On Birthdays and the Christmas Season

"Another December Birthday?"

If only we could all be so lucky.
This girl: Turned seven last week!
When I was pregnant with Reese and would tell people I was due in December (Christmas Eve, originally), the reaction I got about the due date was almost always a negative one ("too bad it's so close to Christmas...").
Unfortunately, I believed those many comments, and developed a fear that her birthday would always be overshadowed by the holidays and she would feel less special, less important, and less appreciated.

Those people were wrong. Dead wrong. If you have a December birthday, and you aren't enjoying it, then you is missin' somethin'.
If you don't love Christmastime, you are also missing something.

The entire month is dedicated to celebrating the miraculous birth of Jesus Christ. There is hope, love, joy, gratitude, tradition, charity, and holiday magic in the air.

Reese is one of my greatest blessings. She has given me the one thing I have wanted more than anything else in my life. On the day Reese was born, I became a mother. Her life is a gift that brings me so much joy and fulfillment that no other gift could even measure against it, save the gift of my Savior.
So it is only fitting that we celebrate her during the wonderful Christmas month.

I am glad that she already recognizes what a special and sacred time of year this is. I am grateful for fun holiday traditions, for holiday cheer, for Christmas carols, for charity drives, for warm fires, for hot cocoa, for shiny presents, for inspired sacrament meeting talks and Christmas devotionals, for glowing trees, and for selfless giving.

I am grateful for fattening goodies and egg nog, for exchanged gifts, for thoughtful musical numbers, for ugly sweaters, for naughty elves, flying reindeer and magical folklore, for decorations both ridiculous and sentimental.

I'm grateful for live nativities and Handel's Messiah sing a longs, for elves and gingerbread, for lists that need to be checked twice, for funny Christmas movies, for the Almond Box, for white Christmases, for sleigh rides at the square, for pretty downtown toy store window displays, for Christmas pageants, for school parties, for Festivus, for people dressed up in robes and bath towels on Christmas Eve, for the threat of coal in stockings, and I am especially grateful that through all the chaos and shiny hubbub, that I can still recognize that there is a reverence to this wonderfully busy season.

If there is one word I would use to describe the atmosphere shared between Aaron and I in the moment when we met our baby girl for the first time, it is reverence. Overwhelming reverence radiated from the newness of our baby girl and hushed the adrenaline driven chaos of the doctor and team of nurses rushing around us. She hushed our world.

I am not trying to be blasphemous and compare myself to Mary, or anything, and perhaps only the mother of a December baby can really appreciate the experience I just described.
I honestly feel that my first December baby gifted me a very real understanding of what took place on the most important night in the history of time, when a baby came to earth and hushed the entire world and reverence fell over all mankind.

I am grateful for December Birthdays.
Happy Christmas Birthday to my Reese. On the 14th, we celebrate you, and may you always enjoy your special birthday season. You are thoughtful, eager to please, obedient, organized, compassionate, funny, brilliant, beautiful, appreciated, and oh so very special.

You are a light in our lives. You bring us closer to Christ.
You are our Christmas Star and a breath of heaven.

We love you to the moon and back.

Dear Children,

Tonight, I peeked in on each of you as soon as I knew you were asleep.
I hope that you never doubt how much I love each of you. I love holding your hands. I love hearing you call for me. I love the way you smell-well, most of the time ;). I love the way you grab both sides of my face to give me a "kissy". I love how you greet me each day with a "good morning!" as if you haven't seen me in years. Each of you bring so much joy and purpose to my life. I love being your mother and I always will. I love each of you and I always will.

Grateful for you, my Little Big Blessings,
Mommy

Something Good

Dear Children,
It's October 1st!
I have read my scriptures every single day for four years. Every day.

This year, I made a more dedicated effort to really study the scriptures and ponder how the words apply to my life.

Here are a few thoughts from my experiences and some counsel for you:

-When I read at the beginning of the day, I usually have a better day. Starting the day with scripture study invites the Spirit and generally helps me make better choices.

-When I had feelings of sadness and emptiness, I feasted upon the words of Christ and was filled with affirmation of His love for me, for Daddy, and for each of you.

-The scriptures are true. Not just true as in "the people are real and what happened is real", I mean true as in full of truth. This is a very important blessing that I once took for granted and learned to appreciate recently. Unfortunately, we do not always know when the world around us is telling us the truth or not. Television, advertisements, the Internet, and even your own friends will send mixed messages and cannot be guaranteed to speak the truth 100% of the time. The scriptures are constant. They always give the truth. If you ever feel confused, betrayed, or you are having difficulty discerning right from wrong, open your scriptures. The scriptures will never lie to you.

-Reading the scriptures reminds me to parallel my behavior to how He wants me to act.

-Studying the scriptures this year reinforced my testimony of the Atonement, obedience, self reliance, repentance, honesty, and charity.

-The stories in the scriptures can teach us truths and lessons.

-Turning to the scriptures helps me replace anxiety with peace, serenity, safety and joy.

-Reading the scriptures is a worthwhile use of time and helps me prioritize and manage the rest of my day more effectively.

