Summer so far!

We started our summer off with projects.  My daughter Gwyneth has discovered Pinterest and gave me a list of summer fun.  We started with lemon bird feeders.  The cutest thing ever and it's so easy.  They look so charming hanging from our lemon trees.
 
As soon as the neighbor kids heard we were doing "summer fun" they had to join in.  We helped our neighbor friends make lemon bird feeders too.

 

We are having lots of play dates and Gwyneth still loves playing dress ups with her younger sister Georgia and friends.  Gwyneth purchased the basket she is holding at a garage sale and told me that it would be perfect for her and Georgia to play pioneer girls with.  They needed the basket to gather food, flowers and what not.  One word...precious.

 
This art project turned out so cute!!!  You place painters tape across canvas boards haphasardly and let the kids go to town with paint.  When dry you pull the tape off and you've got awesome shapes and the best art to decorate your house with.  :)

 

I even let the Summer girl go at it.
 

She took matters into her own hands when she got too much paint on herself.
 

Swim meets are still in action every Saturday.  At the last meet Kirk took tons of pictures.  Here is Kalen diving and doing the "fly."  That is a swimmers slang for "butterfly."  He loves swimming on a competitive team.  And he's doing super.  His next goal is to break the team record in the butterfly stroke.  He's miliseconds away.
 

Next up is Gwyneth.  She also loves to swim.  She's got a beautiful dive and she swims the free style so beautifully also, I love watching her.  

At the last swim meet Reece took first place in every event he swam, that's called a sweep.  Way to go Reece!!!!
  

Oh Georgia, Bearny B.  She is so awesome at swimming!!!  They all are for Pete's Sake.  They're part fish, thanks to their dad.  :)
 

The crew.
 

We've also been partying on the beach.  My dad hosted a 60th birthday party for his girlfriend Cynthia, at his beach house.  It was so fun
 

They found these two modern folk singers, they were fantastic and cute...just taking note :).
 

Here is Cynthia, the birthday girl, dancing away to the tunes....
 

 

Water guns were introduced and the party was the battle ground.
 

 

Cynthia and her daughter Leah.
 

Cynthia and me.

It's already the end of June.  I can't believe it.  We've already done so much.  We've created, dressed up, started summer learning (math and language), swam, beached, slept, stayed up too late, watched movies, and coming up we are headed out of town down the coast on HWY 1 to enjoy the sites and spend the fourth with old friends.  And a couple of days after that the Wallworks are staying with us!!!!  Can't wait.  This summer we are fitting it all in!!!!!!!!!!!!  Happy Summer to everybody!!!!!
 

Birthday Buddies...

June is our birthday month.  This post is a little late.  My birthday is June 5th and William's birthday is June 8th.  But, his birthday was supposed to be September 14th.  Yes, he was born three months too early. 
 

It's becoming more like a dream now.  Something that I don't think about all the time because him being the seemingly normal baby that he is now, rarely gives me cause to think about it.
 

But, he really did start out as what science defines a "Micro-Preemie."  He was 2lb 3oz.  And although I rarely think about it, I remember it vividly and I will never forget the details of our trying experience with Will...that turned out to be a miracle.

It's a long story.  You can read it HERE.  But, for this post I feel moved to share some things for the sake of remembrance.  I'll never forget how terrified I was when my delivering doctor said, "I'm sorry Shauna, you're going to have your baby now."  She checked me and I was at a seven.  There was no turning back.  With Kirk off to the side, I turned to him in tears and told him how sorry I was, and I was gone from my room, bed and all to begin a very trying time. 

You wouldn't know it now by looking at him.  With his chubby round cheeks and his indented knuckles.  But, when I went to deliver him I remember pushing so hard, I just wanted it over with.  I was so terrified to look down at William once he came out.  I just didn't know what to expect.

I made myself look down once he came out.  He was born in his water sac and breech.  I saw the back of his neck curled with his head and he had a little roll of fat.  Tiny as it was, it was a little roll.  That was my saving grace.  That little roll helped me to take a deep breath with some relief. 

