Seven

It's hard to believe my sweet "baby" is 7-years-old!

Her birthday was December 9th which was also the opening night of MC's Christmas Fantasy.

We LOVE Christmas Fantasy and Gracie was SO excited it was on her birthday!!!

 Awesome Big Sis Kenzie asked her Band Director, Mr. P. if he could wish her Happy Birthday. At the end of the show he asked Gracie if she would like to conduct the final song, she shook her head. He asked her if she would like to go up on stage and sit by Kenzie, she shook her head again. So Mr. P. announced that it was a special little girls birthday and he had the entire band and audience sing Happy Birthday to her!!!

She was BEAMING! That was by far the highlight of her birthday.

 She said it was the best present EVER!

I love, love, love, the funny remarks my girls sometimes make... totally innocent, not even trying to be witty.

These are my top three and they all were said in the same week.

Sunday we are sitting in Sacrament Meeting, Addy turns to me and says "Mom, why do some men shave a big circle on the top of their head and then leave that hair at the bottom?"

Monday me and the little girls are in the bathroom doing their hair  for school. Addy pulls out my deodorant and puts some on asking me when she will have to start wearing it every day. I tell her when she reaches puberty.

 Addy: "What's puberty?"

Me: "Well, it's when your body starts to change. When you start to notice hair on your legs and (nodding at the deodorant) armpits."

Addy: "And I'll get big tatinka's (boobs)?"

Me: "Yup. And you will get your period" (I'm thinking this is a nice way to have a little informal discussion about the joys of womanhood.)

Addy: "Period? What's a period?"

Gracie: (Who had been quietly reading during this conversation, pops her head up, looks at Addy like she is dumb as a post, and rolls her eyes.) It's what you put at the end of a sentence. Duh!"

***

That night Gracie asked Lee and I to write down some math problems for her.

Gracie: "I'm really struggling with addition and subtraction."

I had just spoke to her teacher a few days ago and she was so impressed with how well Gracie was doing with her addition and subtraction. So I'm a little confused.

Me: "Why do you feel like you are struggling? Did your teacher say something?"

Gracie: "No, I just feel like I want to be better."

Cool! So Lee starts  throwing some math problems out there. What is 5+3, 7+9, 6-3, 9-6.... 11-4.

Gracie: Hands on hips, big sigh, "Daaaaddddd, I can't do that one. I only have 10 fingers!!!"

Ah, they grow up so fast and say things trying to be funny like...

Kenzie: "Hey Mom, guess what!!! In 60 days I will be able to date!!!"

HA.HA.HA....THAT'S.NOT.EVEN.ONE.BIT.FUNNY!!!!!

A new Calling

A few weeks ago Lee was called as the First Counselor in the Bishopric...and I'm so proud of him!

Ten years ago we were not even active members of the Church. I'm thankful Lee reached a point in his life where he had enough, knew things HAD to change and he knew there was someone who had felt ALL of his hurts and sorrows, knew his hopes and dreams and loves him unconditionally. Someone who knows things we do not and works in mysterious ways we often times don't fully understand. I'm forever grateful Lee placed his life in the loving hands of our Father in Heaven.

 Although in the beginning I just came along for the ride, I am so incredibly thankful my heart was softened. I can quite honestly say that although that time of our lives was the most painful, difficult time I have ever gone through... I am thankful. I can reflect upon that period with a strong assurance that the Lord has a plan for us and sometimes because of OUR actions it cuts deep and we have feelings of such hopelessness and despair. Just remember...He never said it would be easy. He only said it would be worth it!

So...I'm proud of Lee because his testimony carried me for a long time, his faith showed me miracles and his love gave me a Forever Family.

More of The Things I Missed

Back to school was a bitter-sweet day for me.

Kenzie started 10th grade! T.E.N.T.H.G.R.A.D.E! High School! H.I.G.H.S.C.H.O.O.L! It's November and I'm still trying to wrap my brain around that one.

