Oh yeah. Mother's Day. I almost forgot.

Mother's Day was kinda dwarfed by our trip. That was not the plan. We carefully scheduled our flight to arrive home at 10:30 p.m. Saturday. We would get a good night's sleep (assuming jet lag wasn't too bad), and wake up Sunday morning refreshed. We could attend church with our families, followed by a relaxing afternoon and dinner. Eli and Amanda volunteered to get all the food together and bring it to my house. It was a great plan.

But then, as noted in the previous post, our flight was 2.5 hours delayed out of Rome, causing us to miss both our subsequent connections in Toronto and Chicago. Ugh!! We were told that the earliest we could make it to SLC would be 3:30 p.m. Sunday, and probably not even then because that flight included a 40-minute layover at Dallas/Ft. Worth, which is not nearly long enough even if the flight were on time, and none of our flights had been on time thus far, so...... 

We were so discouraged. Shulamith's kids were literally counting the "sleeps" until her return. My kids maybe weren't counting sleeps (Amanda, were you counting sleeps?), but they definitely wanted me home for Mother's Day. But God is a God of miracles, big and small. And late Saturday night, as we approached the American Airlines customer service kiosk and met two angels in the form of ticket agents, well that was a tiny miracle. Tiny, but meaningful. They handed us boarding passes for an early flight the following morning that would land us in SLC at 11:00 a.m.

We would miss church, but we would be home for the rest of Mother's Day, and indeed we were! There were a couple other fun glitches, including lost luggage that contained my van key zipped inside, leaving us no way to get home from the airport. Eli graciously came and picked us up. 

We were home! After an amazing trip that we will never forget, we were home. Shulamith told her kids she was going to hold them all day, and I think she did!

After we dropped her at her house and drove around the corner to mine, I told Eli I was scared to go inside. I'd been gone 10 days, and I typically do at least 10 hours of home maintenance/cleaning in 10 days, so I expected a disaster. I asked Eli how bad it was, knowing he and Amanda had come over the day before to drop off the food. He was cool as ice: "Uh, I don't know, Mom. Not great?"

I braved up and walked inside. I immediately smelled the lovely scent of clean, you know, that amazing smell of freshly wiped counters, mopped floors, shiny appliances, dust-free furniture, sparkling bathrooms! I was shocked. A lovely rose in a vase sat on the counter with a note from Eli and Amanda explaining that they did some cleaning, so I could return to a happy home. They know me well. It was truly the best Mother's Day surprise. Thank you, Eli and Amanda!

The afternoon was relaxing. I unpacked, showered, and read a book. Once everyone arrived, we ate dinner and just chilled. It was good. I had three of my five kids with me physically, but Seth texted a sweet message from Japan, and Luke texted from Maryland. I know it sometimes sounds cheesy and melodramatic when moms talk about their kids, but that's because language is limited. Motherhood is divine, and it's hard to capture its fullness in words alone. 

So I'll be just as cheesy as the rest of them and tell you that these five people are my whole world. They are my heart. They are the reason I breathe. 

In case you don't know all of them...

This is Dr. Luke Erichsen. He is a psychologist for the Maryland Public School District and a dad to one daughter. He is also the one who made me a mommy!

 

This is Shulamith Webster. She is my only daughter and my BFF in the whole world. She is a full-time mom to three and starting in August, a half-day kindergarten teacher!

This is Isaiah Erichsen. He is world traveler, avid Utah Jazz fan, and political activist. He works as a software engineer and IT specialist for Cvent. He is also the smartest person I know.

This is Eli Webster. He is a 4th grade teacher, horror movie lover, and dada to one little girl (who is basically his twin). His kindness knows no bounds.

This is Seth Erichsen. He will be a senior at UVU this fall, majoring in sociology and criminal justice. He loves music and movies and Japan (where he is right now on a month-long study abroad). He is funny and smart and cares about everyone.

