will and wendy richards family est. 2005

in the paper

2012-01-25T17:48:00.000-07:00

Okay, technically not in the paper but definitely in a magazine. Both Annie and Cal managed make their modeling debut in a local family magazine. Check it out! (Thanks Suzie for such a great find!)
http://www.forsythmags.com/backoffice/Web%20Pdfs/11-11/FF11-11-web.pdf

a Christmas to remember

2012-01-18T20:04:00.001-07:00

Well it happened and we can hardly believe it! Never in my wildest dreams did I even think that I would enjoy a Christmas in North Carolina (avoiding the travel hustle and bustle) AND enjoy the company of extended family. However it happened! We were so blessed to have my dear family come and join us out here to not only celebrate Christmas but to remember. Remember mom, Vickie Sue, a year after her passing on her wedding anniversary, just a few days after her final Christmas birthday. The picture above is her as a little girl with Santa on her seventh birthday. What a true treasure this image is!
And what a treasure Christmas this year was. From the moment Thanksgiving ended all the way to New Years Day there were festivities to enjoy and fun to have.

Will and I learned something truly invaluable this year. Nothing could make the Christmas season more bearable for a parent of young children than taking them to sit on Santa's lap FIRST THING! We did it by mistake really. We went to the Festival of Trees, enjoyed the trees candy houses, and new there would be some activities for the kids, but didn't really count on St. Nicholas being there. However, he was and already Calvin's biggest request was fulfilled and he was able to talk and talk and talk about his memory with Santa all December long. I loved hearing about how much he loved Santa rather than figuring out how to beat the crowds to avoid more begging to see the man in red. Note to self: ALWAYS SEE SANTA first. And contribute to a good cause, like the Festival of Trees, too. I've got to learn how to make candy houses like these! Love em.

Well we knew family was coming and of course there was lots of decorating to be done. The kids loved helping, but the highlight of it all was, of course, the tree.
So we went on our traditional hunt for a North Carolina mountain tree. The kids loved the gigantic snow men that greeted them on our search for our beauty.

And then there she was, the Richards' tree.

Peter and I just liked being cozy

Speaking of Peter, did I mention he decided to stand just a week before we got the tree? Perfect timing for sabatoging the decorating of the tree. (Can't you see it in his face below?) So I thought. He loved looking at the lights, and loved chasing the round bells if they feel to the floor but other than that he was well behaved. That means I've got to be doing something right, right?

And, wahlah! The tree! The cuteness of our little house and this little beauty made Christmas extra cozy this year. I didn't mind it one bit!

Next was Annie's debut in the Nativity at the Ward Christmas Party. She loved being a little lamb and was thrilled to be on stage with her friends!

Packages, packages, packages, packages, packages! I'm quite certain that we got a delivery from either the UPS or Fed Ex man or BOTH everyday in December. Between our online orders, extended family gifts and gifts my family sent for us to wrap so they didn't have to travel with them; our house was packed with boxes.

This picture isn't everything that came, only the things that ended up under our tree. The best part: I got to wrap it all. Don't know what it is, but this girl LOVES to wrap gifts!

Christmas cards: check, send gifts: check, neighbor and friend gifts....
WHAT A BLAST!

I was reminded by my sweet sister of the corn flake holly treats we made with my mom when we were little. I HAD to make them with my kids and they loved them. Who doesn't? Anybody at any age can eat a bite or two of these with a smile on their face so they became our neighbor gifts along with copies of The Living Christ and either Joy to the World or Finding Faith in Christ DVDs.

For one Family Home Evening we made friend gifts: Peppermint Playdough. Add some peppermint and some sparkle and you've got magic in a jar! Nothing could be more simple and fun at the same time.

All the preparations we made with these sweet wee ones by my side. They were so helpful and fun. They loved helping prepare for Christmas and they loved taking care of "Peter baby". How they love their baby brother.

Can you blame them?

Poor Will had finals up until December 23rd, but after that he was able to join the fray for the next three and a half weeks!

And finally December 24th,our tree looked like this:

Unwrapping presents from Grandma and Grandpa Richards looked like this:

and the five of us turned into THIS:

They made it! Grandpa Wilson, Aunt Natty, Uncle Jim, Aunt Jacque, and cousins Koda and Nakina all flew in Christmas Eve! Talk about a dream come true.

The next day was Christmas Day and mom's birthday, but to take things in stride we treated it like Christmas Eve and commemorated mom that day. We went to church and enjoyed the Christmas sacrament meeting which I always love since it is mostly music. Sweet Aunt Natty bought all the kids beautiful matching clothes and they were ecstatic!

Right after church we decided to honor both mom and the Savior by performing a Christmas music program at a nearby nursing home. The last two years of mom's life she spent a great deal of time in a care facility and so it wasn't hard to think of where we were a year ago. The kids LOVED participating and could hardly wait to pass out candy canes in the end. It was sweet to remember how much I love taking my guitar around to hospitals and facilities and witness the true miracles of music therapy. What a blessing music is to us all. For me it was such a sweet healing experience that has strengthened my resolve to influence others through music all the more. Thank you mom. As always, you put me in the right place.

The rest of the day was peaceful. We watched movies about mom, reminiced for some time. Aren't these cousins darling watching a movie about their grandma? and even gave my dad a couple of things.

We couldn't let the day go by without giving my dad a couple of things. My sister Jacque was so good to scan all the photos she could of mom throughout her life then gave each member in the family a beautiful scrapbook including them all. What a treasure! One of my favorites is this photo of my mom as a beautiful bride. You can see how sweet and young and at peace she was. A state of being I look forward to witnessing more after our time here on earth. My heavens, she was just gorgeous!

Then I gave my dad and siblings something I have been working on since I returned home from Austin. I had each of my siblings answer sixty questions about their memories with mom. My answers along with their's, as well as other family members and dear friends I compiled into a book. It was very time consuming however a very special experience for me. If anything has changed me over the past six months, it's feeling the spirit of Elijah and all the blessings that come through it. I am amazed by how much closer I feel to my mother and by how much more I understand myself by studying her life as I have.

And just so I could know even more about my mother, I gave my dad a list of 120 questions we all came up with about my mom. He has one full year to answer them all. So next Christmas I know I'll have something to look forward to!

That night we celebrated as if it was Christmas Eve. New PJ's, and the Nativity were a definite MUST and quite hilarious as well.

The poor angel (Annie) was nearly beaten to death by Joseph (Calvin) who used the donkey (a horse on a stick) as his choice of weapon. Good thing the wise men (Grandpa, Uncle Jim, and daddy) intervened.

That night was one of the most fun nights I've ever had with Will. "Waiting up for Santa" was so much fun. Of course I had the time of my life setting out stockings and gifts and what not and Will? He just had the time of his life putting Calvin's train set together.

There were so many options and so many pieces he just had to try them all! It was hilarious watching him for over an hour coming up with the best display. This is what he ended up with:

And I just relished in the coziness of Christmas that would only last a few hours longer until next year.

Then morning came.

Calvin started and ended like this. It didn't take the kid long at all to get hooked to his train control. Once he had that in hand, nothing else mattered. As for Annie....

She couldn't believe it; Santa brought her a violin. She's been wanting to play one since she was two, time stops on her watch if she so much as hears strings playing in the background, so Santa figured we'd give it a try and see where it goes. Everyone in this house is so excited for the journey!

Little Peter got a new carseat and lots of baby "indestructible books". Nakina was great to help him unpack his stocking over a mid-morning snack.

Grandpa...only receiving the most appropriate attire...

The kids with their favorite Wilson aunt.

Gifts, gifts and gifts...

And Peter in a Santa hat... of course.

But wait that's not all. We swung by Old Salem to grab a Moravian Star

just before we got on the road and headed to Ashville to visit the Biltmore for their annual Christmas Tour. What a great ending to a phenomenal Christmas!

The next morning we were so sad to see the Lee's go, but were grateful to enjoy Grandpa and Aunt Natty for a few days more. Which of course involved playing with our new toys

Decorating gingerbread houses

playing with Peter

and swimming at the hotel. Our visitors left us on the year mark of mom's passing. Nothing could be more humbling then remembering how special and sacred the Lord made that entire experience.

You are so greatly missed mom. So greatly missed. However I know you are furthering a great work and can be your best self now. Thanks for still influencing me and being a part of my everyday.

Thanks Aunt Natty and Grandpa for making it such a sweet, memorable and special visit. We can't wait to see you both again in May!

Two short days later we celebrated New Years. You can't ring in the New Year without a bang and with three little ones knew we wouldn't be watching fireworks that night. Sooooo...

We threw a New Years at Noon party with some of Annie and Calvin's friends. We were so glad that the Swensons, Yorgasons, and the Carlson family joined us for a bike parade down the street, pizza and of course the blowing of horns, banging pots and pans and shaking tamborines at noon.

What a simple but memorable even it was.

Thanks Robyn for dressing up all the bikes all "purdie-like"!

Well that's our update up until the New Year....

Including for the curious the Thanksgiving summary.

We had a turkey (a cute one I might add)

And played with our good friends the Wallins and the Nelsons. Thanks Cianne for having us. Everything was D.I.V.I.N.E!

Calvin and Annie loved wrestling with Caleb!

We did count our blessings
And got out some much needed daddy time....

In the ring!

Seriously, this was hilarious to watch. The gloves have to weigh more than the two of them combined!

He's pretty determined...

And these two are just a piece of heaven on earth.

Happy New Years everyone!

halloween on the move

2011-11-19T20:32:00.000-07:00

What an eventful fall it has been! It's a good thing we took off for a break to the Outerbanks when we did since our next vacation is nowhere in sight. Many a thing has been changing for we Richards in North Carolina and I'm not just talking about the leaves (although out here they are gorgeous!) Lots of new and exciting things have been going on in the middle of Halloween activities and madness. So here's our latest catch-up.

My first little baby and little lady started Preschool! Here she is with her principle Marilynn Parker

and her teacher Miss Bullock

Hard to believe, but at the same time so predictable. Annie is always eager to learn and hungry for more. Last year I did a coop Preschool with her, but it wasn't enough for her energy I could tell. I'm amazed by how much happier and enjoyable she is to be around the days she goes to preschool. I love the skills she's acquiring there that will bless her throughout her lifetime, really. She couldn't be happier than she is at Ardmore Methodist Preschool and I'm so grateful we did it.

We love Halloween season around here mostly because it is still warm by the time Halloween rolls around. Averages of 70+ degree days will never get me complaining. One Saturday we set out to pick pumpkins for our Stake Service Activity for the Children's Home. What a gorgeous day this was and what delight it was for my very own pumpkins. Good hard work for a couple of hours rewarded with petting the farm animals

Nobody has better smiles than my boys!

A stable up the street had a Free Children's morning and I couldn't have been happier about it. After two and half years of living here Annie and Cal finally got to ride the beauties we drove past every day. After growing up with horses I can't help but hope my kids get to develop relationships with horses of their own.

I was so impressed with how comfortable Annie was with it.

Calvin, of course was overjoyed!...

and adorable perched on top!

I can't tell you how close I was to asking for a ride myself. All too tempting.

Peter waiting for his turn in the pasture. Sorry pal, maybe in a year or two.

My pensive little Annie in her own little Neverland in the pasture after her ride. I love watching her dream away.

And look at this grin after returning home. Is there any question to whether or not she had a good time? I think she's smiling even bigger over the concept of starting guitar, violin or piano lessons. Yep, she cuaght the "strings"bug after her momma. Still trying to decide what begin with. In the meantime I don't mind her sporting the guitar. This little blondie gets more darling by the second.

There's no better way to warm up for Halloween than by doing everything possible with pumpkins. So why not grab some paint and a brush and get to work? Even Peter liked that concept.

Nobody focuses deeper than my Cal. What a prince.

And my other prince you ask? I don't just have one you know. Well, little Peter is doing so well. His reflux still leaves him spitting up a bit at random times, but at least it's not painful and above all is tapering off. Which means he smiles real big frequently like this: (the biggest smiles any of my children have ever had)

He's really excited you see because he's learned to move. In these pics (taken about 3 weeks ago) he had just barely started creeping around. Now, he's army crawling at incredible speeds. Infact, we call it slithering. My favorite is the "floor fly" or "superman" move he does laying on his belly kicking his feet back and stretching his arms out front.

And then I just think he's adorable beyond measure.

