My New Bike and Pregnant Belly!

It seemed appropriate to pair the two together (the bike and the pregnant belly) since they're both fairly new to us!

I look really weird in this picture -- sorry! I don't think I could have gotten Mike to take any more pictures though :) My belly has already popped and I'm only three months along! (Oh, by the way, I'm pregnant!) A friend of mine who's an ob/gyn told me my uterus is more flexible since I've already had a couple kids -- hence the fact that I'm showing earlier. Anywho, I just hope I don't keep growing at this rate to the end. :)

We're excited to be expecting again and feel very blessed. We'll meet our new baby January 7 or thereabouts. Perfect weather in which to bring home a baby in Arizona! We're excited to meet him/her!

And Mike bought me this gorgeous bike for my birthday. It's exactly what I wanted. It's yellow with a cute basket up front. We already cruised around the neighborhood as a family unit Saturday night. :) Aaron and I were up front, and Mike stayed behind with Grant -- though they weren't too far behind! It was so fun to pedal beside Aaron. Here's to many more family adventures! Thanks, Mike, for the great bike! Love it.

p.s. And Grant is the cute curly haired boy standing next to me!

Grant's Stats and New Bike-Riding Skills!

Granty had his three-year checkup today with our new pediatrician, who is just wonderful. She hails from Colorado and has 25 years of experience. She is just warm and friendly -- I love that! She asked Grant where he got his blue eyes from, and Aaron piped in, "Jesus!" The doctor said, "Yes, Jesus did a great job making this little boy" (or something like that.) I thought it was so sweet. With Grant in the 77th percentile for weight at about 33 pounds, she noted that Grant is not fat, but "stocky" with big bones. :) She asked him what his favorite fruit was, and he replied, "pineapples." That was a surprise to me! He has good taste though :) He's in the 56th percentile for height at 37.5 inches. I should also note that Grant is a very sweet little boy and, although he's heavy and I don't like carrying him anymore, he's still my little sweetheart!

Turning 3 marked a big milestone for Grant -- he learned how to ride a two-wheeler! (This is what happens when your husband is a bike enthusiast.) Grant learned in just a couple of mornings with Dad helping him before he left for work. He's riding like a pro now and can ride alongside his brother. I see many bike adventures in their future! I hope to get a bike soon, too (hint, hint) so I can keep up with these boys! A beach cruiser will do ... one with tassels and a yellow basket up front ... something to putt around the neighborhood on!

Here he goes:

Are We Living A Christ-Centered or A Self-Centered Life?

Today's Sunday School lesson was on forgiving and not judging others and how, if we expect to be forgiven of our mistakes, we too must forgive others of theirs. Because we all make mistakes, right? It is not up to us to decide who gets to be forgiven and who doesn't. We are to forgive all men. It was a beautiful lesson.

The part that stuck out to me, though, was a comment made by a woman in the congregation. She said either we live a Christ-centered life or a self-centered life. If we're living a Christ-centered life, then we are striving to be like the Savior and are loving and forgiving of others, because of course no one is perfect, and because that is how the Savior lived. We're less likely to judge and criticize; we never truly know other's circumstances or their reasons for doing things. We love freely.

However, on the opposite end of the spectrum, if we're living a self-centered life, then we may be less likely to forgive and quicker to judge because we are only thinking of ourselves and aren't showing Christ-like love. I am not putting it as eloquently as she did, but I think this was the general idea.

I just love the idea of striving to live a Christ-centered life -- to be as quick to forgive as children are; to love others, even if it might be hard; and to not judge others -- period. As Elder Uckhdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said in his amazing talk on not judging others: "When it comes to hating, gossiping, ignoring, ridiculing, holding grudges, or wanting to cause harm, please apply the following: Stop it! It's that simple." If you want to read his talk, you can do so here.

Oh, I love it.

This is my absolute favorite part of his talk, a "self-test": (Easier said than done, but I am trying.)

My dear brothers and sisters, consider the following questions as a self-test:

Do you harbor a grudge against someone else?

Do you gossip, even when what you say may be true?

Do you exclude, push away, or punish others because of something they have done?

Do you secretly envy another?

Do you wish to cause harm to someone?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may want to apply the two-word sermon from earlier: stop it!

In a world of accusations and unfriendliness, it is easy to gather and cast stones. But before we do so, let us remember the words of the One who is our Master and model: “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone.”¹²

Brothers and sisters, let us put down our stones.

Let us be kind.

Let us forgive.

Let us talk peacefully with each other.

Let the love of God fill our hearts.

“Let us do good unto all men.”¹³

What beautiful words, and what a beautiful way to live! Lovely message today!

 

A Few More From Graduation

Aaron listening to his teachers.

