You're Two...

Weslee,
You're two. Where has the time gone? You've traded your cute little chipmunk cheeks from your first mortal days for the leaner look of your toddler years (though no matter how old or lean you get, I'll never, as long as I live, forget holding you in the hospital for the first time with only your cheeks poking out of the blankets, and falling in love with you instantly. ) You've kept the beautiful blue eyes I adore so much.

You bring joy to my life everyday. You are a wonder of a little boy. How I ever earned the privilege of being your mother, I'll never know...but you are one of a kind. You are my own personal angel. I couldn't ask for more from a son. I am so very proud of you.

Some of my favorite things about you at this age: You are so compassionate. If anyone is crying, or hurt, the concern shows in your eyes. If it happens to be me that is crying or hurt, you come and stand beside me, pat my back, and ask if I'm "doh-tay?" I love that you kiss owies, both mine and your own. You try to love and care for everyone you come in contact with. The nursery leaders have told me that you've been a real friend to those in nursery who are crying or hurt. I am so proud of you for being a good friend.

You are so independent. "My too" or "my turn" is something we hear alot around here. Thank heavens you want to do things on your own! I love watching you put your wellies on to go outside, struggling with everything you've got to get your little feet inside those rain boots. I love watching you "read" books to yourself and to me. You don't want to sit in the high chair anymore, but in the other "chai-oo" to eat your food with the rest of the family and drink out of a normal cup, not a sippy.

You are obedient. I rarely have to ask you to do something more than once. If I ask you to get in bed, please...you begin climbing into bed. If I tell you to hold my hand when crossing our street, you hold it up for me to reach. And, the latest in miracles, when I'm mowing our crazy lawn and leave the back gate open for a split second to get the mower where I need it to go, and I ask you to stay in the backyard because it's dangerous near the road. You stay right within the door frame and go no further. You poke your head out to see what's going on, but you never moved out of the backyard. I thought to myself, "This child is uncommonly obedient" and I was so thankful.

You are helpful. Mommy has such a big job to do right now. Holding down the fort while Daddy is gone is a big responsibility and I appreciate all of the help you give me every day. You unlock the door to the car each time we go somewhere. You like to help carry the groceries in from the grocery store. When you spill at the table, you often get down with a rag after the meal and help me clean up the mess. You pick up your toys, often without being told, every evening before bed. You put your dishes in the sink after the meal. And, you help me load the washer with our dirty clothes. You have no idea how much these small things really do help me. I appreciate all that you do to make mommy's burden lighter while Daddy is away. I love you for it!

You are imaginative. I love sneaking up on you while you're pretending. I caught you feeding "Sheepie" in the high chair the other day and asking him to help clean up the mess. (Your tone of voice sounded so much like me as you said "Uh oh, mahss. Keen up, keen up, sseepee!" and you pretended to wipe the tray.) I know that we probably shouldn't encourage the whole "gun" thing, but I love watching you pretend to shoot the bad guys and then "die" in the hallway. I know my laughter just encourages you...but it's dang funny!

You are smart. You have always picked up new things quickly. I am persuaded that you will do well in life at whatever you pursue simply because you grasp new concepts so rapidly. I love that you want to learn. You are inquisitive. All day long you'll ask "Dat?" meaning "What's that?" and I'll tell you, "That's a car-jack." or "That's a magnet." or "That's a microphone." and I'll hear you repeat the word to yourself. You always surprise me when a few weeks later you'll whip that word right out and use it in the right context. Today you could see your shadow at dinner (a word you learned 3 weeks ago on a walk) and you looked at me with a knowing look in your eye and simply said, "Dahdow, mama". I was shocked as I acknowledged you were right. Or today when we were watching a documentary on Joseph Smith and they showed the earth on the screen. First, you pointed out that it was a circle and then asked me "Dat?" I told you it was the earth and that yes, it was in-fact a circle. "Eawt". "Eawt." Eawt." I heard you say it over and over again while the earth remained on the screen. I will not be surprised if we see another "earth" in the near future and you pull that new word out of your bag of tricks.

You are a daily miracle to me, my boy. I hope I never forget to see you as the miracle that you are. I hope I don't ever let the little bumps in the road that happen from day to day get in the way of all of the incredible good that you do. I hope I always remind you, over and over again, that I love you. I hope I tell you of your incredible worth to our Father in Heaven enough times that you always believe it. I hope I nurture the gifts that are already in your possession and help you to become the man your Father in Heaven (and I) see in you. I hope I always treasure each day with you.

Because I know that the next time I blink, another year will have gone by. It won't be long before you fly the coup and I'll be missing the dirt smudges, the booger kisses, the little messes, and the mooshed bugs. I'll have a stain-free shirt, but I'll be missing your little fingers wrapped around my own. I'll look at those scribbles in my scriptures with fondness. I'll be longing for the sound of a sleeping baby on my chest. I'll miss your laughter ringing through the house. So, I hope I always remember to treasure those things while I have them. Happy Two Years, my big boy! Here's to another great one!

