Happy Birthday, McKay!

My second nephew, McKay turned 9 today!

I cannot believe that this little guy:

is now this young man:

McKay has always been such a fun person to be around.

He has a great laugh and smile and I love playing around with him. He's also very smart and you can have more intelligent conversations with him than you would ever expect from someone his age.

McKay has had several serious injuries in his short little life but he is always very tough and doesn't complain. One time he even cut his lip open on a chain link fence but he handled it like it was a paper cut!

McKay is one of the messiest eaters I've ever seen (besides me!) and he always seems to get some of his Oreo milkshake on every part of his body & clothes. Looking back at my old pictures I found that apparently he has always been this way!

McKay has also been in to sports for as long as I can remember. He is a very good athlete and has a talent for all sports. He got his dad's competitive nature and because of that he works very hard to better his skills. It bothers him when other players don't give 100% and he makes sure he does every game. It's McKay's dream to play football for the BYU Cougars like his grandpa did and he once told me that he will just walk up to them and tell them that he's Steve Ogden's grandson and they'll have to let him on the team! I know that if he works hard and sticks to it he'll be able to fulfill his dream even without the name dropping!

McKay is a very tough guy but he also has a very sweet side (although he probably wouldn't want me spreading that around)! He is so sweet with his little sister, Emma and with Kiara. One day last summer McKay told me that it was a good thing that Kiara came to our family because there's no way anyone else could love her as much as we all do and he knew that Heavenly Father wanted her to be part of the cousins. In that moment I saw my cute little rough and tumble guy turning in to a mature and thoughtful young man and I was so proud of him. I am still so proud of him and the person he is becoming.

Happy Birthday, McKay! I sure do love you and can't wait to see you on Friday!

Love,

Kades

Happy Birthday, Lindsey!

Lindsey is my fourth niece and she is turning four today!

Lindsey is the third child in her family as well as the third girl. Her two older sisters are pretty opposite personalities and when Linds was born I was curious to see which person she would be more like. Now that she's four and has a very defined (not to mention adorable!) personality she is proving that she can be her own person. She has traits that are similar to other people in her family but Lindsey is definitely one of a kind!

First of all, she has the cutest little voice that makes her sound oh, so innocent! Plus she has facial expressions that will melt your heart!

Lindsey is a very caring and helpful little girl and especially loves to help the "little" kids. When we were at Disneyland last month Linds was often found holding Kiara's hand or pointing little things out to her. Kiara had a little bit of an attitude that trip and kept getting mad when Lindsey would sit in her stroller, even if she didn't want to sit there. Every time Kiara would act out, Lindsey would very calmly and nicely get out of the stroller and start walking again. Never once did she complain or whine or yell back. Sometimes I think Lindsey is more mature than I am!

Lindsey is a very smart little girl and very observant. I love having little conversations with her to see how her mind works. She is unbelievable at puzzles and can beat almost anyone! To prove her intelligence, here is a picture Linds drew at Thanksgiving. Heather had all of her kids list things for which they were grateful and you'll notice Aunt Kiki made Lindsey's list! What a smart little girl! :)

Linds can be a little shy at first but once she warms up to you, you have a friend for life! I love being around her when I'm having a bad day because once she crawls up on my lap and snuggles in close, I forget why I was upset!

Happy Birthday, Lindsey Lou! I love you and can't wait to see you in a couple of weeks!
Love, Kiki

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Today is my mom's 61st birthday! She has seen a lot and done a lot in those 61 years and I am constantly learning life lessons from her. She is one of the most intelligent people I've ever known and has a great love for learning. She always taught us to learn about whatever you can whenever you can and to enjoy the process. My mom is the type of person everyone calls when they have a random question to which nobody else would know the answer. And 9 times out of 10, she does know the answer and then some. If by chance she doesn't know, she will look it up and not stop until she is satisfied. When "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" first came out I had several people tell me that they would choose my mom as their lifeline. Her brain is really a baffling thing...really.

