Tree of Life

A couple weeks ago Charles and I watched The Tree of Life. I had read about it and watched the trailer so I felt like I knew what to expect, somewhat. This movie can be compared to a documentary. It doesn't have a plot. And it is long- 2 hours and 14 mins. I will be honest and say that some of it dragged for me. A couple times aloud Charles and I said to each other, "What is going on?" and "Huh?"

With that intro you might not think I liked it. But, I loved this movie. And I would definitely recommend it. Here's why:

Cinematography: Wow. The images shown are a lot like still life photography. The lighting is absolutely perfect. It creates a warm, intimate feeling throughout the movie. The sun is always visible shining through the windows.

God, Love, and Family: Once or maybe twice the mother asks the rhetorical question, "Where were you?" referring to where her son was during the creation of the world. I just love that a Hollywood movie with Brad Pitt and Sean Penn brings the gospel truth of the eternal nature of our souls to light. Of all the creations God has made, the family is the most important. The ways they captured love within the family was my absolute favorite, especially between the mother and her sons. To see what I do as a mother all day on the big screen being glorified as monumental and important was incredible. The books, the laughter, jumping on beds, chasing each other. These are the things that are important to a child and these experiences shape and influence them greatly. We are doing a great work!

Temporal things are spiritual: I also appreciated the contrast and comparison between the prosaic (washing dishes, hanging up laundry, watering plants, bedtime routine- brushing teeth, reading books) and the extraordinary (the creation of atoms, volcanoes, the sun, dinosaurs!) By small and simple things are great things brought to pass.

"The only way to be happy is to love. Unless you love, your life will flash by."

Just remember, it doesn't have a plot and it is slow and long and somewhat random, but that is the point I think. If you do see it, comment on this post and share your thoughts. I'd love to hear them!

*We rented this from Red Box for free. Here's some codes.

I love to see the temple

We went up to Raleigh, NC on the weekend of Oct. 22 to see Evelyn and Mike be sealed. Catherine also came down from DC and just as expected it was a wonderful experience. Their sealer was Elder Scott's brother.

Beautiful fall foliage. Perfect weather. Loving friends. Food. Football. A great way to celebrate an eternal union.

The kids ate a total of 50 fruit snacks (about 25 pouches each) and 24 applesauce pouches the entire weekend. Interesting diaper changes.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving here's a small sampling of things I'm grateful for:

• That Elijah the prophet restored the sealing power to Joseph Smith making it possible for relationships (like Ev & Mike's) to be perpetuated beyond the grave and last eternally. That this is indeed truth and not just wishful thinking.

• To be able to go to the beach in November and wear shorts. I really do like Savannah :)

• My body and that I am healthy

• To be able to stay at home with my children (though somedays it's hard to see this as a blessing :)

• Music and my calling as Primary Chorister

• Stacy's pita chips (we may or may not have eaten 4 bags in 3 days)

• That I am madly in love with Charles and insanely attracted to him (emotionally, spiritually, and physically) and he feels the same about me

• The sound of Azure making Vince laugh hysterically and watching them play so well together

• To have a wonderful group of friends who love and support me and like to be around me as much as I like to be around them

• General Conference talks- gems!

•  Seeing a whole array of yellow, red, orange, and purple trees

• To see azaleas blooming in the Fall!

It is good to be alive!

The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ

Our family scripture study in the past has consisted of either me or Charles reading to Azure (and occasionally to Vince) out of one of the scripture story books before bed. (Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon or Church History and Doctrine and Covenants)

About a month ago that changed. Charles and I had both been feeling prompted to read the Book of Mormon again. He bought The Book of Mormon Reference Companion for his personal study and I started reading on my own. Azure and I had finished the Church History and Doctrine and Covenants stories sometime at the end of the summer and had started again on the Old Testament stories. However, after discussing these separate promptings I felt that we needed to read from the Book of Mormon stories again, all together, including Vince.

We have been consistently doing this for the past month now and it's been wonderful. Don't get me wrong- the good parts have been wonderful. The loud, crying, interrupting parts have not been as wonderful. Surely, it's not all gumdrops and lollipops. But, I feel this ritual knitting our hearts together in unity. I can literally feel my heart being tugged some nights as I look around and see all of us gathered together in Vince's room reading the word of God.

