The Human Fund

We received a mysterious envelope in the mail on Saturday. The return address said simply, "The Human Fund" (anyone who recognizes this from Seinfeld, I have no idea if that is what inspired this letter or not). Curious, we opened it to find an American Express gift card. We have no idea who or where this card came from--the postmark was in St. Paul, MN, and I'm pretty sure I don't know anyone in that area--but it came at a time when it was sorely needed. Thank you, The Human Fund. We are very grateful. What a great way to kick off the Christmas season.

Early Intervention

For anyone who doesn't already know, Joshua is significantly behind in his speech development. At 23 months, he only says a total of about 5-6 words. We've been a little concerned, but had up until recently thought he was just one of those "late talkers" and that at some point he'd suddenly explode with vocabulary and start chattering away. Unfortunately, this hasn't happened yet, and our concerns have grown. We finally contacted Joshua's pediatrician, who referred us to a group called Kids on the Move.

Kids on the Move is an organization that conducts early intervention with young children who have developmental delays. We had someone come out to evaluate Joshua, and she confirmed our concerns. He is currently in the 10th percentile as far as expressive development goes, and if he doesn't make leaps and bounds in the next month, he will drop to the 3rd percentile. This means he qualifies for their assistance. We don't know yet what that will involve, be it home visits, classes at the KOTM building, a combination of the two, or what--we are waiting for them to call us back and set up an appointment to discuss the particulars. Hopefully we'll get started soon.

We really hope and pray that this program will help Joshua learn to express himself better. It's almost heartbreaking to see him point at something but only give a little grunt, or call our attention and then just say "Unh" because he can't let us know what he wants. Here's hoping our little guy will soon learn to say more words and start really talking with us!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

I'd like to take this time to wish a very happy birthday to my dad, Greg Burr. He's been a great father to me, a great father-in-law to my husband, and a wonderful grandpa to my son, and we are so grateful for all he is and all he does for us.

This picture is about 3.5 years old, taken at my graduation from BYU. It's the most recent one I could find of just the two of us. Thank you for everything, Dad. I hope you have an unforgettable birthday this year. Love you!

Playing with Daddy

Joshua likes to sit in the computer chair with his daddy. The two of them are so cute together!

I include this last one because it's amazing to me to see how big he's getting. Seriously, I can't believe how much he's grown.Oh, and good news: My brother found a job! He's been unemployed since March or April, so this is definitely a blessing. We are so grateful they have been blessed so much!

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery

There have been several times in the last few days when Joshua has laid out prostrate on the floor or couch, face-down, and made this guttural sound, almost like he was clearing his throat. I was kind of confused as to what he was doing, but figured he was just being silly. Tonight, it finally hit me. He's trying to be like his daddy!

You see, since Cody's working on Sunday nights, he is exhausted when he comes home (just in time for me to dash out the door), and he often ends up snoozing on the couch while Joshua plays and semi-watches Playhouse Disney. So, Joshua, being the adoring son that he is, has decided it's fun to pretend to be Daddy, lay on the couch, and "snore." Seriously, it's hilarious. As soon as I realized what he was doing, I couldn't stop laughing--and considering I have a migraine tonight, that was saying something. I hope to capture it on video at some point, but for now your imaginations will have to suffice. I love that kid.

There's a fungus on my back? =\

I had a mole semi-removed this morning--they're sending it for a biopsy to check for cancer (the doctor didn't seem too worried, so I'm not. Either way, I'll hear back from the lab in a week or two). Anyway, after they removed the mole, the attending nurse remarked that it looked like a tiny mushroom.

I'll never be able to look at edible fungi the same way again.

Words that touched my heart

I wish I'd come across this quote when I was writing my post on Dedication last month. Better late than never, I guess. These words spoke peace to my heart this morning, and so I wanted to share them with you. They come from Gordon B. Hinckley, who was the Prophet and President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for most of my teenage and young adult years:

"I recognize...that there are some women (it has become very many, in fact) who have to work to provide for the needs of their families. To you I say, do the very best you can...It is well-nigh impossible to be a full-time homemaker and a full-time employee. I know how some of you struggle with decisions concerning this matter. I repeat, do the very best you can. You know your circumstances, and I know that you are deeply concerned for the welfare of your children.

To you women who find it necessary to work when you would rather be at home, may I speak briefly...I honor you and respect you for your integrity and spirit of self-reliance. I pray that the Lord will bless you with strength and great capacity, for you need both. You have the responsibilities of both breadwinner and homemaker. I know that it is difficult. I know that it is discouraging. I pray that the Lord will bless you with a special wisdom and the remarkable talent needed to provide your children with time and companionship and love and with that special direction which only a mother can give. I pray also that he will bless you with help, unstintingly given, from family, friends, and the Church, which will lift some of the burden from your shoulders and help you in your times of extremity.

We sense, at least in some small degree, the loneliness you must occasionally feel and the frustrations you must experience as you try to cope with problems that sometimes seem beyond your capacity to handle. Sometimes you need food for your tables, and we trust that bishops will be there to supply food and other goods and services under the great program which the Lord has provided in his Church. But we know that more often your greater need is for understanding and appreciation and companionship. We shall try a little harder to cultivate these virtues, and I urge you sisters who are in a position to do so to reach out with greater concern to those who find themselves in these less fortunate circumstances."

Thank you, Heavenly Father, for speaking to my heart and my spirit through the words of one of Thy servants. I really needed to hear this today.

Trying to be healthier

I had a doctor appointment last week that scared me. Don't worry, I'm okay, but it was a pretty severe wake-up call to how unhealthy I am right now. As a result, Cody and I have committed to making changes in our lifestyle and eating habits, so that we can both get healthier and live a good long life together.

To kick this off, we started making a few small changes. For instance, we didn't take Joshua trick-or-treating nor did we hand out candy of our own, so there's no leftover candy around. We also left the cookies we made on Saturday at my sister's house so we're not tempted to eat them. And we resolved to include vegetables with dinner more often...so instead of just chicken and rice, we'll add some broccoli and cauliflower, or heat up some peas and carrots to go with the mac and cheese. I'm also bringing Lean Cuisine lunches to work more often instead of going off campus for fast food. You know, small things--and all those small things together will help, right?

Here's to a good, healthy lifestyle! We'll get there eventually!