Update of Random Proportions

When people ask what's going on. I usually say, "oh not much." But that's actually not true, I just haven't really thought about it. But a bunch of random, funny, and exciting things have happened--well at least in my eyes. So I thought I'd share.

This one makes me laugh. So last week I was digging around in the diaper bag when I found this. I was so confused how this little plaque made it into my bag, when it obviously belongs next to one of the baby changing tables at our church. I just had to laugh. It must have fallen into the bag somehow. I'm just glad that I wasn't the one who had changed Emmeline at church last week. When I showed it to Eric, he was just as amused as I was. We'll have to make sure it makes it back to church next week :)

This one is exciting for me, if long overdue--I finally made it into some of my pre-pregnancy jeans! I still have a long ways to go, but it is definitely a great start :)

Emmeline is crawling! It took her a little while to get the confidence to just go for it. She could crawl, she just didn't want to, or would get scared and stop after a step or two. But now she's crawling all over the place. 

About a month ago, Eric built a fire pit! I'm so happy with how it turned out. He was able to find a used fire pit ring at a junk yard for $10 and used the curved stones from Lowes. We love it, and have spent the last month roasting marshmallows, warming our toes, and eating dutch oven. We think it is a great addition to our home, especially as Emmeline and future kids get older. Once again, we feel so blessed to have such a large yard where we can put a fire pit!

Emmeline has had a few bad days with teething. The only thing that seems to snap her out of it is frozen blueberries, lots and lots of frozen blueberries. But she now has two very visible teeth :)

Remember, My Child

When I was rocking Emmeline to sleep the other night and thinking about Ella (see previous post). I did something I never do. I started to sing. (Well, it was more like humming for a few lines here and there. I have a horrible memory, and can never remember words to songs unless I sing them constantly--just ask Eric about my singing to the car radio--this is one of the reasons why I don't sing to Emmeline).

And the song that came to mind is Souviens-toi.

It's an LDS French hymn, and unfortunately, it is only in the French hymnal. Which is unfortunate, because it's message is unlike any other hymn.

Every missionary falls in love with Souviens-toi, and it is easy to see why. Here is how the hymn came to be:

A French LDS woman and her husband tried for many years to have children, but unfortunately it never happened. Eventually they began the process to adopt a child from Tahiti. One sleepless night she wrote a song to the tune of Dvorak's New World Symphony.

Sometime later (unclear on how much later) they were offered a baby. But because of the adoption process it took some time before they received the baby. After they accepted the baby into their home they discovered that the baby was born the same night that the woman wrote the hymn. (Coincidence? I think not.)

The French hymnal committee then adjusted the lyrics and added it to the hymnal.

(Not sure if all of this is accurate--but that is how the story was told to me).

Souviens-toi, mon enfant
Souviens-toi, mon enfant: Tes parents divins
te serraient dans leurs bras, ce temps ne’st pas loin.
Aujourd’hui, tu es là, présent merveilleux,
ton regard brille encore du reflet des cieux.
Parle-moi, mon enfant, de ces lieux bénis
car pour toi est léger le voile d’oubli.

Souviens-toi, mon enfant des bois, des cités.
Pouvons-nous ici-bas les imaginer?
Et le ciel jusqu’au soir, est-il rose ou gris ?
Le soleil attend-il la neige ou la pluie?
Conte-moi, mon enfant, la couleur des prés
et le chant des oiseaux d’un monde oublié.

Souviens-toi, mon enfant : A l’aube des temps,
nous étions des amis jouant dans le vent.
Puis un jour, dans la joie nous avons choisi
d’accepter du Seigneur le grand plan de vie.
Ce soir-là, mon enfant, nous avons promis
par l’amour, par la foi, d’être réunis.

English Translation

Remember, My Child (This translation is the most accurate, but doesn't fit the music)
Remember, my child : not long ago,
your divine parents held you in their arms.
Today you are here, marvelously present.
Your gaze still shines with the reflection of heaven.
Talk to me, my child, about that blessed place,
because for you the veil is still thin.

Remember, my child, the forests, the cities.
Can we down here imagine them?
And the night sky, is it rosy or gray?
Is the sun waiting for snow or rain?
Describe to me, my child, the color of the meadows
and the birdsongs of a forgotten world.

Remember, my child: at the dawn of time,
we were friends playing in the wind.
Then one day in joy we chose to accept
the Lord’s grand plan of life.
That night, my child, we promised through love,
and through faith, to be reunited.

