i wish we had more pictures of all the family that was there on charlies special day, but luckily for the camera skills of chris' sister alison, we have these few:) i only have one from the leprechauns blessing day, so i guess i shouldn't feel guilty... or i should feel more guilty for both events... and now i'm remembering that i don't have any pictures from landons blessing day... or do i? where are olivers blessing day pictures? i guess that's the way it goes... hopefully heaven has an archival room with snapshots and reels of tape from all the important days of our lives. it seems as though preparing food and wrangling kids can be quite a distraction from capturing moments... i resolve to be better about this!
when nana was up for the weekend she came bearing a gift from her sweet neighbor and the creator of BUNKIE BABY. this thing is rad! the possibilities are endless in ways to wrap up your baby. the fleece is super soft and warm (perfectly suited for these frigid idaho winters) and little charlie can just hang out in it while he wears a onesie. my sister who swaddles her hazelnut needs one of these... maybe in some lightweight cotton or jersey material since her climate in vegas is a little toastier. check 'em out-
i'm good at ghetto elegance. like when i put on this pretty headband (made for christmas presents last year) and the rest of me is baggy eyes with smeared makeup, tattered u2 tshirt, postpartum figure, and bare feet.
***
we blessed charlie this last weekend and the blessing was fantastic... chris did such a great job of being in tune with the spirit and blessing him with what came to his heart. we had family come from near and far to support us, and missed the many that couldn't make it. the day had gone fairly smooth, until after lunch pa slipped on some ice and fell splitting his head open... three more guys went to help him and they also slipped falling down like bowling pins.
damn idaho ice. yeah, i said damn. and i mean it.
luckily pa is okay, albeit very sore and tired. after he got stitches and his head was cleared we were relieved that the bleeding stopped since he had been on blood thinners. i feel awful though. i keep telling myself it could have been a lot worse, but after my dream last night that the world was coming to an end, i just feel like a black cloud is hanging over us. you know what makes me feel even better? watching the oprah show where she had dr. oz on and they talked about diabetes and sugar. (insert mwah mwah mwah downer tune here) i'm looking around at my candy jars and all the sweets we made for the blessing... i am doomed. i did not get pictures of my adorable children in their adorable ties made by their adorable aunt... so guess what i'm going to do? i'm going to dress them all up again and take an impromptu photo shoot... cuteness to come later.
the kids are always wanting to have late-overs with their friends, and one of my goals this year was to do a major family service project once a month... so i decided to combine the two and let addison and landon invite their friends to gather with us and have a fun night where our focus was on the people of haiti as we made hygiene kits.
each child was asked to contribute toothbrushes and combs, and we provided washcloths, toothpaste and soap. it was so heartwarming to watch each child arrive with their sack full of goodies to put in the kits.
after the kids filled their bellies with some dinner, we gathered in the family room. we discussed the situation in haiti and talked about how blessed we are and how others need our help right now, then we watched a humanitarian video by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. i had goosebumps all over as i observed the kids quietly and reverently watching the video... there was a definite spirit in the room touching their hearts. one child of mine in particular was apprehensive about showing the video since not all the kids were members of our faith... but i assured her that there was nothing offensive in banding together for a common good, and that it may even be an opportunity to open the door in sharing her faith with others. love for mankind is the only common belief you need to have to give service to others.
we then divided the kids into groups- sixth grade girls put washcloths in the bags sixth grade boys did bars of soap fourth grade boys did toothpaste and toothbrushes and third grade boys did the combs
after everyone had finished their jobs, we took a picture with our completed kits. i think the kids were really proud of their accomplishments and the enthusiasm in the house was pretty exciting! they were rewarded with happy feelings... and some sweets. then the different age groups went their seperate ways watching movies, playing games, and raising all sorts of craziness. bless their hearts. ***
