is doing.  He gets extremely excited about projects he does for work and talks to me about them (for a really long time).  I never have any idea what he is talking about, but am glad that he does.

3.  Daniel is a joiner.  He has never displayed a "too cool for school" attitude, which I really appreciate.  No activity is beneath him, and he has fun everywhere he goes.  I once had a friend who asked us to go to Disneyland with her family.  She told me that she wanted us to go, particularly Daniel, because her husband would make fun of anything seemingly childish about the trip but she knew that Daniel would make the trip fun.  He would jump at the chance to travel the world, but he's also well pleased with eating leftovers and watching a movie from Redbox.

4.  Daniel is easy to like.  Whenever any of my girlfriends visits, she inevitably gets along with Daniel as well as she gets along with me.  Sometimes they make a connection over a movie they have both seen that I haven't and I have to remind everyone that the reason they even know each other is ME ME ME.

5.  Daniel loves June.  He loves his little girl and spends time with her everyday.  I hope all of that attention goes straight to her head and that she has the highest self-esteem possible.

6.  Daniel loves me.  I have never been more myself than when I am with Daniel Jolley.  He takes everything--the zany, the dramatic (only once in a great while), the zealous, the snippity snappity.

Love you, Daniel!  I'm so glad you found me!

Finally . . . My Ear

My right ear piercing has been droopy for the past 5 years or so.  This past year, though, it reached the point of ridiculousness.  My earrings would just fall out, post all, through the front of my ear whenever I would bend over to pick something up.

I thought that getting it fixed would be ridiculously expensive, but I found an extremely reasonable price and set up the appointment.

The doctor, a plastic surgeon (do I sound cool when I type that?), told me that he performs loads of earlobe repairs, but mostly for people entering the military who used to wear gauges.  Interesting!!

Before:

You could see right through it.  Creepy!

Right after the procedure:

They shot me ear up with numbness, but when it wore off . . . ouch!  But only for the first day or so.

And now that I've had the stitches removed:

Beautimus.

Easter Thoughts

Lately, my mind has been focused a lot on the difficulty of losing loved ones.  There have been a few recent events that have taken my mind there.

First of all, my dad's 60th birthday would have been on March 16th.  My dad passed away four months after Daniel and I were married.  I have written many posts about Dad in my mind, but have yet to share them with my readers.  But I will.  Suffice it to say for now that my dad was my personal example of integrity.  In the three years since he has passed, I have missed him a lot but have also felt tremendous peace about his passing.  Only recently have I started to more frequently feel the deeper feelings of grief.

Also, a good friend from high school and his wife lost their newborn baby a few weeks ago.  I cannot imagine the feelings that follow such a tragic event.

This weekend, we had Stake Conference.  Elder Neil L. Andersen, a latter-day Apostle, came and called a new stake president (a man who presides over several congregations).  Elder Andersen used to be the stake president in Tampa years ago, so it was doubly fun for him to come back here.  During his talks, he focused a lot on death.  He talked about it from the eternal perspective and talked about how we will be able to look back on mortality as a fond experience.

The most meaningful thing he said, or did rather, was that he and his wife singled out a widow they knew from our stake.  Many years ago, her husband had served as the bishop of Sister Andersen's ward when Sister Andersen was a little girl.  When Elder and Sister Andersen were leaving Tampa to serve over the France Bordeaux mission, Elder Andersen had an impression that this particular former bishop and his wife would be called to serve as a senior couple in that same mission.  And they did. 

This sister's husband passed away in December after 60+ years of marriage.

So when Elder Andersen and his wife came back to Tampa this weekend, they made sure to watch out for this sister.  She ate with them and the members of the stake presidency before the meeting.  They reserved a place for her on the front row with the families of the visiting authorities.  They mentioned her and her husband throughout their talks and mentioned various memories they had of her husband.

I can't tell you what this means to me.  As a daughter of a young widow, I was so touched to see these kind gestures.  Yes, let's focus on the eternal perspective.  That spoke to me significantly, and it's a principle I have a strong testimony of.  Families are forever, and we can be reunited with our family members after this life.

But also, let's take care of our widows and those who mourn right now and not forget them or their loss.  That touched me so much.

I have received this love from so many around me since my Dad's passing.  Thanks so much for serving me and also teaching me how to serve others when they lose someone close to them.