Kimi's bridal shower...

Check another 'to do' off the list. Kimi's bridal shower was a huge success! Whew! I worried, I cleaned, I cooked and put food together and then made more food in case there wasn't enough! And then people came... and came... and just kept coming until there was at one point literally standing room only. But it was awesome! It was fun... and wonderful to see so many people show up and support Kimi. Friends from church, from school and from Kimi's work. She got some great presents, some fun presents, some useful and some down right embarrassing... exactly what a bridal shower should be! Katie helped so much and did the games and all in all I would call it a success all around!

AND... even more wonderful was that Matt's mom and sister came and we were able to firm up a lot of plans for the wedding and I feel a huge relief because of the plans. Kimi is spending the week with Matt and his family and his mom is going to take Kimi to get the things she needs for the temple, and work on the flowers and make sure they get the marriage license and we are now several steps ahead of the planning process! Thanks Eva!!!!

It seems so amazing to think that Kimi will be married in less than a month. This is going so fast and it is so exciting. I am so happy for Kimi and Matt. I know that Kimi is head over heals in love with him and according to his sister Matt feels the same... not that I doubted it, but it is fun to hear it from someone else. Kimi is all grown up and ready to start her life as a wife. What a great adventure!

So, we finished the first step in this wild ride of preparing for Kimi's marriage. Thanks to all that showed up and made it so wonderful!


Here we are preparing for the party..... Kimi in the pretty party hat Katie made her!

Kimi and her friend Meghann were comparing their rings... very similar... good taste girls!

Kimi and Meghann..... friends since middle school... now both looking forward to marriage!

And now... just pictures of the party...... Kimi had fun showing off all of the wonderful gifts! :) There were so many people there and she got so many wonderful gifts. She is a very blessed young woman to have so many wonderful people in her life.

Kindergarten graduation

Graduation day for Kami!!! She is such a cutie and it was so fun watching her in her program. They always do such a great job with the kids though by the end they are pretty restless to be done... but it was another cute program and I love how they get to do the whole graduation walk in their caps and gowns. It was a little unnerving thinking that next year I just have Nate home with me and that this sweet little girl is growing up so fast. I have said it a million times but I just can't seem to process how quickly time is flying by. It seems like yesterday that I was heading over to have her... and to have that tiny precious little girl in my arms. The one that had haunted me for years before I ever had her... those eyes that I had dreamed about... I had seen her in my dreams so many times that it felt like I was dreaming the first time I held her and saw that she was exactly who I had dreamed about. I am just not sure what to do with myself as the kids continue to grow up so fast. This sweet girl knows her business and is all ready to get on with it! Congratulations Kami Dene... So ready to take on the world already!!! Love you sweet girl!

We laughed and talked about how fun it will be to have this picture and then take another one 12 years from now the same way! They have been the best of friends and it will be fun to see what the future brings for both of them.... Sweet Kami... I am so grateful to be your mom!

A glimpse of things to come....

Kindergarten ROCKS!!!

Patiently waiting for the program to start....

More love...

Garrett, Tiffany and Gabe have been staying with us for a few days until they close on their house. Tiffany has worked in the evenings so we have been able to keep Gabe with us and the other night as I was rocking Gabe to sleep, I found myself singing a lullaby that my grandma used to sing to me... my grandma... and it hit me that I was this little boys grandma and now another generation would feel the love that I felt when my grandma sang to me! And then, as I have watched everyone with Gabe I started thinking about how blessed that little boy is to be loved by so many people. You can never be loved enough but Gabe has so many people adoring him that there should never be a doubt in his heart that he is cherished and loved. Once in a while someone will comment that my kids probably get jealous of another baby and I have always laughed at that. If only they knew the way that my kids beg for more... and Gabe is no exception. Even Nate adores him and protects and watches over him. In fact Gabe was sitting in Nate's high chair and Nate wanted in. Thayne thought maybe he wanted Gabe out so he could get in so he told Nate he would put him in his high chair and hold Gabe. That upset Nate... he wanted to be held too... but he didn't want to be held INSTEAD OF Gabe... he wanted to be held WITH Gabe. There are so many wonderful reasons to rejoice in having a large family but I realized that night, rocking and singing to this precious little boy that the love that multiplies, the love that grows and grows with each new addition is the greatest reason in the world! You can never have enough love.... and you can never be so blessed as to know that there are people in the world that absolutely adore you!!! And we do adore this little man!

