Jeremy On The Potty

This is so exciting that I had to post it right away.

This morning while Jeremy was playing, he announced that he had to go poopy and ran to the bathroom. I decided to follow Jeremy's lead and play along. I took off Jeremy's pants and put him on the toilet just like he sees Dillon do his daily business. Jeremy told me to leave and give him some space, so I stepped out. Lately he has been big on doing things himself. Anyway, Jeremy proceeded to poop! I was so surprised and happy. I couldn't believe it. Jeremy is 2 years and 3 months old. Evidently we can go ahead and begin the potty training. I think Jeremy is sooooo smart. Everyone comments on how well he speaks. Of course, I'm his mother so I have to believe that I have two very beautiful and smart boys.

I didn't take any pictures of the occasion before Jeremy flushed it down. I didn't think that anyone would miss that. Some events do not need cameras.

Halloween

I've had some requests for Halloween pictures. So, in an effort to catch up on the seasons, here they are. Dillon was Thomas for the third year in a row but who is counting? I suspect that he will be ready to move on to something else next year. Jeremy was a dragonsaurus. His little tail wagged when he walked. It was so cute. Dillon understands the concept of a candy bribe so I was able to get a few pictures of him. Jeremy was more difficult to photograph. Both of them were really sugared up by the end of the evening. It is a good thing that they only wanted to trick or treat on our block.

Grandma Callister And Her Fruit Pies

I wrote this piece before Thanksgiving. I know that I am still catching up. Sorry everyone. My kids just wear me out and I don't have much time for reflection. Grandma Callister made pies that both looked and tasted better than mine. But hey, she had a long lifetime to perfect her craft.
Around here, fall is an amazing season. We celebrate is with all the trees changing colors, the pumpkins and the apple picking. We taste apple bread, apple cider, apple donuts and of course, apple pies. Everyone should come and experience fall in New England if they get the chance. I love sharing it with my children now.

I made a bunch of pies from the apples we picked that I mentioned in an earlier blog post. As I tried to make them, my thoughts turned to my Grandma Callister. I loved her so much...

Here's to you Grandma. Whenever I eat a fruit pie, I think of you. The family ate one a few days after your funeral. You made it the previous summer with Uncle Bill, although you wouldn't have remembered it. You needed a lot of help during those days.

We will all miss you but we know that finally, at 93, you burst into the eternities to be with Grandpa Callister. Your little frail mortal body could no longer hold your beautiful, loving, faithful and valiant spirit.

I can't thank you and Grandpa enough for your love, your examples and your teachings. I wasn't very good at expressing my feelings when you were alive Grandpa. My goodbyes to you were not sufficient and I know that you understand and know what I am talking about. But I love you.

Grandma, sometimes I think that if we had both lived in the same place and we were the same age, that we would have been best friends. You always seemed much younger that you were.

The older I get, I grow to appreciate more what you have done for me and all of those whose lives you have touched.

We are all grateful for you life, your love, your faith, and of course, your fruit pies. You brought sweetness to our lives that only a Grandma can bring.

Soon we will all take a few moments to thank Heavenly Father for our bounteous blessings. Then we will experience the winter solstice and celebrate the festival of lights and the birth of our Savior. But for now, with these last apples of the season, I make some pies and I think of you Grandma.

So here is to you Grandma Callister. Until we meet again.

Dillon's take on Thanksgiving

OK. I'm still catching up. Dillon's preschool teachers asked the kids about what they do for Thanksgiving and this is what Dillon told them. I just wanted to throw it up because it's cute.

We go together to the grocery store to get our turkey. My mom puts the turkey in the oven. It's very hot. My mom cooks the turkey for 2 minutes at 1 degree. We eat chicken, waffles, grapes and strawberries. For dessert we have ice cream and my mom's pumpkin birthday cake and pumpkin pie. My Grandma, Brooke and Claire share our Thanksgiving.

Apple Picking in November

We went apple picking in early November. People around here really celebrate fall since it is so beautiful in New England. Here are some pictures of our adventure.

