Twin Prank

We've always called Megan and Jeran our pseudo-twins, or like-twins.  We're even part of a like-twins email group and have participated in a study on virtual twinning.  Megan and Jeran are only 7 weeks apart in age, and in some ways it's like having twins.  In other ways it's not even close.  (For example, I didn't have to give birth to both of them!)

When they were younger I was actually asked a few times if they were twins.  Have you ever seen them side by side?  It's funny what people ask when they're trying to make sense of what they see.

Megan and Jeran continue to have a close relationship.  They bug each other, but they're friends.  As they get older, even though they have separate friends, their friends are comfortable hanging out together.  They seem to know it's just part of the package.

We've always talked about how "real twins" get to do dating pranks and pranks in school as they get older to fool people.  We didn't think that would ever apply to Megan and Jeran, but I think they may have just figured out a prank of their own.

Jeran and Megan are in a big school of about 1500 other students.  It's easy not to know everyone.  Jeran was in class a few days ago and the following conversation took place:

Friend:  Hey, what do you think about dating in 7th grade? 

Jeran:  Dude. No way! 

Friend:  What about that tall dark-ish girl you're always hugging? 

Jeran:  Dude.  That's my sister!

But of course in middle school when kids deny romance, it just fuels curiosity.  Jeran's prankster brain shifted into overdrive.

After school they were all out front waiting to be picked up.  Jeran's friend was with him so Jeran ran up to Megan and gave her a hug.  

Freaked out Friend:  See! I told you you had a girlfriend! 

Megan and Jeran were laughing hysterically, and at that point, even though they continued to claim sibling status, his friend was sure they were lying.  

About then I drove up.  As Jeran, Megan and the rest of the carpool were piling into the car (still laughing), Jeran's friend came running up to the car.

Still Freaked Out Friend Pounding on My Window:  Hey!  Are they brother and sister?  

Me:  Yes.

Slightly Confused Friend:  Oh...  Really?

Me:  Yes, really.

Too funny! 

I have sisters who are identical twins and used to switch dates, take tests for each other, and various other things to take advantage of their twin status.  I think Megan and Jeran are just beginning to figure out the possibilities of pranks involving their non-identical sibling status.

Gabby: Families Have Fun

Oh, how we love this girl! She has been such a blessing in our family. Every day she amazes me with her ability to be real and allow herself to love and be loved. She looks around and takes cues about how to do things from those around her. When it was her turn to speak on Sunday, she stood up and actually did a great job of ad-libbing some of her comments from the original text on the paper in front of her.  She says she added things that came into her heart as she listened to her new siblings. She claims she was afraid, but you couldn't tell. (Picture taken ice skating on Saturday)

I am Gabby. I am in the Jarman’s family. I’m new in this family, and I like having fun with my family.  (This was in the original talk, added because she was new and introducing herself.  When she stood up she decided she didn't want to be different so she skipped the introduction and just started with the text of the talk below.)

Families have fun by playing with each other and going out to dinner, going ice skating, fishing, going down town, sledding, building snowmen, playing with your sisters and brothers and dogs, playing games, playing with cousins, and play fighting with brothers. That’s how families have fun. You can do it by having fun with your family and being loving. Sometimes we fight and it isn’t fun. When we fight we don’t feel good about each other. Then we say sorry and ask them if they want to play and we start playing together again and we are so glad we got together.

Forever families have to know how to have fun together if they want to be happy with their parents and children forever.

She also ad-libbed and spoke from her heart about finding out that she was going to be adopted.  She said she was "glad and sad."  She said she was sad to leave behind her foster mom, school and friends, but really wanted a family.  She said she always wanted a family with a mom, dad, two brothers, two sisters, and dogs.  

It amazes me how she talks openly to us about the loss of leaving behind family and friends in Omaha, but she talks all the time about wanting to be in a big family.  At first I thought she didn't understand what she had given up there, and wondered when it would hit her, but the more she talks about it, the more I realize she did know, and she followed her heart anyway.  

Adoption is never without loss, and our love is never far from the people who have loved our children before us.  I was amazed that Gabby included this in her comments in church, and was once again impressed at the strength of her heart as she spoke about finding her family.  What a girl!

