Game Time!

Tonight's basketball game was preceded by senior recognition of all the ball players and cheerleaders who would be graduating. LeRoy and I were invited down on the floor with Justin as he received gifts from the coaches.

Max, Zane and Kara joined us for the game. It was a first for Max and Zane and wow, those kids were silly!

It fun to see these boy cousins making memories together.

LeRoy insisted the moms needed to be in the picture so Kara and I unwillingly obliged. Months later it's nice to see us in the photo since we so seldom have pictures together.


Speaking of games....

LeRoy played video games with Nathan and Hyrum!!!!
No, really!!
And he is smiling!!

It was a football game but still! He played a video game!! (Does the abundance of exclamation marks get the point across?) The boys have only seen him play with a video game controller maybe once so this moment in time was definitely picture worthy.

Justin's 18th Birthday

He promised he would always be my little boy.

Older, wiser, clever, more fun than ever. I'm so honored to be his Momma! He is kind, thoughtful, hard working, respectful, and such a wonderful young man.


His personality and smile are joyful and contagious.

As a little boy he would take a bite of food and then stick his bum up in the air and sit on his head to chew his food. As a big boy he does a handstand to blow out his birthday candles.

His favorite German Chocolate Cake just like every previous year.

As a little boy he would nap or sleep anywhere, not worried about comfort. As a big boy his gymnast body needs the right mattress to allow his muscles to heal and relax. For this birthday our big boy got a big boy mattress for full nighttime comfort as he moves on to become a university cheer team member.


The Sweetheart Dance at the school came shortly after his birthday.

Justin and Kayla enjoyed an evening of formal dress up and dancing.

Go Madison!

January through March was filled with Cheer. Madison Cheer team that is.

Justin and I (and occasionally Nathan and Hyrum who would play on the sidelines with Brock) traveled to Pocatello, Idaho Falls, Rexburg, Idaho Falls, and Idaho Falls for each of the cheer competitions.

Doing the same routine day after day might get old for the team members but every event left me amazed! These kids are talented and in particular, Justin is freaking awesome! Practice, determination and skill over the last 10 years has paid off! Pictures just do not capture enough!

He was doing flips about 5 years before he started actual gymnastics. His first flips were off the couch at 19 months old.

Cupids Classic is one of the biggest cheer events of the year and this year was exceptionally exciting for Justin, and for me watching. After all the teams had performed and while the scores were being calculated, there was a cheer off (similar to a dance off). Justin had the crowd on their feet cheering, yelling and congratulating him as he did three different running passes and a standing pass (video on my FB page and in family files). It wasn't surprising that he took a medal for that too even though it wasn't part of the actual cheer event.

Ever since Justin was a little boy we've had this odd mental connection. I remember when he was about 3 and it was just the two of us while the other kids were in school and I would think of something for lunch. Minutes later he would wander into the room and ask for the exact same thing. It has happened throughout his whole life, at time getting a bit weird for both of us.

Cheer competitions were no different (can you see him looking right at me as they set up for the routine?). He would be on the floor surrounded by teams and I would be in the crowd without him knowing where I was and undoubtedly we would have eye contact. It happened at nearly every football and basketball game. It happened at every cheer competition and it even happened at the state cheer competition in Boise where the building was packed with thousands of strangers.

At a basketball game we decided to leave early to beat the crowd and as we left the benches I realized that Justin thought we were staying for the whole game. He has his own car to drive home so it wasn't that he needed us to wait, it was just that I wanted to somehow tell him we were leaving so he wouldn't look for us. I turned around just as I left the upper level of the gym and there he was looking right at us and waved goodbye. HOW did he know? The game was still in full swing. He was still cheering. But, he looked up just as I looked his direction.

At the state competition his team had just finished performing and I was standing up to go greet them backstage. Without thinking about it I turn back to see which direction they were heading and there he was standing at the curtain right before disappearing into the crowd looking at me with a quick wave. HOW? How do we know when the other is about to leave the room or where to even look in such huge crowds? Though we wonder, we don't question it long. We like knowing that we can mentally find each other anywhere.

P.S. I still think of things to make for meals and he will come and request the same thing. Or, we will have a similar suggestion that we throw out at the same time. It's kind of fun when it happens.

