Laura Diane

Our first baby was a girl, we had her premature due to multiple birth defects.  We named her Laura Diane (after both of her grandma's) and this past week she would have turned 18.  I can't even believe how fast the time has gone by.  Every so often Kenny and I will stop and think about different milestones that she would have past during this time but for some reason I felt like I needed to share this special milestone.  She would be an adult!!  I don't think I'm really old enough to have a child that old.  Obviously, I am, but still...18?!

When Laura was born she only weighed 1 lb 1 oz and was 20 inches long.  Her grandparents (grandpa LeRoy and grandma Shauna) were able to see her and her grandma Shauna held her wrapped in a yellow afghan that she crocheted for her on our way to LA. According to grandma Shauna, Laura looked just like Kelton when he was born.  She had the same face and hair.  She also said that Laura was just beautiful.

It was hard those first few years when I watched friends buy cute little dresses and worry about piggy tails and braids.  They were getting their girls started in dance or other sports.  Then the time came when puberty would have started and I was incredibly thankful to not have to explain or deal with any of the emotions that start with that time in life.  However, looking back, I would go through it all willingly.  Our budget was saved by not having to buy formal dresses, professionally done hair and nails that are "required" for all the school dances. We didn't have to teach her to drive. We also didn't get to throw her a sweet 16 party.  This would be her senior year of high school.  There will not be a graduation party.  If she chose, she could be getting ready to serve her mission for the LDS church in a year.  Sometimes it is weird to watch my cousins get their kids ready for their missions and know that I would be doing the same thing.  There will not be any planning for a future wedding, no wedding dress and Kenny won't be walking her down the isle.

With all of the things that we didn't get to experience with her, there are other things that I do know we have had.  We still had a small time with her while I carried her.  She is doing other more important things with her life right now than worrying about clothes or boys or if she is safe at school.  She will never have to face the hardships of this world.  I know that there have been times in life when I have felt her close by and have cherished those small fleeting moments.  I have also had quiet moments where I have felt the Lord's comfort and reassurance that Laura is where she needs to be, that she is doing work that she needs to focus on and that she was purposely spared from having to worry about or deal with any worldly things.  With all the things that I see other girls going through, this has given me much comfort to know that she is protected, cared for and safe.  What else could a mother ask for?

I have often wondered if I would be able to see her and have her as part of our family one day and I can honestly say that we will.  I know that our family will be together and united as a whole one day and that I will get to spend many special mother daughter moments with her.  I feel so blessed to not just have this knowledge but to also have the faith that this is true.  Your family loves you very much, Laura!!

Happy Birthday Sweet Baby Girl!

T is 13!!

My little Taylor bug turned 13 on Friday, June 1st.  He will really not appreciate me calling him my little bug, but I always do.  I'm getting better about not calling him by that nickname in public but I still say it all the time at home.  So, since this is my blog and I am writing about his birthday, I get to use his nickname.

He is becoming such an amazing young man!  He is always the first one to see if there is anything he can do to help and will say thank you for everything.  He is also my son who will hold open a door at a public place and then count how many people will say thank you and then make a big scene when he is done and there are a lot of people around about how many people would not say thank you.  He has grasped the whole idea of manners well.  That is of course until his teenage boy side kicks in and then it's all about bodily functions.

He got to go do his traditional birthday dinner with his grandma's and spend the night.  Then they take him shopping and spoil both him and his brother rotten.  He got 4 Lego sets and still has money left.  It is currently burning a hole in his pocket and will not be happy until  he gets to spend it.  He also is still totally into comic books and so he also got a Thor action figure.  His favorite food, other than pizza, is doughnuts and so he had those for breakfast on his birthday and on Sunday.  We had Sunday dinner with some of our friends and they made him a birthday cake with 13 candles on it.  My poor son finally got a birthday cake from someone else 3 days after his birthday and got to blow out candles instead of our rush song and then blowing out a lighter.  In case you didn't already know that this is our tradition, we do it to prevent any possible explosions that could come from open flame and grandmas' oxygen.

As far as I can tell he has had a wonderful birthday weekend and once I am able to take him shopping to finish spending his birthday money he will be happy.  Until that money is spent, the jury is still out on if he really has had a good birthday :)

I feel so blessed to have this wonderful man in our family.  He brings so much to our family and it wouldn't be the same if we had somehow ended up with a different child.  I love his sense of humor, his kindness, his strength, his knowledge, and how all of these come together to make one of the quickest, smartest and kindest people that I know.  I am always impressed with his sense of right from wrong and his willingness to stand up for what is right.  In that respect, Taylor has no fear of teaching others what is right and yes, I said teaching.  He doesn't just tell someone off or get angry, he takes the time to sit and talk with others and explain things.  At 13, he is so much more mature than a lot of adults I know.

Happy Birthday Taylor!!!  I hope this next year is very good to you!

Love,

Mom and Dad

Kenny's Birthday

Kenny's birthday was yesterday and I think he had a good birthday. He totally likes to keep things simple and just spend time with family. His birthday is usually missed by a lot of people but this year he was getting text messages and phone calls all morning from his family and friends. I know it meant a lot because when he got home from work this is what he told me first about his day. Thank you everyone for taking the time to wish him a happy birthday.

