I love Lucy!

Lucy turned 3 on Halloween. I love living so close to her and being a part of her life. She is so bright and funny. I find delight in every moment I spend with her.

Happy Birthday, Goofy Lucy!

Happy Birthday!

My sweet Lizzie turned two last week. It's hard to believe she's two!

Some words that describe her are: little, snuggly, obedient, curious, loving, blonde.

Lizzie likes to play with her babies.

Lizzie doesn't like to have to take a nap.

Lizzie likes to eat snacks.

Lizzie doesn't like to eat peas or beans or anything green.

Lizzie likes her binkie and a soft piece of fabric for bed time.

Lizzie doesn't like putting pants on.

Lizzie likes to sing "Twinkle, Twinkle, little Star," "Itsy bitsy Spider" and "Jesus wants Me for a Sunbeam."

Lizzie doesn't like being put in the car to run errands.

Lizzie likes to play "Ring Around the Rosie."

Lizzie doesn't like being wrapped in a blanket by her brothers and then tickled to death.

I like everything about Lizzie.

Happy Birthdays!

I've got two special birthdays to celebrate today!

First, my little Cameron is 4 today. It's hard to believe that he was born four years ago. Seems like yesterday. My due date was June 2 and as I went overdue I was so worried about having him on June 6 because then his birthday would be 6-6-06 and then maybe he would be a devil child. Some days, I think he might just be. :) But most days he is sweet and lovable. He has grown so much this year. Here are some of his accomplishments: completing a year of preschool, potty training, learning to pedal his bike, putting on his shoes by himself, creating multitudes of Spore Creatures and helping put away the laundry. Good job, Cameron! I love you!


Second, today is my dearest, darling Christopher's 38th birthday. I couldn't ask for a better husband, friend, father, counselor, partner and sweetheart. I love him so much! He makes me laugh every day. He comforts me when I'm down. He's patient with me when I screw up. He puts up with all my quirks and failings. He makes me happy! Happy Birthday, Chris!

Well, you know what they say: if you don't have anything nice to say about anybody, come sit by me!

Twenty Seven of My Favorite Things About My Twenty Seven Year Old Sister

1. She only remembers the good.

2. She is forgiving.

3. She gave me the sweetest niece on the entire planet.

4. She will do anything for me.

5. She is the greatest cook and is always experimenting.

6. She fed me pears on my last birthday.

7. She doesn't scrapbook.

8. She isn't embarrassed to be herself around me.

9. She is so crafty which is not a trait I usually admire but she does it in such an endearing way that I admire it in her.

10. She has a strong testimony and is always striving to be better.

11. She loves my kids alot and treats them well.

12. She loves to play games and cards with me.

13. She is happy where she is. She blooms where she is planted.

14. She genuinely cares about the happiness of those around her.

15. She hates the phone as much as I do.

16. She worries about things and I find her worrying adorable.

17. She is such a good mother and is raising an adorable and wonderful daughter.

18. She is unselfish.

19. She has big feet.

20. She doesn't judge me.

21. She doesn't mind my messes.

22. She always greets me and leaves me with a hug and a kiss and an "I love you."

23. She always thanks me for the little things.

24. She will lend me anything even knowing there is a great possibility that I will lose it.

25. She laughs with me.

26. She cries with me.

27. I can tell her anything and know that she will only tell one other person. Her husband is a given.

Anna, I hope you have the happiest birthday!
Love you bunches and bunches!

Happy Birthday, Calvin!

Happy 10th Birthday to Calvin!

Here's the top 10 things I love about him:

10. He has got the cutest little behind. It is adorable.

9. He is very sensitive.

8. He loves babies and little kids and playing with them.

7. He works really hard when you give him a job and Rarely complains.

6. He is interested in all kinds of interesting topics and shares his knowledge with me often.

5. He loves going to church and being a part of scouts.

4. He has the greatest laugh. Seriously, if you hear it, you will laugh too.

3. He works hard to choose the right.

2. If I am sad, he gives me a hug and tries to make me feel better.

1. He's my son and I love him very much just because he's him.

Happy birthday to my darling bunny boy(s)

Today is Chris and Cameron's birthdays. Chris is 37 and Cameron is 3. Every year on Chris' birthday, his mom calls up all our phones-home, cell and work-and leaves a personalized song by Captain Kangaroo on the voice mail. I think she has to fire up the turn table to do it. It reminds me of the phone call that Billy Crystal gets from his mom on his birthday in "City Slickers." I love it that she does that because it seems like something I would do.