When in Rome....(and Barcelona, Cannes, Florence, Lucca, and Pisa)

If you decide to take a Mediterranean cruise to six European cities, there are some absolute do's and don'ts. You're welcome.

Do:

Take pictures of yourselves trying to hold up the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

• Watch other people try to do the same thing.
• Laugh a lot

Don't: 

Expect edible food on the cruise ship. 

• "Cooking for 4,000 people isn't easy, but even I could make some Kraft Mac & Cheese for everyone."  -Shulamith, in response to the gross food on the ship. 
• Here is an example. This is supposed to be potato soup.

• Enough said.

Do:

Plan to eat almost all your food in the local restaurants, NOT on the ship.

• In particular, don't miss the French pastry in Cannes.

• Or the legit pasta in all the Italian cities.

• Google how to get shrimp out of the shell.
• Try to do it.
• Laugh a lot.

• Try the Italian Gelato. 

• Mixed reviews on this one.
• Shulamith loves it.
• I think it's meh (Give me some Handel's or Cold Stone).
• Try it and judge for yourself.

Do:

Enjoy leisurely dining.

• Dining in Europe is a process. An event. No one rushes. This is partly because servers aren't desperate to turn tables as fast as possible to earn more tips (see next "Don't" below), but also just the culture. We spent around two hours each time we ate at a sit-down restaurant.

Don't:

Tip or Trip

• Okay, this was mind-blowingly awesome! In Europe, they have this crazy amazing system where restaurant owners actually pay their employees, rather than forcing the customers to do it. For real. Tipping isn't even a thing. It's neither required nor expected. What a concept! 

• In all the cities we visited, narrow, cobblestone streets (barely wide enough for their tiny smart cars) separate the tall buildings on each side. In most places, there are no sidewalks or any type of provisions for pedestrians and no defined lanes of traffic or lights. We were sure we were gonna trip on one of the uneven, jagged cobblestones and fall, then get run over by one of the speeding cars weaving in, out, and around us. They may take their time dining, but they seem in an awful hurry when driving. We escaped unscathed, but barely.

Don't:

Expect to find Diet Coke anywhere (except on the ship).

• Europe (just like South America) has gross Coke Light and even grosser Coke Zero but no Diet Coke! Ugh. We're convinced they've never tasted it, or they would surely love it and offer it everywhere. 
• We had caffeine withdrawal headaches by the second day. 

Do:

Exercise coping skills. Think flexibility. Breathe.

• Drink as much Diet Coke as possible while on the ship (early mornings and late evenings). 
• Make friends with the bartenders, who will recognize you as the only two adults on the entire cruise ship who don't drink alcohol; they will begin filling four glasses (two each!) of Diet Coke the second they see you approach.
• Pack ibuprofen. 
• Head straight for the nearest McDonald's the second you walk off the plane in the United States.

Do: 

Visit the gym on the ship after sitting on airplanes for 12 hours in order to get those important steps.

Do:

Expect bipolar weather.

• After four days of relentless, blinding sunshine, if finally rained! Pretty much all day when we were in Lucca and Pisa. 
• This is partly why that day was my favorite.
• But also, the Leaning Tower is just way cool. 
• Pack an umbrella and enjoy, because the next day it will likely be all sunny again. 

Do: 

Breathe in every last ounce of the beauty of the many languages, the culture, artwork, religion, history, and Greek mythology. Ahhh!

• Everything is so old and so big. I felt small in comparison.
• La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona was our introduction to the primary religion of Europe, the Roman Catholic Church. 
• This is a picture of part of one of the giant doors. They are made of stone carved into names of Biblical characters, including "Jesus" multiple times, and each time, "Jesus" stands out physically from all the other names. How much do you love that symbolism?

