A few weeks go (maybe months...?) when Winry would run around the house (typically chasing Brooke) she'd yell "Run around, run around!" We never got a video of that, but we've been trying to get one lately. This past week Monica got a video of her saying run around, but spinning. Afterwards, she started saying "spin around," but her heart just wasn't in it.
I don't know if I've put a picture of this in before, but Brooke has been singing Winry songs for her naps and bedtime, and sometimes she asks if she can hold Winry. She held Winry I believe twice this past week! Winry is so lucky to have such a wonderful big sister.
Brooke and Winry have an old phone that they play with. They love to pretend to call people on it, and lately Winry has really loved talking to baby Anaya! Winry just super loves babies, and Monica calls her sister, Melanie, every once in a while and she just had a baby (who is named Anaya, if you didn't catch that). Winry is very fond of her cousin.
While Brooke typically falls sleep in her bed every night, she tends to wake up sometime in the middle of the night and come into our room and sleep on the floor. I don't think she wakes up Monica every night, but I tend to just wake up to Brooke laying on the floor next to me. It's common enough that I always check before I get out of bed to make sure I don't step on her. Here she is curled up with Pikachu!
This past week, Brooke's new dance class started up! The main classes go through the school year, but we did sign her up for some summer dance stuff. She had a dance camp a few weeks ago that was 4 hours long, and when Monica came to pick her up she said "why are you here already!!" So yeah, this girls loves to dance! She gets to do some tap dance this year too.
On Wednesday night when I was driving home from basketball at the church, there was a huge lightning storm going on in front of me, so I pulled over and captured some of it. I think the video ended up turning out better than I thought, but you still can't see near as much lightning as there was.
We had muffins for breakfast on Thursday, and it was a pretty big deal for Winry. Mostly, I just thought that was a cute video...
On Friday for Monica's birthday we went out to dinner, and I surprised her and had some of her friends meet us there! Of course that means there were kids all around, and that meant that it looked like this under the table while we were having dinner! To be honest, I didn't even know the waitress dropped off chop sticks for us until I looked under the table!! Don't worry, we cleaned up the floor before we left.
And here's everyone that was able to make it to dinner. Jessica and Dennis came, as well as Julia, Michael, Logan and Kai! We all had a wonderful time. Thanks so much to everyone for making it out! The curry was fantastic as always, and the girls got pineapple teriyaki chicken which they loved! And Winry devoured plain rice, because who wouldn't just want to eat a plate full of plain rice?
Brooke and Logan were running around like crazies after dinner and having a lot of fun together. Eventually Brooke climbed up on this wall and wanted me to take a picture of her. It was a very proud moment!
And when we got home we finally remembered to get a picture of Monica with her birthday present from Brooke. Brooke gave her this stuffed kitty with a tail almost as long as Brooke is tall! Sorry the lighting isn't great, the best place for the picture was on the coffee table, and the light was directly above the table, so the lighting is a bit... harsh.
In addition to the kitty, Monica also got a cake turner/decorator thing, some reusable "plastic wrap" things, and some running shoes that were too small (and so were the ones in the next size up...). Unfortunately, she got a late start on her cake. Fortunately, that means she got the cake turner in time!
Here's the final cake, and with a spin. Monica finished the cake at 11 pm... but still on her birthday! We did not dive in immediately as I had fallen asleep on the couch. It was a Nutella cake, and it was amazing! I wouldn't say I'm usually much of a cake person, I think I typically find cake too dry, but this one was fantastic! I think this is the cake I'm going to have in my peanut butter chocolate cake for my birthday next year, just needs some different frosting.
On Saturday we went swimming with the Cammacks. We took a few pictures while we were there, but they all turned out poorly. Turns out the issue wasn't with the water proof case or the minerals in the pool at the hot springs, but instead the camera lens itself somehow got really filthy. I cleaned it today, but that didn't help yesterday's pictures turn out well... so we'll pass on those. After swimming, was nap time, where Brooke taught me this really cool game on the couch. I'm still not exactly sure how the game works, but I know that Brooke won, and it was made just for me.
After nap time, the Cammacks came over to cut the cake with us! We all sang happy birthday of course, and then we dug in.
This weekend was stake conference, and Monica was singing in the choir for the adult session so she had to go, which left me at home with the kids. Dinner was later than usual as everyone was full from cake, but after dinner I took Winry up for bed. Brooke and I played "Feed the Kitty" while we waited for dinner time to come, and Winry played on my team! While Winry was eating dinner Brooke and I played "Feed the Kitty", and while I was putting Winry to bed Brooke ate dinner, changed into her pajamas, and sang songs to Winry. Once it was just Brooke and I, I pulled out a special game for us to play. Brooke was SOOO excited to play the Pokemon game! We had a great time, and I did keep it pretty simplified. Once we finished I did have to tell her the name of ALL 150 Pokemon on the cover of the box. Time well spent.
This morning after the kids were dressed for church, we turned on "Music and the Spoken Word." They love watching it, so it's a good treat/reward for getting ready for church. Brooke headed down to the couch while we were still getting Winry ready, and she prepped herself for watching. It almost looks like she was going to take a nap.
At stake conference today Elder Henry J. Eyring talked about writing a journal, and keeping events that make us a "hero." AKA, record your good moments. He challenged us to specifically spend some time thinking about one or two spiritual experiences we've had and record them in our journal. Well, since this is my journal I figured this would be the place to do it. Also, I hope all of the things I have written about over the years have sounded really heroic... :)
Anyway, the first experience that comes to mind is stake conference itself. If I had to pick one it'd be stake conference from a couple years ago. I had a rather negative attitude about having to go on Saturday night, and while we were there I heard a talk that was exactly what I needed. Our stake president talked about our expectations, and how happiness, or our lack thereof, comes from our expectations. If we have unrealistic expectations, that will lead us to sadness and misery. It was a wonderful lesson then, and I've found that I've had a big lesson to learn at every stake conference since then. Lately I've been trying to learn more about the Atonement and trying to have better and more meaningful repentance. Our stake president shared a story today and challenged us to try to make our repentance more meaningful. Again, it was the message I needed to hear, and it also affirmed to me that I am heading in the right direction.
For my second experience, this past week while I was doing my scripture study I read the prompt "Why must we have the Holy Ghost in order to understand the things of God?" This reminded me of times in my life when I'm studying a topic and have an "ah-ha" moment where you suddenly feel you deeply understand the thing you are studying. Those moments where you go and tell someone what you've just learned, and the response you get it "yeah... you just found that out." And that's when you realize that your sentence is obvious, and your newfound understanding is something you cannot communicate. Well, this past week I had one of those moments ABOUT those moments, and it was really eye opening to me to see how much I really have had the Spirit in my life guiding me. I would say I'm not a super emotional person, and so to see and recognize all of these spiritual experiences for what they were was wonderful!
I am so grateful for the gospel. I am grateful for Jesus Christ, and that he suffered the Atonement for all of us. I am grateful for stake conference, and for my inspired local leaders. I am grateful for "Come Follow Me" and for all of the changes and improvements it has brought to my personal study and our family study! In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
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