We start with a loud, "Ok, time for family scripture study!" to gather the troops. Then once everyone is assembled we sing a rousing verse of Scripture Power which mostly is just the singing of the chorus as none of us knows all the words. Note to self: learn the words!

We take turns reading and Azure is doing a phenomenal job. As she reads Charles and I just stare at each other with our jaws gaping open as she pronounces words we had no idea she knew. Last night she read this:

"After Lehi's family had camped by the sea for many days, the Lord spoke to Nephi. He told him to build a ship to carry his family to the promised land."

The only word she struggled with was "camped". She said "kept". (If you're reading this and have a 4 yr old who is not yet reading and are starting to think that something might be wrong with you or your child: don't.  I don't spend all of my free-time teaching Azure to read. In fact, she pretty much taught herself to read on starfall.com and maybe some help with LeapFrog's Letter Factory, Talking Words Factory, and Code-Word Caper. I don't think I can take much credit for this.)

When it's Vince's turn to read, we have him repeat what we say and we can't keep from laughing. It is so adorable! Most of the time he says words that sound nothing like what we said. Though, he usually gets the syllables correct.

After we read, we act it out. This is usually the best part. Azure gets SO into this. 2 weeks ago we first acted out getting the brass plates from Laban. Every day since she's asked to "play Nephi" and I've now lost count how many times we've acted it out. We all took turns being Laban and getting our heads chopped off. What kid doesn't think that is cool?!

Azure also really liked pretending to be Nephi and sending an electric shock to her brothers Laman and Lemuel (me and Charles) when they refused to help build the ship. Sometimes when we read it feels like she's not paying attention but, then we act it out and we realize how much she took in. She is like a sponge and can't get enough of these drama re-enactments. I'm so happy to have found a medium to use to teach her so well!

Whenever I begin reading the Book of Mormon again I am always amazed at the simple, straightforward language that is used. I am so grateful that this account was preserved. It truly is the word of God. There is no denying that when you read it.

Sunrise

We awoke at the sound of the alarm. Gratefully Vince didn't hear it. I was sure that somehow he was going to wake up and see me (he is such a light sleeper that boy) and then our sunrise date would be over. I crept down the stairs grateful that, unlike our stairs at home, these didn't creak. Azure stirred on the couch but, I was not concerned about her. Even if she awoke, she'd go right back to sleep.

I changed clothes quickly and quietly in the light of the dimmed lamp downstairs. "Ready?" Charles whispered. "Yeah," I answered anxiously. We set out to the elevator hand in hand, giddy that our dream was becoming a reality. For our 5th anniversary in May we really wanted to go to Hilton Head and stay at a bed and breakfast for a night without the kids, but we couldn't make it work. And since moving to Savannah we had talked about watching the sunrise on Tybee. I'd seen many a sunset on West Coast beaches but, never a sunrise on the East Coast. But, now here we were 5 months later at my sister and brother in law's timeshare in Hilton Head, SC, childless at the moment and about to watch the sunrise on the beach.

"Ahhhh....Dang it!" Charles exclaimed. "What?" I asked somewhat concerned. I didn't want anything to interfere with this near perfect set-up. "It's cloudy." "It's okay," I said quickly, relieved that it wasn't something worse that would send us back in.

It was strange. We were on the beach about 8 hours before, admiring a cloudless sky full of stars. As if that were not amazing enough- to have an hour alone to stargaze and take a dip in the jacuzzi. The temperature was perfect, though because we were wet, it felt a little brisk. As we walked towards the sand, the air filled with a sweet scent that stopped me from going any further. We took a moment to just inhale slowly. "What is that?" I asked squinting at all the plants and flowers around in the darkness. "Honeysuckle? Jasmine?" I said aloud, half-wondering to myself and curious to know if Charles knew. Honeysuckle we decided. Yes.

We laid on Charles' towel, used mine as a blanket, and cuddled up to point out constellations. Hilton Head being so isolated from big cities, we could see many stars. Though light years away, they were penetrating and piercing. We talked. We sat in silence. (Well, beside the rhythmic rolling of the waves.) We contemplated the enormity of the universe (mind boggling) and the mercy and goodness of that God who created it, yet knows our intimate heartfelt desires personally. Amazing.

