Charlotte's new pictures

So, here are some new pictures of Charlotte. Isn't she beautiful!!!? Honestly, she had so much fun being photographed, it kind of ended up with her telling the photographer how she was going to sit, and pose, and look, and in general, being very happy in front of the camera. Of course, if I was as lovely as Charlotte, I'd be hamming it up in front of the camera too! Enjoy the pictures of my FOUR year old sweetie!

Charlotte sitting in some flowers, relaxing.

I LOVE this picture. I'm a big fan of sepia tones anyway, but in this picture, I think her beautiful dark eyelashes are so pretty, and her delicate little face looks so angelic.

I like this one too. It is such a classic "Charlotte" pose! She likes this one a lot.

So, isn't she just beautiful!!!

Health Update....

So, after a trip to the ER on Sunday night, and being diagnosed with a fun little case of pneumonia, I have been pumped full of antibiotics for the past few days. Results? HURRAY for drugs!!!!! Well, medicinal drugs that is. Prescribed by a very nice doctor in the hospital, of course. Seriously, life is just about heaven on earth for me the last couple days. How blissful! I am much, much happier now that I am on meds, feeling very much more full of energy for the first time in about 3 weeks, and I can breathe without pain. YAHOO!!!!! Rejoice with me, honestly. However, all this new-found happiness doesn't come without a price, you know. One of the meds I am on is a low-grade steroid to help clear my lungs, and I can tell you, there is no pill on the face of the earth with a more nasty and vile coating. The first two days, I had to take THREE of them! Yuck. I could seriously taste those nasty little pills all day long, no matter what I ate or drank. Now I'm down to 2 pills a day, which I swallow after burying them in a spoonful of yogurt. Much better. I cannot wait until I am down to just one pill a day, and then, no more at all!! Anyway, I am feeling much better. I could almost think of myself as Happy Dwarf, except that's much too positive and optimistic for my liking. So, I am still Grumpy, just a healthy Grumpy. And, Oscar the Grouch is still the coolest!!

Sick, sick, sick

So, not much happening around here lately. And by that, I mean not much in the way of fun or good happening around here lately. It all started with Barrett having pneumonia, which was caught early on, and was "gone" pretty easily and quickly, thankfully. But then, Charlotte came down with a nasty flu, and then of course...TA DA! Mom got it too! So, I started out with a really wicked flu I caught from Charlotte, then felt a little less yucky for about 18 hours, and then, BAM! I got hit right after with a really nasty cold. Felt a little less yucky for about 18 hours again, and you guessed it...BAM! I got nailed with a terrible sore throat and everything else all over again. Seriously, I feel like I have been consistently run over by a gigantic 18-wheeler truck for ten days straight. I'm not sure if I have been lucky enough to catch 3 different things separately, or if it's all been just one big nasty sickness with some really funky timing and symptoms. Anyway, what I wouldn't give for a head that isn't aching and throbbing, a tummy that isn't churning and icky, and a throat that isn't sore or irritated. Ugh. Someone make it better!!!!! On the brighter side (if there is one), Savannah and Colby have managed to stay healthy thus far, and Barrett and Charlotte have managed to stick with just a tiny drippy nose here and there, so that's good. Anyway, I am feeling exactly like Grumpy, Eeyore, and Oscar the Grouch. Long live the Whiny Complainers!!!

Dare I Hope...?

Dare I hope? The cynical pessimist in me can't possibly believe this is happening, but, facts are in: Barrett is potty training. Really well. Consistently. On his own. I don't know what to say. Both of my girls had ZERO interest in potty training, and both were well over the age of three before they decided, or rather, MOM decided it was just flat-out time to train, end of story. So, I am not really sure what to think. On the one hand, I think it just might be a really nice phase that he'll grow out of, or that it's a new "thing" that he thinks is cool and nifty, and the novelty will wear off in a few weeks. But, despite every cynical bone in my body, I really think he might be there, before the age of three. We'll see how he does. It's been a solid week or so, and he's been great, even at church and out running errands and things. Keep it up, Bear Bear!! You rock!!!

