Swim Lessons

For Father's Day I made a french toast casserole for breakfast (it was okay, but probably making regular french toast would have been better) and enchiladas for dinner. Lily sang in church and Ryan really wanted to go up with her. I said he needed to stay, but after Lily was up there Jeff told him he could go up too. He didn't want to go alone though so he was sad, but Lily came back and said that he can't go up until he is in primary. We came home from church and took a little nap then Lily and I made Jeff's favorite cookies, chocolate crinkle cookies. We decided to help keep the sabbath day holy we want to incorporate service. Making cookies and giving them to people we know is one thing we thought of doing. We ended up eating a lot and giving them to a woman I used to visit teach who had just had a birthday. Jeff spent a lot of time with the kids and they loved it so much. Max just craves daddy time and is pretty clingy to Jeff when he's home. I'm glad this MBA program is only 16 months long!

Lily was very excited to have her first week of swim lessons. Some of the kids were shy or didn't want to do the class, but Lily just jumped right in there eager to do everything. The first day they had to jump off the wall into the water, then monkey crawl along the ledge. She had a big smile and seemed so proud and happy after accomplishing each thing. At one point the kids had to pick up rings from in the water. Lily got some for her and then saw boy without any and gave him one. Then she pointed to another child where a ring was and encouraged them to get it. She is really sweet. She also likes to follow the rules though. When the teacher was telling them to monkey crawl and some kids stopped, she shouted out, "keep going guys!"

Ryan really wanted to go to Barnes and Noble to play with trains, but with other errands I wasn't sure if we'd have time. Nearing the end of our trip to Target, Max was getting hungry and tired and I thought it best to go home. I heard Ryan talking to himself though and he said, "yes! We can go to Barnes and Noble." Then he cheered and told Lily that they could go. It was like he was willing it to happen and when he played it out in his mind it became reality. I was pretty impressed and it made me want to take him, but we still couldn't go. But hey, he's all about that positive thinking!

Lily had her friend Kalissa over from church to play. It was such an easy play date! It's nice when kids are good friends and I don't have to come and intervene or help when theirs tears. It actually made my afternoon much easier because I could spend some time with Ryan and Max.

I asked for MaKenna to come over again and help out while I got some stuff done. But then I ended up having Taryn and Leah from next door over and Max and Ryan were a little clingy. But I did fold some laundry and it's always easier when there's another helper. Kenna took Ryan on a bike ride and the girls made necklaces and bracelets for a long time. I just had to keep coming and tying them. We went to the park after with some people from church and MaKenna was helpful there too. Life with a mother's helper is great!

Later that day I was visiting teaching and my old visiting teachee, LaWana Marss, had insisted that I bring my kids over sometime when I needed a little break or to run errands. She just turned 70, lives alone, and said she likes to feel useful. So I took her up on her offer. We brought over books and puzzles. I came back an hour later and Lily was sobbing. She was so upset that I didn't leave them longer, which I thought was a nice compliment to her. They definitely want to go back and I'm sure it melted her heart to have them love her so much. And I was SO grateful for her! I had a very pleasant visiting teaching visit (Max is still a handful, but that's okay) and the kids had a great time bonding.

One morning I read "Stuck in the Mud" to Lily and Ryan. Since Ryan knows that Thomas the tank engine book so well, he often just recites it. Lily was so sad that she didn't know it (I told her she used to have it memorized when she was younger). While Ryan and I finished going through the book, she sat in the corner on the couch and was reciting it to herself to learn it. Afterward she said it to us and even mentioned that she knew all the book, unlike Ryan who needed help on a couple pages. I'd say that Lily is a bit competitive.

Lily and Ryan love being helpful and they do a great job picking up toys and like surprising me when it's all clean. Another favorite thing to do is peel vegetables and Lily's pretty good too.

One day when we went to the park the kids played hide and go seek. This is where Ryan hid and I think by turning away from the main area he thought it was a good spot. But funny enough, Lily went through the bushes right in front of him so she actually didn't see him for awhile.

This has been Jeff's first week of having a deadline for school. He's feeling the pressure a bit more, but luckily with work the census has been going great so at least he hasn't had to worry about that. And so it begins!

And a tower picture. "Mommy, is this pose stylish?"

