A Birthday Letter.

Dear Easton,

You've been 7 for just over 3 weeks now. And my letter to you this year is one of gratitude. Gratitude for the young man you've grown into this past year. You really are like a little man--my right hand man actually--always there to offer your help, always responsible to follow through, always there to ask "what's wrong" when I feel a bit sad. In short, you're just always there. You've been by my side through the thick and the thin, through the ups and the downs, through our 7 moves in two states, both of your parent's bachelor's degrees, Dad's doctorate, the birth of your brother and sister, and every step of the way on my journey to learn how to be a mother. You made me a mother, and I loved every single thing about you from the very start.

It's funny how I knew your personality before you were even born (just like I did Tate and Maylie too). I would describe you to others as a vibrantly energetic little boy who had just enough mischief to keep things interesting and just enough sweetness to melt my heart. And that's who are you. To a T.

That very first moment of holding you in my arms, and you looking up at me with those deep blue eyes of yours, you captivated me. I remember nearly gasping with the realization of how familiar you looked to me. A similar story had been told to me my whole life--about how when my dad looked into my eyes for the first time, he was amazed at how familiar I was to him. And though I knew this story all my life, I wasn't prepared to have the very same experience, more real than I could have imagined. I knew at that moment that my Father wasn't exaggerating. There was a connection that I'll never forget. We were meant to be together, Easton. You were hand-selected by Heavenly Father to come to our family for a very special reason. And I don't believe I've even seen the tip of the iceberg when it comes to your potential, your gifts, and who you will become. Seeds of divinity lie within your soul, and I will be eternally grateful that your Dad and I made the life-changing decision to invite you to our family.

This next year is going to be awesome! May I be blessed to prepare you for your baptism as well as my mother prepared me. I'm so grateful we get to travel this life journey together. You're everything I ever dreamed of having in a son...and more.

I echo the words from a song by Mindy Gledhill:

"Oh, I've loved you from the start, in every single way, and more each passing day."

Love,
Mom

Tea Party Girl's Night.

A few Saturdays ago the boys headed down to Provo for the BYU Basketball game and as for me and Maylie?  Well, we decided to have our very first Girl's Night.

It began with a pretend tea party with all of her favorite dolls (Baby Mama, Sugar Baby, Hello Kitty, etc.)  I think Maylie was in heaven pouring pretend refreshments for her guests and giving them cute little wooden sugar cookies....and she didn't even know what was in store for her next...

For little did Maylie know that we were going to have a real tea party of our very own.

We made cutout cookies...

got dressed in pretty dresses (she picked hers {it's her Sunday slip})...

and tried a brand-new hairstyle....

Then we began getting ready for our Mommy and Maylie Tea Party.

 She was pretty excited.

Afterwards we painted our toe nails and we painted Maylie's fingernails for the very first time!  She was thrilled as you will soon see in the pictures below.

We danced around for a little while and then ended a sweet, special, perfect little night with a girly movie that we never get to watch with a houseful of boys. :)  It was Tinkerbell and it was the cutest movie I have seen in such a long time.

This night was magical.  I never wanted it to end.  Watching Maylie light up and glow during the movie warmed my heart so much.  I was instantly transported back to my childhood carefree days of sweet little princess and fairy movies, tea parties, hair-dos, painted pink nails, and twirly white dresses.

And I'm sitting here crying as I listen to "Never Grow Up" as I write these words.  Oh Miss Maylie Grace my sweet baby girl, "Please try to never grow up..."

But today is not the day when you will grow up and move away...that day is still so far distant.  Which makes me so completely glad.  Glad that our tea party days are just beginning and glad that I still get to cuddle and snuggle you a thousand more times.  And I commit to you my princess that I will give you many more such magical nights and special Mommy-Maylie days.  Because you are mine, and I am yours forever.

Love you Maylie girl.

Love Letters.

Dear Patrick,

I found these.  And they made my day.

It was a few years ago that you wrote them (it might have been inspired by sweet Elder Scott who had written his dear wife love notes on hole-punches).

You wrote a whole pink post-it pad full of reasons why you loved me.  And told me I could read them all at once or save them and read them one at a time.  I decided to read them slowly day by day.  But shortly after that we moved and they got lost somewhere among the boxes.

But nearly two years later, when we moved to this new house, I found the little pink pad, hidden underneath a drawer in a dusty hutch and I was so glad.

Still I tucked them away--saving them for a special occasion.

Well, that special occasion came a few days ago, when I was feeling down and a bit sick and tired and stressed.  Like I said, they made my day.  And I had to take a few pictures of my favorites...

I love you too Sweetheart.

A Saturday Morning.

Filled with books.

Tate,

even with all of your mischeviousness and teasings, I can't get enough of you.

I love you.

I love your fascination with books.  I find you reading all the time.  For hours on end.

You're a bookworm, just like your mother.

And I couldn't be prouder.

Way to go bud!

You're perfect.  Just the way you are!

Love,
your mother