A brief summary of our winter

A reminder

I found a poem the other day that tore at my heart. This is such a reminder to take time to appreciate and invest in the blessings I have Today! The poem will speak for itself. Here it is.......


To My Grown Up Child

My hands were busy through the day
I didn't have much time to play
The little games you asked me to.
I didn't have much time for you
I'd wash your clothes, I'd sew and cook,
But when you'd bring your picture book,
And ask me please to share your fun
I'd say: "A little later, hon".
I'd tuck you in all safe at night
And hear your prayers, turn out the light,
Then tiptoe softly to the door...
I wish I'd stayed a minute more.
For life is short, the years rush past...
A little child grows up so fast.
No longer standing at your side
With precious secrets to confide.
The picture books are put away,
There are no longer games to play,
No goodnight kiss, no prayers to hear...
That all belongs to Yesteryear.
My hands, once busy, now are still
The days are long and hard to fill.
I wish I could go back and do
The little things you asked me to.
(Author Unknown)

I think as any parent watches their children grow and change so fast they wonder how it is slipping away and wish they'd spent just a little more time with their kids in the previous stages. I think I've been feeling that since Spencer was a baby! I've always mourned the passing of each little stage he grows out of while at the same time so enjoying the next one. Watching him grow is bittersweet! I miss 'tartar' and 'bagarge' and so many other words long gone. I miss playing Bob the Builder and 'Beast and That Girl'. I miss rocking my tiny baby and all those days gone by. I miss them but I didn't miss out on them. I'm taking my time and savoring all these 7 year old times we're having now but it breaks my heart a little to know how fast I'll be missing these days too!

Spencer's take on blue eyes

A couple of weekends ago while we were in Thermopolis, Natalie and Sammi noticed that Spencer and I have "eyes like Tia's". This meant we have blue eyes like Tia and everyone else in immediate concern is brown eyed. Tia thought it was great that Spencer and I have eyes to "match" hers. I thought it was interesting what a big deal it was to all the kids.
And I remembered some other blue eyed Spencer stories that I'll share. Spencer used to hear all the time from random people how beautiful his big blue eyes were. (They still are, I don't mean to make it sound like its in the past, he's just older now and understands that blue eyes are not the rarity that he had the impression they were when he was littler).

When he was about 3 or 4 (same age as this picture) Gran told him he had beautiful blue eyes. He agreed then he told Gran she could have beautiful blue eyes too if she tried. When asked how one would try to have blue eyes he told her "Gran if you just got enough rest and better sleep you could have beautiful blue eyes like me instead of your brown ones!" Of course, staying caught up on sleep gets you nice blue eyes! So unrested eyes are brown, and where do green and hazel eyes come in? Are they half rested? haha, funny kiddo!

Another time when he was about that age he climbed in bed with me at the crack of dawn and started chattering away about everything under the sun. My back was to him and I hoped he'd go to back to sleep when I heard "Mommy are you listening? I said Do You Love My Blue Eyes??" I said I did love his blue eyes and he said "Then turn around and talk to me so you can see my blue eyes and I can see your blue eyes!!!"

When asked where he got his blue eyes he used to say, "From God. He gave me Blue eyes to match my mom's.". Makes sense to me!

I do so love these blue eyes and the kid who goes with them! And I love Tia's matching ones, and all the brown eyes around us too!

The 5 reasons we were apart for a decade!

