Visitors

Our tiny guest is back. And this visitor had some visitors yesterday. They thought he was just about the coolest thing ever. He thought they were huge and stressful. Like I said, we think he's afraid of life...poor thing. 

Our little cat is better off knowing this tiny guy doesn't exist...their brief meeting taught us that much. So she just chilled outside during this visit and had a picnic. Thomas kept running from the puppy's bed to our back door to look at the cat, and back to the puppy. It further convinced me that our house is a zoo. 

Maybrie insisted on sharing her doll with little Chase. He seemed semi-interested, maybe because the doll is his same size. She loved petting him and she almost loved holding him. Our house has never been so fun! Normally kids come over and look around in desperation for a toy...and they don't find one. We are the boring couple around these parts.

Once Chase settled down from his eventful day (back to just minimal shaking), we gave him some space and a treat. I think they're one in the same for that one, actually. Then kitty came back over, looking slightly suspicious... but I distracted her with laundry:

She makes laundry a little more fun. Lot more fun. Ok laundry still isn't fun. vine.co/v/bIPA2XXBuWK

— Maddie Daetwyler (@MaddieMDae) April 3, 2013

Ready

We're ready for you, spring.

Ready to eat lunches outside again, reading books and watching people.

Ready to look outside and see visitors stopping by every evening, while the sun shines on through 8 o'clock.

Ready to look down and see spring shoes on painted toes.

Ready for Farmer's Markets and growing good things to eat.

We are more than ready, I'd say.

Easter weekend

Happy Easter! Yesterday. We loved Easter weekend. Michael's sister drove down from Des Moines with her cute family, including their NEW baby boy. Ethan is adorable. I realized when we got home that we didn't take any pictures with him! I just stared at him any time I was holding him, because he's that precious. I wish I would have remembered to take a couple...you really need to see his cute face.

On Saturday Madeline and Jocelyn took us to Rural King to show us the baby chicks and little easter bunnies. They followed the little feet trail all through the store and knew right where to go. The chicks were so cute! So fluffy. So tiny. Maybe we need chickens? Wait no, we really should not add to our zoo.

Michael brings out the wild side in all nieces and nephews. He claims to not do it on purpose, but I think he loves it. Exhibit A, up above. Exhibits B-Z will be shown after our Florida trip with all 10 nieces and nephews in June.

Last time we rode horses we were all bundled up and riding through a white wonderland. It was so fun to ride knowing that Spring really is on its way. I think. I hope.

I love watching Sadie dog run along with us while we ride. It's like she's the happiest thing in the world while she just runs ahead and behind, chasing deer or nothing at all. It's almost as fun as watching her chase bubbles, but that's another story.

We came home and realized that the Easter Bunny had hid eggs all over the yard! Jo and Madeline did a good job at finding every last one. Then they did a good job of eating jelly beans for dinner. Holidays are the best.

Two Madeline girls, ready for Easter Sunday! We loved spending the weekend with family. Evansville is such a fun getaway from work and school. We watched home movies and the Life of Pi, ate so much good food, and just had fun spending time together. Now we're more than ready for Spring to get here and stay here! Thanks for the wonderful weekend, Daetwylers!

Good Friday

Easter is such a special time. Although we were in Jerusalem in the summer time, every group has a Seder meal led by our Judaism teacher, Ophir. I loved learning about Passover from him. Our BYU professors also taught us about the significance Passover has in Mormon history in this dispensation as well. Everything we learned that summer taught me how eternal the Gospel of Jesus Christ truly is. 

There are competing sites in the Holy Land for just about every scriptural event. Below are pictures of a probable location of Christ's tomb. There is a special spirit there, whether it's the actual site of Christ's resurrection or not. Christians from all over the world walk through the gardens here, sing, study, and worship the God they know. They feel His spirit together, no matter their differences of specific beliefs.

Mathew 28:6 - "He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay."

You don't have to come and see the tomb to know that this is true. The Spirit you feel there is so special and unique, but if you pray to know that Christ lives, you will feel that same Spirit wherever you are.

This Holy Week is full of significance that needs to be remembered, and studied. My Jerusalem professor, Chad Emmett, has posted scriptural accounts of each day with pictures of Holy Land sites where sacred events happened: Monday. Tuesday. Wednesday. Thursday. "Awesome" Friday.

