Happy days for a Happy GiRL!

The last year of elementary is a bitter sweet one for both mom and kids. This was not only Halle's last year of elementary, but ours as parents too. Halle being the youngest means we are completely done with elementary, no more recesses, no more school programs, no more class parties, no more simple life for Halle...which means our "baby" is growing up! Its crazy how fast the time flies when you have kids. The 6th graders always go on a big Lagoon trip at the 

end of the year to celebrate their "Graduation from Elementary". I have been able to go with my 3 younger kids and its been so much fun.  Its fun to just spend some one on one time with them and some of their friends, eat lunch at Lagoon and go on the rides 

with them. This past Thursday, the day 

before school got out, was Halle's big field trip. She had been waiting all year for this day and so when her alarm rang at 5:00 am she jumped right up and started getting ready. We had to be at the school bright and early (6:45 am), load the kids onto the buses (I drove...don't do too well on the buses) and be out of town by 7:00, headed for Lagoon. We got out the door on time and got to the school just as I remembered that I forgot my Meclazine (motion sickness meds). One of Halle's friends mom was riding

 out with me, so when

 she got to the school we went back to get my medicine so that I could handle

the rides without getting too sick. We zoomed home and then quickly headed out of town as to not be late. I don't do Salt Lake driving at all!! I hate it, to say the least and don't know my way around...BUT, I can get to Lagoon, the airport and the Zoo...so I was sure that we would be okay. We arrived in Salt Lake when my cell phone rang. It was Halle wondering where we were and told me they were in MORGAN CANYON! I told her that we were in Salt Lake and would for sure beat them to Lagoon..the whole time wondering why in the world they would go that direction! Little did I know or realize that a rather large section of the freeway is closed up by North Salt Lake and they send you on a DETOUR (a dreaded, and much feared word when you have NO IDEA how to get from point A to point B by the way of point D...I much prefer getting from point A to point B, in that order!) which we reluctantly took. All of us driving in our cars seemed to look a little lost and confused, maybe even a little panicked... me especially...but my car companion and I decided that we were just going to "follow the crowd" and hoped that they would lead us in the right direction...surely the rest of the people on the detour had to get back onto I-15 at some point too. So off we drove, going on roads that I had never been on before, looking at scenery that was very unfamiliar...feeling a little lost and wondering where "the crowd" would take us, when we came upon a fork in the road. I didn't know what crowd to follow. Do we go left or do we go right? I ended up following a cement truck that looked like he knew his business. Luckily he took us right onto the freeway and we were back on track. We arrived at Lagoon only minutes before the bus. It was looking like it was going to be a super busy day as we watched bus after bus unload student after student. It was like watching ants that just kept coming and coming. I expected long lines and alot of waiting...but much to my surprise there were hardly any lines. The kids were able to get on a ride, then get off and get right back in line andgo again without any wait. Halle had a blast. I hadn't seen her laugh or smile so much in a long time. She just glowed and had the best time ever. 

Her and Jessica (her friend that she was with) went on some of the rides over and over and over again, laughing and giggling and having so much fun. It was neat to watch as she stretched her wings a little and showed her independence.

She chose where she wanted to get her lunch, which she chose Subway. She and Jessica decided what rides they wanted to go on and which ones they didn't. They loved the Swings, the Bat, the Tidal Wave, Rattlesnake Rapids and the Scrambler. After a long, hot, super fun day...we headed home. This time Halle and Jessica got to ride with us. 

 We headed home the same we came, detour and all, getting home at just a little after 6pm. Even though we had to deal with the traffic, the detour and a few beads of sweat, I was glad that I drove. Halle told me that when she went to school the next day, she found out that the bus had broke down and they didn't 

get home until around 9:00 pm! That makes for a LONG day on a bus with a bunch of sweaty, hungry, sleep deprived kids! It was a fun trip and I am glad that I got to go. I will miss some things about having a child in Elementary School, but there is alot that I won't miss too. I guess I will just look forward to the next 6 years watching Halle develop and become a young lady...a Teenager and then a grown up. It happens right before your eyes and long before you expect it!

