It doesn't make sense. And yet, it really does.

I have spent the last week reading through the first four books of the New Testament, trying to comprehend the life of Jesus Christ. I say trying because who he was and what he said and did transcends everything else I have ever studied and read. Throughout his life, he went about doing good. And he went about doing good all the time, even at the most inconvenient times. That is the thing that stuck out most to me this time as I read about his mortal life. Everywhere he went, people followed him, sought him out. No matter where he was, someone, usually crowds of someones were trying to find him, because they were sick and hoping for a miracle or because they wanted to hear him say something wrong so that they could condemn him as a fake or simply because they were curious. And no matter what he was doing, he let them come. He let them come, and he healed them. Again and again and again and again. It happens over and over and over again throughout the gospels and really everywhere else in scripture. He spent his entire life lifting and healing and helping--doing physically and spiritually for others what they could not do for themselves. All this, before he entered the garden or was nailed to a cross or left the tomb, which were the experiences that gave him the power to understand and help everyone who has ever lived or will yet live rise above and heal from their sins, sorrows, mistakes, ignorance, and pain. He was this way before He even experienced mortality. The Old Testament and Book of Mormon testify and show a Christ who exhibited these characteristics before he was born as a baby on this earth. (See Moses 1, Moses 7:43-69, Moroni 9:25-26, Alma 8:14-15, 2 Nephi 10:23-25, 2 Nephi 4, Alma 36, "Sunday Will Come")  He is eternally good. He is the Only Begotten of Heavenly Father, of a God that is equated with love.

How can a God of love allow such monstrosities, such devastation, such misery to happen to His own children? Reason will not allow it. I agree. Unless He can make everything right in the end. And I believe He can. For me, the best example of this is given, the one that helps me see more clearly is actually just a few short verses in the Gospel of Luke. The soldiers come to take Jesus to be tried and in desperation, Peter takes a sword and cuts off the ear of one of the servants of the high priest. How does Jesus respond? He reaches out and heals the man's ear.

Why do these verses matter? They matter to me because they show on a small scale what the power of Jesus Christ can do on a large scale. I assume Peter was scared and he didn't know what to do and he certainly didn't want them to take Jesus away. So he commits violence against someone who may have been innocent--who may have only been acting on someone else's orders. The thing that is amazing to me about this story is the effect of healing that ear. The man whose ear had just been severed must have been in intense physical pain--and he probably wasn't feeling much love toward Peter. But suddenly, Jesus Christ touches him, and his ear is healed. He is physically whole again. It is quite literally as if the ear had never been chopped off. Can you imagine? And then any anger towards Peter is now transformed into awe at the miracle--awe at the man who just did what no one else could have done.

I believe that the Savior of the world has that power and that He can heal us physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually--and He heals in a way that makes people new and whole, that takes away anger and bitterness and turns it into reverence and love. I have felt that happen at times in my own life when I have turned to Him; and it changes me. It doesn't make sense. And yet, it really does.

Love is the essence of the gospel.

A little bit of our life...

So we moved. And Forrest started a new job. And Evelyn talks and counts and suddenly threw caution to the wind. She has always been very careful when it comes to any kind of movement. Just a couple of months ago, if we were walking along the sidewalk and she came across a space between the cement squares that was a little bit wider than your average space between sidewalk squares, she would stop abruptly and ask for my hand to help her across the "abyss". Needless to say, I encouraged her to brave the journey over the cracks in the sidewalk without assistance from me. But some morning in January, she woke up and decided she would throw caution to the wind and climb everything she could think of in the house. She stands on her chair, she climbs on the couch, she jumps on the bed, she rolls on the floor. It is fun to watch. And also sometimes ends in huge lumps on her head, as you will see below.

Other things of note: She laughs uproariously at episodes of Curious George. She suddenly is attached to her blankie. She is in the 97 percentile for height (no surprise there). Her first two Sundays in nursery, she fell asleep and stayed asleep almost the entire time. Apparently if you put her in a room full of kids and toys during nap time, she would rather sleep...That is wisdom beyond her years if you ask me....

yes, that huge circle on her head is from a nasty spill she took while we were out walking with uncle ben and aunt ryanne.....

Lost Sheep

Today I am grateful that He seeks out and rescues lost sheep.