One of the areas about which my mom is most knowledgeable is English. I swear she knows every rule in regards to spelling, punctuation and grammar. Quite often (if not always) she knew more than our English teachers in school and it got to the point where we would just say, "Our mom has a PhD in English, just trust her" because nobody would believe a "lay" person would be so informed in the area.

My mom could easily have a career in writing, as she is unbelievably talented. And actually she is a published author. In 1996 she had a story published in The Ensign (a monthly magazine put out by our church). It's a great story with an even better message. Click here to read it.

She doesn't consider herself creative but when my mom gets to work on a poem or skit, she proves otherwise. She instilled in all five of us kids a desire to be well spoken and to pay attention to the details in our writing. Poor or incorrect grammar was not tolerated in our home simply because my mom knew we were capable of holding ourselves to a higher standard. She also knew what a valuable tool this would be to us throughout our lives and it definitely has been. As a result however, we are all natural proofreaders now and tend to get offended at the lack of time and attention that is paid to the English language today. It really is a shame.

Besides English, my mom is incredibly talented in many other fields. She is a great baker and I hope some day she will open her own bakery. Her cinnamon rolls, bread sticks, french bread, and granola are her most requested items but really she can make anything. I am homesick just thinking about those smells filling her house. My oldest nephew, Stockton, loves her poppy seed bread and she will quite often make a batch just for him. My mom is extremely thoughtful and once she knows someone likes something, she will go out of her way to get it or make it for them whenever she can. Especially if that someone happens to be one of her 14 grandchildren!

There are no words to describe what a good grandma my mom is. Kiara totally ADORES her grandma and loves nothing more than to play with her, as do all the grandkids. I think they each think they are Grandma's favorite because she makes them feel that way. She works full time and is very involved with her city and church, but she still takes time to take each of the grandkids on "Grandma dates", which is basically a few hours of one-on-one, uninterrupted time together doing whatever the kid chooses. I can't wait until we live in UT again and Kiara can get in on this tradition with her grandma.

In the year and a half since we have lived away from my family, my parents have come to visit us 5 times. Even though they hate the fact that we had to leave, they have been so supportive of us and taken every opportunity to come see us. My mom's family is definitely her biggest priority in life and we all feel it. Many people say they could never do anything well enough to please their mother but that was never the case with me. I always knew my mom was my #1 fan and would support me in anything I did. If anything, she made me a little too confident :)

I am so grateful to have the mother that I do and to be able to learn so much from her. She sacrificed so much to be able to stay at home with all of my brothers and me because she knew we would be better off for it. That has had an unspeakable effect on my life and is the primary reason I am so determined to stay home with Kiara and all of our future children.

I treasure the memories I have of coming home from school or work and sitting in the kitchen with my mom, telling her all about my day and my "problems." She always had great wisdom to share and always found a Gospel message in any conversation. I'll admit that as a teenager that bugged me but now it is a trait from which I draw great strength. Her faith and conviction have helped get me through some very dark times and I can honestly say I am the person I am today because of my mother. I am proud to notice myself doing some of the same little quirks that are reminiscent of my mom. I know that if I can do for Kiara even half of what my mom has done for me, she will be alright and my job as a mother will have been a success.

Happy Birthday, Mom! I love you and can't wait to see you in 3 weeks!

Happy Birthday, Laura

So apparently I'm a big fat slacker when it comes to my birthday posts. I've now missed four birthdays on my side of the family. Luckily two of those people never check this blog and another one of those people is only 2 so she doesn't know the difference. So I guess technically I only missed one...

That one however, happens to be one of my most favorite people in the entire world, my sister-in-law, Laura. She embodies all of the characteristics I want and she has had an unspeakable impact on my life since the day she entered it over a dozen years ago.

