To My Westin

 

May 14, 2013

My darling Westin,

Happy fourth birthday, love! Each year as I sit down to reflect on your growth, I am always amazed at what a difference just a year makes. You are growing so strong and handsome! I am so blessed to be your mommy.

I know you're really excited about turning four! I'm excited with you but have to admit that it's just a little bit hard to watch you grow so quickly. These precious days we spend together are so fleeting and I know I will wake up one of these days and wonder where the time has gone. I hope and pray that your childhood will be full of happy memories and that you will always feel a warmth and fondness when you think back to these days. I know from here on out you will be developing real memories that will last your lifetime. Here's some things I hope you remember from this year.

• Our family cabin burning down-- I hope this will help you to always remember that THINGS can always be replaced, our treasures are in heaven, and like you said: “we can rebuild our cabin just like Bob the Builder. Can we fix it? YES WE CAN!”
• Catching your first fish at Fun Valley-- you reeled him in all by yourself and frequently made trips to the freezer to check on him later :) I hope this will be a pastime you and your Daddy & your Chief & Your Papaw will always be able to enjoy together!
   *Mario Kart nights with Daddy-- you two are such good buds! It's fun to watch (and listen) to you boys while you're playing the wii together. You're getting really good at it and I know he loves to play with you!
• Playing soccer for the first time! It may have barely resembled soccer, but you learned about teamwork, listening to instructions, & had a lot of fun in the process. I hope this is also a love that will stick with you and you will always find pleasure in athletic exertion. It's good for you!
• Planting the garden with Mommy-- I love that this has become “our thing.” You're involved in every step of the process from planting to watering to harvesting and I think you look forward to it just as much as I do!
• Nighttime stories and prayers-- you & Daddy have made it through several books this year and it's a part of your day you always look forward to. I love to hear your prayer life developing and watch you grow in knowledge and understanding of our Lord. Your prayers are heartfelt and innocent and I hope and pray that they also continue to be a rich and important part of your daily life. I pray that one day praying becomes just like breathing for you.
• Christmas! We made so many great memories at Christmastime this year :) I hope you will look back and remember ice skating, baking with Mimi, visiting Pop-Pop & Gigi and riding their train, writing letters to Santa & visiting him in Estes... and of course the anticipation of Santa's visit and the delight in your eyes when you woke up Christmas morning!

I'm SO proud of you, baby! You're good at everything you set your mind to being good at, you think of others' feelings, you love surprises almost as much as your Daddy, you are the most social little creature I've ever met-- knowing no strangers, you love deeply, you learn quickly... every day is an adventure and I hope that while you're making memories, you always remember how very loved you are! Loved by everyone who knows you, but especially by your mommy. There is a special “Westin” place in my heart that no one else could ever fill. I look forward to making as many memories together as God allows us-- and I pray that they are many and full of joy! I can't wait to celebrate you today! Happy, Happy Birthday!

Love,

Your Mommy

Since February...

Spring. {Colorado definition: practically the same as winter} We have had a very full spring... hence the lack of time to blog.  

Here's a quick overview:

SOCCER: We are officially soccer parents! Westin started his first organized soccer team experience in March and we have proudly watched as he has learned to play :)  Yes, there is quite a bit of running in clumps (and they don't stop just because the ball goes out of bounds!), rolling in the grass, tag-playing, shadow-following, etc... but they're learning and its CUTE. He loves being part of a team and we've loved watching.  Kreg is helping coach his team and I've loved watching that as well! Tucker has a very hard time sitting in his chair watching.  He wants to be on the field, kicking the ball, and its usually all I can do to distract/restrain him!

 Easter: Easter happened! I made the boys outfits this year :) I wish I could justify making more of their clothes, but it costs just as much to buy fabric and my time is far too precious these days.  But when I do get to whip out the sewing machine, I enjoy every minute of it and love to be creative with their outfits!  I was really pleased with how these turned out!

 We're not big on candy, so we tried to be creative with our basket-stuffing.  They did get some Double Bubble & Jelly Belly's though... you've got to live a little, right? :) It was so cute watching them both wake up excited to see what was left for them and the epic Easter Egg hunt was just that this year... epic! It didn't take them long!

Bunkbeds: The boys are in bunkbeds now!  It's going great :) Westin loves being on the top and got used to the ladder right away.  Kreg and my Dad built the latter and side rail to go on to our beds that we already had.  They were a little skeptical of my barn-red choice, but I think they agree now that it looks awesome.  Especially in a Superman-themed bedroom!

Neighbor Friends: Westin has discovered all the little kids around his age in the neighborhood and our house and yard frequently looks like this.  I love it :) It certainly presents its own challenges as he picks up things we don't want him to, but I am so pleased with the way he remembers wrong from right even when his friends are around and accepts that not everyone in the world lives the way we do.  I hate having to let him in to the world, but am glad we can ease him in slowly and hope and pray daily that he will be strong, courageous, and a warrior when it comes to standing up for what he believes in.  That happened faster than I thought!

Random Fun Spring Things:

 

Visitors: We were so blessed to get to squeeze in some time with some of Kreg's family in April!  We got a quick, surprise visit from Steve, Kreg's Dad, which was short but sweet. Then, we got to host the Hodges family (Kreg's sister, Kim & her fam) for a few days while they were out here to attend a friend's wedding. I love that my kids have cousins their age!  That's something I never had growing up and can see what a blessing it is for our kids.

Valuable Lessons We Learned:

Permanent marker does NOT come off of textured walls.  Not with anything.  We tried every trick in the book, the only thing that fixed it was multiple coats of paint.  Thanks, Tucker!

Ear infections: We experienced our first ear infection this spring.  Of course, it showed itself on a Saturday morning... a Saturday morning that happened to be one of the busiest this Spring (Kreg was playing golf first thing, we had company in town, Kreg was the best man in a wedding, I was photographing a wedding... we barely had time scheduled to breathe let alone take care of a sick baby!).  Poor Westin woke up in so much pain.  I've never seen him in so much pain!  My kids have never been on antibiotics and I wasn't looking forward to this being the first round... thankfully, we knocked it out without it.  I called my chiropractor who graciously met us for an adjustment (which calmed him down greatly) and gave me the number of a lady in town who could tell me how to treat it.  At this point, I was mostly concerned about his pain.  This worked SO well, I had to share... here's what she recommended and what we followed:

*Usnea Lichen (1 tsp 4xday for the first day, then 1/2 tsp 4xday for the next four days) This was taken internally just like an antibiotic to treat the infection internally.

*Nutribiotic (Grapeseed Extract) warmed, 3 drops in the ear 4x day for 5 days.  This was also to treat the infection, dropped right into the ear.

*Lots of probiotics (which we take regularly anyway so I tripled his normal dose)

*Essential Lavender Oil on a cotton ball, placed in the ear.  This stuff was miraculous.  I put it in his ear for the first time, and after crying almost non-stop for 2 hours, he immediately calmed down and said "oh, that feels better" and fell asleep.  I seriously am talking instantly. 

He wasn't quite himself for the next couple of days while he recovered, but by day 4 we couldn't contain all his energy.  I'm so thankful we are over that and hope that it's not something we have to do again anytime soon.  We have been SO blessed with healthy kids and I thank our God daily.  Multiple times daily! This is Tucker taking good care of his big brother during his ordeal :)

ANDDDD that pretty much sums up our spring so far.  Up next? The month of May... Birthdays, Anniversaries, Mother's Day, and this year, Kreg & I are getting away :) More to come!

As always, thanks for stopping by to catch up with our little family.  I pray our God's richest blessings on you & yours!