Then our night was over. But, yet here we were again 8 hours later. Ahh, that honeysuckle again! The clouds had brought in a little more humidity and the air was thick as it mixed with the salty sea. Honey-suckled sea-mist: about one of the best scents I've ever smelled.

Once we stepped onto the pathway leading to the beach, the sea oat covered sand dunes came into view and the oats swayed a bit in the breeze. The sand was cold yet soft. We started to run towards the dim light of dawn. It felt so good to run. To fill my lungs with that wondrous air. To feel the sand seep through my toes. To be serenaded by the crashing waves.  To have Charlie at my side.

We stopped finally and sat, anticipating the arrival of the sun through the clouds. Lyrics float through my mind as I hug my knees and lean on Charlie.

"It seems so exceptional...

Sun comes up and shines so bright

Disappears again at night

Just another ordinary miracle today"*

We couldn't pinpoint the exact moment the sun arose over the ocean, as the clouds blocked our view. But, the clouds could not hold back the rich color spilling out. The vibrant pink, orange, and lavender. Gradually the light grew brighter until it illuminated the whole sky. It was hard to imagine how dark it was just 15 minutes before.

We sat again looking out at the waves tumbling around. We reminisced about the time we watched the sunrise in Laie and how the beach was covered with thousands of large crabs. How I was scared and thought they were spiders at first. We laughed. We kissed. We inhaled. The love of God is manifest in the rising of the sun.

*Sarah McLachlan, Ordinary Miracle

Marathon

I realized that I never blogged about Charles' marathon back in November. He wrote about it on his running blog. Here are some pics.

We are so proud of him for accomplishing this goal!

Catch-up

I was supposed to post this last Friday. Just a bit behind...This is a random conglomeration of all the pics I have yet to post. Starting with the oldest first.

Azure sharing her green smoothie with Vince. If you still haven't tried...I think you should ;) Blue Diamond original almond milk and a ripe banana (but too too ripe) make all the difference. Charlie hasn't been a fan, but finally tried again last week after an 8 month break and to his surprise...he likes them! Yay! Stubbornness runs in our family and we're not even blood related. Our poor children.

Amie & Gery's endowment at the Atlanta Temple.

One of my favorite days in a very long time. Poor Charlie had to watch the chillins while they screamed in the back of the car. Get this- Azure didn't bring shoes to Atlanta. Apparently she got in the car without shoes unbeknownst to us. When we pulled up to the hotel and asked her where her shoes were she said somewhat cheerily, "I didn't bring any!" Huh? So, one of my favorite days, I don't know about Charlie :)

I have dreamed of being an escort for someone through the temple. It was such a special experience! Spiritual high. The temple is my drug. For reals :) Another one of my dreams is to be walking distance from a temple. Either that or being able to see the temple from one of the windows in our house. One day.

Afterwards we ate at Chipotle. It's the next best thing to Cafe Rio. Amie snapped these pics of Azure acting like a goof. She sure knows how to make us laugh.

 Love that blurred view of my hot husband in the background. See their smiling resemblance?

So silly!

Azure had 2 gymnastics classes at the YMCA for free. I originally planned to do the class for Vince but, he was stuck to my leg the entire time. After 2 tries I just decided to let Azure do it and assumed he wasn't ready for such classes yet. But, what do you know? The 3rd time, he ran out there and was rolling all over the mat completely undaunted like he owned the entire gym. I learned it takes him awhile to warm up to new things. 3rd times a charm! Sadly no pics of the little steam-roller.

Azure was infatuated with her soccer coach last year, Coach Matt. We assumed he would be her coach this year too. We were all a little disappointed to find out that he wasn't. Azure had a hard time and didn't even want to play. But, she has now warmed up to her new coach, Cierra. Next year she will really be ready to start playing real games.

