But got very rainy and freezing, so we went back to my parent’s house about halfway through the parade and had a traditional Irish meal – corned beef and cabbage, mashed potatoes, green jello (yeah, sure, that’s traditional), Irish soda bread, green salad, leprechaun punch (see, we drank something!), and for dessert, shamrock pudding and thin mints. Here's Dave and Cal, I think you can see the Irish soda bread on his plate. Also notice that Dave is wearing his Callahan shirt. Callahan is an Irish name.
Emma was helping Grandma set the table and put the St. Patrick’s day decorations out. My mom got a few new ones, which still had the tags on. She handed them to Emma and asked her where they should put them. Emma, being the tactful and sensitive girl she is, said “You know, Grandma, a lot of people take these [the tags] off.”
We got a kick out of that. On St. Patrick's Day, we woke up and made green Shamrock pancakes, which Emma was excited about. We all wore green, as tradition calls for.
We took Emma to preschool, where they had a St. Patrick’s Day party. She had a blast, as always.
Then we went to my Gold Medal Schools. The kids there are so funny. They were on hunts to find the leprechauns, no sign of any, though some said they saw Leprechaun poo or hair. Some of the kids told me I was a leprechaun since I’m shorter than they were! Funny kids! They crack me up. That night, I had our Relief Society birthday dinner and program. The theme this year was on Quilting. We had a yummy dinner and cupcakes (I made cupcakes using classic quilting templates), displays and people telling of the stories behind the quilts, had a program on the history of quilts, beginner quilting tips, and we tied a quilt. It was actually neat to learn more about something I know very little about, and that isn’t as much of a part of our life as it used to be. I have been saving scraps from outfits I make for Emma, or crafts I’ve made around the house. Someday, when I have enough, I’m going to make a quilt out of them. It should be fun, but I’ve never really quilted much before, so we’ll see how this goes.
Also last week, the temperature was in the mid-60’s, so we took advantage of it. We went on an “adventure” to the South Ogden Nature Park/Trail. We took a notebook and crayons to take “field notes” and draw pictures and write down what we saw, we took bags and bottles to find samples of plants, rocks, and insects that we liked. We learned about nature, and the creation, talked about some science and principles. Emma asked lots of questions, and it has been so exciting to see her mind become more inquisitive. And Cal loved just pointed at everything and trying to get everywhere. It was such a beautiful day, and though everything was dead and crunchy still from the winter, we had a great time and enjoyed the sunshine. Even more than that, I felt so lucky to be able to stay with my little ones. How I would miss out on so much if I wasn’t able to stay home! I am so grateful for Dave, for making that possible. We didn’t know (and still don’t) how we’d make it through school on such a meager salary, but he always reminded me that if we were doing the right things and have faith, we’d be blessed. And we’ve always had enough for our needs. We might not live in a castle, drive an Escalade around, have an impressive portfolio, or get to go on vacations a lot, but we have got each other, and I wouldn’t miss this for the world! Staying home with my kids has been the best (and yet the hardest sometimes) thing I’ve ever done, but I know the dividends are eternal and do and will bring me (and hopefully my family) more joy than anything else! And that makes me the luckiest. Anyways, I'm rambling. Here are some pictures of our adventure.
I really have been thinking much about how "lucky" I am lately, but it's really that I'm blessed. I'm blessed to have Dave.
This pic was taken a few weeks ago when we went to the WSU game, but they lost. It was a sad game, but it was fun to go out together and remember the good ol' days we had at Weber. Better luck next year! At least the Jazz are on a roll!
Lucky to have my kids, who are just my favorites! Too cute!
They just make me smile!
I
even feel lucky on days like last week, when we were finger painting, and Emma lifted up her hands and accidentally whacked me in the face with paint. Whoops! We had a good laugh.
The song "The Luckiest" by Ben Folds Five has always been one of my favorites. It is so beautiful, and we had that played at our wedding and on our wedding video. The lyrics have come to my thoughts lately. It is by no means a Gaelic, but it is my Irish blessing I leave with you today...it's definately how I feel.
I don't get
Many things right the first time
In fact, I am told that a lot
Now I know all the wrong turns
And stumbles and falls
Brought me here
And where was I before the day
That I first saw your lovely face?
Now I see it every day
And I know
That I am, I am
I am the luckiest
I love you more than I have
Ever found the way
To say
And I am
The Luckiest
