Happy birthday, Adeline!

Eleven years ago today, I became a mother. Words cannot express the joy I have found in having my sweet Adeline here on the earth as my child. She is growing up so fast, eager to help me out or just spend time with me. I'm hoping that doesn't change in the next couple of years.

There have been times when we've butted heads, especially from ages 2-5, but it mostly just goes to show ya how alike the two of us can be. (Eh hum, did someone say bossy???)

Poor girl, being born first she has been my guinea pig too often. But, it just makes her stronger. :) I tell her how I can relate to her because I was the firstborn, too. In fact, another thing Addie and I share in common is that we are the first grandchild on both sides of our families.

Addie's birth gave a lot of people new titles...Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, Granddad, Aunt, Uncle, Great-Grandma, Great-Grandpa. She's always been so special to so many people.

Here's a stroll down memory lane. So many photos to choose from, here are a few of my favorites...

Birth announcement photo. 3 Days old in the outfit she (and I) wore home from the hospital.

At the Murray Park fireworks just before she turned 2. In fact, when Addie was almost one, she uttered her first word..."WOW!!!" while we were watching a fireworks show.

Can you imagine this sweet little 3-year old pounding her fists on the hospital nursery window exclaiming she didn't want a brother? "I want a sister!!! Boys are stuuuupiiiiiid!!!" Where was the video camera??? That was worth $100,000 on AMV for sure! She literally scared the nurses, and for the next couple of days at the hospital we got several looks of pity and were referred to as the "parents of that one little girl." I think secretly she still holds Calder responsible for some disappointment that day.

Addie at 4 years old. It's no coincidence that many of her photos were taken in red or blue. We were so thrilled to have a July baby that she was patriotic all the time.

Addie at 5, just before starting Kindergarten where she proved to the world how smart and strong-willed she is. She also became a big sister again to yet another brother, Gavin. At this point she figured maybe there were benefits to being the only girl...

Addie at 6 years old, always Mama's buddy!

At 7 years old, Addie finally lost her first tooth. She also got glasses a couple of weeks after this photo was taken.

Addie at age 8. She was baptised a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We also moved out of the townhouse we had lived in for 7 years ON her 8th birthday, so she likes to tell people she got a new house for her birthday.

Our beautiful 9-year old.

Finally, after nearly a decade of waiting, Adeline got a baby sister just before she turned 10.

Adeline, we love you so much and wish you a very happy birthday. You're awesome. And A-some. (It's an inside joke.) ;)

Memorial Day...One to Remember!

Yup. I'm behind as always. We've got a ton of fun pictures to post, so I'll just try and catch up.

For Memorial Day this year we went down near Hanksville to some slot canyons with our friends. Their kids are 21, 18, and 16. We left Sadie home with Auntie Dani and Grandma and Granddad, so the kids we brought along were 10, 7, and 5.

The first day I stayed back at our camp with the little kids so that Gary and the other "grown-ups" and older kids could go do a canyon that was a bit too technical for us. They ended up getting soaking wet, but enjoyed it. We played around in the red rocks, breaking rocks into sand, looking for lizards, and just having fun.

The second day we went down a really long canyon that had 3 major rappels, the biggest being about 70 ft. Gary and I sweated whether or not the kids would be okay, or if they'd throw fits at the top of each rappel. We've rappelled with them before, but in a canyon like this you don't have the choice to back out. I'm happy to report that our kids are AMAZING! Besides Gavin needing to start out facing out from the wall on a couple of rappels, they all did so well. And we all had a super fun time! We also played around in a few less technical slots. Southern Utah is the best! So diverse and so one-of-a-kind!

The last day of our trip we stopped at Goblin Valley. So unique and so fun! Have you ever seen Galaxy Quest? Yeah, part of it was filmed here. (I said miners, not minors!) Keep in mind when browsing the pictures that we were definitely roughing it and in the rain nearly the whole time. So, as you can see, we look LOVELY!!!


What a fun weekend. We seriously can't wait to go again. Our friends were so awesome with our kids. They each had a buddy so a big kid was paired up with a little kid and it helped ease our minds significantly. Lonny helped at the bottom of the rappels while Gary helped at the top. Gayla and I (the moms) just tried to keep kids happy and away from ledges. All in all it worked out great and was a trip we'll remember forever!

Finding lizards.

The whole crew (minus Gayla...thanks for snapping the picture!) Yes, that is Gary at the top.