Families are Forever!

Memorial Day weekend is the first big weekend that starts our SUMMER- I love it. Usually we go and decorate headstones and go on picnics and open the summer with alot of fun activities, but the weather wasn't really promising this year and so our plans for a picnic sort of fizzled out. But our Memorial Day weekend wasn't a flop at all....Two of my Dad's sisters were out for a visit and coming back from a trip that they had taken to Colorado to see my other aunt. On Sunday the kids and I went over to my Dad's house and had a good 

visit with my aunts and some of my family that was there.  I have 3 aunts on my dad's side and one on my mom's side...so I don't have a LARGE extended family, which I think in turn, has made us all very close. I remember as a child, always anxious for the next family reunion to come along so that I could see my aunts and the few cousins that I had. None of us lived (or live) very close so we didn't get to see each other all that much. But we would write letters back and forth... BUT  when they did come to see us-- they always made it extra special. When I was little my aunts would put hot rollers in my hair and fix me up all pretty. We would go to the Mall and window shop, buy ice cream cones and coloring books and crayons. They would come outside and push me on the swings and play games with me. When I became a teenager they still kept the fun alive- they would talk to me like a grown up, asked about things in my life and how they were going. They took me out for a hamburger and when they spent the night we would stay up all night and laugh for hours about crazy stuff...I love these three wonderful ladies that the Lord has blessed me with, to be my aunts. I don't know what I would do without them!!!! They are getting older now (yep, so am I!) and having health problems...busy with their own lives, as well as me with mine...but I still look forward to seeing them, just like I did when I was little. Even though we don't see each other quite so often, we make the best of the times when we DO see each other. I love just sitting by their sides, visiting with them, hearing their stories, talking about whats happening in our lives now, going to dinner...playing with their dogs (they all have cute dogs), just being with them...doing whatever we are doing at the moment. I loved spending a few hours on Memorial Day with 2 of my special aunts (my other special aunt was still in Colorado and I miss seeing her!!!!). I don't know how much longer they will get to be here on this earth with me and so I cherish each and every moment that I get to spend with them. They hold very special places in my heart. Life is too short to not take the opportunities that we have and make the best of every one of them! My family is my life and I am so glad that I am close with all of them-my children, my siblings, ALL 4 of my Parents and my extended family, even if they are small in numbers...having them all a part of my life makes it just a little sweeter, every single day. 

Three Cheers for Halle!

Halle has been taking dance classes from "24/7 Dance," for the past 7 months. She loves it. She loves being able to learn new things and spending time with Dana (Todd's wife), who owns and operates the dance company. Dana is very talented and I think she has done a super job teaching all these girls. Most of them (like Halle) had never danced before and she's given them an opportunity to learn something they might not have had the chance to learn if she hadn't opened up her dance studio here in town. They had their Dance Recital last week and we all went to cheer Halle on. I hadn't really seen her dance before, other than a few times that she was practicing outside. I thought she did really well. 

She won "The Most Dedicated Dancer" in her group. She has worked super hard and wants to keep taking classes. We are really proud of her and its been fun to see the progress that she has made since she first began taking classes. She has a lot of potential and hopes to be able to follow in her sister, Dayna's footsteps, and be on the drill team in a couple of years.

 Great Job Halle!!!! Keep up the hard work!

Let the FuN BeGIn!

Spring is one of my favorite times of the year (my other favorite being Summer). I love to play in the dirt, smell the dirt and plant things in the dirt. I have been trying to get the yard all cleaned up and looking nice..(no special reason other than I like order and being clutter free)...and planting the garden. I love fresh produce! Everything tastes better when you grow it yourself, even zucchini...yes, I love zucchini! Last Friday, I finally got the garden all 

