My Favorite Things

What I really love about this photo is it shows, at the same time - two of my most favorite things to do - being near my children, and celebrating Christmas.
And I think it's cool that some of us are standing in front of a 100 foot tall  Christmas (no, NOT a Holiday) tree in flip flops.
I hope that this Christmas season gives each of you the chance to make lots of wonderful memories with the people you love most.

What Makes Me Proud

It was great to see so many of you this Thanksgiving weekend on Catalina Island.
For those of you who were there and for those of you who weren't, it makes me proud to see such a wonderful growing family and such good decisions being made.
As little Jack says so well, 'Thank you!'
Keep up the good work. I love you all.

Gramps

What I am grateful for

I am grateful for the great place I live in here at Provo, Utah...apartment C309 of the Elms apartments. I like it here alot more than in Helaman Halls where I lived my first year. I am also grateful for all of my roommates. They have been great! I am also grateful for the thanksgiving break I had. It was great being in LA and on Catalina Island. I had a great time getting to see the little boys and I could finally see the Puentes' place. I am grateful that Rachel and I could eat at In-N-Out Burger in LA and in Orem. The In-N-Out is better in LA, but it is still pretty good here in Utah. Anyhow, those are some of the things that I am grateful for.

Long Way Round

I'm not sure if everyone has heard yet (although I’m guessing most have) but it looks as though Char and I are headed to Edmonton in January!! I’ve managed to land a job with EY in Edmonton that starts in mid January and having found out only last week we both can’t believe that our time here in the UK has almost ended. It’s been a little over 5 years now since we first arrived in the UK during which time we’ve lived in all of Oxford, Southampton, Eastleigh and now Aberdeen.

I was thinking just the other day how our journey in some ways feels like the one taken on the BBC TV series called Long Way Round. Maybe some of you saw it but it featured two Brits, Ewan Macgregor and his friend Charlie Boorman, starting from London on motorcycles and then making their way across the whole globe (apart from oceans!) through Europe, Asia, N America, ending in NYC and then flying back across the Atlantic to London. Although our journey to the UK wasn’t quite as adventurous, especially compared to the parts in the series where they travelled across the more remote places, ie Kazakhstan, Mongolia and the Road of Bones in Siberia, I still feel like our journey has been similar to theirs in some ways. I thought that after graduating from UofA things could have easily ended up that we stayed in Edmonton and enjoyed living there for the next little while. But overall, living in the UK has been a huge and welcome adventure for us. We’ve certainly had our stretches of good roads / bad roads, tough terrain and unfamiliar territory etc. But like Ewan and Charlie were when they got to the final stretch of the journey, we are also very glad now that we’re coming home, starting up where we were only a short time ago but with incredible journeys and a lot more adventure under our belts from being able to live here.

I'm grateful for my nursing bra.

Having had such a difficult pregnancy I now feel it my solemn duty to pay attention to the prego ladies I come in contact with and make sure that they are alright. I listen, I validate, I tell them they look amazing and acknowledge how horrible heartburn, backaches, desperate fatigue, water retention and emotional instability is. About a month ago, sitting in Relief Society, I turned to one such woman (Sarah) who was heavily pregnant with her first and I asked how she was feeling. She burst into tears. We sat at the back of the room and whispered to each other throughout a good part of the lesson and then exchanged phone numbers. She came and visited me in the mother's lounge the next Sunday and mentioned that she was nervous about having a baby and didn't know if she would know what to do with the baby once it came. She asked me about breastfeeding and since I struggled with that as well, I was more than excited to tell her what I had learned. I thought that when the baby was born I would be able to help her with that.

Three weeks ago she gave birth to a healthy baby boy. During the delivery she suffered a stroke and a week after the delivery she died. The Sunday after she passed, the Relief Society president handed me a bag filled with a few nursing related items, amoung the items was a pretty navy and white nursing bra. I had no idea where the items had come from as there are a number of young mothers in the ward and when I thanked her and asked if she wanted any money for the things she said "well, no, these things weren't able to be used for their intended purpose so....." And then I realized that these were Sarah's and it was absolutely tragic for me to think that Sarah didn't get a chance to nurse her little one. At first, I wasn't very keen on wearing the bra because I thought it would remind me of the tragedy but I decided to wear it to remind myself of how lucky I am to be able to mother my children.

I invited Sarah's husband over for dinner this evening. He brought his little baby Logan with him and I held and kissed and cuddled that little boy and I wanted to cry thinking that his mother isn't here to hold and kiss and cuddle him. At one point in the evening the baby started fussing and I knew he was hungry so I asked if I could try feeding him. I took little Logan into my bedroom, unclasped Sarah's pretty navy and white bra, and nursed him.

"The death of someone we know always reminds us that we are still alive - perhaps for some purpose which we ought to re-examine." ~Mignon McLaughlin.
I'm grateful I'm alive, I'm grateful Jordan is alive, I'm grateful for every day I have with my children. I'm grateful for my nursing bra.
Seize the Day by Carolyn Arends and Alive by Edwin. These songs are old favorites of mine. If any of you know any songs, poems, stories, movies etc. that celebrate the gift of life I'd love it if you shared.

