San Francisco!

Dave and I were able to get away and go to San Fran with just the 2 of us this past weekend! It was SO awesome!!! We just love San Francisco. If I was in an alternate universe living with just me and Dave and no kids I would move there in a heartbeat. The vibe of the city is just so awesome! It is really like "home" to me. You have everything there, downtown city feel, ocean feel, and just about a 1/2 hour outside San Fran you have mountains with beautiful redwoods and the mist floating in. Just breath taking! It was a much needed respite! Thanks to my loving Dave who let me do this trip against his better judgement probably. But I needed it more than words can say. We enjoyed eating and shopping and one day drove down to Monterrey and did highway 1 which runs right next to the ocean. Then we also took a detour on highway 35 (I'm assuming a little known road) where we had a blast looking at the forest beauty, seeing the Christmas tree farms and winding our way down a one lane road where cars were driving both ways. :-) We also loved seeing dive little roadside cafe's where we imagined that you could probably get killed there and no one ever would know you were missing or where you were. Like that movie/book Misery. We imagined that the writer got that plot line from driving on Highway 35 in CA. lol It was also so awesome seeing the city all dressed in Christmas lights and music. We even got to go to a free Christmas concert in Union Square with a light jacket! Now that was something. All in all, I'm glad we did it. I loved being in San Fran and I loved being with Dave, how lucky I am! Oh and thanks to Helen and Bill who watched our kids and shoveled bucket loads of snow we understand the entire time.

Festival of Trees

Yesterday my sisters and I got the chance to decorate a tree in my Mom's honor for the Festival of Trees. It was truly an awesome experience! It was a lot of work and was actually 6 months in the making. But we had tons of fun and I knew in my heart that my Mom would be so proud of us and would have loved the tree! We did it in a musical theme because our Mom was so appreciative of music and the arts and made each and every one of us play an instrument, mainly the piano. My Mom and I had a lot of fun and special moments walking around Festival together as well. So it's neat and sad all at the same time to be doing this tree. But, I'm so glad we could do this in her name and that we had the great experience of all being together and thinking of Mom. Plus all the proceeds go to Primary Children's, which is such a great cause! So check it out if you are going to Festival, we are on isle E. And really these pics don't do it justice. You have to see it to really appreciate it. It is gorgeous!

Happy Birthday Mr. Willis!

So Saturday the 24th was Will's 1st birthday! I can't believe it has been a year since we have had this true joy in our lives! Will is just a precious blessing! I have never seen a baby quite like him. Gigantic, with curly hair and a HUGE smile! Also super smart (of course all parents say this, but he really is!) He was saying words at 9 months and he seems to know EVERYTHING that is going on! I just love him! I had Mr. Willis 2 weeks after my Mom's death last year. At first I felt like no one could have it harder than me with all I had to deal with. But as the months went along, how grateful I was for Will in my life!! He was the answer to many prayers, especially my Mom's, that I would have my dream with having another baby despite all our IVF crap! And then, he was blessing to me from Heavenly Father to help me through my Mom's death. Many nights I sat up and just cuddled that chubby baby crying thinking of my Mom and the whole meaning of life. He is a kindred spirit to me in so many ways. And I like to think that my Mom gave him the final touch with curly hair and a happy disposition and sent him on his way before he was born. Will we love you!!!! (Even though he barfed after we fed him cake! lol)

Letter to my Mother

Mom-

There are just some days that I need you so badly! That I wish you were here with me, wishing this all was a strange twisted dream. Wishing that you could see my children, loving Will's curly hair that you would have died over, enjoying Maren's fluffy buns in a swimsuit and Matthew's little Matthewism quotes. I can't believe it has been a year since I have seen your beautiful hands, your gorgeous smile, your hugs, your beautiful dark blue eyes, heard your laugh, or just smelled your familiar smell. I sit and wonder what you are doing, what grand adventure you are on, who you are teaching, what mansion you are decorating-I hope it's mine(and there better be granite counter tops and 5 inch baseboards)! I like to picture you with your beautiful smile and your ankle socks in a gorgeous temple dress. Breezing in and out of rooms in heaven making everything perfect and comfortable for everyone else. Every day I miss you a little more, but every day I feel a little more strength and comfort in the things that you taught me. In the fact that you raised me so well that I can stand on my own. I'm thankful for the beautiful family you gave me and these wonderful beings I call siblings that are here to boyd me up during all this. You often taught me growing up "your friends will come and go, but your family will always be here." (Repeating this to me often as I had to take Andrea along with me on outings -holla Annie, or babysitting) That was truly a precious gem of knowledge, and how grateful I am that you made us forge these relationships from birth. Almost as if you knew the turn our lives would take. Once again, trumping us all with your amazing intellect.

