Happy Birthday Cassidy!!

My baby is 6 years old today! I can't believe it. I look back on the last 6 years and they've flown by.

I thought it appropriate to start a tradition of posting my favorite things about each child on their birthday. So here are a few things I love about Cassidy:

1. She's really funny. She's extremely witty and sarcastic.

2. She loves to organize my closet, and gets mad if I put my shirts back in the wrong spot - they are all color coordinated!

3. She beats the whole family in the game "Memory," and I think she's even more competitive than I am.

4. She loves to go to bed early. Most nights she's begging to be able to go to bed by 7pm. "Please can I go to bed now?"

5. By the time I wake up in the morning, she's already finished her morning chart - (eaten breakfast, showered, hair done, etc.) and ready to go to school. I wake up at 6. It's no wonder why she likes to go to bed early!

6. She does her hair better than I do. She can paint fingernails better than I can too, not that it's much of an accomplishment, but for a 6-year-old it's pretty impressive!

7. She loves to cuddle.

8. She's tiny, but she keeps up with the boys. She loves to wrestle, always gets hurt, cries for a minute, but then gets right back in the game.

9. I was taking her shopping for her birthday yesterday, and instead of toys, she kept wanting to look at shoes. In that way she's nothing like me! Not sure if I'll love that so much later :)

10. She's so much girlier than I was, yet she rocks on her little four-wheeler and gets so excited to ride the dirt-bike. She says, "Mom, I think I'm part tom-boy."

11. She leaves love notes for me everywhere! I've found notes in my dresser, my car, purse, etc. She calls me throughout the day when I'm at work, just to say she loves and misses me.

12. She helps me remember where I put my keys and/or cell phone. If I need to remember something at the store, I ask her to remind me. Sure enough, she does. She always says, "Mom did you remember to bring . . .?" Hope I don't get in trouble with Child Labor Laws for using her as my assistant!!

13. She makes the boys cry. Why I'm happy about that, I can't quite figure out! But I'm glad she's tough - she's gonna need it in this world.

14. She's honest. Sometimes a little too honest! "Uh, are you really going to wear that shirt with those pants?" I really don't know where she came from! But I love her like crazy!!!

15. She's a constant reminder of what life is all about - striving to be with our familes forever. I just look at her - and the rest of my kids - and my heart burns, because I love them so much. Sometimes I get that glimpse - you parents know what I'm talking about. That glimpse of "recognition." It's like I can remember her from somewhere before this life. It's usually a particular facial expression that brings it on, but the feeling is so strong. I'm reminded that I'm not just her mother, but our souls are friends, and we were put on the earth together so we could help each other through this life.

I love you Cassidy - thanks for being such a wonderful daughter. I love you the most from coast to coast, east to west, north to south, to the moon, and all the way around the world and back again!

Figuring it out as I go . . .

Wow! It's been a while since I updated this site. I have no other excuse than, "I'm busy!" But anyone who knows me well enough, can definitely vouch for me on that one! I know it's a month late but I had to add the cute Easter picture. I love being a mom!

Reflections on the last month or two:

I think the one thing that comes to mind more than anything is how awesome Heavenly Father is! I've really been thinking a lot the last few weeks about the way God works, and how He loves us so much that he truly does care about each of our paths in life. I've been thinking about how different my life would be if I hadn't been on my knees praying in desperation for hope back in October of 2005. During that prayer, I received an answer that would change the entire course of my life. "Move - today." As scary as it was to leave the life I knew behind, I couldn't deny the strong impression I'd received. I moved that day, and cried for several days after because I didn't understand why. But within that week, blessings came in so many different ways. The most incredible blessing was meeting my husband - Enoch - exactly one week after moving! I had no idea I would marry him then, but months later I realized that had been part of God's plan for me all along. Anyways, I've just been thinking about that a lot lately. I've been thinking about the past couple years since then, and all of the amazing gifts in my life because of that one choice. I can't imagine life without Enoch and the three children I get to be a 2nd mom to. I've made so many incredible friends, and have learned many excellent life lessons.

Life is hard sometimes. Sometimes we're asked to do things that don't make a lot of sense! But it's so amazing to see in my life and in the lives of so many friends and family that Heavenly Father does really care. He loves us and wants us to grow closer to Him. Sometimes the only way for us to grow closer to Him is through the "Refiner's fire." And of course, just when we think we're figuring it out, we have other lessons to learn!

The other day I said to Cassidy, "Heavenly Father is pretty cool, isn't he?" And she said (with her 5-year-old-going-on-16-attitude) "Uh -ye-ah. Because - He like knows everything, and He knows what's going to happen. So all we have to do is trust Him."

If only I had figured it out that early!