Falltime

We had such a wonderful time going to the pumpkin patch this year, and just celebrating the seasons and the holidays we have to go with them. Julian discovered his shadow when he was playing at hay maze and it was so cute to see him rocking out to the music so he could see his shadow dancing (a few people even stopped to watch him, which was kind of funny). The boys also loved playing in the corn maze with Auntie, and picking out pumpkins. I'm really excited for Thanksgiving this year (we did have a Canadian Thanksgiving in October with three other Canadian families, which was really fun too). The boys had I have been reading books about where the holiday comes from. They don't completely understand the story, and it's definitely not as exciting of a holiday as Halloween, but hopefully it's something they'll get as they grow older.

Tacky Party

Last night I went to a tacky birthday party for my friend Tessa. I had never been to one before! The only rule was to dress in the tackiest clothes you could find. I don't have any pictures of us yet, but I will try to put one in my next post because they're not on my camera. But needless to say, we all looked pretty awesome! There was a Heritage Halls dance that Sydney and I stopped at after the party (still dressed in our tacky threads) and we definitely got a few compliments on our outfits. I really think everyone should just dress tacky once in a while, it's very liberating wearing an outfit that you know is so ugly that people do double takes as you walk by... and not caring about it at all! :)

The Meteors STRIKE!!

Wow. I haven't seen anything like it. Lying on a hillside with a few friends looking up to the sky last night was a rewarding event. We saw a dozen or more incredible meteor shows. One of the first we caught was probably the brightest I have ever seen! (and I have seen many in my day at echo, with a mirror image on the water!) It streaked across the sky in such a fireball blaze that I could hardly believe what I saw! The works of nature surprised me. I have a renewed sense of awe for my Father in Heaven. Upon further pondering today, I have a stronger desire to do as He directs!

Ben on the not so Big Screen

Even though this was posted under Snej it was me, Char, who posted this. I clarify who should take credit for this little clip because it took huge effort to find camera, find charger, find converter, charge camera battery, find cord to upload to computer and then wait for it upload onto blogger which by the way TOOK SOOO LONG TO UPLOAD. So I'm proudly taking my bows, thank you, thank you....

(And yes it would be much easier if I had all of our camera stuff just organised - but it's not and that's just how life is with me sometimes.)

Good luck!

Good luck on your marathon tomorrow, Ian!

Our hikes

I'm grateful for our family hikes and am especially grateful that we have managed to resurrect them in the past couple of weeks. We used to hike every weekend before Oliver was two but then got to a stage when Oliver was too big to carry on a hike and too uninterested to go on any! Now that he's a bit older though we've found that he manages walking much better and seems to enjoy going on a hike a lot more than he used to. Ben fits right into our little Baby Bjorn we have for him and falls asleep as soon as he's in the fresh air.

One of our favourite hikes (that is a mere 10 min drive from our flat) is a small peak called Cairn Mon Earn and close to the site of an old Roman camp. We've hiked it twice in the last two weeks and it gives great views of the surrounding area. We'll have to make sure that Nana is able to make it up there if she makes it here one last time before we leave.

I'm grateful for live music!

I've become a little bit of a concert junkie since coming to LA. I can't really help it! I have so many opportunities to see amazing live music. A couple weeks ago a friend on mine and I went and saw Regina Spektor. It was so awesome! The venue was this outdoor concert hall called the Greek. It was a little chilly that night (for LA) but the blowing wind added a fun effect to the already awesome concert. Regina didn't seem to mind. The wind tossled her hair but she's just say cute things like, 'I hope our love is keeping y'all warm tonite.' Coming from Russia I guess she can handle adverse weather. She's a good performer live.

My favorite of hers, ever since Mercedes mentioned it back in '06, is 'Fidelity.'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGTDRztaCCw
It has about 14 000 000 views, and I'm sure about 5 000 of them are mine. I just LOVE the music and the artistry of the video. So I was stoked first of all that she was performing here at all and secondly that I would be able to hear my favorite song live. I kept waiting for it and waiting for it- she performed some songs with her band and then on her own. Then she brought out her guitar... I kept wondering when she'd play 'Fidelity.' Well the concert ended and she began an encore, of course. Still I didn't hear my familiar favorite! Well... she finished up that song and the band came back out. Only then did I hear the familiar strains of the bouncy opening to one of my favorites. I felt complete. It was awesome to hear a fun variation on it :)

I'm grateful for goals

So my marathon is coming up on Saturday. I'm pretty nervous about it. That said, I've been pretty diligent about following my training schedule and building up my stamina. I haven't been perfect (which may account for some of the nervousness) but its been such a great experience getting in shape in preparation for this big day. I've had fitness goals in the past (ie lose weight) but after a while I lose interest and my goal fades. The marathon goal has been so much better in the sense that I'm preparing for some particular event or activity. It has kept me very motivated and focused. I think that having a very specific objective is important in goal setting no matter what area we're focusing on. I'm trying to apply that to other areas now. Instead of a goal to "read my scriptures", I've set a goal to "finish the Doctrine and Covenants before the end of the year". Then, I try to work up a schedule to help achieve it. I hope that is helpful to some of you!

