Family Home Evening

Our schedule this semester has been nuts. Between Will and my classes and Belle's dancing the only time we had together as a family was Friday night, Saturday and Sunday. Will's Monday class has ended and Belle's dance class is over, so we only have two nights a week not together. It has been so nice. It makes a big difference. Anyway, we completely let Family Home Evening slack during that time. It has been nice to once again have time to sit down together as a family and talk about spiritual things and do activities together. Last week Belle taught us a lesson all about Moses. She prepared it all herself, and it was very cute. This week she was in charge of telling us a scripture. She wanted Dad to help her find a scripture about Moses. I guess we are very into Moses lately! It was awesome to me to see the insight that a five year old has as she shared her thoughts about what the scripture meant. Her thoughts on it were from an angle that I had never thought of before and they seemed spot on. It made me think once again that we do not give children enough credit for what they do understand.
Belle is a spiritual giant to me. Her faith is incredible. And she is so intune with the gospel and the way the Spirit speaks to her. I trust in her promptings from the Spirit. Not long ago when we were in the car I had a feeling that we needed to say a prayer. I told Belle this knowing she would understand because she is really open to listening to promptings from the Spirit. I asked her if she wanted to say it because this girl loves to pray. She always wants to be the one to say the prayer. So she started to pray and then stopped and said, "Mom, if the Spirit told you you needed to pray, then you should be the one to say the prayer." And I thought, she's right. I love her thirst for the gospel. Everyday she asks me spiritual questions. And sometimes they are so incredibly indepth. I know I didn't even think about things to that level when I was her age. I tell her all the time that she will be a leader someday, and I really believe that. If that girl can hold on to her goodness, to her faith, she will lead many people to good. She has a powerful example, and I always try to remind her of that. Children are like adults. Everyone has strengths and flaws in different areas. All those years of struggle with Belle...I never guessed it would turn out like this. Not that it is perfect. There are definitely still the stubborn moments, or disobedient moments, and time out still applies, but I can't believe how spiritual she is and what a sweet little helper and good little buddy to me Belle is becoming. I am so grateful for both of my darling daughters. I love my role as a mother. Nothing has brought me more joy.

Here's Will and Belle making yarn ball ornaments for our Family Home Evening activity tonight.

They look really weird right now, but let's hope that after they set up and the balloons are popped they will look all right. Either way we had fun, and that's all that matters, right?

Gratitude

What a beautiful time of year. Tonight we went out on a walk (Belle rode her bike) and enjoyed the Autumn air and the incredible colors. The trees and sidewalks were covered in bright yellows, reds, and oranges. The clouds in the sky mirrored the vivid fall colors from the sunset. It made me feel so happy to be enjoying that moment. We came home and Will had made pumpkin soup and we had hot cocoa. It's days like these that make me grateful for my life.

The girls playing in a leaf pile a few days ago

Will and I were talking today about following the Spirit. About living life with a passion and not just day to day. I am grateful for the amazing life that following the Spirit has brought me. I feel a joy that keeps growing with the passing of time. Being here now in the place I am has enabled me to grow in who I am. It has allowed me to feel free to explore the real me, not just the person that the culture tells me to be. I have found deep passions within myself that had been stifled for many years. I cannot express how grateful I am to  have a life so full of promise for the future. I am enjoying the life that is mine right now and excited for what I feel the future will bring me by following my dreams and passions and living close to the Spirit.

I am really having a baby

Well, I finally went in for my first prenatal appointment. Eighteen weeks along isn't too bad for a first check-up, right? Okay, so shame on me. It's better than when I was pregnant with Evee though, I was 22 weeks along. Found out that day what I was having. I am terrified of going to the doctor, so sue me. Anyway, I was able to hear the heartbeat for the first time. And though I've even felt the baby moving inside of me, that was what did it for me. That heartbeat made it real. I am really having a baby! Oh my goodness! I felt emotional in that moment. I have been in denial for so long. But since yesterday morning I have been picturing what it will be like to really have another little one. I picture the two girls coming in the hospital to see their new brother or sister, or the three little ones running around playing together when they are a little bit older. My two brothers and I were the best of buddies. The three of us still to this day call each other the three amigos. How fun will it be for my little ones to have each other to play with, imagine with, and grow together!
Today was darling. I was laying on my back with my belly exposed and Belle and Evee crawled on me and were laying their faces on my tummy singing to the baby. I can't wait until they will all be together! What a happy feeling!

