Bananas & Dogs

We're working on teaching Jackson more signs and he's catching on pretty well. He sometimes gets them confused and does the wrong one for what he's wanting, but he's learning. And sometimes if there is something that he wants to tell us but doesn't know the sign he'll go through all of them that he knows just trying to figure it out. It's pretty cute!
A few days ago I was feeding him some banana (one of his favorite foods---he can eat a whole banana in one sitting)...I was feeding him some banana and was doing the sign and saying "banana" over & over, trying to get him to catch on. He wasn't interested in signing it though, but he did say "Nana" ...ok! If you want to just talk and skip the signing, that's fine :) He said it twice that day and hasn't said it again since, but it was still fun.
He also learned to both sign and say "doggy" today. We were out playing at the park when the neighbor's dog came outside. Jackson got excited about it so I showed him the sign while saying "doggy" several times and then he caught on and started doing both! I could tell that he was proud of himself and excited to be able to communicate what he was seeing.
It's so fun to be able to "talk" to Jackson and have him understand and "talk" back!

Birthday Party

We did Jackson's birthday party on Saturday the 8th at a park near Jack's parent's house. When we got there it was really cold out so everyone had jackets and blankets...in August. We later learned it was a record cold that day. We just have a knack for having big events on unseasonably cold days, unfortunately.


Jackson ripped open a few of his presents himself and of course wanted to keep playing with them, not move on to opening the next ones. He's really enjoyed playing with the new toys the past few days. Thanks everyone!


It took him quite a while to get into the cake. He was having fun playing with the candle and didn't really care too much about eating the cake. He'd just dig the candle into the cake over and over. I think he probably ate just as much wax as he did cake! He played with the cake for probably half an hour.
It was a fun little party and I'm sure Jackson would agree! Thanks to everyone who came, or would have come if they wrote down the right day on their calendar, their van didn't blow the transmission, or they lived closer.
Happy Birthday Jackson!

geography lesson

I went to Macey's today. I think Macey's is my favorite grocery store, but now that I live in Orem, I don't go there as often. I don't like the layout of the Orem store as much as the Provo one, and I like the convienence of one-stop shopping at Wal-Mart. But I was driving past Macey's today and needed bread (we always get the Macey's bakery bread...very good and cheap).
Anyway, I went to Macey's today. I was going to be quick so I left Jackson in his carseat and brought the whole thing in and put it in the back of the cart. I fit all my food around him, no problem. As I was checking out, the bagger put my bags in an empty cart, but I still had the car seat in my cart. So the guy pushed the grocery cart out to the car for me while I pushed Jackson. He saw my Georgia liscence plate and said, "Are you from Georgia?" Yes, I am. "That's in Florida, isn't it?" Umm, no.

