Kenna's First Heartbreak...

Tuesday night as I was getting the kids packed for our Thanksgiving weekend adventures, Ashlyn came into the room and told me Kenna was downstairs in tears.  I rushed downstairs to see what was wrong and she said "Conner hates me!"  I hugged her tight and she cried.  I asked what had happened and she didn't know anything she had done to make him hate her. 

She asked if I could drive her to his house so she could talk with him.  He wasn't home and he wouldn't come home to talk to her, but he did tell his mom what was making him so mad...Trudy and I have become friends through our kids liking each other.  She's great and loves McKenna.  Trudy explained that Kenna's soccer teammate McKahl, who Conner goes to school with, sent a text to Conner saying that Kenna really liked Carson, Conner's friend.  Kenna was mad...she had never said that, but she did know that McKahl liked Carson and so maybe she was jealous.  Kenna looked at me and said "Take me to McKahl's now!"  I was surprised at her level headed thinking and we drove to McKahl's so she could figure this out.  McKahl admitted that Kenna had never said that and she didn't know why she texted that to Conner and said she was so sorry and Kenna felt she really was.  But before leaving she asked McKahl to text Conner and tell him the truth and so she did, but Conner still didn't want to believe it.  This was two days before Thanksgiving when we were to leave for San Diego for Kenna's soccer tournament and she was brokenhearted.  I cried with her most of the night as she began to realize that she and Conner were breaking up.  Even through all the tears she kept saying "Mom, this is for the best...I'm too young to have a boyfriend, anyway!"  She has loved having a boyfriend, but she's also smart to realize that there is a time for that and maybe right now isn't the time...where did she come from?? 

Wednesday we made Thanksgiving dinner and had grandpa Sill over for dinner because grandma Sill is in Portland with Amberly and Mike.  He was so good and tender to McKenna and tried to get her to laugh through all of her tears.  He is so funny.  At one point at dinner he was talking about President John F. Kennedy's assassination and how the gunman was such a quack...that one word made the girls laugh like crazy and so we kept saying it over and over!

These experiences are hard, but I'm beginning to understand that these experiences are for our good.  Everything we feel and experience is to help us somehow or help us help someone else...we may not understand just now but if we open our hearts and seek for the guidance of the spirit during these tough times I know we will be blessed.  I know Kenna will grow from this experience...she already has.

San Diego Surf Cup 2011...

Thanksgiving this year was different for our family. Kenna's soccer team registered for a tournament in San Diego, CA over the Thanksgiving holiday and taking the whole family on a soccer tournament trip is really not a vacation for the family because everything revolves around soccer and team lunches and dinners. So, as G and I talked, we decided the girls and I would fly to San Diego and the boys would go to Falcon's Ledge for Thanksgiving.  The girls and I boarded a flight early Thanksgiving morning and the boys took off for their adventure a few hours later.

We arrived in sunny California, met Tanisha and McKahl at the airport and took off in our little rental car...we were off for a great weekend!  We got to the hotel, unpacked our bags and headed out to find a restaurant open for Thanksgiving dinner.  We ate at Cocoa's Bakery and the girls enjoyed delicious hamburgers and I had a blue cheese wedge salad for Thanksgiving dinner.  It all hit the spot since we were starving...Garrett had chosen Thanksgiving day for our family to fast for the missionaries in our stake.  It was different eating out on Thanksgiving, but so fun, too! Back at the hotel, Kenna and McKahl were off to hang with the team and Ash wanted to swim...she is a fish.  The girls can't swim while on soccer trips so they ran the hotel halls and roamed from room to room.  There were cute boys at the hotel that were there on a hockey tournament, so the girls would often be in the lobby, or out by the pool with them...funny, how that is so much more fun than hanging with mom and little sister. 

The first game was early Saturday morning.  The skies were sunny and bright and the game's in this tournament are only 20 minute halves so it was quick and heartbreaking.  We lost 2-0.  The next game was later that day and again we lost 1-0.  Saturday's game needed to be won to play again later that night, and it was a great game.  We were up most of the game, but kept getting pounded at the end and tied 1-1.  Kenna split her lip from an attacking player's foot, but sucked it up and played right through the pain.  I remember the turning point in the way she faces pain in a game...it was in St. George back in February when she got hurt and had to sit on the bench for a few minutes...it about killed her watching her team play without her and it took everything the coaches had just to get her out to check her and make sure she was ok to play.  She has an intense commitment to her teammates...we just need that same intensiveness in stopping all balls from entering the back of the net.  She's come so far though and trains with all of her heart.

