Friday Letters

Dear Children, another road trip to Mesa. But this time you get to see your Dad. I'm so happy for you, but I will miss you so. I will only tell you that here because I know you will worry. I hope you have so much fun and have sweet dreams. Dear Road Trip, to the Dentist. I had a headache the whole time. We had to stop 14 times total for someone to pee. Stressed out 7 year old. Broken molar. No Barro's. Dear Kaden, you have been fighting an infection in your knee. It's been awful. You were THIS close to being admitted to the hospital. Double antibiotics x 2. Preisthood blessing. We are finally starting to see progress. My poor little man. Dear Avary, you are turning 8 tomorrow And being baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. You are so excited, I'm so excited. I love you more than words can say! Dear Life, there is just too much to do. Never ending too much to do. Dear Will, I am looking forward to your weekend off. We might even get to spend some time alone. I'm glad you will be with me. I don't know how to be without my kids. Dear Self, I don't think my brain has a short term memory stick. It's a problem.

BabyCakes

Oh my goodness!

Look at her sweet little face!

I LOVE HER

Crowned

Drove down to Gilbert for a dentist appointment.

They moved Barro's without asking.

The one in Gilbert that is.

We had to eat at Burger King.

The kids complained to the Dentist about it and apparently they moved one mile down the road. 

But we are blind.

This poor girl grinds her teeth so much she cracked a molar straight through.

I think she should relax.

We know how to rock a crown.

Fair Day

They cancel school in these parts when the fair comes to town.
They also cancel school on the day of the homecoming games. Apparently that is normal.
We started Fair Weekend at the parade.
Hailey in Cheer, Kade on the fire truck rooting for Thatcher Eagle PeeWee Football, Avary and Hazel on the Gymnastics float.

The kids and I met up with Will's kids and their mom Tanya. That way the kids got to enjoy the fair together. I enjoyed it this way also. Will met us later when all the fun was over. Ha. It all worked out for me because I didn't have to ride anything. Although I did want to go on the faris wheel, waited in line forever and then our wrist band expired and he wouldn't let us on. Insert very sad Hazel here. Hazel did the grocery run and received detailed instruction on how to get all the cans of pringles. She made out like a bandit. Free Food!
Warm kettle corn and funnel cake. Oh and cotton candy. Mmmm. I'm sure Will loved me so much when I asked him to bring 18 burritos and water to feed us all. Your crazy if you think I'm paying to feed a million kids at the fair. It's kind of nice having two 12yr olds who can go buy treats for you.
It was a fun day. The little girls were asleep before we even got to the car.
I put them in bed without a bath. Gasp!

Friday Letters

                        

  Looks pretty good for being in the car for ever, pulling up in the driveway and running down the street to make it in time.

Dear Children, this week was insane. Too busy. We did get to spend some quality time together in the car forever. Dear Parade, It was fun to see all of my kids in the parade. Hailey in Cheer, Kade on the fire truck for football, Avary and Hazel with Gymnastics. Luckily I got Brittany to sit with me so I wasn't all alone. Dear Fair, you were fun. I didn't have to ride any rides, well, I count the planetarium show as a ride because it made me dizzy. Once a year is good enough for me. The kids? They ride those sick rides. I don't know how they do it. Dear T, I get so many comments and surprise from people who can't believe that we were at the fair together with all of the kids. I really appreciate your willingness to get along and be normal. The kids are so happy this way. And so am I. Thanks! I'm unsure if I should be worried about Hazel's obsession with you. Ha. Dear Headache, you made me miss church! Will was so lucky. He got to take four kids to church by himself. Dear Avary, riding fair rides with a concussion is BAD. Trying to act fine to get away with it is BAD. You are paying for it now. My poor Babycakes. Dear Kade, my mystery boy. You are fighting an infection in your knee. Missing football, missing school. And we are trying to keep you OUT of the hospital. I'm praying you get better little man. And fast. Dear Hailey, your orchestra concert sounded great. I enjoyed it. I love watching/listening to you learn and progress from your lessons. Dear Hazel, you are so moody this week. Super happy or super grumpy. I am so glad that you love Will and want him to take care of you. It's nice to share the burden of your grumpy pants days. You are cute enough to get away with it. Even though you are in speech and I work with you on it, I never correct you when you say "berry" It's just to stinkin cute. "I love you berry berry much". Dear Allergies, Waaaaaa! That is all. Dear Dentist, you are so great to get us in quick when we are coming from out of town. 7 hours in the car takes a toll. Especially this time, it doesn't help to start the day with a ginormous headache. One kid with a headache also, one with a toothache, headache and tummy ache, one with knee and back pain and one that was loud. I swear my kids have broken more teeth than anyone else from grinding. It gets expensive. Drive there. Drive back. We don't get to do anything fun. Dear Will, THANK YOU! You help all of us so much. You are so supportive when things get tough. You don't shrink away, you step in and take care of someone. And are so patient with me. It always seems to land on the weeks that you work such long hours. I. Love. You. Dear Self, don't try and walk faster than you can run? Is that it? I feel like I'm not moving at all. I'm doing what I can and just like last week I am trying to be content with that being enough. Hmm I wonder what I should be learning from this? Just kidding. I get it! I really do! I think. Lets move on to something new.

