Beira, Mozambique

On March 23rd (12 days after he submitted his mission application), Kaleb was called by the prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, to serve a full-time mission in Beira, Mozambique for two years.  He will be learning the Portuguese language to speak with the people there.  We are so happy that he has chosen to take this time to serve our Savior, Jesus Christ, and to serve the people of Mozambique that would like to develop their own relationships with Christ and God.  Of course, my mama's heart worries a bit, but President Nelson said, "Teach them to be obedient to the laws of God and man.  If they do so, they will be protected both physically and spiritually.  Teach them that, in spite of the ever present risks, they will be much safer on their missions than will their classmates and colleagues who were not called on missions.  A mission is the safest place in the world for them at this time."

I hope all of my children will choose to serve a mission in their life.  I look forward to the day that Leonard and I can serve a mission together!

World Down Syndrome Day

This is the 4th World Down Syndrome Day we have celebrated with sweet Macy in our lives.

Of course, there are some challenges we are working to help her with.

She is such a blessing though and we couldn't imagine not having her in our family!

"Don't let the mind limit, what an able heart can do."

I couldn't have said it any better.

I'm so grateful that so many are striving to make a more inclusive world for ALL people!

Marsha in town

My friend, Marsha, came to town from Alberta to celebrate our friend, Annick's, 50th birthday.

Marsha, Jackie, Angelique, Maggie, Sonia, Annick, Cooper, Sakuisa, and I were able to get together to go for a nice walk and visit with her.

While I was chatting with her, she asked how it was coming with the babies (meaning if we were pursuing adoption).  I couldn't keep my excitement in and told her I was 7 weeks pregnant.  She encouraged me to share the news with the rest of the group.  I told them I was thinking of getting a pink or a blue highlight in my hair next time I visit my stylist.  There were shouts of pink and blue with the different votes, and then I said maybe I should let the baby decide.  They were all so excited for me and Annick even said, "twins!"

I am still sad I lost this pregnancy and these twins (I probably always will be), but I am okay.  I have a wonderful family and wonderful friends that love me.  I also know Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love me.  I'm learning that it's okay to feel both happy and sad at the same time.  I'm also learning it's good to share my story, so others will feel more welcome to share their stories.  The world is a better place when we share our joy and our sorrows with one another.  I'm so grateful that in all the places I've lived I've been surrounded by people with amazing hearts!

St. Patrick's Luck

We may have been in quarantine for over a year, but we were lucky to eat this fruit rainbow of raspberries, mandarin oranges, pineapple, kiwis, blueberries, and grapes.

We were also lucky to have our 3 favorite Epicure dips- extraordinary cheese dip with baguettes, nacho cheese dip, and guacamole with tortilla chips.

We were the most lucky to have all 9 of us together still.

I sure am blessed to have these sweet people in my life!

Beware the Ides of March

The first case of Covid-19 was reported on November 17, 2019.  The World Health Organization declared it a global pandemic on March 11, 2020.  However, it didn't affect our world until March 12th.  We were told the kids would go to school on the 13th, then their spring break that was the following week was going to extend to 3 weeks (we were so naïve!).  March 15th was our first unusual day as that was the first day we couldn't attend church.

One year later, and the only thing I feel is that the government is trying so hard to control people, but they have no way to control this virus and now it is mutating and we have several different variant strains.  I honestly think we need to just go back to life.  We will do our best to care for the sick and mourn with those that mourn, but we need to live.  I'm so grateful our family has been safe, and I am so grateful for our home.  But our homes have become our churches, places of work, and schools.  We need people, we need to travel to new places.  Life is not meant to be lived online!!

D'oh-nuts!

Have you heard of Suzy Q donuts?

Navy brought some over for Noé and Kaleb's birthday.  Noé shared a bite of one with me and it was really tasty!

It inspired Ali to go and get her donut.

It's a bath bomb though, ha ha.  She sure did enjoy her bath!

This little girl is a nut!

Kaleb and Noé's #19

Kaleb and Noé's 18th birthday was the last time our family had a party with friends.  We've now come full circle and everyone has had a "covid" birthday.  I sure hope we don't have too many more of these, we miss our friends!

Kaleb is a freshman at the University of Pennsylvania, studying Architecture.

Noé is a freshman at BYU-Hawaii, studying Hospitality and Tourism Management.

The ones who made us parents!

The seven that fill our hearts (take 1).

Take 278, ha ha!