So it was about here in the timeline of things when, what do you know, the owners we had been renting from foreclosed. No need to panic on our end right? We had a contract and besides we only needed to be in a place for nine more months. Two weeks later we got a letter at our front door telling us that the bank would make it worth our while to not only move out, but move out FAST. What do I mean by fast? Two weeks. Yep. We signed a paper and said we'd be out, and in two weeks we were out. Now if only it had been that easy. I will say that it was wonderful having movers help us since this will be our third time moving this year. Internships are short but moving is moving. The minute we decided to relocate I was calling around like crazy. And wouldn't you know it after three days of calling owners, property management companies, and even relators then looking at houses we ended up signing a contract for the perfect home for our situation: the first one Will had called on the first day. Nevertheless, I am so grateful for our new home! And here she is; our humble abode for nine brief months.

Isn't it cute and cozy?!

Why do I love this home? It is a bit cozier than our last, but it is five minutes (or less) from just about everything but the church and Wake Forest which is ten minutes away. The grocery store, the gym, three great parks, Annie's school, the doctor's office, the freeway, downtown, the mall...you name it it's right there.

Not to mention this great fence the owners put in for us. Well, not for us. It's been a non-selling point for them and we were concerned for our kids safety with so much open property on the corner of two fairly busy streets. So, they put up a fence and the kids love it. Clearly, I do too.And yes, it's still warm enough to play outside. Can't beat North Carolina winters.

So these are my boys of unwind hangout after my last day of looking while daddy and Annie were at Cub Scouts. It was one of the last hangouts in their old room in that house on Lauren Woods and I'll never forget how they helped my heart with the urgency of it all. It all of the sudden disappeared and I knew and felt that the Lord was at the helm. How I adore my boys. Who wouldn't with four gorgeous eyes like those gazing up at you.

Sweet Cal catching me on camera since I was catching him. Love this kid. And no, he could not put down the bottle; that was out of the question.

So, the weekend before Halloween we moved. But no worries this momma wasn't going to let relocating rob her children of one of the most anticipated holidays of the year. I refused! So just a few days prior to the big event we got our pumpkins and played on the wagons at our favorite pumpkin patch.

Little did Cal know what he was in for.

It's always a treat to have daddy along for the day!

Then we carved our beauties. What a blast!

And then of course there was the big Halloween party the night of the move! Ever since Austin and our exposure to the Disney Channel and Jake and the Neverland Pirates (thanks to corporate housing), Calvin has been nothing short of infatuated with Captain Hook. So in we walked: the Peter Pan clan.

Mr. Smee and Tinkerbell (in her winter gear of course)

And the star: the stoic Peter Pan himself.

I was going to be Wendy (naturally right?) But Annie insisted I dress up as Tiger Lilly and poor makeshift Hook got out-hooked by some friends of ours, the Keyes. (Good thing he didn't move too that weekend, Calvin was THRILLED to see such an impressive Hook). And we met up with Wendy (and another Peter Pan) afterall.

So we did it, we survived our whirlwind move. The following weekend Will had a final interview. Yep, interview season has begun for the hubby. Which means moving in nine months is more of a reality than something that will eventually sneak up on us. (I calculated it and when we move this summer it'll be move #19 for me since I was 19 years old... crazy!)

Brave, enduring, happy and hopeful Will. I love him so. We celebrated his birthday this month. I would dare say this has been the most demanding and stressful month of his life. Relocating his family, studying for school, interviewing for a job so we can pay off crazy amounts of student loans...the pressure has been on. Nevertheless his faith has never waivered and his smile never faded, however his example has inspired little me. We'll be seeing less of him this year than ever before. Interviews, conferences, lots of credits for both Law and Business School, and eventually studying for the Bar. But that means we treasure his time and attention all the more. (Here I am crossing my fingers he doesn't get viral meningitis this Thanksgiving so we can enjoy him for a couple of days.) Hopefully Thanksgiving we have all the boxes unpacked (almost there) and pictures hung, which in turn means more pictures to post. We truly have great and countless blessings to be thankful for. My heart can always use more humbling, but I will say the Lord has truly made His hand known in our lives. Now if only I could learn to love moving and smile through it all like the man at my side.

So here's to a great up and coming Thanksgiving this little turkey won't want to miss! We'll let you know how it goes and post some pics of the house too.

Oh, by the way. I now have three kids swinging at the park! One of which who can't pump by herself (phew)! Thank heavens, taking turns pushing all three was a chore to keep up with. How precious time flies.... Speaking of flying, I'd say Peter was doing a great job of it.

Big smiles from a treasured happy baby.

just the five of us

2011-10-13T21:07:00.001-06:00

While in Texas a dear friend of ours was good enough to capture our family in photography. Thanks so much Ralphie for making us look so good. Didn't she do a fantastic job?

Kids up close: can't beat it.

My boys and my man: priceless.

I LOVE A in this dress. Too beautiful!

My second crush.....

My mothering moment....

A keepsake forever!

This just makes me want to squeeze my Cal. Sweet thing.

And my dear Will. What a winner.

Not to mention some additional, and incredible shots I might add, from the OBX taken by Akasha.

Loving the fish in the tidepools.

The long jump. Of course Will won!

Sand burials. Could life get any better?

I submit that it cannot.

The Richards, the Balkmans and the Johnsons at Bodie Island.

And these last two sum it all up.

three big letters

2011-10-01T20:27:00.000-06:00

Okay, so I admit it. One thing Austin didn't have were North Carolina beaches. I have yet to be on any beach that beats these. They're right up there with Cancun. The water is warm, the sand is perfect (and clean I might add), lighthouses gorgeous, and the company that we had on our little getaway to the Outerbanks was too good to be true! (Thanks Amanda for contributing to the pics!) Ahhh, the beach!

A couple of weeks ago Will and I were trying to decide exactly where we'd stay in Corolla, the northern most city of the stretch. We hadn't decided on anything and it was getting late so we put the chore to bed. Boy am I glad we did! The very next day Amanda Johnson, our cousin, facebooked me and asked if we wanted to head to the OBX for the very same weekend we had already planned to go. Written in the stars if you ask me. So we did it and had a blast....clearly!

This was our house, Augua Azul. Not right on the beach, but seriously all the houses are so close to the beach which is divine it really is no big deal. It had five bedrooms a hot tub (superb for post beach therapy), a pool, a pool table a grill and some good times with Paul, Amanda, their little ones Andrew and Audrey later joined with their friends Akasha and Geoff and their sweet Aspen and little Camden.

So, what did we do while we were there? A whole lot of this:

and this

In summary, had a great time on the beach! Okay, yes it did rain some. Torrential rains really, but the best part was that they came in the afternoon; right when we had push back lunch enough and when the kids really should've been down for naps. Until then we had some great times in the water and on the sand. So here are a bunch of beach shots, then onto the sight seeing! YAY!
Cal, Andrew, and Annie couldn't love getting dirty more.

The cousins Will and Paul doing what every boy ought to do on a beach: dig!

Dad and the boys digging Peter a swimming pool. Nothing makes him happier than wading in water.

And so he did.

Annie was into making her mud pies. It was an art, very few were allowed to participate in the process.

Who isn't intruiged by numerous dead jellyfish on shore?

Me and my hunny

and my hunnies

my baby hunny

my girls: Akasha and Amanda

and simple fun and love!

For the record: I love boardwalks. Like a lot.

NOTE TO SELF: Next time we take some time in the OBX (spring time anyone?) we shall bring a tent. Yes we shall. Great for lunch, great for naps, great for random rain that may come and go... Even more convenient than having to walk to the house on the beach. An all around winner of an idea.

After our second beach day we knew it was time to see a lighthouse! So we headed down to Bodie Island Light. There's something almost magical about lighthouses wouldn't you agree? So we stayed for a bit and enjoyed it's natural beauty. Unfortunately we didn't make it down to Cape Hatteras Light due to bridge blockage as a result of the hurricane, but alas, I find it a great reason to return!

The next day it was raining from dawn till dusk which gave us ample opportunities to see a couple other great sites in the OBX.

I think it would be considered "Unamerican" to go to the Outerbanks and not visit the Wright Brothers Museum. 'Tis true, the first greatest aviation experiments and successes took place in Kitty Hawk and Kill Devil Hills . Why? The great space for the runways of course! It was fun to read up on the journey they took to make such a breakthrough that had global and generational effects. And of course Calvin was thrilled to marvel at all the airplanes! This one day, trains took the back seat.

Both "the Flyer" and "the Glider" planes

It really was amazing to think about the world and where we would be without the experimentation these brothers dedicated their time to. What would the world be like? What would the gospel be like? Such a modern day luxury I take for granted far too often....(and yes even fear with kids onboard). Yet, better than doing it all by foot, horse, car or even boat right? Truly remarkable in my eyes.

Despite the rain Will and Geoff had an urge to roll around in the wet sands of the tallest Eastern Coast sand dunes at Jockey Ridge State Park. So off they went in their swimsuits to dive in the dunes of the Outerbanks. Meanwhile the kids and I had a blast in the visitors center, indoors mind you, pushing all sorts of buttons, observing all sorts of creatures found in the area and learning about the weather. Seriously, I was impressed by how awesome it was for kids.

The eve of our departure we couldn't take off without some sunset shots to remember this fabulous place by.

We had an incredible half week vacation and were so lucky to spend it with such wonderful people.

On another note:

Yep,

It's true.

My little Annie took those beastly things (oh don't let safety scissors fool you) to her hair. On this side...

...and this side.

Without much regret. In fact, she was thrilled about her masterpiece. I don't blame her for being so excited to cut hair just like Aunt Kim. However, I wanted to laugh and cry hysterically at the same time over this one. It took FOUR YEARS to grow to that length (clearly the longer one) and to be thick enough so I could braid her hair in thirty seconds flat. Those days are over and may not be back for another good six months after those locks grow out again. In the meantime to keep her hair "well-kept" I'll be french braiding two little braids each morning for about fifteen minutes in effort to keep those short hairs hairsprayed and tightly secured .Although, I did love watching her admire herself in the mirror. It really was something that almost had me rolling on the ground. A priceless moment really. I don't know why it took me so long to realize she was serious when she came running down the stairs telling me she had cut her hair (Calvin in the rear reemphasizing the excitement). All I knew was she had taken out her braids and I imagined she was pretending like she always does. And still I didn't catch on when I found little hairs in our soup we had for lunch. I was finding them everywhere. I seriously thought to myself "Is Will balding or something?" Sorry Will, I now know it wasn't you. And for the record he isn't balding. But even when I came up the stairs and found the tuft of hair in the sink it STILL didn't sink in. I thought 'oh, she cut her dolls hair.' Then I looked over at her doll that still had LOTS of blond hair. And then it hit me. GET A CLUE GIRL! SHE TOLD YOU SHE CUT HER HAIR! I couldn't tell from the front because her bangs were still long. I turned her head around to see the sides and the back and sure enough the deed was done. Even better was that they weren't kidding when they were also telling me that she had cut Cal's hair ( a few deep snips off the top) and how they wanted to cut baby Peter's hair. Yeah, hairless baby Peter. The things kids come up with. I will admit I'm entertained by what they accomplish too, even if it does mean detailed hairdressing for time.

And just in closing some pics from the Dan Nicholas Park just south of us in Salsbury. It was great! The four of us and Suzi Pearson and her kids were practically alone and got the park to ourselves on such a gorgeous day. Totally worth a 40 min drive to get these kids smiling as much as they did. Another train ride anyone?

Annie and fun Abby

The Carousel. Cal loved riding the manly lion until half the way through his ride he realized he got jipped because it didn't move up and down. After that realization he was thrilled to be on a horse.

Annie loving her Zebra

"Mining" at the park. Annie was super excited about finding some "gems" in the sand. Kudos to Suzi for helping her enjoy it while mom kept picking Cal up after falling off the benches again and again. :) Never a dull moment.

The grand finale, the splash pad and a picnic lunch. Could life get any better?

I've come to a conclusion. Sun and water = good times. Farewell OBX, hello reality!

how austin stole my heart

2011-09-09T13:03:00.001-06:00

What happened?! The summer internship came and went. We traveled to Austin and back. We worked for Dell and have returned to studentdom. How we miss Texas, the friends we gained and the day to day fun. Seriously. But it is nice to be back home, settled and with our Winston-Salem friends we missed dearly and can't wait to have one last year with. Before we move on with this chapter in our life (job hunting, last school year, the Bar etc.) we don't want to forget the fun we had our last half in Austin. So here's to the memories there along with a list of reasons why we heart Austin....incase we don't get to return. ( sniffle, sniffle) Followed by a last minute trip to Salt Lake summary. Buckle up. Here we go.

