What a week!

For those of you who check and read this blog, this is a follow-up to last week's entry. Stan was called to serve as Young Men's President in our ward. It will be a new experience for him, he`s never served in Young Men`s. But he will do well, as he always does. Pray for him. It will take a miracle to be able to balance full time work, part-time MBA program that starts tomorrow, family, and his new calling. We aren`t sure how it will work out but we know the Lord will bless us with what we need. I knew as soon as he was called that last Sunday was a good preparation for me. I needed that spiritual boost to give me the strength to say that I would support Stan in his new endeavor. It won`t be easy but sacrificing isn`t supposed to be easy. If it was, we wouldn`t learn and it wouldn`t help us to grow. So, here`s to a crazy 3 years at least! (The MBA program will take 3 years, the calling will most likely be longer, as long as we don`t move.)
I`m really grateful for the past 4 months I`ve had to have Stan around. It has blessed our marriage greatly. I`m so glad that we had a little breather, to have so much family time, be able to renovate our house (we`re almost done with the last of the flooring and it looks awesome), and give me the support I needed as we lost our little boy.


Stan`s birthday is tomorrow! He prefers to keep things simple so we are having Whitney and his cousin Marlene over for dinner, SKOR cake and ice cream. I`m so grateful to be married to him. He is everything that I need in a husband and has really helped me to be a better person. That was a big reason why I married him. I knew he would help me in the ways that I needed to be strengthened but couldn`t do on my own. He is a fantastic father, the kids are so blessed to have him. I`m grateful to his parents who raised him in a wonderful, loving, and gospel-centered home. They were and continue to be great examples in our lives.

Refining

I've not been blogging since my pictures are on my computer that I don't have hooked up. And we have been painting and getting new flooring. It's taking all of my energy to keep up with that, get back in the school routine, and do other daily tasks that are necessary.
The purpose of this post is to share some thoughts.
We were blessed to have Elder Yoshihiko Kikuchi preside at our stake conference this weekend. I feel like the Lord is teaching me so much this year!
I felt the spirit so strong throughout the whole meeting today. I sang in the choir so I was able to have one of the best seats. It also meant I wasn't wrestling with kids and so I got to take notes and pay attention and receive answers to my prayers. It felt similar to attending the Temple. It was a very special experience for me. Member missionary work is huge in our stake. As a family or as a couple, Stan and I have committed to set goals regarding missionary work and be more bold to share and more in tune with the spirit so we'll know who is ready.
Some things I learned today:
-pray to have the spirit with you as you say a prayer- i.e. similar to when someone is about to give a blessing to someone else, a prayer is said so the person giving the blessing will say what Heavenly Father wants them to know. I'm so excited to implement this. It will bring me that much closer to my Heavenly Father.
-The Lord REQUIRES a willing heart and mind in ALL things, not just the things I choose to do. I need to pay tithing with my whole heart, it's not about the money.
I need to serve with all my heart, not just when it's convenient
I need to share the gospel with my whole heart, not just when I get the chance or someone asks me about the Church.
I need to serve my family, even when I'm tired
I need to visit teach, even if the sisters don't need me or want me to come. I can still do something.
I need to strengthen my marriage with my whole heart, not just when Stan is being extra sweet or when I'm feeling good.
I need to sacrifice with my whole heart, even when it hurts and it is hard and you have to be creative with your time.
The Bishop just called and is meeting with us tonight. Interesting. I wonder if today I was being prepared for something.
I received impressions today in regards to missionary work and what I need to do with specific people I've been praying for. I'll share what comes...

Anniversary/Jon Schmidt

Stan and I celebrated our 8th anniversary yesterday. We were lucky enough to see Jon Schmidt in Calgary! He put on a great show. The concert was in an old Church in downtown Calgary and there were less than 200 people in attendance. It was very intimate. I'd seen him 3 or so times in Utah when we lived there. It was so cool. The people who sponsored the concert gave him this cowboy hat. Calgarians are known as cowboys due to the famous Calgary Stampede, which we have yet to attend.

