Sunday, December 27, 2009
ONE!
I can't believe our little Kimball is already 1 year old. We just had a small birthday party. Casey's brother Stewart and his wife Tiffany and their three kids, Alana, William, and Lydia came from Evanston to celebrate with us. Kimball was having a rough time until he got that big piece of cake set in front of him--that seemed to make everything better. He LOVED it! I haven't been very good at posting since Kimball has been born so here are a few pictures of Kimball from the past year.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Too Smart?
Lately I have been in awe at how smart Tel seems to be getting. It is simply amazing how much he learns everyday just by observing and listening to others and then putting that all together into his own new and creative ideas. Here are just a couple of his quotes from the past week:
"I have an idea!" Said while putting his index finger in the air--and then never sharing what the idea is.
"Pizza! 5 Dollars! Pizza cost 5 dollars!" Said after we had brought home some Pizza Hut for dinner. When asked again how much the pizza cost he promptly said, "Five dollars!"
Now we get to the scary part. Today in church I found he might be getting a little too smart for a 2 and 1/2 year old. Casey had taken Kimball out during Sacrament meeting because he was getting too loud and fussy. I was able to keep Tel calm and looking at a book for a while but before too long he said, "Tel has a poopy bum. Tel stinky." (He always refers to himself in the third person.) I wasn't sure if I believed him or not because he NEVER tells me if he needs a diaper change. He avoids it at all costs. But, he had never deliberately made up a lie before. (I'm sure he has lied many times but hasn't made up a story before--just lies that require a yes or no when in question.) So, I decided I would take him out and check it out. We got to the mother's room and sure enough...no poopy diaper. The little stinker had LIED! I couldn't believe it. I wasn't quite sure what to do but I knew I didn't want him to have his way! I didn't dare take him back into the chapel for fear of the fit and attention that would bring and take away from the spirit of the meeting so we stayed out in the foyer with Casey and Kimball. I let Casey know what had happened and he made Tel sit with him and not move but that didn't seem to be much of a consequence for Tel today. So if there is any advice out there for how to handle that (especially while at church) so he knows that it is not okay I am open to it. In one way it is pretty funny coming from a 2 year old and on the other, it scares me to know that my little 2 year old can think up a lie in order to get what he wants.
"I have an idea!" Said while putting his index finger in the air--and then never sharing what the idea is.
"Pizza! 5 Dollars! Pizza cost 5 dollars!" Said after we had brought home some Pizza Hut for dinner. When asked again how much the pizza cost he promptly said, "Five dollars!"
Now we get to the scary part. Today in church I found he might be getting a little too smart for a 2 and 1/2 year old. Casey had taken Kimball out during Sacrament meeting because he was getting too loud and fussy. I was able to keep Tel calm and looking at a book for a while but before too long he said, "Tel has a poopy bum. Tel stinky." (He always refers to himself in the third person.) I wasn't sure if I believed him or not because he NEVER tells me if he needs a diaper change. He avoids it at all costs. But, he had never deliberately made up a lie before. (I'm sure he has lied many times but hasn't made up a story before--just lies that require a yes or no when in question.) So, I decided I would take him out and check it out. We got to the mother's room and sure enough...no poopy diaper. The little stinker had LIED! I couldn't believe it. I wasn't quite sure what to do but I knew I didn't want him to have his way! I didn't dare take him back into the chapel for fear of the fit and attention that would bring and take away from the spirit of the meeting so we stayed out in the foyer with Casey and Kimball. I let Casey know what had happened and he made Tel sit with him and not move but that didn't seem to be much of a consequence for Tel today. So if there is any advice out there for how to handle that (especially while at church) so he knows that it is not okay I am open to it. In one way it is pretty funny coming from a 2 year old and on the other, it scares me to know that my little 2 year old can think up a lie in order to get what he wants.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Little Snapshots
Here are just some snapshots of what we have been up to lately.
