Tender Mercies

Chad and I got our first digital camera as a Christmas gift in 2002 and, while I liked the idea of a digital camera, I was largely unimpressed since it took pictures with an odd hue to them and burned through two double A batteries in five minutes flat. I stubbornly clung to the film camera I'd taken with me on my missionary journeys and was content. Then, my trusty camera died, but that was okay...we still had Chad's mission camera...all was well. But then digital cameras we could afford increased in quality. We purchased one, were pleased with it, and soon we were all digital all the time. We happily downloaded our pictures onto our computer and I assumed that they were safe there, tucked away in a little folder on our desktop. Then came THE VIRUS; the virus to end all viruses. Our computer coughed, wheezed, choked and died. All those pictures disappeared in a puff of smoke; vanishing as if they'd never been. Of all the things we lost, the one I mourned the most was Grant's newborn baby pictures. It was a tragedy of monumental proportions enlarged by the fact that NO ONE else seemed to have pictures of him either.

Fast forward three years: My parents are at our house for dessert and chitchat. Mom rummages around in her purse and extracts a silver camera. "Do you remember when you helped us move out of our house before our mission?" she asks. Do I ever! It was just about the craziest four days I ever spent! We were trying to box up 20 years of life in that house and the clock was ticking. In the end we just started throwing things in boxes so we could clear out for the renters. "Well," my mom continued, "in all the rush to move out of the house our old camera ended up in a box. When we couldn't find it, we bought a new one so that we'd have something for our mission. I'd forgotten about it really. When we went back to the house recently, I grabbed some boxes out of storage so I could go through them and see what was there and I found the camera again!" She pressed a button, the camera blinked its red eye at me in a bright sign of life, and then she handed it over. "It's got some fun pictures on it, even after all that time in storage. See what you think." I carefully scrolled through the pictures and this is what I saw:

I smiled at the cute baby pictures and showed them to Chad. "Look," I said, "this must be Sandra's little Eli." Then I got to the next picture.

For heaven's sake...it was me! That baby was not my nephew Eli...it was GRANT!! Miraculously, wonderfully, amazingly in front of my eyes were pictures, newborn baby pictures, of my beautiful Grant. As I flipped back and forth between each precious one, memories flooded my mind of his peaceful Sabbath day birth, of the first flash of dimples viewed when he gave us a vague newborn smile, of Merritt and Grace's excitement at his arrival, of the wonder and the grandeur of birth. What a gift! What a blessing! What a tender mercy! I was reminded of Elder Bednar's words that "the Lord’s tender mercies are the very personal and individualized blessings, strength, protection, assurances, guidance, loving-kindnesses, consolation, support, and spiritual gifts which we receive from and because of and through the Lord Jesus Christ." I am grateful to know that God's love for us is so great and encompassing that He would, in the midst of all His other responsibilities, take the time to restore to me this little snippet of Grant's life. Truly, truly I can say with Nephi, "I know that [God] loveth his children."

Missionaries Again

This is my mom...I love my mom.

This is my dad...I love my dad.

They are going on a mission again. To where you might ask? To...drumroll please...the France Paris Mission. Wow! Guess those fun French people just can't get enough of my parents! They report to the MTC on November 14th. Dad, Mom...you are amazing!!! Thanks for being you.

A REALly Fun Night

My dad will be so proud of my pun. He is the king of puns. I wish I could follow him around with a drum and cymbal so that I could make that "bu-dump crash!" noise every time he comes up with a new pun. That would be a full-time job I tell you! Anyhoo, Chad and Merritt went to a Real Salt Lake game together. They got to park the car for free and then were ushered up to a box. Can I just say that every time Chad's work does some employee fun thing that involves watching a game from box seats, I never get to go?! I've been to Jazz games courtesy of work vendors, but the one time it was catered food in a booth something came up and Merritt went instead. He ate bowl after bowl of ice cream and enough popcorn to feed a small movie-going crowd. Humph! This time it was more catered food and a dessert tray with 20 different goodies on board. Seriously!! I think Merritt watched some of the game, but it was more about the grub.

Notice the chocolate on his chin...

