Mom's powerful blinks and other summer anecdotes

Ahhh-- time is passing too fast! I thought summer was going to drag but it has flown by!

Library outings, white fly traps and other gardening, picture frame crafts, lots of swimming and biking, lots of backyard time pretty much sum up our time. My mom always said that kids grow like weeds over the summer and she's right! All my kids' pants look like skimmers and their shorts, look like running shorts.

Natalee learned to swim independently and if she'll let me take off the training wheels she never uses, can ride a bike too. Hannah (who took her sweet time to her mom's great enjoyment) now does crawl, bear crawl, cruise and all manner of fast but dirty (you should see her knees!) movement! Collin, for those close to us hardly every talks in a scream and Trevor is up to more "backyard inventions" usually to the tune of Aaron's old walkman playing the Book of Mormon on tape. (Yes I'm serious).

Well hopefully everyone's summer is going well and I'll end on a Trevor anecdote.

I pick my big almost 7 year old up on my lap and said "Man Trev you are getting so big, if I blink you'll be going on your mission!" Trevor looks at me intently and puts his hand on my shoulder and said "Mom, is that why I never see you blink?"

May all our kids think their moms are that powerful!

Another school year gone

I can't believe the school year is over! Does anyone else think that time picks up speed the older you get and especially the older your kids get? Trevor completed Kinder this year and loves reading (Green Eggs and Ham is our current poison) continues to love anything science related and loves school in general. I taught Joy school for Natalee with four other amazing moms. I loved it and so did she. We held a little graduation at our house and I've posted some of the highlights. Congratulations to all the little ones and big ones for another job well done this year!

The Father and Sons and Random shooting?

I have a love hate relationship with the father and sons camp out. Really 80% love and 20% dislike. I love it for my husband and sons. I even have come to enjoy a girls night in at home. It's a chance for them to do guy bonding. Aaron even took both boys at 2 years old. (This was Collin's first year). They went with Uncle Ryan and Brett and had a good time even though it was 32 when they awoke and the forecast actually called for a chance of snow.

The less than stellar feelings stem from childhood when I really felt like I got the raw end of the deal. I loved camping too but I never got a "special" camping trip. Therefore when Natalee was venting her feelings about being left behind- I could empathize. So I give Natalee several enticing offers- swimming, bike ride, cookie making, movie or MacDonald's- the one with the play area. She wants to go to MacDonald's followed by a movie. So as much as I love MacDonald's- if you know me this is major effort on my part- we go. We share a happy meal while Natalee makes instant friends with a a half a dozen girls (she is so me) and I watch and wait for an hour (excruciating). It's about 6:30 pm when we leave.

Little do we know our girls night is about to get interesting. On our way home while passing the elementary school, smack in the midst of a nice suburban neighborhood, we see a woman stumble a little and fall down. My first thought was a winded jogger. I also noticed there were a lot of people at the elementary school but then a feeling nagged at me and I thought I better make sure she's ok. I make a u-turn and notice a firetruck across the street at some apartment buildings. When I pull to the side she's still sitting there. No cars pulled over, no one with her- she looked like she was waiting for a ride. So I ask if everything is ok. She shakes her head "no". Natalee asks if the lady is ok and I say I need to go and see. I park and run over. Her eyes are rolling int he back of her head and I am asking her name, what was wrong with her and that's when I look down and see she's clutching her stomach and there's fresh blood stain going down her shorts. I'm thinking dozens of cars are passing unaware of a woman literally dying on the side of the road- and yes the good samaritan story seems all too real. She's telling me she thinks she's just drunk. (Definitely the last thing I thought I would find) A man is coming and yelling that he can call 911. I tell her that we're getting her help and that I can just go over to the firetruck across the street (I am also not parked in the best place and have two young children with me). So I run to my car, drive across the street and pull up to the truck. The driver rolls down his window and I explain that a women is bleeding, presumably from her stomach, she's not coherent and said she might be drunk. (In my mind I think they would peel out of there instantly). Instead he said he had just gotten the call as I pulled up but they had to wait for police to secure the scene (the scene I was just at). I guess this is standard procedure but wow- I don't want to be bleeding out as a fire truck look on. Only a minute and a half passed before the firetruck left and gave her aid (a long minute and a half) but still! I'll probably never know what happened but I guess I've learned my lessen about obeying that nagging feeling also known as the Holy Ghost.

Well needless to say Nat and I had our own adventure and rounded the night out with watching the Princess Bride (otherwise known as "that shrieking eel show" to Natalee).

Note- I only have the father and sons pics- bleeding people don't like their picture taken-

Mom's back in Kuwait

I have a fellow blogger who gave me some good advice. When you've neglacted to update your blog in several months. Start with now and make "catch up posts" along the way. That sounds manageable. So I'm starting with early May when my mom headed back to Kuwait.

