Easter, Spring, End of School, Summer - this Q.2 post covers a lot of ground! I posted a lot over these three months and I'm so glad for each post. It makes me want to post most because I LOVE the way that Instagram captures moments in a way that blogging just doesn't. I think one of the reasons that I Instagrammed more in these months is that I started posting to the Peaden Journal again - our private Instagram account that no one can follow. Sometimes I want to post, but then I get in my head about what people will think, or their reaction. There is some portion of me that wants to post so that other people can see because when I post on the private account I feel a little unfulfilled, (although safe from their judgement or reactions). But reading back through these posts reminds me that I love it so much, I should just keep posting for ME.
APRIL
{4.9.23}
Lucy- “Look there’s a little one and a big one.”
Me- “You’re right. A little peep bunny and a big peep bunny.”
Lucy- “No, they are Pikachus!”
(clearly we are doing the Pokémon thing around here)
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One of the sweetest moments today was when during the Easter program at church, Lucy dropped a dark purple jelly bean on the floor. It blended in almost perfectly with the carpet, and I had a twinge of sorrow as I watched her search for her lost candy. (Her eyesight is most significantly impacted in the sun and with depth perception.) Finding something tiny that is the same color as the background is tricky. Her initial diagnosis would have said that this task would be impossible for her at age three.
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But she found it, and not just by reaching her hand out. I saw her see it and smile before grabbing it. She was so happy.
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The messages from the pulpit were of the enabling power of the atonement, of miracles, of the love of a Savior who knows each one of us. Tears came to my eyes as I thanked God for the miracles in Lucy’s life, for the opportunity to see His hand, and for the gift of His Son.
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Happy Easter!
{4.10.23}
The sun is out and I feel like I am back in Kauai with how glorious the warmth feels. I only wish the ocean wasn’t so far away.
{4.11.23}
The snow is (almost) all melted and today it’s supposed to hit 70! My kids are asking nonstop if they can play with the hose, but I told them not until May. 😂
I know people were getting sick of the snow, but the fact that we were sledding last week and wearing shorts and T-shirt’s this week makes me so happy. That’s my favorite kind of snow. The kind where you can enjoy it wholeheartedly because you know that sunshine is right around the corner. I needed the extra slowness that cold weather brings but now we are ready to hit the trails and jump into Spring (or summer? It suddenly feels like summer. )
{4.11.23}
Lydia’s RISE test today. For whatever reason, I have major sentimental feelings about this day each year. It’s a mile marker that reminds me how big Lydia is getting and fills my heart with pride with how much she has learned over the past year. I don’t put too much stock in these standardized tests, and basically just teach what we want to learn and do a 2 day refresh on how to take a test beforehand, then let the score land where it may. But I think it’s a good experience for her and I’m grateful for the educational support we have through our affiliated programs.
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I love her homemade bag bursting with books and crochet supplies and a little handwritten note filled with luck and love. I love her oversized cardigan and her two French braids.
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And I love that I get to spend my days with her instead of having her gone for this many hours every day.
{4.12.23}
A quick stop at the vehicle repair shop for a new gas cap and to check on a system airbag light turned into two hour diagnostic and a lengthy list of expensive repairs. I was only prepared with three quarters - so thank goodness for PBS kids on the tv. They bonked heads getting into the car and we’re both crying and I had to laugh because that’s how I felt on the inside, too.
{4.29.23}
Caleb’s favorite thing to do is to take my phone and take dozens of photos. Usually of the floor of one of his toys. But as I was clearing out 234 pictures/videos, I saw this one and loved that it captured me making German pancakes with Lucy before school one morning. She helped me dump all the ingredients into the blender (and also complained via screaming when I did anything she didn’t want me to do).
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Looking at this picture reminds me of how much I love my house, my job as homemaker, and how much I love my kids.
MAY
{5.2.23}
Yesterday I had the chance to attend the Saratoga Springs Temple Open House as a guest with my mom, grandma, sister, and our children. It was such a tender experience to go on a day that our stake was staffing the temple (over 680 of our stake members showed up to serve on May 1st alone, staffing the entire temple from ushers and parking to first aid and security.) It’s hard to find the right words to express how special it was to walk through the temple completely filled with people I know and love. Within minutes I was in tears as a sister from the Spanish ward shared her speaking part about wearing white clothing in the temple and how we address each other as brother and sister. I think that being in a temple filled completely with people you know care about you and support you is what heaven must feel like. It was a really sweet experience.
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Immediately following our tour, I reported for duty and started my four hour assignment as an usher. It was incredible to see so many people and from so many backgrounds. (I met a man who joined the church in the Middle East, lived in Washington DC for several years and was bringing some friends to come see the temple and it was really really cool). I was able to stand next to some beautiful artwork and although the majority of my shift was spent using simple gestures to guide people up the stairs- it was so neat to stand and study the pictures of the Savior as so so many people came to walk through his house.
I had a lot of people sacrifice to take care of my children while I served and whenever I would start to get nervous about what was going on at home I would remember President Bulpitt’s promise that blessings would come from serving in the temple and I would pray that those blessings would come in the form of making everything go smoothly at home. Those prayers were answered and I’m so so grateful.