I would love to show a picture of Laura to be able to put a face with the name, and because picture-less posts bug me, but she is a master at avoiding pictures of herself (which is too bad because she's gorgeous). In fact I searched my entire photo collection as well as her entire blog and couldn't find a single picture of her alone. Even the supply of Laura in group shots is small. I finally pulled out my huge box of old, miscellaneous snapshots and I found JD & Laura's engagement picture and figured that would have to do. But then my scanner, for the first time since its birth, wouldn't work! I'm tellin' you the girl's got some sort of secret power to keep pictures of her from being displayed!

Aside from her secret power in the picture department, Laura is amazingly creative. Her house looks like a Pottery Barn or Ikea catalogue and she is well known for always finding the most unique items (ie: a hydraulic high chair, chair lifts for the kitchen chairs, etc.). She's also a very talented photographer and comes up with the coolest ways to display art. In fact she took the picture of Kiara that is the header on this blog. It's one of my favorite pics ever!

Laura is also ridiculously smart. She is the only reason I passed Algebra, coming over to our house almost every night to help me with my homework and taking the time to be patient with my ignorance. Nobody else has ever been able to make math make sense to me like she did.

Laura made a big mistake early on in her marriage to my brother, and that is telling me that I could come to her with any problem. Because I have...over and over and over again. She was my biggest confidant all through my teenage years, well into my life on my own, and now as an adult. I've called her too many times to count, crying and going on about my own trials and drama. All the while she listens to and consoles me, never mentioning her own heartache or pain, of which she's had way too much.

There have also been several days when I've been feeling alone or down when Laura has called for no apparent reason and reminded me I'm loved. She has always been that person to lift me up and pull me out of my funks and she will never know how much she means to me.

One particular time when Laura was my lifesaver was when our family was going through a rough patch. I wasn't married yet but was living on my own and was kind of floundering. There was one night early in to the journey when I was feeling very scared and vulnerable because of news that had been shared with us. My brother wouldn't let me go home to sleep alone and he and Laura insisted I stay at their house. They even made me a little bed on the floor of their room because they knew how important it was to me to be near my family and feel safe. It worked.

Almost exactly 5 years later I was in that same room with my face buried in Laura's shoulder as I sobbed uncontrollably over the loss of my little baby. They were tears my sweet sister knew all too well and the emotions I described were ones she has been forced to endure all too often. Yet she just listened and allowed me to feel what I was feeling, never once turning the situation back to herself or taking time to make it about her. She has felt this pain deeper than I ever will yet carries herself with ultimate grace and dignity. She is the definition of humble and selfless and if my life depended on it, I could not think of a single thing I dislike about her.

One of the happiest days of my life was when Laura became a mother. To watch her with Macy is a beautiful thing. She absolutely adores her daughter and finds joy in every aspect of parenting. Never has a child been wanted and longed for more than that little girl. And I think Macy was equally excited to come to her mom & dad. She knew the family that awaited her and now that she has them here she's not letting go!

Happy belated Birthday, Laur. Thank you for everything you have done for me in my life. I would be much less of a person without your influence and when I grow up I want to be just like you!

Happy Birthday, Ben!

I saved the best for last for my November birthday posts. Ben turned 28 today! I can't believe I'm married to a man who's almost 30! How old!

Ben was 22 when we met and had only been off of his mission for 3 months. I was immediately struck by how genuine and kind he was. Granted he still had that weird post-mission phobia of girls and wasn't quite sure how to act around me but he was so kind!

I've come to love that quality of his and have seen it benefit so many people's lives. Ben is so easy to talk to and has a way of putting everyone at ease. He is sincerely interested in everything people say to him and can have in depth conversations with complete strangers. When we were on our honeymoon we went to the grocery store at about 11:00 one night. The store was totally dead and the checker obviously wanted to be anywhere but there. As she was ringing us up Ben asked her how late they were open. I thought that was a strange question considering we weren't planning on making any more trips back to the store that night and it didn't matter to us what time they closed. I later found out that Ben was just "trying to be nice and make conversation." A phrase I have heard him say probably 100 times since that night, and it worked. The checker perked up and started making small talk with us. She seemed touched that anybody cared enough to take that time with her and she was a lot happier when we left than when we arrived. This is just a small example of how Ben brightens people's days and leaves every situation better than he found it.

