Wednesday, December 22, 2010

I don't know...



...what's more surprising?


...the fact that I got an honest to goodness, spur spinning, gun totin', "round 'em up boys" saddle...











...or the fact that D. didn't spill the beans!












....yep, you're right...



...the biggest surprise is that D. didn't say a word.







If you look closely at the surprise on my face, you can tell I really didn't know about the saddle.  I have become quite adept at putting the squeeze on my little darlings and then feigning surprise when it's finally time to do the unveiling, but even I can't act that good.



Secrets are a problem with the Coil girls.  We just can't hardly stand the anticipation, but we're working on it.



I have to say I am very proud of D for not letting the cat out of the bag, or maybe I should say...



...not letting the horse out of the corral.





...and I have a feeling that Matthew may never top this one.


YEE HAW!!!!!

Friday, December 17, 2010

Reviewing the ...brrrrrs...

...Nov and Dec....mbrrrrs that is.  Baby it's cold outside!!!!!!!!!




I better hurry with these pictures, since it's almost January with a whole other set of pictures to come.  January is one of our birthday months, so it will be busy too.




First of all, let me give credit where credit is due.  These pictures are Shay's, they were taken by her, posted by here and I stole them from her blog(there's a story about this, but it makes me angry, so I'm not going there.  Not angry with Shay(of course), but angry at dishonest people).




This little angel is growing.  I would love to say she's growing right in front of me, but that's not happening.  Darn!  Ooops!  Sorry that was almost a swear word, but I miss this cute little button, or should I say kitten?




I love these cute little lips that form a perfect little bow and these big round, saucer eyes that I could drowned in.  And I love knowing that Carlee is already having fun with her little sister, teaching her how to play dress-up.






...and since she's so stinking cute, here's another picture. 




...and speaking of cuteness, Tessa May takes first place in having the cutest personality to match her curly hair and big blues.  CUTE!


Andy, if you need an angel on that tree, just tie Tessa to the top and call it good.


...remember when she was little enough to be an angel on the tree?




...and speaking of angels...




Here is Porter selling hot cocoa with his best friend.  Selling it for money, but not for themselves to go buy the newest toy or to spend on games at Chuck-E-Cheese.  They donated the proceeds to the Cystic Fibrosis foundation in honor of their friend. 




...and speaking of hot cocoa, here's Carlee (the hot cocoa link works, because she loves chocolate, just like me).  I made her some doll clothes for her American Girl doll Felicity.  It made me happy to think she would be enjoying something that I had so much enjoyment creating for her.




...and speaking of enjoying, see the joy in this picture? 




Every time I see Sam move, this song lyric goes through my mind...


The wonderful thing about tiggers

Is tiggers are wonderful things!

Their tops are made out of rubber

Their bottoms are made out of springs!

They're bouncy, trouncy, flouncy, pouncy

Fun, fun, fun, fun, fun!


...whether she's walking or running, it doesn't matter, she's always a'bouncin!!!





...remember this?




...but not this little guy.  Life is serious for him....serious fun!  But also the best snuggler ever!!!!!




...and speaking of eyes you could drowned in, check out these baby blues.  He's turning into a little bouncer just like his sister.  D. is going to have 2 tiggers by the tail.




D sent me a text saying she was having flashbacks of sitting on the counter to help me make pies.  I walked in and had the same memory.  This picture makes me laugh and cry.  When did my little Dani get old enough to have her own little one to play with?




I''m not sure how this pie will taste, but the chef is soooo sweet.




...and who says guys don't belong in the kitchen?  Cameron will do anything Sam does(but don't tell Jake he plays dress up in pink ballgowns when his dad is away).




..and speaking of fine cooking, here's my finest helper of the season.  I have a heavenly recipe for homemade rolls from Matthew's niece, Lindsey, and her "Easy Squeezy" magic juice(magic juice is what I call it, because the kids think anything with magic involved is awesome).  I hold Lindsey responsible for the 10 pounds I gained last winter.




Erin has to be the most photogenic mother of 2 that I know.  She is beautiful, but her true beauty goes much deeper than those big brown eyes.  She is a virtuous woman whom I am proud to call daughter.