(Link to the story of our family speaking in church on Sunday)

Joie: Families Can Be Together Forever

Joie is brave. When she first came to our family I thought she was that way because she had to be, but as we've gotten to know her we can see that courage is truly a part of her personality. She goes after life with energy and excitement. She was brave to share some of her really personal feelings about the loss of her family when she spoke in church. (Picture taken ice skating Saturday. In just two weeks she's turned into quite the speed demon, and has signed up for lessons.)


The Family Proclamation says, “The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave.”


After my family died, one of my favorite songs was, “Families Can Be Together Forever.” The words of this song are:

"I have a family here on earth.
They are so dear to me.
I want to share my life with them through all eternity.
Families can be together forever
Through Heavenly Father's plan
I always want to be with my own family.
And the Lord has shown me how I can."

Before my family died, I loved them very much. We were happy and had a lot of good times together. I didn't want those good times to end. It was hard to lose all the people I loved, but it helped me know that I will see them again and will will share our lives again for eternity. My parents were sealed in the temple and I know that means we can be together forever one day. Now I have two families. I will be together forever with both families because my moms are sisters and their parents were also sealed in the temple for eternity. The chain of eternal families is unbroken if we all choose to keep our covenants and return to our Heavenly Father. Now we are adding one more person to our family. Sometimes it's hard to get used to a new person, but we also have a lot of fun together.

Joie added some things to her talk that made it very personal. She said in her talk that she remembered something her old bishop said at the funeral of her family. He told her how this wasn't their first good-bye. She talked about how remembering that they said good-bye before they came to earth, then were reunited on earth helps her think about being reunited again with them some day. She also described how the testimonies and faith of her parents helps her when she misses them, and how she remembers the example of their lives.

(Link to the story of our family speaking in church.)

Jeran: Forever Families

Jeran is our performer and clown. He's smart and witty and is probably the only one who isn't really afraid in front of other people. People commented afterwards that Jeran is the family comedian. He started off his comments like he was performing a huge public ceremony, then jokingly switched back to just talking in church. He also likes to puzzle things out and make sense of things, which shows in what he said on Sunday. (Picture taken ice skating on Saturday)

My talk is on the same thing I taught for the family home evening lesson last week, so I am going to go ahead and recycle a few things. My topic that I am going to talk about this afternoon is on eternal families.

When I am bored, I like to think about the big picture; why we are here, what happened before we came here, and what will happen to us after we die? We will be reunited with our families again, but when our parents are busy being reunited with their parents, we have nobody to be reunited with… I used to think that there might be a few holes in the plan of salvation.

But while I was preparing for my talk, I remembered a family chain my mom made for a family Christmas party after Joie’s family died.  The point of this was to help all of the cousins understand that we were all sealed together, and Joie was connected to all of us.  The chain my mom made was a big paper chain made of little rings, and each one had a name on it.  It started with the oldest, which was grandma and grandpa, then branched out to their twelve sons and daughters:  Chris, my mom, Sarah, Beth, Ben, Becky, Esther, Ruth, Joe, Steve, Jim, and Mike.  And connected to each of them was their spouse.  And then most of them had sons and daughters… I’m just gonna get to the point and say it was a very long chain.

But if we had wanted to, we could’ve added each of my dad’s 9 siblings to the list, and all their kids. (If we had really done this there would be no leftover paper on the planet.)  By looking at the chain, we could see that Joie was sealed to Nick and Ruth, her parents, but she was also sealed to our family. All you had to do was follow the chain from our family to her family and it was unbroken.

When we were done making the chain, we hung it on our grandparent’s Christmas tree. It reminded us that through the gift of the Savior, we will all be resurrected again; and through the power of the priesthood we will be sealed together as a GIGANTIC family forever.

The big picture of eternal families helps us all continue through trials and we’ve seen trails turn into blessings.  My grandparents are now on a mission, and their testimony of eternal families helps others who are learning about the church.  My other grandparents are about to head on a mission to Nauvoo to work in the temple.  My cousin is getting ready for a mission also, and as cousins, aunts and uncles we’re closer and have a lot of fun together.  Also, other aunts and uncles are adding to this family chain. Our family is also keeping the chain going also by adding Gabby to our family.  Having THREE sisters can sometimes be a pain…too many Barbies and no hot water in the morning…but the blessings of sharing are lives together forever are worth it (at least that’s what my parents tell me).

I know that we will all be reunited with our families in heaven, no matter how long it takes and no matter how big our family is.


(Link to the story of our family speaking in church.)

