The Amazing Faith of Melody

So Melody and I have a stomache flu where we have been throwing up and feeling miserable. And Jon and his brother Rick were in the garage when the missionaries rode by on their bikes and Jon asked them to please come in and give Melody a blessing to help her feel better. In the blessing it said that she would get better quickly and would feel well very soon. Not even two seconds after the missionaries say Amen that Melody looks me straight in the eye and tells me, "Mommy. Its working" So the elders asked her if she was feeling better and she responded, "Yes. I'm feeling better. its working."

Its amazing the faith of a small child.

So to Catch up Everyone up on whats going on since our last blog.....

So....... alot has happened since our last blog and even before that one. Four days before bethanys birthday we had to have her have surgery. :-( Her eyes had a tendancy to wander outwards and we thought nothing of it til i took her to the eye doctor to see if we could do anything about it and he told us that she needed surgery. He explained to us that when her eyes wandered outward the vision would turn off in that eye while it was off to the side. And he also explained that if we didnt get the surgery done we risked her losing sight in one or both of her eyes. :-( sad day. Of course i was SOOOOOOOOO stressed about her having surgery, I mean for goodness sakes she wasnt even two yet. But we made the decision to get the surgery done just the same, my worriedness aside.

So as the day of the surgery approached closer and closer the more and more nervous i got. Cuz bethany is my baby girl. So when the missionaries came over for dinner the night before we had them give her a blessing to help her and mommy, once she had her blessing i was feeling much more calm about it all.

So the day arrived for the surgery and Bethany was more concerned about the fact that she wasnt getting to stay at her Nana's to play (Melody was staying there for the morning to play while mommy and daddy took sissy to the hospital) than she was about surger. She played and had the greatest time waiting for her surgery time and i thought that i would be staying with her when they gassed her before they put the IV in for her other anesthesia, but they had me walk with her to the double doors and hand her over for her to go behind the doors all on her own. Needless to say as soon as i handed her over and she started crying for her mommy i broke down and was just crying.
After the surger the doctor came out and told us everything went fine and she would be good to go home as soon as she woke up from the anesthesia. And whe she woke up from the anesthesia she was very UNHAPPY. lol. she didnt want the IV in her, she wanted to rub her eyes and she wanted out of that hospital and wanted her cup of juice. lol.

Since her surgery her personality has changed completely! She is more out there and excitable and she is happier and her personality has just shined through! We are so grateful that the surgery went well and she did so good. and the results are fabulous! can you tell by the pictures?

Befor the surgery when she was quite a bit younger

and 4 days after the surgery at her brithday party!

Bethany is Two!

Bethany has been a member of our family for two years now!

We have been through sooo much with her in the short amount of time we've had her. The usual learning to walk and talk and what nots, and lots of fun stuff too!

She knows how to work her cuteness to her advantage to stay out of trouble and she knows how to be the sweetest too!

We just recently even went through surgery with her on her eyes as well.

With all our little family has been through we are soooooo HAPPY To have her as a member of the Stanley family!

This is Bethany in a wagon full of water balloons! Shes so cute!

The following pics are just ones from her stages of life so far!

Bethany just a few days old in her daddy's arms!


Bethany being held by her Nana when seh was just a few months old

The sad Bethany Face

A Happy Bethany face

Bethany at the zoo for new years snow!

Bethany riding a cement camel at the park!

My baby B. as a bumble bee!

And lastly beth dressed up as a cow for Cow Apprectiation!

Bethany Rose Stanley we LOVE YOU so so much and we are so happy to have you as a part of our little family! You are a very important part of our lives and i love you to pieces!

The New Stanley

THERE'S A NEW STANLEY FAMILY MEMBER!!!

Rick and Pauli welcomed the newest member into their family!!!

INTRODUCING......

Rolland Richard Stanley

Born June 19,2009 12:30

8lbs 13oz. 21in. long

Baby Rolland

Mommy and Daddy Stanley and Baby Rolland

Baby Rolland and his awesome Uncle Jon!

We are super excited to have him in the family, and boy is he cute!!!!

Fun Photos Courtesy of Jon Stanley

Melody playing with her Daddy bug while mommy got ready for the day

Mel thinking about the world while on a giant Baseball

Melody is part of Jon's breakfast club

Daddy lovin on Beth because she was upset that mommy left to go to the library.

Bethany is a rockstar monkey!

Bethany is also a part of Jons Breakfast club on saturdays and sundays

And Lastly Bethany addressing the world from ontop of the giant baseball!

The Decision to Speak Softly

So, on monday i was having a very rough day with the girls, so bad that when jon came home i retreated to my bathroom to take a very long bath. After i took my bath i joined Jon with the girls in the playroom to finish watching "Babe" with them. While i was sitting there watching my girls play i came to the realization of why I've been having such a difficult time.

I forget so often that my children are just that, CHILDREN. I get so frustrated and angry and i always forget that they are just children. Bethany isnt even two yet and i get so angry and im sure she doesnt even know why im angry, Melody is three and though she is old enough to kind of understand she doesnt always.

So sitting there watching them play i decide that i need to be more understanding, kind, and loving to my children. And ive made the decision to try not to raise my voice at them. and so far things are going WONDERFULLY!

Since i started only yesterday i have found that not only are the girls happier, but so am I. I dont have the anxiety throughout the day that i normally do, and i dont feel as stressed. Sitting and quietly talking to the girls has made a world of difference to me and to them. It is my goal that from now on I try not to raise my voice to them. I need to remember that they are just small children still learning, and alothough that learning may irritate me or cause me headaches, they are just children. Children who love me unconditionally and look up to me and are learning from me, and i owe it to them to love them right back and be understanding and loving in everyway.