The two girls looking at magazines together in the morning. I came in the room and saw them just sitting like this together. Evee was actually turning pages and looking at it, too. How fun it will be to add another one to moments like these!

Evee's First Step

So, Evee now stands all the time. It's pretty cute and exciting. Her expression is the best part. She looks so proud and wants everyone to cheer for her. Yesterday was pretty exciting, too, because she took her first step! I got her standing on video, and wouldn't you know it, the next time right after this video is when she took a step. My nephew, Steve, has been trying to get her to walk for awhile now, and sure enough, this time it worked!

An Announcement....

So, I guess it's about time to say we have another on the way. We were suprised, actually more like in a state of shock, when we found out. I knew I had missed my period, but Will and I just figured it was probably from the stress of the end of the semester or because I had just started really working out again or the combination of the two. I began to wonder, but decided I would wait until after finals so I didn't have to worry about that and just focus on my exams and papers. We finally couldn't take it and broke down and bought a test mid finals week. Sure enough, I am pregnant. Will and Belle were outside working on the garden, so Evee was the first one to receive my state of shock. I picked her up and said, "Are you ready to be a big sister even though you should still just be the little sister?" I waited about five minutes before going out to tell Will and Belle. Will was suprised and Belle was just plain excited. I told her there was a baby in my tummy. She said, "For reals?" I nodded and she said, "You're not even teasing?" I told her it was real. She was so excited she started hugging my tummy. She has told us before that she wants us to have ten babies. I guess she was excited to get another one underway. :) She talks to and snuggles with my tummy everyday. I think I still haven't really realized that there is a baby in there yet, because when she does that I think to myself, Oh yeah, there really is a baby in there. Well, Will and I were in a state of shock that night and just decided to watch a movie to cope for the moment. The next morning after it had settled in Will was so happy and excited. I felt guilty for some reason. Like I had made a bad choice, even though clearly it was not my decision! Will gave me a blessing and I knew this baby was right. This baby is meant to come to the earth at this time. I felt relief. And then I decided to just enjoy it and be happy about it. I am reminded of a talk from conference by a General Authority in our church named Joseph B. Wirthlin called Come What May and Love it. (found here: http://lds.org/general-conference/2008/10/come-what-may-and-love-it?lang=eng) This is the way I am trying to live my life.

This picture makes me feel happy, so I figured I'd post it with the post that talks about me feeling happy. :)

In the last several months I have felt so much joy. It would even be easy for me to say that this time in my life has been the happiest time I have ever experienced. I feel so blessed for the beautiful life that my Father has given me. I believe this baby will only add to the joy I feel and to the wonderful family life I enjoy now. Not a day goes by that I don't reflect on and thank my Heavenly Father for the beautiful life that is mine. I have seen much adversity and struggle in the years past. In those times I hoped for better days, but I could have never foreseen this. Not to say life is easy, but it is so full of joy to me. I wouldn't trade what I have for the world.

A Berry Lovely Day

On Friday we picked 25 lbs of strawberries at a farm. Luckily we had help from Amanda and Tommy. Belle was a good picker, too. It was really fun and those strawberries are so sweet. Today I have been preparing them for being frozen for storage or turning them into strawberry preserves.

 Doesn't that just look like summer?

First Camp of the Season

Luckily Will and I both share the same love of the outdoors. We both love to camp and hike, which suits us nicely. A couple weeks ago when Will was at the gym he read an article on dads who do adventuresome activities outdoors with their kids. Since he loves being outdoors anyway, this really struck a note with him.

 So we started it off by going camping this past weekend even though it had been a rainy week before. Camping in the mud sure didn't stop us. And we had a blast anyway. It reminded me of a book my mom used to read to me when I was a kid where the theme was so what if it's raining, we can still have fun.

It was Evee's first camping trip. And my niece, Amanda, joined us last minute. We went to a beautiful state park here in Maryland.

I am a camping fiend! It is my favorite thing to do in the whole world. I love the campfire and being lulled to sleep by the sounds of a stream from outside my tent.

To me, camping is more than just being outside. It is being in nature where I feel the closest to my Heavenly Father. This is where the spirit can easily touch my heart. I can understand why the prophets of old prayed in the mountains. Being amongst His creations, the beautiful world He has created for us, draws us closer to Him.