Sleepover

So, my sister-in-law and her family were kind enough to watch our kids for us so that we could go out for our anniversary...thank you Jenn, Brian, Malorie and Colton!!! And not only watch them, but watch them overnight! I was very grateful for their offer, but I was also slightly scared...for Jenn and her family. I mean, Savannah is old enough that she is not really much of a "burden" to babysit; Charlotte is getting pretty low-maintenance as well; and then there's my little Barrett. Bless his sweet heart, he is quite a Mama's boy, and I really wasn't sure how he would handle an overnighter.

A few months ago, my dear Dad took the kids and tried an overnight experience. It was fine for Barrett until bedtime. He was fine getting his jammies on, he was fine brushing his teeth, he was fine reading his story, he was even fine climbing into bed; but then....Grandpa had to turn off the lights. Enter panic. Poor little Bear-Bear wasn't so sure about this whole "sleepover" thing anymore. He told Grandpa "I want my Mommy," "I want my Daddy," "I want Charlotte," "I want Savannah." My poor Dad! He tried to calm him down, but Barrett wasn't having any of it! Bless my Dad, he tried for quite a while, then decided poor little Bear just needed his Mommy, so he called us, and we went to pick him up. The girls slept through all of this, and we took Bear home at about 10:30.

So, that was Barrett's last experience with spending the night away from Mom and Dad. But, Jenn assured us he'd be fine, and to enjoy our anniversary. Well, we did, it was nice to have a dinner without the kids arguing over who gets to sit by Daddy, whose turn it is to say the prayer (yes, my kids really do fight over that), and of course, the ever-constant "What are we having for dinner.....Oh, I don't like that." We enjoyed seeing a movie together, "Paul Blart: Mall Cop" was flippin' hilarious! But then, once we got home, I was so worried about Bear, and worried that he was making life interesting for everyone else at Jenn's house. I really didn't sleep well at all, I kept waking up thinking I had heard Barrett. Weird, I know. Well, surprise to Mom...he did great! He had a small moment of anxiety at bedtime, but did go to sleep, and he slept the whole night through! He even went to church with them, and almost made it through the whole block! So, I guess I was worried for nearly no reason! He is such a big boy!

On a related note, after we had picked up the kids, they fell asleep in the car on the way home, and so we just put them in their beds for a nap. After an hour or so, we hear what we think is one of the kids coughing. Thinking for sure it was Savannah, who is trying desperately to get rid of a little cold, we went to check it out. It was actually Charlotte...but she wasn't coughing, she was crying. Poor little girl! Colby picked her up, and tried to calm her down and ask her what was wrong. Her response? "I'm crying that's because I miss Aunt Jenn." Seriously, that is what she said, word for word. I think she was just a little bit annoyed that she woke up at her own house! It was so darn cute and sweet. If not for her tears and her crying so hard that she was almost choking, I totally would have taken a picture!

And to think, it was Barrett I was worried about the most...

Happy 12th Anniversary!

So, this is us way back in 1997! Isn't it funny how young we look? Although, we were only 20 and 21 at the time, so I guess we were pretty young.

Happy Anniversary, Colby! I have treasured every moment of the past twelve years with you. I love you, I adore you, and I am still trying to figure out how I got so lucky.

I remember the day we were married; it was a beautiful, clear, sunny, and flippin' COLD day! I remember you carrying me across Main Street (this is back when it actually was a street), and I thought I was going to faint from embarrassment, you know how much I just love being the center of attention! I remember going to the reception, and seeing the line that just kept going and going and going, and thinking, "Do we even know all of these people?" I remember finally getting ready to leave the reception hall at about 10:30 at night, and we were starving! All we'd had to eat that day was a small brunch after our wedding, and one bite of wedding cake! Now, back in 1997 not every single fast-food place was open 24 hours, so we picked up something to eat at Taco Bell, because it was just about the only place still open that time of night. It still makes me laugh to think about!

