Happy Fourth Birthday Gavin!

Dear Gavin,
Every moment of the last four years has been an adventure! You have brought incredible joy to my life and I’m so grateful for the lessons you’ve already taught me—and I had (and still have) a lot to learn!

You quickly taught us the importance of being prepared. Bringing you into this world was not at all what we expected…but should have known if wasn’t going to be easy. On Nov. 22, 2005, Daddy and I went to Guggy and Papa’s so that I could have a blessing. Daddy stumbled and struggled trying to find the right words to give me peace and assure all of us that we all would be safe. And that was not at all how it turned out.

November 23 was almost three full weeks before your due date, and you were not ready to come. After almost six hours of labor the doctors realized (albeit WAY later than they should have) that you were double breach. Your heart rate was low, my heart rate and blood pressure were low. They rushed me straight to the operating room, knocked me out and you were born eight minutes later. Daddy wasn’t even there and I was asleep. You were healthy, but so, so, so bruised! You were black and blue from your elbows to your toes.

It took me a couple of days to realize you were actually my baby…

The next major lesson we learned was selflessness. Newborns are supposed to sleep all the time. You didn’t sleep at all. You were awake all day, you were awake all night. One day you slept a total of two hours. We were so worried.

I held you all day, I held you all night. When I didn’t hold you, Daddy or Grandma or Guggy did.

And when I wasn’t holding or feeding you, I was changing your blow outs. You pooped on everything you owned, every outfit I owned, and three feet across the room and down the blinds. And when we weren’t cleaning up poop, we cleaned up barf.

But it wasn’t that you cried all day, you just didn’t sleep. Every time a light turned on, you woke up and turned toward it. If the blinds were open you stared at the sunlight. We all wondered if you were saying goodbye to loved ones we took you away from too soon.

Then you taught us joy. We loved your goos, giggles, and wiggles. We made up stupid songs, raps and noises. We shook our booties and your booty. We watched Baby Einstein until our eyes exploded and Cars until we could quote it. And most of all, we read stories.


Honest pride came easily. You were—and are—such a beautiful child. People stop us in the stores to comment on your incredible blue eyes. Not only are you handsome, but you are so smart, funny, creative and a little bit sarcastic. You are an undeniable perfectionist. When you put your mind to doing something, you never do it wrong!

And that mind…when it’s set, no one changes it! I hope that Daddy and I can help you make up your mind to ALWAYS do what’s right. Keep looking toward that light, Gavin!

I can’t say that we’ve learned patience yet. It’s still something both Daddy and I work on every day. Hopefully your fourth year of life we’ll be better at patience, and you’ll stop trying it quite so much!

We’ve got the “love” lesson pretty much under control. You are pretty easy to love! You love to cuddle, snuggle and read stories. And you love your baby sister like any big brother should—intensely and overprotective, tempered with a good portion of teasing.

You make our home a happy place and me a better person.

Love always,
Mommy

Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen!

Tomorrow Gavin's class is celebrating his birthday. Because it's a private preschool (that doesn't mean it's fancy, that just means it's not state-run) kids are allowed to bring homemade goodies. Gavin decided he wanted chocolate cupcakes with white frosting and Rocket from Little Einsteins on top. I couldn't find Rocket, so we agreed on Spider Man.

Gavin and Laynie were great helpers. Gavin poured the mix, Laynie added the water, they both helped with the eggs (not as big of a disaster as you would think). Then they put the cupcake liners in.

They watched patiently as the cupcakes rose--which lasted all of 30 seconds. Not the rising part, but their attention spans.

Then we made homemade frosting, and I let the kids "help" frost a couple cupcakes. That was a bigger disaster than the eggs.

Gavin did a really good job...except that he had to keep adding frosting because there wasn't enough on his spoon. Mostly because he ate it all before it ever got to the cupcake.

Here is the finished product. They turned out pretty cute if you ask me...I'm not a professional, but I try hard.

Then we got a new place to eat them!

Like that actually happened! I didn't let the kids anywhere near the new table with nasty, sticky frosting hands.

I'm really pleased with how well the table fills the space and complements the floor. I can't wait to have some people over so we can actually use it! Guess, I'll have to take the tags off then. :(

Under the Weather

So this is what we've been doing for the last ten days.  My kids have been ridiculously sick, especially Laynie.  It's so hard to see your children suffer!  All she wants to do is lay around--on the couch, on the floor, in the laundry basket.  I can't wait for my little sunshine to return.  Our home is much happier when she's happy. 

