Addie is ONE

Addilyn turned one this last week.  Over the past several weeks I have been working on getting her baby book finished.  I decided to go with a digital book, and 71 pages later, I have her entire first year contained in one book.  I am hoping this works, but here is the link if you are interested in seeing the book.

Click here to view this photo book larger

Photo Book Tip: Create an adventurous travel photo album at Shutterfly.com.

I am pretty pleased with the way it turned out.  PLUS I got it 50% off and free shipping.  I'm feeling REALLY good about that. 

Called to ....Serve

I am going to risk sounding a bit whiny.  This is a lame post to write since I haven't touched this blog in a really long time, but I need a place to think out loud.

I got a new calling.  It actually happened about 3 months ago.  I was taken from my calling in the Young Women's after only a year and a half, and placed in the primary as the pianist.  I get asked all the time how I feel about my new calling, and I haven't really been able to put it into words.  I am going to attempt to do it now.

Let me start with a little back history on the callings I have held.  My whole life I have loved music.  When I turned 15, I recieved my first "real calling" as the ward choir pianist.  I held that calling until I graduated High School.  I enjoyed it because it taught me so much.  I learned how to play and how to follow a director, and more important, I really learned how to accompany.

When I got to College I was called as a ward missionary until my ward found out that I played the organ.  Cue 2 years of being the ward organist.

After getting married and living in our first apartment, I was called as the primary pianist.

When we moved to Springville, I was called as the music conductor of the sacrament hymns.  (least favorite calling EVER)

When we moved to our current home, something happened.  I was given a calling outside of music for the first time in my life (minus the one month of being a ward missionary).  I was called to be a part of the Young Womens Presidency.  I became part of a group of women that were called to help and support the young women in our ward, and I LOVED it.  I adored the girls that I served.  I gained lifelong friendships with some of the leaders that I worked with.  And in an instant, it all changed.  After only 1 and a half years I was released because they needed a piano player in the primary.

I was in a calling that stretched me in ways I had never been asked to stretch before.  I was gaining new talents and insight.  I was growing spiritually.  How do you feel all of those things and then just walk away and "be ok" with it all.

So, in response to the questions asked.  Am I excited to be in Primary?  No. Will I fulfill my calling?  Absolutely.  I have always been taught that I should never hide my talents.  That is why I have the calling that I do now.  I am always willing to play the piano if a need arises.  I will be in Primary every week playing the piano and supporting the primary chorister.  Maybe in time I will be more excited to be there.  For now, all I can do is be there.  It would probably help my excitement levels if someone would make sure that the stinking air conditioning worked.  I sit in my heated corner of the room behind the piano and feel like dying every week.  That is how I feel about my calling.

I do feel grateful that I have the talents that I do.  I wouldn't have worked so hard on them if they weren't important to me.  I am grateful that I was given a calling in the Young Women for the short time that I was there because it really did teach me so much.  I guess that the real reason behind everything that I feel is that once I get a music calling, that's it.  I will probably be the primary pianist for the rest of the time that I am in our ward.  There are worse things in life.

Thanks for listening.  It definitely helps to get that out there.

Music to My Ears

These two love to play on the piano.  Whenever either one of them hear someone on the piano, the immediately need to come check it out.  Lillie tries to help me teach lessons by telling my students to play their "sharks" (sharps), and will ask them, "Where's the D?".  Addie's favorite place to hang out during lessons is underneath the piano next to the pedals.  She recently has started singing along with the songs as well.  Frankly, I love it.  (Not to worry, they don't interrupt the lesson.)

The other day, my girls were being so sweet and playing the piano together, and I just needed to capture the moment. 

I love that they love music.

Addie is 6 months!

I can't believe that Addie is already 6 months old.  She is such a joy to have as a daughter and I wanted to just write down some of my favorite things plus some milestones for her.

Addie is such a good baby.  I know I say this a lot, but she really is so good.  She will let anyone hold her and smiles so easily.  She makes everyone feel like they are the best at making her happy.  Addie adores her sister.  Lillie can make her laugh better then anyone else.  All Lillie has to do is jump and twist around and Addie will think it is hilarious.  I love seeing them interact together.  I hope that they will be best friends growing up. 

At her 6 month appointment, Addie weighs 16 lbs 10 oz.  Lillie went to the appointment with me and weighed in at 28 lbs.  It won't be long before they are about the same. :)

Addie is rolling over both ways and is sitting up like a champ.  She just wants to follow Lillie around, so I don't think it will be long until she is either walking or crawling to keep up with her sis.  When I put her in the walker in the kitchen, she cruises around and really enjoys it.  Addie loves food!  She will eat anything that I give to her and like it.  She is definitely a better eater than Lillie was/is. 

I love Addie and all the happiness that she brings into our family.  I am so lucky to be her mom.

Easter Evening

We had Stake Conference instead of our normal church meetings on Easter which made me feel like it would be a waste to dress the girls in their Easter dresses, so we saved those for the next week so they would look extra cute :)

That evening, we celebrated Easter with the Sumsion family.  We ate dinner and ice cream over at Grandma and Grandpa Sumsion's house, then went up to Bill and Nette's house to search for Easter eggs.  It was a fun night.  Here are some of the highlights.

Easter Morning

I need to catch up on a couple of things and since the girls are both sleeping currently, I figured this is my chance.

Easter was such a great day for us.  It was perfect weather and the girls were in such a good mood.  Here is all the loot that we got for the girls just for documentation sake.

Lillie was so excited to see all of the presents.  She especially loved the lip gloss and the bubble machine we got for both the girls.  Addie was just content watching what was going on, and she loves her little piggy toy.  It vibrates and plays music when you push on the snout.

Lillie was so good to share her lip gloss with everyone, and John is a good dad to let her put it on him.

Lillie loved the bubble machine.

Addie....well, not so much.  She hated it and would cry everytime a bubble touched her.  It was almost comical.

It was so nice to sit outside with my family and just enjoy the morning together. 

One Year Later.

Tomorrow marks one year since my grandmother passed away.  So many things have happened in this past year, and she has been missed by all.  I think of her often.  I know she would love my little Addie and she would be delighted by my Lillie.  I can just see her now just smiling and telling Lillie to give her some "sugar" or to "come here you little munchkin."  She had a gift.  We all loved her and she made us all feel like we were the most important.  I miss her.

Today, Charli, Owen, and I took our girls down to Genola to take some photos in the orchards and then stopped at the cemetery to leave some things for grandma.  It was a bitter sweet. 

I had told Lillie that we would be stopping at the cemetery to leave some flowers at grandma's grave.  Once we were there, she came and sat on my lap and asked me, "Where's grandma?"  I answered that she was living with Jesus in Heaven.  She replied, "Mommy, can I go to Heaven?"  I smiled at her and said that someday she could, but for now I needed her to stay here with me and be my little girl. 

That was the first time that I have ever really had to talk to Lillie about what happens to us when we die.  I know that I will see my grandma again someday and I want my children to know that as well.

Yesterday, my mom was going through some old pictures with Lillie and asking her to name everyone in them.  When a photo of grandma came up, without even skipping a beat, she told us it was grandma.  I am so glad that she remembers her.  I know that if I keep telling Lillie stories about her that the memory of her will live on, like it should.

Tomorrow will be a day of remembering my favorite things about grandma.  And who knows?  I might even make some crab boil shrimp and some potato salad with extra big egg whites in it.  (Because that's what grandma would do so she could eat around them.)