• I don't know tons about this religion, but after seeing the devotion that shines through their churches, their artwork, and (most importantly) the sweet sister nuns, whom we saw praying so faithfully and earnestly, I know one thing for sure:
• They love Jesus very much.
• Just like I do.
• And that fact unifies us with them, and with the entire Christian community. 
• They might have the theology all wrong, as might we!
• Because who really knows how much we're getting right and how much we aren't.
• But the God we worship is bigger than theology. So much bigger.
• My time in Europe, especially at the Vatican, which was our final experience with the Catholic Church, did much to strengthen my testimony of the savior, Jesus Christ.

Don't:

Ride buses in Rome. Just don't. 

• Very mean police guys will target you as unsuspecting American tourists and extort money from you.
• It's awful. 

Don't:

Schedule your flight home the day before Mother's Day if you want to be home for Mother's Day.

• Our flight out of Rome was delayed 2.5 hours, making us miss our next two connections out of Toronto and Chicago, respectively. 
• After we stood in a very long line for a very long time at O'Hare, United switched us to American Airlines, with a flight the next day (Mother's Day) that went through Dallas and wouldn't land in SLC until late that afternoon. We would miss most of Mother's Day.
• We hadn't seen our families for over a week, and yes, we wanted to be with them on Mother's Day.
• Sad, tired, and extremely hungry, we made our way to the American Airlines customer service desk to pick up our boarding passes, when we discovered two agents who had already signed out (it was after 10 p.m.) and were about to leave.
• Their kindness and help provided the final miracle of our trip.
• They found us a direct flight from Chicago to SLC leaving first thing Sunday morning. 
• We would be home at 11:00 a.m. So, so grateful!
• We both shouted and jumped for joy, literally, right there in the airport. 

Do:

Stand out on deck in the rain and wind, and let all your senses be awakened. 

• We were literally all alone on the deck because everyone else took cover from the wind and rain.
• Why would they do that? 
• It was beautiful.

Do:

Travel with your best friend, who cheerfully agrees to handle all the logistics, all the things you don't like to fuss with.

• Shulamith booked all our flights, arranged our off-ship accommodations, shuttle services, and a bunch of other stuff I can't even remember.

Do: 

Post a blog about the trip, and include random photos at the bottom.

Cuz I really like being right.

 

Thursday night, we celebrated.

The celebration was ostensibly in honor of Shulamith and her new job, but I'm claiming it also as a celebration of me. Being right. Cuz I really like being right.

A few months ago, Shulamith began to consider a career path adjustment, returning to the K-12 public school system. Eleven years ago, after teaching kindergarten for four years, she "retired" in order to do more important work: Swen! After Kennedy was born, she picked up a night class at Salt Lake Community College, teaching developmental reading and writing. College adjuncting is a decent gig for a mom; I can attest to that, having done it for the past 25 years at five colleges in three states. But it has its drawbacks.

Unlike in the K-12 system, in order to get paid in the summer, adjuncts have to work in the summer. There is also a 6-week period in May and June when we don't get paid at all. Eeeeek! And most annoying, our schedules change every semester, so three times a year. Enrollment always governs course offerings, and enrollment is this giant mystery that administrators can only guess at solving. 

So basically, there is no job security whatsoever in adjunct teaching. 

That said, I have somehow always had classes when I wanted them; the system has worked for me, but it is stressful. "Will I get the classes I want, at the times I want, at the campus I want?" "Once they're offered, will they make?" Generally, classes don't run with fewer than 10 students. Stressful, yes.

By early spring, Shulamith decided to pursue returning to K-12, with several firm requirements. (1) She would accept only a half-time position. (2) It would be in the Jordan School District, so on the same schedule as her kids. (3) It would be very near her home. She applied for all the jobs she found that met those criteria, but as you can imagine, there weren't many. Most teaching jobs are full time. There are only three schools close enough to where we live, and one of those is where Eli teaches, and district policy prohibits relatives from working under the same supervisor. It didn't look promising.

Then, about a month ago, she saw a posting for a half-time kindergarten position at Mountain Point Elementary, our neighborhood school where her three kids attend. What??? Is this even possible? She applied that very day.

And the waiting began.

One week went by, then two. After three weeks, Shulamith was 100% convinced that she didn't even get an interview.

