Birthdays and Roller Coaster

Many ups and downs this past week! Let's see, where to start?? We had a good three day break over Labor Day. Blaine took the scouts camping to the lava caves in Flagstaff, and Amber and I went to see Mama Mia! What a great show! So funny! Monday was spent cleaning house and doing yard work.

On Thursday, our second granddaughter, Baylee, turned 4! What a princess she is! She loves to ride horses, hang out with her daddy, and play with My Little Ponies.

Now, she is very much interested in the Disney Princesses. A friend of her mom's made her an awesome castle cake! She got lots of cute dress up costumes and had a very good birthday. Baylee is in dance lessons now as well and so the costumes will be fun! Here she is doing some warm up moves:



I was talking to Baylee on the phone on her birthday and we had quite a funny conversation. I was at Scout Roundtable, but skipped out of a class to go into the hall and make this important phone call to wish Baylee a happy birthday. So I'm standing in the hall at the church having the following conversation:

Gma: Hi Sweetheart, what did you get for your birthday?
Baylee: I got a butterfly costume with wings!
Gma: Wow, that is so cool!
Baylee: Do you have a butterfly costume, Grandma?
Gma: No. Last time I looked in my closet I didn't notice one. Do you think I should get a butterfly costume so we can be the same?
Baylee: YES! You need to get a butterfly costume like mine. But you will have to get great big wings cuz you are so big.
Gma: Okay, I'll see what I can find at the store next time I'm shopping.

So, if anyone happens to see a nice butterfly costume with great big wings let me know!
Baylee: But you can't really fly with the wings.
Gma: You can't? Bummer.
Baylee: I wish I could fly. I really want to fly.
Gma: Well, you can fly to grandma's house on the airplane.
Baylee: Okay.
Grandma is the master of distraction!
This is a cute picture of Kolby and Taylor. You can see what a good big brother Kolby is. He even 'helps' Taylor smile for pictures!

The day after Baylee's birthday is Abbie's birthday. Abbie turned 5! She is quite the girl. She is very much into the Disney Princesses and learning! She loves to learn! Abbie had a nice outdoor party in their backyard and had an Ariel cake and even got an Ariel fish tank! She loves fish!
Abbie has finally mastered her fear of riding her bike. I guess when it's your dad helping you, it makes all the difference. Tama has tried to get her to ride it for a long time and every time, it was too scary and there would be lots of tears, yelling and finally giving up (on both parts). But finally, Karlo got her to do it and now she races all over on her bike! Silly girl!

So on Abbie's birthday, she got into a little trouble and her dad sent her to time out. Well Abbie didn't think this was a very nice thing to do and proceeded to yell from her room, "Who would do this to me on my birthday!" Her dad calmly replied that he would. She definately has no problem speaking her mind.

I remember one day this past summer, we were with them at Taco Johns in Rawlins and Abbie was being especially trying to her mother's patience and finally, her mom told her if she did "it" (can't remember what 'it' was she was doing) she was going to take her outside and spank her. Well, Abbie, looked her in the eye and did 'it' again. So Tama, having to be true to her word, took her outside and gave her a little swat on the backside. Then they came back in and re-joined us. As soon as they came in, Abbie told her mom, "Mom, it wasn't very nice of you to take me outside and spank me." I almost shot rootbeer out my nose I was trying so hard not to laugh!

Those girls love to have fun and play dress up! Here is a cute one of the Stucki girls sharing their dad's shorts! Silly!

Friday was a very strange day. Work was just coming to a close for the day when Blaine called me and said he just heard on the news that his previous home teaching partner (from before our ward split) was just killed in an accident at his wood shop. He owns his own business and his son works with him. The news said the man pushed his son out of the way of a falling bunk of lumber and suffered a skull fracture when the lumber landed on him instead and was killed. We were both in shock, upset and very bummed.

Well, that night I was watching the news and there, on the news was his wife! She was telling about THEIR EMPLOYEE that was killed. The news had said it was the owner of the business and it was NOT!~ While still sad for the family that lost their father, we were relieved it wasn't our friend. Dumb news people! I know a lot of people heard the news the first time and thought Carlton had been killed. Plus you know how fast news spreads through a ward. While he was very upset that this happened to one of their employees, at least we are glad he is still here with us!

So my roller coaster of emotions went from high (birthdays) to low (thinking our friend died) back to high (glad he was still with us) and now back to very low. We found out on Saturday that our neice's husband has a tumor in his colon. They are pretty sure it is cancerous and it may have already spread to his liver. They have two little kids. One of which is autistic and is having surgery TODAY to remove a vertibrae from his neck to relieve pressure on his brain. After they get him home and on the road to recovery from his surgery, our nephew will go in for his surgery and start whatever treatment they think is necessary. They are in for a long road, but the Lord will bless them in one way or another and all will work as it should. Please keep them in your prayers.

Abbie took the bus to pre-school today for the first time! She was so very excited! Kallie on the other hand was very upset that she couldn't go on the bus too. This is Kallie when she isn't very happy:

As it turns out her daddy happened to stop by the house for lunch at about the time the bus came, so Kallie got to ride in "daddy's bus" (work van). That seemed to make things better.

The day after Abbie's birthday, her mom and she had the following conversation:
Mom: I can't believe you are five. How did you get to be five already?
Abbie: Well, I can't explain it, maybe I eat too fast and then I grow too fast.
Gotta love the logic of a five year old!

Until next time...