Ben is very reserved when he first meets people. In fact many people think he's shy; then they watch a sporting event with him. Shy is no longer the word they use to describe him! To say he is an avid sports fan is really an understatement. He follows and is interested in everything from college basketball to major league baseball and everything in between. Ben's passion for sports, specifically baseball and the Red Sox, is one of my favorite things about him. He is so patient with me, teaching me the rules and things to watch for in the games. We get the MLB Extra Innings package every year so he can get all of the Sox games and he has watched at least one inning from every game for the past 3 seasons, even after he has home games himself! I love that he is so dedicated to something and gets so much joy out of it.

I don't know how he does it but he can keep track of virtually every player, coach, manager, and now because of his job, he keeps up on various teams' front offices. He knows scores from current and past seasons, which team has the best record and all sorts of standings. And yet even with this "Rainman-esque" memory, he still forgets his wallet and glasses on a regular basis! Amazing how the brain works!

Ben is extremely intelligent and teaches me things all the time. He is fluent in French and since we recently got a piano, has started singing French hymns while I play. He has made me realize the importance of being politically informed and not being apathetic when it comes to our government. He is not afraid to stand up for what he believes in, even if it's not the popular opinion. Ben grew up in a very small town in New Hampshire. He was the only member of the LDS church in his high school, until his brother came along and doubled the membership! His friends respected his beliefs because he respected theirs. Ben is the most unpretentious, humble, down to earth person I know. He treats people with dignity and believes everyone has something to offer.

I love watching him work with the young men in our ward and seeing the way they respond to him. I have had more than one parent tell me how grateful they are that their son has a role model such as Ben in their lives, showing them what a true man is like. He teaches them to respect women and children. To be patriotic and stalwart. To be a hard worker and find opportunities to serve. These are all attributes which Ben embodies and strives to perfect. He is very close to perfection in many ways.

This is already a long post but I can't describe my husband without saying what a good father he is. He takes his role as husband and father very seriously and knows its importance is above all else. He wants so badly to provide all that he can for Kiara and me and is so good at it. He never once complains when he comes home and our house is a mess or I don't feel like cooking dinner. He never acts annoyed or too busy to play with Kiara, even after a long day at work or meetings. He's not afraid to get on the ground and engage in 2 year old games but rather savors the moments that he gets to do so. Kiara loves her daddy so much and gets so excited to see him walk in the door. Her favorite activity is to play basketball with Daddy and she will do it for hours on end. I think Ben would too :)

I am so grateful for Ben in my life. I cannot say enough good about him. I understand that this may come across fake or insincere to some or you may think I'm exaggerating because it's his birthday but if you know my husband you know everything I have said here is true. He really is that awesome and I really am that lucky! Happy Birthday, Ben! I love you so much and am so proud to be your wife.

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Where do I begin on my dad's post? I have so much to say about this man it's hard to know where to start.

I guess to understand our relationship you have to know that I am the only girl and the youngest in my family. I have heard many times in my life that that must make me the spoiled one, and although in general I disagree with that (Tommy was always the spoiled one, not me!) it probably is true in regards to my dad.

I always felt so secure and safe with him and was always excited to spend any time with him. When Ben & I have talked about parenting styles and looked at what our parents did right, I have always said that my parents were masters at making their kids feel loved. No matter what else happened in life or how much it felt like my world was caving in, I knew my parents loved me and I always had that foundation on which to fall. I realize now I was, and am, extremely blessed to have that knowledge. I believe it has a large effect on the person I am today.

Of course I have a lot of memories of my dad but one of my favorites is when I would go with him up to the local amusement park, Lagoon, for our stake day every year. After he got off work just the two of us would drive up because he was always in charge of the raffle during dinner. I got to be his assistant and help turn the big ticket machine and hand the prizes to the winner. After the raffle was over we would take the coupons we had for free sno-cones and go on all of the rides for which he had free passes. I couldn't have been happier if we had spent a whole week there because my dad made those few hours really count. I treasure the feeling I had on those days and the way my dad made me feel.