tilled and decided that I would get it planted. You know, it being Memorial Day Weekend and all, and that is when your supposed to get your garden planted around these parts, so I was just keeping up with the Jones'. I got the green beans planted, the beets planted and 2 zucchini plants in...and then it started to rain. And it rained and rained and rained. So I thought... Monday would be a great day to finish (still getting it in over the holiday, so I won't be behind everyone else) but it was so cool and rain threatened all day, so I didn't get it done UNTIL yesterday! But I finally got it all planted and I am excited to see it starting to grow. My peas have been up for a couple of weeks now, as well as the spinach and lettuce. We hope here in a week or 2 to have fresh salad from the garden. I think that growing things is therapeutic for me. Its a stress reliever as well as a relaxing thing for me to do. So...I spend as many hours, minutes and seconds that I can in my yard...puddering around the garden, the flowers, working the lawn and yes...even pulling the weeds (that is my least favorite thing to do in the yard), but they have to come out. If I stay on top of them and keep them pulled, it seems to save me from having to stress when they get bigger and get away from me, causing all kinds of havoc. But for the time being, I am enjoying my time outside and away from the inside chores that bog me down all winter (they do that in the Summer too, I just have to ignore them a little bit more). We also have several fruit trees, a peach, apricot, 2 apple, a cherry and a plum. I went out and checked them the other day and was shocked as to how many little pieces of fruit that they have coming on this year. I guess if they produce like they are looking like they will, we will have ALOT of fruit...and I guess that also means...ALOT OF WORK! (I don't like that part either...gosh I am picky when it comes to FUN...huh?!) Its going to be a great summer, full of sunshine and rain, plants and weeds, the good and the bad, picnics and work...but whatever it is..I am just going to suck it all in, breathe up every last bit of it, because winter comes WAY TOO FAST for me, so I'm just going to enjoy it ALL while its lasts!!!!!!!

Messes and Mayhem..not my thing!!!

Being a mom, I have tried SEVERAL different techniques and job charts, reward systems, punishments, scores of coaxing, positive encouragement and then there is the scolding, but NOTHING seems to be working to get my kids to clean their rooms and do their chores. I can't stand a messy house. Each of the kids have a few responsibilities that they are supposed to do before they go to school, one of which is to clean their rooms. I don't think that its that hard to keep things cleaned up if you stay on top of it. Granted, I don't always get EVERYTHING DONE...but I also have the ENTIRE INSIDE of the house to clean- as well as the ENTIRE OUTSIDE to take care of, 

so Spring and Summer are a bit harder for ME to stay on top of things, BUT, the kids don't have that much to do. I am sick of clothes on the floors, un-made beds, "STUFF" in piles and in corners, under beds and on dressers...the clutter and mayhem is driving me up the wall! Cameron actually keeps his room a lot cleaner than the girls, which I don't understand...I thought girls were supposed to be the CLEANER of the 2 genders, but not with my kids. (I think that boys become messier when they get married and think they have someone who can & will now clean up after them) School is almost out and CHANGES ARE COMING...AND THE KIDS...WELL, all I have to say is...THEY better watch out!!!

Twenty Years Old...where does the time go?!

At 3:09am this morning, my son Erik turned 20 years old. I can't believe he is that old already. It seems like only yesterday he was riding his bike and playing soccer. Once they hit the 7th grade, it seems like they just grow up and leave in just a matter of days. Erik is a wonderful "man" (I guess he is now, huh?!). He is fun to be around and has a great sense of humor. He likes to fish, especially at Lake Powell, and has enjoyed many fishing trips with his uncles and grandpa down there. He loves my homemade sweet and sour meatballs and homemade lemon bars and requests them every year for his birthday dinner. And that's what I've been fixing for him since he was about 8 years old. 

There are lots and lots of reasons that I love this 20 year old man of mine...here are a few of them:

Erik is very appreciative of everything I do. He always says "Thank You", and means it.

When he was younger he would always come and give me a hug and kiss goodnight and then he would tell me "Thanks" for something that I had done for him that day. Everyday it was something new. I really appreciate his kindness and thoughtfulness.

He likes to visit. 

When he was younger and even a teenager, he liked to go and lay on my bed on a Sunday afternoon (mainly  because that was the day that we weren't all going in different directions...most of the time) and just talk. We talked about everything and anything. We had a lot of good times. Now that he has moved out, he comes over a couple of times a week and just visits and comes to see how I'm doing, has some leftovers from the refrigerator and visits some more. I enjoy having him come over. 