I try to instill in my children the same beauty and wonder of nature that my own mother instilled in me. She loved the wild outdoors. Even now she lives in a cabin up in the mountains where she has to fourwheel in to even get to it in the winter, and she loves it. I hope I can pass that legacy on to my children. With Will and I having the same goal, and both our girls having a natural love of the outdoors, they are sure to continue to return to the wonder of nature again and again as they grow older.

Mother's Day at the Lake

We are such an outdoors family. By the time spring comes around each member of the Flythe family is bursting to get outdoors, and we all get a little crazy about it for awhile. We have been playing outdoors much and loving it. For Mother's Day on Sunday we took a walk around Centennial Lake. Loved it. We fed the geese some bread. Hmm... that was an adventure.

This goose did not want to stop being fed. He jumped right up and tried going straight for the bread. Will pulled Belle away and he kept following us down the path for awhile. It was funny, but I must admit I was a little worried it was going to bite Belle!

Looking over this bridge we saw a bunch of big and little turtles swimming in the lake. Very cute. Evee loved riding on Will's back. She is such an outdoor chic, too. If we leave the front door open she goes hauling for the outside and leans up against the outside glass door until she can go out.

It was a nice Mother's Day just enjoying one another's company. I truly feel so blessed to have such a special little family. It brings tears to my eyes when I picture my little family at home in my house when I am away because I am so full of gratitude for the life and the family that was given to me. I am truly a lucky woman.

A Carefree and Happy Life

Belle as an infant

Today when we went out for a walk I was thinking about the different phases of children and parenthood. I have recently noticed that Belle is really growing up. She has stepped into a new phase. As I watched her run around I remembered back to when she was a baby and realized that parenting a baby isn't too difficult in the sense that you only need to meet their basic needs. There are hundreds of different techniques of how to best care for their needs, but that is pretty much where the parenting part ends. Now, don't get me wrong, raising babies is difficult on a person. I definitely struggled with my sanity and tried to figure everything out when Belle was a baby, but I didn't need to teach her anything beyond fundamentals.

Belle loved to climb in anything no matter how small

Then they move out of babyhood and into the toddler phase of life. During this time I remember parenting skills step up a notch. This is when I had to start teaching my daughter what is wrong and right. What I mean when I say this is more difficult with parenting is that you have to then decide what you want your child to believe is right and wrong. Things start becoming just a little more complicated. Everything is not just "I'm crying, feed me." In every situation a decision has to be made of how to handle it. As a mom I try desperately to balance giving love and freedom with learning to be obedient and making good choices. It is trickier than I expected.

Refusing to walk a step more at the zoo.

Well, today I realized we just moved into another phase of parenting. I was trying to decide what the theme of parenting a child at this age is. The thought came to me is that I need to decide what kind of life I want my child to have. Now is the time where I help mold her into becoming the type of woman I hope she will be proud to be and that her Father in Heaven would want her to be. Whew! That's a hard one! There are so many wonderful things I want for my daughter, but how do I help her on her journey?

Holding a butterfly Alisse caught for her last year.

As I watched her running around trying to catch a big yellow butterfly, I thought, this is the kind of life I want her to have. I want her to feel happy and carefree. I want her to always have a life that is joyful, not bogged down by stress and worry. I want her to run and play even when she is thirty.

My little dancing queen

Then I began to think of my Heavenly Father and His role toward us as our parent. Wouldn't He want the exact same thing for us? I think He wants us to be happy and worry-free. I think we place too many burdens on ourselves. We think we have to grow up so fast. We put our kids in school when they're two and then involve them in a hundred different activities to fill their lives up with things that probably are good. But I think that kind of lifestyle keeps us frantically busy. We always have to be doing something or going somewhere. When was the last time you stopped to try and catch a butterfly? How about skipping down the sidewalk hand and hand with someone you love? I don't care if you are both 80. When is the last time you laughed until you cried? Why do we always have to be so serious? Life is meant to be enjoyed. We only have it just this one time. When we're always working toward something instead of enjoying right now, we miss it. We miss our own lives. It is good to have goals, but it is also good for life to be lived! Why do we only allow small children to be silly and play. Time for it to change! I want my life to be fun and silly and carefree, too! I am going to start living that way so I can set that example for my children. So what if I mess up here and there, at least I am happy and having fun. Will I really care ten years down the road if I missed a deadline? Even my final at school? Not really. Will I care that I didn't make dinner - even for three weeks straight? Not at all. What about if I missed a thousand appointments I set? Nope, not if I am really enjoying life. Now, maybe this method doesn't work for someone else, but I am someone who really struggles with stress. Undue stress that I put on myself. I hate it! I hate that lifestyle, and I don't want it for my children. So I am taking time for the most important things - and that is to be happy and to love. Here goes!

