Day Four--A Little R&R

It's a little past midnight, but this entry is for Sunday and I'm keeping it short since it's past bedtime and we have a big day ahead of us.

The day was pretty laid back for all of us. Church here starts at 11:00, so we didn't have to get up too early. It's nice to be able to take our time getting ready. I also liked that it wasn't as late as our ward meets (we meet at 1:00). Eleven o'clock is much better on Ashley, who likes her naps. I've been to church with Chris' parents now several times since we've been married, and the people there are very friendly and have known Chris and his family since he was a young teenager. They are always so welcoming, and I feel like part of their ward whenever I am here.

Sacrament Meeting with my kids is always crazy. We always plan ahead for snacks, drinks, books, etc., but it never seems to be enough to keep my kids from fighting over stuff. Chris' dad had to take Ashley out twice, because she was screaming at the top of her lungs because Zachary had something she wanted. Zachary could not sit still, and despite repeated attempts to keep him quiet, he could not stop talking loudly or making sound effects. The talks were on "Our Rising Generation," and I couldn't help but think to myself that this generation has more ADHD than any other generation, I'm guessing.

Chris' parents are the nursery leaders, so Zachary and Ashley both got to go with Grandpa and Grandma for two hours while Chris and I went to Sunday School and Priesthood/Relief Society. It was a nice break for us, and I knew the kids were having fun together. Sunday School was interesting, although I can't think for the life of me what the topic was! The teacher is my mother-in-law's visiting teacher, and she is so easy to listen to...very interesting and down-to-earth lady. I'm sure if I think long enough, I will remember what the topic was...I think we talked about stoning the prophets, but I can't imagine that being the overall subject of the lesson. I'm sure there was something else to be gained from it. I was probably a little too distracted by this baby who kept walking over to us and trying to snatch the bag of Froot Loops from our diaper bag. It was actually his dad who kept trying to divert his attention. It was completely fine with me if he wanted our Froot Loops. The funny thing about it was that he had his own bag of Froot Loops (looked exactly the same as ours), but he really could not keep his eyes off of ours. He was entertaining a lot of people around us in the meantime, and though I wasn't bothered by him, I wanted to listen to the lesson and even told his dad to just let him have all those Froot Loops since my kids really didn't need them. The Relief Society lesson today was on reverence. How appropriate! But actually, it was not so much about teaching our children about reverence but was more about how we, as adults, can show reverence or carry a spirit of reverence with us. One comment, in particular, stood out to me. Someone talked about how the sounds of little children should not be considered as irreverent, but if we, as adults, sit there and focus our minds on how irreverent our kids (or others' children) are being, to the point that we are not focusing on keeping the Spirit with us, then we are the ones who are really being irreverent. I will remember that the next time my kids are acting up and I want to take them out in the hall and spank their little bottoms!

After church, while Ashley was napping and Zachary was watching a movie with Daddy and Grandpa, I escaped downstairs to work on cards (again). Last night, I made this really cute one that I liked so much that I decided to make several more of it. After finishing 5 more, my shoulder was starting to hurt a little, so I went upstairs and helped Chris' mom get dinner ready. She made a wonderful Sunday dinner of teriyaki-marinated flank steak, roasted red potatoes, fresh corn-on-the-cob, green beans, and every Mormon's favorite (right?!), green Jell-O squares. Apparently, she is quite fond of Jell-O squares, as they are regularly served in this house and are taken as Nursery treats just about every week. Except for the fact that the kids refused to eat their dinner, which is also becoming a regular occurrence, having dinner together was very nice.

After dinner, Chris and his parents and I played cards. Spades is pretty much the only game that Chris' dad will play when we're together, and I love it when he joins us for games. We let the kids entertain themselves, which is OK to do every now and then, since they are great playmates! Chris and I beat his parents at Spades in one miraculous victory and one that was not quite as unexpected. Once again, the "Chumps", as my father-in-law calls anyone who plays against him, go undefeated against the "Champs" (what he calls himself, whether he wins or loses.)

Tomorrow, we're planning on our much-anticipated trip to the zoo, so I am off to bed now!