Gavyn's Birthday - still catching up!

On December 20, 2008 my baby turned

I cannot believe is he already 4! It gives me such mixed emotions to have my baby growing up!

Gavyn has always been a tough kid. He started out a little early and because he was premie no one was allowed to hold him for a while. They were able to keep him in the nursery, but they had one nurse assigned to him at all times. Gavyn was able to come home with us after a week. He was 5 lbs 9 oz and absolutely gorgeous! Gavyn was a hard baby at first because of his craniosynostosis. He had his first surgery, a craniotomy, at 2 months old and as soon as he came out of surgery he was a new baby. He know longer had the headaches and things that had made him so cranky earlier. He slept all night long from the time he came home from the hospital for at least 8 hours every night. He would just smile constantly and he loved being snuggled.

Gavyn is still much the same today. He is a tough little cookie who sometimes causes headaches, but he always sleeps through the night and he is always smiling and ready to give you a snuggle!

Gavyn is an awesome kid! He has got a lot of energy and is quite mischevious. He always knows how to get to his brothers, but likely his older brothers are very patient with him. Gavyn loves his family so much and is always trying to make us smile by doing something silly. He is a happy kid and you can't kelp but be happy when you are around him.

Gavyn is also extremely strongheaded. We are hoping that this comes in handy later on in life, but for now it can be so frustrating. He is independant and always wants to do things on his own. This has taught me so much patience because he will get things done his way, but it always takes longer.

Gavyn loves being outside. He will go to all the neighbor's houses and get their kids outside to play with them as well. Luckily, he has only gone down to the end of the street once. Gavyn loves sports and riding his bike. He also is a kid who just likes to play alone sometimes. Gavyn has always been great at just entertaining himself and he is just happy playing with his trucks and trailors.

Gavyn is a great cleaner. I never have to ask him for help, he will just do it. His favorite thing to do right now is to mow the lawn with his daddy. Curtis will be on the riding lawn mower and Gavyn will follow him around with his little push mower. He will stay out there helping for over an hour until the job is done. Whenever Curtis is out digging, Gavyn is out digging with him. We got him a set of little tools and gardening things so he can be out helping.

I love Gavyn so much and we are so lucky to have him as part of our family!

Here he is opening presents.

My kids all love getting clothes.

Gavyn's face says it all!

Modeling his new outfit...

...and now on his scooter.

After opening presents Gavyn decided he wanted to go see the live nativity at Jensen's Grove. We invited nana and grandpa Smith, Uncle James, Aunt Jennifer, Andrew, Cameron, and Rachael.

Here is a group picture minus Jennifer who is taking the photo and Curtis who is off getting up more hot chocolate. It was soooo cold, but we were the first in line so we didn't have to wait too long.

Gavyn is so dang cute!

Cameron and Cayden.

My Mom and Dad aka Nana and Grandpa Smith

Rachael and Bryce. These two just love each other so much. They are hugging in almost every picture I have of them.

Cayden, Cameron, and Gavyn

Bryce, Cayden, and Gavyn. I love how much these little boys love each other!

My dad sat by Gavyn, Andrew, and Bryce on the sleigh ride.

Mom, me, Jennifer, Rachael, and James were on the other side. I just realized this is probably the only photo I have of my with my mom and sister.

Aunt Jennifer with Gavyn



Nana with Bryce. This picture is a little blurry, but it was so cute I had to post it.

Cameron and Cayden got to ride up in front and help guide the horses. They had such a blast! Thanks Brother Humphrey's for letting them ride with you!

After the live nativity we went to nana and grandpa's house for some cake. Somehow with everything going on I forgot the cake, but luckily my mom backed me up!

I think he likes it~

The kids had a great day and Gavyn had a great birthday.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY G-MAN! WE LOVE YOU!

December Part 1

So I am now starting to post pictures from December 2008. This is sad that I am this far behind... In my next couple of posts be prepared for some Christmas in July!

Blackfoot had a downtown get-to-know-you for businesses. My family and my mom and dad went for the walk and met all of the businesses in the area. It was a lot of fun!

Grandpa and Gavyn

Cayden, Nana, and Daddy

Bryce being happy as usual.

At the beginning of the walk we got to see Santa and the Wolf???

Gavyn, Cayden, Mr. Wolf, and Bryce

Here they are with Santa

....and with Mr. Wolf

The one sad thing about Christmas this year was that Cayden figured out who santa was. I don't know how old kids usually figure this out now-a-days, but I was hoping to have a couple of more years with him believing. Smart kid!

Cayden....catch up!

Okay... so let my catching up begin.

Cayden turned 8 on the 26th of November.....2008. I already posted about his birthday back in November, but I still need to post his baptism pictures. Cayden was baptized on November 29, 2008. Cayden was so excited to be baptized and I am so proud of him!

