summer of miracles.

Could you use a miracle?  

I'll make you a promise.  If you join me in this challenge that our bishopric gave our ward, you'll see miracles in your life this summer.

Seriously.  

I know it will happen for me, and I know it will happen for you, too.

(It was originally given to the youth in our stake by our stake president at seminary graduation a few weeks ago.  Our bishop thought it was worth giving to our ward as a ward-wide challenge.  I'm so glad he did.  I know in my life that I've seen over and over again that when I show Heavenly Father that I really mean it, when I put in the work to let my faith grow...miracles happen.  It's always good to get a reminder of that, and that now is always a good time to try harder and to love more.)

Here's the challenge: (my thoughts are in blue)

The Summer Formula

1. Daily Private Devotional

  a. Read and ponder the scriptures - The Book of Mormon (There is something about reading The Book of Mormon that connects me to my Heavenly Father more than any other scripture.  We read a chapter a day as a family and I know that we've received mountains of blessings just for that one effort.)

  b. Prayer that connects ("What can I do to be more clean and pure before God?") (I loved this phrase, "prayer that connects".  Sometimes doesn't it feel like your prayers don't even go past the ceiling?  You know what I mean?  I love the reminder that prayer is a conversation, a communion, and, when we put our hearts into it...a connection.  Oh, and one more thing.  Part of my efforts to be "more clean and pure before God" is to clean up my language.  I don't swear, but I do say crap and turd a lot.  I think they're funny, but they are also rude and not very...well, clean and pure.  So, I'm doing it.  I'm going to clean up my language.  If you hear me say either of the aforementioned words, then get me in trouble.  Okay?)

2. Daily Christian Service

  a. Eliminate selfishness (Wow.  That will take a lot of work.  But even small steps toward unselfishness are going to make a big difference, no?)

  b. Contribute to love and peace in the family (We can all do a little better, right?  And imagine if everyone in the family each did a little better.  That's a LOT better!)

3. Keep the Sabbath Day Holy

  a. Prepare, serve, magnify, worship (I am proof.  Miracles happen when you prepare.  We've been working really hard to try and be more reverent during the Sacrament.  Usually that's exactly when the babies are hungry, so that means that during Sacrament Meeting we (and everyone around us) hears a lot of LOUD slurping, burping, spitting up, pooping, farting, fussing, etc. etc. etc.  Not very conducive to worship.  So we've really put a lot of effort into changing our schedule so that the babies will be ready to sleep about the time that Sacrament Meeting starts.  That's tricky, though, because that means they're tired, and it's a risk.  Sometimes tired babies fall asleep.  But, sometimes, tired babies want to scream.  Our miracle is that for two weeks now! the babies fell asleep in their car seats parked in front of us.  Like it was no big deal.  Their eyes were open one minute and closed the next.  And they slept all of Sacrament Meeting.  For me, that's a miracle.  A big one.  I'll tell you what, putting in the work necessary to have a fulfilling worship at your Sunday meetings it worth the effort.  It makes a difference.  I don't know why I forget that sometimes and have to be reminded.  But I guess that's just how it goes.  We just always have to try a little harder and remember things we used to know.)

  b. Duty to God, Personal Progress (These are programs for the youth, but the first thing I thought of was things that I should be spending my Sabbath time on.  My goal?  My journal.  I know I'll want to look back on this time and remember all the little details of my sweet little ones and our wacky life.  One thing I know, is babies don't keep.  Our babies our six months already.  SIX!  I desperately need to write our family's story.  It's a good one and I'm going to want to read it in the future.)

So there it is.  I hope you'll join me.  And let me know how it goes.  I'll post about the miracles I'm seeing in my life, and I'd love to hear the ones that happen in yours.  Believe me, it's gonna happen.  

True business.

Oh, and do you have a Book of Mormon?  If you don't I would love to send you one.  Send me an email with your mailing address and I'll get one out to you right away.  And I'll send a fun little present in there, too.  How about a cute little pincushion or something?

Okay, that's misleading.  I am not sure that I could make a pincushion this cute.  But I'll sure try.

and did you see this?

I'm pretty sure this is the only way I'll be able to go for a bike ride for maybe the next ten years.  But what a way to go, huh?  Such a cool bike.  Go win one!

