Count your many blessings!

This song has been running through my head for the past half hour and so I decided I should share. First off, this song is very sentimental to me because of a gentleman I taught on my mission. He had his share of difficulties and still struggles with them. However, when my companion and I were teaching him about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, he would cry like a baby. This song became his favorite hymn because he realized that, despite his share of problems, he also had so many blessings! He had a wonderful wife and kids, a job, and, most of all, a Savior who loved him.

When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed
When you are discouraged thinking all is lost
Count your many blessings, name them one by one
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done

We all have been given so many blessings. Just now I was looking around my apartment at all of the furniture that we have. We have bought very little of it. So many loving people have passed things along to us that we probably couldn't afford otherwise. I look around me at the world today and I'm scared for Lydia. There is so much evil and corruption. But, I am awe inspired by the good out there. So many wonderful, loving people. I need to focus on more of the good. We truly have so many blessings in our lives.
Lydia is such a beautiful little girl. I took her to the park today and played with her on the swings. She loved it! She laughed and laughed! She has brought so much more joy into my life. Though I'm scared for the temptations that lie ahead for her, I am comforted by the love of the Savior that I can feel through her. Christ suffered all for us. That is the greatest blessing we could ever dare ask for.
The other day Lydia was having a very trying day. She couldn't seem to get in a good nap. So, I chose to sing songs to her. (This is for my children's ears only! I don't typically sing for people!) I found myself singing "A Child's Prayer" to her. As I sang it, I remembered that that was the song all of my cousin's sang at my grandpa's funeral just a couple weeks ago. And, as I sang the song, the words filled my heart.

Heavenly Father, are you really there?
And do you hear and answer every child's prayer?
Some say that heaven is far away.
But I feel it close around me as I pray!
Heavenly Father, I remember now
Something that Jesus told disciples long ago.
Suffer the children to come to me!
Father, in prayer I'm coming now to thee!

Pray, He is there.
Speak, He is listening.
You are his child.
His love now surrounds you.
He hears your prayer.
He loves the children
of such is the kingdom, the kingdom of Heaven.

I felt the spirit more at that moment than I have for a very long time. (I admit, I had to wipe a few tears from my eyes.) We have a Heavenly Father who loves us and wants us to pray to him. He wants us to return to him. He LOVES us! Wow! We really do have so many blessings! I'll ponder more on all of my blessings. What are some of yours? (if you don't mind sharing) Or, you don't need to share. Just ponder on it.

Greatest apologies

My greatest apologies about not getting a recent post up. My computer is being quite the little brat. I don't know what is wrong with it. But it seems to insist I am no longer online whenever I try to create a post with pictures.
So, for all of those people who are dying to know what I've been up to lately, I do have some updated pictures in our June folder. Sorry, I haven't gotten July's up yet. And July is almost over. Hmmm...yeah I'm a little behind. But I'll blame the computer! Because I really have been trying! We'll see if it will even let me post this one!
Life is going good. David is insanely busy with school. He has his first second year test next week. He's a little nervous. Lydia is growing faster each day! She's sitting up even more confidently now and even tries to reach for things that are just barely out of her reach as she's sitting. She's so curious about everything around her. I'm trying to hurry up and baby proof some more areas of the apartment because it'll be pretty quick for her to move around more! And me, well I'm just trying to stay sane through it all. I've been doing some deep cleaning in the apartment (scrubbing behind the toilets, cleaning carpets and organizing everything more), it seems like it just never ends! I'm also trying to pick up the Mary Kay business more. The idea of making a little bit of money sounds so appealing! Especially when we are in so much debt!
I enjoy reading everyone else's blogs. Keep on updating yours and I'll do my best to let you know what's up with us.

Another Lord's Servant!

So, I would have gotten this up sooner. But we stayed up especially late last night to Skype with David's brother, Adam, as he opened his mission call. Yep! We get 2 missionaries in the family at the same time! How exciting is that! So, hopefully we'll get twice the blessings!
Anyways, I'm sure y'all are dying to know where he is going! Now, don't be fooled! I really am telling the truth! Adam will be serving in the Provo, UT Spanish Speaking mission!!! How awesome is that! He didn't go to BYU, so I guess the Lord felt he still needed the experience! And, maybe he'll decide he likes Provo so much, he'll stay there after his mission. I'm sure he'll have his share of awkward moments. Like the fact that his brother, Drew, will be in Provo going to BYU at the same time and such. But I know he'll be a strong missionary and be able to avoid all these temptations! And I know his family can be strong too and help him focus on his mission to serve the Lord! I'm just glad that I didn't have that temptation. But I know the Lord specifically selects those to serve around BYU that can withstand it. Oh, and he will be reporting to the MTC in Provo on September 8th. Less than two months Adam! Better hurry and get ready!

You are hereby called...

We made a special trip to San Antonio this weekend for my sister, Brittany, to open her mission call. So, without further ado, Sister Brittany Anderson will be serving in the Berlin, Germany Mission! She will have the opportunity to teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the people there. We are so excited for her and know she will be an amazing missionary! Congratulations Britt Brat!

