august in an instant

August flew by altogether too fast. We snorkeled in the ocean, we played with grandma, we took a day trip (read: 10 hours in the car) to Indianapolis, we started school!, we swam, we camped, we cleaned. Maren went on a girl's trip to Chicago. And our sweet little Leah was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 

It was a really good month spent with even better people. 

a lesson for them and a reminder for me

A few weeks ago, the boundaries of our local church congregation (ward) were changed. Our former ward ended up being split three ways and our current ward boundaries now include families from both Illinois and Iowa. We longer meet with many of the close friends we have made the past nearly two years and our congregation as a whole is much smaller. 

Change can be hard, and it takes time to adjust, but I honestly was more worried for my girls than I was for myself. Kate went from having 17 friends in her nursery class to 4 boys younger than her and (luckily) one girl just her age. For Leah in particular, change is tricky. Though she seems to adjust well, there are a lot of logistics that need to be considered. New faces are most likely not familiar with her hyperventilating or breath holding. A seizure mid-service might make some individuals uncomfortable or scared. New kids in her own Sunday School class might not know how to interact with or include her. A whack in the face from her uncontrollable hands can be quite startling, not to mention painful. 

Yesterday, her new Sunday School teacher (who already knew Leah quite well), asked me to come in and talk with Leah's class about Leah and Rett syndrome. I planned to do it with Leah by my side, but her seizures had a different plan, so she was sleeping next to her dad (don't worry, he wasn't sleeping) on the couch in the foyer. 

So, I entered the room solo to teach about 10 seven, eight and nine year olds all about little Leah. It ended up being not only a lesson for them, but a reminder for me. 

I asked for two volunteers (all ten jumped out of their seats). When I picked two, we'll call them Billy and Sarah, I asked them to come to the front of the room. Billy was to think of something he did this past weekend that Sarah didn't know about. Billy thought for a moment and then mentioned he was ready. I then asked Billy to tell Sarah all about what he did BUT he couldn't use his hands and he couldn't speak at all. 

The look on his face was priceless. But, he thought for a moment and then began. Only he started to use his hands, so I had to tell him that wasn't allowed. He thought again and then started making motions with his body. Moving his body back and forth, trying to move his face, even making a few grunting noises. Eventually he began to nod his head up and down, back and forth. Sarah's face was drawing a blank and Billy was getting kind of frustrated. 

After about a minute, I asked Sarah to tell me what Billy did this weekend. As you might guess, Sarah was stumped. 

I then explained that Billy just must not have been thinking of anything at all. Otherwise he would have been able to tell Sarah all about it. Billy quickly interjected - he WAS thinking about something. It was just impossible to do it without his voice and hands! 

So, we asked Billy to tell us what he did - with his voice. He explained that he watched a Harry Potter movie with his sister. His head bobbing was his attempt to spell out the name of the movie with his head. 

We then had a great discussion about how Leah has thoughts just like they do. She has questions and comments. She has answers to the teacher's questions. She has funny things to say and comments about her weekend. But she has a body that doesn't allow her to communicate those thoughts very easily, if at all. 

We then spent a minute talking about how Leah CAN speak with her eyes, as well as other ways she can participate and be included in class. We talked about her breathing, her hand movements, her seizures. We even talked about her broken finger at length - way to make me feel like super mom all over again! 

My heart swelled as these kids asked question after question about Rett syndrome and had ideas about how they could talk with her. And I noticed for the rest of the day how friendly they were to her. Not in a condescending way, but in an "Hey! I really like you!" kind of way. 

Knowledge is power, my friends. And knowledge in the hands and minds of these kids as they learn to navigate this world alongside peers who are different from them is extremely powerful. And reminding a mom of that knowledge is an important and humbling thing too. Especially when said mom has been struggling to be patient lately.

Change can be hard and it does often take time to adjust. I'm grateful for a group of eight year olds for helping me to speed up that adjustment time and embrace the change.  

*Picture of Leah after church on a Sunday stroll. Church dress, sagging socks, tennis shoes, slept-on ponytail hair, sunglasses and spilled-on spring jacket. The girl can pull off any look, don't you think? 

Leah the Lamanite

Tonight for Family Home Evening, we learned about Samuel Leah the Lamanite. 

Those Nephites princesses were relentless, but Leah won out in the end. 

And, according to our resident sugar connoisseur, the wall was delicious. 

We believe!

Our girls had a few opportunities to meet with the man in the red suit this year and I'm confident in saying that at least one of them is a believer! 

Leah went on a school field trip to the Festival of Trees. Santa happened to be in attendance and he signed Leah's hand. She couldn't have been more pleased!

Her second run in with Santa was at a restaurant in the neighboring city of LeClaire. We brought along little sister. Leah giggled with glee as she told St. Nick what she wanted via her switch. Kate decided she likes the idea of Santa more than the real deal. 

