The Christmas Spirit

This video message by the church is pretty cute.
The Christmas Spirit
Merry Christmas!
We hope "The Spirit of Christ" is in each of your homes.

Abigail Lamoreaux

I just purchased some photos from my sister Lisa's wedding that was held in September. I bought the pictures mostly so I could get these two of the cutest one year old in the whole world. I absolutely love these pictures!

Enjoy the snow!

We're not bothered by the cold around here. This picture is from the first good snowfall of the year.

A Day of Rest

How do you spend your time when:
Bob's long hard internship is over,
He's finally able to get more than three hours of sleep each night (a first for the last 2 weeks!)
His first difficult trimester of seminary is over, and Christmas break is almost here?
and...
Tasha just survived and recovered from a kidney infection?
and...
Our ward was just split, so neither of us currently have church callings or home teaching or visiting teaching assignments?
and...
It's cold and snowy outside, and nice and warm by the fireplace?

Well... you get really ambitious and spend Sunday afternoon like this:

(Jace snapped this picture of us)

We might be feeling lazy, but it sure sometimes feels good to just crash!

Acrobatic Mishap

Jace had a rather eventful day at gymnastics today. While he was waiting for his class to start, he was doing tricks on the uneven parallel bars. He missed the high bar, and fell back. He reached back to catch himself, and felt his right arm buckle under him. He stood up, walked into the lobby, and told his friends "I think I dislocated my arm." They looked over, and they both started saying "Jace! Sit down!" "I'm going to go get you some ice!", etc. They went and got his teacher, who took great care of him. She had him lay right down because he looked like he was going to pass out. She put ice on it, and covered him up, and sat there with him while her assistant took over teaching the classes.

I was gone running some errands, so when I got to gymnastics I was told by a couple of my friends that Jace had broken his arm, and his bone was sticking out the side of his arm. They had gotten a hold of Bob, who was about to deliver a presentation at the e-center. He was almost to the gym when I arrived. Jace was pale and shaky, and his arm was limp, and a bone was sticking out the side of his arm.

Well, after a trip to the emergency room, we found out that his arm was completely dislocated at the elbow. They put an I.V. in, gave him some morphine, and then some other drug that instantly knocked him out. Jace said: "when they gave it to me, Dad asked how I was feeling, and I said 'a little loopy'. Then I looked down, and I had a cast on."

He did break a few small pieces of bone off of the elbow, but we are so greatful that it was not worse. He has an appointment with an orthopedic doctor on Monday to make sure there is no damage to his growth plates, etc.

Thanks so much to everyone who offered to take our children, thanks to Jennifer who made dinner for our family tonight, and thanks to Jace's teacher and friends who took such good care of him. (Thanks Morgan for going outside to dig ice off the sidewalk with your hands to put in an icebag for Jace!) We feel so grateful to have such wonderful friends!

2009 Family Letter

Happy Holidays From the Lamoreaux Family!

Our 2009 Family Letter

This has been a busy and happy year for us.

Bob continued attending school at BYU-Idaho throughout the year. This semester has been his busiest by far. He is a student teacher teaching released-time seminary at Madison High School in Rexburg, and he is also completing an internship working as a junior analyst for a Venture Capital firm. He had so much fun playing competitive league football at the college, where he won the “spirit of the league” award, and had two local newspapers feature stories about him.

He’s up by 4am or 5am most mornings, has scripture study & prayer with us before he leaves at 6:30, and then is gone most days until about 8pm. We’ll be happy when we get to see him more often, but we’re proud of how hard he works at everything he does. He also teaches the Gospel Doctrine Sunday school class at church each week, and does a super job with that. I (Tasha) absolutely love being a mother and a homeschool teacher. It keeps me busy. I am currently serving as the Young Women president in our ward. It has been a wonderful experience so far. This summer I trained for a 5K race this year with my friend Katherine. We ran at night after the kids were in bed and really enjoyed huffing and puffing together. It was so nice to have someone to run with, and I finally experienced the “runner’s high” that makes you look forward to running. Aliysa joined us halfway through our training and ran the University Place 5K with us (well, to be truthful, way ahead of us) in September.

