11.  Brent and the boys taking their traditional drive to Evanston, WY to feed the boyhood dreams of firecrackers and much, much more.

12.  The boys putting on our own 4th of July firework display that was quite spectacular.

13.  Putting flowers on mom and Joyce's graves. 

14.  Loving them and missing them still.

15.  Going to see "17 Miracles" and feeling so grateful for my pioneer heritage.

16.  James G. Willie, the captian of this handcart company, is my not-so-far off Grandfather.

17.  While visiting my mom's grave in Mendon, we stopped at the Willie home.

18.  It feels so good to remind our kids what great examples of unwavering faith and  dedicated service they come from.

19.  Large shoes to fill.

20.  Stopping at Maddox in Brigham City for our comsumption of fluffy rolls, raspberry butter and melt in your mouth beef, shrimp, fried chicken and whatever else we were craving.

21.  Spending an evening with my brother Jim and his family.

22.  I don't realize how much I miss them until I have them all right there in the same room with me.

23.  Goodness.  Now I have a lump in my throat.

24.  Enjoying lunch with two wonderful childhood friends.

25.  Being grateful for friendships that span the years.

26.  Returning to BYU at the end of the week and being reunited with my sweet girl.

27.  Filling the cash drawers in the BYU bookstore with our fair share of change.

28.  Savoring a Carmel Cashew ice cream cone at the Creamery on 9th.

29.  Now we can head back home.

30.  Driving through Orderville and seeing a herd of elk that were impressive to say the least.


31.  There are sand dunes off the side of the road behind a barbwire fence just south of Page.

32.  In the gillions of times we've drove past these dunes I've thought how fun it would be to stop one time and feel the powder between my toes.

33. Spontaneously stopping at the sand dunes just south of Page.

34. Truly giddy that Brent stopped.

35.  Stopping to capture a dessert flower.

36.  Finally making it home and realizing just how amazing my husband really is : )

I love trips to Utah and the 4th of July is my favorite time to do it!

Last time I checked...

Last time I checked I was primping with Maddison's hair.

Unrolling the pink sponge curlers that she had slept on.

Last time I checked I was adding a little flip to her hair.

So that the black velvet hat sat just so.

Last time I checked I was straightening her already straight hair.

This time she added the sparkling barrette and shell necklace.

Last time I checked we were shopping together for her baptismal dress.

This time she picked out the one with the petite flowers at the waist band.

Last time I checked she was a babe in my arms.

The little girl I prayed we would have but dared not say because I knew how much Brent wanted a boy.

Last time I checked Maddison won him over.

And over and over : )

But somewhere between the last time I checked and now,

she celebrated turning 16!

Maddison and Miranda share a birthday just two days apart so we had a SWEET 16 party for two!

A big thank you to our friend Wylene for making the darling cake.  The girls picked rice krispy treat for the bottom layer and vanilla cake for the top two layers.  We added sparklers instead of candles and then the crowd of friends sang a loud and heartfelt HAPPY BIRTHDAY song to them.

Between the swimming, the cotton candy machine, the popcorn machine, the outdoor movie on the big screen and other snacks galore, I think the party was lots of fun. 

Of course thanking the fabulous Patti and Warren for turning over their home for the event can never be expressed with just words.  They are two of the best people I know.  Being friends with them is a blessing : ) 

Happy 16th Maddie Joy!

Last time I checked I loved you 17 : )

Still do!

A boy and his brother...

This morning, just as I was about to get out of bed, in came a darling red head with a sweet grin. He was carrying a tray with two Krispy Kreme doughnuts and a glass of milk. He sat the tray down next to me and gave me a kiss on the cheek. He asked if there was anything else I needed. 

Although KK doughnuts are a no no for my stomach first thing in the morning - I enjoyed every bite while my little guy sat beside me and chatted up a storm about pending firework purchases.