Megan: Being a Peacemaker

We call Megan "the glue" in our family. She has an amazing ability to love everyone, and among her friends and in her family, she doesn't have enemies. She has incredible love in her heart, and shares it with everyone. Her comments reflect her role in our family. (The picture was taken ice skating on Saturday.)

Today we are talking about families. About three 1/2 years ago family life was great. It was just me and my brothers and we got along and had a lot of fun together. Then one day that all changed. We were doing some back-to-school shopping when my mom got a message on her phone that made her drop all the clothes and tell us to get in the car, “Now!”

On the way to the car she told us Joie was in an accident and got hurt and we had to go to the hospital to be with her. She was trying to call my uncle to find out more. We got in the car and couldn’t hear what she was saying. Then she got in the car and said, “We have to go now.”

She started driving, then pulled into another parking spot and started to cry. She knew she had to tell us what happened. She was crying and said that Joie’s mom and dad and sister died in the car accident. I cried all the way to the hospital. In the hospital some of the nurses helped me and my brothers find something to do while my mom went to be with Joie. I kept asking my mom where Joie would go.

After a few days all of the grandparents decided that Joie could come live with us. At first I was excited. I’d have my fun cousin to be my sister! But after a few days the fun wore off. I hated sharing a room. My room was a mess. My parents were paying a lot of attention to Joie, and a lot of people came to visit Joie and brought her presents, but there were no presents for me. Then my brothers started to get mad at me because I was playing with Joie instead of them. No one was happy. Everyone was sad, and it seemed like nothing would ever be the same again. All I wanted was for things to go back to the way they used to be.

This is when I started to decide things couldn’t be this way forever. I’m not sure when things started to change, but a little at a time I figured out that if fI could be considerate and support other family members, I felt happier inside. My dad gave me a blessing and said Heavenly Father wanted me to know that my aunt and uncle and cousin who died were thankful to me for treating Joie with kindness. I felt peace, and even though it was hard, I tried to be a peacemaker. Here are some other things that have helped me:

1. Families are the most sacred unit of the church.
2. Being willing to help made me feel good and made things feel different in our home.
3. We need to go forward with faith through trials.
4. The Lord will help us through our trials. He shows us the way.
5. The Lord is the source of all wisdom and we all need His help.
6. Scriptures are a powerful source of strength and they helped strengthen our family.

This time when we’ve added someone new to our family again, the adjustments are still kind of hard, but not as much. When it feels like things aren’t fair and things will never be the same again, I try to remember the things I learned before and when I go to Heavenly Father He helps me feel peace and helps me know what to do.

I know that families are part of God’s plan for our happiness. Sometimes I still wish for no trials and no changes, but I’m thankful that I know how to get through hard things and I know I that I can be true to the Lord and to his church under all circumstances.


(Link to the story of our family speaking in church.)

Nate: Our Family Before We Came Here

Nate is a deep thinker.  His wisdom (and wit) are some of his greatest qualities.  I love how he used what he knows about God's plan for us, and living as spirits before we came here to introduce his ideas about how our family came together.

Obviously my family was asked to speak on families.  Since I chose to do my talk this morning before church I was left with very few topics but I was still left with some really great topics to do with family.  So I decided to do my talk on our family in the pre-mortal life.

We don’t remember anything from our time in heaven before we came here, but we do know that all of us here on earth chose to be here and that we were all part of that great war in heaven. 

But here on earth we live with our earthly families the job of the family is to support, guide, and uplift.  A family can guide each other by setting a good example for one another; a family can also support each other when a family member is going through a hard time in their life.  The family can help support the individual in whatever dision that family member chooses to make.   We can also uplift one another by helping each other and by cheering someone up who feels sad.  

Before we came to this earth I think we decided who would be in our family. You don’t have to look like each other to be a family. For example look at our family.  We have three different people who are adopted and only two people who were born in to this family. In a way I look up to those people who were adopted because I can’t even begin to imagine what they went through to find the right family. I like to think of it as a big family meeting we had together as a family in heaven where we basically said, "Ok, you will be born into our family and you guys will be born into different family and you will have to find your way into our family."  Then when we got to this earth we forgot who would be in our family and how they would get to our family.  Not every family has members who have to find their way into the right family.  Some families have all their children just born in to their family but that’s ok because that was their choice they made up in heaven.

