Church Callings

Have I told you yet that I got called as the primary teacher for the CTR 5 class? If not, forget I said anything because I just got put into the primary presidency instead as the first counselor. I'm really going to miss the one-on-one with my class (easily the best and most well-behaved class in the junior primary!) but I'm so excited for the opportunity to learn and grow in this new calling. And I couldn't be more excited about the women I'll be working with! Seriously... some of my favorite people all smooshed into one presidency. I'm beyond thrilled!

Have I told you that Blake got called as the Priest Quorum Adviser? He has one active priest in the quorum who is going to college in a few months. He's got his work cut out for him, but he's already busy getting to know the young men and finding ways to reach out to them in ways they'll accept. I'm proud of the work he's doing.

The Park

There's a park not far from where we live, but right on our apartment grounds we have a little playground. Nothing too fancy, but it's still a fun diversion for Eliza in that half hour of time between dinner and bedtime that can sometimes feel really long. :)

She loves swings, but is very distrusting of slides. She doesn't even enjoy it when she goes down on our laps. We sent her down a few times on her own--she didn't flip a lid, but she certainly wasn't pleased. She'll get onto it with practice.

She also loves riding the duck. She gets a crazy ride when I'm a second passenger (and seat belt), but she also likes wiggling around on it solo.

"Um, guys? I'm stuck."

I thought Utah took the cake as far as bipolar weather was concerned, but Texas far, far surpasses it! ("Everything's bigger in Texas...") These facebook photos from Fox4 News and Weather kind of give you an idea:

These are actual numbers that actually happen! Crazy. One day it's balmy and we're all in shorts (like the pictures on the playground), and the next we're cranking the heat in the apartment and I'm makings soup and baking to generate additional heat. So we take advantage of our warm days when they come with lots of walks, trips to the park, and other adventures and outings. Pretty soon it'll be too hot for that sort of thing and swimming is the only outdoor option. (Or so we've heard. We'll see what these Texas humid summers are like!)

The Little Moments

I love capturing these little candid moments. They remind me just how valuable parenthood, motherhood, and that little baby girl are:  worth far above rubies. It is my whole life and my whole world.

Alice and Wonderland

Learning how to play Clash of Clans with Daddy
[Altogether now, Hull Family:  "Nerd... nerd... No friends... no friends..."]
[Briggs Family: I promise that's a phrase of endearment... Sort of.]

Sometimes I wish our days at home were on surveillance so I could have wonderful pictures of me and Eliza like the ones I take of her and Blake--visual proof to myself that I'm doing more than changing diapers and doing laundry... that I'm raising a child. I try to capture those pictures but generally have to settle for awkward 'selfies' and trust that the hours we spend together sometimes really do look idyllic and magical. But even without the pictures, I know that she is a marvelous blessing and miracle in my life. I hope to be the same in hers.