"Obviously, they don't want me. They didn't even interview me," she declared.

"I disagree," I replied. "These things take time. There are any number of reasons they haven't reached out to you yet."

"Nope. They don't want me."

That very day, we happened to be standing in an aisle at Smith's when her phone alerted her to a call from Mountain Point. This is not unusual. Because of Swen's T1 Diabetes, she gets calls from the school all the time. He's going low. He's going high. He bolused for lunch but now says he doesn't want to eat most of it. And on and on. But this time, the call was different:

"Hello, Shulamith? Hi! Your kids are all fine. Swen is good. We're calling to invite you to interview for the half-day kindergarten position."

Uh huh. Who was right? Just sayin'.

Her interview was a week ago Wednesday, and she thought it went great. She also thought they should offer her the job that very day, even though they told her quite clearly that they were doing more interviews Friday and would make a decision by "early next week."

"If they really want me, they'll call today."

"Uh, no they won't. They told you they have more interviews Friday. They for sure won't call until after Friday," I argued.

"Nope. If they really like me, they won't wait till Friday. They'll want to wrap this up today."

They didn't call that day. Or the next. Five days passed, and suddenly, it was "early next week" already. Still no call. By Wednesday, Shulamith's hope was fully extinguished. It had been a full week since her interview.

"They obviously don't want to hire me, but I wish they would at least tell me that. Send me one of those form letters about how they had 'so many qualified applicants' but decided to go a different direction."

"I don't think that's necessarily the case," I dared suggest. "It's possible, sure. But it's also possible there was some internal glitch in the process that slowed them down. I really still think you'll get it."

"No I won't!" She was adamant. 

Positively convinced she didn't get the job, she decided to widen her search. She found a half-time kinder opening at charter school near our neighborhood and applied. They called her that very day, interviewed her the following day, and offered her the position on the spot. 

Now what? This job met most of her criteria; it was half time and near her house. But it was not in the Jordan School District so not on her kids' schedule, and also, charter schools pay considerably less than public schools. I told her she needed to email the principal at Mountain Point right way, explain that she had another offer, and ask where they were in their hiring process. 

Literally ten seconds after she hit "send" on that email, the principal called her. Guess what? There was a minor glitch that slowed them down. (Really? I never would have thought of that.) Since Shulamith's interview, they secured funding for an additional kindergarten position, so the principal was working to restructure and shuffle positions internally before moving forward. But she definitely wanted to hire Shulamith, so much so that she offered her the job right then on the phone.

Two job offers in the same day. Not bad.

I am so happy and excited for her! How cool that she gets to be at her kids' school! It's only one more year that all three of them will be there in grades 6, 4, and 1. The following year Swen will go to middle school. For sure this will be a year to remember.

Thursday night, we celebrated.

The celebration was ostensibly in honor of Shulamith and her new job, but I'm claiming it also as a celebration of me. Being right. Cuz I really like being right.

 

The Son shone brightly this Easter morn!

 

For those of us in the Salt Lake Valley, it's been a long, hard winter. Yes, I lived in Montana for seven years, where winters could be even more challenging, but in my 12 years here in Utah, I've never experienced such relentless cold or never-ending snow. Every time we dared to think "Maybe this is the last big storm," another arrived. As recently as last week, we had over foot of new snowfall, closing our local school district yet again and triggering my driving anxiety. Yet again!

But this Easter morn, the Son shone brightly!

Guys! It was such a beautiful day! As I walked into church, wearing a short-sleeved dress and no coat, I couldn't help think about the first Easter morn, when after three days of what must have been crippling grief, Jesus' followers awoke to a beautiful day. Their Lord had risen, culminating the most miraculous event in human history, and the most impactful. The Son shone brightly that Easter morn.

....as it does today. For us! Easter reminds us that hope is ours for the asking. It is freely given, and received by anyone who desires it. 

Even after the snowiest winter, because of the Son, the sun will shine again.