You are the most wonderful and caring and supportive husband and best friend any girl could ask for, and I am so looking forward to the next 12 years with you!!!!

Just thought I'd list a few random things I have learned about Colby in the past 12 years:

1. He likes his drinks so cold they could literally shatter your teeth on impact.

2. He hates sour cream, unless it has morphed into an onion-flavor chip dip.

3. He LOVES the Boston Red Sox, almost as much as he loves me. :)

4. He plays songs that he doesn't even like very much on Guitar Hero, just because he knows I like them, and tries to impress me by playing them.

5. Any movie with baseball in it, however small a part the baseball may actually be, is definitely a must-see.

6. He makes the best friggin' tacos I have ever eaten!

7. He loves the TV series "The Office", "Seinfeld", "King of Queens", and "Everybody Loves Raymond."

8. He squeezes the toothpaste from the bottom....I don't.

9. He is a wonderful dancer.

10. He actually folds socks....I still think that's so funny!

11. He doesn't really watch or like NFL football (he prefers College ball), but if he had to pick a favorite NFL team, it would be the New Orleans Saints.

12. If pumpkin-carving was an Olympic sport, he would take the Gold Medal.

13. He is a gifted singer and pianist, no matter how much he may claim otherwise.

14. He is an adorable father to our 3 little kids.

15. He likes Double-Stuf Oreos better than the original.

16. Cocoa Pebbles would be his favorite cold cereal.

17. His dad is his hero.

18. He is not afraid of being "in front of people," or being in the spotlight.

19. He gives the best and most comforting hugs.

20. He is the most patient and kind person I have ever met (obviously, I mean, he is still married to me, after all!).

So, Happy Anniversary Honey!

Charlotte Turns 4!!!!

Happy Birthday Charlotte! We love you so much!!!!!

Birthday Celebration...by Savannah

So your birthday has come and now you are four!!!! Now you're big just like me! Just like you've always wanted!!!! This is my favorite picture of you, because Mom gave you pickles! And you LOVED them!!!!

Job Description

So, I found this on one of my friend's blogs, and it really helped me laugh for the first time in a little bit. Thanks, Trina!!!


Position
Mom, Mommy, Mama, Ma
Dad, Daddy, Dada, Pa, Pop

JOB DESCRIPTION :
Long term, team players needed, for challenging, permanent work in an often chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call. Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities! Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required.

RESPONSIBILITIES :
The rest of your life. Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone realizes they need $5. Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly. Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat just in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf. Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers. Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects. Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks. Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, and an acute embarrassment the next. Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices. Must always hope for the best but always be prepared for the worst. Must assume final, complete and total accountability for the quality of the end product. Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION :
None. Your job is to remain in the same position for years,without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you.

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE :
None required, unfortunately.
On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.

WAGES AND COMPENSATION :
Get this- you pay them!
Offering frequent raises and bonuses and possibly "allowance."
When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.

BENEFITS :
While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition
reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered; this
job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth, unconditional love, and free hugs and kisses for life, that is, if you play your cards right.

So, how does the job sound??!!

When doubt creeps in...

Well, the past ten days have been absolutely the most devastating and sad of our lives. It is difficult to speculate how you might react in a given situation, and I have to admit, the past week's experiences have been hard to bear. I have felt my beliefs and my "understanding" of the world, of life, and of God very shaken. I cannot recall a time in my life when I have doubted the existence of God, but in all honesty, I have felt in the past week, a bit of doubt about his character. I have a hard time right now seeing him as loving and benevolent; it is more like capricious and fickle. I know that may seem harsh, or at the very least, quite cynical, but you must remember that I am a certified Cynical Pessimist. It just feels to me, that if God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and merciful and loving, surely he could have done something to save Boston. Since I really do believe that he is all-powerful, and that he obviously did not do anything to save Boston, I am left to conclude that he made a conscious decision NOT to save him. I am not really sure how to deal with these feelings. It is very painful to think that he deliberately did not save him, and yet may have chosen to save someone else, somewhere else. It hurts to think that he was that selective and emotionally removed from Stephanie to do that. I don't really know what else I can say. In fact, I am sure this rambling rant of "Doubting Thomas" thoughts has probably gone on too long. I am just having a really hard time reconciling the past week's events with what I have before believed about God. Anyway, maybe just this post that is altogether whiny, pessimistic, cynical and down-hearted will be somehow therapeutic and helpful. We'll see.....

