Science Museum

We've been so excited to have my sister's family visiting. We don't get to see them nearly often enough! Always on the lookout for cheap (free!) ways to entertain the kids, we ventured to the Monte L. Bean Science museum on BYU campus. The kids loved it!

Olivia and Emma loved the hunts that the museum provided.

Coleman had a great time too but didn't love "hanging" with the girls (Claire, Sophia, and Grace).

We all thought this butterfly (made up of hundreds of smaller butterflies and moths) was really neat.

The best part about this museum? It's in walking distance of the BYU Creamery outlet. We all enjoyed a cold scoop!

Coleman, Andrew, Josh, and Nathan

Sophia loved hers too!

Father's Day 2011

This Dad is so much fun.

He works hard  to provide for his family.

He plays hard with his kids and he makes them laugh, a lot.

He washes dishes and folds clothes and cooks and cleans bathrooms.

He is appreciative of things that we do for him.

He goes out of his way to make life better for people around him.

He makes us all feel happy.

We had a great day celebrating him!

Wisdom from the One Year Old

When at first you can't get out every single bite of food (corn and black beans in this case) with your fingers...

...bring the bowl to your face.

First Cone

This cute little girl had her first taste of an ice cream cone the other day... of course she has had ice cream before, but when it's on top of a cone it's a whole different treat. Coleman shared his cone and taught her how to stick her tongue out and lick it.

She was so delighted--she would lick it and laugh for a few seconds before going back for more.

Her little laugh is so cute!



I have to admit, I feel the same way about ice cream.

Thoughts on Grief

I recently finished a short book by C.S. Lewis called A Grief Observed. It includes some of his thoughts as he is mourning the death of his beloved wife. Grief is something none of us can escape--we all lose loved ones and mourn their absence. Sometimes our family members live a long life and sometimes their lives are cut tragically short through accidents or illness. Regardless of the circumstances, our hearts are broken to be separated from the ones we love. I loved a few of the passages from the book:

p. 21  "You never know how much you believe anything until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death to you. It is easy to say you believe a rope to be strong and sound as long as you are merely using it to cord a box. But suppose you had to hang by that rope over a precipice. Wouldn't you then first discover how much you trusted it?"

p. 43  "Getting over it so soon? But the words are ambiguous. To say the patient is getting over it after an operation for appendicitis is one thing; after he's had his leg off it is quite another. After that operation either the wounded stump heals or the man dies. If it heals, the fierce, continuous pain will stop. Presently he'll get back his strength and be able to stump about on his wooden leg. He has 'got over it'. But he will probably have recurrent pains in the stump all his life, and perhaps pretty bad ones; and he will always be a one-legged man. There will hardly be any moment when he forgets it. Bathing, dressing, sitting down and getting up again, even lying in bed will all be different. His whole way of life will be changed. All sorts of pleasures and activities that he once took for granted will simply have to be written off. Duties too. At present I am learning to get about on crutches. Perhaps I shall presently be given a wooden leg. But I shall never be a biped again."

p. 47  "Grief is like a long valley, a winding valley where any bend may reveal a totally new landscape... not every bend does. Sometimes the surprise is the opposite one; you are presented with exactly the same sort of country you thought you had left behind miles ago. That is when you wonder whether the valley isn't a circular trench. But it isn't. There are partial recurrences, but the sequence doesn't repeat."


When I read Lewis' writings, I feel like he has a grasp of pure truth.

The Big Number 10

It's hard to believe that a whole decade has passed since Sweet Liv came to our family. She is kind and generous and thoughtful and beautiful inside and out. We were so excited to celebrate her 10th birthday!

Ryan got to spend the day at a meeting preparing for Wood Badge (a Scout training that he is helping to staff later this summer) and had to leave early, so he woke up extra early to make Liv's birthday breakfast (crepes with Nutella and bananas and a fruit smoothie). She was excited to open her presents with him here, but he walked out the door before we even ate breakfast (pretending to leave... but really going next door to our neighbors where her gift was hidden). She was so heartbroken (which made me heartbroken, even though I knew Ryan was coming right back with a great surprise for her, but who likes to see their child in tears on their birthday?). Luckily it didn't last long, and Ryan arrived at the door with her new bicycle! She quickly forgot her sadness and was thrilled with her new bike.

She loves it, and it's so cute! It's a cruiser and it makes us all want to go for a long, leisurely ride on the beach. Olivia spent a good part of the day cruising around the neighborhood. I can't believe she's tall enough (and old enough) for a women's size bicycle. How the time flies!

Ryan stuck around to eat and watch her open her other gifts... she was especially excited to get the game "Enchanted Forest" from Grandma and Grandpa Harper. Ryan played the same game when he was younger and we know we'll have loads of fun with it.

Sophia loved all the gift wrap and decorations and treats. She seemed giddy all day long, like she knew it was a special day.

We ended the day with a small group of Liv's "besties" that came over for a barbecue, some games (including tetherball--where Ryan was schooled by her friend Brinley), Heavy Heavy Hangover with presents, giant cupcakes and ice cream, and lots and lots of laughs. There may or may not have been an incident with milk coming out of Olivia's nose.

We are so glad that Olivia is a part of our family. I feel blessed to be her mama and be a part of her life.

Love you sweet Liv!