-I feel strengthened, uplifted, and empowered when I read the scriptures.

-We are blessed to have access to the Book of Mormon and I am grateful for sacrifices that were made to protect it's validity.

-Studying the scriptures provides an opportunity for personal revelation.

-Making time for scripture study daily has finally become a habit, but there are still days when it is difficult. I don't think I will ever be completely free of the temptation to just bag reading for one day. One day can become four days, and four days can become four weeks. Four weeks can become four months and eventually, four years.

Children, do not allow the adversary to convince you that nothing will be lost or missed by letting your scriptures sit on a shelf. Do not shelf opportunities to be comforted by the Spirit, to draw close to Jesus Christ and receive the enabling power of his Atonement, and to receive instruction and inspiration from God.

I need the power and peace that can only come from reading the scriptures, every single day.

Today, during General Conference, we heard Elder Richard G. Scott promise that reading and memorizing scriptures will bring happiness. He also said that the scriptures can be a friend that will out last the weariness of old age.

The scriptures are the perfect example of a good friend. They uplift me. They provide answers when I have questions. They are honest and reliable. They will lovingly chasten me when I need a course correction. They inspire me to be a better person. They bring me to a greater understanding of my potential. Most importantly, they are always always always available. Even when I do not physically have my scriptures with me, I have favorite verses memorized and can draw strength from the words of Christ in any situation, even if left empty handed. This is why we memorize verses together as a family. My hope is that the words will be remembered in a time of need and you will feel happy and know what to do.
The scriptures are a light in our lives to illuminate the path of righteous living and happiness. Let them fill your life with the Light of Christ, and you can be a light to others.

Read the scriptures every day. One day can become four days and four days can become four weeks. Four weeks can become four months and eventually, four years. It will benefit you to do something good, every day, for four years. I promise.

All my love,
Mom

Commencement

Hey beautiful girl,
You did it! Little Dolly, today was your day! You got to leave school early for a picnic with Mom and Dad at sissy's school, see your old preschool teachers, go out on a special date to a restaurant (Atlanta Bread Co-your favorite!) with Grandma Lynn and Grandpa Pumpkin, then come home and have the computer all to yourself for a whole hour! You kept saying, "I can't believe it! I can't believe I'm graduating today!" I loved the special time we spent together curling your hair and getting you dressed for your big performance. When you were ready to go, you asked me if Daddy or your friends would recognize you, because you looked so different with curls. It was so funny. Of course they'll recognize you! Who could mistake that great smile and those little freckles for anyone else? You did a great job singing with your friends in the program tonight. My favorite part was when you waved to me from the risers and threw kisses to the crowd like a pageant queen on a parade float.

I love you so very much Reese Olivia. You are a good, kind girl. You are a smart girl. You are a brave girl. You were once my teeny tiny baby, so helpless that you needed me for everything. You are growing more independent every day and have become quite a responsible young lady. You have a very mature mind for a 6 year old, and I love that about you. I value your ideas. You are a funny girl. You are a hard working girl. I am so proud of you for your determination and effort this year.

And now, you can read!

Way to go! You are "first grade bound" and I am so happy for you and your accomplishments.

I love the person you are,
-Mom

Dimples

My children were blessed with dimples.
They aren't your typical mid-cheek-squishy-cabbage patch-doll dimples, though. They're located in different places, and aren't visible at all times, and I think the thing that makes them so endearing is that the dimples come out with their personality traits. The more personality we get (pleasant or challenging), the more dimple we see.
Reese's dimple is on the right side of her upper lip. When she is questioning something, she makes a face, and the dimple shows up. Reese is a thinker. It didn't take long for Aaron and I to realize that she is smarter and more stubborn than both of us put together. She will make an excellent chess player, as she plans out her every move in life about four steps ahead of everyone else. She is not an easy personality to read, but since I am and always have been an open book, I really admire this quality about her. It brings me total satisfaction when I am able to predict her behavior, not because it makes me look like a better parent, but because it means that I might have a fighting chance by the time she is a teenager. The other day, we were at the pool, and I noticed some people at the other end of the pool starting to pack up their bags. Reese watched them like a hawk, and the instant their children were out of the gate, she turned and asked me if she could go get the tiny chair they had been using. I laughed, because an hour earlier, Reese had asked for a tiny chair, but there weren't any available. So when I noticed these people leaving, I predicted to a friend of mine that Reese would be the first to the chair, even though she had moved on to other interests and was busy playing in the pool. I totally called it. I'm also not a patient person. Like at all. But Reese has no problem waiting until the circumstances are in her favor. While most kids might continue to ask for ice cream all morning after watching you put some in the freezer, Reese will wait until Quincy and Corbin are taking a nap, and THEN ask for some, because she knows she is at better odds for a positive answer. I love her. I love the way she thinks. She is so very smart. She is such a perfectionist, which can be a double edged sword, but I really think that, unlike me, she will discover her need for order much earlier in her life and find many positive ways to make her habits work for her advantage. I have learned so much from my poor guinea pig child. When I see her exhibit an ugly behavior, I can almost always trace it back to my own vices. Luckily for me, even though Reese rarely forgets, she often forgives. I am so glad that she is my oldest, because she allows for a pretty big learning curve. Reese is also a very responsible child. Observations of her interactions with her younger siblings tells me she will make an excellent babysitter and someday a wonderful mother.

