Then, and Now

A decade ago I sent Dallin off to his first day of Kindergarten.

Today, it was Daniel's turn. This is my fifth time to send a Kindergartner off to their first day of school, and it hasn't gotten any easier or less exciting.

Here he is, getting situated into his seat in Mrs. Mullen's class.


Eliza, ready for third grade.

And Audri out the door for 6th grade.

Dailie's an 8th grader this year.

It was just a quick 2.5 hour day today, and Dallin doesn't start until tomorrow, but the school year is underway, and things are changing around here.

Happy Birthday, Daniel!!

Daniel is 5!! He has been so excited about this birthday. He's had a paper chain hanging on the doorknob to his bedroom for at least two weeks, counting down the days to his birthday. We had a great day today celebrating.

It all started with a birthday breakfast of pancakes and chocolate milk, all on the special plate.
Next were presents from the family. Each of his siblings used their own money to buy him a present. Do you love his morning hair?
In the afternoon he had a party at Detweiller Park with a few of his friends, and the family.
The Cars cake. Dailie did the road for me, and I was so thankful for her help. I was finishing up the cake minutes before the party was to start.
After cake and ice cream, we had a water balloon toss, which ended in a water balloon fight, which is just what Daniel was planning on all along.

They all had lots of fun with the water balloons. A special thanks to Dallin for filling those.
Next was the sponge relay. It was cute to watch the kids get into it, and be good sports as well.

We couldn't have ordered a more perfect day for weather. It was beautiful.
They also enjoyed some time on the spider web playground. It was a great way to celebrate Daniel's special day, and a great way to bring an end to a fantastic summer.

We love you, Daniel!!

I Think I'm Ready Now

Even though school doesn't start until next week, early morning Seminary started this week. As a result, I've been trying to get myself back on my school morning schedule. This morning I was out running at 6:30, and it felt like Fall. The crispness in the air, the smell, the sun shining, warning me that it would be hotter later in the day, yet reminding me to enjoy the remaining days of warmth, as colder days are ahead. You see, normally I love Fall, and am eagerly awaiting it's arrival by this time of year, but this year I have been reluctant to feel ready for Summer to be over and Fall to arrive. I'm not exactly sure why. Maybe it has to do with the fact that we've had a great summer together as a family. Or that I'll be entering a new stage of life with all my kids in school once school starts. Maybe because we just finished school shopping yesterday with a trip to Kohl's, where I bought, among other things, 7 pairs of shoes, none of which were for me. With school comes all the decisions to be made. What activities will each child participate in. Can I work out the schedule to drive them all where they need to go? Dallin has had some scheduling issues to work out with his classes at High School. Whatever the bottom line reason really is, I just haven't been able to give a resounding "Yes!" when people have asked if I'm ready for the kids to go back to school. It's time, and I can tell that it is. The kids are ready for a change in schedule. They're getting a little bored at home, but I just haven't felt ready.

Something about breathing in Fall this morning helped me make the switch. It was as if all the things I love about Fall came rushing into my head along with every breath of my run. I came back to the house ready. Ready for Fall and all it's pleasures. Beautiful colors. Crisp air. Sweatshirts and sweaters. Pumpkins and apples. BYU Football. Bike rides. Crunchy leaves. And yes, even back to school. Bring it on.

Back to My Roots

This is where I grew up.

Do you understand now why sometimes I yearn for space to run, to be away from the subdivision scene, to be out in nature?

I spent the first part of this week in Indiana. Is it because I'm getting older that I have such deep feelings of nostalgia when I "go back to my roots". Even though I feel like I share a lot with them, I'm beginning to realize that my children don't know as much about me as a kid as I think they should know. I was determined to help them become a part of my past this trip. Rick and Dallin left for the Boy Scout High Adventure trip in Canada Friday afternoon. Shortly after that, the rest of the kids and I loaded up in the truck (they took the van), and drove to my sister's house in Crawfordsville.

The next morning we drove South to Patoka Lake State Park, where the Day (my mom's maiden name) Family Reunion was held. I hadn't been to this reunion for 6 years, since moving to Illinois. It was good to see my extended family that I hadn't seen for so long, and it was fun to be in that part of the state. None of the 3 hour drive was by way of Interstate. I thought that was going to be a real pain, in the truck. It turned out to be a real treat. We drove through the area where Rick and I spent our honeymoon, and past Bloomington, where my sister Amy and her family lived for several years. There were plenty of memories flooding my mind as I drove, and it just seemed like the right way to travel across the Hoosier state.

Eliza and Audri with their cousin, Emily, who we took along with us for the reunion.

The kids had fun in the lake, while I sat in the sand and caught up with my cousin.