...and speaking of virtuous, notice our grateful tree in the center of the table.  My visiting teachers, Marina and Angie, provided the leaves that we could write on to share what we were grateful for.


This picture shows my grandmother's china.  She was another virtuous woman and I can't wait to see her again(well, OK, I can wait, but I am excited to see her when I get to the other side).  I have stories to tell her and questions to ask.  She and I spent many hours together in her kitchen and around her table.







 Typtophan

kicking in........

(isn't that the chemical in turkey that makes us all need that after Thanksgiving dinner, bloated belly, can't eat another bite, I've got to go to sleep now chemical)





Just can't get enough of this guy.  Luke, that is, not Santa(however, I love Santa too).  We are going on a date this week(again, Luke that is, not Santa).




Preston getting ready for the big meet.  You can check out the results here.


Miss Madison Joy, our beautiful young woman who kept me warm at the swim meet last weekend by sitting on my lap and sharing her blanket.




Who let clowns into the pool?





...still a clown.




...precious sunshine.




Emry's swim teacher bumped her up a level, since she is part fish.










What can I say?   I am surrounded by beauty.  Love these brown eyes!!!!

...and here she is a year ago.










This set of pictures are actually from Abbie's birthday in October.  I just noticed them and realized how lucky these two little girls are that they have each other.  Abbie sees Emry and runs to give her a hug.  Emry sees her running and opens her arms wide and giggles.  Cousins!!!






More of celebrating Abbie's 8th birthday.












Grandma Great is always willing to host a tea party for the great grand kids.  They know she has a large stash of treats hidden in her room.  They love her and they bring immense joy to her life.




Sister Hinckley wrote about the old needing the young and the young needing the old.  I truly believe these little cherubs have given joy to their great-grandma that no one else could.  Family, synonymous with love.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

It's always fun...

...and a little tender to open the Christmas decoration boxes each year and find this little guy peering out from among the tinsel and red satin bows.






...isn't he a cutie????








Last night I hung our little clothespin Rudolph with his red pom-pom ear muffs in a place of prominence on our perfect pine between my red ceramic cowboy boots and a shiny gold ball with the nativity painted on it.


He's been there for years, in fact, he is older than some of our children.  He was a hand-made gift from Matthew's sister, Debbie. 


...and that's really what this post is about...



...Debbie...



...Matthew's little buddy...



She was the second Coil I met, Matthew being first.  Not long after Matthew and I started dating, he took me on a long weekend to visit his parents in Montana.  Since you have to go through ID to get to MT, we stopped at Debbie's home in ID Falls on our way through town.



If I didn't know for sure how I felt about Matthew before we arrived at her home, I certainly did after.  She sang his praises for the whole 2 hours we were visiting her.  There was no doubt that this little sister thought her big brother was the best. 


I remember laughing a lot, but mostly I remember feeling loved, instantly.  Debbie didn't need someone to prove themselves to her.  She didn't need me to be better or different than I really was...



...because she loved me, just as I really was.


She taught me it's OK to have scrambled eggs for supper and she taught me how to French braid my girl's hair.


...and Debbie taught me a lot about living and about how to keep living even while you are dying. 


Our little Rudolph always reminds me of her...


...how much I loved her and how much she loved Matthew.


I'll be thinking about her when I pack him away with the decorations this year and I'll think about her when I pull him out again next year.


...miss you Deb.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Why is it....

...that the things that make the ones we love the happiest can also make us cry?




 The message on my phone was that he passed the Spanish test. 




...good news...




...right?




Shortly after that the tears started.  




He passed and now he's off to the next level of making his dream come true of being an agent for the FBI.  


......



Today is Michael's birthday.  Today I am remembering that cold Christmas in 1979 when I had a remarkable experience in the wee hours of dawn, rocking my newborn son, just the two of us, as the snow drifted on the eves of our warm, safe home.


I remember holding him close, hoping, praying that he would grow up knowing how much he was cherished.  Hoping, praying that I would be the kind of mother he deserved.  Hoping, praying he would know I loved him so much from the very beginning that I would do anything for him to keep him close to my heart.







