Dear Jack,

You are definitely earning your name as a 2-year-old.  You have mastered the pout, and have started mastering temper tantrums if I have to tell you "no."  Too bad your pout does nothing but make me smile.  You are just too darn cute.  You are everybody's favorite in our little family, and I think you know it.

You are my little buddy and shadow.  After the boys leave for the bus and we drop Emmi off at school in the morning, you love to go downstairs and exercise with me.  (That is, you watching Netflix on my old phone while I workout).  You are so content to play beside me when I start to work on the computer, or again, watch Netlix or play games on your daddy's Ipad.  You love building with blocks. And you are crazy about your animal puzzles.  If you are not building with blocks, puzzles, or other toys, you like to line them all out in a row side by side, just like you did with my little candle testers on the counter.  

You are a smart little thing, and now quite a few colors, numbers and letters. You do occasionally cause mischief while I work, and can scarily now open doors and go outside if I am not watching you.  You love peanut butter like your big brother Keaton, and I have caught you on more than one occasion spreading peanut butter on top of a granola bar and eating it like you have seen him do.  You get yourself a snack and even drink on your own most days, and you ask for "noodles" or Ramen every day for lunch.

Your favorite activity would be going outside, either out on the swings or riding your little bike in the front.  It kills me how fast you can fall asleep though, if your siblings are not around to play with.  You will be asleep and snoring within 2 minutes and in the funniest places.  You haven't taken a regular nap for me since the fall, but seem to need one some days.  That is fine with me, for at least I know you are not causing trouble.  

I love how you come in my bed in the mornings, and put your little arms around my neck.  Sometimes you fall asleep again in that postion, with your hot breath on my neck.  I get to cuddle you for those last few minutes before I have to get up and get the big kids ready for school.  Every day when I am holding you, I always remind myself that this will not last, and soon you will be so big, so I try to memorize how you feel sleeping beside me, your sweet kisses and little voice.  I wish I could keep you this age forever. I just love you so much.

Love, Mom

 

Dear Sam,

I was so proud to be your mama today and be there for your baptism.  You looked so handsome in your little white jumpsuit.  I could tell you were very excited and maybe a little bit nervous too.  

I hope you will always remember this day, as I have looked back fondly on mine.  I hope you will remember the love that you felt from all of our family, and even dear friends who came to support you.  I hope you also felt the Holy Spirit during the baptism and confirmation.  I know this church is true, and I hope that you will find that out as well.

It was a wonderful service, Grandpa Hunsaker doing such a great job on the Holy Ghost talk, and Grandpa B saying the opening prayer.  You also got baptized with Cameron Carroll and Trinity Fredericks from our ward.  Afterwards, we went back to the house for pizza and lots of other fun food, enjoying family and playing with cousins.  

You are also officially a cub scout now, and want to work in book every night.  That is something that I love about you, how much you love to learn and try new things.  You do the same thing with your homework too.  Your enthusiam for everything is contagious, and our family would truly be dull without you.  I love you Sam.

Love, Mom 

Changing It Up

Since the day my children were born, I have kept a journal for each of them.  I have written the stories of their births, time in the hospital, first days home, and in some, even of pregnancy.  After that, every few months or so, Chad and I would get the journals out and write in each of them.  We each would take a page or more and say what they were doing at that age, what made us laugh and made us proud.  As the years have gone by and have now increased to 4 journals, our writing has been less and less. I wish it wasn't so, but it has.  

Lately, my blogging frequency is also getting low, and I realized what I need to do.  I am going to start using the blog as their journals, in hopes of doing a little bit better job.  A journal with pictures! What could be better than that?  

I am planning on addressing each post to one of my children, or in some cases, to all of them, which is what will be different.  I am excited to see how it all comes about.  I would still welcome any notes and comments that you might wish to send me!

Easter Weekend

Saturday before Easter, left our house early to make it for the BYU spring game.  Oh, it was good to see the players on the field again!  Too bad we still have quite a few months before we get to come back for real.

We ran into some other diehards, some of our Hunsaker family.  We missed the rest of the crew.

Then we headed up to Bountiful to dye eggs, have an egg hunt and have dinner.  We were THRILLED to finally have all 3 Koellikers in attendance.  We have missed them this winter.  Eddie handled the noise and chaos like a champ too!

Of course we had to invite GiGi too.  We love her.

Easter Sunday was doubly special at our house because it was also Chad's birthday.  We tried to spoil him, but I don't know if we did as much as he really deserves.  He is such a good husband and father, and very hands on.  I don't know how I could run the household without him.  The kids kind of like him too.;)  

The Easter bunny brought some new duds for the kids, including a new white shirt, suit pants, and ties for Sam in preparation for his baptism.  Aren't they cute?

After church, we were invited to the Hunsaker's for a yummy turkey dinner with all the fixings.  The kids got yet another egg hunt and plenty of playing time with cousins.  (Sorry, I was too lazy to take any pictures of the Hunsaker egg hunt, but it was pretty fun.)  It was a wonderful weekend.We are so glad spring is here!

It is Great to Be 8!