Turns out William was barely living.  He needed the most advanced resuscitation there is and his App Gar Score was 0.  Lifeless.  He may have had a slight heartbeat, but that was it.

And, so started the trial of three months in the NICU watching this precious specimen of a human being get taken care of by a combination of science, technology and real people.  I've never been through anything like it. That much time in a hospital, the ups and downs of possible heart surgeries, complications, mistakes and on and on.
 

We brought him home four days before his actual due date of September 14th.  And it's been pretty smooth sailing since.  Today he is not being measured by a premature scale anymore.  He is measured by a normal growth chart.  He is twenty pounds and he's in the thirtieth percentile for his weight, and about the same for his head and length.


He's super happy and playful.  He's clapping in the picture below.  He crawls everywhere, he stands up with anything that will allow him.  He's becoming more and more independent for sure. 
  

He's a pretty good eater.  He loves oatmeal.  Real oatmeal with coconut butter and berries.  His favorite snack are a brand of whole wheat pretzels that I buy.  He is really such a lovely boy and he has inherited many nick names as most of the children have.  To name a few:

Bo-licious
Bo-lover
Will-bo
Willum
Will   :)
 

So, to the big one year old birthday boy I would say that "faith precedes the miracle."  This can apply to so many circumstances in our lives and it has applied beautifully here.  Although his beginning was rough terrain, slippery, heartbreaking and exhausting, I never asked, "why is this happening to me, us, him?  For me, there is no point to this.  We have trials because this life is about refinement. 
 

How grateful I am to have been a part of this experience, a part of this miracle.  To watch the blessings unfold.  To say I've learned so much is trivial.  Last summer of 2012, in the short time that is was, defines much of who I am right now at this moment.  My family has been blessed to have worked together and come together through these trying circumstances.  The Savior is real and what's more his atonement is our saving grace.  The relief that comes from the atonement is like no other.  I know this.  The atonement will pick you up and carry you to where you need to be.  I know this.  I've been there.

I love you William.  We all love you. I just stare at you with amazement to think about how you started this life.  It's unbelievable.  You hold a special place in all of our hearts.  As you always will.  Happy 1st birthday.
 

As this post was mostly for and about William I would like to just say thank you to all of you who made my birthday so special.  I had visitors all day long dropping by.  Thira and Kirk had a party for me.  My dearest dedicated a post HERE for me.  And I even received cards from my blog friends.  This means so much especially because last year I was in the hospital on my birthday and it was just a hard time all around.  So thank you, I have been so touched by all of your love for me.  I love all of you so much,

Shauna xo
 

#1 Dad

When Kirk and I were engaged we might be eating out or walking through a mall and if we saw kids throwing tantrums or "kids just being kids" he would say, "are you ready for that?"

And I always thought, "I can be ready for anything, if it could just be with you." 
 

My dream came true and here we are with seven kids and Kirk has been a father for twelve years now.  He is the best dad anyone could wish for.  I sometimes look at him with our kids and think, "how can I be more like him."  He loves our kids with his words, with his touch and with his service.  He will always make time. 
 

He is totally devoted to his kids.  He is a great example of someone who loves unconditionally and it's such a Christ like attribute that I stive to be better at following. 
 

Our kids love their dad.  When our kids are grown their dad will most likely be famous for:

-gathering his family for daily scripture study and prayer.
-consistently picking and reading a family novel (currently he is reading to them, "Twilight Land").
-playing all manner of sports with his kids.  The current obsession is pickle, both the girls and boys love it.
-playing board games.
-sneaking his kids treats that their mom would never buy otherwise
-flirting, hugging and kissing their mom aaaaalll the time in the kitchen (they love it, they just don't want to admit it.... :)
-wrestling
-taking time with each of his children individually.
-telling his kids what he loves about them.  He is great at this.
-sacrificing his time for Scouts. 
-making the Temple a priority and going each month.  Kirk loves the Temple, and because of this our kids do too.
-being spontaneous.
-playing the dot game with them in Sacrament meeting.
-swimming day and night with the kids.
-being in love with their mother- always.
-
(pictures include kids waking Kirk up to homemade cards and Father's Day breakfast, always French Toast which is his favorite)