Cotton Picking

Well, it's that time of year again.

That time when the fields are white with Arizona snowballs.

It's beautiful, especially when the sun is setting with golden rays on the fields of cotton.

Yet it comes with a price for me.

Moving here added me to the allergy club.

I don't think I'm allergic to the cotton, but some part of the process that goes into growing it and especially the picking, packing and transporting part.

It makes me so miserable.

Really miserable. I feel like I can't get a deep breath, coughing, sneezing, running watering everything, burning itching eyes, puffiness, fatigue, exhaustion...any word that describes miserable.

I've never really suffered from allergies, so last year I didn't recognize it as that. I just thought I was forever sick. Then I met Will. We would spend hours talking, but I couldn't say one sentence without coughing through half of it. Causing me to drink a lot, but that's another story. I wonder what he was thinking? Haha Maybe it was good because it forced him to do a lot of talking allowing me to really get to know him. I'm sure after awhile he figured out that I wasn't "sick". I thought I had developed asthma. Him being a Pharmacist, gave me some allergy pills to try...Well what do you know! It helped! This year he brought home some allergy eye drops too. He probably was worried that everyone would think I was crying all the time. So thoughtful. Smile.

So I seem to suffer from year round allergies, but extra extra suffer from cotton picken months. Oh well, I still enjoy the beauty of it.

It is Pretty.

Friday Letters

                                                           Hazel's cake is.......pretty

Dear Children, Sometimes you make me crazy. And then you do something cute and redeem yourselves. Dear Fire Station, it was nice of you to host a party and let the kids climb all over in the trucks, give them balloons and fire hats, and make them hot dogs. Free dinner is always a win. Dear Hazel, you turned 6...you are growing up too fast. I will savor every last moment that you will be my little baby girl, even if it is only at home. You are such a strong and amazing spirit. Lucky girl had a great day and lots of gifts that were just what you wanted. You got the biggest slice of cake and never took a bite. Silly Hazelnut.  Dear Kade, your team WON! This is the part that is kind of enjoyable, watching the games. Dear General Conference, amazing. Some of the topics brought me to tears and touched my heart so deeply. We are so lucky to have a living prophet. Dear Crazy, insane moment. Accepting a caged pet at the last minute while the neighbors were moving. Temporary is what I call it. Dear Halloween Bin, you made it out of the shed and onto the front porch. We will see if you ever make it into the house. What has happened to my holiday spirit? Dear Fair Day, there is no school because of the county fair. Perks of living in a small town. Having to get up early so the kids can be in the parade=stinks. Dear Awkward, I just remembered I forgot to tell Will! Being in Walmart, turn around to look at something, and when I turn back around my cart is gone. Uummm...What? I walk around following the sound of my phone that just received a text, I won't say for how long...find my cart abandoned. Luckily my wallet and my phone were still in it. I wasn't panicking or anything. Cause that would be awkward. Dear Caramel, Wes's caramel to be exact. With detailed instructions after an epic fail I succeeded..kind of. It could have been a little thicker, but it was so so yummy. So I say it is a Win. Well, maybe not for my thighs. Dear Weather, I feel a slight shift in temperature. The mornings and evenings felt nice and cool. And then it just up and got cold and windy! I like nice and cool better than really cold. Dear Will, it's your turn to work long hours. I appreciate all that you do to help after a long day. Dear Self, slow down, rest up and take care of yourself. Sounds good to me. Sound easy? No. It's like a hurricane hit.

Never Boring

This is normal, right?

Cause I wasn't really that surprised to walk into the kitchen and find Will wearing a helmet when he was never riding a bike. I'm pretty sure he wore this most of the day, I know it at least made it to Hazel's birthday party.

He either felt he needed added protection in our home(which is a very valid point) or he is trying to make a point because I kind of demanded that he own and wear a helmet when riding a bike.

NO ONE is going to die from a head injury while riding a bike on my watch in this family!

I win all around. He's wearing his helmet and making me laugh at the same time.

This guy seems to have the same idea.

"You said I have to wear a helmet" he says as he rides circles around me.

Maybe I should make them all wear football helmets with mouth guards.

Hazel said her bike is just like a horse.

She was pretending to have a lasso, swinging it around in the air.

So funny.

My Baby.

6

I'm not ready.

My baby turned 6.

