Happy Birthday to my beautiful Natalie

I was in labor…in the hospital for 3 days.  The doctor was trying to stop you from coming.  But you wanted to be here.

General Hospital was on the tv in the room and I was hurting.  I remember your daddy holding my hand….we were both so young.

Then they took me into the delivery room.  I wanted to stay and watch General Hospital on the black and white tv but you wouldn’t let me.  That’s ok…even though I was really scared, I was really excited too.

At 5 lbs. 2 oz  and 18” you were so tiny and cute.  I didn’t even get to go to my one and only and very first baby shower because you were born 5 weeks early, so the family put a shower together while we stayed in the hospital for 3 days.   I was ok with that….I had a new baby girl, and back then…we didn’t know what we were getting until you were born!

 

 

You were your daddy’s princes from that very first day!  and still are to this day…

 

 

 

 

I guess baby’s eyes were always blue, but yours….were bluer than the ocean…I’m glad they eventually turned green like mine…

 

 

 

Everyone always told me how beautiful you were and that you looked like Cindy Brady on the Brady Bunch!  You took forever to grow any hair….I did what I could with it

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some days I couldn’t do a thing with it!…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There were days when you wouldn’t let me do anything with it.  You were very strong willed….and still are……

But those curls….oh how I loved those curls!  Even though you hated them…

You went through lot’s of stages……….we all did…and still do…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

View Full Album

Remember the “Glam” shots?  No one could make you more beautiful than you already were, your skin has always been like a porcelain doll..

 

Sometimes I wanted to scream when you did your make-up and hair…but it was the 80’s and we got through it…

High school…ah the good ole days!

Just try and remember that when Madi puts a little toooooo much on….hehehe

 

 

I remember how you seemed to grow up overnight…and became my friend and not the alien from mars that I thought I had given birth to….with a teenager of your own, I think you know what I mean right?

 

 

 

It seems like forever since I have seen you.  I look at your picture every single day.  I look forward to our phone calls almost every single day.   Last year’s visit seems like forever ago….yes…you are even more beautiful today…

 

 

Even though you will turn 40 tomorrow January 29th, you will always be your daddy’s princess……….and my baby girl….always have been, always will be.  Thanks for the picture (above) that you sent me today….you look so happy….

Happy Birthday Natalie

I love you……..

We miss you……….

Can’t wait to see you………

Love always

Your mama…

Good morning sunshine!

The “Little Rascals” came this past weekend while my son went to a “geek” electronics convention  in Las Vegas.  His friend had tickets so Mike, Camille and friend drove down to St. George on Thursday, dropped the “rascals” off on Thursday night and headed to Vegas.

My husband is such a good sport…either that or crazy, probably both, but he would never say no to me…so he watched the “rascals” on Friday, (while I was at work) then  brought them to my office so we could have lunch together, after lunch I went back to work and Huh-honey took the “Little Rascals” to the playground at the park.  This helped to take in some of the day and wear them out (a little)(actually he was the one worn out). When I got home it was dinner time, bath and jammies, it had been a busy day for them.   It didn’t take them long to fall asleep.

We had a great couple of days together.  It was short but sweet.  Mike, Camille and family friend returned to our home Saturday evening.  The “rascals” didn’t get in bed until after 9:30 …. they needed to leave our home by  8 am.    Camille had a Sunday School class to teach and needed to be home before 1pm.  It is normally a 4 1/2 drive so they needed an early start.

Lauren was up at right after 7 am and I was waiting for her on the sofa.  She immediately announced she was “starving” so I quickly fixed her some cereal…

As we were sitting at the kitchen table the sun was starting to come up and the sky had a beautiful orange hue with blue background. 

Lauren:  “Look at the sunshine  waking up this morning Oma!  It’s like giving us a hug…..It’s like a breath and light”….

“Right Oma?”

(sigh…..BIG sigh)

Me:  “Right princess”……….

From the mouth of babes….it keeps me in perspective….

This is why I miss them so much

Ryan

 

 

 

 

                               Owen

 

 

 

 

 

Lauren and Bob

she is still small enough to be held…

 

 

I am glad they live within driving distance…

My “Little Rascals”

New Year, New Memories

I am so grateful for the fact that I know how to type.  If I were to actually write words on paper with a pen or pencil I am afraid that years down the road it would be illegible.  Maybe days down the road illegible!  I usually start out all pretty and  then my brain starts thinking faster than my hand can write, so..I am just grateful that my fingers over the key board can keep up!  This is the way I journal.  I am grateful that I have a camera that can capture some of my journaling.  Did I say some?  Yes, I know I am pretty much over the top when it comes to taking pictures and 99.9% will probably be trash.  But that .1% will make memories come to life…..

I read a post by Claudia from Dipity Road  I loved her post about being grateful.    You can go to her beautiful blog, at this address:   (http://www.dipityroad.com/) she said something that I think is so perfect and I would like to share it with you because it actually reflects my thoughts as well.

“I simply reply that my goal is to live in the moment. Find the joy, the passion and contentment in my life this moment and enjoy my Happiness. I am a firm believer that no matter our circumstance there is always something to be grateful for.”

How perfect is that!  We spent most of the day last Saturday taking down all the Christmas “stuff”

It took a little extra to get this huge tree in the box and taped back up, I am so grateful for my little elf….he made my life pretty easy putting everything away…

 

I wasn’t sure it would ever get back to normal…whatever normal really is….this doesn’t even look bad!  But it was a big mess…

 

 

My youngest son Brad had a birthday on Dec. 28th.  Bob and I watched the kids while he and his wife went out to dinner.  They were gone a whole 2 hours….they don’t get out much…??????they should….we don’t even charge to watch the grand kids!

