Patrick's Turn to Plan. [The Daring Dive]

This year, for the first time since our first anniversary, Patrick had enough time to plan our anniversary trip.  We made a deal after our first anniversary that while he was in school, I would plan our trips since he had so little free time.  But now he's done, and I waited in anticipation for the day's events.

A few months prior he told me he had something planned that was a little daring.  Daring, is definitely not my cup of chocolate.  So I teasingly told him that if it was sky diving, he should just ask my dad to go on the trip instead of me, since I would rather die before I would go skydiving.  He just smiled his secretive little smile and didn't say a word.

Well, on the drive there to the "daring activity", as we got close I was instructed to close my eyes.  When I opened them, I still didn't know where we were or what we were doing.  But after hiking a few flights of indoor stairs in an unfamiliar building, we entered a door that said "iFly."  We walked up to the counter and the girl asked, "Are you flying today?"

Patrick responded, "Yep!"

"Okay, you just need to sign this waiver sheet."

I thought, "Waiver sheet?!  Flying?!  What are we doing here?!"

I looked at Patrick and he smiled.  "We're going skydiving!"

I felt my stomach plummet with sick, churning feelings knotting up inside.  "Skydiving?  Real skydiving?"  I was just about ready to ask if we could have a refund.

"Yes! Well, indoor skydiving," he so generously reassured me.

So my visions of falling out of an airplane 3000 feet above ground and literally passing out, changed to a vision of falling from an airplane about 500 feet off the ground in a huge gymnasium and still passing out.  Needless to say, the "indoor" part did little to comfort my racing heart.

In a daze, I shakily signed my death sentence and handed it to the girl, but what I really wanted to do was rip it from her hands and tear it up.  My nerves just couldn't handle this.  We don't even have a written will yet!  What about the boys?  What about Maylie?

And while all these thoughts were circling through my head Patrick escorted me to a bench where we watched some skydiving students.  And I began to relax.  Because it was not dropping from a plane, but just falling through a doorway into a wind tunnel.  And the best part was that there was a bouncy metal/mesh grate only a couple feet below the divers.  Just a couple.

And so began one of the most daring experiences of my entire life....and I loved every minute of it!  So much, in fact, that we might go back someday.  (I still need to learn how to do a flip!)

The rest of the day was splendid with a concert in the park, dinner at The Garden, and ice cream from Baskin Robbins.  We even found time to watch a little from the Food Network...which really was a vacation, since we don't have any channels on our TV.  The next morning we went to the temple, picked up Maylie from the Johnsons, and ended our day with a photoshoot of our dear friends in our old ward. (I will be posting those soon).

Thank you, Sweetie, for planning such a fun and *daring* trip!!!

{Note: you can easily tell who has the squishiest nose :)}

Open House.

This I recorded in my journal this morning:

"Lovely.  Perfect.  Pristine. Celestial beauty.  These are the words that come to mind when I think of our beloved Brigham City temple.  I cannot believe how exquisite it was.  Truly, this temple was the most beautiful temple I have ever seen. 

"It was so special to have our whole family there in the temple together--me, Patrick, Easton, Tate, and Maylie.  I hope that this visit will mirror a visit about 20 years from now when all of us will be in the temple together again.  It gave us great vision.  I can't even describe how grateful I am that we had this opportunity.  Now we have an experience to keep reminding our little ones of so that they will set their sights on this blessed edifice.  I hope they will always remember last night.

"While we were sitting there watching the movie at the beginning of the tour, Easton told my dad that he felt warm inside.  Then later in the Celestial room, Easton, admiring the lights whispered, "These lights are AWESOME!"  Even Maylie, who had been quite fussy throughout the evening, quieted right down during the silent tour of the temple and Patrick said her favorite room was the Celestial room.  She stared contentedly up at the chandeliers.  When we got home and were eating lemonade pie, my mom asked Easton what his favorite part of the temple was.  He promptly replied, "The sparkly lights!"  It was beautiful indeed.  Too beautiful for words.

"I just can't believe that this is our temple.  We finally have our very own temple.  We are not going to move away from this valley ever and I'm so excited to attend the temple as often as I possibly can.  Tears filled my eyes many times last night as I contemplated how blessed we are.  The Spirit was so incredibly strong.  And I couldn't help but remember back to October of 2009 when we were sitting in Gram's basement watching General Conference and President Monson announced the temple here.  Chills went down my spine and I was filled with the strongest impression that somehow, in some way, this would be our temple.  We had no inkling of an idea at the time that this is where we would end up, but here we are, and that revelation has been fulfilled.  This is one of the greatest blessings of my life.

