Thank You Poem

Dallin wrote this poem at school. I couldn't resist sharing.

Thank You Poem

Mom and Dad, there's so much to thank you for. . .
For Harrison, Haven, and help.
For Lydia, life, and love.
For Happy Birthdays, and Solemn Assemblies.
For reading, writing, and religion.

Thank you for encouraging my learning.
For honesty, my house, and happiness.
For Legos, laughter, and love.
For teaching me right from wrong.
Thank you for daily food.
For bikes, books, and birthday parties.
For clothes, computers, and your confidence.
For quiet prayers and joyous singing.

Thank you for health and strength.
For Maxwell, Micah, and music.
For responsibility, respect, and real love.
Thank you for being mine.

Thank you for life.
Dallin Jeffrey Dahl

Lydia's Birth - A Photo Journey

Inside.

Outside.

Adored.

Surrounded.

Welcomed.

Loved.

Lydia is So Cute

Lydia is so cute. She was in the hospital. She was in a crib with four glass sides. She came out of Mom's tummy. We played with her hands a lot of times. She cries a lot.

Lydia's Turn

I don't know if you get more emotional as you get older, but, today, as I watched my wife give birth to our sixth child, I could not hold back the tears of joy. I was overwhelmed with gratitude. My sweet wife had trudged through the valley of the shadow of death and emerged triumphant. Even the nurse noticed as she exclaimed, “Amber, you're a rock star!” Little Lydia was born into our family today at 10:41 AM. She weighed 6 lbs. 15 oz. and measured 20” long.

Lydia, welcome to our family. You should know that your textbook birth today was the answer to hundreds of prayers from little Micah to Mom and me to Grandma and Grandpa. Your arrival today has changed our lives forever-- and how grateful we are you made it here safely. We love you.

Nesting

I must be in full nesting mode since I spent this morning sorting and putting away all the baby girl clothes, washing the sheets on the beds, and dusting the wood furniture. Maxwell approached me while I was fixing my hair in the bathroom.

“Mom, when you're done cleaning everything, will you play Sequence with me?”

Yes, Max. Definitely yes.

Vision Test

Allow your eyes to relax to view this illusion:


Now view the image below and follow the path of the stairs around in your mind's eye:
Now relax your eyes and see if you can determine the gender of our baby. Try Jeff's suggestions to the ultrasound technician when the baby's legs remained tightly closed for almost an hour. "Maybe see if you can tell by looking at the face. Or the hair."


Verdict after mom's trip to the bathroom and lying on her side to get baby to move: Girl. (Evidence not shown in above picture.) We are all thrilled.

(Optical illusions from blifaloo.com.)

Nuts and Treats

We have started to feel like it is time for us to work on teaching Maxwell how to manage his own peanut allergy, so that he can feel confident as he grows older. We have been taking the time to point out the person eating peanut butter sitting near us, and the peanuts and peanut butter in the grocery store so he can be aware of what he needs to avoid.

Today, we were reading a Christmas book that along with tangerines and holly, apples and pine sprigs, pictured nuts throughout the story. I paused to show him the pictures of the different nuts and told him they weren't safe for him. He said, “I know, Mom, but how do the nuts get in all the treats?”

I am glad he is understanding and accepting all that comes with a food allergy, but I feel sad that he misses out on so much because "the nuts get in all the treats."