{5.16.23}
Me- in the bathroom. Lucy- “Mom, open the door! Mommmmmmmmm. Mom. I want to see your face. Mom. I want to see your hair on your head and your eyes. Mom. I want to see your nose. Mom. I want to see your hair on your head and your eyes and your nose and your mouth! Mom! I want you to open the door so I can SEE YOU! 😂🫣
{5.16.23}
The end of school is always busy, but I’m extra grateful for all the people who put forth the extra effort to make this time of year special for my children. Austin had a Mom and Son Chocolate Dipping primary activity tonight. It was so fun and I loved getting to come with him and working together to make our box of chocolate dipped marshmallows, Oreos, and cinnamon bears. So grateful for those who took time out of their busy May to give us this sweet night.
{5.17.23}
Austin just hit the breakthrough in reading and I’m so so proud of him. I am grateful he had the time he needed to be ready to read well without worrying about being “behind” his peers. Now he is constantly reading, devouring chapter books, and enjoying his literary freedom. It makes me SO happy to see, and I may be much more lenient about basically any other responsibility if he doesn’t want to come because he is reading.
{5.18.23}
I am working towars a summer goal that I made for myself. I'd been talking about wanting to hike to the Timp cave each week this summer and my friend Dani asked if she could do it with me. In truth, I probably wouln't have even started yet without her - but I am SO excited to hike this trail with Dani over the course of the summer.
{5.23.23}
*reel*
I worked on my dad's shed with him and my sister yesterday (at my parent's house). Started the day with NO shelving and ended with 5 super-awesome shelves. I'm glad for the skills and confidence built by good parents and hard work and to be teaching that same work ethic to my kids. Ta-da!
JUNE
{6.4.23}
Yesterday was our second Temple Open House assignment and I wanted to share/remember a few things about how special the day was. This time Lydia got to volunteer as a Youth Usher and had a great experience holding the door open at the entrance and putting on shoe covers. I was a speaking usher in the Brides room and it was such a neat experience to testify again and again (300+ times) that we believe everyone is a beloved daughter or son of Heavenly Father. I felt the truth that the beauty of the temple is intended to remind us how precious and important we are to God and it was so neat to be able to bear that witness to over a thousand people. David served at a later shift and we were grateful for great family to babysit the younger kids for the time our shifts overlapped. I felt the spirit over and over, sometimes choking up and requiring my companion to cover my lines. I had two unique experiences where the people listening to our words were touched by the spirit. One group left the room and my companion and I were in awe of how powerful the moment was. One sister looked me in the eye with tears in her eyes and said “thank you” as she walked past. I felt strongly that whatever had just happened, whatever she felt, had been an answer to her prayer and even though I don’t know what that prayer was- I was so grateful to have been able to bear testimony of the love God has for her.]
{6.5.23}
Happy Anniversary to us. 14 years of picking up different fast food dinners to eat after the kids go to bed, laughing as we do yard work because we are so bad at it, and making the same corny jokes over and over again. - - - We celebrated with a trip to the SS Open House, spicy chicken sandwiches, and three bags of popcorn while we watched Pride and Prejudice.❤️
{6.12.23}
“When I get big, will I still be called Eu-cy?” (me, “Yes, your name will still be Lucy”) “Thanks mom, when I get big I will have ten babies because I love them.”
I don’t doubt it little sweetheart, you’re going to be a great mom.
Today we walked around the block “free times” and I was soaking in the last few days of Lucy as a three year old. She dressed herself, including a shirt over the top of her romper, a jacket, a sun hat, one sandal, and one slipper. I love her so much.
{6.18.23}
*reel*
The summer range is a beautiful piece of land nestled on the Wyoming side of the Uintah Mountains where my grandfather takes his cows to feed during the summer. But before the cows take over each summer - it turns into a magical place where we camp, adventure, explore, and (thanks to the generosity of my aunt, uncle, and grandpa) where the kids ride four wheelers to their hearts content. I love this land, in part because of how much my dad loves this land, in part because of the legacy (my great-grandpa bought the land many years ago and it’s so neat to bring my kids to the same place that he once hauled a spare lunchroom table so his family could enjoy picnics under the trees), in part because my kids love it so much and I can almost tangibly see foundational childhood memories being made, and in part because it’s just so incredibly beautiful!
{6.22.23}
Lucy has discovered she can take pictures on my phone even when it’s locked and I have hundreds and hundreds of random pictures- usually 50 shots of the carpet at a time.
I loved this one that she captured, though. Lydia and I were working together on a tricky math problem on the front porch.
I thought about posting the caption with something about how I love the flexibility homeschool gives our learning. Or maybe talking about how our summer has been slower than usual but that’s been nice in its own way. Or maybe just how being a mom is hard but I’m giving it all I’ve got.
I’m not sure what the caption should be- but I’m feeling all of those things.
{6.22.23}
And back to the SS Temple with our whole family. We had a family home evening lesson about our goal to build a temple life over the years that the SS temple was being built, and then later that week we were able to attend the open house together.
Some things to remember-
Caleb kept telling me how beautiful everything was.
We spent a lot of time looking at all of the artwork.
Jesus is in every picture in the chapel. Mary is in all but one of them.
I spent a lot of time looking at the stained glass and love it even more today.
So grateful that this will be our temple!
{6.24.23}
Hiking Mt. Raymond to the summit this morning. Left my house at 5:45 am. 8.18 miles, 4hrs 50 min, elevation gain 3,000 ft. Reached an elevation of 10,225 ft. Such incredible vistas and deep conversations about faith, Jesus, homeschool, travel, and motherhood.
I can’t believe such a beautiful place is so close to my house. Utah is incredible.
{6.29.23}
Hiking the Timpanogos Cave trail each week has been my favorite summer goal. @daniellelindsay.m and I crushed it today with our time: 40 up, 31 down! I have loved spending a morning each week in the mountains. 🏔️
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