I remember thinking that of all the things I wanted for this beautiful new spirit, I just wanted him to be happy.



I knew that righteous choices would make him happy, so I wished for him to be obedient to God.


...and eventually he went on a mission.



I knew never feeling alone would make him happy, so I wished for him to find someone who would love him as much as I did...


...eventually he found Erin.






...and then I wished for him to be all he wanted to be...


...and he said he wanted to join the FBI...


...there you have it, that's what will make him happiest.


...how does a mother respond when her son says he wants a job that requires a bullet proof vest and a hand gun?


...I smiled and nodded, and then I found a quiet spot to shed my tears. 


His road took him to Kansas after his mission(and during), where as a police officer he found joy in serving others, increasing the desire to be an agent for the FBI.  (Mike always loved his Uncle Dean, the Sheriff of Dodge, wanting to be just like him)



...eventually he left Kansas.  He came home, bringing Erin with him and in due time, two of the cutest girls in the world.






...and I fell in love with her...




...and with her.














...much of what I wished for Michael has come true.  He is obedient, he is loved and he is on the road to achieving his life-long dream of protecting the innocent by joining the FBI.






...yet with all of this comes the knowledge that his road will eventually lead him away from home and I will miss the every-day-ness of Emry and Amelia's lives...


...and I will miss him.




...so today, I will smile with pride at all Mike has become.


...and then I'll shed a couple of tears, knowing he is doing exactly what I wished for him so long ago...


...doing exactly what will make him the happiest.




...so don't be fooled by those tears, they are just a symbol of how much I love him.



.......

Hard earned moment...


Celebration moment with Grandma Coil...

I will miss him.  But I know when we are all together, he will have stories to tell (No one can tell a story like Mike.  Ask him about the guard dog on the chain sometime). 


Mike's life is turning into a great story.


Love you Mike!


Saturday, December 11, 2010

This is BIG...

...and I mean BIG news!









You'll never guess what Madison and Abigail found in the ladies room at Preston's swim meet at Cottonwood H.S.



....


....


....




...are you ready for this????










...POWDERED soap!!!

Friday, December 10, 2010

PPPP, or in other words....

....Perfect Partner for Picking a Pine.


Traditions are important, but they can sometimes make me feel like a failure, when I fail to keep the tradition year after year.  I'm still learning how to be flexible.



Our first Christmas together Matthew promised me he would always make sure we had a real tree to decorate. He has always kept that promise.



...it became our first tradition...



...always have a live tree...(OK, I know that once you cut it, it's no longer alive, but somehow it feels more alive than a plastic tree stored in a box all year)



Most of those years, we took the family and hiked "over the river and through the woods" to find the perfect tree that when brought inside filled our home with the fresh scent of pine.



I remember the year Matthew was in-between jobs while we lived in Montana.  Matthew found the perfect tree on the mountain that overlooked his parent's home at the Bozeman dairy.  He brought it home, threw a tarp over it, made a bed on top with pillows and quilts in the back of our old green and white International Scout and we drove to Kansas to celebrate a Bush Christmas(this was before car seats when kids bounced on the back of the seats and the only restraint system was their parent's arm thrown up in front of their face to keep them from having a cigarette lighter shoved up their nose).  We arrived back in Bozeman just before New Year's with $.75 in our pocket.



It was a difficult year, but Matthew went out of his way to make it happy.  Our kids didn't know that we lived off elk meat his dad had given us that year.  It was the year I made Aubrey a pink flannel baby bed for her Strawberry Shortcake out of old scrap material Matthew's mom gave me and my dad bought Andy and Mike each a metal truck and trailer with horses(I will always remember my dad laughing as they opened them, shaking his head and saying he would have given anything to have had those when he was a kid).  Money was scarce, but we had dreams of a bright future and the joy of being together kept us warm.



Last year's tree excursion turned into a 3 hour emergency room trip and 6 stitches in Abbie's hand.  Though Chris was thousands of miles away in Afghanistan, Matthew and I had a fantasticly (is that a word) fun Christmas shooting darts at the grandkids and dressing dolls in their new clothes, while spending the night at Aubrey's.