While this picture in no way does these goofy kids justice it does show how much fun they have together.
These are the 5 reasons that give me perspective on why John and I had to part for a decade before God brought us back together. Without our going separate ways these kids wouldn't be here, wouldn't be who they are, and that is unthinkable in the worst way!
It has been wonderful to get to know John's kids and to watch them and Spencer form bonds. I am really excited to be a part of their lives, and to continue to know them and teach them and watch them grow.
Tia is the oldest, she is 11 but very much in the "I want to be older. Now." phase. If you ask how old she is, she won't say 11, she will say "Well, on my next birthday I'll be 12!". She is so laid back and so sweet. There can be a roomful of kids all clamoring for their own agenda and Tia is the peace keeper, she is fine to just go with the flow. She is smart and and funny and beautiful (which will some day soon make her dad a very nervous and protective guy!) Right now Tia loves music, all music, she just got a phone that is also an mp3 player and loves putting new music on it!
David is 9 for another couple of weeks until his 10th birthday. He is a boy who wants to be just like his dad. He wants to look like his dad, act like his dad, think like his dad. I've noticed that before declaring an opinion on something he'll check with John to see what he thinks. And he does have a great dad so these are great aspirations! He is a very loving kid and always up for a hug but tries to also be the 'tough guy'. He takes the responsibility of having sisters very seriously and always checks to make sure they are ok. He and Spencer have bonded over video games and they each love having another boy around, they stick together!
Samantha (Sammi) is 8. She is loving and silly and fun and also has an intense streak that keeps everyone on their toes. She is such an animal lover, she is always carrying at least one toy animal and treating it like a real pet. Her big wish right now is to have a doberman pincher~a BIG one! She loves my parents horse/dog Lacy (who is a mastiff~great dane mix) and is very loving and careful with all animals. Sammi gives Spencer a run for his money at sword fighting and she has such creativity at writing stories and inventing fun games!
Then in the lineup falls my Spencer who is 7. What to say about Spencer? He is my world. He is the best thing that's ever happened to me and I am so thankful to be his mom! He is so smart! People have been telling me from the time he was little how smart he is (and how cute!). He is so loving and sensitive and has an intuition about him to see when someone is sad or upset and tries to make them feel better. He is the world's biggest Godzilla fan (following maybe only Chase), he has found a new found love of reading (yay), he is very much a grandparent kid and has always had a special bond with all of his grandparents (he is really lucky to have 4 wonderful grandparents who love him so much and lucky to have known so many of his great grandparents). He loves laughing and I don't think there is anyone I love laughing with more than this little boy!
Then there is Natalie who is 6. She will be the first to inform you that she is "the widdelest!" with her little bottom lip jutting out far like being the littlest is a bad thing! She is tiny but a huge ray of sunshine and personality. She is so loving and caring, I have very rarely seen someone so young that is so conscious of other peoples feelings. She keeps up with the big kids just fine and is happy with everyone and everything. Last weekend, however, she did inform me that she found out she has disease. When I asked her what disease, she said (with that bottom lip out further than you'd think possible and a huge sigh to go with it) "I found out at school that I have a disease called Girl Cooties!" (Hopefully its treatable!lol)
It seems unfair that John and I had to spend so much time away from each other when it is just so right for us to be together until you take a minute to look at these amazing people that we get in our lives because of our little hiatus! I am so thankful that our paths have crossed again and that the path will be together from here on out and so thankful for these kids that I wouldn't get otherwise!

Sort of Siblings?

One of Spencer's recent homework assignments was to write about one of his siblings (yes, in Utah I guess it is safe to assume that a 7 year old must have a sibling!lol). He said he wanted to write about John's daughter Natalie. Now, he does have stepsisters at his dad's, cousins that are like siblings and not too long ago another stepsister and I assumed he would use one of these kids to write about. I pointed out these options and he said "No, I want to write about Natalie, she is pretty much my sister".
"Pretty much your sister? How is that?" I asked.
His answer was full of 7 year old logic and warmed my heart. "Well," he started "she is littler than me and needs me to teach her things, and you and John were boyfriend and girlfriend in high school, and now you guys just hug and smile all the time, and besides, Natalie is really nice! So, she's pretty much my sister!". Well of course, why didn't I see it before he pointed it out? Oh that kid makes me smile! He has such a big heart!
In his writing he referred to Natalie as his 'sort of sister, Natalie'. I'm sure the teacher had to ask him how she's his 'sort of sister' but I'm glad Spencer has such a special place in his heart for John's kids. I do too, they are wonderful kids!