If you think my hands are full, you should see my heart.--A
“Nothing is going to startle us more when we pass through the veil to the other side than to realize how well we know our Father and how familiar his face is to us.” President Benson

Monday

Sister/Jealousy

I am sure this post will not be what you would expect from the title. I am sure that post will come in a few years. I have been thinking about writing this post for a long time. It may not interest some of you, but it is something I have been trying to understand about myself for a long time. You can read on, but it is more something I want my girls...and I guess boys to know, and also my friends so you can understand my wackiness sometimes.

I can not tell you how happy I am that my girls will have each other. For as long as I can remember I have always wanted a sister. I remember whining often to my parents that I wanted one. I think I even made them consider adoption. A funny note to this is that I remember my parents asking me why I wanted a sister? I told them, "So I can have someone to tease." I did have four brothers. There was plenty of teasing. I just was on the receiving end. Anywhooo...

I can't remember having any super close friends growing up, but I definitely don't remember hanging out with any boys. I always wanted to hang out with girls...I had plenty of boys in my family. In fifth grade when I thought I had found some amazing friends, I came into one of thee hardest experiences of my life. The people who I thought were my friends ostracized me. Girls can be amazing, but they can also be vicious(We were in fifth grade, I forgive you). I remember them telling me, we don't have to be friends with everyone. I got that...I guess, but why couldn't WE be friends. It was simply one of thee hardest years of my life, as these girls made me feel super, super small.

Time would pass, I would make new friends and gain some of the old back. I was all about forgiveness if it could win me a friend...a true friend. Now I know some of you may be wondering where this is going, but hang in there.

As I have gotten older I have found myself quite possessive of people I consider to be my true friends. It is something I don't really like about myself, and have been wondering where this jealousy comes from. Am I really that insecure? Me, a 28 year old mother of 4, wife to an amazing man, daughter to loving parents!?! Am I really that insecure that I think maybe my friends out of the blue one day will say to me, "We don't have to be friends with everyone." I guess old wounds run deep. I know some friendships don't last or remain strong. Life is always changing and with it relationships, but isn't a sister always there?

Friendship is my sisterhood. It is my missing link in my family chain. A sister would never say to you, "I don't have to be friends with you." I realize some of you may disagree with that statement, but sisterhood to me is such an amazing thing to be a part of. In my mind, my sister would never choose to be friends with somebody else INSTEAD of me. It's the instead part that gets me sometimes. Just because my friends have other friends, doesn't mean they don't like me anymore.

I love you my dearest and truest friends! Please pardon me this one fault(plus all of my others)! Know that it is something in me, and nothing wrong with you. If I count you as one of my friends, you are like family, you are my sister. I have been blessed with pretty amazing sister-in-laws, a wonderful mom(I even get a little jealous of her relationship with her sister), and a great mother-in-love. I really am so blessed...maybe if they lived a little closer. Soon, very soon(at least for some).

And to Micah & Josie, Deeken and Noah, cherish each other. You will never understand just how lucky you are to have each other. Siblings are one of thee greatest gifts God gives.

Thanks for allowing this indulgence, I promise no more deep or sappy stuff for a while.

Sunday

Valentine's Day Photo Shoot

What a great way to start! Gotta love that boys grin!
Hope you have a wonderful LOVER's month!
Hugs....
and KISSES from us to you!

Saturday

JOSIE MAE -- SIX MONTHS TODAY

What a Beauty! I lOVE her so MuCH! The kids and I went to the hospital to visit John, and my mind couldn't help but think of that day she was born. It was such a crazy day to me, to roll over and have my water break, and just feel like everything is about to change. Change it did! In such wonderful ways! She is such a little light in our house. It is like she was always here. The big kids adore her. We are glad we will have many more months to spend with her.

Stats as of the 26th of January:

14lbs 3oz

24 inches

Josie is getting close to sitting up by herself. She rolls like crazy now, and is trying to get up on her knees. (SCARY!) She sleeps 8 to 10 hours a night! She celebrated turning turning six months a few days early when daddy could be around to watch her try her first solid. Rice Cereal, Gotta love it! YUCK! Can you blame her for spitting it out!?!

Thursday

Annie or Micah Yates?

I adore these pics. Isn't she adorable?

My mom helped me roll some of the foam curlers like I used as a little girl. It was hilarious at first, but as the curls befan to relax, it was sssssooooo CUTE!

Micah decided she looked like Annie, Noah thought she looked like Kimball's mom. Either way is cute.

Just a side note: I was talking to Noah about his makeup days for the days they missed for snow. Micah said, "No fair, I want to go to Noah's school for Make-Up days." I was a liitle confused until Micah said, "Oh well, Maybe Mom will just paint my face."

Fun in the last two weeks

My parents didn't know that we would be coming home for Christmas, so when they found great price tickets, they booked em. It was so great to have them here! I miss them a lot already and can't wait to see them again when we go to Utah in March to look for a house. Here is just some of the fun activities we did while they were here:

  • Shopped at Wal-mart's great toy sale-Papa survived by showing the kids pet fish
  • Noah and Grandpa went to 'Daddies and Donuts' at Noah's school.
  • Went shopping in the Valley-Papa survived by Sudoku and watching the kids at the playground
  • Celebrated my Dad's 67th Birthday!!!
  • Shopped at Costco-Dad(John) survived because of samples
  • Went to watch Micah at Ballet class
  • Went to Chucky Cheese
  • Went to Spokane Temple(thank you Heidi and Mike)
  • Played Uno
  • Turned Micah into a Yates(pics to come)
  • Looked online for houses
  • Tried to fix our heat so parents wouldn't freeze to death
  • Dad did our taxes-Can you say YAHOO for tax refunds!?!
  • Went to return LOTS of thing-Papa survived by staying at home with the sleeping kids!
  • Ate at lots of fun places
  • Lots of other fun things!

Noodles MUST equal LOVE!

Micah: Oh, I got most of that one.

Mom: Disgusting!

Micah: Why does mom think it is disgusting, she kisses you all the time!

I LOVE this girl!
and these boys!
Oh and this little beauty too!

Tuesday

A Funny from the Past

The kids and I had just dropped John off at work, and I was going to do some much needed grocery shopping. Now, understand I was going crazy after two and a half days of not getting out of the house.

Micah: Mom, we just drove past our house.

Me: Micah, I am 26 years old, I think I know when we have driven past our house.

Noah leans over to her and says: She means 28.

Maybe I was going a little more crazy then I thought.