Reflections on my second born...

 Sugar and spice and everything nice...  That pretty much sums up our Magsy Bear (most of the time at least).  Magdalen was born just 5 weeks after Bronwyn's brain surgery, and we wondered what we would have to deal with with our second child.  Happily, she came into the world with a very sweet disposition, a desire to sleep, and a desire to please her parents.  (Big sigh of relief!)

One thing I love about Magdalen is, she is just as excited about a hand me down as she is about something new.  This comes in handy since most of her clothes are from Bronwyn.  Even on Halloween, she opted to wear a dress she already owned and my wedding veil as her bride costume.  Didn't bother her at all to see Bronwyn shopping for her costume.  We added the funky make up just for fun, and she was the most beautiful bride ever!  She doesn't demand much from us.  (Which we are aware of, and go out of our way as parents to check in with her and make sure she is happy.)  She is happy to do something if it benefits the family.  Poor girl is the sibling stuck sharing a room with Brandon.  She ends up downstairs on a couch at least half the time because Brandon cries alot at night, but she never complains.  I don't think she even thinks it is an inconvenience.  We are so grateful for one easy child.

The biggest strength I see in Magdalen is her capacity to love others.  She makes friends quickly, and her teachers often tell us that they see her finding ways to include all of her classmates.  To Magdalen, everyone is a potential friend, and her classmates feel that friendship and acceptance from her.  She is also extremely loving to me.  She is my child that showers me with hugs and kisses, give me small gifts and drawings often, and leaves notes and hearts on my pillow for me to find.  And unlike the other people that love me unconditionally in spite of my annoying flaws, I don't think Magsy even thinks I have flaws.  And that just makes a mom feel good.  :)  Magsy is also a great example of love and affection to her siblings, and has been (I think) a big part of Bronwyn becoming more affectionate with Todd and me.

Magsy loves dressing pretty and having her hair done.  You can typically find her dressed head to toe in PURPLE!  

Magdalen also put in two entries in the Reflections contest.  Her drawing didn't place, but she got second place in the literature category for a story she wrote about attending her little brother's birth.  We are super proud of her hard work, and loved hearing the birth story from her perspective!

Birth: A Magical Moment

When Brandon was born I felt excited.

I woke up early to go to the hospital.

Grandma took me to the playroom, and I remember drawing when I was bored.

The room was dark, and there was calm music.

I remember my mom trying really hard to get him out.

I remember his head poking out.

The umbilical cord was on his tummy, and I cut off the umbilical cord.

I was excited to cut it!

Brandon was crying.  LOUD!

I really was wanting to hold him.

I was excited to hold him, but he started to cry.

I’m glad I was there.

It was a magical moment.

  

And remember how loving Magsy is?  She now has her FIRST LOVE!  The lucky man is Austin.  He is not only in her first grade class, but lives just around the corner from us!  (we had no idea!)  So now we often walk home with him and his siblings, and have formed quite a posse.  He missed school yesterday because he is sick, and Magdalen just stared at his house when we passed by on our walk home, just hoping he would look out the window or something.  She totally missed him.  Too funny!  Bronwyn hasn't shown any interest in boys yet, and Magsy isn't anywhere close to how boy crazy I was.  So I am happy with things so far.  

She still puts her daddy first though.  :)  

Reflections on my firstborn....

Before I had kids, I assumed they would be like me.  Overall happy and confident, driven, and do well in school.  Then I had Bronwyn.... and I realized that I was really naive.  Not only has she had alot of struggles that I never would have imagined before she was born; but she is so different from me that sometimes the hardest part about being her mom is just knowing how to support her.

Bronwyn's lack of confidence has made it extremely difficult for her to make friends and be in front of people.  We have worked hard on it the last few years.  We have given her lots of tips on how to talk to kids and strengthen friendships and school and church.  We have encouraged her to develop her talents to gain confidence in herself, too.  