New Habits on the Horizon

I have been in such  rut lately and finally had enough and decided to get out of it. Typically the best way for me to regroup is through exercise and eating right and then I naturally want to read scriptures and be more proactive in life in general. But the exercise and healthy eating weren't happening, so I just focused on my scripture study. And let me just say that it was life changing for me, seriously! I studied for 20-30 min out of the scriptures and the President Benson manual. The key for me is my notebook. I only ready one or two scriptures, but I pray, ponder and think about what the Lord wants me to learn from those. As I write and pray, insights and ideas come and it's just wonderful. I have the spirit with me and I just naturally feel better about life. Which means that I naturally feel like I can accomplish the hard overwhelming things that seem daunting when you don't have the spirit. Couple that with sincere, kneeling prayers and it was a great week. That's not so say I didn't struggle and have some hard moments, but I bounced back quickly. So I'm just here to say that I love the scriptures, I love the words of the prophets, I love prayer, and I love the Holy Ghost, I have such a strong testimony of all those things and embracing them really will change your life.

Next up on the list was exercise and eating. Heather mentioned she was doing whole 30, which means you eat completely healthy for 30 days. It's a paleo diet, which I try to eat in general, but with no slips. I didn't think I could do it in the past, but I talked with Heather and felt inspired and encouraged so I just dove in. I am on day three now and have exercised (I love P90x3!) two days now so I'm on a roll. I even started going to bed earlier, getting up at 5 to do scriptures and exercise. I read my sleep book and we sleep trained Max in a couple days so he now sleeps through the night so life is good!

Okay, now on to other things. Ryan has all of a sudden begun this self-directed play downstairs with the trains. He is totally fine going down by himself and he'll spend 30-45 minutes down there. It's amazing, but great that he has things he likes to do and he doesn't have to wait around for anyone else to do them with him. I played with him this morning and we had so much fun and then he built towers for me out of blocks and was so proud of his creations. He's doing so many things and such a smart boy, it's fun to see him growing up.

Today Lily got to go with her friend Aubrey and another friend Paige to Jumpin', a bounce house. Aubrey's mom Amy took them (so nice!) and she was thrilled to go out with her friends. Yesterday I watched Laren and Kyle Batemen's kids, 2 and 6 months, and Lily was so sweet with them. Ryan napped, but Lily got toys out of them and if she had to correct them she did it in a very nice voice. She told me she'd watch them if I needed to go to the bathroom. I can tell she's going to be a great babysitter someday. Lily's favorite song is "Breakin Free" from high school musical. She could listen to it all day and never get tired. We put it on when we are cleaning the house or just wanting to sing. Ryan sings now too, but he sometimes gets bored of it.

Max slept through the night as I said before and it feels like a miracle! Just reading in my book that it's okay for kids to cry (I know this and did this with Ryan, but it's still nice to be given permission) helped me have the strength to help him learn how to sleep. It was a very hard two nights, but now he's doing it! Ryan and Max share a room now, Ryan in the toddler bed, and Max in the crib, and they are doing well. Sometimes we'll hear them laughing hysterically, but they eventually go to sleep. And Ryan is always really quiet when he goes into Max's room at night. Although one night Max was asleep when Ryan went in there. Eventually Ryan was laughing hysterically, but I didn't check in because they have done that before and eventually go to sleep. However, then Ryan started crying so I ran in and he is under Max's crib and kicking up the mattress and the crib is also a bit lifted. He had gotten stuck in the rungs under the mattress. I think it's high time we put the monitor in that room!

Sometimes he doesn't make it to bed. 

Max LOVES getting into the fridge and taking all the pots and pans out of the cupboard. Oh, and he loves taking all the dishes out of the dishwasher. Basically he likes making messes.

 He's got six teeth now and his toothy grin is adorable. He's cruising around furniture more and loves going up the stairs. Church is always interesting with him and a little exhausting, but we will just be all the more grateful for nursery. Poor Max fell down a couple stairs today. I ran upstairs and closed the door to get fish thawing for dinner, and then Ryan started talking to me. It dawned on me that he had opened the door and I rushed to look and Max was on the second stair and then just fell. It was so sad and he cuddled me for the longest time, but he seemed okay later on.

Dance Recital Time and Youth Conference

Lily had her dance recital this week and she did such a great job! I went to her dress rehearsal and it seemed like the girls didn't really know what the moves were. I was thinking since I had seen that practice I would stay home with the boys and Jeff would go with Lily. But Lily really wanted me to come too so we got a babysitter and I'm so glad I went! During intermission I went to Lily and told her to smile, do her best, and have fun. After the show she told me she did everything I said.

She truly was the best one out there! She knew all the moves, had a big smile on her face, and had a lot of energy. Jeff and I were delighted to watch her and it was so worth it to be there for the performance! Lily loved getting makeup on, curling her hair, and wearing her outfit. That was just like me when I was little. We were so proud of her and she was darling. I will say though that she is happy to be done with dance practice. She likes being on the big stage (she mentioned that several times), but doesn't love so much the practice it takes before getting there.

