Mother’s Day 2014

On this Mother’s Day I cannot express my gratitude for my beautiful and amazing wife.  I don't know how she shows so much love, gives so much of her time, worries so often, and shares so much of herself. Her life is full of service and kindness towards others.  I am lucky that I have married a wonderful companion who dreamed of one day growing up and becoming a Mother.  She takes amazingly great care of each of our children.  She constantly worries for Treven and Ady when they are not here.  She worries that they are getting all that they need.  She does so much for them and worries and prepares for the times that they will return.  She loves and laughs with our little Jonah.  She helps him to be happy and to make good choices.  The happiness of that little boy should be a testament to what kind of Mother she is.  She loves and cuddles and cares for Wyatt so much.  She makes sure that he is getting every little bit of medical care necessary and she constantly does therapy with him to help him.  She worries about the house and my well-being as well.  She is a supportive and loving companion and I find peace throughout my day knowing that she is home with our children.  All of us are so lucky to have her. She has truly partnered with our Heavenly Father in raising these four great kids.  She seeks his guidance, she follows his ways, and she is doing everything necessary to draw four of his spirits back towards their eternal home.  Words cannot express my love and appreciation for my wonderful eternal companion.

 

My Mother has been watching over us for three years as an angel in Heaven. She earned her wings long before she left this earth by raising all seven of us children. She taught us right from wrong and loved us beyond human capability.  She was tough when she felt it was necessary to see us do our best, but she showed so much compassion and love when times called for it as well.  I do not know how she had time to attend to the needs of seven children.  I have no idea how she found the strength to push forward when I knew she was beyond her limits.  I remember her staying up late to help me complete school projects I had procrastinated.  I remember her contagious laugh and how much I loved being the cause of it.  I remember how sweet and gentle she always was to each grandchild.  She truly is an angel and I cannot wait for the day when I hold embrace her again and tell her how much I love her. 

 

Ashley's Mother has loved me as her own son.  I am so grateful for this second Mother in my life.  There is nothing that requires her to love me this much, but she does it anyway.  I love to be in their home, to share experiences with them, and to laugh with them as well.  I am blessed to have another Mom in my life to talk to.  I am blessed that my children have such a wonderful Grandma.  I am blessed that she has raised such an incredible daughter that I now get to call my wife.  We are blessed by her continued love and support in all that we do.  I love her and am so thankful for all that she does.

Graduation

Today was the commencement for my graduation from Utah State University.  My Dad and Arlene, and Ashley’s parents were all there to celebrate the big day with us.  Afterwards, we went to the Bluebird Restaurant for lunch.  The commencement was a great experience and the speakers were excellent.  I cannot believe the day has actually come and I was not sure it would ever arrive; it still feels very surreal.  I am actually really proud of myself.  I do not want to compare myself or wish for the challenges of others, but I feel that I have had to work with a lot of weight on my shoulders to get to this place.  That is not to say that others had it easier, or that I had it harder, just that I am happy with what I have been able to do.  I have to acknowledge that things would have been even harder had I not had such an amazing wife in Ashley, a supportive family, the blessings from a loving Heavenly Father, and many other things to help me.  I started school as a single Dad with two kids.  I was working full-time and the children were with me the majority of the time.  Early on, I often even took them to my classes with me at SLCC.  Since then, I have been diagnosed with a chronic medical condition, I have dealt with people who would seek to harm our family relationships, I have often worked 60+ hours per week, I have married my amazing eternal companion, we have had two additional children, and we have dealt with the challenges of having a child with medical conditions of his own, just to name a few.  I don’t journal these things to brag or to complain, but to show what we are all capable of if we only persevere.  While some of the these things were far more blessings than burdens, each one brought increased pressure or responsibility.  Each one of these pressures, challenges, or responsibilities, at times, has caused me to feel a crushing weight on my shoulders.  Some times I wondered if I would survive.  Some of these pressures still exist and new ones come along all the time.  The point is that if we use our strength for a good goal, eventually, we will make it.  Accomplishing this degree has shown me that I am capable of accomplishing anything.  The thing is; I am no different than anyone else.  If anyone had told me the challenges I would face, I am not sure I would have believed them.  I certainly would not have believed that I would survive them.  But, just like anyone else, we get through some things because we have to.  We survive by finding the joy in the little things.  We survive by taking a breath, a drink of water along the way, or talking to someone.  In the end, nothing can stop us but ourselves.  No one who is still living has been killed by a bad day.  We all have a perfect record for surviving even our worst day.  While I may not have been the valedictorian at my commencement, I feel no less accomplished than anyone else in that room, because for me, this was a huge victory in my life.