Levi's 25th Birthday

Where did the time go?

When did my baby become a man?

We were both so young! Seven years ago (2010) I thought my love for you was complete and yet here I am with my heart bursting and overflowing in awe and admiration for the tender hearted, committed, brilliant, hard working, generous young man that you have become. Your smile is contagious, your hugs are healing and being your mom is an honor. Yep, I love you now more than ever. ❤❤


I've always known that Levi gets a little ornery when he gets too hungry but as an adult it seems to be a little more dramatic than just picking on his sister or getting mouthy. Daymia had mentioned to me a couple of instances when Hangry Levi took over and it wasn't good for a) the waitress, b) the Wal-mart clerk, c) the random person on the phone, or d) Daymia (who was an innocent by-stander watching each of the 3 previous victims).

So, his birthday gift was created out of necessity:

Until I searched for hangry comics I had no idea that it was such a big thing or that every comic could be so fitting for Levi. With a little time on the computer and a snacky shopping trip his emergency kit came together quickly and I found motherly joy as I filled it with some of his favorite, as well as new, treats to get him through that in-between-meals hunger that could spiral quickly downhill.

The gift was very well received.
I've joked since then about doing a monthly Hangry Subscription for him but Daymia keeps it well stocked and the box just keeps on giving.

** UPDATE **

After finishing this post I sent the link to Levi and received this a picture back. I'll be pulling a Beverly* today and getting that box filled ASAP! 

* Levi, Daymia and I have binge watched The Goldbergs TV show and there are so many times that I cringe at how much I react like the mom, Beverly, when it comes to my kids. I cringe, but I don't stop.

Daymia put together a fun ski trip for his birthday. They spent a weekend in Utah using his new ski equipment and enjoying the slopes.

❤ HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LEVI ❤
While I will always see you as my baby, I'm overwhelmingly proud of the man you have become!


Meanwhile, Hyrum did his best to find a our sidewalk after yet another Rexburg storm.

Picture Perfect Christmas

After stressing and praying for two days while my Derek, Levi & Daymia, and Bret & Erika traveled home from Utah during horrible snowing and drifting storms (even church was cancelled Christmas morning because of the storms!) it was perfect to have us all together! These people are my favorite in the whole world!

We are so blessed to have Bret, Erika and Kailee live close enough for frequent visits. They are creating a beautiful family together.

Kailee Jo is a happy, inquisitive, determined, joyful little girl. Her smile lights up the room and she has every one of her uncles wrapped around her little finger.

LeRoy and I love being her grandparents! It is wonderful to have our snuggly grandbaby to cuddle and read with and to share her first Christmas with.


One of the joys of this particular Christmas was to watch Hyrum take on the challenge of finding the perfect gift. He had drawn my name for Christmas and was determined to buy his gift all by himself. The only problem with that is that I was the only person available to take him shopping. I took Nathan and Hyrum to a few stores in Idaho Falls and had them stick together with me only a few isles away. Hyrum wanted it to be a surprise and wouldn't take any suggestions. Finally, he had made his purchase with his own money.

Later in the afternoon while we were still shopping in Idaho Falls, he confessed that he had purchased a ring for me but that he didn't think I would like it. I told him that no matter what he got I would love it because it was from him and he had picked it out. He explained that he liked it because it was the color of my eyes and then he told me how much it cost and he showed it to me. Without showing any shock in my face, we talked it over and I explained that I don't wear rings except for my wedding ring he decided that he wanted to return it and get something that he knew that I would love.

After returning the very overpriced bold blue ring, I showed him a few items that I would love (a variety of scarves, and a couple of simple necklaces) and then I left him with Nathan so that he could secretly pick it and have it be a surprise.

On Christmas morning I opened my gift to find a silver chain with a beautiful half moon and a rose gold colored star in the center of the moon with the words, "love you to the moon and back" pressed into the moon. I Love It! Even now (6 months later) I still wear it nearly every day.

In talking with him after opening it I found that he learned that when you pick a gift it needs to be something that the receiving person will like, not just something the buying person likes and that it doesn't need to cost a lot of money. The necklace was only a few dollars on sale. Most importantly, he learned the joy of giving.