Aliysa turned 14 this year and will begin Driver’s Ed soon. Some of her highlights of the past year are: swim lessons at Green Canyon, playing soccer, helping train a horse and participating in the Great Western Horse show, beginning seminary at Rigby High, participating in gymnastics classes, and being in a wonderful Biology class. She is constantly drawing or sculpting, reading, or writing stories, most of them very humorous stories that make us laugh. She is a wonderful daughter who serves her family selflessly and is a peacemaker in our home.

Jace is 12. He is very organized and determined in life. His favorite things this year were Scout Camp (where he earned 8 merit badges), swim lessons at Green Canyon, playing Grid Kid football (with Bob as his head coach), and gymnastics. He recently won the headstand contest in his gymnastics class. He and Spencer have continued learning German from Bob Breckenridge, a retired German teacher. He will be leaving soon for a mission with his wife, and they will miss him a lot.

Jace also loves to draw, read, and write stories. He is currently serving as Deacon's quorum secretary. He is a wonderful big brother, always playing football with little brothers, reading to little siblings, or taking care of Andrew and Abby. He absolutely loves to cook, and will always agree to cook meals or dessert for us anytime. He has learned to cook health food well with whole wheat & no refined sugars, and his recipes usually turn out great! Jace has a great scout leader, Brother High, who works for the Fish & Game dept, so he takes Jace’s scout troop fishing a lot. Jace has fished all summer and autumn, and he never tires of it.

Courtney is 11, but counting down the days (literally) until she turns 12. She wrote a list of all the things she gets to do when she turns 12, and she can’t wait. While she is waiting for her next birthday, she also spends a lot of time doing her favorite subject, Math. She loves to get together with her cousins for a monthly “Cousin’s club”, and she also has a book club with four of her friends where they get together monthly, discuss a book they are reading (The Secret Garden is their current book), do a fun activity and enjoy a treat together. She loves scrapbooking, crafts, gymnastics, writing stories about fairies, riding her bike, and going to Activity Days at church. She and Mallory are best friends, and Abby loves playing with them in all their pretend & dress up adventures. Courtney’s tender and sweet personality adds so much to our family.
Spencer just turned 9. He loves going to Cub Scouts, reading, doing math, and participating in gymnastics (he worked super hard practicing for his headstand contest, and came in 3rd place in all the classes by staying up for 4½ minutes). He is in a homeschool group with a bunch of fun boys who he has become great friends with. He and his neighbor friend Cody love to go fishing together, build huts together, and play football or capture the flag with the rest of our children. He diligently does all the farm chores around here (Jace was extremely happy to take over Spencer’s kitchen jobs in exchange for not having to do “farm chores”) Spencer’s attitude about life is so contagious, he inspires us all to work hard and enjoy life. Mallory is 7. She has lost lots of her teeth this year, along with taking swim lessons, riding her bike, taking care of her little brothers and sisters, learning to love reading, and participating in gymnastics. She is the responsible one around here who loves to change diapers, take care of people’s owies, help to cook, give footrubs to Mom, and anything else she can do to serve. She has a funny little sense of humor that makes us all laugh. Her example that seems way beyond her years teaches us all every day. Zachary is 5, and is still tiny for his age, but so smart & physically coordinated. He has an imaginary football team that he takes very seriously. Each day he tells us that he has a game or practice to go to, then he’ll suit up in Jace’s old football pads, helmet, & uniform, and practice, practice, practice. Then he usually comes in and in a very serious and proud tone of voice tells us all the highlights of the game. We’re trying to figure out how he can play every position, score all the touchdowns, and win every one of his games. Sometimes he will admit that he had a fumble or two. He loves gymnastics, school, riding his two-wheeler, and helping with the farm chores. We all love Zach so much. Andrew is 3. He and Zach have become best friends. They play together so well all day, and are basically inseparable. He is such a tough little kid, who loves doing gymnastics, football, riding his bike, and laughing with Abby. He is very sneaky about food lately. If we can’t find him for a minute, we go straight in the living room, and usually find him behind the couch with some food or treat that he isn’t supposed to be eating. The other day he climbed up the bookshelves to get a bag of suckers. He admitted to me later that he and his “mirror friend” (that’s his imaginary friend that lives in the mirror that looks just like him) ate some of the suckers. He “ate one”, and his "mirror friend ate three.” Andrew has a way of saying things that just melts all of our hearts. We love that little guy! Abby turned 1 in March, and she is a joy to our family. We all love her so much. She is a bright, energetic, determined, beautiful little girl that has captured our hearts. She smiles and is charming most of the day, then when we go somewhere, she tends to scowl at everyone she meets. She is a chatterbox, just talking and singing all day long. She loves us to read “bookies” to her, she enjoys Andrew’s gymnastics class where she thinks she is in charge of the whole class, loves singing, playing with dolls, and doing puzzles. She is doted upon by all her siblings.