Kenny has lost so much weight that he has dropped 2 sizes. Due to all of his pants drooping, the boys and I thought he might like a new pair of jeans. I totally guessed on his new size and actually got it right. I know it's simple but he liked them and even wore them last night. I feel bad that I gave such a simple present but that's just how this year is going.

My mom has a tradition that we can pick whatever we want for dinner for our birthday. Kenny picked one of his favorite restaurants.

We love going to the Rio Grande! They have the best Mexican food! I have also heard that their margaritas are amazing as well. We started eating there after our rebellious days so I have not had the opportunity to try one but everyone else says that they are wonderful. My boys love to order the virgin margaritas and they drink them down in record time. Rio Grande is located in an area that is not very good but there are so many condo's there that I like. Poor Kenny has to hear about every time we get near this area of town.

I am so glad that Kenny had a good day and that I was able to share it with him. I love how he likes to just spend it with a small group of family and I'm thankful for his enthusiasm over the simple things of life.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KENNY!!! I LOVE YOU!

Kelton's 14th Birthday

Kelton turned 14 this week, actually back on April 4th. I've been a little slow this week and along with my laundry suffering, so has my poor blog. Which also means that Kelton had to wait for me to write about his birthday.

Kelton's birthday ended up being a 4 day event (it usually is). He spent the night with his Grandma's Shauna and Chris and then they took him birthday shopping last Saturday. I was surprised when he only came home with a couple of Lego sets (I'm proud of ya mom).

Sunday, we went to Tooele and invaded Kenny's Grandma's house. Kenny took over being the master chef of Hamburgers and cooked Kelton's birthday dinner for that night. We enjoyed one of Kelton's favorite dinners, cheeseburgers and chips (we did add some fruit and veggies in there but that was not his request).

The boys eating dinner; Seth, Kelton, Taylor.

Grandma Ruth, she was so nice to let us all invade her house and stink it up with the smell of cheeseburgers! She also didn't mind that I invited all of Kenny's sisters and their families up for cake and ice cream. I was thankful to have Heri, Carrie, and Audrey come up and help us eat cake and ice cream. Kelton was spoiled here as well, he got some stuff to help him not smell quit so much like a teenage boy from his aunt Carrie and an amazing outfit from his Grandma Susie.

Monday night was his actual birthday and he wanted to have chicken enchiladas for dinner. I was also requested to make them like his aunt Christy's. I didn't have a recipe but I had watched her make her enchiladas once so I started dumping and they turned out wonderful.

We had Grandma Shauna and Chris and my sister over for dinner and we did our traditional super fast happy birthday song before the lighters burnt any fingers. It's fun to see how fast we can sing the song and even though my mom can be without her oxygen when she is sitting I think we'll keep the tradition. It's just fun!

I couldn't believe it when they got to our home and started to unload all this ice cream. I said they could bring ice cream, but I was not expecting this. Everyone got to have their own pint of ice cream to go with the strawberry cake that Kelton had me make.

This part is just to good not to share. My mom, in her sugar induced silliness, said that she was going to start a new birthday tradition of table dancing. I told her to go for it but that it was Becca's table so she might want to run that idea past her. This is Becca'a reaction once she realized what mom was talking about. Priceless!!

Kelton finally got his present from his mom and dad on wednesday, when we could finally track down a lego star wars III for the WII. We have barely seen either of the boys since that video game entered this house. I think Kelton ended up having a good birthday.

A quick side note, Kelton came home on his birthday and cleaned his room then he has been way helpful all week. He even seemed to enjoy being alone with me while Kenny and Taylor were gone to a boy scout overnighter. I think if this is how 14 is going to be, I will really like this year.

Happy Birthday Chris!!

Chris celebrated her birthday this week and this is a picture of her at work. Now you have to know that Chris is anything but a pink foo foo girly girl. However, her coworkers decorated her desk in all pink and even got her to wear a tiara. I love that they got her a princess piñata. They even took the time at work to pull all the strings and empty the candy. I wasn't there, but I can just imagine all these adults diving for the candy. Since I know a few of her coworkers, I really can imagine them having fun and really diving for the candy like kids.

I met Chris when I was in labor with Kelton and I didn't know it then when she was putting my IV in, but she was soon to be a wonderful addition to our family. She has been my mom's partner for 14 years and she has brought much love and fun to my mom and our family as a whole. I'm very thankful that she put up with me in the beginning, I was a little tough to get to know and had my walls up (Donna years, need I say more).

Chris is an amazing Grandma to my boys. She has been there for every event in their lives and continues to spoil them every chance she gets. I am so thankful for her influence in their lives and the lessons that she has taught them. They love to spend time with her and my mom and are so excited to go fishing this summer with her. It's all Kelton has talked about for over a week.