Saturday, we met up at a mall for lunch and headed to Black's Beach.  It was beautiful and the sun was setting, but before getting to the beach we had to descend along a cliff.  When we reached the beach I was sure glad it was dusk and there was a mist all over because little did we know that clothing was optional at this beach and there were old men who chose not to wear anything.  The girls and I were dying...we, as moms, had exposed most of the team to a nude beach.  With all the shadows and mist and duskness in the air nothing could be seen or recognized...which was a huge blessing.  We didn't stay long but let the girls run along the beach.  This day will not soon be forgotten :)

Tanisha, Ashlyn, Kenna, McKahl and I continued on to Anaheim to stay in a hotel closer to the airport and closer to Disneyland.  Tanisha and McKahl spend Sunday at Disneyland and had a great time.  The girls and I went to church and then spent the afternoon walking the boardwalk and the beach at Newport.  It was a beautiful day!  How blessed we are.  Monday afternoon G picked us up from the airport and we spend the afternoon raking leaves and having our furnace fixed.  G mentioned it had gone out Sunday night and he and the boys had about froze to death.  I told him I was coming from sunny, warm California and wouldn't be able to live in a house without heat...he was on it and had it fixed that day.  What a hard worker he is!

The Boys at Falcon's Ledge...

While the girls were playing in the beautiful San Diego sunshine, the boys and Chopper were off hunting pheasants and fly fishing at Falcon's Ledge...something that's in their blood!  Brett and Taylor were able to join them and they had a great time.  Thanksgiving was sure different this year, being apart wasn't the best, but we are so blessed with all the opportunities we have to enjoy this beautiful world that our Heavenly Father created for us.  We are truly thankful this Thanksgiving season, especially for family and our health. 

Along with hunting and fishing and shooting guns, the boys played lots of ping pong, pool, watched lots of football and got into the hot tub at least four times...Garrett joked a few days before the trip that it would be a miracle if they were at Falcon's Ledge for even two hours before the boys jumped into the hot tub...they didn't even make it two hours! 

 

A Face Only A Mother Could Love...

A mom of one of Wyatt's classmates works at Lagoon and they do these crazy pictures during Frightmares.  She came in one day, took pictures of all the kids and then twisted and turned them into the funniest pictures ever.  This is Wyatt's...it's funny because sometimes now when I look at Wyatt after he's just woken up in the morning and his hair is big I really think he looks like this, his chin is just awesome, too!

Colt's Taken Off...

The boys cannot wait for hockey days and dad loves that!  This last month, Colter has put his heart into doing his best and trying to improve.  After Saturday's training, Coach Anderson told him he was ready to practice with the Squirts...that means 2 hours of training on Fridays and he is so stoked!  Way to go, Champ!

Wyatt's Kindergarten Program...

Wyatt has made lots of new friends this year in kindergarten.  Fischer and Cooper are just a few and they are the cutest twins ever.  Wyatt adores his kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Adams, and I love her just as much.  When she saw Wyatt last night she whispered to him "You look dapper tonight, Wyatt" and he grinned from ear to ear...he was so proud!  Whenever I am in the classroom volunteering I can't help but just want to watch her and listen to Mrs. Adams...she is so fun, so engaging and so great with all the kids and it's a big class this year. 

Last night the kids got to sing and tell of their favorite thing to do with their family.  Most kids said "I like to go to Lagoon with my family".  Wyatt was the last one and his was my favorite.  He said "My family and I like to go to Falcon's Ledge together."  That made dad smile.  Luckily grandma and grandpa Sill and grandma and grandpa Nichol were already planning to come to Colt's pack meeting later in the night, so they came a little early to see Wyatt.  Wyatt is a crack-up...during one song they sing the kids pretend to hold a flute and sing.  I looked at Wyatt, who wasn't doing it and mouthed "pretend to blow your flute" while doing hand motions.  He sternly looked at me and mouthed "I DON'T HAVE TO!"  We all laughed as I was reprimanded by my 5 year old kindergartner.  Later that night I asked why he didn't want to play his flute and he very quickly said "Breckyn's mom was watching me and I didn't want to be embarrassed."  Oh, what a cute kid!

Window Drawing...

