Turn Around and your 4

The moment I saw you, I was won over completely. Here you were finally, the baby I had lost, the baby I had been promised I would raise, and I knew you, and I loved you at once. Now I have turned around and you are four years old. Well Hyrum, here are four things I love about you.

1. Just like with your sister, your daddy had to leave before you turned one. It was very hard for me and Camilla when daddy left the first time, but Heavenly Father knew that daddy would have to leave, and that Camilla and I would have so many needs, and so he sent you. You are the lovingest child, so quick to love me and need me. You filled a void then, and you fill it now. You still climb in my lap, you still think I'm wonderful, you still need me, and I love serving you. Hyrum I love being your mother.

2. You are intigued by the world around you. When you were little I had to have my eye on you constantly or you would run off to explore something (which was usually in the middle of the street). You are amazed by the world around you, amazed by the way things work. Sometimes I look at you and can swear I see the wheels in your head turning. I love how anxious you are to learn and I can't wait to be your kindergarten teacher next year.

3. I love how you can play by yourself. Your sister seems incapable of it, but you could just sit for hours playing by yourself. I like how independent that makes you, and how you don't need other people to be content. You are definitely a product of your father and myself, and I love it!

4. Hyrum we have had a frustrating year. We moved, we gave you a little sister, and daddy deployed; and lately we have been seeing a great many tantrums around the house and sometimes mommy has to get mad, but Hyrum I want you to know that I love you no matter what. I do not care what you do or how you do it, I love you and I will love you forever. The thing I love most about you, is that you are Hyrum, my darling boy.

Happy 4th Birthday Hyrum!

An Eventful Weekend

Camilla's Birthday

We started off our weekend on Friday with Camilla's 6th birthday. She got the day off from school (one of the perks of being homeschooled), and had a candy land cake, which she helped me decorate.

Because daddy is in Iraq, she got to have the Tilley girls come over. One of the night's major highlights was getting a matching shirt with Ethne.

The "big" gift, however, was roller skates. She has been wanting some since we lived with grandma and grandpa, and this year was finally the year. As you can see, she decided to change her clothes as well.

Touch A Truck
Saturday morning we went to a library sponsored event called "Touch A Truck" where they had several large trucks you could climb in. Hyrum was in heaven!

The school bus was definetely a highlight, especially for our homeschooled kids who think they are totally gyped for not being able to ride a bus to school. Not like I got to ride the bus to school, we lived too close. Oh well, they were thrilled to actually see what it looked like inside.

We see these huge farm trucks coming down the road all the time. Their wheels are so big it almost looks like they could drive right over you.

Apple Days
On Satruday in the afternoon we went to Apple Days on Ft Riley. It's an annual event also called Ft Riley Open House. The main attraction is the homemade pies they sell that are made with Custer's wife's secret recipe. I bought a pie, just to see, and it was good, but didn't even compare to my mother's old standard. But there were other things to do as well.

They had helicopters you could climb in, and that was the highlight of Hyrum's day. He is still talking about it.

Another type of helicopter.

We had a good time, but by Saturday night I was completely beat. I looked like a zombie at church the next day. Nevertheless, we had fun.

6 Things I Love About You

It seems like just yesterday that I saw you for the first time. You looked up at me with those big blue eyes, and then you started to cry. And now you are 6! You're tall, and beautiful, and smart. My dear Camilla, here are six things I love about you.

(Camilla one day old)

1. You are such a big helper. When I married daddy I had no idea that every other year he would leave, and that I would have to raise you kids much of the time by myself, but Heavenly Father knew and so he sent you. I don't know how I would do it without you, you just know how to take care of the other kids, and they look up to you as an example, and as another mother. Although I do have to remind you a lot that I am the mother :)

(Camilla on her "real" first birthday, we celebrated early because Jacob was in Basic Training on her actual birthday)

2. You are full of good ideas. You have really learned how to manipulate me, and can usually get your way by giving me a well thought out argument, and reasoning with me in a mature fashion. You have good brains.

(Camilla's 2nd birthday)

3. You are athletic and adventurous. You love excercise and running, and hiking. I love how you aren't afraid to try new things, and how you work at them and work at them until you get it right. I will never forget how hard you worked at the monkey bars, and the hula hoop, and how you can do both well.

(Camilla's "real" 3rd birthday, once again we celebrated early because Jacob was leaving for Iraq right before her birthday)

4. I love how you have learned to see the beauty in everyplace we have lived. I thought when we moved to Kansas away from the mountains that you loved so very much in Colorado, and the ocean in Maryland, and Grandma and Grandma and Grandpa in Arizona that you would never come around to seeing the beauty here (you hate the wind), but then yesterday you told me that Kansas is the best place to live. Keep that attitude and you will go far.

(The day before Camilla's 4th birthday)

5. I love how you love learning about the gospel. You love singing Primary songs, and love saying the prayer. You know it's important to be reverent during church, even if you're not perfect at it. And you love to the see the temple. Nothing makes me happier than to see how much you love the temple.

(Camilla's 5th birthday)

6. I love how loving you are. Yes, you have your other moments too, but at the end of the day you are always so quick to give a hug and kiss. You love to hug Mary and Hyrum. When you talk about Grandma Wilson or Grandma and Grandpa Jones you always say "Oh, I just love her," or "Oh, I just love them." You are just so loyal, and Camilla I just love you too.

(Camilla's first day of school this year)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY YOU BIG 6 YEAR OLD!!!

(Camilla on Sunday Sept. 13, 2009, she had just gotten out of the bath and her hair was curly just like it used to be)

A Visitor in the Garden

Look what I have living in my flower bed.

I actually think it is quite pretty, although I don't know what kind of spider it is.

Eat your heart out Jeanette!

Raising my Father and a Little Mischief

Raising My Father

For those of you who don't know my father he is the type of guy who loves putting things together, fixing things, and figuring out any type of mechanical problem. He is also the man who was always assembling our Christmas presents almost before we could get them open.

Well dad, I'm raising you.

My son Hyrum Ray, who we ironically named after my father Ray Jones, is just like my father in that he has a fascination with putting things together, fixing things, and the toolbox. On Thursday I bought a new vacum (yes Jacob, that small one from Maryland was driving me crazy, and so I put it downstairs). I told Hyrum not to touch the box. He opened the box. So I told him not to take anything out of the box under any circumstances. I came back to this . . .

(he assembled the vacum all by himself)

Hyrum is a very very obedient boy. He truly is a model of good behavior, until something comes in the house in a box, or the toolbox is opened. I shake my head, but I can't get mad because I realize he just can't help it. The urge to put things together, and to use tools is just too strong; he simply can't fight it.

Raising a Little Mischief

On Friday in the space of about a half an hour, Mary Emma did this . . .

(ate a green crayon)

And this . . .

(pulled all the kid books off the shelves; you can tell she knows she was being naughty)
What a cute little mishcief!

Iraq

Just wanted to let you all know that he made it safely to Iraq.