MADSEN Cargo Bikes

here's one more.

Okay, so what is the likelihood, do you think, that I could convince Erik into letting me wallpaper the front hallway with this?  

When you come in our front door you see a small hallway and either immediately turn left into the kitchen, or walk 8 feet down the hallway to go straight into the office, right to the bedrooms, or left to the living room.  So, it's not a space where we spend a lot of time, but it's a space that could really use some livening up.  

I say, why not some rad Marimekko wallpaper?  Are you obsessed with Marimekko like I am?  Come on, I know you are.

I have a feeling that my chances are better with the "greige" palette.  

Still awesome, but not as Holy Crap! awesome.  You know?

just too good.

You know how I used to post about stuff?  Just for the fun of it stuff?

I'm going to do that again.

I mean, my kids are dang cute, so pictures of them aren't going anywhere.  I couldn't do that to you.

But in between episodes of "my three sons" you'll get sporadic installments of of awesomeness.  There is no charge for the awesomeness.  Or the attractiveness.  (name the movie...)

Today's awesomeness/attractiveness is from one of the coolest blogs ever.  True business.  Goal for 2009: attend one of her killer parties.  Don't know how I'm going to pull it off, but I'll do it.  Here are some ideas she posted the other day.  

Okay.  

Wasn't a little random Emily-ness fun?

(remember how I raved about the labels I used for Reid's party?  That's her company.  So cool, right?  Makes me want to start my own company, too.  Oh, right.  I already am.  What?  I haven't told you about that, yet?  Well, I should.  Because it's going to be awesome.  Keep your blog ears open.)

for your own safety...

Let's enjoy another round of fun pictures from days gone by:

In Alaska (oh, I miss Alaska sometimes...) there was this course that Erik and I would take walks on sometimes (when mosquitoes weren't out to kill) that had little stations along the trail to do small workouts/skill training on.  One of the stations is this little pile of logs that you are supposed to jump over.  Here is Erik jumping.  Look at how high his legs are above the logs!  And look at how awesome my photo skills are and how I completely cut his head out of the picture!
Then it was my turn and I was terrified.  It may not seem like much (I admit, looking at this picture and how few logs there are gives me a bit of shame), but I was fairly convinced that I wouldn't clear it.  We both were cracking up at the high likelihood of me biffing it and knocking my big teeth on the logs.  Not that it would be funny, but...you know, kind of funny.
After getting up enough courage, I went for it.  This shot might leave you to wonder if I cleared it, because my feet are barely above the logs.  But I did.  Awesome.  

A small but funny memory for me.
One time we went to the Fairbanks Pioneer Day parade and for some reason there were wiener dogs dressed up like saloon girls.  I can't for the life of me remember why, or if there was a reason.  But, man oh man, was it funny.  You can kind of see that some of the dogs are in wagons, too.  I'm guessing because they would get tuckered out with their little legs trying to walk the parade?  Funny.
Then, one time when we were in Colorado with Erik's parents, we went into this store that sells all kinds of hats, actually anything you can put on your head, really.  Erik tried on this wig and I love this picture.  He would have been smokin' hot in an '80's hair band, no?
And last on the roundup is one summer when we were checking out a glacier and there was a little creek of glacial runoff.  Erik dared me to stand in the water for 60 seconds, and he was pretty darn sure I couldn't do it.  Here I am doing it, and while I'm not positive, I would bet that his losing meant he had to watch Pride and Prejudice (the A&E one of course) with me.  Again.

Now here we are.  Here's life as we know it:
This is what I like to call "Baby Greco-Roman Wrestling".  The babies rolled up to one another and then things got tricky when one wanted to roll one way and the other wanted to go the other way.  So they just put their heads down and tried to out roll the other baby.  It was funny.  I eventually had to break it up.
You know how the other day Reid was carrying around his toothbrush and a shovel and pail?  Well, on this day it was one of those neck pillows that you take on planes, in its little mesh bag.  He wore that thing around his back all day.

The babies after church.  Could you just die?  I love the overalls.

Alec being cute.
My little men.
Out in the front yard, right by the sidewalk, we have a very small magnolia tree.  Small, but yesterday it bloomed!  This ginormous bloom!  I wished that I knew someone getting married that day because it was in perfect condition to wear on the side of a low bun.  And it smelled heavenly.
They're getting so big!
Alec's arms move too fast for our camera!
Happy babies.

