The past week has been filled with fun adventures. On Friday we had my niece Sierra over for a sleepover. We picked her up from her house after she got out of school and drove over to the BYU Paleontology Museum. The museum is little, but it has lots of interesting fossils and casts. The girls especially liked the big prehistoric crocodile skull and the apotosaurus skeleton. While we were looking around the museum, there were some student maintenance workers replacing Exit signs. Reagan pointed to one of the young men up on a ladder and asked, "Is that a real man?" Everyone thought that was hilarious.
After we left the museum, we went home and made chocolate cookies with peanut butter chips and homemade pizza. Then we watched Aladdin for a family movie night. When we have a family movie night, we all sit on a blanket on the floor and eat popcorn. It's fun. Kirsten and Reagan were delighted to share some family traditions with Sierra.
Hip bone of an apotosaurus
The girls in front of a dinosaur
Happy girls
Valentine's Day was nice and relaxed this year. Matt and I went out to eat the night before to celebrate, and on Sunday, we went to Church in the morning and played Candy Land with the girls in the afternoon. It was the first time they'd ever played Candy Land, and they both really enjoyed it.
On Presidents' Day we woke up early and drove down to Capitol Reef National Park. It's one of the smaller national parks, so we almost had it to ourselves. Kirsten couldn't stop ooo-ing and ahhh-ing about how amazing and beautiful Capitol Reef looked to her. It was really cute to hear her. I agreed with her wholeheartedly. It was around 50 degrees, and we got to enjoy the sun, fresh air, and beautiful scenery. What more could you want?
After hiking some of the Chimney Rock trail, we had a picnic lunch next to a little river and the orchards of the Fruita historic area. Near the picnic area there was a sign posted about not feeding the deer. We didn't see any deer, but Reagan became very concerned that deer were going to come steal her food. Matt told her that if there were any deer aggressive enough to try to take her food, he would shoot them. Then he proceeded to tell her that people are gored every year by deer. He was being absolutely ridiculous, and Reagan's fears were mounting. At this point, we reassured her that daddy was being silly and deer are the most timid of creatures. Hopefully, she now understands that deer are not to be feared :)
After lunch, we took the scenic drive through the park. On our way, we saw Cassidy Arch, Echo Rock, and an old uranium mine. The girls really liked hearing their echoes off Echo Rock. I think it might have been their favorite part of Capitol Reef. Then Kirsten started begging to go on another hike. So we hiked Capitol Gorge and up to the Water Tanks. It was a pretty fun hike, but it was difficult on Reagan because she realized she had to go potty about half a mile in. The hike was only two miles round trip, but she did end up peeing her pants on our way back to the car, which was pretty miserable for her. When we got back to the car, we took off her pants, rinsed her off with a jug of water, and wrapped her up in my sweatshirt. It was an exciting hike though, and I was proud of her for walking almost the whole time.
Matt and the girls in front of Chimney Rock.
Me and the girls in front of an old uranium mine.
The girls in the ruins of an old building
Capitol Gorge
Hiking up to the Water Tanks. I didn't feel like a responsible parent once we got up here. This hike was listed as easy, but we had to climb over rocks quite a bit near the end. Never fear, they survived and even enjoyed it!
On our way to the water tanks.
This is one of the water tanks. Apparently it holds water.
As I was helping Reagan go potty a couple of days ago, she announced, "I love fairies, angels, Jesus, and Heavenly Father." Of course, I laughed at the unusual grouping of my sweet girl's expression of love. It makes sense when you think about it. She loves fairies, and fairies remind her of angels because they both have wings. Angels remind her of Jesus and Heavenly Father because an angel announced Christ's birth. It was just so dang sweet to hear her say that!
Speaking of love, Valentine's Day is coming up, and the Springville City Library had a Family Valentine's Dance on Monday night. The tickets were free, but I had to reserve them online well in advance, so that we could go. The evening included dancing to a live band and heart-shaped Valentine's cookies. There was also a photo booth where we took the following fantastic pictures:
Reagan and Kirsten posing at the Valentine's dance.
The whole family
Daddy dancing with Reagan. Kirsten insisted that she wanted to dance by herself.
Kirsten had some good moves!