Boston Willden

So, this is the obituary for my sweet nephew, Boston. Isn't he so handsome! He actually looks so much like his Mom, it just amazes me. Steph was such a good little Mommy to Boston, and it was so sweet to see them together. Even when talking to her on the phone, you could literally "hear" her smiling whenever she spoke about him. It was a joy to see. I cannot imagine how any little boy could be more adored by his Mom. I ache for her, I know how much she loves and misses him; and I ache for Boston, who I am absolutely certain loves and misses his Mommy, too. Please, keep Steph in your thoughts and prayers. I am sure that Saturday will be the hardest day of her life, and she will need some extra love and support.

Boston DeVon Willden "Little Angel" My "Little Angel" passed away suddenly and tragically on January 23, 2009. Boston was born to his loving mother, Stephanie Ann Willden on December 18, 2008, and was a gift from God. He was enjoyed, and blessed everyone with his presence for the short time he was with us. There are no words to describe how much he will be missed, but his perfect soul was called home to be the angel he was forever, and will live on in our hearts. Survived by his mother; grand parents, Neil Willden and Cris Warrington; aunts, Wendy (Bryan) Aitken and Danielle (Colby) Hill and their wonderful children; a huge extended family and so many friends that know who they are; we love all of you! Special thanks to Warren Thomas, Mikey Benson Jr. and Orlando Ventura who spent every moment they could with my special little man. Also to everyone from Delton's, words cannot describe how much we appreciate all your love, prayers, and support- it will never be forgotten. Preceded in death by his great grandmother, Betsy Willden; and his mother's special friend, Jayson Chase, who I'm sure is playing a game of catch with him and throwing the ball around; they are taking great care of him in heaven. Graveside Services will be held Saturday, January 31, 2009 at 1:00 p.m. at Valley View Memorial Park, 4400 West 4100 South. The family will receive friends at a visitation Saturday morning two hours prior to the service at Valley View Funeral Home, 4335 West 4100 South. In lieu of flowers, donations for funeral expenses can be taken at the Delton Sports Center, 3544 West 3500 South, West Valley City, Utah, 84119 at the front desk under the name Boston, or the Willden family.

