Redwood Drive In

On Friday, we went to the largest drive in I have ever seen.

 

This was the entrance...

 

 

8 lanes...

 

Five different shows playing on different screens...

 

Best Drive In, ever!

 

We braved the crowd, avoided a 42 point parking job from a man in a minivan to enjoy spending time with these cuties...

 

...to watch Monsters University!

 

Cute show, and way fun!!

 

Thanks Penroses!

Speed Bowling

My roommate in college, Suzanne, lives near me here in Utah!

She and I got our families together for some "speed bowling".

 

Don't know what that is?

 

Well, it's when you rent a bowling lane for a certain amount of time and try to get two full games played in that allotted time.

 

We were almost successful.

 

 It was way fun to hang out, and we can't wait to do it again!

Hogle Zoo

We joined our friends and neighbors on an outing to Hogle Zoo!

 

Where I got to try my panoramic photo feature on my iPhone that I didn't know about...heh

 The kids had a ton of fun!

 



Ella, Porter, and Tommy

 

And, most of the animals were actually awake and playing!

 

I think the kids (including the big ones) were the most entertained by this globe near the entrance.

Locating the golden continents

And, I had the most fun getting to hang out with this girl...

 

Laura and me

 

Us redheads gotta stick together!

 

We had a great time!

Blast from the Past

I was super fortunate to get to see my old choir I was in while at college perform just south of us in Sandy this last week...

 

BYU-Idaho's Vocal Union!

 

 

Plus, two of us "oldies".

 

The only current member of the choir I knew was in Collegiate Singers with me while I was there...

 

Eva!

 

The concert was amazing (never thought it wouldn't be), and I even got a song dedicated to me that they weren't planning on singing!

 

Compliments of Sister Brower.

 

It was a very pleasant surprise!

After almost six years, finally getting to catch up!

And goof off.

 It was seriously so good to see everyone and catch up!!

 

Melissa "Melsis", Sis. Brower, me

Lilia’s Blessing Day

We were able to bless Lilia the Sunday after Thanksgiving.

 

 

Keeping up with my tradition, I made her dress.

 

Luckily, she was able to fit it since I had measured it two weeks earlier.

 

During her blessing, she was great, and didn’t even cry!

 

After, though, she was ready to eat, so I had to make an early exit.

 

 

My best friend since birth, Suzanne, was able to make the blessing!

 

 

She sat with me and exited when I did because she wasn’t able to spend more time with us at the

luncheon we had planned after the meeting.

 

I’m so glad we took these pictures out in the foyer!

 

(grabbed from her Facebook)

 

The luncheon went really well!

 

I wasn’t able to take many pictures of everyone there—mostly because everyone scattered when the camera came out—but there was a lot of support.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was so great to see everyone and spend some time together.

 

The babies got to enjoy their Gammies’ arms for a while…

 

 

…and we all got to celebrate our sweetheart's arrival.

 

Showered

In about a span of 2 weeks, my wonderful family and friends put on a baby shower for me! 

 

 

It was so great to see everyone who came!!

 

And, so great that they were able to come on such short notice!

 

Love you all!

Little Artist

Porter's drawings have changed!

He's now making actual human-like shapes!

Here are his latest.

Drawing #1...

Now, when you look at this, you may, like me, think that there's Daddy, Mommy, Porter, and his three sisters, right?

Well, you'd be wrong.

The description...

Straight from Porter's lips.

For drawing #2, I thought for sure I had it right...

Mommy and Daddy in front of the temple (the squiggly stuff).

Nope!

Well, there are two things we can learn from these drawings.

First, mine and Porter's minds are totally different.

This should had have been obvious to me with how argumentative he's been lately, but I digress.

Second, Porter really misses his buddy Ezra.

Not only has he been drawing him, he's been "playing" with him as if he were his new imaginary friend.

Step aside "Bad Guy."

Yes, this does concern me slightly even though it is really cute.

Utah Arts Festival

Saturday night, we made a stop over at...

source

...with some friends of ours.

Porter, Tommy, & Ella got a chance to create, while we adults enjoyed helping and watching.

This was called a windmill (??) Yeah, don't really get it.

In the process

Starting to write his name

Gluing the circle on.

What the circles were glued on

Kinda creepy.

Tommy enjoying his wand.

We didn't stay long.

I enjoyed the artwork and the jewlry!

Seth and I enjoyed the live big band that was playing!

And, we especially enjoyed our company!

We spotted this piano on our way to another location, and Laura hopped on for a quick rendition of Maple Leaf Rag...

Very impressive, Laura!

Apparently, these pianos are all over downtown!

They sound a bit like old recordings of pianos, as they're not in very great shape, but how fun is that!?

Laura's song choice was perfect for the piano sound, in my opinion.

Our Trax ride home was...interesting.

The trains were delayed because of a wreak.

The train we caught only had one car.

It was crowded, and the crowd didn't even thin out as the train kept stopping.

We don't live all that near the downtown area, so we were surprised when the biggest crowd that left was at our stop.

And, it was us.

As far as our latest Trax experiences have gone, I don't think our family is meant to ride the train.

It was a fun night, though!

Thanks, Penroses!

International Bereaved Mother's Day

That's today.

I didn't know any of these national or international things people did to raise awareness for the loss of a child until I actually lost children.

I think that's pretty normal for everyone--no one really knows about things like this unless it happens to them or someone close to them.

I've been thinking about this day this week, wondering how I would announce it to someone.

I started off thinking, You can't really smile and tell people "Happy International Bereaved Mother's Day!"; especially not to a mother who has lost a child because it's not really a "happy celebration".

And then I thought I'd look at it in a different light and at a different angle.

...

I've done a lot of hard things in my life.

