Grace Teresa’s Baby Blessing

Grace was blessed Feb 2, 2014 during Sacrament meeting in the Los Altos ward.

Participants in her blessing were: Kent Slack, Ron Fosson, Charles Powell, Jacob Patterson, Brian Patterson, and Bishop Pindar.

She wore the dress her grandmother, Teresa Slack, made, using the same material as her temple dress. It is also the same dress her two older sisters were blessed in.

She was given a beautiful blessing that she would have charily, be a strength and bring joy to others amongst other things. She is a special little girl and are so grateful to have her in our family (even though she tries to eat her hand quite often).

Our New Temple

On Feb 12 we went as a family to the open house of our new Temple, The Gilbert Temple. It was neat to have our whole little family together and to show the girls the inside of a temple.
Anna loved seeing the temple. She got a pamphlet of the temple with pictures of all of its rooms before we went in. As we were walking from room to room Anna would open the pamphlet and find the picture of each room we were in. There were a lot of stairs. Every time we went up or down the stairs Anna would hold up both sides of her dress like a princess to walk up or down. When we walked into the celestial room Anna said pointing to the Chandelier, “wow look at all those sparkly lights, so pretty.”
At the entry Elise would not let them put the shoe covers over her shoes. She started screaming if we tried. I had to carry her until I finally convinced her to put them on. Inside she was delighted by it all and wanted to touch everything. She also had to walk up and down all the stairs “all by herself,” even if it meant we were the last ones from our group to make it into each room.  When we walked into the baptistery Elise pointed and said aloud in an excited voice, “an ocean!” It was cute. She like looking at all the “cows” too.
It is a beautiful temple. I loved the agave design found throughout the temple; on the windows, carpets, wood, vases, etc. The reception of the temple and the amount of people that have come through to see it has been amazing to us. Thousands every day!
It is neat to have a new temple in the area, in our own temple district. It is OUR new temple; how neat. Kent has been working with the youth as they are preparing for the cultural celebration. The dedication will be March 2nd which we feel blessed to have another House of the Lord in this land. Our Stake President gave all the primary children their own picture of the temple to hang on their walls.
Ever since the open house started and many many non-members have been through to see it, I have had a lot more opportunities at work and elsewhere to talk about the gospel and our church to others. It has been a great blessing to the people of this area. We are grateful for this new temple and hope to be able to go there often.

Anna sings a song to Grace

Here is a little video that is sure to give you a smile or two. Dayna was working and I needed to make dinner, so I asked Anna and Elise to please play with Grace so that I could set her down without her fussing. This was the result. It was so cute that I had to put off making dinner and record this. (0:48- is the best phrase out of nowhere "it's so sad if you get bitten by a lion").

Two little girls, one baby, and a Determined mama

I just want to say that I am proud of myself and feel a little liberated for taking a two year old, a three year old, and a new baby all by myself to see the Zoo lights. I really wanted to take the girls to see them but I was afraid I could not handle all of them at night, in the dark, on my own. Yet, Kent was working late last night, and it was the last night I could go with my free coupon. So, even though I was nervous about it, I decided I would do it. I took them all yesterday evening, the fussy time for the baby, and it actually was not so bad; I am happy to say I did it. Two little girls, one baby, and a determined mama.  Maybe now I can convince myself to go grocery shopping with all them. :)

The First 6 Weeks- and Juggling Three

Our sweet baby has reached that 6 week mark. We love her so much and are glad she is a part of our family. It has been a challenging 6 weeks, as they always are for me; waking up all night, very little sleep, fussiness, painful breasts, and all this while trying to take care of two other little ones who need extra attention and don’t let me take naps. But, I am happy to tell you all that we survived and made it to six weeks! Things are a bit easier now.

After the baby was born, Anna and Elise had somewhat of hard time adjusting to their mama having less time for them. Elise would cry, “hold me, hold me” a lot, and Anna was more clingy. But never once did they blame it on the baby; they always have a smile and hug for her. However, me having less time to always play with them has brought a change in those two older girls. In the last 6 weeks they have really started playing together a lot, I mean all day long, they don’t stop playing together. They play make believe this and that, talking back and forth, going to the pretend bank and the the pretend doctors office, “OK, now I am the doctor,” making pretend dinners, and they make sure the bless their pretend food. It is amazing how they play now. They have really bonded even more so.