Here's a video of his "Dumb Song." I don't think I'd seen him do it before but he went nuts. He's a great entertainer. He played his Love Story meets viva la vida and it was awesome but he might not be able to put it on his newest album. He said he has a different version in the works.
Check out his website for more stuff. www.jonschmidt.com

I thought it would never happen

So, most moms worry about their kids and what crazy things they'll do for fun, or not fun, but just to experiment. The other day was an experimental day for Brynn. You can see in the picture the red line on her neck. She was trying to hide her neck from me and finally I got the REAL story. She was sitting in the window sill, just to her right in the picture, had the blind cord wrapped around her neck for some reason and fell out of the window. Luckily the cord broke or loosened when she fell. I couldn't believe it! I've never experienced anything like this. I guess we haven't really had blinds in the past. They are coming down soon! We are grateful that she is ok.

Stuff

Here's a random family picture that our friends took for us. The lighting is bad, just look at the faces.

We had some friends over for dinner last week and this was the kids enjoying dessert. Except for Macy, I guess.

Update on baby

I hope you don't find this picture disturbing. I tried to lighten it up a bit but I'm not very good at photo editing.
So, I've been emailing back and forth with several people over the past while about details of what happened to the baby, etc. So here is what we know and have decided...
1. We chose to not have an autopsy to find the cause of death. It didn't really matter to us and know that Heavenly Father allowed this to happen for many reasons.
2. We opted for the hospital to take care of the body. They did take pictures for us but by the time they did, the body looked really scary so we threw them away. They were creepy. I'll do some editing on mine.
3. We have a stupor of thought concerning the state of this little spirit so we chose not to officially name him. We'll still talk about the experience with the kids and only time will tell in some regards. We might not know in this life. We're OK with that.

Family reunion

We had a Wright family reunion in Spokane, WA on Aug 1. It was fun to be with all who were there. My two sisters weren't able to make it but we got to see Bruce, Anne and Silas, whom we haven't seen for 5 years!
On our way back to Canada, we drove through Glacier National Park, Logan Pass. It was beautiful! As you can see in the pictures, it was a little bit smoky. I love the mountains and it was so fun to enjoy the beauty around us. We also stopped at the Cardston, Alberta Temple. The other pictures that are in the middle of the collage are from Sparwood, BC, and the "largest truck in the world." It was a short trip but we had fun spending time together as a family. It's fun to have the kids old enough to enjoy the world around them. They were great travelers and we didn't have to watch movies the whole trip.

Misc summer pictures

Brynn and Joel went fishing with some members of our ward for a Make-A-Wish foundation fundraiser. She caught this fish and it was so yummy. It was her first experience fishing. I wish we could have seen the catch. The dad who talk her said it was pretty fun to watch.

The kids helping daddy make cookies.

Macy didn't want her picture taken but I had to get the rain boots with the dress.

This is our super fast and fun slip n slide. We have a nice hill on the side of our house that works perfect. The slide gives you a head start without running.

At-home campout

Foil dinners on our deck. I used the BBQ because it's so much faster.

Macy insisted that she was eating her corn like a "goggy"(doggy)

We love S'Mores! Check out the grass in the background. Yes that is our yard, we had to keep it that way to get the camping feel. :)

Can I just tell you...?

How AWESOME it is to have a REAL house. I'm talking about my own 4 walls, and all the floors belong to me! We have been married for almost 8 years and up until May 22, we've lived in an apartment or townhouse. All of our places have been sufficient and we were mostly content with each home we've lived in. Having a wonderful family to be with is really the most important thing but to be in a house. Some of you can relate to this and some have only lived in an apartment as a single adult. It doesn't matter. I have a real house! A huge garage that fits our bikes, camping stuff, skis, a van and a car, a freezer, Stan's fix it supplies, and room for more. We also have a yard where the kids can run, throw a Frisbee, hit a ball with a bat. We get to mow the yard, water it, green it up, etc. Over the next several months, we will have ripped out our carpet and replaced it, painted all the walls, hopefully get some curtains up, maybe even obtain some real beds. Our bunk bed frames got lost in the move somehow so the kids are just on mattresses on the floor. It's fine but we have something else to look forward to. It has been a lot of work but it's so rewarding to make it ours, slowly but surely. To go to bed and not have cigarette smoke and vulgar language drift in my window . To feel safe to have my kids out in front of the house, mostly. As long as they stay on the driveway. To not hear people yelling and screaming through the walls, except for my kids. I LOVE having a real house!

