For Dad

Owyn's Birthday

Today is Owyn's first birthday and I feel I was just posting pictures of his entrance into our world.  This past weekend family and friends joined us to celebrate with Owyn.

Finally after 2 years

I have seen all three of my adorable children together! 

Aren't they so adorable???

I can't believe they live in three different states!!

JW Marriott at Desert Ridge

During our visit to Arizona we spent a couple of days at this beautiful resort in Phoenix.  

We spent one day at the pool with both my daughters, my adorable grandson, my sister and all three of her children.  

We had so much fun watching Owyn kicking and splashing in the water as if he was ready to take off on his own.  The weather treated us well this day with temperatures only in the 80's!  I wish more family could have made it out to spend time at the pool with us.  

Congratulations Victoria!

 Victoria and Whitney

Scott and I were planning a trip to AZ the week I finished my grad program but decided to postpone our plans by a week when we discovered my niece Victoria would be graduating high school the week we left.  I am so glad we changed our plans and were able to celebrate her accomplishments with her and all of our family.

My second Christmas without my little girls

I miss picking out the adorable matching Christmas dresses, shopping for the perfect gift, staying up late to stuff the stockings and bring out the gifts and most of all the look on their faces Christmas morning.  As Christmas approaches in our childless home, there are no gifts under our partially decorated tree and no thrills, smiley faces or big messes of wrapping paper and piles of boxes to look forward to.

I miss trying to keep the Santa secret.  I loved to see those eyes light up in excitement, I always felt a flutter in my heart.  I miss using the "you better behave if you want Santa to visit you".  Answering questions like "Mom, how will Santa get into our house without a chimney?" and "Mom, how did you get the same wrapping paper Santa used last year?"

However, I often felt guilty lying as I'm sure most people do. The year "Free Willy" came out on video right before Christmas (1994?), Whitney could not wait to get the movie and I lied and told her the movie wasn't out yet but maybe Santa could get it.  And guess what?  He did.  The gift was so simple yet Whitney was so amazed.  Just like the year before when Chelsea got her red big wheel she road all around the inside and outside of the house until  she was too big and I had to break her heart and take it away.

I recently heard "White Christmas" and instantly teared up remembering Whitney performing the song in sign language with her kindergarten class during their "Teddy Bears Christmas" show.

Where did those little girls go?  Christmas will never be the same without them.

Owyn's Christmas Gift

Scott and I are visiting Owyn in Arizona and went out to buy him an early Christmas gift.  Looks like he really likes it.  I am so sad we will not be able to come back to Arizona to share our first grandchild's first Christmas.  We will miss you Owyn!

Scott finally meets Owyn

Scott and I are in Arizona for Thanksgiving and we are having a great time with our grandson Owyn!  He is an absolute doll and a comedian as well.  He is keeping us entertained.

 

He is the typical four month old who takes a look at something and tries to get a hold of it to stick it directly in his mouth.

Doctor appointment crunch time

Scott and I feel fortunate and blessed to have raised all of our children with great medical and dental care coverage since the day they were born.  Our children were able to have braces, cavities filled wisdom teeth pulled, tonsillectomies, and more.  We did not fear emergency room visits when Whitney feel down the outdoor steps and cut her lip open at 18 months or cut her knee crawling on her bed as a metal spring popped through.  The time Chelsea was crawling on the floor with pain and I laughed at her thinking she was a drama queen only to find out she had kidney stones.  Sean's visits as he was hit over the head with a block in preschool requiring stitches, more stitches after trying to juice his finger in Scott's Jack LaLanne Juicer, then again after dropping a weight on his other finger slicing it open, and many visits for heart alerts.  We were able to take Sean specialists for his hearing loss, heart defects and migraines.  Sean and Chelsea were both able to have an endoscopy after suffering with acid reflux for so long.  We never had to worry too much about mounting medical bills as our company offered insurance plans were very reasonable. 

 Chelsea's smile before and after braces

Whitney still has the scar today between her nose and lip on her right side from the fall. Not so easy to see in pictures.