A bunch of us hanging out at the top of the big rappel.

Gary easing Deana over the biggest rappel of the day.

Addie at the top of the big rappel. That's Deana waiting down below.

Calder shows how excited he is that he just did it!

Lonny helping Addie at the bottom of a rappel.

Lonny helping Calder at the bottom of a rappel.

Lonny helping Gavin at the bottom of a rappel.

Addie, Calder, and Gavin with Raddison in a hole he used to anchor us while we rappelled.

Addie "holding" a goblin.

The Davis Family (minus poor Sadie) at Goblin Valley.

Some cute goblins in Goblin Valley.

Sadie on her aero plane

I'm still in the process of getting b.day pics off of Gary's phone and my dad's camera. So, all I have for now is a very blurry photo of Sadie on one of her presents. She got this little airplane from Grandma and Granddad. She absolutely LOVES it. And she seems so big as she's able to board it all on her own. She got this cute sundress from her aunt and uncle. Notice her ladylike side-saddle stance here. What a sweetie!!!



We went in for Sadie's 1-year check-up today. She's below the 5th percentile for her weight. If you know our kids, that is NOT a surprise. She's 17 lbs., 7 oz. But, get this, she's in the 50th percentile for her height. Hmmmm. That's a new one for us. And even more surprising is that she's in the 60th percentile for her head circumference. Now, Gary lovingly calls her "fat head." Ummmmm, yeah.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SADIE!!!

It's my baby's first birthday today. How time flies!!! We got a new niece, Jaydelynn, today. What a nice gift to give Sadie. :) I will post pictures of Sadie's birthday celebration later.

Some random photos for your enjoyment...since I'm so far behind. :)

Rub a dub dub, three boys in the tub...Calder, Ethan (my brother's little guy), and Gavin.

Finnegan loves Sadie, and Sadie LOOOOOVES Finny! :) She was seriously squealing with delight here. Sadie. Not the cat. The cat doesn't squeal with delight normally.

My beautiful, freshly bathed, baby.

The next several pictures were taken on the St. George LDS Temple grounds in April. Gavin

Adeline

Calder (oh, pleeeeease ignore the sandals with socks...)

Sadie

All 4.

Sadie with Dad and Mom.

Addie loves this temple. She has expressed her desire to be married here someday.

So sweet. :)

Grandma blowing out her candles...

...on her delicious lemon mirengue (however you spell it) pie.

Celebrating my grandma's 87th birthday in St. George.

No, she is NOT young Obi Wan...

( Sorry it's blurry)...Addie had a small skit she got to perform at the Treehouse Museum for a school assignment. Here she is as "Will, the lowly plowboy."

Calder, Ethan, and Gavin at the Treehouse Museum.




Calder

Sadie helped me pull weeds. You gotta train them early!!!

Dial-Up Internet + BUSY BUSY BUSY = No blog updates for a loooong time!

I know it's all just excuses, but the title really does explain it all. I can't bring myself to spend one and a half hours at the computer updating my blog right now because I just don't have the patience. Really. You don't want to hear the things I call my computer when I am waiting for a picture to upload....and waiting....and waiting...all the while trying to sooth a teething baby, fold my never-shrinking, ever-growing MOUNTAIN of laundry, going to work where the kids (and I) have Spring Fever BIG TIME, and on, and on, and on. Yes, I know that was a major run-on sentence, but cut me some slack here, alright!?

Anyway....as the end of the school year approaches, so does our long- awaited Summer break. We have so many fun things to do. Hopefully I won't miss something major because my engagement calendar is busting at the seams right now. All 3 school kids have at least 2 field trips in the next week and a half. Softball, achievement days activities, and piano for Addie, T-Ball for Gavin, Baseball for Calder, girls' camp for Deana, and soon swim lessons for all 4 of the Davis chillins, plus all 4 kids' birthdays in the next 2 & 1/2 months. Oh,! and a baptism, too. We've also got a couple camping trips coming up for the family as well.

Throw some not-so-fun things in which are coming up this summer including 2 surgeries (Deana and Gavin) and one other painful medical procedure (Deana again...) and you can see I'm thrilled/stressed/excited to the max. Hopefully I will sneak onto the computer here and there and keep you all posted!

So, as to not disappoint, I'll throw in some fun pictures. This is from a family hike we went on above North Ogden last month.