My Favorite Dance Partner

Tonight is another date post. We are trying to get better at dating again. Our church had a dance for adults. I had heard great things about it, but I was still pleasantly surprised when we got there. It looked so fancy and beautiful. It was like a sophisticated prom but for grown ups. There was a live jazz band and they had dinner there as well. Throughout the night they had breaks in the dancing for other entertainment and dance competitions. I seriously loved it. Will and I laughed and were brought back in time to our pre-marriage dating days. We remembered our first dance together. We were just friends then and Will was still on crutches at the time. So our dance consisted of us just swaying so he didn't have to move his feet. I remember laughing a lot. Will still makes me laugh. Dancing was a big part of our dating experience. Our first date was Preference, a girl's choice dance. The second date Will took me swing dancing. Even though I thought he was just asking me to go as a part of the group that was going dancing. I asked him, "Should I get a date?" not realizing he was asking me on a date. We both love to dance. I can't believe after all these years I still adore dancing with him and I feel more in love with him now than I ever have. I never thought I could love someone like I love Will. I appreciate him so much and all he does for our family. He is a good man and I am grateful that my Father put such an amazing man in my path for me to love.

Doesn't he look hot in suspenders?

Hot Date

Last night Kari took the girls overnight so Will and I could have some time to ourselves. It was awesome. It's been WAY too long since we have been out just the two of us. Will said it felt like when we were dating before we were married, and I had to agree. We were silly and carefree.

Will cannot take a serious picture for anything. He absolutely hates pictures, but he at least was being silly this time.

Finally! It took five different shots of him saying he would be normal the next time before he was actually smiling regular.

My Ballerina

Belle is a girl that loves to move. She loves any and all forms of dancing. Lately she has been into ballet. She even had Doug, the guy Kari is dating, doing spins and leaps with her. What a good sport. It was rather amusing to see a six foot three man dancing on his tippy toes. :) Belle LOVES the nutcracker. Last month Brenna brought Belle a nutcracker that she had found to surprise her. She put it on her bed, and we told her we didn't know where it came from. She was very intrigued by the mystery of it all. He must be magical! Don't you wish sometimes that we as adults would never lose that wonder and imagination that keeps everything magical?

Barbeque

Yesterday's weather was lovely again so for our family night we had a barbeque at the park.

The Grillmaster

 One of the rare moments when Evee was actually on the blanket and not eating dirt or leaves.

  

Just hanging out!

 

BONUS FEATURE:

 

Evee saying "da da"

Our family...plus a weird dream.

So the other night I had a dream after following the debates with the government shut-down. I dreamt that I was a primary leader, and all the children in primary were divided by two colors - red and blue. The two groups kept arguing and fighting with each other. I had to try and get them to calm down and take turns. I found that so funny when I woke up. Clearly I was a little too into it. :)

In other news, Will found out he gets to do his clinicals next semester at the place he is already working at, and it is paid. This is great news for us, because traditionally you don't get paid for clinicals. We are very happy. He is also doing very well in school, and he loves his job. He is very good with his clients and has even been sent an appraising letter from one of their therapists. He was employee of the month in February. I am happy for him in all his success.
I am looking forward to spring break next week. Boy, do I need a break! Being mom, wife, maid, and student can get very overwhelming for me, and I am already counting down to summer. I do love learning in the classroom, but I am so done with the homework part!

Belle has become a braver swimmer. Belle and I went swimming on Saturday, and she is normally to afraid to go under the water or in anything that sprays water. She was still afraid, but she ended up doing it anyway, and then she was fearless. She went under the water and in all the sprayers. She thinks she is ready for swim lessons. So we'll have to sign her up this summer. She is definitely my little social butterfly. She has so many little friends that she just loves playing with, which makes me happy. I always feel bad that she doesn't have siblings her age, but through our church we have made a lot of friends who have children. Belle knows her alphabet and is starting to spell out some words after she sounds them out. I swear I didn't learn any of that until I was in kindergarten!

Evee is now pulling herself to stand on the edge of the couch. And then she'll walk along the edge holding on. She is growing up too fast. She can crawl now, but still typically prefers to drag herself. She is quite the eater. I think that girl could eat all day long. Especially if Dad is feeding her. He always sneaks her table food. Luckily she has not been allergic to anything! Her little personality is emerging, and she is just adorable. She has the smiliest eyes and such a happy disposition. Belle and Evee absolutely love each other.