I know that Christ lives. He died for us, and now He lives again. It's because of this sacred act of the greatest love that I can live with Him again, and with my Heavenly Father, and with my family - for eternity. His Gospel has since been restored to the earth, and it teaches me how to follow Him. Living like Christ did on this earth is the best chance at happiness we have. That is exactly what He wants for us all, happiness. And through prayer, we can feel His love and guidance that helps us to achieve exactly that.

This talk by Jeffrey R. Holland, and this video below, intensely remind me what Easter truly is. They remind me how much I have to be grateful for, and how much I love, and am indebted to, my Savior Jesus Christ.

Madness in March

How's your bracket doing? 

I don't know why I LOVE March Madness, but oh I really do. It might be because I'm a gambler at heart, but religion and good sense keeps me from going down that path. Don't go assuming the worst there - gambler at heart meaning I love love the feeling of competitive chance. Like, arcades. And games. And...well, March Madness. Innocent stuff like that. You'll remember that I've only actually really gambled $2 in my life (and lost it). So, don't worry. I'm in a good place.

My bracket, on the other hand... not so much. It started out with so much potential! I guess they all do. But still, I called all three of the 12 seed upsets. Holla! But it has only been downhill from there. I have a group competition with my coworkers, our friends in our townhome complex, our Jerusalem crew, and a family group. More groups, better odds at not coming in last across the board. Right?

So, I'm rooting hard for the 3 teams my Final Four has held onto. And I can't wait for the games tonight. Thank you, March Madness, for distracting me from the Jazz right now...

Sigh.

Go Indiana!

Tiny Guest

This was our little visitor this week. So.tiny.small. His name is Chase, and he's a teacup poodle with an out of town owner. He's a cutie, but I mean....so tiny small? He did a lot of sitting and shaking at our house, because I think he's basically scared of, well, life. Poor thing.

Maybe that's because he and Kitty met for a brief second and it was no bueno, at all. Kitty turned into a fierce hissing monster, and Chase ran circles around me so fast that I just feared for his tiny heart. But, I grabbed Chase, Michael herded Kitty out the door, and all is well. 

But due to our Spring Break Snowstorm, we felt bad leaving Kitty out all day...so we put them in different rooms and prayed we'd come home to two animals alive and well.

We did. Hallelujah. I mean, if sitting and shaking is well? 

Poor little guy. I didn't know we were so scary...? He's coming to visit again soon, so maybe with less cats and more time alone he won't be as bothered. Come visit us. Maybe you're less scary than we are.

And I find it funny that in an apartment that is technically not allowed to have animals, we are slowly developing a children's petting zoo. It goes well with our bedroom greenhouse.

Your Story

I opened a new book yesterday that I honestly know nothing about. Sometimes I like knowing nothing before getting into a story... and it came highly recommended from a girl with great taste, so I just up and started it.

This is what I found when I opened the first page:

Don't you love that? It's the truth. No one remembers when they were born, but we all remember the story of the day. We mythologize it based on what we hear from the people who love us, based on what we love the most about those details we know only from the tellers. Let's be real, even knowing our birthday is just a trust thing.

I was born early, early on a September morning. The last Miner baby. My dad always tells me about the first time he held me, next to my exhausted mom after a long labor. He said he held his new daughter, and I immediately calmed down and stared right into his eyes. I looked at him and just jabbered, intensely, for 20 minutes straight. My mom and the doctor just watched, and my dad let me "talk and talk and talk". He says I jabbered with all the intensity my awkward new body could manage, even trying to lift my head up a little and just drive whatever point I had home. He kept looking at his watch, amazed at those 20 minutes and wondering what it was I wanted him to know. I held his eyes until I finally finished whatever it was I had to say.

Then, I sighed. Big. Fell asleep. And that was that.

That was how I entered the world. I don't remember it, but sometimes it's like I almost do. Stories get told and told until sometimes they're almost memories, almost real to your mind's eye. Do you have those stories you're sure you remember, but you were so young it's almost impossible? Maybe we do remember. Maybe the stories ignite something in us that our body knows is true, and we listen because we remember. Maybe we don't. Maybe we just hold onto the stories because that's innate in all of us, loving words and loving the heart, mind and soul of the teller.

The best part is we all have a story to tell. And we're all still writing it.