My dad is an incredibly gifted artist and many people only see him as that but I know there is more; a more sensitive, loving and emotional man that many don't get the honor to know. I know that man and it brings me great joy to know that now my daughter is getting to know that man as well. Kiara loves her Papa so much and he is so good with her, and all the grandkids.

My dad has spent countless hours on projects designed for his grandkids and never disappoints. From creating super hero costumes for the boys to building a puppet studio for the girls, he is totally dedicated to his role as Grandpa and sacrifices a lot for all of his family.

My dad has always been such a hard worker, doing whatever it took to provide for a family of 7. He has worked through the night too many times to count and given up a lot of the things he would have enjoyed doing to give his kids new opportunities. He has beat the odds and overcome hardship in ways many people can't imagine and although he likes to cut himself short, he has accomplished more than anyone else in a similar situation could ever do.

He is very dedicated to making his life count and becoming a better person and I admire him so much for this. He is a far better man than he'll ever admit and I am so grateful to have him for my father. Happy Birthday, Dad! I love you and am so proud of you. See you in a week!

Happy Birthday, Audrey

Today is my best friend, Audrey's 25th birthday! I don't have biological sisters so Audrey, our other BFF (I love that this phrase has come back! I just can't wait until I can start writing J/K again!), Tiff and Tiff's sister, Allison are as close to my sisters as you can get. That is why Audrey gets the high honor of a birthday post on my blog!

I met Audrey through Tiff when I was in 5th grade and they were in 4th. The 3 of us have pretty much been inseparable ever since. I had to include this picture of us from Jr. High. I think I was in 8th grade and they were all in 7th. Audrey is on the far left with the glasses. Gotta love all those bangs!

Almost all of my memories growing up involve these 2 girls somehow. We have our own way of communicating and used to drive people crazy with how we could tell each other something without speaking a word. You should see us play Taboo! Nobody else stands a chance!

Audj is incredibly smart and is so knowledgeable about so many different areas. She also has an uncanny ability to remember song lyrics and tell you who's singing the song. Someday I think she'll make us (hint hint, Audj) all some good money on one of those singing game shows!

I was very lucky to have a friend like Audrey growing up. She always wanted to do the right thing and was always a good example to those around her. As an adult she has that same righteous determination and her faith is mind boggling. She continues to inspire me to be a better person. Audrey has been through heartache I can't even begin to imagine and she has handled it with grace and maturity far beyond her years. Through it all she has stood firm in her convictions and kept her Heavenly Father close. She is amazing!

Audrey is a very kind and compassionate (not to mention beautiful) person and cares deeply for those she loves. She has a strong desire for people to be happy and does everything in her power to make that happen, including sacrificing things she wants.

I will be eternally grateful to Audrey & Tiff because they are the ones who set Ben & me up on our blind date and allowed us to meet. How many people can say that about their best friends?

Happy Birthday, Audj and thanks so much for all the memories. I am a better person for having known you and pray your blessings will start pouring in any day!

Happy Birthday, JD

November is a big birthday month in my family so if you don't like these posts, I apologize.

Today is my 3rd oldest brother, JD's 33rd birthday. I already explained that all my brothers have strange nicknames and his is Raime. It is only recently that he started going by JD (his initials) and I'm still getting used to it.

Raime is extremely funny and quick. He can come up with a comeback before the person has even finished speaking. He also has the ability to tell a joke right at the right time to ease tension or make people relax. Raime can make me laugh without even saying a word, like when he put my dad's glasses on and cocked his head to the side.

I know this picture won't be funny to anybody else but I laugh every time I see it and am immediately transported back to that East Canyon swimming pool when he was impersonating my dad.

For as funny as my brother is, he is equally as smart. He is a very talented attorney and has a memory like a steel trap. Whether it's the law, scripture or Jazz stats, he knows about it and can remember it at the right moment. He's impossible to beat in a debate because of this gift!