I'm not sure where Matthew slept that night.  I slept with Aubrey.  I didn't want her to be alone.  I will always remember shedding a tear as I saw her kneeling in the dark next to her bed as she asked Heavenly Father to bless Chris.



...traditions...



...family, stockings filled with Pringles, the nativity with Abigail as the angel, dad's waffles, jigsaw puzzles...
 

 

So when Matthew suggested we go to Home Depot to buy a tree this year, I wondered when he got so old??





...and I just knew this was not going to be one of those holiday moments that I will always remember.





...until this...















...and then I realized I was married to the most Perfect Partner for Picking a Pine.




The tradition of going into the great outdoors to find our Christmas tree didn't happen this year, but I spent the evening with my favorite person. 




...and that's all I really care about.




...and who knows, maybe this is the beginning of a new tradition.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Matthew and I...

...always knew we had the most talented grandchildren.

Birthday shopping for Mike...

...last night.






...this is what I came home with!
























Think he will like it?

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

I know, I know...

...it's time to make a decision, but I can't.  I'm really struggling with this very insignificant thing.  Remember this?

Shay suggested, "You're never fully dressed without a smile."  Love that one, but it's a little long.

Emily suggested, "Powder Room", in big, swirly letters.  Kind of leaning this way, because it is shorter.

However, decision made or not.  I have purchased the prizes...


...several times...


...I keep eating the prizes.


Then I decided to buy them and hide them until it was time to send them out, but then I couldn't find them...


...so I had to go buy more...


...ate them too...


...then I found the ones I had hidden.


...haven't eaten them yet, but I haven't gone home for lunch yet either!


I know, I know, just make a decision and send the prizes...


...before I gain another 5 pounds!

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Like I said...

...I don't do football.


Thanks, Lala, for pointing out that BYU's coach is Mendenhall, not Whittingham.



...my bad!

(if you don't know what this is about, read the post below)

Friday, December 3, 2010

This isn't about football...

...of course, if you know me at all, you know that.  I really am not interested in a sport that pays millions of dollars to people who have very low morals(I know that is a broad generalization, but this is my blog and I can generalize all I want).  When I do watch football occasionally, I usually cheer for my favorite color and I have been known to cheer for both teams in a single game depending on who is winning.  Nope, this is not about football, but I can't stand to let a good analogy slip away...




...so here goes...




...if any of you drove past our house on Saturday, you would have noticed...




....nothing.




...because I actually took 3 hours off from my normal schedule of never sitting down for more than 5 minutes.  The vacuum remained in the closet like a soldier asleep at his watch, the washer wondered what day it was, since it remained unusually quiet for a normal Saturday and I didn't dirty one pan in the kitchen.




...I watched THE game...




... BYU vs. UTAH.




I have to admit, it was really exiting...




...in the 4th quarter!




BYU came out with a plan and it worked, but at the last minute (actually, the last second) Utah blocked a kick leaving BYU feeling blue.




...so the game got me to thinking about how I have gone through life with a plan, just like BYU Coach Whittingham, and how often that plan goes by the wayside.  I like to think of myself as, if not highly intelligent, at least highly logical(I'm not really either one, but I like to think of myself that way).  The problem with logic is that sometimes it doesn't take into account the heart and how illogical it can be.  Also, my logic can blind me from seeing the possibilities in front of me.




In 1987, I was feeling good about my logical plan.  I had a husband, who loved me, and 4 kids, whom I loved.  We were living in a beautiful home, across the street from the Denver Temple.  I was close enough to Kansas to visit home on a regular basis.  Our kids were smart, good looking, fun and funny.  An even number, 4, perfect number for the car we owned, perfect number for sitting around the supper table together. 




Things were as I planned.  Logical, right?








That's why I was surprised one evening, while we were sitting around the supper table with the logical number of chairs for our family.  We were all there, Matthew, Aubrey, Andy, Michael and next to me, little D., when somewhere between forks full of spaghetti noodles, I heard a baby cry.  I looked up to see if anyone else had heard it, but they just continued slurping their noodles, red sauce dripping from their chins.  Nothing...then I heard it again, newborn crying, and I knew...




