Mom of the Year

Yesterday we had quite the snowstorm here.  Several inches had accumulated on the ground and it was still snowing heavily at 5:00.  I had taken Elli into the bathroom in an attempt to avoid a messy diaper.  After a few minutes of her sitting on the toilet I heard Sophi's panicked, "Mommy?!! Mommy?!!"  This happens several times a day.  Anytime she doesn't know exactly where I am, even when I just walk into the next room, she gets upset.  We are working on it and she is getting so much better.  I could hear that she was across the house-- probably close to the stairs, and I didn't want to yell, so I just waited for her to get closer.  She called out louder, "MOMMY??!!!" this time with obvious tears.  I stood up to go get her, but she then got quiet.  I assumed Graci or Cali had stepped in to help her and I went back to coaxing Elli to use the potty.  About 10 minutes later and still in the bathroom, I heard the strange voice of a man calling out.  I thought my ears were playing tricks on me, but I finally left the bathroom to see what was going on.  There in our mudroom stood a man, bundled up in his coat, holding a very distraught and very snowy little Sophi in his arms.

"Um, I found your little girl outside in the snow.  She was running clear up the street without shoes on and was very upset."

This is the moment where I kind of went into shock.  WHAT???  I just couldn't wrap my head around the fact that Sophi would just leave our house, go out into the heavy snow without a coat, socks, or shoes, and run up the street looking for me!!  She had never left the house before-- even in good weather.  Of course, until we got this home she had never been able to open a door-- now she can use her chin to open the levers.   I profusely thanked this wonderful man while holding on to Sophi for dear life and kissing her icy cold cheeks all over.  I went through so many emotions in those few seconds-- I was terrified of what could have happened to her, so very grateful-- that heartfelt gratitude that makes you fall to your knees-- that she was ok, completely mortified that a neighbor found my daughter barefoot and screaming and running in the snow, horrified that it was getting dark outside, and honestly kind of in awe that she would brave the elements like that just to find me.  Needless to say, we had a big, long talk about never, ever, ever leaving the house without an adult or older sibling.  We talked about all of the things that could have happened to her (well, all of the things that she could handle talking about).  She learned about what frostbite does and how cars can't see you as well when it's snowing, among other things.  I tried to get into her cute little head and figure out what in the world she was thinking, but all she could come up with was, "I couldn't find you and I went to find you!"

I have thanked my Heavenly Father over and over and over again that she was only out there for such a short time and for that man who very potentially saved her life.  To be honest, I don't think I would have missed her for a very long time.  I likely would have assumed she was just downstairs watching TV with Graci.  To think of her out there in that weather while I was inside oblivious to it all was just a great big wake up call for me.  Again, I am just so grateful that she was being watched over.

I love my little Sophi with all of my heart.  I have kissed her a hundred times today-- so grateful that she is safe and that she is mine.  And I am so glad to know that there is someone up there who loves her so much more than I do and is watching over her always.

--Christianne

And now, don't you want to just see a whole bunch of pictures of our sweet little runaway?  Because I am kind of obsessed with taking pictures of her lately.  (:

'Cuz Have You Ever Seen Anything Cuter Than Sophi In Her New Christmas Dress?

Christmas and Cousins

I'm sitting here all warm and cozy in Jeremy's incredible new office, watching the beautiful snowfall outside.  As if this home couldn't get any more magical, it somehow has.  There is something about winter and a warm house that is just so peaceful.   Sitting in front of our amazing stone fireplace while watching the sun rise over snow-capped mountains fills me with such happiness.  The kind of happiness that makes you sigh with contentment.  And I wanted to take the time to say

THANK YOU.

This home is even more loved than the first day we moved in.  The miracle of it all has not lost its magic.  We are so thankful every single day.  Life is still hard so much of the time, but it's so much easier here!  (:  My grand plan is to put together a video that shows you all how much we are loving this home, but in the meantime-- know that we are feeling very, very grateful!