  Sean with braces

Sean after slicing open his finger by dropping a weight on it.

Things are changing rapidly in regards to great company provided medical and dental benefits and now we are faced for the first time ever with concern over getting the necessary medical care.  Our current insurance requires ridiculous deductibles that are not manageable, and tries to deny any claim for any reason (requiring hours of phone calls and faxes). I recently discovered we have paid the maximum out of pocket for the year! How crazy!! I always see that number and think I hope we never have to pay that much in medical bills.  We did!  Now we have less than eight weeks of the year left for free medical care and I want to make sure I take care of everything I always put off because of concern for cost or other reasons.  Today I have made appointments for allergy testing, full physicals, orthodics, hearing and eye exams all before the end of the year.  I am so worried about where medical coverage and cost is going for next year and the years to follow and hope my children can raise their children without the worry of cost.

Birthday Celebrations

Friday night we were invited over to Sean's girlfriend's parents home to celebrate birthdays.  I knew we were celebrating Sean and Fernanda's (Yael's sister) birthdays both October 22nd however, I was surprised to find they included my birthday as well.  As a mother with a quickly maturing son I worry he will meet a girl who's family is controlling or not so pleasant and I have to say this family is the complete opposite, a warm, sincere and fun family.  They welcomed us into their home with open arms and pampered us the entire evening with the best Mexican food ever, a scrumptious cake, gifts and pleasant conversation.  This family truly adores Sean and treats him with the great respect, such a relief me as his mother.  We only planned on staying a couple of hours, and as we neared four hours we decided to head home before we became too tired.  Scott and I do not know too many people in Colorado and miss having family to get together with and we felt instantly like family there.  Scott and I were so happy to finally meet this wonderful family and look forward to getting to know them even better.

My Baby Turns 18 Today!

Happy 18th Birthday Sean!

Enjoying Owyn

I watched Owyn for a bit again today while Chelsea went to a coffee shop to do homework.  I love trying to make him smile and he loves starring at the camera.  I wish I could bring him home to Colorado.

A Day with Owyn

Owyn 09/28/09

Yesterday I arrived back in Phoenix to spend a few days helping Chelsea with Owyn so she can catch up on homework and have a little fun.  How could I resist an opportunity to spend some time with this cutie?  I even received a free flight from Chelsea's frequent flier miles that are expiring soon. Owyn is quite the ham.  He is always wiggling around, trying to get up and go.  He smiles, coos and sticks out his tongue to mimic me.  I wish Whitney was still in Arizona, I miss you Whitney!

Baby Pictures

I was trying to find pictures of Chelsea as a baby because when I was with Owyn I thought he looked so much like Chelsea when she was a baby. However, I am having a hard time finding any pictures of her as a newborn other than the one at the hospital. The other picture I included of Chelsea is when she was around five months old. I can't wait to see what he looks like at five months.
When I was looking through baby pictures I found pictures of Sean that looked similar to Owyn's so I thought I should include some of Sean compared to Owyn as well. FYI....The yellow towel picture I think is Sean, I thought it was Chelsea until I discovered the nose was straight. So it is either Sean or Whitney (all my kids looked alike when they were born and I did not label the pictures...Bad, Bad Mom).

Hopefully when I have more time I can dig up some more. Miss you Owyn!!!!!

Quality Time with my Nephews

I spent Thursday afternoon in the pool with my three energetic and adorable nephews, AJ, Alec and Devon. We had so much fun goofing around and going down the water slide. I can't believe how much AJ is growing up! He is going to be thirteen soon and in junior high school. I have been fortunate enough to have been a part of these boys' lives since the moment they were born and miss them dearly since moving to Colorado. They better convince their parents to come visit me!

Baby Owyn has Arrived!