More dancing
Lest you imagine that the evening was only full of fun and frivolity, I should share that Reagan had a complete meltdown when Kirsten refused to dance with her. The meltdown was so bad that we had to go home. It's not really her fault, I guess. I thought she was doing better from her tonsilitis (or maybe I just hoped), but apparently she wasn't. Or maybe she was and she just had a really big temper tantrum. Sometimes it's hard to tell. At any rate, it was a shame to have the evening end so sadly.
This week also included a fun birthday party for my nephew William who turned 14 yesterday. We ate dinner at my brother Brian's house on Saturday and had a grand time with their family.
Another highlight was that I purchased my first skinny jeans, so that I could wear them with some stylish boots my mom gave me when Reagan was born. Yes, it took me three years to get the appropriate pants to wear with them. Now I'm crazy about the boots and the skinny jeans. I've always thought skinny jeans looked so uncomfortable, but the ones I got are way more comfortable than my boot-cut jeans.
So I'm going to close by echoing Reagan's sentiment. I love fairies, angels, Jesus, Heavenly Father, my family, dancing, birthdays, skinny jeans, and boots.
Kirsten spent nearly all of last week sick. So we mostly stayed home, which means the week was kind of a blur for me. She ended up developing a little pneumonia and strep throat, but despite how sick she must have felt, she never once admitted that she didn't feel well. We watched a lot of tv, played with playdough, played board games, did puppet shows and colored.
On Sunday I came down with the cold that initially made Kirsten sick, and I'm acting sicker than she ever did, even when her fever spiked at 103.3. Ah, c'est la vie! Kids are so lucky. I'm sure I'll be better soon.
Elsa and Anna
I made these, and Reagan was in love.
Kirsten made her own Elsa and Anna.
Yesterday Kirsten was pretty much back to her old self, and I felt pretty well this morning. So, I took the girls to get their hair cut. They wouldn't let me take pictures, but it was so much fun to listen to them talk to their hair stylist about their pets, preschool, and family.
Having fun at Fantastic Sams
This week was also fun because I got to go to my book club on Thursday evening. I like having people to talk to about books. I've missed that since college. This month we read Betty Smith's Joy in the Morning, which is about a young couple who gets married in the 1920s. Carl, the husband, is in law school, and they are dirt poor. It's a cute portrayal of newly-wed life.
On Saturday Matt and I met some friends at a restaurant in Provo. I'd never eaten at Station 22 before. They had yummy food, and spending time with friends from college and their spouses was even yummier!
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Matt went hunting with one of his friends from work, and the girls and I went to spend the day with a friend of mine and her daughters. Megan and I hadn't seen each other in a long time, and it was really good to catch up. She has two little girls, too, and the four of them played dress up, hide and seek, and built a snowman. I forgot to take pictures, but it was a great time despite the disputes over who would wear the brand-new Ariel dress :)
Matt came home with three rabbits, and a couple of days later we made Rabbit Fricasee, which is a rabbit recipe that his friend suggested. It smelled delicious, but honestly, it was too spicy for me. If we make it again, I will only put in one tablespoon of cayenne pepper instead of two. My mouth felt scorched when I was done with the meal. At any rate, Matt and I had fun cooking it together.
Rabbit Fricasee
On Friday we went to play with my friend Jennie and her kids. Jennie had made sugar cookies, and the kids got to frost them and put sprinkles on them. After they ate their sugar cookies, we realized that we had forgotten to give them lunch first. They didn't seem to mind much though.
Enjoying yummy sugar cookies.
We decided that we wanted to spend Saturday together as a family since we hadn't done anything together on the holiday. Our original plan was to go sledding at Jolley's Ranch up Hobble Creek Canyon, but when we got there, we discovered that Springville City isn't offering their usual winter activities this year. We were kind of bummed about that, and since the girls were so stoked about sledding, we decided to try getting new sleds (the ones we have aren't that great), so that we could go sledding on our own. Allen's and Walmart were both out of stock, which isn't surprising so late in the winter.
Then we decided that instead of sledding we would go to the Kangaroo Zoo bounce house in Pleasant Grove. By the time we got there, it was noon, and Reagan had been asleep in the car for an hour or more. We figured we'd better get lunch before we started playing. On our way to get lunch, Matt turned into the turning lane to turn into a gas station, and right there in the turning lane, we ran out of gas. Fortunately, we were in the turning lane, and fortunately, a man on the corner noticed our predicament and immediately offered to help Matt push our car into the gas station while I steered.