This is the tractor that took us out to the fields.

Some apples didn't make it into our bags.

Jeremy wasn't sure what to make of the whole adventure. So many apples and rocks - so little time.

Dillon and Jeremy also found this tractor to play on. We had a difficult time getting them off.

Dillon is just a bit of a mama's boy.

October in Boston

Hello everyone. I just wanted to tell you about our trip to Boston in October since I am trying to catch up. We went there just for a few days because some good friends of ours had their baby daughter baptized. The wife is Catholic and the husband is Jewish. So, they had their daughter baptized in an Episcopalian church. Our friends are fun that way.

After the service, we all walked to the Hampshire House for brunch. The Hampshire House is similar to the Lion House in Salt Lake for those who may be familiar with that city. It is a historic landmark that hosts a variety of receptions and events. It is also the site of the original "Cheers" bar in the basement that was the inspiration for the sitcom with the same title. Boston is an amazing city. I can't get enough of it.

After brunch, we headed down to the Museum of Natural History to catch a DUCK tour. If you have ever been to Boston, you know what I'm talking about. If you ever go, an excellent way to see Boston is on a DUCK tour. The DUCKs are renovated World War II amphibious landing vehicles. I was a bit worried about splashing down into the Charles River with such an old vehicle and two small children, but the bus/boat was equipped with life jackets, so I wasn't too worried.


This is a picture of Dillon driving the DUCK on the water. We were way out in the middle of the river when the conDUCKtor let him drive. No one on the bus seemed to mind.

I caught Dillon's delight as we splashed down. Jeremy didn't know what was going on. He was just trying to catch a nap on Daddy's lap.

Boston is a great city for little boys because it has an airport, trains, subways, taxis, buses, boats, diggers, cranes, infamous tunnels, hotels built over the interstate... everything. Seeing certain cities through the eyes of a four and two year old makes everything exciting.

Christmas in Bethlehem

Hi Everyone. Sorry I haven't posted anything in awhile. I spent the whole fall season chasing after two busy boys and then I was too tired at the end of each day to focus on a post. I will attempt to do better. Better late than never.

A few weeks ago I looked for an impression paper that I wrote after I went to Bethlehem in 1990 when I studied in Israel for a semester. I love history and minored in it for my first bachelors degree. I later ran across the missing paper while I was ironically looking for an appropriate size box to mail gifts to friends and family. Here it is in its entirety.

November 10, 1990

This week our class began the New Testament with Christ's birth. We went to the Shepherds' Fields Wednesday between Jerusalem and Bethlehem. We had a little program and we sang of and discussed Christ's birth.

In my family, Christmas season begins each year with buying our tree and then discussing, as a family, Christ's birth. Wednesday I was with my temporary "family" and we were in a field with some evergreens. In my mind, Christmas season has begun this year.

After our program, I had time to reflect upon the significance of Christ's birth in my life. At this time my thoughts are directed toward the night of his birth and what might have been in the hearts of a young mother, her new husband, reverent shepherds, and a grand multitude of angles singing praises to their new born king. What were they thinking? How did they feel?

I tried to imagine a little town of Bethlehem just over the hills in front of me. I suspect there weren't as many lights as I saw this evening. As I lay on a large stone, looking up into the heavens, I see many stars. I hear a dog bark and a child cry in the distance. For a moment in time, life spans back to His birth.

I see a tiny wrinkled child wrapped in rags lying in a trough of hay for a bed. The Holy Ghost testifies to me that this is the child long hoped for by many. This is the child chosen to redeem me from my sins, if I take advantage of His offering.

I don't know if I was part of that heavenly host singing praises to God that holy night. If I was, I pray that someday, when the veil is dropped from my eyes, I will be able to reflect upon this night with a new and deeper understanding I will have gained from this mortal life of what Christ's birth means to me. I pray now that at this future time, I will be worthy to come into His presence again and sing praises to him forever more.