Lily loves trying different poses for pictures

Lily with her good friend Maddie

Lily is third from the right

And ice cream to finish the night off!

I'm reading the book, "The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up." I am loving it so far and feel like this has been an answer to prayer for me since I have been wanting a home that is more organized and less cluttered. I feel like it's affecting my mental/emotional/spiritual well being so I'm determined to get the calm and peaceful home that can come with less stuff. Here's my start, going through all my clothes. Jeff liked my finished product so much, how I now fold my clothes, and how my drawers and closet looked, that he did the same thing. I told him you have to hold each item and thank it for what it did for you. So he'd pick up a shirt, say "thank you" and then throw it in the bag. He loved what this process did for him in his organization as well!

Max climbs on EVERYTHING now and couldn't resist these bins

Kelly Huff met with Cara, Emily and me to finish off our quilts (Emily is doing a table runner). It made me realize how much I love those ladies and love getting together! We used to quilt every Monday, but once school got out we haven't done that. It was therapy for my soul to have these good friends and to have a project to work on. The quilt is almost done, I just have to hand sew the binding now. It has been such a fun project and a wonderful way to create beautiful friendships with good women I love. I feel so blessed to have made this connection with them.

I also had youth conference this week, which when Jeff texted me in the middle of the night in Westminster that Max was having a horrible night sleeping, I wasn't sure if I should still go. But things worked out okay he said and encouraged me to go. The morning we all met to do service in three different groups and the beehives provided a delicious breakfast. I helped out at the bishop's house since they are getting ready to sell it. We bagged grass and weeded. I had such a lovely time talking with Amber Hopkins, the bishop's wife and I love being able to visit with people while still getting something accomplished.

I drove a car up and it was almost a 3-hour drive to the mountains to Winter Park. We had time to play games, do service picking up garbage, swim, play mini golf, go tubing, have some down time and chat with the girls. I loved it! I shared a room with Kari Murray (the Young Women's President) and it was the best to be able to have so much time to visit with her! She is so busy and with my little kids it's hard to say much when we see each other in passing. So this felt like a girls weekend. But I really had a chance to bond with some of the girls and it's always true that when you know someone better you love them more. I felt so happy I got to go. One highlight for me was the sunrise hike (it was VERY early). But it really is special being in the mountains when it's quiet and looking out over God's creations. You feel disconnected from the rest of the world and the noise and it's easy to feel closer to Heavenly Father. We also had a fireside with Brother Rowley, who is in charge of building the Fort Collins temple. He has been involved with so many temples and I could just sit for hours and hear him tell stories. One story was of a man who was blind but wanted to help build. He had the workers give him tools to know how long and wide to dig some trenches. He stayed all week working until it was done. In the end, his trenches were the straightest of anyone. He said being a member of the church has done so much for him that he couldn't not repay the Lord for His goodness. I was so touched by that story and it showed to me that when there's a will to serve, we can find a way and we can be such a blessing to others when we serve.

The last night we did a simulation set up by Amber.  We had clear wire set up as a path from tree to tree, but along the way there were diversions to confuse the path. The kids were given an egg to hold on to and never give up and they were blindfolded. As leaders, we were assigned as helpers or tempters. I was an "angel" and I also greeted the girls when they finished. It was such a powerful experience I felt. Some kids just kept going on wrong paths, never asking for help. Then others, once they realized they could get help by kneeling and asking, were on their knees whenever they got to a fork in the line. It laid out for me so clearly our experience here on earth. As an angel, I was so sad when I saw people going in the wrong direction, especially if they kept going in the wrong direction, and I just wanted them to ask for help! And there were other times when I was helping someone and I saw another youth on their knees. I knew they'd have to wait just a bit until I could answer their "prayer" and it spoke to me on how Heavenly Father always sees us pleading on our knees, but the answer may not be instant. And I learned how the voice of the angel is very soft, not constant and loud and disturbing like the voice of the tempters. You really do have to be still and listen and block out the noise. And finally, as someone who welcomed people back when it was over, I got a glimpse of the happiness you feel when someone has persisted to the end and made it! It would have been so sad if one of the youth had given up. We all want to be there together and there will be joy when we are welcomed in by loved ones. This activity was the perfect ending for the conference and I was so touched by all the insights I had.

The last day we went tubing down a hill. It looked a little scary to me and I was fine not going, but another leader, Jeremy Huff, was insistent that Kari and I go. I must say that I was so happy he made us do it, it was so much fun! I screamed the whole way down and some of the girls wanted to do doubles with me and it was just a blast. I thought Jeff would have loved it so perhaps sometime we'll go up as a family. And then we headed home. I drove by myself to pick up the kids in Westminster and it was back to life again. I was so grateful for the break and for time with the other leaders and girls.

