My amazing sister Marquelle was born on May 1st. I'm certain she came to the earth with secret fairy wings and the ability to bring the best and the beautiful out of people and things. I love her dearly. Happy Birthday Sis! Here is a picture I took for her in the Nauvoo Garden. Her favorite flower.
May is also a time for celebrating the warmth of spring and the hope of summer. We have enjoyed playing in the sprinklers and digging in the dirt. This Friday we planted flowers, each child having his/her own pot to tend and care for. The older I get the more I appreciate the joy and sweat of tending for the lawn and planting things. I hope some day to have a garden, but one step at a time. :)
Baseball is in full swing and Chase has been practicing a lot in the backyard. We are trying to help him understand that you don't have to be perfect to play. But, perfection is very important to him and so we are working on that. This last game he got to play 2nd base and that was a good experience for him. He sure is a good little player and we hope to see him play a lot more in the future.
Kaidence finished up soccer and tried out for the YMCA Dolphins Swim Team. She was welcomed on the team the very next day and is doing great. She practices 3 times a week and enjoys it. She is so independent and getting too grown up for her own good. She has her own unique style and I often shake my head and wonder where she came from? We love her and appreciate all she puts up with as the older Sister. It's a hard job, but she's a tough act to follow.
Sophia will finish her last week at the Early Childhood Center Preschool. She has had a busy year and now that it is almost over, I think she likes it. Her teachers love her and tell me all the time what a great student and leader she is in her class. She is anxious to learn and I think she is going to do fine in Kindergarten, as long as she gets on the bus.
Kian, well he just can't help but make us smile and laugh around here. He's the kind of kid that can get into all kinds of predicaments and mischief and still make a parent laugh or at least try not to. He finished his Countryside Preschool this month and was sooooo sad. Miss Shannon was such a fun and creative teacher. It was just right for Kian. I hope he can go to Early Childhood next year because he will love it. He might be the one kid that actually gets excited when the bus comes. We'll see.
Eden. HMMMM. She is saying all kinds of things, but her favorite thing to say and keep track of during the day is BINKIE....It's so cute, but it drives us all crazy. I've tried to break her of it during the day and it is beyond my sanity level. I had an insurance health appointment the other day where a lady came to draw my blood and as she watched Eden run around the house yelling for her binky and saying "I'll Show you" over and over and over, she told me about her family farm and weaning cattle and how they followed the Zodiac and it worked every time. Well, by the time she left, she blatantly said that the moon was not in my favor and that it wasn't going to go over well.
Well, I can't say I believe in the Zodiac, but I took her advice and gave up.
Besides her binky, she loves to tease and follow her brothers and sisters around. She loves to cuddle and has the softest cheeks and tightest hugs ever. She is getting tall and is a little tank like Kian was.
If I let her, she would spend all day outside. I am trying hard to remember to bathe her in sunblock before she goes outside. She has the fairest skin of all, just like her daddy. He is still convinced that her hair will be red so we'll see.
This Memorial Day we enjoyed a drive over to Hannibal, Missouri to tour the Mark Twain Cave. It was a cold and in Sophia's words "CREEPY" adventure. Outside the air was muggy and hot, but it ended with a wonderful BBQ with friends and rain.
Memorial Day brings with it some very special sentiments. I remember traveling around to the cemeteries: Auburn, Grover, and Afton, Wyoming with my parents and siblings. In the back of the truck Dad would have a whole bed of Mums to choose from in Purple, white, yellow and gold. We would carry them to the graves our loved ones and sweet silence and reflection would fill our hearts and the space between earth and heaven. I think of Brett, the older brother I never knew in this life and the hardships my parents faced in burying a newborn on a cold November day long ago. I am reminded of my pioneer ancestors who settled the elements of a cold and harsh country that has become a beautiful beacon of beauty and will soon have a temple shining over it. I think of my great grandfather George Washington West who came to the Valley and was the first doctor to stay despite the cold and long winters. He would travel with a team of horses and a buffalo robe to keep him warm from the North to the South end of the valley caring for patients in exchange for eggs, chickens, etc.
Today, my heart is especially tender for my dear "Gram" Grandma West. It has been almost 4 years since her passing. Her birthday is May 25th, and always seemed to fall on the Memorial Day weekends. It is perfectly so. I am so grateful for the many memories I have of her and not a day goes by that I dont think of her. I take great comfort in feeling and knowing that she is still watching over me and my children. It is truly a blessing to know we will be reunited with our loved ones someday. Happy Memorial Day Everyone!!!!