This year we have all had our testimonies strengthened about the power of daily scripture study and prayer, and frequent temple attendance. When we are diligent with those things we definitely feel closer to God, and see many miracles in our lives.

We are so thankful for all of you, our friends and family, and we hope you have a wonderful holiday season.

With love, from the Lamoreaux Family


Family pictures courtesy of our extremely talented Brother-in-law, Dave Summerill. www.wix.com/DavidSummerill/summerill or http://summphoto.blogspot.com/

The gift of children

“In the eternal perspective, children-not possessions, not position, not prestige-are our greatest jewels.” --Ezra Taft Benson

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. I know that my capacity to love has increased with each child that has come to our family. I have especially noticed this over the past year and a half of raising Abby – I think she is the most beautiful baby girl in the world. She may be headstrong and determined, she may scowl often, but I simply and completely and totally adore her.

The other night when I laid her in bed I started crying just because I love her so, so much. There are no words to describe that kind of love. I just have to pick her up and squeeze her and grit my teeth several times a day. I agree with one of my great grandmas who said she wore out two sets of false teeth, because her kids were so cute.

My mother in law, a mother of fourteen children, told me once when I was a young mother that when you have each child, your love isn’t divided, it multiplies. I didn’t know how true that was then, but I do now.

I remember when Aliysa was 9 months old and I was shocked to find out that I was expecting another baby (what! We were going to wait at least two years between each baby!) I laid on my bed and cried and cried because she was still so little, and I felt sure that I would never be able to love another baby as much as I loved Aliysa. But here’s a memory that will always be etched in my mind: When Jace was born, I had an experience that I’ve never had with any other baby. The doctor held him up, and I knew instantly that I had already known Jace for a long time. It was a feeling of “oh, it’s Jace!” I recognized and loved him completely and totally in a split-second.

I think I started out with all sorts of ideas of how my children would be, what kind of a parent I would be, and how many children I wanted to have. Bob and I planned to have a large family - six children! We would wait for a year before trying to have a baby, and then we would space our children about two years apart. We thought that we had a great plan.

It is impossible to explain all the experiences that have changed our outlook on rearing children, it has been a sacred and personal journey that Bob and I have experienced, but one of the main quotes that changed our minds about having a family was from Spencer W. Kimball:

“Come home, wives, to your children, born and unborn. Wrap the motherly cloak about you and, unembarrassed, help in a major role to create bodies for the immortal souls who anxiously wait.”
I read that quote in the book “The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson” that I was reading on the bus on my way to and from work each day, and I just knew that I was supposed to come home to my “unborn” children. I mentioned it to Bob, but of course, he didn’t see how we could afford to have me quit work.

So, I continued to study, and started writing down more quotes in a little spiral notebook. One day I left it on our bed. Bob came home from work and innocently picked it up and began reading. And then, the moment that changed our lives. He came out with the notebook in hand, and said in a sheepish tone of voice “well, it’s pretty clear, isn’t it?!”

We were lucky enough to be blessed monetarily almost immediately after we made this decision. Bob got a much better job, and soon we realized the truth of this statement:

“Love realizes his sweetest happiness and his most divine consummation in the home where the coming of children is not restricted, where they are made most welcome, and where the duties of parenthood are accepted as a co-partnership with the eternal Creator.” --David O. McKay

We continued researching and found over 14 pages of quotes from our church leaders about birth control and having children. This led to a life-changing decision to have as many children as God wants us to. I would be lying if I said that I’ve never doubted that decision, but God has patiently helped re-confirm that decision for me on numerous occasions.

