35

I have been preparing for a year to be 35 and it finally came. I thought I was 35 last year. It wasn't a big event but that is the way I like it. My Mom made me a yummy White Chocolate Raspberry Bundt Cake. Bridger was able to make it home from covering a hail storm in Montana to help with with our neighborhood yard sale and celebrate my birthday. I think that was the best present of all.

My baby is growing up. He is rolling over. He is starting to pull his knees up under him. He laughs and babbles. He got his first tooth and is finally gaining some weight (thanks to formula). I didn't even know he was getting his tooth because he hasn't been fussy. He is a good baby but from the looks of things he is not wanting to stay a baby!

Dance Recital DONE and Happy Early Birthday!

I think my kids are suffering from a little bit of sleep deprivation. They stay up late but still get up early and have been a little bit on the unpleasant side. Let's hope all of summer won't be like this! We got through the recital and I am SO glad it is over. They were both adorable but it is a ton of work! I will post photos later :)!
My birthday is in two weeks. We are doing a yard sale that day. So, Bridger surprised me by taking me on a date shopping to Idaho Falls with NO kids! I love dressing rooms without kids! They can be a little impatient and mischievious. Thus, I don't go shopping often, and if I have to, I make it as short and painless as possible. It was so nice to look and try on clothes and take my time and just have fun. I don't know if it was as much fun for Bridger. I guess that is one of the reasons I love him. He does things like that just for me. It makes me feel special. I love my husband! I better be sure to tell him that!

The Birthday/Baptism

Well it doesn't happen very often that one gets to be baptized on their birthday, but it did for Kjerstin. It is also the rotation year for them to have a friend party and we squeezed that in as well (because who can wait AFTER their birthday for a party). We planned it and delivered invitations on Tuesday, went shopping for it on Wednesday and had the party Thursday from 5:30-10pm. She wanted to have a sleepover but not very many of her friends can have one so I talked her into a late night party. They all wore their PJ's, and we had a spa night. They made their own pizzas, and homemade root beer, and then got a foot bath, a hand massage, a new hairdo, a back massage, a facial mask, and colored a pillowcase to remember the party. We were supposed to play games but we ran out of time. We did cake, ice cream and presents. She wanted a cake of a girl in a sleeping bag. We were supposed to play Karaoke and watch a movie in their sleeping bags but it was too late and they only watched part of the movie. It was 10:45 before every girl went home. Then we got to clean up and go to bed. We had 11 girls here. I was supposed to do it alone but Bridger surprised me and came home to help. My mother-in-law came with TB and they helped watch Gideon/Daven and TB helped with facials. It was nice to have help. It was then Friday to clean my house and shop/cook for the meal on Saturday after her baptism. Did I mention I had 3 migraines this week? I will post pictures of the cake and baptism when I have them downloaded. On another note, Gideon keeps dropping in percentile for his weight so we are supplementing him with a high caloric formula now. I guess this busy lifestyle doesn't agree with him.

Holding Hands

I found out about a writing contest and I started a piece for it. It is due this week. It might be a start of my writing journey. Here is the topic: "Do you have a story that begins with another person’s hand in yours? Do you have strong memories of the wrinkled hand of a beloved grandmother? Has your life been changed by the grasping hand of a child? The reassuring hand of a friend? We invite you to tell us a story about “holding hands,” whatever this phrase evokes in you. Do you see holding hands as a revolutionary act? An opening for a heart connection? A bridge across generations? A cure for loneliness? An antidote to violence? Can holding hands change the world?
Your story might explore themes of mentorship, connection, taboo, solidarity, violence, relationships, sensuality, family, love, friendship, healing, bridging difference, or anything in between. We encourage you to broadly interpret the theme.
Here is what I have so far. I am not sure I am done editing.

As my baby wraps his tiny little fingers around one of my fingers, I feel what true love is. Don’t get me wrong, I love my husband, but there is nothing like a mothers love. A mother’s love is hands that hold you up as an infant, and hold you up whenever you seem to need them.
For mothers day I sent an email to my Mom saying how much I love and appreciate her sticking by me, even in my not so brilliant times. The reply I got: “I loved you then, I love you now, and I will always love you!” How does she show that? With her hands.
Just recently, she held me up emotionally as she placed her arms around me to empathize with the frustration of a surprise C-section, and physically by showing up at my house almost every day for 6 weeks (even days I told her not to come)to take care of me, my house and my family.
Music can give strength in times of trial that no words can match. My Mom knows this. Magic happens when my Mom touches a piano. She has taught countless children (including her own) to play; not to make money, but because if no one learns now, who will play then. She is now older and has arthritis. It is not comfortable or easy for her to play, yet she is teaching my daughters (8 and 6) to play. Her hands are still lifting.
When I walk in my Mom’s house, I know there will be good food there. She shows her love for others by cooking. When I was in high school, she would stay up late typing my papers for me and then get up at 4:45am to make me breakfast, and read the scriptures to me (because she knew that was the only way I would get the scriptures and the food), then drive me to early morning drill team. Right now she has been cooking for a neighbor going through chemotherapy for breast cancer since that is one way she knows to love.
From holding hands with me as and infant to holding my hand now, a mothers love is a love that supports and sustains all through life.