After getting gas, we went to lunch at a neat restaurant called The Purple Turtle. When we got there, I woke Reagan up and started taking off her snow pants since they were no longer appropriate attire. She cried, "Mommy, what are you doing? We're going sledding!" Matt responded, "A lot has happened since you fell asleep, Reagan." She took it in stride, especially once she realized that we were planning on going to the bounce house. Apparently, all the chaos of the day swamped my brain, and I forgot to order lunch for myself, which I didn't realize until they called our number and I went to pick up our food at the pick up window. At this point, Kirsten declares she's not hungry, and Reagan says that instead of the cheeseburger she ordered, she wants the chicken nuggets Kirsten ordered. Matt takes the cheeseburger that I have ripped in half to make it easier for Reagan to eat and hands the chicken nuggets to Reagan. He gallantly suggests that I eat the burger he had ordered for himself, which I did. It all worked out, I guess, but Matt may have gotten the short end of the stick as far as lunch is concerned.
After lunch we decided that the Kangaroo Zoo would not be a good option because you have weigh less than 150 pounds to jump, which meant that Matt couldn't jump. I found another place online that wasn't far from where we were, and we went to jump. Roller skating was also included in the price. Unfortunately, about thirty minutes in to jumping, I realized that Kirsten was sick. She kept laying down and coughing. She kept insisting that she felt well, but she wouldn't do anything. Imagine being at such a fun place and feeling like you can't move because you're so sick. It was so sad. Everybody had a good time, even Kirsten, I suppose. But I think we weren't quite up to all the activity after spending so many hours driving around trying to figure out what to do together. I'd like to try that place again when we are a little bit more prepared.
Reagan turned three this Sunday. We had a lot of fun celebrating her birthday on Saturday with her friends. I told her that she could only invite four friends, which she was fine with, but then I kept inviting more of her friends. So, we ended up with seven friends, which was actually perfect. I am so glad they could all come, and that she already has so many wonderful friends.
On Sunday we had my brother Brian and his family over for dinner and more cupcakes. We always enjoy their company. Reagan loves her cousins so much.
We had a big snow fall on the Friday before her birthday, and we went on a snow walk!
These are her friends. In this picture they're eating their pizza.
Reagan took her wish very seriously, which is probably why it came true. I love this huge breath she took before blowing out her candles.
Blue frosting all over her face.
Blue frosting all over Kirsten's face.
Brian and Norma got Reagan a Nephi action figure. From the look on her face, you can tell she's in love.
Nana and Grampa got Reagan a Ryder and Zuma bath set. Reagan revealed that when she blew out her candles, she wished for a Ryder. So, her birthday wish came true!
I asked her to look up, so that we could see her face in the picture. She took me very literally. Here, she's wearing her new Paw Patrol nightgown from Papa and Beth. She loves it!
Mimzy gave her a puppet theater tent with some puppets. It's such a cool present, and we are having fun putting on puppet shows together.
Mommy and Daddy gave her a 1994 original Lion King poster.
Reagan playing with Zuma in his hovercraft.
I'm so grateful for my little Reagan Roo. I can't believe she's already three!
On Sunday our Stake Patriarch gave a talk about how mature Christians have a plan for failure. He quoted a biblical scholar with whom I am unfamiliar, but the words he shared have really inspired me. To begin, he talked about how Christ began His ministry in Nazareth, His home town, and was rejected by His neighbors, friends, and even many family members. Essentially, the beginning of Christ's ministry was a failure. Yet, rather than giving up, which is an absolutely absurd thought to imagine Christ giving up, Jesus regrouped, went to a different city, called apostles from a different part of the country, and got to work sharing His Father's message with anyone who would listen.
As I've further considered Christ's ministry, it's pretty clear that we was never very successful, at least not successful in the way that the world measures success. Very few of the elite were convinced of the truthfulness of His message. Christ spent His time with the poor, the lepers, the blind, and other "lesser" members of society. He didn't have a nice home or nice things. In the end, at least of His mortal life, His own people called for His crucifixion on the cross.
If Christ had a resume, it wouldn't be very impressive, and yet, He was the most important person who ever lived. What He did during His ministry, in the Garden of Gethsemane, and on the cross were the most important things that will ever be done. He won the fight against sin and Satan. He won our souls, if we will but follow Him.
