Baby's First...

When you have a child one of the most wonderful things to experience are baby's firsts. His first smile, his first steps, his first birthday. It seems as if there are a million firsts that baby goes through in that first year of life!

This is Orion at 3 weeks old. My very first baby and his first photo shoot!

 

 

Here he is at 6 months old roasting his first marshmallow on his first camping trip

This is his first birthday

Here is his first outfit that he loved to wear, he would pick out that vest everyday!

As Orion grew, his firsts changed. Once he hit his first birthday they were fewer and farther between. He had his first day of school, his first overnight with a friend. It was bittersweet as he was hitting his firsts, he was also doing some of his lasts. Like the last time he needed me to brush his teeth. The last time he cried in the night for his mama. The last time he needed to hold my hand to cross the street. He grew so quickly it was hard for me to keep up.

This was Centauri and Orion getting ready to go to the park for the first time without mama there to keep them safe.

 Once again, at 16, Orion is doing some firsts! Today, December 4th, 2014, he is going on his first airplane ride! He is going to Hawaii for the first time and going to get to see the ocean the first time in his life!

His first airplane ride!

 It was so difficult to drop him off this morning. It felt like I was letting go of so much. It felt like it was the last time he would really be a kid. My baby was all grown up. He didn't need me to walk him in (although I am happy to say that he wanted me to), he didn't need me to hold his hand.

Parenting is about raising a child to become an adult. It is about helping a child to tell right from wrong and give them that moral compass they can rely on. It is about letting your child practice becoming a grown up over and over in safety, knowing that you have their back. It is about letting go when they are ready and allowing them to do their firsts on their own.

As I let go this morning, I realized that my first baby was now going to be my first adult. He still has some practice to do, he still needs the safety of my home, but soon he will be doing some of his lasts again. I can only pray that God has guided mine and Tim's hands enough to have brought him up on the right path. I pray that God will now guide Orion to make the right choices and to be the amazing adult I know he can be.

Being punished for being bullied

It's been awhile since I've written in my blog. We've had a million adventures, including finding a dinosaur! I've found that I just don't write as well when I'm having a good time. Recently, Rigel has been experiencing some bully issues in school. There is a group of boys that likes to play soccer in his school that have decided they are better than everyone else. Rigel is an independent kind of guy. He isn't afraid to say what is on his mind. This group of boys decided a certain table belonged to them at lunch time. Rigel's friend (with Aspberger's Syndrome) didn't understand about the territorial issues that can arise from sitting on this table, so he sat. Rigel sat next to him. This is what started the bullying.
     Rigel is a fierce protector of the people he loves. He and his friend were told to move, in a not so polite way. Rigel told them they had a right to sit where they wanted. He was then pushed, threatened with his life, and physically forced to get off the table. They picked up his lunch, told him they would kill him if he didn't get out of here. The same was done to his friend. Rigel came to me (I was working in the lunch room at the time) I went over to diffuse the situation. After I had everyone sitting and eating their lunch I went to my supervisor, Mr. S. I was told by him to let him deal with it in the future so that I could remain unbiased. I agreed. I wish I hadn't.