One week to go for May to finally be over!

What a crazy week. We had Brynna’s preschool graduation. Brynna insisted on wearing her Dad's graduation cap even though they made their own at preschool. It is the only year I will probably have two graduates and it could happen! I am really proud of her. She is doing a really good job learning to read. She loves to be a tease, but she can be very responsible at times, too. It seems not so long ago she was the size of Gideon and I would rock her and rock her and just look at her. I do love my kids.

Kjerstin and Brynna performed in their first piano recital. Here is picture with them and my mom. They won't know until much later that they have just had the most talented teacher they may ever get! It is amazing how much they have learned in a few short months of taking piano. I AM glad not to have to remind them to practice for a few months.

We picked out a baptismal dress for Kjerstin yesterday. It is very pretty. I really like shopping with her and I am glad she likes it, too. Her birthday/baptism are coming up too quickly. Here is her biography I wrote and the picture I took. They hand it out with the programs on Sunday so all the ward can get to know the newest ward member. She has had the site for the photo picked out for months. What a girl!

"Kjerstin was born on June 5, 2002 in Orem, UT to Bridger and Cindy Critchfield. She is the 2nd of 5 children and has 3 brothers (Corban, Daven, and Gideon) and 1 sister (Brynna). She loves to perform and is constantly seeking an audience. She is a born leader and loves to organize things. She is a good friend to all her siblings, and loves playing with her cousins and friends. Kjerstin is very talented at art and loves to create things. She is a big help in the kitchen. Her favorite food is crispitos and her favorite dessert is popsicles. She is currently taking gymnastics and shows quite an aptitude for it. She thinks it is pretty neat that she gets to be baptized on her birthday. She loves to be on the trampoline, play tag, rollerblade, and play in the water (especially in the summer). She likes math and reading and will be in the third grade next year. Her teachers tell us she is always ready to help other students with their work. Her favorite thing about primary is the lessons. Her favorite primary song is "Jesus Said Love Everyone."

Another busy week!

Bridger was in Montana this week. He was in charge of a meeting for their unit. It was a lot of responsibility and I think it went well. He had some stupid experiences happen, too. One of the guys he worked with kept stealing his ideas, and not communicating with Bridger. He had some people talk negatively about the meeting while he was standing right there, too. He had lots of good comments as well. And it was a good taste of leadership for him. I am proud of him and I think he enjoyed it. He really doesn’t have much time to himself. We need to figure out a way to take the yard off of his hands and I don’t know Gideon is up for me doing it. Maybe when the kids are out of school it will seems better. I need to figure out summer plans as well for them. Being a mother is much like being a cruise director in the summer.
I took the preschool kids to the zoo. It will be the last time I have them. Brynna told me it was boring because she just had to walk around and look at animals. She told everyone else it was fun. I think I will believe her report to others.

Bridger spoke at his Dad’s retirement dinner this week as well. He did awesome. I love hearing him speak in public. He does a great job.

It was the also the father son campout this weekend. Daven, Corban, Bridger and his Dad went. I think they had fun if you call camping fun. I took the girls out to Taco Bell with another mom and her girls. Then we went to their house and painted nails. I think we had more fun but that is just because I don’t like camping! I am still debating if I can hack the annual Memorial Day camping trip to American Falls. Even Corban said today, “I don’t like that place.” Neither do I!

This next week I don’t think the kids will do much classwork. They have 2 more weeks left and I think it is mostly play. Not for me!

A busy weekend

We did it! We made it through a graduation, a concert, and mother's day. It was a crazy weekend made all the longer by a baby who was fussy due to shots and a cold on top of it. We decided to have Bridger walk because we wanted out kids to see him so they could put more of a value on college education. I hope it worked. It was pretty cute. When he was being hooded, and it was silent, and 7 (almost 8) year old girl yells, "DADDY!" I think he may have been the only graduate with 5 kids. It has been a long 4 years for all of us and it was very rewarding to have a finale to it all!

Corban was the only one in our family singing this time in TaVaci. They did an awesome number where they made rythmn out of everyday objects to make a song. It was cool. My girls will have a piano recital in a week.

May 8th was also the anniversary of our first date. We didn't have time to celebrate on the 8th but I did make a quiche which was our first dinner I made as a married couple. We are in need of a real date but I can't figure out when we have time for one!