Easter Chez Nous

I love Easter.  I love everything about it, from the soft pastel colors to the images of chicks and baby bunnies, and of course the chocolate.  I love the excitement and wonder of setting out to hunt for eggs, and there's nothing quite as magical as finding a tiny, smooth little egg nestled in an unlikely place.  

While I don't know the roots of these odd traditions (bunnies don't lay eggs, duh!) I love what they represent for me:  memories of family fun and childhood joy, and fun-filled symbols of new life.  As I ponder on the reason we celebrate Easter, I am deeply grateful for Jesus Christ and the fact that he died, and rose again, so that we can one day  do the same.  It's because of Him that I, and my family, can experience the joy that is captured in these pictures.  Happy (late) Easter!

Paisley and Afton, loving the Texas bluebonnets

Before: Lining up for the hunt

After

 On Easter Sunday, we joined some friends for a delicious dinner and an Easter egg hunt they put on for the kids.  It was amazing and the girls absolutely loved it!  

Afton filling her basket, hand-made by my wonderful friend

Both of the girls on the hunt

Afton was slow enough that we could snap a few good pictures of her.  Paisley was pretty much a blur!

See that blue bunny in the background?  Also sewn by Denise, one for each of the girls.  The talent!

Our best attempt at a family picture.  Who wants to smile for a picture when there are eggs to be opened?

We ended the weekend feeling so grateful for the kind and giving friends we've been blessed with, and for our Savior Jesus Christ.  I love the Easter message captured in this short video about Christ.  I hope this brings as much joy to your life as it does to ours!

I don't have a picture, because I have the memory instead.

I love taking pictures.  Instagram, Facebook, blogging, scrap booking, journaling, and pretty much any way I can document and preserve the precious moments of life. I love looking back on photos of my past and remembering the beauty of moments that might have otherwise been forgotten.  I love being able to share these moments with friends and family with the press of a button.  So, picture taking?  All for it.  But the other day something happened that put all this into perspective. 

January 20, 2014.  It was Martin Luther King Day, and my two little girls and I were at the park, basking in the balmy 80 degree Austin weather.  I was sitting with some friends on the picnic blankets, chatting and watching the kids run around in the fields.  A line of children was forming in front of one dad who was pitching to a batter barely taller tan the racket he was gripping.  Kids who had never been introduced chased each other and wrestled playfully in the grass, careful to sidestep the very small children trying to join in the excitement. Footballs flying, sun shining, it was a happy picture of freedom, fun, and memories in the making. 

My interest waned from the mommy-conversation for a moment as I scanned the field for my two little girls.  There they were, across the field.  Paisley, in her blonde pig tails and pink cowgirl boots, with already grass-stained knees, marched with some unknown purpose across the field.  In her almost 3-year-old mind, there is always some adventure to be had and some quest to conquer. Little one-year-old Afton wandered bravely through the field of people big and small as if in search of something.  Moments after I spotted them, Afton spotted Paisley and began waddling excitedly toward her.  I watched as Paisley marched on, unaware of her tiny pursuer, who ran after her reaching out for her repeatedly, only to miss her by a hair. 

My mommy heart was captured.  What would happen?   Would Afton lose her balance as she happily lunged for her beloved sister?  Would hopeful Afton’s wide eyes fill with tears when her sister noticed her and left her to play with her bigger friends? Or would Paisley simply march on and leave Afton in her dust, never knowing she was there? 

Afton must have called out for Paisley amidst all the happy noise, because just as I thought Afton was ready to give up, Paisley turned.  (The thought entered my mind, “Where’s my camera?”).  Instead of sending her away, Paisley bent down slightly, and took Afton’s small hand, securing it in hers.  She slowly began to walk beside Afton, leading her through the chasers and the kite flyers, the wrestlers and the ball-players.  She led Afton gently up her favorite hill, which she knows Afton could spend hours conquering triumphantly time and time again. She then paused to observe where Afton wanted to go, giving her a chance to lead. 

My mommy heart swelled to bursting as I watched the love between sisters and soaked in this perfect, sweet moment.  I wished I could capture this innocent expression of kindness and friendship between sisters and keep it forever.

This morning, as I revisited the experience in my mind, I found myself wishing I had a picture to immortalize this moment.  I had taken so many other cute pictures at the park that day, but no moment had been as special as this.  And that’s when it occurred to me.  Maybe no moment was quite as special because I didn't have my camera.  I wasn't fumbling in my purse or adjusting settings.  I wasn't trying to get the right angle or background.  I was just sitting, watching, my whole mind and heart caught up in this tender moment. 

Now, I don't mean to say there aren't moments I'm eternally grateful that I have a camera.  Some of the photos I have are priceless treasures that I wouldn't trade for anything.  And I hope in years to come these photos will immortalize our little family and serve as links between us and future generations.   But this time, I'm happy to write it all out.  This time, I'm grateful I didn't sacrifice a second of it in exchange for a single snapshot.