Our church congregation had a Christmas party a few days later, giving Kate one final chance to sit on Santa's lap. We helped the girls fill out their letters (which they answered on their own...at least Kate was honest???). Leah was, once again, thrilled to meet her jolly match. Kate's visit started out a little unsure, but in the end she was a fan. Success! 

We also listened to some great music and decorated some gingerbread houses - Kate's first. She was pleased with the outcome. She was also pleased with the pieces of candy that didn't quite make it onto the house, as shown by the remains left on her face. 

Also, plaid is where it's at. 

Primary Programs and the Lion's Den

Sometimes it's small moments that make me take a step back and realize how blessed we are to have Leah as included and welcomed and accepted as she is. I know that there are many who have children with special needs who don't feel this way and I don't take her inclusion for granted. 

Leah was asked, just like all of the other children in our church congregation, to participate in the annual Primary Program. In this program, kids ages 3-11 put on an hour long meeting about a gospel topic. They gave Leah a piece of paper saying, "My favorite scripture story is [blank] because [blank]. 

Now, Ryan and I could have easily thought of a great scripture story and written it out for her. But we knew that Leah had a favorite and we owed it to her to figure out what it was and why. 

So began what I thought would be a long and tedious process of questioning. But it ended up going something like this:

Mom: Okay, Leah, we need to figure out what your favorite scripture story is. Do you have a favorite?

Leah: Yes (with eyes, of course, that is to be assumed from here on out...)

Mom: Okay, is it a story in the Book of Mormon?

Leah: No. 

Mom: The Bible?

Leah: Yes. 

Mom: Okay, is it about Noah's Ark?

Leah: No. 

Mom: Is it about Daniel in the Lion's Den?
Leah: YES. (A big, fat, resounding yes with piercing blue eyes staring me in my browns and a giggle and smile to boot.)

Mom: Great!!!

That was it! So quick. And so certain. We then proceeded to read the story from the Bible and talk about the reasons she liked it. I brought up lots of things and she let me know what she did and didn't want to include in her talk. This is what we came up with - it has full Leah approval. She presented this part in front of our entire congregation with her switch. Nice work, Leah! 

"My favorite scripture story is Daniel in the Lion's  Den. 

Daniel kept the commandment even though he could get in trouble. 

Heavenly Father sent an angel to protect Daniel from the lions. 

Daniel was a good example. 

I can follow Daniel's example by praying to Heavenly Father 

and keeping his commandments." 

It makes my heart burst to know that Leah participates so well in our church programs and that she is growing in her knowledge just like the other kids. What a powerful example she is to me! And a cute one at that. 

Activity Days Recognition

Tonight I had the opportunity to celebrate the 17 young girls I have the pleasure of working with at church. These girls, ages 8-11 work so hard throughout the year to meet requirements and participate in activities to earn their Faith in God award. They work on Learning and Living the Gospel, Serving Others, Developing Talents, memorizing scriptures and preparing themselves for the future in many different ways. 

I've been working alone in my calling for a little bit, so it was just me and the girls who put this recognition night together. They were so great! We kept it simple with some crepe paper decorations and a caramel apple bar (SO easy, and a hit!). We decided on the theme "I Am a Child of God" as it is a main part of the theme they repeat each week at their activities. The girls were in charge of prayers, the theme, music and talks. Where else could you find such a group of capable kids!? I spoke briefly about the theme and gave each of the girls their own felt crown with the initial of their name on it. 

I truly believe these wonderful girls are daughters of God and I hope they always remember that! 

Nauvoo in the fall

We took a "quick" trip to Nauvoo today so Ryan and I could attend tag-team sessions at the temple. I attended the first session, then we ate a quick lunch and drive around town (where I got to see the home of some of my ancestors) before Ryan headed in and I hung out with the girls. 

I decided to take the girls to Carthage as neither of them had been inside the jail before. The foliage was on fire as we drove around town and down the road that parallels the Mississippi River. By the time we reached Carthage, Kate had fallen asleep in her car seat. And if there was ever a child you should NOT wake unless there is an actual fire, it is Kate. So, we parked the car, rolled down the windows and Leah and I walked around the courtyard (about 20 feet from the car) to stretch our legs. 

Leah was so quiet and reverent and still. It was a fun moment to talk about Joseph and Hyrum Smith and this piece of our church history. 

On the drive back to Nauvoo, Leah fell asleep too. Those two are angels when they sleep.  

When Ryan finished, we picked him up and walked around the temple grounds. We feel so lucky to live near this beautiful and sacred building. I really hope Leah can go inside someday. 

