Weekly Kate Help

Every Thursday I prop Kathryn up against the wall in her nursery next to Dumbo to measure how she is growing and changing.  I have learned that if I put a child or husband behind me and my camera, I can get her to look and give the best smiles.  And then every week, after I get the money shot, said child wants to be in the picture with their beloved baby too.  Why not?

Brazilian Visitor

Ever since serving in the Brazil Goiânia mission, my dream is to go back to Brazil and see some of my dear friends again.  And to have them come to Utah to see me and tour all around.  Salt Lake City is kind of the Brazilian Mormon Disneyland - in that it is a once in a lifetime dream for many members of the Church.

That's why I was so excited to hear that Elder Pasti, Alessandro, one of my favorite Brazilian Elders, was coming to Utah for a month to study English.  

We picked him up one Sunday and went to Brigham Young's little pioneer cemetery and then had Family Home Evening (during which he shared his testimony in English very well - it brought back memories of me learning to testify in Portuguese years ago) and a picnic on some grass nearby.  Then we walked over to Temple Square to take some nice pictures for him and his family to have.  How was my Portuguese?  Um, rusty, but passable.  I went home exhausted.  And with a renewed determination to keep up this language that I worked so hard to learn.

1 Brazilian friend down, dozens more to get up here to Utah!

17 Weeks and Sneezes

Oh, we can't get enough of her, tall hair and all!  Her first 17 weeks of life have passed about 10x quicker than the first 17 weeks of pregnancy. How is that fair?  Just kidding.  We're enjoying every moment!

 Even funny moments like this.

The Evolution of a Sneeze:

Love her!

Comic Con 2014

Last year, Uncle Matthew started a Comic Con tradition with his niece and nephew.  It was SLC's 1st year to host a Comic Con and Matthew bought costumes and tickets for the kids, flew out from Georgia, and with Tyson in tow to make sure the super kids didn't fly away, they spent the day together as superheroes. 

When Uncle Matthew made the same offer this year, the kids said, "YES!" and brainstormed (for a long time) costume ideas.  Though not as cute as matching superhero costumes, they sure looked adorable on Comic Con day.

Dorothy.  She practiced walking in those ruby slippers with heels for weeks and got pretty good at wearing them on all terrains.

 Luke Skywalker.  Star Wars is his new passion.

 They both wanted pictures on the swing set.

 Ready to go!  

Tyson took them again and said it was even more fun this year because there were so many more kids activities.  They met up with Uncle Matthew who was dressed a Carl from the movie "Up!" and stayed til closing, they had so much fun. Going up on stage with Queen Elsa and meeting a real R2D2 were the highlights.

Thanks for starting this fun tradition, Uncle Matthew!

Lydia Gets To Go To Preschool

She has been asking to go to preschool ever since we would drop Tyler off at his preschool 3 years ago.  Tyler's teacher is not teaching this year so we found Lydia one that will be a great fit for her personality, we think.  It's a preschool/gymnastics program called Tumble Bugs.  

Lydia and Miss Alex.  When I picked her up afterwards, she bounded to the car so excited that she had learned how to do somersaults!

 

Ogden Temple Open House

Our family had the opportunity to tour the Ogden Temple during it's Open House.  More than half a million people came to see it, yet I was impressed at how smoothly the tour went.  It has been fun watching the temple construction progress whenever we came to Ogden, and more specifically the Treehouse Museum across the street, but it's so nice to have the temple finished now.

Even Baby Kate got to come.  Though she has to admit she slept in her Dada's arms throughout almost the entire tour, waking up only to see the Celestial Room.  Actually, that's not a bad place to wake up.

While Tyson held Kathryn, I walked along with Tyler and Lydia who would whisper questions and point out observations to me.  Beforehand, I explained what the Spirit, or the Holy Ghost felt like.  Feelings of peace, happiness, a warm heart, happy tears, etc.  I told them if they felt the Spirit while inside the temple to come and squeeze my hand.  Not far inside, Lydia comes rushing over and pinches my arm, hard!  I lean down to quietly scold her when she whispered excitedly, I felt the Spirit!"  Awww, glad I didn't scold her. :-)  

A candid moment I caught with Lydia and a statue of Jesus in the visitor tent outside.

Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 

-Matthew 18:4