Paint Anyone?

Recently I have had to start telling Rockwell "no". He is mobile now and curious. He is curious about cords and our ps3. And rightly so, who wouldn't be? But of course for an almost one year old these aren't the best things to play with so he hears the word no. I think he is taking being reprimanded rather personally. He is such a good boy that me using a firm voice must kind of shock him. His bottom lip quivers then he takes a deep breath and the tears come. He opens his mouth wide and squints his eyes and just cries. It's so cute.

11 Months

This post is a few days late. I can't believe that Rockwell is almost a year old! I know that every mother says this but where does the time go?

He gives kisses.

He eats a lot and therefore poos a lot too.

He sleeps through the night.

Loves outside and Daisy's room.

He said "nigh nigh" the other night.

He can still wear 6 month clothes but fits into 12 month too.

He is fast.

If the laundry room door is open he will make a bee line for it and dump over the cat food bowl. It's rarely open for that reason but he must sense it the few times it open.

I love his double chin.

He got a pretty good bruise last week on Heidi's stairs. It was so sad. I didn't realize he could climb stairs since we don't have any. He cried for a bit but moved on. 

Most nights I can't go to sleep without checking on my babies. This night his little bum was too cute to not take a picture.

He is so tiny. I love it.

He is now starting to try and be a big kid and follows these two wherever they go. Today they finally noticed him.

Life Lately

I have given Rockwell a hand full of hair cuts, but I finally took the clippers to his locks and buzzed them short. His hair was looking pretty scraggly. I cut off all his darker soft hair and now he looks older. His hair is lighter and coarser underneath. He is growing too fast.

I made 9 freezer meals yesterday. It took all morning and I still didn't get them all made. I feel like we spend so much on food and then sometimes it goes to waste. I am trying to do better to spend less and eat what I buy.

I may have already posted this picture, but it is so cute. It just screams Daisy. She is very imaginative and fun. I loved her collections.

Daisy carved her first pumpkin with Dad's help for family home evening last week. She didn't want to touch the slimy seeds. I think she is so pretty.

Aaron was watching Rockwell the other day and sent this picture to me. He is so cute.

And he is starting to pull himself up and stand. He thought he was pretty impressive.

We have been busy. We have had Trunk or Treats, birthday parties, family get togethers, and fed the missionaries for the first time. I got a new calling this June as the secretary in Relief Society. I am really enjoying it. I love the service I see, people do so much and don't expect anything in return. I am still watching Daisy's best friend Allie :) She is a sweet girl. 

Aaron and I have been working out together. We both got a membership and have been taking our kids in the evenings and lifting. I like it. Its kind of like a mini date, plus he makes me lift for real. Aaron has worked at Caurustar for a year now. We are grateful for a good job and that it lets Aaron provide and pursue his schooling and other endeavors such as possibly becoming a police officer. He has been looking into becoming a police officer again. Its such a boy job. I think he would like it and be a good officer. I guess only time will tell if Aaron gets to be one. Thousands of people apply and they only hire so few. 

Overall we are doing well. I like our life and love our kids.

"A man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth" Luke 12:15

I was reading through the October Ensign and came across this article "Act Well Your Part". This is just a small part of the whole article. 

President Boyd K. Packer, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, served in Japan with the air force at the end of World War II.

In 2004, I accompanied President Packer and others to Japan. He had an opportunity to retrace some of his steps and reflect on some of the experiences and decisions he made at that time. With his permission, I share some of his thoughts and feelings.

President Packer described experiences that occurred on an island off the coast of Okinawa. He considers this as his mount in the wilderness. His personal preparation and meeting with other members had deepened his belief in gospel teachings. What he yet lacked was confirmation—sure knowledge of that which he had already come to feel was true.

President Packer’s biographer captures what happened: “Counter to the peace of confirmation he sought, he came face to face with the hell of war against the innocent. Seeking solitude and time to think, he climbed, one day, to a rise above the ocean. There he found the gutted remains of a peasant cottage, its neglected sweet potato field nearby. And lying amid the dying plants he saw the corpses of a slaughtered mother and her two children. The sight filled him with a deep sadness mingled with the feelings of love for his own family and for all families.”⁶

He subsequently went inside a makeshift bunker, where he contemplated, pondered, and prayed. President Packer, in looking back on this event, described what I would call a confirming spiritual experience. He felt inspired as to what he should do with his life. He, of course, had no idea that he would be called to the high and holy calling he now holds. His vision was that he wanted to be a teacher, emphasizing the teachings of the Savior. He made up his mind that he would live a righteous life.

It came to him in a rather profound way that he would have to find a righteous wife and that together they would raise a large family. This young soldier recognized that his career choice would provide modest compensation and that his sweet companion would need to share the same priorities and be willing to live without some material things. Sister Donna Packer was, and is, for President Packer, the perfect companion. They never had enough excess money, but they did not feel deprived in any way. They raised 10 children, and they sacrificed. They now have 60 grandchildren and more than 80 great-grandchildren.

I share this true account because too often our goals are based on what the world values. The essential elements are really quite simple for members who have received the saving ordinances: Be righteous. Build a family. Find an appropriate way to provide. Serve as called. Prepare to meet God.

The Savior taught that “a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth” (Luke 12:15).

I liked this story. Sometimes I get so caught up in worldly goals. What I want and where I want us to be. I liked that even after seeing the horrible affects of war that he moved on and didn't linger on the horribleness that he had seen. I liked that he was faithful and made a life not based on how much was in his bank account. 

I liked the essential elements he made his life about. Everyday the world seems to be a little worse. Freedoms being taken away, war, more and more of every awful thing in our faces all the time. But if we make our life about he essential things our lives can be happy.

I Got Boogers

Daisy has a cold. Its no surprise she usually catches something when she doesn't get much rest. We have been going and going for the past while and Daisy is the type of child that will never voluntarily rest. If there is something to do she is doing it. Hence why she has been worn out by our seemingly endless Halloween festivities. It not a bad cold, just a cough and boogers. Enough though that we are staying home from church. Aaron has drill today too so I don't even have the option of going alone. Trapped at home. Along with a cold she has also been coming down from a sugar party high and has been a little less than pleasant. Okay she hasn't been that bad. She is just in a stubborn mood. She does exactly what I ask her not to do. If I ask her to stop licking me she licks me more. She asked for cheerios this morning then half way through eating the cheerios she threw a fit because the cheerios had holes in them. I always try to teach her its a lot of work to get mad at everything that you can't control. I guess that is a life long lesson for us all though. I do like having an almost three year old around though. She keeps life fun.