Double Digits for Brooklyn

August 9, 2000
Kona, HI Christmas 2002
Old Faithful - Yellowstone Park, 2010

Brooklyn is AMAZING. I know that seems like an exaggeration, but really, I can't imagine her any better. As her mom, I have no complaints.

She is considerate, responsible, kind, organized, watchful, remorseful (when needed), fun, talented, beautiful, nice, curious, happy, smart, healthy, creative and active.

Wouldn't you agree that a kid like that sounds about perfect?

Happy 10th birthday Brooklyn!

8-8-2002 Eight years later.

From THIS...


to this...

and now, this.Ian had a rough start. We are SO HAPPY he figured out that breathing thing and is here with us. He is 8 today.
In case you didn't know, he is EXCEPTIONAL!
He loves his sister and brother.
He is a math wiz. (I think that skips a generation.)
He plays a mean game of baseball in grandma Susie's backyard.
He helps me weed the garden.
He likes to explore outside, and is great at finding frogs.
He has a knack for technology.
He is a veracious reader.
He is SUPER sweet.
He was the best birthday present we ever gave Brooklyn.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY IAN!

being a parent

Sometimes I like being a parent.
It's cool.

First, I got to drop Brooklyn off to go to YMCA camp today. nostalgia.

Second, I watched my boys work a lemonade stand in my front yard. Their attire is what really made it. Lucas wore cowboy boots, a transformers t-shirt, silky basketball shorts and alternated between a cowboy hat and a giant pirate hat. Ian was a diligent worker, always on the lookout through his binoculars for customers. He would occasionally sport his battery operated Darth Vader head. It makes his voice sound like the evil Vader, and it added a new touch to the calls of "LEMONADE, 50 CENTS a GLASS!".

Third, I gave Ian a sweet haircut. He is the only person on earth I will barber up. And the best part is he loves to have choppy, uneven hair cuts, so he thinks I'm the best hair cutter in the land. He is likes a shaggy sort of do, so as long as I don't chop it too short I'm safe. I just let it grow long enough that I can cut it and if I screw up too bad there is still enough length for Nonny or Grandma Williams to clean up my mess. But so far, he seems to love my messes.

Lastly, I like them.

For your viewing pleasure...my cute boys!
(pics of Brooklyn at camp to come)
My favorite cowboy, basketball player, transformers under-roos guy. (Note the pirate hat hanging on the chair for easy costume change.)
Ian and his friend Graeme scouting out lemonade customers.

Letters...

Dear Sore Throat,
Please remember that you were not invited to my summer vacation. Nor to that of my children. If you are, in fact, a bacterial infection (as I suspect) I plan on killing you after my visit to the doctor tomorrow. If it weren't five minutes to midnight, I'd be there now. But I don't want to be one of those people nurses complain about that rush to the emergency room when it's not an emergency. But the bad thing is, other than childbirth, this might just be the most pain I've ever been in. If you are a virus, I might just die. I hope antibiotics are a quick cure.
Goodbye,
Emily

Dear Fever,
Please do your job and get rid of my sore throat.
Thank you,
Emily

Dear Sty,
Please leave Aaron alone. Get off his lovely tan colored eyes. I know he prefers "hazel" but I shall forever be in love with his sandy tan eyes. So go away.
Best wishes,
Emily

Dear Virus,
You are the worst. Lucas has been a brave little guy, but you need to ease up! Man! Show some mercy!
At my wits end,
Emily

Dear Ian,
Thank you for putting up with the rest of us. We are a mess and your cheerful smile brightens our misery.
Love,
Mommy

Dear Brooklyn,
I am glad you are in Utah with Pappy making freezer jam. I miss you terribly, but I'm glad you are far away from our germs. I hope we are all better when you get home on Tuesday. I can't stand you away for so long. But, it was a good week to go! bring us home some yummy jam!
Love,
Mommy

Dear Ancestors,
You were tough. No wonder you all only lived about 40 years. Life must have sucked to live before ibuprofen and antibiotics and chloraseptic throat spray. Please accept my deepest admiration. But I'm so glad I am a 21st century girl. But it still bites to be sick.
Sincerely,
Emily

Dear Bed,
I'm sorry I don't think I'll be with you tonight. The thought of laying in the dark with my throat burning and ears stinging is more than I can bare. So I will do my best to keep busy tonight. Bring on the insomnia. Sunrise will never be more welcome.
See you tomorrow,
Emily

Dear Doc in the Box,
Please fix me tomorrow.
Hoping for the best,
Emily

3 weeks, 5300 miles, 10 states

How do I blog about that?

