Photographs: Enjoying Springtime

Saturday, April 18th: The Jordan River Parkway

Sunday, April 19: Family Photos after Stake Conference

Flower Photos by Scott

Monday, April 20th: Family Home Evening Outdoors

We are so happy that spring is here!

The Batgirl

Emma has become a huge Batman fan. Her enthusiasm for Batman has reached a whole new level, and so far I do not see an end in sight. She loves getting comic books, chapter books, and "Batman: The Animated Series" from the library. When she's home from school she basically focuses all of her free time on Batman. She spends hours on her new superhero, and has pretty much left the world of Disney Princesses, kittens, makeup, jewelry, and Barbies behind (at least for now). I'm sure she still likes all of these girly things, but they have definitely been pushed aside for now.

Since Emma doesn't really own many "non-feminine" items, Brad and I decided to get something special for Emma to help her express her new found passion: a Batgirl costume. Emma LOVES it! She's been wearing it indoors and outdoors; having a great time playing the part of Barbara Gordon.

I love my little Batgirl. I think she's becoming more and more like her daddy all the time.

Photos by Scott North

Little Rat Blessings

My family loves rats. That's just how we are.

Scott and Emma are especially fond of our pet rats. We currently have three pet fancy rats in our home: Cinnamon, Cocoa, and Checkers. They are all getting a little old in rat years, so Brad and I have been preparing the kids for the possibility of rat funerals in the near future. Both children love the rats, but Scott especially takes death hard, so when our little Cocoa began showing signs of nearing the end of her life, Scott was heartbroken.

Scott began monitoring Cocoa's health frequently when we noticed her health declining. He tried giving her the most comfort as possible but despite Scott's efforts, little Cocoa continued to slide downhill. Right before Scott and Emma left to Eagle Mountain to spend Easter with their mother, Cocoa had pretty much hit rock bottom. She was eating less, she was extremely weak, she was unable to grasp things with her paws, she couldn't keep her balance, and her feet were constantly bleeding due to her biting them for unknown reasons. We separated her from the other rats and put her in a smaller cage to keep her safe and comfortable. I was prepared to take her to a vet to get her put to sleep if need be.

Scott and Emma left for Eagle Mountain on Wednesday afternoon and I was left alone to tend to the rats for the next five days. I had pretty much given up hope on poor little Cocoa, because being around rats and other small animals for so long, I knew that the chances of her recovering were slim to none, mainly due to her age. Scott called me several times while he was gone to get updated news on Cocoa. I remained as honest as possible, and told Scott to be prepared if Cocoa passed away while he was gone.

I continued trying to feed Cocoa soft foods by hand and giving her water, even though she seemed so close to death. I checked her regularly. On Easter Sunday, I went to see her as usual but was greeted by an unusual sight. Little Cocoa was standing on her hind legs looking at me with big black eyes, eager for food and water. I opened the cage and she climbed out as if nothing were wrong. I picked her up and immediately noticed that her feet had completely healed from her bites. I stuck her on top of the cage to see if she would fall over (as she had done before), but surprisingly she stayed perfectly still and looked at me as if to say, "Okay, what now?" I put her in the cage with the other rats and gave her a tomato slice. She grabbed the tomato out of my hand and began biting into it furiously as if she were starving. Cinnamon, the dominant rat, came to check out the tomato, but Cocoa harshly turned her back on Cinnamon and continued to bite into her dinner. She seemed perfectly normal and healthy.

Cocoa's health improvement may seem little in the large scheme of things, but it was a blessing that meant a lot to Scott and Emma. They were thrilled to have little Cocoa alive and well when they returned home on Monday evening. Not only had their precious little friend survived the weekend they were gone, but she had recovered as well. They value her life and the joy she brings to our family even more.

An Early Easter

This year we decided to have Easter early, since Scott and Emma will be with their biological mother for Easter break. We decided to have Easter on Monday night, April 6th, for Family Home Evening. This is the second time we've done this, and it's something I want to continue doing while Scott and Emma are still young and have to deal with alternate parent-time holiday schedules. We create many good memories and traditions this way.

We started off the night coloring and dying Easter eggs while the Easter bunny (Daddy) hid the plastic candy-filled eggs in the front yard. Scott and Emma traditionally make one "ugly" egg out of the batch of dyed eggs every year. The goal is to make one egg as weird looking as possible, using all of the color dye at once. The kids think it's hilarious!