Invitations done

I think that we can safely say we are about ready to check the invitations off the list of things to do! WHEW!!! I have typed names until I am seeing double and even messed up a few and had to go back and change them but they are going in the mail no matter what first thing in the morning!!! This is becoming so very real!!! We are making lists, checking them twice.... and it's not even for Christmas!!! Although the day she gets married is half way to Christmas, does that count??? I managed to throw together an invite for the temple ceremony so we are good to go!

I will now do the mad rush to get everything ready for her shower on Saturday. Right now, while I am hiding in the room Thayne and his chain gang are out doing touch up painting on the inside of the house because it rained yet again today so the outside is still not done! I will be cleaning and scrubbing and cleaning some more tomorrow before I have to go to work and Friday will consist of cleaning, preparing food, more cleaning, Kami's kindergarten graduation and please, please let it be warm enough to work on the outside of the house so I can plant flowers and shrubs in the flower beds by the house. The ones that Thayne ripped out in order to paint! (I'm not bitter... I only worked years to get those wild rose bushes to grow!!!)

And let's not forget the big meal I need to finish planning and start preparing for the night before Jace's wedding. I'm sure a hundred or so shouldn't be an issue to cook for... I'll just double what I normally make and we should be good to go!!! ha!

Memories

While I was going through pictures I found an envelope of pictures we had taken of Nathaniel a couple of days before he was flown to Salt Lake. It was a little bit eery to see them. There was a note on the envelope saying that there had been a family emergency and that we would pick them up when we got home. It's funny that one of the first thoughts that came to me when I climbed on the life flight plane was that we were supposed to pick up his pictures and would he even be alive when I picked them up. They are hard to look at even today. At this point he weighed less than 5 pounds. I had taken him to the doctor numerous times and the answer was mostly that he had jaundice and to feed him more. Not knowing that feeding him could have killed him. I look at these pictures now and see how sick he looked. He had just eaten before these pictures were taken and had stopped breathing again and I had the worst feeling during the session. All of the things we normally enjoy during the first few weeks of life seemed like there was a cloud hanging over. I find it amazing even now how I knew without a doubt that there was something wrong and begging the doctors to please tell me what it was. Just looking at these pictures makes me feel that anxiety and fear all over again! Within days his poor little hands would have needle marks all over them where they had tried and tried to get an IV line in. In a few days he would have a feeding tube and oxygen and we would learn how to live a new way. Looking at these pictures brings back the absolute fear of losing him and the absolute gratitude that he lived. It is interesting that the only 2 times we had professional pictures taken in a studio were the 2 times that he was flown out of here frantically fighting for his life. I am so grateful for the miracle of his life... he has brought so much to our family. He is so cherished and so loved. For now these pictures will go back in the envelope. One day I will take them out and do something with them, but not today. Today I will just hug this little man, and hang out with him and Kami and be grateful for all the miracles we have seen in behalf of this little man!

Spring Pictures

Well... here we are, winding down from yet another school year. It's been interesting to say the least. I cannot believe Kami will be graduating from kindergarten. She has grown up so fast and I am a little weepy at the thought of her going into 1st grade. Maybe it's just all that is going on in life right now that makes me a little weepy... or maybe it is because she is my baby girl, and I remember so vividly the day she was born and how perfect she was and how I had dreamed about her and wanted her and prayed for her for 3 years before we finally got her. She is the most incredible little lady, her eyes are amazing and she has the strongest, most self assured personality. This has been an incredible year of growth for her and now she is reading and writing and has a great love of learning. I am not sure I like how quickly time moves on... but it is sure exciting to watch these kids grow into some pretty amazing people!!!
Her kindergarten year went by so quickly but so many wonderful things are yet to come! Kami Dene ~ 5 years old!

My sweet little Bummy ~ Hyrum Craig~ who thinks that maybe only mom can still call him Bummy is growing up. 7 years old and finishing 1st grade! He has come so far. The first part of the year he was struggling and his amazing, wonderful teacher took time with him after school working with his sight words and then one day he took off and moved up to being an advanced reader. That's just Hyrum... he puts his mind to it and takes right off! We are very blessed to have had Mrs D for almost all of our kids... we love her!

Sweet Kalli Shai, finishing up 3rd grade and excited to keep moving on up. She loves to read and is always trying to read the Twilight books... sorry sweetie, not quite yet! She loves school and her friends and learning... though like her sisters she could do without the drama that some girls seem to thrive on, even in 3rd grade! Kalli is such a fun girl. I cannot believe that she will be 9 this year. Is time going much faster than it used to???