How could she do that to me!

Hazelnut!!!

Oh my Hazel I love you so much!

I love watching you grow and learn and progress.

You love school, but still have so much anxiety about everything.

When you are happy you are so very happy and helpful and cute.

You sleep through the night now. Can I get a hallelujah! It only took 6 years.

You love girly things and looking cute, but always end up looking cute rolled in dirt with tears in your clothes from climbing trees or something like that.

You love tea parties and babies and your play kitchen and dress up and makeup. Barbies, pollys, play dough, painting, drawing. You know, just about everything.

Unless you are cranky. Then you hate everything. And when

 you are hungry and no one will ever know exactly what you are hungry for.

When you are cranky (sensory overload) you want me to sit in the same room with you and everyone else leave and no one can make a peep. No. One.

It breaks my heart to see your tears.

You think Will belongs to you. You love him.

You think Becca and Emi belong to you also.

You need me to sing you to sleep every night, but that's ok because nothing is more sweet and innocent than the face of a sleeping babe.

You are my baby and you always will be.

Even though you have officially hit 39in. and 43lbs.

You are long and thin.

You have such beautiful big blue eyes

And freckles scattered across your little nose.

How I wish I could freeze time.

But it continues on and all of a sudden you are 6.

At least we get to continue on together.

ALWAYS wear a HELMET

This is the first week.

The A and T got cropped out. Hmm.

But I mean it. Always make your kids wear a helmet. It's just too risky.

I was walking behind Avary as she was riding her bike home from school, half way down the street from our house. She made it about 50 feet and hit some sand on the sidewalk...her forehead took the impact. She was tangled up in her bike.

I calmly walked her home and washed up all her scrapes and put ice on her head.

Inside I was wanting to rush my baby to the emergency room. Fortunately or Unfortunately I have some experience with Avary getting concussions so I know the signs and warnings. She definitely has a bad concussion and I'm sure she broke her nose. I talked with the Dr. and am watching her closely. She is slowly getting better. But not her active adventurous self. Although I did notice if other people are around she tries to do her normal things and ends up on the couch.

It scared me to death. How dangerous and scary a bike accident can be.

I used to be so careful about safety rules. Our yard has sidewalk all around the back and a huge driveway so the kids just hop on and off all day and ride around. You can see the school from our house and they can only ride on our street and get off at the crosswalk. It's such a short distance!

It doesn't matter.

It's called an accident for a reason. 

Sometimes the kids will walk now just because they don't want to wear a helmet. Oh well. If they fall and hit their head walking the impact will not be the same and at least it won't be something that could have been prevented. The damage would at least have been less.

I can't even count how many hours I have been worrying about my little girl, making sure she is alright. And grateful it was not worse.

Point of the story - Always Wear A Helmet!!!!

Friday Letters

Dear Children, it's been a doozy. Yet I am proud of each one of you. Dear Hailey, after getting hit in the mouth at mutual you showed how good your heart is. You thought of the other person and why they would have done that and you forgave them without ever expecting an apology. In this circumstance I am so very proud of how you handled yourself. If the circumstances had been different...I would say defend yourself. But you chose to be kind. Kind is always good. Dear Kade, it's been a rough one for you again. Good days and bad days, we all have them. You amaze me with how you always try again. Dear Avary, poor girl. You are still not quite yourself after your concussion and I'm pretty sure you broke your nose. Feel better baby. Dear Hazel, you love school. You are making friends and played at your friends house this week. You had been asking to go to his house ever since you went home teaching with Will. And you said that you play this complicated game at recess that involves chasing each other. You are so funny sometimes. Just don't mess with you when you are hungry. Dear Awkward, when your husband comes home and looks at your hair and says "what happened". I even went in public. Ha poor guy, it's a small town people are bound to see my hair. Dear Craziness, sometimes it's busy and there are grumpy people and someone always has to be somewhere. I look forward to a day when we can all just stay home and relax. That would require all the kids getting along and all the meals magically appearing. Dear Refrigerator, you are so pretty. I bet we can fit twice as much food in our new to us fridge than we could our made for little people fridge. It's even taller than me! One man's trash is another's treasure. I like this kind of trash. Dear Liam, after lunch at the park with family and friends you had your baptism. The spirit was so sweet there. I loved that I could be there for your special day. Dear Will, I see my kids clinging to you every spare minute, needing you. Thank you for all of the countless things you do to show them they are loved. From handling meltdowns, to drying tears, calming anger, setting limits, to helping with homework after work. I love you for loving them. I don't really like having to be so careful about catching cooties from you. I'm praying you will get better soon. Very soon. Dear Self, what I say to myself is so important. It's easy to forget that sometimes and only see my flaws. Yet I catch myself teaching my kids what I know I should be telling myself. Love yourself.