Spring Recital

Grace had her spring dance recital recently. She really enjoys her dance classes and has learned a lot and improved a lot too. Since Chad had a work activity the same night as the recital, he took her to her dress rehearsal and watched her twirl and plié. Then, while he and Merritt headed for a Real soccer game, the rest of us went to see the show!

The music for all the dances was from Disney shows. This first number was Pinnochio's "I Got No Strings." It was very cute. If my camera had not been acting up I might have been able to snap their final pose, which was the girls sitting on the floor like limp puppets. Stinkin' camera! (I love you really...you're so much better than my last camera and is it your fault that we couldn't take pictures with the flash on? I know you're afraid of the dark. We're still friends...right?)

This dance was done to "The Rain Came Down" from that cute Winnie the Pooh movie. Grace was positively in LOVE with the lacy pink umbrella and could hardly be parted from it. To spare my camera's feelings we won't be discussing the fuzziness of this picture...ahem. I will say, however, that it was VERY NICE that this recital was done on a stage. We could actually see what was happening without having to stand on chairs. Yeah!

After the show Grace's teacher gave each of the kids a poseable porcelain ballerina. Heather had flowers for her as well, which Grace was over the moon about! She was grateful Heather and Grandma could be there.

The gang. I know Chad was sad to miss her big night, but I'm sure Merritt was perfectly happy...he's not impressed with ballet. Grant, on the other hand, enjoyed himself hugely. He scrambled down from my lap and boogied to the music. When familiar tunes would play, he'd turn with a big smile and say, "I like this song!"

Our dancing girl.
(P.S. - Somebody give me a pat on the back...her hair was really cute that night and she usually doesn't like to have it done. We just brush and go normally. I think we have hair drama because it is so darn fine, but we had success with it for once!)

The Baby Whisperer

That's what I call Grace. She is very much in love with her baby brother Joseph and regularly volunteers to hold and entertain him. She is incredibly patient and will shake rattles and balls before Joseph's eyes or talk to him in a high squeaky voice that makes my ears ring but makes him smile hugely. Her favorite thing to say to him is, "Oh Joseph you are so cute and special and handsome! You are such a smart baby!" He gurgles and coos in response to all her praise and she'll exclaim, "Mom! Did you hear what Joseph said?!" Then turning back to her brother she'll again assure him that he is smart and wonderful; which he is...and so is she.

"I Want To Ride My Bicycle...

I want to ride my bike. Bicycle! Bicycle!" Queen...what a funky bunch of guys singing catchy tunes.


We bought bicycles for the kids for Christmas. Maybe it was a funny time to buy bikes, since the kids wouldn't be able to ride them in the snow, but we did it because I have the most vivid Christmas memory I call "The Year of the Ten-Speeds". My mom and dad always left the Christmas tree lit all night long from Christmas Eve to Christmas morning and it was so magical to come down the stairs of our darkened house in the light of the softly glowing tree. One year we snuck downstairs at some insanely early hour to snag our stockings off the banister and shake a few presents, but were stopped in our tracks by the shiny bicycles glinting in the light of the tree. My oldest siblings had been given wonderful ten-speed bikes...it was so exciting! I always wanted to recreate that scene for my own "some day" family so this past Christmas we bought the bikes, hid them at Jeannine's house and then had a serious Christmas Eve discussion about whether we should have the bikes by the tree. We had a concern that the kids would try to ride them indoors and end up falling down the stairs or something (not a concern my parents had to deal with) so in the end we decided that we should pull the cars out of the garage, set the bikes up there and then take the kids out to them; that way they could ride them a little too. It turned out to be a great decision because they were so excited (judging by their whoops and shrieks...Grant was holding a dinosaur toy and totally chucked it in a corner as he ran to his bike) and were able to get on and ride a bit. Maybe they'll want to recreate that scene for their "some day" family.


Well, the bicycles have been much admired but unused until recently. The spring rain and snow has curtailed our outings, but every Saturday with sunshine has seen the kids riding along in the church parking lot. Bicycle! Bicycle!

Bicycle Love!

My Own Harry Potter

I went to get Joseph out of his crib one morning and saw that he had been battling his nemesis in the night. His fingernails are this Harry Potter's Lord Voldemort. I clip those things all the time and this still happens!! I wonder if "Expelliarmus!" would work on them?