Here's what Sandy said about the weekend:
Hi - just wanted to let you know that the kids are being great for Diana today. Max only got up once in the night at 11:00. Diana changed him and put him right back down and he went to sleep and slept until 8:00 this morning! We read books with Lily and Ryan from 8:00 to 8:30 last night before bed, that is, Michael read to Ryan and Diana read to Lily - they enjoyed the one on one time. Ryan hugged Michael and said, "Michael, I will miss you so much. Then we won't have very many boys anymore at Mama Baer's house." He's so sweet and thoughtful. I sang to them once they were in bed. Lily fell asleep immediately. It took Ryan a little longer to fall asleep. 

When I said it was time to go to bed, Ryan wanted a snack, so I shared an orange with him and then he asked for a banana, but I think he was just stalling being put to bed. I said we were all done eating and he needed to go to bed and promised he could have a banana for breakfast. He was fine with that. 

Ryan woke up at 7:00 this morning and I heard him saying, "Lily, are you awake?" But she was still sound asleep. I listened at the door and everything was so quiet, so Ryan must have laid back down. Diana came upstairs at 7:30 and got Ryan up - Lily didn't get up until about 8:00, so it was a good night for all of us. 

Dad and Michael left at 7:00 this morning. Lisa, Nick & Diana want to take Lily and Ryan to the Zoo tomorrow morning. I'm going to keep Max home with me. He and I will be fine together and I'm looking forward to spending some time with him one on one.

A few cute things: On Wednesday night, before leaving, Lisa hugged Lily and said, "I love you soooooo much!" and Lisa responded, "Do you love me more than God does?" Lisa said, "I think God loves you the very most because you are so special to him and he knows you, but I also love you a lot." Lily was happy with that answer. Then last night, after we celebrated Nick's birthday (which is today - be sure to write on his FB), Lily realized that the card she gave him fell by the side of the couch. When she found it, she said, "oh no, Nick doesn't have my card" and she started to tear up. I told her Nick would be back on Saturday, so he could get it then. Lisa called shortly after that and I told her about the card. Then, when Lily was in bed and I was singing to her, Nick and Lisa came into the house and Nick came into Lily's room and said softly, "Lily, I got home and couldn't find the birthday card you gave me and I was so sad. I had to come back over to get it because I really like your drawing." Lily had the biggest smile on her face and said, "You're welcome!" Then when they left, she told me, "He really missed my card because it was the most special one. It was the only card with hearts on it that I drew and I'm the only one that drew the wedding!" (loved her little stick figures of Nick and Lisa). That just made her feel so special and loved and really built her confidence. I thought it was so touching. 

VBS, Construction Vehicles, and Yard Work

Lily had her second round of vacation bible school this week at Redeemer Lutheran. She went last year as well and had a great time so we thought we'd do it again. Ryan and I had the same routine of dropping her off, putting Max to sleep, then having our alone time. I turned around and saw this in the car:

Tuesday Lily had dance class so she missed VBS, but I just happened to come across a most spectacular find on the library website. I think it was Ryan's dream come true. Although when Lily saw what was in the parking lot, she couldn't get out of the car and across the street fast enough. A crane, a bulldozer, and a school bus!

  

 The kids insisted on waiting in the parking lot until all the vehicles left. We were the only ones there besides the library workers. However, the crane wasn't starting for some reason, and the operator was trying long enough that the library worker, Andrea, who was in charge, seemed a little worried. I asked Lily to pray for Gene that he could start it. We were sitting right next to Andrea and Lily said a short prayer for him and the crane. IMMEDIATELY after she said, "amen," the crane started up. And he had been trying for over five minutes. Andrea said, "wow, it started!" I made a big deal about how Heavenly Father answered her prayer so quickly and what a wonderful blessing that was. What a cool experience for Lily to have such an immediate answer to prayer, but I also hope that it was an example of prayer that perhaps Andrea may have needed to experience too.

Post prayer, the crane is down!

Max liked the pole and the rocks

We couldn't leave until it was out of sight.

Max loves climbing and sitting in the basket.

Lily had $4 that she was determined to spend. So we had a fun time at the dollar store deciding on what to get. She only spent $3.

More yard work and the kids were happy helpers!

Lily and Ryan fought over who got to use the clippers. These kids sure love helping. And Jeff was amazing! He was exhausted form work but just came home and got lots of yard work done. 

Lily singing on her last day of vacation bible school.