He's doing a good job learning to be thoughtful and kind just like his big brother.


photo taken 12/09

Today I took Davis to his ortho appointment to find a very busy office. All the seats were filled and so we stood. Soon a few chairs emptied and we took them. A women got up and went to the front desk to take care of something and when she was done, someone else had taken the seat. The woman sat on the ground against a wall just a arm’s length away from Davis. After a moment Davis turned to the woman and offered her his seat. He got up and asked her to please take it. She said “no thank you. I am fine really” and expressed her thanks to him. She said, “what a kind young man.” Another woman who saw and heard the exchange said as well, “what a sweet young man.” I just grinned from ear to ear and silently thanked my Heavenly Father for blessing me with such a good boy. It makes my heart so happy to see him make good choices, act upon the things he has been taught and set a strong, solid example for his little brother.

photo taken 12/01

For the love of the game...

Little League season is long over but I couldn't leave this out of the end of the school year wrap up.

Cooper's team went undefeated the entire season.

They played in the All Stars game and won that as well.

They did have a pretty great coach that carried them on his shoulders--if it were possible to physically carry a team on your shoulders.

If it could be done then Brent would be the man to do it.

He puts everything into this game.

He expects a lot from his boys, no matter they were only 7 and 8 years old this season.

But he teaches and gives every part of him right back to them.

His time, his knowledge, his experience but more than anything his love for the game.

And when you are done playing for Coach Brent you go away feeling like you learned a bunch, you played hard, if you made a mistake he taught you how to fix it, and you feel like a champion--no matter the score at the end of the game.

Best of all for Cooper, he gets to bring the coach home and just call him Dad : )

School's out.

I realize school has been out for a month now but I wanted to acknowledge

my children for their excellent efforts at yet another school year of

 addition,

 subtraction,

 multiplication,

 division,

 reading,

writing

 and beyond.

  Like WAY beyond.

 
 

Both of the boys were blessed with extraordinary teachers. 
Thank you Mrs. Bray and Miss Fischer for giving your all to my kids.
Although you will never be compensated appropriately enough monetarily for what you do,
please know the amount of gratitude that comes with the insufficient words
THANK YOU!!

In keeping with the educational theme, here is an Acrostic poem for each of my kiddos...

Diligent
Amicable
Valiant
Imaginative
Steadfast

Competitive
One of a kind
Obliging
Peppery
Exuberant
Remarkable

Maddison is no longer a "lower classman".

She joyfully exclaimed the minute her last final of her sophmore year was complete "I'm an upper classman!"

I don't like thinking about what that really means because I'm pretty sure I'm not ready for it.

But besides that, Maddison had a great year.  Anything she touches turns out pretty darn stinkin' fantastic!

But that's just her mother's humble opinion : )

Mindful
Attentive
Dedicated
Darling
Influential
Smiley
Organized (although this does not hold true when it comes to her bedroom)
Nice (such a tiny word that means so much)

Finally ~ some pictures of the show!

NYC!  The shimmer of Times Square!

The pulse!  The beat!  The drive!

Welcome to America's favorite radio program, the Oxident Hour of Smiles, starring your old softy, Bert Healy!

Together at last!  Together forever!

I don't need anything!

Anything!

Anything!

I don't need anything but you!!

Yes, the jig is up!  Daniel Francis Hannigan!!

Behind the final curtain pictures...

Daddy W and his ladies!

Thanks Team Annie!  Each of you made this so much fun!

Davis with his biggest fans : )

Miss Hannigan, Annie and Daddy Warbucks

And the amazing Mrs. Smith...

You are fabulous!  Thanks for giving these kids such an unforgettable experience!

The making of Daddy Warbucks...

Right from the moment that Davis came home in January from auditions for the school play and announced that he was going to play the part of Daddy Warbucks, he said he was going to shave his head.  Knowing that Davis is true to his word, I didn't doubt that he would.  In order to give him an out I did say that he could make a final decision about that in May when it came down to performance time.  When we asked if he wanted to go try out a bald cap to see how it would look, he still insisted he was going to do it right.

And he did...

So after taking it down to silky smooth...

It made the perfect impression and transformed our boy into a man...

