Remembering My Dad

My dad was so happy with his children no matter what, but I'm sure these moments topped the charts!

It has been one year (yesterday) since my dad left this world for home. Our family all met at Applebee's for dinner and then we went home to watch family videos, it is good to hear my Dad's voice and see his face in those videos. It was Friday night and my parents always went to Applebee's for a night out, so it just felt like the thing to do, since he would want to go there if he was here. Everyday a thought of him passes through my mind and I have noticed the last several months it has become easier to remember him without feeling depressed. I have realized that when you lose someone very important in your life you have to figure out how to exist now in a world where they don't and that means some of who you are changes a little. Times when I tell my family how much I love them seem to be sort of routine (like dropping off for school , Curtis leaving for work, going to bed at night, etc.), so I am trying now to use those words at unexpected moments, so they know I really mean it. My Dad was so excellent at expressing his love and being so sincere. I am so grateful for the value of family that my dad instilled in me. He truly lived by our Church's theme of "Family First". He loves the quote by Spencer W. Kimball that states we will be judged harshest on how we raise our children. I heard him say that more times than I can count! I notice that every time I have a small victory as a parent I feel a closeness to my dad. He celebrated every accomplishment his children had whether great or small. Thanks Dad for being such a loving father and helping to cheer me on in times where I doubt my abilities as a mother. I know the EXACT things you would say to lift my confidence and that means as much as if you were here to say them. I love you and am so thankful to know that I can still feel your presence when I need to and for the knowledge that I have of your eternal state.

It's The Most Busiest Time Of The Year!

Uncle Ryan and his family had a very creative gift- a box of wipes, but there was money taped together inside so Kemp was surprised to pull out the $ instead of wipes- so cute!(who is that weird lady in the background?)

Grams and Papa Smith went on an 6,000+ mile road trip back east and brought us home some souveniers and we watched a slide show of everywhere they toured-really coolKemp requested a cookies n cream ice cream cake.

Kemp's Birthday and Ordination

From Halloween to Christmas it doesn't stop in our family. For some reason a lot of moms in our bunch like having babies in the fall. Christmas has always been enjoyable for me and hardly ever stressful-o.k. maybe a little. But this year Curtis has taken Christmas by the reins and I have not had to endure a bit of stress. I think he senses that this year is tough without my Dad and being pregnant. He has just made it so easy for me to enjoy the season and not feel bombarded by the hustle and bustle. Plus it is much easier for him to go out shopping or buy things over the internet when he is hundreds of miles away from his loved ones! I find that as I get older I dislike the mall more and more with every year. My patience and sanity are precious to me these days. I only go there if I am specifically taking my children to play on the play land or get a pretzel.

O.k. new topic: Cami's class was going to a WSU b-ball game for school and she was crying her eyes out because I couldn't go, it broke my heart and made me a little irked at the school. They said that Chris would not be able to go, even though this was not a field trip chaperoned by parents which means we could just go if we felt like it. I was planning on driving myself and taking Chris with me. They told me that if they let me then all parents will think they can take their little children on field trips. Which I think is ridiculous because whether I show up or not really doesn't matter! I am not assuming responsibility of watching any other students while I am there so who cares if my 2 year old comes. And it is just a basketball game it's not like they are going somewhere dangerous for a 2 year old. I just believe that under certain circumstances there are always exceptions to every rule. So there is my soap box for the day!

New Topic: We had a fabulous Thanksgiving spent at our home with Curtis' parents and Kemp celebrated his 12th Birthday and Priesthood Ordination that Sunday (it was so special seeing him receive that great blessing on his b-day)). Is he really a young man? no way I don't believe it, it can't be 12 years since he was placed in my arms. It was so cute to see him pass the sacrament at church for the first time, so nervous and unsure of himself, but he did an awesome job. He was spoiled for his b-day this year: a new suit, Wii game, and an air soft gun. I have learned a few things from my children lately:

1. Being loved and giving love is the most important gift we have to give.

2. Recognizing and feeling the Spirit of Christ is one of the most tremendous gifts we all have been given.

3. Having empathy for others and putting their needs above our own truly brings us the most joy possible.

4. Service is so important to our health and well-being. Putting money in those red Salvation Army pots every time you pass, even if it is pennies, really makes you feel good! Helping with my sister Lesley's Down n Out Diner also makes you feel really good-ask me about it if you want to help.

