October Update

Welcome Fall! We're loving the new cool weather. And we're loving our quickly-growing baby girl, Ellie. She shows more and more personality - she may not be able to speak words yet but her varying squeals are a clear form of communication nonetheless. She's sitting up on her own and is loving sweet potatoes for dinner, and this Friday she'll get her 6-month shots.

Just today, I placed her near the kitchen with two toy keys on a toy keyring while I ate lunch, and the next time I turned around this is what I found:

... I already knew that she was able to get the keys off of her keyring, but don't ask me how she ended up with one of them down her shirt. :-) I'm looking forward to dressing her in her little ladybug costume for Halloween - the next post should include a picture. 

The beginning of school this year was kind of a big deal for us, as it is the "beginning of the end" ("dun dun DUN!" - sorry, I had to throw in a reference here to The Croods. :-) Good movie, not crude at all like I had feared.) Kent is VERY busy with school - all technical classes this semester, plus his L3 exam (engineering exam required for graduation), plus job-hunting. We're done next April!

I am enjoying the fact that Ellie finally (!) sleeps through the night, though even with the extra time and sleep I still have too many project ideas and too little time to do them - right now #1 on the list is Christmas stockings, now that we have three members of the family. (Store-bought were fine while it was just Kent and I, but I have really looked forward to doing unique homemade ones when our family started growing!)

This last couple of months have included me throwing a baby shower for my sister-in-law, getting my first passport in preparation for this Christmas break, getting car repairs, needing more car repairs, and lots of spending time with family. They also included Ellie's first solid food, finding her in some interesting positions in her crib, lots of gorgeous little baby-girl smiles and her first real giggles, beautiful Autumn leaves, and a baby who is half-a-year old (where did that 6 months go?).

There were lots of moments of joy, but this last month did also bring great sadness. Prayers for my sister Heather and her husband Greg would be very appreciated. After they have struggled over the last couple of years to conceive, I announced last month on facebook that we were happy to be getting a new niece or nephew next March. Instead we got two little nephews a couple of weeks ago, too early for them to survive the birth. They were named Austin Scott and Daniel Keith, and my sister says they were absolutely perfect and beautiful. They were buried here in Provo. Her own version of their story is filled with incredible faith and hope - 

http://hgzoll.blogspot.com/2013/10/faith-in-zollinger-household-part-2.html

I am so grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ in my life and in my family members' lives. I know that the priesthood of God can seal families together not just for this life but for the life that follows this one, through ordinances that take place in temples, some of the holiest places on Earth. I am grateful for my little sister's faith through all of this; she has been such a good example to me because of her strength. My moments of anger melted away the first time I saw her and Greg after they lost their babies - the Holy Spirit was with them and everyone in their presence because of their faith. Hard times will pass eventually, because of the suffering and victory of Jesus Christ through His Atonement and Resurrection, and through our limited faith and His unlimited grace we can be healed of every sorrow and infirmity - I have seen the beginnings of such healing in this instance in my own family. It is a miracle. It should not be possible for such deep hurt to go away, except through our loving Savior. All the same, that doesn't mean something that goes so deep will be a quick fix, and all the prayers and love they can get, whether you know them or not, will help a lot.

Love to you all. --Kami