Labor Day at Chicago Forks Picnic Area

Labor Day ended up being really fun.  The Murray's are lucky to have people like my sister Jennifer and her husband Scott who always find a fun place to go on holidays and happily let the rest of us crash their party.  Monday was no different.  We all drove up to the mountains - just about 1 hour away - and hung out for several hours at a beautiful spot called Chicago Forks Picnic Area.  Jeff sat this one out, but I really wanted to take advantage of my brother Ivan being in town.  So I was happy to make the trek up with my two kids.

Here are some pictures (I tried to get at least one pic of everyone). . .


Aaron and his monster marshmallow ready to be made into a s'more.

The Gang

Some of the beautiful scenery - though it doesn't look particularly pretty here - it really was.  And the rushing stream sounded so pretty.

 Aaron and Cat and Blue (such a well behaved, sweet dog) and Mary

 My Dad and Ivan

Mary is really lucky to have really awesome aunts and uncles.  Scott in particular really has a way with Mary.  And she just eats it up.

Emma and Howard

Joe - the cousin that all the younger cousins want to be around.

Uncle Ivan is another favorite of Mary's.  He recently discovered Mary was much more fun to play with than a year or so ago. 

Sweet boy chewing on his hand (He does that a lot).

All snuggled in with Aunt Jennifer.  His lower lip looks like Jeff's here I think.

Me and my big sis, Jennifer.  I realize I don't look very good here, but Jennifer sure does!  So it is worth posting.

And one more of my Mary.  I think this is how I always think of her - happy and carefree and beautiful.

Hope you had a fun Labor Day too!

"I Will Sing and Speak Praises"

Today Jonathan was blessed in church.  The ordinance was done by Jeff and he gave Jonathan a very nice blessing.  It was a beautiful day and I felt very blessed in my life. 

One thing that I enjoy about singing in a non-church choir is the beautiful sacred choral music we don't really get to sing in church.

Today I was singing these scriptures from the book of Psalms throughout the day and wishing other people could experience them as I have.

"This is the day that the Lord has made.  We will rejoice and be glad in it!"

and

"The Lord is my light and my salvation.  Whom then shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my song.  Of whom then shall I be afraid?
Though an host of men were raised against me, yet shall not my heart be afraid.
And though there rose a war against me, yet shall I put my trust in Him.
Therefore will I offer in His dwelling an oblation.
With great gladness.
I will sing and speak praises unto the Lord"

and

"Make a joyful noise to the Lord. 
Serve the Lord with gladness.
Come before His presense with singing
Allelujah!  Allelujah!"

Psalms is probably my favorite book of scripture.

Okay.  Here are some photos from today.  If you are on FB, you've already seen them.

"We are a happy family."

Such sweetness.

Family and friends who came

Me and my little boy.  Isn't his outfit so cute too?

Jovial Jonathan

Seriously?  Could he be any cuter?

Family of Four

July just flew by!  We had a super busy month.  Jeff had a business trip earlier in the month, we had a lot of work done on the house, my sister Beckie also came out for a visit, and then she and I drove together to a reunion in Utah at the end of the month.  Whew!

I will try to post some pictures later showing the repairs, the visit, and the reunion.  But in the mean time I wanted to write a post about how our family is adjusting now that we have had baby Jonathan with us for two months. 

Overall, I'd say that we have all adjusted very well.  I will say though, that I feel like my hands are very full at the moment - that I am in the thick of things trying to handle a newborn, a toddler, and all the home responsibilities.  I'm not where I want to be yet at all but I am getting out with both children regularly now, starting to get in some exercise, and trying to cook more.  

In the first weeks after Jonathan was born, it was very strange for me to not be the one who was taking care of Mary.  Jeff took two weeks of vacation time - which was great.  But she was almost solely cared for by him.  I missed her and yet it was the strangest feeling because I couldn't really worry about her.  My focus completely shifted to the new baby.  And whereas before I didn't care much at all about the baby inside me, now he was my new world.  And I was thrown a bit by the loss of my violent affections toward Mary.  I don't know if that makes any sense.  But it was like a pendulum had swung from one end to the other.  And now - now that I am caring for both of them again - the pendulum has swung back and settled into a happy medium.   As I write about it now, I think this has been an interesting life experience - one that I wouldn't have understood as well - if I hadn't experienced it myself. 