Addy started 3rd grade. She got the teacher she really, really, really wanted so she has been enjoying school. She is a MATH GENIUS and has been assigned as the "Math Helper" for her class!

Gracie started 1st grade. She is SO happy to go all day and absolutely LOVES school...every single thing about it!

It was super hard for me the first few weeks. I missed my girls. I signed up for every single volunteer opportunity, PTA, and completed training to be a substitute aide and office aide so I am in the school almost daily. I really enjoy those opportunies! It makes me smile when I hear "Hi Mrs. Buck" and see a student waving at me! So cute! It's also fun to see my girls during the school day!

I guess it wasn't quite as bad as I thought it would be. :)

Addy

This little Beauty turned NINE in September!!!

Her birthday was on Labor Day so she had a long week-end of partying AND they even let ALL of the schools out for her Special Day and Wellsville had a parade! ;) Yeah...she didn't buy it either.

What a blessing this Special Angel has been in our life! I love, love, love her!!!

This is Addy on her first birthday...how stinkin' cute is she!!!

Camping

OK...so I am a blog slacker and apparently many other's are in complete agreement!

So here is part one of "Things I Didn't Blog About This Summer...But Should Have."

We did manage to get some camping in. Not as much as we would have liked but we sure did enjoy every minute of it.

 Gracie was totally into looking for animal tracks (that is not a dirty bum shot, she is studying a track). I bet you didn't know there are elephants and "real Indians" in Logan Canyon AND sharks (nice ones) that live in Tony Grove lake!

Addy is a pyro and we are thankful she didn't start the trailer, one of her sisters or the forest on fire!

Kenzie is an AWESOME big Sis. She totally indulged her little sisters in whatever they wanted. And according to her they really do like to be antagonized!

Camping is definitely one of our Family Favorites!

A little Funny

 Yesterday while fixing Addy's hair we had a funny conversation.

Addy: Mom do you like Flo from the Progressive commercials?

Me: Yeah, I think she is funny.

Addy: Me too!! And she's kind of cute and she likes Unicorns!  (Big sigh) Drew (our neighbor who works for Progressive) is really, really  lucky.

Me:  (Confused look upon my face)Why?

Addy: Cause he gets to see her and talk to her every day! 

Stay off the sidewalks!!

NO REALLY...STAY OFF THE SIDEWALKS!

Kenzie is driving.

I was totally unprepared for the emotions I felt as I slid in the passenger side and my little girl drove

 (I use the term drove super loosely) us home! I felt old. I felt sad.

 I felt the tug on my heartstrings telling me she was growing up way too fast.

Then I felt like I should probably keep some adult diapers in my vehicle and a paper bag!

I sure do love her though.

But seriously s-t-a-y-o-f-t-h-e-s-i-d-e-w-a-l-k-s!

Eclipse

Last week Kenzie and I went to see Eclipse, and we had
 SO DANG much fun!

So... I am not a Twilight Junkie. A couple of years ago I read the books. Right away I was totally "Team Jacob."  Don't know why, just liked him better...WAY BETTER! When I got to the last book there was no way I was reading it if "The Whiner" a.k.a. Bella chose Edward. So I flipped to the last couple of chapters, rolled my eyes, called "The Whiner" some different names and put the book away.

 I tried to watch Twilight, 15 minutes into the movie I discovered I would rather clean my toilets!!!
 And I didn't even bother with New Moon.

I wouldn't have even considered watching Eclipse except we got V.I.P. passes from our insurance company.

So just for fun I made these shirts. The back read "Because real men don't sparkle!" He, he, he!

It was fun to play into the craziness for a while. 

People would read our shirts and say "Oh, we are SO not talking to you!"; "Ohhhhhhh, I LOOOOOVVVVVEEEE Jacob too, I C.A.N.T. wait to see him without his shirt!." I even got two thumbs down from a cute little 60-something lady who asked me to come closer so she could read my shirt. She immediatley sucked in her breath, closed her eyes, shook her head, grasped her heart with one hand while the other kind of did the whole "CH" thing. When she recovered she just shook her head and gave me

 the TWO thumbs down!