Wyatt is a Crawler

 

Our baby Wyatt is growing up too fast.  He just turned 8 months and we are so excited to announce that he crawled for the first time tonight!  This little boy has beat all odds.  With the very serious (and worrisome) medical conditions this little boy faces, we have been worried about how he would develop.  It is amazing what a happy disposition, a strong will, and an amazing Mommy will do to combat the medical challenges a little boy faces.  There are only 140 diagnosed cases worldwide of people with Wyatt’s condition, and one would be very hard pressed to see one without severe to devastating disabilities.  This little boy never ceases to amaze us, and has met every normal milestone.  Much of the credit goes to a Mommy that works tirelessly to help her little boy and give him all the time and attention necessary.  When she is not working with him, playing with Jonah, cooking and cleaning, etc. she is busy worrying about what she could be doing.  She is the best Mommy ever!  He has learned and grown and we feel extremely blessed for the amazing progress this little boy has made.  We could not be happier to see our little Wyatt become a crawler!  Way to go Wy Guy!

First Surgery for Wyatt

 

Today Wyatt had the first of what will likely be many surgeries.  It is amazing to me that the first time I ever had any kind of surgery or procedure involving anesthesia was when I was 30, and this little guy is having surgery at 6 months.  As with everything else, Wyatt was an amazing little trooper.  He took a while to wake up, but otherwise was fine.  The surgery went very well and we are so grateful for the excellent care that we constantly receive at Primary Children’s.  We are so blessed to have this hospital and its skilled doctors right in our backyard.   We know that the Lord is constantly watching over us.  We are so grateful for Wyatt and for the way the Lord has blessed him through the prayers of so many.  The Lord performs miracles around us each and every day if we only stop to see them.

EKG and Echocardiogram

Today Wyatt went in for an EKG and Echocardiogram.  Like the MRI, he had to be sedated.  The procedure took a while and went well.  We were so relieved that despite all of the other health challenges our little champ is dealing with, his heart looks perfectly normal.  What a blessing!!!  Wyatt sort of babbled in Ashley’s arms while the medicine took effect.  He was just happy and cute as he drifted off.  When we decided on Wyatt’s name it was just because we liked it.  We had no knowledge of any health challenges prior to his birth.  A few months after his birth I found out that the name Wyatt actually means “brave warrior.”  How fitting as our little guy has been every bit a brave warrior in all that he has had to deal with in his short life.

Happy Anniversary

 

Four years ago today my life was changed forever.  I am so grateful for you Ashley.  We have been through a lot in only four years and I cannot imagine doing it without you.  I am so grateful for all that we have shared.  I am grateful that you have stayed by my side.  I am grateful for your compassion, your friendship and your support.  I am grateful for your love.  You have been an amazing Mother to all four of our children.  You are constantly putting the needs and desires of others before yourself.  I am inspired and in awe of all you do.  I love you so much for all that you are.  You truly are my best friend.  Thank you for loving me and being by my side.  I intend to stand with you forever both in good times and bad.  There is no one I would rather spend eternity with.  Thank you for being my incredible wife.

Wy Guy MRI

    

Today Wyatt went in for an MRI.  This has been a planned procedure that was considered too risky before 6 months of age.  It is not quite the 6 month birthday present that we hoped to give our little guy, but hopefully it will console him to know that no one else has had such an expensive birthday present.  :)  We want to do everything medically necessary to help our little guy.  He handled it like a champ.  They sedated him and he was in the tube for over an hour while Ashley and I paced back and forth.  We now have a diagnosis, and naturally many more questions and concerns.  Wyatt will still require many, many more MRI scans throughout his life, as well as many other medical procedures.  We love this little guy and pray for each one of our children daily.  We are thankful for the many blessings we have received through prayers offered on our behalf.  We have already seen the Lord’s hand so much in his life.  Despite our worries, we will trust in the Lord as we do our best to care for His special little boy.   