I really need to do a little something about Brad.  He really has been through a lot in his life.  That’s a whole other post…

Kinlee was such a sweet baby, it was fun to have her all to ourselves for those 2 hours…

 

 

It snowed yesterday here in the desert….

My yard was covered in snow…now don’t laugh all my Eastern friends and ski friends….this happens only once every other year here and then it melts the very next day…snowmen don’t have a chance…

 

 

 

 

 

 

I even left my footprints in the snow, and it was cold…I had my high heel boots on..I could have hurt myself…I don’t like snow…it is only pretty to look at…(my friend Barb is laughing right now)

If you knew of my first experience skiing when I was 18 you would have a stomach ach laughing….it is a comic book story…I won’t bore you… I am sure people are still talking about it…so I don’t ski, even though I lived where the Winter Olympics were held.

I am glad that 2010 is behind us…and I can put a silly wreath on my face and look forward to 2011.  I have a lot of memories.  Some really great ones and some really bad ones.  I am glad I can be silly….and Huh-honey is around and be silly with me…

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE, I look forward to posting more often….LOL ok, ok. maybe shorter post more often LOL

hugs and smiles across the miles

PHEW!

What can I say?  Twas the season…and when the day comes and goes, so does my energy level.  The ride on the shuttle up North took an hour longer…stupid road crews filling pot holes held up traffic for a solid hour.  Oh well, I made it to SLC (Midvale) and to the kids by 9:30ish Thursday night.  The “Little Rascals” were all soundly asleep.

Mike and Camille had last minute shopping to do on Friday so we watched the “Little Rascals”.

Camille of course made sure there was plenty to eat, all the time.  I didn’t do a thing…again.  Just played with the kids.

The beds…oh the BEDS.  They turned out soooo darn cute.  Bob and Mike put them together on Thursday so that Friday morning the kids could be surprised and sleep in them on Christmas Eve.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With a little detail work to be done around the edges…..I think these turned out sooo darn cute!

 

Lauren didn’t waste a minute climbing into the bunk…she decided she wanted the bed on top…

 

 

 

 

What little girl wouldn’t just absolutely be thrilled to have a dream cottage in their bedroom!

Lauren immediately wanted to fill the shelves with “stuff”.  The bottom where the bed could go…will be used for play area…she already has bumped her head…but they learn to duck once they do it a few times LOL.

 

 

There are a few touch ups to do….but that will come once Christmas excitement is over…

 

Owen and Ryan were very excited to see their Bunk House…so darn cute…

 

 

Owen claimed the top bunk and that is ok with Ryan…he isn’t much of a climber anyway, the next day they decided to moved the bunk to the other wall…to open up the window…Owen loves his new bunk house…

 

Christmas Day it didn’t take long to stash his goods up on the top bunk..and fill the shelves will all his cowboy stuff.  I am waiting for the house to be adorned with his bull horns…Ryan is ok with whatever, he is more into the Wii than into a bunk bed LOL

 

 

 

Oh except maybe dropping toys out of the window of the top bunk, that is always exciting to see how or who it will land on LOL

 

 

Even the inside of the top bunk left nothing out, it is beautifully made!  This is the “empty” bunk..Owen hadn’t stashed his “stuff” yet…

 

 

It didn’t take long to figure out that even little feet could make me smile

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There were plenty of smiles ….

 

 

 

 

Christmas Eve the children opened presents from each other..Lauren loved her purple horse…

Owen was excited for Lauren

Hugs were plentiful and spontaneous!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They really love each other and honestly it is fun to see how much!  Brothers can be the best of friends…

Christmas morning was insane….there was a remote controlled monkey on Ryan’s shoulder (Ryan loves anything that is remote controlled and he can mimic, or better yet will talk back to him by command… along with a giant “big foot” that he memorized the commands within an hour or less.

This child is amazing…

 

 

 

 

 

There was plenty of excitement, I was a bit overwhelmed….I didn’t know what I wanted to play with…

 

 

View Full Album

There was coloring to do….babies to be fed and cowboy belt buckles to be worn proudly!

View Full Album

silly games to be played (what a good sport)(put dark candy wrapper on the top of your teeth to make it look like you have no teeth) I about laughed myself to death..EGGS to be gathered…lips to be glistened with sparkly gloss…in 5 different flavors of course on top of each other..

 

Bunnies to be taken care of and baby bunnies to find hidden in holes, chickens to be fed….work doesn’t stop just because it is Christmas on a farm…

Goodbyes are never easy to say to the “Little Rascals”.  But we needed to get home so that we could hand out more presents to the other Higgins clan…and I could get ready to go to work on Monday…I was not very excited about that at all.

 

 

 

Kinlee loved playing with the paper…

 

 

 

View Full Album

Koltyn and Kyler had a wonderful Christmas just like all the other children.  Being a grandmother of 8 is a blessing…and a curse at Christmas, so we have made things simple….I know why my mother just handed out checks!  There were 14 of us with our spouses and 23 grandchildren!   Where have the days gone of grandmas giving out PJ’s?  I like that idea….I think I better bring that one up for next year……

Well another year gone……….I look forward to 2011….new adventures with my sweetheart….better health….NO SURPRISES and I AM NOT GIVING ANOTHER DOCTOR ANOTHER PENNY!

I hope and pray that is……….

on that note….PHEW sure am happy this one is over…..

HAPPY NEWER YEAR EVERYONE!