A Day in the Life...

Today in Sacrament Meeting Copper leaned over to me and said she wanted to give a talk "up there," meaning at the podium in front of everyone.  I told her if she really wanted to she could bear her testimony next week (good timing, Fast Sunday).  She immediately started writing it down and when we got home she asked to type it up.  It's now printed and hanging on our door, ready for the countdown to next Sunday. She's an inspiring angel on Earth.  I love her sweet, simple, strong, and unwavering faith.  She teaches me things every day.  So do my other girls.  No wonder Christ teaches us to be as little children.  In all of their wild imaginations and sometimes rowdy ways, children's spirits shine bright and soar high. And... Tim got a new suit.  Man oh man!  I love it!  And the smile...

I like to crank the heat up in the van- never too hot for me.  But Copper roasts.  I found her like this once: The other night Taryn was talking tween- words we didn't even know existed- so Tim tried to be cool.  He had to google 'cool words teens use nowadays' to stay on top of it.  At least Taryn thought he was funny.  I realized I'm pretty okay not being cool and have no need in my vocabulary for words such as "fleek, snatched, and bae". What Tim does at work sometimes...

Yesterday Tim and I played hookie from work and decided we didn't need a reason.  I tried to convince Copper to stay home from school, but it was computer day and she wasn't having it.  So Tim and I took the twins to the Dinosaur Museum and out to lunch. After school, we headed to Provo to go to the Provo City Center Temple Open house.  Oh my, it's just BEAUTIFUL.  All temples are beautiful and ornate, but this one is just amazing.  It doesn't hold significance to me, but many people I know grew up going to the tabernacle and were devastated when it caught fire.  When it was announced it would then be turned into a 2nd Provo temple, I really couldn't imagine how much work it would take.  Since the building didn't have a basement to start with, the frame had to be lifted on stilts to dig underground tunnels and a basement.  These pictures do no justice at all for the beauty.  What an architecture, to say the least. ...

Micah: "I will kiss you all over," and proceeds to kiss my chin, cheeks, forehead, and mouth. Me: "I think that's great.  I hope you don't ever go get a boyfriend on me..." Micah:  "Well I have a boyfriend already." Me: "Who?" Micah: "Well, I don't remember his name.  But he's from preschool.  And he's real because we did a pinky promise."

Micah: One time, Amy took us to a store that was long away so she bought us a drink and an ice cream.  And Elianna spilled her drink.  And Heavenly Father SAVED ME because the drink didn't get on me.  That really happened. _________________________________ A while ago Copper reminded us she was striving for perfect attendance for first grade.  When I reminded her about our upcoming vacation and that she would miss a whole week of school, and I asked her to think about what she'd rather do- go to school or Disneyland.  Then she left and came back a few minutes later to say she had decided to go to Disneyland and that she'd try to get perfect attendance in second grade.  Haha.

 Micah sleeps with me at night.  Still.  She's four.  And a half.  For awhile, it was that or she'd throw up everywhere.  Remember when Micah threw up every time she cried?  It was real. And disgusting.   Sleep is hard for her.  When bedtime comes, it's a few stories and songs and family prayer.  Then comes the soft, "I don't know what to do with my hands..." so we talk about putting them under our heads, cheeks, or pillows.  Or I hold them.  Then it's, "I don't know what to do with my head," which I think means her mind.  So I tell stories until she falls asleep.  Right next to her, so she can feel my breath.  Across the room (okay, a good 20 inches away), lies Dakota, who also cannot sleep.  Sometimes when they are very tired, it comes quickly.  Sometimes not.  And always, sometime between 10:30 and 1:30 in the morning, I hear Micah sobbing, awake and not being able to sleep. So I bring her in an...

Copper's always beautiful when we have staring contests.  Sometimes I even suggest playing so I can look at those pretty eyes.  At six years old, she's a spitfire.  Let me correct that... at six and a half... she'll correct you if you call her six.  She reminds me to be kind and often suggests we write in our journals together.  Oh my, I love my little writer.  Things she likes: school, playing school (she's the teacher), learning, doing her own hair, planning, making lists, doing arts and crafts, doing other 'projects', playing with friends, imagination games, board/card games, cleaning and loving her sisters.  Things she dislikes: trying new foods and milk (still).  She's pretty easy-going.  And loveable. . I don't think I'm that  biased when I say all 3 of the gals are striking.  Dakota has a sort of dramatic look that is just beautiful.  Sometimes her and I play "Inside Out" (yes, the movie) where I ask her to m...

I've never been a New Year's Eve party fan nor do I ever expect to be.  This New Year's Eve was exactly how I wanted it: no frills, eating a random dinner, playing games, throwing in 2016 earlier than midnight and hitting the sack.  We ate bread, cheese, little smokies and maybe some carrots to call ourselves healthy.  We played obstacles, sleeping queens, sorry, and pie face.  We adored the Netflix kids' countdown, which counted down from 10 to ring in 2016 (to be played at any hour of parent choice).  Our new year rang in at 8:30 p.m. even though our clocks (to Copper's delight) showed midnight.  Thank you Netflix and some brilliant mind.  I think I went to bed by 9:30 and Tim and Taryn stayed up playing Wii games until may 10:30 before Tim crashed. Sadly, Taryn rang in the true new year by reading alone in her bed.  I guess that's what happens with a bunch of non-partiers... haha

Dakota: Can Micah's eye doctor come to our New Year's Eve party? Micah: Yea! Can my eye doctor come? This follows a time when my optometrist uncle Merlin (husband of my mom's sister Penny) came to the rescue after Micah got an eye infection that was oozing green crap and sealing her eyelids shut.  On their way out of town, they met us at the mouth of the canyon and gave us some prescription drops he happened to have in his out-of-town bag and he called in a prescription for us to pick up the next day.  Not bad for a Friday night crisis.  Ever since then, Micah has dropped calling him her uncle or even by his name, or even by the name of "Penny's guy" and he has officially become her eye doctor.  It's nice having relatives who love and take care of us!  Even when they don't come to our New Year's Eve party...

It's been a gloomy day.  Weatherwise and otherwise.  I didn't take this picture but it's awesome and it looks like every tree around me.  Except here there is a darker sky and brighter snow. I'm pretty sure I'm not going to find the right words so I'll do my best to say what comes to mind and hope it portrays the thoughts that have invaded my days and nights all week.   I have a hard time helping others because I feel like I have to have all of the answers and know what to do- I mean, what to actually  do.  I'm sharp at assessing and understanding.  My compassion and empathy come easily for those whose sorrows likely surpass anything I'll go through in my life.  But the "what to do" about it is rough and eats at me sometimes to tears.  This last weekend an adult client died that I've worked with over 13 months.  He drove me crazy.  He was mean.  Never to me but to his kids, which is worse.  He was slow t...

We took the gals to Trafalga this week and Copper was finally (almost) heavy enough to try the rock wall climbing.  Almost heavy enough means they had to tie a rope on her to bring her down if needed.  She got about ten feet up, jumped back to repel, and went swinging around before her back smashed into the wall.  Still smiles, she said, "No thanks," when asked if she wanted to go again.  Taryn made it all the way to the top in a breeze.  She's a pro. The twins have been at my office at least once a week for the past couple of months.  Except for the holiday weeks.  This week they were there three days in a row for at least three hours a day.  It's refreshing for them to play and they actually let me get work done!  They know just whose offices have candy, where the post-it notes and markers are kept, and where the room full of toys is.  It is a blessing in my life not to have a so-called 8-5 job where I am stuck with no fle...