After dying eggs, Scott and Emma went on their Easter egg hunt. It was great seeing Emma at Scott's egg-searching level now, finding just as many eggs (if not more) than Scott. It was enjoyable watching them have a good time.




After the egg hunt, we came inside and had a spiritual FHE lesson on Easter while the kids ate their Easter candy. We wanted to make sure the lesson focused on the true meaning of Easter since the children will most likely not go to church on Easter Sunday. It helped that we discussed Easter briefly after General Conference. There were a few wonderful talks that focused on Easter and the Atonement during the Sunday sessions. I wanted to basically go over the week that led up to the first Easter with the children. We dicussed Palm Sunday, Passover, the Last Supper, the Atonement, Good Friday, and Christ's Ressurection. I used pictures to go over these spiritual and historical moments with the children, and Scott and Emma were genuinally interested and asked many questions.


Having to deal with alternating holidays every year is difficult, but I am grateful that we can still create family traditions and have many fond memories, even during the times when the kids cannot be with us. Scott and Emma eagerly look forward to our family traditions every holiday, and I know they find security in our constant stability. The memories they create with us will last a lifetime.

HAPPY EASTER!

Love,
The Norths

The Highlight of My Day: March 2009

Something good happens each day. Here's what happened in March:

March 1, 2009: I introduced Scott and Emma to "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang." Scott surprised me by sitting through the entire movie. Emma LOVED the music and wanted to watch it again.

March 2, 2009: We went to the library as part of FHE, then Amanda came over with her kids. Brad had a wonderful time introducing Amanda to U2's newest album, "No Line on the Horizon."

March 3, 2009: My mother-in-law is recovering well! She's walking up and down the stairs now, much to the relief of Emma. Emma has been worried and concerned about her grandma since the operation.

March 4, 2009: I went to my OBGYN appointment today. I ended up driving my mother-in-law's car, which scared me to death at first. The appointment itself went well. My baby is 25 weeks along; happy and healthy.

March 5, 2009: We had "Magic Wok" Chinese food for dinner. Yum yum!

March 6, 2009: Brad and I went to our marriage institute class tonight. The topic was on conflict management. I loved spending the extra time with my Bradley!

March 7, 2009: I went out to eat with Brad at Hires today. The food was great! We ran errands before picking up the kids in the evening.

March 8, 2009: Brad and I went 24 hours trying to be more positive and not criticizing others. Turned out well! It was a little harder than I thought it would be.

March 9, 2009: We had FHE with Bruce and Loralee's family tonight. We had honey-ham sandwiches for dinner, and we played a fun game (that has no name) with the kids. It was a charades/Clue/telephone type of game.

March 10, 2009: Brad and I took the kids to the library tonight. Brad's meeting in SLC was canceled (again), which meant he got to spend more time at home with us.

March 11, 2009: I got done my visiting teaching for the month! Hooray!

March 12, 2009: Scott and Emma got amazing grades this past term. Both are very good students and I'm so pleased with them.

March 13, 2009: I went on an awesome date to Leatherby's! I love my hubby!

March 14, 2009: Brad and I took Rosie to the dog park today for the first time. She was a little overwhelmed and overstimulated, but we could tell she loved it. We'll take her again soon.

March 15, 2009: Brad and I joined a choir for Stake Conference. We practiced for the first time today.

March 16, 2009: We went to the library for FHE tonight, then we dropped off some DVDs at Loralee's house.

March 17, 2009: I made green pancakes and green eggs for breakfast this morning. The kids loved that and ended up having a great St. Patrick's Day.

March 18, 2009: My belly is getting huge! I feel very pregnant!

March 19, 2009: I'm making updated 8x10 pictures for Brad's mom to put up in her hallway.

March 20, 2009: Today we had glorious spring weather on the first day of spring! Scott and Emma went to play outside with friends for the first time in a long while. Everything was beautiful!

March 21, 2009: We went to Ab's Drive In for lunch today, and later we went shoe shopping. I got some really nice shoes! I made chilli and cookies for the ward chili cook-off tonight. All four of us attended.

March 22, 2009: Today I gave my talk in Sacrament meeting with the YW Presidency. I did a great job and received many compliments. Also, today is the first day of my THIRD TRIMESTER! Hooray! Only 84 days left to Lizzy's due date!