It totally made me laugh to hear the audience reactions when Jacob flashed across that big screen for the first time... screams, sighs, hyperventilating, mmmmmmmmm's!

I did really like the movie. I'm pretty sure I will see it again (only because we were on the second row and it was hard to see everything). I'm pretty sure I will be wearing my "Team Jacob" shirt with some ripped, cut-offs, clutching my new shirtless Jacob poster and wearing my Jacob keyring I got at Burger King!!!

I hope they call me on a mission...

Marvin and Diann Buck

 in the Vancouver Canada LDS Mission.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

1 year*12 months*365 Days*8760 hours*31,556,925.974 Seconds.

 It may not be on the mountain height

Or over the stormy sea,

It may not be at the battle’s front

My Lord will have need of me.

But if, by a still, small voice he calls

To paths that I do not know,

I’ll answer, dear Lord, with my hand in thine:

I’ll go where you want me to go.

Lee's Mom and Dad are going to be AmAzInG Missionaries!
I love my in-laws. They are truly GOOD people.

Perhaps today there are loving words

Which Jesus would have me speak;

There may be now in the paths of sin

Some wand’rer whom I should seek.

O Savior, if thou wilt be my guide,

Tho dark and rugged the way,

My voice shall echo the message sweet:

I’ll say what you want me to say.

I'm thankful for all of their love and support. I'm thankful for their strong and faithful testimonies and the inspiring example they have set for our family.

In Loving Memory

For death is no more than a turning of us over, from time to eternity. 

-William Penn 

Advancement

Another school year has come and gone....YIPEE!

I'm so ready for summer. I LOVE summer!

......Here it is... "THE BIG SIGH."

Youngest Daughter is advancing to the 1st Grade!!!

 We all know what this means...don't make me type it.

Not-The-Oldest-And-Not-The-Youngest Daughter (if I call her Middle Daughter that somehow means I love her more) is advancing to the 
3rd Grade!!!

 T.H.I.R.D.G.R.A.D.E.???

 Oldest Daughter is advancing to High School!!!

 Couldn't even type it if I wanted to!

I had to use their school pictures...purely for impact!

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all of the Beautiful women I know and love.

 You are true blessings in my life.

"The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched, they must be felt with the heart."

-Helen Keller

Going private

Well I guess the time has come for me to make our blog private. The last few months I have been receiving comments from some SICKO. When I click on the name, which is in Hindu, it directs me to an adult site! It makes me sick to think that this (or any other) perv out there is looking at my family.
So if you are NOT a perv or sicko, comment with your email address and I will invite you.

St. Patrick's Day

Toothless

Miss Gracie  lost her first tooth!

That little chomper is the ONE and ONLY tooth I  have been allowed to pull out...

Kenzie & Addy have always pulled their own!

Relieving some "Mom Guilt"

The hardest part about blogging after being away from blogging for so long, is all the occassions I wanted to share...but didn't. If I left them off, my "Mom Guilt" level would inch up a few notches. And because Lee and I will be abandoning our Dahling Daughters for 10 w-h-o-l-e- days so we can selfishly relax in Beautiful sunny, warm, warm, warm, sunny, sunny, warm Costa Rica,  I have to keep that at a minimum.

So... enjoy my ticket out of "Mom Guilt"

In October my sweet Addy was Baptized.

Yes, she is wearing Golden Shoes. While we were shopping for her dress, these Beauties made her heart flutter.
 She was instantly in L.O.V.E

My vision of her Baptism attire featured white shoes, so I said the proverbial "hmmm, we'll see." A few days later Granny rode in on her white horse and took Addy shopping...of course she got The Golden Shoes. She later told me she knew it would happen. That very day she had Chinese food at school and tucked away inside her fortune cookie were these words

 "Gold is in your future."