Nate then shared some of his own feelings about the wisdom of families in God's plan.  He did a great job.  Going first in church (and life) isn't easy, but he's good at paving the way.

(Link to the story of our family speaking in church.)

Talking in Church

Public speaking makes me nervous.  I know all the tricks:  Picture the audience in their underwear.  Pretend like they all speak a different language.  Pretend like they're all your friends...

Ok.  I know it's supposed to make us all feel better, but if it really worked, we wouldn't get nervous when speaking in public, right?

In our church, responsibilities are filled by ordinary church members.  Even speaking assignments.

So why do people say, "yes" to church service?

I think the answer is individual, but for me personally (and I think a lot of other people who serve) the idea that we are blessed and given so much is a compelling reason to reach out of our comfort zones and give back.

Our family's experience with church service has shown us that we give all we have...talents, abilities (and even lack of abilities) and God makes up the difference.  I'm amazed at how he can take whatever offering we make, and turn it into something amazing.

So a few weeks ago when a member of our bishopric (one of our local leaders) asked Tim and me if our family would talk in church, we joked a lot about having the shortest church meeting ever, but agreed to participate.  He asked us to focus on the subject of forever families, and asked us to share some of the experiences of our family.

Getting ready was an interesting process.  First we threw out the idea to the kids.  We told them they all had their choice, but said we really wanted the other three to participate.  Ironically, the youngest two were the most willing.

(Isn't naiveté great?)

Each child came up with ideas for their own talks.  The youngest ones dictated to me while I typed, and as they practiced and had new ideas, they made modifications.  It was inspiring to me that all the ideas were their own, and I was proud of them all for speaking from their hearts and sharing with others the importance of families in the plan of our Heavenly Father.

And even though they had all been willing, the anxiety level around our house on Saturday and Sunday was intense.


Nate re-wrote his entire talk.

Megan lost the print out of her talk.

Jeran walked around the house trying out jokes on all of us that he could use in his talk.

Joie hid under the blanket and didn't want anyone to hear her speaking.  Then she wanted to change her talk last minute.  I told her she could back out if she changed her mind.  She didn't.

Gabby asked the night before if they ever let people hide while they're speaking.  I told her I hadn't heard of that happening, and told her she didn't have to do this if she didn't want to.  She said, "No, that's ok.  But wouldn't it be great if they had a way to hide the people who are talking?"  Then right before getting in the car she said, "I'm gonna puke!"  She didn't, and even after being told several times she didn't have to do this, she did.

They all went first, and did a fabulous job, so there was no excuse for Tim and I backing out...although I loved Gabby's idea of hiding or running to the bathroom.

Here's a sketch of what Tim and I shared shared in church.  I'm going to do individual blogs with the text of each of the kids' talks.  They did an amazing job, and I love their words so much I don't want to leave anything out!

Tim talked about "tender mercies" of the Lord in guiding and giving us strength when we've needed it.  He shared the experience of adopting Megan so shortly after Jeran was born.  Jeran was born six weeks prematurely, and had only been home from the hospital for a week when we got a call from Megan's extended family about adopting her.  Our response?  "We already have a baby."

Tim discussed the process of changing our minds and hearts to what we felt the Lord wanted us to do at that time in our family.  Of course we ended up bringing Megan into our lives, which has been an incredible blessing, and opened the door to our other adoption opportunities.

He also talked about how we use daily prayer, scripture study, and the Family Home Evening program to strengthen our family and to help our children be strong in a world that constantly pulls at them to be pulled away from family and family values.

I talked about Lilo and Stitch.  Yes, the Disney film.  Now you all know my comfort zone.  I'm a mom.  I work with children in both church and professional life.  'Nuff said.

I talked about Stitch's quote, "This is my family.  I found it, all on my own.  It's little, and broken, but still good."  I talked about the word, "broken" and used references from Jeffery R. Holland's talk, "Broken Things to Mend," and talked about how all families can feel a little broken sometimes through things like sickness, financial problems, divorce, death, injuries, abuse, addictions, etc.  I talked about how the Savior lifts our burdens when we feel "broken" and how he has done that in our family.

I talked about the immediate comforts we felt after Joie's family died, and how those comforts carried us through difficult times, and have mended our family, even when the challenges seemed impossible.  We've been so blessed.

Then I talked about the quote from Lilo and Stitch, "Ohana means family, and family means nobody gets left behind.  Or forgotten." 