Little Quincy has a dimple on the right side of her nose, up near her eye. This is a naughty dimple. It often appears when she is teasing or up to no good...which makes me love it more! Quincy has the. most. contagious. laugh I have ever heard in my entire life. It's almost a cackle, and it explodes from her and fills the room with even more laughter, as everyone in the room begins to giggle reactively after hearing hers. She wrinkles her nose and exposes her dimple when she says something funny (which is often, Quincy LOVES a good joke), when she is saying something snarky, and when she is surprised. She has a HUGE personality trapped in her tiny body and HUGE opinions inside an even tinier voice. But something I appreciate about Quincy is her ability to let things go. Even when 2 minutes before, she would have fought to the death for "the pink plate because I asked first", she can immediately and happily hand it over to her upset sister without another thought if it means peace. She is a good friend. She is a ...um...a... creative dresser, and has a style that can only be described as her own. I do wonder if I she'll end up a "never-nude" someday, and therefore avoid giving her denim cutoffs...just in case ;). Quincy is very gifted to be able to understand sarcasm at such a young age. It is incredible. I know many full grown adults who don't understand it and they don't mesh well with my often too cynical humor. Quincy laughs at everything, especially when people get hurt. It's a terrible habit that I feel totally responsible for passing onto her, but really, is there anything funnier than watching someone walk into a pole at Walmart? No. There isn't. Or how about the lady who's heel broke off her shoe and she slippy slid all over until catching herself on the cart? The kid who wasn't looking when dad hit a pop-fly that came down on his head and took him out? Thank goodness Quincy will always be there to laugh at them with me, or at me, since I am often the klutz that's ramming into something. But as much as she laughs, she will also come work her little loving Quincy magic to calm you and make sure you're ok.

And then there's Baby Corbin's dimples. Right on the outside of his big fat baby cheeks. I love them. These are the dimple I get to see most often, and the frequency pairs with Corbin's ever-present happy disposition. What more can I say about a sweet, bashful, loving little baby? He is a wonderful sidekick. He sleeps well, he snuggles well, we all know he eats well, he is as quiet as I could ever expect a 13 month old to be in church. He plays with his sisters, and he plays independently. He loves to read books, he loves to point out things she sees while you tell him what they are. He mimics, he blows kisses, he plays peek-a-boo and is THE all time reigning champion of the "drop something over the side of your high chair, just so one of the lazy adults in the room has to get up and give it back, then drop it again because they are idiots and don't realize you're totally messing with them" game. I just love watching his personality unfold into an adorably funny little guy. As if he couldn't get any cuter. His mellow attitude gives excellent balance in our over-dramatic home. I just love him so much and couldn't be more proud to hear him call for his Mama every time he wakes up from a nap.

I feel so lovey lately.
I'm so grateful to have a husband who loves me, a lovely home, and my hands, arms, and lap constantly full of little people to care for.
I love my life.
I live for those little children.
I love watching them grow, and I can't wait to see what kind of mark they'll make on the world.
They've already made a dimple in mine.

{lovey}

Dearest Little Girls,
You are growing up so fast.
I love that you are finally at an age when I can tiptoe into your room at night while you are sleeping. (You were such light sleepers for years, I never wanted to risk waking you up)
I've been waiting and waiting for this stage for a very long time, and it is finally here.
I love spying on you while you sleep so much, that it is becoming a habit, and it is difficult to pass by your room on my way to bed without stopping in for a "fix".
So I don't pass by.
I sneak in.
I give you another kiss.
I tuck you back under the covers that you've kicked off.
I move your arms that are hanging over the edge back up on the bed.
Sometimes, I move you (Quincy) back into your own bed, when you've fallen asleep at the food of your sister's.

If you stir, I give you a hug and you brush the hair from your face, smile, and nuzzle your cheek back down against your pillow.
I snuggle you.
I sit on your bed and stroke your hair during a thunderstorm.
I watch you sleep.
I kiss you again.
I love you.

I absolutely love being your mother.
Love, Mom

PS-there is a CRAZY storm outside and it will rain all day. It's the kind of storm where the power flickers on and off, and the thunder shakes the whole house.
Quincy and Corbin will be next-to-naked all day, because I am not enforcing the "must wear pants rule", Reese gets to stay home from preschool, and we are currently eating chocolate peanut butter milkshakes for breakfast. No, not the "healthy kind" of shake, the ice cream kind of shake. It's going to be a fantastic morning. I can feel it.

All I Ever Wanted

Dear Kids,

Tonight was absolute madness.
Is it possible that I love you even more because of it?
Thanks.

Love, Mom

Secret Treasure

Q,
I'm glad you're mine.
Love, Mom

I Love Them

Reese and Quincy,
I hope you will always be this kind to each other.
Never forget that you are best friends.


I love you to the moon and back,

Mommy