Hughes

Where does the time go??? One minute we’re hanging our stockings by the chimney with care and the next we’re hunting for eggs. And boy did we have fun hunting eggs!! Our egg hunt total for the year was three. I’d say that’s pretty decent. Plus we got to enjoy time with family which is always fantastic.

The “food poisoning” I got at the end of February was actually a stomach virus which quickly spread to everyone in our family. So we started the month of March with lots of dirty laundry and midnight clean-ups. It made all of us extremely grateful for our health when it was over.

Olive has taken off with walking in the last month. She’s much more stable than she used to be which is good so she can keep up with her older brother. Most of her days are spent wandering the house. Sometimes she wanders empty-handed, sometimes with a blanket or toy in tow. We’ve taken to calling her our Little Wanderer. She’s also working on talking. Right now she says da-da, ma-ma, Jack (sounds a little like dad but we always know what she means) and of course, the ever important no-no. And even though she knows the signs for more and please she rarely ever uses them and has opted instead for an ear-piercing, blood-curdling screech that could easily shatter glass. It’s a good thing she’s so cute. She gets away with a lot more than a less attractive baby would. All four molars are finally in so we’re just waiting on the cuspids and then we can move to the two-year-old molars. Teething is just the best. (Sense the sarcasm here.) She loves to unload anything and everything she can get her hands on: bookshelves, drawers, laundry baskets, purses, etc. And she is so sneaky about it too. It’s like living with a tiny, very silent and very destructive tornado. I grew too accustomed to Jack’s quiet, mellow playtime with one or two toys. And for the very first time in my three years of motherhood I had a child play in the toilet a couple of weeks ago. She follows Jack around like a little shadow so sometimes I don’t catch her when she follows him into the bathroom. I heard Jack yelling at her followed by her excited squeals and splashing. Luckily it was before Jack had done anything and it was only her arms. In the last few days she has started folding her arms during prayers or more accurately during the first three or four seconds of a prayer. It’s very exciting to watch her mimicking behavior.

What can I say about Jack Jack? He is my little angel boy. Most of the time. He’s very polite and he constantly apologizes even when he hasn’t done anything. He always says please and thank you and asks to be excused from the table. Most of the time he’s super sweet with Olive. He has to be reminded to be soft sometimes but it’s usually because he’s so excited to play with her. He started a reading group at the library that goes for about six weeks and he has absolutely loved it. He’s a very social little guy so I’m going to look into signing him up for more activities this summer. He and I are still working on preschool at home and I’m still very back and forth about whether or not to worry about sending him to preschool at all. I’d prefer to teach him those things at home and sign him up for sports or gymnastics or anything along those lines to fulfill the social aspect. It seems a little pointless to me to pay for someone to teach him the things that I can just as easily teach him at home. I am very interested in a specific charter school in American Fork once he’s ready to start kindergarten so I’m going to try to go to an open house and learn more of the specifics. Everyday his imagination grows. It’s so fun to sit and listen to him playing. As he got closer to three he started phasing out of his naptime. (sniff sniff) But lately he has started phasing back into it again. I can’t count the number of times he has gone missing and I find him asleep in his bed or in our bed or on the floor. Sometimes he’ll climb up into my lap and fall asleep snuggling with me.  We’re so blessed to have two amazing kids.

Jared is working hard as per usual. His schedule changes every week so sometimes we get lots of time with him and other weeks we hardly see him at all. This coming week will be one where we see very little of him. Of course he works all day at Aircom Monday through Friday but this week he’ll also be at the station Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights and then all day and all night on Saturday. But he loves getting more training so we’re not complaining. Right now he’s working really hard to finish his fire certifications. The department is going to hire a few extra full-time guys in the near future. Jared may not have his certifications done in time but he will apply anyway and if that doesn’t work out there should be more openings in the next two years. We have really fallen in love with this area and we want to stay here permanently. And even more importantly we love American Fork Fire Department. Jared really feels like he has found his calling in life and he wants to stay with this department long term. Right now the department is having a mustache competition. Jared doesn’t grow the thickest facial hair but he has made a valiant effort. And he is very good-natured about the teasing remarks from the other guys. He has been working as the building coordinator for our ward and he seems to enjoy it. I would enjoy it more if the families who signed up to clean actually showed up so Jared wouldn’t end up doing all of the work. But I know he’s getting extra blessings for being so willing.

I have a new calling as the Compassionate Service Leader. It’s a big calling for this ward since last year there were 31 new babies and the committee tries to set up at least three meals for every new mother. And that’s not to mention the extra service for some of the single mothers, those who have had surgery, sickness, loss of a loved one, etc. But it’s exciting to get more involved with our ward members and neighbors and I really love working with our Relief Society President. She is one of the most selfless people I’ve ever had contact with.  And I have already been so moved by the amount of service that takes place among these sisters. It’s such a good reminder to me of what it means to be a disciple of Christ. I’m getting so excited as I countdown the days until Sister Patten gets home from her mission. (I can’t imagine how excited Cindy and her family must be.) The other day I watched an episode of TLC’s What Not to Wear (a show Brin and I both love) and I started crying because I’m just so excited to see her again. Jack kept asking me what was wrong.

We have so many blessings to enjoy and we are so happy that our little family is healthy and living comfortably. Easter provided us with a wonderful reminder about the power of the Atonement to change our lives for the better. And we are looking forward to listening to the Prophet and Apostles this weekend in General Conference.