A photo journey through June and July

Life is full, busy and rushing forward.
June is gone, and so far in July much has happened:

David turned 35, boys played, carpet ripped out, Alex arrived, concert in the park, 4th of July, bumps and bruises, trip to Maine--camping, Fort Knox, lobster, lumberjacks, Acadia National Park, Sunrise at Cadillac Mountain--, trip to New York City, etc.

If a picture paints a thousand words . . .

Mother's Day 2010

Mother's Day was remembered at our house today.
I received pictures and notes, balloons and flowers, and lots of great hugs and kisses!
Right now my husband is making the fattening pasta dish I requested--ya gotta love a man who can cook well, . . .and I do.






Of course, I want to take this moment to thank my mom and my mother-in-law. They are both great women. They each have wonderful strengths, which I benefit from.



When we knew that our Toby would die, my mother-in-law offered us a plot they owned in the Sugar City cemetery. I don' t know if she fully realized how involved this would make her in all preparations, but it was such a peace-filled relief to have that part of things figured out.
She opened up her home to the masses. She organized, made calls, and did her best to make the experience all I wanted it to be. I am so appreciative to her for the organized, sensitive, loving way she served us.
Every time I am with her, I love her more.



My mom basically lived in CT for a couple of months. She and my Dad came out to help us move in to the house, but she stayed on a week longer and put in hours of painting--reaching up and bending low, since my very pregnant body could not do either of those moves. She did a lot during that time and was surely ready to get home for a rest.
2 weeks later she was back. I thought I had leaked some fluid and was worried this baby would come soon and she wouldn't be here. She didn't want that to happen, so, even though the Doctors said I hadnt leaked, she canceled a planned trip to Mexico, got on a plane and headed out. She got a one-way ticket because we didn't know what would happen and when--she joked that this had to be David's worst nightmare, The mother-in-law coming with a one-way ticket. Who knows when she would leave?! hee, hee. He actually really enjoys her and was grateful that she was there to help me.
She took kids to the park, made meals, and provided the companionship I needed to take my mind off of the heavy things ahead.

We hung out, without a birth, for quite a while. She didn't complain, though she I know she worried about her Stake calling responsibilities and about my grandma back in Utah.
On March 19th I was contracting about 3 minutes apart, pretty hard, all day long. She went along with my desire to get things done anyway. We drove 20 minutes to Manchester, went to a craft store and then to Sam's club--I had to stop and grab the cart during the contractions, and sometimes we both wondered if we were doing the right thing, but nothing changed and we made it back home just fine.

The next morning David and I headed off to the hospital. We said we would call her as soon as we knew what was happening. We wanted the kids to be at the hospital as soon as Toby was born since, if he was born alive, we didn't know if we would survive long and wanted them to have a chance to see him, if possible. Mom knew the way and would be ready.


My mom was able to hold our tiny Toby while he was alive. I am so glad that she shared this amazing experience with us. I know she felt some very special things in that moment, and I think Toby was thanking her for helping his mom so much.




My boys are very fortunate to have 2 wonderful grandmothers. They each provide my children with love, fun, and examples of what it is to be a family and how to be Christlike.




We Love all you great mothers!!

Eli is ELEVEN!

Yes, time just flies!

My Eli is eleven today.

He had a great birthday party last Saturday--thanks to fun brothers, aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents!

He has been planning his "The Eleventh Hour" birthday party for quite awhile--We highly recommend this children's book by Graeme Base!

The Eleventh Hour is a mystery book filled with fun animals--the main character is

Horace the Elephant.

He has planned a party and invited 10 friends to help celebrate his 11th birthday.

We acted out some of the story and worked together to solve the mystery of

Who Stole the Feast?. . .and How?

Each person was assigned an animal part and dressed accordingly.

We played and laughed and ate and enjoyed!

The next day was Uncle Josh's birthday, so we saved the big birthday cake until then and had them blow out the candles together--my big brother and my big boy, awww!

We sure love our Eli and are so glad that his intelligent, imaginative brain, and golden heart are a part of our family!

Baby Toby

Joseph Tobia Moss

March 20, 2010

"baby Toby"

A perfect gift from Heaven

Soft, full, kissable cheeks

10 sweet fingers

10 cute toes

Fresh new life

Bringing with him the true essense of heaven

Though life was brief for our baby Toby

His affect has been great.

