Elder Oaks

Elder Oak's daughter is and in our ward here in Fairfax.  Jenny Oaks Baker is her name.  She is an incredible violinist who shares here talent with us whenever asked to.  On top of that, her father comes to town once in awhile.  Today was one of those days.  Church was so fantastic.  I don't think it was all because an apostle was there but because everybody prepared for an apostle to be there.  If that makes sense.  The talks were very well prepared, lessons were very well prepared and I think the members came more prepared to be taught.  However, Elder Oaks did give a very good thought at the end of our sacrament meeting.  He said first off that "I am not afraid of members of the church being too bad but rather, being too busy." (this was in reference to agency).  The second thing he said was "God will consecrate our afflictions for our gain... but something came to me this morning... the opposite of that is also true.... the devil will twist our advantages for our loss. He will take what seems to be an advantage and if we're not careful, he will twist it into a loss, in our spirituality..."

The whole meeting today seemed to be about putting your priorities in the right spot.  He gave some final thoughts in Relief Society as well.  He told us that sometimes you need to sit back and refocus on your goal instead of doubling our efforts to make up for the goal we aren't reaching. 

It was a fantastic meeting that made me realize I need to put the Lord first in all things in my life. 
Anyway, I thought I would share.  Love to you all.

Happy Valentines to US

The girls and I spent Valentine's in Rexburg this year.  Scott being the wonderful husband and father he is sent his beautiful girls these to show how much he loved and missed us.  I think they are the most beautiful arrangement I have ever been given.  The girls were on cloud nine as they admired their lovely flowers.

My Girls

**Quick note: My sister Hayley and I have been snowed in together for much of the time the girls have been gone. It's been a blast, but I still miss my girls.**

These last couple of weeks I've had the extreme displeasure of coming home every night, and not being welcomed home by Kristen, Kayt, and Ella. I've also had to go to bed alone, wake up alone, say goodbye to an empty house - you get the idea. I knew I would miss my girls, but the idea behind them going home to Idaho now is that I'm rarely home during tax season. How much could I miss them for the two waking hours I'm not working?

Honestly, in some ways I looked forward to them being away for a bit. I wouldn't feel as guilty when I'm still at the office at 11. I could catch up on some reading, eat more sausage and potato chips, stay up and watch college basketball, and not have someone stealing all the covers. The girls room wouldn't smell like diapers.

I think at some point, every married person envies the flexibility of the single life. There seem to be hordes of single people that surround us Mormon kids that married young. Kristen and I have talked about how our lives would have been different if we'd never hit it off, or if Kayt and Ella hadn't come along so soon. At graduate school and at work I've always been one of the only married people and definitely the only one with multiple kids. You can't help but notice the contrast when I'm working to get home so I can tuck in the girls, and everyone else is working to get off in time to go to the latest nightspot downtown. I have no regrets about the timing of when the girls entered my life - the sooner the better.

Well, I got a chance to see my life sans the girls and it was very, very boring. Boring isn't strong enough. Barren, vacant, tedious, uninspired. I realized that a lot of my energy every day comes from being around or working to be around Kristen. I realized that most of what makes me really laugh comes from Kayt and Ella. I rediscovered that what gives me joy is my family.

I know this because I did all of the things you're supposed to do on your own to be happy. I started an exercise plan consisting mostly of pullups. I cooked wonderful meals (healthy and a la grease bomb). I finally perfected crispy hashbrowns, which was a long standing goal. I took long walks outside in the trees. I oil painted (badly), played basketball, read inspired scripture and fiction, listened to music, sang in the car (also badly), made lots of money for my company, and served others (thank you blizzard). And yet, I never went to bed thinking, "Today was a good day." It was always, "I wonder what the girls are doing."

A lot of you probably think this dependence is unhealthy, but so what. I miss my girls. I'm grateful they're coming home in 3 days. I look forward to seeing the twinkle in Kristen's big green eyes. I look forward to playing princess with Kayt. I look forward to gasping when Ella dives off the couch and then laughing afterwards at her big gap-toothed grin. So much of who they are and what they do makes me want to be a better person. Part of that is religious, as I want to be with them forever. Part of it is just the obvious gap I see between who they are - beautiful, intelligent, charming, forgiving - and what I am. I love them so much.

Update of random thoughts

Okay, so now I have officially caught up on what all my bloggersphere friends are doing I better update myself. It is just crazy how time seems to creep by and in a flash it has been a month. I am currently visiting family in Idaho which is so fantastic. It has been nice to just be in a slow paced familiar place where everyone is nice even if they don't know you. It has been wonderful to run in the morning and feel the cold crisp air run through my lungs. It is wonderful to have too many family things to get to. It is awsome to cheer for my sister's in basketball. It is just good to be home with family.
The bad part, being here without Scott. Poor guy, he had to stay in Fairfax to weather the crazy storm and long hours at work all alone. (thanks to Hayley for keeping him company) If he wasn't soo good at what he was doing he might not have to work as long. What do you do?
While here, I have been able to take time and just enjoy the girls. Kayt and Ella are my little buddies and I don't know what I would do without them. Kayt is just getting so big. On the last leg of our journey to Idaho, we were taking a potty break and Kayt says to my as she is sitting on the toilet, "traveling is hard work isn't it mom." I started laughing. The poor girl was just exhausted. She is just so full of emotion and so expressive. Scott hit it on the head one night eating dinner, "kayt there is so much you want to say, you just need to learn the words to say it."
Ella has become quite the chatterbox and lovingly refers to herself as a parrot. Kayt calls Ella her little copy cat or parrot. Ella has taken the later upon herself. My favorite new saying of hers is "oh man!" She says it at the right times and with so much expression. It is hilarious.
It has been fun to look at all my family having babies and think back to when Kayt and Ella were just so tiny. It goes by so fast. I feel like I blink and miss it. I am trying to figure out how to preserve each moment. How to make it all last just a little longer. I have decided the key is to slow down and take time to really think about the wonderful day I had because God decided to send two of his precious daughters my way.

