I am Happiest When Dustin & April are having Twins!

Dustin and April are having twin boys.  Yay!  I am so excited for them.  On the other hand, I can imagine it can be quite overwhelming thinking that you will have two tiny little guys craving attention.  Plus, you have to buy two of everything.  The cost seems overwhelming to me.  Just buying gifts for a shower gives you cause to stop and contemplate the commitment level of the parents of doubles.

Diaper Cake I made

 We did one shower game.  The Poopy Diaper game.  It was a lot of fun.  People had to smell and guess the type of chocolate that was melted in a diaper.  I have to wonder if the diaper game is worth wasting 10 diapers.  Especially when you are diapering two.  Do you know how much a case of diapers is?????  A small fortune.

 Tripp and Kailey examining the mess. Ha Ha.

 Look at Tripp's face as Kailey sniffs.

 Steve seems very excited about the game.

Congrats Dustin and April on making two little boys that will be loved and cared for by an awesome big sister and terrific parents.  

I am Happiest When The Sun is Shining and Kids are Playing

 Ready to go hunting in the Rocks....For Dinosaur Bones

Played just too darn hard

Tripp didn't feel well so we were doing art projects indoors.  Look at those poor little eyes.

Sippies and apples.  Two of everything.  It is like having twins <3

The new riding lawn mower, that incidentally was taken back because it chewed the lawn up.  But Stephen had a good time giving it a test run! 

Oh Baby

This is the sweetest little guy ever

Pax is one tired little boy.  The day wore him out, but he still wanted to play

Sometimes I wish I could just lay down and play in the dirt and just not have a care in the world

O-dog with Grandpa

Absolutely Great week with the Russo Family!!!!!!

I am Happiest When I Get to Celebrate a Birthday

Pax Gennaro Russo - Birthday Boy!

Pax is 2!  What a funny, terrific, loving, smiley, sassy (can a boy be sassy?), amazing boy!  And the eyes are so big they can melt you in a minute.  This little guy likes hair.  When I picked him up and gave him loves and carried or held him he would put his little arm around me and take my hair on the back of my head and rub it between his fingers.  It was so cute and very sweet.  I felt love in his little fingers.  What a great feeling!  He also LOVES cars.  And he loved the frosting on his cake.  He ate the frosting and played with the cars on the cake for about 30 minutes.  He was in his own little world.  He also chewed up most of the hard candy HAPPY BIRTHDAY letters.  I have to admit, I haven't ever had a child like them.  I was so HAPPY watching him play.  He just makes me smile and feel a lot of grandmotherly enjoyment.

I am Happiest When I am Given Special Treats

My Beautiful Daughter - Cougarette Concert 2011

mother may i

and i would say

yes sweet baby

take it away

shes blessed with grace

and smooth as a line

and when i shade

she helps me shine

And she comes to me

when theres nothing i believe

she holds me so high

yes i am free

saying why hold the anger

it wont let you fly

just remember

i'll remember

and mama mama i'll get by

Confused by my own illusions

she said that its only my pride

and even the simplest solutions

still won't heal my mind

so i'll remember

I'll remember and i'll get by

These are the words to her solo.  I was humbled by her choice.  Being her MaMa is so rewarding.

My daughter was in her last Cougarette Concert in February.  What a bittersweet experience!  I am so very happy for her and for the experiences she has had as a BYU Coug.  I can't really express the thrill as I watch her dance.  There are just no words for the emotion and love I have for this beautiful girl.  And when she dances.....well there is no way to put it in words.  I sit in my seat waiting for her to step onto the stage.  When she gets there, I only watch her.  I look for her and if I can't find her I desperately search.  I am sad when any dance is over that she is in.  And then I just sit with tears in my eyes or a grin on my face or jaw dropped in amazement.  I don't know if it is because I have always had a love of dance but didn't have the opportunities that she has had so I live my life vicariously through her, or if I recognize the talent and gift she has and I am awed by it and want to be a part of it, or if it is just the feelings a mom has for the accomplishment of her daughter.  Whatever the reason, I am wrapped up in her performance in a way that stuns me at times.  I am deeply grateful that she is patient with my need to be a part of her every movement.  She has given me more than she knows.  I miss staying in hotel rooms with her at competitions, I miss her recitals, I miss her showcases and ballets, etc. I am going to miss football games and basketball games.  I am going to miss the Cougarette Concerts.  I am going to miss going to Florida with her for Nationals, I am going to miss the other girls that have graciously allowed me a glimpse into their lives through facebook or sewing for them.  It is a chapter in a book of life that I wish I could experience for the first time all over again.

 Backstage at the Coug Concert 2012

Senior Girls

 The girls with Jodi and Morgan

Past and Present Cougs

Proud MaMa with her baby

Thursday Night

Best Friends

Friday Night

I love this picture.  Great Friends!

Saturday night was girls night

Sarah has been blessed with a great support system.  I am so grateful for my family.

Love these beautiful girls

Thank you Sarah for the memories - I love you!

I am Happiest When I have one of my Grandbabies in my Arms

 Baby Eli's Blessing Day

I always wish I had writen my feelings down before I forget them.  But when you look at a picture and you think really hard it can bring you to tears remembering the special feelings you had.  Photographs are God's way of helping those that "forget" to write in journals :-) 

One of my favorite things is to go to Idaho to see my Grandkids that I don't see often.  I am really sad because Southwest Airlines discontinued their non-stop flight to Boise.  Maybe I should have done it more often so that they would feel like it was worth the money to keep it going.

Everytime I get there I feel special and welcome.  Taking one of these beautiful Grandbabies in my arms after a long period of time not seeing them is the most marvelous, overwhelming, loving things I get to do. It is so hard to have them so far away.  

 I love Being a Grandparent

 Big Brothers

 My Son, One Great Person

Beautiful Family - Russo's

I was full of pride and love as my son Stephen took his third little boy in his arms and gave him a name and blessing.  Eli Louis Russo.  The most special blessing is that he is named after his Grandpa, Stephen Louis Russo.  What an amazing gift.  Stephen was so articulate and clearly had the spirit with him as he blessed his little guy.  I wish there was a way to put my feelings into words.  Because I am a mother, I will always feel that he does a good job, but this blessing was undoubtedly a special one.  

One of the greatest gifts and blessings is having a daughter-in-law that facilitates a relationship between her kids and their grandparents (no small feat when you live far away from family).  I want her to know how much I love her and how grateful I am that she helps my grandchildren know me better and love me when I don't see them everyday.  She is a beautiful woman and an amazing mom.