Cheerios

My boys love Cheerios! Plus, I love Cheerios because I can give them a handful and it will keep them occupied for quite a while.

Recently as I looked at the Cheerios strewn across the floor of my apartment I thought about how the mess I have to clean up has changed over the past 10 months. For a long time I couldn't go a day without changing my clothes multiple times because of the constant vomit that would land on my shirt. There would be milky vomit on my clothes (sometimes pants and shirt), couch, bed, carpet, and so on. With two babies, there was double the amount of vomit that I had to clean up.

Soon that passed and they began to eat solid food. The mess generally was limited to a 1 yard radius around where they ate. Well, now they are mostly mobile (Luke can crawl forwards now! Thomas is getting there.) the mess just spreads and spreads. I feel like my apartment is trashed just 15 minutes after I let them loose. Cheerios or Fruit-loops scattered across the floor, toys and books all over the place, and peanut butter smeared into our clothing. (After snack time today, Rob now has peanut butter smudges on his suit pants which have to be dry-cleaned.) It is a constant battle to keep my apartment looking presentable. But, this is a fun age and I wouldn't change the experience I am having raising these two beautiful boys for anything.

Yesterday I felt Thomas' head and he was really warm. I took his temperature and it measured 100 degrees F. He still has a fever and has slept pretty much the entire day. Poor little guy feels dreadful. When he is awake he mostly just lies there and groans. The only thing I can think that he might have is Roseola, because he has no other symptoms and Luke had it recently. Anyway, I know there isn't much I can do except help him feel comfortable, as well as drink and sleep lots. He is a lot easier to deal with when he is sick that Luke is. Luke cries and moans. Thomas doesn't complain much and just wants to be in his crib with his little gray kitten. He lies there and sucks his ear, which is quite funny to watch.

What a weekend!!

So, Friday morning I went to a yoga class taught by Laura Harper - it was awesome! It kind of kicked my butt because it was hard to keep breathing consistently and I struggled to balance at times, but the stretching felt so invigorating. I really felt it in my ab muscles and my thighs - places I guess I need to strengthen. When I left I felt exhausted but I felt tons of energy a little while afterwards. I went home and chatted to Stephanie Aud for a while (she is in my ward and lives 2 doors above me and looked after the boys while I was gone) and then proceeded to wash the dishes.

Rob called a short while later and said there was a package for me and that it was quite large and so I would need 2 hands to carry it. He said to hang up the phone and go to the mail box and then call him when I had got it. Well, I went to the mail box and there wasn't anything there. I was a little confused. So I called him back but he didn't answer. How strange! I went back to the apartment, opened the front door and there he was standing. I was so shocked. He then said something about the package actually being inside. He had the biggest grin on his face! All I could say was: "What are you doing here?" because I was supposed to pick him up from the airport the following day (Saturday) and was so shocked to see him in front of me. I was shaking with excitement and I nearly cried with happiness. He said we needed to pack a bag for the boys and put some clothes for myself in the suitcase because the Borens would be looking after the boys and we would be going out to lunch at whatever restaurant I chose and then going to a hotel for the next 24 hours so that I could get a break from the boys and Rob and I could spend some quality time together after being apart for two weeks.

Wow! I couldn't believe it.  So, of course, I chose a Thai restaurant (Thai Mango - their food is incredible!) and off we headed to the Hampton Inn (we only ever stay there when we need a hotel, because it is our favorite!). Anyway, it was lots of fun and reminded us of what it was like before we had kids.

Since then I have been reflecting on just how lucky I am to have a wonderful husband who loves to surprise and spoil me! I'm a better person because of him and I'm so grateful for the unconditional love he has for me. With him being away for two weeks, it helped me realize how much I need him and how much he always does for me. Rob is such a blessing in my life and I cannot imagine my life without him.

