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!

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.

Pumpkin Pickin’ 2013

Every year since Treven & Ady were tiny my Dad has grown pumpkins for all of the local grandkids.  The grandkids all meet at Grandpa’s house a week or so before Halloween.  We go from youngest to oldest and pick our pumpkins each Halloween.  This is something that the kids love to do and something that we will remember about Grandpa forever.  He usually has some left over and makes sure that some of the kids in the neighborhood have the opportunity to pick one as well.

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!

24th of July - 2013

The 24th of July was pretty low-key for us, but still fun.  Ashley is not enjoying the heat, at least in part because she is 8 months pregnant.  Despite this VERY hard pregnancy, she has been a trooper.  We went to our city parade and then were lucky enough to have her family join us and watch our city fireworks.  Jonah loves fireworks and refers to them as “pop pops.”  It is fun to celebrate our state and all that it has to offer.

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. 

 

 

 

47 Years

Today is my parent’s 47th wedding anniversary.  Almost every year in the past, my parents have gone away together somewhere for a weekend to celebrate.  Although they cannot be together this year, it is still a celebration.  What a testament to my parents that they have been married for so long.  What dedication and devotion they both showed to stay together for so long, through all of life’s challenges.  I am so grateful for eternal marriage and for the knowledge that my parents are married forever, because of righteous choices that started their life together 47 years ago.  One of the greatest gifts I have ever been given was to see my Mother love and revere my Father and my Father to love and revere my Mother.  In my life I have learned that love is more often an action than a feeling.  The feeling only seems to come after the actions.  I saw times where my Mother had to care for my Father and times where my Father had to care for my Mother.  In the tender times that have existed in the last month or so, I still see the love that exists in my parent’s marriage.  I cannot express my gratitude to my parents for all that they have done to make it together for the last 47 years. 

Baby Jonah is Here!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our little Jonah is finally here!  Grandma decided that after a breezy 22 1/2 hours of labor, she would allow him to make his appearance in the world.  He showed up at 5:27AM this morning.  Mom and baby are doing really well.  He weighed in at 8lbs. 3 oz. and was 22 inches long.  We couldn’t be happier.  He has brought such a peace with him and we can’t wait to take him home.  We love you our little Jonah!

 

(I composed the following poem while we were waiting for Jonah to be born)

 

Grandma! Grandma! You’ve come back!

I’ve been waiting to see you all day

To feel your hugs and your kisses too

And most of all, to play

Come into my arms, my little one

I’m so glad to hold you again

I sure missed you, my sweet child

Tell me: How have you been?

I’ve been watching from here above

I saw all that you were willing to give

You did so much in your time on earth

I learned from you how I should live

Give one more hug, now let’s play

We can play games or throw a ball

I will read to you, and sing you songs

We’ll take time to do it all!

We’ve now had time to play my child

Come sit on my knee, and let’s talk

Your short time on earth, is about to begin

It’s the place where you’ll play and walk

But, Grandma, you just got here

Can’t I stay for a longer while?

I love to be held, tight in your arms

And I would really miss your smile

I don’t know how I can leave

I just love you so, so much!

I want to be right by your side

To feel your gentle touch

My sweet child, it’s okay

There is no need to cry

You need to live in morality

But this is not goodbye

It will only be a little while

Before we can play some more

I will be here to welcome you home

When you come through the door

Until then, I’ll be in your heart

Watching you grow from above

I’ll walk with you, each new day

I’ll send you all of my love

So you must go, this is your time

There are angels down on earth too

They’ll wipe your tears, and give you comfort

Whenever you’re sad, hurt, or blue

Your Mommy and Daddy are so excited

So many want to give you their love

You even have a couple siblings there

Your family will fit like a glove

Please take with you, all my very best

My husband and family were hard to leave

You’ll bring peace from Father’s home above

And it will help them as they grieve.

When your earth life comes to an end

I’ll be waiting like you were for me

We’ll share some new stories

And play together, throughout all eternity

Now is the time, you must go

I’ll never be too far away

Just follow the path the Savior laid

And you will find your way

Let’s you and I, share one last hug

Before the start of your earthly phase

I’ll be your angel up above

I’ll love you all of your days

Mom

My Mother is an amazing woman. She is very artistic. She has painted every painting that hangs in my parent’s home except one.

She raised all seven of us well, and I am not sure she had a lot to work with. She continually teaches us the Gospel and a love for others. She taught us that Heavenly Father loves each of His children, and no one was created any better than another. My parents have been there for each of us, despite so many children, and so many of life’s challenges. My Mom connects with each one of us in a personal, special way, even though we can be so different.

I now see the way she loves and cares for her many daughter-in-laws and her 20 grandchildren. She did not raise these women and she did not bear these children, but she loves and nurtures each as her own. She has never been selfish with those she loves, and she wants nothing more than for us to be surrounded by others who love us as she does. It means so much to me when I see the way that she nurtures and loves my wife and children. She is always worried about the happiness of others.

My Mom is not a public figure by any means. In fact, she probably prefers to stay near the shadows. She quietly serves people and gets to know people in a very personal way. She can see the human heart more than almost anyone I know, and seems to sense the feelings of others.

Each holiday, big or small, my Mom spends countless hours designing and creating a card for each of our families. Each one is beautiful and has a sweet message or poem. Below are just a few that we have received.

She hurried to finish and mail off this Valentine’s Day card the first week of February. I received it the day after she was admitted to the hospital for surgery for stomach cancer. In the surgery, they removed her stomach, her spleen, and one-fourth of her pancreas. When I saw the card laying in the mailbox, I cried. I could not believe that my angel Mother, in extreme pain, could only think of her children and grandchildren. When I mentioned it to my Dad, he said that she couldn’t sleep because she was so sick. I found out that she had made the cards in-between running to the bathroom to vomit.

Whenever I have visited her, I have asked her how she was doing. She has given a very brief response and then asked how Ashley is feeling, how the pregnancy is going, and how we are doing. Another time, she interrupted me and asked if we were excited to be having a boy. She is now home from the hospital and seems to be doing very well. She will start chemo and radiation therapy in about a month. My heart aches to think of her in any pain, but she is one of the strongest women I know, and I am extremely hopeful. She is a fighter and she has already overcome things that I thought were impossible at the time.

I am so grateful for my Mother. I love and appreciate her more than words can say. Through this tough time, we will all be here for her, just as she has always been there for us.