Fishing: Tel absolutely loves fishing, so on one of the last semi-warm days in the fall we took him out for one last fishing trip. Kimball, thankfully, slept for a good portion of it and was happy to sit in the dirt and rocks and play for the other portion. Tel's favorite part of fishing is using minnows for bait because he always has a "fish on his line". He feels pretty good about that and loves getting the new minnows out of the bucket when we lose one.
Halloween: Tel is Buddy the dinosaur (a t-rex) from the PBS show "Dinosaur Train". He is a little obsessed with it. I procrastinated the whole Halloween thing until the night before so I pulled an all-nighter to get the costume made. It had been so long since I had sewn anything at all (not that I was ever a seamstress), but my mind has a hard time figuring out how to put the fabric together so seams are hidden and things come out looking even a little bit like I had planned. Regardless of what the seams looked like, Tel loved it! Kimball is obviously a lion--costume found here at a local second hand store. His favorite part of Halloween was the Tootsie Pop suckers.
(Okay, so my camera that has these pictures on them is completely out of batteries and I don't have any more, so I will have to edit this post and add them in when the batteries I ordered get here.)
Trip to my Baggs, WY: While my grandparents were down from Alaska we went out to spend a couple days with them and some of my Grandma's side of the family in Baggs, WY. We had a great time and it was so good to see the ranch where she grew up. I had seen it a couple times before but not since I was pretty young--too young to really appreciate it. It is a beautiful place and I loved rehearing the stories of her growing up and her school days. Grandpa Oberg also grew up near there and he took Casey on a drive to see where he used to live while I stayed back with the kids who were tired of the car by the time we got there. Casey could talk to Grandpa for hours everyday and never tire of it. They have a lot in common and Casey loves hearing all of Grandpa's stories. It is fun to watch. The boys loved the horses. This was Tel's first time to actually sit on a horse--with Dad holding on of course. He was pretty happy about it but his favorite was feeding the horses. Kimball also liked the horses and the dogs. He is fearless. Tel can be a little more cautious when it comes to the unknown--especially animals that he doesn't know. Maybe Kimball will be too but for now not much seems to phase him.
The rope swing in the barn was also a huge hit for most of the kids but mine were a little young to do it on their own. Grandma sure wanted to try. She tried to come up with a way to sit on top of that knot so she could enjoy swinging throught the air like the kids, but she was just a little too old to be doing that on her own. Thankfully she decided it might not be the smartest idea.
Tel: Tel loves to help me in the kitchen, especially if he can have free reign on making his own things. Here is a picture of him with his own pizza. The only thing I helped with was the sauce because he wanted to put WAY too much on. He was pretty proud of it. By the time it was done cooking though he was zonked out on the couch and never even got to taste it until the next day.
Kimball: Kimball is definitely getting a personality all his own. He loves his food and he loves constant attention from someone--usually that is me although there are times when Tel plays really well with him and they have a good time playing chase as they crawl around after eachother. Here is a RARE picture of Kimball falling asleep on the living room floor after Tel had succesfully rolled up the rug making for a perfect pillow. I can't remember any other time Kimball has just crashed without me rocking him to sleep or being in the car or something to that sort. The second is just a picture of Kimball enjoying a chocolatey treat.
Fishing: Tel absolutely loves fishing, so on one of the last semi-warm days in the fall we took him out for one last fishing trip. Kimball, thankfully, slept for a good portion of it and was happy to sit in the dirt and rocks and play for the other portion. Tel's favorite part of fishing is using minnows for bait because he always has a "fish on his line". He feels pretty good about that and loves getting the new minnows out of the bucket when we lose one.
Halloween: Tel is Buddy the dinosaur (a t-rex) from the PBS show "Dinosaur Train". He is a little obsessed with it. I procrastinated the whole Halloween thing until the night before so I pulled an all-nighter to get the costume made. It had been so long since I had sewn anything at all (not that I was ever a seamstress), but my mind has a hard time figuring out how to put the fabric together so seams are hidden and things come out looking even a little bit like I had planned. Regardless of what the seams looked like, Tel loved it! Kimball is obviously a lion--costume found here at a local second hand store. His favorite part of Halloween was the Tootsie Pop suckers.
