Rollercoaster

I feel like I've lived an entire lifetime of craziness since I last posted. So much has happened in such a short time. It's amazing how life can change so quickly. We're doing great. We've settled in Texas with amazing neighbors and friends already made. We feel so very blessed and fortunate, I can't even describe my wonderment.

Here's a quick (or not so quick) overview of some of our experiences...

We started packing the house in Virginia and our buyer backed out exactly TEN DAYS before our scheduled move (it's a long story- just call me if you want more details). We couldn't believe she would just drop us like that. It was so heartless and cowardly. I've never been temped to tell Heavenly Father to MAKE someone feel bad before. I wanted her to feel the pain and betrayal and panic and fear I felt! I was so scared. Anyone who's ever read this blog before knows we have a tight budget. The thought of having to pay rent and mortgage for and undetermined amount of time was so overwhelming. We had spent so much time and money staging our house to sell- and it did sell quickly, but would it sell if it was empty and cold? It just so happened in the middle of this drama my scheduled reading was St. Luke Chapter 12.

Here's an excerpt:

28 If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?

29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.

30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.

31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.

It's such an amazing, powerful, miraculous chapter I'm sure I've read and studied and even sung about, but it didn't REALLY mean anything to me until that moment. I can't describe the relief, love, and comfort I have felt since reading those words (Thank you Manchester Ward leadership for challenging us to read the New Testament!!!)

I haven't just FELT relief, I've also seen miracles. Only ten days after putting our house on the market again we were under contract for MORE money and a quicker closing than the previous buyer- EVEN with the house in disarray with boxes and junk everywhere! It has since closed and the whole fuss is over and done.

Christ was talking to me when he said, "O yea of little faith". It's something I struggle with. I try so hard to control and plan everything, but when something unexpected happens I FREAK OUT. It was an amazing lesson for me and even more amazing to witness miracles all around us.

Amid all the selling chaos we still had to pack up an entire home, graduate a dental student, keep track of three kids (one of which decided to start crawling), eat, sleep, and SURVIVE.  Luckily Mom Trump and Bry's nephew Jacob flew in from Utah for some much needed support.

Jacob helped me pack and watch the kids all day.  He was an AMAZING help.  Thanks Jacob!!!!

Our handsome graduate.

Our good friends the Lamms.

Bry with his Mama who was such a trooper even though her back was injured.  Love you Mom!



Mother of the Year

I'm so excited to declare congratulations to my dear mother-in-law Nancy Trump for being recognized as Centerville's Mother of the Year for 2011!  It's an honor that's completely deserved after years of selfless service and love to her family and neighborhood.  We're SO VERY lucky to have such a wonderful woman in our lives.  She is a true hero.  We love you Mom!  Congrats!

That's right- TWO sets of twins.  Bryan is the red puff ball.

It has begun...

I was hoping to write a post about Mother's Day, Hyrum's Kindergarten party, and Delia's adorable new trick, but packing has taken over my life.

It's so hard for me to concentrate on ANYTHING when my house is in disarray. 

I do have a few moments to add some cute faces though:)

Quick DC Trip

If you ever have the pleasure of visiting our Nation's Capital, I would recommend getting a hotel room for at least a week.  I'm sure you could stay for months and never completely discover all the fun sights.  There's SO much to see.  Every time we stop by I can't help thinking how much we're missing and how I can't wait to come back and explore more.  With little ones who have minuscule interest in most museum exhibits and a hard time walking long distances, (plan on walking A LOT in DC) our quick weekend trips wouldn't be considered "efficient", but we still have fun and at least we weren't home cleaning the house all weekend.

For this, our last trip to DC in many years, (weep, weep) we enjoyed beautiful weather and lots of fun little family moments. The camera ran out of batteries only a few hours into the day (of course) so I didn't take as many pictures as I would've liked, but we did capture a few:

Sandwich smiles

Hyrum had a difficult time being the "big boy" all day.  There was no stroller for him to lounge in and he is too big for the backpack.  He got so fed up with walking he exclaimed with all his Hyrum muster, "MOM, I'm too exhausted to walk anymore!  I need to run."  He then proceeded to run the short distance between Bry and I until he regained his energy to walk.

Capital Building (I think)

Washington Monument

Natural History Museum and School Pride:)

There's dinosaur bones somewhere back there

We were very disappointed the police wouldn't let anyone close to the White House... little did we know heroic US soldiers were killing an evil tyrant somewhere in the Middle East.  Maybe they had good reason to protect the President that day.

Ivy was completely sacked out at the aquarium.  It wasn't very comfortable for the mommy, but it sure was cute.