A picture from when we were dating

A picture from when we were engaged

Thanksgiving

So it is Thanksgiving Day tomorrow, but Rob and I will be on the road headed to the East Coast, before leaving for South Africa. It is now 4:28am and I am exhausted. Thomas has been awake since midnight. I'm not sure what is going on but as of about 5 weeks ago he stopped sleeping through the night. If I give him a bottle he will drink it and go back to sleep, but this is not a pattern I want to be in. So I have had 2 hours of sleep. I miss sleeping for 8 hours in a row. That hasn't happened since before I was pregnant. I wonder when it will happen again.

I thought I would express some of the things I am grateful for since it is Thanksgiving tomorrow and I won't be near a computer then.

(1) The Gospel of Jesus Christ
I am so grateful for the knowledge and understanding I have and for my parents teaching me these things as a child. What a blessing to know the purpose of this life and to be able to make decisions based on true principles. It makes the challenges of life easier to deal with and I am able to feel peace despite what happens to me. I know I am a daughter of God and with the resulting divine attributes I have, I know I can achieve so much.

(2) My little family

I patiently waited a LONG time to meet Rob and start this little family I now have. How grateful I am for a loving husband and my two boys! They bring so much joy into my life and it is wonderful to know we will be together forever. Even though being a mom is so exhausting, it is even more rewarding. I love seeing Luke and Thomas grow and develop. I look forward to teaching them everything I know.

(3) Friends
I have been blessed with such marvelous friends. I have wonderful friends in South Africa, whom I will see soon, and I have wonderful friends here in the USA and other parts of the world. I am grateful for their love and all they do for me (including helping with washing the twins' stinky diapers, helping with the boys, listening to me, and so on). There are some friends in particular who have done so much for me recently that my heart is full of gratitude. Thank you!

(4) Photography
I am grateful for this new hobby of mine which I am still learning a lot about. I love learning the design principles and more about my camera, as well as post-processing. I feel like I am slowly getting better and one day I hope to be really good. I am also fortunate that Rob encourages me in this pursuit and enjoys doing it with me.

(5) Sleep
I have always enjoyed sleeping. With being so sleep deprived these past few months, I have come to appreciate sleep even more. I am really grateful for the times when I am able to sleep.

(6) Holidays
I am grateful for the holidays, especially the Christmas holidays. Not only is Christmas a time to celebrate the birth and life of Jesus Christ, but it is a time to spend it with family. Rob and I are particularly lucky this year because we will both get to spend time with our grandparents, parents and all our siblings. I haven't spent time with all my family since Christmas 2007.

Well, these are just a few of the things I am grateful for. I really am blessed!

An Inspiration

A few days ago Luke, Thomas, and I went for a walk with April and her little son, Michael. We just walked around the Tree Streets (a collection of streets here in Provo are all named after trees) which is close to our apartment complex. As we were walking along I noticed a family cycling by down a street perpendicular to us. I only noticed them because they were going down the hill so fast. I noticed that the mom had a scarred face. April told me that she is Stephanie Nielsen, who is kind of a Mormon "celebrity" around here. She is a blogger and has been blogging for a number of years: NieNie Dialogues. Her blog posts were about her journey as a mother and she had quite a following. In August 2008 she and her husband were involved in an airplane crash, which left him with burns over 30% of his body and her with burns over 80% of her body and in a coma for three months. After many surgeries and skin grafts she continues to blog about her experiences and is a significant influence and inspiration in the lives of many. Her story was also made into a Mormon Message (inspirational  videos made by the Church every fortnight): My New Life. I watched this video for the first time last night and read bits of her blog today. Wow! She is really incredible. I was left feeling grateful for my life, my healthy body, my trials, and all the tremendous blessings Heavenly Father gives me.

I continued to reflect on my new role as a mother and what a significant one it is. I have been given these two little boys and I now have the responsibility to raise them to become the men that Heavenly Father needs in order to build the Kingdom. It is privilege and a blessing. I take this role very seriously and will try to do my very best. I've always wanted to something really amazing and influence many, many people. I know I can through the life I live, but I have come to realize recently that the most important work I can be involved in is within my own home. How exciting and awesome at the same time!