The Tall and Short of US

 Wow. What a wild ride these last 9 years have been! On September 3rd, 2012 we were engaged to be married! It seems like yesterday and a lifetime ago all at the same time. I was feeling really nostalgic, so I wanted to write down a brief history of our courtship 9 years ago. Spring Semester 2012: I had been living in the same apartment complex for a couple years and felt I had outgrown it. My time there was a blast, but I was ready to move on. I signed a year long contract and paid lots of money toward a newer, nicer apartment a couple miles down the road. I was ready for change. I'd exhausted all my options with dating (or so it seemed ;) ) and felt the push to move on. Little did I know, my husband was moving in around the same time! I decided to throw a little ward BBQ on the back patio of the apartments to give the new tenants a chance to meet. Ward stare, fresh meat, new options, etc. You know! Who was new to the crew! A perfect excuse to check out the new potentials! No shame...

In January Thomas was called to serve as the bishop of our local congregation. He is a full time volunteer for the members of our local ward family. He will serve in this position for the next 5 to 7 years. When he was asked to come in for a meeting with one of our local leaders, they made sure I was able to attend. We suspected he would be asked to be the bishop but it wasn't a sure thing. I kind of knew it was coming and Thomas was in slight denial. 😏 They pulled me in first and asked me a few questions about Thomas. I was sooooo tempted to tell them he was a very busy man and that I never ever saw him, but I held my tongue. (Being the bishop can require a lot of time). I know they knew he was an amazing man, but they definitely needed to hear it from me that he was as golden as he seemed. And he really is as golden as they get. 😏 They pulled Thomas in for a few minutes for a one on one. Then they called us both in. I was so anxious at this point because I still wasn't cert...

 There once was a man with a zipper on his heart. He was kind and gentle and warm from the start. He gave out pieces of his heart to the sad, The lonely, the hurting, the pained, and the mad. Each piece that he gave made each burden lighter, He helped the weak feel strong, the sad ones brighter. But as he gave and he helped and he saved, His heart dwindled into an empty cave. The people he helped went along their way, But nobody stopped to listen to him say, "The pieces of my heart and all that I give, are pieces of me and the love I live.  I gave what I had to the sorrowful and weak,  but the love they had for me was bleak." You see, he didn't require that much. Just a hug or a handshake or a gentle touch. The cave in his heart grew sad and empty, It needed a boost and good news a plenty. Little Faye was sad and asked for a piece,  but the man said "I'm sorry, the pieces have ceased." Faye turned around and lowered her her head, She felt empty inside, her s...

It has been so long since I have made it a point to sit down and write. I have so many drafts of stories and pictures and entries that I never hit publish. Today, I'm hoping to break that hiatus and get back into a good habit of writing in our family journal. Having three kids, being a working mom, the bishop's wife, keeping up with a household and all the other day to day things are keeping us so busy. But it's a happy busy.  A few weeks ago someone called me a working mom. I laughed because I've been staying home since I was about 12 weeks pregnant with Lincoln back in 2014! But as I thought about it, I had to agree! I am a working mom. After quitting my job after a really terrible, scary and unhealthy situation at my last workplace (more on that later), I immediately started working in childcare. I was a part time nanny for a really sweet family that ended up being our lifelong friends. A few years after that I started doing childcare from my home. It wasn't ver...

She wakes up with the sun. It's a Saturday, she remembers, and relaxes a bit.  Such a relief from the usual 5 am alarm clock that send her into a slight panic. The stillness of the morning is both comforting and daunting. Soon the littlest will need to breastfeed. She'll rock him and nurse him. The chair makes a gentle squeak with each movement. She can feel his tiny body relax back into a deep sleep. She can see the sun start creeping through the windows. She can hear the soft breathing and snores from her other two bed buddies. One day they'll sleep in their own bed, she thinks to herself. Dad slumbers on the very edge of the bed. Their bed bugs have kicked and rolled until he has no choice but to balance on the edge. The baby finishes eating and fusses a bit. She wraps him up in a soft linen baby wrap. He likes the movement and warmth of her chest while being worn. Hopefully he'll stay asleep while she does her usual morning tasks and routines. But first, Diet Co...

Elijah Christopher Graham Born 1/8/2020 2:47 pm 7 lb 2 oz. 20 inches On Tuesday night, January 7th, I began having some pretty convincing contractions. Nothing was consistent so I stubbornly stayed home. I'd been in prodromal (false) labor since New Years Eve, so it was nothing new. At 9pm I had a sharp pain on my left side of my back. It felt like a pulled muscle. I continued to ignore it until I couldn't bare it anymore. So we went to the hospital. Me, Thomas, and my mom. Earlier that day we walked around Sam's and Walmart to help induce labor. I'd also woken up at 3am and couldn't go back to sleep. I deep cleaned the house that morning as well. It was a very busy and active day. I'd packed and unpacked and repacked my hospital bag a dozen times with my umpteen false alarms. As I was packing it again I just laughed to myself that I would just be unpacking again soon. Just before we left, I panicked. I did not want to go in with a...

I went to bed alone. Something I thought I'd love. No elbow in my back. Or knee in my side. Or hand tickling my armpit. Or drool on my shoulder. One night, a few weeks ago, Thomas took the kids to bed. Abbie usually stays behind while the boys go to Lincoln's room, but this time Abbie joined them. And then it was just me. Alone. In the bed. I thought I'd love it but it was awful! I was suddenly so alone. Something I haven't felt in a very long time. Even little dude in the womb was still. And there was a deafening silence. I fell asleep so quickly, so the feeling didn't last very long. And that part was nice! When Thomas came back with empty arms it was so bizarre. I can't even remember the last time it was just me and Thomas alone in our bed. Probably the night my water broke with Lincoln! 🤣😜🤷‍♀️ I was relieved to see Abbie wander back to our room a few hours later. Barely two, in her own bed, across the house. I'm just glad she found her...