Well, this year Todd and I have both seen such a big change in her.  It really started this summer.  Suddenly a new Bronwyn emerged.  I always knew it was in there because I saw glimpses of it often.  And suddenly our little wallflower is making friends, answering questions at church and school, singing out loud, and get this... (wait for it) 

WINNING FIRST PLACE IN THE PTA REFLECTIONS CONTEST!

Yep, you heard me.  Bronwyn entered a dance that she choreographed herself and won!  We are so proud.  Not really that she won.  Of course that is fun and exciting, and gives her an opportunity to learn that hard work pays off.  But proud that she worked SO hard.  She practiced for weeks.  And this is a child who does not exactly have a track record of starting a project and finishing it.

Here is her dance:  

She had NO idea that she had won when I picked her up from school.  It was very fun to see her eyes light up with excitement.  I am so happy for her self esteem.  Bronwyn also entered a picture into the visual arts category that didn't place, but here is a cute picture of her with her picture.

The biggest changes I have seen in Bronwyn that last several months are: more confidence, more outgoing, and more passionate.  Her love of music is growing, and she is enjoying piano alot more this year.  She is even making up her own songs, and ASKING me if she CAN practice piano.  I love hearing her play while I work in the kitchen or feed the baby.  She has an intense interest in bugs and nature, especially butterflies.  She spent endless hours this summer catching butterflies and observing them.  And now almost every book she brings home from the library is about butterflies.  She was the kid that always stayed in the backyard until dark.  The best days for her were when Todd had a yard project that kept him out most of the day.  Magsy and Ty would tire out and come inside, but Bronwyn stayed out until Todd forced her in.  She climbed the cherry tree and hunted bugs!  Here are some great pictures she and Todd got during one of their adventures.

Those are tiny bug eggs Bronwyn discovered on the back of a leaf in our garden.  She was so excited!  For now, she wants to be a scientist when she grows up.  She loves learning about science, and luckily for her, her parents are total science nerds.  

With the progress I have seen in Bronwyn lately, I really feel like the sky is the limit for her.  She is finally working towards her potential and it is so fun to watch!

With Good Cheer

"Like my father's come to pass

Seven years has gone so fast...."

Every year when another October 18th rolls around, I am surprised at how quickly the time goes by.  Today marks seven whole years since my father's passing.  In a way it still feels like yesterday.  But in other ways, it is becoming a distant memory.  A part of my past, and not my present.   I am reminded of a quote from general conference this year, during a talk about grief.  It said something along the lines of "we never truly get over losing a loved one, but we can move forward with good cheer".  There was definitely a time in my life when I didn't think I could move forward with good cheer, but I am happy to say that I have.  While there will always be a hole in my heart, my life continues to be filled with wonderful blessings.

Seven years ago, I honestly cried EVERY day, multiple times.  Then it went down to once a day, once a week, once a month.  I probably never go much more than a month without getting teary thinking about my dad.  Every now and then I will have a dream about him, and be so happy that my mind can still so clearly recall his face, his voice, his mannerisms.  Holidays and occasions bring about emotional breakdowns as well...

Today my sister texted me some things my dad wrote down about me in some family history sheets he filled out shortly before his death.  It made my day:

List some qualities you admire about your family members-

Daughter Marie-Ange- She has a loving concern for the less fortunate. She is passionate and disciplined in all she does. And I could listen to her sing forever. 

Son-in-law Todd- Solid and uncomplaining. Very supportive of our side of the family. 
Grandbaby Bronwyn- a light in our lives and good therapy for me. 

This is a treasure for me to have.  My dad definitely saw the good in me, which means so much.  Like most parents, he complimented us often and made us feel good about ourselves.  He told me several times that I was the best singer he had ever heard.  Sounds like something any parent would say to their child... but I actually think that he meant it.  I got my love of singing from my dad.  He started taking me to ward choir when I was in grade school.  I loved hearing him sing.  We sang together all the time, and I learned all the oldies he like listening to.  The days before he died, I laid in bed with him and sang him every song I could think of.  It took years before I could listen to the Beatles after he died because he listened to them all the time.  But now when I listen, it fills my heart with sweet memories; and I am now teaching some of their songs to my kids.  