General Conference is always a spiritual feast for me and I was looking forward to be filled to the brim. Although the talks were spectacular as usual, I struggled a bit to really focus and concentrate. It wasn't just the kids that impeded that. I was in a funk that I couldn't shake. I've made it a goal to re-watch all the talks, not just read, but watch. I think do-overs are a great option when your expectations aren't met the first time!

In between sessions I found Azure out in the backyard praying. She said she was pretending to be Joseph Smith and wanted to pray in the woods. We are working on her prayers being more sincere and heartfelt, not so routine.

 On Sat. Oct. 8th we headed out to Tybee for the Pirate Fest while Daddy was at work. 10 mins after we got there it started pouring rain and we were without umbrellas or hoods so all we did was get Azure's face painted. "Aaarrgghhh mateys!"

What a cute pirate!

 A group of 3 of my friends have started doing preschool for our 4 yr olds on Tuesday mornings for an hour and a half. When it was my turn we talked about our bones and I had the kids make skeletons out of white beans. For our snack we ate a veggie skeleton man! I am becoming crafty thanks to Pinterest ;) We also collected fall leaves in the backyard and did leaf rubbings. I love preschool!

Azure drew a picture of Charles. Kinda looks like a vampire pig to me.

After finding out that Azure likes to steal people's chair in Sunbeams I asked her if she could try just sitting in her own chair and not anyone elses. She responded, "I just can't Mommy. There's something in my brain that makes me do it!" I have no idea where she got this from.

This morning after breakfast Azure said she was still hungry. I pointed to a half eaten banana left over from Vince. She pulled back the peel and saw a slightly oxidized banana, looked and me with raised eyebrows and said, "I don't eat bananas like this," turned around and walked away. I just laughed. She ended up eating it though after 10 mins or so.

On Sat. Oct. 15 we attended Oliver Elam's baptism. The Elams are one of our favorite families in Savannah. Azure likes playing over at their house and was so excited to be at Oliver's baptism. The first thing she said when she woke up that morning was, "Today is Oliver's baptism!" This was one of the first baptisms of an 8 year old that she knows personally. She is now older and understands a little more the significance of baptism. We talked about how Oliver's children would probably be there in spirit watching.

Oh, and one hilarious thing about the baptism- Azure noticed that people were going up to give talks and play instruments for the special musical number. Then as we waited for Oliver and his Dad to change their clothes, some people shared what they remembered about their baptism.

Azure picking up on these social cues (and is clearly my daughter) wanted to participate too. She told me she wanted to say the prayer. I can't remember how I responded to her because I was busy trying to keep our Bishop's son quiet during the confirmation (yet another mishap). Well, after the closing song it was time for the closing prayer and Azure was determined to say it- apparently with or without my approval. She walked right up to the podium and started praying just as the 8 year old boy who was really assigned to give the prayer was getting up. I don't think anyone's eyes were closed for her prayer. I was shocked that she just walked up and did it. The little boy was pretty upset because he really wanted to say the prayer so he ended up saying another one right after Azure.

Afterwards we talked about how we need to ask permission sometimes before we do things like that but, I do love her unconquerable take-charge spirit. Sometimes, at least. Not so much when she's battling me though.

Gah!

Remember when I announced that I was submitting Vince's birth story for the book, The Gift of Giving Life: Rediscovering the Divine Nature of Pregnancy and Birth?

Well, I just found out today that my story made it in the book! I am being published, a dream of mine come true :) I do wish I could go back and edit some things, but I am so excited. I have been reading 2 of the 3 author's blogs for over 2 years now and they are both fabulous writers and share so many great insights on pregnancy and birth. I am excited to get my hands on a copy of the book and read the birth stories. Oh, how I love birth stories!

They're trying to generate sales right now. If you pre-order it, you get 10% off. Even though I haven't read it yet, I know I can recommend that this will be an inspirational read. Isn't this a pretty cover? Hydrangeas! One of my faves!

Go here to read more about the book. Go here to see my name in the table of contents under Chapter Ten: Pain. And go here to pre-order your book!

Oh, and I should mention this because I think it's awesome. In my story I mention that I was able to heal emotionally after my C-section with Azure because I helped empower other women to feel good about their births. One of those women is my friend Jamie Wagner. And Jamie also submitted a story and it is also being published! Isn't that so cool?!