Our Sam turned 8 yesterday! This morning, Sam had his Baptism interview with the bishop, he will be baptized next month, he has already been to cub scouts once, and he complains every night that his legs are hurting.  Yep, he is growing up!   What a fun age 8 is; I am so excited for him!

He is all about video games, and asked for a Nintendo 3DS with Super Mario Bros 2 game.  I think he was happy that he got it.  We couldn't get him anything else, but we got it.

I myself have hated to wait for electronics and phones to do that initial charge to play with them, so I had the good idea to open the 3DS and charge it the night before and then wrap it.  Consequently, he got to turn it on and play right away.

My little nephew, Bryce, turned one on the 14th, and they had his birthday party on Sam's birthday.   It was fun to go to their house and celebrate both boys. Bryce's mom, Misty, did a spectacular job planning Bryce's party.  It was just adorable.

She even put 8 candles in Sam's cupcake and had everybody sing to Sam as well as to Bryce.

We then went up and met the Thomson's at the Church History Museum, and then headed to Chuck-a-Rama for a yummy dinner, (Sam's choice).  We looked over at one point to find Sam's plate covered with chicken legs and another plate overflowing with fries.  After multiple trips to the bathroom, Sam was complaining that his tummy hurt.  Maybe he learned his lesson. Although, the ice cream sundae and everybody in the place signing to him seemed to make him feel a bit better. 

First of all, I apologize if I have written these stories before, I am totally going to be one of those old lady's that repeats herself on every visist, and I mean like next year, but I think it is important to write this down our history.  So anyway, I was thinking yesterday that I will never forget how Sam screamed coming out the  birth canal, and continued to scream for a good 10 minutes or so, and nothing we tried to do was soothed him.  I remember looking at my mom as if to say, "what is wrong with this kid?" Certainly, not like my easing going first born that we had to poke and prod to get even a squeal out of him. He was a healthy, round little guy with a good set of lungs, that is for sure.  (I like to attribute it back to steroid shot that I was given when I was 30 weeks pregnant with him, and the doctor was scared he was going to come too early.  She was scared his little lungs weren't going to be developed.  Ha ha.. he ended up being full-term with extra-developed lungs). 


The nurses at the hospital informed me that Sam was sure a cutie, but he had no medium.  He was either content or irate.  Then, as Chad and I brought Sam home from the hospital, we had to stop in the downstairs lobby of American Fork Hospital to make a payment or something.  I had just fed and changed Sam, but he was irate about something, and he screamed the entire time we were in the lobby much to me and Chad's embarrassment, and then screamed in his car seat all the way home.  We knew were in for a ride then, that this Samuel Hess had a look of spunk.

To this day, he is still my loudest child, the one we can hear throughout the house, even if he is downstairs, and the one that still does not know how to whisper in church.  We wouldn't trade him for the world though, he is my tender little boy, and my buddy.  We love you Sam.

Keaton Is 10!

I can't believe my oldest is 10!  I am sure I will say that every year from now on (if I already do not), but it is true!  My little man is growing up!  Keaton is such a sweetie.  I love how quiet and easy going he is.  Most of the time I yell for him and he is already in the room, but he is too quiet that I don't notice.  He is super smart and amazes me at how well he can play video games.  I used to the be the best in the family, but I am not too sure of that now. 

It hit me the other day how I used to do puzzles a lot when I was pregnant with him, being my first born, and I had time to do such things, and I also used to crave corn dogs from Winger's.  I have always loved hot dogs and corn dogs, so that is not new, but when I was pregnant with him they especially tasted good.  My co-workers at Winger's used to tease me about how much and how often I enjoyed them by saying, "Sara, you know you are going to turn into just one big corn dog!"  It makes me smile in that he is my one child who loves puzzles, as much as I do, and can sit and do them for hours, and that his favorite food is hot dogs.  Coincidence?  I think not. 

A couple of days before his birthday, we got together with the Thomson's, and he got to start celebrating a little early.  Grandma and Grandpa B gave him some nice clothes, and shoes.

We had pizza and doughnuts from Dick's bakery... yum.  Dick's Bakery tastes like home.

That night, we were all getting a chuckle at Mr. Jack.  First of all, he insisted on wearing Sam's old Spider-man shirt that is about 3 sizes too big.  Then, at Aunt Ab's, he latched onto Tanner's Thor helmet and pop gun.  He kept saying "Me Four" (Me, Thor) and running around saying "Hi-ya, hi ya!"  Oh, I don't want him to grow up.  He is too much fun.

Keaton lucked out in that his birthday fell on President's Day, and there was no school.  So, I decided to throw him a little friend party.  We started early and had a pancake breakfast in our pajamas.
 

Opened presents, including the ones from me and his dad (Just Dance 4, a new suit, Lord of the Rings Lego set, and a puzzle of the US).  He seemed pretty happy with all.

The boys promptly went downstairs and tried Just Dance 4 out.  It was pretty cute to watch.  

The party ended after a treasure hunt to find some treats.  Later that night, our little family went to Subway (his choice) and then got an ice cream cake from Dairy Queen. 

My hope (as is with all of the kids on their birthday), is that it was a fun day, showing Keaton how much we love him and are so glad he is in our family.  I think we did just that.  We love you Keaton!