Hailey turns 10, Clayton turns 7, and Miles turns 12!

March 23, 2018:

Hailey turned 10 this spring. I can't believe she's getting so old! She had her heard set on a birthday party at Classic Fun Center. The girls had a great time skating, eating pizza, jumping on the bouncy houses, and playing at the arcade.

Dear Hailey,
You are a delight and we love you and are so grateful you are a part of our family.

You love gymnastics and this year you are always standing on your head. You got amazing 'straight As' at school, and I never ever have to worry about you and school. You are so intrinsically motivated.

You're very athletic and are currently playing softball. You love to go outside with Dad and practice your pitching. You love to pitch for your team. You love to read books and play with your beenie boos and other toys. You have never minded playing by yourself.

You are an amazing big sister and a great friend to all your siblings. You're a wonderful babysitter, and we are so blessed to have you each day in our lives.

I love you! Happy 10,

Mom

April 25th, 2018 Clay turns 7!

A month after Hailey's birthday Clay had his own birthday, a surprise party! We decorated with the pasture fence with balloons and crepe streemers while he was at school.

We had lots of friends from the neighborhood come over to party with us. Clay was super surprised! We played all kinds of outside games, had pizza and cupcakes and opened presents.

Dear Clay,

You have a heart of gold! You want to read your scriptures and you try hard to choose the right. You are such a light to our family. We are so thankful for you!

You love all things sports! You love to play with friends. You love Legos and have become such an amazing reader this year. You are a great friend to Paige, she always wants to do what you are doing. She loves being your little sis.

I am thankful for you!

Love,

Moma

On May 12th Miles turned the BIG 12!!

This was a really special birthday. Grandma and Grandpa Hancock came all the way from Arizona to see Miles receive the priesthood. On May 12, it was a Saturday, we spent the day celebrating with chocolate cake, presents, grandma and grandpa in town. At night we went to a wonderful dinner at Olive Garden. It was so delicious and the servers treated us SO GREAT! Miles was sung to by the staff and got a free dessert. On Sunday May 13th we watched Miles receive the priesthood and become a deacon. 

Dear Miles,

You are truly becoming a great young man. You have learned so much in 6th grade, about responsibility and working hard and always doing your best. You have a great attitude and are a great worker. You are growing taller and faster! 

You are thoughtful and kind. You are a good big brother and such a great babysitter! Watching you learn and grow is such a wonderful blessing!

I love ya!

Mom

Amblyopia

Last summer Hailey stopped wearing her glasses. She lost them for a couple of months and we were in the middle of moving so I figured once we moved out all the furniture we'd find her glasses and it wouldn't be a big deal. To be honest, Hailey went through a phase where she really didn't like her glasses and I would let her skip wearing them on Saturdays and after school.

We finally did move and did find her glasses and she started wearing them again, however she had gone without glasses for two months during the summer and also many Saturdays which was a bad choice on my part I learned recently.

I took the kids to the eye doctor and was surprised to learn Hailey has 20/80 vision in her right eye, much worse than before.

Hailey's left eye has 20/20 vision, but her right eye has something called Amblyopia.

Amblyopia means the vision in one of the eyes is reduced because the eye and the brain are not working together properly. The eye itself looks normal, but it is not being used normally
because the brain is favoring the other eye. According to Bro. Mendenhall, our eye doctor, Miles scout leader and our neighbor, Hailey's right eye is smaller in size than her left eye and that's what can cause this whole thing in the first place.

Her brain has been favoring her left eye and ignoring her right eye. It can lead to a lazy eye and vision loss.

I'd always noticed something different with her right eye. For example, she often slightly squinted that eye. I'd noticed that her entire life. This was many years ago, way before she ever went to the eye doctor. Can you see the slight squint?

During last summer her right eye's condition worsened because without glasses her brain had

no reason to try to acknowledge her right eye. Although I didn't realize that this is what would happen, I feel very bad for letting her go two months without glasses.

We now have a better understanding of why it is so important for her to wear her glasses every single day.

The eye doctor has her patching her left eye for three hours a day for the next year in order to strengthen the connection between her right eye and her brain.