Over the years I have seen what a wonderful Nurse she is and how she cares for her kids. I have been blessed to have her teach me and Taylor some of her sacred family recipes, she is a wonderful cook! I learned that she was a semi-pro baseball player, she played for the Budweiser Belle's before she moved out here to Utah. She was so brave to drive from New Jersey to Utah alone in her little VW bug. There is no way I could do that and admire her strength more than she knows. I know that there is so much there to learn about you, you always surprise me with the things that you have done in your life.

Thank you for being a part of our family and celebrating yet another birthday with us. Thank you for letting us be a part of your life.

Good luck in Wendover!!!

Happy Birthday Grandma Susie!

Here is the Birthday Girl, Grandma Susie's birthday was this weekend and she was able to enjoy a nice quiet birthday. Not because we all forgot her, everyone ended up sick and we had to cancel. She was able to do what she wanted on her birthday though, she was able to be with her sister and make Carrie the most beautiful wreath for her new home.

Christy and her kidos were able to go over on Sunday and help get her Christmas tree set up and it turned out great. Kenny and I were able to drive out and see her and of course give her a hard time. She loves Alan Jackson and in one of his songs she mixed up the words and was singing, "pour me something tall and lean." Now we just call Alan Jackson her "tall and lean". We got her the new greatest hits CD of Alan Jackson and it was so much fun to see her dancing with her grandkids to her new CD. It was the best!

Along with putting up the tree, Christy also helped get the Snowman Shrine up. I think there are a few missing because I can still see parts of the entertainment center. My boys talk about Grandma Susie's snowman shrine and they are always on the lookout for new snowman to add to it. I actually have a feeling that all the grandkids love it when all the snowmen come out.

We had so much fun getting to visit with Grandma and wish her a happy birthday. We also had tons of fun seeing Christy and her kids and Karen and her kids. I did take pictures of the boys wrestling in the hallway, but decided to leave that picture out and let you all think that we had a very respectable visit at Grandma's.

Happy Birthday Grandma Susie, we hope you have a wonderful year as double quarters and a dime!

Taylor's Birthday

It is official, we now have a teen and a tween in our home. Let the hormones rage!

Taylors birthday was actually last week, sorry bud, I'm a little behind in getting your big day posted.

I can't believe that you are 11 now. It seems like yesterday that you were born and we had the nurses mad at us at the hospital for our corky sense of humor. I really think it was just last month that I was taking you to Primary Children's Hospital every other week to get you a new cast on your leg. Those days were such a blur of doctors appointments and preparing for your first big surgery. I remember not knowing how to pick you up when you got out of surgery, you were only 6 months old and you had so many tubes and lines coming from you and I was so scared that I would hurt you. I can't believe how much you have grown and what an amazing young man you are today. You have made it through so much; physically the five surgeries and mentally everything that comes from being slightly different from everyone else. However, through it all you have learned how to look at other people with a new appreciation of what they might be going through and you have so much compassion for others. I hope you never lose that!

It was so much fun seeing you get your new birthday presents. I can't even believe that you are big enough to ride your new mountain bike and I had so much fun watching you put together your new lego set.

Here you are first seeing your new bike. I wish I could have gotten a better picture of your expression, you were so surprised that all you could do was stand there and point at it. convincing you that you could ride it was the next trick.

Chris did a wonderful job of demonstrating how to ride a mountain bike and how to change the gears, all with the tags still on. I'm not sure how much that helped Taylor to finally get on and ride, but Chris sure looked like she was having fun.

You finally did get on and figure out how to ride your new bike that you kept thinking was to big for you. You still look a little unsure here, but it was no time until you took off. Now you ride so fast going up and down our street that you and your brother are starting to scare me. Please, both of you, remember to not land on your head, just until I decide to be a good mom and get you a new helmet.

One of our new traditions that we have started is singing happy birthday really fast while Chris holds a lighter for the birthday person to blow out. It all started because none of us remember to buy candles and with Grandma on oxygen it isn't a good idea to have a bunch of little candles anywhere near her. Open flame, oxygen, I don't know, but we started thinking that it might not be a good thing to have together. I finally taped us singing so we can always remember how silly and creative we are. We also need to remember that this was all started for safety, not that none of us could ever remember to buy candles.

Kelton's Birthday

IT IS OFFICIAL: WE NOW HAVE A TEENAGER!!!!!!

I am still trying to figure out where the time has gone. I know that it has been 13 years since Kelton was born, but I still think of him as my baby most of the time. I remember him crawling around and taking everything apart. His favorite things to dismantle were the doorstops at Granma's house and my treadmill.

I am trying to figure out where the cute little toddler went who had to have his hot wheels cars in their carrying case in a specific order or he would dump them all out and put them in their correct spots.

I love looking back and remembering all the naps that we took together and all the many, many times that we watched Bugs Life.

Now you are 13 and I must admit, growing into a fine young man. I am always impressed when you will help your Grandma's or an elderly neighbor. I admire your courage to stand up to bullies when they are picking on your friends.

So, I promise to remember all those things when I have to listen to you thump your music and make the house sound like a dance club when you are enjoying your birthday present.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KELTON!