The little angel is blessed

Well, our little angel was blessed on the same weekend that Heidi was baptized, wow...a little stressful for mom, but wonderful all the same! Her blessing was beautiful and she looked beautiful, the food was good, the day was lovely. For all of my blessings I am overwhelmed! Oh, and I couldn't resist posting this angelic sleeping picture Amy!

Heidi is baptized!

Heidi Anne Newman was baptized on September 19th. We are so proud of her. Her granny even came from California, and that was a surprise. Heidi you are such a sweet girl! Thank you for being such a good example to your new little sister Amy. Love you!

The Most Adorable Post known to blogger...

Here it is folks, the most adorable post known to Blogger, in the whole history of blogging, no big deal. We caught some of Amy's first smiles, and the video speaks for itself. We are so in love with this child!

Family Fun...Claire is here to play!

Debra and Tyler came for a visit from Florida...but more importantly, Claire was here. Claire, you are ever so much more important than your parents! She is so adorable, such a thoughtful darling little child. We had so much fun getting to know our little niece...and what's more, she's Amy's cousin and soon to be, best friend. Whether Claire or Amy like it, they WILL be best friends! That's mine and Deb's plan anyway. I was lucky enough to have Heidi when my sister Kristine had Gracie. Now I'm so lucky again. I have Amy and Deb has Claire. What did I do to get so lucky?

The kids begged all of the men in our family to do cannon balls into the pool. We generally love doing this with all of the people swimming, because we like to see how big of waves we can make! Never, have I seen such big waves as I did when these 5 beefcakes jumped in! hah hah. Check out my dad jumping off of the diving board. What a sport. Thanks men for the fun, the kids loved it!!!!

AMY ANNE WATKINS... welcome to the world.

It's official...on June 30th at 8:09 p.m. we welcomed a darling little girl into our family. She was 7 lbs 8 ounces and 20 1/2 inches long. Labor was 4 hours long and easier than I expected (since I finally decided on an epidural...which was my first, I didn't get one with my other three kiddies). Amy is adorable. She has red hair and blue eyes (that we can tell so far). She is 3 weeks already and has been such a joy to our family. If I posted all of the pictures of her that we have taken, it would take 50 posts! The kids love her like I've never seen. She is everyone's new love and new toy. We are having the time of our life! Here are some pictures of July 4th also. Our new family picture with 7 kids instead of 6. Amy in her red white and blue...an outfit that we picked up quick while grocery shopping 2 days after she was born! We wanted to share our joy, our whole family is just enthralled and in love!

Blow out!

If you will look down 2 posts, you will see that I blogged on our trip to Lake Powell...please look down and read!

Here is a picture of part of our trip to Lake Powell, read on down a couple posts and you'll understand this picture!

Sam graduates and Camille turns 9.

Just before the beginning of freedom for all of the kids, we celebrated two important things.

Sam graduated from elementary school. My 6th grader is moving on to Jr. Highschool. What? I find this change hard to accept and scary. I can't help my feelings of apprehension, I want to take him back and forth one million times from preschool, all over again. Why must they grow? I used to think that the principle of opposition in all things was applied to only good and evil. As time marchs on, I see that opposition is also present in the bittersweet. The inevitable changes that are before us in this life, that can be beautiful and so sad at the same time. Sam grows and he moves and he learns, the hands of time can not be stopped....but neither can my love, my love for him will never change. We're proud of you Sam!

Camille is 9 years old. Wasn't it just yesterday that I was posting on her baptism? Camille wanted Shepherd's pie for dinner, and that is what she got. This seems to be a favorite with all of the kids in our family. Camille got a lemon cake too, and some very girly presents....to fit in perfectly with the little girly threesome that is imagining around our house every time they are together. Lauren, Camille, and Heidi. The girls group. We are very grateful that Camille is in our family. Camille is a fun loving kid like no other. This girl will have fun with any group of kids anywhere. She's the perpetual clown and loves to make other people laugh. She is upbeat and versatile, she plays with the girls like a champ. Camille is very bright and observant. She is a good sister. I am still getting to know Camille, but from what I see, I really love her and we are very grateful she is in our family. I know Heidi would never be the same without her Camille, she adores her as a sister and a friend. We love you Mills!

Lake Powell and some fiascos

We recently went to Lake Powell as a family. This was a last ditch effort at a family vacation before our little one comes! Here I am 3 weeks from my due date and taking the kids to Lake Powell...my friends and family think it's kind of crazy, but we had a lot of fun!

Among the fun things were: a day on the lake in a boat..the kids tubed and Ivy and Josh got the prize for staying on the tube the longest! We saw lots of wildlife, jack rabbits and lizards and ants! The kids loved the wildlife, I have about 100 pictures on my camera to prove it. We played on the beach and the kids made a really awesome mud castle that took hours. Here is a picture of the finished product. We collected shells on the beach for hours, and are making frames out of our shells to frame a picture from the trip. We played lots of card games, especially one Dustin made up, the kids loved the new card game. I beat the tar out of all of the kids at Blokus. That is not me taking advantage of poor innocent children that have never played the game, it's my sheer expert-ness! JK.