PART I: AUSTIN

Every Wed. in the month of June there was a Children's Arts Festival that featured a children's singer/songwriter performance, Austin Symphony music along with crafts and face painting for the kids. Lines for it all were SO long, so we did one or two things each week and still stayed busy...and hot I might add. Can you tell what Annie enjoyed? Isn't she the best little lioness you've ever laid eyes on?

Cal loving the clay he got to play with (and throw of course)

I've decided Cal couldn't look mean if he tried. Grumpy maybe, but not mean.

They ate up the brass music performance. Good thing we found some shade for this one.

There are two down sides to Austin. The red fire ants (believe me, they are MEAN!) and the fact that it doesn't have a temple...yet! So some dear sweet friends of ours watched our kids so we could take a little road trip to San Antonio. The temple there is beautiful, as is the area. It was nice to do sealings with Will (something we never get to do since we switch off watching the kids in NC) and think of my sweet mom. What a special night. Thanks Dixie and Matt!

The next week at the Children's Arts Festival we did everything we could to get ready early so we wouldn't be late for the most popular show of the festival. We didn't know what all the hype was about but soon learned how great the Biscuit Brothers were. Then we learned they have an Emmy Award winning show with Emmy Award winning music on PBS. The kids had a blast! Our car rides are now incomplete if we don't tune into at least one Biscuit Brothers song.

Words cannot describe how valuable this picture is to Annie and Calvin (even though neither of them are smiling, of course). I have to take a moment and feel like a pretty awesome mom for getting this shot!

You can't get enough music in Austin and so we grabbed our picnic blanket and went to one of the Blues on the Green nights at Zilker Park. Held every Wednesday night all summer long. Simply awesome. Nothing beats laying back with your family on a picnic blanket and listening to live music for hours. Oh, how I love these cutie-pies. They had a great time. Who wouldn't?

Showing off how old they are

So love this, too sweet.

We weren't the only ones enjoying the show

While we were gone Peter got hungry. REALLY hungry, and so we started feeding him solids at five months. He had no complaints whatsoever. This little guy is just winding up getting ready to move....scary.

Annie's sweet little friend Eva invited her over to a fantastic cowgirl party. (Of course, we were in TX right?) She loved the petting zoo, more horseback riding, and MORE face painting. What a treat!

Annie and Mommy having a Girls Day

A literal catnap. prrrrrrr.

The sweet big sister she is.

Nobody wants to take care of babies more than Annie.

As crazy as this sounds something that my heart misses almost more than anything is the train that went by numerous times every day about a mile away from our apartment. Sometime's we could see it from a distance and whenever the whistle sounded Cal would stop anything and everything he was doing to run out on the balcony in hopes of seeing it. We would drive right along side of it for 20 min. every Sunday on the way to church and the kids would try to count the cars. My boy gained a great LOVE for trains while out here. So naturally we had to go Zilker Zypher ride.

This great little train rides around Zilker Park every hour and takes the kids through a tunnel, over water and through the park. Talk about a kid's dream come true. Especially with snow cones just before you depart the station. Unfortunately bees like the snow cones too....okay a lot. Annie found that out the hard way. Poor girl!

Cal proudly wearing his red snowcone dye.

Annie being brave after her first bee sting.

I think it's safe to say both of my boys were thrilled about the ride.

Sadly though the train had to go to bed after we took it's last ride of the day. I've never seen Cal so concerned about something in his life.

Grandpa?!

What a treat! Grandpa Wilson joined us for one short, but sweet day in Austin. Too bad he spent a fair share of it looking for my phone on the blazing hot highway. I was smart enough to have left it on the car and then drove off. Miracle or miracles, we not only found it but it only lost it's back. Dad if you aren't good luck I don't know who is! Thanks for stopping by!

Grandpa's visit wasn't the only great treat we enjoyed!

World class doughnuts aren't bad by the pool either. Good thing the kids can eat them for me!

Making wishes by the fountain at the Premium Outlet Mall. Can't believe it was only SEVEN minutes away from where I lived. Can this PLEASE be in my future?

The UT Blanton Art Museum had a Children's Day to participate in some arts and crafts followed by some art museum browsing of our own. I LOVE that my kids LOVED being there. This city is bursting at the seams with CULTURE!

SILLY SILLY mustaches. These two could not get over how hilarious they looked with these on. Thanks to sweet Ralphie for taking some sweet shots of our little family before we took off. I simply couldn't allow us to leave Austin without getting some getting some pics taken. Can't wait to see them!

Ahhhhhhh. One last day date with Will in Austin. I laughed hysterically when after typing in Mount Bonnell into the GPS it took us to the peak of Austin's highest point, 775 feet above sea level.

The hike down and up again was great though. And you can't tell me that a house off of Town Lake wouldn't be a sweet deal. Especially if you could wakeboard like Will does.

Venice Texas style. Agreed?

One last visit to Whole Food headquarters downtown. I found myself here a lot and didn't mind it one bit. The place is simply amazing to anyone who likes food. And if you like healthy food? Well let's just say it leaves you feeling like you've died and gone to heaven.

This great state's great Capitol. I couldn't have chosen a better city to represent our countries biggest state myself.

How could we have loved it here so much and not say thanks? The kids couldn't wait for dad to come home from his last day and see this from our apartment balcony.

Lastly, the clubhouse for our apartment. I have to admit waving goodbye to this place left a tear in my eye. That surprised me since I typically am a very flexible, adventurous girl. But then again it is Austin.

So why did we love Austin so much? SO many people have asked me that while I was away and since I've returned. I've come to accept that if I don't live in Utah I won't have two things: family and the mountains. However, here it seems this place has nearly everything else. So here's a couple of lists that spell it out, and for me strike a chord. I couldn't help jot these all down for fond memory sake as well.

Practical reasons

affordable living costs
phenomenal schools
great weather most of the year (we were there for record high temps and still loved it)
great diversity
genuinely kind people
farmers markets
family friendly
bike and runner friendly- TONS OF TRAILS!
community friendly
eco-friendly....yep EVERYTHING friendly
easy to get around
LOVE the access roads(TX thing)
great law enforcement
the most time it took me to get anywhere was 30 min.and I lived in Round Rock, a suburb to Austin.

FUN reasons

LIVE MUSIC and lots of it(www.unlockaustin.com ,one of my favorite websites)
LOTS of trails: running, biking hiking
ZILKER PARK: Canoeing and Kayaking,Blues on the Green, train rides,outdoor plays, natural springs pool, outdoor volleyball tournaments, nature center...COULD A PARK OFFER MORE?
festivals, festivals, festivals (chocolate, music, art, culture...you name it they have a festival for it)
you can't eat bad food here, you simply can't. The trailer foods were awesome.
fun free family activities (www.freefuninaustin.com, www.littleaustinite.com, also great)
splash pads, pools and lakes everywhere to beat the heat when it's HOT
LOTS of great shopping. There's support for local businesses ("Keep Austin Weird")PLUS most of the chain stores from both coasts meet in the middle here in it's suburbs. Not to mention Great Outlets and IKEA (yes this is a great reason)
great Children's Museum
trains that go by everyday, oh how Cal misses them!
Chuy's Tex Mex

Despite all of these WONDERFUL reasons why I've eaten up my time here and loved every bite of it, I know the Lord will take us where he wants us to go. Whether it be Seattle, Cincinnati, Chicago, Pheonix, Austin, New York, San Fran or Dallas I'm so proud of Will, where's he's already taken us and where he has yet to take us. What a hard working family man. I couldn't love him more. If not Austin something and somewhere else that we will love. Bravo Will, here's to where ever we land.

PART II : SALT LAKE CITY
I think one of the craziest things our family has ever done (and I made Will promise that we'd never do it again) was pack our apartment, clean our apartment, drive four hours north to Dallas, park our car with ALL of our summer belongings in it, miss a flight to catch a free one a few hours later, fly to Pheonix then fly to Salt Lake all in ONE day with ALL THREE KIDS. Why we chose to do that the hard way I know not, but we survived and better yet it was worth it.
Our time in Salt Lake was truly special and needed. Returning to family is always special and rewarding. Here are some of the highlights of our two week break before returning to reality.

Nothing like a four generations picture at a birthday party. Love you great grandpa!
And Happy Birthday Preston!

And Kim. Nothing beats a boating birthday bash! Good call!

Even if it is your birthday and you're the one getting trashed on the tube.

Can I just say how much I love seeing my kids in life vests? Seriously, it warms my heart.

Love the cheeks!

One of the first days I was in Salt Lake a group of my high school girl friends got together for an afternoon at Red Butte Gardens with our little munchkins. How GREAT it was to see all you ladies...

....and meet all your little ones

Cal and second cousin Peter just kickin it.

Followed by a place close to my heart...

Ensign Peak has great significance on both sides of our family since

1. Will was named after his Great Grandfather Willard Richards who climbed this peak with his cousin

Brigham Young for the first time declaring it an "Ensign to the Nations".

2. The preservation of this Mormon Historic Site became a huge part of my father's life when I was about ten years old. Since then my dad has become the Chairman of the Mormon Historic Sites Foundation and a key player in improving and preserving historic sites including Kirtland Ohio and creating monuments all around the world honoring early Latter-day Saints who sacrificed greatly for the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. In any case I thought why not just have a combined Family Home Evening and hike the peak. And so we did and had dad give us the whole story of the peaks history and significance. A YSA ward was hiking the peak at the same time so he not only did a presentation for us but for them as well.

Calvin and Grandpa Wilson were companions the whole hike up.

The Wilson Grandkids enjoying the view from the top.

Annie and Grandma Richards. We're so glad she came!

The Wilson clan

Ahh the mountains!

We couldn't go to Salt Lake with out visiting someone very specail, my mother. It was the first time I visited her gravesite since her headstone was made and put in place. It was special to see and recall all the tender mercies bestowed upon my family and me during her last days here on earth. I told the kids some of my favorite stories of her and we left some red roses for the queen of red. Every time we drove past her grave going along 11th Avenue on the way up to Grandpa Wilson's house Annie would wave and say "There it is! There's Grandma's grave! Hi Grandma!" How nice it is that it's so close to my parents home. It just feels like it ought to be that way.

Hiking around in Brighton. Seriously, how could one not absolutely fall in love with Utah?

How great it was to just have some down time with the family.

Loved being with you Samanda. It was so great to see so much of you two!

Sweetie pie Beckham. I'm in love with his little smile.

Doesn't Annie make riding on Uncle Dave's shoulders look like an absolute party?

Reading scriptures with Grandma, a favorite.

Dear, dear Anna. Someday we'll live near one another.

Annie and Luke are always so at home with each other. Annie always knows Luke will be eager and willing to dance with her. Talk about a great cousin!

Cal finding his appropriate dress ups. He looks like he's meant for the job, wouldn't you agree?

All the nieces and nephews pile up on Uncle Dave.

And Aunt Natty...naturally.

We can't go to Aunt Jacque's without feeding the horses.

Good times with great cousins!

The boys.

Why would I not be in love with my son when he smiles like that?

Gardening with Grandma while mom and dad slept in. Thanks Grandma!

We all ventured down to Provo for a day an meet a family he baptized in Spain. What sweet members they are. Look at how happy he is to see them! He couldn't have been more proud of them.

Lastly, we had a great get together with Janie and Ben and newly married Brandon. Too bad we couldn't talk through the night. We always could with this crowd.

The dads and the happy and the sad Peters. Good for Ben he's got the happy one!

Upward and onward as they say. Onto new findings in this, our last year. It's a great and exciting time. Come what may, let's love it!

half time in austin

2011-07-12T17:19:00.001-06:00

Crazy! This is the best feeling ever: guiltless blogging. It's been well over a month since I posted anything despite the fact that we've had some major changes going on in our lives, and yet I have no regrets. Why? We have been loving every moment here in Austin!! How absolutely thrilled and grateful we are that Will got his internship for this summer in the Finance department at Dell.

And since our future permanence here is questionable we have to squeeze in every drop of fun into our schedules. In reality that's impossible.There is so much to do as a family, as a couple and lots of it is for free. In other words, yes, I totally can see myself here. Aside from the fact that the city has TONS of just about everything I'm interested in and love (live and amazing music, cycling, running, horseback riding, year round outdoor tennis, etc.) it's a wonderful place for families. I could go on and on about it. But instead, here's the little and big events of our day to day lives along with what we've been able to squeeze into our first half of our stay out here with Dell.