Through the most tumultuous storms, whether literal or figurative, because of the Son, calm will come.

They say time heals all wounds, but that is not true. Jesus heals all wounds. Absolutely all of them.

Not that I'm wishing time away, because I'm definitely not. I actually find myself regularly wishing time would slow down. But I do look forward with excitement to the end of this year when we get to study the final book of The New Testament: The Revelation of St. John the Divine, which includes one of my most favorite references:

"And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it; for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it" (Revelation 21:23-24).

Had Easter been any earlier this year, we would have had some snowy Easter egg hunts. And that would have been just fine too because, as the above scripture promises, we have no need of the sun to light our lives, if we invite the Son to do so. 

Still, I like to think God looked down upon all of us here in the valley, and with infinite grace, sent us spring, just in time for Easter.

The Son shone brightly this Easter morn!

I am grateful.

(Early Happy Birthday to our favorite Isaiah, who will be working in Las Vegas next week on his actual birthday!)

Maidens and Covenant Friends

"Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day; I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish" (Esther 4:16).

Last year, when we studied the story of Queen Esther in Sunday School, I was once again struck by her strength of character, her faith, her bravery, her loyalty, but this time, something stood out to me that I had not before considered. As she prepares herself to go before the king in attempt to save her people, Esther not only asks others to gather together and fast for her, but she mentions the she and her maidens will "fast likewise;"

Who are those maidens, I wondered, the people who are by her side, the ones she trusts to stand with her, support her, hold her, and fast and pray with her and for her? The text doesn't reveal specifically who they are, but I imagine them: A small but mighty tribe, whose loyalty she doesn't have to question. She knows they are on her side no matter the circumstances. She trusts they are faithful and will demonstrate their faith on her behalf.

Then I thought, "Who are my maidens?" Who can I count on with that kind of loyalty and love? It was an easy answer. My maidens are a small group of three: Shulamith, Eli, and Amanda. (I tell Eli that, yes, I know he's a dude. But he's still one of my maidens.) These three all have firm testimonies of the Savior and of the power of prayer. From the smallest needs to the largest problems thrown at us by mortality, we are there for each other as prayer warriors. One text to the group thread, and I know, without a doubt, I have instant support and prayers from these three.

We also love to play, so this week, when both Eli and Shulamith's children had spring break, we packed up two cars and headed south to St. George. It wasn't super warm there, but we were thrilled to escape the eternal snowstorm that has been our lives these many weeks. Now, back at home, the forecast predicts yet another huge storm Monday. Thank goodness we had a tiny reprieve!

Our time there was relaxing. We played rousing games of "Ransom Notes," "What Do You Meme," and "Family Feud." Side note on Family Feud: Shulamith and Amanda might have won the regular play, but in the lightning rounds, Kennedy and I crushingly prevailed.

The best part of this particular Airbnb was a private hot tub on the back porch. Ooooh, we all sure love hot tubs! 

We also went bowling. Let me just point out that, along with everything else I suck at (which is practically everything), I super suck at bowling. While I've never bowled regularly, I'm sure I've been bowling at least a couple dozen times in my life, and never has my score hit 100. 

Until now.

Look at this score:

Winner!!

Yep! I bowled 130. I can't even believe it. I beat both Eli and Shulamith, and I would have certainly beaten Amanda too, had she not stayed back at the Airbnb to rest after a long night with a baby who doesn't sleep so well in new places. Wow!! As we drove to the bowling alley, Isaiah, who couldn't come to St. George with us, texted the following to the group: "TRUMP JUST GOT INDICTED. WE MIGHT ACTUALLY SEE THIS MAN BEHIND BARS!" I'm gonna credit my amazing, unexpected bowling victory to this wonderful, overdue news.

Not Winner.

Not Winner.

The three days with my "maidens" came far too quickly to a close, but not without one final highlight for me. My longtime friend, Patty, was able to meet me for dinner Thursday evening. When we studied the relationship between Elijah and Elisha last year and I pondered their friendship and loyalty, I again asked myself a question: "Who are my covenant friends, those outside my family, who regardless of time or circumstances, will always be mine." I could think of only five. Patty is one of those five. 

