A Week with Grandma Sou

Our family was tremendously blessed when

Grandma Soulier agreed to fly out last minute (two days after we asked her!) and take care of the kids so Robert Dad and Lolly Mom could fly out to California for interviews.

Grandma Soulier always has the kids do an

 "airplane on the couch."

This is Trevor the policeman after Preschool.

Trevor was able to have time playing reading games and doing coloring activities with Grandma while the big kids were at school. I just asked him what he liked about having Grandma come and he said, "playing piano."

One night Grandma snapped a picture of Ellie 

after she gave Sterling his bedtime bottle and he fell asleep.

Ellie was big help with the boys, especially Sterling. 

Grandma went to the mall for some winter escape play time with the little brothers, as well as the grocery store. Just today Trevor was telling me about the lobster he saw at the grocery store with Grandma. It was big, and sleeping.

I loved hearing Grandma's observations about the kids and how they have grown up since she came out to visit last February. She has come out every February we've been here!! She came the first year to break up our winter and for a first, fun Michigan visit. The second year she came to help when Sterling was born, and we snowed her in one more time to help us this year! I bought her a hyacinth to add some beauty and fresh fragrance to her snowed in week. A small token of thanks, for sure. Dealing with Michigan cold is a lot to ask!

Grandma liked watching how 'Responsible Ryan' would get himself all dressed and ready for school in the morning, and get his homework and chores done first thing after school. He is usually ready 10-15 minutes early, and he sits in his snow gear, backpack on, watching the clock for 8:13, time to walk out to the bus with his buddy Ben.

The Saturday after I got home we were able to all go sledding! It 'warmed up' a few degrees so going out was almost bearable...for a half hour.

Sterling had been sledding only once before. He's an adventurous guy, and did great!

Another fun thing the kids loved to do with Grandma was her nightly "Man on the Street" report during dinner. She made several things that were new to the kids, and so she would get their report as they tried out new foods. She would hold a spoon as if it were a microphone and interview all the kids about the food they were trying. It continued through the weekend, and was quite hilarious! I'm sure we'll repeat it often.

Sunday I enjoyed a piano concert!

Grandma had spent time with each of the kids and they had each learned a new song to play for me.

Grandma liked watching Trevor play the piano EVERY day.

He loves the piano.

For the concert he played,

"Three brown bears, going up the stairs."

Ryan played "Yankee Doodle"

He just started taking piano lessons with Ginger Bitter in our ward in January.

He's really enjoying it and picking it up quickly.

Grandma and Ellie played two duets!

They played "Climb Every Mountain" and "Siamese Cat Song"

What a wonderful concert! They all introduced their peices, it was lovely.

Thank you, Grandma Soulier!

After church we had one last dinner with Grandma before she got on the plane to get back to Grandpa and Brian just in time for Valentines day.

Nothing better than a grandma hug!

Grandma's last projects were a countdown chain for us to use while Daddy was in Guatemala, Valentines, Trevor's Birthday and through winter break (a whole week off school!).

 

And also these awesome "Armor of God" crafts for the boys.

We love and miss Grandma!

I am grateful Sterling had time to get to know his Grandma, and that he's such an easy goin' guy and did amazingly well while Mom and Dad were away.

We can't thank you enough, grandma, for giving us your time, love and service.

"When you turn eight, you enter the gate.”

On February 5th, we enjoyed a very special and long anticipated event,

Ellie's Baptismal and Confirmation Service. 

The talk I gave at Ellie's Baptism included this story:

Ever since Ellie was a little girl she has always loved words. When she was 3 she loved to play the rhyming game, and now she likes to spell words and use words in creative ways while writing stories and making up riddles. In our family we often make up a rhyming phrase to help us remember something, for example after mealtime we say, “Clear your place and wash your hands and face.”
One time a year or two ago we were reading about Baptism in the scriptures as a family. As we talked about what we were reading Ellie made up the phrase, “When you turn eight you enter the gate.” It stuck and she has repeated it many times since then as she has looked forward to her chance to “turn eight and enter the gate.”
 
