Learning New Things

I dedicate this blog post to some of the things we've all been learning lately. It is a range of stuff, so to make it somehow cohesive, keep in mind the post title. OK, here I go, in no particular order...

1. Afton has learned to ride her bike without training wheels! She was struggling with the mechanics of it at first and would get frustrated. Then she had the idea to move the training wheels up higher on her bike so she could get the feel of riding without them, but still have them on in case she started to tip too much. A few days later she declared to me she was ready to have them off. I held onto the seat to get her on, then she started pedaling and I let go. Voila! She was riding like crazy. It is a big deal for her because she is the kid who rides her bike every day of the year, come rain or shine. Now she feels like a bonafide big kid.

2. Cade (who is 5 1/2 months) has learned to roll from his back to his tummy! This makes me very happy because we've been working so diligently on strengthening his neck and core muscles to counteract the torticollis. He rolls and gives a big grin, so I can tell he's pretty excited about it too. The weekly physical therapy for his neck and head have been so very helpful. We're very grateful that we can avoid him wearing a helmet. Wohoo!

3. Ben has learned that in order to be a true football player, he needs to have an intense face. He's learned to pose in true tough-guy fashion.

4. We've learned, AGAIN, how precious family is and how every moment counts that you can spend with family. Especially when you live far away. With both of Jared's grandpas having passed away this year, it has been a poignant reminder how grateful we are for the sealing power of the temple.

5. I learned to crochet. Not that I'm good at it, but I learned to do it. I whipped up a couple hats for Afton and myself. They aren't the prettiest or fanciest, but they work. And now I don't feel like I have to crochet anymore. Hmmm.

6. I learned that just looking at this picture of my favorite place on earth makes me feel better on a bad day.
7. I learned that after two years, I still get choked up when I think about how much I miss my mom and want her to be around to see how amazing my kids are. October 29th is not a bad day. It is just a day to tell everyone I know about my mom and why I am who I am because of her. My dad is such a strong man to move forward with faith without his best friend. Can you believe how much Cade resembles my dad? It's awesome.
And those are some of the things we've learned lately. I know there are more, but I can't think of anything else right now. And now to congratulate myself for getting this post done, I'm going to eat a ton of pre-Halloween candy. So there.