We were college roommates for just one semester, with four other girls in an apartment of six. Decades have passed since that one semester, and I don't have contact with any of the other four girls, but Patty and I remained connected. Pre-Internet, we exchanged snail mail letters regularly, and once we had email, communicated even more regularly. It was before COVID that we last saw each other, so our 3-hour dinner involved non-stop talking and catching up. We went through the kids, her three and my five, one by one, and shared all the details. She offered to drive me back to the Airbnb, and of course I couldn't find it. The GPS was useless, and finally, Eli had to come out, track us down, and lead us back. I also planned to get a picture of the two of us, but failed there as well, so you'll have to settle for a couple more random shots of the trip instead:

Spring Break Self Care: How did it go?

It was arguably the best spring break of my life, and I didn't even leave town. I barely left home, truth be told, and when I did, Shulamith drove. And guess what? No car crashes.

Did everything go as planned? Uh, almost? Tuesday night, I decided to cross off one item from my spring break list: A movie with popcorn (extra butter):

Excited for our stress-free, kid-free girls' night out, Shulamith picked me up, and we drove to Herriman to grab Amanda. After a quick stop at Holiday to fill our Stanleys with fountain Diet Coke, we arrived at the movie theatre with time to spare. Shulamith dropped Amanda and me off, so we could get in line for that buttery popcorn while she parked the car. Popcorn and Diet Coke in hand, we approached the cute, 16ish-year-old girl with blonde curls and a bright smile who was scanning tickets. Shulamith pulled out her phone to scan us in.

Nothing. It wouldn't work. She tried several times until cute blonde girl said, "Let me help?" and took the phone. Still no luck.

Cute blonde girl: Are you sure you have tickets for today?

Shulamith: Yep, we're seeing Missing at 7:05.

Cute blonde girl: Uh, that movie isn't showing here. Are you sure you didn't purchase these for Jordan Landing?

By this point I was bordering full-on panic because I can't (won't? don't!) go to movies (or anything) late. 

 Shulamith: Crap. We're supposed to be at Jordan Landing.

To be fair, both Amanda and I were fully aware that we were supposed to go to Jordan Landing, yet we allowed Shulamith to drive us right up to Cinemark Riverton, where we walked in and bought popcorn, blissfully unaware that we were at the wrong theatre. 

Cute blonde girl said if we would like to watch something else, something that was actually showing there, we could walk across the theatre and talk to a manager guy, who would exchange our tickets. That we did.

Shulamith: So, we went to the wrong theatre.

Manager guy: Did you mean to go to Jordan Landing? Happens all the time.

Shulamith: Can you tell us what is playing now or soon? At this theatre?

Manager guy: Cocaine Bear and Jesus Revolution.

You've got to be kidding. The only reason we'd even heard of Cocaine Bear is because Eli and Seth want to see it, which is, itself, a good reason not to. Best we knew, it's about a bear who gets high on cocaine and runs around killing people. That is a hard no.

Shulamith (to Manager guy): What even IS Jesus Revolution?

(Manager guy reads the paragraph-long description off a laminated card.)

Shulamith: That sounds horrible.

Manager guy: I'd have to agree. 

Regardless, we had no other choice; no way we were gonna watch a 500-pound, drug-fueled bear tear people to shreds. 

So what's the verdict on Jesus Revolution, you ask? Shulamith actually thought it was okay, Amanda enjoyed it, and I loved it! Lots of awesome 70s music, throwback to when I was a little girl and dreamed of being a Haight Ashbury hippie, and the timeless message of the Gospel of love, forgiveness, and grace.

Despite this slight misstep, my other self-care items played out right as rain:

1. I did not set my phone alarm a single morning the whole 10 days.

2. I enjoyed a full pajama day, in which I finished Season 1 and began Season 2 of The Chosen, listened to the Podcast The Letter, and read all the books.