And here's the safety warning:

I think I manage to be a moderately positive person.  Most of the time.  But sometimes, heaven help us, I just get bugged!  And on days like today, when I've changed FOUR poopy Reid diapers, and he's battled me on everything (No lunch!  Coooo-kies!), and the babies and I are not very gracefully going from three naps to two...I get super bugged.  So, for your own safety, here are some tips of what NOT to say to me.

If I'm in the middle of a trial...do NOT say "this too shall pass" (unless you have a good Seester Incarnacion impression)

If I'm talking about something fun I want to do that may be difficult because I have like a hundred babies...do NOT say "there is a time and a season for all things" 

and, here's the big one.  

If I had a nickel for every time I heard this one, I would seriously be looking to invest in some real estate.  No lie, I manage to get told this EVERY DAY (imagine that one in a Nacho Libre accent) and even more than that if I'm out running errands.

here it is:

If you're meeting me for the first time and see all my little kiddos...do NOT say "wow, he he, you've sure got your hands full!" (oh, how that one grates on me.  It's always said in such a condescending way, even though I bet they don't mean to be so darn rude.)

And, to end on a happier note...

I sure do have my hands full.  My hands are full.  Full to the brims and overflowing.  And what a wonderful thing.  

If I had to choose (and because of many small and big decisions throughout my life I guess I have) between having hands that were empty and hands that were full, I would happily choose full hands.  My hands hold the hands of my sweetheart Erik, my happy little Reid, and the sweet babes Dane and Alec.  My hands make the food that we all eat, my hands wash the clothes that we wear and our vast collection of spit-up rags, my hands wash the dishes that we use, my hands change many diapers, my hands can make things that are beautiful to me and bring me joy, and my hands end the day praying with my little family in gratitude for all my many blessings.  

So, yeah, my hands are full.  I would definitely recommend it.

Cooooo-kies!

To start off I thought it might be fun to show a little blast from the past.  It's really easy on our new computer to find pictures from forever ago, and it's crazy easy to post them, too.

This picture is from when Erik and I were dating and we went up to Kitt's Peak near Tucson.  One of my favorite pictures.
This one is nearly four years old!  This was on our way up to Alaska from Tucson after we got married.  It's hard to believe that that was almost four years ago.
This one was from "Traynor Day 2006", that's what our shirts say.  My family made our own holiday and spent it at Six Flags in Missouri before heading to my Grampa's farm.  
This is Reid at almost six months, the age the babies are now.  What a cute little guy.
Eating solid foods.  I was trying to make a Nacho Libre mustache.
Just being angelic and beautiful.

That tour through the Olsen archives leads us to the present time.  This is what our days look like.  Have I mentioned that Heavenly Father sent us the two most spit-up-y babies of all-time?  At the same time?  It's true.  I guess that's just part of the deal, and we sure love the rest of the deal, so we're trying to be patient with the spit-up part.  It's not even embarrassing anymore to walk around at church with huge spit-up splats all over me. 
Dane is demonstrating a site I see many, many times a day.  In fact, as I'm typing this, I just heard someone spit-up on the floor nearby as he's playing.  I'm guessing it was Dane this time.  Dane tends to spit-up, then get tired from rolling around and then buries his head in the blanket, or should I say, the pool of spit-up on the blanket.  So, he ends up with it all over his face.  I've had to wash it out of his eyelashes before.  Come to think of it, I've had to wash spit-up out of my eyelashes before...

To sum up, lots of spit-up around here. 

We've tried everything.  But if you have a suggestion, I'm all ears.
Here's Alec showing the toll that spitting up takes on a little dude.
The babies have started on rice cereal and doing pretty well with it.  Except for the time (above) when Dane sneezed just as I was putting a spoonful in his mouth.
Alec, wondering why mom is taking a picture and not giving him more food.
Dane is on the left and Alec is on the right, and I love this picture because this is also something we see a lot of.  See Dane checking out his hand?  He does it all the time.  

All the time.

