Look at my BIG GIRL Now!!!

In retrospect, it really doesn't seem like that long ago that Danelle was the same age as little Kaitlyn right now. Time has flown by fast and now she is about to start Kindergarten. I have enrolled her in Art City Elementary in Springville. She will be going for a few hours in the afternoons, and starts on the 31st of August.

I hear a lot of mothers say, "I will probably cry." I might shed a tear (who's to say?) but I am SO excited FOR HER that she is going. Ellie, as you know, has been an only child 5 years until Kaitlyn was born. She has craved to be with other children her age and friendships. Until now seeing her friends and cousins once and a while and going to preschool twice a week didn't seem like enough. She was happy but sad somehow that she couldn't be around other children more. I tried to make up for this the best I could - playing with her, taking her fun places, enrolling her in dance, including her when I would make things in the kitchen - whatever. I am just a mom though - there is only so much she likes of all that. I am not a 5 year old with her same energy level anymore.

We talk about Kindergarten a lot in my home, and we are very anxious for it. She can't wait to be with the other kids her age, and I couldn't wait to take her shopping; the famous back to school shopping. I decided to do this early, so today - we did some school shopping. We bought a couple pairs of shoes (one athletic, one casual), five outfits, a jacket, socks, and a backpack. I haven't gotten her any supplies yet, but that's the little stuff I can get later.

Another step to her going into school was that she wanted to wear earrings. Her four cousins all have earrings (since they were infants) and Danelle has always asked me for some. I wanted her have them when she was old enough to understand that they will need some care, and she can't touch them or play with them while they are healing or they might become sore and infected or get lost. This she understood. She was ready for them (even though I originally planned to wait until she was eight years old and let her around the time of her baptism). Mainly I wanted her to walk to it willingly, and get them and walk away proud of herself. After our successful Kindergarten shot day, I knew it was just about time.

Sure, she shed a tear or two from anticipation but after Aunt Monyka got her second set of holes and showed her that they weren't bad to get, Ellie went forward and got them anyway. They had two women there to do them at the same time. Monyka was a miracle worker. Without her, I don't think we could have done them because I would have quit with the first "I changed my mind" words. Monyka sat Ellie on her lap, and the two gals working came up and they did both ears at the same time. Ellie said, "no don't do it" only to be surprised that they were already done.

Watching the transformation of my daughter was priceless. She was nervous about them before but after she stood by the mirror and admired herself. She bragged about her bravery. She went to everyone in the store, a woman feeding her baby, and even the ice cream lady to tell them what she just did. She was glowing. For the next couple of hours as we finished shopping, I watched Ellie grin and never stop grinning. She was now noticing all the other girls with earrings in. It made me happy. I was relieved and it was a great afternoon.

I will admit I got a little flustered spending so much money in one afternoon, but we enjoyed it. It was an unforgettable day, and I am so proud of my big girl. Danelle looked beautiful before she had her earrings and didn't need them to be any more gorgeous but they look good on her and I am glad to see her so happy.

Hatch again Hatch again, Jiggity Jig

Everything was quiet in Hatch, Utah, July 24 this year. It was 4:00 in the morning. A small cry broke out in the air. I knew that Kaitlyn wanted food. After feeding her, and settling her back into her cozy bouncer chair bed for the night, I looked at the clock and it was now close to 4:30. "Not bad," I thought. I could always sleep a little longer and get up for the 24th of July festivities in a couple hours after the cannons go off at 6:00 a.m. (literal CANNONS, a tradition of the town). But Alas, a half an hour later - BOOM!!!!!!!! then another BOOM!!!!!!!!! The cannons started at 5:00 a.m. for the next hour, every 15 minutes were sounded by more and more cannons as they rolled the cannon through town.

Finally, 5:45 a.m. (the last set of cannons)I thought I could finally catch a couple winks before I had to get up and get ready for the town breakfast at 7:00 a.m. WRONG AGAIN. 6:00 a.m. the town AMBULANCE was whaling all over the town with it's annoying siren on. I was beginning to wonder what I would have to do to get any sleep in this town. Again I tried to sleep but it wasn't long after that my darling 5 year old was waking me up excited to get ready for the town parade that would start at 10:00 a.m. and go until 10:10 - if that. It was a horrible start to my WONDERFUL trip to Hatch.

The 24th of July is my favorite part of our trips to Hatch. These people really know how to celebrate! First there is the town breakfast from 7-9:00 in the morning. After that, the children's parade (Danelle's favorite part because she rides around like Little Miss Hatch and throws out candy). Then they have what are called "the races." We bought Ellie a pile of tickets, and let her play some of their town carnival games. Then we all take a long break and visit until the town dinner (and what a heckova dinner it is!) at 5:00 p.m. Then they have their firework show at dark. It's times like these that I wished we lived in a community like they still have down in this sweet small town (minus the cannons and ambulance sounding from 5-6 a.m.).

This was a strange year for me in Hatch. Less ATV riding, and more laying back, visiting, and tending Kaitlyn; which I didn't mind. If you would have told me last Hatch trip in 2009 that I would bring a 2 month old with me the next year, I would have told you that you were crazy after everything we had been through to get Kaitlyn here. I was happy to bring Kaitlyn and show her off to the town and family that were down there. She seemed to be pretty content and happy about it too.

Danelle had a great time down in Hatch, as always. On the way down to Hatch, we stopped by Big Rock Candy Mountain for her first time (and bought candy rocks for the way home). She went on all but one ATV ride, and caught her very first fish with her very first set of caught night-crawlers. She was so proud to come back to Grandma and Grandpa Burrows' home after a couple hours of fishing to tell me that "she caught the big one!!!" She was so cute as she dared herself to touch the fish, and help daddy wash it out and get it ready to eat soon. Danelle also flew a kite for the first time in Hatch this year too. It's so wonderful to have one child that we can experience these exciting things with and one that is still a baby to snuggle and show and teach new things. It really is the best of both worlds. :)

We look forward to going down to Hatch next year. I already know that keeping our little 14 month old Kaitlyn out of everything will make next year "fun" but I can't wait to see her riding along in the Hatch Parade with her sister and show her every fascinating thing to her over again. If next year is like this past year, I know that a lot could change in my life by that time(hopefully for the better) but I also know one other thing; Hatch will probably stay the same.... and I like that.