So proud

I'm so proud of my kids right now! They're growing and stretching with this move and all of it is positive. They are making friends in their classrooms at school and Lucy is getting familiar with the teachers and kids in her nursery. I think she would love to be in some sort of preschool, either home preschool or an official one but I'm not ready for her to go. She also misses the cut off so she's not quite 3 yet. She has started having some pretty fierce tantrums but is mostly bubbly and fun, jumping from place to place. Her exploration of the English language is so delightful to watch. Some of my favorites are:
"Sunscream."
"Guess what?" "What?" "I lub you."

Jillian got assigned to the same class as her best friend Brooklyn, even the seat next to her!, and so she is loving life. Kevin gave her a father's blessing before school started and it talked a lot about her strength and lifting others. In so many ways she seems years beyond her seven. She is self-motivated when it comes to...everything. She'll ask if she can please do her homework the night she gets the assignment, practice piano NOW so it gets done, complete tasks on her goal chart. In these ways she is definitely her father's daughter and I'm so grateful she inherited these things from him! Back to her blessing from her dad, I can see how serving others will be a big part of her life. Things with which others might struggle, come so naturally to her so she'll be able to focus on those around her and lifting when they need a hand. She is very attuned socially and makes friends without effort. The other day we were at the playground/splash pad and she was bored because friends who were going to come weren't able to join us. All of a sudden she jumped up and pointed to someone. "I'm going to meet HER!" Off she went and they played together for the next hour. I stand in awe of the many talents and gifts this girl has been given and is growing through her actions. She's awesome!

Peter also got a blessing and it was neat to hear what Heavenly Father has in store for him through his dad. In the past Peter has often interpreted others' actions as picking on him when really they were trying to play tag or rough house. He hasn't had much interest in sports and that has concerned me because I know that is a HUGE part of fitting in and being confident as a boy. Recently I've been making some sort of sports practice a part of his Saturday chores and Kevin has also been making an effort to throw the ball with him whenever he has a chance. Peter's getting really good at throwing and catching the football and dribbling and passing the basketball! So as he's started kindergarten, he's told us how he's gotten other boys to play ball with him on the playground and has made several friends this way. I give this as background because most of what I remember from Kevin's blessing for Peter was that he will be a leader among his classmates and sisters. He's learned so much and it's been hard for him to learn these social lessons but it's awesome to watch him thrive, or even just shrug off a rude comment if someone does say something lame to him and jump back in to the group in another way. It's amazing to see Heavenly Father take things that first appear as weaknesses and transform them to positive qualities in people. So proud of this boy!

Lucy also got a blessing and what I remember most was concerning how loving she is! She loves her siblings fiercely and defends them to me, even when they've just been teasing her. "That's my brodder, Mom!" I am so grateful to have her home with me full time right now. She often comes over to kiss her baby "sitter" and say "she loves hugs." She is also super smart and can remember songs that she's heard once and sings constantly and AT THE TOP OF HER LUNGS. I can clearly hear "I am like a star shining brightly..." coming from the basement when I'm two floors up in my bedroom. She also memorizes books and loves to "read" them along with Kevin and I.

When he was done with the kids, I asked Kevin to give me a blessing too. I didn't say why but I was hoping for some relief from all the paranoid thoughts I've been having concerning something awful happening to our family. It sounds silly but I honestly go around viewing the world fearfully because there are so many things that could potentially happen to one of us, especially the kids. What if Jillian gets hit by a car riding to a friend's house? What if Lucy decides to play with the knives while I'm in the shower? What if a snake is caught off guard and bites one of them in the yard? What if I let one of them drown at the pool? And then there are the situations that we're not even in...What if one day we go on a hike and one of them falls off of a cliff? What if Kevin has a heart attack? What if I have a pulmonary embolism after our baby is born? And on and on. I know that Heavenly Father doesn't want me to live like this and that his is the Spirit of Faith, not fear, but for some reason it is so hard for me to shake these scary thoughts. Maybe because sometimes life just seems too good to be true?! So this blessing was of great comfort to me. He said that as I follow the Spirit I'll be able to keep my children safe. That was all I needed to hear and while I continue to think up scary and dangerous situations, I just keep reminding myself of these words of comfort. Kevin also said that as I improve and increase my daily study of the scriptures, I'll be able to find answers to the questions I have and the desires of my heart.

I'm so grateful for this family of mine. What an absolute blessing and joy to spend my life with them!