They chose our traditional Mother's Day casserole for breakfast, yum!

We played two rounds of pass the parcel,

and they opened their gifts.

We ordered Kaleb a natural aquamarine ring, and Noé got a shopping spree where she chose new pajamas, overalls, a dress, and a skirt.

They are both such gifts to me!!

We had a family dance party, had Sloppy Joe's for dinner, followed by Coconut Cream pie for dessert.  We also watched Les Misérables.

The next day (their actual birthday) we had Shrimp Fettucine Alfredo for dinner, followed by French Silk pie, and watched The Greatest Showman.  Hugh Jackman joined us for both days of their birthday celebrations!

Happy Birthday Kaleb and Noé, may this new year bring you much joy!

It was a happy day!

Why was I smiling so big?

I had just found out I was pregnant!

I had dreamed of having one more babe before Kaleb and Noé turned 18.  I thought it was funny how I found out I was pregnant again on the last day of them being 18.  Their 19th birthday was on Fast Sunday, so we had our family party the day before.  We began the festivities with 2 rounds of pass the parcel.  The one round had our usual yummy chocolate bars for everyone (either Reese, Twix, or Bounty).  The other round was my positive pregnancy test!  All of the kids were just as excited as Leonard and I were.

I also thought it was amazing and funny when we found out we were having twins.  I had always dreamed of 8 kiddos (as I love even numbers).  I thought it was great that I would have my dream come true and have a fabulous bonus (and that I'd have to start loving odd numbers, ha ha!).  Twin book ends would have just been too much fun!

Today I would have been 11 weeks pregnant, but the miscarriage that I knew was coming finally started today.  I am so blessed, but this is so hard.  I don't know what to dream about anymore.

It's March!

March brings leprechauns and rainbows and the hope of spring!

We had a lot of snow in January.  More in February.  And even more in March.  Here's hoping spring will still come soon!

Loved

So grateful to each and everyone of you that reached out to me after hearing our news yesterday. We're still sad, but feel so loved. I love each of you and am so grateful to know you.

I see trees of green Red roses too

I see them bloom For me and you

And I think to myself What a wonderful world

I see skies of blue And clouds of white

The bright blessed day The dark sacred night

And I think to myself What a wonderful world

The colors of the rainbow So pretty in the sky

Are also on the faces Of people going by

I see friends shaking hands Saying, "How do you do?"

They're really saying "I love you"

I hear babies cry I watch them grow

They'll learn much more Than I'll never know

And I think to myself What a wonderful world

Yes, I think to myself What a wonderful world

~Louis Armstrong

My husband Leonard also shared these words:

My own instinct would have been to grieve in solitude; I regretted the few people I had shared our joy with prior to yesterday's news, knowing I'd need to make them share our sorrow. But I'm grateful for my wife's profound openness, and for the compassion that all of you have showed us.

 

Empty

The last time I posted on here I found out I was pregnant!  I've wanted to post since then as we had some fun days in March and already now in April, but I have been so tired and nauseous that it always got pushed to the back burner.  Here's an update though:

Five weeks ago, my period was a week late. I took a pregnancy test and was so surprised and thrilled that it was positive (I took 2 other home tests each a week a part as well). I called my doctor and she had me come in for a blood test. When the nurse called me with the results she said I was a million percent pregnant. That made my day!

Two weeks ago, I went in for my first dating ultrasound. The sonographer found not one, but two little fetal poles. They were in separate amniotic sacs, but shared a chorionic sac which also meant they shared a placenta and would be identical. They were measuring two weeks earlier than we thought, and no heartbeats could be detected. I was nervous, but the doc wasn't. She just wanted me to have another ultrasound in two weeks.

Today was the day of the second ultrasound. Unfortunately, I have already lost one of the babes, and the other one has stopped growing. I should miscarry on my own this week. If not, I will need my doctor to help my body pass everything.

It's incredible the sense of loss of something I never had yet. We did have big dreams though. The kids were already debating if they were both boys or girls. I had read my baby names book and chosen 4 names, hoping Leonard would love them as much as me. I had been dreaming of how we'd decorate the nursery and how we'd decorate the big girls' room when Macy moved in with Ali. Dreaming of a full-size van we could all fit in. Dreaming, dreaming, dreaming, and now all of that is gone like a wisp of smoke.

I'm so grateful for my wonderful husband and our seven amazing kiddos, but I am sad for the loss of the two.

God is SO Good, and I am SO Grateful!