To you Iam grateful for so many things. For teaching me grace, dignity, self worth. For teaching me to hold my head high even when things aren't going right. For teaching me to turn the other cheek, and quiet, selfless service. For teaching me to get back up when I fall and not letting me wallow in disappointments. For giving me the gift of music, one of my most treasured talents. Because of you making me pound the piano every day, I have had some of my most spiritual experiences sitting behind the familiar keys playing at and attending many spiritual church meetings. I can picture you Mom bobbing your shoulders up and down and dancing in appreciation to our 80's music, especially U2. How fun you were!

You always had a standard, and how thankful I am to you that you taught us that standard. You set the bar high and had high expectations. And somehow we always tried to reach them, sometimes making them sometimes not. But always feeling that you were proud. How grateful I am for your sweetness and appreciation of making each one of us feel special even when lost in a sea of 7 kids. Mom I am thankful for days I spent with you during the illness, where we talked about life and talked about testimony. I'm grateful for your testimony which helped us all get through your death. You never complained, which I know is because you wanted to make it easier for all of us-again thinking of others. I'm grateful for the day at the hospital where I got to give you hugs and have you tell me that "you kids are the best thing I ever did in my life". Those times and many others meant so much to me! What strength and love you bestowed on me on those last days.

Mom, I know that you are supposed to be where you are. I can't really understand, and I don't like it. But I know you miss me and I miss you! I will miss you forever, but the advice you gave me and the lessons that you taught me in my 31 years is more than enough to get me through the time and space until we meet each other again. Mom, I look forward to the day where we can sit on our chaise lounge, sharing a bottled water and airing grievances for hours on end. You better be that little old lady that you KNEW would be there to help us all through the veil. You are always in my thoughts, and on those days that I think of you I hope that you are there with me. And I hope I can continue living my life making you proud of me. Until we meet again Mom! I love you!

Margaret

Halloween

We had an eventful Halloween. It was Will's first one and I can't say that he loved it all that much. After trying to squeeze him into a tight spider costume, we put him into the dog which he liked better, but he still wasn't having much to do with trick or treating. The fun thing that I learned about him on Halloween though is that he has figured out to blink before we take his picture in anticipation of the flash. It is too funny! The great part about it is that he blinks then opens his eyes in to for the picture! Matthew was a clone trooper from Star Wars, although he has to tell everyone he is a DELUXE clone, because he got the deluxe costume and not the regular one. Pretty cool! Then Maren was a witch or as she likes to say wicky witch. All the kids were adorable. Maren loves to trick or treat because she loves candy and she is so fun to watch because she is a woman on a mission. She is all business with the trick or treating stuff. Matthew also had a school parade which was a mad house and Dave got home just in time to trick or treat from being out of town. Thank goodness for Catherine and Steve or carved out pumpkin and helped me make a disaster of a dinner. All in all, good times, but cute kids!

Here is Will pre-blinking! lol

Outings

We were able to go on a few outtings last week as Matthew was off of school and Dave took a day off. We went up to the Aerospace Museum in Ogden. It was awesome! Matthew has really been wanting to do this because he is currently obsessed with planes! Especially any from WWII. We met Annie and her kids up there and walked around. Even better this event is free!

Then we were also able to go to our yearly outting to the pumpkin patch. The kids love picking their own pumpkins and looking at all the different varities. This event is free to get into, BUT you live paying hefty for the pumpkins, but the experience is priceless. This year they really got decked out and had a Black Pearl ship built that kids could get on and everything. They also have a little corn maze to get lost in. It was awesome! I love the fall and doing this fun traditions that we have started with our little family.



Proof that Will tries to eat all things you put in front of him!!

Happy Birthday Matthew!

Matthew turned 7 last week! We had a few days of celebration. I just can't believe that it has been 7 years since the day he was born! That was the best day and worst day of my life. Long horrible labor with complications and a NICU stay for Matthew the first day. But what a miracle it was that we were able to bring him to this earth. After 3 long years of trying and with IVF we got our sweet Matthew. He truly is a joy to parent! He has the best vocabulary that I have heard in a child, one of my favorites is his use of "perhaps" and "shall". And he is friendly to everyone and full of life. He reminds me so much of Dave actually. Everytime I see Matthew enjoying life and having fun I think of his baby blessing that Dave gave him where he blessed him to "always have happiness and be happy for the success of others" This truly is Matthew! Anyway, we were able to celebrate a few times during the week and were able to have a party with a few friends at Chuck E Cheese (the single most scarey place I have EVER been to in my life!! If you have never been there, count yourself lucky!) We even had to drag along my sister Catherine so that we wouldn't loose any of them, poor Cathi! I am truly thankful for Matthew in my life. He has taught me so much. He really is a miracle and I try to tell him that every day! Happy Birthday Buddy!