     Over the next several weeks Rigel was tormented. They started by name calling, moved on to cursing and spitting, then started in on Ara. These boys were the most rude disrespectful kids in the school. Every single time they did something I informed Mr. S. Every time I was told something was being done about it. I trusted the school, I had no reason not too.
     When they started getting physical is when I started getting concerned. One boy pushed Rigel down, so Rigel got up and hit him. Guess who was punished? It wasn't the boy that pushed, that's right, it was Rigel! There were many instances similar to this, except Rigel would just walk away. I reported every one. Why wasn't anyone stopping these boys? At parent/teacher conference I learned what some of the problem was. I was told by the teacher that she didn't believe any bullying was going on. She said that boys will be boys and they needed to learn to figure it out on there own. She told me that Rigel was just as much an instigator as the other boys. Okay, Rigel isn't an angel, he's got a big mouth, maybe she was right? WRONG!!!! I should have gone with what I know was right.
     Yesterday, according to these five boys that have been tormenting Rigel and Ara, Rigel threatened to bring a gun to school and "shoot every one of them one by one". Rigel told me he didn't say it, I believe him. The police were called, interviews happened and charges were pressed. Rigel was suspended for three days. I told the police about all the bullying instances. Not a single one had been recorded by administration. Three of these 5 kids were teachers own children.
     Rigel is being punished for being bullied. He had a trumpet blown in his ear. He's been spat upon numerous times. He's had balls thrown at him. He's been pushed, he's been kicked in the behind, he's been reported for doing things that he didn't do just to get him in trouble. The only person that stood up for him was his sister. My hands were tied. He's been suspended. Spread his message, stop the bullying, stand up for some one! Call Canyon Grove Academy in Pleasant grove, Utah. Tell them to stop the bullying, don't let this happen to another child. You can email them too at office@canyongrove.com.
   

 

All New Adventures

This is a tale of happiness and sorrow and of healed hearts.

In October of 2012, we found the perfect dog for us. He was a beautiful Boxer named Rocky. He was smart and funny and fit our family perfectly. For two whole months we loved our Rocky boy. Sadly, over Christmas break, Rocky got sick. At first he just seemed a little slower and tired. Soon, he was having a difficult time with the stairs and he stopped eating. It was this time that I knew some thing was terribly wrong. If we could have afforded to take him to the vet we would have. The next day Rocky was peeing blood and we knew that it was kidney failure.

The pain of knowing that we could do nothing was too much to bear. We set up a bed for him in our kitchen and Tim would carry him out to the yard to use the bathroom. That tells you how wonderful Rocky was. He couldn't even walk, yet he would still whine to be let out.

The kids and I were gathered around trying to make him as comfortable as possible. Ara asked if we could pray to make him better. She has always been my spiritual kid, reaching out to God when her life has struggles. I told her that Rocky's sickness couldn't be healed. It was already to a point where his body was shutting down. In tears, she asked if we could pray that Rocky died quickly so he would stop hurting. My heart was broken. My sweet 9 year old daughter has so much wisdom inside of her.

After we prayed, I sent the kids to bed having them say goodby to Rocky one last time. A half hour later he stopped moaning in pain. I could see the life had left his eyes and I knew his body was still alive, but he wasn't there anymore. Soon after that he passed away. It was so difficult for my babies! All of the kids were crying and sobbing in the morning. Even Tim cried when he saw how sad the kids were. It was the middle of winter with more than a foot of snow on the ground when Tim dug a grave for Rocky in the backyard.

This isn't just a story of sorrow. This is also the story of our how we got our new dog. After Rocky died, Rigel still wanted a dog to play with. He was so sad without his buddy, Tim and I decided we could search for a new dog. Tim thought it might be fun to have a Border Collie. We searched on KSL.com again and found a 7 month old Border Collie puppy. I called the owner that day and told him we'd like to see the puppy that night. sadly, Tim had to work late and the car was acting up. I called the owner again and told him that we couldn't come tonight.

He sounded like he was in a slight panic. He asked me where I lived and I told him. He said he was willing to bring the dog to us. He was kicked out of his home and had to give her up. If he didn't give her to someone that night he would have to take her to the pound. We agreed. I had the kids find all the money we could to pay him for his drive out here in boony land.

It was worth it! She was such a sweet puppy!
Harley Quinn was her name and we thought it suited her, so we kept it. She is so funny! She has more energy than Rocky, but she is smaller and easier to handle. Rigel had a hard time warming up to her, but he quickly became her best friend. They even play Hide and Seek together. She has been trained well enough, but it is fun to teach her new things. I'm glad we have a new member of our family to help fill the hole that Rocky left behind.