***

In November we went to St. George to watch the MC Marching Band compete in the Red Rocks and BOA Competition. They took 4th place in Red Rocks, 3rd place in Prelims and 6th place overall in the BOA Competition.

I am WAY proud of her. These kids work their buns off and I was very impressed with their dedication.

Marching Band Rocks!

***

Halloween

Poor Gracie had a horrible bout with Swine Flu. Not the best Halloween ever.

But my girls sure look CUTE!

***

Miss Gracie celebrated her 6th Birthday in December.

Her favorite gift was the scarf with matching mittens and hat. She was actually speachless when she opened them. Then she just gave me a BIG hug and said "I love you Mom."

***

Christmas

We had a fun Christmas. The girls woke up at 2 a.m. to peek but were kind enough to let Lee and I sleep until 6 a.m.

How CUTE is that!

Today Addy stayed home from school sick. When it was time for me to take Gracie to school I asked her if she wanted to come with me. She said she would just stay home and rest.

When I got home there was this cute little yellow heart taped on the doorknob.

It read "hi Mom

i love you so much Mom. i want you to look on the counter and see what i made you."

There was a piece of toast, FRESH SQUEEZED OJ and another note that read.

 "Mom i love you so much and because i love you so much i want you to eat this and i was thinking that you love me so much that you could buy me a happy meal. i love you!"

How SWEET is that!

We shared the juice and toast and because I LOVE HER SO MUCH  I bought her a #4 with a M&M McFlurry!

Dad

January 4, 1999 my Dad passed away. His death was sudden and completely unexpected.

I can remember every single detail of that day...like it was yesterday.

Sometimes it feels like it was just yesterday... sometimes it feels like forever.

I miss him.

Time has healed the sting of losing him, but the pain and longing in my heart at times feels almost suffocating.

I know that nothing can take away the Love my heart holds for him or the Memories that linger every day. Remembrance will ALWAYS keep him near.

***

So today I will remember...

(and be forever grateful for)

Sitting on his lap on my 16th Birthday.

The hug at my high school graduation.

The pride and love I felt as he walked me down the aisle to marry a man he loved and respected. (And according to my Dad had to pay "a hell of a lot of money" to marry me.)

His pure joy and happiness that I was finally "knocked up."

Him handing out presents on Christmas morning.

And his smile and his laugh!

But the most bittersweet of all of my memories

is what an AMAZING and PROUD Grandpa he was.

I wish for just one more day with him. One day so that Addasyn and Gracie could fall asleep on Grandpa's belly.

*************************

Walk Toward the Light

Come home my son, the Master said,

As we visited not long ago.

I struggled within to answer my Lord,

Oh, how I wanted to tell Him "No!"

I'll go where you want me to go Dear Lord,

Try to do what it is that you've asked.

But tell me, is there another course,

To lighten the weight of this task?

His eyes were understanding.

Then I remembered His own bitter cup,

He too had asked for a lighter load,

But for me He had taken it up.

My heart was in a tug-of-war with the Lord

But through the anguish of my plight,

I knew the Lord was on my side,

And I must walk toward the light!

What should I say to my loved ones? I asked

To help them understand and know,

That you have called me home,

And I must obey your command and go.

My Master smiled and with a gentle tone,

Said "I too left a message of love,

These word will help them understand,

As you leave for your mansion above.

Tell them to have faith and trust in Me,

Even though they've prayed hard as they can.

For a miracle that didn't happen,

Exactly the way that they planned.

Sometimes the answers aren't perfectly clear,

For each of us to see,

The purpose may lie hidden,

But there's reasons for the way things must be."

We have no right when sorrow comes,

To ask the Lord, "Why me?"

Unless, of course, we ask the same,

for every joy we see!

Tell them to let not their sorrows,

Make them useless and render them blind,

But to always walk towards the light,

And let life's shadows fall behind.

"Come home," My Master said again,

In the quiet stillness of the night,

"Which way Dear Lord?" I asked

He whispered, "Walk towards the light."