I shared how we started feeling last year like someone was missing in our family.  Our search lead us to Gabriella Pallavi, and we have felt the same peace in bringing her into our family that we felt with the addition of Megan and Joie.  The adjustments are tempered with an understanding of healing, and the ability of the Savior to heal all of us, no matter what we've been through.

Mostly, we're thankful for the opportunity.

I learned how strong our children can be.

I loved the insights into their thinking about families as they shared their own experiences.

I loved sharing this growing experience as a family.

And I loved the opportunity to do something challenging together that helped us grow closer and ponder on (and articulate) the blessings of being in families.

We are blessed.

Happy Birthday Everyone!

One of the things I am in charge of for church is a program called Activity Days.  We do activities twice a month that help the girls learn skills, develop talents, give service, etc.  

I've loved being a part of this program while my girls have been involved in Activity Days...so much fun.

This past week we planned a birthday party for all the girls.

Parents sent wrapped gifts.  Each gift was something that was a clue about one of their "gifts," or talents from Heavenly Father.

They were a little confused when they started opening the gifts, but they figured it out quickly and loved being able to tell everyone about their gifts.

We also played a "sharing game."  That didn't go over as planned, but amazingly a few of the younger girls picked up on the meaning of the game before some of the older ones.  

Then we had cake and they all got to blow out their own candle.  

Gabby was super excited.  She blew out hers and someone else's.  

We lit the candle again.  Gabby just couldn't wait.  She blew it out the second time.

And third.

She said, "Sorry, but I only had two birthdays.  I just can't stop!"  

The girls were a little confused about the two birthday thing.  I explained that in India they don't always celebrate birthdays like they do here, and she's just excited to blow out candles because she didn't get to do that until she was 8 years old.

One little girl, who has become a good friend to Gabby, immediately said, "Well then I'm inviting you to my birthday party and you can blow out all my candles."

I love kids!

Big Sis, Little Sis

Every day of the past few months is an adventure.  Mostly, we're thankful for the ride.

Some days we're thankful for do-overs.


Big sis and little sis are especially thankful for do-overs because do-overs always end in fun, and no matter how messed up things get between them, there's nothing like bonding over Barbies and dress-up to heal the little tiffs.

Last week I drove the girls to school.  They were having a bad morning...lots of sibling angst.

I hate sending them out the door all stirred up.

By the time we got in the car one girl had apologized and calmed down.  The other girl hadn't.

As we drove into the school drop-off, the principal was standing out front at the cross walk with his stop sign.  He waved.  I smiled and waved back.

"They're all yours now!" (I thought it but didn't say it.)

One daughter got out of the car.

I stopped the other daughter from getting out of the car.


"Sorry," I said.  "I'll bring you back as soon as you calm down."

She wanted to get out anyway but didn't.

I was half surprised that she listened, and wondered what I would have done if she hadn't.  (Me chasing her down in my slippers and pajamas would have definitely made the list of embarassing mommy moments.)

I drove around the block.  As we drove we talked.  A new understanding filled the car, and she was ready for the day.

As I drove through the school drop-off the second time, the principal smiled and waved.  Again. 


Double take.

Yup.  Same mom.  Same pajamas.  But this time I was thinking how much I loved those girls and how lucky I was to be their mom.

Even if I had to drive around the block twice in my pajamas.

It was worth it when they spent that evening in dress-up heaven.

Thank goodness they can let things go.

Thank goodness for do-overs.


And so it goes, off and on, at least once a day, but as long as there are Barbies and dress-up...


Then yesterday we needed a big do-over.

Big Sis was upset over the focus of attention on her new little sister.

But nothing, and I mean nothing could convince her that every little thing didn't need to be a huge deal.

(Not even Barbies and dress-up could pull her away from being mad, mad, mad.)


We continued through the evening.  Everyone laughed, joked, grumbled over chores, gave mixed reviews over dinner...

Everyone but Big Sis.

That night my heart ached for her.  She was doing her best, but let's face it.  Being a sister is a tough job!


It was bedtime, and Big Sister still wasn't calming down.


The clammer of bedtime and chorus of "Mom...mom...mom..." faded into the background as I went into her room, not to say good-night but to attempt a repair.

An invitation to put on shoes and get in the car?  At bedtime?

A drive.  A treat.

And lots of talking.