Sunday I attended Church in the Ward I grew up in (it was a Branch for the first decade of my life, or close to that, anyway). It was great to look around at and talk with so many people who had been a part of my growing up. A former Bishop, a YW leader who decorated cakes- perhaps she was my inspiration for that, a sister who sewed A LOT, and I know was an influence on my sewing hobby, the father of my friend who died of leukemia at the age of four and who was very supportive to my parents when I was in the hospital from my car accident. On and on.

That afternoon the kids went with me to visit my 91 year old Grandpa. He's in a Nursing Home, but not on any medications, and his grip is still strong. He doesn't remember everything perfectly, but I tried to talk to him about memories with him, like picking gallons of blueberries with him in the summertime, and playing with his collie dog, Jolly in the backyard. The upturned corners of his mouth showed me that he was remembering something, and I knew I was. After that, I took the kids by my old Elementary School, which is now an apartment building, my Grandparents' house, and my Great-Grandpa's house, where I remember running down the hill and swinging on the willow tree. The willow tree is gone, and hill isn't as big as I remember it, but the memories came flooding back just the same.
My kids spent a lot of time with these furry friends. They couldn't get enough of them. Three new little kittens, not even a month old, their mama, and one other cat. I couldn't help but think of all the many cats that we had had while I was growing up, as well as the many litters of kittens that I had snuggled and loved.
Monday we spent the day on Sugar Creek, tubing with the Jensens and their friends the Sommers. The water was so slow, that the trip that normally takes 3 hours took more like 7!! It was tons of fun, though.
Tuesday was mine and Rick's 17th anniversary, but he was in Canada, so I went out to lunch with my mom and sister, Rachael instead. We had a great time talking and reconnecting. The picture's a little funny. We look like fish in a bowl, but that's ok. It shows we were together.
Most of the rest of time was spent like this, hanging out at either my mom's or my sister's house. Talking, laughing, enjoying family. It was a great time to reconnect with my roots, and share them with my children.

Memories of Kevin

Two years ago today, Kevin was finally relieved from the torment of cancer. Unfortunately for those of us still here on this Earth, the only way for this to happen for him was to leave his mortal body behind, and have his spirit move on. I imagine that it is much harder for those who are left behind than it is for Kevin. I have thought about what I would like to post for today, and have decided to write some memories of Kevin.

The summer after Kevin graduated from High School, he came to Indiana and visited Rick and I. It was a lot of fun to have him around. He was always great with the kids. Dailie was 6 months, and Dallin was 2. I don't remember a lot of specifics from the trip, except that is was always great to have Kevin in our home. I remember that we drove over to the Wright Patterson Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio. Rick and Kevin both love airplanes, and it was a great museum to visit. Anyway, I dug up these photos of Kevin with the kids. I love this one of he and Dailie.

And helping Dallin in the cockpit of a plane.

Kevin may have been Rick's little brother, but he was mine too. We hit it off well from the time Rick and I were married, and although his reaction to our engagement announcement was "oh, great ANOTHER sister!", I never felt like he minded having me around. I remember visiting in Utah once when Kevin would have been about 15 (actually we probably lived in Provo at the time and were just visiting Rick's parents). Kevin brought me a note some girl had written him. I don't remember what it said, but he wanted me to read it, and talk to me a little about it. That wasn't the last time he and I talked about girls. Just before he was diagnosed with cancer I remember having long phone conversations with him about girls, mostly about a specific girl in his life, Tera Jackson. Tera became his bride and eternal companion. That was a smart choice, Kevin.

And so, another year passes, and I refuse to let the memories dim. I want to keep the memory of Kevin alive, with me, with Rick and with my children. Thankfully, with a guy like Kevin, that's not really that hard to do.

Happy Birthday, Dallin

Today Dallin is 15.

I'm sure every mother says this, but I somehow knew the moment Dallin was born that he was bound to be great. He entered this world off the charts, and has pretty much lived his whole life that way. It's hard to find another boy like him, although I really should start referring to him as a man, at least a young man, and not a boy anymore. I love having Dallin around. He's fun, witty and pleasant to be around. Here's a little sample. At some point on our vacation we were in the car and had been for awhile. The younger kids in the back seat were getting impatient and restless. I asked Dallin if he'd be willing to move to the back and work his Jedi mind tricks. He willingly squeezed in the back, between Daniel and Eliza, and before I knew it, they were laughing and giggling instead of complaining. We told him he had earned the rank of Master Jedi.
For his birthday, I made Dallin a Butterfinger ice cream cake. He had his cousins, Tanner and Adam over for the weekend, and they had lots of fun. If all teenage boys were like the three of these guys, this world would be a better place.

When Dallin was little I would always ask him if he would be my little boy forever. He would, of course, answer yes. I would then ask if he would still be my little boy even when he was bigger than me. He always told me he would. Well, it's been a few years now that he has been bigger than me, but he will always be my little boy forever.