While in St. George, we picked up some Crayola window markers for the kids...they are having so much fun with them.  This is what we came home to tonight...McKenna and Colt's life stories and one by Wyatt and Colt fishing with dad.  Love these kids!

Wyatt's Drawings...

These are some of my favorites ever!!  Wyatt loves to draw and we can't get enough of his pictures...I can't help but smile when I see them.  He loves drawing pictures of dad and mom and in those drawings I am usually holding a rose that dad has given to me.  I love the way he draws our mouths with zig-zag lines for lips.  I love how he draws our hair and his own mohawk hair.  He loves turtles and draws them all the time.  What would we do without Wyatt??

Thankfulness...

When Garrett and I returned home from St. George, we found this on the fridge.   I read it and immediately felt an immense sense of gratitude and love for a younger sister that truly adores and looks up to her older sister and also a profound love for an older sister that is setting the kind of example that her younger sister can follow.  Ash, you are so kind...

ODP...

Kenna's first ODP try-out was in Logan.  Garrett and the boys headed to hockey in Bountiful and Kenna and I geared up for the cold weather in Logan.  Right as we were walking out the door, G called saying he couldn't find one of Wyatt's gloves...it was in the old bag I transferred his gear from that morning....aaagh.  I panicked knowing I couldn't get the glove to him and get Kenna to Logan on time.  Luckily Todd and Kathryn were heading to try-outs too, so I dropped Kenna off to them and they got her where she needed to be...thank goodness for great friends! 

Try-outs were great...she loved it and mentioned there were only 4 keepers trying out. Yay, for the final team they only take 2.  Well, the next weekend's try-outs were in Layton in the snow...freezing, cold snow and this time about 18 keepers in her age group showed up...uuugh!  We froze as we watched her.  She did amazing but there's a lot of competition.  The third week was moved from Sandy to Orem and just like the others, it was a windy, cold day but Kenna doesn't seem to mind.  She's focused and wants to do well.  She said the coaches were complimenting her left-footed kicks and her dives...she felt pretty good. Forth week try-outs were cancelled because of the weather...never before in ODP history has a try-out been cancelled, but maybe they are realizing that playing in a blizzard doesn't make for the best try-out conditions.  So, December 3rd will be the final try-out in Orem. 

For right now, we are packing for Kenna's Surf Cup Tournament in San Diego.  The girls and I are going to have so much fun!

BYU Game...

Last night, Colt, Ashlyn and Wyatt were invited by Grace, Skye and Stryker Prows to go with them to the BYU game.  Sad to say, they have never been to a BYU football game and we love football with a passion in our home...they were all so excited.  We dressed them up in their winter coats, hats and gloves and they were off.  If I remember right, Stryder and Wyatt slept on the way there and on the way home...great memories with great friends and neighbors.

Colt Receives His Bear...

Thursday night's pack meeting was a great success.  All the boys got to show off a talent and Colt chose to play his upcoming recital piece, 'Indian Dance', plus, his grandmas and grandpas even came because he received his Bear in scouting, along with one gold and seven silver arrows.

His goal is to finish everything in the book by the time he moves into Webelos, which is 5 months away.  Dad is so good to help him with scouts and make sure he's right on track and Colt loves it.  His final project for finishing his bear was to take a train, bus or plane somewhere, plan the trip out and visit a historic museum.  Last month we took a trip with a bunch of friends on the front runner down to Salt Lake and toured the Chruch History Museum and Colt helped plan that trip.  He also had to look up some facts about his favorite animal and draw a picture...of course he chose the Golden Eagle.

St. George Get-away...

Last weekend, Garrett and I were able to get-away for a few days.  The managers at SNFC were invited to spend Wednesday thru Friday golfing in St. George and the wives were invited, too, to enjoy shopping and a day at the spa.  Garrett was cute because he really wanted me to go, even though he knew I had plans that same weekend to be at a friend's cabin in Bear Lake, but last year I wasn't able to go with him and he kept saying he really missed me, so this year I made it work.  We had his cousin, Courtney, come and stay with the kids, which worked out perfectly.  The kids are pretty good at taking care of themselves and helping take care of Wyatt, Colt even makes his own omelets for breakfast and even makes his own lunches for school...but of course we need someone to be here during the nights and Courtney was a perfect fit.