5. It is o.k. and helpful thru grieving to say we miss Grandpa every day and especially for Christmas, and talk about what we will miss cuz that helps us remember what we love and appreciate about that awesome man!

side note:I had my 20 week ultrasound and stayed strong and did not find out the sex of our baby. We will have to wait and see what the Dr. says in the delivery room. At first I thought it was a crazy idea and I would chicken out and want to know, but now it is all very exciting.

2 Birthdays+Halloween=Tired Mom & long post

Aunt Lesley taught first grade so she knew just what to get Kerstyn!
Christian adores his Aunt Lana!

Cousin Brittany made the CUTEST Halloween cupcakes!

Those candles didn't stand a chance!

Is Kemp the perfect Napoleon or what!

Two Birthdays the week of Halloween can get a bit chaotic. Chris turned 2 on the 24th and Kerstyn turned 7 on the 29th. I don't think they mind, because Kerstyn told me she was the luckiest in the family cuz she gets 3 parties! Chris woke up on his birthday just looking so much older, that depresses me. Kerstyn was so excited for him to open his present. She carried it around all morning saying "Chris, are you ready for your present?" She was more impatient than he was-having to wait all the way until church was over before he opened it. He loves cars, so he got a Lightning McQueen remote control car. He is talking so much more, and hasn't lost his "ham" of a personality. He giggles all the time now. He pulls these faces that just tell you what he is thinking and I have never had any of my children be so expressive that way. He is the MOST mischievous child I know. We all have this panic feeling when no one knows what he is doing. If I am in the kitchen and he is back in the bedroom it is like-Oh no, what catastrophe is waiting for me?? For instance, one morning I thought he was happily watching Mickey Mouse while I was getting ready for the day. I walked into the kitchen and saw his little hands swimming in a pile of oats on the floor and a huge grin on his face. Then I say, Oh no-Chris, what happened? And he gives me the "Crap- I'm in trouble face".
I love it when he yells at his siblings if they are arguing with each other. He comes to me and says, "Bubba(Kemp) and Tertyn(Kerstyn) be mean". I have learned a great deal about patience and being able to laugh more with having Chris in our family. He is just a complete joy to have around and I know this next baby was meant to be cause he will need a bro or sis to play with for the years to come. Happy Birthday to our sweet little bubby!
Kerstyn has matured and grown so much this year (so has her mom). I have seen her transform into such a responsible girl. Kerstyn is such a free spirit she doesn't care much for boundaries and being told what her limits are. This can scare a mom at times, but I have learned to focus on the things she can do and what is allowed; and she has been able to see that I am not just a meany-mom. Our family has been going every which way lately and this time of year sees Curtis traveling almost every week, so we decided to head up to Heber City for Kerstyn's B-day and spend the night at a hotel (Dang it we forgot the camera, sorry Kerst!). We had a free night's stay- thanks to Dad's club points from his traveling. Kerstyn is ALL girl with a lot of sass to her, but we wouldn't want her part of our family in any other way!

Happy Birthday, Kersty-Bersty!

Halloween was a blast, we love spending it with our families, seeing the creative minds at work in all the costumes, and doing all the Halloweenish stuff. My favorite part of Halloween night was a middle-aged couple, maybe empty nesters, who were decked out as hippies (way cool costumes). They had a fog machine on their walkway, music playing, a mechanical witch moving back and forth in front of the door, and they were just dancing and grooving on their porch waiting to pass out candy to the trick or treaters. They just were having a total blast-Oh yeah- the husband was talking in like a John Lennon-Beatles kind of accent-very cute! I told Curtis as we were walking away that I wanted to be like them in the future. There is something refreshing about seeing people just enjoying life, so when I start feeling stressed and sad at this time of year I will remember this fun couple, and put on some of my favorite holiday tunes and just groove with my kids in the living room.

Happy 80th Birthday Dad!

This picture makes me miss how my dad was always with his family (even though that looks like Christmas Day), and that cute toddler in the pj's is me!