3. I got a much-needed spa pedicure. Shockingly, there's a place right here in the Bluffdale wilderness that does lovely gel pedicures and even makes the water hot enough(!) where many places don't.

4. Another day Shulamith and I met up with Isaiah and Seth for a yummy Thai lunch. The best part was hearing the two of them converse in Japanese. Isaiah loves Japan and has taught himself enough Japanese to get around there, and Seth is currently taking first year Japanese at UVU in preparation for his study abroad experience. He will spend the month of May in Japan!

5. Additional food self care involved breakfast at Sunday's Best in Sandy, one of our favorite places. Shulamith and I both do intermittent fasting, so breakfast is a rare treat. We shared an order of biscuits and gravy and an order of powdered sugar beignets. Fully decadent. And delicious.

7. And then.....it just so happened that I recently accumulated enough Crumbl rewards points to earn a free box of four. I mean what timing, right? (Also, if you know how many cookies you have to eat in order to earn a free box, don't tell me. I don't want to know.) We chose four gooey flavors. I cut each cookie in half, gave Shulamith four halves,  and kept the remaining four. I grazed on cookies for the next two days!

6. Finally, I dug even deeper into the scriptures, as I planned my upcoming Gospel Doctrine lessons, including the ones I won't get to teach because they fall on the 2nd and 4th Sundays (Relief Society). I continue to be in awe of the Savior, through the stories of his mortal life. How blessed we are! Here is one idea you might consider:

When the woman who had been ill 12 years reaches for the hem of Jesus's robe, he heals her instantly through her faith and His power. A hymn called "Where can I Turn for Peace?" includes the line: "He answers privately, Reaches my reaching, In my Gethsemane, Savior and Friend." Where in your life does Jesus reach your reaching? Where does He come to you, right where you are, hold you, heal you, and bring you peace?

I needed spring break this year more than ever before, and it did not disappoint! As the week concludes, and I jump right back into five classes, relentless student emails, and never-ending essays, all while striving to maintain my house as well as some sort of work/life balance, I will lean into the promises of a God who never stops reaching. 

Jane explains...

Jane Eliza is the 16-month-old daughter of Eli and Amanda. Yes, she's a little bit young for her own ongoing blog post, so entries will likely be sporadic, but she definitely talks, so I thought we'd get started with her blog.

1. Eli and Amanda dropped a Diet Coke off at Shulamith's house and picked up Kennedy to come over here. When Kennedy got in the car, Jane was very happy to see her.

Jane: Wow! Wow! Wow!

2. Eli and Amanda have a cat named Ramsay, whom they have basically ignored for the past 16 months since Jane was born. But Jane likes him and calls him "Meow." When I got to their house tonight for dinner, Ramsay, who is an indoor cat and never allowed outside, escaped out the door. Jane was concerned about finding him right away.

Jane (looking around and pointing to the door): Meow! Meow! Meow!

3. Jane loves Cocomelon, and her favorite character is JJ. Often she brings the remote control to one of her parents or me, points it at the TV, and ays "JJ." That means we're supposed to turn on Cocomelon. The other day, though, Amanda was folding laundry, including Jane's JJ pajamas. Jane quickly unfolded these and begin trying to put on the pants.

Jane: JJ! JJ! JJ!

Jane's nice mommy finally helped her put on the JJ pajama pants at least partway over her clothes, and she was a happy girl.

4. Jane calls their cat, whose actual name is Ramsay, "Meow." So it shouldn't have been a surprise today when she saw a picture of a cow on the wall at Chick-fil-A:

Jane: Moo!

5. Jane in beginning to put words together into very short sentences. As I was leaving their house, she waved and said:

Jane: Bye bye, Her Her.

6. And she keeps expanding her command of language, both vocabulary and sentence structure. I was carrying her from the car to Old Navy yesterday, and she would have preferred to walk in by herself.

Jane: Her, no, down!

