A Detour

Isaac's Spring Recital was Saturday night.  I decided to take the whole family and make a weekend of it.  For the price of 200 extra miles and a $25 park pass, we could take a detour on the way home and tour through one of our favorite places on earth.It was a bit of a spontaneous decision.  We threw in some extra clothes, sleeping bags and traveling food and took off.  

I had checked the forecast and knew it was going to be cold, but we got a bit more than we bargained for:  not only was it only about 45 degrees, but it also rained most of the trip.

The girls were remarkably good sports about it, but the oldest boy was a wimp!  (This was mostly due to the fact that he didn't have a coat, but only a thin sweatshirt.  To his credit, even though he was cold, he wasn't a brat wimp.)  He ran to stand in the steam every chance he got.

The geological features always amaze me.  It is a strangely beautiful place; I would say unearthly, but, here we are, on Earth.

The cold temperatures insured that we couldn't often see the heated features because of the steam.  We would stand in the steam and wait for a gust to blow the steam for a moment's glimpse.

This is how our baby saw the park.  All wrapped up in several blankets.  Every other tourist in the park paused when they saw him.  They asked his age, touched his little cheeks and fingers, counted the heads of the children gathered around and marveled that I had SIX children.

It was cold, but certainly not a waste of time!  I love Yellowstone in any condition--which makes me want to take the family on a snowmobile winter adventure in the park.  Someday, maybe.

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Creative Kid

Self Portrait

This is my nine year old.  She has an artistic eye and I am often astounded at the things she notices--and then draws.  She is always cutting, gluing, drawing and otherwise creating.  

When I was a young mother, I subscribed to the Family Fun magazine.  It was cheap and every month it was full of darling ideas to make family life more fun.  The problem is that I don't enjoy the crafty crap and the other darling ideas (creative snacks and messy games) that I wasn't doing made me feel like a bad mother.

So I cancelled the subscription and never looked back.

Recently, I was sitting in a doctor's office and found myself thumbing through the latest edition of Family Fun magazine.  These ideas are so cute, I found myself thinking.  Too bad I would never do them.  My nine year old would love it.

My nine year old would love it!!

I ordered a new subscription in HER name.  

It was a stroke of genius.

She is old enough that she only needs minimal help and a few inexpensive supplies.  

She pours over each issue, trying to decide which craft or snack she'll make next, which game she'll teach to her sisters.  For her, it is all fun without the social pressures her mom felt.  It makes her happy--and happy daughters make happy mamas!

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Blessing Day

In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a baby is given a name and blessing by the Priesthood.  

(It is similar to a Christening, though without the baptism part; we save that ordinance for when the child is eight years old.)  When I was sixteen years old, I made a blessing gown for my future babies.  Our first-born is a boy, but since I didn't know if I would ever have girls, we decided to go traditional and have him blessed in the blessing gown.  After all, boys have worn Christening Gowns for centuries!

Then I had all these girls.  

The Blessing Gown I had made got plenty of use.

When our new brother was born, our oldest insisted that his brother would not wear "a dress"!

This baby boy was named after a grandpa and a great-great grandpa.  A couple of weeks before the baby was born, my mother-in-law brought out that great-great grandpa's Christening Gown.  

This beautiful Christening Gown in 154 years old and has been carefully preserved.

Sewing machines were not used by the general public 154 years ago.  

That means that a loving mother hand-stitched these million tiny stitches.    

After the loss of our last baby, I had a hollow, empty feeling in my womb.  For over a year, I struggled with the heartache of not knowing whether there would ever be another baby to fill my empty arms.

To say that this baby was wanted is a drastic understatement.  

He was needed.

The pregnancy was emotionally very difficult and his delivery was physically the hardest of them all.  

Night after night, I prayed and pleaded with my Heavenly Father to help and strengthen me.  

Night after night, He did.  

That father, the Father of my Spirit, loves me.  

His love for me is greater than I can comprehend; the way I couldn't comprehend my mother's love for me until I felt that love for my own child.

My Father's love for me is greater than mine for this needed baby and greater than that of the mother who, so many years ago, lovingly stitched those million perfect stitches.

In every condition in sickness, in health,

In poverty's vale or abounding in wealth,

At home or abroad, on the land or the sea

As thy days may demand, so thy succor shall be.

The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose

I will not, I cannot, desert to his foes;

That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,

I'll never, no never, no never forsake!

--How Firm a Foundation by Robert Keen

How could I ever?

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Grudgingly Getting Back To It

Our sweet baby boy is officially one month old.  Someone asked me today how I was doing.  My reply was that I was doing great--really great.  Probably too great.  I have savored my down time, staring at a tiny face.  My body has not rebounded as quickly as it has after other babies so I've tried to not force physical activity.  Our oldest child was home for a week and we participated in a lot of family activities while he was here.  In all, I have thoroughly enjoyed my vacation.

Taken by the 9 year old on her 3DS.

But, here at the one month marker, I've realized that I'm missing things, some important things, because I've been enjoying this past month so fully.  It is time for me to get back to my responsibilities.

This week, my focus has been on working outside.  Last Spring, I was doing landscaping work for someone else to help prepare for our Grand Celebration.  (Can you believe that was a year ago already?  We ALL want to go back!)  I worked hard in the yard last year, but it was too little, too late on our unworked land. We got about three tomatoes and that's about it.  I felt terribly guilty about it, but there wasn't much else I could have done.  

A couple of weeks ago, my dad brought his Troy-Bilt tiller over.  I'd previously borrowed a friend's tiller and explained to my father that the thing just bounced around on the top of the packed and deep sod.  "Was it a Troy-Bilt?"  he asked.

