Celery and the Jedi

Sometimes I wish I carried around a video camera and/or a voice recorder whenever I'm around Ellery and Aayla. El's has been saying more and more funny things lately, especially her nightly prayers - they're much less repetitious and much more... well... heartfelt I'm sure, at least in her eyes - but she does pray for some funny things. The other night for FHE she prayed that we could go get ice cream afterward. A's is getting so big - I guess that's a normal part of life. But it's nice to see her learning and growing. The past few days she's REALLY seemed to start using more of her sign language and even seems to try to verbally communicate more too... although, everything still just comes out as a series of babbles, at which she just laughs.

I wanted to just post a couple recent picts of each of the girls. It's difficult to get a picture of Ellery with her clothes on so here's one of her showing off her leprechaun socks grandma and grandpa Roper gave her.



As you all know, Aayla LOVES to eat, so I had to throw an eating pict in.


Today we all had a picnic in our neighbor's yard (it's okay, we know them)... we don't get grass for another four weeks. That can seem like a long ways off, but when there's still SO much to get done before it gets here, I'm almost wishing I had a couple extra weeks!



Aayla is a pretty smiley baby.

Lent and my own little experiment

I always give something up for lent with my neighbor, Kathy L.  We choose a real sacrifice, and I do it for a number of reasons:  to support her, to teach myself discipline, to sacrifice- knowing what Christ went through, I can at least sacrifice- I know, a very Catholic idea), and to feel a sense of accomplishment when I have finished.
I gave up all soda. Some of you know how much I love love love diet lime coke.  I know how bad the aspartame is for me.  I know how bad soda is.  I know caffeine is not good for me either.  But I love it when I am out shopping or on a fun cleaning day, or traveling.  I don't think I was addicted to the caffeine, because I generally only had one  or 2  a week.  I didn't feel any tiredness or headaches or withdrawal since I stopped. It has been 3 weeks.
I have always been told it only takes 2 weeks to break a habit.
I am not so sure of that.  The whole trip to Cleveland; on the plane, out to lunches, at my mom's, everyone was drinking coke or diet coke, (or soda), and I was craving it so much, but I didn't cave.
I had to stop in CVS yesterday, and the diet lime coke was calling my name, and I didn't cave.  (In NY, they only sell that flavor at 2 places)
I am not sure why I still crave it so much.  Is it by association? ( when I shop I just want one), or from the chemical addiction?  Or cause I am always thirsty and just get plain tired of water?
I have been told it makes weight loss harder because one of the ingredients slows down metabolism  I have not noticed any change in weight loss ability.
Bill Hettinger says it is poison and is what makes it so I have those mental brain lapses, but I still have those.
I am wondering if after lent is over, (3 more weeks), I will still crave it this much.  

Random Items

So I really need to do a full update post with all that's been going on here - the backyard is pretty much done, the now salt water fish tank, Jacob working from home, and a full rundown on what everyone's doing with pictures. But this is not that post because I just don't have the time yet. Sorry. Instead, here's some of the fun things the kids are doing to tide you over until I've got more time.

Speed:
- has discovered that not only can you open cabinets and drawers, but there's stuff inside that can come out! I am SO glad now that I organized this kitchen to have all plastic stuff in the bottom cabinets.
- has started standing on his own and "cruising", which is the current buzz word for walking along something, like a couch, while holding onto it. It's kinda the last step before walking, so watch out world.
- has 4 1/2 teeth! Two on top and 2 1/2 on the bottom. He's got that good old Knutti gap between the top two, but so did Hazel and her's have grown together quite nicely.
- has expanded his vocabulary to "dada", "baba", "lala" (only heard this one a couple of times though), "gaga", and my personal favorite, "mama".
- thinks computers and cell phones are THE COOLEST things. We have to really watch him with cords - according to him, pulling the key board, mouse, headphones, speakers, etc. onto the floor is a super fun game.
- likes to eat dog good. Gross I know. But we've decided we'd rather he learned to leave it alone than try to move it out of his reach, but still within Daisy's reach.

