A Change of Format

Hello, all you faithful readers!

I just wanted to let you know that I am trying a new format - Instagram! (and I forward my posts to facebook as well).

I decided to make this change so that I could easily print out my posts into books and have it already in the same format, ready to go. It's faster to do from my phone, so we'll see how it goes for a while.

If you would like to find me, look up emilywagner4 on Instagram, or Emily Shepard Wagner on Facebook.

Brainy

I am amazed at how fast John is learning. He's like a sponge! He told me yesterday, "Mama, I almost fell down!" I was amazed that he's using correct past tense for irregular verbs and understands the meaning of almost!

I always knew he had a big brain. His head couldn't have been so big when I delivered him for nothing!

Safari Time and Flowers

We got to talk to Seth this morning. He got to be outside the house he is staying at. It looks nice! He is looking forward to going on a Safari until Saturday. 

The first rose bloomed on our rose bush today! I'm so excited!!! And I may have bought some petunias at Kroger to plant, because flowers make me so happy! And Seth, you can pat yourself on the back as if you bought me flowers! This is even better! Thank you! :)

12 more nights

I've been having a hard time sleeping without my dear Seth by my side. Despite exhaustion, I struggle to want to go to bed. 

12 more nights! We've made it half way! And if my love and appreciation for this man grows in those 11 days as they have in the past 11, I don't know how I will contain myself!

Seth hasn't taken a picture yet in Africa, (that's normally my job) but I'm hoping he will! Thankfully others have taken some that he can download. Like these below. (He's so handsome and wonderful!! I'm very proud of him)

Touch a Truck

John was absolutely overjoyed to go to the "Touch a Truck" event in Worthington. 

We went with our friends, the Shurtz's. Bentley is one of John's good buddies. And john loves his little brother, Beckam too. Kyla and I have a great time together as well! John has prayed for their whole family twice this week, even Ben, Bentley's dad! John is thorough :)

Hopeful Thursday

This picture of me and Seth was taken at my grandma Shepard's house years ago, although I am not sure how many years. Maybe three or four. I sure love this man. And I hope that he is having a wonderful life changing experience helping people in a very rural village of Kenya. I am excited to hear from him on Sunday, and know that he's safe.

I feel very hopeful today. God is blessing me with a renewed assurance and perspective. I felt like I mothered John very well, and we weathered any possible bumps in the day with composure.

I am very proud of John. I made a delicious vegan Caesar dressing from Oh She Glows cookbook, and put it on a delicious green salad with kale, lettuce, zucchini, carrots, and tomatoes. He ate his whole bowl-full, asked for seconds and ate that too!

Then we had a very pleasant family home evening, singing songs, saying the Pledge of Allegiance, praying, learning about Ruth in the Bible, and having a delicious banana muffin treat. I felt proud to be a mother today, and remembered that I have a very crucial job, and God is helping me.

Happy Mother's Day 2015

I am exceedingly thankful to be the mother of this wonderful child. John is a great blessing to us!

We got to talk to Seth for 10 wonderful minutes. He looks happy and safe. And it seems like he is learning a lot. I'm very glad that he got to go to church today, and that it is so close by. It is truly a miracle that The Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints is pretty much everywhere in the world.

After church, we got to go to Reynoldsburg, Ohio, to visit my paternal grandma, Phyllis Paver Shepard. She was very glad to see us, and John really put a smile on her face. He was very sweet, and gave kisses, and said Happy Mother's Day!

At grandma's we also got to see some of our very favorite people, my aunt Laura (in red), and my aunt Candi (in black). John absolutely adores them, and the feeling is mutual. John was really excited about that pink flamingo. He carried it around almost the whole time. We got to see the video of aunt Laura skydiving yesterday. She is a daredevil!

I am thankful for the wonderful women in my life. There are too many to number. Our mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters, sisters-in-law, cousins, friends, mentors, teachers. We are so blessed.

John is having a really hard time with Papa being gone. He does wonderfully when we go out, he was a little angel at church, and cuddled, and folded his arms, and played quietly the whole time. But when we get home, John struggles, he asks when Papas coming home, and it is like he knows that something's missing, and it is. It is lonely here without Seth. We sure miss him! 

Although there are many two-year-old tantrums when we are at home, I know that John loves me. I love him so much. When I called my mom, John told her, "I have mama!" So sweet. 

We are going to pretend like it is Mother's Day after Papa comes home. :-)

Safe in Nairobi

We got to talk to Seth today. He is safe in Nairobi, he and his colleagues are staying in a house in a gated community. All of their meals are prepared for them, and he said the food is good. He doesn't have to make any food, or do any dishes. The luxury!

They even have three bathrooms. One for the four women, one for the eight men, and one bathroom on the main floor for everyone.