The boys and me.

Grant attentively watching the ceremony.

Aaron's Preschool Graduation

Aaron has grown so much this past year. We'll forever be grateful to Mrs. Adrienne and Mrs. Jerilyn for their kindness and wonderful teaching abilities. Aaron really enjoyed preschool. He has one more year before he starts kindergarten since he misses the cutoff by about a month. He and Grant will likely be in the same preschool class next year!

Here are some pics from the little graduation ceremony ~


Here he is walking down the aisle.


And receiving his diploma.


Singing a song with his class.

Teaching Our Children

Tonight we had a cool experience with sweet little Aaron, and I wanted to write about it before I forget. We were reading to Aaron and Grant from the children's Book of Mormon, and after I read, Aaron started asking some questions. We answered his questions, and then Mike and I testified to him and to Grant that we know that The Book of Mormon is true. Then Aaron said confidently and with a smile, "I know the Book of Mormon is true too!" I asked, "You do?" And he said "Yeah." Then, totally on his own, he said, "I know the church is true too." I said, "How do you know that? Is it because you feel good when you're at church?" He said, "Because Jesus told me it's true. I knew all day today that the church was true." What a sweet boy! After our discussion he prayed before bed and asked God to help him to keep the commandments. After his prayer I asked him if He knows why God gives us commandments. He said no, so I explained that God gives us commandments because they help us to be happy and keep us safe and because God loves us. I went into more detail and explained that God blesses us when we keep His commandments. It is so neat to be able to share our feelings about this beautiful religion with our children and for Aaron to openly and sincerely share his feelings as well. I'm so grateful for all that Aaron is learning and experiencing in the church's Primary program. It is awesome! His testimony is growing, even at this young age, and I know he knows of the love that his Heavenly Father and Jesus have for him. It is never too early to help our children develop faith! I'm so glad that we have open communication and that he feels comfortable asking questions. Questions, of course, are how we learn and grow. I'm so glad Aaron knows that there is someone bigger watching over him who loves him and cares about him. He knows he can always pray to his Heavenly Father and that He will always listen, and this is such a blessing. I know the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the greatest thing we can ever teach our children -- for them to know that God loves them and is always there for them! What a great evening!

Happy Birthday, Granty!

This is Grant when he first woke up this morning. If only we could all look this cute first thing in the a.m.! :)

I decided I would write "birthday" letters to each of our children on their birthdays. They can collect these when they eventually leave home (yes, they will leave home) ;) and have a bundle of letters to take with them filled with memories and milestones.

Dear Grant, one of my sons and best friends,

You are 3! When you were born we had no idea how wonderful you would be. You are such a fun, light-hearted, sweet-spirited little boy. You bring us SO much joy! You love playing with Aaron, your best friend. You are fiercely loyal to him and will always defend him and take his side. :) I think you two will always be best friends. You enjoy reading books (and often want to take over and do the "reading") and love playing cowboys with Aaron. You want to do whatever he is doing. You love your cousin baby Max and often want to hold him. You love to eat. It is hard to keep up with your appetite! You particularly like fruits and vegetables, which is probably why you are so strong! You seem to have a strong, solid build, and people often make comments about this. :) You love strawberries, blueberries, yogurt, oh, and ice cream! You are a natural at sports. You instinctively know to dribble the soccer ball and to keep it pretty close to you. We are signing you and Aaron up for soccer for your birthday. I think you will really enjoy this.

You say very good prayers. Once a babysitter told me that you prayed before you went to bed. She said you went on and on and on as you prayed, but she said you were so sincere. This really touched me, and I think it touched her too. You love Jesus and Heavenly Father, and you know they love you too. Once when sitting in church, you told Daddy, "Jesus loves me." Oh how wise you are! :)

I can always count on you to make me smile. You give the sweetest hugs and will often hug for a long period of time. You love seeing Daddy when he comes home. You say the funniest things. A few weeks ago you and Aaron were up before I was. When I walked into the kitchen, you said, "Mom's awake! Da, da, da!" Yesterday after waking up from your nap, you emerged from your room and exclaimed, "Cock-a-doodle-do!" You are constantly keeping up smiling and laughing.

You talk very well. People often comment on how well you speak. We think it's probably from hearing your big brother speak a mile a minute! :) You have really enjoyed going to preschool. You seem very bright. We were at the playground the other day and you identified a hummingbird and named it without any coaxing. You seem to remember well the things that you learn. We feel so blessed that you are so healthy and happy. We hope you always know of our great love for you and of the immense joy that you bring to our family. You are such a special little boy. We can't imagine our lives without you! We love you! Happy birthday, Grant! Here's to a great year.

Love,
Mom