Grandpa Richards was brave to venture out with Will and the kids on the drive out here while Peter and I flew. They stopped at a couple places on the way but for the most part breezed through the mid-east on a long hour two day trip until finally they arrived here in Round Rock. A great three bedroom apartment awaited them along with a wonderful pool! You can imagine how thrilled the kids were to finally get in the pool! You can also imagine how sad they were to swap Grandpa for mommy at the airport. Sorry kids,thanks Grandpa!

Cal has a twin bed here and fell out of it each night for about the first two weeks. Somewhere between 3 and 6 am he would always come into our room and curl up on our chair. Sweet thing.

About a week into our stay we had our first visitor, one of our dearest friends Alden. He and Will could let such a great visit pass without watching some good soccer. Soooo wish we had more time with him. But how thrilled we are to see him again in just a couple of weeks when he and his Emily and Camille move out here! YES! How we hope to join them next year!

It only took two weeks of sweaty napping before I'd had it with Cal's hair. Will is now the proud father of his buzzed son. How relieved I was for Cal! Well done Will.

We made sure to think of Grandma Wilson on memorial day only wishing we could've seen her beautiful new headstone in person. She's an angel in our day to day lives though. It's amazing how close she feels at times.

We've loved trying out the good eats and live music. You walk downtown and music is bursting at the seams! I love it! Why all cities don't do this, I know not, but in the meantime I'm eating it up!

Peter turned THREE MONTHS! Our baby boy still has occasional tummy troubles but again, his Probiotic has been an amazing answer to prayer. It's wonderful to see him smile and play as he does. He loves his siblings and they love him. His favorite activity at this age? Swimming in the tub.

Aunt Natty arrived! It was only two weeks after being here when my dear sister came to join us for a week. We had such a great time discovering the territory together....along with a lot of other events, but we won't get into that :). Where to start?

There were the daily visits to the pool which never grew old. Especially with Calvin's ambition. He and Annie are always a riot to watch.

Can't get enough of a happy Peter. That smile makes my day and melts my heart!

Naturally we made a point to visit the Premier Outlets, not once but twice. Who wouldn't with them being a mere seven minutes away! And of course the first visit with the kids didn't do the opportunity justice. I've got to admit, having the Outlets accessible has been a treat!

What a blast these two had camping out on the blowup mattress for the week so Aunt Natty could have a room. I'm pretty sure that whole week passed without them going to sleep anywhere near bedtime.

The Science and Nature Center visit was amusing to say the least, but a good time for the kids. They couldn't get over the stuffed bear out front and loved looking at everything brought inside from nature through a magnifying glass. Gotta get me one of those!

Natalie treated Will and I to a night out, our first one since our arrival to the area. How did we spend it? Going into Austin to see Earth Wind and Fire at Austin City Limits. Seriously, that was a sight to see. I've gotta give it to them, as old as they are they still have got their groove on. I think I laughed more than anything!

Road trip! The next day we headed down south to San Antonio for the kids first trip to Sea World. Austin heat is bearable....S.A. heat...not so much. But despite the killer weather we crammed all that we could into our day and had a great time. Okay, so Annie didn't appreciate Shamu splashing her, but that aside, it was a success.

Even Elmo and his pals showed up at Sea World. Calvin was ecstatic and I was certain Annie was going to wet her pants when she got a picture with Zoe. She came back dry from that moment, but boy did it make her grin from ear to ear.

Nuts! Goodbye?We hate goodbyes! Especially when it's Aunt Natty. We were so sad to see you go Nat, but we were so grateful you'd dare stay with us in a new home in a new city. I bet you're glad to have some peace and quite again.

We'll interupt it from time to time with a phone call!

Trying to deal with Aunt Natty withdrawals we headed to the Austin Children's Museum with some friends. (How great it was to get out of the heat!) This is by far the best Children's Museum I've been to. It's so big with such a great variety of things for the kids to do. Two hours passed and it felt like a half hour. Calvin could not stop watching the train that went around and around on the track overhead.

And Annie had a blast with the dress ups.

Thanks Arren and Mia for joining us. Wasn't it awsome?!

That weekend we met up with some friends from Salt Lake who are now converted "Austinites" as they call it. Madelynn and Cody Roberts took us on a private tour of the city and it's hot spots. They even swung us past Dennis Quaids home! We ended up swimming at Barton Springs Pool, a 3 acre pool from, you guessed it natural springs. It's about 65 degrees which sounds cold, but is so refreshing in the Texas heat. Such a great Saturday activity!

Then we went and grabbed some trailer food, one of Austin's hallmarks, and loved every bite of it. Honestly those were some amazing crepes. And from a trailer nonetheless, who would've thought? Cody and Madeline, thanks for showing us the back roads and giving us the inside scoop. Since then it's been hard to fall out of love with Austin.

The next day was Father's Day. Lucky me got to speak in church about how blessed I am to be married to the greatest man on earth. Will, thank you for honoring the Priesthood as you do and for being an exceptional father to our three little darlings! They each adore you. You are so good to comfort Annie when she's afraid, wrestle Calvin when he needs to get all his energy out (okay, that's a constant), and you know all the little secrets to putting our baby Peter's heart at ease. Above all you love the Lord in action and word and bless our home so much because of it.

Annie and Call were excited to help with finger painting projects for daddy along with wrapping a few presents. (Again, the outlets came in handy :))

Not only have the outlets been conveniently and insanely close, but and IKEA ("the big yellow and blue store") as well. This I have no problems with. Will might. But it was so great to drive down the street and FINALLY get to participate in my first Midsommer celebration since my return from Sweden, even if it was at IKEA. The smorgasbord was awesome, especially the desserts. And what's Midsommers without strawberries and cream?

Take a look at Cal in his yellow and blue! Patriotic, you might say! And of course he devoured his knackebrod with butter. Who wouldn't?

Ahhhh marzipan, how I love thee...let me count the ways.

Sweden, I miss you terribly. In the meantime I'll take what I can get...with some ABBA music in the background....naturally.

Shortly thereafter Dell treated us to a baseball game at none other than the Dell Diamond. It was great getting to know Will's co-workers, enjoy a night out with the fam, and watch the kids run up and down the grassy hill. How sad they were that the mascots couldn't be on the field all the time. But the big rocking chairs made up for it!

And so it went, another month. The first weekend of July was a weekend of fours. Peter turned four months on the 1st, Annie turned four on the 2nd and two days later we celebrated the Fourth of July.

I can't believe how much my baby is growing! We've decided he's a hybrid: Calvin's face with Annie's body. Crazy combo, but so it is and still he melts my heart. I don't think he'll walk as early as Annie did (definitely praying for that), but is certainly more agile than Calvin was at this age. He loves social interaction. Don't ever think about leaving him out of a party! This kid likes to be at the table for all meals and hates to go to a different room for naps. And more specifically he loves touch. No boy has ever smiled so big as he does when you simply hold his hands. Love it! So here are some pics of my four month old dream boat. And yes, I have a crush on all the boys in our little Richards family.

Our darling little Annie turned FOUR! What a sweet little miss she is. It's bizarre to think she'll be starting at a formal preschool in September, two short months away, but I'm certain she will love all aspects of it. Even crazier is seeing how much she reminds me of, well....me, at this age. She pulls the exact same faces in the mirror, chews on her blanket (still), loves balls, loves to run, sings to fill in silent moments, makes up her own songs, laughs at just about everything, and even sleeps upside down on her bed when she can't go to sleep. Me to a tee. Scary!

Annie Beth here's why we love, and simply could not do without, YOU:

You are a peacemaker. You always want to help us all be happy and get along. If Peter's crying you comfort him. If Calvin's grumpy you try to cheer him up. If mom or dad are upset you try to calm us down. Thanks for putting big smiles on all our faces.
You sing...always! In the car, at the table, in your bed, while your doing puzzles, looking at books, in the bike trailer, on walks....your sweet little voice fills the air and is so delightful to hear.
You are very aware of people's relationships to others. Husband and wife, kids to parents, aunts and uncles and grandparents. You're always trying to pinpoint others relationship to you and those around you. I can't wait for you to find your "Prince" and love that relationship as you admire it between others now.

We had a celebration in Winston before we left, but we did manage to do some extra birthday shopping. Annie finally got Zingo (a cousin favorite) and best of all a new scooter. Pink even. I think there was some divine intervention on that one :). Happy Birthday Annie! We love you dearly.

Technically, our anniversary was in mid June, but due to a heavy work week for Will, we postponed the celebration. Quite frankly, I'm so pleased we did. Will surprised me with a great Saturday morning kayaking on Lake Austin. The first time we'd left Peter with a babysitter and I have to admit, it was liberating. Happy SIX YEARS Will. I love you to pieces!

And if that wasn't enough to fall in love with Will all over again, the Fourth of July gave me good reason too. Nothing flamboyant really, I just loved being with him and watching him interact with the kids. He loved being with them and they were eating up his attention. He stole my heart all over again. Seriously, money cannot buy those moments.

We started with a morning at the Round Rock Fourth of July parade with our fellow intern family the Christensens.

How we love them! Braden and McKenna adore Annie and Cal and vice versa and Jared and Kari Ann have become the greatest of friends. We practically are eachother's shaddows. It's nice to relate the intern experience with someone else.

Later that day we went to enjoy the festivities at Old Settler's Park five minutes from our complex. No fireworks for Austin, we're in a drought here, but we did enjoy the horseback riding.

Why would I not be in love with this man?!

Before I move on I have to say something about these pics of Peter. Same shirt, same place, same angle as Fourth of July pics I have of Cal when he was two months old in '09. Other than the Annie shaped head...they look identical!!! Sorry, I know that's a total mommy moment, but really it's almost creepy to me.

Last but certainly not least was our most recent weekender, a visit from our friends from Dallas, the Webbers. Annie and Raegan are practically two peas in a pod and we couldn't let them visit without a good date in the city and some fun in the sun. We went to an awesome restaurant with live music (Chris Hawkes, really liked his stuff) and got some great custard. Yum. The next day we went to a nearby waterpark (again five minutes away) and soaked in the sun for some last moments with our dear friends.

Curt and Carla, we love and miss you already. We can hardly wait to see your neck of the woods. Thanks for making the journey down to Austin to see us!

On to more fun and more sun while we can in BELOVED AUSTIN!

for pete's sake!

2011-05-22T21:13:00.004-06:00

Meet Peter.

This poor little guy. If you're just catching up with us now please read the last six or seven posts below because for the past two months this little boy (who is well worth it) has occupied a lot of our time and energy and SOOOO MUCH has been going on and we haven't posted it all until now. The poor thing was in a LOT of pain since he came home from the hospital. He couldn't spit up and wouldn't burp either after feedings and so he would just scream. Scream and scream and cry and scream.

No position, sound or anything would soothe him enough or consistantly with the exception of a bath, and you know how unrealistic it would've been to give him a bath for two months straight. At first we thought it was reflux. We tried the meds (all of them), they didn't work. Then we thought it was just Colic, my pediatrician was convinced it was only that and I just needed to wait it out. But Peter was in SOOO much pain! I knew it wasn't just that. Then I thought he was lactose intolerant or had another milk allergy so I went off dairy for two weeks, but still he was so uncomfortable. Finally, seeing no change in his comfort levels and knowing we would be moving in mid- May, I decided to get him into a GI specialist and boy am I glad I did! He listened to me tell him what had been going on, checked Peter out and then unleashed the mystery. He told me that Peter didn't just have one thing going on but THREE! He does indeed have reflux, colic AND a type of ischemia in his rectum which made it so that instead of his muscles relaxing when he needed to dirty his diapers, they would contract. About 5-10 percent of babies have this condition. NO WONDER my little baby was screaming all day, every day for two months straight! The good news is that all three of those things should ware off. Annie had reflux as well and it faded off as she became more active and upright, so I'm hopeful in that regard. Colic they say peaks at 8 weeks ( I have to admit that was almost my cracking point) and now we're at 11 weeks old. And the Ischemia should be gone between three and four months of age. The bad news was that the doctor couldn't give me anything for any of them. Yes there were reflux medicines but none of them (not even the strongest) were alleviating any pain. After to talking with SO many doctors, nurses and moms about what could possibly help my poor baby (and yes our sanity levels) a friend of mine suggested using a probiotic, something a doctor had previously labeled as "hocus pocus". I was desperate, nothing more and so I gave it a go and let me say this PROBIOTICS ARE NOT HOCUS POCUS!! They have given me every reason to think that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Seriously for over a month I wondered if I would ever see me child do something other than scream while he was awake, or sleep (if we could get him to sleep). In using the probiotic, I not only discovered that my little Peter could be content, but that he could actually SMILE. I've been using the probiotic for two weeks now and still, when I see his eyes light up and a smile spread across his face, it brings me to tears. I really didn't know when or if I would see that. And believe you me, when I forget to give him some probiotic, I pay big time. Thank you Becky for bringing sanity back into my life (as well as my family's) in suggesting a probiotic. Now, if you don't mind I'd like to show-off my sweeter Peter in the pictures below: all pictures of him content or smiling. Truly miraculous to me.I

Is he not unbelievably sweet?