Because of my mom's persistence, correct spelling and grammar were always stressed in my house growing up. As a result, most of us enjoy English and writing and feel it comes easily to us, but Raime puts us all to shame. I really hope he publishes something one day because his writing is so enjoyable.

My favorite thing about Raime is the way he is as a father. He and Laura have had more than their fair share of trials when it comes to the parenting department but he has obviously taken all of that heartache and disappointment and put it into loving his little princess, Macy.

He adores her and she obviously reciprocates the feeling. I love watching them together and hope that she will always know the love her father has for her.

I stole this video from Laura's blog awhile ago and am so excited to finally have an excuse to post it. If this doesn't sum up the power a father has over his daughter's happiness, I don't know what does. I love it!

Happy Birthday, Raime and thanks for always putting up with my annoyances. I look up to you more than you know and am so proud to be your sister.

Happy Birthday, Dar!

Today is my oldest brother's 36th birthday! All 4 of my brothers have strange nicknames that they picked up earlier in life. Aaron's nickname is Dar. At one point it was Darwin and eventually got shortened to Dar. This is what all of our family and close friends call him. It always sounds so strange to use his real name because even before "Dar" came to be, when I was really young I called him Bobby. To this day I don't know where I got that or what the story is behind that name but he was Bobby to me for a long time.

I've always had a close relationship with Dar and could always count on him to be my "nice brother." He never teased or picked on me and he always let me tag along with him and his friends. I remember going over to play with his girlfriends' (sorry, Heather) little sisters all the time and always feeling so accepted by Dar. I always felt like he protected me.

I was so devastated when Dar left on his mission when I was 9. I felt like he was my only ally in a house full of boys and I was sure I wouldn't survive two years without him. I did survive though and when he got back he was as great to me as ever. I specifically remember going on a "date" with him soon after he got home from Argentina. We went to Taco Bell and then to hear his friend play the piano at a Christmas party. I was in heaven following my big brother around!

When Dar moved to Provo to go to BYU I was devastated again but he was always so great at still including me in things. Quite often I would go down there for the weekend and stay at one of his female friend's apartments. I thought I was something else hanging out with college kids! When he & Heather started dating I would stay with her and have so much fun. I was there over her birthday one time and Dar & I went to the store to get stuff for a cake. He knew she would want Cherry Chip and I remember thinking that one day I wanted a husband who would know what kind of cake I like. What a silly quality to want in a husband but I could tell that Dar really cared for Heather and wanted to make her happy.

When I first moved to Provo I lived in Dar's old apartment complex which was across the street from where they were living at the time. I had many dinners over there with Dar, Heather & baby Whitney and they made my transition of living on my own much easier.

I will never forget the morning of September 11, 2001 when I got a call from Dar telling me about the terrorist attacks. He told me his classes were cancelled and that I should get over to their apartment right away. I spent all day there watching the endless news coverage and feeling reassured that I was safe because I was there with my big brother.

The next summer they moved to Michigan for an internship and used their frequent flier miles to fly me out for a week. The condition was that if they did that I had to stop procrastinating and get in school. It was a great motivation and that fall I finally started classes at SLCC. While I was on the trip to Michigan though we went to Niagara Falls and the Hill Cumorah Pageant in Palmyra. That was a huge turning point in my testimony of Jesus Christ and in His gospel. I think they were inspired to sacrifice what they did to get me there because that experience got me through some very tough times in the months that followed. I still look back at that whole trip as one of the best of my life.

Dar & Heather have 4 kids now and I love watching what an incredible dad he is, especially to his girls. I know what it's like to be on the receiving end of Dar's love and support and his daughters will be able to accomplish so much in life because of him. He is an extremely hard worker and puts his family above all else.

One of my favorite things about Dar is his contagious laugh. It makes whatever is happening seem more funny because it is so extreme.