Not such a great weekend

So, my weekend was bad. Really bad. Really, really, really bad. I think it would rate as my number 1 all-time crappy and utterly devastating weekend. You know how in bad dreams and terrible nightmares, everything happens that is catastrophic and totally unbearable, and then you wake up in tears and drenched with sweat? And you can barely believe that you are, in fact, awake, because the nightmare was so vivid and horrible? That almost happened this weekend for me, except that when I woke up, the nightmare was reality. On Thursday night, we had Barrett diagnosed with pneumonia, which in itself is not so fun, but kind of "routine" with my kids, for some strange reason. He had a bad night, but nothing really bad. Then, Friday morning comes. I received a phone call from my Mom telling me that she was in the emergency room with my sister Steph and her one-month-old baby son, Boston. Boston was cold and not breathing, and the prognosis wasn't good. Needless to say, my heart dropped to the floor, and for a moment, I couldn't even process what I had just heard. After a frantic phone call to Colby, we went to the hospital to be with my sister and the rest of my family. By the time we got there, Boston had passed away. They think he had actually died at home, and they tried everything medically possible to revive and save him, but to no avail. There is nothing in the world so unthinkably unfair and wrong as the death of a child, especially one so young and healthy. My heart feels so black and cold, and nothing can make it right. And my heart aches for my sister. I wish with all my heart that I could make it better, and take away all her pain. I cannot even pretend to understand the depth of her sadness and loss. My whole world seems so fragile and fleeting and uncertain now. I want to hold my kids and never let them out of my sight, even for a moment. I want to go to work with Colby because I never want to see him leave, even for a routine 8 hour workday. I just want to take Steph and wrap her in my arms and somehow transfer all of her sorrow and despair and pain to me, and make her feel better. Even though I know that nothing will ever make it better. Nothing. Can anything make it better? Or if not better, at least a little less terrible? I know that everyone says in times such as these, you just cling to your faith and trust that God has a plan and that all will be well in the end. You know, that is all well and good, but for now, I have to be honest and say- that just seems like a cheap cop-out somehow. That really doesn't seem very helpful. It doesn't bring Boston back, it doesn't make Steph's sorrow go away, it just doesn't seem to do anything except say, in different wording, "Boy, life sure is capricious and rotten at times, isn't it?" Anyway, those of you who know me understand that I am a certified pessimistic, cynical doomsayer. But I have to say, that sure does seem like an awfully REALISTIC viewpoint on the world right about now. I am going to try to exercise a small particle of optimism and hope that in a few days or weeks, I can start believing that God does have a plan, but for now, please, if you would, remember my sweet sister Steph in your prayers right now. She really needs some extra support and strength. Her burden right now is one that nobody should have to bear...

Henry

No, this picture hasn't been photo-shopped, he really was that fat! So, it has officially been one year since we lost our funny and lovable Henry the Navigator. Indulge me in a bit of reminiscing, I really, REALLY miss my little Henry. Well, to begin, Colby and I got Henry right after we were married. And from the start, he was a chunky, moody, and perfectly adorable kitty who had little (if any) use for humans besides us. Which was fine with me. Henry had SUCH a personality. Even for a cat, he had a big personality. He was so funny. As a tiny kitty, Henry liked orange juice, steak, bread, and virtually any dairy product known to exist. Once he got older, he really only liked dairy items; as far as people food goes. Well, as you can see by the picture, Henry was a certified Fat Chunk. Mostly my fault, but even as a kitty he was pretty darn portly. The thing is, just like Garfield, Henry was very content and happy with his fatness. He was most definitely Henry the Navigator, Fat Chunk Dictator and Lord of the Hill House. And we loved him. I miss him. We always say that he may be in heaven now, and he may not have a gimpy leg anymore, but he is definitely still a fatty! Henry was happy that way. There are no better cats in the history or future of the world than my Henry.

Although, I do love Smokey and Sneezy- I have to make that clear or Savannah will cry and worry about them. But, I love and miss my Henry and I hope he knows it.

GO UTES!

What a game! Is there any question that the Utes should be the #1 NCAA team? 75% of the country picked them to lose, we are glad that we were part of the minority. Earlier today Savannah and Charlotte made a couple of awesome posters to get in the spirit for the big game. Maybe the posters somehow made their way to the players and helped the Utes win! Savannah was proud of the poster that read "Go Utah, Boo Alabama." It was my favorite. Anyway, it was a phenomenal game, and the best way to cap off the season! Utah Utes, 13-0!!!

Let me take a few liberties with Nick Saban's (Alabama's head coach) words.

"The [Utes] are the only 'real' 13-0 team in college football."

Smokey

So, here is a picture of Smokey. Savannah felt bad that we had a whole post about Sneezy, and that we still love Smokey, so we had to post a picture of him. Sorry this is the best picture of him I could find. He is HUGE!! He looks like an absolute monster compared to the new little guy! Smokey is half Russian Blue and half Heinz-57, as Colby would say. He is such a handsome cat, and we love him!!