Meet Rocky

Rocky is the newest member of our family. He is a 5 year old boxer with an awesome personality. To tell about the adventure of how we came to have Rocky join our family, you need to understand one thing... Tim hates dogs. There, I said it. He hates dogs so badly that I sometimes wonder if he was attacked or something as a child and repressed that memory or something. As it is, I was resigned to the fact that we would never own a dog.

The kids on the other hand...
     They would ask for animals all the time. We've had cats, guinea pigs, rats, frogs, and a mouse. There were even times we had a dog, but as quickly as we got the dogs, they would have to be given away because of some reason or another that Tim would think of. Usually it involved the dog poop or the barking. He can't stand neither. He kept saying he wanted a useful dog if we were going to have one.

Sadly, when we moved, we had some unfortunate deaths in the family. Our sweet rats, Salt and Pepper, passed away. It was so sad! All of the kids had a really hard time with their deaths. I think it was because we had just moved and they felt like everything was already falling a part. In the aftermath of this great sadness, Rigel decided he couldn't live without a pet of his own. Of course, he wanted a dog. He kept wearing his dad down with things like, "I will clean up the poop" , and "he will be trained to do fun and cool things." Tim kept saying no.

I got Rigel a little mouse named Strike. Rigel loved her and would give her treats and play with her a lot! Sadly, Ara's cat Midnight loved her as well. He caught her one night. Ara saved her before there was damage done...or so we thought. Two days later, she died.

Rigel was heart broken once again! He cried for a long time, but all the tears paid off. He convinced his daddy that he needed a dog.

The search for the perfect dog was on. He couldn't be too little or too big for that matter. He needed to be older and already trained. But not an old dog, we had one of those once and it didn't last for too long. He needed to have the energy and strength to keep up with Rigel, but not so much energy that he couldn't calm down easily. We searched for a long time.

Finally, on KSL.com we found a dog that had all of our qualifications. He was fully trained and had been a wonderful companion to a boy that had now become a man. His boy decided to join the Army reserves and could no longer take care of the dog. That is where we stepped in. I made all the phone calls and made sure that he would be perfect for Tim's specifications. The best part...they were only asking $100 for this fine dog. The down side...he was in North Logan.

We made the drive and it was worth every penny. Rocky is a wonderful dog! He is obedient and clean. Weird enough, he even pushes his dog food that spills on the floor into a pile. He plays with the kids and calms quickly when they calm. It's like he was made for our family! Even Tim is in love with Rocky. I never thought it was possible for Tim to enjoy a dog so much, but he really does love him. Rocky loves and respects Tim too. The new member of our family will surely be loved and appreciated for a long time.

Welcome, Rocky, to our adventures. I'm sure you will fit right in and enjoy every minute of it!

The Great Indiana Jones Adventure

Indiana Jones is the most epic adventurer I know of. He is quick on his feet, good at solving problems, and always has another adventure he's ready to go on. The closest adventurer to Indiana Jones would be my husband, Tim Watt. He always has a new place to explore, another treasure to find, or just some Spanish symbols to investigate. Another thing they both have in common... The Hat.

Indiana Jones

Tim's hat has been a part of him for so long, that my children can't draw a picture of Daddy unless it has a hat on. He wears it everywhere he goes and it has enough wear and tear to show the adventurer that he is.

Tim Watt

This weekend we took the kids to the local amusement park, Lagoon. If you are a native Utahn, then you know exactly what I'm talking about. The roller coasters and thrill rides, all the stuff for the adrenaline junkie to get their fix for the year. My kids included. The first ride you go on when you get there is always The White Roller coaster. We stepped on the ride strapped ourselves in and got ready to go. As we slowly made our ascent, I reminded Tim to watch his hat. "I got it" he says. Halfway through the ride, it flew off his head, hit Centauri's arm, and fell overboard! I could have cried!

The exact spot he lost it is covered by the tree in the left hand corner.