Happy Birthday, Dar and thank you for being the perfect older brother to us all. You have always set such a good example for the rest of us and I am extremely lucky to know you. Sorry if this is embarrassing to you! I love you.

Happy Birthday, Cassidy!

Cassidy is my oldest brother's second girl and my second niece and she turns 5 today! When she was born Ben & I were engaged and in Arizona for my cousin's wedding. We were supposed to be back a few days before she was born but our car broke down 45 minutes into our drive home and we ended up being stuck there for 4-5 days while we tried to figure out what we were going to do (weird how 5 years later we are playing the same game with our current car! Turns out it never gets easier to deal with car trouble!). I remember getting the phone call that Cass had been born and all of the frustration and anger that I had been holding in that week came out with a vengeance! I was so upset at the thought of not seeing Cassidy until she was a few days old but it turns out babies don't even notice who's who and she still likes me anyway! This first picture is of Cassidy at 2 months old at our wedding. My SIL, Heather (her mom) made all of my bridesmaid skirts and used the leftover fabric to make cute little dresses for Cass & her older sister Whitney. They were so adorable!

Cassidy has the sweetest smile that can immediately melt your heart and she has learned how to use it to her advantage! She knows how to flash those puppy dog eyes at me and I will do whatever she wants! Cassidy is very smart and very helpful. She always wants to help Kiara with "big girl" stuff and even loves to carry her everywhere (although Kiara doesn't always love it)!

Cass-Cass also has a very goofy side which I love and she is always good for a laugh. She has the best one-liners and I love listening to her tell stories. They are always so off the wall and creative. I love Cassidy because she thinks her Kiki (that's me) is so silly and laughs at everything I say. I love to make her laugh though because it's so infectious and makes me laugh just listening to it.

I can't resist putting this video back up for Cassie's birthday and bragging about how cute she is!

I love you Cass and am so proud to be your aunt! Have a great birthday!

Love, Kiki

Happy Birthday, Stockton!

I'm stealing an idea I saw on my friend's blog to do a post for people in my family on their birthday. I especially love this since I'm not there to celebrate in person like I used to and since I love birthdays and making a big deal out of them. This will probably be boring for everyone but the birthday person, so feel free to close the page! Anyway, I figured it would be appropriate to start with the oldest grandchild in my family, Stockton, who turns 10 today!

I was so excited to be an aunt and hassled Critter & Kalli about it all the time (now that I'm older I realize that might have been a tad inappropriate--sorry guys)! The day Stock was born was so exciting! I remember my mom picking me up from school and taking me to the hospital. He wasn't born until about 6 hours after we got there and I was in the delivery room to see his birth. What a thing for a 15 year old to see! I think that was the day I decided I wanted to adopt my children :) Anyway, it was unbelievable and I loved that little boy instantly. I know I am going to regret doing this, especially if one of my brothers happens to read this post, but I have included my journal entry from the day Stockton was born. Please be gentle in reading this and remember that all teenage girls are like this!

Some of my fondest memories from my teenage years include Stock, especially when Critter, Kalli, Stockton & newborn McKay lived with us for a few months while their home was being built. I couldn't wait to get home from school every day and see this cute little face and watch The Jungle Book with my favorite little guy.

Fast forward several years and Ben & I were lucky enough to be Stock's cub scout leaders when we lived in their ward. I loved being able to see him in that environment and watch how sweet and kind he was to the other boys. Stockton is a very smart kid and has a hilarious imagination. He's also very creative and artistic and I love seeing the things he comes up with.

Probably my favorite quality about Stocky is his sensitive, caring nature. He is the best big brother to his 5 younger siblings and is such a good example to them. I love watching him with his only sister, Emma. It reminds me so much of how my oldest brother always protected me and made me feel safe. Just last week when we were there Ben took the boys for a little hike and afterwards commented on how patient Stock is with his brothers, especially the 2 year old, and how well he looks out for them.

Stockton I love you so much and am so proud to be your aunt! Have a great birthday, buddy! You are awesome!