Tackle Football with Dad

One of the kids' favorite things to do with their dad is to play "tackle football." It is hilarious to watch them trying to get the ball from Don and then sneak past him to get a touchdown. Elle and Easton always want to be BYU and tell Don that he is Utah. They have so much fun!

Easton loves to play rough and will often ask if he can play tackle football with Don without the football. He is so funny!

Jayne loves to watch them play and always wants to get in on the action. She was excited to get the ball!

Story time is a great way to end the night after a game of football...Don is such a good dad!

"Going to the Ball"

The other day I was doing the dishes and I turned around to see Easton hauling his toy rocking horse up the stairs. Elle followed right behind him, carrying Jayne, having dressed both herself and Jayne up in princess dresses. When I asked what they were doing, Elle said they were going to the ball. Easton was carrying his horse up because they needed a "steed" to take them there. Then they set the horse up in front of the ottoman, that was now the carriage, and even found something to use for the reins. It was the cutest thing ever, seeing Easton riding the "steed" and Elle and Jayne being driven to the "ball." I love how imaginative and creative they are. I wouldn't have missed this moment for anything!

Once they got to the ball, it was time to dance! Jayne watched as Elle told Easton just how they were supposed to dance. He is such a nice brother to go along with all of Elle's ideas. He loves his sisters!

Why do kids have to grow up again? I think I want to keep them just like this!

St. George Dinosaur museum

Before leaving St. George, we took the kids to the Dinosaur museum. Easton and Elle were both so excited! It is a small museum but it was still neat to see all the dinosaur fossils and the dinosaur tracks in the rocks.

Our family in front of the longest set of dinosaur tracks in the world

Easton being a dinosaur

Don and Diane

Easter in St. George

We headed to St. George for Easter weekend and had so much fun! We stayed at Don's parents' condo and loved being able to spend time with them and with Tami and Glenn's family. It was nice to watch conference together and just be with family. We had great weather and the kids absolutely loved being able to spend time with their favorite "big-kid" cousins, Nate and Lindsay. Elle and Easton got to swim, ride scooters, play on the playground and just be outside. Not to mention all the fun they had with Easter baskets and an egg hunt! I think Jayne loved all the attention from everyone and always had someone who wanted to hold her or play with her. Don and I had so much fun playing with the kids and staying up late to watch movies and play Rook with the adults. It was a much needed break!

Our family on Easter

Could she be any cuter? I know I'm biased but I love this little girl!

Elle and Easton with Grandma and Grandpa

Elle's letter to the Easter Bunny


Easton's card to the Easter Bunny (with Elle's help)

They love to cuddle and wrestle together

EASTER BASKETS

The kids with their Easter baskets

Elle was happy she got a new "Rainbow Fairies" book and some Bendaroos

Easton was so excited he got a Transformers Activity book with a poster inside and some Bendaroos


Jayne loves her new "Hungry Caterpillar" and "Ladybug Girl" books


But most of all, she really loved the grass! (That's always how it is. Kids like the packaging more than the presents! So funny!)

Easton with the bugs that Don helped him make out of Bendaroos

Elle with her Bendaroo bugs that Don helped her make

EASTER EGG HUNT

Hunting for Easter eggs

Easton sucking on his ring pop while he searched for eggs

Elle and Easton with their eggs



PLAYING "CAPTURE" WITH NATE AND LINDSAY

They were playing the cutest game where Nate would try to capture Elle, Easton and Lindsay and put them in "jail" and they couldn't get out unless they got tagged by someone else

Nate captured Elle

"Come tag me Lindsay!"

Lindsay and Easton stuck in "jail"

Jayne loved watching the kids run around and play

Scooter fun


FUN ON THE PLAYGROUND

Jayne went down the slide with Nate for the 1st time. She was a little nervous but once she got down, she would smile again.

Swimming with Lindsay

Easton and Nate after swimming

A "Lucky" Place

I remember when Jayne was born, a few different people told us that we were lucky. After getting such a big shock and crying for three days straight, I must admit, I didn't feel very lucky. I felt a lot of things--fear, worry, sadness, denial, hope--but lucky was not one of them. There was love though--love for this new little baby that Don and I both knew we would do anything in the world for. Each time we held her, it grew and grew. But, unfortunately, we were both so scared and worried, I think it kept us from feeling lucky...

As time went on, Don and I hoped we were lucky. Jayne was healthy and was doing so well reaching all her milestones, at the same time our other kids did and sometimes even earlier. We hoped that the chromosome test was wrong and that Jayne would be no different than Elle and Easton. We thought we just might be lucky and maybe Jayne could be "normal." (I really don't like that word now.)

Jayne's development slowed down...other babies younger than her started to crawl and walk. The hurt that I buried deep down inside, it came back. It was real. The test was right... Jayne has Down syndrome. Real acceptance began...

The funny thing though is that once I finally started to accept it-- finally stopped trying to convince myself that Jayne was no different than Elle and Easton,--it was then that I realized how much beauty there is in all those differences. I was finally able to just enjoy Jayne. I was so worried about getting her to the next milestone so that I could prove she was going to be ok, that I think I missed some of the joy along the way. I spent way too much time worrying and not enough time just taking in all her goodness--that amazing sweetness that ALL babies have.

And then one day I woke up and I realized that I had finally made it! I found my "lucky" place again! I felt lucky--lucky to have Jayne, lucky to have three amazing children and a husband that are perfect for me, lucky to have learned all that I have learned, lucky to finally be able to sit here and write "Jayne has Down syndrome" and be okay with it all.

I think everyone deserves to feel a little lucky...

Poppa writes so perfectly about his granddaughter Nella, "She is not a mistake to be explained--she is a miracle to be enjoyed. She is not broken, destined to struggle--she is beautiful and destined to soar! Oh the life we are going to share with her...it has only begun. And hopefully, our world is becoming a better, kinder, warmer, brighter garden for all our children to reach their highest dreams within."

Don't let the worries of tomorrow steal you from the joys of today...