While pondering on the amazing blessings that this year has held for our family, we decided to do Christmas a little different this year.  A few weeks ago we gathered our children around  ago during family council and talked about the tremendous blessings we have received this year and the many people who sacrificed to serve our family.  We talked about the many children around the world who not only have less, but don't even have families.  Obviously, this is not a new concept to our kids.  And we talked about how Christmastime for us can be particularly crazy-busy.  Shopping for nine children is not an easy task, nor is it cheap.  Add in having them shop for each other, along with all of the other fun things that come with Christmas and it can seem daunting, to say the least.  Don't get me wrong-- I think presents are GOOD.  I love, love, love Christmas shopping and I love that presents are part of Christmas.  I think there are great lessons to be found in both giving and receiving and it's obviously such a magical part of Christmas, especially for children.  But this seemed like the perfect year to try something I've always wanted to do:  have just one Christmas without presents.

You could see the despair creep into their eyes as we got to this part.  Sophi burst into tears.  It's not easy to explain to a five-year-old all of the ways that she has been blessed this year when all she can think about is that she wants a new baby doll for Christmas!  (Don't worry--as soon as I reminded her that she does have two grandmas, all was well.  I am sure that she will not go without her new dolly.)

The more we talked about it, the more the kids were on board.  Santa will get a letter this year asking him to find another family who can use some extra gifts.  Skipping presents this year would free up a lot of time and a lot of money.  We talked about what to do with that time and money and came up with a game plan.  Every day in December we want to do something that brings us closer to Christ. Those things can basically be divided into two categories:  strengthening our family and strengthening others.   Obviously, these are both things that are part of Christmas every year-- but this year they will get even more focus.   The kids have had some wonderful ideas:

read a Christmas story every night before bed

go caroling at a nursing home

send care packages to loved ones

babysit while other parents go shopping for Christmas

have a p.j./game day

try new recipes

pay for people's groceries

serve at the homeless shelter

go ice skating

decorate a Christmas tree and deliver it to an older person who doesn't have one

watch Christmas movies

go sledding

contribute to other families adoption funds

go to Temple Square

We would love if you would add any ideas you might have in the comment section!!!  We are especially wanting some secret service ideas-- things we can do both individually and as a family.  We have already started and it has been wonderful.

Now… onto something else.  There are so many things I want to write about and I only have time for one.  Hmmmm.  How about a cousin shout-out!   We have been lucky enough to have all of the cousins from my side over recently-- all on different days.  So much fun!!  Our kids have the cutest cousins in the world.  No really, they do.  Want some proof?

From Becky's family (big sis)

 L to R back row:  Taylor, Alissa, Bethany, Parker

middle row:  Jessica, Mariah, Cali, Bryce, Lexi, Charity

front row:  Alaya, Sophi, Graci, Brigham

 The three amigos

The three amigos plus one

This wasn't  taken at our house, but I had to throw it in there.  This is Bethany-- she's a SENIOR-- what happened????!!!!!!!!  I feel old!!!!

Parker and Nyah

From Danny's family (big bro) 

 We babysat Nyah for a day and she LOVED Jesi.  In fact, Jes was pretty much her mommy the entire time-- it was so cute.

 Jeremy with Matthew (my little bro)

 Jessica with Emery (Matthew and Megan's little girl).  Yes, Jes has a knack for little girls.

 Lexi and Megan (Matthew's wife)

 Xander, Treyden, Colton, and Lincoln (little sister Leslie's boys)

 "the other Jeremy" throws Sophi in the air

(yes, my sister married a Jeremy, too!)

me and Les-- best of friends  (:

And, I thought I'd throw this one in there.  Sophi's trying to make the peace sign like Graci.  (;

Have a wonderful day!  Don't forget-- we'd love some creative suggestions!

--Christianne

Promises...