7. Eli and Amanda left Jane and me at home when they ran to Shake Shack to grab us dinner. 

Jane: Dada, back?

Me: Yes, Jane, Dada will be right back.

8. Eli, Amanda, And Jane came over tonight for dinner, and they dropped off Jane at Shulamith's house for a short while, so she could play with Kennedy and Theodore before they all came over here. Jane looked out Shulamith's patio door, where Woof was outside:

Jane: Dog! Cute. Me scared! (Then she did her "scared" face and motions, where she shakes and looks terrified.)

Later, Jane noticed that her mommy wasn't there:

Jane: Me Mommy back?

Then Swen and Theodore were fighting:

Jane: Oh fight!

9. When they were leaving tonight, Jane was in the driver's seat pretending to drive. Amanda was shotgun and said to Jane, "I love you."

Jane: I love you.

10. Eli and Amanda went to a movie tonight by themselves. They very rarely leave Jane, so she wasn't super happy about this. She's also very smart, so when I came over and she noticed her parents were gathering their things, preparing to leave, she told her mommy, "No Her Her!" I convinced them (Amanda) to go, because I knew Jane would be fine once they were gone, which she was. After she was clear about her opinion on the subject:

Jane: No Bluey! No trick/treat! No Her Her! Mommy and Daddy!!!

11. Jane's first attempt at actual trick-or-treating was a moderate success. Mostly, she wanted to be carried, rather than walk up to doors on her own two feet. She also had a comment on most of the houses we visited:

Jane: Spooky house!

12. I was out of town last weekend for my niece's wedding, and when I retuned, Amanda asked if I would come over in the morning and hang out with Jane because she had a zoom meeting for her job. (She works from home part time for the U. of Utah, evaluating and processing transcripts from applicants.) Surprisingly, when I got there Jane was still asleep, and she stayed asleep all the way through Amanda's meeting. Just as I was about to leave, Jane woke up, so I only saw her for a few minutes. After I left, Amanda says she wandered around the house:

Jane: Her Her, where are you?

13. Eli and Amanda got Jane a doll house for her "Santa" Christmas gift, but they left it out in plain sight, thinking she wouldn't notice. She definitely notices. And she got so excited, she was literally shaking!

Jane: Oooooh, pretty house! Blue house!

Me: Is it your house, Jane?

Jane: Yes!

14. Jane was eating spaghetti last night, while sitting on Eli's lap. When she finished, she switched to Amanda's lap, and then reached over and took Eli's bowl of spaghetti and proceeded to eat.

Eli: Jane, did you take my spaghetti?

Silence.

Eli: Jane is that Dada's spaghetti or Jane's?

Jane (pointing at herself): JANE'S!

15. Jane is extremely attached to her mother, which is exactly as it should be for a two-year-old. She prefers to be sitting on Amanda's lap. Not sitting beside her. On her lap. Last night Amanda was trying to eat dinner (easier without a toddler on your lap). 

Amanda: Jane, do you want to sit her on the couch right next to Mommy?

Jane: No! Mommy, sit, lap.

16. Jane is addicted to a song Matt played for her and his kids last time Jane was over there. They march around and dance to it. It's called "The Wellerman," and is something about ship that brings sugar and tea and rum. And part of it goes "da, da, da, da." Anyway, Jane knows how to request it.

Jane: Aleka, da, da, da, potfy. (Alexa, play "da, da, da" on Spotify.)

17. We were all at Shulamith's house last night for dinner because Matt was away on a hunting trip with his parents. Shulamith makes the best cookies, and everyone was enjoying them, including Jane. When I was about to leave, I grabbed a couple cookies and put then in a plastic bag to take home to eat later.

Jane: Her Her, cookie! So, of course, I had to give he part of one of mine. (This scenario made me smile because Luke's first complete sentence when he was around Jane's age was, "Where my cookie go, Mommy?" Today happens to be his 39th birthday, so Jane asking for my cookie last night brought all the nostalgia.)