Bye Bye Little Boys

Warning-Long Post

A year ago our house felt pretty empty, with only four of us kids left at home. For our family that's empty. Then Joseph went off to military training and in moved Stephanie, Benjamin, and Garrett. The boys have grown and changed so much since they've been here. Benjamin used to avoid talking as much as possible. He could talk then, but now he hardly stops talking. Garrett can now blow raspberries and enjoys playing pat-a-cake. This morning we hugged and kissed them goodbye. I'm going to miss the little guys' hugs. Our house is going to be so empty without them. Thank goodness for web-cams because Alabama is just too far away.

I'm feeling a little nostalgic so here are some pictures of them that I took...

Benjamin was born while Becca and I were at girls camp. Our leader's cell phone rang and we heard the good news. We started laughing and crying in front of everyone.

We got to know Benjamin while babysitting him after school when Steph taught dance classes.

Benjamin's first snow angel

Benjamin's first birthday-he used to hate the birthday song.

When Garrett was born, Benjamin slept over at our house. This is him meeting Garrett for the first time.

Baby Garrett and Steph at the 4th of July parade in Provo

Baby Garrett wearing his bear suit at BYU's Homecoming parade

Benjamin pondering his choices mid-tantrum

When I took pictures for them at the Provo temple, Benjamin wouldn't come back and sit still for another family picture. So Joseph tackled him and we brought the family to him.

I feel like we just sent off another missionary. When both Corry and Jake were home, I thought we would be done sending people far away. I know people do this all the time, but I already miss them.

Cinquain For History 220

When Worlds Collide

By Heather Wood

Food

Beneficial, Essential

Spreading, Feeding, Nourishing

Corn, Beans, and Wheat

Sustenance

Disease

Harmful, Deadly

Aching, Vomiting, Writhing

Smallpox, Typhus, and Cholera

Death

Religion

Inspired, Deceived

Coercing, Submitting, Avowing

Christian in Name Only

Belief

Culture

Foreign, Unfamiliar

Thinking, Sculpting, Creating

Different Way of Life

Traditions

Conflict

Impassioned, Desperate

Forcing, Killing, Pillaging

Fighting for the Land

Carnage

This is fun. 

Creativity + History = Best Homework Assignments! 

I can't wait until we create soundtracks for the Revolutionary War.

Wood Family Photo Shoot

The Whole Family with an Addition: Kylee!

Sisters!

Siblings!

Mom and Pops

Family History and Me

If Teresa can post about purse shopping, then I can write about this awesome story... don't hate, it's called the spirit of Elijah, remember?

While working on a history paper, I pulled out my Grandpa Burnett's personal history and found my favorite story... (the history nerd in me thoroughly enjoyed it)

"Heather Flower"

In the early 1600s on Long Island, New York, lived the young Native American princess Cantoneras, translated as "Heather Flower". She was the daughter of Wyandanch, Grand Sachem of the prominent Montauk tribe. On the day of her wedding, Chief Niniget of the Narragansetts killed her would-be husband and kidnapped her, taking her across Long Island Sound. Her distressed father turned to his personal friend Lionel Gardner, the Puritan "Father of Long Island". Gardner used his influence to rescue her from the rivaling tribe. With the loss of her Native American groom, she married a Dutchman named Cornelius Jansen Van Texel, becoming my ninth great grandmother. Her son Jan moved the family to what is known as Sleepy Hollow, New York. Her granddaughter, was the pretty Katrina Van Tassel of Washington Irving's Legend of Sleepy Hollow.  Um, Wow?

I summarized it, so it's condensed but intense.

When I was little I just liked that I was related to an Native American princess that shared the name of Heather, but her story is crazy. Kidnapped on your wedding day? Rescued by a powerful Englishman? Marrying someone from not just a different culture, but practically another world as you!? And then having your granddaughter immortalized in American literature! Wow.

*I'm feeling a very Disney Mulan moment here: Haha, um ancestors...a little help here? Pretty please?

Adventures at the Wilk

Tonight I'm having the usual night-before-school-starts jitters. I. Can't. Sleep. So I am pondering about my last semester and what an adjustment it was to go to BYU. My school is a special place. I love it! Although, in just my first semester I have seen some 'special' things.

For example, the Wilkinson Student Center, what a special place.

The following are true occurrences at the Wilk-

One day, Uncle Sam waltzed through at lunch, in full get-up. He was met with an uproar of applause. He raised his hands to accept the cheers and walked on through with no explanation.

Another time, a table full of girls started singing and harmonizing "Lean on me, when you're not strong. I'll be your friend. I'll help you carry on..." They started out soft and then got louder and stood up, singing into an amp. We couldn't help but sway to the beat, hold up invisible lighters, and sing along.

Once, I needed to find a copy of the New York Times for a class. I know they are provided somewhere on campus, but I didn't feel like asking around. Me and my friends walked into the Wilk, took the first empty table, and there it was... a complete copy of the New York Times that someone left, just for me! A miracle!

Then there was that time when female wrestling was trying to recruit by doing demonstrations of their skills. That was horribly uncomfortable to sit next to! Especially when the male instructor joined in. Eww! I'm sure they are skilled and work hard, but I'm also sure the moves were against the Honor Code. Definitely against the Honor Code.

Once a guy hopped on his chair and yelled, "I can't take it anymore! Does anyone want to just get married?! I'm sick of playing games!" He actually got a few raised hands and responses from girls. But seriously?

Most of the time that I spent at the Wilk was at lunch with Jill, Caitlyn, and Trent. We took our lunch very seriously, meaning YouTube, SNL clips, and explosive laughter. This is tricky when half the people there are trying to study and eat at the same time. Solution: only sit by people with headphones in and nobody gets hurt, or glared at.

Once our group of four sat and listened to a student wearing a fur-ball hat announce from on top of a table that anyone wishing to collect food for the needy could sign up, and as incentive they could take a llama around with them as they collected. A llama? It was called "Care-a-llama". I wonder who thought that one up.

Last, but most definitely not least. Girls aren't safe sitting alone, or even in a group of three, as we soon found out. One day, Trent left Jill, Caitlyn, and me at our table. Not even two minutes later comes the creepsta. "Hey ladies, can I sit here? What are your names? How has your day been? Etc." I couldn't tell if he was just socially awkward or seriously creepy, but it was really uncomfortable. This is where Jill looks at her shoes because she just had a bad encounter at her work that started like this, Caitlyn just looks at Jill, and I feel obligated to at least make small talk with the guy. It's times like these when I wish I could be mean to strangers, but I can't. Luckily, he inhaled his food and left. Phew.

Just some samples of BYU stories. I'm sure there are funnier ones that you've heard of, but this was only semester one.