I was just sitting down to blog and Christi came in, turned off the light in my office and said, "It's time for bed."  "But I need to blog," I said.  She promised that if I would turn off the computer now, she would blog tomorrow.  And it would be a GOOD post!  I'm holding her to it:)

Jer

Terrific Teens

WE now have FOUR teenagers!  How lucky are we?  Parker turned 13 on November 15th.  It's funny, for years I was worried about teenagers.  About how difficult they would be.  And you know what?  I absolutely LOVE mine:)  Now Taylor, Grace, Parker and Cali, if you're reading this, I don't want you to get big heads.  You're not quite perfect!  Occasionally there is some eye-rolling, deep sighing and overall melancholy when chores are assigned or you're asked to do something you're not super-happy about.  But that just goes with the territory.  The great things you guys do for our family totally outweigh any challenges you add to my life and mom's!  Keep it up.  You guys are awesome!  And maybe best of all is how much fun you are.  The older you get, the more your likes and mine coincide.  The games you like to play, the shows you like to watch, your athletic abilities are all becoming more and more grown up.  You guys are tons of fun.  The other day we did a quick calculation and realized that for a couple of months after Xander turns 13, we will have NINE teenagers at one time.  Like I said, how lucky are we?

Here are a few pics of Parker's birthday.  The usual birthday breakfast in bed and a cheesecake for his birthday cake.

The feast:

Taylor can sleep through anything, even a rousing chorus of Happy Birthday:

Parker's version of "the smolder":

 Happy Birthday, Parker!  We love you SO much!

-Mom and Dad

Hallelujah

Happy Thanksgiving!  As we celebrate and give thanks, may we think of Him who gave us the most precious gift of all!

Always Room

So you're all our friends, right?  You love us?  Well, probably not all of you, but hopefully most?  So I can level with you?  Christi and I love kids.  (I know, I know.  Big surprise.)  We really have hearts for adoption.  So this is my big confession…we often look at profiles of wonderful children and letting our hearts goes out to them.  Over the past several years we have probably fallen in love with at least one child a month.  Wishing we could adopt them.  Understanding that we just can't adopt them all, but loving so many of them nonetheless.  In fact, just yesterday we ran into another little guy who just melted us and we were talking about him again this morning.  I share this with you so you can understand the humor in this:

Sophi was singing a Little Mermaid song as Christi and I were feeding Elli.  Suddenly this variation just  came to me.  (Don't feel jealous, remember, I did spend 5  years in Nashville as an aspiring songwriter.  And my favorite co-writer did chime in as I went along;)

Look at these kids.
Aren't they neat?
Wouldn't you think our collection's complete?
Wouldn't you think we're a fam, a family with everyone!
Look at this home
Treasures untold!
How many children can one bedroom hold?
Looking around here you think,
Sure, they have everyone!
We've got canes and wheelchairs aplenty.
We've got eight-year-old cuties galore.
You want teenagers?
We've got twenty!
But who cares?
No big deal.
We want moooooooore!

(And I wonder why I never hit it big?)

-Jer

Rec Center Revisited

A quick follow up to my post from the other day.  We had a meeting with the rec center on Friday and everything went great.  There is a special needs specialist that works with all of the Salt Lake County rec centers.  She was there and three people from the local center.  They were very accommodating and  the kids will be staying in the class they were in originally.  Long story short…kids with disabilities have every right to be in the same classes as kids without.  They also have the right to an assistant (e.g.. a parent) in the water with them if necessary.

So the kids will be happy, I will be happy, and Christi will be happy (as long as I learned my lesson and will be less vociferous in the event that a similar situation arises in the future:).

-Jer

Sense of Humor?

The other night at dinner, Parker told a joke:  "What's red and smells like blue paint?"

A moment later Taylor responded, "Red paint!"  

Graci contemplated that for several seconds and then said, "Hmmmm…I was going to say a lobster."

Love that girl!