It's hard for me to believe that Davis looked like this only four months ago...

Then he was a good amount shorter than his sister.

Four months later he can look her in the eye.

That makes him 5' 8".

Then he still had a boyish look about him.

Four months later I can hardly see it.

That makes me get a lump in my throat.

Then he was only half way through sixth grade.

Four months later he only has like 10 days until he puts elementary school behind him.

That makes him happy and me with another lump in my throat.

I really need to get back to my blog because some great things have happened...

like Davis getting to act in a role that was made just for him!

Move over Albert Finney...

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's Davis' turn to shine!

He was spectacular!

And petite Ashley was the perfect Annie.

It was a match made for Hollywood!

Seriously, I realize I am a proud mother but the level to which these elementary kids performed was nothing short of incredible.

It was so much fun to sit back and watch it all unfold.

Take a bow big D.

And take another and then another.

You so have my heart.

Something I'm excited about...

I've had my camera now for about 3 years and I've loved playing around with it.  I've even gone from AUTO to MANUAL which meant nothing to me other than I realized how much I enjoyed taking pictures.  When they turned out decent (by accident) I got even more excited.  I knew I didn't have enough knowledge to really get the most out of my camera, so for my birthday I asked for lessons.

My sweet hubby made good on the gift and I scheduled a lesson with an incredibly talented photographer right here in my neighborhood, Amy Fraughton.  Knowing all along who she was and that I totally admired her talent made me a little nervous but she was nothing but sweet and kind and funny, which helped me to relax.  She has so much knowledge and is truly happy to share and teach.  I had lots of fun with Amy and am really excited to learn and understand more.  I recommend a lesson or two, or three or four with Amy.  She's a rock star!

But just like anything else in life, if you want to get better at something, you have to practice.

I wish I had more time to do just that on a consistent basis but that's not my reality right now, but once in awhile I find a chunk of time here and there.

I practiced a little with the pictures of the jasmine in my last post.

And I practiced a bit with this handsome little man.

Allow me to introduce...

Duncan.

Doesn't he just steal your heart!! 

  

His momma is a friend from my ward and she let me have some fun with her tiny treasure.

Shaylene makes beautiful babies!

Ok - Mike, the really great hubby, pitches in too : )

He is five weeks old and smiles all the time.

He truly looks so happy for his turn on earth.

Such an angel boy.

Baby toes just warm my heart.

He didn't fuss once.  Just gooed and smiled.

And then he yawned.

Welcome to the world sweet Duncan!

So here are just a couple things I am learning:

 ~ I have such a long way to go and that's okay

~ I need a different lens to really be effective

~ Don't be afraid

~ The word photography means to "record light".

Amy taught me that : )

~ This is something I really enjoy

~ Learning is fun and rewarding

I have some great news...

The jasmine on my front porch are blooming!

When I breathe in the dreamy fragance it makes me smile.

I never realized how significant these flowers would be for me.

Each year they begin to bloom about a week before Mother's Day.

And Mother's Day for me is about Joan.

My own mother.

She loved fragrant flowers.

Lilacs being her favorite.

But lilacs and the desert are not friends.

So around here, jasmine is my lilac.

And when Mother's Day comes around in about a week, the blooms will have filled my porch to overflowing.

The significance being that timing is an amazing thing.

Not just in the blooming of my jasmine, but in life and all it teaches.

The fact that jasmine blooms like this each year means little to most.  But to me the timing of these blossoms is sweet, tender and I feel my mother's love.

The Lord's timing played a large part in my mom's passing.

Why did she linger?

Why did she have to endure to such length?

Why did the weeks turn into months and the months turn into years?

I don't comprehend it perfectly, but for myself I came to understand the extent to which my mom loved her family.

I think she and the Lord had it all worked out.

Always teaching us and wanting to serve, she agreed to the Lord's timing
so that her family could learn a little more,

feel a little deeper,

become a little stronger and

love a little longer.

Timing can be beautiful when we see it as a gift.