Cameron got to have a fun party with his friends during which we played traditional party games. Anna made the best Pin-the-tail-on-the-Donkey game. Cameron got to blow out his candle in a blueberry muffin. The kids had fun and the moms did too, I think.


It's hard for me to believe that my tiny Baby Cameron is 3! Even harder to believe is that my dear Christopher is 3 years from 4-0.

Number Nine...Number Nine...Number Nine

Happy Birthday, Calvin!

Here's NINE great photos of my new nine-year-old!




Love you, Cal! Have a great day!

I like the roller coaster. You get more out of it.

We've had some fun happenings in our family over the past several days. Christopher's scout troop held their annual Blue and Gold Banquet. The theme was "Chinese New Year." We ate some rice Chinese food and watched the boys display some of their more interesting projects. Christopher received his Bear badge and moved up to the Webelos level. Way to go, CV!




On Saturday, we celebrated Emily's 12th birthday with family and friends. We had a fun pizza party at Cici's pizza. It was a great time eating pizza together, laughing and opening some neat presents. Emily's cousin, Morgan, even made her a bracelet all by herself. Saturday night, Anna, Tony, Lucy, Jodi, Aaron, Jamison and Gavin came over to celebrate. We had fun snacks and played Apples to Apples. Emily was allowed to play with the adults for the first time and she enjoyed it. We learned that Jodi's very favorite swear word is "groin." As usual, we had a hilarious time.

Emily and her friend, Taylor

Emily loving the bracelet that Morgan made her.

Cameron, Cici's #1 Fan!

Aunt Jamie, Emily and Morgan

Cameron and Tyler

That's not Anna and Tony! Everyone wants to hold Little Lucy!

I've had several inquiries as to the baby countdown posted on my blog this weekend. Yes, I am expecting baby #6 due September 20. It sounds really stupid to say we were surprised by the news of this newest Vos. But we were. I guess when items are 99.9% effective, you have to remember the .1% non-effective chance is still out there. "So you're telling me there's a chance." Even though we were surprised, we couldn't be happier to have a new child to love. I have been feeling various levels of nausea and exhausted various levels of tiredness over the last few months. I have been to my midwife and everything looks great. I even got a picture of the baby, which looks a lot like a Sour Patch Kid. I am affectionately calling it, "SPK." I am looking forward to finding out if we are having a Mitchell or an Elizabeth (Lizzie). The children were all thrilled to find out they will be welcoming a new sibling. Emily is keeping all appendages crossed in hopes of a sister. Christopher shed tears at the news and gave me the biggest hug ever. Calvin and Spencer jumped around and yelled. Cameron is pretty much oblivious. This baby is going to be very much loved.

We're hoping it's lime!

Sweet Emses

Emily a few moments old

Yesterday was Emily's 12th birthday. This was such a milestone day for both of us. I loved that she had a snowday and was able to spend the day at home. Her new Young Women leader and two of the Beehives visited her today. They brought her balloons in the value colors and all the YW books and pamphlets. I was delighted to see how they welcomed her so openly and helped her feel comfortable with this transition. She is very nervous about attending YW this Sunday. Seeing her being unsure of this new situation reminded me of how scared I was when I started YW. I remember how grown up and sophisticated the Laurels were and how tiny and young I felt. Emily is blessed to have associations with great leaders and also older girls that are setting such a good example for her. I am so excited for her! They gave her the torch necklace, which she secretly calls the "fire lady necklace." She put it right on and wore it to school today. Entering YW is such a landmark in the life of an LDS girl. She is not a child anymore and will only get more mature and competent from here on.