All Smiles

   

 

Our little Wyatt is all smiles.  He is such a smiley, cuddly, sweet little guy.  He will often put his cheek up against yours when you hold him.  He rarely cries unless he is hungry is just such a mellow guy.  Wyatt has been such a blessing to our family and has brought a greater level of peace and goodness to our family.  He loves his big brothers and sister and constantly watches everything they are doing.  Wyatt has some very concerning health problems that we do not fully understand and are not fully diagnosed at this point.  In the first couple months of life he has seen just about every specialist that ends in with “ist” (literally) and a few other doctors as well.  He will undergo an MRI in the next little bit.  Despite this, he seems to be meeting or exceeding all of the normal baby milestones and has come with this happy disposition.  We do not know what the future holds for our little guy, but we are so grateful that we have been blessed to have this choice spirit enter our lives.  We never get tired of those little smiles.

Christmas 2013

   

This Christmas Season was filled with a lot of love, fun, and excitement.  We went to the Christmas tree lot and found our tree.  We spent some time decorating it and the house for Christmas.  We enjoyed the time we had to relax.  Ady did an outstanding job performing in her Christmas dance recital.  We were all spoiled by Santa.  Mostly, we felt the love of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  We felt his sweet, humble spirit in our lives as we reflected on all of our blessings, and as we had the opportunity to give to others.  We enjoyed being surrounded by family and friends and knowing that we have a loving Heavenly Father and Savior who are always there for us and have given us so much. 

Wyatt’s Blessing Day

 

We blessed Wyatt today.  It was a really great day and we were surrounded by our wonderful family and friends.  Wyatt did not fuss in the least, and we feel blessed and excited for all that our Heavenly Father has in store for our little guy.  The spirit was strong today and we felt a calm reassurance from our Heavenly Father with regards to Wyatt’s health concerns.  We know that the Lord will bless him as he grows and prospers in life.  We are loving our calm, sweet, little Wyatt and are excited for all his life has in store for both him and  us.

Baby Wyatt’s First Photo Shoot

 

Our little baby Wyatt had his first photo shoot today.  He sure is a cute little guy and we are happy with the photos.  We are even more grateful to have this special little spirit be a part of our family and our home.

Baby Wyatt

Baby Wyatt was born August 17, 2013 at approximately 8:30AM.  He was 21.5 inches long and weighed in at 8 pounds 11 ounces…despite being two weeks early.  He is a cute little guy and so far seems to be extremely calm.  He is fun to cuddle and Treven, Ady, and Jonah all adore him.  Ashley is doing well juggling these four crazy kiddos, and is especially fond of the fact that she is no longer pregnant.  Wyatt has some health issues that we will have to watch and see, but for now we are mostly just excited.  We feel very blessed that our Heavenly Father has given us another one of his beautiful children to love and to care for.  Welcome to our family Baby Wyatt!

Baptism Day

Treven and Ady were baptized Saturday February 4, 2012.  It was a great day.  We had so many family members, friends, and ward members there to support them.  They were given special journals and towels by the Primary.  The towels have their name and baptismal date sewn into them.  Ady got out her journal that night and wrote all the guests that were there, and then wrote “guests there from Heaven: Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, Holy Ghost, Grandma” with big hearts next to each one.  She then drew and wrote on two pages dedicated to Grandpa (my Dad) about all that he said and how much she loves him.  They both reflected on everything that was said, and they both are excited to take another step in the path back to our Heavenly Father.  It is amazing to think that these are the same children that were once such tiny twins fighting for life.  The same 3 & 4 pound babies that were tangled with tubes and lines for weeks in the hospital’s ICU are now big, healthy eight-year olds.  I am proud of them and the decision they have made to follow our Savior and be baptized.  I am so grateful that my Father in Heaven would entrust these two special spirits into our care.  Treven and Ady are great, special kids and I love being their Dad.  We love you Treven and Ady and are so proud of your righteous decision and desires to follow our Savior.