Thirty Days Hath September

And we are astounded that fourteen of them are already past. Perhaps September 10th will live forever in our memories as September 11th has done for the past almost quarter century, even moreso since the assassination took place almost in our backyard. That this heinous crime took place the day after the 101st birthday of President Nelson, who has repeatedly called for us to be peacemakers and treat one another with dignity, is especially jarring.

When events of such import take place so close to home, it seems hardly to matter that we had Miriam's one year pictures taken, that Justin and Lia got to host Elder and Sister Cook at the last BYU football game, that Abdiel scored both of his team's touchdowns two games ago and made some impressive tackles in the last one.

Gabriel is just an impressive artist.

We made chocolate sugar cookies for Abdiel's teammates who had a loss in their family.

We had some awesome computer stools made by the welding teacher at THS. 

  

 And we ordered some legal pictures, but here are pictures of some of the pictures

We'll try to record some cute moments. Picture this: a cherubic little chub-a-lub completely naked in the tub. Now that she is one, she no longer needs mom to tend to her hygiene. Squawking her mother's help away, our little cherub stands up under the running faucet as though it is a shower, twisting her corpulent body this way and that. When Mom tries to lather up the baby, cherub tug-of-wars the washcloth out of her hand--squawking her displeasure all along--grabs a second cloth in the other hand, bends her little belly in two, and starts vigorously scrubbing just below her knees. She then scrubs her head with both hands, plops down on her bottom and starts scrubbing away at that, too. She then notices the bathmate sitting just behind her and starts scrubbing away at his head with both cloths. Bathmate not appreciating this hygiene help, our helpful little cherub goes winging away.

*****

Lia driving somewhere with only Gabriel and Miriam after a morning in which Gabriel slept so long he missed breakfast, scripture study, and everyone going off to school.

Lia: Gabriel, are you excited to go to Joy School the day after tomorrow?

Gabriel: What?! Did I sleep for two whole days?!!

Lia: No, but you did sleep for so long.

*long pause, then, very seriously*

Gabriel: Mom, I didn't really think I slept for two days. I was just being funny. Because I know how to be funny, but you don't.

A different day, Gabriel: When I grow up, I'll paint my boys rooms bright blue, my girls rooms pink, and my tomboys--if there are any tomboys--yellow.

AJC #33