He is loves animals. When he was little he was always so protective of our cats, dogs...any animal. He has had so many different pets...from dogs to lizards. Some have been welcomed into our home, and then there are the others that "HAVEN'T BEEN SO WELCOME"...Like the giant salamander that he brought home and got out of its cage (needless to say, it was awful!!!!)He enjoys animals and its fun to watch him care for and enjoy some of God's creations, even when I DIDN'T appreciate them. 

He is responsible. I remember when he was little and I would give him a list of chores that I needed him to do and he would go right to doing them. I didn't have to remind him (more than a few times maybe), but he would get them all done and usually without complaining. He is still responsible and its nice to know that we can count on him. 

He is thoughtful. Erik has always liked to do nice things for people. He is a very giving person that way. When he was little he liked to make his brothers and sisters beds without them knowing. For Mother's Day this year, he bought me a

 fruit basket...full of mandarin oranges, pineapple, a coconut, mango's...etc...because he knew that I couldn't have sugar. Its just one of the ways that he always shows that he loves and cares for me. He is a sweetheart.

Erik I am so glad that you are my son. You make me smile. You make me happy and I am so glad that I get to be your mom. I love 

you SO MUCH!! 

Happy Birthday Handsome!!

 

Practice pays off~

Halle has been taking piano lessons for a couple of years now. We just went to her year end recital last night. She did a wonderful job! Even though she hates to practice and complains a lot, her hard work is paying off and she continues to improve all the time. Her teacher, Mrs. DeMille, is so patient and helps each of the kids to grow to appreciate the talent that they have...to play the piano. She is a wonderful teacher and I am so glad that Halle has the opportunity to take lessons from her. I am thrilled that someday we can all sit around the piano on Christmas Eve and sing as Halle plays Christmas Carols and brings in the holiday. Keep up the good work Halle...practice will make perfect...or at least close to it. 

Heaven on Earth!

I have many weaknesses, but one of my biggest weakness is "CAFE RIO"!!! I love this place! I love their food and I haven't eaten anything there that I don't absolutely love! Its the best place (of course, in my opinion!) in the world to eat. My favorite is their "Grilled Chicken Salad w/their house dressing". Kim and I had to go out to Provo on Friday and decided that we wanted to have lunch with Dayna, but she only gets a 30 minute lunch. That didn't give her time to come and meet us at Cafe Rio and then get back to work before her lunch was over. So Kim and I went and got the food and met her at a park down by where she works. It was a beautiful day. The wind wasn't blowing and it was so warm, green and peaceful. Provo is a beautiful place anyway, but I thought it was extra pretty that day. We had a wonderful time eating our yummy food and visiting. It was good to see Dayna again. I wished we could do it every single day 

(both the visit and the food). If you have never been to Cafe Rio...you are missing out. Its a Mexican Restaurant... and Mexican food is my very favorite...actually I like all food...but Cafe Rio is MY LITTLE BIT OF HEAVEN ON EARTH. I could go there every single day and not get tired of it. Although, my pocket book wouldn't permit that to ever happen, it would be nice! 

A peek into my week

For Mother's Day Deron and Cameron gave me a "Walk in Closet". Deron and I have been talking about doing one for years but that's all its ever been is...talk. Cameron's room is right next to ours and we decided that when we moved him upstairs we would turn his room into a closet (his room is pretty small)...but I never thought that it would really happen. Well, after they gave me a "certificate" verifying that they would really build it, I decided I better hurry and get the room upstairs ready for Cameron to move into. So first thing Monday morning I started cleaning out the spare room and getting it ready to paint. The "clean out" process was a little more time consuming than I had originally thought or planned on, it took a day and a half, but by Tuesday afternoon I was painting and had it completed by Wednesday afternoon. It turned out really nice and I was excited with the results. I am not one to paint my kids room with "plain colors", each of their rooms are done in bright and cheerful colors. That way the room becomes a happy place for them to be (my own theory). Cameron got to pick out his room colors (with a little help from me so as they all went well together) which were a really bright blue, grey, brown and black. They turned out great together! We got him all moved up, the otherroom cleaned out and hopefully soon I will get to blog about my new closet...I hope they are as quick at getting on to it as I was to getting onto Cameron's room...I can always hope can't I??! It was a lot of fun, but I am glad the project is finished. 

