Nostalgia...

In a few days, my baby will be six months old. I can hardly believe that. No longer do we have a crinkled little creature with fluffy tufts of hair that used to cry out for us to wrap her up tightly in a blanket and snuggle her into our necks. She has grown into a marshmallow that smiles so quickly and laughs so freely that we cannot get enough of her. She is a twinkle in our home, everyone LOVES to be around her.

There is something about knowing this is our last little one that makes me feel a little bit sad. Mind you, I do not wish for more children, but this is the end of a chapter in our family. No more will we hear the sweet tiny cry of a newborn, or wonder at the fluttering eyes that can't really seem to focus on anything. The sugary moments that you share as you feed an infant in the middle of the night are so precious (even if I am glad when that part is over) and I will miss that.

And yet, we have so many beautiful moments with this chubby cherub to look forward to. I can hardly wait for her to scream, "Mama," and run into my arms as I come home from somewhere because she has missed me. I can hardly wait to watch her dance around the living room while we turn the radio up as loud as it will go and laugh when she gets dizzy and falls over. I can hardly wait to sneak in at night and find her asleep with her favorite stuffed animal bundled up tight in blankets , and watch her need her dad when she scrapes her knee, and teach her to read, and show her how a potato bug works, and on and on and on.

I am grateful to a God who is unselfish enough to allow us to share these amazing moments with His precious children. He could have hogged them all, kept them to himself, but He didn't. He trusted me with six sprites and let me feel the magic of being their mother.
I get to tickle toes, and wipe noses, and fly in the backyard, and cuddle on cold nights, and have popcorn fights...all with my very best friend by my side to share it all. I cannot imagine a better way to go through life.

Here's to eternity...

with the people I love best.

And the sweet memories that I will take with me.

They Say It's Your Birthday...

My Beautiful Girl!

This month, Aubrey turns eight.

Eight years old calls for a birthday party.

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Aubrey is completely addicted to Harry Potter right now, so we put together the best Harry Potter bash we could come up with for her and few of her closest friends. We invited everyone to Hogwarts to complete their classes.

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*For Orientation we sorted the kids into their houses and tried every flavor beans (boy the "rotten egg" and "pencil shavings" were was disgusting...no one dared try "vomit"). We also had Defense Against the Dark Arts, Divination, Broom Riding, Potions (thanks Mythbusters for Diet Coke and mint Mentos demonstrations), and Care of Magical Creatures classes. It was fun.

Bryce showing off one of the "magic wands" that the kids got when they completed all of their classes.

Some more of our wands...the kids spent 20 minutes or so casting fake spells at each other.

Dragon Egg bashing (not the best way to care for magical creatures, but loads of fun!). Aubrey and I made the pinata.

Pin the spell on the wizard (Defense Against the Dark Arts).
Note: I am not an artist.

Decorations galore...A fabulous occasion!

Our class schedule, fully completed.

Graduation celebration, with those party pop streamer things.

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One of the things that made me most proud was that Aubrey, all on her own, invited her brothers to be a part of her party. She included them in every activity just as much as she included her friends.

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It was a really fun party for all of us (but Mom is kind of glad it is done now).

Happy Birthday Princess, we love you!!!

Mind the Gap

This morning, for my scripture study, I was reading the conference Ensign from November. I read a talk by Barbara Thompson called "Mind the Gap." This talk teaches some ways that we sometimes allow gaps between what we should do and what we are doing.

One area she discusses is minding the gap between completion of young women and full participation in relief society. When I read that I felt a sharp pang of guilt. It was nearly 15 years ago that I graduated from young women into relief society...but I have NEVER been a fully participated member of that organization. Oh, I do the things I am supposed to do, and go through the motions, but I have never embraced relief society as a part of who I am.

Now, in fairness, I have been in either primary or young women for all but a few months of that 15 years so I haven't really spent time in relief society (and I have never complained about that...and I'm not anxious for that to change). But the truth is, the women scare me!!! I am a big chicken when it comes to adults. I am painfully shy with people I don't know, and very awkward. Youth and children and even old people are a joy to me, but people close to my age are intimidating.

However, I see this gap in my life and can see that it is time that I improve. I have always done my visiting teaching and tried to attend enrichment (thanks to a talk by President Hinckley once that said I was supposed to), but I need to become a sister, a real family member there.

I have some work to do.

The Birds and the Bees...Some More

Last night, Bryce came upstairs and asked me what a "liner" was. Trying to get some bearing on what he was talking about, I asked him to tell me where he heard that. He explained that he had just seen a commercial with a long white thing shaped like an airplane and they said "maximum absorbency, but thin as a liner." Fun...sanitary napkins.

Josh gave him a quick explanation and Bryce went back downstairs to play. However, he was back upstairs in five minutes asking more questions. Of course, by then I was the one he was interested in talking to (how does Josh always manage to get out of these things?). Having been through several pregnancies with me, all the kids know a fair amount about sex and pregnancy, but we had never yet delved into female periods.

So, I pulled out the trusty Human Anatomy book that the kids all love to look at, we flipped to reproductive systems and had an impromptu lesson on reproduction and menstrual cycles. Not what I expected to be doing on a Tuesday night. Darn Olympics, without them we wouldn't even have the TV on in the evening!!!

Just kidding, we always try to take the time to help the kids understand whatever things they are interested in learning (to the degree that is age appropriate). When they have questions, we try to answer them. I still remember the day after we talked to Aubrey about how boys have a penis and girls have a vagina (age 2 1/2) when my parents came over and she proudly pronounced, "Grandma, girls have a vagina and boys have a penis...show her yours Daddy!!" He didn't, but we all laughed.