We were super sad we didn't get to see Ali and Lincoln, or Amanda, but I'm sure we'll see each other soon.  Even though huge distance will seperate us, some friendships can't be lost.

Virginia is such a great place to live.  There's so many cool places to visit and explore.  We've been so lucky to live here for these few years.  I get so emotional every time I think about moving.  I thought I'd be so excited to get out of this crazy place when we first moved here.  But, it's become our home and starting over again is daunting and intimidating and scary.

Poor People Entertainment

I would NEVER want to sound ungrateful, so... first I should add: thanks to grandparents, friends, your tax dollars, and a very generous Heavenly Father we've always been very well fed, clothed, and sheltered. We're EXTREMELY grateful and blessed.

BUT, there are limitations to being a fund-limited dental student family. Fancy vacations, restaurants, concerts, amusement parks, movie theaters, and just-for-the-joy-of-it-shopping-trips are a rarity. We have to be a little creative with our entertainment because the budget is tight (I'm sure I'll look back on this time as a "character building experience"- which just makes me mad at my future self for even thinking it).

Here's some of our favorite ways to have simple and inexpensive fun:



bubbles!



mermaid, pirate, and sea creature adventures

sand and water: a magical combination

adults need entertainment too

What is it about throwing rocks in a pond?  The kids could do this for HOURS.

 

AND of course, our favorite activity of all... DANCING:

 

I should honorably mention: playdough, moonsand, crayons, puzzles, stickers, bikes, sidewalk chalk, books, paint, sprinklers, bug collecting, sports, cooking, parks, etc., etc., etc.- there's only so many pictures I can take people!


We're so lucky for our health, the warm weather, and so much fun stuff to pass the hours until blessed bedtime.

Easter

We had a super fun Easter with lots of beautiful weather and fun friends, but best of all we had lots of Christ-centered moments with the kiddos.

All of our April family home evenings were about Christ's life and the atonement.  Through LOTS of repetition, it seems like Hyrum is starting to understand the very difficult topics surrounding the Easter holiday. 

We played with these stickers I bought from Oriental Trading (they were VERY bad quality- I'm starting to learn you get what you pay for).  It was still a fun activity though, the kids love anything sticky.

Hyrum and I were lucky to attend our Ward's Easter Primary Activity which was very well done.  They each "traveled back in time" and spoke to people who witnessed the atonement, crucifixion, and resurrection.  Afterwards the kids had a blast with an egg hunt and other games.



Handsome Buddies



Next, we headed to the Walker's annual egg hunt which is highly anticipated because of the fun friends and YUMMY food.

Thanks Nate and Diane!  We'd be very boring without you two!

Finally, on Easter morning the famed Bunny was kind enough to stop by and fill these beautiful bags my Mother-in-Law made for the kids.  She always sends us amazing paper creations to make holidays even more special.  We're so lucky to have her!

Yes, that's toothpaste and toothbrushes.  The Easter Bunny knew we were running low.

That genenerous bunny also left a fun little egg-hunt in the back.  It's amazing the kids weren't egg-hunted-out, but they loved it.  I have a feeling if we did it once a week they'd still love it.

Here's some other Easter activities:

Tape the tail on the bunny

All beautified for church

Egg-dying EXTRAVAGANZA

Ivy isn't excited to pose for another picture



Ivy's preschool egg hunt



We love holidays around here.  Any chance to step away from the mundane, everyday schedule is fine by us (as long as it's for only a few days).  Celebrating the greatest event in history and the greatest man to ever walk the earth was a privilege and a joy.

Whenever I Hear the Song of a Bird

The other day Ivy and I were enjoying a lazy morning outside, basking in the sunshine. I made some kind of comment about how pretty the bird song was and her response surprised and moved me: "Mom, those birds are singing for YOU. You need to thank them."

I couldn't believe such wisdom came out of the same mouth that was sobbing about the color of her cereal bowl only minutes before.

It is true, I believe, those birds were singing for us (it might also have a little bit to do with territory, mating rituals, and birdie communication).  But there's a reason their song is beautiful and soothing and transcendent. I think our Heavenly Father sends us little "love notes" in the form of birdsong, blooming flowers, and sunsets- among MILLIONS of other touching sights, sounds, tastes, and smells.

My ramblings are perfectly conveyed in my favorite Primary song:

My Heavenly Father Loves Me

by Clara W. McMaster

 Whenever I hear the song of a bird

Or look at the blue, blue sky,

Whenever I feel the rain on my face

Or the wind as it rushes by,

Whenever I touch a velvet rose

Or walk by our lilac tree,

I’m glad that I live in this beautiful world

Heav’nly Father created for me.

 He gave me my eyes that I might see

The color of butterfly wings.