Baby Owen was born on Tuesday July 21, 2009 at 6:51 pm weighing in at 6 lbs 9oz and measuring 19 3/4 inches long. He is healthy and absolutely adorable! Chelsea made labor and delivery look easy while she laughed off and on and visited with our crazy huge family who gathered around bedside while she was in labor. I can't believe I am a grandma! I feel like Chelsea was just born and now she is a mother. More pictures to come!!
Five Generations!! Great grandma, Chelsea, Great Great Grandma, Grandma with baby Owen.

Our First Grandson is on His Way!

Tomorrow all the excitement begins! I will accompany Chelsea to her doctor appointment in the morning and later we will head to the birthing center where they will be inducing labor. The little guy will most likely make his entrance on Tuesday. The next post will definitely include an announcement of his birth with a picture. I am so excited! Chelsea has been busy making all of the last minute preparations and worried she is forgetting something. After spending the last few days with Chelsea I realize she is as prepared and ready to be a mother as someone who planned their pregnancy. Thanks to all the great family and friends this kid has plenty of clothes, diapers, blankets and all the necessities. Wishes for a mild labor and healthy baby!!

Whitney's dog Lola has been giving me plenty of love, boy is she a lover!

Congratulations Whitney!!

Today my oldest daughter Whitney was offered a position at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN where she is going to transfer and finish her Master's degree. The position is a huge relief for her and supportive husband Josh as she will be able to complete her program at one of the best schools in the country without having enormous student loans! Whitney was disappointed last year when she was accepted to Vanderbilt but could not figure out how to get there financially. Now she has a job that pays all her tuition and then some. Josh has been there by Whitney's side for six years now through high school and college and he has no problem uprooting and heading to Nashville to help Whitney accomplish her goals. Whitney and Josh recently celebrated their one year wedding anniversary and I wish them many decades of happiness and two or three children to come!! I love you guys!

Josh's High School Graduation 2004

Whitney's High School Graduation 2005

Whitney Arizona State University Graduation 2008

Next Picture to be placed here when Whitney Graduates with and MA from Vanderbilt University!

Congratulations Kendra!

Josh and Kendra

On Thursday night Scott and I attended Kendra's high school graduation. I took this picture before we left for the ceremony. Upon arrival to the school it began to rain and I began to freeze. I was not prepared as I only wore a light skirt, top and sandals expecting to be drenched from sweating in the hot AZ desert.

Proud Father with Kendra

The picture above was taken after the ceremony and we were all recovering from being rained on. Kendra was very appreciative of all the gifts and wishes she received from all the family, it was more than she expected in tough economic times.

Big Plans for Next Week

Next Thursday we will be in Arizona attending Kendra's high school graduation. We are so proud of Kendra and how she has grown into an intelligent, sensible and beautiful young woman. For each of our children we have purchased a laptop for their high school graduation that they can take with them to college. Kendra is the last of Scott's children to graduate and that means and end to the court ordered child support he has been paying for 18 years, every month without a single missed payment. When I met Scott that was one thing I really admired about him. He put his children first above everything else. There were times when we worked together (before we dated) that everyone in the office went out to lunch and Scott would not be able to because his ex-wife called and needed grocery money, so he would send her his grocery money because he did not want his kids to go without. There was another time a group of us went to the mall for lunch and Scott came along to buy a winter coat for his daughter, because her mom could not afford to. I could not believe how much he sacrificed to make sure his kids were taken care of. Once we began dating, many of our dates included driving three hours one way to pick up his kids in Heber and take them to Show Low to go bowling, to movies, to get hair cuts and anything else they might need. We took the kids on trips to Disneyland and Sedona and I really got to know what great kids they are. I can't believe they are all grown up now.

February 2009: Chelsea and Kendra

After we see Kendra graduate on Thursday, I will spend Friday preparing for Chelsea's baby shower that Whitney and I are giving on Saturday. We had to plan the shower for the same weekend because Scott and I will already be in town and can't afford to come back again. I know this is frustrating for some of our family to have a graduation and a baby shower in one weekend and I apologize for that. I can't believe the baby is coming so soon and I will be a grandmother! Where does all the time go? Chelsea, make sure you enjoy every moment because before you know it you will be saying this same statement to your own daughter.