Hangin' with his bro

Big sis Annie. She really is the best big sister a child could ask for.

Love this one! Hilarious!

Loving Peter, now that they can interact with him. All three of them can enjoy it. Yeah!

THERE IT IS! LOOK AT HIM BEAM! THERE IS NO GREATER FORM OF THERAPY FOR A MOTHER....I AM CONVINCED!

OH LOOK! THERE IT IS AGAIN! BEAUTIFUL!

AND AGAIN!

Snuggly and loving it. We're not 100% yet, but we're sure on track to getting there. Oh how I love you Peter. I'm so sorry it's been so hard. As a friend told me "You'll never remember it, and I'll never forget it." It was quite a challenging road for us all, but you are worth it. We love you so much. We're glad your here. And now, we're glad you're happy. Isn't smiling fun? Let's do it more often, okay? Done deal.

For now, let's do some of this just because we can.

a super surprise

2011-05-22T21:13:00.003-06:00

It's May, and technically our little Annie won't be celebrating her birthday for another month and a half, but we decided to give her a BIG surprise. Since we'll be away for the summer and Annie won't know kids very well by the time it's her birthday her daddy had the best idea: throw her a surprise birthday party! That's just what we did....the day before we moved.

This lucky gal had thirteen of her fun friends come and surprise her well before her real birthday. It was somewhat tricky since what was supposed to be and all outdoor swim party was rained out and it turned into an indoor games and chaos (but fun) celebration.

The sun did come out just in time for cupcakes and icecream (something I'd call "divine intervention") and so we all took it outside and sunbathed a bit while eating our birthday treats.

We love you Annie! Can't wait to celebrate with you again, in another month and half.

That party will be a little bit more undercontrol....but clearly not as much fun. :)

big birthday for my big boy

2011-05-22T21:12:00.005-06:00

Doesn't this picture say it all. What's not to love about that kid!

May 7th was a big day for my big boy. (Big in size, not age mind you). This little fella turned TWO! It's crazy to think he's already that old. Let's see if this year turns out to be terrible or not shall we Cal. Knowing you you'll make things....interesting.

This boy loves trains! So mom and dad sweat bullets pumping this baby out before your guests arrived. We forgot the popcorn smoke, but other than that we thought it turned out alright. It was super fun to make and boy, Cal, did your sissy love it! You were more careful than I've EVER seen you be with food. How amusing it was to see Annie choose the engine and you choose the caboose. It really was quite symbolic.

Sister and Brother Burgess (your nursery leaders), Carol, Kristen, Dustin (all neighbors), and Ashley Koch (your adopted god-mother) all came to celebrate you! Opening presents was very serious business to you. You got some great gifts and new exactly what to do with all that wrapping paper.

I've decided that nobody gets cheesier than you, and quite frankly.. I love it.

Here are some other reasons I love you:

your always good for a hug and a kiss
you're always willing to say you're sorry
nobody can dance or gallop like you
you're unbelievably organized and tidy
you adore your sister
you are adorable when you wake up with messy hair
you use vibrato when you sing
you're your father's son, a techy
you love books
you go to sleep with at least one car in hand
you double check with us that you are in the right time-out spot, you sit down and then cry.
you love Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
you're a tender heart
you jam out with me in the car
you can barely squeeze your chubby square feet into your footsie pjs.
any ball or anything resembling a ball you throw
you are so eager to help
you always let us know when you're "appy".
you still let me hold you and love it.

Happy Birthday Cal! We wouldn't be complete without you. Remember that!

one year down, much more to go

2011-05-22T21:12:00.003-06:00

Annie was truly blessed this year to be in a co-op preschool group with some of her friends. Each week they got together as one of us mommies taught them a lesson on teddy bears, penguins, transportation, apples, the gingerbread man or something else that related to holidays seasons or the world around us. The week before we took off for Austin was Annie's last day with little little Paul, Parker, Coleson, and her best pal Olive. She had a wonderful graduation at her favorite park, Hathaway Park where the kids played games, made visors, played in the sprinklers and were presented certificates for graduating from their first year of preschool. Congratulations Annie! You've learned so much this year thanks to some incredible moms. It was a wonderful experience teaching you and I hope you enjoyed learning with your friends as much as I loved watching you grow. Some of the things you learned about this year were : Fall, apples, your body, teddy bears, the farm, birds, snowmen, Halloween, the Gingerbread man, Christmas, penguins, Valentine's Day, transportation, butterflies, emotions, and Zoo Animals.

running in the sprinkler

what a great looking hat!

Best buds: Olive and Annie

The whole team. You kids get along sooooo well.

Ahhh, the shy lovebirds Annie and Coleson as they get ready for a dance at the park. Now that's romantic!

Mommy presenting Annie her with her certificate! Well done Annie Beth! You're daddy and I are SO VERY PROUD OF YOU!

an especially special easter

2011-05-22T21:12:00.000-06:00

I love Easter! I think it is the most refreshing holidays there is to celebrate! This year we got to celebrate with some special friends, the Webbers before they take off for Texas for good. Maybe we'll join you. For this summer at least.

Annie and Raegan are like two peas in a pod, it was a blast to watch them dye eggs and go egg hunting together. Raegan what will our little Annie do without you?

Dad's helping the girls out while "the Easter Bunn(ies)" set up the Easter egg hunt.

Take a look at those beauties!

Good morning Cal! Let the hunt begin!

Oh and take a look at this heart breaker. Wouldn't want a party without him. We love you Cameron.

I have never seen Calvin SOOO focused in my life. How I loved watching these little ones find their treats!

Celebrating the findings.....

Or just porch sitting. Both are great

Annie and Cal got something special in their baskets this year. They each got a copy of the painting Aunt Anna did of Grandma Wilson to put by their bedside.

How we celebrate Christ at Easter knowing that there is not only hope, but a hereafter and miraculous one at that. Mom, we love you so much and hope you felt our love and support as you fought SOOO hard all the years you remained here. How relieved I am for you now. Thanks to the Savior you went from fighting this.....

to enjoying this.....

Some people use the phrase "I lost my mother" or " I lost my father" after parent or loved one has passed. Mom, I feel like you have been FOUND.

Now that you can PLAY HARD! PLAY HARD!

much love,

your Wendy

special visits, special day, special boy

2011-05-22T21:11:00.000-06:00

It's the middle of May and I can hardly believe it for many reasons. First of all we had a great start to the month of Aprilwith an AMAZING General Conference, my birthday and most special of all Peter's blessing. My incredible sister Jacque and her sweet daughter Nakina came out with Grandpa Wilson just a few days before. What a treat! It was great to enjoy the fresh blossoms warm weather for a day in Historic Old Salem. Poor Grandpa got more than he bargained for: a child hanging on each leg, soaking up every minute of his presence.

Of course it was a bonus to have and aunt and a cousin along, especially one that would join Annie at dance class. What more could a little girl ask for?

The following day we were greeted with MORE visitors. What a party of a weekend! Liz and Preston came with sweet Kim (a special treat.) What's a visit to Winston-Salem without a meal at Sweet Potatoes and a good swim at the hotel? We did just that and had an absolute blast!

Saturday we fulfilled Annie's month long special request: a trip to the doughnut factory with BOTH grandpas! After all Krispy Kreme was born in this town, Annie and Cal had never been and it was a great way to celebrate our togetherness.

The best part about this stop was Cal feeding Grandpa Wilson the doughnuts. It was a fun game up until when taking a bite Gramps bit Cal's finger. I have to admit, as my son was in complete tears I was trying sooo hard not to laugh hysterically. Kim you've gotta pass on those pics. I bet they're hilarous! Dad, thanks for being Cal's companion for the weekend. It was sweet watching you with "Little Will".

The next day was Peter's big day: the baby blessing. Will gave a beautiful blessing to this new little boy of ours. It really was so meaningful to name him and hear what was said to him. Thank you Will for being worthy to bless our family in so many ways like this through the Priesthood! It truly was a treasure.

Thanks again to my gal Courtney Mc Naught who took these pics the day of.

The Wilson side

So grateful to have baby brother!

the Priesthood

the boys (aka future Priesthood)....LOVE this pic. Do you not?

the love-struck momma

proud pappa

grateful parents

the loyal cousin

We had a great time with the Wilson side before they had to take off (sniff, sniff). Especially Peter. Things haven't been the same since you left. (no kidding, Annie constantly asks me to do her hair like you did Jacque. Oh, how will I measure up?!)

The Richards hung around for the next couple of days, and boy are we glad they did! Grandpa may have felt differently having to chase the kite, but at least it was humorous.

As is this:

Can't get enough of these pics!

Can you tell my kids LOVE their Aunt Kim? (not Kimmy, not Kimmy)

A visit to the park was a great way to end their stay. So sad to see them go! I HATE parting with visitors!

Thanks for your hugs and kisses, patience and kindness and your willingness to put up with us for the entire weekend. Let us know when you've forgotten how tricky it can be and come visit again!

And until then, Cal's gonna drink some serious milk. :)

in honor of her

2011-05-08T14:27:00.000-06:00

dear mom,

thank you for guiding my footsteps

finding the joys of life when they may have been hard to find

being such a supportive wife to dad

loving the Lord

and simply loving me

we celebrate you today wherever you may be.

much love,
your Wendy

Many a blogpost is missing and I hope to catch up this upcoming week. We love our little Peter, but he's been considerably uncomfortable since his arrival here to earth. Needless to say my hands have been full as Will was in finals of his third year in the JD/MBA program and we're getting ready to move to Austin for the summer. I'd say I've been a slacker with recording all that's been going on, but I'm exhausted and I can't bring myself to say I haven't been working hard enough. I'm doing all I can for you little Peter. How I love you and hope you start feeling better these next few weeks. Thanks for letting me be your mommy. Annie and Calvin your unconditional is so refreshing. How I treasure your smiles. Will, you're unbelievable beyond measure, thanks for being so compassionate and loving. much love to you all.

these two

2011-03-30T22:35:00.002-06:00

......crack me up. Seriously, each day they come up with something funnier than they did the day before. Whether it's something they've said or created or make up, I can't get enough of their day to day.
The latest and greatest from tweedle-dee and tweedle-dum.

A: "Momma, when I grow down I'll be a beautiful baby just like Peter!"
both of them pretending to eat popcorn while sitting on A's bed as mommy and daddy sing them a goodnight song
C's roaring like a lion very much resembling the bear growl Mogli give Baloo the bear on Jungle Book
A insisting that C wear his hooded towel everywhere so he can be Joseph and she can be Mary...yes in March
If ever you want C to say the name of something or someone he doesn't say the word he just gives the sound effect...so boy. (eg. M: say "food" C: "mmmmm")
When A tells you an idea she has she ends with the phrase "or something"then scrunches her nose to the left.
C's love for waving. Including to his rain boots that have eyes on the toes and to his picture of Jesus when he goes down for a nap or for the night.
A thanks Heavenly Father for individual letters
C thinks every letter is "B"
both of them clapping and congratulating Peter after each feeding
A announcing with great pride that she can finally say the word "hospital" (she's been working on that one since I delivered Peter)
jamming out to Viva la Vida with Cal in the car
C bringing me a bottle of canola oil from the pantry shouting "juice!"
A letting us know that her baby is taking a nap (again) because it threw up (again).
C walking in our bedroom in the morning with his footie PJ's around his ankles; his way of letting us know he needs a diaper change.
A asking where each article of clothing she is wearing came from. Then her wanting to call and thank the people who gave her clothes as gifts.
C using his adorable vibrato to sing "Twinkle Twinkle"
A (the Pres. of the No Boys Allowed Club) announces that C will be baptized by John the Baptist and she will be baptized by Jane the Baptist.

These two have become....

These three....