We can move forward with good cheer.  As long as we allow ourselves a few days here and there to cry.  :)

Fall Friendship Fest!

Before I get to the topic of the blog, I had to update my two readers on Brandon.  :)  He is already four months old, sitting in his bumbo chair, and cute as can be!

Love love love that squishy face!

Ok, last year I threw the girls birthday parties for the first time.  It was a blast, but left us with waaaaay too many presents.  So this year we decided to do a fall friendship fest instead.  The boys spent all day friday "helping" me get everything ready.  Ty was excited to decorate some cupcakes for himself, grandma, and papa.

I bought a balloon for each girl to draw a jack-o-lantern on, and the boys spent about a half hour on their backs admiring them.

He is so cute when he sucks his thumb.

My heart melted when I saw he had fallen asleep!

OK, onto the party.  We started out with the old eat the donut off the string game.  Kids loved it.  My girls ruled.  

I bought permanent markers for the balloons, so sent the girls outside to color them.  Bad idea.  We quickly lost 2 to the sky, and then they started popping with the pressure of the table and the marker.  There were tears.  It wasn't successful.  

Bronwyn's group came inside for their balloons, and had a lot more success.

I was actually really impressed with the cuteness and creativity of the cupcakes.  My girls are growing up.  Check out Bronwyn's ghost on the far right.  LOVE!

I had each girl bring a friendship bracelet, and it was a fun part of the party.  I stressed out a few moms though.  They thought they had to make the bracelet!  Mine were totally store bought.

It was a really great way to strengthen some friendships at the beginning of the school year.  I'm so glad we did it.  My girls were thrilled, they happily cleaned the entire downstairs after everyone went home!

PS.  He didn't make it into any pics, but Todd came home 3 hours early to help me throw this shindig.  Thank goodness!  The girls were good, but I definitely needed the back up!

Jackson!

The older I get, the harder it is not to live by my family.  I didn't think much about it growing up.  I always assumed Hilary and I would get married and move away from eachother because that is what happened for my parents.  I had NO idea how much I would miss her, and my parents.  So any chance I get to see my family, I take!  This weekend we met everyone in Jackson Hole for a whirlwind of fun.

We rented a cabin, which is soooo the way to go.  We have done it with both families now, and it is a million times better than a hotel.  You have so much more time to hang out, kids can be asleep in their own rooms, and you have a functional kitchen.  Awesome.

Our big excursion was riding the tram up to the top of the mountain.  

Bronwyn wedged herself in between her dad and my mom, seemingly terrified.  However, once we were out of the safety of the tram car and on top of the cliff where we could easily plummet to our deaths, she was fine.  

Sadly, the smoke did interfere with the views.  We could still see everything, and it was beautiful, but lacked in vibrancy.  

I love this shot!  Magsy looks like she is floating in space.  I also love how her jeans that fit perfectly two weeks ago are now high waters!  

The twins and their babies.  :)

We saw lots of adrenaline junkies.  :)

The weather was perfect and the fall color was in full swing.  It was the best day to be outside.

Grandpa Lynn even cruised over to hold the babies and buy us steak for dinner.  I was the weirdo who ordered buffalo ribs and sweet potatoes.  

5 months apart in age, and about one pound apart in weight.  Brandon is such a little butter ball!

He was full of smiles and giggles.  I loved showing him off!  Poor Ruby had the worst night of her entire life.  I felt so bad for Hil and C.  Been there.  

And no trip to Jackson is complete without a picture in front of the arch!  

Like always, our time together was way too short.  But totally worth the 14 hours of driving!  I am now suffering from Ruby withdrawals!