Pictures of One Terrific Toddler

It is amazing how Evelyn surprises us each day with something new she has learned to do or say. Her current vocabulary includes: mama, dada, cracker, georgia (her stuffed animal giraffe), stella (the cat), kitty, Jesus (she makes two 's' sounds and points to his picture). Her favorite word is dada. She says it all the time. She recognizes and responds to tons of other words: book, food, milk, hold on, go, stop, sleep, different parts of the face, etc. In the last two weeks, she finally learned to pull herself up, crawl, and get up from a sitting position. She folds her arms when it's time to pray. Her favorite books right now are But Not the Hippopotamus and The Very Hairy Bear. Her favorite foods are teddy grahams, choco-banana-pb shakes and grilled cheese sandwiches. She has quite a hefty appetite and has 6 teeth to chomp with. She falls at least 3 times a day. She likes watching The Sound of Music (I'm hoping this has the same effect as it did on her Uncle Russell...that she'll have an incredible singing voice). Any time music is playing, she either dances or waves her hand like a conductor. She loves to put on necklaces and bracelets and she loves, loves, loves being outside on our porch. Being a mom is the best.

At a park with some friends

Drinking a choco-banana-peanut butter shake with dad

Game Day Face

Mornings at the park with mom

My Friend Laura

Me, Caitlin, Laura, and Jen

So I have this friend named Laura. And today is her birthday so she has been on my mind. Since she lives in Utah and I live in Texas, I haven't seen her in far too long. So I just wanted to say a few words to her through cyberspace. I suppose I should just call, but I am not very good at talking on the phone (as she will attest).

Laura is the kind of person who is always one step ahead of you, but you don't resent them for it. You admire them and are grateful for it. She is the one who met and befriended everyone in the apartment complex by the end of week one -- and then suddenly I had friends too, because she included me in the festivities. She is intelligent, funny, and spontaneous. She is always picking up a new skill or honing an old skill -- biking, rock climbing, singing, violining, baking, writing -- seriously one of the most well-rounded people I know.

Did I mention how much I laugh when I'm around her? It is just enjoyable hearing her recount the events of her day because she always finds something funny about an conversation she's had or heard or something crazy she's seen.

We liked to play the piano and sing together sometimes, and she has this unbelievable voice. I don't even think she's had any formal training. It just comes out of her like that. I try not to be too jealous when I sound like Hilary Duff next to her Adele-ish voice, but....I am a little. We decided that one day we are going to do gigs at wedding receptions. I'll play the piano and she'll sing jazzy love songs in a black dress.

For awhile, every week we would get together and watch a random movie together.

Like this treasure:

Laura likes to quote that line to me sometimes..."Never had a good experience with an Ellen..." Bah! That's what I say to that Kirsten Dunst...

But seriously, Laura, I don't know what I would have done without you during my college days. You were my rock. So full of life and so fun to be around. Always spiritually grounded and ready to do whatever God wanted you to do, even when it didn't make sense at first. I've been around you and watched you for years and you constantly amaze me. Thank you for always caring. I hope this next year is the best so far. You deserve it. Happy Birthday! Here's a little number from Gavin Creel to ring in your new year:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3F7Wa0um3WY

Hace Calor!

So it is officially autumn. But it doesn't feel or look it here in Tejas. I'm speaking a little Spanish because while I was out with Evelyn on one or our daily outings to the mailbox, I started singing a little song from the my old Sesame Street watching days. It goes something like this:

Hace calor. Mucho calor! Could fry an egg on the cement it's so caliente.

Well I googled it today and found this YouTube video of it and, well--it just made me so happy. I hope it makes you happy too. They don't make 'em like this anymore...

This is what Evie and I sing as we walk in the staggeringly hot Texas weather and we hope that October will bring some Hace Frio!

Best Year of Our Life

A few months back, Forrest and I were at some friends' house for a birthday party and the couples there began to discuss what the best year of their life was up to the present. One of the individuals said something like, "It would definitely be before we had kids." 

And that was kind of sad to me. I understand the sentiment, of course. Having children limits or puts a strain on a lot: your free time, your budget, your time alone with your spouse, your ability to travel, and a million other things. But if that is the case, then all of my best years are behind me. That may be true for some people, I suppose. Forrest's response was that ideally each year should just get better than the previous one. And I like that. 

When I say, however, that this last year has been the best year of our lives, it is true and not just wishful thinking. For a plethora of reasons, this year has been full of wonder and fulfilled dreams and prayers. And a big part of that has been Evelyn. Because she is with us, we smile more, laugh more, sing more, read more, pray more, and try harder to be better than we are.

And now, for the pictures. 99% of people who look at Evelyn say immediately that she looks like her dad. Which is fine. Her dad is a handsome guy. But I kind of want her to have at least a little bit of Jenson in her. Then, the other day, I came across some pictures of me from when I was one and two years old. Looking at them reminded me that I look nothing like my baby pictures. And then seeing those pictures next to pictures of Evie proved that there is some Jenson in her yet!

Okay our eyes look completely different but that nose and
 half smile are unmistakable, right?

See! I can't see myself in this picture at all. But I can see a little bit of Evelyn in that face!

But there is no doubt she mostly favors her dad in the looks department. They are a good-looking pair.

 I love my baby and her dad.