The day could not have gone any better! Everything went smoothly, so many people helped out right where and when we needed them. There was a sweetness throughout the whole day, and Ellie enjoyed every minute of it.

It was nice to have fresh flowers on the table, especially because it was the dead of winter outside. The whole event had a feeling of freshness, cleanliness and beauty,
just like spring flowers.

All those who came to support Ellie signed her "Baptism Memories" book on their way in.

 

The hairdo. She had a shower, a fresh coat of nail polish, and braids the night before. I taught Zumba the morning of her baptism and I didn't want to be rushing. We just touched it up after a nights sleep, and it worked out really well. The braids were mom's idea, the side ponytail was Ellie's idea.

What a blessing it was that Grandma Soulier was able to be with us on Ellie's Baptism day!

We flew her out last minute (the night before) as our plans for California interviews were extended and we needed her to watch our kids. It was a double bonus she was able to be a part of Ellie's special day!

We decided not to have refreshments or a lunch afterward (which was good since it turned out Lolly Mom and Robert Dad were flying to California early the next morning). We did prepare (with the help of our wonderful friend Gina Moss) a small gift box with cookies and mints in it as a small thank you for those who came to support Ellie to take on their way out. The note on them said, "Thank you for sharing Ellie's special day with us."

We were joined by many of our wonderful friends and ward members. Ellie's friend Allie Rigby (in the picture below) and her mom sang a beautiful duet of Ellie's favorite primary song, "A Child's Prayer." Ellie enjoyed planning the program for her baptism. She picked out the music and asked people who have meant a lot to her while we've lived here to take part in it.

The Program went as follows:

Welcome and Conducting

Brother Darrin Olsen

Accompanist: Ginger Bitter (Ellie's piano teacher)

Chorister: Heidi Lewis (a Young Women in the ward Ellie really looks up to)

Opening Song

‘Baptism’

Opening Prayer

Julie Waite

(Ellie's Primary teacher two years in a row.

She brought her chocolates and sweet gift and card as well- we love her!)

Talk on Baptism

Lolly Soulier

Talk on the Holy Ghost

Barbara Soulier

 (Did I mention we were so grateful she could be there!!)

Musical Number

“A Child’s Prayer”

Emily and Allie Rigby

(Ellie's wonderful friend, and Rob's co-chief Podiatry residents wife and daughter)

Accompanied by Ginger Bitter

Baptismal Ordinance

“Special Witnesses of Christ”

Video Presentation

Confirmation

Faith in God

Presentation

Closing Song

“I Feel My Savior’s Love”

Closing Prayer

Ryan Soulier

 There was a really sweet spirit during the program and everything went very smoothly.

Ellie was excited through it all.

 All dressed in white.

 We have had many family night lessons on Baptism the past few months in preparation

(the book "Keys to Baptism" is a great one with hands on activities about Baptism that are easy to copy and use for family night). She was ready and understood very well all the covenants involved with her Baptism. Now she has a special day to reflect back on each Sunday as she renews the Covenants she made with her Heavenly Father at her Baptism. 

 Rob and I both felt that Ellie's Baptism day was a little unreal.

It truly is amazing to see our daughter so grown up. 

 She is a wonderful example for her little brothers.

It is also amazing that we will be doing this again in just a year from now when Ryan turns eight and has his turn to enter the "Gate."

 When I turned down my covers for bed at night I found one of the sweetest notes I've ever been given. It said, "Thank you for orginizing my Baptism. I love you. Love, Ellie"

 It truly was a wonderful day.  

We are happy for our precious girl.
We will remember her special day forever.

"Sterling's Number One"

Sterling celebrated his first birthday on a snowy, Michigan day much like the one he was born on. He greeted the day with very excited siblings singing him, "Happy Birthday" over and over. He loved all the attention and knew something was special about the day. We chanted, "Sterling's number one!" with one finger up, and soon he was copying us.