Alec will do it, too.  But Dane is fascinated with his hands.  Cracks me right up.
Fun shots of them playing mid-change.  Here's Alec.
And here's Dane.
A few shots of the happy babies.  They interact with each other more and more everyday and it's so much fun to see.  Reid is interacting more with them, too.  Which is funny.  He'll talk to them a lot now, and if one is crying we hear him say, kind of sternly, "Baby!  Stop crying!  Stop crying, baby!"  Pretty funny.



Here's Erik playing with the little guys.  All three of the boys just can't get enough of Erik.  They want mom if they're hungry, cranky, or not feeling well.  Other than that, they want Erik.  Not a very fair deal, I say.
Erik and Dane.
Erik and Alec.
The babes.  Alec is on the right, and he's getting bigger.  It's a relief to see him thriving and growing.  We've found a formula that he will take and that's a miracle for us.  We tried like 5 or 6 different kinds, and the last one we tried (Nutramigen) is working.  They are both 1/2 and 1/2 right now, half breastmilk and half formula.  My body's exhausted.  

But they're growing and they're healthy and it's wonderful.
Here's Reid being cute.  See the toothbrush in his hand?  It's something funny everyday, some random object that he'll carry around.  He isn't really attached to any blanket or stuffed animal or anything, so it's funny each day to see what he's going to carry around.
Lastly, here's Reid licking the beater from when we made graham crackers.  Again.  Man, we love those things.  Reid calls them "cooooo-kies" and he can't get enough of them.  It's a great recipe because it's not much sugar or butter, a lot of wheat flour, and no eggs so I can let Reid snitch the dough and not worry about him getting a tapeworm or something.  Seriously, make them today.  You'll love them.  Erik enjoys them with frosting on top.  Oh, someday I'll share my favorite way to roll out cookies, it's easy and makes the idea of spending the time to roll them out much more feasible.

That's what we're up to.

In summary:

I've been loving Erik for a long time now, Reid was a cute baby, the boys spit-up a lot but are darn cute despite the fact, and Reid needs a haircut.

got my mojo back.

So the weekly edition of pictures is a good idea, but what if I'm in the mood to post pictures when it's not weekly edition day?

I'm going to do it, darn it.  

I think I'm making this bloggy business too difficult. 

From now on, if I have a moment and feel like blogging, I'm going to do it.  So that means that there probably won't be a pattern, or any way to predict when to check us out for a new post...but that just adds to the fun, right?  You can check us out and be like, "wow!  Four new posts about Emily's hair!  Great!"  

Just kidding.  I think I'm going to create a separate blog for all the Emily nonsense, for those interested in that kind of...nonsense.

This blog will remain as the place to find new on the babes, and the babe (Erik), and the baby mama (me). 

Here goes.

Remember this quilt?  When I was in Tucson a few months ago I had it quilted and my mom bound it and now it's pretty perfect for letting squirmy, roll-y babies go to town on it.  Between the two of them, they need a LOT of room to roam.

More babies, but this time au natural.  Cute.  They are obsessed with rolling around lately, and love to play together rolling.  I just have to referee to make sure they don't kick each other in the head/stomach/face/etc.
Dane is saying, "Hello!"
We were getting ready to go somewhere so I was changing everyone into clean clothes, assembly line-style.  
I love the look on each boy's face. 
Happy Dane.
Happy Alec.
On Monday the scouts in our ward had a barbecue to raise money for scout camp.  Erik works with the YM in the ward, so he was there helping out all day (starting at 7am!  What a good guy!)  I showed up with the boys for lunch and it was a little cold out, so Reid got to wear one of daddy's hats.
Can't get enough of that face!
This picture was taken this morning.  I heard giggling and jabbering and turned to see the babies facing each other.  I had put them down a little bit apart, to give them room to roam, but they found their way to each other to visit for a while.  Oh, and check out the cute quilt my mom made for them.  The red one is Dane's and the blue one is Alec's (scroll up a few pictures to see them on the blue one).  They are great quilts.  My mom is a quilting genius.  
And lastly, just because he's cute, this is Reid this morning at breakfast.  I love his morning hair.  Actually, that's his hairstyle quite often, but I just can't bring myself to cut it.  I like it all crazy.  
Keep checking up on us.  You never know when more of this adorableness will show up, but I promise you, you don't want to miss it.