"No, it was orange."  He just looked at me over the top of his glasses and raised his eyebrows in an, Well, why do you think it didn't work? kind of look.  Honestly, what was I thinking?!

This is me--and the borrowed tiller--fighting with the pull string last year.

Anyway, he came over with his Troy-Bilt and tilled my garden for me.  It did a lovely job.

Obviously.  

I let it sit for two weeks, then went out yesterday to dig the edges and the few green spots that dared try to live.  I'll let all of that stew this week and then plant honest-to-goodness vegetables next week.  Oh, I do hope we can make a go of it!

I limbed trees, moved gravel, dug dirt and sweated a lot.  My body has been sore; mostly the good kind of having worked it sore, but also some of the just had a baby sore.  Our temperatures have been rather unruly this week at 85+ degrees, but it still felt good to be moving and working my muscles.  Now, if Summer would leave and let Spring come back we can get to planting!

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A Brother for the Brother

Isaac came home a few days ago and finally got to meet his baby brother.

It was love at first sight.

It was incredibly emotional for all of us.  

Frankly, it is wonderful that Heavenly Father finally blessed us with another boy, but I would have felt this way about any baby meeting his out-of-town sibling for the first time.  It has been hard to have him away.

Isaac has hardly put his brother down all week.  Even when he does relent and let someone else hold the baby, Isaac isn't far away.

There really isn't much to say, except that it has been a wonderful week.  I adore both of my baby boys.

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A Baby in the House

 This was me two weeks ago. 

Photo by my 12 year old daughter.

And then this amazing thing happened.

We are all totally smitten by our charming baby boy.

I have to set the timer to make sure everyone gets equal turns holding him.

These girls are quickly becoming wonderful caretakers.  It is going to be fun to watch these relationships develop.

In his oldest (and most capable) sister's lap.

He is a patient and even-tempered baby.  In his short two weeks, he has gained over 1 1/2 pounds so he is obviously a good nurser!  He sleeps pretty well--not really well, but it is hard to complain about those precious early morning quiet times when the rest of the house is asleep.  

Just the two of us, 

falling in love.

I hold him as often as possible.  

I can't get enough of his soft skin, his tiny face, and his perfect body.

I can stare at his facial expressions for hours.

I love how he quiets down as soon as he is in my arms.

I love the desperate starving dance he does when I put him to my breast;

and the drunken satisfaction when I pull him away.

In short, I love everything about our new baby.

Boy am I ever grateful that he came to our house.

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New York Finals Review

Isaac's week in New York is officially over.  He had a remarkable experience, both dancing and touring the city with Grandma and Aunt Mollie.  Of course, I was here nursing my tiny new baby so I survived on frequent texts, a few calls and nightly Facebook picture postings.  

One of the major highlights of the week included regular Master Classes with amazing teachers.  These instructors were chosen from the creme de la creme including Principal dancers from Paris Ballet and American Ballet Theatre and Artistic Directors from places like The Princess Grace Academy in Monaco and the Houston Ballet.  

Some classes were in the Vaganova Method (the style of ballet in which he has been trained) and some were drastically different.  Some classes, therefore, were super challenging and others were intense, but comfortable.  Every day he worked hard and took full advantage of these intensive sessions with the best. 

 One thing he hadn't expected was how much he enjoyed dancing with other boys.  There were 30 boys in his division and all of his classes were with them.  It was endlessly delightful for him to practice only the boy stuff, never having to sit bored on the side while the girls ran pointe combinations.

Of course, even with the fatigue of hard work and the stresses of the week, he never could help himself from dancing through New York.

Or, at the very least, standing in position.

My mom and my sister took such good care of our boy.  There are no words to express how much I love them for doing what they did for him.  But, I'm pretty sure they know without the words.  They love their children the same way I love mine.

Some of these pictures show a little bit of the love they showered on my boy; motherly love that his mother was unable to show because of circumstance.

In addition to getting Isaac where he needed to be, when he needed to be there (no small task), his chaperon's did a fantastic job of making sure they each saw the things that were most important to them.

  

Lady Liberty at sunset.

A walk across the Brooklyn Bridge

The view from the top of the Empire State Building.

The New York City Public Library.

The Subway.

Another mega-highlight of the trip was this:

They went to see Newsies on Broadway.  I can't tell you how many times Isaac watched this particular musical when he was a child.  He watched it over and over again--long before he ever knew he would become a dancer.  Not only that, but it is a musical set in New York about boys--and all of them dance and sing.  It was a perfect first Broadway experience!

Contemporary Piece:  Awake

Now, as to his dancing and the competition, he did not place.  This was not unexpected and it was a honor just to be invited to NY, but it was disappointing nonetheless.  He danced beautifully and received some helpful critiques, he saw what he was up against, and he left more determined than ever to work hard and be better.  Even though he did not place, he is still counted among the top young dancers in the world.  In addition to the learning experiences listed above, he was offered a couple of very nice scholarships.  We have a lot to think about!

Classical Piece:  Satanella

 

The week was a success on many levels, but there was one text from Mollie that stood out above them all:

He said a beautiful prayer this morning, asking for a scholarship but also prayed for the other boys that they might do their best too and be happy with their performance.

I want him to succeed in ballet.  I want him to work hard and find achievement in his field.  But more than anything, I want him to be a good and kind person.

I am proud of the man you are becoming, Isaac.

There is more coming up for Isaac.  In June, he will attend the World Ballet Competition in Orlando, FL and then he will attend a 6 week Summer Intensive with the Bolshoi Ballet Academy.  I will keep you posted.

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