Hailey got to pick out brand new glasses and she wears her eye patch for 3 hours each afternoon after school. And she and I are very vigilent about her wearing her glasses all the time now, no breaks, no weekends off. She has a great attitude about it, but she would still love to get contacts someday.

It's best for her to do a hand eye coordination activity while she's patched so she's playing basketball, crocheting, and playing the piano while she wears the patch.

I took Paige in for an eye exam and she passed her shapes test like a champ and has good healthy eyes. So do the boys thankfully.

Luckily, Hailey's still young enough that patching will make a difference with the connection between her eye and brain. As we patch her good eye (the left) the brain will have to work with the right eye and strengthen it's connection with that eye. All is not lost thankfully!!

So thankful for science and medical knowledge that are helping Hailey to see the very best she possibly can now and for the future.

Don't take those eye exams for granted!

Better than Gold!

Joey and the kids are my treasures. I often tell the kids this.

At the kids' elementary school the hallways are always full of the latest art or school projects. They are hung on display.

I happened to be at the school yesterday afternoon when I was walking by Hailey's classroom. I decided to check out her latest art hanging in the hallway.

This is what I saw:

I was not expecting this! Look she even drew my portrait! It made my entire day! 

"I'll remember..."

I have a little bedtime routine with the kids most nights.

Hailey and I have this thing we say to each other as I tuck her in. It started because I used to say to her, "Don't forget to pray!"

One night I guess I didn't say this and Hailey said to me as I was leaving her room, "I won't forget, if you don't forget." And so started our little saying to each other. One of us always says to the other, "I won't forget if you don't forget." It's a cute reminder for both of us to end our day with prayer.

Yesterday was a looooong and busy day. Extra curricular activities took up our morning (Clay has afternoon kindergarten and morning swimming) as well as our evening (Miles had a football game last night). Homework was finally complete. Joey was gone. I was soooo tired, but somehow we sat down for our routine of scriptures and family prayer, we cleaned up a massive load of legos that was strewn across the boys floor, younger children bathed, everyone was happy, but I was really sleepy. Luckily, it was a quiet, wonderful evening despite being super late and super exhausting.

As I tucked Hailey in I guess I forgot to say our saying. As I was leaving her room she sat up sleepily and said, "Mom, I'll remember..." and proceeded to kneel by her bed.

But as I left her room and thought about her words they meant something more to me than just that she was remembering to say her bedtime prayers. To me, it was a reminder that my efforts as a mom are not for naught. Maybe she'll remember how much I love her throughout her life! I hope so.

Hailey's 8th birthday (March 23, 2016)

Since this is my way of recording a little journal for our family, I'm going to back track several months for a few posts.

Hailey turned 8 on March 23. We're moving next summer and not knowing where we may end up, it may not be around Mapleton, we decided each kid could have a birthday party. Hailey had a bowling birthday party with a few close friends including Faith Kiesel, Brielle Bezzant, and Ella Atkin.

On April 9th Hailey was baptized. It was the perfect day, beautiful warm weather and grandparents were able to attend as well as her 2nd grade teacher, Mrs. Russell. After the baptism we took everyone out to Maglebys, it was a wonderful day!

Dear Hailey, 

Thanks for being such a caring, loving, thoughtful girl. You are quick to offer help to anyone in need, you are a friend to all. You bring joy and peace to our family. Already you are an amazing babysitter and helper with your younger siblings. You are a very special friend to Miles. You are one of the hardest workers I know. I love watching you flip on the trampoline. I love tucking you in at night. I think it's so cool you have a little after school job walking Zeus!! I can't wait for our mommy-daughter date next month to Women's Conference! I hope as you get older that our friendship will continue to grow and grow. I hope to be wise enough to nourish you physically, mentally, and spiritually Thanks for always seeing the best in me! That means a lot. I'm not sure I merit the pedestal you seem to put me on--but I hope to be worthy of your respect always. The day you came to our family was truly one of the best days ever.

I Love you, Mom

Hailey turns 7

My beautiful daughter turned 7 years old recently. A few thoughts and memories of the past while:

On the day before Valentines Day Hailey came bounding into my room. It was about 7am and I still had the covers pulled up to my chin and my eyes closed--although I was awake. Hailey was so happy! She bounced up and down and said, "Mommy! Don't tell ANYBODY! But, I made Miles' and Clay's beds for them!" Hailey's often doing thoughtful acts of service for others.