The final perfect note for 2016 was to learn that Levi and Daymia are getting married!!!

It is officially happening though they aren't officially engaged until he does the formal proposal and gives her the ring. We couldn't be happier for them! Levi gets the girl of his dreams and I get another daughter.

Gifting

What a wonderful year of gift giving!

It would not feel like Christmas without new jammies!

As always, everyone was very happy with their books and origami money from Grandma and Grandpa Fullmer. This year we were also blessed with family history posters on both the Hawkins and Fullmer sides of the family. Grandma Fullmer spent almost all year working on them.

Clothing and accessories are always a welcome gift, especially when they fit so perfectly the occupation of the person (Daymia does hair, Justin flexes his muscles, LeRoy is an electrician). Derek is always thrilled to get shirts that have long enough sleeves and Hyrum was excited to get a recipe book made by Daymia for his "cheffing skills". I'm not sure that poop slippers and a poop mask were needed but they sure were welcomed by Nathan.

I love seeing the excitement given over practical, useful gifts. Levi so excited about a heater, Daymia a waxing kit, Derek a mattress, Justin a grill, Erika a skillet, and Bret some socks. Practically perfect in every way.

Daymia spoiled Levi just a little as he opened his new skis, boots, gloves and everything he needed to fill his new found hobby. He spent nearly every weekend he could on the slopes.


Daymia's gift to Hyrum was spot on!

He spent the entire Christmas break trying out the new recipe book and his Easy Bake Oven and was thrilled that he could follow the recipe, bake the treats, and serve it all up without any help. He has fed us well with cream filled chocolate cookies, chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal cookies, brownies and pizza.

Levi even got in on the baking when Hyrum was making mini pizzas.

Nathan and Hyrum really liked having stocking stuffer excavation kits to work on for the days following Christmas. The kitchen floor and table started to take on a dusty sand layer as they worked but it was worth it to see them complete their projects.

Nathan dug out dinosaur bones and then put the dinosaur back together. Hyrum dug out stones that he added to his colorful stone collection.


Christmas was made complete with messages from Vivien and Gabor. These two make me smile! They have fun personalities, study hard and send me random pics of food, Mormons, school, and even a few stalker pictures of each other. I love being able to stay in touch with both of them!

Throughout January I would get pictures from Gabor of him wearing his pizza socks that we sent him. It made me smile every time! And, that Coca-Cola cup is not just an American souvenir, it has a story to go with it. When I sent their Christmas box, I also sent this note . . .

Before I could send their package, I had to re-box it twice. I had everything all snug in it's place, taped that package to withstand an shipping apocalypse that might come and gently dropped it on the seat next to me to head to the post office. Then my ears caught a slight ticking sound coming from the box. It sounded like a ticking bomb!! I knew it was just the musical pooping reindeer in there but my worry was that postal workers might think I was shipping a bomb to Europe.

So, back I went to the kitchen to cut through those secure layers of tape, unpack the box, bubble wrap and secure that reindeer's tail so that the Jingle Bells chimes didn't go off, pack it all back up and use another million feet of tape to secure it all once again. I was so glad to finally get messages from them as my evidence that the musical tattle-tale reindeer did not ruin Christmas.

Holiday Happenings

From Halloween through December it seems that life just gets crazy busy . . . or just crazy, as Nathan demonstrates in Broulim's while grocery shopping.

The music of the season starts to take over.

Nathan's very first orchestra concert!
The principal, Mr. Bone, was a very convincing Grinch even though his true personality is exactly opposite.



Love is in the air . . .

Congratulations to Noemi on her beautiful November wedding!!
I look forward to the day that I get to meet Angelika and Noemi, Vivien's mom and sister.

We miss these two so much and wish they were here with us!

Miss Kailee Jo and her reflection share love and kisses all over windows and mirrors. Luckily, the rest of us also get in on snuggles, hugs, slobbery wet kisses and plenty of lovin' from this beautiful girl. It's so wonderful to have a baby in the house again!

Love brings us all together in joyful celebrations, gift giving, and laughter, and occasionally we get on each other's nerves.

 ♥ That's what family is all about. ♥