Sunday March 13th

I'm making a fruit tart right now... and Dan isn't here to finish off the cream! Probably just as well though. (Somehow the strawberries and bananas all disappeared, so it's just blueberries, blackberries and grapes... everything is purple.)

I bore my testimony at church today, which doesn't happen very often. In Bangkok we usually had to speak at least once a year, and Dan would have to speak or bear his testimony monthly, so I didn't really get up during Fast and Testimony meeting.

As I got up, I had to find a seat half way up the chapel as someone else was already approaching the pulpit. It was so nice to sit on a quite bench by myself! I thought about saying "Psych!" and leaving Dan with all the kids... but I took my turn anyway.

I had a great letter from a European expat friend in Bangkok. She has started doing counseling and coaching for parents, she went back to school to certify because she has a strong belief in families. She asked for some essays on parenting or strengthening families. I explained that most of the stuff I read came from my church leaders... This is what she wrote: 

I would love to read your articles and essays. I like the approach your religion has toward family and the strengths that your beliefs are giving you. I always had the feeling that your Church tries to coach people through inquiry, motivating people to be better persons as much as they can.... So, please, share whatever is relevant for you that would help me growing.

It is the perfect setting to share so many truths! I am excited for her and hope she finds some direction through some of these conference talks... and maybe even the missionaries.

Outside of that, Dan is still a little creaky. He was walking around with compression socks on Saturday. 

I played a lot of board games with Maeser this week, and Mercy's favorite was playing target practice with one of the playmobile shooters. Moses has made great progress on his chicken pox, we even took him to church today. 

Oh, and Sarah put this awesome photo up on the family journal:

Chicken Pox, Ironman, Baseball and Scooters

How about highlights again. It was another week of normality, with a few exceptions. When Dan is out of town I take way more pictures. He gets a running feed of random stuff or meltdowns. It's gotta be nice knowing you're missing one of those. :)

It was just a flesh wound, no limbs missing, but I guess a leaf doesn't make the cut. I promise I will never leave the house without a bandaid again.

Phew! That moment when the house is TOO quiet and you don't know what chaos the children have created... #fistpump

Scout demonstrating correct hand placement for catch with a toddler. #poorpitch
During Abe's practice we played on the track and threw some balls around. Next week we'll take something softer than a baseball.

Dan, Sam and Hannah are in New Zealand for the Ironman. Sam just sent me a photo of Dan trying to get a drink from a drinking fountain...
All three (Darren included) raced well, Spencer Edwards also ran and got sick. He spent 3 hours in the medical tent after the race on an IV.

Darren was pretty hard to miss.

Moses got chicken pox. Could be worse. I don't think he feels sick. just a few blisters, and a good excuse to stay home for the week.

And Scout got a new scooter. Big news, I know. But it's like buying happiness. She and Maeser haven't argued over bikes all week. She's actually getting pretty good and scoots about yelling "On, set GO!" and "I win!"

We invited a less active family over for FHE later this week, she was just baptised.I think I'll let them come over and take home a batch of cookies with their new case of chicken pox.  😬

Leap Year!

Quotes from this week:

Maeser successfully doing bum-sits on the trampoline, "It's a Miracle!"

Scout enthusiastically ran in, "Mama, Mama! Ishburg ba da lashg me. Uh huh."

"Scout! How did you get out of bed?!"

"Uh huh."

"Did you get out by yourself."

"Uh huh." (Proudly runs back to demonstrate.)

Ugg, a new era has arrived.

Just said prayer for lunch, helping Scout.

Thank you for the food. "Food."

Please bless daddy. "Bless daddy."

Please bless Maeser. "Bless daddy."

Thank you for our house. "Bless daddy."

Please bless the food. "Bless daddy."

...

Southern dinner- fried chicken and waffles.

Leaving the ward Valentine party and Maeser in tears... "But Valentine wasn't there!"

Dropping a sorry Maeser off at school, "Can you come get me in just a little time? Before I have to talk Chinese?"