HAPPY ONE MONTH BABY PETER

WE LOVE YOU SO

Thanks to our friend Courtney Mc Naught for the great pics! You did a beautiful job!

ode to grandma

2011-03-17T13:31:00.002-06:00

Well, what can I say? It's been two wonderful weeks since our little Peter entered our lives. Miraculously, we're keeping our heads above water. We are surviving three children despite my last minute fears hours before I went into labor that they would take us over and turn me into a monster. Well, the monster statement, that's debatable, but we do love having a new little spirit in our home and are able to enjoy him more than fret over the question 'how will we ever manage?' Although the first few days home that question was actually running through our minds more than we had expected since poor little Peter didn't sleep very well. Of course that meant we didn't sleep well, if at all, and that was with Grandma Richards in town. What would we do without her?! Quite frankly, I don't know that we would've survived without her here for the first week. So Liz, this post is for you, (sorry for the delay on posting pictures) super grandma!

Not only did she get on a plane the minute she heard I was in labor, but she cooked, cleaned, watched the kids, took us shopping, let Will and I have a date, took a turn with baby each LONG night, and came bearing gifts. This is the quilt she made little Peter which I absolutely love.

I couldn't believe how helpful she was in both the great and little things. The day she left just may have been one of the scariest days of my life. But somehow, someway we're doing quite well. Peter only had two sleepless nights which was a HUGE relief to me... I was terrified that he had reflux like Annie and thought I may be in for reliving a nightmare. So far so good. He eats well, sleeps well, loves his siblings hanging over him and kissing him nonstop and even stayed silent our first week back at church.

Of course, we wouldn't be doing as well as we are without the great support of our wonderful friends out here. Thanks to everyone who has watched our kids, made a meal (or two), brought us gifts or simply came to visit. All are so meaningful and have made all the difference.
So what's this little look like now? Here are the pics I promised Grandma! How we love and miss you and can't wait to have you back for the Baby Blessing! Nobody could be more thoughtful and sweet and above all more empathetic having lost a parent yourself just a few months before your own third child (Will) was born. I'll never forget how good you've been to us. Thank you for your time, your prayers (you witnessed how badly we needed them) and most importantly your love.

Annie and Cal both can't get enough of their little brother. Annie came up to me the other day and said "But mom, we can have a little girl tomorrow", with the biggest grin on her face. If she had it her way I'd bring home a new baby everyday! She loves to lay next to him and kiss and hug him constantly. When I tell her to give him some space she just says "But mom, I just like him. I just love him a lot." And thanks to her he's getting a head start on learning the actions to "Book of Mormon Stories" and "Popcorn Popping". The minute Calvin hears Peter cry or moan he finds me as fast as he can and alerts me that something is terribly wrong, like he lost his binkie. The only problem is that Cal's heart is so tender, but his body is beefy. What he considers a "hug for Peter", actually is quite life threatening to our sweet little newborn. Sweet, sweet Cal. How I love him.

Lastly, a better comparison picture between the two boys:

(Cal)

(Peter)

dear peter

2011-03-05T19:06:00.003-07:00

Thank you for coming to our little family....finally! We're so glad you arrived safe and sound and healthy. You're brother and sister have been anticipating your arrival for some time now and are so glad to have you where they can kiss and hug you all they want. Your daddy and I also have felt such a special spirit in our home as we got ready to welcome you into the world.

Your birth story goes a little something like this:

February 28th I had an appointment with my doctor to have an ultrasound. You were making me one big lady and they wanted to make sure I wasn't going to deliver a toddler. (Just so you know you were borderline toddler ;)) The ultrasound said you weighed a booming 8lbs. 15 oz! I was scared to death. They scheduled an induction, but I knew that I needed to get you in my arms and FAST! They stripped my membranes in hopes that it would speed things along. That night for Family Home Evening we talked about how special it was that Heavenly Father was good enough to give us you. After your brother and sister went to bed I eagerly put my running shorts on and ran 50 flights of stairs; same thing I did when I wanted Calvin to come. And just like Calvin, two weeks early, my REAL contractions started not to long after that. You're daddy and I watched One Fine Day, one of my favorites, as well as the clock. Finally at about 2 am they got consistant and close enough for us to go to the hospital. Our good friend Tiffany came and watched your brother and sister while your daddy and I were getting excited to finally meet you! My contractions were much more manageable than I remember them being in the past. It was a sweet and peaceful time. You were born at 1:15 pm on March 1st and it was so sweet to hear your cry as you entered this world. Even sweeter was how you stopped crying the minute you squeezed your daddy's finger as they weighed and measured you.

You look almost exactly like your brother Calvin to me. Your skin color, hair color and body shape are all the same. The few differences I've noticed are that your hair line comes a little bit farther forward, your eyelashes are a little bit thinner and your ear lobes are a little bit bigger, but other than that I'd say you were his infant twin. We'll see how your personalities match up! I can't wait to get to know you better.

Brand new Calvin

Brand new Peter

Calvin three days old

Peter three days old

Your sister Annie absolutely adores you. She makes sure mommy knows all the right things to do for her little Peter. She loves your cute little toes and hands and thinks that the faces you pull are so silly. She is very eager and willing to help and loves having grandma around to talk to.

Calvin thinks you're sweet. He loves kissing and hugging you as well as singing to you with his sweet vibratro voice, but other than that he's very much still discovering things for himself. Like talking. He describes mostly everything by the sounds they make and enjoys being silly and pulling funny faces to get people to laugh... including you. He does love to push you in the swing at home though. Something mommy will have to be very mindful of:)

Those two siblings of yours are pretty good friends. These are some pictures of them the days just before you were born. Be rest assured though that they love you just as much as they love one another. They can hardly wait to play hide-and-seek, puzzles, and tent building with another friend in the picture. But don't grow up too fast, it's nice to have a child I can hold so close to my heart.

You've been blessed with an amazing father. How I hope and pray that you will strive to be like him. He is always so good to me and always will be good to you and your brother and sister. Nothing means more to him than us. He has been very patient with you as you've had a hard time these first few nights. He is so excited for you to grow up and play with him. In the meantime he loves snuggling with you and taking naps. His absolute favorite. We're lucky he has Spring Break this next week so he gets to spend extra time loving you.

Heavenly Father is so sweet (and daring) to trust me with you. I promise to do my best to bring you closer to Him and be the best you can be in this life. I know you're such a special little spirit, I've felt it my whole pregnancy. I don't know if you got to meet Grandma Wilson, but I hope you did and pray that she will be special to you throughout your life. She was very, very special to me and always will be. I'm sure she'll be helping me now that I finally have you in my arms.

We all love you so much and are so grateful you arrived safely. Welcome to our little family. We wouldn't be complete without you. We're forever yours and happy it is so.

all my love,

mommy

He came in at 8 lbs. 14.5 oz. mom and baby are doing great!

2011-03-01T13:20:00.001-07:00

it's a love thing

2011-02-19T19:01:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's February again which means we all caught a little something, were inside most of the time but also got to share the love in the air!

Poor Cal. One day didn't even want to move. He'd just lay with his blankie in the middle of the carpet because he wanted to be by Annie and I. Sweet thing.

After we all had our turn getting sick we did get to enjoy some Valentine's fun. Annie had her preschool Valentine's party which meant Cal got to enjoy it too. Annie could hardly wait to pass out her valentines.

And was just as excited to collect her winnings.

As for me I've just been falling in love with my sweet little family more and more. Annie is loving mommy-ing babies these days. Here she's lying on our bed helping her baby "Piglet" get better after she "threw up". She's going to be the best big sister...again. She can hardly wait for baby brother the come. Today she helped me pack my hospital bag and was insightful enough to include the framed picture of Grandma Wilson that I keep on my nightstand. She herself can't wait to have her own "kiddos". In the meantime she's so imaginative, loves to pretend, and loves to ask a lot of questions and participate in conversations. We started putting the boys room together which means Calvin is moving out and Annie gets her own room! She loves it. I'm so happy for her. How I love you sweet girl!

And then there's Cal. There is something so darling about my little boy waking up with messy hair that just melts my heart. I love it SO much! I can't wait to have another! He's such a sweetheart: so willing to help in anyway, cleans up any and every mess and always asks where his daddy is. As soon as I answer "Daddy? He's at school!" He smiles and says "Oh!" just to ask the same question two minutes later. He loves to show off his new discoveries and sings at the piano freely. He too is getting ready for baby number three. He loves cuddling with babies with kisses and hugs galore. Hopefully our new little one will be smothered with just the right amount of love...otherwise he might be killed by his older brother. Right now however, he and Annie are the greatest of friends and it's such a blessing and so sweet to watch. How strange to think my Cal won't be my baby anymore. Somewhat a hard reality.

And good old dad. Well he's not THAT old, but he sure is a phenomenal dad. Who else would paint his wife's toenails when she's 36 weeks along? We put up the baby swing the other night with two little helpers while mommy video recorded; now a tradition we do just before baby comes. Cal was involved this time which means it wasn't as smooth this time around, but boy did he enjoy himself. Will, I can't thank you enough for being such a patient hero while I wait and wait....and wait some more. And I'm sure I'm not as silent about my waiting as I could be. I love you beyond measure!

As for me? Big? Definite yes. Ready? Another yes. He's dropped, head down and measuring big. Go figure! I'm willing to have my baby any day and can't wait to see his sweet little face. On top of that I can't wait to see my husband's face as he gets to know another son. I'm also anticipating watching litte Cal and Annie welcome little brother into the world. What a treasure he will be. I'm imagining Grandma Wilson's giving him a few pointers right now on how to deal with his earthy mother. At times I'm jealous, but I know in my heart this will be a very special delivery because of her. Anytime you want to send him off Grandma, we're ready for him. And we'll love him to pieces.

While I wait, maybe I'll take Cal's example and get some good rest. Can't wait to let you all know when he arrives!

i had a dream

2011-02-02T21:09:00.002-07:00

My sweet sis-in-law, Anna, forwarded this song onto me after she listened to it and thought of my mother. "Dream" by Priscilla Ahn. Anna I can't tell you how much this song has meant to me. My mom and I love you so much. You get it. Mom, I love you so much. How happy I am that you now get to live your dream. I'm eager to sing and play this myself for you....that is if I can hold back the tears. I'll still sing you to sleep, even if you are in heaven. Enjoy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKfDwChOoHI

i'll be home for Christmas-and the end of a beautiful life

2011-01-18T13:55:00.001-07:00

Foreword: A considerably long post for a good reason. Who would have thought that Christmas, my mother's last birthday, her last anniversary, her death, and funeral would all happen to fall within the same two weeks we happened to be in town? Not to mention a niece's baby blessing and another niece's baptism. Nobody could have predicted so many blessings within such a short amount of time, but what a sweet miracle it happened just that way. Conclusion: God is good. So, so good. (Matthew 7:11/ 3 Nephi 14:11)
( Part 1: Written on Dec. 24th 2010, before her passing)
Talk about a stress-free Christmas. Unbelievably so, we managed to cover all our bases and enjoy the spirit of the season without a lot of hassle or worry. How? Well, we first we enjoyed all the decorating and at home Christmas traditions we can't live without. Thanks to everyone for their cards!

Can't get enough of these two!

Will of course was busy with studying for finals for most of December, but was able to join us for a live nativity at the Moravian church down the street. Annie was so concerned about the coming and going of the angel. I don't blame her. She was beautiful.

You can't go to a live nativity without meeting the animals

We had an early Christmas at home (good ol' NC home) on the 22nd. There's nothing like having a intimate Christmas with your little family and watching your children celebrate the magic of Christmas under your own roof. It really is something to treasure. We did last year and so we made an effort to do the same again.

We acted out the nativity the night before with the help of some bath towels and stuffed animals and got the opportunity to testify of the Savior. My favorite was Calvin's great efforts to make sure the video camera knew that there were sheep on the scene. He kept taking them right up to the screen while waving them in the air. He would quickly run back to hug the baby Jesus to play his part as Joseph and would return back to screen with a lamb to reassure our future viewers they were still there. It was so darling. Meanwhile, Annie was SOOO flattered to play the role of Mary. She made sure we never called her by her real name and made sure Calvin did a good job in his role of taking care of her. What a riot it was to watch!

The next morning the kids could hardly wait to run down the stairs to see what Santa had left them.

Annie was thrilled to find she was reunited with her Jessie doll she lost back in July and Calvin couldn't decide which puzzle he wanted first. They enjoyed those gifts along with others for only so long. Their minds got focused on more important things when they each spotted a bag of Cheetos in their stocking. I don't think Santa will make that mistake again. :) I for one was grateful to have received one of the greatest helps a mother could have: a Blendtec. Hello shake, syrup, soup, jam, ice cream, batter, dressing, fondue maker delight all in one! Not to mention a wheat grinder.

