Watch out... grandpa will get you!

Grandpa...
Great Grandpa...
We were so happy to have him come and visit
for Kassi's graduation.

What do you do when grandpa is just a big kid?
Chasing the kids around and spraying them with mousse!
Well... what happens is that it quickly gets crazy
and pretty soon mousse is everwhere.

And then grandpa catches you...

corners you with a stool...

and then everyone is watching as you are trapped!!!
Under a stool...
Poor Kalli.... hahaha
She won't mess with grandpa again anytime soon.

Or....
yeah, she probably will!!!

Beautiful....

Friday was a busy day... it was the last day of school.  It was Kassi's high school graduation, and it was Caitlyn's first prenatal appointment!!!

Friday at lunch, Jace showed us the most perfect, beautiful, first picture of our 4th grandbaby!  The ultrasound showed a perfect baby (only one, darn the luck!) that is due January 2nd, 2013! 

We are so excited!  They are going to be the best parents!!!!  Another beautiful baby to love!

Congratulations Jace and Cait... this has to be some of the best news... EVER!!!

She's leaving on a jet plane...

She is ready to fly...
Literally... ready to fly!
To New York!
Does the look on her face even begin to express her excitement for this trip???
She is ready to have the time of her life!

She has seen "Taken" and knows she better not talk to any strangers at the airport.
Her dad already informed her that he doesn't have the skills of Liam Neeson...

Ready to see the sights and make some memories...
before she has to come back and be a grown up!

Have fun pretty girl!!!!

And.... She graduated!

 Look at this smile!!!
Her big day has finally arrived and she can't stop smiling!

What an emotional day...
I keep saying that I can't believe how quickly time goes by,
But it is true. 
The days seem to fly by and my babies have grown so fast.
Another kid ready to fly the nest...
Kassi has brought so much light, so much joy, so much life into our home.
Her enthusiasm for living is amazing...
And contagious!
You can't be in the same room with her and not laugh, and smile,
and find joy in the little things.

I am so grateful that I get to be her mom.
I remember so clearly the moment I held her for the first time,
that little dark haired beauty... such beautiful features...
sent straight from heaven into my arms.
In no time at all that dark hair had changed to blond and she was ready to take on the world.
She had to do everything her own way....
And not a whole lot has changed! 

Congratulations my beautiful girl!!!
Don't ever give up on your dreams.
It is a privilege to be part of your life...
Now we will stand back and watch you fly!!!

Winding up her elementary experience

I can't believe this....Kalli will be in the middle school next year!!!  It just doesn't seem right.  Isn't she my baby girl?  She isn't supposed to be so grown up.  But here she is... in all of her glory!  She had her 5th grade program and the 5th grade rocket launch.  She will also be receiving an award for having straight A's, and then watch out middle school... here she comes! 

Yay... it worked!!!

I don't think the recorder was her favorite part of music but hanging with her bff is definitely the best part of school for Kalli! 









Parenting Styles

I realize we all have different parenting styles.  I don't even expect them to be the same because we all have such different personalities and different experiences.  I am okay with that.  I have managed to raise, so far, 7 adult children... several in their teens and a few more nipping at the heals of thinking they are growing up.  But I am NOT okay with someone, that I am supposed to trust my children with, tell my children that they don't agree with a decision that Thayne and I have made for them.  I DON'T CARE if you don't agree with it.  You are NOT respecting me even if you tell my kids you are, by telling them you don't agree with me.  You simply do NOT understand why we have come to the decision we have.  It may be different than your decision, but it is not WRONG!  We come to major decisions after much thought, and often much prayer.  We also may just happen to know facts about the situation that you do not.  We rarely tell our children a flat out no... and when we do, you can be sure that there is a reason for it!  In fact we tell our children yes as much as humanly possible... we give them experiences to grow, to learn and to figure out things for themselves.  If it is not immoral or illegal we generally say yes!  So IF we say no... there is a very good reason.  If you, as an adult, do not agree with it, it is NOT in the best interest of the child to tell them that you do not agree with their parents. 

I recently had a conversation with a teen... someone I love and would have the same expectations for, and treat the same as I would my own children. In fact that is how I feel about all teens!  He told me some things he struggled with his parents over.  Guess what???  I did not tell him that I disagreed with his parents.  That is NOT my place.  What I told him was that his parents were doing the absolute best job as parents they can.  That they learning like we all have to and that they want nothing but the best for him... so he should give them respect and honor for doing their best.  That's it... that's all.  I would never feel the need to tell him that I disagree with how they do things.  That would undermined everything they are doing for him.

I sometimes wonder WHY we make things harder for each other.  Why don't we just lift, encourage and help each other?  I don't understand it, I don't live in such a way that it is all for me and I know best... I used to assume that everyone lived that way, assuming we were all here to help one another.... but silly me, I guess I was wrong about that!

A bite

 I haven't really disappeared off the face of the earth...

I mean there have been a few days I felt like I was going to,

but alas...

I am still here!

3 weeks ago on Tuesday I got bit.
By something....
Something evil.
We aren't sure what, but we think a black widow.

Which is weird because I WAS bit by a black widow several years ago
and while I got a big swollen bump where it bit me,
this time was much worse.
Initially there was a huge, swollen bump and a red spot.
Within the next few days
I got a secondary viral infection that started out with red bumps
and quickly ended up looking bruised.
The doctor put me on antibiotics for the bite but didn't think they would help with the rest.
For the next 2 1/2 weeks I was SICK!

Body aches, pains, fever, chills, nausea...

yeah, it was horrible!

There are still a couple of spots that hurt, but for the most part I am finally starting to feel

like I am overcoming the virus.

I don't EVER want to feel that way again!

And talk about bad timing!

I am now trying to get my house back in order for graduation,

but we are also trying to get ready for the trek.

I was doing so well exercising every day and trying to get in shape to trek...

instead just getting in the shower felt like a work out!

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!!!