This time, I’m grateful to say, I don’t have a photo to go with this post.  I don’t have a picture, because I have the memory instead.

Just for fun, here's one from earlier this week that I think illustrates the relationship between these two pretty well.  Totally candid shot.  What more could a mom ask for?

Happy Sinterklaas!

As the Dutch know well, December 6th is a magical day - it is the day Sinterklaas (or St. Nicholas) comes to town! It was an especially magical Sinterklaas day for us this year.  We spent some time preparing, and getting the kids excited for it.  We even borrowed some books and videos from the library that talked about St. Nicholas and what he has to do with Christmas.  More about this later.  For now, here are some pictures of Sinterklaas 2013.  

  

The girls were both ecstatic about their wooden shoes. 

After laying the shoes out by the door, along with a plate full of lettuce for Sinterklaas' horse Amerigo, it was time for bed.

The next morning we woke the girls up early to some Sinterklaas music, and they ran out to see see what was in their shoes.

Paisley was happy to find some drop (Dutch black licorice) in her shoes.

And she was thrilled to unwrap her favorite Christmas movie (Elf).

Sinterklaas was also kind enough to stop by Grandma's house in Canada and pick up a little package for the girls.

I think Paisley was pretty excited about that one too.  What do you think?

Meanwhile, Afton devoured the licorice and pepernoten (little gingerbread cookies).

She couldn't be bothered to pose for a picture.

The girls and I spent the day making kerstkranjes (Dutch wreath cookies) for our Sinterklaas party that night.  These are yummy to eat and look nice tied with some ribbon and hung on a Christmas tree!

At the party in the evening, there was lots of yummy food - stuffed pork, fried mushrooms, cinnamon glazed carrots, olliebollen, speculaas,Wassail, vla and more.  We ate, sang Sinterklaas songs (with horrible pronunciation, I'm sure), visited with good people and even had a pretend Sinterklaas where all the kids pretended to be asleep and their shoes were filled with treats.  

Naturally, while the other babies look at the camera, Afton is eyeing baby-in-pink's sucker, which she promptly grabbed seconds after this picture.  

All in all, it was a day of culture, friendship, food, gifts and fun.  Of course the reason we celebrate Dutch Christmas is because David is Dutch, and we want to keep those traditions alive. But it also gave us a chance to spend some time learning about St. Nicholas.  I've often wondered what Santa Claus has to do with the birth of Christ, or whether it's just a way of promoting all the commercialism surrounding Christmas.  Without going into all the details of his story, St. Nicholas was a man who found joy in giving.  His parents died when he was young, and he found that what brought him happiness was bringing happiness to others through the giving of gifts.

 If there is going to be any commercializing of the celebration of this season celebrating Christ's birth, I'm glad that it is centered around a good, loving man who gave from the kindness of his heart. After all, this is exactly what the Savior did.  He gave willingly and unselfishly, even to the giving of His own life.  There are many legends of St. Nicholas giving to those who were in desperate need.  And there is no better time than Christmas to remember how desperately we each need the eternal gift that the Savior gave to each of us.

I provided a link for a Veggie Tales movie above, and I just want to share the part I found most touching. Hope you enjoy as much as I did!  Happy Sinterklaas and Merry Christmas.

Football, Ferris Wheels and Fun at the Pumpkin Patch

If I ever had doubts about how much I would love living in Texas - and people, I did - it was only because I had never been here in October.  70 degrees and sunny, with tons of fun things to do, without the fear that it just may be the last day before winter banishes us all to our burrows for 4+ months?  Yes, please.

To kick off the month of October, we watched General Conference.  It was probably one of my favorites ever.  Is it just me or do they keep getting better?  It was so nice to have a couple of lazy days, together as a family, eating, sleeping and being spiritually uplifted and edified.

To make up for all that rest and relaxation, the next weekend we decided to head on up to Dallas for a little football game and fun at the Texas State Fair.  David was able to find a ticket to the Texas vs. Oklahoma rivalry game, just a few seats down from his good friend from work.  No one expected the Longhorns to win, but David had a good feeling, and he was right!  If you ask David about the best moments of his life, that game is now ranked up there with our wedding day and the birth of our children.

Tallest ferris wheel in North America

Big Tex, with the Cotton Bowl Stadium in the background

The big game

View from the ferris wheel

While in Dallas, we had the pleasure of staying with the Hay family again.  I cannot say enough of my love for this family.   I won't embarrass them by telling all the details of their kindness and hospitality, but I will say this: I know few people as welcoming, loving, and genuine as this family.  They are so sweet with our little girls, and I truly feel like I'm at home when I'm in their home. Though our decision to go to Dallas was somewhat spur-of-the-moment, and they had a million reasons to be less than entirely hospitable, they made us feel like nothing could have made them happier.  Now I know that no family is perfect, but when I think about being Christ-like, I think there are few people who have achieved this as well as the Hays, and I'm a better person for having been in their home.

