Houses Don't Last Forever

But families do.

That's what my mom said as I was getting ready to leave their house tonight. We had just taken down the red clock in the kitchen and the sign on their porch that reads our last name.

Time and time again, I've mentioned that I don't like change. I freak out with minor changes like The Lime moving up in a clothing size. Imagine how I've been with this change. A wreck.

I have to keep reminding myself that although my parents are moving to a smaller home, that doesn't mean our memories will no longer exist.

I've had a lot of time to reminisce about my 22 years at that address. My mom was hoping we could share our favorite memories with each other before they left. We never got a chance, so here are mine...

-Standing in the front window, watching for a family member to turn onto our street. One time in particular that stands out is when Tommy and Tanner were bringing Indy home from Omi's house. I think I stood at that window all day and can remember the Mustang making the left hand turn, like it was yesterday.
-Always wanting to live in the loft and then going up there and remembering how hot it was.
-Rollerskating on the kitchen floor, on the basketball court, in front of the house and breaking my arm twice doing so.
-We didn't have a peephole in our front door so we'd have to peek through the window to see who was there. Tanner always knocked and then peeked over from the outside, so we'd know it was him.
-Being hog tied by my brothers while my parents were gone. They threw me into the laundry room, shut the door and I was stuck there until Mom & Pop came home.
-Somehow, spaghetti ended up on our kitchen ceiling. We never had a food fight and still don't know how it ended up there.
-Amy singing in the bathroom and being able to hear her at the kitchen table. One time in particular, the Elders were over and she was singing up a storm. When she came out, we all started clapping for her.
-The front yard had a cement "border" around it. We used the ledge in the very front as a balance beam. We also used the fence that separated our yard from our neighbor's yard as a beam.
-Our neighbors throughout the years; Johnny, Danny & Jose, Amina, Carl across the street that loved his lawn a little too much, Cory, Fat Matt.
-Whenever I would hear sirens, I'd run up the stairs so I could see which direction they were going.
-Playing LOTS of things; kitchen show, store, school, church, nurse, puppies.
-Hiding in my closet on Saturday mornings while my dad looked for me. I hated doing chores.
-Lining up in the hallway on Christmas morning, while Pop got the camera and Mom checked to see if Santa had come.

I could go on forever.

But now it's time to make 22 more years of memories.

An Abundance

When life Papa hands you lemons, make lemonade.

Or lemon bread. Or lemon cream. Or lemon sauce. Or lemon bars.

I asked LaVor's Grandpa if I could have a few lemons from their tree. He said, "Sure!" and proceeded to fill a grocery bag with them. When it rains, it pours...lemons.

But I've loved it! And not just to use for cooking (and to spritz on our wienerschnitzel)! Having a large bowl, full of bright yellow lemons puts an instant smile on my face.

Lemons are cheery, didn't you know?

Time To Step Back

(In the waiting room. He has no idea what's about to go down.)

What a week this has been, in regards to The Lime.

I often think about what it'll be like when he's older. Will he be honest and obedient? When he tells us he's going somewhere with his friends, will he really be there? Will I have to accept some of the choices he makes even though I wouldn't agree with them?

(He hated his medical bracelet.)

The Lime needed to have a medical procedure done that wasn't extreme but would cause him to be put under general anesthesia. I expressed to LaVor my anxiety and worries about putting him under. He said, "Well then let's not do it." If life were only that easy. If we didn't like something or were nervous about it, don't do it. Unfortunately, I couldn't just opt out.

(Daddy showing The Lime his bracelet.)

If I could have the procedure done myself, I'd step right in, as I'm sure any parent would do. No one likes to see their child suffering. Not to mention, relying on someone else to ensure that my child would be safe made me a bit antsy.

(Reading about neighborhood animals.)

If I could be with The Lime for the rest of his life, to watch over him and protect him from any sort of harm, I'd do it. But at some point, as I did on Friday, I'll have to let him go and let him do things on his own.

(Procedure done.)

And hope that we've taught him well.

Tally Mark 15

-Still has 12 teeth; lower right canine is coming in.
-Is definitely our kid. He loves pizza & Mexican food and laughs when he burps or farts.
-Could watch for airplanes or listen to dogs bark all day.
-Likes to use a fork when he eats.
-Has slept through the night for the last 3 weeks. Usually he's out for 11 hours.
-Still takes 2 naps during the day.
-Still nurses in the morning and at night.
-Reminds Mommy that we need to brush his teeth before bedtime (he puts his fingers in his mouth and moves it around).
-Said his version of "thank you" today.
-As he's opening the dishwasher door, he tells himself, "Nein!" but does it anyway.
-Loves leather belts.
-Loves pens.
-Pretends to write with his pens.
-Is pretty good about handing things over when we ask.
-Will shake his head yes or no if we ask him questions.
-Just about the greatest thing since sliced bread.

The First Real One

The Lime got his first haircut when he was several months old. We had to get rid of the curl that randomly sprouted on the right side of his head.

Since then, I've trimmed it here and there but LaVor really wanted to let it grow a bit.

It was getting a bit scraggly and The Lime and his girl cousin almost had the same style. LaVor thankfully agreed that we could take him to the Barber and get a "real" haircut.





The Lime did such a good job! (It helped that I had a banana to feed him and he was sitting on LaVor's lap.) He wasn't keen on the hair in his face, but who is?

We knew we had a cute kid on our hands.

My Daddy Is My Favorite Pal

We play catch.

We go on walks.

We watch for airplanes.

And we learn how to tie shoes.

I Have A.D.D.

Let me preface this post by saying how blessed we are to have a living Prophet on the earth, as well as Apostles, to guide us and direct us. We would certainly be lost without them and the revelation they receive from our Father in Heaven.

For the last few days, people have been blogging about how excited they were for Conference weekend. I feel as though I've got a one-way ticket to H.E.Double hockey sticks because I don't exude the excitement as everyone else. I actually get more excited that I don't have to plan anything for singing time that week.

I think it's the same reason why I hate movies. I can't sit still for long (hence why I think I have A.D.D.) and if I do, my mind completely loses focus on what I'm supposed to be doing and tends to think about everything else under the sun.

But even with my horrible sitting still and focusing skills, I managed to get something out of it.

Elder Holland has always been a favorite of mine. Perhaps because he came to a regional conference when I was 16? I don't know, but I love him. I especially loved how he mentioned that nobody is assigned a topic. Yet everything goes together and makes perfect sense. Clearly, the Lord's hand is involved.

I was also moved by Elder Scott's talk. Did anyone else bawl their eyes out? Did you also laugh when he saluted his wife?

But my personal favorite was President Uchtdorf and not for the obvious reason. I could listen to him speak all day long. There's just something different about him (and not the accent...ah ah ah).

Despite my shortcomings, I am grateful for living at this time, where listening to the Prophets is a mere click of a button away.