They went to a small village today, and they got to experience what it is like to haul water for a mile, up the hill back to the village. He said it was really tough. I can only imagine. So when I turn on the faucet, my dishwasher, the shower, and flush the toilet, I am really going to try to remember to be grateful.

He forgot to take his hat, and didn't wear any sunscreen. So he got burnt. I am hoping he will start using those resources :-)

Seth is excited to be able to attend church tomorrow. There is an LDS church just 3 miles away from where he is.

He's On His Way!

We're missing Papa already. John keeps asking me, "where's Papa?" "Is Papa coming?" "I want to see Papa." So do I. 

We took this picture right before we dropped him off at the Columbus Airport today. He is on his way to Nairobi, Kenya! He's going to help with a project that helps people carry and store water more easily and sanitarily. The trip and project have been organized by the OSU MBA school. Even though we will sure miss him for 3 weeks, It is such a great opportunity for Seth! We're excited for him! :)

Year One Down!

We did it! We finished the first year of MBA school :-) and I have no qualms about saying we, Seth would be the first to tell you that this has been a family effort.

God has blessed us so abundantly throughout this whole year. We have all learned so much, and grown a lot. We have made wonderful friends here, and had so many excellent opportunities!

Seth has done very well in school! He has worked so hard. We are very proud of him. He is an exemplary husband and father. Although, he is one of the only ones in his MBA class that is a husband and a father, he has been there for us.

He is been there for family dinner, scripture study, bedtime, family home evening, date night. We are so grateful for him. Great job Seth!!

Hanging with the Barkers

Our great friends Emily and Sam Barker from Cleveland, and their sons William who is four years old, and Paul who is two years old, came to visit us today. We had such a great time with them!

Sam and Emily were some of our very first friends in Cleveland, when we moved there in 2008. It's awesome that Sam and Seth get along so well, and Emily and I love to spend time together! Couple friends that you keep forever are quite hard to find. We are so blessed!

John loved playing with the Barker boys! We sure wish we could see them all more often!

The flowers come from an admirer, but it's no secret

I love spring time. It is a reminder to me that God loves us. That's why He sends us flowers every year. :)

Recognizing Blessings

Here I am with John today, I thought that we were taking a video, but really I just took our picture. But thankfully, he was willing to do the video a second time.

I am not sure why, but John was having a seriously hard time this morning. I jokingly said Seth could take John to school with him :-) after alphabet school, I pretty much had to drag John home, because he didn't want to leave. Then, after a colossal tantrum that seem to last a very long time, I held him in my arms on the couch and talked to him about what was going on. Finally, he gave in and cuddled with me for a few minutes. After a few minutes though, he was fast asleep in my arms. So exhausted. --- It was truly a beautiful moment that I cherish, holding hm in my arms, safe and warm and loved. I know that it can't  always be that way, he will grow up. I am so thankful to have this blessing now. Even though there are tantrums and challenges, it is so worth it being a mother. Just for those glimpses of true joy and peace. 

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John is doing great using the potty! I think he has had one accident this week, and that's it! He has been in underwear the whole time, even at night, and he is telling us whenever he needs to go! This is a very exciting time :-) I am proud of him.

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I am truly loving reading The Book of Mormon again! I have read it quite a few times. And every time I learn new things, or remember important things that I've forgotten. Today I was reading about two brothers, Nephi and Laman. They were both in the wilderness on a journey, for eight years. They were on the same journey, yet they saw it so differently. They both admitted that they had had many trials. Laman saw them through the perspective of pessimism; he complained about it, and said that it would have been better if they had never gone on the journey anyway. That it might have even been better to have died that to go through those trials. He wished for the things of the past, saying that he might have been happy had things been different. I am tempted in times of life that are difficult, to see things this way.

Nephi acknowledges that they have suffered great trials, but he focuses on the fact that they were strengthened by the Lord. He can see how they have grown and developed on their journey through their afflictions when they have relied upon the Lord. He says "so great were the blessings of the Lord upon us"

And he comes to this conclusion:

"And thus we see that the commandments of God must be fulfilled. And if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them; wherefore, he did provide means for us while we did sojourn in the wilderness."

See The Book of Mormon, first Nephi chapter 17 verse three

I want to see with eyes like Nephi, and to recognize the blessings of the Lord always. We are all on our own journeys through the wilderness of life. And we can choose how view them. I choose to see my blessings. And I am greatly blessed! I'm so thankful for my life, for the lessons God is teaching me, for my loving family and the joy that I have because of them, even when times are hard. God has been so good to us.

We're On Our Way to Morristown!