Emily 1 year old

Emily age 4

Another milestone completed was getting her ears pierced. My mom had a rule that I had to be 12 to get my ears pierced and I held to the same rule for Emily. After dinner of homemade pizza, (her dinner choice) we took a family trip to the Westland Mall. We stopped at the Piercing Pagoda where she looked at the spinning display of earrings and said she was so nervous. Anna and I reassured her that it doesn't hurt and that she could do it. (Anna, you should blog about your piercing experience.) I could tell by the look on her face that she was sooo scared! She chose a very cute pair of posts and then a few minutes later, she was pierced! She looks very beautiful and grown up.

Another landmark event today was her opening a letter written to her by my mother. My mother wrote it to her in 1987 and it was addressed on the envelop to "Jennifer's Future Daughter to be Opened on Her 12th Birthday." This letter has been sitting in my jewelry box for years waiting for Emily to turn 12. I have seen her come into my room and look at the envelop, turning it in her fingers, probably wondering what her Grandma Gloria is going to tell her. I am confident that Emily grasps that this is a most precious item. I feel so fortunate that my mom was so close to the Spirit to feel the need to pen such a note. The letter was the first thing Emily asked about in the morning. She opened it and read it and let me read it. It was one of the best things I have ever read. It was lovingly addressed and told of my mom's and my relationship at the time (I was 13 when it was written). My mother implored Emily to see me as her friend and develop our relationship as mother and daughter. She said some beautiful things that I will hold dear to my heart always. Emily was visibly touched by the moment.

Emily age 8

My daughter, Emily, has been so precious to me even before she was born. When I was expecting, I knew she was a girl and I knew her name would be Emily. I would talk to her and felt so close to her. When she was placed in my arms for the first time, I knew her! She was familiar to me already. She was the sweetest baby, a delightful toddler and so enjoyable as a child. That is not to say that she was perfect. She had her moments. I recall one of them being in the Lansing Ward building when I was on assignment to visit a ward there. I often traveled to various wards for my calling and because Chris' calling was such that he couldn't take a toddler with him, she would travel with me. For the most part, she would quietly play with toys or books. One day she was just out of sorts and was screaming and carrying on. I was at my wits end with her. I took her into a classroom and was going to punish her but was overcome with a feeling that I should sing a Primary song to her at that moment. I did so and she calmed down. I remember feeling thankful for parenting help from the Master Parent. At 12, she still has her moments, but in spite of them, she is just the most wonderful daughter that there ever was. I used to get upset at the thought of her growing up and leaving home. I don't so much anymore because I know that we will be great friends forever. She and I have a bond that time, age and distance cannot overcome.

Emily, you are so dear to me and I am a better mother because I have you for a daughter.

A bundle of nerves

Happy Birthday, Sunny Son!

Today is Christopher's 10th birthday! It is amazing to me that he is already 10 years old. Seems like just yesterday I held him as a newborn. Christopher was born 10 days early and I was quite caught off guard when my water broke on the afternoon of February 7, 1998. Chris' parents were visiting us in East Lansing that day and his mom and I had spent the afternoon shopping at Meijer for what seemed like a million 6-packs of Diet Orange Crush for Chris' uncle. He couldn't get this kind of pop up in St. Ignace and we found it at Meijer and loaded it from the cart to the car and then from my car into her car. Maybe it was all that lifting and straining with the pop, but soon after we returned home, I felt a little "pop" and knew my water broke. The funny thing was that there wasn't a gush of water like in the movies, just a little trickle. I called my midwife who recommended that I go to the hospital to be checked. Chris was at work and we couldn't get in touch with him to take me so my FIL had to take me. He got a kick out of telling the hospital staff that it was his baby. I wasn't so amused.

I got checked and, yes indeed, my water had broken. I was admitted and started walking to get the labor going. This was about 5pm. Chris made it to the hospital and we spent the evening watching the opening ceremonies for the Nagano, Japan Olympics. And breathing through contractions. Finally at 11:30 I was ready to push and did so for 7 minutes and out plopped this beautiful little boy weighing 8lbs 9oz. We didn't know the gender of Christopher before this moment and I had been sure that he was going to be a girl. I was so shocked that I said, "A boy? Does he have a penis?" The midwife and nurse thought this was pretty funny and assured me that he did, in fact, have the required boy parts. He was very beautiful and sweet and I held him in my arms and felt wonderful and scared at the same time.