“Of course, it will be harder to get your college degrees or your financial starts with a family, but strength like yours will be undaunted in the face of difficult obstacles. Have your family as the Lord intended. Of course it is expensive, but you will find a way, and besides, it is often those children who grow up with responsibility and hardships who carry on the world and its work. And…do not limit your family as the world does.

… When you have fully complemented your husband in home life and borne the children, growing up full of faith, integrity, responsibility, and goodness, then you have achieved, your accomplishments supreme, without peer, and you will be the envy through time and eternity of your sisters who have spent themselves in selfish pursuits.” –Spencer W. Kimball

“It is the duty of every righteous man and woman to prepare tabernacles for all the spirits they can."

-- Brigham Young

‘Latter-day Saints take literally the command of the Lord to the first couple: "Multiply, and replenish the earth." (Genesis 1:28) …We understand that hosts of waiting spirits desire to come on earth through our lineage. We know that the family is the unit of heavenly society; and that the greatest gift of God is to give His children the opportunity of continuing family relationships throughout the eternities. Gospel doctrine should make every Latter-day Saint married couple eager for the privilege and obligations of parenthood. And they should have the faith and trust that the Lord will provide the means for obeying His law.” –John A. Widstoe

I certainly am not sharing these personal thoughts to condemn anyone who has less children than us. This is such a personal and sacred decision. I also do not want to hurt anyone who hasn’t been able to have as many children as they would like to have. One person who I have been thinking of and grieving for a lot lately is one of my best friends who just had her ninth miscarriage. I can only try to imagine the heartache that must come when you want a baby so much, and you lose that baby, or many babies.

I simply want to share this because it has been on my mind so much, and also for anyone who may have wondered why on earth we have so many children, or wondered how many children we are going to have.

I also want to happily announce that we are going have another new baby come to our home next June.

Sometimes the responsibility of raising all these little ones is completely overwhelming, I used to wonder why God would be willing to send so many children to such an imperfect mother as me. That thought changed when I realized that each child that comes to our home always receives love, food, shelter, and is taught the gospel. Anything else above that is a bonus, but I’m sure there are lots of spirits that would just love to come to a home where they could have those four things.

“Don't think you will love the later ones less or have fewer material things for them. Perhaps, like Jacob, you might love the eleventh one most. Young folk, have your family, love them, sacrifice for them, teach them righteousness, and you will be blessed and happy all the days of your eternal lives.” --Spencer W. Kimball

We are happy to know that another spirit will be a part of our family soon.

Just when you think you know it all

Well, sometimes I begin to think that I am a pretty experienced mother who knows a thing or two about parenting. Take potty training for instance. I decided after the ordeal of potty training my two oldest that I would take the advice of my sister-in-law, Bet, and wait until the child begged to be potty trained. It worked like a charm. All my children after that would potty train themselves in less than a day, because they were the ones who wanted to do it. No treats, bribes, begging, sweat, or tears.

Then along comes Andrew. It's amazing how a child who so completely captures your heart can also challenge every parenting technique you have developed.

Andrew has not had any desire whatsoever to be potty trained. None. So, after realizing that he was too big to fit in his diapers any more, and he wasn't getting any younger, I announced about two weeks ago that he would stop wearing diapers on Monday. He pretended to be on board with this idea on Saturday, and most of Sunday.

When Monday morning arrived, I put the "big boy" unders on him, and explained the new details of his life using the toilet. About an hour later, he had a crisis in his life. I've never experienced the like of it.

He decided that he needed to go to the bathroom, but he wanted a diaper. When I had him use the toilet instead, he ran to the diaper cupboard (which had been emptied of diapers), and began wailing "I'm a BABY!!! I need dipaaaaaaaahsss!" (Spoken in a baby voice) We tried to tell him that he was a big boy and he didn't need diapers any more. To which he responded with only one word: "Diiiiiaaaapaaahs!" Over, and over.

How on earth do you motivate a child with that attitude? I now had a dilemma on my hands. I knew if I gave in and let him wear diapers, I would probably be sending him off to college with a box of Huggies, but if I continued trying to convince him, it would probably be a lost cause. "He has to be motivated to do this", I told myself. "If he's this hysterical, he'll never use the toilet!" What to do?