It is my dad's 80th birthday today and I think of how big of a party we would have had for him and it makes me smile. He always talked like reaching 80 would have been such a monumental thing, and he was shy just 8 months. We are still going to have a celebration for him anyway. My dad and mom loved to dance together. I remember growing up in California and they would go out dancing or to hear certain artists perform at local clubs (Bill Medley from the Righteous Brothers wished them a Happy Anniversary on one occasion). I also loved that they would chaperon our dances and go out on the dance floor and boogie, not only the slow dances but the fast ones too! I know if my dad was here for his b-day (with a strong hip) he would get his groove thing on! I have caught myself talking to him in my mind lately. A lot of things that are causing me so much confusion in my life right now, so many questions that I would love to hear his opinions and answers to. He is someone who was always such a wealth of knowledge to me and I am really missing that. There was a really cool scripture I read the other day that made me think of my dad and all the excitement we will feel when we see each other again.

D&C 138:14-15 "All these had departed the mortal life, firm in the hope of a glorious resurrection, through the grace of God the Father and his only begotten son Jesus Christ. I beheld that they were filled with joy and gladness, and were rejoicing together because the day of their deliverance was at hand."

Happy 80th Birthday Dad, Love you and miss you!

Why does my husband believe in lucky numbers and why is it #5?

I use to get migraine headaches a lot when I was a teenager. They faded away in my early 20's and I noticed that I would get them just in my first trimester of pregnancy. In fact I knew I was pregnant with two of our four babies, just because of the headaches. At the first of August I went with my mom to Montana to see my older brother Reid and his family. The week before we left I had a couple of bad headaches and of course the first thing that ran thru my mind was- you've got to be joking-I am NOT pregnant. I had just gone off birth control and was planning on starting again the following month once I got a new prescription from my OB. We were being pretty responsible, but it is definitely true that it takes ONLY ONCE! I started feeling tired and sick on our trip to Montana, and due to start my cycle at the first of that week and yep you guessed it-nothing! I felt very overwhelmed by this news since I felt so content with 4 kids. I didn't tell Curtis until Kemp and him got home from Scout Camp. All he said was "Awesome! Five is my lucky number!" Curse him and superstitious numbers-just kidding. I have had a strengthening of my testimony through this. I know that the Lord is looking out for me, because it is like mothers have come out of the woodwork to tell me that either they felt they were supposed to have more children and didn't and regret it or that there last child (which was usually the 5th one)was a total surprise and that there family would never be the same with out that child. I ran into Kemp's 5th grade teacher (take notice of the #5) at the school one morning on a day when I was feeling especially stressed out about another baby, and she ran up and gave me a hug and said "Congratulations, I heard you are expecting". I am sure she didn't sense much excitement in me, so she quickly said that she thinks I have the sweetest and most adorable kids and am such a good mom, how could I help but have more children. What a tender mercy on that day! She sure was in tune and I will be so grateful to her for reminding me of what are truly the most important things to me- my family and my attitude. Even in my own family my parents were floored by the news of twins (my mom's 5th pregnancy) especially when it was not planned. How could our Garrett family be complete without Lana and Lesley? So I have the faith that in years to come I will look at this 5th member of our family and be so grateful for lucky numbers!

Darn those alarm clocks!

At 7:00 am this morning I heard the girls' alarm going off and then one of them starting to yell at the alarm "Shut Up!" I was laughing hysterically outside their bedroom door. I couldn't tell who it was, so at the breakfast table I was trying to get a confession. No such luck, both refused to admit it was them. I can't blame them I feel like yelling at my alarm too!

Back to School

Sending my children off to school this year was bittersweet.We had a nice big breakfast of waffles, eggs, and bacon. Curtis gave them a father's blessing and I remember how I felt such an appreciation of being given that kind of gift from my dad growing up. They are always so excited about school which makes me happy for them, but I am sad to have them gone all day long, and so is Christian. Kerstyn is in first grade and I can't believe I am back to having only one child at home. Cami is in 5th grade and she is so giddy when school starts, she just loves every second! Kemp is in 6th grade and is applying for a job in his class (isn't that cute-they even have an application for the students to fill out). He did a great job explaining why he would be good as a class officer. I was impressed with how well he knows himself. Christian will definitely be a regular at the library for story time, maybe they can get him to sit through an entire story!

FOLLOW-UP ON KEMP: he made Vice President in his class, but not peer leader, his class voted for all girls. Kemp feels plenty busy with his class job. They are in charge of planning class parties for reading and such.
FOLLOW-UP ON CAMI: she is the Journalist in her class- they get paid by how well they do in class (behavior and grades) and how committed they are to their jobs. Then her class gets to spend their pretend money in their class store, I love that they are learning this stuff!