Mid February

Signed Abe up for a Chinese Tutor, it was a long 1.5 hour session. The tutor thought the lesson was supposed to be 2 hours. Poor Abe was so tired, he spent the whole time practicing tones... ba-, ba\, bav, ba_. It seems like nothing compared to what their peers are doing. Mary and Abe invited a friend over from church. He studies for two hours every night, after dinner! (He is Korean) An hour of english and an hour of math! The most disciplined and on task child I have ever met.

Our gardener disappeared... or is just avoiding our lawn. He just stopped showing up. Had a new guy come and cut the entire lawn with just a weed eater! It took him 4 hours. There is now enough cut grass in the back that the children throw it like snowballs. So itchy.

I got sick (starting to feel like Job).  I thought it was an itchy eye, turned out to be shingles! The worst, I could use an eye patch- one with skull and cross-bones preferable. Dan cancelled his trip to Korea this week, he's taking over the night feedings with Moses. I think that will do him in. :)

Mary got a letter in the mail from Denmark, postdated December 5th, it took more than 2.5 months to get here.

Valentine's Day

It's Valentine's Day. If Scout didn't have a little Cousin named Valentine who wore all of the cutest clothes with hearts on them, I'd say she was the sweetest little Valentine. But we just Face-timed with Derrick's kids and Scout will have to settle for second.

It was a great week, Abe was home sick with a fever for a few days, but I actually enjoyed it. He is so sweet and polite, even when sick. He read books to Maeser every day and Maeser preferred to read his scriptures with Abe over me. Abe also finished memorizing The Living Christ this week. The goal was to finish it by Easter, but memorizing comes so easily for him. He is still using prompts, but I think a couple more weeks will do the trick. I'm really so proud of him. Mary has been working on it too, she's just a paragraph behind.
Mary and Abe both came home from school with loads of Valentines. Mary didn't notice but one of hers had a little note saying to keep it secret. It was from Rhys! That kid. I know his parents are all for it, they would have had to take him to he store to buy the Valentine!

Dan spent several hours with Mary on Saturday, daddy-daughter date, and got her flowers. I wish she'd settle for having her dad as her Valentine for the next 10 years instead of secret admirers.

We also flew kites, made heart shaped pizzas and sugar cookies.

Moses has decided to stop taking long naps. Or any naps some days. I'm sure your days feel just as long or longer than mine. How is tracting? Are you knocking on doors yet? Any investigators?

I'm learning that the gospel is a very personal religion. Each of us progress at different speeds, understand at different levels and receive inspiration that can only be applied personally. Gospel principles that might be easy for me to understand are leaps of faith for others. It makes me think about all the different Sunday school and seminary teachers I've had. I'm so thankful they didn't try to make all of the students learn at the same pace or in the same way, and they never let me feel like I was learning the gospel any different than it should have been. That would have required a lot of guidance from the Spirit to enable them to be teachers to so many students. I need to be the same way for my children. Just the oldest three are so different from each other. That's where the Spirit really helps. The same FHE lesson will teach each of them differently if the Spirit is present. They will each learn what they need to know to strengthen their small testimonies.

Oh, and Maeser is finally 4! He tells everyone.

He started Chinese immersion preschool this week. He attends 3 mornings a week. On the first day I asked him if he learned any Chinese and he said: "They don't have any Chinese at my school." (The teachers speak ONLY in Chinese.) He loves it. His uniform is ridiculous, but he rocks it.

(Making valentines.)

February 7th

The missionaries came over for dinner on Thursday night. They don't have a single investigator! And they aren't allowed to knock on doors. The only way they meet new investigators is through members or by riding buses and subways. But they might spend 6 hours a day riding the trains and buses and not get any future appointments. It sounds discouraging. It made me think about who I could introduce to the missionaries, but my world is so small at the moment. I don't go to school often, the children consume all of my time. I hardly go to the grocery store either. So 99.9% of my time is spent with my family or the girls I visit teach.