What's Going on in Wally World

We missed HALLOWEEN! Gavin was so sick that trick-or-treating was not an option. But we tried to have some nontraditional fun.

We made Witch's Brew to drink.

Just kidding. Laynie just shoved her uneaten shell-a-roni in her water bottle. Super nasty.

Luckily, Guggy and Great-Grandma Edie sent us some fun boxes that made missing out on the holiday festivities not so disastrous.

Who would have thought that a Halloween pencil would double as a wand?

The scary eye balls were also entertaining.

Laynie couldn't wait to pull out the treats. She kept saying, "Eat NOW!"

I made some delicious spider web cupcakes that didn't get taken to Gavin's class party.

At least Laynie enjoyed them. Look at her eyes...that is the hopped-up-on-sugar look.

Perhaps the scariest part of all was that I replaced the disposal. Almost completely by MYSELF! Jamie got home just in time to hold it up while I screwed it into place. Sadly, I didn't have the upper body strength to do that part by myself.

I Love To See The Temple!

"For the temple is the house of God; a place of love and beauty."

"And I, Moroni, will not deny Christ." (Moroni 1:3)

"Earth, with her ten thousand flowers. Air, with all its beams and showers. Heaven’s infinite expanse. Sea’s resplendent countenance—All around and all above bear this record: God is love."

"How Firm a Foundation"

"Whenever I hear the song of a bird or look at the blue, blue sky. Whenever I feel the rain on my face or the wind as it rushes by. Whenever I touch a velvet rose or walk by a lilac tree. I'm glad that I live in this beautiful world, Heavenly Father created for me."

"The earth in its pristine beauty is an expression of the nature of its Creator."
--President Gordon B. Hinckley

"We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers and magistrates, in obeying, honoring and sustaining the law." (12 th Article of Faith)

"Have you received his image in your countenance?"

This temple is beautiful and magnificent, but it isn’t a place to be looked upon, it’s a place to be used."

--President David Bly

"While I am in my early years, I’ll prepare most carefully so I can marry in God’s temple for eternity. Families can be together forever, through Heavenly Father’s plan. I always want to be with my own family. And the Lord has shown me how I can. The Lord has shown me how I can."

Our Trip to the Washington D.C. Temple

For the past several weeks, we've been talking about visiting the Washington D.C. Temple as a family. Apparently a lot of people in this area take Sunday Drives.

This is the mighty Potomac River--not exactly as scenic as a imagined.

After an hour in the car, we reached our destination. And it was well worth the drive!

There is nothing quite as marvelous as the temple grounds on a beautiful Fall day. My typically boisterous brood was a little more subdued on the temple grounds. Even though Gavin and Laynie are small, they recognize that the temple is an incredibly special place.

We even found our own burning bush. Just kidding.

Both kids wanted to "touch the temple." Gavin asked repeatedly if he could go inside. We explained that he needed a temple recommend and that to earn one he had to be obedient. He said he would "try harder".

Virigina is for lovers...or at least Fall lovers! The air was as crisp as the few unraked leaves my children found to walk on. The temple is exquisite, but its already lustrous walls are beautifully framed by some of God's finest creations.

I only wish that more of the people we love could have shared this day with us!

For every glimpse of heaven, we also have to endure several hours of reality. What looks like a cute picture of Laynie snuggling me, is really her licking my face.

And then exerting her independence as she ran away.




It is always difficult to be separated from the ones we love, but our temple visit reminded me that the time we spend apart is only temporary. It is comforting knowledge that our loving Heavenly Father has prepared a way for families, my family, to be together forever.

A Moron's Guide to Deck Staining

1. Never underestimate the amount of time and the quantity of stain needed to cover a large deck. Multiply what you think it's going to take in both categories by four (not kidding).

2. One moderately-priced brush will last longer than two cheap ones.

3. If you don't want stain on it, tape it.

4. Don't try to paint a spiderweb. The spider living in the web will attack you.

5. Scrape off bird poop before you paint it.

6. You can get a sunburn even if it's only 54 degrees outside.

7. Stain will stain anything, including clothes, skin and hair.

8. If you stand still in a muddy flower bed for too long, you start to sink.

9. Your neighbors can hear you swearing.

10. Don't try to stain when your kids are around. Stain sticks to them too.

The deck is done. The giant lattice that wraps all the way around the deck will have to wait for another season. Hopefully, my "garden" will cover it all anyway. Right?