My mom is my best friend. I love having her around. I even got to go on a roadtrip back from Utah with her this time (more on that latter). She's an awesome grandma too. (My kids practically try to pack themselves in her bags when she goes back.) She also has a cool life in Kuwait though and I am happy that she gets a break from caring for her 6 grown children. Yes, the definition of "caring" no longer entails feeding an army and rocking us to sleep but the job of a mother is truly never over. Visits, hugs, babysitting, shopping, conversing, advice giving, advice withholding, calls, and so on are all still on a mom's list even with the youngest is 21. She has my dad, her branch, and her personal trainer Carolina to care for her there (the ladder in a Jilianne from the biggest loser sort of way). I'm glad we had such a nice visit. Until next time mom!

Major Spring Fever

This is my post to say I'm going to post a lot of the last month and a half but due to the need to get out of my house and enjoy the weather oh and regular chaos of running a family of six. I haven't been forgetting but "saving up" for massive posting. (different way of saying procrastinating..) Stay tuned. I have really cute pictures. Oh and Happy St. Patricks Day! Oh, Oh Congratulations to my sister on her sweet Rilee girl born yesterday March 16, 2010.

Four years of Natalee Bickham

It probably doesn't matter what age they turn I still can't seem to understand how fast time flies. I REALLY do feel like she arrived yesterday! She has blessed our lives since the day she arrived January 28,2006. As a baby it seemed like she was not from this planet... this curly dark haired beauty slept through the night by two weeks, was a good eater and really chubby, and hardly ever cried-- really I think she cried 5 times in her first 6 months.

Natalee at 6 months old--

I think her and Hannah are starting to look alike!

Her attitude arrived a few months before Collin was born. As an early talker, she was 15 months when on a road trip when she spotted a water tower. "Water tower" she said. "That's right Natalee," Aaron said. Natalee replied "I'm not talking to you DAD, I was talking to my MOM!" That followed with her insisting on potty training herself THE DAY I brought Collin home from the hospital. Very independent but could somehow still win the heart of about anyone.

20 months old at Collin's blessing

Christmas 2007

Vail Summer 2008

Fall 2008

3 year old b-day January 2009

We did our own mascara Feb 2009

Aunt Annie's wedding March 2009

Preschool May 2009

September 2009

As a four year old she is very bright and loving, a total girly girl but as anyone can attest- she can hold her own. The funniest thing she did was wish everyone a happy birthday when they wished her a Happy birthday (kind of like Christmas). "Happy Birthday Natalee!" "Well Happy Birthday to you too!" We made cupcakes for her birthday and she got to decorate them. After her preschool birthday party she went up and down the street giving her cupcakes away. She loves to sing and you can almost always find her singing a primary or preschool song if she's playing by herself with lots of substituted lyrics of course. "I see my mother needing our family each day..." (instead of kneeling). That she definitely gets from me. I used to sing "don't roast beef" to a song that really said "don't rush me". I wondered for years why roasting beef was so bad.

Well I hope you enjoy these pics of my Natalee. Happy Four years old!

Natalee Still singing Rudolph

Natalee was explaining why Rudolph the Red-nose Reindeer is really a girl to me and broke into song. I especially thought grandma would like this. Collin wants to take her spotlight- so typical of them.

Sunday Morning

Sunday is meant to be the day that brings families together. Make me feel good about being a mom. Reaffirm my decision to rear a family in the gospel. You know peaceful, thoughtful, restful... At the end of the day I guess it does end up being these things. But everything from the moment we get up to walking into church is VERY trying. Crying is almost ALWAYS present with at least 3 of the four. Funny thing- usually Hannah is the one NOT crying. It is all worth it in the end but it sure is a lot of work. It just proves to me how much my testimony is alive. I really do belong to the one true church on this earth. If not there is NO WAY I would bring four small children to three hours of meetings (OK mostly not to sacrament meeting since my children chair the SMDC- sacrament meeting disruption committee). As I prepare for another Sunday I thought I'd share some pictures from last Sunday when 3/4 of the children were not crying (right then).

Denver Botanic Garden lights

Trevor, Natalee, Jacob (cousin) and Collin at

the old ranch house porch swing

Natalee forever posing for a picture

The coolest tree there


Natalee, Aunt Holly me and a very bundled Hannah

Estes Park Trip

The whole group

Note the kids gloves- LOVE THEM-

they go up to their elbows and are called L-Bow gloves

He WAS just having a lot of fun on the ice.

Longs Peak

Aaron took this picture. The kids loved seeing the elk.

We returned to Estes Park almost to the day 9 years after spending our honeymoon there. This time we had Aaron's family and four kids with us though. Despite howling wind, blizzard conditions and REALLY cold temps we had fun!