A Homecoming and A Farewell

A few weeks ago I traveled to Utah with Alexandra and Elisabeth. My oldest nephew, Matthew had just returned from serving a mission in Texas on July 1st, and his younger brother, Jacob, left to serve a mission in Argentina on July 15th.

It was a special occasion to be there with their family and I am SO incredibly proud of my nephews.

Both Matthew and Jacob spoke at church and following the service my sister hosted a delicious brunch at her home. The color theme was yellow and blue to represent the Argentinian flag.

Alexandra enjoyed having all her cousins to herself while Elsa and Lorelai were in Portland competing in a regional track meet.

Left to right...Alexandra, Ben, Katya, Jacob, Matthew, Peter, and Daria.

I loved being in Salt Lake City. The weather was divine, the mountains majestic. It is simply spectacular there!

I love to see the temple.

I Choose to Thrive

Mankind is meant to be great. We are meant to grow and learn and achieve. We are meant to push boundaries and make discoveries. We are meant to develop talents. We are meant to help and serve one another.

I believe that we each have unlimited potential within us.

And that is why I take Thrive.

Thrive fills in the nutritional gaps so that my body and mind can function optimally. With Thrive I achieve mental clarity and physical well being. 

I can climb mountains.

I can perform symphonies.

And, most importantly, I can be what Elisabeth needs me to be: her caretaker, her protector, her nurturer.

I am not who I am because of Thrive, but rather I can be who I am meant to be because of Thrive.

This is a product I believe in and I invite you to visit the website, read what it has to offer, and set up a free account. 

I strongly recommend that you try The Thrive Experience - an 8 week premium lifestyle plan created to help you achieve peak physical and mental levels - I did, and I never looked back.

If you have any further questions, please email me, I'd love to answer them! 

You can contact me at greenstan@charter.net

Be great.

Be you.

A Tiny Miracle

Once upon a time, some eight years ago, I looked at this picture and mourned:

I mourned for the child I had envisioned but would not know.

Life had given me lemons, I thought.

But as it turned out, life hadn't given me lemons at all, 

but rather the sweetest glass of lemonade ever to be. 

(So to speak)

 

Be joyful in life, for it is beautiful and good.

Elsa's Baptism

On the morning of 4th of July, Elsa Lelise Christine was baptized and became a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Elsa has been learning about the gospel of Jesus Christ since she moved here a year and a half ago and was so excited to make this choice.

[Elsa was baptized wearing the same dress I wore, as well as both of my sisters, Alexandra, and Lorelai.]

I am so proud of Elsa. She truly is Christlike - she is kind, charitable, forgiving, and compassionate.

Following the baptism, we hosted a luncheon at our home.

My friend and neighbor, Esther, made Elsa a cupcake dress in honor of the day.

Spectacular, no?

And some gifts for the girl of honor...

   

Elsa, admiring her very own set of scriptures. 

She especially loved how her name was engraved on the cover.

Matthew 3:16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him

How To Feed Your Child While They Sleep: A Tutorial

It's breakfast time but your sweet little one is still sound asleep. The beauty and brilliance of a g-tube is that you can feed your child without waking them. I honestly feel that g-tubes are one of the greatest inventions of all time.

To start, make a nutritious meal. I change things up for Elisabeth, making her different things on different days - just like you would for any other child.

Today I cooked her some oatmeal:

Then I put it in the blender with a banana, whole milk, and a heaping spoonful of peanut butter:

Liquify:

Now that the meal is prepared, pour the desired amount into a measuring cup and prime the tube with water:

Next, quietly - oh, so quietly - tiptoe into the bedroom of the slumbering angel...

Gently, lift shirt to expose g-tube button and open cap.

Attach tube to button and pour in the prepared meal. Unlatch the tube and let gravity pull the food into the stomach. Keep pouring until all food is safely in the tummy.

Twist tube to detach and close the button cap.

Finally, pull the covers back up, kiss your baby on the head, and quietly tip toe back out the way you came.

 

Breakfast has been served.

Elisabeth the Wiggle Worm

When I left the room Elisabeth was laying on the center of the rainbow rug.

So imagine my surprise when I returned and found her clear across the room!

   

It must have taken a whole lot of sitting up, falling down, and wiggling around to make it that far.

No wonder a little while later she looked like this:

Exhausted.

  

Never fear, after I took these pictures I promptly put a big bean bag chair alongside the couch in case she woke up and got to wiggling again!