March 23, 2009: My sick little Scott-boy stayed home from school today with a cold. To make things a little more fun, I offered a game of "Tomb Raider" for him to spectate, which he absolutely loves to do.

March 24, 2009: Brad and I took the kids to see my mother-in-law in the hospital. Emma was a little hesitant at first; worried that Grandma wouldn't be the same, but she was pleasantly surprised. Grandma is getting better! We want her to come home soon!

March 25, 2009: I had my mother-in-law's Lexus today, so I was able to run some much needed errands. It's nice having a little bit of freedom.

March 26, 2009: I made a yummy taco salad bar for our family dinner tonight. It was a huge success! Mm, mm!

March 27, 2009: Scott and Emma did not have school today, so I took them with me to get a cute baby bassinet, and then we played at a neighborhood park.

March 28, 2009: Brad finally got his haircut this morning, and I bought a maternity top and a new maternity swimsuit for my plump figure. Cute!

March 29, 2009: My mother-in-law came home from the hospital today! Brad and I spent an hour with her watching "All Creatures Great and Small."

March 30, 2009: Tonight we had a family home evening on honesty. Brad made up a scenario in which four children were telling the same story but had four different versions of it. The challenge was guessing who the liar was. Interesting.

March 31, 2009: Scott called me "Mama" when he came home from school today. That made me feel good.

3rd Trimester: Ready for the Final Stretch!

I officially began my 3rd trimester a week ago! My belly is growing larger and my baby's acrobatic kicks are getting stronger and occur more frequently than they ever have before. I love sitting on the couch or lying on my bed and watching my stomach move and shift in all sorts of strange positions. Her sporadic kicks make me laugh and giggle, especially when she surprises me by giving me huge POWS when I'm not expecting it.

It's amazing how much my love for my little unborn daughter has grown. I knew I would love my baby, but I did not expect to care for her as much I do. My heart swells with love whenever I feel her move, and I thank Heavenly Father for allowing me to carry such a sweet and innocent life inside of me.

I'm anxious for the final stretch to be over! I can't wait to hold my baby daughter in my arms and see her little tiny face for the first time. I want to smell her, see her, hear her, and play with her little toes as soon as they're ready to come out. I'm anxious to be a mommy, but at the same time, I'm enjoying these last few weeks of pregnancy as well. I feel so much better physically than I did in my first and second trimester. I still get the achy muscles and fatigue spells regularly, but the morning sickness has finally gone, and food continues to taste better as time goes by. It's nice not feeling sick.

I have a lot of work to get done before June comes. My room is definitely not ready for a baby, so I've got a lot of cleaning and organization to do. We need to make room for baby!

I bought this cute little bassinet a couple of days ago.
Isn't it adorable?

Spring Has Come! Or Has it?

I love watching the signs of spring settling in! Daffodils and tulips are making their way out of the ground, buds are showing up on trees, birds are chirping at 7:00 in the morning, temperatures are slowly rising. . . It's all so lovely!

This is what our front yard looked like on the first day of Spring (March 20th):

This is what it looked like on the second day of Spring (March 21st):





And this is what it looked like on the fourth day of Spring (March 23rd):




Yes, those are the daffodils.

Gotta love Utah weather!

My Husband the U2 Fanatic

My husband has been a huge U2 fanatic ever since he was a teenager. I'd say he has owned every U2 album made available to the public at one point of time or another, and he has almost all of U2's songs memorized. He wears U2 t-shirts almost every day to work, and he's always going to u2.com to check up on band updates. He has a membership online as well, and gets discounts for various purchases, including concert tickets for when U2 plays in Salt Lake.


Needless to say, Brad has been ecstatic over U2's newest album, "No Line on the Horizon." As soon as they released the songs online, Brad has been listening to them over and over again and memorizing the lyrics. I've been listening to the new songs, too, of course. I'm not nearly as big of a U2 fan as Brad is, but I have learned to appreciate U2, and I do have my own favorite songs from the band. I've learned that many of U2's songs grow on you over time. My favorites are "Where the Streets Have No Name," "City of Blinding Lights," "Sometimes You Can't Make it on Your Own," "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," and their newest song, "Magnificent."


Brad keeps me entertained by his obsessive interest in U2. Sometimes he makes me laugh and I have to tease him about it. Overall, I think it's great that has something he's so interested in. He's obsessed with U2 the same way I'm nuts over animals (and babies, right now). We learn a lot of new things together by being interested in different things. I have come to love and appreciate U2 since we've been married, and he's come to enjoy animals and nature as well. It's all good!