...someone was missing.  Later that evening I told Matthew about my experience, hoping he would say, Oh, yeah, I heard the neighbor kids out back or maybe he would tell me it was a cat outside. 




...he didn't.




...he just listened.  Then I told him that I had a strong impression that someone was missing.




...again, he just listened...




...and then he smiled.




...so when the first of April came with the usual excitement of spring flowers, warm temperatures and summer break not so far away, I also began experiencing the excitement of morning sickness.  Eating breakfast with the garbage can by my knee, elastic pants were more comfortable than zippers and dragging my body out of bed in the morning was a monumental task and I knew...




...someone wouldn't be missing for long.




...and the plan changed.




I didn't need an ultra-sound to tell me it was a girl.  The pattern was severe morning sickness with girls, not so much with boys, and this was severe, heaving, toe curling, hair pulling, morning sickness...for the whole 9 months.






...the new plan was just to survive each day.  But there was one thing that I planned that I had complete control over...




...her name...




...Lauren.




In Latin it means, Laurel-crowned,  signifying glory, honor and victory.  I knew that this little girl, this "change of plan", must be an angel, because God went out of His way to send her to me.  Well, not just me, but all of us, because we all have been blessed for claiming her as our Lauren.  Our Lauren would arrive in December and I imagined her trailing clouds of glory, wearing an angel's crown of laurel in her downy soft hair.







They say the eyes are the window to the heart, big eyes, big heart.  Her eyes were big, because she came with a big, loving heart.














God wanted her, this perfect little spirit, to come to a home where she would be cherished....


...and cherish her we do, all of us.



Grandpa Bush adored her, her siblings have to check on her on a regular basis, they are sad if she is sad, they are happy when she is happy, her dad never had a better child to coach and I can't go a day without talking to her, just to hear her sweet, child-like voice.  
















...and so while Kyle Whittingham's plan didn't guarantee him the win he wanted, my change of plans have given me blessings I never expected.




One of our church leaders, D. Todd Christofferson, taught the following:




True success in this life comes in consecrating our lives—that is, our time and choices—to God’s purposes.  In so doing, we permit Him to raise us to our highest destiny.




My destiny will be beautiful, because I will have spent my life having Lauren for a daughter.  She is smart.  She is gentle.  She is soft spoken.  She is a leader.  She is gifted and she is a gift.




My plan was 1 husband and 4 children.  The Lord suggested otherwise.  I am blessed for having listened.


Happy Birthday, Angel Lauren...




...I cherish you.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Maybe it's really...



...the "etc's" in life that I enjoy the most.  The little tidbits of shared thoughts and emotions that are never planned, but are always enjoyed.


...it's not unusual...


...to talk with all my girls in the same day.  It is always one of the highlights of  my day to get a call from them and hear about the every-day-ness of their lives.  Most would find our conversations bland and not see a lot of difference in our phone calls from day to day, but I love knowing that they know I love knowing (did you follow that) about their laundry, shopping, room-mothering, visit teaching, child feeding, child sleeping (or not), etc., etc., etc....


...but what is unusual is having lengthy "nothing much" conversations with both my boys in the same day.







They are busy...


...and that's why Tuesday was a great day.


...it started with Michael.  I called him to invite him for dinner, since Erin's visiting her family in KS(love KS).  Just a simple invitation, right?  But it turned into a heart-to-heart, 53 minutes (yes, I noticed the time on my phone) conversation.  We talked about his work projects, 5 million and losing 5 million, the FBI, Amelia's fever, car fixes, etc., etc., etc.


...and during that conversation, Andy beeped in.


...so after finishing the "etc's" with Mike, I called Andy back.  We talked for 48 minutes (really, I did, I noticed the time again) (yes, Andy, I talked to Michael longer than you) about the ICU, deer hunting, Tom Hanks making fire in Castaway, Porter's parent-teacher conference, Andy's 1st grade teacher, etc., etc., etc.


As I drifted off to sleep last night, I had to smile.  I don't know how or why, but I had 2 of the best conversations with 2 of my most favorite people in the same night.  From car parts to human hearts, we covered a lot of territory. 


...and spent a little time together reminiscing, laughing, sharing...


....just by discussing the "etc's".