Poor Hayden has had a year. I think he is as ready as I am for summer break this year! He has earned a little break. He has really struggled with his teacher this year. Everyone knows that she is a screamer though nobody will actually call her on it. She especially had issues with Hayden because, well... in her words, "He only reads non-fiction and is really into facts!" (Said with some kind of contempt!) I guess you could look at that like it is a bad thing... or maybe, just maybe it would have been amazing to encourage his love of 'facts' and go with it! Like I said, he had a rough year. We maybe should have forced the issue and moved him, but he, and we committed to get through... but next year, he gets a fantastic teacher and I have no doubt he will thrive in her class! And after that we will likely check into homeschooling through middle school. But for now, he gets to look forward to the summer ~ no more school, no more stress!

Wyatt ~ oh, Wyatt Thayne with his mischievous nature. He's always ready for a good joke but oh how he loves his teacher this year and she loves him! He will be moving up to middle school and while he thinks he is ready, I am so not! He works at the video store and actually gets a pay check and thinks that is pretty much amazing. I have often been told that they are impressed with how he handles dealing with people there. It's been a great experience for him and he has really grown up a lot this past year!

So we are looking forward to summer ~ if only winter would finally give up it's death grip on us and let the sun and nice weather start moving in. The only thing 'spring-y' around here are the spring photos the kids had taken at school and we are all pretty tired of it! Bring on summer... and bring on the sun!!!

A Mother's Song

Jace and Caitlyn told me that I needed to find a song to dance with Jace at the reception. I am not sure if I am going to get through this without breaking down into a blubbering mess... this boy has always been the keeper of my mother's heart. He has always seemed to know when I hurt, what makes me happy, when I am worried or scared, or just need a hug. He is a joy... sometimes when I think he notices the least he does something like kiss me on the top of the head and thank me for making him dinner. I am thrilled for him and Caitlyn. We love Cait as if she were already one of our own and I am so happy, and grateful to welcome her officially into the family. I am grateful for the way she loves our family also. She is truly a gift, and one to be treasured. And while I am thrilled for the life they are ready to begin together, I cannot help but think of those days when this little boy was all mine... with his sweet little voice telling me he loved me, and that I was beautiful... because I knew that I was to him. I have been looking back through pictures for their video and I am a little amazed to see how many are of him with a sibling, clear back to when he was a tiny boy and Kimi was a baby he always had a great love for his family. There was a time I thought he might be the one to fly away... pursue dreams far beyond here, beyond our home. And yet, he has developed talents that amaze me and through the years he has become even more close to our family, often the glue that seemed to hold us so tightly. It has been the greatest joy, and privilege to be his mom and I look forward to watching him become a husband, a father... to become even more the man that I have always seen him to be. He is amazing! So while I know that when I dance with him to this song I will be crying... it will not only be tears of sadness that my little boy has grown into an amazing man... there will be so many tears of joy BECAUSE he has grown into one of the most compassionate and kind men I know!

Invitations ordered!!! Happy Dancing all around!

Wedding season is in full bloom at our house and we are trying to manage the planning and preparing and doing what we can do to get everything done. We got the bridal shower invites made and most were either handed out or will be mailed today. That will be the 29th of this month and we are frantically trying to get the outside of the house painted and the yard prepared for the shower because hopefully we will be able to have it outside. I saw 'we' but really, Thayne and Jace have been working so hard to get it done. I told them I don't care if the back of the house isn't finished... but the front is absolutely necessary! :)

Caitlyn took pictures of Matt and Kimi and after hours of frustration last night I finally figured it out and we now have the invitations ordered and will be here this week and I am hoping to have the envelopes already done and ready to mail out. We need to get these things going! Trying to figure out a time for Kimi to go to the temple is becoming a real challenge. Okay, not really, it's just trying to figure out everyone's schedule is a challenge and we are now going to wait until Matt's schedule changes so that he can be there because, let's face it, as great as it would be to have family and friends... the only one that really matters is Matt!!!

Kimi's dress fit perfectly and is beautiful but we noticed a couple of snags that should NOT be there so we sent it back and they are supposed to fix it and get it back to us soon! I refuse to stress yet! It will be here!

The invitations turned out good and I can't wait to see them and get them mailed out! I am so happy that Kimi has found such a wonderful man to love and honor her and I know that she is completely in love with him! What an exciting time for her....

This is the back of their wedding invitation...