-Jer

Throwback Thursday

Taylor looked remarkably good in his throwback Thursday outfit this week:

Taylor and Parker found the socks for $1/pair at Walgreens.  They have pink hearts, purple stripes and other great colors:)

Jeremy

24 Hours

Last night was pretty much perfect.  I think I mentioned that Christi got us started on weekly dates again.  It's been really great!  I've tried to be a little more creative and come up with some fun outings.  Last week I came up with the most creative one yet.  For years I have enjoyed a couple of Christmas songs by a group called Trans-Siberian Orchestra.  They are really cool rock-type arrangements, and they are often played during the holidays.  This year I decided to do a little research on this mystery group.  It turns out that they perform a rock opera every Christmas called "The Lost Christmas Eve."  I went out on a limb and purchased tickets for Christi and me.  The catch was...the performance in Salt Lake City was on a Wednesday night.

Wednesday nights.  Not exactly a time where Christi and I are lamenting how bored we are and how much we need something to fill our time.  Basketball practice for two boys, piano lessons for two of the kids and youth night for Parker, Taylor, Cali and Graci (not all of which are at the church!) leaves us feeling very much like chauffeurs.  This particular Wednesday was also the night before science projects for Graci and Taylor were due.  So I consulted Christi before I bought the tickets and asked if she could arrange for a babysitter.  She was intrigued and said she'd figure it out.  Our perfect, mini-miracle of a Wednesday night started on Sunday afternoon.  After church, one of our youth leaders approached me and asked "What are you doing on Wednesday evening?"  "Actually," I replied, "we're looking for a babysitter.  We've got a date planned, but with our older kids going to their activities, we're wondering who might be able to stay with the littles."  "Great!" she said.  "The 16 and 17 year old girls were hoping that for their activity they could come and play with your kids!  We'll babysit for you."  Wow!  Tender mercy number one for Wednesday night.

Yesterday came and we were getting ready to go.  Graci was going to have to make dinner for the littles before she went to her activity.  Christi gets a phone call from a friend.  "Can I bring dinner over?"  Christi was quite surprised and asked if this lady knew we were going out on a date.  "No, I just had some extra dinner and thought maybe you guys could use it."  Tender mercy number two.  Graci was very pleased.

We left about 4:30 and headed about 10 minutes up the road to the TRAX park-and-ride station.  (TRAX is the local transit train system.)  We took a 45-minute train ride up to Salt Lake.  We walked a few blocks to the City Creek mall and had dinner at The Blue Lemon.  The weather was crisp, but not freezing.  It was seriously a perfect night.  After dinner we spent 45 minutes on temple square.  I spoke a bit of Chinese with some sister missionaries there and they were delighted to learn about our family.  We enjoyed several minutes listening to the church orchestra practicing at the tabernacle.

We arrived at the arena 30 minutes early.  (I think this was part of the magic of the evening.  Normally I run late for pretty much everything.  It's a terrible habit, and has caused just a bit of strife in our relationship over the years.  But last night I planned the timing extremely well and the entire evening was wonderfully relaxed.  Christi loved it!)  On our way in we found a stand selling delicious gelato and figured we owed it to my brother Steven on his mission in Italy to indulge:)  Fantastic choice!

The concert started.  It was full of lights, smoke, fire, snow, electric guitars, electric violins and amazing voices.  We heard several heavy metal Christmas carols and the one song of theirs that we knew well and really loved.  And then came the funniest tender mercy of all.  Both of us were able to look at each other and realize that, at just under half-way through the show, we were satisfied.  We both thought we would prefer to get home earlier and watch a Star Trek.  So we got up and left!  It would have been easy to think, "We spent a fair amount of money on these tickets.  We should stay for the whole thing."  But I went back to my basic Econ class in college and remembered the difference between sunk costs and marginal costs and we made the best decision.

Somehow riding TRAX to and from our destination made it so even the travel time was an adventure.  We met a cute little family on the ride home with a 5-year-old boy who was blown away by my "strings attached to my lips" trick.  We met a student from the business college in SLC.  And we had a great time just being together.  It was a perfect night!

