Another favorite

Jack taught an awesome Sunday School lesson last week. I really, really loved it, and I'm not just saying that because he's my husband. He taught from the scriptures, involved the class, and shared personal experience and testimony.

Talking with him about his lesson as he was preparing reminded me of this poem, which I love and hope you love, too.

"Morning Manna (Mosiah 7:19)"

Mary Margaret Hawkins, Ensign, Sept. 2001, 29

Early I arise to seek my morning manna
Before the sun outlines the day’s temporal claims and
Melts my intent.

Precious sustenance has rained before my day from
Heaven and lies generously scattered in tissue wafers
Free for the gathering.

Laying open the sacred books, I sift the living words.
Silently I grind and beat and bake them into
Fragrant, warm cakes—

Color of bdellium, tasting of honey and fresh oil.
Gratefully I consume the day’s sweet ration
Offered to preserve

Me in my wilderness wanderings. Why should I weep
For the feasts of Egypt or mourn for the rich meats
Of Babylon?

I desire only this simple morning miracle
Of living bread. It will satisfy until I sit
And sup in Canaan.

Spring break

We had some cousin play time during Spring Break. Read more about it here.

What I love about the above picture:

-only Ellen and I are smiling

-Elijah is screaming

-Rose's flowered dress and striped leggings

-my 2001 t-shirt and holey jeans.

-it's me and all my kids :)

In other news, Elijah has a surgery date! April 14th is his big day. Thank you for thinking of us and especially him.

If you give...

If You Give Rose Sour Cream

by Ellen Starks

If you give Rose sour cream, she's going to want a taco to go with it.

If you give her a taco, she's going to want a lime to go with it.

If you give her a lime, she's going to want a lime squeezer.

If you giver her a lime squeezer, she's going to want a lot of limes.

You will have to go to the store to buy a lot of limes.

If you go to the store to buy limes, everyone will want to go with you.

You won't have room for everyone, so you'll all have to stay home and have a taco.

And if you give Rose a taco, chances are, she's going to want sour cream to go with it.

We've read a lot of giving pigs pancakes, mooses muffins, and mice cookies, in case you didn't recognize the rhythm. Ellen came up with that story about Rose tonight at dinner as Rose was finishing off a dish of sour cream.

That Rose is eating anything is a huge relief since she caught a nasty virus that took away her appetite for anything but water for an entire week. She ran a fever for days and carried around her blanket begging to be put down for a nap. She slept more than anything else. Jack and Ellen were also knocked out for a couple of days, ate little, and voluntarily took naps ("rested" according to Ellen), but nothing like Rose.

Elijah, fed a steady diet of liquid immunity and kept as far from feverish or snot-nosed kids as possible, has stayed completely healthy and weighed in at 13 pounds and 3 ounces at his recent visit to the cardiologist. His O2 levels have been great, his EKG and echo looked great. We love his new pediatrician, who is working on scheduling a follow up swallow study for as soon as possible. Please pray that Elijah will be able to swallow any consistency of liquid so he can have normal (unthickened) breast milk, and so when we start solid foods in a couple of months he'll also be able to start trying water or juice from a cup.