Rodeo Photoshoot

Kai is participating in a rodeo with Mascot Miracles.  Before the rodeo they did a photoshoot and had us pick our favorite photo for the rodeo.  There were some really great pictures and it was hard to choose.

I really like this one--a favorite

This was the one I chose to use.  I love the words, you can see the saddle, the hat, and his face is visible

I love this one

This was one of my favorites

Baptism Day

Zuri is our firecracker.  She is outgoing, vivacious, full of life and love and energy.  She says exactly what is on her mind--oftentimes leading with a statement to get your attention.  If you don't know her and what's been going on in her life you can be left confused on what she is talking about.  Context, I tell her, is important.  She just turned eight, and to her, everyone should understand what she is talking about.

She is smart.  She lights up when she grasps a new concept and can't wait to share it with everyone.  She proudly tells everyone what level she is on in reading, and the current topic they are working on in math.  She loves nature and the earth and doesn't understand why people don't want to take care of it.  She often tells me that it's not good to drive too much because driving hurts the earth.  She will pick up litter anytime she sees it.  She knows all about sharks and many other animals.  

She wears her heart on her sleeve.  She loves fiercely and unconditionally.  She is prone to dramatics. I am more analytical and have a hard time understanding how to relate to her at times, which can lead to tug-of-war between us.  I don't want to curb her zest for life in any way, but when she cries--literally cries tears of joy--because I let her stay up five minutes after normal bedtime, I am completely flummoxed.  I just don't get it, and yet, it's that same unadulterated joy in life that I love about her.

She's been excited about her baptism.  There was a period of time where nerves got to her.  She thought she would have to bend backwards and she kept saying her back doesn't bend like that, so J showed her what she would be doing.  After that she was all excitement.  Whenever anyone asks how her baptism went, she says, "warm [meaning the water]!  I want to get baptized every day!"

Zuri shared her baptism day with one of her good friends.  They are two weeks apart in age, and are in the same primary class.  They have also been in the same class at school for the last two years.  It's been fun to watch them grow together.

Before their baptism we took the girls out to the temple and took pictures of them all dressed up in their baptism dresses.

 Individual pics of Zuri:

This one was her idea :-)

Birthday Fun

Every year I marvel as Kai grows older.  From the small three pound baby he was to the solid almost kindergartner he is now.  I know I've said it before, but I'm going to say it again: five years ago I couldn't even envision him now.  I couldn't see past the day to day, let alone even think about future Kai.  I scoffed at words like wheelchair and school because I was just trying to get through "now," and he was literally fighting for his life every day.  We were terrified of the ventilator--not because of the vent itself, but because what it represented.  To us it meant regression.  We saw how he hated and fought it in the NICU.  We worried that it would lower his quality of life--being tied to one more machine.  However, the opposite occurred.  He started to thrive.  We were able to get on the TC Waiver program, giving us respite nursing, which has saved our sanity, and we were able to start looking beyond the immediate day to the next week, to the next month, to the next year.  Suddenly, the future not only seemed possible, but expected and anticipated.

 Now our Little Mister is turning five.  Five.  He has taught me so much.  I am a different person because of him.  Hopefully better than I was before.  I value life and friends and family so much more because I have seen how fleeting it can be.  Everything can change in an instant. 

So we celebrate.  Kai's birthday weekend started off early with his school nurse bringing him a couple presents.  Kai has been showing more interest and awareness in toys, so she gave him Spiderman and a Transformer car.  He was pretty funny exploring Spiderman for the first time.  We put it by his side and he immediately lifted his foot up, exploring first with his foot, then cautiously with his hand--never letting go of his ballard until he must have deemed it as safe.

  We celebrated Zuri's and Kai's birthday together.  The idea was to go to the park and let the kids play in the splash pad and on the playground, but the splash pad doesn't open until Memorial Day and it was super windy.  We made it through eating lunch/dinner, but decided to do cake and presents back at our house.  I've decided that I'm not going to host any more outdoor events because it seems that every time I host something outdoors the weather doesn't cooperate.

Alisia and Maria made Zuri's and Kai's cake.  Didn't they turn out amazing?

The kids had fun playing on the playground though, so at least that part went well.

Ridge

Kai was spoiled for his fifth birthday this year.  His big present was a swing from J's side of the family.  It was a hit!  Not only with Kai, but the other kiddos as well.

It was fun to watch as Kai's level of comfort increased the longer he was on the swing.  He started off with his hand covering his eyes--his way of blocking out the world.  As we swung him, he laughed and laughed.  Slowly he lowered his arm and started chewing on his ballard while still laughing.

Once Kai was done, the other kids got on and had a blast.  We started with two and kept adding kids.  We ended with five kids, but there was room for a sixth.  They loved it! 

River was put down to bed, but she likes to play in the window.  We were outside, just enjoying the nice evening (of course it would be nice after the party was over), and I heard a little voice.  River was watching us from her window.  It was so adorable I had to get a picture.