In Memory

On Sunday night (May 16, 2010) Craig's dad passed away. I have been wanting to come here ever since to pay my respects and to share some of the things I admire about him. He was 84 years old and has struggled with lung disease for a long time, so in some ways, his passing is a blessing. But it does still leave a void in our lives that will never be filled. I will be forever grateful that I listened to the promptings to visit him in the hospital last Friday. Had I know it would have been my final goodbye, I would have stayed longer and just sat to be there with him, but at least I was able to squeeze his hand and kiss his cheek one last time before he passed. Thankfully Craig was able to spend most of the day with him on Sunday and although there were many hard decisions to make and moments he was part of, in the end it was a peaceful experience and a blessing to be able to offer his dad some comfort in his final hours. Our kids were sweetly grief stricken when we shared the news and their tender hearts and sweet spirits touched me very deeply. I am grateful that they have had some time to get to know their Grandpa Mathis. He is such a good example for them to learn from and I hope that the stories of his life and his strength never get forgotten in our home. I truly admire this man for his testimony, his love of family and his work ethic. He was truly committed to the things and people he loved in life and will be sorely missed.

Some things I never want to forget:

*His green chair and the homemade cover for it

*Plaid shirts

*him laughing at Craig the first time we brought Andrew to his house

*The careful and peaceful way he observed his family every time we got together. His eyes always smiled when he was around his family

*His smile and laugh

*Lawerence Welk and whatever sports he could find

*He hated tomato based anything (he even ordered pizza without sauce)

*His love for music

*The way he loved my kids

I'm sure there are others that I may add after the funeral on Friday, but for now, I am just grateful to have know a man who has raised Craig and who is looked up to by so many people. He will be missed.

From This....to This

This past Halloween was one of the best that I will ever have because it was also Madeline's baptism as well. We all laughed because she went from looking like this in the morning:

to this in the afternoon and evening.

And despite the drastic change in appearance, it was such a great day. We were so blessed to have so many people there to love and support her and her decision to be baptized. She was so excited for this day and she really tried hard to learn about baptism and understand the commitment she was making. At the program before the baptism, all 3 of my kids sang "If the Savior Stood Beside Me," and it was the sweetest thing ever-especially Ben's little voice belting out the words. Madeline was so cute in the moments leading up to and shortly following her baptism and I hope that she never forgets the spirit that was there and how good she felt about the decision she made that day.

Happy Birthday to ALL of you!

Yeah, I missed posting all 4 kids birthdays, so I'm just going to lump them all together here and now and hope that I can find a picture from their actual birthday! (Which I did for everyone but Madeline-I was kind of busy running a marathon on her birthday morning and don't have any pictures in my files so she just gets one of my personal favorites from her birthday month.) Every time a birthday approaches, I just want to grab the clock and freeze time because my kids are growing up waaaaaay too fast! (Especially the oldest two-the older they get, the more I realize that I am loosing them, and it makes me sad.

I can't believe Andrew is 10. Double digits is a big deal for him and for me. It means I'm no longer the young mom in the ward, and that my kids are on the verge of not needing me as much. But it also means that I get to enjoy them a lot more because they don't need so much from me. I am thoroughly enjoying Andrew right now. He is such a great kid! He's a good example to his younger siblings, a great student, a fantastic pianist, and overall just a good kid. I know I can always trust him to make good decisions and tell the truth and that means the world to me. He is such a light in my life and I am so grateful that he is my oldest because he sets such a good example and is such a great leader for the rest of the kids in our family.

Madeline turned 8 in October and she is so much fun! She's definitely the fun that requires a lot of time and attention, but fun nonetheless. She definitely keeps me on my toes and while I would never admit it to her, I know it's not too long until the girl is smarter than me. She is so driven to do well in the things that are important to her and she is such a hard worker to make those things happen. I love that she still thinks of me as a friend and that she lets me in on the secrets of her life. I love her so much and am grateful for the ways she spices up our family!

Ben turned 6 in January and I think I might have cried. He is getting so big and of all my kids, I think I am most sad about him growing up. I love that he makes me play with him every day and that he won't take no for an answer. He's a bit needy, but his needs remind me every day that spending time with my kids is far more important than any other thing I think I need to get done. He is so loving and has such a tender heart that it makes me get teary eyed just thinking about how sweet he is. I love that he is my best buddy, and even though he's getting big and growing up, I'm not too worried that he'll be ready for mom to be less involved in his life anytime soon!

Sarah turned 3 in October and as crazy as it sounds, I wasn't too sad that my baby was turning 3. She is so funny and she definitely cracks me up on a regular basis She is such a bundle of energy and wears me out beyond the point of exhausting almost every day. Sometimes I think I'm in way over my head with her, but I know our lives would be so dull without her around to spice things up. I think one of the things I love most about her is that what you see if definitely not what you get. Those blue eyes and curly golden locks are definitely deceiving because there is nothing girly about this little one. She is such a free and independent spirit and I hope that I can be a brave enough mother to let her spread her wings!

Tonight's the Night

Since all my kids are in bed and Craig is gone to visit his dad at the hospital, I decided tonight's the night for me to catch up on this poor neglected blog! Feel free to read--or not to read--but I really do miss having this place as a creative outlet. I think my hang up is that I don't feel like I can start posting in the here and now when there is so much of the last 6 months I've neglected. So, neglect be gone!