The other day I sat outside and just watched quietly as my kids played in the backyard with the neighbor kids. It was fun to watch them play and interact. Hailey was busy tearing up an unwanted bread piece into small pieces, she then spread the bread around the yard--her goal was to provide the birds with food. She's always thinking of others, even the birds!

Miles has almost finished reading the Book of Mormon, and the entire family has noticed. He reads one page on his own each night. Well, Hailey noticed and the idea caught on with her! She announced to me that she planned to read 1 page in the Book of Mormon each day too.  Her goal is to finish before her baptism!

Hailey was so excited to learn to put a ponytail into her own hair all by herself. She loves to do this! Sometimes she and I have to...ummm...negotiate because pony tails done by 1st graders look a little less...polished...than ponytails done by moms. We've compromised--I do her hair on Sundays and special, nicer days and as long as her hair is clean and the tangles are brushed out throughout the week then she can do her own ponytails.

Hailey was finally old enough to participate in the little city basketball program. She was very excited. She had such a great time with Joey as her coach. She was adorable on the court.

For her birthday she decorated her own pink cake with Brielle. They had lots of fun putting candies on the top of her cake. Her big present was getting her ears pierced! She was really happy. She picked out cute little diamond flower shaped earrings from Claire's.

Hailey and Brielle Bezzant, best friends 2015

Hailey and Brielle had lots of fun decorating the cake.

About to get her ears pierced, this was mom and dad's gift this year.

Siblings! 3/23/2015

Dear Hailey,

Just want to say I love you. You are an important and special part of each one of our lives. You are very thoughtful and kind toward others. You're also a good sport. You are enthusiastic and willing to try new things. You're a smart girl too--I love hearing you read and practice piano. I love that you love to try out new sports and even want to go running with me on the weekends. It makes me happy to see you be good friends to your brothers. You are helpful and cheerful with Paige too. I am so thankful to have you as my daughter. I know Heavenly Father loves you too.

Love, Mom

Oh, and by the way at her 7 yr. well check she was:

45 inches tall

and

39 pounds

Tiny gal ;).

Hailey age 6 1/2

Hailey is my little hard worker. That girl will work and work and work at whatever it is she's after. She doesn't mind struggling over a word she cannot read. She is a good reader for first grade, but she still needs help with words in the scriptures or larger words in other books. She's thoughtful of others and that puts her to work too. For example, I am extremely tired these days and tonight Hailey took over washing pots and pans for me. Now, I was standing next to her to discreetly make sure all the gunk got off said pots and pans because she IS six years old, but her desire to serve me as well as her hard work amazed me. This is one special girl.

Love these two (October 2014)

This girl also has AMAZING self control for her age!! She got a little package of fun sized twix (I think there were 6 in the package) from her piano teacher. She saved all those twix for TWO WEEKS and finally took them to school because her class was having a movie party and her teacher (Miss Stokes) said the kids could bring a treat to eat during the movie. What is even MORE amazing about this is that she only ate 4 of those small twix during the movie and she brought the last two home and gave one to each of her brothers!!! I'm sorry, but I am 30 years old, and if I had a package of 6 pieces of chocolate and was in front of a movie without my family nearby there is a very VERY good chance I would NOT save even a crumb for my family! She has saved 8 dollars (and she does not come by money very frequently) and has made a chart to save up for the school book fair. WOW!

Hailey, looking grown up October 2014

Hailey's best buddy in the world is Brielle. She and Brielle are always knocking at each others doors. Hailey absolutely loves Brielle and I couldn't have asked for a better friend for my daughter. The Bezzants are wonderful. Hailey also loves to play with Ellie. She, like Miles, enjoys having play dates, but she seems to gravitate to a couple of close friends and be fine with that.

Sisters (October 2014)

Hailey has a knack for getting Paige to fall asleep when she hold's her baby sister. The boys like to hold Paige too, but Paige eventually arches her back and starts to cry when they hold her. But, for some magical reason Paige relaxes in Hailey's arms and can fall asleep.

