One Year Older and Wiser, Too!

In keeping with one of my favorite mantras, I anticipated my birthday this year with very low expectations.  (Some may think it sounds negative to maintain low expectations, but I have found it to be a very effective method for managing some aspects of life!)  So with my low expectations, I was completely surprised and delighted by the festivities surrounding my 39th birthday.  I have this amazing friend and neighbor...and she worked with my kids to make the day very fun and special. She had helped them get some decorations and gifts and plan out an awesome celebration.  I love that she worked with them instead of just planning it herself.  They were so excited and into the whole thing. It just made for a really great day.  Thank you, friend.

With Tod being gone, I knew that I just wanted to have a simple, fun day.  No big plans but just time together.  I woke up to a decorated house and fun birthday atmosphere.  My kids know that I love Hawaii, and so they chose luau themed decor.  Not only had they decorated but had also cleaned up the house the night before which was very sweet.  We had some doughnuts for breakfast and headed to the library (seriously, one of my favorite places!)  Ashton had violin after that, and Cole and I had a lot of fun playing at the playground while we waited for her.  In the afternoon, we were able to skype with Tod.  As we were talking, the doorbell rang...and I received a beautiful bouquet of birthday flowers- gerbera daisies and orange roses...the colors were amazing, and I couldn't stop smiling. Regan had the hardest time understanding how those flowers made it all the way here from Germany! I love that man of mine.

For dinner, we headed to Chili's (one of my top restaurants) and had a birthday meal.  Krystin kept Luke which made for a much more enjoyable, relaxing evening together.  I love my kids, and it was great to be able to take them out for a nice meal.  We had a lot of fun.  They are at some really fun ages.  Of course, we missed Tod so much.

When we got home, the Salazar family joined us for desserts and gifts (again, Krystin had done an awesome job of helping the kids get some presents.)  Cole got me a picture of Tod and I last year in Chicago (he came up with the idea on his own!).

Regan made me some artwork (love her creativity), Jordan got me a long desired new paper cutter, and Ashton got me some of my very favorite sweet treats (which I greatly enjoyed).

Then we dug into some ice cream cake!  About that time, Jackie and Tanner arrived bringing another yummy cake.  I felt very spoiled and loved.  I also loved reading all the birthday facebook messages and emails and talking to Dad and Pat and Katy during the day...and night (a late night birthday call from night owl Mel was the perfect ending to the day!)  It was a sweet, never to be forgotten birthday. For some reason, I don't have a picture with Krystin, but I will certainly always be grateful to her for making this day special.

And now I am 39 years young!  How is that possible?  I certainly don't feel that age most of the time. At one point today, Ashton asked me how it felt to know my life was about half over.  Wow, I had never thought of it that way at all!! Life is so good, and I am so thankful for all the blessings that come along with the challenges. Birthdays often cause me to reflect...I like to think back on happy memories from past days...and future memories to be made.  Is it possible to have a birthday and not think of your mom?  The one who gave you life?  I certainly took some time to reflect on memories of Mama and all that she means to me.  I am so thankful for the family I grew up in...just an amazing life.  And I am so thankful for the family I have now. I love being a wife and a mom.  It is the best.  I have my struggles, but I am comfortable in my own skin and at age 39, I like who I am.  So here is to another great year!!!

A Nauvoo Weekend!

A few weeks ago, we traveled to one of my very favorite places...the little city of Nauvoo.  Ever since my neighbors moved here a few years ago, we have been trying to find a time to go experience Nauvoo together.  Finally, everything fell into place, and we made it happen!  My neighbor Krystin has a friend who has a home in Nauvoo, and she graciously let us use it for the weekend. We had a really great time, and it sure brought back a lot of fun Nauvoo memories for me.  And it was so great to be able to spend time with our friends.  In a few short months, they will be moving...I cannot even really begin to think about that yet...so in the meantime, we are trying to squeeze in as many adventures together as possible!

We left on Friday afternoon and first headed to the Missouri/Iowa border to pick up Ashton from Tod's parents.  She had been with them for 2 weeks, and it was so good to see her and get her back with us again!  My friend Jackie came along with us for the weekend, and it felt like I had a built in nanny.  She was so helpful and with Tod gone, I don't think I could have made the trip without her. When we got to Nauvoo, we had fun exploring the old house and cooking dinner.  The house reminded me so much of my Great Grandma Thelma's house, even down to the slamming back door. We were SO thankful the house had great air conditioning since we were in for the hottest weekend of the summer.  After dinner, we headed to a show, "Sunset by the Mississippi" and Jackie took the older girls to the British Pageant.  It was SO hot and humid but the show was entertaining and fun. Then I took Krystin down Parley Street (the Trail of Hope) which leads to the river and the route the pioneers took when leaving.  The little kids loved playing by the river and throwing rocks in the water and it was a beautiful evening.

The next morning, I found myself outside alone for a few moments.  And I just kept thinking about how much I love Nauvoo and everything I learned while I was there almost 20 years ago when I did my BYU semester.  What a place.  I am so glad to be lucky enough to visit it frequently and take my family along with me.