He gave me my ears that I might hear

The magical sound of things.

He gave me my life, my mind, my heart:

I thank him rev’rently

For all his creations, of which I’m a part.

Yes, I know Heav’nly Father loves me.

These faces are my favorite love letter from a caring and generous Heavenly Father. 

I will be forever grateful.

Delia at 9 months with lots of parental guilt

Here's her stats:

Weight:  14lbs. 6oz. (3rd percentile)

Length: 26 in.  (10th percentile)

Head: 41.5 (3rd percentile)

So, as you can see (if you have the most amazing memory in the entire universe) our petite little girl didn't grow at all and gained very little since her last check-up (thus parental guilt in title).  Just like her big bro, Delia is a PICKY EATER. 

Besides MILLIONS of Cherrios and formula, she hardly ever eats anything.  It's incredibly frustrating and she's usually a grump- most likely because she's hungry.  What's a parent to do?  She's surrounded by yummy, healthy food, but flat out refuses to eat it.

Moving onto the cute pictures... at least she's a cutie:

Sweet piggy-tails

Grumpiness aside, she really is a delight.  She LOVES attention and tickles and songs- especially if any of them involve Ivy and Hyrum.  She isn't crawing yet, but inches closer every day (maybe some nutrients in her body might help).   She loves being out and about, probably because it involes hundreds of people cooing at her and RAVING about her cuteness.  We couldn't imagine our family without her.  We love you Delia!

Hunger Games Update

Just FYI:  Didn't like Hunger Games.  In fact, hated it.  Too violent, gory, and depressing.  Wish I didn't spend hours and hours of my precious time waiting for it to get better.  Wish I just shut the last book and threw it in the garbage.  Bummer.

We're BAAAAK

Well... I've finally decided to tiptoe ashamedly back into the blog world after a LOOOONG blog vacation for several reasons:

1. I've felt horridly guilty every day I haven't updated all the fun stuff going on and cute, ever-changing faces of the kids.
2. I'm not allowed (this is a self-imposed rule) to read anyone else's blog unless I update mine first.  It is an understatement to say I have missed reading many uplifting, funny, and sweet posts written by friends who I can't keep in touch with any other way (and even those I see on a regular basis:).
3. I won't allow myself to read the last book of the Hunger Games trilogy unless I just get it over with and POST ALREADY!

So, a little grudgingly (because the sun is shining, the breeze is softly blowing, and the birds are calling me to come outside, put up my feet, and enjoy a good book while the girls are sleeping) I've decided it's time to write an update.  But, you can probably bet I won't be such a steadfast blogger since the warm weather's finally here...

We had a fun and eventful trip to Utah where my mom threw a super surprising 60th birthday party for my dad (it was SUPER surprising because my dad's birthday isn't until May).   She wanted to involve us out-of-towners and March was the only time it would work.  In true Grandpa Webb fashion, instead of getting teary eyed at the show of love from everyone (some relatives traveled hours for the event), or blubbering about how lucky he was for the honor, he just chuckled grumpily and kept saying, "It just doesn't make sense."  I love my dad- there's no pretense or fuss, there's just him- love him or don't (most choose to love the guy).  I CAN'T forget my mom in all of this- we witnessed first hand how hard that lady worked to pull it off.  Yay Mom!

After the fun party we said goodbye to the kids as they went to stay with their cousins for the next few days.  Bry and I were off early the next morning to Texas to find a house.  It was super stressful locating a great place we could live in for the next three years in just THREE days, but thanks to our awesome realtor we did!  I can't wait to live here!  The people were super friendly everywhere we went and already many ward members have reached out to us, so awesome.

Our new Texas house

When we flew back to Utah it was great to spend time with everyone without the house stress hanging over us.  As always, I DIDN'T TAKE ENOUGH PICTURES!  I never do and I always get so mad at myself.  Between keeping track of all the kids and visiting with everyone, the camera somehow gets forgotten.  Luckily we're heading back in May so hopefully I'll capture more then.  These will just have to do for now:

Hair Admiration

All played-out



Cousin fun



More cousin fun

Rare time with Aunt Kristin from California- she's DELIGHTFUL

Ella and Issac were so sweet to indulge Ivy in her favorite game (ring around the rosies).

When we came home, already missing our Utah families and exhausted from too much travel, it was quite a treat to find our Spring garden waiting for us:

I can't say enough thanks to the Grandparents for opening their doors for us to eat all their food and take over their houses, the families who watched our kids so me and Bry could have an awesome Texas vacation, and everyone who took time out of their busy schedules to catch up with us- even though we're totally boring.  We have such an amazing family, I will never, no NEVER deserve them.