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We Remember

September 11,2001 will always be especially significant in my mind. It happened soon after our long awaited 3rd baby was born. I had become a new mother for the 3rd time after waiting five long years in wonder as to whether our family would ever have an increase. We had Steve's parents staying with us as they usually did to help out when we had a new baby in the family. It was a time of contentment and joy in our little world. We were quite oblivious to the events of the nation around us as we enjoyed and celebrated the special occasion of our new bundle of absolute joy:

Then, 13 days after Jeremy's birth, Dad Alger told me about hearing something tragic and how it should be on the news, quite unsure of the details. He thought he'd heard it was in Seattle at the Space Needle. When I turned on the television, it was all over the place, the vision of the tragic event that now took place 10 years ago. Each year as I reflect on that event, I am reminded of a song sung by Country star Alan Jackson called, "Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning",

 I have never and doubt I ever will forget where I was and what I felt when the world truly seemed to stop turning as I stood in astonishment at what I was beholding as the news broadcast what had just happened that morning to thousands of innocent people, affecting millions of lives forever. Even now when I watch the news that described the event, my heart sinks, my knees are weak making me need to sit down and the uncontrollable desire to weep and possibly bawl overcomes me, as it did that day. It is an everlasting reminder that we as a nation need be united as a people. Tragedy marks the climax in any relationship whether it is a national, personal, worldwide, or eternal one. It marks strength or weakness. Progression, or destruction. It is the test of strength. To me, this is what took place on that significant day. A test to remind us where we are as a nation, a people, a society, and individual families in value and embodiment. It reminds me annually to check where I am spiritually and whether my priorities are in line. Today as I think of that tragic, yet heroic event of those that sacrificed so much on the line, I am grateful for my faith, those I love, and for the blessing to know that this world is just a temporary state of something far better in the life to come. That  the Savior is truly our Redeemer, how blessed we are, and that we live in this great Nation. We are so incredibly blessed. 

He Got It!

So...

          He got it.

It's official. Tyler has his permit. The milestone you're anxious for yet, a little wary of. But truthfully...

I have to say that it was rather impressive how well he drove us home from the DMV. (*sigh of relief) He's rather good!

It must've been all that operating of motorized wave runners at the river in California this summer. We knew it would be worth the sacrifice of sending them off for three weeks for something.

Poor little hand

The other day I was vaccuming the stairs when I hear Justin urgently calling to Amy. He ran to her and told her to get her hand away and had pulled at it by the time I realized what was going on. Amy had stuck her hand under the vaccum and the beater bar had burned off the upper layers of her skin. I immediately sprayed it with dermaplast which helped quite a bit, and gave her a dose of children's tylenol.It was a sore looking red for the first couple hours and then started it's healing process whith a sweating ooze. She would wimper and hold up her hand for me to kiss it throughout the rest of the day. I would then kiss it and offer up another prayer for her.

                                                 { This is what it looked like 2 days after it happened. }

The cringe and shivers that go through my nerves each time I reflect on the incident cannot be described. I ache just thinking about it and am incredibly struck with the way she can still look at me and smile, despite it all.

A similar incident happened to Michael when he was a baby and I vowed it would never happen again. I cannot describe how I feel now that it did.

A similar incident happened to Michael when he was a baby and I vowed it would never happen again. I cannot describe how I feel now that it did. I'm so thankful for the amazing ability of healing and the knowledge that the Lord answers prayers because although the pain was intense, Amy was able to sleep well and long through the night. What a blessing.

I'm So Blessed

Taking the kids to swim lessons yesterday I checked my phone after finally paying attention to it's consistent notification of message beep (this can get really obnoxious!) and was filled with gratitude when this is what was displayed in my "recent calls".

All these names of people I love and hold so close to my heart. I am so blessed!

The other day as we were driving to the community pool, Jeremy said in an amused and enthusiastic voice,

"oooH, a flying hair. Those are rare."

 

 His friend and I got a great laugh out of that. It's such a breath of fresh air to have somebody so easily amused and optamistic.

 I think that is a gift.

 He's always been a great joy.

To Scandanavia and Back

Every year Steve likes to go to the Scandanavian Festival in Junction City. Here is where you can see authentic crafts, dancing, and of course, FOOD! This year we came upon this adorable couple that danced the e n t i r e time we were there. It was truly sweet to behold.

There hasn't been a year that we've gone where it wasn't a quest to find something truly delicious to enjoy. The children enjoyed Cotton Candy.

When I say Cotton Candy, I mean these cotton balls were bigger than anyone's head! The children were in soft, billowy sugar dreamland...

 have you ever wondered how they make that stuff anyway?! This booth made them until they were amazingly billowy and handed you a $5 pile for an even 2 bucks! The moment the children saw those, their eyes were as big around as silver dollars and they knew they needed to seek out their treat no further. They were cotton bound with only one decision to make. Blue? {above} or Pink? {below}

Jeremy had wisely selected the funnel cake in all it's deep fried, crisp, strawberry  flavored whipped top goodness and enjoyed every last bite while taking small periodic gulps of Michael's thirst quenching soda then slowly moved on in when the kids were tiring of their sugar castles.

                      Good thing we fed them something of nutritional value before we left the house.  

                      Amy enjoyed such a variety of goodness since everyone happily shared with her.

 Steve and I enjoyed sharing our strawberry jam and cinnamon covered elephant ear. {I think we were less hungry than those littles.}

{what a good looking man}

 On our way out, we saw these girls dancing their hearts out. So wish I had a better picture of them! The one on the left was especially captivating to watch-

As for ours,  they were licking those sticky fingers all the way home. Is that part of a nursery rhyme? Oh, silly me...that was something different about a piggy crying all the way home. No crying on the way home here. Nooohoho siree, These kids were still on their sugar festive highs at that point.

                                    And did they ever sleep well after their much needed baths that night.

                                                {What comes up must eventually come down, right?}

                                                                   Speaking of night, Sweet Dreams! ;)