Nauvoo Pageant

The day Ryan got home just happened to be the last day of the Nauvoo pageant, a yearly summer tradition held in Nauvoo that culminates each night with a live show about Joseph Smith and the early latter-day saints and the sacrifice and faith they showed to build the city of Nauvoo and the Nauvoo temple. 

There is a fair held beforehand with bagpipe players, games and activities common to the 1830s and 40s, and crafts for adults and kids to enjoy.  

We knew it would be the last night the pageant was running, but we also knew Ryan would most likely be exhausted after being in a completely different time zone for three weeks and then traveling home for more than 24 hours. But, around 4:00 in the afternoon, we decided we should give it a shot and we made the two hour drive to Nauvoo. 

I'm really glad we did. We were able to walk around for about an hour and the girls had fun making fabric braids (which Kate refused to take off for a few days) and seeing all the entertainment. They wouldn't let Ryan out of their sight! 

The pageant itself was wonderful. The singing, dancing and acting were all top notch. And I really want to make this pageant a yearly family tradition (also because I'd love to watch the show again without wrangling a 2 year old at 10 pm). 

Kate was really worried when they turned the lights off of the temple they had been building on stage for the entire pageant (as the saints left Nauvoo and the temple was destroyed). And it was such a great moment when they lit up the current temple, rebuilt in its original location. Kate was honestly awestruck and was so happy the temple was back again. 

We packed up our sleepy ladies and made it home just after midnight, which made for a sleepy Sunday (never a bad thing!). 

Nauvoo for the day

Today we drove to Nauvoo so Ryan and I could attend the temple. As it's a 2 hour drive, one way, and each session is 2 hours, this was an all-day activity. We planned to leave just before 7am so I could catch the 9:00 session. We were a little sluggish getting out the door, so as we started our drive, I knew there was no way we were going to make it until the 10:00 session. I fell asleep for part of the drive and when I woke up we were a few miles away from Nauvoo, and it was 8:35. 

Needless to say, Ryan may or may not have obeyed the posted speed limits. But, I made the 9:00 session! 

Ryan took the girls to the visitor's center and to visit with some family friends who happen to be serving a mission there right now. When I was done, we swapped. I was hoping for some sunny weather, but it was completely overcast and really windy. So we took our picnic lunch and ate it in the back of our little car. We were seriously cramped and it was seriously fun. Those girls. 

After lunch we still had more than an hour to spare. We walked around the visitor's center, but after wrangling Kate while watching the movie, I realized that was a futile plan. We loaded up in the car and drove to Carthage Jail. I planned to get the girls out and walk around the grounds, but Kate fell asleep and there was no way I was waking her. So, Leah and I chatted about Carthage for a bit and then we drove back to Nauvoo. 

By this time, Kate woke up and Leah had crashed. As we pulled up to the temple waiting for Ryan to finish, the sun broke through the clouds and the wind stopped. I rolled down the windows and Kate and I got out to enjoy the sunshine. It was good for the soul! 

When Ryan finished, Leah woke up and we walked to the Fudge Shoppe (of course) and soaked in the sun for a few more minutes before turning around and driving home. 

Kate apparently thought her 20  minute slumber was plenty for the DAY and didn't sleep a wink the entire drive home. Instead, she serenaded us with her screams and whines. It was all around lovely. And made me reconsider potential travel with her in the car this summer. I might invest in some ear plugs. For me and Leah. 

All in all, a day well spent with three of my very favorites. 

Fiji bound

Over the holidays, Ryan's dad was called to serve the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a mission president presiding over the Fiji Suva mission (the special late night FaceTime I referred to on our Chicago weekend away was when we found out). This is a three year calling for both his parents!

Though we are sad to not have them around for the next three years, we are excited for them and for the experiences and adventures that are sure to await them in the Pacific! And we obviously can't wait to visit (though I'm considering giving Ryan a turn flying solo with the girls, and this 15+ hour flight might be the perfect opportunity???).

After calls for new mission presidents are made, the Church features each couple individually in the Church News. Here's what they wrote about the Laytons.

LaMar L. Layton, 58, and Lynnette Stark Layton, two children, River View 6th Ward, Draper Utah River View Stake: Fiji Suva Mission, succeeding President Kenneth D. and Sister Janis Klingler. Brother Layton is a former stake president, counselor in a stake presidency, bishop, senior missionary in the Tonga Nuku'alofa Mission and missionary in the Illinois Chicago Mission. Founder of Decisive Investor. Born in Salt Lake City to Lawrence Martin Layton and Lida Marlene Prince. 

Sister Layton served with her husband in the Tonga Nuku'alofa Mission and is a former stake Young Women president, ward Relief Society president, ward Primary president and counselor in a stake Relief Society presidency. Born in Rexburg, Idaho, to Earl William Stark and Loretta Ririe.