You Are Special

Ive been thinking lately of how far i have come in life, and how Ive improved on some of my personal road blocks. One of them my fear of people and their judgements. I have always worried so much of what others thought of me and felt that everyone and their dog had something to say about me and the way i looked, lived and believed. And thinking back there is one story that i am truly thankful for. Its called "You Are Special" By Max Lucado

And here is the story:

"You Are Special" by Max Lucado

The Wemmicks were small wooden people. Each of the wooden people was carved by a woodworker named Eli. His workshop sat on a hill overlooking their village. Every Wemmick was different. Some had big noses, others had large eyes. Some were tall and others were short. Some wore hats, others wore coats. But all were made by the same carver and all lived in the village. And all day, every day, the Wemmicks did the same thing: They gave each other stickers. Each Wemmick had a box of golden star stickers and a box of gray dot stickers. Up and down the streets all over the city, people could be seen sticking stars or dots on one another.The pretty ones, those with smooth wood and fine paint, always got stars. But if the wood was rough or the paint chipped, the Wemmicks gave dots. The talented ones got stars, too. Some could lift big sticks high above their heads or jump over tall boxes. Still others knew big words or could sing very pretty songs. Everyone gave them stars.
Some Wemmicks had stars all over them! Every time they got a star it made them feel so good that they did something else and got another star. Others, though, could do little. They got dots.
Punchinello was one of these. He tried to jump high like the others, but he always fell. And when he fell, the others would gather around and give him dots.
Sometimes when he fell, it would scar his wood, so the people would give him more dots. He would try to explain why he fell and say something silly, and the Wemmicks would give him more dots. After a while he had so many dots that he didn't want to go outside. He was afraid he would do something dumb such as forget his hat or step in the water, and then people would give him another dot. In fact, he had so many gray dots that some people would come up and give him one without reason. "He deserves lots of dots," the wooden people would agree with one another. "He's not a good wooden person."
After a while Punchinello believed them. "I'm not a good Wemmick," he would say. The few times he went outside, he hung around other Wemmicks who had a lot of dots. He felt better around them.
One day he met a Wemmick who was unlike any he'd ever met. She had no dots or stars. She was just wooden. Her name was Lucia. It wasn't that people didn't try to give her stickers; it's just that the stickers didn't stick. Some admired Lucia for having no dots, so they would run up and give her a star. But it would fall off. Some would look down on her for having no stars, so they would give her a dot. But it wouldn't stay either. 'That's the way I want to be,'thought Punchinello. 'I don't want anyone's marks.' So he asked the stickerless Wemmick how she did it. "It's easy," Lucia replied. "every day I go see Eli."
"Eli?" "Yes, Eli. The woodcarver. I sit in the workshop with him." "Why?" "Why don't you find out for yourself? Go up the hill. He's there."
And with that the Wemmick with no marks turned and skipped away. "But he won't want to see me!" Punchinello cried out. Lucia didn't hear. So Punchinello went home. He sat near a window and watched the wooden people as they scurried around giving each other stars and dots. "It's not right," he muttered to himself. And he resolved to go see Eli. He walked up the narrow path to the top of the hill and stepped into the big shop. His wooden eyes widened at the size of everything. The stool was as tall as he was. He had to stretch on his tiptoes to see the top of the workbench. A hammer was as long as his arm. Punchinello swallowed hard. "I'm not staying here!" and he turned to leave. Then he heard his name.
"Punchinello?" The voice was deep and strong. Punchinello stopped. "Punchinello! How good to see you. Come and let me have a look at you." Punchinello turned slowly and looked at the large bearded craftsman. "You know my name?" the little Wemmick asked.
"Of course I do. I made you." Eli stooped down and picked him up and set him on the bench. "Hmm," the maker spoke thoughtfully as he inspected the gray circles. "Looks like you've been given some bad marks." "I didn't mean to, Eli. I really tried hard." "Oh, you don't have to defend yourself to me, child. I don't care what the other Wemmicks think." "You don't?"
No, and you shouldn't either. Who are they to give stars or dots?They're Wemmicks just like you. What they think doesn't matter, Punchinello. All that matters is what I think. And I think you are pretty special."Punchinello laughed. "Me, special? Why? I can't walk fast. I can't jump. My paint is peeling. Why do I matter to you?"
Eli looked at Punchinello, put his hands on those small wooden shoulders, and spoke very slowly. "Because you're mine. That's why you matter to me."Punchinello had never had anyone look at him like this--much less his maker. He didn't know what to say."Every day I've been hoping you'd come," Eli explained."I came because I met someone who had no marks.""I know. She told me about you.""Why don't the stickers stay on her?""Because she has decided that what I think is more important than what they think. The stickers only stick if you let them."
"What?""The stickers only stick if they matter to you. The more you trust my love, the less you care about the stickers.""I'm not sure I understand.""You will, but it will take time. You've got a lot of marks. For now, just come to see me every day and let me remind you how much I care." Eli lifted Punchinello off the bench and set him on the ground. "Remember," Eli said as the Wemmick walked out the door. "You are special because I made you. And I don't make mistakes."
Punchinello didn't stop, but in his heart he thought, "I think he really means it."And when he did, a dot fell to the ground.
May all your dots fall silently to the ground, for if given by man, they matter only to other men, if given by the Gods, no one questions, the scars that make up our lives. (when given the choice, pass out stars, drop the dots in the trash.)

This story has meant the world to me and has helped me through the hard times when i felt there was no one left in the world that could love me for me. But all i have to rememeber (and you should too) is that god is our creator and he loves us no matter what and we are special to him and always will be. Regardless of the dots (or errors) we've made in our lives.