Happy Birthday Kylie (20)

I went back to look for pictures of Kylie when she was a baby and then throughout her growing up years. But I realized at one point that digital cameras were not part of our world until she was a teenager and that currently, she has all her baby books and pictures at HER house now. So, I was only able to go through some of my favorite pictures of her and post those.
Well, she's all grown up now...not a baby, not a toddler, not a youth and not even a teenager anymore. She's finally reached her roaring 20's!!! She's a big girl now!!! Still not legal in many states, but a big girl none the less.
Lots and lots of fun memories about Kylie...what a beautiful girl - has been MOST of her life - her siblings will contend that her early teenage years were not the best - OH BROTHER!! She was in braces for crying out loud..and had an awkward growing spurt through middle school, but once she hit 14 or so, well, all *#%& broke loose (excuse my French).
Some of my most vivid memories of Kylie:
*She was my only baby to come ON her due date - our first girl. Her daddy cried when she was born. Grandma Packard was at our house.
*She and Jordan bonded immediately - Jordan held her all the time.
*She started crawling dragging one of her legs - we called her 'peg leg'.
*She was bald - completely bald until almost age three...and then the curls came in ALL over.
*Spoke real nasally so we had her tonsils and adenoids removed.
*Hated to have her hair washed - her long pretty curls just got sooo tangled. One Sunday, she was fussing so much that I pulled her out of the tub and chopped off all her curls. (pre-prozac days). Went to church where Del saw her new haircut and said how 'cute it was'. ARGH!!!!
*Family camping trip to Scout Mountain- Kylie was priceless - meaning, I would have paid ANY price for someone to take her...although VERY cute, also very bossy to her little sister...but to this day, it is our favorite family video to watch.
*riding her little bike in front of the house in Pocatello Idaho - back and forth, back and forth.
*best friends with Katie Frost - spent every waking moment and many sleepovers with Katie.
*was Mrs. Santa in the school play.
*friends - Katie, Charlie Gardner, Lindsey Alley and the neighbor family, the Jones.
*moved to Utah - none of the girls liked Kylie, but all the boys did. A rough 5th/6th grade for her. The friends she DID have..Sterling King, Jocelyn Dobsen, and the neighbors. Played a lot of night games with everyone, but mostly hung out with Jordan.
*moved to Texas and 'life began' for Kylie as we know it. A very good move for Kylie.
volleyball, Young Women's, volleyball, boyfriends, volleyball, EFY's, volleyball, dating, driving, church, Seminary, volleyball..Lauren McKean - several jobs, LACEY, volleyball etc etc...

And now, she's married - of course, her high school years had much more to write about, and then her off to college and then engagement - but just too much to write. I guess it all comes to today. She's 20 and a wife, employee, daughter and sister. She's loved and adored by sooo many people. Such a good friend to ALL the friends she has... such a good sister to her siblings, such a good daughter to us...
Overall - she is very much loved, especially by me - well, her dad kind of likes her - oh, and Jordan still has her as his favorite - and then of course, there's Michael who will claim that HE loves her more than anything or anybody....so I guess I can't make claims to her anymore than she's my daughter and I'm the ONLY one that gave birth to her!!!
Love you KY -FRY and Happy Birthday!!!

Early Morning Thunderstorm

It wasn't the thunder that woke me up first thing this morning, it was Del, slipping over to snuggle with me during the lightening. He knows I LOVE thunderstorms and wouldn't want to miss this one. He was right. It lit up the sky and shook the house. My thoughts went immediately to the Hicken household where I knew there would be scampering little feet to Matt and Dana's bed!!! Their girls are petrified of the thunder and lightening!!
So as I smiled, picturing the scene at the Hicken's, I laid nice and cozy next to Del, enjoying the comfort I was receiving during one of my most favorite weather conditions .

Our 27th Anniversary

It's been 27 wonderful years with this unbelievable man that I married. It's been the best decision I ever made and continues to be to this day. Ups and downs? Of course. Joys and sorrows? Of course. Any regrets? Never...not a single day. I wouldn't have chosen anyone else to go through every day of my life with but the one I chose. It truly WAS the perfect chose; probably the only perfect one I've made in my whole life.
So to this wonderful man, I give my heartfelt and soulful thanks for all the memorable days we have had together - for our 4 beautiful children, for the comforts of life we enjoy, for all the tears and ALL the laughing we have done, for lessons learned and lessons taught, for growing pains and achieved goals...for everything wonderful in this life and in the life to come, I thank you Del Lott. I will continue to love you always.

The Three Amigo's

Jordan came home this week and will be here for the next 6 weeks before he's back to Idaho for Fall semester. The girls were all over him from minute one and it's been 'blah, blah, blah, blah' ever since - about everything...every topic you can think of that they haven't shared for the past 7 months. They have been laughing, dancing, joking and more laughing. It's been fun to watch as they re-bond from their time apart. Del and I are finding much joy in watching them interact. They really are great kids...
Kathryn left today for EFY in Utah and won't be home until next Saturday. It will be a very quiet and lonely week for me as she is gone. She seems to be a lot of what I spend my time on. I will miss her. But Jordan and I will be busy getting ready for Living Scripture parties, hoping to make enough money for him to go two more semesters of school. Plus, we have Kylie's birthday to celebrate and then mine and Del's 27th anniversary is next week also. So, hopefully, the week of Kathryn being gone will pass quickly for me.
More posts to following over the coming days and weeks.