G spent a few hours at work Wednesday morning, while I tied up loose-ends and then Amy drove me to the frontrunner station in Clearfield to pick up the train for Salt Lake.  G met me at the station in Murray and we began our weekend together by eating at East Coast Subs...one of his favorite places ever.  We enjoyed our drive down and I didn't even fall asleep until about an hour away...I was determined to stay awake and enjoy just being with G as long as I could.   On  the drive to St. George Garrett mentioned that our cute neighbor, Sarah B, was going to school at Dixie...we decided that while he was golfing on Friday I would see if Sarah could meet me for lunch.  I texted Sarah and we made plans to meet at the Pizza Factory. 

Wednesday night we ate at the Painted Pony. Thursday morning the guys headed out golfing in his new golf shoes.  I went over to the outlets to get jeans for the boys and then met up with Lisa, Anita and Tracy for lunch at Kneaders.  After lunch we went over to the spa for a hot stone massage and then Garrett and I met up for dinner.  Friday morning G headed out for another round of golf and I slept in and then picked up Sarah for lunch.  Lunch was great...Sarah is amazing.  After lunch with Sarah I picked up G from the golf course and we drove home.  On the way home I told him of our lunch and how highly I think of Sarah...he said "Sarah was always a shining example of what a young woman should be, she was a joy to work with and I always knew I could count on her as the Laurel President."  I texted to her what Garrett had said...it's good to know what others think of her, especially when it's so great. 

We got home from our trip, drove Kenna over to Conner's to hang with him and his friends and hunkered down for the night and prepared for the next day...Saturday's are busy with Kenna's training, Ashlyn's dance, ODP, and the boys' hockey.

Newbie and Chewbie in 2011

Another year of loving Chewbie.  We bought this skeleton when Wyatt was just two years old and it has become one of his favorites.  A few years ago he named him Chewbie and carries him around from the time we get him out for Halloween, until we put him away in November.  Wyatt makes beds for him, sets up food for him at the counter and just loves on him all the time.  Chewbie is now missing a leg and a hand and Wyatt constantly feels sad for him, saying we need to find him another leg and hand.  It's quite funny...here they are together just chilling.  I love this boy!

One Bad Day for the Boys...

Garrett left after work today for his last guiding trip for the year, at Falcon's Ledge.  I was planning on a pretty much routine day...Wyatt had a friend coming over, I wanted to take lunch over to our next door neighbors, Greg and Renee, who moved to Texas today and I needed to get some groceries.  But other than that, I was just planning on a normal day. 

The kids got off to school and around 9 and Wyatt and I walked over to the Weathers' to see what we could get them for lunch.  Greg told us to go inside and find Renee and that she would be in the back bedroom with their 3 dogs...I didn't think much of it, but thinking back, those dogs were barking like crazy, moving men were in and out of the house all morning and had been the day before, too.  I greet Renee and begin taking down her order for lunch and out of the corner of my eye I could see Wyatt bend down to pet one of the dogs and then all I heard was screaming with his hands holding his right ear...I couldn't get his hands away from his ear to see the damage, but knew the dog had bit him.  Greg came running, Renee was beside herself and in shock, and I think Greg was, too.  I swooped Wyatt up into my arms and ran home.  Wyatt was terrified and wouldn't stop screaming and shaking.  I was shaking, too.  All Wyatt kept saying was "Daddy, Daddy!"  I tried calling JaQuoy, but couldn't get her number right until the 5th try because my hands were shaking so much.  I asked her to come over immediately and she did, along with Stryder, too.  She was such a comfort to me and Stryder was so worried about Wyatt.  Blood was gushing from inside his ear, but then almost immediately after wiping away much of the blood, it clotted.  I didn't think to check the back of his ear, where the bottom tooth of the dog had cut through until we noticed blood coming from behind his ear.  That's when we knew he needed to see the doctor and probably have the cuts glued.  He was still panicked, so I asked JaQuoy if she knew any men that were home that we could call on for a priesthood blessing...she mentioned Trent and I immediately grabbed my phone to call his cell.  Trent is our neighborhood 'go-to guy' for so many of us.  About a year ago he was unemployed for about a year and so anytime any of us moms needed anything, we knew we could call on Trent and he would do whatever he could to help...that's just how he is and his wife, Alisa, is so good to always volunteer him for anything we might need. I had a feeling Trent was home and he was...such a blessing.  He came over quickly and gave Wyatt a beautiful blessing of comfort.  He blessed him to be calm and to know how much his Father in Heaven loves him and how He knows all that's going on his Wyatt's life.  He blessed him to remember to pray to Heavenly Father each day.  It was beautiful. 