12 months

Twelve months old...a whole year! So hard to believe! Jackson continues to grow & learn & change every day. -He now weighs 18 lbs, 6 oz (still in the 2nd percentile) and is 30 inches long (60th percentile)
-He doesn't like shots (no surprise)
-He's trying to be a little more independent
-He can feed himself with a fork or spoon and most of the time the food ends up in his mouth. It's messy, but he can do it.
-Some days he eats a ton, and some days he hardly eats anything at all.-Climbs up on things
-Cruises around furniture & walks holding our fingers
-His record for standing & balancing on his own is about 12 seconds, but usually it's more like 3. When he's done standing he doesn't just fall over--he'll squat down and sit. It'll still be a couple of months before he's walking, I think.-LOVES to pull the tupperware or pots & pans out of the cupboard. He stacks them, puts the lids on, and stirs. He also pulls all the books off the bookshelf or coffee table. Life is a constant mess around here.
-Says "Whassaa!" whenever there is a sound or he sees something that catches his attention. It really sounds like he's saying "What's that?" ...baby's first sentence?
-Sometimes he says "hi!" but not consistently.
-He's starting to pick up on baby sign language and does a couple of things. He'll sign "more" when he wants more food---it kind of looks more like waving both arms up and down, but he does it consistently and we know what he means, so I guess that works. He'll sometimes do "milk" for his bottle. He does "fan" too...but he's gotten a little confused on that one and will do it whenever he sees something he recognizes or wants to identify, like a dog or a truck--both are things that we are trying to teach him the sign for, but he's not doing the right one. It's still really fun to be able to communicate with him more and to see that he has his own little thoughts going through his head that he wants to share.-Sleep...well... that's still our problem spot in life. Too bad it affects everything else. Ugh.
-If there's an open door to the bathroom, pantry, or outside, he seizes the opportunity and heads straight for it. Same for cupboard doors. And anyone who has ever lived with me knows I tend to leave doors open. I'm working on it.
-I can't load or unload the dishwasher with him in the room. If he hears it, he heads straight for it and climbs in & helps me unload (to the floor). -He's discovered that he loves the dirt & rocks. He's a boy! When we went camping last week I didn't really have much of a choice but to let him down in the dirt and he loved it. I gave him a cup and he sat there filling it with rocks & dumping it out over & over for a while.
-He had his first fever a few weeks ago. It only lasted about 36 hrs, but it was still miserable for him. It got up to 103.1. He was just lethargic & just sat on my lap without trying to squirm down or anything for hours...it was kind of nice to be able to cuddle, but sad too.
-He watched his first fireworks show on July 24th and enjoyed it. At first he was a little unsure about it, but then he really liked it.
-He waves bye-bye whenever someone leaves.
-He likes to play in water: the bath tub, sink, fountains, splash pool things---he likes it all.-For those of you who are laying awake at night, still concerned and wondering about the pooping situation, you can sleep now. Since he started drinking more milk, juice, and water from a sippy cup or bottle, he hasn't needed the miralax and is going just fine these days. Aren't you glad to know that?
-He loves music and dances along. It's really cute and I need to get it on video some time.

I sure love this little person! Is he still a baby? He is to me, but I don't know when one officially moves on to toddlerhood. I guess when he starts walking maybe. He's such a fun little guy and it just keeps getting better and better!

Happy Birthday to my baby!

Jackson is one. Crazy! It can't really be a whole year ago that he was born...but then again, hasn't he always been here?!

I think there will end up being a series of birthday posts---but for now, here is a review of the past year:

August 10th, 2008

August 2008

1 month old, September 2008

2 months old, October 2008

3 months old, November 2008

4 months old, December 2008

5 months old, January 2009

6 months old, February 2009

7 months old, March 2009

8 months old, April 2009

9 months old, May 2009

10 months old, June 2009

11 months old, July 2009

ONE YEAR OLD! August 2009

Mortality: On Birthdays and Cemeteries

Few things remind one of his own mortality like birthdays and cemeteries. This year we combined the two. What better way to spend a birthday than at the cemetery?

Twenty-eight is admittedly not that old. But it does bring to mind the fact that I'm only getting older. As Don reminded me yesterday, I'm a third of the way to being 84, and maybe 1/4 through my mortal life. That thought makes me want to exercise more...or at all.

Those who know me well may also know that I love cemeteries (I've blogged about this strange affinity here). I'm not gothic or emo or obsessed with morbidity. I just like cemeteries. While they can be places of deep sorrow and grief, they are also places of profound peace and hope. Whenever I stroll through a graveyard, examining headstones for surnames and dates, I imagine the scene on Resurrection Day. This is especially the case in the Salt Lake City Cemetery in the Avenues. 12 of the 15 Presidents of the Church in this dispensation were buried there, along with dozens of apostles, and thousands of righteous saints over the past 160 years.

When I read an article in the Daily Herald last week about American Fork's History and Heritage Festival to be held at the city cemetery on Aug. 3-4, I knew what my birthday plans would be.

This was the third year of the pageant. In various spots around the cemetery are placed a few rows of metal folding chairs facing a few props. At each spot, from one to ten actors would portray scenes from the lives of individuals buried in the cemetery. There were also a few craft displays, a teepee, 25 cent ice cream cones from the DUP, cherry pie, and wagon rides.

When we arrived at the cemetery there were a few dozen people, mostly gray-haired, sitting on folding chairs or walking about. By the time we left at dusk (before the live music performances--it was already past Jackson's bedtime) there were a couple hundred people there.

We learned about miners from the Scofield explosion (5th largest mine explosion in U.S. history), Mormon immigrants from Australia who were shipwrecked relatively close to BoraBora in the Pacific, and many of the handcart pioneers (there were eight handcart companies in addition to the Willey and Martin companies, but the others are rarely referenced).