My Emily was the light of my life and here was this stranger, a boy to boot, that I was supposed to love too. I didn't know how I could do it. I remember calling Chris from the hospital several times during the night, crying and asking him to reassure me that I could be a good mother to two children. The next day, little Em came to visit me and the new baby at the hospital. She was 23 months old and wearing the cutest little yellow outfit. I will never forget the moment she was lifted onto the hospital bed and reached out to touch her new little brother. My heart grew that moment to have enough love for both of these little children. I had lots of visitors that day including my dad and sister and many friends. The Erekson's brought me a cake with the phrase, "He has a penis!" in frosting in honor of my question right after he was born. All the nurses wanted to have a piece of the "penis" cake. To clarify, it didn't depict a penis, just had the word on it.

I spent some very challenging weeks at home over the next bit. Emily was trying to find her place in our new family dynamic and she did this by being as naughty as possible. Christopher could never have enough to eat and I spent ALOT of time feeding him. Reading my journal from this time reminds me of the frustration that I felt. It was difficult. Christopher grew into a wonderfully sweet tempered infant. My nickname for him was the "Sunny Son" because he was so sunny. Always a smile for me. He has continued this trend to become a very wonderfully sweet tempered child. I look at him now and often think that his future wife is going to be very lucky. He is kind, considerate and always sensitive of others feelings. I love my Sunny Son. Happy Birthday, Christopher!

You should see the toast...I couldn't even get it through the door.

Yesterday, at Spencer's preschool they celebrated his 1/2 birthday. This was extremely confusing to him. He knows it's not is real birthday but this 'nother birthday, as he called it, was very appealing. He wondered all day, "Do I get presents?" "Do I get cake?" "Will there be a party?" It was very hard for him to understand that it is 1/2 way to his real birthday and since his real birthday is in the summer, his school is celebrating for him now. These complicated concepts are lost on 4-year-olds. Ahem...4 1/2.

He still had fun taking treats to school, getting a birthday badge from Mrs. Lloyd and getting cards from his classmates. He slept with the cards last night and loves to show them to everyone. I had an enjoyable time helping at school. It was a fun day to play with magnetic dress up dolls, fake snow and make snowflakes. That fake snow creeps me out a little. What is it made of? Who knows? It might be the same stuff as the Happy Fun Ball for all we know. I also loved meeting Henrietta's doll. It was adorable to see a little mini Henrietta. I hope she gets a name soon.

Happy 1/2 Birthday, Spencer!!

These two will never live this down. They were playing with DOLLS!!!!!!!!

Spencer and Mrs. Lloyd, best preschool teacher ever.

What's happenin', Hot Stuff?

Today is my birthday. Happy birthday to me! It's hard to believe that I'm 33. Most of the time, I still feel like I am 15. Some of my favorite birthdays from years past:

1981: 7th birthday My mom had a party for my girlfriends from school. We made a Christmas ornament and homemade pizza. I got my first Monopoly game and played it nonstop for the next 13 years.

1990: 16th birthday My mom had died earlier this year and so many of my aunts came to my house, made me yummy food and gave me the best, softest comforter for my bed. I still have it and coincidentally, it is Chris' favorite blanket to snuggle with.

1992: 18th birthday My friends threw me the greatest surprise birthday party. We had the best food and watched "16 Candles" all night long. My dad gave me a letter my mom had written to me before she died to be opened on my 18th birthday. Possibly the best birthday I have ever had.

2000: 26th birthday Al Gore stepped down in his fight for the presidency making George W the winner. A great present! I had playgroup at my house with my friends and we ate yummy food. Chris got me a really great "Law and Order" cake.

I have a hard time on my birthday because, for some reason, the loss of my mom is magnified 1000 times. I don't know if it is because she gave birth to me or if it is because she would make the day so special or why I miss her so much on this day. I think it is because I selfishly wish for that one person who loves you more than anyone else and gives you all of her attention. I want to be spoiled by her for one day and it always hits me hard on my birthday.

I didn't mean for this to be a sad post. I meant for it to be happy because birthdays are happy days. My poor family tries so hard to make this day bright and wonderful for me. I love them so much and I wish that I could bottle up this loss that I feel and just be happy today. Emily is making me dinner tonight and we are going to put up the Christmas tree. I am very excited.