Then we woke up and it was today.  Just 24 hours later.  And what a difference a day makes!  I'll start out with the end.  In between sentences here at 10:18 pm I'm going over to the stove and stirring the split pea soup that Christi thought she started early enough to be our dinner.  We just can't get the peas to soften up.  I don't know if it's the batch of peas or the new pot we're using or if we got the recipe wrong or if it's the new gas cooktop.  Regardless, the 5-6 hours it's been cooking has started to weigh heavily on our souls.  (Don't worry--the corn dogs around 9pm meant the kids didn't have to go to bed hungry.)

The day started out OK.  I took work off to go with Xander on a field trip.  Christi went to the eye doctor with Sophi.  While I was in the planetarium and Christi was getting her vision tested, Bret, our builder, texted wondering why we weren't home for the appointment he and two contractors had with us.  Miscommunication I guess.  I gave him the garage code and he started work.  So Christi came home to a house full of guys she hadn't been expecting.  Always a fun treat!

After school, Jesi had a friend over, Cali had a piano lesson, Taylor was sick and missed basketball practice, Parker stayed at school for practice, Sophi went to a friend's house, I had to run to the store to get an onion for the soup, Christi started driving away to take Jesi's friend home then turned around as she realized she couldn't take Jesi on the trip or Jess would be late for swimming lessons, at the last second I realized Sophi still wasn't back from her friend's house and would therefore miss swimming lessons entirely, Taylor was still working on his science project, now one day late....  You get the idea.

In the midst of the craziness I got a call.  From the rec center.  About the swimming lessons.  Sophi, Lexi, Jess and Xander are in a very low-key class with two other kids we don't know.  It lasts for 30 minutes twice a week for three weeks.  They have taken the same class in the past and, due to Lexi and Sophi's disabilities the staff have invited Christi or me to get in the pool with the girls.  Tuesday was the first class of this session and I brought the kids and was in the water with Sophi.  In the past, we have received the nicest comments from other parents about our amazing and special kids.  Tears have been shed as people have watched Sophi adapt.  But this time, according to the lady calling me from the rec center, a parent had complained.  "Why was there a parent in the pool with the kids?"  (So it doesn't take a rocket scientist to look at Sophi and answer that question!)  And there are dozens of other adults in this public pool swimming with dozens of kids.  It's not like I was the only adult in the water.  The rec center lady started to tell me that our kids would not be able to be in the class...and I lost it.

OK.  Over the years I have really learned a lot of lessons in patience.  Thanks to my sweet wife and her calming influence, I have learned much in the way of keeping my calm in dire circumstances.  But I don't think I've ever experienced what I experienced at that moment.  I felt like something exploded inside of me.  The proverbial mother bear took over.  I started shaking.  I spoke with an intensity I've never felt before.  I told her there was no WAY she was going to take my kids out of this class.  That I was going to call my attorney and file a discrimination lawsuit (remind me to get an attorney:), that my kids had as much right as any other kids to be in that class.  The adrenaline pumping through me was like a tidal wave I couldn't stop.

After about six minutes of this (interspersed with her trying to help me see that there might be some other viable options) I said, "You know what?  This isn't me.  I don't respond to things like this.  I need to let you go, calm myself down and call you back in about 10 minutes."  She readily agreed to this plan!  In retrospect, I think part of the problem was the timing.  She was calling me less than an hour before the start of this MUCH-anticipated swimming event and telling me that my kids weren't welcome.  I felt very blindsided.  Plus, swimming is one of very few athletic activities that Lexi and Sophi can do with their peers.

I was able to calm myself down.  I called back and apologized.  We had a civil discussion and are going to meet tomorrow to figure out the best scenario for our kids.  I'm not sure how I feel about this even being something that needs to be discussed, but I've cooled down now and believe I can look at things with an open mind.

The moral of the story:  If you have a perfect day...enjoy it!  Who knows when another one will come along:)

Jer

PS.  It's 11:05.  Taylor and his partner (and Christianne) just finished their science project.  He hadn't had dinner so he scooped up a bowl of split pea soup.  It still wasn't done….

Parker describes it as "The stuff that looks like puke but tastes fantastic." :)