My Baby Is 25

Do I feel old? Not EVERY day, but some. I'm in deep (#%U with Maggie. I left town at 6:00 a.m. on the 18th and spent the weekend at Sprucedale. I didn't take my cell phone and didn't get her called on her BIRTHDAY :o( and she was MAD. In my defense, she won't answer her phone before 10:00 a.m. so how could I call her and wish her a happy birthday? Any hooo...I did remember her birthday, and thought about her through out the day.
Her hospital birth announcement picture. A nice, healthy baby with red hair and blue eyes. Her dad had chosen "Andrea Elizabeth" as her name but when she got here, he said it doesn't fit. We were waiting on the nurses to clean her up and bring her to us in the recovery room and I started naming names...when I got to "Maggie" - Don said "that's it". Maggie didn't get a middle name (I don't have one either) but we always called her Maggie Mae - even thought of officially adding "Mae", just never did. Known as "Mags", "Baggie Maggie", "Margaret" "Magpie"...the list goes on and on. I've always said her song is "Maggie May" by Rod Stewart.

Born at 11:02 p.m. on Tuesday, September 18, 1984. (She shares being born on Tuesday with her sisters, Damara and Jenna.) My fourth and final child, she was different from the get go. Because she would be our last, Don finally agreed to come into the delivery room with her. He sat at my head and kept his head down on the pillow most of the time (he wasn't into blood and guts). Don and I had high risk pregnancies and I wasn't supposed to get pregnant with her but we did and she was my healthiest baby. She had B+ blood, different from Don, Damara, Jenna and Tad who all had A+. A fiesty attitude from day one, nothing has changed. She was a joy as a baby and I am so glad that we had the blessing of being her parents. Maggie has challenged me in more ways than I can tell but through this, she is my most compasionate kid. She is at ease with old people, I guess due to Mimi. A beauty at 5 months - red hair and gorgeous, big, blue eyes.An adorable three year old. I think Kamryn looks an awful lot like her mama.

Third grade - 8 years old. A joy to be around (most of the time)

She has had some real challenges in her life due to the choices she made and has overcome much. I am proud of her and the good mother she is. I am proud of her house-keeping. Her house is usually always neat and tidy (kid messes don't count because they never go away).

She is non-judgmental, but she does like a good fight, even if she has to start it or keep the (*#$

stirring. I am always after her for that, but I don't know if that will ever change.

Her wedding announcement pictures. Maggie has turned into a beautiful young woman and I am so honored to be her mother. We lock horns quite a bit, but she doesn't hold a grudge. She has so many good qualities - I hope she uses them to make life good for her family and herself. She is tall and thin and in many ways, reminds me of her dad.

I LOVE her beautiful red hair and blue eyes. She has Don's eyes and I see it more and more, the older she gets. I LOVE you, Maggie and hope that you know I do even when we butt heads. Happy birthday - Mom

Catching Up

I left town on Sunday and spent the week with Jenna and the kids in the Valley. We canned peaches and pears...left the applesauce for her to do or she's bringing the apples with her next weekend. Had a great time and hated to come home. Troy brought Kamryn down on Monday when he took Shannon and Saul to the airport so she spent the week with us too. The kids had a great time together. Kamryn loves "Uncle Weston" and always has. He took us out to Peter Piper Pizza on Wednesday night for pizza and games and the kids had a ball. They were too pooped to pop when we got them home.

I got home at about 5:00 yesterday evening, just in time to make it to Nola's for her "No Surprise" 50th birthday party. The girls had made red and green enchiladas, beans, salsa, guacamole and Lynda (Larry's sister) brought a really yummy squash caserole. Even though I just started my second round of HCG diet, I ate a spoonful of each and still lost weight!

This morning, Mom, dad and I finished the last of the corn. 35 more bags in the freezer. I picked Maggie up at noon and we went to the Stake Relief Society Christmas in September...missed lunch, which I understand is good, because there wasn't anything that I could eat there. We went to sonic and I had the grilled chicken salad sans everything but the lettuce and chicken. Not too bad and now I have to get back in the meal preparation mode so that the diet is easy to do.

I got a couple of signs for the girls to do and a couple of the ghost candle holders for them, too. They will have fun doing them.

Tad just got back into town from a hunt and will be going again. He likes to guide, I've always said he "lives to kill"...

Ed will be home next weekend - maybe on the motor cycle. Said his truck is leaking anti freeze and doesn't know why or how much $$. If it isn't one thing it dang sure is something else.

I am so far behind that it doesn't matter anymore. I have to start one day at a time, and before I die, I won't be caught up, but at least I will be one day closer. I missed the "fall" freeze so I was loving looking at the Escudilla yesterday coming into town. I have to get out on the mountain to see some color before it's gone. Amazing how quickly things change.

Have a good weekend and good week.

Pre Jamboree Ride

Before the Jamboree started, Ed, Todd, Kamryn and I went for a short ride. I haven't been out for awhile and I loved it. Kamryn had the best time...I thought that she would probably ride with Ed because when he is around she does everything with Ed. When she saw that I was riding my "nn nn", she wanted to ride with Grandma :o) - she talked about the "jungle" and then I explained we were in the forest like in Bambi and then she wanted to look for a daddy deer. Never saw one, but she saw a squirrel cross the trail and climb a tree and she thought that was awesome. We stopped for a break and she had to ride on Ed's shoulders.We rode from my house up Water Canyon Road to Milligan Valley Road down the Maxwell Trail and through Sipes Ranch and across Picnic Hill and into the Rodeo Grounds. Kamryn got tired just before we got to Sipes Ranch and I could tell she was about to fall asleep and we got Ed's army coat out and made her comfy and sure enough before we got through the ranch she was out and just out of the ranch we saw this nice little buck still in velvet. She missed seeing the daddy deer :o( We had a great time and the mountain is beautiful right now. When we got to the Rodeo Grounds she was still sleeping......Grandma in her "doo rag" kind of sloppy looking, but who cares, I had a great time!...Kamryn modeling the "doo rag". I am so glad that we can get out on the mountain once-in-awhile. Sure does alot for my outlook to see the beauties that surround me. I'm glad the kids like riding the "nn nn's" too, great family activity!