I tried!

Last weekend we had our first of many 'at-home vacations'. I read in an LDS living magazine article the fun and economical way to have a vacation. We are always into cheap ideas and the kids are so easy to please right now! We had a back yard campout and I will post pics as soon as the computer allows me to do. We need a new computer. Anyway, the fun started with foil dinners that were absolutely delicious. I was impressed with myself. I cooked those and corn on the cob on the BBQ. After eating out on the deck, we set up our tent and built a fire in our pit. We roasted marshmallows for smores. We watched a movie in the tent to get the kids into their beds. Brynn and Joel slept great and wanted to sleep out there the next night. Stan and I didn't sleep at all. It rained so hard for half of the night, Macy got dripped on and I was cold. I made it until 4:45 am and then Macy and I came in and had a great sleep until 7:30. It was a fun experience. The rain was so typical of camping for me. I remember rain on many camping trips as a kid. I was so glad to be in my backyard and not in the boonies!
I forgot to mention earlier that Stan and I have new callings in our new ward. He is a helper in the nursery! I get to play the organ in Sacrament meeting and the piano in RS. But I get to share the job with another lady. It's awesome! We feel so blessed!!

What a difference a week makes

I've wondered over the past couple of days why I'm not suffering and mourning more than I am. I have almost felt guilty that I'm being insensitive or something. Then it hit me today and Stan and I have also talked about this... Numerous people have been praying and fasting on our behalf. We went to the Temple on Friday and I realized why I was there that our names were on the prayer roll. The reality of the that wonderful process set in as I felt the peace and love and faith of those faithful people attending the Temple. They were praying for US! Then today during testimony meeting, I realized more powerfully than ever, that the Savior's Atonement was exactly for that reason! He suffered so we don't have to and so he can feel what we feel. That burden has definitely been lifted from my shoulders. In fact I only carried it for a very short time. I feel like such a slow learner. I guess I haven't ever had anything that seemed like a big trial before. Now that I have, I've received so much strength, peace, and comfort. It is all too amazing to me how the Lord works.

O Canada AND 4th of July

This week we get to celebrate two holidays. For Canada Day, some friends in the ward invited us over for an afternoon BBQ. It was fun. We spent the evening at the park with the kids and came home to watch a movie. We were able to see Fireworks in Beaumont and Edmonton out of the windows of our home. That was really fun since we didn't feel like going anywhere. The kids were so excited to be able to stay up until 11:30. It was fun just being with them and enjoying all the fun things they like to do. Today we are celebrating with some American friends. I should try to take some pictures. But here is one of the kids...

We were able to go to the Temple last night. I felt so much peace, it was amazing. I feel sometimes like this experience never even happened. It feels like it has happened a long time ago, even though it was only a week. I know all the prayers are helping. THANK YOU EVERYONE!

Still in process

I just want to say THANK YOU to everyone. I feel your love and support more than I could have imagined. It is amazing how blessed and comforted and I feel. We are working on a name and will figure that out shortly, hopefully in the next day or two. We aren't sure about burial yet. We want to donate his body to science but if they don't need it or want it, the hospital will do the burial and we can attend if we want. From what the social worker said, it's a very reverent, spiritual experience. We'll keep posting and I really appreciate everyone's thoughts and prayers! Love to all!

It's a boy...