Yet, I know if I pray for a missionary experience I'll have opportunities, and then I should act on them. Hmm…

Maeser's birthday is tomorrow. He wants to go ice skating. Sounds miserable to me. Good thing I have an excuse to stay off the ice, someone has to hold the baby. Poor Dan, walking around a piece of ice with two toddlers wearing knives on the bottom of their shoes. Bring it on. Maeser would also like homemade macaroni and cheese for breakfast, peanut butter sandwiches for lunch and pumpkin soup for dinner. He's been planning for months.

 

Church today was only 1 hour (It is Chinese New Year) and it was such a great day. Maybe because I'm not getting much out of the remaining two hours of church at the moment, but coming home and putting 2/5 children down for a nap and falling asleep myself was just what the doctor ordered. Add fresh hot bread, dark chocolate and a family walk…

There is a tower out in the jungle/forest just behind our house. I've run there 3 times this week. I've been working up to this 7 story tower that stands about 2.5 miles in. I reached the tower on the second run, but didn't have the umph to walk up 6 flights of stairs. But I made it on Friday. It felt awesome, and the view was even better.

 

Just a few more:

Mary babysitting. A little precariously.

 

Watching a "scary" movie. Sisters are the best or at least make the best curtains.

 

Sunday walk and sticks.

 

Gardens by the Bay and hot dogs! YES, real hot dogs!

Letter to Dallin

I was called to our Primary, and I think the President is already regretting her request. I knew the calling was coming before Moses was born, but he came early and I was never sustained until my first Sunday back last month. I have totally forgotten about two of my assignments already.

I have felt so thankful for Singapore lately. I began running last week and it is such a beautiful place. I love running, even if there are a lot of long slow miles ahead. Even these first few miles remind me of how much God loves us. How strong our bodies can become and how quickly they can deteriorate if we don't nourish them. My first run out last week I took a trail and got turned around by a monkey. He wouldn't move off of the path! I came home and Dan commented on how short my run was. I guess you aren't supposed to act aggressive, show your teeth or make eye contact, all of which I had done. Consequently the monkey was standing his ground. Since then, I have made it much farther into the trails.

Dan and Sam finished their race last week. It was good prep for New Zealand in only 5 weeks! Dan said Sam is so strong. He thinks if he actually eats real food for the next few weeks he will perform well and leave Dan struggling to catch up. I think he was really glad to have Sam in Dubai, I probably should have gone to watch him race, but I don't think I'll be going to New Zealand either.

Monday Funday

Dan's half Ironman is in Dubai next weekend. Training at all hours of the day, or night.

Shoot me now. Until his full race in March I think he's training 10-12 hours a week.

This is the only photo I took of Mary and Abe this week. I just never remember to pull my phone out when all five kids are running around. We went to get some family pictures taken, all but Dan. I'm sure he wouldn't mind if we just photo shopped him in.

My troublesome threesome.

These two spent a combined 4 hours in the tub today. Next time we'll fold away the rugs to facilitate a faster mop up.

Poke.


Scout turned 2 this week, right? It seems like Mercy has always been with us, I can't remember what life was like with Maeser being the youngest. Scout didn't really care that it was her birthday. She didn't even blow out her candles, and Maeser walked away with her present moments after she unwrapped it. (Probably didn't help that her parents bought her a toy airplane.)

Stroke... stroke... pause... kick.

Moses Lamond Hughes

Can you object to being named? Moses cried through his blessing Sunday.

Proving he could be our most photogenic child, Maeser was the most cooperative during our 3 minute photo shoot.

Scouter

Without verbal skills, facial expressions serve as 98% of her communication.

Maeser

Some gems from sacrament meeting, courtesy of Maeser.

Tapping the man in front of him holding a 1 month old: "We have a baby that cries just like that!"

Double fisting the sacrament bread: "I got two pieces!"

Pointing at the priests blessing the sacrament: "He is my friend but he is not my friend."

Evidence of his signature finger point. Love it!