Baby Chicks

Pierson's 5th Grade class got to  hatch baby chicks in their classroom this year, he had been coming home each day and telling us all about it!  I told him we could bring two chicks home, only if Aunt Crystal would be willing to take them when they got to big to have in a box.  We were able to bring two home and keep them for the week of Easter.  The kids loved it!  Pierce has wanting a pet again ever since our kitties all disappeared a few years ago, and much to his disappointment Mom keeps telling him no.  I thought this was great, a pet for a week!  The kids really enjoyed checking on them each morning, feeding them and especially holding them.  I have to admit they were pretty darn adorable!  They were so tiny and cute and their little chirping was pretty cute too!  I started feeling terrible about eating chicken they were so cute, too bad they have to get so big and ugly so fast!  On the day that we took them to their new home at Aunt Crystal's neighbor was a tough one for Pierce, my trough and tough  boy is really so tender and he was so sad to give them away, he cried and I felt like a terribly mean mom for not letting him have a real pet.  We survived though and we have some pretty sweet pictures to remember our cute little pets for a week.  

 This one went through several name changes so I'm not sure what to call him.

 This little guy is Twix.

 Hard to say goodbye to such a cute little thing.

 My favorite thing was probably hearing Jens copy me saying to them "come here 'wittle' guy", he just loved petting them and holding them!

Pretty cute stuff, sweet kids.

Spring Break & Heart Break

Our Spring Break started off with a great first day and then went down hill from there.  We had a fun park day with a group of friends and the kids had a ball!  Here are a few fun pics (the only pics of the week)...

 Jens thinks he's a big kid now!  This was our first time at the playground since he became a toddler on me, and I was so nervous about how he'd do, I knew the days of sitting in the shade, chatting with friends were over, and I was afraid I'd be having a heart attack the whole time with him on the big playground.  But he did great!  I was still getting stuff out of the car and by the time I got to the sidewalk, I looked up to see him coming down the big slide!  He LOVED the playground!  He also loves being big brother's shadow, especially when there are balls around...

 Pierce, Jens and cute Reese.  Reese is one of my cute Activity Day girls, and she is a sports girl all the way!  A great friend for Pierce.  I love how Jens follows them around, "shooting" the ball, even though the hoop is miles away for him. 

I love this picture.  Madi and her two best friends, Annie and Aubrey.  These girls have so much fun together and play so well together.  It is so fun listening to their fun and games.  Love these toothless smiles, love these girls! 

After our fun day at the park, Jensen came down with croup.  He woke up at midnight Tuesday morning and I immediately knew he had croup.  We have such bad luck with getting sick over school and holiday breaks!  I thought we had over come it, but this school year it seems to be back with Madi getting sick on Christmas Eve and then this, (not to mention the week we've had this week - to come in our Easter post) It was really bad and he struggled through the night, which meant not much sleep for me or him.  I took him to the Dr. first thing in the morning and they gave him a steroid shot.  This took care of the awful strider, and made it easy for him to breathe again, but we were told he was still contagious for 5 days!  So there went our plans for socializing with friends and cousins for the rest of the week!  Bummer for the kids!  Mark, Lisa and Baby Calvin were in town and I was so bummed I didn't get to see them.  The kids were good to play with Jensen outside each day and that perked him up, I am grateful that they are so good to play with him, they are great big brother and sister to him! 

On Wednesday evening I got a text from my friend April, that our friend Ashley's little girl, Amelia, had been life flighted to Primary Children's after being found under the water in her Grandma's swimming pool.  I was shocked, panicked and heartbroken.  Over the next 3 days Amelia lay in a coma, I prayed and pleaded with Heavenly Father to bless Kurt and Ashley with a miracle, to save Amelia.  I know miracles happen everyday and I knew it was possible to have Amelia be saved, but after having lost little Todd, I was so scared in the back of my mind thinking that she would die, it seems there are so many little souls being taking back to our Savior so early in these days.  I felt as I could do nothing but pray, pray for Ashley and Kurt and pray for Amelia.  It felt as though everything else going on in life was so insignificant, how could I think or worry about anything else when Ashley was sitting in the hospital with her baby girl, not knowing if she would survive.  I was pretty much consumed with worry and did nothing for the rest of the week.  I got an email from Ashley on Saturday night letting me know that they had decided to let Amelia go the next morning.  I just sat and cried and cried.  It seemed like too much of a heartbreak to lose such a sweet little girl, just 2 years old.  My heart felt like it was breaking over and over for Ashley.  On Sunday morning Jensen woke up early, I brought him in my bed with me and just held him and hugged him and cried, thinking of Ashley letting her baby girl go that morning.  By Sunday evening I received word that Amelia had passed away.