One of my favorite vignettes told the experiences of Roxanna Leavitt Fletcher Huntsman Snow, a first cousin of my Great-great-great grandfather, Dudley Leavitt. They were both numbered among the 55 Leavitts who moved to Kirtland from Hatley, Lower Quebec, after joining the Church in 1837.

The "plays" included humor, history, and respect for the heritage these individuals left behind. I believe we all felt a deeper appreciation for those buried in the ground upon which we were walking, sitting, and enjoying the evening. It was a great way to spend a birthday evening. Maybe we'll do it again next year when I'll be a third of the way to age 87.

Daddy's Day

I'm just a little late on this post...so what if Father's Day was almost two months ago... I started the post several weeks ago and just never finished it. Oops.


Here's Jack, opening his father's day gifts... the tie in the above pictures & a tie rack. Cliche, I know.
Jack (Jr), Jackson, and Jack Sr.
I am so grateful to have Jack as my husband. And he's such a wonderful father to Jackson!

Blessed, Honored Pioneer

While serving my mission, I was surprised at first at the response of the wonderful Chinese members of the Church in relation to the early Mormon Pioneers. Although none of their own ancestors had crossed the plains or known Joseph Smith or Brigham, these saints embraced the Restored Gospel and embraced the stories and experiences of the early saints. In my ignorance I puzzled at the love our Chinese brothers and sisters had for the pioneers. It didn't take me long to understand the connection they felt.

We are all brothers and sisters. Every individual who joins the Church inherits the legacy of faith left by all of the early pioneers. My ancestors belong to all of them. Having grown up hearing stories of my own ancestors crossing the plains, I took for granted that others would also honor and revere my ancestors and thousands of others for their sacrifices and faith.

Arthur Foxall, Eleanor Harris Foxall, their oldest son Eric. Arthur & Eleanor are the most recent converts in my ancestry. Arthur was baptized in 1904; Eleanor in 1913.

I am honored to be descended from people of such great faith. But the honor is not for me, it is for them. My legacy is yet to be written. My faith is in many ways yet to be tried. Along with any honor I feel comes a weight of responsibility to carry on this heritage unsullied. Being born into this legacy gives me no greater claim to the heritage of the pioneers than any who have come to the knowledge of the gospel by different means.

Indeed, the same respect I hold for the faith of my forebears I also hold for the good Chinese saints I was privileged to serve and serve with. I see them as pioneers. I honor their sacrifices and their faith. Of course, I also hold that respect for our brothers and sisters of all ethnicities and cultures, but I have a soft spot for the Chinese.

My dad sent me this pedigree wheel while I was on my mission. The highlighted names (and two others that should have been highlighted) represent those who were early pioneers. Many of them knew the Prophet Joseph Smith. One of them was a missionary who taught Wilford Woodruff the gospel. Another was a missionary who taught Brigham Young the gospel. I love their stories. I equally revere those of my ancestors who lived before the Restoration and those who joined the Church only in the last 100 years.

Zera Pulsipher, my great-great-great grandfather, was baptized in 1832. He served a mission in Upper Canada, was part of Zion's Camp and was one of the original Presidents of the Seventy. Sweet beard. Being his descendant in no way guarantees my salvation.

I've recently gained an even greater appreciation for modern day pioneers. One of the first times I met Natalie's Grama and Grampa Wilson I got to spend nearly an hour sitting next to Grampa in the car. I was enthralled as he told me the stories of how he and Grama met, how the missionaries contacted his brother Irving in his jewelry store in St. Thomas, Ontario, and of how Irving drove the missionaries all the way to North Bay to share their message with Grampa and Grama. My Grandpa's grandpa was a pioneer who knew Joseph Smith and crossed the plains. Grampa Wilson is a pioneer who brought up his family in the Church in Canada and has been a faithful example his entire life.

Grama & Grampa Wilson, Natalie and Jackson

I am grateful for pioneers of days gone by who in large part made me who I am. I am grateful for modern pioneers who continue to strengthen and inspire me and millions of others to stay the course and keep the faith of our fathers. Forging onward, ever onward--blessed, honored pioneer.