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

"Saw Tink!!!!!!",,,

...was yesterday's text from Aubrey.


And I immediately could see it, the giggling, ear-to-ear grinning and total boundless joy when Abbie saw Tinkerbell and got to give her a hug. I imagine nothing could be more joyful and childlike than Abbie with a sprinkle of fairy dust.  Can't you just see it....magic!!!


Tinkerbell was always my favorite too. The little sprite with a big attitude that looks cute in green and can fly where ever she wants to go.










 ...and speaking of her...










... Abigail, that is, not Tinkerbell.




How perfect it is that Abbie is visiting the happiest place in the world after having the happiest week of her whole 8 year old life.  Superbowl doesn't come close.




Her dad came home from Afghanistan on Saturday and exactly one week later, he baptized her.  It was fantastic and I was honored Abbie asked me to speak on the Holy Ghost.




First of all, let me say how proud I am of Abbie, that she chose to become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Later-day Saints.  She came up out of the water in the baptismal font and did what Abbie does best...




...giggled.




...and then everybody else smiled and laughed too, because everyone in the room knows that is our Abbie.




...then I spoke about being 8 years old, living in Kansas and roaming the wheat fields and shelter belts, digging in the dirt, skinning my shins on trees to see eggs in nests and shadowing my older brother, because he was the best brother ever.




I told Abbie that I would sometimes get so involved with the next great adventure that I would forget to go in at supper time and then my mother would have to blow a whistle to remind me that I was not allowed to be late for a meal.




Occasionally my mother would blow the whistle to have me do chores, bring in the laundry from the clothesline, hoe the garden, water the garden, or pick beans from the garden.




Sometimes she would blow the whistle to let me know it was getting dark, or a storm was coming and she would be worried. Very often my mom would whistle me home just to say that she missed me and then we would share a piece of chocolate pie.






I learned from my brother to listen for the whistle. I always knew to not get so far from home that I couldn't hear it and that I would get a "talkin-to" if I didn't obey.  I did everything in my power to avoid a talkin-to.




Like the whistle, the Holy Ghost can protect us from storms that we can't always see approaching, reminds us of things we need to do, and helps us stay close to the ones who love us.




I never regretted listening to and obeying the whistle and I have never regretted listening to the Holy Ghost.




I watched Abbie's face during my talk and I could see in her eyes that she already understands the Holy Ghost is there to guide her. Her parents have taught her about the Holy Ghost, just like my brother and mother taught me to listen to the whistle.




What comfort it gives all of us who love Abbie, to know that she will listen and obey.












(hair courtesy of D's Style)




Congratulations to the newest member of the church in our family.




I love you Abbie.




Now go give Minnie Mouse a hug for me.

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Does God hear and answer...

...every child's prayer?


...for weeks our little Lukee has been praying for his daddy to get home for Halloween.




 Does God hear and answer a child's prayer?








Lukee's prayer was answered at exactly 12:39 last night, just 21 minutes before Halloween.
















Yes, Luke, God does hear and answer our faithful prayers.


















As our little Luke continues to grow and develop in the gospel and gain a testimony of Jesus Christ, we will remind him of his prayer, that his daddy would be home for Halloween.  We will remind him that God does hear and answer every prayer.  Though our prayers may not always be answered in the way we want them to be, they are always answered according to God's wisdom.  We are grateful today that God's wisdom was that Chris would come home.




I keep hearing the phrase, "Praise God from Whom all blessings flow", over and over again in my head.  Ever since we heard that Chris had safely landed at Fort Dix I have felt gratitude for his safety, gratitude for everyone's support for Aubrey and gratitude for the prayers that have been offered from around the world.




I have thought about those who prayed and their answer was not what they had hoped for as they gathered around flag draped coffins.  I have wondered if they know how grateful I am for their sacrifice?



I have been asked hundreds of times, since Chris left, how the Tyler's were doing.  The answer was always the same, "they are OK, but they miss their dad".  While the answer was always the same, there were times the emotions were tender as I thought about them and felt appreciation for the people who cared enough to ask.




So with gratitude in my heart, I thank all of you for your concern, your support and mostly for your prayers.