 

Instead of running through the streamers we put up for him,

he had a ball pulling them down one by one.

I loved watching him giggle as each one fell down.

I captured him pulling down his streamers in pictures.

 His smiles and giggles got bigger and louder each time one came floating down.

 Last one...

 Now, this is a party!

 The party ended when he started eating them.

 Our furnace had been tempramental for a few weeks, and Rob had to keep lighting the pilot light to get it going again. Then, it went out completely during a week when the tempurature never went above 15 degrees...during the day. Needless to say, we huddled around the space heaters all day and found any excuse to bake something to warm up the kitchen. Gratefully, some very kind men (friends of our landlord) went out of their way to put in a new furnace for us on Sterling's Birthday and after 3 days of absolutely no heat. It was a wonderful gift! It also happened to be on the night of the biggest blizzard of the entire winter, and I'm not exaggerating. Everything was canceled from 4pm on and the kids had a snowday the following day. The poor guys that put in our furnace had to drive home in the blizzard! We shared birthday cupcakes, but it definitely wasn't enough thanks for what they did for us.

 Sterling's big present was a new car seat!

 He got to open one present to play with in the morning before we were off to take Trevor and Rachel (our neighbor carpool friend) to Preschool and run some errands.

 After everyone got home from school and work we celebrated Sterling's birthday by putting him facing forward in the car in his new seat for the first time.

He wasn't sure what to make of it at first, but he soon figured out it was a great thing.

I loved watching him kick his little legs and smile and laugh as we drove around. 

Our adventure took us to

Pump It Up

for some indoor excitement and exercise.

 

 Sterling liked crawling around, but liked most to be on Mom or Dad's hip surveying the scene. He's so easy going and friendly, but he's not one to jump into things until he's sure about them.

 What a guy!

 He did go down the big slide with Mom a few times, and he smiled afterward.

 Ryan was loving all the jump time. Ryan's constant energy and 2 hours of jumping up an down go great together.

 Ellie had fun, especially trying out new tricks and ways to go down the big slide and racing Mom or Dad through the obstacle course. She did start to get...bored...could she really be that old? Trevor was cracking me up. That kid is hilarious. He is Mr. Independent and has always acted much older than he is as he keeps up with the big kids. He was going down the big slide like a pro in no time. He's a tough, cool guy.

Rob and I had fun just being able to run around and play with the kids. Rob would fall down on the 'flower' in the middle of one of the bounce houses and all the kids on the edges would fly off in all directions. It was seriously fun, as long as you could avoid wiplash.

We picked up pizza on the way home (Papa Johns, our favorite. We were so excited when they opened one in Canton!).

 

 At home Sterling opened his presents, with a little help from his friends.

 Then it was that time every baby waits for without knowing it...

his first taste of cake and frosting!

I think he must be a patient, delayed gratification kind of guy who can "save the best for last."

He went at his cupcake upside down!

I will pause at this point in the story and explain that by now all the jumped out, schooled out, freezing little kids as well as their frozen parents were cranky and ready for bed. The furnace guys were still working away and would be until past 10PM and the house is still freezing cold. Sterling is also ready to his the sack, so the cake eating wasn't quite the momentous experience it had been with Sterling's siblings. But, as the previously mentioned cranky kids finished cupcakes and were ushered up to the warmth of pajamas, room heaters, and blankets, and as the blizzard picked up and snow began falling in larger flakes with wind howling down the chimney, Mom was able to snap a few pictures of Sterling trying out his newfound delight in baked goods. 

  

Later that blusterly night, as Sterling lay on his tummy, warm and happy in his crib, the brand new furnace started to hum and Lolly and Rob dropped their shoulders and sighed with relief.

The following day the family woke up to warm house, a world covered in an additional foot of snow, no school, and their sweet, happy baby guy who was now officially one year old.