First Kloepfer clip

Ok, so Google video is having major problems. So that's delaying the Kloepfer home movies. We might post them all directly to the family website (Matt will get back to me with whether or not we have enough space). For now, I'll start uploading 10 min clips and I'll email you the links. This first clip shows Bill and Ken as young kids (about 4/5 and 2/3). The woman with them at the very beginning is our great grandmother, Jean Brown Fonnesbeck. Have fun and stay tuned!

Like Mulan!

Ryn knows she's not supposed to write on anything but paper. I left her drawing with an ink pen while I changed Elle's diaper and I kept hearing her say over and over, "Like Mulan!" When I came back, the inside of her forearm and hand were covered in scribbles. My first reaction was frustration with her disobedience. But then she looked up at me with her innocent, joyful brown eyes and said again, "Like Mulan!" (remember the part where Mulan is trying to cheat her way through her matchmaker interview) How could I be mad? I could only laugh and kiss my princess, thankful for these constant moments of joy she brings to life.

Eternity

We had the cutest experience during Family Home Evening this last week. Not because of any great or amazing lesson--we just read a story in the Friend about a little girl asking her mom about her wedding pictures, her dress and being sealed for time and all eternity in the temple. After we read the story, we showed Ryn our wedding pictures and told her that we can be together forever as a family because we were sealed in the temple when we were married. She oohed and ahhed over my "pretty white dress", how I looked like a princess and Kevin like a prince, the beautiful flowers and the temple. Then, when we were done looking at the pictures, I told her that she would one day be sealed in the temple, too. I didn't know if she had made the jump in her mind from the girl in the story, to Mommy, and then to herself in the future (she's only 2 :) , and so I waited to hear how she would respond. She thought for a minute and then just started spouting excitedly about everything that would happen to her when she was married in the temple, ending in "happily ever after"! Kevin and I just looked at each other with tears and wonder in our eyes. Here is a video where we tried to get her to repeat what she had said a few minutes before--not quite the same, but pretty close.

SHE'S ONE!!!!

Yes, I am so late telling about Elle's wonderful first birthday. We're making her one year video like we did for Ryn, so that will be posted here soon. But until then, I just wanted to record for her, for myself, and for anyone else who's interested the fun we had on her day, May 29. Since a picture is worth a thousand words, a video must be worth even more--so I'm using a lot here. When she woke up, she went right to Carma, who took off her pj's and helped her into her fluffy pettiskirt (from Michelle) and a cute pink ribbon around her little head. Then Elle helped us decorate herself, as well as the light in the kitchen, with streamers and more ribbons.

When the kitchen was sufficiently clothed with birthday cheer, Elle settled in for a delicious bowl of birthday oatmeal (her favorite breakfast) with Carma.

We all got dressed--no, we didn't take Elle out in her breakfast attire :)--and Kev, Ryn, Elle and I hit the road for a birthday full of animal and outdoor fun. First stop: Cabela's. Yes, it's an outdoor/sporting goods store, but it is AMAZING! They have huge displays of stuffed (taxidermy-stuffed polar bear, brown and black bear, mousse, mountain lion, zebra, lion, impala, etc, etc, etc!) animals and aquariums with hundreds of live fish, all able to be enjoyed for free! Both girls absolutely loved it, even though Elle got a little scared of the fish when she was too close to the glass.

Next stop: Thanksgiving Point's Farm. This place had everything and more that you could want in a semi-petting zoo: fluffy yellow chicks, llamas, sheep, horses, cows, chickens, peacocks, and pony rides. They even had a miniature frontier street with a few child-sized buildings including a jail and MISS KITTY'S Dance Hall :). Again, the girls had a blast and so did we! It's amazing how much fun things are when you get to see them through your children's eyes.

After all of this, we came home to a great dinner, presents, and a double chocolate birthday cake for Elle. One special part of the day was having my Grandma Turtle, via webcam, singing and watching with us as Elle 'blew out' her candle and destroyed her cake. That video will be part of the one year video, so I won't repeat it here. The day was perfect and wonderful in every way. Just like Elle.

What to do with them?

A couple of days ago I was returning an email to my good friend, Alisa, and we were talking about motherhood and the challenge it is. I know that these last few months for me were really a time of searching. Before I became a mother, I thought I knew some things. Now it seems that every day I realize more and more that I know nothing. That's why my (and my children's) only hope lies in asking Heavenly Father what to do and how to do it--every single day.

So when questions come (like they do constantly: What is most important? How do I use this day, or this hour, or these 5 minutes, in the way that would eternally benefit them, our family, and others the most? How do I teach a 2 and a half year old and a one year old about the Savior and the magnitude of His atonement? How do I teach them to love? How do I teach them French?), I am trying to remember some wisdom I learned (and have to keep learning) the month before Ryn was born from Alma, in the Book of Mormon. I was trying to study and prepare myself as much as possible for this sacred trust the Lord was sending to me. In this scripture, Alma was teaching his son, Helaman, how to take care of something extremely important that he was going to leave in his care. He counselled:

"But if ye keep the commandments of God, and do with these things which are sacred according to that which the Lord doth command you, (for you must appeal unto the Lord for all things whatsoever ye must do with them) behold, no power of earth or hell can take them from you, for God is powerful to the fulfilling of all his words. For he will fulfil all his promises which he shall make unto you..."

I only have to glance at these girls to know how sacred they really are. That's why He continues to gently remind me that I can't and I must not try to do this on my own. They are His daughters and even more precious to Him than they are to me. I'm so thankful He trusts me enough, even with all my weaknesses, to share them with me.

Happy, happy birthday!

