Maxwell has absolutely LOVED playing baseball this spring. He is such a natural athlete (just like his Daddy). He has been watching his uncle Brian play baseball at Costa Mesa High for the last couple of years and he has picked up a lot of the things the boys on the high school team do. One game he got up to bat and told Casey that he wanted to bat lefty (he is normally a right handed batter.) and so he did and he got so many good hits batting left handed that he played the rest of the game that way. He is such a sports nut... he lives and breaths sports. It's so much fun as a parent watching my babies do something they truly love. That look that they give you when they have success... priceless. When he looks at me to make sure I'm watching followed by a thumbs up... there's nothing better, it melts my heart :o)
Pitch me a good one coach!
PERFECT!
rounding first base
Give it up to coach Casey... It's not easy coaching ten 5 year olds
Our stake had a daddy daughter dance for 3 to 11 year old's and their Daddy's. They had a square dance hoe down and they had the best time. The girls were so excited about it all week and thanks to my wonderful sister in law, Amber, the girls had darling little outfits. They got to play horse shoes, guess the number of peanuts in the jar, eat lunch and of course dance. I wish I could have been a fly on the wall to watch them. While They were gone Maxwell and I had a little date of our own while Kylynne napped. I let Maxwell choose what he wanted to do and of course of all things he wanted to play wii sports together. After a game of bowling, golf and baseball he chose In n' Out for lunch and he used the $3 that Grammy sent him in the mail to pay for it like a big boy. He looked so cute ordering his cheese burger and then pulling out his Lightening Mcqueen wallet to pay. He was so proud of himself. (thanks Grammy) On the drive home Maxwell asked me this question "Mom, why didn't you go with the girls to the dance?" Me: "because it was a daddy daughter date so just daddy and sisters went and you and I got to have a mother son date." Maxwell thought for a minute and then said "Mom, what's a date?" Me: "Well, it's like when Mom and Dad sometimes have a date just the two of us and we get to go somewhere and do something fun together by ourselves." Maxwell "Oh, I don't know why but I pictured when you go on a date that you dress up in fancy clothes and you float up in the sky on a circle... I don't know why I pictured that." I couldn't help but laugh out loud, he has watched one to many Disney movies. Later that night when he was getting into bed he asked if we could have a date once a week or once a month. I told him we could probably do it once a month and maybe he could take turns having a date with daddy too (He was really excited about that idea) so he said "we better sit down tomorrow and put it on the calender." I'll take it while I can get it. Who knows how much longer he's going to want a date with his Momma. AAaaaahhh, moments to cherish.
Kylynne LOVES baby dolls! She is always hugging, kissing and rocking them. Her newest thing is to sing to them. I have never seen a baby love baby dolls like this girl does... It's so sweet.
Just thought I would show off the latest pictures taken by my sister in law Kim. She is an amazing photographer and is very reasonably priced. She has such an eye for photography and is very talented and artistic. Check out her website at tickledpinkstudios.blogspot.com Thanks Kim we LOVE them!
I know that I haven't blogged in awhile. Part of me is over it and part of me doesn't want to make the time to do it although I like doing it because it helps me feel connected to people when I don't have time to talk to distant friends and family as much as I would like.
I never just write anything, 'cause I figure most people just skip over that part and go strait to the pictures anyway (I'll admit, I'm guilty of doing that sometimes). So this post may just be for me, wanting to write something for no reason at all.
This week I have been particularly emotional, although those of you who know me well wouldn't be shocked by that. Casey and I celebrated our tenth year wedding anniversary. Wow, TEN years! When we were newly weds ten years seemed so very far away. It also seemed that in ten years we would be established in a home and settled in with children, a good job and the life that I often dreamed of as a child. Even five years ago when life was so much simpler, another five years seemed like it would bring so much more stability, consistency and maturity. Now we are here. I look at our situation and feel lost, unsure and anything but consistent and stable. It feels like we should have it all together. That we should know with a surety by now what we can expect for the next 50+ years. We should have a home and be a part of a community that we can feel connected to and involved in and that our children would be settled and confident in their lives. It feels like we should be confident in our parenting and in our ability to be self reliant and to have the attitude that would allow us to make things happen for ourselves. I know that this thought is one of blissful ignorance and that there's no possible way to go through life without the lessons that bring us to our knee's. Even as I sit here typing away, I am 100% confident in the things that I do know. Though so much of the before mentioned gives a person security it doesn't necessarily bring peace. And though I am struggling with finding my footing on a daily basis, I do have peace. I have a knowledge of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and I have confidence in where I fit in His eternal plan of happiness. I have a righteous and loving husband who would do anything to make sure I am happy and safe. I have four beautiful children that fill my life with more joy than I knew was possible. And I have family and friends that surround me with their support and love on a daily basis. So at the risk of sounding cliche... to say that life isn't what I dreamed it would be, would be inaccurate... It's SO MUCH MORE!
"One's life.... cannot be both faith filled and stress free... Therefore, how can you and I really expect to glide naively through life, as if to say, "Lord, give me the experience, but not grief, not sorrow, not pain, not opposition, not betrayal, and certainly not to be forsaken. Keep from me, Lord, all those experiences which make Thee what Thou art! Then let me come and dwell with Thee and fully share Thy joy... Real faith... is required to endure this necessary but painful developmental process" Elder Neal A. Maxwell
Life teaches us lesson after lesson with no exception... and that's what she said!
Maxwell has really been putting off learning to ride a two wheeler. Every time we would ask him if he wanted to learn he would say no. So finally a couple of saturday's ago Casey just took his training wheels off and told him that it was time to learn. At first he kept saying he didn't want to so I turned to Mia and Eva and said "ok, then which one of you wants to learn?" Mia said she did so Maxwell quickly jumped up and said "No, I'm going to do it." and that was all it took. The first time he tried he did it all by himself. He is still a little wobbly but he is doing really well. This was his 3rd time doing it by himself. He has since learned to turn around and use his breaks and even get started by himself. It's amazing what a little bit of confidence can do.
Casey knows how much we all love chocolate so for Valentines day he got each of us a box of chocolates from See's (my favorite!). The kids were super excited to get their very own box. My favorite flower is a tulip so Casey got me and each of our girls tulips. Mia and Eva were so excited. Thanks baby for being my Valentine 11 years running... Love you!!
Last Sunday when Casey was getting ready to get the kids in the shower he turned it on to let it warm up and then left the door open and went to get Maxwell and came back to this...