There was no way he could just walk away. My brother Christian and I took the kids on a few more rides and Tim became more and more obsessed with getting his hat back. He walked the perimeter of the coaster, going back and forth trying to find it. It was nowhere. It had disappeared and was lost forever. He was feeling so sick and thinking "Not like this, a cliff or a river, not like this!" We went to the security office and checked the lost and found. In a last ditch attempt to find it, we rode the White coaster once again, this time to see if we could see the hat.

Tim with no hat is NO BUENO!!

When we came to the place that he lost it at, I looked around and saw it. It was between the tracks! I yelled "I found it" and everyone cheered in excitement. The problem now, was how in the world could we retrieve it? There was talk of breaking in after hours and all manner of silliness going around the kids. Tim was willing to do anything. It felt like the moment on The Last Crusade when Indy had just climbed up the cliff and everyone was so happy to see him, but he still didn't have his hat. He sits down to take a rest and his hat flies in front of him.

I knew we would get it back somehow. Tim went to security again and told them exactly where it was. He was told they were doing a track sweep at seven and he should come back then. We did a few more rides and had some more fun. Seven o'clock came around and Tim went to see if they got his hat. The kids and I decided to head back to the picnic tables with my brother and his young-un. We were eating a snack and praying that God would let Daddy get his hat back.

He's just so cute and sexy!!!

Sure enough, he comes strolling in with his sexy hat on his head and a grin on his face. "I'm back, Baby!" he says as everyone cheered so loud I'm sure the whole park could hear it! So, just like Indiana Jones, my adventurer lives to go on another adventure with his amazing hat intact and on his head, where it should be!

My Best Friend's Wedding

One of the greatest adventures I've had recently has been the excitement and fun of helping my best friend plan and execute her wedding in 24 hours. That's right, it took a little over 24 hours for her to decide the date of her wedding (which would be the next day) and us to execute it flawlessly. Everyone should plan weddings this way!

I'll give you a little background: She has been engaged for 6-7 months now. They were planning on September 21st. Both her and her now husband have come from other marriages and both of them have children. She wanted her children to be a part of her wedding which she had sole custody of. The problem? It was only temporary sole custody. To tell that story is her adventure, not mine. Although, I was extremely emotionally involved, it isn't my story to tell. Monday morning it was decreed in court that the kids go to their dad. She was devastated and worried they wouldn't be allowed to come to her wedding. She had them for the next 48 hours, so it was decided her wedding would take place within 24.

It started with the perfect dress. We went to a little Bridal Center in Lehi to see if there could be something there. When we walked in, it was a little overwhelming! There were wedding dresses everywhere and it was difficult to find a place to start. The lady there was so helpful. She asked a few questions had Zina, (my best friend) look at some pictures so she could figure out what she liked, then she stuck us in a room and told us to "look at these, try some on and decide what you like." Then she held one out and said that she thought this one would be perfect and offered it to us at 50% off. So Zina looked and found the same result. The "perfect" one turned out to be THE PERFECT ONE!!! It fit her like a glove and she sparkled in it!

This is her getting ready in the perfect dress.

She went home, showed her kids, and told her fiance' of her plan. He was all for it! The next part was a made dash for a license, an official, and a wedding cake. Not to mention inviting family. We started making phone calls and sending out texts. I was looking for someone to officiate, but it seemed like everyone was too busy to make it. I finally went online and began a Google search. There were a lot out there, but some were very expensive, some didn't look that wholesome, and some just seemed too snooty. I finally found the perfect one! Her name was Anita Gordon. When I called her on the phone she seemed so nice! She said she was busy meeting with another couple at 6:00, but she was sure her meeting would last only about 45 minutes at the most. She told me that she would be willing to do it at half the price if I accepted her coming late. I quickly agreed, told her a little background info and wrapped things up. That was at 3:00 pm. The wedding was scheduled for 7:00.

 Some last minute prep on my part.

 Her girls gave her away

 Her son in the background with the responsibilities of the best man! He has the rings.

 The great Anita! She saved the day! She wasn't long winded, she incorporated God into the nuptials, and she made the wedding come together perfectly. I loved the way she spoke and I know she was sent to us by God to make Zina's wedding perfect!

