Some Things That Make Me Smile

a "NIE"-inspired post:

1.

Rather than coming to Mom when he first got out of bed, Ryan went straight into my closet and climbed into the dirty clothes basket.

2.

I'm so happy when the dogs get attention during the day from the boys, because they certainly don't get much from me.

3.

Brett had put the boys to bed while I attended a music practice. This is how I found Todd when I came home and checked on him.

I love taking photos of my sleeping beauties - such innocence and peace.

4.

Dear Todd and Ryan,

I love you. I love your sweetness which is displayed in so many unexpected moments during the day.

Dear Stephanie, a.k.a. NieNie,

Thank you for sharing your creativite talents and faith with the blogging world. And for showing us how you take care of your family in such loving and beautiful ways. You inspire us. We are looking forward to hearing your blog-voice again soon.

Dear Courtney, a.k.a. CJane,

Thank you for sharing your thoughtful and heartfelt words with us. Your love for your extended family inspires us. Your posts make me cry more often than I care to admit.

Love, Becca

Faux Pas

This morning I was dressed in some light sweats and a moderately form-fitting (at least around the mid-section) shirt--comfort clothes. While I was getting breakfast ready for the boys Ryan said something to the effect of, "Mom, you look like you have a baby in your tummy." . . . thanks.

So, to my girlfriends who keep telling me that I look fine, sometimes even "good"--I know better. Four-year-olds don't lie about these things. And, I have known the truth of his statement for quite a while.

The funny thing is that even though my tummy bothers me, I am okay with me. In fact, I am so okay with me that I still went for that chocolate cookie an hour later!

Now I need to make sure that I teach Ryan how big of a faux pas he committed. I was not (that) offended, but I would have been mortified if he had tried this statement out on someone else first.

Even Dr. Jones Isn't Afraid of This

Last Tuesday Brett brought home a surprise for the family. What do you think it is??

That's right, a snake! Brett found it when he was at a job site in Pensacola. I love the expression on Todd's face in that middle picture above--the happy excitement. The boys thought it was great. They both touched it and tried to pet it right away.

The boys quickly decided that even Indiana Jones (who hates snakes, of course) wouldn't be afraid of this snake. We had a hard time deciding on a name for the snake. Brett and I were in favor of Dr. Jinks. I just wanted to keep the "Dr." prefix in honor of Indiana. Ryan decided to name the snake Mr. Teddy-Bone (a name he claims he heard from Mickey Mouse on the Playhouse Disney web site).

Todd stuck with the "one-finger-touch" for a while, but it didn't take Ryan too long before he was ready to see if it would climb onto his shoulder. He said it tickled him.

You can tell how much I trust my husband's knowledge of things natural. Brett says that this snake is one of the most gentle snakes you'll find in the wild. And I believe him--no questions asked--enough that I am willing to try hold the snake and let it climb over my arms. Looking at these pictures I think it looks a little crazy. However, I would do it again in a heartbeat. It really was cool. It was neat feeling the snake's body contract and relax as it moved. I also liked feeling it tighten its tail around my finger or wrist as it tried climbing off one limb and moving to another. Awesome.

Todd wouldn't hold the snake in the afternoon with the rest of us. But as soon as Brett said that it was time to let it go that evening, Todd wanted a turn. He didn't want to miss this opportunity. By then he had seen the rest of us handle the snake without any fear or any problems and with great enthusiasm. Todd did great.

We even printed out some pictures for Todd to bring to school for Show-And-Tell. Here are some of the facts that I wrote out for Todd to share with his class:

-corn snake; "red rat snake"
-a constrictor

-a good climber, but prefers to hide underground

-eats mice, young rats, small birds, lizards, and frogs

We let him loose under the little wooden deck off our bedroom, but I agree with Brett that we probably won't ever see him again. It's a shame. He would be a pretty cool pet. I think Brett's dad will be relieved to hear that we decided not to keep him in a tank in the house (he shares a phobia with Dr. Jones)--don't doubt that we were a little tempted.

Hope to see you again, Dr. Teddy-Bone.

Name These Names

This morning the boys were in and out of the room where I was trying to watch General Conference via the Internet. I much prefer to watch it on a TV, but since our family does not subscribe to cable or DirectTV and our local church satellite was not working properly I was left with little choice. Although I did not get to watch as much live conference as I had hoped, I did get to watch a little. I still hope to go back and view the sessions that I missed. Maybe I'll report later on some of the things that struck me most. . . Maybe.

Anyway, Todd noticed something that I found kind of funny, if a little disrespectful. As we were watching the prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, speak, Todd must have also been thinking about our late prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley. He said, "Mom--Thomas, like Thomas. And Gordon, like Gordon." That was all he had to say before I clued in to what he noticed. A minute later Todd says, "And Henry, too." So, let me put what Todd noticed into a little trivia.

Can you tell me what the first names of the members of the current First Presidency and the members of the previous First Presidency have in common? And which of these names does not belong?
Gordon
Thomas
James
Henry
Dieter
[See the comments section for the answer.]

Nuggets of Wisdom

I have amazed myself by reading about three books in the last three weeks. I have always enjoyed reading, but don't usually manage to find the time to do it as often as I would like. Last week's book was The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale. It is a retelling of the Grimm's Brothers' fairy tale of the same name (which I had never heard of). It was a sweet book, and I enjoyed reading it. I was kind of sorry when I finished it.

This week's book was Rosanna of the Amish by Joseph W. Yoder. I was given this book by my mom many years ago. In fact, my maiden name is printed on the inside cover. I had never read it, and decided that it was about time I did. It is another young adult book (my prefered genre of late). It tells the true story of a girl raised in the Amish religion. It is told by her son, and describes the life of the Amish from birth to death. It was interesting, and I enjoyed learning a little more about the Amish people and their customs, but the book was not exactly "entertaining". However, there is one paragraph I wanted to share from this book.

I find it interesting that although I have been doing pleasure reading lately when I should probably be doing more scripture reading, I am still occasionally able to find words of truth that speak to me. Often these insights are just what I need to hear. Perhaps I find these nuggets because my thoughts are focused on a particular subject and I pick up on them as I read.

This nugget takes place in the book when Rosanna's husband is chosen to be a minister in the church. The words spoke to me as I consider a possible new calling in my own church.

"Bishop Peachey was especially helpful. He knew from experience what a staggering blow it was to a member to assume the duties of minister, and preach the Word of God without any particular training or preparation. But he assured Little Crist that, heavy as the burden seemed now, as he began to apply himself to the study of the Word of God, and as he understood the Scriptures more and more and became experienced in preaching the Word, the consciousness of doing the will and the work of the Lord would so lighten the load that someday it would transform these burdens into the joy of service.
"Crist pondered these wise and sympathetic words during the days that followed, and they slowly lifted his burden and gave him peace."

This describes my general feeling about callings in church and why I am usually willing to put so much time into them. Though at times it may feel like a burden, I recognize the joy that comes from service. However, before you begin something new there is always a little trepidation and uncertainty as to whether you will be able to accomplish what is necessary. It is sometimes hard to have that hope of joy in your service. But I know that it always does come with time.