The Birthday Pookie

Happy Birthday Little Pookie by Sandra Boynton is one of our favorite books. We have been reading it in anticipation of Cozette's birthday for weeks now. Cozette and I have been practicing what we would do on the morning of her birthday.

Cozette lays on the pillow and pretends that her eyes are closed.

Then I sit by her on the bed, cup my hands around my mouth like I am speaking through a megaphone and say,"ATTENTION ATTENTION, will the birthday pookie please wake up!"

Cozette opens her eyes and responds, "It's my birthday! I'm the birthday pook."

This morning she woke up early while I was downstairs in the kitchen. I told her that it was her birthday and made her lay back down, so we could do our pookie routine.

Oh, it was so much fun.

We had her birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese yesterday. Cozette was in heaven.

Cozette requested pink cupcakes. 

Cozette with Emma Grace and Lacey

Cozette with Blane and Emma Grace

The girls were clapping to The Birthday Song.

Saturday was Betsy's birthday. It was so loud that we could not sing Happy birthday to her, so we just sang to the song that was playing, which was Hey, Soul Sister. I think that's the name of the song. The only lyrics I really knew was,  "Hey soul sister, la la la la, stereo, radio, la la la..." 

Cozette and Emma grace are quite the little pair.

Our favorite part of the night was watching Everett in the Ticket Blaster. He tried his hardest to get as many tickets as he could. His strategy was to catch tickets in his shirt. He accumulated about 400 points.

Cozette loved being the birthday girl so much, that she requested for us to light candles on top of a cupcake and sing Happy Birthday to her three times today. She likes to lick the icing off of the cupcake. We even had to do it right before she went to sleep tonight.

Happy birthday, my little Pookie!

These Is Nikki's Words...

Kayleigh came home the other evening in a state of elation that I have never witnessed before. Nikki had taken Kayleigh and Sydney to see All Star Weekend. I must admit that I had murmured about the concert all day. Concerts can be a little shady and not to mention it was on a school night, too. Kayleigh was on cloud nine for several days afterward. Seeing this emotion in my daugher made me quite repentant that I had ever murmured about her going. Nikki told me that I would not have recognized my daughter, that she had turned into someone else that night. So, I told Nikki that she would have to be the one to write about this concert experience since I sadly was not there:

Third Time’s the Star Charm!  

Kayleigh definitely inherited my i-love-to-go-to-concerts gene.  And Kayleigh knew she had this gene even though she’d never been to a concert.  We’d been trying to go to a concert together for quite a while now, but nothing ever seemed to fan out (get it? pan out…fan out….).  First, it was the Hannah Montana concert, but we jumped on that bandwagon (no pun intended) a little too late to get tickets.  Then we tried for tix to see Justin Bieber, and, well, those tickets sold out before they even went on sale.

Then several weeks ago Kayleigh called me quite excitedly to tell me that All-Star Weekend was coming to the A-T-L.  Really? Could this be? “We have to go,” I told her. Too bad I’d never heard of them.  I couldn’t get their name right and kept calling them Best Weekend Ever.  Sydney, Kayleigh’s BFF, who would be coming with us, quickly reminded me that we were going to see All-Star Weekend, not Best Weekend Ever.   Close enough.

Finally, the day of the concert arrived, but not before black t-shirts bedazzled with neon puff paint and posters overflowing with bubble letters were made.  Kayleigh even made a card for the boys in the band (oh, did I forget to mention that this was boy band?) and what Kayleigh wrote inside was longer than any master’s thesis I’ve ever seen.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen two girlies more excited about anything.  We queued outside of Vinyl waiting for the doors to open.  Even though we were about 50 people deep in the queue, we somehow finagled our way to the second row.  Second row! I was right in the middle of hundreds of teenage girls jumping up and down and screaming and waving their hands in the air (come on, sing it with me now…like you just don’t care).  I then had an epiphany; I remembered I had some red Delta earplugs leftover from my last trip to Guatemala at the bottom of my purse.  I wasn’t going to be ashamed to wear them, and so the search to the bottom of that abyss began.  Too bad I didn’t find them until two days later.

Okay, fast forward through two opening acts, Classic Addict and Action Item, when the boyz of ASW took the stage.  Never ever have I heard such deafening screams nor had twenty teenage girls inside my personal bubble.  Oh, and the temperature in the room magically sky-rocketed 98 degrees (remember that boy band?).   