I called our doctors office and told them what had happened and they said 'bring him right in and we'll take care of it!"  I love Dr Julien over at Legacy Point and the girls that work there, too...they took such great care of Wyatt today and just doted on him.  We drove to Blockbuster so he could pick out a movie, then we cuddled on the comfy couches downstairs and watched Toy Story 3.  He missed school today and felt great the rest of the day...didn't even crash until 9:45 tonight!

Everything else was falling into place for the night, running Ash and her friends to volleyball, picking up Kenna and the girls from training at the new Forza indoor facility and then about a half hour before coming home I got a call from Colt saying he had a rash all over his back and neck.  I got home and was amazed at his rash...it was bright red and burning him.  I ran him over to Greg and Amy's and had Amy look at it.  She gave him a Benadryl pill but after about 10 tries of him trying to swallow the tiny pill and it not going down, I took him home and gave him some liquid Benadryl.  Then I called G to tell him what was happening...Colt was teary because all he wanted was for dad to be home and give him a priesthood blessing. Oh, tender boy!  G then said "Call Trent and see if he can come over and give Colt a blessing, he's already done it once today!"  I knew I could call Trent and he would come over and he did.  He also gave Colt a beautiful blessing that his body would be restored and he would be able to sleep peacefully through the night.  He blessed Colt that he would always know by which power this miracle would occur and I loved that!  We are so blessed to have people we truly love and can call on at any time just right next door.

Ethan's Baptism...

We love this boy!  What a miracle he is. I can't believe he is 8!  He is Wyatt's best buddy and cousin and is always making sure he is included with the big boys...what a great example!

my thoughts today...

I sometimes look at my hands. They're not my mom's or my dad’s. My fingers are not skinny at all.  I've not always loved the way my hands look, but they are hands that have held my babies, played the piano, cheered on my kiddos, worked in the garden, they are hands that have served.  The skin is wrinkling now. Dry and cracked sometimes. My hands tickle and rub little and not so little bodies these days. I wash them constantly. They travel to my face in stress, in happiness, in thought. They run through my hair. They are a sign of miles traveled, years of mothering done and years of mothering still to come.

I am in that spot. The spot my mother was in, and her mother before her, and my great-grandmother, and her mother...all of us, opening our eyes wide to the shock and awe that is motherhood. Realizing that this is our time, these bits of clay ours for the making.  Hoping we're good enough for this grave and joyous responsibility.

Will I fail them in too many ways? Will I be proud? Will I be a happy grandmother someday, full of wisdom? Perhaps a better cook? A better friend?

But my kids. MY kids. They would make anyone a better person, so why not me?  I will hold fast and tight to the ones I love. Their importance reaches past my understanding.

Halloween 2011...

Today Kenna had the day off from school, so after Wyatt got off to kindergarten, we headed out to find her a costume.  We waited till the last day because she never can decide...luckily we found a darling pirate costume and she loved it, partly because Wyatt was also dressing up as Jack Sparrow, so she thought that it would be cool to match him...she cannot get enough of Wyatt. 

The kids got home from school, grabbed something to eat and quickly changed into their costumes.  Ash headed over to Julia's house around 4:30 so they could help each other get taped into their costumes...they had decided about 2 months ago that they wanted to be duct-tape girls.  They bought cute black and hot pink wigs and long eyelashes and were then going to duct-tape themselves all over.  I wasn't so sure about that and even tried to get her to change her mind the night and morning before Halloween, but she wasn't going to budge.  She spent the night with Julia, Breanne, Phoebe, Jaret, Aiden, Cade, Caleb and lots of other kids.  Kenna was off to Kat's around 5:00 to hang out and go trick-or-treating with a bunch of friends.  Dad, Colt, Wyatt and I hit the neighborhood trunk-or-treat and then dad, Wyatt, Sam and Stryder made their way around the neighborhood, while Carrie and I sat in our driveway and passed out candy.  The night was perfect and the weather was better than I ever remember it being...and then we woke this morning to lots of rain.  

P.S. no pictures of Ashlyn...she promised me she would keep her duct-tape on so I could see how their costumes turned out, but by the time I picked her up they had undone all the tape because it was so hard to move...they realized too late that they had duct-taped each other way too tight :)