i never thought this day would come...

i discovered something today...


the internet is not the absolute for information.

blast.


we discovered this when we couldn't find a splash park in ivins, ut online and then drove around (ivins isn't very big) until we found a park--and it had a splash park in it.  we were torn between joy and devastation.  anyway...

i didn't take pictures the first day we went (yesterday...and yes we do plan on going everyday we're here--it's SO hot here, and it hasn't even hit SUMMER yet!), but i did take pictures today with my phone.  we weren't planning on getting wet, but we did anyway--this is why he has regular clothes on.

this was my favorite part of today:  we've been bringing porter's sippy around everywhere so he stays hydrated (he doesn't care--i don't know why we do...).  he brought it into the water park with him.  there's a button the kids push every once in a while to tell the park they're still there to keep the water running.  this button makes a noise...of course it does.  this shows the order of importance to porter.

picture 1: porter sacrificing his body to get soaked so he can push the button

picture 2: porter fleeing before the water near the sippy because while buttons that make noise are worth getting wet, sippies are OBVIOUSLY worth abandoning at the first sign of discomfort.

and just some more:

This Is the Christ

I've been listening to this song almost everyday this week. I've loved it for so long, and I have yet to get tired of hearing it. We sang it in graduation choir when I graduated, and they sang it at last month's General Conference Sunday Morning (Easter...perfect) Session. In the last run-through before our performance at graduation I started to actually listen to the words and let them touch my heart and the line "how many drops of blood were spilled for me" just killed me. I still cry almost every time it gets to that part in the song. Here's the link for the Conference performance, and below are the words. I just like them so much, and I like so much that President Faust wrote the words--I have a big part of my heart especially for that Presidency.

They heard his voice, a voice so mild,
It pierced them through and made their souls to quake.
They saw Him come, a man in white,
The Savior, who had suffered for their sake.
And each could testify:

This is the Christ.
This is the Christ, the Holy Son of God,
Our Savior, Lord, Redeemer of mankind.
This is the Christ, the Healer of our souls,
Who ransomed us with love divine.

I read His words, the words He prayed,
While bearing sorrow in Gethsemane.
I feel His love, the price He paid.
How many drops of blood were spilled for me?
With Saints of old in joyful cry,
I too can testify:

This is the Christ.
This is the Christ, the holy Son of God,
Our Saviour, Lord, Redeemer of mankind.
This is the Christ, the healer of our souls,
Who ransomed us with love divine.

I used to have a solid loyalty to Del Parson's painting of Christ, but since the Christ Ensign issue I have branched out. Here are some of my favorites. (there are, of course, so many more but I can't get the pdf of the Christ Ensign issue to load so I can't find the artist names...)

Artists: Heinrich Hoffman (top left), Del Parson (top right), Minerva Teichert (bottom left), J Kirk Richards (bottom right). I saw the bottom right one in real life--it is at least 10 feet tall and there is gold leaf on Christ's and the angel's halo, and around in different areas. It's so beautiful.

porter can

porter can say:
dog
dad
mom
cat
moon
moo
yeah
bubble (kinda)
banana (nana)

porter can:
make a fish face
beat his chest like king kong when we ask him what a gorilla does
give you a high five
clap when you ask him what a seal does
make an elephant noise
make a car noise (vroooom)
point to an airplane
get something and put it somewhere if we ask him
throw a ball
kick a ball
wave goodbye
wave hello (different waves)
give you a kiss
a hug
snuggle (laying down)
give loves (pretty much snuggling standing up)
blow in your face and laugh about it
smile (shows teeth, but does not actually smile)
blink
dance
snap (not really, it looks like he's doing it to the rhythm of the song)
walk backwards
pretend to count how many fingers he has
show you his feet
belly button
hair
nose (picks nose)
mouth
tongue
teeth
eyes
ears (sometimes)

...i'm sure there are more.

BIG Announcement.

You're going to be disappointed...

Porter has officially grown out of being allergic to milk!

I made him homemade macaroni & cheese with butternut squash today! It was great!...until he wouldn't eat it. BLAST.

My whole world has to be rethunk because I've spent the last 16 months NOT letting him have milk...

Bubbles with Grandma

We did bubbles with Grandma Bodily on Saturday--the pictures are just kinda fun. Most of the time, though, he just looks like he hates us.

 

Dedicated to my Grandma

My Grandma Elaine's birthday is today, and I couldn't think of a better way to tell her Happy Birthday than to shout it from the rooftops (or through the internet cable...) that I think she's a wonderful, a very classy lady, and I love her.

Facts about Grandma:

• Had the 1st computer when it came out--is super good with electronics and always has been.
• Always up for exciting new adventures!
• Works at the Provo Temple.
• Spends lots of time taking care of her family.
• Does enormous amounts of genealogy!
• I chose her first name as my middle name because I love her so much.
• She loves her family and they love her back.

This is when she got married--gorgeous, right?

She always made it a priority to come to our big deal events (like Priesthood ordinations) even though they lived far away.

Her family.

Feeding Porter in the outfit she bought him!

First time meeting Porter, and loving him!

Happy Birthday, Grandma Elaine!

Nutritional Visitor!

Our friend Sarah just graduated in Nutrition at SUU, and came down to present for a research conference and we had a blast! We went to Sprinkles (I had the dark chocolate one, Sarah had the coconut one, and Porter had the vegan [meaning no animal products, which includes milk]), the beach (Corona del Mar) with SUPER cool fire pits ON THE BEACH, walked around Downtown Disney (which I had never been to before), and found out that all Starbucks in the Anaheim area close at 10:30...stupid. I don't have any pictures, but she did on their great blog here.

Go check it out!