...Although it turned out different than expected. On Friday afternoon, I went in for my routine ultrasound only to find out the baby did not have a heartbeat. We were shocked, as anyone would be. Shortly after, the shock was replaced with peace, knowing God's love for us and the reality of the Plan of Salvation. We are comforted by our Temple covenants and the promise and blessing of an eternal family, as long as we are faithful. The 24 hours that followed the ultrasound were filled with fear of the unknown, shock, sadness, joy, and gratitude. I was 21 weeks along, though they suspected the baby had been gone for quite some time. My body needed medicine to jump start labor so I could deliver the baby. After two trips to the hospital, the perfectly formed baby boy was delivered Saturday afternoon. We were amazed with the creation of life. We are unsure of the cause of death but he looked perfect. He weighed only 4 ounces and was 6 3/4 inches long. They guessed him to be about 16 or 17 weeks in size but they can't be sure. All went well with everything and I was able to come home last night. The hospital was excellent. The older nurse in the picture, Paula, reminded me of my mom and she was such a comfort to me. She saw me Friday night when I first went in and she was able to trade patients so she could be with me on Saturday. Corinna, the other nurse in the picture was also fantastic. I was well taken care of and the experience was better due to the wonderful people helping us. Heavenly Father was surely answering our prayers and giving us the comfort we needed. The nursing staff made little molds of his feet, footprints and gave us some other mementos and the hospital will take some pictures. I'm sure they will turn out better than ours. We are so grateful that death isn't the end and that we have been blessed with 3 healthy and beautiful children. There was a reason for this and we know our testimonies will be strengthened. Our faith in God and His eternal plan has already helped us and will continue to help us and we go through this trial together as a family. Please feel free to talk to me about it or ask questions. I really don't want this to be kept quiet. We believe this special little boy is a part of our family and we will have a chance to raise him someday. I think being open about everything will help me deal with the sadness that will definitely be a part of this healing process.

Trip to Calgary

Stan had some work to do in Calgary at the end of last week, so we joined him. These were the highlights of our trip:
-lots of fun swimming in the hotel pool, it's so fun that Brynn and Joel are getting old enough to swim and have more fun.
-Me and the kids went to the Calgary Zoo. We had a lot of fun and saw some friends from our last ward. My favorite was the baby gorilla.
-Whitney, Stan's sister, ran a 1/2 marathon nearby so we watched her finish. Way to go Whitney! I was going to run this one before I became pregnant. It's on the calendar for next year!
We had a great time being together. It was fun to get away for a quick weekend and not have too far to drive. Enjoy the pictures.

Riding on two wheels, and 3

(I've added several posts today so please check them for pictures about the most recent happenings)
Joel has wanted to take his training wheels off all spring. We finally did it and he's doing great.

I had to post this too. This is Macy's first time on this tricycle and she HAD to go down the hill like the big kids.

One year older-Joel is 5!

Joel's wish for his birthday was to have it at Grandma and Grandpa Torrie's farm. However they are on a mission in Nauvoo and we decided it wouldn't be as fun without them. Then he wanted to have a party with Brayden and Tyson, his cousins that live in Taber.
I finally was able to talk him into something a little closer to home. Since we had recently moved, 30 minutes away from all of our friends, I convinced him that two or three friends would be good and they had to bring their families. 30 minutes is too far to drive to drop off your kid for 2 hours. So we had a BBQ and just played. We had only been in the house a week, so everything was still in boxes. We had a great time!

Joel wanted me to make a dinosaur cake but was happy when we found the Hot Wheels cake at WalMart.

Some of the guests, the Pitcher family-Jared, Ayden, Spencer, Dallin, David and Kristi(not in the pic)

The other family that came, the Leons-Ale and Parly, Alexa, Jacob and Axel (his knee is in the pic)

Joel's gifts from the family.
Looking over the past year, we are just amazed at how much our little man has grown up and matured. He is one of the tamest boys we know. He can get wild but by nature is gentle and quiet. He must be like his dad. He has been ready for kindergarten for some time now and is often wanting to do all the things his big sister can do. We think it won't be too long before he is bigger and stronger than she is and they won't remember it any other way. We love Joel and are so happy to have him in our family.

The first tooth FINALLY comes out

Brynn had this loose tooth for months, probably since around Christmas time or shortly after. We were all wondering how and when it would fall out. One April morning she was munching on some Mini-wheats and out it came. She had the dexterity to sort the tooth and cereal in her mouth. She finished her bite and spit out the tooth. She was afraid that without the tooth, she wouldn't get any money from the tooth fairy.

All for the princess shoes

Macy LOVES to wear these princess shoes. Because they are dangerous with their heel in the back, we made a rule that she wasn't supposed to wear them on the stairs. She disregarded many warnings...

and this is what happened

She cried for a little bit but would NOT take off the shoes. In fact, when I picked her up from the bottom of the stairs (she landed on the cement in the basement), the shoes were still on!