When the guys came out, Kayleigh and Sydney both looked my way and gave me the look.  The look that conveyed that this was the coolest thing they’d ever experienced.  Kayleigh and Sydney’s arms were up and before they knew it the lead singer was holding on to both of their hands and gazing into their eyes.  Seriously.  And this continued for another hour. But this was just the beginning, there was a meet and greet after the concert.  So we queued up again and waited in line.  But not before, Kayleigh and Sydney met and hugged all five guys of Action Item, bought their CD and had each of them sign it and the backs of their t-shirts.  Confession:  I may have let the lead guitarist tattoo his name in silver Sharpie on my right forearm.

Finally, we got to meet ASW.  The girls gave them their cards, starting jumping up and down hysterically, asked for hugs, asked them to sign their t-shirts, told them they loved them, asked for another hug, had them sign a piece of paper, and then asked for one final hug and told them I love you again.  When the girls would say, “I love you,” the guys would smoothly respond, “We love you more!”  The ASW boys were so gracious.  I was so impressed.  Nate (my personal favorite with the dreads) told Kayleigh, after reading her card that said, “I wub A-Dub!” “Oh, I love that!” The lead singer even thanked me bringing the girls.  Do I really look that old? How did he know I wasn’t their number one fan?

On the way home, Kayleigh and Sydney kept saying, “This was the best night of my life!”  

Mission accomplished. 

Thank you, Sister. I wish everyone could have a cool aunt like you!

The Princess Goes to Preschool

The big day finally arrived. Preschool. Everyone was in a frenzy this morning trying to assist Cozette in one way or the other. Kayleigh and Everett were singing "Preschool Musical" to her during breakfast. You would have thought we were getting ready to leave for Disney World, we were so excited for her. I know that our enthusiasm was in proportion to the immense love we for this little girl.

Right before Kayleigh left, she picked Cozette up, kissed her on the cheek and sang, "It's not High school. But, it's pretty cool!" 

That really struck me funny.

Cozette was recently talking to her Daddy about Preschool.

"Daddy, Will you please wake me up at 45 when I need to go to preschool?"

Brad promised he would wake her at 45!

I really believed my heart was going to burst this morning when I dropped her off.  On the way to school, I gave Cozette every instruction I could possibly think of. When we arrived at the carpool line, Cozette pranced out of the van and that child never looked back once!

It was a happy moment.

Cozette said she loved Preschool. 

Then she asked, "Do I get to go back?"

Look! After one day at Preschool, Cozette can read!
And she also came home with a homework assignment.

The Princess pooped out!

This is our discussion on the way home:

Me:  Cozette, did you have a wonderful day at school?

Cozette: Yes, Mommy.

Me: What did you do?


Cozette: We had music today.

Me: What did you sing in music?

Cozette: We sang "Goin' on a Bear Hunt!

Me: Oh, I love that song. Did you make new friends?

Cozette: Yes. Emma Grace.

Emma Grace is her one true bff.

Me: Well, did you play with other friends?

Cozette: Just Emma Grace.

Me: Did you have to have help when you went pee-pee?

Cozette: Yes.

Me: Who helped you?

Cozette: Emma Grace!

Oh my! That must have been a sight!

Me: Did you color?

Cozette: We colored yellow circles.

Me: Do you love Preschool?

Cozette: Yes, Mommy!

Cozette loves her princess bed.

The million dollar question is whether or not the princess will sleep in it?

And then after a pleasant day of running errands all by myself for four whole hours, I received a bonus gift of an additional two and a half hours while Cozette peacefully slept after a lovely first day at Preschool!

What a wonderful day!

Middle School

On the first day of school, I always take a picture of Kayleigh and Everett in our foyer.  This year Kayleigh is in the 8th grade and Everett is in the 6th grade.

Here they are three years ago:

Kayleigh was nervous about being a 5th grader in a brand new school. Everett was happy to be a 3rd grader. I don't think he's changed very much. It seems I am always asking the question, Where has the time gone?

It was hard to let them leave for school. They did not know that I was fighting a huge lump in my throat. I kept saying, "OK, just one more picture!" They were begging me to let them leave.

I finally let them go.

Another school year has arrived.

I am grateful that they have one year together in middle school.

I am most grateful that the title of this post is not High School.

But, I know it is just around the corner.

Stay tuned for a preschool debut next week!

16 years

Brad on our wedding day.

The adage states, time flies when you're having fun.

Brad and I celebrate 16 years of marriage today.

We have had lots of fun.

 I know I am not looking so great in this picture. It was taken by surprise. Shirley asked Brad what he was doing, and he told his Mom that he was pitting cherries for me. She laughed and said, "Now that's true love!" 16 years later, he still pits cherries for me.

 Brad called Kayleigh "The Crusty Old Sea Captain" in her little hat.

Brad and Papa with their little buddy Everett.

Brad knows how I love to dance. 