Hazel:
- has rediscovered her love for the pool, even though the water is 68 degrees, the crazy child.
- has deciding using the potty first thing in the morning is a good way to avoid problems in the first hour of the day (HOORAY!).
- tells Speed that she loves him - one of my personal favorites.
- tells Speed that she likes him, especially when he is sad, "Don't cry, baby brother. I LIKE you."
- still plays with "Fairfwen" (her imaginary friend who lives in her fingers - I think primarily in her right hand). No, she hasn't seen Muppet Treasure Island.
- reminds me that "Eek go to Jesus now" (Eek the hamster died a week or two ago - she misses him I think).
- sings all the time. She's gotten pretty good at Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, Mary Had a Little Lamb (well, the first verse), Itsy Bitsy Spider, and I think I heard Row, Row Your Boat the other day. She also sings an interesting medley of 3 Monkeys Jumping on the Bed, the one about the monkeys teasing Mr. Crocodile, and 5 Little Ducks went out to play.

FHE

I would love to be a part of the FHE schedule. I know it would be hard to do every week, so I was talking to my sister this morning.  Their family does a Skype FHE once a month with Sarah's kids, and once a month with Rachel's.
Sometimes the kids do it, sometimes the grandparents.
Would it be possible to make up a schedule and do like the first Monday night of every month all together? Then we can take turns having a child do one, then dad or me, then a child, then dad or me, etc.  (Until we move there, hee hee)  You other adults can take your turns the other Monday nights.  (Although I would love to just be on computer and or skype and be able to just listen to those also)
Let me know what you think.

The blessings of safety

There have been incredible stories from the people of Japan and their ordeal. As of date, there are about 125,000 church members there, and all are accounted for except for 3 ward buildings.  ALL the missionaries are safe.
Amazing!

Brandon Davies is a Hero

A lot has been said about Brandon Davies and the BYU honor code this week in the media. To many the fact that Brandon was dismissed from the basketball team due to an honor code violation was seen as ridiculous, stern, and/or archaic. On that subject I'll just say, having gone to BYU, that all of us know the rules when we attend and I am proud of BYU for sticking to its guns and doing what they did instead of the obvious temptation to delay this another month as they were experiencing the greatest attention from the world and possibility for a national championship since most likely 1984. Though I have never been ashamed of going to BYU - I loved my time there - I certainly am even more proud this week to have attended such a great institution.

But this post is about Brandon. I've always like Brandon Davies. He has a great story and really came on strong this year as a key piece to the BYU team. But now I respect him and will use his story for my children and other young men for years to come. Why? Because he made a choice few would have made in his position. At the brink of fame and glory Mr. Davies listened to the still small voice and made the difficult, yet correct decision. He knew it would possibly cost him the chance to play deep in the NCAA tournament. He knew it would let his team down. He knew - though probably not how extensive - that his name would be the subject of national headlines. He knew his girlfriend would be the center of unwanted attention and ridicule. He could easily have checked his guilt and waited just 4 weeks and avoided 90 percent of these consequences. Sure, it would have made news, but not like it did over the past week.

Instead he made the right choice; the DIFFICULT choice. He confessed his error and willingly took the consequences. He suffered shame, embarrassment and humiliation at a level few people will ever experience. He has lost his chance to play with perhaps the greatest basketball team BYU has had (though I bet he will be back next year). But he has made peace with God and the woman I assume he loves.

And the other great lesson from this? He was embraced in loving arms by his team, his coach, and his university. I add my arms to his embrace and wish him all the best. This whole issue should be an example to all of us. We can have the courage to make the hard decisions. And when someone does, we must react with love and support. Go Brandon!

5 Things I love this week

1. I love to hear the birds singing at 6am, and knowing that is a sign of spring coming
2. I love when dad gets to go to these high-end training meetings in NYC, he comes home much more spiritual and is renewed and I can feel his faith and testimony
3. I love Friday night date nights!
4. I love spring cleaning!  Starting today!
5. I love my new calling!  I am learning so much! 

pass it on....what do you love today?

food for thought

So, tell me, what good will our old coin collections be in a few years?  Who will really care if it is a special nickel?  Maybe I should sell them now and divide up the spoils.
(You can tell I have been reading a lot about the signs of the times and cool stuff in Doctrines of Salvation.)

Speed Shorts Episode 1

I have realized I have a lot more pictures and video of Hazel than Speed. I have dedicated a new collection of short movies and or slide shows to him to remind me to take more pictures and video.