The Objects of Their Affection

Every child has something that they're attached to, carry around, and love. They each have that one object to which they bestow their affection only as a child can. I never want to forget what their objects are.

Aidan loves his teddy bear, aptly named "Teddy". He has had Teddy since he was about 2 when family friend, "Grandma" Carol, came to visit with this gift in hand. Teddy has gone to Preschool with Aidan for "Polar Express" Days, and to Kindergarten for a teddy bear picnic. For the longest time Aidan has slept with Teddy, although those days are probably coming to an end the older he becomes...

Seery loves her Winnie the Pooh, simply called "Pooh Bear". Her Uncle Patrick brought Pooh Bear back for her from one of his Disneyland trips when she was 2. Pooh Bear has accompanied Seery into surgery 3 times at Primary Children's Medical Center. I think they will always have a special bond going through those tough recovery days post-surgery. Seery will dress Pooh Bear up and has a permanent spot in her bed.

Liam loves his green blanket, called "Blankie" of course. In March 2009 our family stayed downtown in Salt Lake City at the Marriott for a night just for fun, compliments of Verizon. Since he was a baby they set up a crib in our room, gave him Johnson & Johnson baby toiletries, and as an extra gift gave him this soft green blanket. For whatever reason from that first day that blanket has been his one object he cannot live without. He sleeps with blankie every night. He carries blankie around with him every morning. And when he needs that extra comfort blankie is bundled up in his arms.

... And of course, those three wide eyed children are the people to whom I bestow my affection.

Seery's Spring Painting

April Showers Bring May Flowers!

Created By: Seery
April 29, 2010

Aidan's New Hair Cut

David took Aidan to get his hair cut yesterday. He wrote a story and drew pictures about it this morning. In the first picture he is getting his hair cut, in the second he is getting his hair washed, and in the third he is holding a bag of skittles he received for being so good.

These are the Moments....

The other day I suddenly noticed that my house was awfully quiet. Which, as any mother knows, can be a wonderful thing and a bad thing, depending on the day. I stopped what I was doing and went to see what Aidan and Seery were up to. Liam was taking a nap. I went upstairs and that's when I heard it. One of the most beautiful sounds a mother can hear, coming from Seery's bedroom. I tiptoed around the corner and peeked into her room. There I saw one of the most precious sights I have ever seen which matched the delightful sound I had been hearing. Aidan reading to Seery, Mary Engelbreit's "Mother Goose Rhymes". My heart just melted right then and there. A big brother taking the time to read to his little sister. And I knew. This is why I do what I do. I never want to miss a moment like this. These are the moments I live for. These are the memories that make my life wonderful.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

Once Upon A Time....

Journal Excerpts

August 2, 1998

"... David Kipp and I met through Carl Pantle. Last weekend 7 of us went up to Bear Lake for the Pioneer Day holiday...Wow! It was an awesome kiss... I mean he's totally gorgeous...."

August 6, 1998

"... David...he is so cool, I really like him even if he is a freshman and I'm a sophomore, and even if I am 6 months older than him...."

August 12, 1998

"... And then he said there was something he had been wanting to tell me. He said he was crazy about me."

August 17, 1998

"... I'm dating David and I know it's a fling, we probably won't last... But he's proven me wrong so far... In a lot of ways I hope he does prove me wrong... I've never enjoyed kissing someone so much... I have so much fun with him. I love being around him. We have the same sense of humor. Plus with David I don't have to worry about the big word-MARRIAGE! He still has to go on his mission!"

January 15, 2002

"I've gone out with David Kipp now twice. We have emailed and called a few times since he's been home from his mission. It was so nice to see him. We just picked up from where we left off. It felt so comfortable to be around him. He's so cute. We've both grown up a lot since we last dated.... I felt like we clicked. Plus I love that we just talk and talk and see so may things eye to eye. I feel like we have so many of the same likes and goals. I feel like I'm falling for him all over again, but at the same time in such a new way."

