And then Eric mumbled...

Jacob, reading a scripture story: "Korihor went to live with the Zoramites. One day while he was begging, he was trampled to death."

Eric: "At least he didn't have to do a residency."

So that's how Eric's feeling about life lately.

Sunday centers

I didn't come up with this concept, but I've loved organizing it for my family during the past several weeks. It has been a winner! Every Sunday afternoon around 4 p.m., we meet to split into four teams. There are four centers in different rooms set up with instruction sheets and all the needed supplies. The teams rotate between them at 12-minute intervals, signaled by a bell-ringer (a coveted responsibility). By the time we're done, everyone has spent about an hour of quality, Sunday-appropriate activities as a family. Here are some examples of successful center ideas:

1. The scripture center

Some of the ideas for this center come from Duty to God or Personal Progress goals: you read a scriptural passage, then write something about it. Last week we had each team read a portion of Lehi's Dream in the Book of Mormon and then draw the images of those verses as part of a mural. Other times I've pulled up a conference talk or Mormon Messages video that the team can watch and then talk about. Oh, and we have the quiz game "Seek" (the 1958 original!) at this center in case a team finishes the task quickly.

2. The service center

For the past couple weeks we've been working on preparing these flannel board pieces for my sister, Sandra, and her family. Other fun ideas have been decorating sugar cookies for a neighbor; writing letters to my missionary brother, James; and tying a simple baby quilt.

3. The art center

One Sunday I set out a dozen temple pictures on the table, plus a few pounds of homemade white play dough and some embellishments. Then everyone created temple models. (Eric said that his is a "future European temple" because he wanted to create his own design.)

On Father's Day I glued head-shot photos of my dad and Eric on poster board body cut-outs, and then we pasted pictures and words from magazines on them. Everyone loves the art activities.

4. The journaling center

Sometimes I set out a prompt for journal-writing ("Record 5 fun things you did this week, your favorite memory of a grandparent, and a summer goal.")

We also try to fulfill some Duty to God/Personal Progress goals at this center. One time we all wrote poems (haiku, acrostics, and short ballads) about gospel subjects:

Alma the Younger

overcoming deepest sin

began to teach truth.

The Word of Wisdom is so great.

It puts the right things on my plate.

Lehi's family

Set up wilderness tent-homes:

Sandy, hot, alone.

Earth is

A

Real

Treasure from

Heavenly Father.

Nephi was tied up.

Chafe! Burn! Sea-sick churn! He stood.

Finally, released.

4. The treat center

Everyone's favorite! One time we took turns (over-)decorating this cake:

Another time I wrote the instructions for popcorn balls in four stages (uh, group four must have been on the back of this instruction sheet), and each team completed a part of the recipe.

And they actually turned out well!
Sunday centers take a bit of preparation, but they have been a highlight of our family activities while we've been in Maryland. This is a tradition that we'll continue for years to come!

Eric's day off...road trip?

Eric had a "short" 10-hour shift on Thursday, and Friday was his day off, so we were able to rendezvous with some Brinton relatives (Uncle Mark and Aunt Jen, their two boys, and Eric's cousin Jed). We laughed that we had lived by these people for years in Salt Lake, but didn't make the time to get together until we were all across the country!

We stayed at the guest home on a Mennonite dairy farm in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, where we bottle-fed a 5-day-old calf, collected fresh eggs, chased the kittens, and rode the toy tractors. The dad in the host family was born and raised on the farm, and now he, his wife, and their two sons run it. If you met them, you would probably want to buy a dairy farm yourself! They are a loving, united family.

The next day we pilgrimaged to West Chester, where we toured the Brinton 1704 House. The first Brinton family to immigrate to America built it, and it is now a well-preserved National Historic Landmark.

When we were on the property, we met a friendly Amish roofer who talked with us about his community and their beliefs. The boys were interested in him and in the horses and buggies that we saw throughout the town. (While scrubbing his chin later, Zachary asked, "When will my beard come?") We'd like to learn more about the Amish people on a future trip to PA.

And of course, what's a road trip without a nice tantrum to tie it all up? Here's Michael pouting underneath the van when we arrived back. Too cute.