We were lucky to have borrowed my parents camping trailer for the trip....which was a double edged sword. The trailer made our daddy a grouchy camper at times, but this was understandable and we can laugh about it now for sure. The Tahoe's battery died twice and we had a blow out on the trailer tire while on the road home. We couldn't empty the sewer from the trailer because we're clueless...and these were just a few of the fiascos. Oh, and we ran out of gas on the freeway...that was fun. Amid these crazy times, we did manage to have a great time and are thankful for the fun and for the family!

Oh, did I mention that the kids were dangling their feet over a 700 foot drop ledge when we caught up with them on the trail to horseshoe lookout? The craziness of a large family...should this be laughed at? Only later, over Sunday dinner and many weeks later! Hah hah.

Star of the Show

Here she is folks...the opening solo in Miss Mimi's dance group, Swan Lake. Yesterday, Heidi's mom and dad, her brother Sam, her grandma Colleen, and her grandparents Lowe were favored with a fantastic performance in her Swan Lake dance recital. Just when the curtains open and you see your beautiful daughter dance gracefully like a swan...that's when it feels your heart might actually explode inside of your chest! Heidi has really enjoyed dance, evidence being that she could not wipe the smile off of her face throughout the entire recital. Heidi has been fortunate enough to take ballet from Mimi Jones in Holladay for the past 4 years. I was floored at the progress they have made and how developed all of the girls are becoming in their skills. Heidi is turning out to be quite graceful ballerina. She adored the roses afterward and there was cookies and punch for everyone. Parenting might actually be the most fun I've ever had. Heidi, you did wonderful sweetheart! We are so proud of you!

Grandpa's 70th Birthday

We took a road trip this last weekend to Reno, Nevada to surprise Dustin's dad for his 70th birthday. All four of his children showed up from 3 different states to surprise him...and did the tears flow! He was so touched!

We had a fantastic buffet complete with delicious prime rib and a dessert bar that beats all. We went to a baseball game in the new minor league baseball stadium (and the Reno Ace's won!), where Dustin caught a shirt that was thrown into the stand...turns out it just happens to be

MY size! We had cake and went swimming and had a ball. Dustin's family is so warm and loving. They have a real gift of being able to laugh at life, and that is so relaxing to be around. The kids even had fun listening to the John Bytheway CD's that we played for them. For any family, I would recommend these for a long road trip! Thanks for the suggestion Tina and Margie! I have to admit, the thought of taking all 6 kids on a road trip was daunting, we've done it before, and it does not come without it's hardships. Honestly, the dynamics of a blended family are just down right hard sometimes...but we were very pleasantly surprised. The kids did great, and thankfully, so did the parents. A wonderful time was had by all!

How could I post about Sam's birthday, that was month ago...and not post about Josh's that was 3 months ago? What is wrong with this slacker mother? For Josh's birthday, there was a PSP, a colorful cake, chicken pot pie (Josh's requested favorite), donuts and Hawaiian punch for his school class, lunch and Toys R Us with Grandpa and Grandma, and one fun day.

Have I mentioned how much I love this boy? Josh, you add so much to our family and these are the reasons I am grateful you are in our family...Josh gets along with EVERYONE, I'm really not kidding, the kid is everyone's friend. Josh loves to make others laugh and adds many, many laughs to our life. Josh is diligent and hard working. Josh is punctual and responsible. I can hear Josh's alarm go off every morning 1 hour before I even drag myself out of bed. The boys gets up, does his chores and homework, showers and even places the finishing touches on his homework before his mother sets her feet on the ground. Josh is musical, you can find him frequently sailing around the house with a song blurting about some invented super hero that he is playing with. Josh is concerned. Josh cares deeply about his relationships with others. Josh cares about what is right and he is curious. Josh is a deep thinker and a people watcher. He is a true joy to have in this home. We love you Joshy.

Happy Birthday Sam

It is official, I have a 12 year old boy. My son is an Aaronic Priesthood holder. This raising children business is more short lived than we think when those tiny babies are up at night. What I wouldn't give for a couple more of those nights with Sam. With this birthday came a skull cake and soda pop, shepherd's pie for dinner (Sam's favorite), a PSP, a piano recital, an A+ on his country report, a new suit, the dreaded haircut and one beautiful Sacrament meeting talk on Easter Sunday. Sam, you did wonderful.

As a tradition on every birthday, we go around the dinner table and everyone gets to say one reason they are grateful that the birthday child is in our family. I wanted to publish mine on this blog, for record keeping. I am grateful that Sam is in our family because of his loyalty and commitment to his family members. Sam would give the shirt off his back for his family members. He watches out for his younger siblings and defends them at every turn. Sam is a passionate advocate. Sam has a tender heart and is not afraid to stand up for what is right despite all the odds. Sam is a strong person. I don't worry about peer pressure with Sam, I only worry about those that would try to pressure him! Sam has a self depricating sense of humor that reveals his vulnerability. His trials have given him a depth and growth beyond his years. Sam, we love you, and we are grateful for you in our family!