PS: Lindsay, I beat you to it! Ha Ha!

And on another note, Lydia can now sit up all on her own! Completely unsupported! What a big Lady! We love her!

5 Months

Yep, that time has come yet again! And, actually passed by a few days. I feel like I've just had so much to get done! But we have gotten to enjoy our little angel for another month! She has grown so much too! People are always commenting that they think she's 6 months by her size and strength. She's also turned into such a little flirt with her big smiles! Lydia got to meet all of her aunts, uncles and cousins this month! She also got to meet some of her great aunts and uncles along with a couple of her great grandmas and her great grandpa who passed away just a week ago. So, Lydia, here's your 5 month letter.


Dearest Little Lady,

You have brought so much joy to this little home! Your smiles light up not only your face, but everyone around you. You are such a sweet, happy little girl. Well, as long as we're paying attention to you. Even as I'm writing you this letter I am having to sit on the floor next to you and hand you your toys every other word. But I wouldn't trade it for the world. It's a miracle watching you grow and learn new things. My guess is that you've put on at least another half a pound this month. You have such cute little rolls and chunks all over! I love it!

I think the list gets longer each month of the things you are learning and doing, but I love reflecting on it all and sharing it with you. This month you:

*Have discovered your voice even more! For good and bad. You have such happy little sounds you make and also angry squeals.

*You decided that you're pretty much done with breastfeeding. So, we're doing it morning and night and giving you bottles the rest of the day.

* You are good at expressing your hunger to us. You recognize a bottle when you see it. Reach for it, try to put the correct end in your mouth to start sucking and can even hold the smaller ones by yourself a lot of the time. What can I say, you are driven by food! Although, you seem to mistake our water bottles for your bottles and try to suck on them too.

* You tried rice cereal for the first time a week ago! You gobbled it right up! Well, everything that made it to your mouth anyways! You love it.

*Your new favorite toy: Mardi gra beads! You also love books, whatever we are holding, lights and bells.

*You can sit up now! You hate laying down now because your have found your balance and strength to sit up. In fact, if you are lying on your back, you are generally in a crunching position because you want so bad to sit up. You can balance pretty well on your own when sitting up. If I'm not sitting next to you though, I put the boppy around you for support. But if you have toys in front of you, then you have the motivation to stay leaning forward enough to stay balanced.

* You roll around a whole lot more now. You can now go from back to front and front to back. You don't generally do this unless motivated by a toy just out of your reach though.

* You saw your first fireworks show a week and a half ago. You loved it! Your eyes were glued to those lights and didn't look away for a second. We went back again for the Fourth of July, but those fireworks were a little bit further away. So, you enjoyed looking at the passing cars and the restaurant across the street more than the fireworks.

*You are perfecting those fine motor skills. You're much better at grabbing onto anything in your reach. Your biggest problem now? Your hands are still too small for everything you want to grab.

*You love sitting up in the bathtub now. You can see so much more than when you were lying down. You are especially attracted to your orange tub toys. Is this a new favorite color? We'll see.

*You're perfecting the daytime naps. You don't seem to mind sleeping during the day, however we're now trying to teach you how to fall asleep in your crib. It's a slow process, but you're learning. Many times, if you are in just the right sleepy mode, all you need is your binky and you're happy. Now, you just need to get down how to pick up your binky and put it in your mouth when you want it! I expect to write that in next month's letter.

*You got on your first swing! You loved it as we grabbed your feet and let you fly!

*You discovered balloons! And you were entertained for over an hour!

You went to a couple of aquariums this month and you were intrigued by the bright colorful fish.

*You got to meet all the rest of your aunts, uncles and cousins this month. You loved playing with your cousins Caleb, Garrett and Sophie. Whenever they were near, you would reach for them and want to touch them. You also got to meet your Great Aunt Janet, Great Uncle Mark, Great Aunt Shauna, Great Grandma and Grandpa Matthews, Great Aunt Karen, Great Uncle Laurent, Great Uncle Herb, and Great Grandma Hallberg. So many greats! You were a total hit! Everybody loved you. And why wouldn't they! You showed off all your charm with your sweet smiles!

One of our friends had a baby just a few weeks ago and when I held him I couldn't believe how light he was! You used to be that light! Our bodies truly are miraculous things to grow the way they do, learn and heal. You are a little miracle. Remember that. You are a special daughter of God. It's hard to believe that He could love you more that I do. That's a lot! I'm so grateful for eternal families. You got to briefly meet your Great Grandpa Matthews before he passed away. And, even though you probably won't remember him in this life, because of the blessing of eternal families, you will get to meet him again and get to know him in the next life. You sure loved him for the little while you got to see him! Your face lit up more than I've ever seen when he waved at you. I know you could feel his strong spirit.

I pray you always stay close to the church and keep the commandments. I will do my best to be a good example to you and teach you to follow our Savior, Jesus Christ. We're trying to involve you more in our daily scripture study and prayer before you go to bed each night. Hopefully you will develop this habit and incorporate it into your own life. We love you and want the best for you.

love,
Momma