 Ladies and Gentlemen: Mr. and Mrs. JJ Trimble!!!

 My child seemed to think it would be fun to climb the wall while pictures were being taken.

Here is one with me and the bride. It also has a wonderful addition of Ara, and we can't forget the little devil in the background! 

The place? Riverton Park. The time? Roughly 7, but we were very flexible with that time. The total number of patrons? About 20, including my kids. The result? One of the most beautiful weddings I had ever seen!

There is a difference between true love and God's love, but when they are combined, you know you have something amazing. In this wedding, there was true love, and there was a love for God so strong that it exuded from this couple like you wouldn't believe. It was an honor for me to be there to help my best friend execute the perfect 24 hour wedding! She was strong, beautiful, full of love and happy that her wonderful children were allowed the chance to be a very integral part of her wedding! 

Congratulations Zina and JJ!!! I love you both with all my heart and I know you will be together for a very long time!! If you can make it through this heartache and love situation, you can make it through anything! Having said that...JJ if you hurt her in anyway I will hunt you down and I will cut you!

The Great Move

It is very embarrassing for me to talk about my financial circumstances. One of the most difficult things about having a lot of children is being able to provide for them. Unfortunately our family ran into some hard times recently. We lost our home of seven years and have seen too many good cabinet companies go under. The hard part was the cabinet companies were those that employed Tim and gave us our income.

This past month we experienced the most crazy adventure that any family can go through... The big move! Our kids have only really known our one home, they weren't sure what a new place would have in store for them. Luckily, the move we made was actually a step up. We went from a three bedroom home, to a seven bedroom home. Which meant the kids all got their own rooms! We live further out into the desert, but that is where our family prefers to be. We are so blessed by God to be able to have a scary, traumatic experience turn into one of the happiest things we've done in a long time.

Our old house was full of memories and good times, but it was also full of junk and an accumulation of unwanted stuff. It felt so good to finally go through all of my storage and kids' toys and clothes and just get rid of everything. If you know me, you know I thrive on being a minimalist. The less stuff the better. It seemed as if we made more trips to the dump with our old stuff then we did moving our wanted stuff to the new house. I am finally able to relax in a clean and comfortable home.

The kids love their new schools. Orion started high school this year at West Lake High. He was really scared at first, but he has found his niche and is doing well. He joined the Jazz band and has really started to flourish on his saxophone. He is taller than me now and his dad realized how useful it is to have another "man" around the house. My baby boy is growing up so quickly now. He is getting out of the awkward stage and making a good transition into the responsible stage. I know I still have the dating years in front of me, but I know I am planting good seeds inside of him.

Vega is going to middle school this year. She recently turned 13 and wants everything in her life to be "teenager". If I want her to do anything I just have to tell her that teenagers do it. She is so funny that way. I do want to be careful not to push her to follow her peers too much, we all know how teenagers can be!

The other kids are still in elementary school and they are all loving their classroom sizes. We moved out to the middle of nowhere and the school doesn't have very many kids. Each grade only has one teacher and the biggest class in the school only has 20 kids. It is a perfect fit for my kids that like to spread their wings.

I know God lead us up to this place. He allowed for us to see hardship and pain, to go through our ups and downs, and to finally lead us to where we need to be. If there is one thing that I have learned about life this past year, is that you need to just let God take care of you. In the Lord's prayer it states "give us this day our daily bread" and there were days I was praying for exactly that. I was never sure if we would have something to eat or if we would be able to keep our heat and gas turned on. But our prayers were always answered through one angel or another.

It is so wonderful to have a home over our heads and our life coming back together slowly, but surely. We still have a long journey to walk, but we choose to walk the next path with happiness. This part of my blog has been a tough one to write. I am usually more upbeat and funny, I've just been in a super grateful mood, there isn't as much room for my sense of humor to shine through. I promise I'll have a super amazing adventure for everyone next time I post, it just feels like I haven't been able to have as many of those that I used to.