February 19, 2002

"Things are going so good with David. We are dating pretty seriously... We went for this drive through a ski resort and stopped at this look out point. We reclined our seats back and talked about everything. And then it just hit me as I was looking into his eyes. I knew that I had fallen in love with him. I had that feeling in the pit of my stomach that I have waited my whole life for. I knew that I loved him so much that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. I realized that he's the man I want to fall asleep and wake up with for all eternity. I just knew that he's the man I want to marry."

And they lived happily ever after...

The 10 Minute Rule

When times get tough, which they inevitably do for all of us at some point, I have a little rule I like to apply. When going through hardships you get 10 minutes a day to: worry, cry, obsess, fear, rehash problems, be angry, state the obvious, drink an extra large Diet Coke....WHATEVER you need to do to expel some anxiety and/or sadness. You can do this at any point during your day, when you have time alone for yourself. Set a timer if you must. But 10 minutes is ALL you get. After your time is up that's it. You MUST pick yourself up and pull it together and get things done. Your problems can't define you unless you let them. Trials are just a part of your journey in this life. So hold on and enjoy....we don't get a "do over" for today.

Girls Day Out

Seery, Liam, and I took Aidan to school today. As soon as the sliding door to the van shut, Seery looked at me and said,

"Mom wouldn't it be fun to go get a hamburger at In-N-Out?".

With those big green eyes and eyelashes batting ever so innocently, I caved and said,

"Of Course!".

We pulled up to the restaurant and she wanted to eat inside. She picked a quiet corner spot with 2 stools at a counter height table. We ordered our food and sat down together. She is still so small. Her cute legs were dangling high above the floor. I just watched her cute pink suede boots swing back and forth. The sun was picking up the highlights in her hair. She was beaming from ear to ear when she said,

"Isn't this so nice? Just us girls out to eat and talking. I like this girls date. I like having alone time with you."

My heart melted right then and there and I thought to myself....how did I get to be so lucky?

The Kiss

Aidan came home today from school bursting to tell me his secret. He quietly whispered in my ear what happened. A little girl from his Kindergarten class kissed him on the cheek and said, "Aidan, you're my best friend!" Surprised and embarrassed, Aidan told his teacher, who then talked to this little girl. We talked all about this at dinner. Seery said, "Uh-Oh Aidan! Now you're in love with each other!". We all laughed. However, I'm thinking.... "Really? You're only 6! Turn back the clock!!!"

Saturdays are the Best

I love Saturdays. Except for the fact that David has to work. I let the kids watch a couple cartoons in my room. We cuddle and talk about our dreams from the night before. We usually don't have to get up and go anywhere. Being able to do this is almost  as good as sleeping in. We lounge around late into the morning in our pj's. Instead of breakfast we plan a special brunch days in advance. This meal makes things exciting, breaks up the routine, and gives us something to look forward to during our week. With all the hustle and bustle a typical week brings we all deserve a Saturday morning break.

Seery's Coloring

Aidan's Hair Cut Story

A Must Have

I started using MAC products back in 2001. The first time I used their makeup I was sold. Later, I started using their other products. If I had to pick one beauty product that I cannot live without, it would be MAC Fast Response Eye Cream. For $30 you get 0.5 oz of pure heaven. This eye cream instantly takes out the puffiness from your tired eyes. It has caffiene in it which works wonders. This cream is so smooth and moisturizing that your eye makeup even looks better when applied after using this. I have tried cheaper and more expensive eye creams and nothing can touch the way this eye cream makes you look and the way it feels. Try it. You will not be disappointed. Tired moms around the world will look a little perkier in the mornings. Let's face it, as mothers we have late nights and early mornings. When you look good you feel good.

Turning 30

I am a list maker and I have been ever since I could write. When I was 5, I would write lists of things I liked. I laugh when I think back to being 16 and writing a list of what qualities I would want in my "ideal husband". When I was 18 I wrote a list of names for my future children. Everyday I write a "To Do" list. Most importantly, as I grew older, I put pen to paper to list my dreams, aspirations, and goals.