(Okay, so my camera that has these pictures on them is completely out of batteries and I don't have any more, so I will have to edit this post and add them in when the batteries I ordered get here.)
Trip to my Baggs, WY: While my grandparents were down from Alaska we went out to spend a couple days with them and some of my Grandma's side of the family in Baggs, WY. We had a great time and it was so good to see the ranch where she grew up. I had seen it a couple times before but not since I was pretty young--too young to really appreciate it. It is a beautiful place and I loved rehearing the stories of her growing up and her school days. Grandpa Oberg also grew up near there and he took Casey on a drive to see where he used to live while I stayed back with the kids who were tired of the car by the time we got there. Casey could talk to Grandpa for hours everyday and never tire of it. They have a lot in common and Casey loves hearing all of Grandpa's stories. It is fun to watch. The boys loved the horses. This was Tel's first time to actually sit on a horse--with Dad holding on of course. He was pretty happy about it but his favorite was feeding the horses. Kimball also liked the horses and the dogs. He is fearless. Tel can be a little more cautious when it comes to the unknown--especially animals that he doesn't know. Maybe Kimball will be too but for now not much seems to phase him.
The rope swing in the barn was also a huge hit for most of the kids but mine were a little young to do it on their own. Grandma sure wanted to try. She tried to come up with a way to sit on top of that knot so she could enjoy swinging throught the air like the kids, but she was just a little too old to be doing that on her own. Thankfully she decided it might not be the smartest idea.
Tel: Tel loves to help me in the kitchen, especially if he can have free reign on making his own things. Here is a picture of him with his own pizza. The only thing I helped with was the sauce because he wanted to put WAY too much on. He was pretty proud of it. By the time it was done cooking though he was zonked out on the couch and never even got to taste it until the next day.
Kimball: Kimball is definitely getting a personality all his own. He loves his food and he loves constant attention from someone--usually that is me although there are times when Tel plays really well with him and they have a good time playing chase as they crawl around after eachother. Here is a RARE picture of Kimball falling asleep on the living room floor after Tel had succesfully rolled up the rug making for a perfect pillow. I can't remember any other time Kimball has just crashed without me rocking him to sleep or being in the car or something to that sort. The second is just a picture of Kimball enjoying a chocolatey treat.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Being Temperate in All Things
So this is a different kind of post for me, but one I really wanted to add in because my testimony has been strengthened today. As a small background, I, like probably all mothers at different times, have felt an extreme lack of motivation to do anything beyond surviving each day--mainly keeping diapers changed and the kids fed and bathed. Beyond that, there has been little exercise, planned and prepared dinners, and no more than just the basic house cleaning and laundry. I make all kinds of excuses for myself but my main one has been that I just can't seem to get myself motivated--it has been strange for me because I used to be much more of a goal setter and dedicated to improving myself in atleast one area of life or another. I've been struggling with this and other negative feelings for the past year and today I fasted about it. Fasting is one of those things I have not been very good at--mainly because I have been either pregnant or nursing for the past 2 and 1/2 years, but I have been past that point for about 4 months now and have failed to fast with a purpose until today. My testimony grew today about fasting with a purpose. I began with a prayer that I would somehow hear or learn something today that would help me get past these negative and depressing feelings.
My answer began in Refief Society when the lesson was on goal setting and the different programs that are out there in the church to help us with this. There actually is a Relief Society goal setting program out there just like the YW, YM, and primary have. It is called, Pursuit of Excellence. It was a great lesson and gave me time to think about the changes I needed to make as a wife, mother, daughter, and sister.
The rest of my answer came when I came home and decided to read an ensign article rather than turn on the tv or eat. The article I read was by Elder Kent D. Watson of the seventy and was from this past general conference. It is entitled "Being Temperate in All Things". The main thought in it that struck me was this, "Tempered glass, like tempered steel, undergoes a well-controlled heating process which increases strength. Thus, when tempered glass is under stress, it will not easily break into jagged shards that can injure." The whole article was inspiring to me. It talked alot about self-mastery. I have been pondering on this for the last couple hours and have come up with my New Year's resolution that I am not going to wait for the New Year to begin working on.
