All the comings and goings....

As I sit here in our apartment listening to gospel music and watching Levi play with his toys, I am overwhelmed with the spirit. I'm so grateful for my life and our lifestyle. Each day is a new challenge and adventure in parenthood and marriage. Rick and I were discussing the other day how little we knew each other when we got married. You can't fully comprehend that until you have been married for a couple years. We knew we had all the basic things aligned, and even a few oddities, but nothing so grand as we do now. I remember sitting in front of his stake president as we were interviewing for our marriage recommend. He said something very profound that we knew was true, but didn't fully comprehend. He said, "You think you love each other, but you don't. You just like each other. You may even like each other A LOT. You will understand love a few years down the road." I am sure that all of you reading this that have been married a couple years or more are nodding your heads. Isn't it so true? I can say with all my heart that I love Rick. He is my other half. My better half. He is my life line. My best friend. He is the one I turn to when I cry, laugh, and need a foot rub. Ha ha. I love you my sweetheart Rick!
Levi has been struggling with hitting and throwing temper tantrums these past couple weeks. It is hard to watch him struggle to express himself then get so mad when he can't do it. He is such a sweet boy and I know that as he learns to communicate this will get easier. For now I am trying to help him the best I can with a soft voice and gentle hands. It gets hard, as you know... but I know that it won't do any good yelling and getting aggressive. I just need to be the example of gentleness and calmness for him to follow.
He hasn't been sleeping or eating much lately. He used to sleep 12 hours at night, now I am lucky if he sleeps 8. He has major food preferences too! The only vegetables I have been able to get him to consistently eat is green beans and asparagus. Even then he will only eat a couple beans and only the tops of the asparagus. I hope he will get a little more brave with food as he gets older. I worried about him not eating enough but I was put at ease when I went to the doctor's this last week. He had his 15 month check up and shots. When I pulled off Levi's jeans so the doctor could examine him the first thing out of the doc's mouth was, "Wow! Look at those healthy thighs!" I just love Levi's thick little legs. He has the chubbiest thighs ever! Just like his daddy's thick thighs. The doctor wasn't worried in the least that Levi wasn't getting enough nourishment. He is in the 80% with his weight so I think we are good.
Ally (Alexandra) is doing well. The doctor said at my 20 week prenatal checkup that I have a low thyroid. He said he wants to wait another month to see if my body self corrects itself, but if not I will go on medication for the rest of the pregnancy to avoid a low birth weight baby. She is pretty active, but not as much as Levi was. I can already tell she is a gentle girl. I hope that Levi and she get along well and that Levi can still feel my love for him even as I begin to take care of another life in our home.
Speaking of home, we are buying a house!!! Right now it is 98% sure. We are doing the home inspection tomorrow morning and then the appraisal and loan process will get going. We are hoping to close and get the keys before June 30th! I am so excited for this home. Especially because it is big enough for our growing family and is in bountiful! We didn't want to leave Bountiful. We have grown to call this home and want our children to be able to do the same. I will keep you updated more on the house as we get further through the process!
One more thing, tomorrow is Memorial Day. We usually go the day before, Sunday, to visit my brother and sister's grave and my Grandmother Gray's grave. I remember as a child thinking often of my brother and sister, Jefferson and Elizabeth, that had never met. My mother always taught me that they were on the other side of the veil teaching others about Christ and His gospel. I was always in awe at them. They were my mother's 1st and 3rd born children, I am the last... that is why I never remember them. Although I am sure I spent time with them before I came to earth. As I think of them this Memorial Day I know they are valiant servants of Christ and amazing examples to me. I love you brother and sister!
I know this was a long post with no pictures, but I wanted to document these thoughts for my children especially.