 I am including the beautifully written and inspiring words from Kurt and Ashley as they updated friends and family of Amelia's situation.  Their faith during this heartbreaking trial is truly inspiring.


Kurt and I aren't the biggest users of face book. We have been updating friends and family of our situation through phone calls and others means. But we wanted to make this post to thank everyone for all the prayers and love that has been sent our way, and to let you all know of our situation.

Tragically we are faced with the reality of having to say goodbye to our sweet Amelia. As you may well know, she was involved in a drowning accident. She was rushed to the hospital and her family gathered round to give her a blessing before she was life flighted to Primary Children's from St George. Being involved in business at the airport, Kurt's dad and brother had the opportunity to help load her and Kurt into the airplane in St George. After arriving at the hospital in SLC Amelia was met by Elder Anderson of the quorum of the twelve apostles. She was given a beautiful blessing by Elder Anderson with her dad and his cousin Tim standing in. The next morning the presidency and latter day twelve apostles meet in the temple and in their prayer circle they prayed for our Amelia. We know 100 % recovery was more then possible, but blinded by the Vail we know not the better good nor the will of our heavenly father.

As the days progressed, which seemed to us more like weeks, we were always faithful that the Lord could grant us a miracle and bring our little girl back. However we understood, and still do, that we do not know everything and have accepted the fact that our way isn't the same as the Lord's way. With that framework in mind we faced each hour holding our girls hand and praying for her recovery.

As each minute slowly passed, and we searched and prayed, we began to feel peace. In the midst of our unspeakable trial we found ourselves calm and collected. We didn't and haven't given up on our Amelia. But we felt the spirit so strongly testifying to us that she was under the Lord's care and a full recovery will be made of body and mind, it will not be here on this earth life now.

Amelia has filled so many and touched so vast with little tender mercies knowing she did not have much more time with her family and friends.

Please remember her with happiness and know she is working hard for her siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandpa, grandmas, Mimi, papa, friends and all those she has meet here on earth and in heaven. She wants us all to return to Amelia and Jesus.

There is a list of tender mercies of the Lord and tender mercies of Amelia that have comforted us, many much too sacred to mention here. We were able to have a small or rather large family pray with siblings and our parents in a room here in the hospital and were able to share some of these with our siblings and their children to help comfort them.

I know these coming days weeks months and years will be difficult for us but we need to remember remember upon this tragedy miracles will never cease, angles directed by Amelia will be assisting in the safe return home of so many.

Thank you for the faith, keep it living.

Amelia's Journey Home

Amelia has never liked being indoors. Unless there are shows and suckers involved and then one of her favorite places to be is what she calls Amelia's House (pronounced Ya-ya's house).

As mentioned in an earlier write up we found ourselves at an unthinkable juncture in life. One in which we had to decide the fate of our little girl. As difficult as one would think it to be, we already knew the answer. Amelia was already free, we were the only ones holding her back at this point. She had already put on her show and cause divided families, long lost friends, and countless others to knock down walls of pride to gather around her and each other so she could teach us all some lessons and share with us some of her spirit.

This morning we took Amelia off the ventilator. There was much that went into this decision both medically and spiritually and I can tell you that we have never been so sure and assured of anything as we were of this. The doctors told us to expect something under an hour of her being able to sustain her own life. They obviously thought this was an ordinary girl. She had others things in mind. Amelia, being miss independent and always her own boss, decided to show us who was really in charge. As Ashley and I held her in our arms during the morning we enjoyed the peaceful presence of the spirit of God and of our girl while cherishing the opportunity we had to hold her (she is not into fuzzy hugs and snuggles. Head bonks and best-friend beeps are more her style). After many hours singing to her and kissing her we began to realize that we were going about this in the wrong way, and Amelia wasn't going to go along with it unless she got hers.

We made the decision to take Amelia to where she, and the rest of us, really wanted to be. To Ya-ya's house! It seemed to be the right thing to do and it turns out that it was. Getting a drowning victim out of the hospital is no easy task. Technically we couldn't take her since all drowning victims are supposed to be examined by the State Medical Examiner according to Utah statute. But with the help of an outstanding staff of not just medical professionals but also compassionate people they made it happen. Strings were pulled and the door was opened to take Amelia outside and get her homeward bound. This is where she wanted to be, not in an ICU room connected to machines. Although those ICU rooms are wonderful places where miracles happen every day, it just wasn't right for our girl and she was letting us know.