Tycle...

Is there anything more endearing than hearing a toddler begin to use language? I am totally enamored with hearing Weslee's attempts to communicate his feelings, his wants and desires, and placing labels on everything that makes up his world. Some of his words are easy to recognize: mommy, daddy, hi, bye bye, and my personal favorite...Yyyyyep! Others are a little harder to make out. And some are impossible for me to understand. It's the ones that I understand but no one else does that just tug at my heart strings. I'll be so sad when he talks like a grown up and I don't hear words like "wuz zoo" (love you), "Deezus Cwyst" (Jesus Christ), "day too" (thank you), "a-mas" (airplane) and "tockolee" (chocolate) anymore.

Lately, one of his favorite words (because it is one of his favorite things) is "Tycle". This word, to Weslee, means motorcycle. There is a bouncy motorcycle at the park, and he runs for it shouting "tycle, tycle, tycle". He thinks his trike looks like a motorcycle (in fact, the reason we bought this particular trike is because when he saw it he started shouting "tycle. My tycle" in a very excited voice. We were there to buy a trike anyway. Thought it would be good to get one he was so excited about. And everytime a loud vehicle passes our window....sometimes even when Wes is completely asleep, I'll hear from some part of the house "Tycle. Mom! Wow! Tycle!"

So, even though I don't necessarily like "tycles" and even though I definitely don't listen for them all day, I love my son's enthusiasm. He teaches me everyday to enjoy life and be excited for the miracles (including the tycles) that are all around me.

My Heroes

Life has been very good to me. It has presented me with several opportunities to rub shoulders with amazing people. Some of them came into my life for a short time and then left, probably never knowing how much they meant to me. Others have stuck around and have seen me evolve as a person. And, of course, some of them are sealed to me forever. But, I've had alot of time to think over the past week and inevitably, these people have come to mind. I wanted to take a little time and give a shout out to my heroes. (And this is by no means a comprehensive list...I'm just going to write until my arm gets tired or the boy wakes up...whichever happens first).

My first hero is my husband. He wouldn't consider himself a hero, that's part of his appeal. Full of conviction, brave enough to share that conviction, and lives according to that conviction. He is a man of integrity. I can always trust the things he tells me. In 1o years of knowing him, I have never caught him in a lie. Ever. He is genuine. He has never worried about what other people think about him. He never frets over impressing people. He is solely focused on what God thinks of him. (If I can pick up anything from him, this is the attribute I most want). And last, he genuinely cares about other people. Time and time again, I've watched him go out of his way to bless the lives of other people. I've watched him put aside his cares, his worries, his busy schedule to go and do whatever is needed of him...even here at home. I've seen him come home from work immediately to start the dishes, take Wes out to play so I can have a moment alone, or vacuum the floors...and I've never once heard him complain about it. He seems thrilled to help. (I realize that I am totally blessed in this regard). There are about a million more things I could put here...reasons that he's my very greatest hero of all. But I have other heroes too, and limited time to write.

My mother is one of my heroes. My mom defied her family to join a church that has brought a multitude of blessings into the lives of my family. Almost every good thing in my life I can trace to that decision of hers. My successes at school, in my career, the development of my talents, my beautiful eternal family, and my testimony of Jesus Christ. She is an independent thinker. I admire her bravery and even her stubbornness. My mother is stubborn in doing what is right. And last, I admire my mother's unsinkable optimism. She can see blessings in the bleakest of circumstances. Our house burns down when I'm in eighth grade and I hear her saying "We own our home outright now." No mention of it being a hopeless, burned out shell of a place. Just the blessing of owning it and not having to make any more payments on it. And then, she grabbed her tools along with my dad and went to rebuild the place. We find out a couple years later that we're moving to Argentina, away from everything we know, and the first thing out of my mom's mouth is "This is going to be an amazing adventure". No whining about missing family or friends, the absence of the comforts in the states we were used to, or any misgivings about misfortunes we might meet there. Just confidence and a shopping spree to buy a whole lot of peanut butter and taco seasoning. She packed our house up while my father was already gone and we were at school, and still managed to make it to the plane with a big grin on her face.

And then, there's my sister, Charla. Full of faith, that one! If I've ever met a rock, it's Charla. She gained a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ long before I did and held onto it with everything she's got. She was a missionary from the very beginning. Not afraid to open her mouth, she's still known for speaking out at a Fellowship of Christian Athletes meeting in our high school as a FRESHMAN and submitting that Christ said to "Come follow me" not just to "Come believe in me". She admonished those who were upper classmen to show their faith in Christ by living by his teachings and following his example, not just professing a belief in Him. She's had many more opportunities to share the gospel since then, and she never fails to say exactly what is on her mind. She is a hard worker. She sets her sights on a goal and works until she obtains it. Whether she's running marathons, getting a teaching degree or learning to play the guitar, she doesn't get off of her course until she's obtained her goal.