Don't get me wrong, I think that 30 is still very young. I had some anxiety coming up to my 30th birthday because I realized I didn't do some of the things on my list. For example, I hadn't lived in Boston, I hadn't gone to Grad School, I hadn't traveled as much as I had planned, and I didn't have "the big city" job that I had wanted. I began to think that my life hadn't gone the way I had planned on those lists. And then I realized something, which stopped me in my tracks of going down that "should have, could have, would have" path. I did get to travel. I did go to college. I chose to turn down the East Cost job that was offered to me so my husband could finish his BS at BYU.

What I do have is the man of my dreams, 3 beautiful children that are sad to see me leave and happy to see me every morning. I have a house that fits our needs and 2 cars that function well. And most importantly I laugh, smile, and feel gratitude at some point every single day. So the fact that I get to turn 30 is a privilege.

You can have everything you want, but not all at once. What I do have is everything I need all at once. Life does not follow our lists. Isn't that wonderful?

My Granny

I consider myself lucky. I have been able to visit Ireland twice so far in my young life. The second time I went to Ireland I was all of 21 years old and was able to stay for months. I received my Irish citizenship that summer. It was a summer that changed the direction of my life entirely. I had the time of my life. I learned many lessons.

My mom was raised in Avoca, Ireland. A small, quaint little town brought to fame because of a show that aired years ago called "Ballykissangel". My mom moved to Long Beach, CA to be a nanny and go to college in her early twenties. She ended up getting married and staying in America to raise a family. One brother moved to Canada and another brother moved to Australia. Two sisters remained in Ireland to raise their families. For being from such a small town... it's amazing how much they all traveled and how far spread out they are now!

The summer of 2001 was one of my Granny's last. She still lived in her small house up the Red Road in Avoca. I spent everyday with her for several weeks. I got to know her better. She did crossword puzzles every morning. And boy was she sharp! She liked to tell jokes and had very sound advice. I can hear her laugh echo in my mind still. And to be honest I think she was a bit of a flirt! I had big decisions to make and she helped me make some of them. She taught me, through a very funny analogy, that it's not good to worry so much. Sometimes we can be so busy worrying that we are incapable of seeing the solution right in front of us. Let life play out a bit. We can only control how we react to the hand we are dealt in this life.

I know that as a parent my Granny buried two young babies and a husband and a very young age. Even as a widow 40 years later she still wore a wedding band and never remarried. My grandfather heard the click of her heels against the road 60 years prior and fell in love with my Granny "just by the walk of her". I know because of the intense grief which follows death that maybe she didn't make all of the best decisions. But what I do know is that she taught her children that there was a big world out there, bigger than Avoca or Dublin. As a result, 5 siblings reside in 4 different countries today. So here I am, a first generation American, with the luxury of having deep roots firmly planted in Ireland as well.

Dance it Out

Our family is a dancing family. When David and I were dating, engaged, and newly wed, we used to go dancing all the time. Music is a must in our home. Even when we clean there is music playing. It is quite common for us to have dance parties just for fun. And yes.... we have passed on all of those dorky stake dance moves such as "the sprinkler", "grocery shopping", and the "walker". When my sister got married last September she had a proper wedding reception. When I say "proper" I mean there was a real dance floor and dj which means good times to be had! The last people to walk out of the reception, held at The Point, were myself and our three children. Like David and I, our children are cut from the same cloth so to speak, and want to be the very last people to leave a party. To say we had fun is an understatement. I am grateful for these pictures I have posted, courtesy of Melissa Kelsey Photography. (Click here to see her work) I love them. Aidan was break dancing and ended on a pose. She was there to capture the moment. You can see David on the floor busting a move. Like father, like son. Seery is a twirler for sure. Her white flower girl dress is completely fanned out. We held Liam and danced with him for most of the night, he does not like to be left out. And David and I were even able to dance together for one whole song thanks to our wonderful friends who kept the kids entertained for us. I'd like to think that we've still got the moves, but either way it brings us happiness to dance. Which brings to mind one of our unofficial mottos: "When life gets tough, you gotta dance it out!"