They also take really good care of their little sister. One day after Grace fell asleep, I put her down in the pack n play and got in the shower. After I got out of the shower, I peeked in on her and found a doll pillow under her head, and pacifier in her mouth, and a bracelet on her face. She must have woken up and the girls got her all situated and helped her fall back asleep.

The girls wanted to put all their baby dolls together on the floor and Grace was included as one of their babies. So Elise’s baby doll’s is name is Rose. Elise has had a hard time remembering what Grace’s name is because I call Grace all sorts of nicknames like “pumpkin,” “baby,” and “cutie pie with a cherry on top.” One day Elise said, “where is my baby?” and I said, “I don’t know where Rose is.” The she said, “No, my other baby.” and I was trying to think of what other doll she was talking about and I asked, “Which baby?” and she said, “the Pumpkin with the Cherry on top!” We’ve had to work on teaching Elise what her sister’s name is. I don’t know if she quite has it yet, but she is getting close.

Anna loves loves loves helping with the baby. Right when Grace was born when I would change her’s diapers, Anna liked to get a clean diaper and wipe for me, and throw away the dirty diaper. She also liked to get the burp cloth and wipe Grace’s mouth when she was done nursing. In fact she liked to help so much that she would take the diapers, the wipes, and burp cloths and hide them or put them across the room so that I couldn’t get to them to guarantee that she would be the only one to be able to do it. Lovely!

It is also so cute. What ever I say to the baby Anna repeats exactly in the same tone and manner. I think she does not know what to say to the baby, but wants to interact with Grace, so she just copies me.

It seemed like those first six weeks I had to hold her a lot, because she was so fussy, I got nothing done. I fell asleep nursing her on the couch at night. The girls were extra needy, I was extra tired. It was hard, I am not going to lie. I missed one week of church and was back with the baby because the demands of my calling, but I really could not do too much anyway with two girls and a newborn; at least I tried. I always wondered why people brought dinner to people with newborns because I didn’t think it was that hard to cook after having a baby but now I know. I just couldn’t do it.

It is still challenging but Grace is less fussy; I can actually put her down for more then 30 seconds and I think I have learned to juggle more, plan better, and do things quicker, and hold three crying girls all at once.

Grace started smiling. When she smiles it is all worth it.

Franny B. Kranny, There’s a Bird in Your Hair

I found this really fun book at the library. It is about a girl who ends up with a bird finding a home in her hair and she loves it. After reading it over and over to the girls about 20 times I had a bright idea. I stopped by the dollar store and bought a fake bird, then without the girls knowing I arranged my hair like Franny B. Kranny’s with the bird in it, came out into the living room and said, “girls let’s read Franny B. Kranny.” They came running in and as they were about to sit on the couch by me they noticed my hair with a bird in it. They had shocked expressions at first, thinking it was a real bird, then they started laughing. We read the book and I acted out parts of it with the bird on my head. And of course afterword's they both wanted birds on their heads; that’s why I bought two.

Anna B. Kranny, there’s a bird in your hair!

Elise B. Kranny, there’s a bird in your hair!

Perceptions of a 3 year old, and Subtle Influences of the World.

Me: “Anna, why are you turning your head like that? Put your head straight so I can get a nice picture of you in your princess costume.”
Anna: “No, like this.”

Me: “Anna, smile and put your head straight.” “Why are you putting your head like that?”
Anna: “Because.”

Me: “Ok, Anna, come over here and stand nicely.”

Me: “Why do you keep turning your head like that?”
Anna: “Because.”
Later that day: Disney Princess posters, puzzles, chair, coloring books around the house pop out at me. Why are there heads all turned? Why are they all turning their heads like that?


If my 3 year old daughter notices the subtle way that the Disney Princesses stand and turn their heads and tries to imitate them as “how she is suppose to stand if she is a princess,” what else does she pick up on?
If she is only 3 years old now and being influenced, what is going to influence her as she grows and becomes a teen? What images in magazines and TV shows are going to effect the way she thinks of herself, stands, dresses, acts? And much of it without her ever knowing she is being influenced.

It is interesting to see this. It is innocent princess posing right now but what will it be in the future? How can we help her know who she is as a daughter of God and not who the world tells her she should be? Things to ponder. It starts now though at three years old.