He always dances with me even though he does not enjoy it!

We've aged just a little bit.

Hasn't it been wonderful doing it together? 

Happy Anniversary.

I love you.

These is My Words

Part of the thirteenth Article of Faith states "...if there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report, or praiseworthy, we seek after these things." Before I fell asleep asleep last night, I pondered these words and how they relate to our book club. The Society of Literary Queens held its second meeting last evening at Mommom's house. This book club brings joy to my heart. Nikki and I were unsure if we had enough friends who would be interested in discussing good literature, so it delights us that we have so many committed to the society.

Our friend, Katherine, even said, "I feel like I have a new hobby now."

These is My Words is a work of fiction, written in the form of a journal, that documents the life of Sarah Agnes Prine from the years of 1881-1901. This is a beloved book. Even though it is an account of one family's challenges of settling and making a life in the Arizona Territory, we all agreed that it relates to us today. Sarah was a strong woman who had to overcome many physical and emotional trials.

And we do too.


Captain Jack was a favorite part of our discussion. I enjoyed hearing all of the opinions and insights about his love for Sarah. We loved Sarah's comment that, "marriage is a good reason for taking up cursing." There are two sequels to this book, but I have not allowed myself to read them. I just can't imagine her life without Captain Jack. My favorite part was Sarah discovering the unfinished letter written to her that he kept in his side saddle. We understand events only from Sarah's perspective, so it was a gift to learn in Captain Jack's words that he loved her from the moment she gave "that rifle back to the blowhard."

I was saddened that it took Sarah so long to understand the true nature of love.

Wouldn't it be wonderful to know how Savannah's felt about Sara?  

Some of our favorite quotes from the book:

"We drank our tears for food."

"A good girl should never go anywhere without a loaded gun and a big knife."

"I wonder if other folks feel included, yet alone."

"Children just cannot be sad too long, it is not in them, as children mourn in little bits here and there like patchwork in their lives."

" Mama said it's probably because of Suzanne, and that you are never the same after a child dies. That made me wonder what she was like before Clover died, because I don't think I really knew my own mother until I had children, and if she was different before, I don't remember."


"...being forsaken is worse than being killed."


"I dream of  land, cut only where streams glistened with birdsong wander through quiet hills burnt hard by the scrape of wind and of a porch from which a single road leads only homeward."


" I have named the star Jack's star. It is beautiful and bright and gives me joy when it is here and pain when it is not...They will have to ask the star itself where it goes and why it is not content to stay."

  Photo courtesy of Queen Nikki.

Next month: Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet.


It's bitter and it's sweet.

Mormon Night at the Braves

I can't decide which is more exciting: getting our picture taken with Dale Murphy or venturing all the way downtown for an entire evening without taking diapers and wipes for Cozette. I asked Nikki if this meant Cozette is offically potty trained and she said, "Yes!"

I'm teasing. We never dreamed we would be able to get our picture taken with Dale Murphy. We only thought we would be shaking his hand. 

Now, there are three things that I need to mention.

First, Everett said this to Dale Murphy. And I quote word for word: "Brother Murphy, I set a goal to play baseball at BYU!" Dale Murphy graciously looked at him with a big smile and expressed in a very excited voice,"All right!"

Second, Brad is the biggest Red Sox fan. He loves that team with all his heart. Brad told me that he only wanted to know one thing about Dale Murphy. Did Dale Murphy become a Red Sox fan when he was Mission President in Boston. Dale Murphy laughed and answered, "Well, maybe a little, but I'm a Braves fan!" I'm glad Brad had this important question answered.

Third, when I was in the 5th grade Mom and Dad purchased the home that Barry Bonnell lived in as our second home. Barry Bonnell was an Atlanta Braves player at the time and introduced Dale Murphy to the gospel. I recall Dale Murphy having one of his new member discussions in our home. 

I asked Dale Murphy if he remembered this. His face lit up. He said it had been over thirty years since he joined the church, but that he did remember coming to our home. I am not convinced that he really did. I was impressed with his graciousness towards all of the fans. It was so hot and humid. He was sweating terribly, but he took the time to pose for pictures with all of the families.

Everett was very excited to get a baseball card signed by him. Kayleigh is missing from the picture because she was at Six Flags with the Gregerson girls.

I like this picture. While we were waiting in line to be in the family parade before the game, we were able to take pictures of the parking lot where all of the players park.  These are the Atlanta Braves vehicles.

The parade was quite fun. Everett liked being so close to the players. We were strictly told NOT to walk on the grass.

Atlanta Braves pitcher Tim Hudson.

Nikki saved us, because I forgot my camera at home. 

Hooray for iphones!