There's the update on the Flythe family.

Kissy Kissy

So a little while ago we watched this movie:

 Cute movie, by the way.


Belle said about Josh Duhamel, "He looks like I want to kiss him." Yikes! Somebody slow this girl down! I didn't think we even had to worry about that kind of stuff yet. Last night she was crying to Will at bedtime that she didn't want to grow up and get married, because then she'd have to move away and she'd miss us. Sheesh; slow down sista! You are still just my little girl right now.

Eighty Degrees

Yesterday it was eighty degrees, so you can bet I blew off my homework and we went and played. We went to Centennial Park (or the Princess Park as we call it). We played on the playground and went for a walk around the lake. Fun times with my little ladies.

Belle's all hot and sweaty from running around continuously for an hour straight. She slept GREAT afterward! :)

I thought I would put this one on to show her two little teeth on the bottom.

Going for a walk. Belle has hated strollers since she has been able to walk, so we bought a one child stroller for Evee. Since Evee has been here, Beanie has wanted to ride in a stroller. Go figure! Anyway, this is how we cruise now - both girls in the stroller.

Trip to Virginia

We went to visit my niece, Brenna, and her friend, Nikelle, down at SVU last weekend. Here's what happened:

So, I love this one of Will. 

At a yummy Italian place for lunch.There's Tommy (nephew), Will, Evee, me, Steve (nephew- love the "rar" hand), Nikelle, and Beanie. Brenna is taking the picture.

Evee in a high chair. We usually feed her in a swing, so this was fun for her.

Such a sweet picture of Steve and Evee. This is main street of Buena Vista, where Southern Virginia University is.

Brenna and Belle after a football game.

Lighting is bad, but this is Evee her first time swimming. She had a ball! She loved it. She is a natural swimmer, too. She was just a kicking her legs and splashing around. She was going to town on that water. She got drenched by splashers and didn't even care. Can't wait to take her again.

Giggles

Evee has such a funny sense of humor. The other day Will kept touching the spatula to her nose and she was completely cracking up. She died down by the time I got the camera, but Belle tried it again and this is the result.

That baby is typically such a happy baby. She loves to laugh. If you look at her in a certain mischeivious way, she knows something fun is coming and she will bust out laughing. Last night she was giggling like crazy when I was looking at her cross-eyed. I love to tickle that girly, too!

Walking in Sunshine

We have been completely enjoying this lovely weather. Today the girls were in shorts. Love it! Yesterday we went on a walk around a lake at a park with some friends. It was lovely, and Belle thoroughly enjoyed it. Truth be told, so did I.

This goose came swimming right up to Belle. Unfortunately by the time I could grab my camera it had turned away.

This is Eva (pronounced A-va). What a funny little chick! This girl makes me smile.

We saw a little snake in the path. Belle wanted to touch it, but was too hesitant.

That is Kristina pushing McKay, and Beanie is pushing Eva.

In other Flythe news: Evee now has a tooth on the bottom front with another following closely behind. And she started crawling today! For about a month now she will crawl her back legs or feet but has not been able to figure out alternating her hands to go forward. So it has just looked kinda crazy - crawl back legs, then flop down, repeat. Well, today when we were waiting to get Will into the doctor she figured it out! She's no pro, yet, but she crawled three seperate times! So fun. She also loves to eat, that girl. When we feed her she says, "Mmm mmm mmm," every bite. I got a litle video of it. The fan is loud in the background, and she's not quite as into it, but nevertheless, here it is:

I also found out some news that I'm a little distraught about. I guess kindergarten in Maryland is full day. Yuck! Belle doesn't go for another year, still, but I originally wasn't planning on putting her in preschool. I have been teaching her at home, and we get together with friends a couple times a week, so she has been getting a lot of social time with other children. I figured it wasn't necessary and I could keep her home a little longer. Now that I realize it is full day I figure I should probably put her in the school's preschool this fall to get her used to going to school. That means four days a week half time. Sad! I am not prepared for her to start all these school shinanagens! I told her she can't grow up. Why doesn't she listen? I don't understand why these schools think it is good for a five year old to be in school all day. Why can't children just be allowed to be children? I hate it! I think by making children go to more and more school younger and younger we take away their creativity. I don't want to put her in the preschool, but I'm afraid if I don't full day will be such a shocker to her. I just don't know. We'll see if I can stand it!