Sleep in Heavenly Peace

So one night last week Adeline just would not give up! She screamed, and wailed and cried, and screeched, and practically hyperventilated for hours and hours into the night!!

Oh my golly goodness!

Tyler and I couldn't figure out what the issue was. Was something poking her? Not that we could tell! Was she hungry? I tried feeding her several times. Was she afraid? Sick? Argggh!! Who knows?

Blessings were given, silent prayers offered, infant Tylenol administered and still the hollering continued!

Finally around two in the a.m. I bewilderingly pulled my tiny girl out of her bassinet, and wrapped her in my arms!

"Mommy is here", I whispered. "I don't know what to do for you my darling. What do you need? Mommy and daddy need sleep and so do you! Please just give in.....please."

Between shudders of exhaustion that only hours of emotional outburst can generate, she latched on and began to feed. I held her with all of the love in my heart. I felt so tired. Tired of being tired. I hoped that my love would soak into her skin and heal whatever part of her was needing my attention. I prayed for peaceful sleep to finally carry her away. And it did.

Thank you Lord, for answering my prayers.

A Favorite Quote

I met Elder Maxwell once. I stood face to face with him. I shook his hand and looked into his exceptional blue eyes! I don't recall anything that was said, but as with all great moments in life, I remember the feeling....Peace, and goodness. That is the best way I can describe it!

The following is one of my favorite quotes/reminders and it comes from none other than Neil A. Maxwell:

"And, if you sense that one day every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord, why not do so now? For in the coming of that collective confession, it will mean much less to kneel down when it is no longer possible to stand up!"

To read the entire talk go here!

I feel lucky

This past week Tyler and I celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary! Our usual tradition has been a getaway in SLC for a couple of nights, long baths in jetted tubs, room service and movies in bed!!

I love our traditional getaway, and I must say, I've really been longing for it.

This year we sent the babies to Grandma's house for a few hours. I came home threw myself on a huge pile of pillows and rolled around whining....explaining that I didn't know what to do to make our special day special. I hadn't planned anything....other than sending the children away.

For dinner I ended up eating hummus and carrots and sharp cheddar on toast. While this meal does include some of my favorites, it just didn't seem like an anniversary worthy meal. You know what I mean?

Tyler and I then sat on the couch and watched Bill Engvall's 15 degrees off cool, which I must say gave me a good laugh, and lifted my mood considerably! We called to check on the kiddos and then spent the rest of our time connecting in a more meaningful way. I love it when my sweetheart holds me in his arms and allows me to whine about my frustrations. I know it sounds lame and pathetic, but it means so much to me to have his loving ear, and understanding heart. I love having his warm hands wrapped around my cold, tired, grouchy body! He is a healing influence in my life. I am often too hard on myself and he patiently tries to lift and encourage me. I wish I had been in a better mood on the day we celebrate our wedding!

Our anniversary wasn't the same as years past, but in some ways it was just what I needed. Time. Time with the man I love, to celebrate our accomplishment! 4 years of progression, love and loyalty!!

I figure if he can love a woman who looks like the picture above (no make-up, etc.) And see the beauty that really matters, I've got a lot to celebrate!

Thank you my love! I look forward to every day with you!

Childhood Memories

1- When we were young and living in what my parents called "the great and spacious building" on 9th East in Provo, we would watch "Dallas" and eat potato chips every Friday night! It is funny to think of that now, because Dallas isn't exactly a show for young children. You wouldn't think I'd be interested....oh, but I was! I couldn't wait to find out who shot J.R....about the weird dream season with Pam and Bobby.....Sue Ellen and her big scary eyes....okay, maybe my memories are a little fuzzy. All I know is that "Dallas" rocked and so did the potato chips!

2-I remember trips to the Rocky Mountain Drive-in for french fries and fry sauce. Then we would head across the street to the park on 5th East. You know the one that used to have the large ditch full of water where all of the kids would play and contract all sorts of illnesses? That may be why they filled it in and closed it up eventually. So sad.

3-Sunday nights we would have friends over for popcorn and juice! The grown-ups would discuss how the country is going to heck in a hand basket, and unknowingly keep me awake at night wondering if I even had a future to look forward to! Heavy political discussions and popcorn...good times!

4-Every time my Grandma W. would come visit she would gift us a package of cheese curds from the cheese factory in Delta! We loved the "squeaky cheese"! On one occasion I ate a little too much and had to spend a long evening in the bathroom (over sharing?)....it wasn't pretty!

5-I loved to go walking with my mom and her friends. Sometimes they walked a little too fast for my short legs, so I would have to skip and jog a little in order to keep up. I remember one time when it was just me and my mom. We were walking up 3rd south in Provo. It was dusk and I thought I saw a rabbit crossing the road up ahead. As my mother searched the street for said rabbit, she caught her toe on the uneven sidewalk and landed on her face!! I felt horrible!!! To this day she still teases me about the "rabbit"!

