Dear Michael

Well, for a little brother, you aren't so little anymore! Two years went by pretty fast didn't it? I am so happy that I got to make it for your homecoming. I was feeling somewhat picked on being the only sibling that wasn't there. You know, when our whole family is spread out I don't feel bad missing things, but now that I'm the only one not close it is harder to not take it personally. This week was totally awesome for me. I got to get a break from my kids for a bit; see you come home, make it to the little girls' birthday party, hang out with the fam and get to be in an earthquake. Definately action packed!

Mike, I'm so proud of you for serving a mission. I can only imagine how hard you must have worked and how crazy it would be to up and move to Uruguay for two years. You are a great example to my kids and an awesome, awesome brother. I didn't get to see much of you before you left but I can tell what a kind, sensitive (dare I say it!) man, you have become! You are going to be quite a catch for someone one some day. She will have to pass the; meet the sister test of course. You better be at our house for Thanksgiving! And, I'm sorry I spelled your name wrong on your book. Guess just because I can do work in the wee hours of the morning, doesn't mean I should. But you can think of me evertime someone comments "Cool book, but I didn't know you spelled your name so weird." I love yer guts buddy!

From, Your Seester

Boys will be boys!

To my Mountain Man,

You are AMAZING Paxton!! For a guy that didn't even have his leg muscles attached six months ago, it is pretty unbelievable that you just climbed the tallest peak in Utah. Twenty eight miles (32 if you count the extra miles you had to backtrack because you forgot the camera) and 6,000 feet is big deal for anyone, let alone someone who has only been walking for three months! I'm so glad you get to have that time for you and your dad. You will have to keep up this tradition with our boys. I only hope you can find enough mountains close so you don't have to be gone so long. (And no, I won't move to Alaska for that :) I also appriciate that you took pictures of the little yellow flowers for me. I am your sunflower after all. Just like you said, I need my daily dose of sunshine or I start to wilt. (Although I got a little fried from my dose of sunshine yesterday! Shocking, I know!)

I'm excited for our next adventure now! I can't believe that I'm going to be able to run a 10k. My borthers and sisters were always the runners, not me. I don't like running but it is good to feel like an athlete again. I did 5 1/2 miles while you were gone! I've NEVER ran that far before. Now, after four babies, two back surgeries and being all 31 years old, I'm personal records. Heck Yeah!! Try not to beat me too badly in the race though. I don't know if my new little running ego could handle being pounded by a guy that spent three months on crutches.

You rock my world and I'm soooo lucky to be your wife (even if you come home with a mountain man beard and I won't let you kiss me till you shave ;)

~your track babe

ZOO!!!

Between all our trips to the zoo and all the Discover Channel shows we watch my kids should be able to pass Biology 101 by sixth grade!

Heli Flight!

For Fathers Day, my incredible wife got me a half-hour ride in a helicopter. 

Not only did I get to ride in it, but I got to try my hand at flying and hovering.  Man, that's hard!  I can only describe it as this:  take a bowling ball on a hard floor, put a plywood board on top of that and stand on the plywood board and try to balance. Totally LOVED the experience.

We took off from the Caldwell airport and followed the train tracks northwest for a bit.  We then followed a stream for a few miles and that is when I got to fly.  The real pilots hands never left the controls (who'd blame him) but I got to turn it a bit as we followed the canal through to some ponds.

Then we came in for a final approach and landing and taxied down the runway.  Hovering 10 feet off the runway, I got to try to hover.  Yah, not so good at that!  I would have crashed within 5 seconds.  Totally hard to do but very fun. 

To my sweet wife - - thanks for the awesome Fathers Day gift!

Dear Shaylee

Hey Cute Girl,

I need to say sorry today. I know I'm not always good at saying sorry but I really did make a mistake today. I think that sometimes I have a hard time with you because you are the most like me. When I was in high school, Grandma said that she hoped I would have a daughter just like me. I guess she jinxed us :) I'm sorry that our summer plans aren't working out like I told you they would. I promise someday we'll get to go on a mommy/daughter trip. Just us! Till then we will have to settle for Olive Garden and back to school shopping. Girls' Night!! It is going to be fun. I love you more than you will ever know, (till you have a daughter of your own).

Hugs and Kisses,

Mom

Dear Paxton

Wow, life has been more than a little crazy lately huh? I guess that is what we do well together, a little crazy. I've gotta say that I've learned to appriciate you on several different levels since January. You do so much around the house but I didn't realize HOW much until you couldn't do it any more and my "honey do" list got longer and longer. I have learned a few handy things too. Like how to change the oil and transmition fluid in the van and how to clean out a clogged vacuum. I also learned that you can throw me a rockin' birthday party complete with games and a fondue fountain. All these years and you kept that one hidden but now I know! 

I've especially come to appriciate how hard you work. Til now I've know the stress of staying up all night with a sick kid, endless cleaning, throwing up for nine months, and being on call 24-7. But till now, I havn't realized the stress that comes from working and having obligations to other people. With over 8,000 pictures to work through last moth with all the dance studios, life was more than a little stressful that way. I've listened when you've talked about it but I didn't really understand, til now.

I appriciate you getting up and working a job that you don't exactly love. I appricate that you do this to provide for us and that if you were just a single guy you probably would be doing something very different. I love that despite the insane hours you work, you are always so happy to be home and always help me when you can. The other day I found your resume on the computer and was looking threw it. What an amazing, brilliant, hardworking man you are! It totally gave me butterflies... I'd marry you in a heartbeat all over again. God must have known how badly I needed you because there isn't another person on the face of the planet that could be more perfect for me. Thank you for making my life wonderful.

Your loving, adoring, lucky, and grateful wife,

Jaymie