My brother, Bubba. The most generous person I've ever met. He's been like this for as long as I can remember. He must have been 8 or so when my grandmother gave him some birthday money one year. He turned around and spent most of it on my sister and I. Even at 10 years old, I was floored that he would do something like that. He would give you the shirt off of his back...even if it's his favorite Abercrombie shirt. We're lucky to have him in our family...he's taught us alot.

Randy and Liesl Bailey. Not many people would allow almost complete strangers to come and live in their spare bedroom, but that's what these two did. More than generous, their friendship has taught us to share with all those we meet. They taught us that all of our substance belongs to the Lord and it's not ours to keep, only ours to give. They've touched our lives forever.

Tera Rocknak. With 5 children, I don't know how she finds the time to keep up with all of her friends. I always feel special around Tera...or even if we're countries apart. She emails, and updates, and sends Christmas cards. Tera has a special talent for brightening people's lives and getting them out of themselves to mingle with the world again. And then, she continues to be a ray of sunshine in their lives long after the darkness has passed.

Carol Hales. I count my lucky stars that she is my mother in law. Carol is blessed with the ability to see the good in everyone, and to forgive quickly when people show their not-so-great side. I love hearing her talk about the people she's meeting on her mission with Clint (my awesome father in law) and how beautiful they are, inside and out. I love hearing her "skewed" view of my own attributes in birthday cards and anniversary letters.

And of course, Clint Hales. Mr. friendly. Clint can't walk into a grocery store without coming out with a new friend. The man can talk to people after church almost as long as the church meetings themselves take. He always makes you feel like what you have to say is important. No matter the topic, he's always interested. People like that are rare...and I've found out from watching Clint...people like that have ALOT of friends. We can barely go anywhere without people knowing Clint.

Sarah Egbert. My cousin in law. We've only spent a couple of days here and there in eachother's presence, but she is one of my heroes. She knows how to love others. Her heart is big enough for the whole world to fit into. She has a heart of gold. Even when we're playing games or wave surfing at the beach, I feel like I'm in a warm embrace when I'm around her. Being her friend is uplifting. Always.

Vicki Wilkins. My hero because of her ability to mother. As our current bishop's wife, she personally mothers 9 children...who are all wonderful and love eachother and are well behaved, etc. etc. I have learned to be soft spoken from her. I have learned to pray for a house free of contention. I have learned to teach Weslee to love from my own actions. She also extends that mothering to all of us who are here without a mom. She is wonderful.

Allison Stokes. One word. Thoughtful. I get the privilege of serving with her in Young Women's. She is always thinking of others, how to lift them, serve them, make them feel special. I was just the recipient of her thoughtfulness. The flowers are still in my window and bring a smile to my face every time I see them.

Kris Cassat. She's a natural leader. I enjoy working under her in Young Women's. She knows how to motivate and inspire people to do their best. Never overbearing, but always interested in what's going on. I love this woman!

Well, the kid's awake and there are about a million people I could still list here for various reasons. If you don't see your name on the page, know that your name is in my heart. I am who I am today because of all of the people who have touched my life.

Daddy Home?

The old saying goes, "You never know what you've got until it's gone". This is certainly true with my little Weslee. Just last weekend, we came to get Weslee from our friend's house after a day trip in London alone...and Weslee totally bypassed Kevin to run into my arms. I think in that moment, Kevin thought Weslee would never miss him when he was gone.

But, the last few days have proven otherwise. The day we said goodbye to Kevin, Weslee seemed much the same. He's used to being alone at home with me all day. But, when the sky started getting dark, and especially when I announced that I would make dinner, Weslee began the arduous search for "Daddy". He went upstairs, expecting that perhaps he had snuck through the door when he wasn't looking and was lurking in our room somewhere, or was perhaps on the computer. He went from room to room calling, "Daddy? Daaaaaaaaaddy!" When he finally decided that Kevin was nowhere in the house, he came to me, put his arms around my legs and looked up with a huge question mark in his eyes. "Daddy?" It was up to me to try to explain that Daddy was gone to work for a very long time.

This morning we woke very early (7:30 am is the crack of dawn in this house). Weslee was crying hysterically in bed. I laid him against my chest. When he finally calmed down enough to speak, he looked up at me with huge tears still in his eyes asked "Daddy Home?" I shook my head no, that Daddy wasn't home. I explained again that Daddy was at work for a very long time. He put his head on my chest and wrapped his little arms around my neck as tight as he could get them. For the next few minutes I heard him whisper, "Daddy home....daddy....my daddy home", into my shirt.

Oh Kevin, I wish you could see just how much you are loved...just how much you are necessary to both of our lives. It would both swell your heart with joy and break it into tiny pieces.