Hailey is full of love. I have started reading the Book of Mormon one-on-one with Hailey too. We usually do this right before bedtime, and it is relaxed and slow going, she reads half a column and I read the other half each night. We are at the part where Nephi has been commanded to build a ship. I feel that it is important for me to do this with both of them as often as possible, and so far it has been great.

Hailey is incredibly special and I am grateful to be her mom!

I am thankful for teachers

I am thankful for the great teachers who impact my kids' lives. I am thankful for the time and effort they put into their work. I love it when I can open up with a teacher about my concerns for my children and feel that they understand and want to help. I love seeing my kids come home from school happy. I love seeing them progress cognitively, socially, and emotionally as they attend school and learn.

This has been a great school year when it comes to teachers. Hailey had an awesome kindergarten teacher! Hailey learned so much and had the greatest attitude about school! I loved Mrs. Gillies! Hailey loved Mrs. Gillies too. She was constantly writing little notes for her and drawing her pictures. Miles had an awesome teacher too. She was laid back, but on the ball at the same time, if that makes sense. She was willing to go the extra mile when I brought up concerns about Miles. Thanks Miss Mathews!

Now, onto SUMMER!!

6 years old!

Hailey had a great, growing-up month during March! Three milestones happened within the month:

 First, Hailey learned how to tie her shoes! We worked on the skill for just a couple days before she got it down. I was surprised and happy she learned so quickly.

Then, she lost her first tooth! The very next week her second tooth fell out at school!

1st tooth (lost a few days before her 6th birthday)

2nd tooth (lost the week after her 6th birthday!)

Lastly, she turned six on March 23rd! Lucky for her Grandma and Grandpa Hancock got to sneak away from the MTC the day before her birthday and celebrate with us! We went bowling in the afternoon on the Saturday before too. I just love the cake she chose to make. It was so simple and yummy. We made a bunt cake with homemade frosting drizzled on top and rainbow sprinkles.

One thing I'd like to make a goal to do with Hailey during this next year of her life is spend more one-on-one time together! I would love to do something special with her each day. Having a daughter is so precious and I am very grateful for our kind, helpful, caring, and smart 6 year old.

I love you so much Hailey! You are special to me and to our family! Happy birthday and have a great 6th year!

New Glasses!

We got a letter from the school nurse recommending we get Hailey's eyes checked. She had failed an eye exam at school. We took her to the doctor and sure enough Hailey was prescribed glasses. Her left eye is 20/20 but her right eye is 20/40.

It was cute, when she covered her left eye and tried to read the chart with her right eye she was having trouble reading the symbols and would try to sneak a quick peek with her left eye. Of course all the adults in the room noticed ;).

I love the glasses she picked out! She decided on Hello Kitty ones and some thick black and purple rimmed ones too. She does a great job wearing them! I sure do love this sweet little girl!

Our Hailey

Hailey: "Scribbling Warriors" Hailey's pronunciation for "Stripling Warriors." (October 2012)

Me: "You guys are my blessings." 
Hailey: "We aren't blessings! We're kids!" (August 2012)

Hailey: "chick-munk" Hailey's pronunciation for chipmunk (June 2012)

Hailey: Lost Vegas is how Hailey pronounces Las Vegas (May 2012)

Hailey: "There's Special K!" (Said as we drove past a Circle K.) (March 2012)

Hailey: Swishy (Hailey's word for wavy) February 2012

Hailey: "Valentime" I love her pronunciation of valentine! (December 2011)

Hailey (talking to her friend Nate):"You have a good remembery."(November 2011)


Hailey: "Donny knocked on my shoulder with his finger..." (Explaining how her friend tapped her on her shoulder) (October 2011)

Hailey wanted to paint...
Me: "Take off your shirt and pants so you don't get paint on them." (I was a little lazy and was going to let her paint in her undies instead of digging out an apron.)
Hailey: "But I need my privacy!"(October 2011)

Hailey is taking off with her reading skills! Kindergarten started on August 29th and she loves it. She's in afternoon kinder. She reads BOB books from the library, plus our collection own of Hooked on Phonics books to me or Joey each day. I read to her and Clay every morning before the kindergarten bus and she is quickly memorizing all her sight words. She is in the Mapleton children's choir which meets weekly and she is also in a year round swim school every Friday.