Yes I really was that happy about it! (And still am!)

We enjoyed a great baked French Toast for Christmas breakfast, YUM, and of course quickly returned to more presents. I loved watching each other wrap their gifts and seeing our children get excited for one another. As soon as the gifts were done we packed up the guitar and headed down the street to a care facility to sing Christmas Carols for the elderly at lunch time. Calvin and Annie were so good at smiling and waving to everyone and of course they were the show more than our music, let's be honest. But it was so great to spend part of our Christmas celebration visiting others and serving, even if it was a simple way. It definitely added to the spirit of the holiday.
Now that we've made it to Salt Lake, we have Christmas to look forward to with Grandma and Grandpa Richards tonight and Grandma and Grandpa Wilson tomorrow. Boy oh boy is Santa being good to my kids this year. Surely they deserve it right?

(Part II: Written after her passing)
Christmas in Salt Lake was such a special time for us. Lucky Annie and Cal have two sets of Grandparents that love them dearly, as well as Aunt Natty, and gave them plenty of toys and treats to fly home with. Christmas Eve we spend with the whole Richards clan. It was wonderful to have all of us together and to see the cousins play the day away. Grandma was so sweet to let Annie play Mary, a role she was very attached to this year, as we acted out the nativity. I think she's been holding some sort of "Baby Jesus" in her arms since Dec. 1st. She did a wonderful job again and loved being with the cousins this time.

Calvin did a wonderful job as the cow. Poor guy didn't know how to hold his head up.

Santa then joined us and made the kids ooh and ahhh. We all loved our pj's!

We all unwrapped out gifts together and had a great time. There's nothing like family at Christmas time. Nothing.
Which is what made the next day, Christmas Day, such a special one for me.

Christmas is my mother's birthday which is why we try for the most part to spend it with her. This was her 64th birthday. She'd been bed ridden since September and it was so meaningful that not only some of us, but all of us would be with her on her birthday. She was so cheerful and interactive and very enjoyable to be around. Of course she had a lot of pain that day, but it was hardly mentioned if at all. She simply relished in being with those she loved and seeing all of her grandkids again.
We all had a great breakfast followed by yet another visit from Santa. Calvin didn't know what to think, Annie on the other hand was happy and free to tell Santa all of her wishes.

We opened the last set of Christmas gifts for the year (phew) and even showed them off a little.
(Calvin couldn't stop showing everyone the new shoes Aunt Natty gave him...the kid LOVES shoes.)

Then we highlighted mom and let her open her birthday gifts. Cal was more than happy to help. If anyone knows how to rip something it's Cal.

Then we watched a DVD slide show of my mom's life my sister Jacque and her husband Jim put together. I don't know that there was a dry eye in the room by the end of it. From her wedding up until that Christmas Day she was so ailed and her body was so fragile. Yet she was determined to be a wonderful wife and mother and she was. We hung out for a little while before visiting other friends and family that day.

How could we be in Salt Lake and not visit Great Grandpa Richards. The kids adored him and of course thought all of his goodies were especially great! We love you Grandpa!

The next day Eric and Lindsay blessed their baby Eliza after a big Richards December birthday bash. What a sweet event it was. How grateful we were that we could be there for such a special time and to meet such a special darling. Welcome to the family Eliza.
And of course we had to make our way to Temple Square. After all, Annie has confidently confirmed that she will be there. Who will she marry? Well it used to be Coleson, a boy in her ward and preschool class, but as of late her prince's name is Roger. Not quite sure where that came from but sometimes cousin Dakota is mentioned as well.
We went by mom and dad Wilson's to pick Nat up on the way and got to see Grandma. Little did we know it would be our last time talking to my lifelong hero. She was having a hard time with her O2 levels that night so we were sure to give her kisses and hugs and reassure her of our love. How appropriate it was that night for us to go walk around the temple and ponder the the beauty of it's meaning.

Thanks for coming with Aunt Natty!

The following day, December 28th I went out to lunch with my dear friends Camille and Holly. Just as we were about to leave I got a call that mom's CO2 levels had skyrocketed, she was on a CPAP machine was unresponsive since the morning, and hospice was being considered. I couldn't have asked to be with two sweeter friends when I got this call. I can't tell you how many emergent calls I've received over my lifetime about my dear mother and her countless trips to the hospital, but I knew this would be the last one I'd ever get and her time was coming to an end. I was dropped off at the U of U ER and ran to her room. We were all there the whole night discussing what to do and after no improvements came we decided to start hospice. However there was a sweet moment I had alone with her before they wheeled her upstairs. I leaned over to tell her I loved her. I had to do it loudly so she could hear me over the C-Pap. She jumped and woke up for a brief moment just enough to look back into my eyes and mouth 'I love you too', with her trademark smile on her face. She squeezed my hand and closed her eyes again, ready to be asleep and finally rest. We took her up to hospice that night with everyone around her. I came back early the next morning on the 29th, my parents wedding anniversary. I actually surprised she had not yet passed away. They accidentally had kept her on high O2 levels over the night, but it ended up being a blessing in the end. All of us kids and regathered as the hospice nurse came to slowly turn down the 02 levels. Nat and I each held one of her hands and within minutes of the nurses arrival mom was gone. How proud of her I was. I couldn't help but saying to myself "You did it, you did it!" Of course I was so sad to loose my dear dear mother, but how relieved and happy I was for her. To me it was a triumphant yet reverent experience. She no longer has to struggle or fight pain. She no longer has to feel limited or held back. She now gets to enjoy a perfect healthy body, something she never knew and now gets to be a part of our lives more than ever. This is where the gospel has made everything so beautiful and purposeful which is why I couldn't be more grateful for it. To know even to some degree about where she is and what she's experiencing is priceless knowledge. God be thanked for such a wonderful Plan of Happiness and such an amazing mother.

This is a picture of my sweet sister-in-law Anna with my dad. She taught my mother art for the past two summers and was so sweet and patient with her as my determined mother ventured to revive her talent in art despite her MS. Anna started this painting of my mother earlier this summer and set it aside for some time. Out of nowhere she picked it back up this winter and happened to finish it on Dec. 29th, the very day my mother died. How much it means to our family. Anna, thank you for being the most amazing tutor, caregiver and friend to our mom. She adored you beyond belief (as most do) and valued your tender approach as you assisted her in fulfilling her goals.
As you can imagine New Year's was quite a busy time for us arranging the funeral and what not. But Will and I did manage to make it to the temple. We happened to do sealings, all of which were parents to children. Again, the Lord touched my heart in reminding me of the great eternal bond I have with my family as an adopted child all because of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And after that we were even able to celebrate New Year's at noon with the kids.

New Year's Day we headed out to Centerville for cousin Nakina's baptism. Another sweet experience that allowed us all to feel the Lord's love as well as Grandma Wilson's. We all missed her, but knew she was there.

The next few days passed and we had the Viewing and the Funeral. Thank you to everyone who attended either or both or to those who simply expressed their sincere condolences by way of flowers, notes, emails or the like. We were all so buoyed up at both events and most importantly felt of the genuine love and admiration people had for mom. Thanks to my dear friends Camille and Steve Nelson for playing at the funeral, Marshall McDonald, thanks for accompanying me while I tried to keep my composure while singing and for everyone else who served us in numerous ways. And special thanks to all the Richards for supporting us in numerous ways when there was so much to celebrate and yet so many roles to fulfill.

Lastly below is one of my mom's most treasured works of art. When she was a young mother she decided to draw Noah's Ark on the walls of the nursery at church. She designed it and helped other mothers paint it. Mom, thanks for leaving behind some wonderful work to admire and learn from. I will always remember you as a woman of great faith, courage and love. You may have felt you didn't have much to share with the world, but you shared all you had with everyone and deeply touched countless lives because of it. Love you much!
Your daughter, Wendy

a most beloved mother

2011-01-01T21:00:00.001-07:00

Christmas Break has brought us such wonderful blessings and memories this past year. Posts about our celebrations and decorations will have to wait as the most treasured experience of our break was the opportunity of spending my mother's last birthday with her on Christmas Day and then sitting by her bedside while holding her hand as she slowly and peacefully left this life to move onto the next on her 39th wedding anniversary, Dec 29th 2010. To call it a sacred time is an understatement. Her life has been completely dedicated to her family despite suffering most her life from numerous and debilitating ailments among which were Multiple Sclerosis, Diabetes and Bipolar disorder. What a hero she has been and always will be to me. Mom, thank you for waiting for my little family to arrive from North Carolina before one last beautiful goodbye and thanks be to God for His goodness in orchestrating our parting with such love, mercy, and intimate concern. I love you and miss you, but am so thrilled at the thought of you possessing and using a perfect body, never to be injured or diseased again. How true the gospel of Jesus Christ is. How grateful I am to know of the eternal nature and destiny of our souls and relationships. Nothing could be so beautiful as the Plan of Salvation and nothing could be so real as the love I feel from my Savior at this time despite how undeserving I may be. My father wrote it best in her obituary below: "To know her was to love her." How I wish everyone knew my mother. If you didn't know her you truly have something to look forward to. Much love to you mom. I'm so excited to have you be involved in my life more than ever. "I love you, a bushel and a peck, a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck, I LOVE YOU!"

VICKY WILSON

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Vicky Sue Schoppe Wilson 1946 ~ 2010 Vicky Sue Schoppe Wilson, who was born on Christmas Day 1946, passed peacefully from this life to the next on the 39th anniversary of her marriage to her attentive companion, Kim R. Wilson, December 29, 2010.Her life reflected all that was good in her noble German and English forbears. She is the daughter of Theodore G. and Violet Beth Harding Schoppe. She was born in Provo but raised in Garden Grove, CA. She graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in Art and Interior Design. Her grace and beauty were showcased while a member of BYU's ballroom dance team. After graduate study, she became an interior designer with ZCMI, and she allowed a law student, Kim, to win her heart. They were married in the Los Angeles Temple over Christmas break in 1971, and for their honeymoon hurried back to Salt Lake for final exams. Vicky was a lovely, refined and creative woman who enjoyed making everything around her beautiful. She painted, sculpted and designed. In her day she had her own set of hand and power tools and had no equal in their use. Twenty-five years ago she transformed a tumble-down farmhouse, barn and pioneer log cabin in Cove, UT, into an engaging country retreat which she decorated with wonderful finds - antiques, milk pails, egg baskets, harness and the like. Her family spent nearly every summer weekend together there enjoying the beauty of Cache Valley, riding horses, moving sprinkler pipe and hauling hay. She was a devoted and faithful member of the LDS Church and joyfully served in leadership and teaching positions as her health permitted. Her life was devoted to serving her family. She and Kim buried their first child Dori at birth, and then welcomed in succession children Jacqueline Sue (James) Lee of Centerville, Natalie Dawn of Salt Lake, Wendy Ann (Willard) Richards of Winston-Salem, NC, and David Royal of Salt Lake, who have in turn welcomed four and three-fourths grandchildren. She is survived by her father Ted and brother Daniel Schoppe of Laguna Niguel, CA, and sister Catherine (Paul) Roberts of Irvine, CA. Vicky suffered from ill health, but without complaint, for much of her life and would wish to express her love and appreciation to a core of devoted friends and professional caregivers who gave her joy and companionship as her physical world became increasingly smaller by reason of multiple sclerosis and other conditions. Funeral services will be held Tuesday, January 4, 2011, at 12:00 Noon at the Emigration Stake Center, 589 18th Avenue, Salt Lake City. Viewings will be held on Monday, January 3, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Larkin Mortuary, 260 East South Temple, and one hour before the service at the stake center on Tuesday. Interment will be in the Salt Lake City Cemetery. To know Vicky was to love her, and now to miss her for a season. We expect she is making plans to redecorate Heaven.

Published in Deseret News from January 1 to January 3, 2011

a month of thanks

2010-11-29T19:56:00.001-07:00

What gratitude I have for all the wonderful things that have gone on this month! We started by celebrating Daddy's birthday on the 12th.

What an incredible man he is! We were so glad it landed on a Friday so we could enjoy a good Hootenanny breakfast with no rush. Annie was so thrilled about it all day. She helped me make the cake with pumpkin pie playdough and crayons, markers, and lids for candles. Talk about a work of art.

