Tender Moment...

This morning was a typical Sabbath morning...doing "Sunday" activities before it was time to get ready for church: I was getting dinner into the crock pot, Emily was downstairs coloring with Scott, and we had some beautiful church music playing.

When, all of sudden, Emily comes sprinting up the stairs and gives me a hug saying something about "Thank you" and "Temple" was all I could make out with her face muffled in my skirt. I picked her up and asked her to repeat what she had just said...

"Thank you for temple, Mommy!" followed by a HUGE hug that lasted WAY longer than her usual half of a second hug.

Scott came up stairs right behind her to explain. While they were coloring downstairs, out of the blue without even said anything about the temple, Emily does this exact thing to Scott--gives her a huge hug with the words, "Thank you temple!" This is when he sent her upstairs to tell me too.

Scott and I did attend the temple in St. George yesterday. It had been a while since we had been, so it was very lovely and a wonderful reminder of the eternal aspect of our lives. We left her with my Grandma Nelson in Hurricane, told her Mommy and Daddy were going to the temple, and told her we would be back soon. (She had a BLAST at "Grandma Mouse's" house!) After we picked her up, nothing was said about us going to the temple, so the fact that the next day she would bring this up out of nowhere seemed so significant.

The only thing I can say to explain it is, perhaps, the music we were listening to was a very powerful orchestral arrangement of a hymn. Even upstairs in the kitchen, at that moment, I was thinking to myself how much I love this gospel and the Spirit that I feel especially with music. And at that moment, she came running up the stairs.

I'm not sure if she meant, "Thank you for going to the temple yesterday," or "Thank you for being married in the temple," or simply that she was grateful for the temple. But, whatever the explanation, it was very sweet.

It was a tender moment for all of us. We did a group hug and big kisses. I cried knowing that my sweet daughter was so in tune with the Spirit that she could tell us of her feeling of the temple.

"Yea, even babes did open their mouths and utter marvelous things..." 3 Nephi 26:16

Snow Day..

Today snowed ALLLLL day, and no I'm not exaggerating.



I would rather stay indoors, with the fire going, with some fuzzy warm jammies and hot cocoa, but I do feel pretty guilty that I have never taken my TWO YEAR OLD out to play in the snow. So, today, after a little prodding from my big sister (Thanks, Kara) I took Emily out in the snow...and wouldn't you know it...

SHE LOVED IT!

Not just the snow, but mostly EATING the snow. Seriously, it's what she did the ENTIRE time we were outside. Since it was still snowing, it really wasn't that cold outside, but we finally went in because her lips, cheeks, and nose started turning PURPLE!

Here is the proof:










So after taking her inside and her face thawing out a bit, it turned BRIGHT red... I felt really bad. So I held her for a second (about as long as she would let me) and kissed her cheeks. It was a tender moment.



We followed up the snow playing with some dinner on a blanket downstairs while watching "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!" (it was on TV) and then bath, THREE books (she normally gets one) and prayers, songs, and bed.

Emily is a perfect angel in going to bed. We have followed the same routine since she was 2 days old. Bath, jammies, stories, prayers, and she goes right to bed. We are very grateful for this, as we have heard some HORROR stories about other 2 year olds...but she has slept through the night since she was 3 weeks old. (Thankfully!!)

She is growing up so quickly. I am trying to take the time to cherish the moments with her because before I know it she will be off to school... She is a very smart little 2 year old--knows her colors, shapes (even a TRAPEZOID!), all of her letters except 3 or 4 (G, Q, and X are still confusing I guess...), can count to ten, knows that my name is Kristin and Scott's name is Scott, and that HER name is Emily Mabb. (I taught her that just in case she ever gets lost!) She is a jabber-box, loves Nursery, loves to sing, sometimes tells me "Mommy, No singing!" The other day she woke up from her nap and I wasn't quite done with Piano Lessons downstairs and she said "Mommy!!! NO MORE PIANO!!" We had a good chuckle over that one.. She makes me laugh every day. I am often reminded of the country song "You're Gonna Miss This" by Trace Adkins and it makes me sad that I have wasted so many times when I could have been doing something with Emily and instead I let her play by herself and did something on the computer instead. I am working on this. (She's asleep right now...so I feel justified in blogging.)

Sorry, I didn't mean for this to turn into an emotional post (yes I'm crying) but I really do love my little Emily so very much and am very grateful for her patience with the Mommy she got.

Here's to more Snow Days!!!!

45 lbs of produce for $15!!

Hello! This post is for everyone living in Cedar City (and anyone else who might be interested!!)

Bountiful Baskets finally has enough people to start a "stop" here in Cedar City. Bountiful Baskets is a food co-op where they buy produce in bulk so it is cheaper for the rest of us!

Every other week, they come to Cedar City to the drop-off location and you get a box/laundry basket FULL of produce for $15.

This is what I got this week!


And here's the breakdown:

8 Granny Smith Apples
8 Red Plums (So delicious!)
4 Artichokes
2 heads of Romaine Lettuce
3 heads of broccoli
4 tomatoes
1 bag of Seedless Red Grapes (the best I've ever had!)
2 cantaloupes
10 lbs. of potatoes
2 bunches of bananas
4 pears
(and a partridge in a pear tree! j/k)

Overall, this was 45 LBS OF PRODUCE!!

Also, each week they do this you can "opt in" for different things too. For example, this week there was an option for a 40 lbs case of pears for $12 extra. (Not a bad deal!!)

They also have options for breads (5 loaves for $10!) and some "Asian packs" with different kinds of "Asian" vegetables to make stir-fry, etc.

I am SOOOO excited about this (if you can't already tell!)

Also, the MORE people they get to do this in Cedar City, the MORE stuff you get in your basket. For example, this week had there been more than 14 people in Cedar that signed up they would have added cucumbers and raspberries!!

So, here is my shameless plug for Bountiful Baskets! To sign up, go to their website: www.bountifulbaskets.org . Each week they do this there is a deadline. If you go get on their mailing list, they will email you each week ( I think...this is the first week I've done it...) and let you know what the "offerings" are for that week.

TELL EVERYONE YOU KNOW IN CEDAR!!

For those not in Cedar, there are other location in Arizona (tons in AZ) and a lot in N. Utah as well as a brand new stop in Malad City, Idaho (Brittney?). Let me know if you have any questions and I will do my best to answer them. (or find out from the coordinator here in Cedar!)

I think I will go eat a plum now...