She is quick at doing her chores and has a great attitude about life. She puts up with me styling her hair every day which can sometimes take a while. Her best friend is Brielle, who lives upstairs. Today they played in the backyard after Hailey finished her laundry. I asked her what they played...and she shared with me a wonderful story about how she and Brielle found out their ancestors were PRINCESSES which made them PRINCESSES of course and then they found out later that they were actually sisters and they rode their horses (bikes) all over the backyard. Sounds like so much fun!

She is often saying the cutest things and I want so badly to keep better track of these cute remarks.

The other day she told me she had something special behind her back and she wanted me to guess what it was (it was a little drum we bought the kids when we went to Hawaii.) I asked her:
"What letter does it start with?"
She replied, "J!"
I just couldn't guess what it was even with her clues so I finally gave up and she showed me the drum. I said,
"Oh a drum! That starts with D!"
She said,
"No it doesn't! Listen mom! J-J-J-JRUM! Can you hear it?" Yes, my cute little girl, I can hear it :). 

At the end of the second day of kindergarten Hailey and Miles got off the bus. Clay and I were waiting for them. I asked Miles, "How was school?" He shrugged his shoulders and said, "Eh." Lol! The excitedment wears off after a couple years I guess! :) Then I asked Hailey, "How was school?" and she said with total enthusiasm and a huge smile, "GREAT!" I love how excited she has been to start school. She's been waiting for this opportunity since she saw Miles go off to school a couple years ago.

Another cute conversation: Hailey took her teddy bear to school. She and her friends play with their teddy bears at recess. I asked her what she did at recess and she replied, "I trained my bear to go down the slide all by herself!"

I love Hailey and am so glad I get to be her CTR 4 teacher this year. She and I have a track record of being in the same class at church (this is the third time I have been called to be her teacher at church.) I am truly grateful for this and I like to think it was meant to be that way. She is my little angel in so many ways. 

Hailey with her best friend, Brielle.  These girls play almost every single day. It also seems that Hailey has inherited my petite genes, these girls are only a month apart in age, but Brielle is a head taller. I thought Joey's tallness would even things out for our kids. Who knew smallness could be the dominant gene?? (June)

Hailey, Kate, and Sophie (cousins) (June)

She learned how to ride without training wheels this summer at our neighbors house. Hailey and Sadie. (June)

Pagosa Springs, CO (July) 

Caught a fish with her daddy and brother in August. 

First Day of Kindergarten

Hailey has been ready for this for a long time. She told me her teacher said to her "You're smart!" Hailey was very excited about the comment. I had to giggle to myself. Teachers make a big impact on these little ones--every little thing they say. :) Her teacher is Mrs. Gillies. I am very excited for this school year. I think it's going to be great!

Ready for the bus!

The bus stop is in our front yard right by this tree. It's been such a blessing to have it so close!

She's in afternoon kindergarten so her bus is a special bus just for the kindergartners. It comes right after lunch. 

We drove to the school and waited for her bus to arrive. Joey came over and waited too. We walked her to her classroom. It was super cute.

Oh, and Miles missed school today because he threw up (again!) in the middle of the night. I wonder if he's having a reaction to some type of food...or it's just nerves for the new school year?? Not sure.

Cute songs

I am in dire need to update the cute sayings lists for all three kids!! Even Clay is learning a few new words, yay!

But, quickly, a little something about Hailey: She LOVES to sing songs she has made up. She is always making up a song and I often find her in her room singing a song while she's playing with ponies or her magnet dolls.

We recently went camping with some of Joey's family and she made up a song that was pretty catchy and some of her cousins started to sing along.

 The song went "Now I have one. Now I have two. Now I have a princess looking for you." I have no idea what it means, but she sang it was such gusto and joy it was hard not to enjoy hearing it.

Recently as I was driving around for some errands I hear this CUTE song coming from the backseat. I don't think she knew I was listening, but I was!!!

Here is how it went: "There's a sign you should read importantly. It's S-T-O-P." It had a very nice, catchy tune to it too! Yes, we were at a stop sign when she started singing it and she continued enthusiastically singing it to herself for the rest of the car trip...and now on subsequent car trips the ENTIRE family will sometimes sing this new song together :).

