Wordless Wednesday: Crawling!!!

Ezra finally crawled for the first time today! He's been sitting forever, scooting on his bum, and scooting backwards on his belly, and near crawling lift-off for so long. Today, he finally got up on his knees and did it! Now he can chase his sister around the room! I'm so excited about this moment, I'm dual posting on both of my blogs!

Join the fun at http://www.5minutesformom.com

Times are a Changin': Wet Eyes for the Primary Program?

I've never been shy to admit this: I don't really enjoy children singing. In organized groups, I mean. Of course, I adore it when my own child makes up songs and sings loudly and off-tune. My own offspring is the exception. I don't particularly want to attend a school choir concert, I pass over kid's CDs that feature actual children singing, and I've never been a big fan of the end of the year Primary program at church. I love children and I will attend their concerts and smile during their time to shine, but my eyes will probably stray to the clock a few times.

So, I was a bit shocked yesterday when I found my eyes watering up a bit during the first song of our ward's annual Primary program at church. I thought, "What's happening to me?" My kids are too young to participate. As I read the words in the program, I realized that I'm becoming a bit of a softy. People have always told me that I'd get over this issue with kids singing as my kids grew. But I never believed them. Now I might have to eat my words.

The kids still sang off tune. The smallest ones still mumbled the words and then practically shouted the ones they knew. The older kids still looked like someone was torturing them. But they were singing the sweetest songs about the family and, as I read the words in the program, I was so touched. I loved that these children attended church each Sunday for a year and focused on their eternal families. The words to the songs were so simple and lovely. I instantly wanted to go home and download them so I could learn them along with Ella (they are all new to me).

Here are some of the songs that melted my frosty  heart:

Matthew Neeley, “The Family Is of God,” Friend, Oct 2008, 28–29

1. Our Father has a family. It’s me!
It’s you, all others too: we are His children.
He sent each one of us to earth, through birth,
To live and learn here in fam’lies.

2. A father’s place is to preside, provide,
To love and teach the gospel to his children.
A father leads in fam’ly prayer to share
Their love for Father in Heaven.

3. A mother’s purpose is to care, prepare,
To nurture and to strengthen all her children.
She teaches children to obey, to pray,
To love and serve in the fam’ly.

4. I’ll love and serve my family and be
A good example to each fam’ly member.
And when I am a mom or dad, so glad,
I’ll help my fam’ly remember:

[Chorus]
God gave us families to help us become what He wants us to be—
This is how He shares His love, for the fam’ly is of God.

“Seek the Lord Early,” Children’s Songbook of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 108

I’ll seek the Lord early while in my youth,

And he will help me to know the truth.
I’ll search the scriptures and find him there,
Then go to our Father in fervent prayer.
I’ll seek the Lord early, and I’ll obey
His living prophets in all they say.
I’ll keep his commandments; his love will abound.
I will seek the Lord early, and he will be found.

Words and music: Joanne Bushman Doxey, b. 1932

 “I’ll Walk with You,” Children’s Songbook of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 140–41

If you don’t walk as most people do,

Some people walk away from you,
But I won’t! I won’t!
If you don’t talk as most people do,
Some people talk and laugh at you,
But I won’t! I won’t!
I’ll walk with you. I’ll talk with you.
That’s how I’ll show my love for you.
Jesus walked away from none.
He gave his love to ev’ryone.
So I will! I will!
Jesus blessed all he could see,
Then turned and said, “Come, follow me.”
And I will! I will!
I will! I will!
I’ll walk with you. I’ll talk with you.
That’s how I’ll show my love for you.

Words: Carol Lynn Pearson, b. 1939. © 1987 IRI
Music: Reid N. Nibley, b. 1923. © 1987 IRI

If you're interested in listening to audio versions of - children ;0) - singing these songs, you can find them at www.lds.org.

A Belated Anniversary Post for My Favorite Person

Tim and I celebrated our 5th Anniversary on September 4th and enjoyed a wonderful evening away together in St Louis (thanks Bryan and Heather!). We really needed to get away and simply focus on each other. I couldn't believe how physically relaxed we felt and looked after one evening celebrating our anniversary!

Awhile back, I wrote about how love songs in the car always make me think of Tim. I know it sounds a bit corny, but marrying Tim is the best choice I ever made! I love being married and Tim is my favorite person. For our five year anniversary, I thought it would be fun to compile a few poems and songs that always remind me of my husband.

I love you, Tim! Thanks for 5 incredible, joyful years together! This is my belated anniversary note to you:

The Shirt by Jane Kenyon 
When I first read this poem in college, it took my breath away with its brevity and sensuality. It expresses so much of how I feel about you in so few words.

The shirt touches his neck
and smooths over his back.
It slides down his sides.
It even goes down below his belt—
down into his pants.
Lucky shirt.

From "It Feels Like Today" by Rascall Flats
From our wedding video - I always imagine us walking out of the temple, grinning, when I hear this song. I can feel the thrill of the moment again and the incredible joy I felt holding your hand, standing next to you, knowing we were married for eternity.

I Woke up this morning
With this feeling inside me that I can't explain
like a weight that I've carried
Been carried away, away

But I know something is coming
I don't know what it is
But I know it's amazing, you save me
My time is coming
And I'll find my way out of this longest drought...

It feels like today I know
It feels like today I'm sure
It's the one thing that's missin'
The one thing I'm wishin'
Life's sacred blessin' and then
It feels like today
Feels like today

XLIII. "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways..." by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Elizabeth's sonnet for Robert expresses the way I feel for you so eloquently...

