Swimming

The kids have been enjoying having our pool set up again this summer. I love that it is shallow enough for Katy to stand up in, so that I can supervise swimming from a (somewhat) dry vantage point.

On Funerals...

I attended another funeral yesterday morning. I feel like been to a a lot of those over the last few years. Part of that stemmed from the fact that I was the Relief Society President of our ward for a couple of years. One of my responsibilities was to help out with the funerals for members of our church. I hope I was able to be of some help and comfort to those families who lost loved ones.

A year and a half ago, I participated in the funeral of my son's best friend Sarah. She was 4 years old. I didn't post about it at the time because it was just too...personal. I'm still not quite up to posting about it.

Yesterday the funeral was another little girl--the 6-year-old daughter of a family that I did not know very well. She was born within months of Andrew and Sarah. I'm glad that I went to the funeral. It was good...in a heartbreakingly sad sort of way.

But...I'd rather not have the opportunity to attend any more funerals for little girls. Or little boys for that matter. Can we make a rule? From now on, only people who have lived a good, long life are allowed to die. Let's say 80. Or maybe 90...


ETA: If you are interested, here is a link to the story about the family who lost their daughter earlier this month. They have a long road ahead of them, and there are some links to the left side of the story with information on how to help them.

Our Budding Photographer

Matthew got a hold of the camera again. I think it's fun to see the kinds of subjects that he chooses to photograph...



This one wasn't taken by Matthew, but it's too cute not to include (I may be slightly biased).

Katy and the Guinea Pig

We are currently pet-sitting a guinea pig for some friends who are on vacation. Katy has really taken to this little creature. Several times a day, she runs in to see me and announces, "I patting geee-pig!"

And this is what I find--


All by herself, she totally dismantles the cage, then removes all the guinea pig's hiding places so she can "pat" him. She insists that she "be soft" when she's petting him. But I'm not sure toddlers really are capable of gentleness. Poor creature. Hopefully it will survive its owners' vacation...