We found a place to live in Morristown, New Jersey! It costs and arm and a leg to live there, but I talked with an LDS realtor in the area, and she said it is unheard of to find a 3 month lease anywhere for less than $4,000/month, and we found one for $2,000. I am very relieved. Now I am trying to iron out the details, and make all the payments for security deposits and fees. We have to pay $3650 in deposits and fees just to get the key....

But it's in the prime location - 3 miles from Seth's work! So we won't have to buy a second car. He can bike. We won't even have to put our bed in the living room, although we wanted to - to save some money. In New Jersey, if you're a family of 3, you can't rent a 1 bedroom - it's illegal... what's with that? And If you have twin babies of different genders, and you are renting an apartment, it is illegal for them to share a room, even though they're babies! Ok, I'm off my rant. It is what it is, and we have a place to stay, and it looks way nice! So if it's all we could get, I am glad that it is nice, and that we are paying for something good, not something gross or unsafe.

And our apt. is right next to a park with a big playground! There are 2 museums, a bus station, and a train station (that takes you right to Manhattan) within walking distance (even for me! which is saying something...) There are parks dotting the neighborhood. Downtown Morristown is very close by as well, and it looks so quaint with all these little restaurants and shops and flowers. And there is a cemetery about a mile away! I love cemeteries because they are beautiful and full of history! And because I am a geneologist, and I'm just into finding my ancestors, and other people's too. And LA Fitness, my gym is only 11 min away, so I can still swim often, and Seth's gym 3 miles away from our apartment. It's really a great location! --- Can you tell I'm excited for the summer!? It will be great! I'm most excited to see more of Seth in the evenings because he won't have homework for the summer :)

My Little Jacob Marley

John fell down and scraped his chin today. Thankfully it wasn't bad, but it was enough to merit a Band-Aid.John went around the house the wailing quite a bit, even though he wasn't hurt anymore. It was all for show. Perhaps he has duped me, and he has already read "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens, and he was just pretending to be Jacob Marley. A very convincing performance! He probably just missed his papa, who has night class tonight. He kept asking, "Papa's coming home?"

I sure am proud of this little boy! He went potty at the gym, even while I was in the pool, he just told the workers at the kids club that he needed to go, and he also stayed dry at his friends house today, and he used the potty the entire day, telling me each time he needed to go so, tonight we are going to see what happens if he wears underpants at nighttime. I did put two pairs on him, and one is a very thick padded kind. But I think if I pay close enough attention when he wakes up in the morning, he will probably stay completely dry!

BASF, Seth's Summer Internship in New Jersey

 Well, we finally know where we are going for the summer! We will be in Florham Park, New Jersey. It is the little red section next to Morristown in the map. Seth got an internship with BASF in their leadership development program. He worked so hard applying, networking, interviewing, etc. for internships! It really paid off. This is a wonderful opportunity for us, and we are so grateful. Now we have to find a place to live for the summer! It will be really fun to be in New Jersey, 30 miles from Manhattan. It is very expensive there though (probably $2,000 a month for a 1 bedroom apartment), so we'll probably end up staying in a one bedroom apartment, and putting our bed in the living room, and John in the bedroom! :-)

                    www.basf.com

BASF is the largest chemical company in the world. It is headquartered in Germany, and it's US headquarters are in New Jersey.

More info about BASF here:
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/BASF

On to exciting adventures! New Jersey, here we come!

Book of Mormon 90 Day Challenge

My Brother Trey and I are going to do this Book of Mormon 90 day reading challenge.

You're welcome to join us! I'm excited! It will be awesome to have this experience and deepen my relationship with Trey. I am going to highlight all the times that Christ is mentioned. I am sure it will be hundreds of times, maybe more. I know that The Book of Mormon is true. It has blessed my life, and I am thankful for it because it helps to clarify the Bible. It does not replace it. Read together, The Bible and The Book of Mormon are the perfect compliment to each other and testaments of Jesus Christ.

"In a meeting with the Twelve Apostles, the Prophet Joseph Smith “told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book” (History of the Church, 4:461; see also theintroduction to the Book of Mormon)." See BoM Study Guide

One of the modern-day apostles, President Marion G. Romney said:

“I feel certain that if, in our homes, parents will read from the Book of Mormon prayerfully and regularly, both by themselves and with their children, the spirit of that great book will come to permeate our homes and all who dwell therein. The spirit of reverence will increase; mutual respect and consideration for each other will grow. The spirit of contention will depart. Parents will counsel their children in greater love and wisdom. Children will be more responsive and submissive to the counsel of their parents. Righteousness will increase. Faith, hope, and charity—the pure love of Christ—will abound in our homes and lives, bringing in their wake peace, joy, and happiness” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1980, 90; or Ensign, May 1980, 67). See BoM Study Guide Ch 1

Here is the Link to the 90 Day Book of Mormon Challenge Chart So you can follow along!