Happy birthday to my angel mother today! My mom is someone everyone should have the chance to know. At the age of 12, her grandmother came to visit and made sure she was baptized. Even at such a young age, Mom knew the gospel was true and did whatever it took her whole life to live it completely. She walked to church and seminary on her own, she decided to go to BYU, she married and is the perfect match for my wonderful dad, she raised 9 children of which 8 have served or have their calls to serve missions and 6 are married in the temple, and she serves the Lord with all she has to give to this day. Her unique laugh and unquenchable faith can lift you up and renew your own spirits even in your very depths of despair. F-A-I-TH! Faith! Faith! is the cheer we heard and still hear every day. How much I've leaned on that incredible faith of hers! What would I have done without it? Thank you, Mom, for the life you are living and the life you have given me!

I also have to thank Kevin, his sweet family, my family, and so many great friends for the amazing surprise party Elle (turns 1 next week!) and I received on my birthday this past Sunday. I'm sorry I haven't had time to get on here to thank you all yet! I'm stealing some of the entry from Michelle's sweet blog with her great pictures to let you all see the scope of this great party. Kev had told me a few days before that he wanted to go to the Rose Shop to take some pictures that day. Since we would already be dressed up for church, Elle could have her 1 year pictures then instead of having to get her dressed up another day and we could take May birthday pictures together. Well, when Sunday actually arrived, we were all pretty worn out. (I didn't know the full extent of why Kev was so tired). I'm in the nursery, Kev was teaching Elders' Quorum and speaking in another stake's general priesthood meeting that afternoon, and Ryn was just not happy. So I put on my pjs and the girls in theirs and went down to try to get them to take a nap. Kev came home from his meeting and said, "OK let's go take pictures!" I couldn't believe he was even suggesting it! Couldn't he see how tired the girls were and that all I wanted for my birthday was a nap!? (Yes, you will see that I am the most ungrateful, mean and selfish person alive :) ) Plus, the big dinner he'd made for my birthday was ready and his whole family was (I thought) waiting to eat! "We'll just be quick," Kev assured me. So, grudgingly, I got dressed and got the girls back in their dresses. Grumbling, I tried to get Elle to pose for some good shots--a next to impossible task since she started walking and never stops moving now. Kev suggested we try some more pictures in the other greenhouse and started walking that way with the girls. I'm thinking, "Why is he rushing through this? If we made the effort to come take pictures, I want to get some good ones!"

As we walked to the other greenhouse, we passed Justin (who was getting there a little late) from our ward, which is weird since the Rose Shop is closed on Sundays. Just as we passed him, I could see the balloons through the windows of the other green house. "What did you do?" I asked Kevin. I walked through the door to hear "Surprise!" from our great friends, the Lehnardts' and Wilsons, and Kevin's family and to see the most beautiful party ever. The tables were covered in pale yellow linens and each had a hydrangea centerpiece holding down balloons. The gazebo in the center of the greenhouse housed the incredible butterfly cupcakes, German chocolate (traditional Linkous bday cake), and 40-layered chocolate crepe cake on a table with roses and ribbons. Kev had stayed up til 4:30 am Sunday morning making all those (see what I mean about me being selfish and mean?) and Carma, Tom and Ryan had spent hours helping every step of the way to pull off the surprise. We all ate the fabulous Mexican dinner Kev and his parents had made that afternoon, reveled in the cakes, enjoyed chatting away for hours while the kids danced, ran and played, and I just kept saying over and over, "I can't believe this!" We came home late and Kevin gave me another part of the surprise--letters from friends from high school, college and my mission filled with wonderful memories and so much love. On the computer I received birthday wishes from good friends in France. Then I listened to 7 different perfect voice mail renditions of 'Happy Birthday' sung by all my family members so far away. I cried the whole day and I'm crying now remembering it all :).

I can't believe how blessed I am to have such wonderful, true friends, such sweet in-laws, such a loving family, 2 angel girls and the most amazing husband in the world. How can he know me so well (he knows exactly how to make my birthday, and every day, perfect) and still love me anyway (when I am so very far from deserving it)? Thank you for the limitless love you give me, even when I'm a bear and you try to surprise me, and for your examples. I learn so much from each and every one of you and I hope you know how you've touched my life and made it wonderful in every way. Here are Michelle's great pictures:

Mary hiding:

Surprise!

Ryn jumping for birthday party joy:

Elle telling Carma how 'Scrumptious' those cupcakes are:

Ryn and Xander dancing away:

Carma swinging all the kids in the beautiful garden she created:

Elle "I look scrumptious":

2 of my angels:

Elle really does love Ryan and Carma more than she loves Kev and I :)

Ryn can't believe what a great party this was:

Birthday squeeze:

Life is short--even 95 years!

I just got back from California, spending time with my mom's family after the passing of my 95 year old Grandpa Lion. What a great man he is! I realize, once again, how precious every day of this life is and how fast it goes. How essential to make sure we show our love to those around us and take advantage of every single minute we have. For those family members who weren't able to be with us out there, here is the first version of Grandpa's slide show. We're scanning in all the photo albums from their house and will have more photos to add shortly (making a more complete video glimpse of his life)--lots of cute ones of him as a baby, then more of him as a father and young grandfather.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6764194758524795176


Other exciting family history developments from this weekend include locating all of Grandpa's home movie reels (dating as far back as 1940!) that we all remember him faithfully shooting at every visit and getting them to a video company that is transferring them to digital tapes! Then we'll upload them on the internet and everyone can download whichever segments they want. We also took all of the still slides in to be scanned and digitalized as well, so get ready for a family history flood on the Kloepfer side! I'm so grateful to Grandma Turtle for her amazing organizational methods with all their family photos, and to Grandpa Lion for these great movies I simply CANNOT WAIT to see! Imagine watching video of your GREAT-grandparents, and of your mother's first steps! Truly, I feel like this is the most amazing treasure hunt ever!