firework fun

True to tradition, we traveled to Logan the night before the 4th to watch the fireworks with my family. The girls always have a grand time running around on the grass with their cousins before the fireworks and then huddling together on a blanket to watch the display. Claire loved her first fireworks too! She pointed and squealed at each one.

I sure love watching the kids experience something for the first time!

Along with the fireworks, we have another little tradition to celebrate the 4th of July. It's totally crazy and was thought up by my party animal sister, Kerri. Following the fireworks, the kids all gather at Grandma and Grandpa's house to play night games. The crazy thing about this is that we don't get back from Logan until almost 1:00 am. And for a non-night owl like me,that makes for a pretty late night. But as you can imagine, the kids absolutely love it!

This year we invited everyone to our house for the night game event. We missed the Sfamily and Chris and Amy's kids. Oh, and me. We missed me too. It all sounds like so much fun during the daylight hours, but by the time midnight rolls around, I'm no good at all. Courtney took pity on me and sent me to bed while he and Kerri captained the event. Even little Emmy stayed up with the big kids this year. She thought she was pretty big stuff!

From all reports, everyone had a great time. Aunt Kerri provides glow sticks for the kids to make into necklaces, which is always a big hit. Favorite games include Steal the Flag and Kick the Can. Finally at almost 3:00 am, the kids were shooed into the playhouse to go to sleep.

(That was the plan anyway, but you can imagine how that goes!)

A big old thank you to Aunt Kerri for all the fun. If it wasn't for her, this beloved tradition would have died in it's tracks years ago thanks to all of us boring old folks who would rather sleep than run around in the moonlight wearing a glow stick around our neck. (Call us crazy.)

I've already invited everyone back next year, and I've let them know ahead of time: I'll go ahead and sacrifice playing the games so I can wake up and make breakfast. I wouldn't want anyone going hungry on my account!

our backyard friend

The girls spotted this little dear in our backyard the other day. They squealed with delight as they ran to the window to watch. Our little friend allowed them to come outside and observe for a while before hopping over the fence and back into the cornfield. One more thing to love about living in the country!

ryenne and beautifly

Like most children, Ryenne loves butterflies. The other day, she was delighted to catch one. She was even more thrilled when she found that it let her hold it. Soon she discovered that she could set it on her cheek and it would stay there, gently folding and unfolding it's wings. Then, it would even move over to her nose and stay there. I loved the name she gave her little pet butterfly. "Beautifly". She and Beautifly enjoyed each others company for almost a week!

what happens while mom is outside

This summer we have been working on about a gazillion projects in our yard. Sometimes, while I am out working, the girls stay in the house to play. Sometimes I keep Claire with me in the backpack, and sometimes she stays in with the girls.

This morning, as I downloaded some pictures, I found out what really happens while I am outside. looks like a little bit of ice cream . . .

and markers (washable I hope). . .

I must admit, the playdough artwork is very nice.

How does that saying go? "When the cat is away. . . ?

clairabelle

i never imagined

Not much going on.

You know, it's just 4:00 in the morning. What else would I be doing but sitting at the computer and typing? Can't think of a single thing.

I had a realization today. (Or maybe it I should call it yesterday?) This thought has run through my mind before. Hundreds of times in fact. But as I was performing something akin to an architectural dig in my van, it occured to me that yes, it is true. Completely and absolutely confirmed. While scraping sucker sticks off the armrest and vacuuming up bagel pieces from a recent in flight food fight, the harsh reality stared me right in the face.

I'm not the mother I thought I'd be.

I thought I'd be organized.

I thought I'd be nice. All the time.

I thought I would be caught up. On the laundry. On my exercise. On scripture reading with my kids. And myself.

I thought we'd do crafts.

I thought I'd be hip.

I thought my van would be clean. Except, I never thought I'd drive a van. But I thought I'd have clean car seats. And stuff.

I thought my yard would be lovely. And tidy. And we'd all sit out and enjoy the evenings in solitude. Only thing is, there's not much solitude around this joint.

But you know what?

There's more to all of this.

I never imagined I'd learn so much. About myself. About my Father in Heaven. About these little spirits He sent me. About how much more there is to learn.

I never dreamed I'd have these feelings. Appreciate little kisses so much. Tiny hands. Bitsy toes.

I never knew how fulfilled I'd be. Watching them grow. Marveling at the wonder of each of them.

Not in a million years could I have imagined the joy I'd experience. That it would fill all of me. Completely.

Like most things in life, motherhood is nothing like I ever imagined. It's better.

For although I've never felt quite so out of order. . .
I've never felt so at home.

kate had a birthday, hip hooray!

Kate turned 7!

Kate is such a fun part of our family. Each of the girls have their own special and unique personality and Kate is no exception. While we were still in the hospital with her after she was born, I remember telling Courtney, "She is so different than Ryenne. I can just tell." And it is true. I love seeing how different they each are and what a fun dimension each of them add to our family.

Right from the start, our Kater-bugs has been loving and cuddly. I never really heard her cry for almost the first two weeks of her life. She loves hearing the story of how good natured and mellow she was as a baby. She NEVER cried. In fact, when they gave her the PKU shot as a newborn, she never even flinched. I remember the nurses looking at each other with a funny look and asking, "We did get it, didn't we?" and "Yes, she's bleeding, I guess we did it right." It was at that point I decided that something was terribly wrong. After all, what kind of baby never cries? Especially after shots? I thought she must have a brain injury or be deaf. (Why exactly I related deafness to this, I'm not sure.) I spoke to the pediatrician and explained my worries, expecting him to relay some kind of terrible news. Instead he laughed. "Is something wrong?" He asked. "No, nothing is wrong. It's called being lucky. Just enjoy it." We laugh at this now, because these traits still continue. Still mostly happy, Kate loves shots. And being deaf? Well, no one can tune me out quite like Kate!

We had a great time on Kate's birthday. She had been planning for weeks that she wanted to go to dinner and a movie with Mom and Dad. As it turned out, she was a little bummed because her Dad had to go out of town the week of her birthday. I tried to think of something special, but didn't know quite what to plan because I knew her Dad was trying really hard to make it home by Thursday, her birthday.

The morning of her birthday, the girls were asleep in the playhouse. We woke Kate up with donuts and candles and a lovely rendition of the "Happy Birthday" song. I was a little worried, because her wish as she blew out her candles was that her dad would be home for her birthday, and I didn't want her to be disappointed. After a little breakfast picnic, we whisked her off to gymnastics and then to swimming lessons with Aunt Kerri and all the C cousins. We ended up planning a spontaneous birthday party with all of the cousins after swimming, which turned out to be a fun night. And to top it all off, Dad made it home just in time for the party. In the end, Kate said she ended up having a fantastic birthday!

(These pictures are in reverse order, so we'll start from the end of the day and move backward!)

Kate got a t-ball stand, bat, and mit for her birthday, and we had a rip-roaring game at the party. Nothing beats playing t-ball in the moonlight!
Kate and her polka-dot cake. (She picked polka dots because she thought both boys and girls liked polka-dots!)
Claire was a party animal!
Kate and her cousins, admiring her new purple mit.
Only at the W house do you get a life size hamster wheel to play on (aka a gigantic cable reel).

Trying to master her new hula hoop.
Enjoying our birthday donut breakfast. . .
Making a wish. . .

Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you!
Happy Birthday, dear Kate! Happy Birthday to you!