After Ash and the nurse got Amelia cleaned up and ready to go in PJ's, I carried her down to the car. Ashley sat in the back holding her little girl and we hit the open road. We drove out of the Salt Lake Valley and down I-15 like we were busting out of jail. Everyone was in a happier place, Amelia included.

Earlier this same day I mentioned we were singing songs to Amelia thinking that we were singing her to sleep, as we continued to peacefully roll down the interstate that role reversed. Ashley was holding Amelia with her little head nestled up against Ashley's neck and her precious arms over Ashley's shoulders, holding on to Mommy. I had the pleasure and privilege of watching this in the rear view mirror. Amelia's labored breathing against Ashley neck was a sacred lullaby for Ash. Soon I saw Ashley sleeping and Amelia peacefully resting on her mother's shoulder. Sometime later, as we continued down the road I could tell Amelia's breathing was getting softer and it started to fade from my ear. At that same time Ashley slowly opened her eyes and looked at Amelia. As Amelia's beautiful face came into Ashley's focus she drew one last breath and let it out in a soft sigh and then lay still in her mother's arms. Ashley and I looked at each other in the rear view and we didn't have to say anything. We both knew that our little girl was leaving the arms of her mother to be embraced in the arms of her Savior. We both smiled at each other and enjoyed the silence and peace that the spirit brings. Amelia was where she wanted to be and after she let her mom know she loved her and sang her to sleep she left us for the eternal world.

Ashley and I have been privileged to know Amelia and to have her in our lives. We will forever be changed from what she has taught us in the short time that we had with her. Amelia is still with us and will continue to teach us. She has changed venues in order to assist us in obtaining salvation and to seize the opportunity to be together again. She is here to help our family make righteous decisions and to comfort us in times of trial. She is our beacon, our light on a hill, to help us maintain direction in times of trouble. When we falter she will be there to give us strength and reason to make the right choice. This seems to be the theme of this tragedy. All who came into contact with Amelia were touched by her irresistible spirit. She made friends out of strangers. And this same little girl has inspired thousands to be better people in order to get where she is now. This is our wish and Amelia's, that all who were affected by this and touched by Amelia would take this tragedy and use it for good. Use her example as a reason to be a better individual so that you too may one day see Amelia be welcomed into the arms of your savior as she has been.

Ash and I have been surprisingly calm and comforted during this time. Never in my life have I felt the hand of God working such miracles. We are devastated to lose our little girl, but this pain is overpowered by the happiness of the gospel of Jesus Christ and by the miracles that Amelia was able to work with her little hands.

Our Spring Break

Spring Break has come and gone!  We stayed home and didn't have any big plans, but I knew it would be vital to my sanity to have an outing planned for the kids each day of the week.  So our week of staying home quickly became a busy one!

Mark and Lisa come down from Logan to warm up for a few days and we were so excited to meet their new little guy, Baby Calvin.  This tiny little boy was born weighing less than 5 pounds and we have been so anxious to meet our new nephew and cousin.  He is two months old now and about the size of Jensen at birth. (Almost 8 pounds!)  We enjoyed having them over for dinner and getting to spend some time with them.  

Lisa and I also enjoyed this moment...

I mean really, how often do you see two brothers changing their baby boys' diapers?  We've got good ones! 

I also got to do a little photo with Baby Calvin, those pics will come later.  

We spent a lot of time at the park, Pierce and Madi enjoyed riding their scooters with friends, and Madi played on the playground while Pierce played ball, while Jensen and I hung out in the shade with his girlfriends.  

I am thoroughly enjoying this stage when I can sit in the shade and chat with my friends with the babies, I know it wont be too long before I'm running ragged chasing a little boy around the playground.  Enjoying him sitting in my lap very, very much.  

We all enjoyed having a fun BBQ with the Halls.  The kids were thrilled to get to roast marshmallows!  We are so thankful to live so close to these fun cousins and to get to play with them often.  

Madi, Brooke, Pierce & Matthew 

I had to include this picture, I thought it was so sweet...after I snapped the above pic of the kids, Matthew asked me to take a picture of him and Pierce together on the "Todd Bench".  He instructed Pierce to sit to the side so he would not cover Todd's name.  (This bench was a gift to Jeff & Crystal after Todd's death and the plaque has an inscription of Todd's name.) Sweet brother.  

I was happy to manage an outing of my own during the week!  It was definitely needed!  

