A few weeks ago, Lydia accomplished something she’d been working toward for years—she finally reached the very top of the climbing structure at West Thames playground! Her excitement was contagious. Each time she conquered a new height, it was a thrilling milestone, but this time was truly special. I’ll never forget hearing her screams echoing across the playground, calling me over to witness her achievement.
When I asked if she wanted to go return to the park to take a picture with my camera, Lydia was absolutely delighted. She even requested that I record a video of her climbing up and coming back down—she wanted this milestone thoroughly documented! For days, she’d been asking to capture the moment, but between our busy schedule and the rainy weather, we kept having to postpone. Today, though, everything finally lined up. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Lydia so excited to have her picture taken. Even though the lighting wasn’t perfect, I’m so glad I captured it. Mila even joined in for another photo, making the moment even sweeter.
Linda’s Birthday Party
The real reason we were at the park was to celebrate Linda’s birthday. Lydia had a wonderful time—she loved the magic show and, of course, the cake! We haven’t been able to attend many birthday parties with her classmates this year, so I’m especially grateful we could make it to this one.
A Crazy Trip To Church
This morning, I took the kids to church on my own since Jeff was home sick. It was definitely a long day! Not only did I have to set up for Relief Society before church started, but I also needed to stay afterward for a baptism.
Sacrament meeting was an adventure all on its own. While Cohen was passing the sacrament, he went to serve the bishop—only to discover the bishop wasn’t in his seat! Cohen looked a bit lost for a moment, then spotted the bishop in the back of the chapel with Maeve and had to walk down the aisle to deliver the tray. Honestly, it was kind of funny.
Meanwhile, keeping James with me was a challenge. He started out sitting with Pete and George, then migrated over to his Primary teacher, Trevor, who was a total rockstar and let James sit with him for most of the meeting. When it was time to take the sacrament, James grabbed a whole handful of bread—I was so embarrassed! He looked absolutely delighted with himself. Then, when the water came around, he drank his little cup and immediately asked me to refill it. I gently told him that probably wasn’t the best idea, which made him a little sad. But he soon perked up, ran to the back to put his cup in Cohen’s tray, and then loudly dashed back to his seat.
Eventually, I convinced James to sit with me—I started to feel bad for Trevor, since it looked like James was monopolizing his phone. All in all, it was a hectic Sunday, but we made it through, and I’m grateful for the little moments that make these days so memorable.
