Watch Out for That Friday the 13th

  Do you believe in Friday the 13th? I never have, until a couple weeks ago. I went downstairs to put a blanket in our extra room when I smelled a musty, moldy smell. I started to feel the carpet and it was all wet. I wasn't sure how long it'd been like that as we don't go in that room very often. So I moved everything out and called our landlord to check it out. He had to pull up the carpet and put fans down. We weren't sure what caused it, we hoped it was just a pipe that broke and not a leak in the foundation. 

  Later that night we drove to Cache Valley to go to the Peck Hadfield ice skating party. Lydia had never been so she was pretty excited. First, we made a quick stop to see Grandma and Grandpa Rigby.

  Then we headed to the ice rink. Lydia really liked it and did better than I thought. She went around maybe four times when she said, "I'm ready for some snacks now." It was fun while it lasted. We had a great time skating and being with everyone. 

   We left the rink around 9:30 to head home so Loren could study the next day. We had just made it almost out of the canyon when suddenly, Loren and I saw what looked like feathers all over the road.  I started with "What's tha-" when all the sudden a dead deer appeared out of nowhere. It was too late to do anything but slam right over top of it. I thought our car was done for sure from the way it sounded. We pulled over to check out the damage. Amazingly, we couldn't see any damage except a few minor dents along the front and back bumpers, which were now covered in deer blood. Immediately I said a prayer of gratitude that we were protected and that the deer was dead, not alive when we hit it. As we got back in the car and continued on our way, I determined that the next Friday the 13th, we were all staying in bed.
  
  Sarah and Zach came to visit on Martin Luther King day and brought the best surprise. Train tracks from Grandma Pecks house! Lydia's favorite show right now is Thomas the Train and, as with all the other phases she goes through, she's all in. Trains are the bomb and it's all she plays with. So when Sarah and Zach brought this ginormous train set, Lydia was through the roof. She puff's them all along the track and puts them in their "sheds" when it's time for her to go to sleep. It's been so fun. The only problem is when I have to put it away to vacuum eventually, I'll have no idea how to put it back together. Oh well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. 

  January and February are my least favorite months. Being cooped inside every day with the girls does a number on my spirits. Add the fact that Allie is still waking up every two hours, sometimes every hour at night and you could say we've had some very hard days. And nights. I took this picture of Lydia on a particularly hard day. We went to the post office looking like that and I didn't even care. I've found myself being especially snappy with Lydia and having zero patience with her. One night as I was trying to put Lydia to bed, I snapped at her for the millionth time that day it seemed for not listening to me. Then in that moment, I heard a voice telling me to stop and look at myself. I walked into the bathroom and looked in the mirror at my reflection. I hardly recognized myself. My eyes were sunken and red, with dark circles underneath. I looked haggard, worn and old. This wasn't who I wanted to be. An old, haggard, snappy mom who didn't have any spark or life. I knew that Lydia was feeling the effects of a distant parent and that wasn't acceptable. I'm not sure if it was my voice or someone else's that then said, "You desperately need sleep. For the health and wellness of not just you, but your kids, you need sleep."   

  So I finally got the courage to do what I've been meaning to do for months now, sleep train Allie. Every time I've tried in the past, I've been inconsistent or afraid that maybe she really was hungry for the twentieth time that night. But no more excuses, I had to really do it. Loren and I set up camp out in the family room and settled down to what I feared would be a long and sleepless night. I don't know if it was sheer exhaustion or if I was too far away to hear her, but she didn't wake me up until 2 AM. I got a solid four hours of sleep in a row. The next night was about the same but then the night after that, she slept, or I didn't hear her, till 5 AM! It was such a blessing. I know that Heavenly Father is very aware of our needs. He's always there for us and I find comfort in that so much. 

  Last Sunday my family got together at our house to celebrate Brayden's 16th and Cam's 28th birthday. We're right in the middle of Cam and Mary who live in American Fork, and my parents and Nate who live in Cache Valley, so it makes it convenient. Mary made a phenomenal chocolate, two layer cake. It was delicious! As always, it's wonderful to get together and catch up. We missed our Em though!

  Allie and her best friend, Binkie. 

  We finally got our insurance on board to get Allie's helmet and had her fitted for it this week. I was surprised at how sleek it is, I was expecting a big, bulky football helmet. Technology has come a long ways. Still, it's taking her some getting used to, she's always much happier with it off than on. These first four days we're putting it on her gradually in four hour increments. By Monday she'll be wearing it 23 hours a day for hopefully only eight weeks. 

   Our friends gave us some bread bowls so I decided to make a soup I've never made before. It turned out delicious! I love when new things I make turn out. It doesn't happen all the time.

  Nothing like family, hot soup and a good Jane Austen movie to brighten your spirits in this bleak winter. I really do have so much to be thankful for.