Annette, Me, Lynds, and Mel  out to celebrate Annette's birthday.  I am so very thankful for the wonderful friends I have!  I love these gals! 

A major highlight of the week was our big bake sale.  Last year Pierson broke a window at Grandma's house, he had been playing catch with her in her front yard and a neighbor stopped by to chat with her.  He was a little bored waiting and decided he would try and see if he could throw the baseball over her house.  He was successful so he thought he'd try it with a rock, which was not so successful.  He hit Grandma's front window.   We payed to have the window replaced and told him he would have to pay for half of it.  Since then we have been having him pull weeds in the yard to earn the money and it's been a slow go.  So over the break my friend Kathryn and I decided we'd let the kids do a bake sale.  Meaning we slaved in the kitchen making delicious goodies and let our children sell them and benefit from it.  It was a huge success though!  Kathryn made cinnamon rolls and her delicious mint brownies and I made cupcakes and chocolate chip cookies.  We set up a table at the entrance to our subdivision and sat out there with the kids, we thought we'd be bringing home leftovers, but we sold every single item we had!  We made over $80 and even split in half with the Woodbury kids, Pierce made $40!  This was a huge haul compared to the $30 he has made by pulling weeds many a  Saturday!  I wanted to get some good pics of our cute table set up and some close ups of our goodies, but before we were even finished setting up the first customers were waiting, so this was the best picture I got!  

The kids had a blast and are already asking when we can do it again.  Thanks to all of our kind friends and neighbors who stopped by and bought our treats!  

And the highlight of the week for Madi....Learning to ride her bike with out training wheels!  She decided she was ready, I ran down the driveway with her one time and she was off!  I could not believe how quickly she was cruising around and even starting out by herself.  She was so excited!  And I've decided she's already too tall for her bike.  Guess I know what to do for her birthday.  

I've been loving the pretty spring blossoms!  

They are so beautiful, and I love the detail my camera can get on these!  I was also able to manage a photo shoot with Kathryn's little darlings over the break, those pics to come soon too.  

And the finale of the week: Thunder Over Utah!

Ryan was able to take Pierce and they went out with good friends Bishop Joe and Joey.  They had a great time and got to see an AWESOME show!

Spring Break

We had a great Spring Break this year, no one got sick! We didn't do anything big, and I didn't take many pictures, but the kids really loved having a simple week to be home and play.

Things were really blooming around here and the weather was beautiful!


We enjoyed lots of sleeping in (ok that was just me)
We had a lot of fun playing at the park, we made it to 3 different parks and had fun park days with our Hall cousins, and friends Brooks, Schofields, Stapleys, Woodburys and Wadsworths.
My sweet friend, Heather, made these darling St. Patrick's Day cupcakes for the kids. Obviously Pierce really enjoyed his!

Here's Madi with cute friends Annie and Addilyn, having fun at the park!

Thanks to all that playing at the park, I got a major sunburn and my arms were in serious pain for the next few days. Luckily the kids don't seem to have my awful skin. The pregnancy is definitely making it worse and this was one of the worst burns I've ever had! And speaking of pregnancy, Spring Break also brought on the swelling of my feet and ankles, lots and lots of contracting, (lots more I should say, Braxton Hicks and I have been good friends for awhile now) and lots of pain. Gotta love the tiny person growing inside you, and the ripping apart of your muscles and ligaments.
Other things we enjoyed were- a 3 night Monopoly game, we have the Disney version and it's really fun for the kids. Pierce got really into it, but after the 3rd night we declared Daddy winner. (We've since started a new game)
We also enjoyed a movie day, we were thrilled to see "Tangled" again and took Brooke and Matthew and joined friends for a fun time at the movies!
Our last day of Spring Break, we got to celebrate Grandpa. We went to Grandma's house to celebrate Grandpa's birthday, which was the following day, (March 22). We sang Happy Birthday to Grandpa and the kids blew out the candles, and we celebrated in true Grandpa taste with Angel Food cake with orange frosting and homemade vanilla ice cream.


We love you Grandpa!

Our Spring Break...

...can pretty much be summed up with this...

...one sick, sad little girl. One bored little boy.

"I looked out the window and what did I see"...

...So excited for spring! (Not so much for summer.) Pierce and Madi have been loving spotting all the trees with "popcorn" on them. I had to pick some blossoms off of a tree on our walk the other day and let them hold it, just so they could see it really isn't popcorn and they can't eat it. A little disappointing. (And this is the tree in my front yard, looking out my bathroom window, I really did look out the window and notice the blossoms and think of "popcorn popping".)