I've made too many mistakes to count that I sometimes wish I never made.

I lost my grandfather shockingly and suddenly in 3rd grade to pneumonia.

I lost my "gammie" to a rare disease at age 10, after watching her suffer for a year while losing the ability to do things due to this disease.

She was so full of life which made it especially hard to witness.

Her death wasn't a shock, but, because she had always been there my whole life since we lived in the same town and she was my teacher in so many ways other than just violin, it was and still is sometimes really hard.

I've had two painful DVTs (blood clots) that I'm lucky to have caught before anything broke off and caused something even worse.

I've been pregnant four times, having to administer shots to myself that "burn" (same shots that are to treat a DVT) because of previously stated clots every day of the pregnancy and 8 weeks following full term...in my stretching and then deflating belly.

Not to mention pregnancy on its own without the clotting factor is still extremely difficult for me as I get really sick...like practically bedridden, haven't showered in days, good luck getting me out of the house, yeah right I'm not cleaning or cooking, every weird smell makes me puke...sick, that sometimes lasts the whole pregnancy (I feel a bit like a drug addict when I'm pregnant--popping nausea pills and taking shots all the time).

And, I get horrible bear claw stretch marks which leave emotional scars long after pregnancy.

Not to mention birth...twice...once to stillborn twins.

The hardest thing I've ever had to deal with in my life (so far) is the second birth--the death my twin girls.

But, every single one of those "hard things" has taught me something.

I experienced things that I know I wouldn't have experienced with any other trial, and I've learned things I know I wouldn't have otherwise.

I know I've become the person I am today because of those experiences and lessons learned.

...

I have had countless wonderful spiritual experiences tied to my loss of the girls--right after I lost them up until now.

I count each experience as a moment of tremendous growth, and as a tender mercy from the Lord.

Therefore, because of that, you are welcome to smile at me, and tell me "Happy International Bereaved Mother's Day" because I am happy.

I'm happy to have experienced what I have with my girls.

I'm happy because I know I will get to see my girls again as long as I do what I know to be right.

I'm happy because I'm blessed to have four beautiful children (I don't have to physically see this one to already know he or she is beautiful).

I'm happy because I married a great man who puts up with me as I go through so many emotional ups, downs, crazies and plateaus (thank you, hormones).

I'm happy because I have great family members and friends who put up with the same emotional roller coaster (and lack of communication, sometimes) and love me anyway.

I'm happy because I know that my girls are never too far away, cheering me on.

"You and I in a moment of weakness may cry out, 'No one understands. No one knows.' No human being, perhaps, knows. But the Son of God perfectly knows and understands, for He felt and bore our burdens before we ever did. And because He paid the ultimate price and bore that burden, He has perfect empathy and can extend to us His arm of mercy in so many phases of our life. He can reach out, touch, succor--literally run to us--and strengthen us." --David A. Bednar

Michael

Michael is Emily's boyfriend.

But, she says he's not.

Apparently it's complicated...

...when really it's not that complicated.

Anyway...

When Michael would come over, Porter liked to steal his attention because he was awesome at keeping Porter entertained.

Emily didn't mind.

In fact, she usually joined in.

For example:

Both are quite engrossed in what Porter has to say.

Cake

Friday, Seth and I had this...




source



...but didn't feel guilty because we just swam for 2 hours before at a birthday swimming party for couples.

Saturday morning, Porter was offered (and surprisingly didn't have) this...



source

...at one of his friend's from church birthday party.

Saturday night, we all had...

source

...at a reception.

The cake was so purple that it stained the bride's face after being mashed on half of it for the rest of the night.

Poor girl.

And today we had...







source

...for Emily's 18th birthday!

I wouldn't be surprised if we all weigh a bit more tomorrow.

Dessert

Sunday was spent with lots of family!

My best friend since birth, Suzanne, came to church with me.

I hadn't seen her in 3 years, and she is definitely considered family.

Getting to catch up was glorious.

We decided that we need to live next to each other or she needs to marry into Seth's family.

Totally serious.

Can't live without this girl.

Sadly, I didn't remember to take pictures at all that day, so this post will be just words.

I know, boring.

You can stop reading here, if you can't stand it.

After Sunday dinner (which was de-lish), I got to see my Papa, all of my mother's siblings with their spouses, four sets of cousins and their spouses, my brother and his wife and all of the little kiddies that go with said people at one location.

And, we had delicious desserts.

It was a loud, tasty, and joyous occasion.

So great, in fact, that I decided it was more important to chat than it was to take pictures.

I loved it so much, and it made my desire to live down there even stronger (which, apparently is possible).

All we need to do is win the HGTV Dream Home 2012, or Seth needs to get accepted to the residency program there.

Preferably both.

I miss everyone already.

Then Let Us All With One Accord Sing Praises To Our Heavenly Lord

I flew back!

To Portland, that is.

Isn't that view gorgeous!?

It's right outside the back window of my host, Carrie's home!

Anyway, I came back for a very special reason.

To sing as a member of the Portland Ensign Choir and Orchestra one last time.

Why?

Not only to see and sing with these lovely talented ladies again...

Emily, Carrie, Betsy, me

...but to be able to sing again, period.

I lost my twin girls right before the final June performance earlier this year.

During the concert they were dancing to the music inside me.

It was very hard to even think about singing without them being with me.

I needed to sing in the same setting one more time, this time without them, so I could have an assurance that I would be able to sing ever again.

With a goal in sight, I overcame my vocal trial.

I'm happy to say.

I felt my girls cheering me on during all three performances.

I can even say I'm positive they joined in with the audience on our encore.

Thank you so much Dave, Emily, Patrice and especially Carrie!

Love you all.