Only the 22nd, but Already a VERY LONG Month

No pictures to post, no long details to give, but for it only being the 22nd of July, I feel it's been the longest month of the year already.
First of all, very hot days...in the 100's mostly - we moved our Orthodontic office to it's new location and things went basically downhill from there. The new office is nice and all, but it took a good week of our working days to feel like we were adjusting to things...plus, I hurt for days after lifting and moving heavy things from one office to the other.
Then, Dr Henao was sick a day and I had to cancel all the patients for the day and then that very same week, the 20 year old son of one of our assistants died of a drug overdose and it sent the whole office into a downward spiral of overbooked, unhappy patients and very emotional Dr. and staff. I spent Wednesday the 15th at the ICU with our assistant trying to comfort her as she had to endure 5 hours of deliberation of taking her son off of life support...and then the meltdown experienced by everyone as the decision was made and the event happened. I was drained by the end of the day. The funeral followed Saturday - once again, very draining...it was then I realized he was her first born, died on the 15th, funeral on the 18th...seemed very familiar. The same as my Michael.
Yesterday was the last day of my work month. Dr Henao has left on vacation for the rest of the month. I'm relieved. I need to not think for a week or two. But Jordan's on his way home to stay for the next 5-6 weeks before school starts. He drove the night last night so should be here anytime this morning.
I know you can't tell, but I'm excited. It will be good to have him home and working amongst friends and family. We will celebrate both Kylie and Mike's birthday's while he's here and I think we'll even try to sneak in a celebration for him. Del and I will celebrate our 27th (?) anniversary and just have a nice relaxing month.
Now, to the rest of you, who along with me have failed to be faithful and consistent in our blogging - yes, there doesn't seem to be much to say outside of the day in and day out events of the summer...but unless I read some news from somebody soon, I'm going to be bored out of my skull. I have a few friends coming home from family trips soon, and hopefully they will report soon. But the rest of you??? Feed me something...a morsel, a crumb, just to give me some type of excitement for the day!!!!

Celebrating the 4th of July

A busy filled 4th of July with great fun, food and family. We went to Meredith and Corrine's house and with 6 of Meredith's sisters there and their families. These are all of my cousins...there were 7 from Uncle Bob's family ( Meredith, Daphne, Tammy, Tosha, Kendra, Kylene, Shanene), Wendee Graham from Aunt Beth's family, and then Elaine and me from Von's family. And then all our kids!!! It was crazy - we had our own little 4th of July parade through the neighborhood with bicycles, motorcycles, a horse, 4 wheelers, and even a cousin on stilts!!! There was the singing of patriotic songs done in about 6 part harmony that was better than I've heard sung in a long time. Then there was swimming and all the fun THAT brings with the diving and flipping contests, the 'chicken' fights, and tag before we moved on to an amount of food I only see at ward parties and dinners. Dang, do we know how to cook and throw a party!! Of course, we're all used to cooking for families of 8 or more, so all of our salads, side dishes and main course were enough to feed an army. Cake, brownies, ice cream , cookies and pop sickles were followed by games and fireworks - and then even a great movie called 'The Ultimate Gift' to wrap up the night. The kids loved the sparklers and firecrackers. A fun day.
I thank our Founding Father's for their courage and obedience in establishing our Constitution and liberties. I also apologize to them for the lack of faithfulness on our part now as a country, in making sure those sacrifices made in their day are still recognized and appreciated. Where as our Father's before us did all in their power to recognize God and His will, some now, do all they can to separate the very Being that made us who we are, and take God out of everything that makes us The United States of America.
I pray our Heavenly Father has mercy on us in these coming years.
God Bless America!

Home Sweet Home..to Home..to Home..to Home

This is our first home in Texas - we lived here
for just over 3 years - 10404 Ashmont Drive

We moved to our Whitefish Lake Dr. home in
the summer of 2006. This was probably my
favorite house; spacious, kids all had their own
rooms, and a very large back yard. Important
years for Jordan and Kylie in this home.

We moved into the Plantation home as a favor
to our dear friends, Roger and Kim Davis. They
were going to move to Florida and wanted some-
one they 'knew' to rent the home - so we did, at
a very kind price. But I never felt really com-
fortable there. It was always 'the Davis' home'.

This is our current home in McKinney Texas.
We actually moved out of the Frisco First Ward
after 5 years and moved into the 5th ward and
out of Frisco...but same stake and same high
school for Kathryn. We know most of the ward
though as it was split from the 1st ward a few
years ago. Nice home - spacious for just having
one last child at home.

So, we have moved a few times since living in Texas almost 7 years. We have rented the whole time we have been here, mainly because of the instability of jobs and now, most importantly, the economy. We have enjoyed each home, but one or two hold more fond memories for me as certain events happened during that time and/or the kids were at special stages in their lives. We are going into a 2nd year in our current home and we are grateful for a little stability for the time being. Who knows what the future will hold??? But for now, after this past week of moving my office to a new location, it has been very satisfying and peaceful to come home to a place I know we won't have to 'box up' for at least another year.