Dear Lydia,

Sometimes being a mom is hard. I want to do the very best things for you always and sometimes I can be intimidated at how many things I'm supposed to do (or not supposed to do) in order to have you turn out as a happy, contributing member of society. The internet is full of creative child-centered activities that focus on social, emotional, verbal, and gross/fine motor skills. Reading 1 million books to you by the time you are five. No TV, no princess toys, and certainly no high-fructose corn syrup. 

So much.

But darling, I am doing my very best. Your dad and I play with you every day. I tell you that I love you as often as I get the chance. I tell you that you are strong, talented, skilled, and lovely. I let you be adventurous but I stick close by to make sure you know I am there. I try to expose you to new things, even if they aren't the most creative or colorful or perfectly set up activities.

Then sometimes, just sometimes, I get a glimpse that maybe your dad and I are doing something right after all.

This week was one of those times. To that point, you'd really only said a couple words: Dad, and (sometimes) Mom. But one night as we were saying family prayers together - you said "Amen" with us. We both laughed and thought it was a fluke. We are trying to do a nightly routine of "Scripture, song, and prayer" with you - but you basically just walk around and play with your toys while your dad and I sit on the floor and talk to you. But somewhere in that little head, you've absorbed the importance of saying "amen" at the end of the prayer. You won't say it on command, but at the end of each prayer that we say - you join with us to say "amen". (You don't even repeat the word after we say it, you know when it's supposed to be said and you say it at the same time that we do - even if you are on the other side of the room.) My testimony has been strengthened that even if we don't think you are listening - you are. So even if you don't understand the scripture stories, or if you can't sit still during the prayer, now - at some point you will.

I hope and pray that when the time comes that you can understand, and you can sit through a prayer, that it will already be a habit in our little home and that you will already have experience with what the spirit feels like. I love you darling girl. I hope that I can be the kind of mom that you deserve. I hope that I can teach you to be strong, happy, and most of all - I hope I can teach you to know and love the Savior Jesus Christ. As I hear the little word "Aah-nnn" come from your mouth - I know that your dad and I are on the right track.

Your adoring Mom, Shantel

Dear Thursday,

Dear Thursday,
I love you because you are almost Friday. And I like the way that "Thursday" sounds.

Dear clouds in the sky,
After all of the heat we've been getting lately, you are my new best friend. Oh, and thank you for bringing your raindrops (even if they are few) with you when you came - our lawn needs it desperately.

Dear Lehi water shortage,
Because of you I feel guilty about taking my kitchen garbage can outside to rinse it out. I'm going to have to resort to leaving the garbage can outside and hope that the rain washes the yuckiness away.

Dear train in my backyard,
People ask me all the time if you bother us much. The answer is always "To get the view that I have outside, I'd take a train in my backyard any day." Thank you for being the trade-off so that we could afford to live in this neighborhood with such an amazing view.

Dear empty flowerbeds,
I'm so sorry that you are the only empty flowerbeds on the whole street. We just aren't good at the whole plant/flower thing. But don't worry - we are working on it. Soon you should have some nice boxwood shrubs and maybe even a nice little bench to keep you company.

Dear not-so-empty sink of dishes,
Why does it seem like every time I turn around you get more and more stacks of dirty dishes? I swear, you were clean last night. Why does it look like I haven't done dishes for a week?

Dear giant whiteboard calendar,
I am so excited that you arrived in the mail yesterday. Soon you will be hanging in my kitchen and I can. not. wait.

Dear iPhoto,
Thank you for helping me to organize my pictures so nicely. I love you even more after I learned that I can use you to do simple photo edits (like cropping and red-eye) without having to open the photo in photoshop. Also, forgive me for the 600 photos I upload every week. I like taking pictures.

Dear books that I love to read,
Why do you always have to end? I always feel a little sad when I turn the last page and realize that the story is ending. Let's do something about this, eh?

Dear Lehi Library,
Your book-hold program is awesome. I love that I can put the book I want on hold, then once I get the e-mail notification, come in and pick it up, check myself out, and be on my way within minutes. Whoever came up with the current hold-arrangement/self-checkout idea is brilliant. You should give them a raise.

Dear Mark Gungor,
Although I typically despise the stereotypes portrayed about men and women, your discussion about men's brains vs. women's brains hits the nail on the head when it comes to David and I. In fact, in the first year of our marriage - many conversations were aided by referring to the "nothing box". (Conversations aided meaning: If I asked David what he was thinking and then I didn't believe him when he said nothing, because, really! Who isn't thinking about anything? And then if I kept pressing him about what he was really thinking about until he got frustrated because, really! He was just thinking about nothing. It was all very confusing. After your lecture, David could just say "nothing" and I'd nod to myself and say "He was thinking about his nothing box." And let it go because it was okay for him to be in his nothing box.) We randomly ended up watching the clip again and both started laughing. Yep. It's still true. Thanks for the laughs and the advice! 

Knowles Family Reunion 2013 (And the 4th of July)

Over the Independence Day holiday we helped host the Knowles Family Reunion, technically it was called the "Bert and Ruth Elvin Family Reunion", because it was all of my Grandma Knowles' family AND her sister Berthene's family.  But for us, it was wonderful to be able to see all of our the family on my mom's side. It was quite a group! My mom's parents divorced when she was young and her mom got remarried when she was thirteen. It's amazing what my grandma and grandpa Knowles have been able to do together. You would never know that this is actually two families. Because it's not. It's one family, and even though we don't get to see each other often  - we love each other very much.

Not everyone was able to make it, but it was great to see those who could come: Grandma and Grandpa (Allen and Zuriel) Knowles, Cindy and Vardell Curtis and their kids/granddaughters: Trent, Tiffany, Shelby, and Sian Wintle, Niccole, Geoff, and Allyson(almost) Demke, Tyler and Chelsea Curtis. Eric Knowles and his daughter Addison, Todd and Lisa Knowles and their kids: Trevor and Elizabeth Knowles, Eliza, Abigail, Thaddeus. Todd and Pamela Brown and their kids: Ashley, Courtney, Amy, Kristin. Scott and Lori Walker and their kids/granddaughters: David, Shantel, Lydia Peaden, Kevin and Jenna Haderlie, Jacob. 

Love these guys!

(All of the grandkids.)

Lydia loved running around the park and playing in the grass (it was soft grass). She even found a dog that was there with it's owners and they let her pet him. She was in heaven. 

We headed to a church in Sandy (which looks just like the red church that I grew up attending in Ephraim) for lunch. We brought a bib, but a few strawberries after-the-fact necessitated a wardrobe change for our baby. After lunch we all just sat around and talked for a while. Lydia loved playing with her cousins (second cousins I guess). They let her play with their bouncy-balls and would run and catch them after she threw them. It was so darling and I'm grateful that they were willing to play with her even though she was so much smaller than they were.  

Sian is my cousin Tiffany's baby girl. She and Lydia are only weeks apart. It was fun to get them together.

This is the poster that I made for the family reunion. It had each of the five children with their children's families underneath. It turned out pretty nice and David especially liked having it to look at so he could remember everyone's names. We all took a break for the afternoon and then met at our house for dinner and fireworks at Thanksgiving Point. There were so many people. It made us glad for such a nice home where we could have such a large gathering. We loved it! 

It was a wonderful time. Plus, as an added bonus - my grandparents were able to stay with us for several days during the festivities. I'm grateful for such good examples of love, service, and kindness. 

Happy 4th of July and Family Reunioning!