We enjoyed some breakfast and then took the kids on a oxen ride and to a fun show at the Cultural Hall.  We visited pioneer past times and had some lunch with other members of our stake who had gathered for the day.

This next picture reminds me of how much we miss Tod...this picture just seems incomplete...but we are trying to make the most of his time away by doing fun, memorable things together!

During the afternoon, Jackie took the girls to see more of the historical sites and Krystin took the boys around to different places like the gun shop.  These two are just the best of friends.  Sometimes they fight and argue but after just a few minutes they are back together again.  They are pretty much inseparable.

I got to stay back while the babies napped and enjoy some reading time.  It honestly felt like heaven, just to have some peace and quiet which is so rare at this stage of my life!

After a yummy chicken dinner (it was so fun to be able to cook our own meals at the house), we headed to the Nauvoo pageant.  Before the pageant, they have a carnival that is always such good old-fashioned fun- sack races, handcart pulls, crafts...and this year dancing...the big girls really got into that this year.  A couple of times I glanced over at my girls, dancing with boys, and my heart skipped a beat because it seems like just yesterday, they were little toddlers watching the puppet show there...and now they were dancing.  Time flies.

The pageant itself is always wonderful and such a good reminder of all the pioneers sacrificed to live the Gospel.  It was nice this year to be staying in Nauvoo so that we didn't have to drive home so late.

On Sunday morning, we cleaned up the house and headed home.  We were all exhausted but so thankful for a weekend spend in beautiful Nauvoo!

The Big "13"!

We officially have a teenager in the house!  It is hard to believe that Ashton Kim has gone from this cute baby girl to this beautiful teenager in just the blink of an eye!  There is something so special about your first born...the child who made me a mother...the child that you "experiment" with and never quite feel like you know what you are doing.  I love her so much for her patience with me and kind heart.

She was so excited for her 13th birthday, as she is every year!  We started bright and early with some doughnuts and chocolate milk from Dad.

Then it was off to get a haircut and go shopping.

It was so much fun to just be alone with my Ashton.  We almost never get this opportunity, and so we really lived it up.  Instead of getting Ashton a bunch of gifts this year, she wanted to just shop together.  I was relieved because it meant we could actually get things she wanted.  It was so fun to pick out clothing together and just celebrate this great gal.

Next up, we met her friends at Olive Garden for a late lunch.  Tod and the kids also came (minus baby Luke).  We let Ashton and her friends sit at one end of the table, while the family congregated on the other end.  There was a lot of talking, laughing and eating.  It was a good thing we were almost alone in the restaurant, because we were loud!!  After our meal, the girls decided they wanted to walk back to the house.  I was happy to oblige since it gave me a bit more time to get everything ready.

Then it was time for presents and cupcakes.

Luckily, it was a beautiful day, so the girls just hung around outside jumping on the tramp, playing soccer and just having fun.  They are a really energetic bunch...and they certainly kept us all entertained.  This teenage age world is new to me...and it is a strange, yet wonderful place!!

Our wonderful neighbors walked over to celebrate and Boggy (Grandma) was in town which made it extra special.  She jumped right in to help out since Tod had to take Jordan to her last softball league game.

What I love about Ashton's friends is how unique they all are...they are definitely all their own people and they have really quirky, fun personalities.  It is really refreshing and fun to be around them, and I am so thankful that Ashton has them in her life.  It was a really great evening spent together.

Things about Ashton at age 13:

-  Ashton has such a kind and generous heart.  She really loves deeply and feels deeply for others.
-  She still loves soccer.  This year, she finally found a great team (the Blitz) and has really enjoyed learning more about the game.  She also really enjoyed her Dads Club soccer season with her school team.
-Ashton has a special gift for playing with children.  Her siblings love her because she comes up with the best imaginative, entertaining things to play.  I do not know what they would do without her on Sundays.  I love how she can still come up with elaborate play scenarios for them.  She is going to be a great mom.
-She still loves animals.
-Ashton has always been a great writer, but this year she found real joy in her writing.  I am amazed and blown away at her ability to write poetry, stories, articles, etc.  She has started saying that she hopes this can become a career for her.
-She has continued to really excel on her violin.  She founds great fulfillment in her music and practices very hard.  She also loved choir this year.
- Ashton loves all things Minions.  Her friends gave her lots of Minion things, and we gave her Minion sheets for her bed.
-Ashton is really, really smart, and she does so well in school.  She takes responsibility and works really hard.  She had lots of really big projects this year, and she did so well.
-She has done really well at middle school and has made us so proud.  It is hard to attend a school where very few people share the same values and goals as you, and yet she has held her head high and remained committed to who she is and her beliefs.  I marvel at her strength.
- I have seen her spiritual side really grow this year.  She and I have had lots of deep conversations about personal beliefs and the blessings of the Gospel.  She reads her scriptures diligently and honestly strives to learn the teachings of the Gospel.

I love this girl so much.  When I look at her, I see goodness and light.  She and I have had our ups and downs this year...we are both stubborn and do not like to bend.   And we have gone head to head on a few things.  But at the end of day, I know that she loves me, and I love her.  She is always quick to express her gratitude and love.

Happy 13th Birthday Ashton Lu!  We love you!