Aahh, the fun of parenthood. I am sure we have many more of these experiences to look forward to.

These Boots Are Made for Walking

These...

are an important facet in DeMoux family life. They have been part of our life since our family started to blossom. When we found out we were pregnant with Bryce (two months after we got married...WOW!!!) a friend gave us a bunch of hand-me-downs and these boots were in the mix.

We LOVE them.

They have been every child's favorite at one time or another.

Bryce earned his nick-name, Texas, by taking off all of his clothes and diaper and wandering around in these boots when he was two years old (regularly).

Kids love the clomping noise they make when they walk, they love that they can take them on and off without parental help, they love that they go with any outfit...boots and sweat pants, boots and dresses, boots and shorts (ok, they don't really).

So as one more DeMoux enjoys the beauty of cowboy boots, we hope they will last just a couple more years so that after more than a half dozen owners, they can finally rest...and go to the place where well worn, well loved boots go to die.

The Mouths of Babes

Last night, Bryce came to Josh and I concerned. He had a big blob thing that had appeared on his upper gum in his mouth. It was not a cold sore (at least not like any I have ever seen). He was pretty worried about it. We looked at it and poked at it and tried to act nonchalant, but we told him we didn't know what it was, we would just check it tomorrow and see what it looked like.

His eyes immediately welled with tears and he said he hoped he didn't have to have a surgery and it wasn't cancer and he hoped he wouldn't die from it. His hypochondriac side appeared. Poor guy, he gets that from me. When I was younger I loved to watch science/disease/plague shows and was always convinced that I had whatever malady I had seen (I could almost always come up with a few symptoms that I had). We tried to convince Bryce that it was probably nothing and that he would most likely live to see the morning. He was thrilled this morning when he got up and the blob was almost entirely gone. Still don't know what it was, but we're glad to see it make it's exit.

Also, yesterday, Ellie was playing on the floor by me when she discovered the table, and tried to eat it. I didn't know she had termite genes (she must get those from her father) but the symptoms are pretty apparent. What a life she has ahead of her, so many woods, so little time.

A Day

Once upon a time, a brother asked me what it is that I do all day long. From the time I was small, I dreamed of being a mom. I have never really wanted much more from life. I LOVE being with my children. I LOVE trying to create a beautiful home for my husband to come home to (or, let's be realistic, at least keep the structure from being demolished for another day). My life is nothing exciting from the outside, nothing more than what millions of other women jump into day after day, but it it my life, and I wouldn't trade it for the glitz and glamour of any other way. Here is some of the excitement that goes on at our home from day to day.

It's been a good day.

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Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in the cluttered world around me and forget that there is so much more to life than diapers and dishes and laundry and cooking. But without fail, when I have lost perspective, one of these little angels does something...a little laugh, a hug, a joke, a whisper, a prayer...that pulls me back into life, real life, and I remember what eternity is all about. And then I feel blessed.

Jazz and Missionaries

Last night, Josh got a call from a good friend he hasn't seen in a while. Dan had a bonus ticket to the Jazz game...third row. This also included fabulous buffet dinner, amazing desert, half time snacks, and an umbrella with ears (it's the Jazz bear). Josh had the time of his life with a really great friend. I got to see the back of his adorable head from my seat on the couch at home. He was close enough to hear the players sweat (or at least talk to each other) and even participated in a little bit of friendly harassment of the other team (one player even responded with a "Hey, I can't be perfect every night," with a big smile right at Josh and Dan). What an awesome opportunity for him.

And, he can thank me for it!!! That's right, earlier in the day I was at my parent's house to say good-bye to my little brother who left on his mission that afternoon (missionaries now days are dropped at the curb like dry cleaning...no more drawn out farewell with family). As I was leaving, I gave him a dollar for good luck, a first donation to his mission fund. Heavenly Father always blesses us, often ten fold (or 600 fold) when we do good things...so, Josh got third row Jazz tickets because I gave my missionary brother a dollar. I see the connection.

Just kidding. Still, Joel is happily deposited in the MTC and Josh had an awesome experience with a fabulous friend he doesn't get to see very often. Life is good.

Saturday's Warrior

This is Gavin.

And this...

...is Saturday's Warrior.

Crazy awesome.

Gavin wanted some cds of his very own a while ago so I went through my collection to find a few for him, and this is one that I gave him. I didn't even know I still had it. It is old.

Saturday's Warrior...an icon...for something. I loved this show when I was younger, now I find that funny. When I told my dad I had the movie on hold at the library so that the kids (mostly Gavin) could watch it he told me, in a very parental tone, I would be teaching them false doctrine. I laughed at him, but before I let them watch it last night (for the first time) I suddenly got nervous and gave them a stern lecture about how this is fiction. They looked at me like I was crazy. Actually, I guess I am, so that is alright. Why else would I show this to my children. Do you think they will be permanently scarred?

Watching old singing/dancing shows with few props, nearly no special effects (there is that little sparkle/fizz when people pop down to be born), and zealous missionaries...what a way to spend an evening. My littlest brother leaves on his mission tomorrow. The kids wanted to know if that is what he would be like for Uncle Joel. I said sure, without the over the top girlfriend (or any girlfriend), and the 80's hair, and the memorized discussions, and send off at the airport, and ...well, actually no. That is not what it will be like for Uncle Joel. My how things change. But Saturday's Warrior...that is eternal (right Dad?).