Like Elder Watson stated the heat that tempered glass undergoes is well-controlled. The process would not work if the heat was sudden and given all at once, just like the process of self mastery and temperance cannot be expected to happen all at once, which I believe has been one of my downfalls of the past year. I have allowed negativity and feelings of failure to rule my life because I was unable to do it all at once, and therefore, in a sense, I just gave up. The process, must be well-controlled.
The other part of his quote that I liked was that the heating process is what increases the strength of the glass. Without that heating process the glass would not become tempered, and therefore when shattered, would break into jagged shards that injure rather than small pieces that leave no serious injuries. I have to be willing to go through that "heating process" whether I feel like it or not if I want to become the person God wants me to be.
Anyway, this is getting quite long, but I have come to the conclusion that I am only setting ONE main goal for the coming year and will have little monthly and weekly goals that will help me attain that one goal. When I look at it like this it does not seem so overwhelming and impossible to attain. My goal is just the title of Elder Watson's talk. To become more temperate in all things. Now I know that I will not become a perfect master of self and that is why I use the word MORE temperate. Each month I will set 4 goals total that work towards gaining self mastery in 4 different areas--spiritual, intellectual, physical, and emotional(which for me will mostly be improving relationships). Hopefully this will help me keep my priorities in line and not feel so overwhelming since it is broken down into smaller segments to help me work towards that overall goal in life, which is self-mastery.
Again, my experiences today have been such a testimony builder and a reminder to me that God does hear and answer our prayers and when fasting, we can be more in tune to hear Him and feel his love.
My answer began in Refief Society when the lesson was on goal setting and the different programs that are out there in the church to help us with this. There actually is a Relief Society goal setting program out there just like the YW, YM, and primary have. It is called, Pursuit of Excellence. It was a great lesson and gave me time to think about the changes I needed to make as a wife, mother, daughter, and sister.
The rest of my answer came when I came home and decided to read an ensign article rather than turn on the tv or eat. The article I read was by Elder Kent D. Watson of the seventy and was from this past general conference. It is entitled "Being Temperate in All Things". The main thought in it that struck me was this, "Tempered glass, like tempered steel, undergoes a well-controlled heating process which increases strength. Thus, when tempered glass is under stress, it will not easily break into jagged shards that can injure." The whole article was inspiring to me. It talked alot about self-mastery. I have been pondering on this for the last couple hours and have come up with my New Year's resolution that I am not going to wait for the New Year to begin working on.
Like Elder Watson stated the heat that tempered glass undergoes is well-controlled. The process would not work if the heat was sudden and given all at once, just like the process of self mastery and temperance cannot be expected to happen all at once, which I believe has been one of my downfalls of the past year. I have allowed negativity and feelings of failure to rule my life because I was unable to do it all at once, and therefore, in a sense, I just gave up. The process, must be well-controlled.
The other part of his quote that I liked was that the heating process is what increases the strength of the glass. Without that heating process the glass would not become tempered, and therefore when shattered, would break into jagged shards that injure rather than small pieces that leave no serious injuries. I have to be willing to go through that "heating process" whether I feel like it or not if I want to become the person God wants me to be.
Anyway, this is getting quite long, but I have come to the conclusion that I am only setting ONE main goal for the coming year and will have little monthly and weekly goals that will help me attain that one goal. When I look at it like this it does not seem so overwhelming and impossible to attain. My goal is just the title of Elder Watson's talk. To become more temperate in all things. Now I know that I will not become a perfect master of self and that is why I use the word MORE temperate. Each month I will set 4 goals total that work towards gaining self mastery in 4 different areas--spiritual, intellectual, physical, and emotional(which for me will mostly be improving relationships). Hopefully this will help me keep my priorities in line and not feel so overwhelming since it is broken down into smaller segments to help me work towards that overall goal in life, which is self-mastery.
Again, my experiences today have been such a testimony builder and a reminder to me that God does hear and answer our prayers and when fasting, we can be more in tune to hear Him and feel his love.
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