Family Time!

Lizzie loves to hang out wherever Cholo is, Cholo loves to hang out wherever Case is, and I just love watching it all!!   It's been a GOOD summer so far!  :-)

Birthday Girl

In the months leading up to her birthday, (ever since Carson's birthday back in February), and in the month since her birthday, Lizzie has been assuming every day is her big day.  She sings the "Happy Birthday song" (when she can't get us to sing it to her for the umpteenth time, she simply sings it to herself).  She stacks toys to create birthday cakes.  Every treat and toy from her grandparents is another birthday present.  So, while she does seem to "get" the concept of it all this year, I think her definition might be a bit broad.  Anyhow, enjoy the pictures below!  Included is a shot I wanted to share of some Pinterest/Better Homes & Gardens/IKEA-inspired fun I had in her room, adding a little library display, chalkboard, and magnet board.  (Another assumed birthday gift, although it was completed a month before her day). :)

We decked out her room when she fell asleep--when she woke up, it kept her entertained for some time before she even came out.

It's entirely possible that I take more satisfaction out of these small changes to Lizzie's room than she does.  However, as soon as I finished, she plopped down right in front of the books and started browsing old favorites that had previously been buried in a bin.  Life's little pleasures, right?

She got to watch a movie while we got ready.   When we came back into the living room, this is the sight we met.  Pretty sure she does, in fact, believe we're all her royal subjects.

 

Happy birthday, darling girl!  I'm looking forward to another year of watching you grow, and of falling more in love with you (I've stopped asking myself whether it's even possible to love you any more, because you daily defy any fathomable limits)!

Word Cloud of my Last Post

I introduced my students to word clouds today, and as I was playing around with it myself this evening (tagxedo.com), I entered the text of my last post.  I was so struck by the result that I just had to share:

Graduation!

We are all so very proud of Case for graduating from BYU's Law School last month!  It was simply a perfect day, and I was so grateful to my mom for watching Lizzie during the ceremony so I could actually listen to the speeches, take pictures, and just soak in the joy of his amazing accomplishment!  

The day before commencement, I was reflecting about this "new chapter" of our lives, and realized it's really not new at all--which is NOT what I anticipated.  For three years, I had planned that his graduation would mark the major transition of becoming a stay-at-home mom, Case starting his law career, and welcoming new children.  Interestingly enough, none of those things are in the cards at the moment--even the stress of law school studying has simply been replaced with the stress of Bar studying/job hunting.  Things feel much the same, and for all the progress I've made over the years in learning to let go of my very-carefully-mapped-out-life-plans, I still have a long way to go in learning to completely trust the Lord & go with the flow.  I am working to accept that I am not the Master Architect, and as much as I'd like to think that I know best what would be the perfect course for my life, His view reaches far beyond what I can comprehend.  

Really, that faith, and the beautiful family in these pictures below, is all that matters.  And life, as messy and unexpected as it always seems to turn out, is good.

 

Fake smile!  :)

Easter Explorers

I'm pretty sure Mont had WAY too much fun picking out the Easter stuff for the kids.  In particular, the binoculars brought serious wonder into the grand-kids' Easter hunt!  :)  Thank you for making it such a special tradition for us all!

And now that I've finally posted Easter, I can eventually catch up on Case's law school graduation (last week), and Lizzie's birthday (yesterday)... it might have to wait until summer break, though!