6-When I was eight years old I had a poster of Jon Bon Jovi hanging on my bedroom wall. I knew all the words to "Livin' on a Prayer" and "You Give Love a Bad Name". When Bon Jovi came to town, my dad stood in line with me to get tickets. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it) the tickets sold out before we made it to the front of the line! Wow! My dad was awfully supportive. I mean what eight year old is waiting in line to see Bon Jovi?

I'm starting to realize that I was a very *ahem* "unique" child!

It is interesting when you stop and look back at different parts of your life. It is almost always embarrassing in some way. Like in my case it appears I was a little bit obsessed with food. And apparently adult conversation,television shows, and rock bands. Funny. It's fun to think of the way things used to be. The things that used to be important to me. The things that have made me, in part, who I am right this very minute.

What are some of your favorite childhood memories?

P.S. In the photo, I am the one on the right with the side pony-tail! This is the only childhood photo I have on the computer! Girl's Camp at Mia Shalom!

Cheese!

A home without cheese......is really no home at all!!

Emilee will back me up on this!

We both LOVE cheese, sharp cheddar, swiss, parm, colby-jack, string cheese, cottage cheese...you name it...we love it!

She has a couple of old camera's in her toy box, and she walks around the house holding them to her face yelling CHEESE!!! I'm not sure where she picked that one up since I haven't used that one on her much, but it is so cute!!

A funny and somewhat disturbing thing happened the other day as we were sitting together on the couch. Emilee stuck her little finger up her nose, pulled out a boogie, popped it in her mouth, then looked up at me with a big smile and exclaimed, "yummy.....cheese!"

I laughed out loud, which was probably not the most mature or appropriate reaction to the situation, but it caught me off guard, and I found it quite hilarious. After we quit giggling together, I then explained that we shouldn't really eat our boogies, and though delicious they may seem....they most certainly are NOT cheese!

Sweet Adeline

I love being mother to a small baby, more specifically this small baby!

She is a complex combination of easy going and high maintenance. She often sports an expression mistaken for a scowl, but deep down inside...I know she is happy! (Mothers just know these things.)

When her smile is finally exposed, it is the most pleasant surprise! Sweetness is discovered in a offering of cheeks and drool! Sparkling eyes, and chubby fists pumping with happiness!

She is kind of a mama's girl, which is nice until I need to turn my attention elsewhere. That's when the drama starts! Oh...the drama!

Yes we have some strong willed little ladies in the house! It's awesome and amazing...sometimes overwhelming, and always exciting!

I need you too!

This photo has nothing to do with this post, but I love finding the fruits of play and imagination scattered about the house. Things like this always make me smile!

**********


A few months into my pregnancy with Adeline I had a sort of hormonal melt down. I was really upset about something and I threw the remote across the room and began crying and carrying on.

This is very embarrassing to admit, and fortunately it is not a common practice of mine to behave this way, but, needless to say it traumatized my poor little Emilee and most likely my unborn Adeline as well.

In the midst of my bawling and carrying on, I could hear my sweet child's fearful voice crying...."mama, mama.....mama!" I finally took her in my arms and assured her that all was well and that mommy would be okay!

To this day the whole incident haunts me. It is one I would take back if I could, but I'm not perfect, and a very weak side of myself showed up that afternoon. Ever since that day Emilee has been extremely protective of her mommy and extremely sensitive to my emotional state.
On occasion, she will stop what she is doing, and ask...."mommy, you okay?" I used to worry about it, feeling like it is an unnecessary burden for one so small, feeling responsible for keeping tabs on her mother's state of being, but after a while I began to realize something. Our children are an unlimited source of love and comfort. They are teachers of loyalty and forgiveness! They are almost incapable of holding a grudge against us and all our imperfections, because they expect the best out of us, and seem to hope for it even when we doubt ourselves!

I don't even know if any of this is making sense, but I just need to acknowledge and celebrate the love that is found in these button nosed, rosy cheeked babies of mine!

Being a recipient of their love is an honor indeed!

The Tiny Babe

I've been thinking a lot about Jesus. How He came into the world the same way we all do, as an infant. An incredible being in a small incapable body. He had to grow into his greatness!

I find hope in this simple observation.

We are all incredible beings, children of God. We all grow, but unlike The Savior, we do not always realize our greatest potential.

Because He came into this world and became who He was meant to be, we CAN do likewise! We can make mistakes and still have hope! We can change for the better!

The happiness that comes from this knowledge is huge!

I Love Christmas

But even more...I love the Man whose birth we celebrate!

Keeping House

I'm not the world's worst housekeeper, but I'm afraid I rank right up there. It is embarrassing how disorganized my home is on a regular basis.

I love beautifully organized and designed spaces, but for some reason I really struggle to maintain that in my own home. And I can't exactly use the kids as an excuse, because honestly I wasn't very good at it before I had kids.


For any of you who have been to my parent's house, you know my mother is an amazing housekeeper. She can't stand to have anything cluttered or out of order. I feel bad when we come to visit, bringing our chaos into her clean and orderly home. I'm sure she always breaths a sigh of relief when we are finally gone. I wish I would have inherited more of my mother's skills.


The reason I bring this up is because it is my new goal to get my home under control and then see how many consecutive days I can maintain the order!! I'm excited for the challenge!