Happy Father's Day to the most wonderful man.  There can't be a Father's Day without a mother and together we've come this far!  We've learned hard lessons.  We've make mistakes. We've had to work hard to become better parents, to realize our short comings and to be a team at giving these great kids the best examples.  And the learning is not over, not in the least.  Kirk, you've taught me so much.  I love watching you be a father to our children.  Thank you for working so hard to be the best dad.   The kids love you to pieces.  And I love you forever.

Gwyneth xoxo

 

Gwyneth has been on my mind lately.  The sweet and genius of a girl that she is, has me ever grateful for the person that she is and the person that she aspires to be.  We just held our "meetings" with each of our older children where they get to be with just mom and dad in the evening with their favorite treat.  You can imagine that the older kids really take this precious time with their mom and dad and they talk and talk and talk and talk........during this particular meeting Gwyneth wanted to revisit her goals from the beginning of the year.  Turns out she is doing great.  She is half way through the Book of Mormon, she's learning church hymns on the piano, she's exercising and she's focusing.  Yes, focusing.  She's made a real effort to keep organized this year with her school work and to manage her time well.  Focusing on one task and getting it done is not necessarily her strong suit.  Hence the reading of five and six novels at a time.   But, the last six months she has really done a great job at prioritizing.   I'm so happy for Gwyneth.   I'm happy for her because so often she takes our advice as her parents and she tries really hard. 

I wonder sometimes how Gwyneth is my daughter.  She looks so much like her dad it's amazing.  We often joke that Kirk didn't even need me to have her, she's all him.  What I love and admire most about Gwyneth is her positive attitude, the love she has for her Savior, her effort to make weaknesses into strengths and her intelligence. 

I am enjoying Gwyneth so much.  The other night we had a loooooong talk.  I happened to see her in her room just sort of sitting quietly.  I asked if she wanted to talk and she told me all about her thoughts and she has many.  Thoughts about the person she wants to be, her aspirations in this life and who she is inspired by.  She told me she wants to be bold and creative.  I love it!  I love you Gwyneth and I can't wait to see what life has in store for you, and to see what you do with what's in store for you....that is going to be the best part.

Love You Forever.  Mom-

(Gwyneth and Mom at our "meeting" May 2013)
 

Fourteen Years Together...

On June 12th, 1999 Kirk and I were married in the Oakland Temple for "All Time and Eternity."  I remember seeing him for the first time..... 

I loved him right then and there.  At first we were friends.  But we were always in love, from the first moment, at least I was.... :)

And finally we were married.  And now it's been fourteen years.  What?  In the first picture we are kids.  In the second picture we are clearly not kids, but adults, yet we still feel like the first picture...ha!!  Well, "us kids" had our first little baby just over a year later.  And we went on to have seven of those babies altogether.

As I think about our marriage and what our experiences have been I am brought back to how grateful I am for our Temple Marriage, the precious Gospel of Jesus Christ, a close supportive family connection and the influence of wonderful friends, who also love and support us. 

I wasn't raised in the LDS church.  To be honest,  I never gave marriage or children much thought at all.  I mostly thought about college and the career I would have.  So often I am incredibly thankful that this turned out to be my life.  As it turns out I am a pretty good wife and a pretty good mom.

 This is the life that I love.  Kirk is my Eternal companion. I still get excited when he walks through the door after work, I will always love to see him with his kids and he will always be the love of my life and the person who taught me the most about integrity, about forgiveness and how to love.

Here's to fourteen years, seven kids, busy times, bills, hard work, laughing, crying, kids crying, money saved, money spent,  and the list goes on....

And this list is what makes the best times ever.  Happy Anniversary-   to you and me.  I love you forever.

Shauna xoxo