Jeff is adjusting well but trying to find his groove with the baby.  Newborns are hard and just like their mommas more.  But Jeff is doing really well.  I'm hoping both of them will get more and more comfortable so that I will feel comfortable going to Kantorei rehearsals when they start up again  at the end of this month. 

Mary is doing well.  She loves "Jonafun" or "Jonafinni" as she calls him.  : )  She snuggles up next to him on the floor and helps put his pacifier in his mouth if I can't get to him right away.  She kisses him and asks to hold him.   There have a been a few times when she has been upset that he was in her stroller or similar things, but she doesn't seem to not like him because of it.  So that makes me happy.  Anyway, here are some pics of how things typically are these days now that we are a family of four. . .

Jonathan's first bath was an entire family event . . .

Mary nursing her baby too . . .

Jonathan rolling over . . . I have a video of him rolling over at 1 month old!  He only did it a couple of times though and hasn't done it since.  Still . . .One month old??!  Crazy.

This is clearly a picture from the hospital but I wanted to include it here as this is a familiar scenario at our house. . .

So is this . . . I'm getting pretty good at doing things one-handed.  The other day at the grocery store, Jonathan just wasn't happy in the wrap.  So I held him in one hand, and pushed the cart/picked up items with the other. 

 Lots of snuggling babies . . .

 Mary plays with Jonathan and with his toys . . .

(I love that she is holding his hand)

Daddy is with Mary much of the time - I guess that isn't really all that different from before though.  He has always helped with Mary.  Doesn't he look handsome in this pic?

 Baby Jonathan slept in his Moses basket for about the first two months. 

About two weeks ago, he just was too long for it and now is sleeping in his crib almost exclusively.  Sure doesn't like those arms swaddled.  : )

 Lots of sibling sweetness . . .

(nothing like having a new baby to make your older baby seem huge!)

As mentioned, Mary just didn't like that she wasn't in the stroller anymore and we knew we would get lots of use from having a double (sit and stand) stroller.  We've already used it a lot.

Moby wrap comes in handy for sure!

One of Jonathan's smiles . . .

And another . . .

And another . . .

Mary helping . . .

And one where I'm told he looks like me . . .

 And one where he looks like Jeff . . .

And just another cute pic . . .

I don't know about you, but I think he's pretty gorgeous!

 

I'm loving our Family of Four and feeling very blessed! 

(Sorry no pic of all four of us.  I don't have a single one.  Better get a snappin'.)

Memories

A few weeks ago, we all learned of the terrible shooting that took place in Aurora at the Century 16 movie theatre.

As most of you probably know, I was born and raised in Aurora.  Besides being incredibly sad that such a thing could happen - because of the location - it flooded my mind with all kinds of memories from growing up there.  That movie theatre wasn't built there until after I went to college.  But I have gone to it since then and it was across from a mall that I went to many a time and worked at (I had jobs at Lerner New York and Sears).   One of the main places where the reporting happened was Gateway High School - my Alma Mater.  And one of the hospitals where victims were sent was the very hospital I was born at. 

It made me think about my time at Gateway.  When they reported from the front of the school, I remembered standing on that very lawn learning a dance routine for Pom pon tryouts.  I remembered the hallways, friends, experiences, performances . . . I thought of the morning I learned about another tragedy that happened in Aurora whilst standing in those halls before seminary - when Sylvia Crowell had been shot at gunpoint in the Chuck E Cheese massacre.  And I thought of Columbine too. 

In more recent years, Aurora has become a more unsafe place than it had been growing up.  My sister, Beckie and I  had a running joke when she was living there as an adult . . .

"You know you live in the ghetto when . . .
 - there is a shooting in the park across from your house
 - your next door neighbor is murdered
 - your parents' next door neighbor walks around in his back yard wearing nothing but a thong
 and (my personal favorite . . .)
 - the Sacrament bread is moldy"

But though it has seen its fair share of crime and I wouldn't choose to live there anymore, I felt a strange sense of pride after these shootings.  That these people are survivors, hard workers, and good people.  The Latter-Day Saints there are humble and outstanding in many ways.  I have my parents and a sibling who live there still and lots of good, old, dear friends. 

Mostly though, I guess it was  a reminder of how fragile life can be and how those people's lives and future memories were cut short. 

May we cherish each day and continue to make our lives full of wonderful memories.