We'll see how it goes.

If anyone has good tips on cleanliness and organization, feel free to share! I know the main key is getting off my rear and just doing it, but if you have any other good ideas, I'd love to hear!

A few of my favorite things

1. Warm home. I love the flicker of firelight in our wood burning stove. I look forward to this time of year so we can light it up and feel the warmth.

2. The color green. There is something so beautiful about the color green. It is my favorite. It is the color of life on this earth. Green represents growth and progression. Joy and contentment. At least that's what it represents to me!

3. Family dinner. Here on the ranch we have a family dinner rotation. Every week someone hosts the rest of the family for dinner, conversation and fun! I always look forward to it. It is always a bright spot in the week!

4. Full Moon. I love the night time sky. I love the moon full and brilliant. They say there is a man in the moon, but I disagree. I think of the moon as feminine. Softly glowing in the night. Peacefully watching over a sleeping world.

5. Tea Pots. I really do love tea pots. I collect them in fact! I enjoy how they are round, plump, and curvy. So charming and sweet! And sipping on a cup of sweet peppermint tea is quite satisfying indeed!

It is ALL worth it....

....because at the end of the day...... in these two exhausted arms.....I hold a piece of heaven.

Dear Money

Hello my friend! We have known each other for a long time now. I know there have been times when we haven't seen each other as much as I would have liked. You have many friends, and you are very busy. I realize that! I just wanted to let you know that despite all that, in some way you have always been there for me, and I really, really appreciate that!

I am writing to let you know that Tyler and I are making big plans for our future. There are so many people we would like to help and we would like to invite you to join us if you can!! It's going to be awesome, and it certainly won't be the same without you! I hope to see more of you soon.

Thanks for all you've done for me!

Love,
Michelle

ABC's

I found this darling project that I'm dying to do!! Little quilted magnetic letters! I think I'm going to make these for Emilee's up-coming birthday. She is at the age where she is interested in learning the alphabet, and she always loves to play with those old magnetic letters at my mom's house. This is just a way cuter version!!

If you are interested in the tutorial go here.

The Good, The Bad, and The Adorable

We have entered some new phases of life in the Iverson household! First of all we will soon be entering the wonderful world of potty training! Yippee....and yikes! Emilee is showing the signs of "readiness" as described in the "Pull-ups" potty training video. I think we'll officially be starting the beginning of the year.

Emilee is such a fun and energetic girlie!

I have been expecting that at some point she would begin to test the boundaries, channeling her hyper-activity on non mommy approved activities. That time is now here!!

Within the last week or so we've acquired some lovely crayola wall art! The curtain rod is badly bent in the living room due to constant twirling in the curtains. She has been found numerous times standing and/or sitting on the coffee table, climbing on dangerously unstable, wobbly things around the house, nearly giving mommy and daddy heart failure. She has a fascination with trying to sit in the refrigerator whenever I open it, and loves to "help" mommy care for Addy, by putting blankets on her head!

Needless to say...she keeps me hoppin'.

I love her.

I love her loud squeaky voice. I love how she sings at the top of her lungs during sacrament meeting hymns. I love the way she runs around the house with her arms in the air yelling "HUGS"! I can't get enough of her dancing, and it is sweetly satisfying to hear "tank oo mommy" as I help her throughout the day!

Emmy Boo..you are the best!

Messy House, Bouncy Chair, Wounded Toe, Brain Damage and a Near Death Experience!

I feel like my house is beginning to resemble a junk yard (not a good thing). There are constantly piles of toys, paper, diapers, dishes and other miscellaneous items to trip on. Oh the insanity! It is time for a serious cleaning.

Yesterday I practically broke my toe (slight exaggeration!!) I laid Adeline down to assist Emilee with something....I don't really remember. Adeline became disgruntled and began to beg for my attention with a loud wail. As I hurried back to her side I caught my toe on her bouncy chair. The same bouncy chair that always seems to be awkwardly under foot!! I hopped around in pain for a second then proceeded to console my heartbroken infant.

Hours later I begin to notice an uncomfortable cramp in my toes! What is wrong with my toes? I wondered. What have I done to my toes? They are killing me!! Oh my goodness my toe is purple...what on earth happened? I complain to Tyler and he asks me if I've hit my toe on anything. Not that I can remember!!

Wow!! What is happening to my memory. I'm only in my 30's for heaven's sake!! I need my mind. I need it to last me another 50 or 60 years. Should I be worried?

Finally, while trying to drift off to sleep sometime late in the night, I remembered what happened to my toe!! I blurt it out randomly in the dark!

Me: I hit it on the bouncy chair...my toe, I stubbed it on the bouncy chair!

Tyler: Oh yeah, I almost killed myself today tripping on that dang bouncy chair.

Me: I'm sorry! ..........I love you.

Tyler: I love you too.

Me: snore.

I think the conversation went something like that, but to be completely honest.....I don't really remember.

My Girl

There are three important things I've observed in this photo:

1-I need to get my eyebrows waxed!
2-I need to clean out Adeline's nose
3-I love this baby girl with all of the love a mother could ever hold in one little heart!