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with a passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, --- I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! --- and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

From "Accidentally in Love" by Counting Crows 
This somehow became "our song" in a way and it always reminds me of you. I want to crank it up whenever I hear it and I miss having it as "your" ring tone.

So I said, "I'm a snowball running"
Running down into the spring
That's coming all this love melting under
Blue skies belting out sunlight, shimmering love

Well baby I surrender to the strawberry ice cream
Never ever end of all this love
Well I didn't mean to do it
But there's no escaping your love

These lines of lightning
Mean we're never alone
Never alone, no, no

Come on, come on
Move a little closer
Come on, come on
I want to hear you whisper
Come on, come on
Settle down inside my love

Come on, come on
Jump a little higher
Come on, come on
If you feel a little lighter
Come on, come on
We were once upon a time in love

We're accidentally in love

From a Fortune Cookie at our Wedding:
Wise words that appealed to me then, but mean much more to me now.

Love does not consist of gazing at each other,
but looking outward in the same direction.
~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery ~

Love,

Mindy

A Moment of Gratitude

My oldest sister is suffering from both pneumonia and the H1N1 flu right now and I feel so bad for her. I know she is terribly sick and hope she gets better soon. Apparently, the rest of her family was able to get the vaccination and I am so grateful, especially since she has a toddler at home. I am praying that she recovers soon.

I took Ezra in for the second half of his flu shot today (you have to get it twice the first time you are vaccinated for the flu). They told me that they'd actually run out of flu shots and don't normally even start giving them out until October. Luckily, they were able to get some from another clinic. When I heard this news, I looked at my sweet little boy and felt profound gratitude. I felt so grateful that 1. Ella and I had our flu shots last month, 2. A second dose was available for Ezra and, 3. I live in a time when we are blessed with modern medicine and vaccines. I've heard and read several recommendations that everyone get a flu shot this year, even if they don't normally. Now it's just getting Dad in for his.

Everyone will make a choice about this flu shot, as well as the H1N1 vaccination, if and when it is available. I am not getting on my soap box here. Every individual and family will choose for themselves. Sometimes it simply feels good to express gratitude out loud (or on your blog). Today I am so grateful for my little family and to live in a time and place where we can be vaccinated if we choose.

Success (Finally!): Homemade Pizza

I've been on a mission to make a successful homemade pizza for awhile now, with little success. Every time I've attempted to make pizza a'la Mindy, the results have not justified the time, effort, and money spent. I've used prepared crusts, jiffy crusts, and various dough recipes, all to no avail.

I did a little blog hopping this week, starting at Happily Domestic and linking to Menu Plan Monday at http://orgjunkie.com/". Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie had a bread machine pizza dough recipe on her site and I decided to try it and then top it with my own selection of ingredients.

I used this delicious dough recipe: Bread Maker Pizza Dough and my bread machine did all of the work. I pulled it out of the bread machine and can't tell you how relived I was when it had the perfect elasticity and was not sticky (the usual results of my previous attempts). Then I simply rolled it into a circle slightly larger than my pizza pan, put the pan over it, flipped everything over, crimped up the sides to create a crust, then lightly brushed some olive oil over the raised crusts.
Then, I added the following:
Ranch Dressing (Maybe 1/2 Cup - spread as you would pizza sauce)
Red Onion and Mushrooms (cooked in oil on stovetop for about 5 minutes)

16 ounces shredded Mozzarella Cheese

1/4 to 1/2 cup shredded Colby Jack Cheese

Canned Artichokes (cut into small pieces)
2 Chicken Breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces (cooked in olive oil on stovetop with Italian Seasoning until cooked through and browned)

I cooked it in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes and got this:

Wordless Wednesday: Ella's New Do

Ella gets a new style! Thanks to Kendra - we love it!

See More Wordless Wednesday Links at http://www.5minutesformom.com.

P is for Preschool

Our girl loves preschool! I laugh a bit now when I think that I was worried that Ella's preschool only offered an everyday schedule. If she didn't go every day, I think we'd have a revolution at our house. We've always read with Ella, as well as incorporated numbers, colors, shapes, and letters into our play. I'm amazed to see how much she's progressed in school after only a month and half, though. My favorite part about school is how excited she is to be independent about putting on her shoes, zipping her coat, going potty, etc.

We had our first parent/teacher conferences last week and I was so impressed by the detailed information her teacher provided, as well as the goals she created for Ella during this quarter. They were simple and achievable and something we could work together on at home as well. Her school is the only NEAYC accredited program in the area, as well as being a public preschool. We're so happy that we have the opportunity to send her to this school!

I wrote an article on Ella's school recently for the Source (go to my Scribd link to read this when the issue posts). They asked me to take pictures as well, so I was able to take a few of Ella in action. She cracked me up, because she barely noticed my presence and just went on busily about her business.

I love seeing how much she thrives in a learning environment and it's so fun to talk to her about school every day. She inevitably answers the question, "What did you do at school today?" with "Painted" and "Rode the school bus." (She rides the bus home because she insisted on it and loves it). Today I tried asking specific questions about what she did and she'd just say, "Yeah." I said, "Did you put your pants on your head?" and random stuff like that. At first, she just responded, "Yeah," but then I saw a twinkle in her eye as she responded. Funny girl!

The school does a terrific job of engaging parents in the units they do at school. The first month, they focused on colors and now Ella loves to frequently ask, "What color is this, mommy?" Her vocabulary (which was already strong) has also increased in this short amount of time, as well as her sentence structure. I especially love her excellent use of "please" and "thank you." :0)