Grandma Henriksen

JUNE 2014

This picture has nothing to do with anything, other than I found it in the cache of phone photos.  I am actually posting about my grandma Henriksen.  

She has been living with us for the last three years, in a little room in our house.  Some days were easy, and I loved having her with us.  Some days were hard and I found myself yelling into my pillow in the bedroom.  But in all... I am so grateful that she came to stay with us.  

A couple weeks ago, Grandma fell and we had to move her to a nursing home, and she passed away on June 14, 2014.  

Our house is a little less busy now, and a little less cluttered.  But I miss her.

I am glad that my kids got a chance to know her in a very real setting.  Tyler was always on the look out for her.  He ran her errands around the house and was constantly relaying messages back and forth from her and I.  When she fell in May, Ty was actually the one who found her.  He was always making sure that she was comfortable.

Ryan's most favorite job in the world was taking grandma dinner.  In the beginning of her stay with us, she joined us at the table for dinner, but as her health declined, she took more and more of her meals in her bedroom.  And finally, meals in bed.  Ryan thrived on taking her dinner to her and making sure she had her Ensure.  And he always went back for her dirty dishes.  I never had to ask.  Grandma was always on the periphery of Ryan's thoughts.

And Kate.  Oh sweet Kate.  She LOVED my grandma.  And my grandma begrudgingly loved her back.  Before you judge my comment... let me set the scene.  Grandma loved watching the news and The Price is Right every morning.  Never failed.  Never deviated.  Until Kate figured out that grandma COULD change the channel and find her Sesame Street.  Grandma never changed the channel for any other person... but for Kate... she would do anything.  Kate would sneak downstairs after breakfast and snuggle into grandma's bed and they would watch Elmo together.  I would hear them giggling and talking... I could never bring myself to get after Kate.

It's strange now having the house to ourselves.  I'm sure we'll get used to it.  But for now... there is a definite void.  Miss you grandma, but I hope you are finally at peace.

Ryan's Spring Sing May 2014

Just a little update... our computer crashed and with the loss of our not so important documents... we lost A LOT of pictures.  So there aren't as many here as their should be... but I'll take what I can get.  Luckily, Shaun was able to find some pictures that were buried on our phones so that I could piece together the little gap we have.  Sorry... hope that makes a little big of sense.  So if the pictures for a little while are less than stellar... that's because that's exactly right.  

Ryan had his last Spring Sing in May... hard to believe my middle will be running off to Kindergarten in the fall!!  He has come so far this year- I am so grateful that we made the choice to hold this one back.  He has grown so much... I honestly hardly recognize him now.  

His previous Spring Sing's he has flat refused to be a part of the costumes and a lot of the dances as well.  I joked with his teacher, Miss Tammy that if he didn't take his shoes off for "George of the Jungle" she had to keep him another year.  And I had to laugh when Ryan's class came marching out... Ryan did indeed have his shoes on... the only one AGAIN!  But I'm almost glad... he is so much a perfect version of himself that I would have questioned him if he HAD taken his shoes off.  

I wish I had pictures of him and his classmates WITH their heads... but I guess we'll just have to remember them ourselves.

Great Minds

You know what they say... great minds think alike?  Kate and I got to the preschool this morning and our friend Lily was dressed in pretty much the same thing as Katie.  Lily's mom and I had a laugh and I snapped a quick picture.  Love these friends of ours!

Cow goes Moo

APRIL 2014

We have a little historic farm here in Salt Lake, called Wheeler Farm.  It's old and is a gorgeous place to come and take pictures if you ever have the time.  They also have a little pond, some animals and an awesome playground to keep the kids busy for hours.  It's a great little place to visit when the kids just need to get OUT!

This was one of those days... The kids were driving me mental (moreso than normal) and so I finally threw the laundry down and told them to put their shoes on.  We ended up here and I know the pictures aren't anything special, but my babies love cows.  It's kinda sweet... reminds me of my own childhood at the ranch, watching grandpa with the cows.  

Moo says Bessie.

New Bunk Beds

APRIL 2014

I don't know about you guys, but we switch things up all the time (at least it feels that way sometimes).  My boys have been sharing a room in the basement- but Ryan is SUCH an early bird that he keeps waking Ty up in hopes that it's time to play.  Not such a big deal right?  Wrong.  Ryan likes 5:30.  Ty is pretty good about sleeping in until 6 or 630... but sometimes if he's left alone- I can squeeze 7 out of him.  Not so much with Ryan.  He loves the morning!  

And coincidentally- so does Kate.  So we are putting our two early birds together in the hopes that they will just let the rest of us sleep.  Cross your fingers for me alright?

As it is... Kate's room is too small for two twins next to each other... so we stacked them.  And really... if I'd known that bunk beds would have been such great entertainment... I would have bought them years ago!

I do think it's kind of funny that we have one bed decked out in PINK and PURPLE and the other is covered in red U of U's and Star Wars.  It's kind of cute.

Here's to sleeping in Ty!