Too Many Close Calls

Shouldn't a third child instinctively know to stay close to his Mom and to really try not to get into trouble. By the time the third one comes along a mom starts to feel a little relaxed, thinking I have two other kids that I have taken care of, I can take care of another. A bit of a "been there, done that" attitude. My little Mac is really not one I can ever let out of my sight for even a second. He is a climber and a busy body. Today He escaped me while I was distracted went outside because Ben left the door open and ran into the road. It is normally a pretty busy road, but thankfully there was not a car in sight during those 3 seconds he was out there. Then during bath time tonight Mac was done with his bath and in his jammies. I was ushering Ben into the bath just in time to see Mac fall in head first. He was fine and didn't go under at all but still it is scary. I am so grateful that we have a Heavenly Father in our lives to look out for my little ones. What a blessing! Right now I am thinking that I will be keeping Mac under lock and key until he is 19 then he can leave the house to go on his mission. I can only hope that he will quickly learn Rule #1 and really stick to it. Rule #1 in the Jeppesen house is to "Stay by Mom". That is THE rule whenever we go anywhere, Anikka knows it by heart, Ben is still learning it but how do you explain that rule to a 16 month old. Whew! What a day.

Counting My Blessings

Some days are more difficult to be a Mother than other days, and I often feel like I am the only one that thinks that. So in an effort to feel more positive I will write down 5 things I love about each of them.

Anikka

1. I love having a little girl to go shopping for!
2. I love that she is such a great big sister.
3. I love that she keeps her room so clean.
4. I love that she loves Karate.
5. I really look forward to girls nights with her.

Ben

1. I love that Ben has brown eyes.
2. I love that Ben loves to draw.
3. I love that he loves his "Characters".
4. I love his determination.
5. I love that he is such a collector of things.

Mac

1. I love his white-blonde hair.
2. I love that he is such a cuddle-bug.
3. I love that he loves a bath-bath and his "b b"
4. I love his dimples
5. I love his smile, He is mostly a happy baby.

Well, I feel a lot better maybe I can get dinner done tonight!

Anikka's Testimony

In the spirit of using this blog as a journal I want to post a memory that I always want to remember.

On August 3, which was fast sunday, I was visiting my sister in Idaho and Ryan took the kids to church. When the member of the Bishopric finished with his testimony he invited everyone to come and bear their testimonies. Anikka turned to Ryan and said "everyone?" Ryan said "yes". She then said "even Me?" Again Ryan said "yes". So she quickly jumped right up to go bear her testiomony. She ended up being the second one up to the podium and didn't know quite what to do, then Elder Jeffery R. Holland pulled down the seat next to him and motioned for her to sit down. Elder Holland is in our ward so we get the joy of seeing him about five times a year. When it was Anikka's turn to bear her testimony she stood up and said:

"I want to bear my testimony that I know this church is true. I know that this is Jesus's church and he wants us to be happy."

Then, not remembering quite the right protocol to end her testimony, she stalled a little bit and finished:

"I hope that we all like to go to church, and..... Jesus likes us all to go to church and wants us all to be happy like him. I want us all to remember to be good to others and always choose the right. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen."

She then walked off the podium giving Elder Holland a mini high-five. He whispered in her ear that she is beautiful and she did a very good job with her testimony.

Anikka has always shown a talent for public speaking. She has performed in different plays and productions, and has given speeches in front of hundreds of people. I need to find a forum to help her further develop this talent.

First Day of School

Anikka's first day was on August 19. She was so excited to be starting 2nd grade.
Ben started preschool on Sept. 4. He was just hamming it up for the camera. I was not able to get a "just stand there and smile at the camera" picture. These are more fun anyway. It really shows off their personalities.
This is a picture of the post preschool crash. He had so much fun. He really needed the nap.

Fall Top Five

I thought it might be fun to play off the Jeppesen Five theme and occasionally do a top five list. Fall is by far my favorite season, so here are my top five favorite things of fall.

1. The Weather. I love the crispness of air.
2. The changing of the leaves. It is just so beautiful, I love to decorate my house in the reds, oranges, golds, and browns of the season.
3. The Shopping. I love fall season clothes. I love to wear the layers and the oranges, golds, and browns. Thanks to my Aunt I know that I look best in those colors too!
4. Football. I know I don't watch as much football as my husband would like, but I still like football and cannot wait until my boys will be playing.
5. Halloween. It is such a fun holiday. The kids get to dress up and be what ever they want to be for a night and we parents get to confiscate the candy and go through it to make sure it is safe and to get our favorites. There have to be some perks for being the parent.