I kept a travel journal but it's 13 pages long.
I think we have well over 1000 pictures.

Here is a photo summary:
Pioneers don't smile. Winter Quarters, NB
Winter Quarters LDS Temple
St. Louis - Just driving through.

Lucas doing one of his "taste tests" with olives and hotdog at the Williams Family Reunion in Vincennes, IN.
Sunday BBQ, eating butter dipped Indiana Sweet Corn
Williams Family Baseball! Ian hit and never quit running. It didn't bother him that Brooklyn had stopped on 2nd base. He just ran right past her and went for the home run! He wasn't going to let another runners base judgment stop him!

We visited the grave sites of both Rob's mom's family and his dad's.

We rode go-carts and mini-motorcycles at Aaron's aunt and uncle's house. Only 2 wrecks. Lucas took a clutch piece to the back and Brooklyn dented in a door. Oops.
Sleeping quarters in Indiana at Rob's parents house. Nobody lives there anymore, but it served as shelter from the Indiana rains at night.

After Indiana we headed north to Chicago. Here are the cousins at the Field Museum with "Sue".

At the Art Institute of Chicago Brooklyn said, "I remember that painting from art class!" We took this picture to show her art teacher.
"The Bean" - Chicago, IL
Lucas couldn't hack the 10:30 pm dinners we frequented. No wonder he woke up hungry every morning!

Chicago site seeing!
Playing in a fountain in downtown Chicago. All fun and games until Ian's head hit Brooklyn's front tooth and knocked it loose. Yes, it is her permanent tooth. But in the end it tightened back up.
Another fountain, at Liberty Zoo in Chicago. It's free! You can't beat that!
This was the best of our sleeping arrangements. Brooklyn and I decided the car was getting too squishy night after night, and we opted for the starlit sky. The mosquitos weren't too bad in Nauvoo, and it wasn't raining. It is too bad we didn't have more opportunities for this!
The mosquitos in Indiana beat Ian up. This was the worst of his bites, but his arms and legs didn't look much better. But as you can see, he's still smiling! The day this picture was taken he got into some chigger bugs and the following day his entire body was covered in spots.
Aaron's Parents, His Brother Jared, wife Caitlin, their 4 boys and us at the Nauvoo Temple
After Nauvoo we parted ways with the rest of the Williams clan and headed up to South Dakota for an extended trip through Mount Rushmore and Wyoming, taking us to Yellowstone Park.
On the way to Yellowstone we slept in the car on the highway near Devil's Tower. Not a bad sight to wake up to!
Our first Bison sighting at Yellowstone National Park.
We were lucky enough to see this Grizzly with her cubs and another bear the next day.
And here we are checking out an elk.
The kids were awarded their 7th Junior Ranger badge of the trip at Yellowstone. We had stopped at many National Memorials, Parks and Reserves along the way.
The grand finale to our trip was seeing Old Faithful. Which Lucas refers to as "The Faithful".

Well, that's it in a nut shell. Now we are home and can get to the RELAXING of our summer vacation.

Spring in Boise 2010

In case you were wondering,
May showers bring June flowers.
At least that's what I'm counting on.

May = All This

May is a good month.
Here's why:

1. 5 de mayo in my Spanish classes - I got to dress up like a Mexican Folk Dancer.

2. Aaron and Ian went to McCall for Ian's 2nd/3rd grade Spring Trip. It was cold at the McCall Outdoor Science School, but they are tough.

3. Mother's Day - Special Thanks to the lady who made me and all those that I've made. And thanks to Aaron for his help too.

4. Brooklyn and I had tons of fun on her 4th/5th grade Spring Trip to the Snake River/Hell's Canyon, and the Columbia River Gorge. I learned the best way to travel with pre-teens; audiobook The Hunger Games and you will have 10 hours of silence in your car. We all LOVED IT! (Even great for adults, not appropriate for those under 9ish.)

5. My dad spoils me. He showed up yesterday (on Bob Dylan's 69th birthday) with a brand new Martin Guitar! I am still learning about all it's cool details, but wanted to post pics just to show how cool it and my dad are. THANKS PAPPY!!!

*Disclaimer - My pictures are being difficult and won't line up right with the text so your just going to have to match them up on your own. Make it a game.