Statue love

The first picture is from a trip to a lake nearby with some friends.  We unknowingly arrived an hour before the beach opened up for public use so we got to walk around with another mom and little boy who made the same mistake.  I'm glad she was there because I'm not sure I wouldn't have turned around and gone home on my own.  Anyway, this is Leah, Thomas and Sam.

Yesterday we went to the temple.  I've never noticed it before but there are these statues at the bottom of the stairs outside the temple.  Sam and Thomas had quite a bit of fun with them.  I'm not sure if I should have stopped them from playing on them, but I figured they weren't damaging anything and it was keeping them happily entertained for quite some time.  So I let them.

Thomas just walked right up and gave the dog a kiss.  I'm not sure what Sam is doing with that boy in the first one, but in the second he is hugging him.

More hugs.

More kisses.

What else have we done?  Last week Dave taught Sunday school.  Today and next week he is teaching Sunbeams.

Last week the boys and I went to visit a pre-school to see how much it cost to go 2 days/week.  It was the only preschool I could find that allowed as few as 2 days a week.  It seemed like a nice place, but it costs about $700 a month for 2 mornings a week.  But don't worry, that includes breakfast and lunch so it's totally worth it.  J/K.  Sam loved it, but that's not surprising because it has plenty of new toys.  Anyway, it looks like Sam will be staying home and maybe do some unofficial pre-school.

This is changing the subject, but I've listened a couple of times to a cd my mom gave us before they left.  It's a talk by Michael Wilcox called Walking on Water.  In it he says that in this life we can't find complete fulfillment-we can find lots of fulfillment and lots of joy, but not complete fulfillment in this life.  I'm not sure where he got it from, but it is consistent with something else that occurred to me in the last day or two.  I was praying that our children would turn out ok despite my/our failings and then it occurred to me that even if we were perfect parents, their lives will not be perfect because life isn't perfect.  It's somehow easier for me to accept life as a whole as imperfect, of which I am an imperfect part.

Other things we've done are just the usual I think.  Went to Target, Costco.  Oh we did host a bbq in our "backyard" with some village mormons.  It was fun.  Maybe we should have waited till the 4th, but if we put it off then we probably wouldn't have done it.

Thomas is doing a little better with going to bed/naps.  About a month ago he started crying every time we put him to down for naps/bed.  Man he's good at sounding pitiful and desperate!  But I've tried to put him down a little sooner and I think that has helped.  And we let him take crayons and paper to bed.

Three fun things happened last Friday.  First, we got a used basketball hoop for the kids.  Second we got a mini foosball table.  And third we got to use a gift card my parents gave us to Applebees.  And we actually saved room for dessert, my favorite.  Yum.

Last Monday we used a coupon for a candy store for FHE.  We talked about agency and that we all get to make our own choices in life.  Then we went to the candy store and we all got to choose some candy.  It was a fun little store, but pretty expensive if you don't have a coupon.

Today I talked to my parents briefly on the phone.  Then we skyped with Dave's parents.  The kids always kind of go crazy for some reason, but oh well.

Also I should note that this week Sam has woken up before Dave and I and put away the dishes so that we don't have to do it.  What a gem!