Big Sis remembered another little sis who used to cry, poop, sleep, and get into her things.  Annoying!  


And Big Sis remembered that when that other little sister had arrived she also took all of mom's attention.

Mom fed her.

Mom changed her diapers.

Mom played with her.

And everyone thought she was sooooo cute!

But now that little sis is gone, and none of the yucky, annoying stuff matters anymore.  Instead Big Sis remembers the cute things her little sister used to say, and the funny things she did.

And how mom had enough love for both of them.

Thank goodness she remembers that because on that night she needed to know that this mom also has enough love for both girls.

And she loved hearing (through my tears) how her mom used to be the little sis, and how the big sisters in the family used to be bugged when the little sis didn't do what they wanted her to do...and how they all grew up and loved each other anyway.

And then one day the little sis was gone.  And all the big sisters still miss her every day.

Today when the big sis and the little sis bugged each other again, the big sis remembered that everything won't always be difficult.

And she remembered that big sisters and little sisters have their moments.

But they also have each other.

So she helped Little Sis with her homework instead of being bugged.

Yes!


And they all lived happily ever after...

Until the next tiff.


Sisters, sisters
There were never such devoted sisters.
...All kinds of weather, we stick together
The same in the rain and sun.
Two different faces, but in tight places
We think and we act as one...
("Sisters, Sisters" from White Christmas)

A Very n"ICE" Day

Saturday was a day for some ice fun.

Every winter when the guys leave for winter camping or fishing, I wonder "why???"  But if it's fun for them...

Getting up at 5:00 a.m...

Driving hours to a lake...

Sitting on the ice for hours waiting for fish to bite...

So the girls decided on a different type of ice adventure.

We went ice skating!

Indoors

(Megan preferred to "chill" at home.)

Getting ready to skate.

Look at her go!

Joie is getting pretty good at skating.  It helps to have no fear.  

I don't think I ever get past my very cautious skating style.

...But then Joie is the one sleeping with a heating pad tonight, so if cautious skating keeps me off my rear end, I'm ok with my style.

Also a little cautious, but very, very cute.  She also got a lot more independent after this picture, and even dismissed me toward the end.  "You can quit following me, mom," she said.

I can take a hint.

Toward the end of the skating session the ice was really choppy.  Joie and Gabby figured out if they skated back and forth across the center of the ice they got mostly good ice.  

Smart kids.

(If only everyone else would get out of their way.)

And now...(Ewwww....I hate this part.)

We got home to a bucket of fish sitting in the driveway waiting to be cleaned.

I remember reading a Dave Berry column once where he said fishing was boring until you catch a fish, then it's just gross.  

I agree.

Check out the gloves.  That was Jeran's idea.

Sam had the quote of the afternoon:  "I think I need some air."

Getting some air.

Back at it with a little help.

Nate got home a little later than everyone else.  He's the die hard...stays until the last vehicle leaves.  He doesn't need a whole lot of help anymore to clean a fish.

And if you didn't like those pictures, and feel like you need some air, now would be a good time to leave, because it only gets worse from here...

From the first time I asked Gabby what she wanted to be when she grew up, she said "doctor."  

If this was an aptitude test, she's in.

All gloved up...

"Knife please"

(Those were her exact words.)

Ok...this is the really disgusting part.  As she and Jeran were busy identifying internal organs, they found a belly full of worms in this fish.  Yes, worms.

At that point all three fish were declared science experiments.  

I'm all about adventure, but I don't want the health department to have to open a case on our family, not this year anyway.

Gabby ended up taking over for Sam.

And after disinfecting the kitchen we had spaghetti for dinner instead of fish.

Dinner anyone?

Winter Fun

"Mom, I'm fluffy!"

She lost the scarf a few minutes later and never wears a coat unless she's playing in the snow.  When I tried to spot her in the sea of children leaving the elementary school the other day I started looking for kids who weren't wearing a jacket...and I found her!

Snow queens.

Joie likes Jeran's old coat because it's "fluffy," and with the hood up looks just like he used to look from the back.

Let it snow!

Jeran on December 31st, 2010

...waiting to eat his first piece of candy after a year of going candy and soda free to earn $100.00.  It was a happy moment when Tim counted that cash into his hand.

And as I type Gabby is testing out my new play therapy foam swords on sword fights with the boys...

And is giving them a good fight!  

