Our Reality: June 2009

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Firsts

Wow! Let's get this party started!! I finally had to do this because I wanted a more personalized space to share my boy's events. So today we start with firsts. My first blog starts today.

Yesterday was Bradley's first cereal (4 1/2 mos.). By far our best first cereal experience. He was cautious the first bite and then I couldn't go fast enough he was opening his mouth wide and grabbing the spoon to get it faster.

Today was his first taste of the good earth. Scotty apparently wanted to share one of his favorite loves from when he was Bradley's age - wanted him to know just how good all of these fantastic creations really are.

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Marc Elison

Yes, most of you know the more mountain manish version of this fellow, but here is picture proof of what he looks like all cleaned up. Marc works hard each day and sacrifices his time with his family so that we can have the neccesities of life and a few of the joys that money CAN buy. As he spends the remainder of his time with his AWESOME family - he has little time for hobbies, but he does serve in scouts, goes camping with them (more than with his own family), and plays basketball with our ward. He wishes that snowmobiling was a more practiced reality.

Michael Hatch

Michael is finally the BIG 5!! He has been waiting for this year since he was 3 (5 being his preferred number of choice). His challenge is listening to instructions in a timely manner. His strengths are many - which include: being an excellent big brother, helping with the chores (laundry is his favorite), and he truly enjoys his friendships (even with his bros.). He loves the color green, his new bunk bed, hot wheels, "smashed" potatoes, and using his imagination. What I love about Michael is that he has a genuine love for everybody - he is the perfect example of love unfeigned.

"Scotty" Henry

Scott has just turned "free". He is my busy body of curiosity and invention - accompanied with a independent mind and mouth. He has just switch his preference of the rainbow from blue to red. He is a genuine help with the dishes, and no one in the house listens better than he does the first time. I believe that his favorite pasttime is making huge messes with his mother's things, begging for cheese, and playing with his "best friend", Michael. Though mischievous, Scotty is funny and we are always touched by his constant reminders that he loves us. From him, we learn integrity, persistance, and service.

Bradley Granger

What Am I

I like to create. Some people look at the trail behind me and say,
"Yeah, you like to create messes!" But it is more than that. To quote from my favorite talk by Elder Uchtdorf,

"Creation brings deep
satisfaction and fulfillment. We develop
ourselves and others when we take
unorganized matter into our hands and mold
it into something of beauty. . .
Creation means bringing into existence
something that did not exist before -
colorful gardens, harmonious homes,
family memories, flowing laughter."

Who Am I?

Child of God * Daughter of hopeful parents that still hope I turn out to be something wonderful when I grow up *Grandaughter of a gramma who prays diligently for her crazy granddaughter * Wife to the most patient man on earth * Mother to the most endearing three boys * Neighbor to the most generous group of people located on a single street * Friend of the most forgiving humans. In my SPARE TIME I am involved in the Scouting program, attempt to create, and then somewhere at the end of the list I try to fulfill my duties as a cook (which I love) and housekeeper (depends on the day).

Family Traditions

Here are some of the things that we do regularly that make our family unique. Everytime we add a little something, I feel the cords of our bond tighten. Our prayer is that in the future that though there may be distance between our physical bodies, that our hearts will cling together as we work toward our eternal goal together.

* Every morning we read scriptures with the boys - it doesn't last long and we only cover a few verses at a time, but we discuss in such depth - that my testimony of the Book of Mormon has never grown so much as it does while reading it with my boys. It has taken us 2 years to get to Alma 37.

* Something else that most of you also do is Family Home Evening. Ours are simple - they have to be for our audience. Song, prayer, article of faith, lesson, testimony, song, then family prayer.

* Every evening we say and record something that we are each thankful for that day. It can be serious or silly - meaningful or frivilous - big or small. The goal is to know that our Heavnely Father blesses us EVERY SINGLE day.

* Each night when we tuck the boys into bed, I take that time to tell each one of them something that they did that day that was good - I do not allow myself to make any statements of correction during this precious time. Then at the door we say good night and tell them that we love them. If, for whatever reason, that door opens again before they are all asleep, we again tell them that we love them - even on the very rare nights that it opens several times and we are frustrated - we still tell them, before the door shuts, that we love them.

* Every night before going to sleep I tell my love (Marc) that I love him, even if I am not completely pleased with him, even if he is asleep, even if he isn't beside me at the time - it would be devastating to me if one of us didn't awake and I had failed to utter those most important simple words.

* Every month during the full moon we get out our black light and the strobe lights, turn off the other lights and have a full moon dance - the boys LOVE it!! We have to turn off the strobe lights for dad to dance with us so that he doesn't get a headache (poor dad).

* Every day after we read with the boys and I read my scriptures I take the opportunity to come to the computer and read and listen to a talk from conference. This may not include my whole family, but it affects my whole family - this has come to be the time that I recieve the most revelation for my life - which in turn affects the happiness of my family. Thanks to the advice of a couselor in our stake presidency, Pres. Beck - it is also the time that I seek for a question. When I have found the question of the day - I write it down on an index card and hang it up on the board. Then, in the evening, Marc and I take that question and answer it together - this newest tradition has brought more blessings than I could have ever guessed.

Guilty Pleasures

Yep!! We all have them - and I am just going to come out and tell you mine so that there is no question or doubt. Things that we know must be bad for us, but make us feel soooooo much better. Please!! I want to hear what some of yours are - go ahead. . . shake 'em out.

* Movies - there are definately more productive uses of my time, but I love to be entertained. Doesn't matter what kind - comedy, romance, foreign, documentary, drama, animation - I love it all except horror or crude.
* Sweets - my love of food will surprise no one, but my passionate affair with sweets can never be shaken - it is the one craving that WILL BE satisfied everytime.
* Facebook - I don't spend a lot of time there - just few moments, but it is a must to catch up at least once a day.
* The sun - if confronted with the options of doing the requisite neccesary inside chores or a dinky errand outside - I will hands down opt for the ourdoor adventure - even scooping poop in teh sun is better than doing dishes in the confines of my spacious kitchen.
* Kid sleep - on ocacsion when Michael comes into our room at night - I don't make him go back to his own bed because when he sleeps with us he just loves up to me - puts his arms around me and cuddles in - who doesn't sleep better in the arms of such love?

Our Reality

This Year We Have A Family Theme