SeW FuN!

I decided to be a little crafty and "make" my Mother's Day gifts this year. I saw these cute, trendy aprons in the Mall selling for $49.00 and decided..."I can DO THaT~ and for CHeaPer Too!"...SO I did! I already had an apron pattern and just made some minor adjustments and 

changes to it to get the outcome that I wanted for "My Trendy Aprons". They were really easy, but took more time than I had anticipated, mainly because gathering a ruffle as long as this one, takes time and tons of patience. IF I were to make aprons for a living I would defiantly

 invest in a "ruffling" attachment for my sewing machine. After spending about 2-3 hours on each one (I made 5), I decided that $49.00 wasn't too crazy of a price to charge for an apron like that...after I considered the time it took and the cost of the fabric to make one. I am so glad that my Mom forced me to take sewing classes in High School so that I could learn to sew. Turned out that I really enjoy the "old fashioned hobby". I was really excited that I could sew my own "Trendy Apron" and have it look like I paid $49.00..(Actually mine probably didn't look like the really cool ones in the Mall...but I am going to pretend that they did~). They were alot of fun to make and when things in my life settle down a bit, I am going to make myself one...a little "late Mothers Day Gift" to me!

What a DaY!!!

Mothers Day....what an amazingly wonderful, fantastic, great day! All of the kids were here except for my favorite son-in-law Jack, who had to work.The kids brought and fixed dinner for me..."Grilled Chicken, Grilled Pinapple, Grilled Aspargras, Salad, Fruit, Hot rolls, Baked Potatoes and Fruit Pizza...you can't beat that! We had a wonderful time eating outside, laughing, visiting and enjoying the great day...we didn't even have any wind (the Lord was wishing all of us 

Mothers a Happy Mothers Day too).I couldn't have asked for more. I have the best hubby and kids in the world and I love them all!!!

An unrealistic "ImAge"...