(We watched Narnia:  Voyage of the Dawn Treader today.) 

This is what I'm hearing:  

Gabby:  I'm stronger than I look.  Ready, set, go!  

(swords clashing)

Nate:  Ok.  New rule.  No stabbing below the belt.

(hysterical laughter from all the girls)

Gabby:  Ready, set go.

(squeals and foam swords clashing)

Nate:  I got you.  If this was real life you'd be dead.

Gabby:  Nope.  I'm still here.

Nate:  At least your arm would be gone.

Gabby:  Nope.  It's still here.

(more foam sword clashing)

Gabby:  I wasn't ready!

Nate:  Well get ready.

Gabby:  Now I'm ready.

(swords clashing)

Gabby:  I got you!

Nate:  No, it's just a flesh wound...

(more swords clashing)

Gabby:  Mo-om...He's chasing me down the stairs!

Nate:  I'm just trying to teach you the tactics of basic hand-to-hand combat...

How many days until spring?

Happy New Year

This 2011 image made me smile.  It illustrates a little of how I feel about this year...so many directions it could take.

Isn't that true for every year?

I was thinking about last year and feeling a little like we had accomplished a lot, but possibly not many of the things we had planned...

Then again, we accomplished some of the most important things we hadn't planned.  The greatest challenges and blessings have come from being my own boss.  Some days I wish there was a magic wand that came with the learning curve of having my own practice, but I'm also very aware that the challenges of being my boss are worth the freedom and flexibility I've enjoyed as a mom.  That was my goal, and I've achieved it.

And once again this year we're thankful and blessed.

So what will 2011 hold?

We can't wait to see.

(If you'd told me a year ago that we'd have a new family member and a new dog by the end of 2010, I'd have laughed.)

Nevertheless, 2010 taught me to go with the flow...

And to keep things pointed in a forward-moving direction.

And to see the blessings in the challenges.

And to live in the moment.

And not to let plans overshadow possibilities.

And that our lives are chapters and books yet unwritten.

So how appropriate was it that on December 31st, 2010, our family rang in the New Year with a reminder that we go with the flow?

Megan signed up with a friend to dance in a commercial that was being filmed downtown during Salt Lake's New Year celebration.  It sounded like fun when she signed up...

But when single digits were in the forecast...

And we had a brief round of stomach flu and colds...

And we heard on the news that people were staying home because of the cold...

And excitement was turning to overstimulation for our newest family member (who wasn't quite sure what ringing in the New Year was all about)...

And the overstimulation was rippling out to other family members...

Being downtown on New Year's Eve wasn't sounding as exciting as we had first planned.

But in the true spirit of saying good-bye to the year that taught us to go with the flow and face new challenges we put on our warmest clothes and went out into the cold...

And found out that it wasn't all that bad.

Most activities were indoors

Lots of sliding and bouncing...

And all the kid activities kept the overstimulation and subsequent ripples somewhat contained...

And even though there was some waiting...

(Megan and a friend watched a movie on an iPod while waiting)

And more waiting...

We figured out cold isn't always bad.

It can even be a little fun.

You might even be brave enough to try the coldest seat in the house...

(Yes, those are all ice sculptures.)

But before we get carried away with Kodak moments, we should add that about the time the camera ran out of batteries, so did a few of the kids.

There was a minor melt-down before the count-down...

And we learned that, "I'm tired and I want to go home," means, 

"Leave now.  I've had enough of this fun tradition I don't understand."  

So we left, and learned that we didn't need fireworks to ring in the New Year.

Did you know you can count-down anytime, anywhere (on a TRAX train on the way home with two children sleeping)...?

And that poppers and silly string were (almost) as fun at 12:24 a.m. as they would have been at midnight...

And a movie downstairs can put tired children to sleep quickly.

And tired children and tired parents can also go with the flow on New Year's Day when things don't go as planned.

Yes, our lives are chapters in books yet unwritten, and 2011 has us looking forward to the possibilities.

(And I'm sure a lot more learning.)

A friend posted this on facebook, and I love it:

"For last year's words belong to last year's language.  And next year's words await another voice.  And to make an end is to make a beginning."  T.S. Eliot 

May 2011 lead us down the path we are meant to walk, in the direction only we can choose.

Just In Case You Were Confused About Names...

Gabby just wants to make sure everyone knows her name.

Hello.  My name is Gabriella Jarman.