Wedding Day - April 29, 2006

Chuck-A-Rama

On President's Day - February 18 - our family went to Enoch's mom's house in Bountiful. His brother- Hoyt, his wife LeAnne, and their children were in town visiting from Seattle. Enoch's mom took all of us - total of 16 kids and 10 adults- to Chuck-a-Rama, a buffet restaurant! Cassidy was soooo excited about the fact that she could have "refills" on her food. She said, "I've never been to a place that gives refills on my food before! This place is so cool!" After eating we went back to Enoch's mom's house and had a surprise birthday party for her. It was a lot of fun. Enoch's mom - Annie - is one of the most amazing people I've ever known. She has the biggest heart, and is so giving to everyone around her- she's constantly spoiling us. She is full of faith, and I'm so grateful for her example. Many of us gathered in her family room as she told stories of her life - her conversion to the LDS church, how she met Enoch's dad, and how she used to be a model for women's under-clothing! That was news to all of us! She even showed us a slip that she had made in a factory when she was newly-married making $0.75 an hour!

One of the hardest things about getting divorced was worrying that I wouldn't have as great of in-laws as I did before. Little did I know I would get to be a part of Annie and her husband Ed's lives! They are so incredible. Love you Mom & Dad.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow

Poor Enoch - it seems like all he does is travel for work and come home just in time to shovel the snow again! Just thought I'd add a couple more cute pictures of him and the kids shoveling. Because I just overcame Bronchitis and pulled my rib muscles from coughing so much, I haven't been any help. While Enoch and all the other kids were shoveling, Brighton conveniently fell asleep on the couch! So I had to add a picture of him too. Enoch spends numerous hours on his only day off shoveling, just to make sure I can get in and out of the driveway. The last storm had 70 mile/hour winds that created a snowdrift 5 feet high. You couldn't get to our front door for days!

Last week, on Feb. 13, we had a snowstorm adventure. H2 and Cassidy were on the bus on their way home from school, when a huge white-out storm hit. The bus got stuck for 1 1/2 hours, until it could finally turn around and go back to the school. I was stuck at work, and the highways were closed to the house and school, so the kids were at school until 10pm, until a neighbor -Brad - could get to the school. He piled our kids in the car with his kids, went the back roads, and got stuck at McDonald's because all of the roads were closed off to get to our neighborhood. Fortunately, H2 and Cassidy's dad just so happened to be stuck at a restaurant next door, because the roads were closed to his house too. So he picked up the kids, and eventually took them to his house, but didn't get there until 1 am. H2 and Cassidy had taken a different bus than they normally do in order to go to the Miller's house. Had they taken their normal bus, they would have been stuck for 6 1/2 hours. Those children finally got back to the school and had to spend the night. Needless to say, it was a frantic evening - trying to get to the kids & worrying about them, but a lot of miracles took place. Hunter told me he had said a prayer on the bus, and knew they would be okay. I'm grateful they had taken the other bus. I'm grateful for the community of friends and neighbors who all worked together to help get my children home. I'm grateful their dad was nearby, so he could get them to warm beds. I'm grateful that I was able to get home that night with a friend who had 4x4 so we could take the back roads into the neighborhood making it so I didn't have to sleep at work! I'm grateful that all of my other family members and friends who were traveling that night through the storm were protected from harm. It's events like this that help you realize how blessed we are, and also remind us of the need to be prepared.

Temple Square

A couple of weekends ago I took Forest, H1, and Brighton to Temple Square, before picking Enoch up at the airport. Dan and Candace came along, thankfully - because Dan was able to keep up with the boys! H1 thought it would be funny to take Brighton's hat and throw it over the ledge at the Visitor's Center, and of course it landed with a thud on the display overhang! The janitor had to come, turn off the escalator, and knock the hat down with a broom. Nice! So when the boys thought it necessary to run around and continue throwing hats down staircases, Dan picked them up, put them on a couch and then sat on them! Then when we got outside, he dunked their heads in the fountain. I don't think the boys learned their lesson - they kept asking to be dunked again! Overall the kids were really good (I promise!) and we had a great time. We were able to see the Joseph Smith movie, take a tour of the conference center, and take some lovely pictures.

Shadow-a-Parent at Work Day

Last week, on Wednesday Jan. 30th, Forest joined me for a day at the office! We had a lot of fun hanging out - especially during the lunch break! We went to the nearby mall, tried on crazy hats, played in the playground, and rode the Merry-Go-Round. And of course, I had to introduce her to one of my all-time favorite completely unhealthy snacks: Cheese-on-a-Stick. I love hanging out with Forest because she isn't afraid to be goofy with me! As one of my co-workers said, "Oh no - double trouble!"

In all seriousness, I never imagined I could love children so much, even though I didn't give birth to them. I really do love Forest, H1, and Brighton just as much as my own biological children. I feel so blessed to be a part of their lives. Little did I know that I would have the opportunity to love so many children in my life! Thanks to Michele- their biological mother- for allowing me to be another mom to them. And thanks to Lisa- for being such a great stepmom to my children- Hunter and Cassidy. Having a blended family comes with it's challenges but it's so nice to know there are so many people in the world who love the children I love.