Hope

Today I am grateful for hope, grateful for family, grateful for life.

"I think of hope as a basketful of glorious spring flowers, each blossom representing one part of what my family, friends, and I hope for. Together these hopes are a radiant, abundant, fragrant bouquet. Whatever our metaphor for it, hope remains an effervescent, expectant, happy part of life..." -Elaine L. Jack

April Showers

This weekend was a little bitter sweet. It was my fabulous brother and sister-in-law's baby shower. It was originally going to be a joint shower for the baby we would have adopted in January, if the adoption hadn't failed. I was worried I would have a hard time, but I'm so glad to say I was able to put it out of my mind for the most part and had a great time celebrating my brother's soon to be little boy and spending time with my wonderful family!


The night before the shower we all went to Coldstones for icecream. The kids were so cute picking their icecream:



Anna is the cutest pregnant woman ever. She's so teeny-tiny except for her little baby bump:

The happy expecting couple:



Oma brought the "molecule balls" to the church for the kids to play in to keep them entertained during the shower. They had a blast!!


Little M. loves to pose for the camera:
The delicious breakfast spread:
T. is such a happy little boy. He wanted his picture taken. What a little cutie!!

They brought these balloon-noise makers and blew them up for the kids to chase. It was so funny to watch them squeal with delight and chase them around the room.




Baby C. did not think it was so fun to watch the balloons. She had more of a look of terror. Her reaction was pretty funny.

Potato Boats

Here is a fun meal idea I thought I would share. Use baked potatoes, cut off the tops, hallow them out and make a mashed potato/corn/cheese mixture (to taste). Put the mixture back in the potatoes, sprinkle with cheese and broil until the cheese is melted. Then cut paper in the the shape of sails and attach them to a toothpick. The boys LOVED these :)

Tantrums

No, this picture is not one of my foster sons, but I know this face well. We've had a lot of tantrums in our home lately. Particularly from our 2yr old. I can't help wondering, how did the stripling warrior's mothers handle them when they were 2? I'm sure there is a right way to handle the weeping/wailing/gnashing of teeth that erupt from our little one, when something doesn't go exactly the way he would like.

I was particularly grateful for the LDS conference talk today, by Elder Lynn G. Robbins in the afternoon session of conference. Parenting is not easy, and it's nice to have a little extra instructions on how to be a good parent. I confess that I frequently get discouraged. I know that this phase will pass, and it will be something I look back on and laugh, but it is definitely a test of patience now. Has anyone out there found the key to handling tantrums? Any advice would be welcomed.

Just the Same

By Diana Lynn Lacey

09604_000_013

Sometimes—

God sends rain

Straight from the sky

To nourish the young flower

and it grows.

Sometimes—

God sends rain from the sky

To the mountaintops,

Then over hills and through valleys

Until it reaches the flower

and it grows, just the same.

Sometimes—

God sends a child

Straight from His realm

Into a mother’s arms

and love grows.

Sometimes—

God sends a child

From heaven to another’s arms,

Then over hills and through valleys

Until he reaches the arms of his mother

and love grows, just the same.

http://lds.org/ensign/2011/04/just-the-same?lang=eng