I finally took his little tear stained face in both of my hands, looked him in the eyes, and explained to him that it was okay if he was a baby, but some babies know how to use the toilet. I told him that Aliysa was only 1 when she learned to use the toilet (I left out the fact that it took her probably the next three years to fully recover from the trauma of early potty training.)

Well, he perked up and went to play and has told me almost every time he has needed to use the toilet. I am simply astounded. He's doing great.

Another odd fact is that he is even staying dry at night. Andrew is the best sleeper I've ever known. I am not exaggerating when I say that he has probably only awakened in the night probably five times in his whole life. Even when he's sick, he sleeps until morning. Each night when he is tired, he lays down, scrunches his eyes shut, and lays there until he is asleep. I am convinced that this attribute of his was a gift to me, coming close on the heels of a trial for me of having the worst sleeper on the face of the earth (Zachary). Anyway, I was just sure that he would sleep way too deep to ever stay dry. I am happy to have been proven wrong.

So, wahoo! I am puzzled but extremely pleased. And I promise not to share details about children's bathroom habits on this blog, at least very often.

Ahren & Abby

My sister Ahren just put a cute post on her blog about Abby. You can read it here:

http://zippitydoblog.blogspot.com/

Lisa & Preston's Wedding Day

Lisa and Preston's wedding day was a beautiful, wonderful day. They were married in the Mt. Timpanogos temple.
Here they are coming out of the temple...Mr. & Mrs. Kent.

Jace

Beautiful girls!

Abby getting a drink on such a hot day!

Courtney at the reception. It clouded over and rained a bit, so everything moved inside, but it made a beautiful rainbow, and made the temperature so nice & cool.

Abby snatched Aliysa's bouquet. She loves flowers. I wish I had a better picture of the bouquets that my sister Ahren made for the wedding. She searched high and low for flowers that were the right color, but to no avail! So, being the amazing person she is, she bought white roses and hand colored each petal with a Sharpie marker. After she used up over a dozen markers and stained her fingers permanently blue, she finished all the beautiful flower arrangements. I think she deserves some kind of award! What a dedicated sister!

Spencer having fun.

Pretty Mallory

Most of the nieces and nephews.

Andrew eating his ice cream. He had to fuel up and prepare for the hard work ahead of him - climbing over fences to escape the reception, climbing up the pretty rock formations, and standing under the raingutter drainspout when the rainstorm was at its peak. Let's just say he stayed busy. The ice cream, by the way was done by SubZero ice cream. It was so interesting. They pour liquid ice cream in a bowl, pour lots and lots of liquid nitrogen in, which freezes it instantly, and then they serve it. It was easy to find Jace all evening - right by the ice cream people. The guy serving it even gave Jace a cupfull of the liquid nitrogen and had him go dump it on the groom. I'm sure Preston was a bit shocked. Jace informed me that although liquid nitrogen is used to burn off skin abnormalities, it didn't burn Preston's skin because it takes 3 seconds to burn it, and it evaporates before that. I think I might choose straight jackets for my boy's wedding attire next reception!

Aren't these two cute? You can see Ahren in the background holding Abby. Abby was instantly attached to Ahren when she first saw her on this trip. She wouldn't even let me hold her if Ahren was anywhere around.

Preston & Lisa left the reception with lots of bubbles being blown at them, and headed to Park City for their reception. This was such a neat day, especially being altogether as a family in the temple for the sealing ceremony. Congratulations Lisa & Preston!

Lisa's Bridal Shower

Tara planned a bridal shower for Lisa. It was so much fun. We left Idaho at 5:00 am so we could make it in time for this shower (Bob was working on our car until 2:30 am! What a guy.) The shower was a "spa day", and Tara really pampered all of us. We began with yoga, and then we had several different areas we could go to: foot baths & pedicures, facials, and the yummy food - cute flower shaped cucumber sprout sandwiches, fruit, lemon/lime water, and cupcakes. Tara had prepared all the facial stuff herself - avocado, honey, oatmeal, yogurt, orange juice and other ingredients were involved. This was a fun day to spend as girls before Lisa's big day!