All grown up and ready to go!!!

Ready to take on New York!

Ready to take on the world!

Watch out world!

Here she comes!!!!

  

It's almost here... Kassi's graduation!

 Well.... here we are!
18 years ago I was thrilled to have another daughter.
 A beautiful girl I had seen in my dreams, long before I held her in my arms.
  I saw a beautiful, vibrant girl full of life and full of fun.
  I don't know that I could have imagined exactly how full of life,

or how much fun she would add to our family.

I can see clearly in my mind the day I looked out the window

and saw a little blond streaker...

running through the back yard as fast as she could,

naked as could be, only to jump into her Cozy Coupe and go zipping around as fast as her little legs could carry her.

Not much has changed (except she wears clothes now) and it feels like we go for days, only seeing her zip out the door headed for work, or school, or wherever she is flying off to at the moment.

And now...

graduation is right around the corner!

Friday to be exact!!!

I am excited for her, and happy, and sad all at once!

She is so full of life.

She has so many dreams!

She walks into a room and it lights up...

I can't wait to see all of the places she goes,

and the things she does.

She touches lives every where she goes...

and I can't wait to stand back and watch her fly!!!!

Mother's Day 2012

Mother's Day 2012 was a great day!  I had been counting down the days for weeks, mostly because we would be talking/skyping with Tallin and I could not wait to see him.  It's funny, that in my excitement I forgot to actually take a picture of the screen just to log aout how good he looked!  Sadly Skype kept freezing and cutting out and after several attempts to carry on a conversation we resorted to calling on the phone.  But getting to see him, all the way across the world, was AMAZING!  To see his smile, and how happy he looked.... what else could a mom wish for on Mother's Day???

Besides getting to talk to him, all of the kids except Kimi got to be here.  We grilled steaks and had fun visiting with everyone.  I look around and count the blessings, and thank my Heavenly Father.  It's amazing to watch them all growing and to see grandbabies in the mix. 

The kids and Thayne gave me beautiful flowers... and an even more beautiful silver necklace.  Thayne had to talk in church and did an amazing job.  He talked on the divinity of motherhood. 

After we talked to Tallin we walked to the marina to enjoy the rest of a beautiful day. 

While dad and the big kids played a wild game of kick ball... Nate, Gabe, Isaac and I walked over so they could play on the slides.  It was so fun watching how Nate takes care of Gabe.  They were climbing on the slide and a little boy kept cutting off Gabe... pushing him out of the way and then would sit at the top of the slide and not let Gabe go.  I just watched to see how they would handle it.  Nate would put his arm around Gabe and then smile at the boy and wait for him to go down the slide.  Soon the little boy decided that it was much more fun to play together than to try to bully the little guy and they all had a blast playing on the slide together!  There is nothing better than watching these little boys together.... best buddies!

This is like the Mother's Days I always dreamed of!  I am a pretty lucky woman!!!

Running away

 The great thing about having doctors OUT of state is that you have to travel OUT of state to get to them.  And sometimes you just have to make a trip out of it and spend some time together.  Even if the appointment falls through!!! 

I have had horrible postpartum and there have been some days where I felt like the weight of the world was sitting on my shoulders.  Rationally I understand that this isn't true, but you know how it is sometimes - and when the opportunity came up to run away, we worked it out with the kids and we decided to make a day, or two of it. 

The temple was our first stop.  We went to the Jordan River Temple Wednesday evening.  We got there as the sun was going down.  The wind was blowing a bit and the grounds were amazing and beautiful.  From the moment we got out of the car it felt like the craziness of the world slipped away and everything was suddenly okay.  It felt so good to be there.  I almost didn't want to leave!  After the temple we checked into the 'castle' and spend the rest of the evening relaxing and laughing and enjoying having nothing to do.

Thursday was a lazy morning and after breakfast we decided just to get in the car and see where we ended up.  Shopping, and lunch and a long drive found us at Thanksgiving Point and we spent a couple of hours walking through the gardens.  It was the tulip festival and it was heavenly just walking, and talking and laughing and forgetting the cares of the world.  The day was amazing, the weather perfect, and the company the very best!  I am grateful every single day that I get to be married to my best friend.  I am thankful that after all of these years, there is nobody we would rather spend time with but each other.  I am often amazed that I fall more in love with him every... single... day!  I love how he loves me.  I am grateful for the safety I feel in his love.  To know that you are the most important person in some one's life, and to know that together we have created the family of our dreams, is one of most content feelings in the world.  It's not that everything is perfect, it is that together we have made it through the ups and downs of everyday life and that makes things as close to perfect as you can get in this life!

 I know... it's a picture overload... but I just want to remember the way it felt to walk through, holding hands and enjoying the beauty of the day...

 I told Thayne when we are old (older, MUCH older than we are now...) I want to have a place like this to sit and watch the great grand kids playing!

 I loved this part of the garden... there was such an amazing feeling as we walked through looking at different stories from the scriptures and for the life of the Savior. 

I told Thayne that THIS was my favorite picture of all.  He thinks I am a little bit crazy but I can't help it.  26 years ago I was in the grocery store with my grandma.  We were picking out birthday cards while waiting for the manager to bring an application from the office, to see if I could get a job there.  I was looking down when he walked out of the office so the first thing I saw were a pair of cowboy boots standing in front of me.  That is when I looked up and into eyes that stole my heart.  I am not exaggerating when I say that I saw everything I ever dreamed of in those eyes that day and I wanted nothing more than to see those eyes in the eyes of my babies!  I tell him the boots won my heart... which is partly true.  So now, 26 years later the boots (yeah, not the same boots, but still!!!) still melt my heart!   I love the man in the boots and am so grateful that I get to spend forever with him!!!!!