I'm grateful for my kids!

We took some pictures at the temple on Monday night. No one was there, so we were just enjoying the grounds and running from place to place. I was carrying Jack while the boys were chasing us. Jack let out a squeal of such delight it made me laugh and brought tears to my eyes at the same time. Having all of these little ones has really helped me see so much beauty and joy in this world. I'm so grateful for them!

Thanksgiving

Hi Gang,

This is the season of thanksgiving and Nana just sent a blog about the mountains and how thankful she is to be able to hike and see such fabulous scenery.

We have a tradition in Canada, borrowed from the British, to wear poppies in remembrance of those who have sacrificed for our country. I am thankful for these brave men and women and the sacrifices they have made so we can enjoy the freedom and prosperity we have today. Many others around the world are not so fortunate, and live in countries where their leaders exploit them and take away their freedoms.

We may not always agree with the politics and complexities of war, but we can acknowledge and praise the brave men and women who have done what their country has asked them to do. I pray that our family and our posterity will always enjoy freedom.

It would be interesting to hear what others reading the blog are thankful for right now.

Luv,

Gramps

I thought doing The Limbo was supposed to be fun

Jordan and I are in limbo. Limbo, according to the Catholic church, is where lost souls abide on the edge of Hell. Although I enjoy getting overly dramatic about things at times, I wouldn't say we are abiding on the edge of Hell just yet. We are however, in a rather uncomfortable spot of transition where we are neither at our destination nor are we fully at our point of (intended) departure and as much as we try to proactively steer our own ship, we find ourselves inevitably at the mercy of the waves and storms of flat sales, job offers and passport applications.

From some brief internet research I read regarding the Limbo dance (which originates from Trinidad): "It is believed, that the people of Trinidad during this dance portrayed going down in the hold of a slave ship which carried them off into slavery. No matter how they twist or turn, squirmed or arched they would go deeper and deeper, some would make it, some would not."

This story, the image of the struggling and squirming, resonates with me - I don't mean to trivialise the plight of the slaves - I just mean I understand trying to wriggle through a situation while watching the bar above steadily lower down on me. This is not a post of sadness, hopelessness or the thoughts of one lacking faith - this is just where we're at right now. I mean just look at that guy in the picture - it's not an easy position to be in. It takes muscles, stamina and some fire retardant clothing.

I Love the Mountains, I Love the Rolling Hills

It's been cold and rainy for the past few days - Winter is coming.
Sadly, that means my hiking days for the year are pretty well done.

I'm grateful for so many happy hiking memories. And I'm grateful too for Grandpa Young and Pop who passed on their love of the mountains to me and the Young family, as well as to my own Schneider family (Beej I love your facebook profile photo!)
I hope to have some happy hiking memories with each of you this coming year.

1st photo -
Snow Lake, September 2009

2nd photo - Rattlesnake Ledge,
August 2009

Thorpe Lookout (near Cle Elum, WA)
An incredible 360 degree view
- October 2009

Trailhead of Wallace Falls with hiking buddies Robin, Jennifer, Anne and Jane - June 2009

Happy Birthday Little Oliver (Jo)

Just wanted to wish Oliver a happy 3rd birthday. He was a real pal to hang out with when we went to Scotland. He is sure a smart boy and I hope he has a great year.

From, Uncle David

Oliver's third year of existence

This past year has been a tough year for Oliver. He's had some big changes in his little life. This past year I was going through pregnancy with Ben and Oliver has had to adjust to being stage left rather than centre stage from the beginning of the pregnancy onward. This has been a year of establishing boundaries and rules with corresponding punishments or rewards. It's really been a year of Oliver shedding the baby role and moving towards increased independence and responsibility. I know he's only three but Oliver seems so grown up to me (if I think about it too much I get a bit teary about the whole growing up business). Oliver loves the jobs that we give him - from throwing nappies in the rubbish bin to setting the table for supper. He is such a capable little boy who LOVES to feel that he is contributing to the running of the home. I'm sometimes frustrated at how stubborn he can get when he gets an idea in his head but am mostly pleased to see him get a vision of how he'd like something to be and then go to any lengths to realise that vision. Right now that mostly involves things like the seating plan for FHE, how his cars need to be lined up or the order and pace at which we take our family walks. He's also a very social little guy and runs with a gang of two other boys in his playgroup. I've seen him try to direct other children but he does it very gently usually saying things like "C'mon guys, follow me!" He loves to sing and dance, eat weiners with ketchup and green beans and tries to memorize the lines to the movies he watches. He has been my closest friend here in Aberdeen - we've had so many fun times together. I sure love my little boy.