It wasn't too many years ago that I would cringe with the thought of Mother's Day approaching or when I heard the words, "Happy Mothers Day". Only because of the "Image" that society portrays mothers to be, and what "their" Mother's Day was...the celebration of the "Perfect Mother, doing the Perfect things, and having the Perfect life, with the Perfect family...she does everything just right and lives in bliss 24/7". I wasn't this "Perfect Person", let alone this "Perfect Mother" nor would I ever become her. The image that society thought I should be always made me feel like a failure, it set me up for failure. I could never be everything that the world thought a mother should be. They make it sound like we have to be perfect to be a good mom. Therefore "I wasn't a good mom!" because I wasn't perfect. Sad enough to say...I fell for their ploy. I actually felt like I would be (sometimes I still feel that way) a failure if I didn't live up to all of the perfect things that they say a "good mom" should be.... "The Perfect Mother- Someone who wakes up in the morning with a smile, cooks a hot breakfast, sends the kids off to school cheerfully, greets them with joy and happiness as they walk through the door, happily takes them where they need to be, teaches them how to be contributing citizens in the society that they live in, brings them up to make correct choices all the time, takes them on expensive vacations at least 3 times a year (especially for Christmas and Spring Break...oh yes and usually once in the summer)- always smiling, never speaking a harsh word, reads them a book before putting them to bed each night and then waking up to start this "Perfect life" all over again the next day"...and so on and so on!!!  NOT THIS MOM---I have tried to be a good mom, BUT I am certainly not perfect by any means, I try to cook a good breakfast for my family..but sometimes they get to have cold cereal, and then again, sometimes its only a piece of toast (with Jam of course). I have tried to teach my children obedience and correct principles but most the time I didn't go about it like the "Perfect Mother would", my kids have gotten spanked, grounded, had privileges taken away, scolded, yelled at and even sometimes sent to bed without dinner. I have tried to help them with their homework...that is up until the 4th grade when they start learning more than I did as a senior in high school, so their dad has to take over (he is the smart one of the 2 of us). I have tried to spend time with them doing things that they like to do..in the worlds eyes I would be a failure there as well, because it probably didn't cost alot of money or intell long expensive trips on a monthly basis...but we've gone for walks by the river, picnics in the mountains, laid on the bed and talked and laughed for hours, talked one on one over the phone and sang goofy songs in the car driving to and from the orthodontist. After years of dreading the "Mother's Day Talks" at church, the Mothers Day hype on TV and in the stores, I came to the conclusion (with alot of help from family, friends and my children)...Mothers Day isn't about being the Perfect Mom, there is no such thing...Mothers Day is about loving your mom, appreciating her and being happy that you have a mom...I love my mom! I think I have the best mom in the world. She isn't perfect, but then who is?.. but she is a wonderful mom! She taught me so much and helped me become who I am. She gave me life and has nurtured and helped me from day one-- clear through to today...I think she is the best that there ever was. My kids don't have a Perfect Mom, not by a long shot...and I don't have perfect kids, but I think that I have the greatest kids around. I have a wonderful relationship with each one of them and can call them all my dear friends as well as my children. I cherish the moments that I have had with each of them. My boys aren't embarrassed or afraid to tell me that they love me (even in front of their "Buddy's") or even give me a hug. My girls aren't embarrassed to be seen with me and have even gone places with me when they could be spending time with their friends (who are much cooler than I am). My sons always open my door when I am with them, whether people are watching or not. All of my kids always say "Thank You" and how much they appreciate the meals I cook and the things that I do for them. I don't dread "Mothers Day" like I use to because I have changed the way I look at it. I will never be the "Perfect Mother" or the "Ideal Mother"...I have made mistakes along the way and I know that I will make a million more...BUT.. I have done some things right and have wonderful kids that prove that I am not SO bad and kids that I love more than anything in the world...they (each one of them) made me a "MOM" and each and every one of them makes me happy. I love spending any time that I can with them, I treasure it more than anything. Being a mom is hard work, its made me happier than I have ever been in my life...and its also made me shed more tears than I ever have in my life. It made me learn to like alot of things I didn't think that I could ever like, things like hand prints on the wall, noise, and loud laughter. Being a mom has made me appreciate the little things like... smiles, laughs, notes, hugs, phone calls, thank you's, flowers in a cup, dead spiders on my walls, crazy creatures in my house (Salamanders!), Christmas morning, Halloween night, clean clothes, mud on the back porch (instead of in the house)...the list goes on! Mother's Day isn't a day for perfect mom's...its a day to say "I love you MOM and I'm glad that you're mine. Thanks for all you do!"....So Mom.. I love you, I am truly glad that you are my  mom and appreciate each and everything that you do for me. Thanks for not being perfect and thanks for not expecting me to be perfect...I think your the greatest. To my kids...Thanks for letting me be your mom. Thanks for being who you are...I love you all. Thanks for excepting me as I am, my faults and all. Thanks for helping me become better and being my reason to live, you are my life and I couldn't do it without you all in it! Being YOUR MOM is the joy in my life! No one said that motherhood was going to be easy, no one said that it was going to be fun on a daily basis...but in the end...its all going to be worth it, it already is! 

Happy Mother's Day!!

Starting a new season in life...

It was 12 years ago this morning, at 6:18am, that our baby arrived... 2 months early. Halle Marie Wilkerson was due on July 10th, 1997, but came on May 9th, 1997...weighing in at 4 lbs 10 oz and measuring 18 inches long. She had dark hair and was so tiny. Her welcome into this world was a bit of a stressful time for everyone involved. Her pediatrician told us what to expect, and none of it was very good. Halle came out crying, which was such a welcomed sound, it meant that she was a fighter. She weighed alot more than they had anticipated (they expected a 2lb baby) which also worked to her advantage.  Not knowing how long we would get to keep her here on this earth with us or when Heavenly Father would see fit to take her home with him, made us appreciate ever single moment that we spent with her. The Life Flight team was waiting for her when she arrived. They stabilized her and took her immediately from our hospital to the airport where she was flown to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center and hooked up to life saving equipment. 

