Mother's Day 2008

Mother's Day is always an extremely happy day for some, and an extremely sad day for others. Why are women always hard on themselves? I think it's because of the innate desire within us to become mothers. Mother's Day was very hard for me last year. It seemed like the day to have children in our home would never come, then when Heavenly Father said we should start trying, it seemed like it was taking forever to get pregnant. Last year, during Mother's Day, I cried, not knowing (why are women like this sometimes) if I could have the kind of patience He was requiring of me. Little did I know, very soon after Mother's Day we would find out that we were having a baby! It seems like such a silly thing to worry about now, though I know it is hard for many women. This year is such a different year, and we are so grateful for the trials we've been blessed with that have helped us realize the gifts and goals Heavenly Father has in store for us. His plan is so much better than our own!





Here are some pictures from the Thanksgiving Point Mother's Day luncheon that Troy's mother took me to this year. The speaker, Anita Stansfield, was amazingly realistic about the way we should see our lives. My favorite thing she said is: "Don't let the gifts you've been given get lost in the chaos we live in." Afterwards, we walked through the beautiful gardens and spent time with the women in our family. Mother's Day isn't just about being a mother of your own children. I think it has more to do with appreciating the special gifts that all women have while honoring and respecting women for all that they go through to make this world a better place. I am so grateful to all of the women (and especially my mother) who have taught me how to make it through hard times with a smile on my face and a song in my heart.

Sophy's 3rd Month

Alot has happened in one month for Sophy: (read below if you want to, or if you are a visual learner, we've put together a slideshow with pictures and music!)

Below you'll find a slide show of our endeavors this month. Enjoy!

• We took her to WA for Emily's brother Jake's wedding. We were nervous about the plane ride as she was barely 2 months old. We were greatly blessed when she slept the whole way the way there, and on the way back she seemed to enjoy the sudden "rush" of take off then slept the rest of the time. The wedding was beautiful and it was very special to see her brother married for time and all eternity to an amazing girl. We are lucky to have Liz in our family now. Emily even saw a favorite senior missionary, Elder McCammon, from her mission in the temple that day!
• While there, we visited Emily's high school friend, Donna and her beautiful baby Chloe who was born shortly after Sophy. It was amazing to see the resemblence between them! When we went to get some food, the cashier asked Donna and Emily if we were sisters also! Kindred spirits, and best friends for years. It was great to visit Emily's hometown of Tacoma again. It's been almost 2 years since we've been there for a trip longer than 3 days. This trip was not long enough either. Why does life have to be so busy sometimes?
• Sophy's exercise regime is getting more intense lately. She is loving to sit upright like Mommy and Daddy. She likes sitting in the "Bumbo" chair while Mommy cooks, and especially on laps while we are eating with other people. She seems to be talking much more and it is normal now to hear her "singing" off and on for 20 mins at a time to make sure we are listening to her. Sounds are a little like Tarzan and a little like the princess on Enchanted.
• Besides those excercises, we are most excited about her new love to roll over and "scoot." When we push her leg to the side so that she can get her momentum right, she can roll over the rest of the way onto her tummy, get her arms out from under her, and then immediately put her head up and move her arms and legs as fast as she can while making "work out" noises or grunts (which for her are actually squeals--very cute). The first time she did this move, she became so excited and was sure that meant she could crawl. After 3 mins of only slight forward movement, she's decided to take BabySteps(TM) again.
• She is completely out of her newborn clothes now, but still much smaller than other babies her age. She's little like us so far. We tried some 3 month clothes on her for fun and they are huge! She loves to take a bunny attached to a small blanket with her everywhere we go and whenever she gets nervous about bumps in the road or such, she holds on tight with a big smile. She seems to like speed and going fast...interesting ;)
• Emily's Grandpa and Grandma Sperber came to visit for just under a week. We had so much fun playing with Sophy, visiting Oak City relatives, going to the Mayan, and just playing around the house. It was great to spend time with them, and Sophy loved looking at their faces and smiling and laughing.
• We went to the park with our good friends and cousins, Jon, Marie (she is Troy's cousin), MacKenna, and Autumn. They just now moved to New York so Jon could sell APEX alarms for the summer. We are going to miss them very much. MacKenna is so cute and always petting Sophy softly and saying "I love Sophia. I just love her so much."
• We also said goodbye to our friends Miriam and David recently. David just got a wonderful job working for the government in Virginia. We will miss them too. It was nice to get together with friends we hadn't seen in a while before they left.
• We tried out the new "FrontRunner" commuter train that goes from Ogden to Salt Lake City (and will eventually go to Provo) with Sophy. She was tired, but all in all we had fun!

We are so proud of our sweet Sophronia. Her nap and sleep schedules are getting easier for her (teaching herself to fall asleep a bit too!). She loves going for walks and runs (Emily is getting back into shape finally!). She loves smiling and boy does she seem to be a fast learner! She is very determined and seems to love most everyone she meets. She loves to smile the most at her dad. We know she'll get away with much. :)

Sophy is 2 Months Old!

Our cute April fool... "Help mom, I'm stuck inside my PJ's! April Fool's!" (see the hidden smile) Along with the "I'm too cute for this silky blanket and my mom says my favorite color is purple" look.






Nap time with mom. Look how cute Sophy is! She says, "Mom if I look this cute will you give me real food soon?"









Let the games begin! She is a movin' and a groovin' as well as practicing her "Daddy, mom won't let me go out on a date yet, but will you?" look.

Princes William and Mason come to play!

We had a blast when Corianne and Heather came to play with their little ones for a quick stop around Easter weekend. Now not so little! William and Mason are 4 days apart. Sophy was taking a nap when this picture was taken. Wiliam had just learned to roll and Mason learned how to weigh down Sophy's bouncer chair. What talented young men she'll have to choose from!

St. Patrick's Day!

Courtesy of a kind neighbor, Sophy was sporting green on St. Patrick's day. Take a look! Notice the "Lucky Charm" shirt and the fancy bracelet. Thanks Agelee!

Grandma Gerber comes to visit!

Grandma Gerber came to see Sophy and give her a very nice blanket she had made. You can see it to the right. When Grandma Gerber was very young, people sould call her Sophy too! They are good friends.

3 Weeks - 4 Weeks Old!