The Highlight of My Day: February 2009

My Favorite Photo of the Month

Something good happens each day. Here's what happened in February:

February 1, 2009: Today I gave my lesson on "Individual Worth" in Young Womens. I was very pleased with the results, and I absolutely loved the topic.

February 2, 2009: Tonight our family went to Jamba Juice for FHE. I loved getting out of the house and spending time with my family while drinking yummy smoothies. Mmmm!

February 3, 2009: Emma is doing a wonderful job reading her AR books! I'm so proud of her!

February 4, 2009: I spent a good part of my day curled up, reading a good book. I've finally made some time to read my "Brisingr" book from the library.

February 5, 2009: I'm learning how to crochet! Tonight I went to the YW activity and learned some basic crochet skills. Brad and I went to Walmart later tonight and bought me some yarn and a crochet needle.

February 6, 2009: I went to my 20 week ultrasound today and found out that Chili Pepper is a GIRL!

February 7, 2009: We had a great turnout at Young Womens basketball practice this morning. I enjoyed watching the girls play.

February 8, 2009: I love snuggling with Scott and Emma in church. They are so sweet and lovable.

February 9, 2009: For FHE tonight we talked about self-esteem and our individual worth. We read a good book called "You are Special," by Max Lucado. Then we went to the library.

February 10, 2009: Today I am grateful for the little blessings and miracles that occur in our lives, even when we don't realize it.

February 11, 2009: Brad and I went to a first time mommy and daddy class at the Intermountain Medical Center. It was a rewarding learning experience, and I enjoyed spending time with my Bradley.

February 12, 2009: My highlight of the day was helping Scott with his science homework tonight. It was nice solving questions together and learning new concepts. I loved spending one-on-one time with him.

February 13, 2009: Brad and I double dated with Bruce and Loralee, and we went to our marriage institute class. The lesson was on the divine roles of men and women. It was a great class!

February 14, 2009: We had a lovely Valentine's Day! Brad made heart-shaped pancakes for breakfast, and I made a treasure hunt for Scott and Emma. Brad took Emma on a date and bought roses and chocolates for me and her, and he took Emma to Jamba Juice. We all went to the Draper Temple open house later in the evening.

February 15, 2009: My baby must be an athlete! I am convinced she's either a soccer player or a ninja. My highlight of the day was feeling her move inside me all day long. I've never felt her move so much before.

February 16, 2009: Scott and Emma had their cousins over all day long today. My favorite part of the day was playing the piano and singing with my eldest niece, Lindsey. She loves music and spending time with others.

February 17, 2009: I loved cuddling on the couch with my sweetheart while watching "All Creatures Great and Small." My Bradley is WONDERFUL! :)

February 18, 2009: We sang Happy Birthday to my dad over the phone tonight. He turned 60 today!

February 19, 2009: I taught Emma how to memorize words for her spelling test by making them into a story. She loved it! I'm confident she'll get a 100% on her spelling test.

February 20, 2009: I played a little of Tomb Raider 4 with Scott. It's something he loves doing together with me.

February 21, 2009: The weather was beautiful today. Brad and I took the kids to Wheeler Farm for a Taco Bell picnic lunch. We loved walking around, looking at the animals, and I took lots of photos of Scott and Emma.

February 22, 2009: Tonight we had a dinner at our house for Mom-North. We had the Bruce-clan over as well as Marilyn and James. All the Melchizedek priesthood holders gave Mom a blessing. It was beautiful seeing all of her men standing around her with their hands on her head. What a blessed mother she is.

February 23, 2009: I got my visiting teaching done today! Hooray!

February 24, 2009: Margaret had her surgery today. The best news of the day was hearing that Margaret's doctor believes he got all of the cancer removed.

February 25, 2009: Margaret came home today! She's feeling miserable, but I'm happy she's on her way to recovery.

February 26, 2009: I was nursemaid to Margaret, Brad, and Emma today. It was a very busy day! I was grateful to serve everyone.

February 27, 2009: Brad and I have been watching "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy together. Tonight we watched more of the "Two Towers." I love LOTR!

February 28, 2009: I enjoyed my Saturday time with Bradley. We ran errands together, visited with family, and watched more LOTR.