Today I was attemping to add a blog to my blog list and ended up deleting my entire blog list instead. I am brilliant!!! Lets just say that is the kind of day I am having. :) So if your blog is not listed will you please leave me a comment and tell me what it is.
I have to say that I absolutely love my calling. I love working with the YW in our ward. Tonight for Standards Night the stake had Jenny Phillips come and do her Remember the Journey fireside. It was AMAZING!! If any of you ever get the opportunity to attend one of her firesides, you do not want to miss this one. And the best part was that I think almost every single YW from our ward attended. All of the girls in my class are amazing girls and I love them so much. 
Today in class we had a lesson called The Importance of Life. I remember I taught this lesson 3 years ago right after I was called into Young Woman's. It was when we were still waiting to get approved to adopt and it seemed like it was taking forever. The lesson went great until I read this quote by Melvin J. Ballard
“The greatest mission of woman is to give life, earth-life, through honorable marriage, to the waiting spirits, our Father’s spirit children who anxiously desire to come to dwell here in this mortal state. All the honor and glory that can come to men and women … is but a dim thing whose luster shall fade in comparison to the high honor, the eternal glory, the ever-enduring happiness that shall come to the woman who fulfils the first great duty and mission that devolves upon her to become the mother of the sons and daughters of God”
After reading this quote again today I was kind of shocked at how much I have grown in the last three years. I didn't cry once!!! There are still thing that I don't understand. There are still things that can he hard to deal with. And thats okay. I have come to understand that the mission that Heavenly Father has for me is a little bit different. And I am fine with that. More than anything I am so eternally grateful that our birthmother chose life for Claire. I am glad that she chose me to be Claire's mommy and Luke to be her daddy. Being Claire's mother and Luke's wife has been the greatest privilidge. We love our little girl more than we can even express.
We have been praying and waiting for over a year for another precious baby to bless our family. Does it sound strange that your heart can ache when you feel that there is a member of your family missing. I don't know how to explain it really....It is like we are loving and missing someone terribly, more that words can say...only this is someone that we have yet to meet. It is hard when you know that your family is incomplete yet there is only so much we can do and we feel like what we are doing isn't getting us anywhere. But we will continue to prepare for our family to grow, Claire will continue to pray each night for a little sister (occasionally it is a brother), we will continue to have faith, and we hope that all our dear friends and family will continue to tell others about us and our desire to adopt.
Lately Claire has been giving us some pretty good compliments. They always put a smile on my face. Here are a few....
Mom, you are a really good driver.
Your hair is soooo pretty. (I got this one the second day that I was sick and had done nothing but lay on the couch. It made my day!!)
Mommy, you can walk really good. (This is the first time I have even been complimented on my walking skills)
Wow Mom! You are a really good reader.
Hey Mom, You are a really good exerciser. (This one I get whenever we are walking anywhere...walking into a store, pushing a cart through walmart, going to get the mail.)
Hey dad, you are a really good dad.
I like you dad. You are pretty nice.
Awhile ago I read about making edible finger paints and today we decided to try it out. We each got in our grubby clothes and headed into the back yard for some messy fun. Claire kept telling me how much fun it was and our cat and the neighbors cat thought it was pretty good too. 
You know those moments that come and just make your heart fill with so much love and happiness that you think it might burst. Those little moments that make you wonder how come you are so blessed. The little things that help you remember how wonderful life is. Those moments that you want to last forever. For me it is usually the simple things. Like last summer when I walked past the living room and saw Claire looking out the front door just waiting for her daddy to come home from work. Or rocking Claire to sleep in the middle of the night because she is scared of the thunder. Or more recently when I could hear Claire in her bedroom singing I am a Child of God.
Well the latest "moment" was this....
There are no words to describe how much we love our little girl.
I decided to throw this in as well.
Here are some of the conversations that we have on a regular basis....
Me: What do you want for breakfast?
Claire: a popsicle
Me: You can't have a popsicle for breakfast. What do you want instead?
Claire: An otterpop
Claire: I need a popsicle mom.
Me: Why do you need a popsicle?
Claire: It is yummy yummy in my tummy.
Claire: Im sick, mom. I want a popsicle to feel better.
Claire: I want a popsicle dad.
Luke: Did you already ask mom.
Claire: Yes
Luke: What did she say?
Claire: Maybe after dinner.
Luke: Then I will get you one after dinner.
Claire: I am so excited!! (literally squealing with delight)
For awhile I didn't update our blog because it felt like not much was going on. Then there was suddenly so much going on that I didn't update our blog simply because I didn't know where to start.
Here are some highlights from the past couple of weeks.
* Luke ran in the Pioneer Day 10k and did a great job. I can't remember what place he took though.
* While at the park after the race Claire followed some guy around that had just finished the race...nothing Luke or I said could convince her that the guy she was following was not President Eyring.
* Claire had a dirty diaper and in a very disgusted voice told me "I'm stinky, mommy. I smell like horse poop". She cracks me up.
* Went to a Bees Game with some good friends of ours. Had to wait in line for 45 minutes so Claire could ride the train....but totally worth it because Claire thought it was so cool. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
* Luke told me to take a day off from being a mommy and just go enjoy myself. He is the BEST!! I used the giftcard I got from him for Mother's Day and went and got a massage. First massage ever and I loved every minute of it. Then I had to decide if I wanted to go shopping or go spend the rest of the day with my two favorite people. Luke and Claire definately won that decision and we were soon playing in the backyard together.
* We have been loving the rain that we have had lately. Especially Claire...she is attracted to mud puddles.
* Went to the Discovery Gateway with my sister and niece. Two thumbs up.
* Spent the day with family up at Pineview Reservoir playing in the water. It is absolutely beautiful up there.
* Watching Claire carry an ugly pink flamingo lawn decoration (not ours!! I can't stand the things) with her everywhere she goes. She even put him in her stroller and took him on a 30 minute walk when we went to the store. She even told him how much fun mud puddles are and she pushed him through every puddle of water she could find. I love my little girl!!
* And perhaps my favorite thing about the past few weeks is just hanging out at home with my little munchkin, having bbq's, and playing croquet.