A REPUBLICAN WON IN MASSACHUSETTS!!! Enough Said.

loving Emmett

So I can't decide what to title this post. And it is more a Kristen thinking out loud trying to digest the weeks events.
I had a new nephew born Tuesday night. His name is Emmett Jared Erickson. He is the son of my brother just younger than me and brave wife Cassie. Emmett was delivered by an emergency C-section at 26 1/2 weeks. He weighs 1 lb 15 oz. and is just longer than Jared's hand.

I don't want to tell the whole story out of privacy and respect because I was not there and really have no way of comprehending the stress, fear, and joy that those two have been through in the last week.

A breif overview however is probably necessary so here it is. Cassie got pre-eclampsia and within 24 hours her body was shutting down. Intitially the doctors thought Cassie could make it to 28 weeks with medication but there was a very sudden turn in health Tuesday afternoon. From what I am told, she was close to dieing when they delivered Emmett three hours later.

I received a phone call to tell me what was going on Sunday and immediately began praying for my brother, his wife and their unborn child. I got on the computer and looked up statistics and what 26 weeks meant for the baby and pre-eclampsia meant for Cassie. As I was reading I just began to sob. I could only imagine the fear that Jared had to have been feeling as he watched his wife go through so much pain for this little boy inside of her that neither of them had met but loved.

I was so consumed by it all. I couldn't think or do anything. I just milled around the house unfocused on anything. I prayed and prayed and prayed. There have been few times that I have felt completely helpless in a situation. This was one of them. I was forced to put all my trust in the Lord that he would provide the comfort to Jared I so wanted but couldn't give him. That he would ease Cassie's pain and if it was his will that Emmett would pull through. I questioned the strength my faith. Was it really enough to bring about a miracle for Jared and his little family? I prayed that my faith would be enough. I fasted more diligently and completely than I have in a long time.

I wanted so badly to be there for Jared but I knew that the only person that could truely be there for all of them was our Heavenly Father. As they face the long months ahead, I know he will continue to watch over them and his will, will be done.

I think of Cassie and tears come to my eyes. The sacrifice she has so willingly made for Emmett and will continue to make as she stays by his side to watch over him as he grows. The role of motherhood has become hers and she so willingly has taken it.


When I got this picture from my dad I was overwhelmed with pride and love for Jared. It is a weird feeling when your younger sibling, who you have always been able to give advice to, grows up in ways you have never experienced. When they are going through something you have no reference point for and no understanding of. But, in this one picture my little brother grew up in my eyes. I can see his tenderness and love for his little child. He is a father and husband of a family. And he is a worthy priesthood holder who could bless his family when they needed it. I just can't really express my feeling about that. But my heart is so full.

I have yet to meet Emmett but I love him so much. I have thought, if I prayed as diligently for all those I loved as I have for Emmett, whom I have not met, would I have these deep feelings of love for them also. I know I would.

The events of this week have strengthened my testimony and recommitted me to the small and simple things that bring miracles. Prayer, the priesthood, faith and fasting. I know that motherhood and fatherhood is a divinely appointed role and that families are ordained of God. I am grateful for a Heavenly Father who knows us and loves us.

Three girls in Philly

Scott had some training meetings up in Philadelphia this week and thought it would fun for us to come along. We were hoping he could get in on some of the site-seeing action but as you can tell from the pics it was me the girls all day. We were there two days and packed them pretty full.

I have to admit I was pretty proud of the way I found my way around the city by myself with Kayt and Ella. They were troopers though.

The first day we headed to Independence Square to see the Liberty Bell which Ella describes as "tall, tall". The bell was definitely the highlight of her day. There weren't any crowds (it being January and 30 degrees outside) so we just took our time seeing what we wanted to see. It really was fun. I did receive a few lessons from the city on this first day.
1) small denominations of cash are a must. DO NOT PUT $20 into a token machine. You will get $20 worth of tokens, not change
2) Subway workers are not happy people and do not like to answer questions. Just give them the token and find the main service desk hub.
3) Subways are not like the D.C. Metro. They stink and are a little scary and they don't all have elevators. Stop at one that does or you will haul two kids and a stroller up two flights of stairs.
4) Parking costs A LOT of MONEY!!!

On day two we headed to the Academy of Natural Sciences and The Ben Franklin Institute of Technology. We could have spent a week in the Institute of Technology alone. It is hands down the coolest science museum I have been to. The highlight of what we saw, was a a full sized train engine and all the interactive stuff showing how it goes. We also went to a show in the planetarium about telescopes. I have decided I am would pay a lot of money to actually look through a telescope and see a planet. How cool would that be. We also got to walk through a giant heart. It was awesome.

My favorite part was the butterfly conservatory. It was a huge room with tons of butterflies just cruisin' around you. The girls were a little freaked out by it. There big blue butterflies that flew a little too close, all the time.

Our hotel room had a sweet corner view and a swimming pool. The girls couldn't have asked for much more. They spent a lot of time standing in the window watching cars and the Hard Rock Cafe guitar turn around (it was right across the street).

Poor Scott had to be in trainings all day but we got to meet him for dinner which is a rare occasion now a days and hang out with him at night.

We finished our trip with a Philly Cheese steak on our way out of town. It was a great time. The people we nice, there was a lot to see and do and we had an adventure.

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