4th of July/thoughts on service

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(Today's post for the Cache Valley Volunteer Center)

My kids and I are spending our days this week with red, white, and blue projects and star-spangled flag activities. Our fridge is getting stocked for a weekend barbecue, and plans are in the works for fireworks and parades. The kids have been learning to sing 'Fifty Nifty United States' and it has become the soundtrack to our summer days.  In the midst of all the fun, conversations are popping up over breakfast, craft projects, and car rides. 'I'm so happy to live in America' or 'Isn't it great that we have so much freedom to choose what we want to do?'

A friend recently told a story of living abroad years ago. He and a friend were looking for a way to serve in their small community when they came across an old  wall overgrown with bamboo. They went to the city officials to get permission to work on clearing the space, and were met with confusion and suspicion. 'Why would you want to do this for us?' was the general idea.

I think that one of the great blessings of living in our country is the culture of service.  Every day I see neighbors, friends, and strangers here in Cache Valley offering service to one another - usually without giving it a second thought.  What a wonderful area we live in.

Because of my husband's work, we've had many opportunities over the past several years to spend time in New York City.  While he works, my kids and I explore and enjoy the sights and sounds and wonders of the city so unlike our own. As our family has grown, our recent trips have left me wondering if I wasn't one of the most unique sights to see in the big city (a young mom with 4 young children!)  And yet, each time we visit I am amazed at how quickly the strangers that I encounter there go out of there way to help me and my family.  Carrying a stroller up the subway steps, giving a smile or a kind remark to a tired child, giving up seats on the train, holding an elevator, offering directions, opening doors and holding them for our full parade of children to pass through. And all of this service, again, without a moment's pause.

With this week's celebrations and festivities, I'm so grateful to live in America. And I'm grateful for the examples of service great and small that make our country - with it's  big cities and small towns -  a such a wonderful place.

Lunch Breaks

(Bikeride Scenery from Today)

One of the things that I love most about Jordan working from home (plus an East Coast schedule) is being able to take lunch break adventures together. Now that it's warmer, we're adventuring a little bit more and hopefully can make the most of this great time!

talks

Jordan and I spoke in church today about this scripture --

“Yea, we can see that the Lord in his great infinite goodness doth bless and prosper those who put their trust in him.”

I talked about trusting that the Lord is blessing and prospering us even when it might not be so easy to recognize those blessings (Like the favorite quote above)

And Jordan did a super great job describing how the process of  learning to trust in the Lord and increasing our faith is like learning to ride a unicycle. (Which he can now ride all along the Bonneville trail loop and ride while pushing the BOB stroller :)

Moab

(Moab/Arches/Campsite/Lizards/Climbing Rocks/Messy craft table :)

We started off our summer vacation with a big event - a camping trip to Moab with Kelly & Josh! The highlight for Jordan was biking the slick rock trail with Josh. The kids loved hiking and exploring and climbing on the great rock mountains (and of course eating s'mores). And it was so fun to spend some time with Kel and Josh and sweet little Jaden - what a great little buddy he is!

The week following our trip, every day I heard things like "Wasn't Moab so awesome?" and "Next time we go to Moab, we'll have to…" and "I just love Moab!" Often the crazy sleep and the work of getting there make me hesitant about big adventures like this, but I'm so happy we took the chance and made these happy memories!

(Thanks again Kel for the fun trip!)

Up, up and away!

Oh, I'm glad these brothers have each other!

This little Porter learned to stand himself up last week, and he is just as proud as can be. He loves to practice whenever he can  (unfortunately he hasn't yet learned to sit, so his middle of the night practice sessions are a little sad for both of us!) But what a proud guy to be able to go and do just a bit more!

Porter had a week at about 7/8 months where we finally found some sleep advice that gave us a bit of a breakthrough and some three hour stretches at night. He was such a happier baby that I could finally set him down to play a lot more often.  In about one week he learned to sleep without a binky, sit up by himself, scoot, and crawl all at once. Since then it seems like we've seen the intensity in this little guy develop more and more. Much like Landon at this age, there is just something this little one wants to do/know that is just out of reach (like Landon's quote one day that described him so well at the age "I just want to know everything now!")

Also, Landon was so excited today that he taught Porter to clap for the first time. One of his tricks for keeping Porter happy in the car is saying with lots of clapping and enthusiasm "Hooray for Porter! You didn't scream!" again and again. Today at breakfast Landon was doing the same thing and Porter started clapping along with him. So all day Landon was just thrilled to keep practicing and getting a few more claps from his little buddy Porter.

From Ellie today/Apologies

I came across something a few weeks ago about teaching kids to apologize (here) and it's been a super great tool for us.  We've all been getting pretty good at  giving full apologies (there are always plenty of opportunities to practice :) Landon especially has become an expert and it's just so super -- it turns the 'say your sorry' thing into a real chance for both people involved to feel so much better about the situation. 

It goes something like  this

1. I'm sorry that I… 

2. It was wrong because… 

3. Next time I will…

 4. Will you forgive me?

  Today I'd said something wrong to Ellie (she's learning about grammar rules like can/may, etc. :)  I said sorry and she responded like this --

You don't have to say you're sorry, because it was just a mistake. 

Or, I know a different way you can give a full apology. You can say

I'm sorry

It was just an accident

Will you forgive me?

I love you.

(And then the part that I just love)

Then that will help them to forgive you. Because when you give your love to them, they can give a little of it back to you, and keep some for themselves. 

Oh, how I love this sweet Ellie!

Mormon Channel

This morning (like lots of Sunday mornings) the kids have been watching Mormon Channel videos while I put Porter down for a nap. I love these movies. I love to walk in and see the kids so engrossed with such sweet and wonderful stories - ones that I know will stick with them.

This morning I helped Porter to sleep then went down to see the kids acting out their own versions of Swashbuckler and Runaway Stagecoach along with the movie.

You be the princess
I'll be the bad guy
Here's your sword!
I'm the girl who needs to be rescued
Hang on!

I just love this!