Deron left me to be with her and spent the first 3 days of her life by her side, unable to do much but watch and wait. On Mother's Day (3 days after she was born) I left the hospital in Roosevelt and spent the next 2 weeks with her in the hospital, by her side. She was a miracle all the way around. The Dr.'s at Utah Valley told us that she would be in the hospital for at least 2 months...she left after 2 weeks. I know that Heavenly Father watched over her ever single minute. I saw miracle after miracle happen in her short little life. She was shocking and surprising the Dr's left and right, making progress that was not expected to happen so quickly. After bringing her home, her first year was a rocky one, but she continued to be a fighter and is now a strong, healthy, beautiful, 12 year old girl. She will be starting 7th grade in the fall where we will ALL start a new season in life, its the LAST child going to Jr. High...the LAST in Primary....and her first big DAY of being a "TEENAGER"...12 is a whole new chapter for her...Kids grow up WAY TOO FAST!!!

Some reasons that I love and appreciate this wonderful daughter of mine are-

Halle is a very spiritual girl and feels very close to her Heavenly Father. And she always tries to do whats right. 

She is usually very happy. She loves to make others happy with a sweet note or a hug or a smile. She loves to laugh and have fun with her friends. She is fun to be with and spend time with.

When she was younger she use to hum all the time. You could hear her playing in her room  and humming any tune that she could. She asked me one time why I thought that she hummed so much (because she wondered), I told her it was because she was always happy...she just smiled and kept humming....she has gotten older and doesn't do that as much, and I really miss it.  

Halle is very thoughtful. She is always concerned if someone is sick or hurt or just down. She is so sweet to do little extra things for them and do what she can to make them feel better. One time I was sick in bed and she was always bringing me drinks or cards or coming down and asking me if I was okay. She is really sweet that way.

When her older siblings come home for a visit she always hugs them and tells them that she loves them and misses them. She isn't afraid to let them know how much she thinks of them and that she loves them. She enjoys going places with them and being a part of their "grown up lives". She is a huggable, lovable girl. She loves to have her family around, to do things with them and to spend time goofing off, laughing and just having a great time.

Halle...you are such a blessing in our lives. 

We love you so much and are so grateful that you are here with us today. 

You are such a joy and make us remember the "important things" in life! 

Happy Birthday Sweetheart! We love you! 

The "NaSTy" Spring Fever

I love Spring and Summer! Who doesn't love these awesome months when its warm and pretty and we can go outside...they are the best! Although...it also makes me feel like shopping. I think "that" its actually a virus that we women get during these first few months of "warmth and sunshine", probably caused by being cooped up inside our houses for so many months during the winter...its called "SPRING FEVER". Theres NO CURE for it and its extremly contagious, most women are infected with it. It takes a few weeks to work through the system, then it usually goes into remission. BUT...the virus stays in your body and you can have flare ups at any time....boy its nasty stuff...*wink*!!! I had a flare up last weekend and bought a new purse, which I REALLY needed (NOT)...but it was fun to get a new one anyway. This particular flare up didn't last TOO long or cause too much damage. It went away quickly, but I am sure that another one is coming on soon! 

Anyway...I was out in the yard burning weeds this morning...(one of the draw backs of Spring and Summer)...but I was looking around the yard and I was so excited to see the blossoms on the trees and all the spring flowers coming out! (Not that we have very many blossoming trees) Our fruit trees are still young and haven't blossomed much, up until this year. The blossoms are just starting to come out and there are hords of them.

 I don't think they will all produce fruit because the trees are still small, but it was exciting to see anyway. Its just fun to see some color coming back into the world again and to have a few new little fun things to bring me a little happiness!

Yep...Ya Gotta love Spring and 

that "Nasty Virus" that comes around with it...EVERY SINGLE YEAR! 

(Its the only illness that I love!)