California fun

Recently my sister Kristine and I decided to take a road trip to Lodi, California to visit my grandma. She lives on a ranch in Lodi surrounded by grape vines, almond orchards and horses. We took lots of walks down to the canal and the boys caught lots of bullfrogs. We played in the hot tub with bubbles, compliments of Granny...we took BART in to San Francisco and went out to Alcatraz for a tour. Oh, there were the trips to In and Out Burger...that was yummy.

I think Josh may have earned his traveler's pin in Webelos because of this trip, we road in a car, a train, a ferry, a streetcar and a cab! I think the cab was the kids favorite. They were quite grown up chatting with the cab driver and asking him a lot of questions about his job and life. Alcatraz was fun and the boys enjoyed lots of gory stories about prison uprising. I think the girls just loved the breeze on the ferry. When Heidi was boarding the ferry at the beginning and she squeeled in delight, "this is just so much fun!", well, that made the whole trip worth it. Thanks Granny for hosting us and for such a fun trip! We love you!

CALIBAN steals the show!!

It may come as a surprise to some of you that my son actually did recently steal the show at his grade school...but it doesn't surprise me one bit. Sam played the role of Caliban in his 6th grade version of Shakespeare's "The Tempest". Not only did Sam engineer and make his own awesome costume, but he kept all of the kids entertained with his perfect performance! I am so proud of you SAM!! It's not enough that you score in the top 5% nationally in academics, you also have learned such good people skills. You are a good friend and a real person...I really love you!

Ski and Snowboard Day

Since I know that my children's teachers don't read this blog, I'm going to unabashedly endorse taking the kids out of school for an entire day of ski and snowboard lessons. Yes, I did decide at the last minute Wednesday night that I wanted to have my kids to myself on Thursday and we were going to skip school! My mom always called them mental health days, and I believe in their importance. The kids did Brighton ski/snowboard school all day Thursday. I got an hour lunch with them in between sessions and a really fun ride in the car up and back. You can imagine the happiness it brings me to hear them go on and on over cheeseburgers how they love this and they love that about their lessons. According to reports...the boys were the fastest in their class, and Heidi had the silliest instructor. I loved hearing their tales of fun and excitement. I hung on every word. I love these kids. This morning I shed a couple of tears in bed to know that our fun day was over, and my sweet husband just laughed and hugged me. Do other mothers feel like this about their little cherubs? I imagine if they do, there is a whole lot of love in this world. What a day to remember.

Valentine's Fondue

Dustin and I did sealings in the temple for Valentines day...but we wanted to help the kids enjoy this fun Holiday. We did heart shaped pizza for dinner and chocolate fondue for dessert. I had no idea the kids would love it as much as they did. If you want a family togetherness activity that really gets your kids involved and encourages talking and laughing...try fondue. We had a blast and it kept the kids at the table for almost 30 minutes! I hope everyone had a happy hearts day!

Christmas 08

We had a Merry Christmas this year. We sang Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer for my parents annual Christmas musical program. I think it was very cute...and generally that was the consensus with the fam. We put the sign for Rudolf on my tummy...the bun in the oven had to be Rudolf this year!

Have I made a general announcement that I'm expecting July 1st? We are very excited. Our ultrasound is Feb 10th...so I'll have to announce the gender at that time. The kids were more thrilled than I even imagined they'd be. We are really thankful that Heavenly Father decided to bless us with this little love child.

Christmas is such a warm and loving time. I love Christmas morning..I love having our family together. Santa was very generous to a bunch of really fantastic kids this year. I think Santa is a little TOO generous every year. Santa must go a little overboard because he loves making these kids happy. I'm just guessing on that one though... Hope everyone else had a wonderful Christmas. Maybe my Valentine's post will be on time. Cross your fingers.

Things I am thankful for:

1. my new niece Claire-bear. Check her out, Heidi could not be happier to hold anyone.

2. My kids piano teacher, she is very patient and they did excellent at their most recent piano recital.

3. Thanksgiving. I wanted all 8 of us, but we pulled it off with 5. We have a very dynamic family like that...we appreciate the times we have together.

4. My husband...outside of being one of the most attractive men I've ever seen...he is very forgiving and nice. He is very resilient and easy going in ways that we must have for our family to work. He will run to the store for me at 3 a.m. because I can't sleep from a headache. He will go get me medicine! I am very thankful for you Dustin.

5. The true gospel. This is what my whole existence is anchored on. I can't find words to describe my tenderness and love for the truth, and for my Savior.

***There! That is my post...next post...we'll cover Christmas!

posts coming

So, here I am at 5:47 a.m., almost at the end of a 12 hour shift...thinking, I should promise everyone that I'm going to post on my blog soon. After all...we have passed little things like Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Claire Stillman being in town, family pics, and my sweet Grandma here for 10 days. Where has the time gone? Oh, and for those of you who have not received a Christmas card yet, it's because I haven't sent them...but you are all going to feel the Christmas spirit in Jan, maybe Feb...they are coming! A thought on my life right now: very exhausting (and I don't mean just graveyards). Do I have the physical and emotional energy? (does anyone out there ever feel emotionally fragile at times?) Heavenly Father will get me through. Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday....check soon for another entry, sorry about the lag.