Laughter Helps to Heal My Soul

John couldn't ask for a better father. With Linda K. Burton, I "honor husbands, fathers, brothers, sons, and uncles who know who they are and who are doing their best to fulfill their God-given roles as described in the family proclamation, including righteously presiding and providing for and protecting their families." She continues, "It must be difficult, at best, for covenant men to live in a world that not only demeans their divine roles and responsibilities but also sends false messages about what it means to be a “real man.” One false message is “It’s all about me.” On the other end of the scale is the degrading and mocking message that husbands and fathers are no longer needed. I plead with you not to listen to Satan’s lies! He has forfeited that sacred privilege of ever becoming a husband or father. Because he is jealous of those who have the sacred roles he will never fill, he is intent on making “all men … miserable like unto himself”!^8"Brothers and sisters, we need each other! As covenant-keeping women and men, we need to lift each other and help each other become the people the Lord would have us become. And we need to work together to lift the rising generation and help them reach their divine potential as heirs of eternal life. We could do as Elder Robert D. Hales and his wife, Mary, have done and follow the proverb “Thee lift me and I’ll lift thee, and we’ll ascend together.”^9" ("We'll Ascend together", General Conference Apr. 2015). Her talk truly helps me to want to be more kind and gentle to Seth, to speak more words of appreciation and encouragement to him, and to remember more often how blessed I am.Click on the link above to learn more about how important and wonderful righteous men in our lives are.

Seth is such a great papa! John loves playing with him. It is so great when daddy is home! Fathers are so important. I love to hear when Seth makes John laugh. This is a truly beautiful sound :) It feels me with wonder, peace and joy.

And, if you were wondering why John has no pants on, it's because he's wearing big boy underpants with airplanes on them. Skipper from "Planes" to be exact. And he's stayed dry all day. It was a much better day today! Things are looking up!

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I taught a family history class today at a women's conference for my church.  www.familysearch.org is an amazing free resource that helps people find records and documents and information about their family, and you can also now upload photos, stories, documents, even audio of their voices, to preserve family memories. I love finding out more about my heritage, and it is so exciting to see people light up as they learn more about where their grandparents came from and their great-grandparents, etc. Please let me know if you are interested in learning more!

And please bless Mama

Today started very rough. We have been potty training John, and the first couple days went great! And then everything fell apart. This morning, after four accidents in a row, and spending half the morning sitting in the bathroom with John (he would wait to be in his underpants 10 min. after I took him off the potty...) I was at my wits end, and in tears. I am grateful for my loving heavenly father who is patient with me even when I lost all patience.

I called my friend Kyla, and even though she was at the zoo, she took a few minutes to help me calm down, give some empathy and just listen.

Then, my sweet husband acknowledged what a hard day I was having, and did me a favor, by finding out that we will be spending the summer in Florham Park New Jersey. (so we can finally try to find an apartment!)

I was giving John a snack before nap time, and as I helped him say the prayer, I prompted him to say "Please bless Abuela" (who was on an airplane, we  miss her so much already!) and John , of his own accord said "and please bless Mama...and Papa." 

I started crying again, happy tears this time. It was like a light, a bean of sunshine bursting through the clouds. It was a sweet moment, God's answer to my prayer to be patient with John and to just love him.

After snack, we snuggled up to read a book, and John almost fell asleep in my arms. He was so tired! I decided not to give up, I would try again after naptime. Amazingly enough, after naptime, he didn't have a single accident for the rest of the day. And went potty four times. He was much better behaved in the afternoon, and so was I. My sweet husband came home, and really held to lighten the mood, and help us get back on track.

We will not give up!

H the Horse huffs

Today we got to do H the horse for alphabets cool at our house. We were very happy to have Abuela here to learn with us! She's a veteran of teaching kids to read. John had a blast signing, hurrying, playing, coloring, ad eating honeydew with his friends Myrna and Bentley. When I told John who was coming to our house, John asked, "How about Joshua?" He knows who his classmates are :-) my poor Joshua is sick. We missed him!

John enjoyed and H sandwich for lunch. I had a lot of fun drawing and coloring the pictures for our flashcards, and Jeena has great kindergarten handwriting :-)

He Giveth Power to the Faint

Today, I was reading one of my favorite passages in Isaiah (Isa. 40:26-31). It always helps me have hope and remember that the Lord will give me the strength that I need, and that although I am as a grain of the sand in the sea, He knows my name and my concerns, and He loves me. I know He loves you the same way!

26 Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.

 27 Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God?

 28 ¶Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that theeverlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searchingof his understanding.

 29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:

 31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew theirstrength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Fun with Abuela Jeena

Outside the Columbus Ohio Temple after church

John Wagner (age 2 1/2) and Abuela (Gma) Jeena Wagner

Grinding the wheat on the back patio and getting all messy!