Could a daughter be any sweeter? I dare say no. How she loves her daddy. How could she not? He lets her read and pray with her in the mornings, tickles her to death on his returns home and cuddles with her each night while she chatters the night away telling him about her day. Not to mention he's so affectionate and loving to her mother and always makes sure she knows how much he loves her. Talk about a blessed woman I am. Now Will couldn't decide on what he wanted for his birthday, he always likes to keep a nice stash of cash around for big impulse purchases. But I did know his favorite treats once of which included some of the best cheese on earth: Manchego cheese which you can find in Spain (where he served his mission.) YUMMM! So here he is in all his glory with his pricey cheese. Now that's a happy man! :)

I can't let the month pass away with out mentioning my gratitude for the beautiful fall weather we enjoy for at least two months rather than two weeks. It really is heavenly to see sights like this for a prolonged amount of time.

And then there's my kids. Oh how I absolutely adore them. True, I could do without Calvin's occasional
high kick to my pregnant belly while I'm changing him; but aside from that I'm pretty sure they make me cry at least once a day because they make me so happy. Here's one of my favorite things they did this month. Annie enjoys lining things up in one big line like a "choo choo train". Books, chairs, you name i,t she loves it. Well we decided to clean out the shoe/ coat closet and boy she was thrilled to get her line of shoes going. If Annie's enthusiastic about it, so is Cal. I loved watching these two carefully place each pair of shoes down and then run back for the next. I couldn't have smiled bigger watching it all. How fun kids are!

Mid month we decided to go to Salt Lake for the Holidays. How grateful we are to have people willing to sponser our trip all the way across the country. MANY THANKS you know who! Annie can't stop talking about her plane ride she'll take to go see grandmas and grandpas, cousins aunts and uncles. The countdown has begun!
Despite random numbness in my arms and hands I'm grateful to be carrying this baby, which so far appears to be healthy and well. (He sure is beefy!) I may not be able to catch Calvin crawling under the benches at church, but I love feeling the little kicks and punches that remind me how precious life is. How anxious we are for our special number three!
The big Turkey Day finally came! After the quickest 7 hr. drive to York PA we ended up at our dear friends, Ashley and Joey Orme's, home.

What a blessing it was to spend Thanksgiving with them while we were away from family. We almost like we were with family it was so great! Sincerely though, I truly consider amazing friends to be among our greatest gifts from God. How grateful I am to have people in my life that can influence and inspire me for good and give me a greater perspective. MORE great friends joined us: Matt and Erin Anderson, Crismon and Lauren Turner, Molly Turner and Pete Guyon. What an amazing group to be with on such a special day! (And how patient they all were to celebrate and play with our little family! Thanks everyone!) Dinner was amazing, the company was wonderful and the overall experience was heavenly!

While we were there we couldn't resist visiting Hershey World and getting some fresh chocolate off the line! Annie and Cal loved it (especially the dancing cows!) And who wouldn't love the aroma in a place like that. Such a trap for a pregnant woman I tell ya!

Will on the ride with the kids

Just look at those Hershey bar beauties. Dark chocolate= pure happiness!

Yummy to the tummy!

Plenty of kisses to go around!

I absolutely loved these Vintage Hershey posters they had everywhere. I wanted one for my kitchen!

Enjoying time in PA

Breaking the wish bone before our return home

Lucky Annie won! Don't worry Cal, that chunk will soon turn into muscle, just you wait.
We're so grateful we got home safely after Calvin throwing up only once. And even more so, we're grateful we didn't have to go to the ER that night to get Annie stitched up after this:

If you look closely enough you can see a red line under her bottom lip. That's because she managed to bite a hole completely through her lip while falling no more than five minutes after arriving home. Yes, truly grateful I wasn't in the ER last night.
Currently, I'm grateful for my dear hubby who is now on his flight back from a big interview he had to leave for at 5:00 earlier this morning, the day after our late return. I'm grateful for all of his hard effort and work. I've felt so much of the Lord's hand in our lives lately and it's been extremely humbling. Thanks to all of you for your friendship, love and support throughout our lives and as we make life changing decisions. It's blessed us immensely and we pray we find ways to bless your lives in similar ways if not more. Much love from NC.

our fall: tricks and treats

2010-11-02T12:53:00.001-06:00

Yes, it's been too long since I updated our family page. For shame! No, I have not forgotten to post. If only my draft list were published. Lucky for you, this is a super post! For whatever reason this fall has given us bugs. Not creepy bugs that irritate you, but sick bugs that irritate you. Since we got back from Utah the kids have both had Croup, Strep, two ear infections, and of course the common cold. You could say it's been tricky making our schedules work and actually accomplishing things. Hopefully we're getting over with it all for a healthy winter, right?
Before I give you the goods about Halloween I couldn't possibly go on without mentioning how grown up my two little ones are!

Annie. What a big girl! She not only has started preschool and is LOVING it, but is very good about helping out with her jobs and taking care of Calvin. Whether mommy asks her too or not, she watches over Calvin so sweetly. Sometimes we have some authoritative issues, but for the most part it is ever so adorable to daily observe her sincere concern for her little brother. She speaks so well (and A LOT), is so independent in most things, and is so eager to learn. And nobody says sweeter things than our little sweetheart. Really and truly, I feel like I'm raising an angel.

Calvin. What can I say? Still a tank; only three pounds lighter than Annie. But the sweetest one you've ever held (even if your arm goes numb within 10 seconds of picking him up. :) Yes that would be me.) He does occasionally pull his sisters hair and attempts to scratch faces, but the boy is such a sucker for kisses and hugs; pretty well anything affectionate. And it's official: he's a book worm. No kidding, he will give up just about anything to hold and read a book. Okay, maybe not his sippy, but aside from that, it's a done deal. When we went camping the other week the first thing he did when he got out of the car was grabbed a book and sat down to read. And our book collection is dissolving at an ever rapid pace due to this great love. I couldn't ask for a better problem to have. He's his daddy's son, climbing up everything imaginable and quite mischevious, but all things considered is pretty obedient... for a 17 month old.

Look at these friends! Aren't they adorable?

Will. Talk about a busy and dedicated man. He works so hard on both Law and Business classes, goes above and beyond in his calling as Cub Scout Master and still makes sure we're his number one. The kids adore him, ALMOST as much as I do. A week and a half ago he trekked it to Chicago with some fellow classmates for a Career Fair. I know he worked his tail off because he crashed the minute he got home. He was able to have/ schedule several interviews with some phenomenal companies. I couldn't be more grateful for my hard working man!

Number Three? Well, it's still cooking, and obviously I might add. At 21 weeks along, I'm terrified to think how much bigger I can get. I know, I know it's the third. I'm still scared, and still praying for an early delivery.

And the "It" is no longer an "It". Last Wednesday we went in as a family after Annie's preschool Halloween Party. The kids got their treat and we got ours. We found out we're having....

Pointing out the ever so obvious, wouldn't you say?. Testosterone will now be the dominant hormone in our home. Scary, I know but I'm actually quite excited to think of another little boy in my arms. I have to admit I was surprised, but it makes sense. All of my first trimester issues were the same with Cal. Not only that but I definitely feel more shifting than punching. Annie's somewhat disappointed that it's not a mermaid, nor a girl. However, instead of naming it "Ariel" she insists on "baby Beckham" just like her 3 month old cousin. No worries Amy, we're not really heading in that direction. Calvin of course doesn't know what happened in that dark room, he was asleep. But, I know too well, before I know it he will know and I'm pretty sure won't be fond of the whole idea. At least not the first six months. I'm in for some good times.

Now for the real goods. We've had a wonderful and beautiful October. We managed to go camping, drive the Blue Ridge Parkway and of course visit the pumpkin patch! The Hawkins Pumpkin Patch up the road is practically a playground, it's so fun! The kids had a blast scoping every last feature of this fall highlight.

LOVE this one of Calvin. Annie insisted on taking her baby out with her to see the pumpkins and eventually deserted her in a pile of leaves. Cal jumped at the opportunity to save the poor thing. Pictures like this give me hope! Isn't he so darling?

Having fun carving our pumpkins. Nobody could be more animated about it than daddy. Here's Will and Annie modeling facial expressions our pumpkins should have.

And for the record, I have decided that pumpkins are the BEST toys for toddlers/ preschoolers. They're durable as anything! Punch them, poke them, cut them, kick them, throw them, draw on them, etc.: no harm done. Next year I'll buy a whole lot more pumpkins and rely on those to entertain the kids whole month long!

Enjoying Pumpkin Pie Playdough. Such a classic favorite! Annie was sweet enough to make daddy a birthday cake for his upcoming birthday!

As I mentioned before Annie had her Preschool Halloween Party and had too much fun. Our little Tinkerbell could hardly get all the words out of her mouth to tell her daddy all about it.

Here's our Tigger, ready to pounce onto that bowl of candy.

The kids could hardly believe the witches brew we made. I loved watching their jaws drop over this!

Then of course was the annual Trunk -or-Treat. Daddy took Annie around while I took Cal. No child has ever been more efficient in the effort of collecting candy than Cal was. The second he caught onto the pattern of it all, he revved his engine and took off. I could hardly keep up with him. It was so great to see all the children in their costumes! They get better every year.

Annie, enjoying her goods with her fellow Disney princesses. How appropriate.

Annie and her friend Aleeya were twin Tinkerbells. I couldn't have been more grateful. It helped me encourage Annie to get every part of her costume on to be just like her friend!

Cal couldn't let her have all the attention for too long of course!

Well with the holidays upon us, more fun is on the way (and hopefully more frequent posts too!) We hope you all had a spooktacular Halloween just as we did. Now I feel like I'd better get planning my Thanksgiving dinner? Am I alone in that? What an event!

one wicked weekend

2010-09-22T20:00:00.000-06:00

So, technically Will and I had our fifth anniversary in June. However, between his internship craziness and my mothers poor health status, it was no great time to leave the kids and take off on a rendezvous. And technically we had a "honeymoon" five years ago, but we were both dog sick the ENTIRE time. No kidding. The hotel felt so bad for us they gave us an upgrade to a great room since we were sick in bed all day every day. We promised ourselves that we'd have to try it again some other time and celebrate without watching any of the Star Wars movies. (Yeah we watched ALL of them that week). So five years later on Labor Day Weekend we had a "Honeymoon/ Anniversary" celebration. Our great friends, the Smith's, adopted Cal and Annie for the long weekend and we flew up to New York. I hadn't been since I was eight, and Will had only been for interviews, so it was well worth a visit.

What a great visit it was! Here we are outside Gershwin Theatre for our big highlight: seeing WICKED on Broadway. Galinda played by Katie Rose Clark, was amazing to say the least and it truly was worth every penny, although we did get a great discount on our tickets! What a treat!

I was so touched by visiting Ground Zero and looking at the progress of the memorial they're building there. Of course it made me think of where I was on September 11th, my feelings and fears, but more than anything I was touched by the pride and joy I felt when I looked at our nations flag the following day. I thought to myself 'We're going to overcome this, and today is the first day of our recovery.' I was also reminded of the fireside President Hinckley gave maybe a week before the tragedy reassuring the youth that Christ was the Light of the World and our Hope and through him we can be optimistic about our future. I can't help but think he was very aware of what awaited the world.

While we were there a fire truck pulled out of Firestation #10 and made me so grateful for those simple men who sacrifice in great measures.
It was wonderful to go the the temple in the middle of Manhattan. All I need to say is, Moroni couldn't be more meaningful.
We spent some good time at Central Park on Sunday as well and saw the Statue of Liberty. We spent some good time at Battery Park and enjoyed a beautiful sunset. My handheld does not do justice. It was so vibrant!

Next time we'll have to be sure to get US Open tickets as well. How great it would be to see Henin or Venus play live!! Definitely on the list of things to do and something to save up for. Will, I love you so much. Thanks for taking me on a great trip my last week of my first trimester. What a trooper. What a man. What a true eternal friend. Happy five years. Here's to five more x eternity!

Much love, your Love

truth be told

2010-09-13T21:08:00.002-06:00

If you've been around me the past three months you've known.

I'm convinced I could smell a dog from a mile away. Plastic Bags never smelled more rancid to me.
I was sure I was going to drive my in-laws absolutely crazy with my lack of energy while living with them
this summer. What patient souls. I think they deserve tickets to heaven for tolerating me.
I was positive that this time I'd have more energy. Boy was I wrong. Two kids on top...fat chance.
I was almost convinced this time it was multiples. Wish? No. Fear? Yes. There's only one!
I expected the first appointment to be just as boring and uneventful as the others had been in the past.
My heart leaped when I saw the ultrasound! It looked just like Annie's.
Yes, for those of you who haven't seen me these past three months (and dealt with my random, crying, gagging, sleeping, eating) WE'RE PREGNANT! And (now that I'm in the second trimester) happily so.