happy, happy birthday

micah dear
(and grandma and britney)

thank you for all the phone calls and emails for happy birthday wishes!
micah and the boys went mountain biking while I made party preparations.

then we partied on our new patio! it was a very lovely evening.
we're so lucky to meet such great friends wherever we go.
he's accomplished a lot in his 30 years!!
here are just 30 things i love about him:

1. if he wants to accomplish something, he will. and he'll do it well.
   
2. he's really in love with me.
3. he's the best at everything he does
4. he sang in choir in hs
5. he played football in hs
6. he performed in two school plays
7. he played soccer through hs (and college and grad school)
   
8. he was our homecoming king
   
9. he plays with his boys
   
10. he's HANDSOME!
11. i've known him since he was 12 and he's always impressed me
12. he's romantic but not cheesy
    
13. one night he was waiting outside for me to get to his house sitting on the hood of his car playing "when you say nothing at all" on his guitar and singing along.
14. he plays the guitar, ukulele and can play any song by ear on the piano
    
15. my sister got him a ukulele in hawaii. he learned "somewhere over the rainbow" and called her to play and sing for her as a Thank You
16. he loves MY family. every one of them.
17. he's super smart and knows the answers to all my questions
18. he took me to hawaii for two fabulous years
19. and we didn't have to pay for it because he's so stinkin smart (they paid him)
20. he always supports me in everything i do
21. he's my best friend and has been for 18 years
22. he's incredibly humble
23. he's such a great sport and is always game. always for anything!
    
24. he makes me feel beautiful everyday...usually when i feel it the least
25. he loves to cook and help me in the kitchen
26. he cleans up the kitchen
27. he cleans bathrooms to my standard of clean
28. he takes care of all his kids, all at once, all by himself and keeps the house in order
29. he's my hero. really!
30. he let's me warm my cold feet on him in bed

BONUS: he makes cute babiesi really love you man!

honesty IS the best policy

jaden came home from school today reluctant to give me his daily report. it went something like this: "mom, if I'm honest, will I still get in big trouble?" "I don't know jaden." "mom, I don't know is not an answer--that's what you always say." "well, I can tell you you'll get into less trouble for being honest" (hoping that I can keep my word). "I got sent to the office." (1st time.) "why?" "for climbing on a pile of dirt." (me feeling a huge sigh of relief--I can deal with climbing dirt piles). here's a quick summary: jaden and two friends were on their way back to class from the bathroom and spotted a pile of dirt. wheels in heads start turning. boys succumb. one boy starts dragging other boy, best friend of jaden, through the dirt. just as jaden steps up to defend friend, they are discovered ("that's the bad part, I didn't even get to help him.") and sent to the office. here's my favorite part: "we were going to blame everything on [the dirt draggerer] but I realized that wasn't honest. and I said a prayer and asked Heavenly Father to forgive me for planning that. Ms. [office lady] let me go back to class first for being honest. I got my name on the board plus a check so I didn't get my star. I told my teacher she should give me three checks and call you." she didn't. but he still gets a star in my book. there are two principles I hope my kids learn in their life (okay a lot more really but there are two I seem always to go back to):

1. Accept responsibility for your actions. along with the consequence.
   
2. If you don't like something, figure out a way to change it. Be a PROBLEM SOLVER! don't stay on an unsatisfying path.
   

intertwined through this story are other not so fabulous choices like his newly acquired skill of climbing OVER the bathroom stalls, which he perfected on aforementioned bathroom trip but hey, you choose your battles. boys will be boys. dirt hill and stall climbing I'll take when it comes with integrity any day.

to our Mothers

mimi, mimi, mimi
you really make me happy
when you smile and say hello,
especially in warm july
thank you, thank you, thank you
for money and the hot cocoa.

grandma kip, grandma kip, grandma kip
when you served your mission,
how did it make you feel when you were
on your second and when you came home?
thank you for the visits when I came into
your room (even when you were on the phone)
and for the delicious porridge you always made
for me.

grandma doris, grandma doris when you die,
we will all cry, cry, cry!
But while you're still alive, A-live,
we will always chat.
thank you, thank you, thank you for giving us
candy and coming to all my parties and whenever
someone comes you come, too. We Thank You!

Mamaw, Mamaw, Mamaw,
do you like us to watch your scooby-doos?

I like that we have grandmas, especially ones
like all of you!!

Love jaden and beckam
(actually written by jaden and beckam)

FRB

asher's new blanket.

handmade by auntie pek.we LOVE it.
THANK YOU so much!!

aren't the colors
FANTASTIC!!
we call it the funky retro blanket (frb).
wasn't that it, Pek?

Perpetual Motion

A photo update

MARCH

she (being Sister Grandma Kippy) returns from africa!!
and meets asher for the first time.
we spent some time in the oc where the family reunited.
we hung out in newport and got to see a production of Savior of the World,
featuring staten as a temple boy and brian as captain moroni.
Grandpa turned 90!

asher sits. good boy.beckam rides on two wheels!jaden takes a limo
APRIL
asher grabs a bowl of curry off the table and gets burns on his hand and foot.
he only cried for about 5 min. total!

after the blisters popped it looked much worse.
super sad but it's completely healed after 10 days.
co-op kids washing dishes--one of my favorite childhood activities.

micah leaves us for 9 days and heads back to the oc for work
(staying in a fancy shmancy hotel oh and takes a tour of the natural history museum, visits the body world exhibit twice, has dinners with friends, plays in a soccer game, sees wicked and gets to meet our newest nephew Cayman Nilsson Maughan).
I call for back-up.
mom and grandma come for 3 days and then dad and sandy for 4!
Thank goodness for family--what a huge help to have them here with me!!
Thank You
then this happens on day 2:

and it was my fault.

I'm thankful for good insurance who says once I pay $500, they'll pay for the rest on both cars--and I'm sure the rest will be substantial. there's no good story. I was just backing up in my cul-de-sac, trying to avoid the car on my right and hit the one on my left. sadly, I didn't hear anything until I crunched my door real good. thankfully, just the side of their bumper took all the beating. I'm thankful that my husband's response was "I'm so sorry. I can understand how that could've happened." (and that he was off living it up in the oc. maybe that made him a little more sympathetic.) I'm thankful no people were involved, especially my children. and I'm thankful my mom and grandma were here to cheer me up!
the rest of the week was smooth. it included lots of good take-out, a clean house, my laundry being done, projects being completed and an early birthday present for micah and I:
our first grill and patio set!!

it was a great week but we're ready for the daddy to be back.