He knows us
He will not forget

We have known him

We must remember

remember the precious time he spent in each of our arms

remember a baby brother worthy enough not to be tested here

remember this active, strong spirit who is a part of our eternal family

remember that we knew him before and want to be with him again

remember that he is cheering us on, interested in each of us and our eternal success

Remember that we can overcome our weaknesses and imperfections and be with him again because of a perfect big brother, Jesus Christ, our Savior. He, too, longs for our happiness and return.

Yes, for us, a beautiful reminder of the hope and joy found in the perfect plan of a loving Heavenly Father was wrapped up in a sweet little baby boy bundle . . .

Truly a perfect gift from Heaven.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Don't you just love a reason to wear green, eat green, think magical thoughts, make rainbows, read stories with your own version of an Irish accent, . . .?

I do.

Yeah, St. Patrick's Day!!!

Adam Von turns 9

Adam Von Moss has turned 9 years old.

It is just so strange to think of my boys turning the ages I remember so well, myself.

We had our friends, the Midgley family, come for his party. He and Taylor Midgley were best of friends before we moved and were very happy to see one another again.

Adam wanted a "Lego" birthday. He ended up with some very cool Lego toys, and was thrilled to receive each of them. After he had opened all his gifts he said, with pure contentment, "I just don't know how to thank all of you enough!" So sweet and fun.

He also received a nerf gun, which has been in action by either him or one of his brothers ever since. Grandma got into the action one day--they were doing human targets that day. She took her turn as a target, and then got to shoot at Eli.

Adam is as stubborn and charming as ever. He loves drawing, building, hearing funny stories about himself, playing madlibs (fav. nouns: poo, bum, and armpit hair--his fav. verbs and adjectives can be guessed), and doing anything to make others laugh. He wishes his mother would let him have video games, but is pretty creative and finds other things to fill his day.

We love our Adam!!

The Movers are in my house right now!!

So crazy that this is all actually happening!
I haven't posted in awhile and won't be able to after today because the movers are taking my computer and sending it to the good ol' U.S.A!

I have a lot of mixed feelings about going back. We are excited to see some old friends and to live closer to family (CT used to sound so far from Utah and Idaho, but now it sounds a whole lot closer).
We will miss so many of our sweet friends and neighbors here in Italy. We have had a few tearful hugs already at church, and one sweet sister scowls at me whenever she gets the chance and says, "cattiva!" (bad, wicked, evil). It is her way of letting me know that we are breaking her heart. Oh, Marisa! And, I don't want to think of saying good-bye to Cinzia!

I get teary often when I look out my back windows and know that I won't be waking up to this view everyday, or watching next year's crop grow behind my house. I really have just loved living out here in the Italian country-side. You can bet that I will be looking for a place in the U.S. where I can enjoy fields of corn and wheat once more--maybe a few orchards. . .and grape vines . . . and cute farmers who like my children to run around in them all (asking too much?).
Anyway, we know that once we get back to CT and get everything settled, we will love it, just as we did before we moved here. I am grateful to know where I am going, and that the Bloomfield ward family is waiting with open arms.

This has been quite an episode in THE LIVES OF DAVID AND REBEKAH MOSS. I hope that I can find a way to capture the magical parts of this experience so that I will never forget them. There have been plenty of challenges here, but right now they feel so small in comparison with all the beautiful things.

I think that Eli and Adam will "grow up" more than I want them to this next year--they have stayed even younger than their ages in our somewhat isolated situation. Gabriel will hopefully stay little a bit longer, and Isaac is already too old for himself.

I have cherished this special time with all "little" boys. I have soaked it all in, I think, but I still feel a sense of mourning for this special era in our lives. I can see that Eli, who turns 11 in April, will be a young man very soon, though I think he will always have some of the magic of "little boy" in him. The other will quickly follow, as life just continues to fly by.
Okay, you can tell that I am at a particularly sentimental time right now. All my emotions are at surface.

Italy has been the hardest, neatest experience. I am so grateful that I followed the feeling in my heart that this was right for us, instead of following the worry in my mind and saying "no thanks--too hard".

I know that Heavenly Father loves us and knows what is best for us, if we will just open our hearts to the messages He sends, and turn our lives over to Him, the outcome will always be right and good and filled with peaceful assurance.

Next post will be from our sweet old friendly house number 11!