Sweet Berry Farms

We celebrated Afton's 1st birthday this Saturday by driving an hour out into the country to Sweet Berry Farms.  The weather was perfect, and we all had a blast.  We visited with the goats, rode the Sweet Berry Express, went through a corn maze in the shape of Texas, rode horses, ate strawberry popsicles and pumpkin spice ice cream and finally, chose a perfect pumpkin for carving.

Paisley was thrilled about the goats

Afton was thrilled too, until a goat came close to her.  Then she was just terrified.

Paisley had a blast on the giant trampoline thingy, though she didn't get much time on her feet.

Afton's birthday morning and her new birthday toys

The Sweet Berry Express, led by farmer Joe

Our little cowgirl rode solo

Afton let me ride with her

Afton's First Birthday!

I can hardly believe it's been a whole year since we welcomed this little bundle of sunshine into the world.  I wish I could tell you of the moments of amusement, laughter, exasperation, triumph, tenderness, and growth that we have experienced over this first year of Afton's life.  I wish that by posting these pictures of Afton I could communicate what a sweet, playful, spunky character she is, or how my heart nearly bursts when I look at those big bright eyes of hers.  As I don't think any words of mine will do these things justice, I'll just post some pictures and tell you about some of her traits at 12 months old, and hope you catch a small glimpse of the joy she brings us every day.  

 Afton's loves:

• Walking
• Swimming
• Eating
• Waking Paisley after naps
• Running up to Daddy when he gets home
• The bath tub (mostly dumping water out of it)
• The word 'Dada", over and over again
• Throwing food from the high chair to the floor
• Swinging at the park
• Anything Paisley is playing with
• Flushing/opening/playing in the toilet
• Unraveling toilet paper
• Being held & cuddling
• Growling like a lion cub

Afton started walking a few weeks ago, and she's getting more and more confident.  It's so fun to watch her beaming smile of triumph when she gets to places she wants to go.

 Random facts about Afton:

• She LOVES her sister Paisley.  They fight over toys all the time, but they're the best friends in the world.
• She *still* wakes up once a night, nurses and goes back to sleep.  This is a HUGE improvement, even from 2 months ago, so I'm happy as can be.  
• Her first word was "Mama", but she's traded that one in for "Dada", and can't get enough of it.
• She loves to give and blow kisses, making a loud "BAH" sound.  And lately she just loves to say BAH, kiss or no kiss.
• We're just learning that she's pretty terrified of animals.  

The Media Fast Challenge

In a recent blog post, I began by stating that there just aren't enough hours in a day.  I have had this feeling a lot recently - an increasing amount, actually.  There’s just not enough time to do everything that needs to be done, and everything I want to do, all in one day.  Or week.  Or lifetime, perhaps. Well, tonight I think I found the solution. 

I went to an information session at church about media use and addiction.  I wasn't sure I wanted to go, but let’s face it – I needed to get out of the house.  The main topics covered were: 1) Sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ through media; 2) Internet Safety; and 3) Technology Addiction, including, but not limited to, pornography.  This is some of what I took away from it, and what eventually led me to my epiphany (or inspiration, if you will):

• Technology can be used for such good, but the adversary also uses it to distract us from good things we could be doing, and to bring us down to eventual destruction. 
• We need to keep our use of technology in check, by asking ourselves 1) does this invite or impede the Holy Ghost in my life? 2) Does it enlarge or restrain my capacity to love, lift, and serve others  
• This quote:
• “If the adversary cannot entice us to misuse our physical bodies, then one of his most potent tactics is to beguile you and me as embodied spirits to disconnect gradually and physically from things as they really are… And, if we let him, he can cunningly employ some aspects of modern technology to accomplish his purposes.  Please be careful of becoming so immersed and engrossed in pixels, texting, earbuds, twittering, online social networking, and potentially addictive uses of media and the internet that you fail to recognize the importance of your physical body and miss the richness of person-to-person communication.” –David A. Bednar

Lastly, one girl spoke about a particularly trying time in her life.  She was inspired to cut out technology from her life for a week - a "media fast", as she called it - including television, texting, facebook, non-essential emailing, etc.  She said that cutting out all of the noise allowed her to follow our Heavenly Father’s invitation to, “Be still, and know that I am God”. 

In my case, I am not going through a particularly hard time; in fact, life has never been quite so good!  But at the end of the evening, I had a strong feeling that if I will cut out all those non-essentials (i.e., all-too-frequent facebook checking, email reading, t.v. watching, etc) even just for a week, I will be a more patient and loving mother.  I will be more present with my little girls.  I will be more focused on things that really matter. My priorities will become clearer in my mind.  I will have a greater portion of the Spirit of the Lord with me.  And of course, having cleared all the extra clutter out of my day, I will have time to do the things that need to be done, as well as the worthwhile things I want to do.  There is my solution, now it’s time to put it to the test.  Feel free to join in!  I'll let you know how it goes.