The Stevenson Ohana

Snow finally fell in Tokyo this winter. It only came down for a couple hours, and was gone before the day was over. As soon as it started coming down, Riley was outside at the park with Luke making the most of it and teaching Luke the finer skills of making and throwing snowballs.  I came a half hour later and watch my giddy boys with frozen fingers and red noses chase each other around the park and enjoy the wonder of the first snowfall. 

twenty-one months old. 

Luke's hair is in a permanent state of bed-head. It is wild, which is fitting with his untamed personality these days.  He has a mind of his own, and always on a mission.  He is the ultimate mess maker and magic finder. I feel like we are stepping over toy cars and sweeping up crumbs most the day long. He loves jumping from the chair to the couch and wrestling with dad after work if he is up. When we are out he always lets everyone know who his "mama" is and points me out at anyone who makes eye contact with him, which is always so funny. He is loving books, coloring, nursery, cars, and racing from one end of the room to the other as fast as he can.  He gives the best hugs and kisses and we love when he tries to talk to us. We are attempting to teach him to be kind and share and have manners and pray but definitely not an easy task. 

Attention span: five minutes.

Today we needed some diapers. We walked together to the store and then Luke picked out his snacks and placed his items on the table and paid the cashier, she gave him his own bag and he proudly dragged it out the door. Then we ate and watched the trains pass by, one after another and learned all the animals printed on the animal crackers and drank up our squeeze-snack. 

I am grateful for this blog and for the love of writing. I am grateful to have an outlet. To have a chance to write and document the things of my heart and days that make me so happy. I love looking back and remembering. I want to remember everything to capture every moment but time just keeps moving forward and so many special moments are missed or pictures never taken. 

It's funny at a really young age I perfected the art of apologizing to my journals and justifying the abandonment for the days and weeks missed. I would write sorry, and explain to my journal that life is such a blur and time is going fast and too much has happened to possibly write it, and with each line my handwriting would grow more caress and then I would say goodnight and didn't write anything but an apology and that life is good. 

But, journaling has always been something I have know is important and counseled to do in my patriarchal blessing.

"You were given great responsibility and promises of blessings from before your mortal birth to be a spokesperson for truth and light and to reflect that in your daily life to those about you. . It is important that you record the experiences of your daily life for those will be a treasure to you in time to come. . . "

 These post are already such a treasure to me. These days are so good and so happy and so hard too. Right now, Riley is on a business trip and it's just me and my sidekick alone for the week. I miss Riley, so grateful to have someone to miss and love. He has been working long hours these past months. I can't believe I use to actually worry and wonder about his 'work ethic' when we dating and even when we moved here after Hawaii I wondered if he could actually work at a desk for 8 hours straight, and now majority of his days he works double that. 

At night, after days of not even seeing Luke when he is awake. Riley will pick him up asleep in bed and lay him across his chest asleep and cuddle him and whisper how much he loves him. I want to remember this. I want to remember the sacrifice and love and all he does for us. 

I want to remember Luke, his eye-rolls and even his hints of 'terrible two'. I started writing (actually writing in another journal) these 'tales of toddlerhood' and letters to him and funny quotes because each day is so good with new words and magic and messes.

I also want others to remember my faith. That is what I mostly wanted to do in writing this post. To share my testimony and belief in God and Jesus Christ. This past year has been one of the hardest ones for my individual faith, lots of confusion and at times darkness and a few days of despair and doubt. But light and clarity came and was available slowly, and honestly holding to the truths I do know and personal inspiration that I have felt previously helps provide comfort and assurance to the knowledge I lack. I believe that God is there and does listen, he has answered my prayers on SO many occasions and has performed real miracles in my life and families. I think some answers and knowledge require study, time, and personal trials to learn and that is why we are here to earth to obtain this experience and grow to become like our Savior. I'm so grateful for that and for all the blessings and truths I do know.