Here is the piano music and another English translation. http://www.nyx.net/~cgibbons/do-you-know/dyk3.pdf

This song has always brought me such peace, and I feel it adds a missing piece to the hymnal. No other hymn talks so openly about the pre-existence. It so clearly expresses the thoughts and feelings that come when holding your newborn baby. I so wish it were in the English hymnal! We're missing out on a real beauty.

I don't know why MOTAB hasn't snatched this up, when it's available to them. Are they not aware? I've often thought about contacting them about it---maybe I will.

So, my friends with spectacular voices--I challenge, no plead, with you to make a recording of this song. I can only find a fuzzy one on YouTube. I'm talking like a recording studio. Someone who has the connections and the vocal chords must love this song also!?!

I'm talking to you-Felicia Bennett, Matt Clegg, Missy Spencer, Rebecca Daun...

Lessons in the Midst of Tragedies

Saturday evening Eric and I were reading the local news, and a story caught our eye: "Girl dies from gunshot at Yellowstone". We were both horrified at the news. Since becoming parents, things like this strike close to home. Though we both quickly moved on with the rest of our night and forgot about the article.

But Sunday morning before church I saw a posting on a friend's Facebook wall saying that their little girl had died in an accident in Yellowstone. My mind raced back to the article we had read the previous night. Already thinking in my head that that little girl must have been the Tucker's little girl, I quickly located the article and reread it for details. It seemed like too much of a coincidence to be true--how many little girls die in Yellowstone? With a sick heart, Emmeline and I went to church (It was Drill weekend). Throughout church I could not stop thinking about it. When Eric got home from Drill, I showed him the Facebook post. By this time it had been confirmed by other friends on Facebook that the girl in the article and the Tucker's little girl were the same.

...

This little girl, Ella, and her parents were in our married student ward in Rexburg. Although I never got to know their parents too well--I think Nicole and I sat next to each other in Relief Society a time or two and chatted, but that was probably all. But while we were in that ward I was in the nursery for about 3 months. It was hard for me to miss Sunday School and Relief Society, but the one bright spot was the adorable children. One of them was Ella Tucker. And oh my goodness was she a gorgeous toddler. I had watched her in Sacrament meeting for weeks, as she played. She was so loved, it seemed every week she was in another couples arms during Sacrament meeting (that is what newly-married, baby-hungry couples do, borrow other couple's adorable children during Sacrament meeting.) And I craved to play with her, she was just so so adorable. One of the cutest little girls ever. 

Well, soon I was called to nursery. Ella was my instant "favorite." (I know it's awful, but I definitely have favorites--I would be a horrible teacher.) I sought out Ella every week to play with her. She was just as adorable as she looked. 

Unfortunately, the Tucker's moved away shortly thereafter, and I never got to know her or her family better. But I'm so glad I got to play with her for those few months. 

...

Every time you hear of a child being hurt it is terribly sad, and if you're like me, you cry. But when it is someone you knew it really hits close to home. You realize that it could happen to anybody. You realize just how fragile life is. All week I've been thinking, "this time last week Ella was healthy and fine and no one knew she would be gone in just a couple of days." And I would just sob. I've been thinking about how broken I would be if it were Emmeline.

Eric doesn't know this, but when he's gone at work at night, I slip in and watch Emmeline sleep several times before I actually go to bed. But this week, I've been going in a lot more, and just looking at her. Even touching her, knowing that I might accidentally wake her, and not really caring.

Yesterday Emmeline had a rough evening due to teething and I rocked her while she drank a bottle. As I sat there in the silence I thought about Ella. How precious she is, how precious every daughter of God is. I thought about how without the Gospel, the pain would unbearable. I thought about how she is with her Heavenly Father now and will see her parents again someday, and how that lessons the pain somewhat, but how painful it still must be for the Tuckers. I can't even imagine.

Upon reflection--I am surprised by how much I learned and felt this past week--even those who aren't directly affected.

• We cling a little closer to Heavenly Father
• We count our blessings instead of dwelling on our misfortunes
• We lean on each other
• People have the opportunity to serve
• Our testimonies of the Plan of Salvation and the Atonement are strengthened (I read this talk from Conference that gave great comfort--http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/10/because-i-live-ye-shall-live-also?lang=eng)
• We pray a little longer
• We read our scriptures a little longer
• We hug and play with our children a little longer

I'm grateful for the lessons I've learned this past week, and I hope the days will go by quickly until the Tucker family can be reunited.

I'm so glad families can be together forever.