As I've thought about Christ and His ability to face failure, I've realized that failure, which I've always dreaded, isn't nearly as bad as I thought. I remember one time in college I was hanging out with some friends and everybody shared their greatest fear. My greatest fear at that time was failure. Yes, I struggle with perfectionism, and as I've learned recently, perfectionism is toxic.
The amount of pressure I have put on myself to get straight A's, be the perfect example of Gospel living, be kind when others were mean, be the best mom ever, never commit sin, etc., has been inordinate. I grew up being told by friends, Church members, family members, etc. that I was "perfect," and I felt the intense desire to live up to those expectations because I liked that kind of attention. Yet, I recently read in John 5:44, "How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?" When I read that scripture, it struck me that when I seek honor and recognition from other mortals rather than from God, I stunt my ability to believe and develop faith. Christ didn't worry about His resume and how others saw His credentials. He used His faith to heal the sick and take away the sins of all those who will follow Him and take advantage of the Atonement.
Mistakes and failures are part of mortality. Sometimes our failures are a result of sin, and we need to use Christ's Atonement to repent. Other times our failures are a result of simply being mortal. Maybe we weren't quite smart enough to get the A. Or maybe we weren't quite healthy enough to put forth the effort to accomplish our goal. That's okay. When we fail, we can dust off our shoes, repent if we need to, learn from our mistakes, and try to solve our problems with the help of the Lord. His Atonement is there for us to use, and the only way we can truly "fail" is if we don't use it.
This is a video of a song called "Gethsemane" that has really touched me and helped me come to a deeper understanding of Christ's Atonement.
P.S. Here are some pictures of the girls from this week.
Kirsten has been chewing on her hair. So, lately I've been pulling it back everyday. I'm pretty proud of this french braid.
Kirsten made this fox Valentine for her friend Elliot. Yes, I know Valentine's Day is in more than a month, but she doesn't.
On New Year's Eve we planned a special cheese fondue dinner that was supposed to be followed by a chocolate fondue dessert. The mere thought of dipping bread in cheese was abhorrent to our children, which is absolutely ridiculous to me, but I guess you can never say what a kid will or will not like. After Matt and I gorged ourselves on the cheese fondue, however, we decided that we didn't have any room for chocolate fondue.
Saturday we pulled out the fondue pot, the chocolate, strawberries, marshmallows, and pretzels. Our kids loved the chocolate fondue. Naturally, so did we.
Eating chocolate fondue!
I love how Reagan's face is absolutely covered in chocolate.
When we got home from Church on Sunday, we realized that our heater wasn't igniting and was sending natural gas into the air. Matt turned the gas line off, and we got out of the house as quickly as possible. Brian, my brother, had invited us over for dinner that evening. So we called and asked if it would be okay for us to come over a couple hours early. We watched a few scripture movies with Sierra and William. I confess, I never thought I would be jealous of their VCR, but because they have a VCR they can get all the Living Scripture movies for 50 cents at the DI. On DVD they cost 30 dollars a piece, and I am not willing to spend 30 dollars on a 30 minute DVD. However, the movies are great, and our kids love them. Reagan might be Nephi's biggest fan. Every time she saw him on screen she jumped up and down and screamed, "I see Nephi!"
I remember borrowing the Living Scripture movies from the Dickens Family while we lived in Indonesia when I was a kid. Watching the Joseph Smith's First Vision movie was the first time I remember feeling the Spirit testify that Joseph Smith was a prophet who restored Christ's Church on the earth. I also loved the movies about Abinadi and King Noah, Daniel in the Lion's Den, etc. I've felt the Spirit of God testify of the truthfulness of the Bible and the Book of Mormon many times since then. So, I know you don't need those movies to believe in the scriptures, but I have always had fond memories of them.
We were able to come home Sunday night, and we used our little space heaters. They kept us pretty warm when we were in bed, but in the morning, the girls and I went to the mall to play and stay warm. Our heater was repaired last night. So, fortunately, our house isn't like a freezer anymore.
Playing at the mall playground. They love each other so much!
Reagan can't wait to be big enough to climb like Kirsten.
Today we went to the Bean Life Science Museum on BYU campus and met some of our really good friends there. The museum is so fantastic. We really love seeing the taxidermied animals. I can't believe this museum is entirely free!