Cayden and daddy.

Cayden is definately a miniature Curtis!

Cayden and mom.

Cayden with his brothers. I love that he is always such a good example for them!

Most of the cousins who came to his baptism.

This is the family who was there.

Cayden and Keira were both baptized.

Cayden and Tyler.

CONGRATULATIONS CAYDEN ON BEING BAPTIZED!!!!!

Here are just some random pictures..

Gavyn and momma

Gavyn wanted to take a picture..he almost got my whole face!

This is Bryce being a goof again.

Gavyn and Bryce....need I say more!

Aunt Raylene and Uncle Danny

The kids taking down Uncle Tyler

Hailey, Rachael, Bryce, and McKay. These four cousins were all born in 2002. Hailey in March, Rachael in August, Bryce in September, and McKay in November.

Tyler, Jason, and Ashley. These are my brothers really trying to get the TV to work. Notice the aluminum foil....so redneck!

Mom holding Abigial. So cute!

Mayson

So, as most of you know Mayson's year mark was June 22-23rd. (I love the picture above. It always amazes me at how tiny, yet how perfect he was...) Curtis, me, the boys, my parents, and my sister Jennifer and her kids all went over to the graveside on the evening of the 22nd. We sang happy birthday, let some balloons go in the air, and my mom and sister left some beautiful perennials. Curtis and I went back to the graveside that night from 11:25 pm to 12:00 am because this was the time that Mayson was alive. At midnight we let the last balloon go. It was awesome! Curtis and I had a great talk and were able to just spend time together remembering.

On the afternoon of the 23rd the kids wanted me to take them to tell Mayson they loved them and to get the flowers so we could plant them at home. I took them over and the flowers were gone. This is not the first time things have been stollen and sadly it was not the last. The flowers were there less than 24 hours before being taken. I was so frustrated. How can someone come and take something off a grave....especially on the year mark of his death? What frustrated me the most was how upset my kids got. In the past year we have had almost everything that we have put out taken. I just don't understand it. I guess in the long run of things it does not matter, but it is just so rude!

On a happier note, I have stopped procrastinating and have finally uploaded all the pictures from my camera from the past NINE months. So, now I get to play catch up and I am so excited to do so.

Reminders...

This is a post that I really don't like posting, but I really want some of my feelings written down so that I can look back and remember them all. I really don't like showing when I am having a hard time and I really don't like feeling vulnerable. In fact, I am very good at hiding when I am feeling it, but there have been so many reminders lately that it is starting to be somewhat overwhelming. It started two weeks ago when Cayden's school had an end of the year party. Last year I was at that party helping out his teacher when...my water broke. I didn't know what it was at the time because it had been raining and because of the fact I was only 19 months pregnant I never expected my water to break.

The feeling kind of hit me out of no where and I was not expecting it. Actually, I was....but I thought I had prepared myself a little better. I guess there really is no way to prepare for reminders such as these.

Next one, baseball and soccer. I missed most of the games last year because I was in bed rest. This year I have gone to all the games, yet it still just seems different. The biggest reminder of all has been the Relay For Life. Last year I was one of the co-chairs, but because I was so sick I had to step down. This year I am the accountant and the closer it gets the harder it gets. Relay was on June 20-21 last year. I went the night of the 20th to watch Curtis walk the survivor's lap. My dad had a reclining chair set up for me under a cover and they had a golf cart ready to take me to and from the bathroom. I stayed for a little while and then Curtis took me home. I remember crying watching him walk the lap. I have always been so amazed at the courage Curtis showed while he went through his chemo and fought the cancer. He is such an amazing person and I love him so much.

The following Sunday, the 22nd, I did not feel well all day. I laid in the chair while Curtis and the boys were at church and I knew something was wrong. I didn't know what, but I knew. I had a lot of back pain and it just would not go away. We ended up going to mom's house for dinner. They served me my dinner on the couch. I finally could not take the pain anymore and asked Curtis to call the hospital to see if they would just give me a prescription for some pain meds. We were on a first name basis with all the delivery staff because in the past four weeks we had been there almost every other day. They requested I come in and that is when I broke down. I didn't want to go to the hospital again. I felt somehow that this would be a defining visit.

That day at my mom's house my entire family happened to be there. Curtis, my dad, my three brothers, and my brother-in-law all gathered around me and I received a blessing. We knew right then that our sweet Mayson was not going to be with us for long. We all knew it.

I feel so lucky for so many things that happened last year. I can see so many blessings that came from every struggle. I feel so lucky to have had our sweet Mayson with us for the 35 minutes he was here. I love the feeling of him being with us...I will never forget that. Sometimes I feel him so close to me still....I long for those moments.

The reminders are good, but they are also hard.