Good women

This week I walked into my new OB's waiting room to find about a dozen women watching The Bold and the Beautiful. I soon overheard casual conversations about previous abortions and broken marriages. The room smelled of smoke. I am not exaggerating when I say that over half of the women were heavily tattooed, a third of them were pregnant teens, and all of them looked miserable. I felt like a child who, expecting a Disney fairy tale, had accidentally walked into an R-rated drama.

I was interested, later in the week, to read about some experiences that friends have had recently: one friend is tending her eight children and trying to sell her home while her husband begins his residency in another state; another friend, surprised by a quick labor, had to deliver her baby son on her bathroom floor; and another friend's mother tragically lost a finger in an accident. Yet each of these amazing women have expressed courage and optimism during their (unexpected and externally-caused) challenges. I feel great love for their examples. As I reflected further on these women, I realized another trait that each of them shares: each has amazing children. Kind, optimistic, obedient children! What a blessing these mothers give their families--because of their goodness, their children have also learned to 1) be moral in order to avoid unnecessary challenges and 2) be optimistic even during pressing trials. I doubt that the gloomy women in the OB office could have been raised by such women.

Rained out

Yesterday we thought that we would take the kids down to D.C. Noticing the rain clouds, we wisely brought three umbrellas along, which would have been especially wise if we had remembered to take them out of the van, which we didn't. We were only mildly wet at the JFK memorial,

but by the time we came to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, we were completely soaked! The rain was seriously pouring harder than a shower head.

After we ran the mile route back to the van, the chilled kids were left with, ahem, slightly decreased patience for our field trip. So after drying off in the car (and watching the storm pass by momentarily), they were only up for a fifteen-minute stop at Washington Monument

(with some bonus views!).So we'll have to make it to D.C. another time, which brings up a great point: if any of you dear friends are thinking about coming to the area for some sightseeing, we'd love to host! Seriously.

Summer fun

Lately I've felt like a schoolchild on summer vacation: there have been no practices, no meetings, no projects! So we've been savoring these last few days until Eric begins his residency, taking advantage of all kinds of Maryland fun.

This week the boys helped pick strawberries at a farm,

sampled them,

and helped make them into jam. (Zachary stuck around for the whole process and was actually a great help cutting off the stems.)

Later we hiked in Catoctin Mountain Park (where I swear the 2.8 mile trail was 5!),

supported the Orioles (with our gate-prize bucket hats),

and just hung out (aren't these inflatable pools the best?).

Next month I'll do some yard work, start a sewing project, and sign up to help in the schools. For now, I'm loving just being a mom!

Three weeks in ten pictures

May 18: We stop in Madison, Wisconsin, where the kids enjoy the (free!) zoo. We venture around the city and check out possible neighborhoods for our move next year.

May 19: How could we pass up this charming locally-owned Ohio hotel? We arrive in Maryland the next day.May 23: Eric receives his M.D. His dad, also a U of U Medical School graduate, hoods him.

May 25: Eric and I leave for a Northern European Capitals cruise. For the first four days, I cry every time I see young children because I miss my little ones.

May 26–29: We enjoy port stops in Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Helsinki. In Copenhagen, we see the Christus statue that became the inspiration for Temple Square replica. After touring the Swedish Royal Palace, we sit and watch the sailboats (above). Helsinki's 1952 Olympic tower and underground Dome Church amaze us.
May 30–31: We tour St. Petersburg, where Eric acts as a handy Russian interpreter. Here, we pause to view the Baltic from Peterhof, Peter the Great's massive summer estate. We also explore the Hermitage and the Peter-Paul Fortress.

June 1–2: We take in Tallinn, Estonia and Gdansk, Poland. In Tallinn we rent a seven-seater bicycle and become instant celebrities as we clamor down the cobblestone streets (above). A gypsy child in Poland chases me down the street trying to spit on me.

June 3–4: We enjoy Oslo, where we see one of four originals of Munch's The Scream and actual Viking vessels. On our way out, we observe the Norwegian fjords from our balcony. June 5: We tour Copenhagen again. This time we venture out on the corkscrew spire of the Church of Our Savior, which offers views of the entire city. We fly back to Maryland, where I cling to the precious boys.

June 7: We finalize lease papers for a cute townhome. We'll move there next month.