A(nother) birthday

Hailey celebrated her 5th birthday yesterday (March 23rd). I love Hailey so much. She is a great example and a light in our family. I am so glad she graced our lives 5 years ago.

I don't prefer friend birthday parties for my kids. I guess I worry about them getting entitled or spoiled, but since we have moved to a new state and the kids have made new friends and new memories I thought throwing friend birthday parties this year would be a great memory for each of them (Clay will have a family party since he will only be 2). Hailey picked out this cute cake on pinterest:

So we tried to mimic it. She picked strawberry cake with chocolate frosting. She wanted sprinkles in the middle too, so it is kind of a camouflaged 5. Can you see it?  

I know I keep saying how grateful I am for the friends our kids have made, but it is because I truly am. The neighbors and ward members have been so kind and friendly and inviting. It has been better than I could have imagined. We told Hailey she could pick 6 friends to invite. We got "Hello Kitty" invitations and she decorated each invitation with drawings on the envelopes and stickers.

Here's Tony, Clay, Miles, Hailey, Ellie, Sadie, Ashton, Sawyer, and Brielle.

Hailey wanted an "animal party" so that's what we did. We had animal noses for everybody...and, actually, I guess that was about as far as the theme went!

We also played games: pin the tail on the donkey, throw the paper airplane through the hula hoop, hot potato, and hot/cold (they hid a small box wrapped like a birthday present while somebody left the room. When the finder came back in the room they sang songs softly for "cold" and loudly for "hot".

The kids ate hot dogs and cut up fruit for lunch. And of course, the cake. Everybody had fun. I especially enjoyed the post party nap I took.

Happy birthday Hailey! 
You are beautiful and kind and an inspiration to me. She has told me lately "Don't stop being beautiful!" So now we say that to each other. And on one evening when Clay was crying at my legs and I was trying to make dinner and Miles was saying "Maaawwwm, I am huuuuungry...." I took a deep sigh. The bewitching hour was in full swing. Hailey came up and said to me, "Just keep trying mom. Don't give up!" It made me laugh and gave me the extra "umph" of energy I needed right then. Thanks for being a wonderful person Hailey!

Joy School Farm Field Trip

We visited two families farms in our neighboring ward--the Alexanders and the Wengerts on Monday for a farm field trip. There were 10 little Joy Schoolers, several moms, and lots of little brothers and sisters that came and we all had fun.

Today I taught Joy School at my house for the last time before we move. It was great! I loved hearing Jamie and Hailey play mermaids and listening to the cute things those little kids say. I'm so glad I tried Joy School again --it was well worth it!Clay followed us around the entire time today. He even sat down with the kids on their carpets while I read them a couple of books and he wanted to sit at his booster seat at the table whenever the kids were seated at the table. When we sang songs he bounced and shimmied around with a smile, like he was dancing! I feel like this experience has been wonderful and enriching for him too!

Checking out the horses...

Hailey sitting on Ike the horse

Speaking of Ike, here's Ike the cute little boy too :).

Isn't this sweet? That's Blake.

Hailey's wearing her cowgirl boots (which started to fall apart that day--they've been through three kids at least) and borrowing Jamie's cowgirl hat.

Another picture of Hailey on Ike, Kati got this picture.

Clay was not a fan. Don't take it personally Ike...

Me trying to get Clay to pet the horse.

Asher is 5 days older than Clay. He didn't care for Ike too much either...

Feeding Festus the donkey at Clay and Laura Wengert's house.

The kids were mesmerized by a caterpillar!

Llama's hanging out with Jamie and Chase

Otter pops at the farm. Can't get much better than that!

Talking about animals...

Definately NOT my cutest moment! Yowza! I feel like I could be a contestant on that TLC show "What not to Wear" in this picture. Such is the life of a Joy School mama who wakes up at the crack of dawn with three ducklings at her heels...(Sometimes my kids remind me of ducklings.)

Hello Festus, nice to meet you...

Bro. Wengert (our old bishop) is a veterinarian. This kitty, One Eyed Willie, was abandoned inside a cat carrier by the side of the road. He was brought to the Wengerts in very bad shape, but they saved him and have given him a good life at the clinic. Oh, and Sister Wengert (holding One Eyed Willie) is amazing. I want to grow up to be like her!