"I hope we can go often.  Now that we live so close, I want to go more than once a month.  Back in Rexburg we went once a week on our own to do initiatory and then once a month with each other to do a session.  I hope we can maybe start up this tradition again.  Maybe, just maybe, by so doing...we will treasure our lives here as we did there.  It was a sacred time of our lives, there living on Main Street Rexburg, just down the hill from the temple.  I can't wait to make this a sacred time of our lives as well.  I thank Thee, dear Father, for this marvelous opportunity and blessing.  I can't thank Thee enough."

Summer Excursions.

Last week we managed to squeeze in two family vacations.  First we went to Lagoon with the Greene's and later in the week we went camping with the Johnsons.

I didn't take many pictures because I forgot my camera at Lagoon and then it ran out of battery in the mountains.  But it doesn't matter; the pictures are all in my head--perfectly preserved.

Watching my little boys' faces as they ventured on the rides was indescribable.  Indescribably indescribable.  The wonder, the delight, the excitement, the sheer joy that radiated from their little faces brings tears to my eyes as I remember.  It was the best trip to Lagoon I have ever had. 

I took this with Patrick's phone

Then camping brought adventures and hikes and games around the campfire.  The boys loved this too.  So much.  And I did too....for the first time in my life.

I just can't wait for next summer.  Because I know that the two vacations on the very top of my to-do list will be Lagoon and Camping.

Oh, my heart is already nostalgic and it hurts now that summer is winding down.  Everything is going to change this Fall with Easton starting school and my little ones growing up so fast....

Oh summer, I know you must leave, but please linger a little longer.  I need every single moment.

To You Mother.

Calee Reed sings the words that I wish I could have written.  To you.  And for you.  This song describes you perfectly.  Just imagine that I'm singing to you. :)

With much love,

Jamie

Little Things to Remember.

I love you Maylie, how you won't let me leave the room without whimpering and crying.  And now that you can crawl, you follow me like a shadow wherever I go.

I love you Tate, for learning how to be so soft and gentle with Maylie this summer.  Yesterday after Maylie's nap, I found you in her crib with her, feeding her cheerios and goldfish.

I love you Easton, for being so brave and excited to go to school in a few weeks.  And also for being a little boy beneath your grown-up-ness.  The day we both cried and hugged each other as we thought of you going to school will linger with me forever.  Today I asked you if you were sure you really wanted to go to school this year and you said, "Yes, Mom.  I need to learn things."  You're right my big-little boy.  And I do too.

Concrete.

We visit our house almost daily (or at least Patrick does since it's right up the street from his work).  The pictures below show the concrete poured and the last visit we made on Saturday revealed the floor in the garage and basement to be poured (I forgot my camera for that one).  They will start framing tomorrow...I really can't wait to see the walls start to take shape!

An Early Start.

The piano has always been so important to me.  The intricacy and simplicity of the black and white keys have intrigued me and brought me pleasure upon pleasure through the years.  Maybe if I introduce my little ones to this beautiful instrument early enough they will want to learn to play....

Easton began lessons this past year but we have slacked, mainly me, and he begs me often to start up again.  Maybe if this Fall slows down I will be able to invest the time I so desire for him into the acquisition of this beloved talent?

And as for Maylie, I didn't even have to show her how to bang the keys the way I did for her brothers.  It just came naturally...

Family Home Evening on Foundation (and pictures of the hole)

On Monday night Patrick gave us the most meaningful family home evening lesson ever.  It was all about building our lives, our testimonies, and our foundations on the rock of our Redeemer (see Helaman 5:12).  He brought us home a rock & sand from our lot and we had our lesson on the front porch.

Then we drove to our lot and picked out a rock for each one of us to remind us of the lesson.

I can't wait for the follow-up lesson when we have the concrete foundation poured and we can truly teach our boys what it means to build on a rock...just like the wise man.

Another Sweet Wedding.

It has been beautiful and sweet (and busy, crazy, and chaotic) to have two family weddings this summer...within a month of each other...

But to be in the temple for Natalie's sealing was something special.  After the ceremony, as I approached her to give her a hug, memories of my Natalie as a little girl, that little blonde sweetie who has always held a place in my heart flooded so quickly that I couldn't hold the tears.  I love you Natalie.  You are wonderful and I hope the very best for you and your sweetheart, Jonathan.

Here are just a few shots snapped throughout the day.

At the delectable wedding breakfast

Easton pretending to be bored

Miss Blue Eyes

Sweet Poppy and Grammy

The head table

Jason and Nicole

The Greenes

Favorite Picture #1

Favorite Picture #2

The bride and groom

A hug from Tate

The 3 of us...forever sisters.

Yes, those are antique ball mason jars...the deep turquoise ones. I want a few of them...so much!