Letters to Jordan and Kenzie

Jordan and Kenzie,

I can't believe another birthday season is here. Each year seems to speed by faster and faster as you both get older, making me older too.

Jordan,

When you were born I was 25. I taught junior high and your father was completing his paramedic degree and had been a firefighter for 9 months. We were building our first house and your Dad was doing a lot of the work. I can remember getting off from work, driving to where he was framing the house and helping/waiting for hours on end, pregnant with you. My water broke and very early on a Friday morning we drove to the hospital. My labor and delivery was only a total of 8 hours. You weighed 8lbs. 15 oz. and were 21 in. long. Although healthy and normal in every way your blood sugar was low and you ended up in the NICU for 3 days. I remember looking at you and all the other newborns in the NICU and you just didn't look like you fit in. You were so much bigger than the rest of them and you looked perfectly healthy. It was hard for me as a Mom to watch them sticking you with IVs and needles. Jordan, since that day, my life has changed so much. I truly have grown into motherhood as I've watched you grow. Listed below are some of my favorite memories of you.



1. You were my most cuddly baby. Many were the times when I would hold you before putting you down in the afternoon for your nap. Before long, your warm little body, serene calmness and steady heartbeat would soothe me and we would both end up asleep. I can't remember being able to do that with any other of my babies.





2. You were my musical toddler. You whistled all the time when you were one. Your dad and I would hear whistling and we'd look around and it was you. Many times this was in sacrament meeting at church and we would have to cover your mouth. Of course by the time you were two, you no longer whistled. You loved to sing. One time in particular I rememer sitting in sacrament with you and you sang along as loud as you could attracting a lot of attention. Another thing I remember is driving with you to Utah to see your Aunt Anjee once and listening to Joseph's Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Your favorite song was the Potiphar song and every time we got to the part where Potiphar bursts through the door and gives a mighty roar you would roar along. We did this (the roaring part) over and over, maybe that's why Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is still one of your favorite soundtracks.



3. I remember going rock climbing with you, Dad, Uncle Jeremy, Aunt Anjee and Kenzie. You must have been about four. Dad wanted you to try rock climbing and you thought that if you got up high enough, you could look into this cave and see some bats. You climbed up and fell. Dad had you secure with the rope but when you came swinging down you hit your head. You cried a little but were so determined to see those bats that you got right back up and climbed again. I think that is the first time I truly understood how driven and goal oriented you are.


4. I love reading with you. I have wonderful memories of sitting on the couch reading together. Your favorite book in Kindergarten was Clap you Hands. I can still see us reading together and stopping to do all the actions. "I'll tell you a secret if you tell me one too" would always elicit an "I love you Mom," whispered in my ear.


5. You loved dressing up (and still sometimes do). When you were five you were spiderman almost every day. I can remember recently seeing you with Riley and Ben dressed up as a pirate as caught up in your imagination as were your two younger brothers.

6. The last motorcycle trip we had as a family you truly amazed me (and scared me at the same time). You climbed this hill that was so long and steep. I could hardly watch. It amazed me because you didn't make it up the first time but you got right back on and did it again. From this I learned you are not afraid of challenges.





7. You are very organized and write these lists of things you need to do (daily). A recent list I found of yours is as follows:


Schedule for the 3rd of May:

• Go to School
• Ask Blake his phone number.
• See if Zach can play
• If Zach can't play, play with Blake
• After picking up!!! (This, I assume, referred to cleaning your room)

It cracks me up, I mean, who needs to remind themselves to go to school? However, I know this skill will help you as you get older. You will achieve great things if you stick to the plans and goals you make.

Kenzie,

You were born on a Thursday. You were 8 lbs. 13 oz. and 20 in. long. You had lots of black curly hair. It was so easy to curl and you looked lovely with the bows in your hair. I was teaching part time at a high school and your dad was in his third year as a Firefighter. He was returning to school to finish his Bachelor's degree. This summer would be the summer he would leave the Fire Department and I would go back to teaching full-time for two years. That was one of the hardest things I have had to do in my life, leave my 3 month old baby at home with Dad or to be babysat while I had to work. Here are my favorite memories of you.





1. From the start you were always very artistic. When you were little (and your grandma caught a picture of this) you would paint yourself with mud. You were my one to first draw on walls and you drew on EVERYTHING (dolls, beds, tables, blankets) and you did this for YEARS (you sometimes still do - at least on the bunk beds I've noticed some drawings by you) and drove me crazy. I always laugh when I see Toy Story 2 and they have the Prospector go to this girl with a Barbie and the Barbie say "Oh, you'll just love Amy. She's an artist." And she turns her head and the Barbie is drawn all over. That is you to a T.





2. I have memories of your beautiful golden hair and high pony tails that your Dad would do for you when he babysat. One day in particular your Dad brought you into my classroom to visit and you ran up to me pony tail bouncing, arms outstretched and smiling.





3. You are a caring girl and a natural nurturer. One memory that makes me laugh is a time that I was feeding Ben when he was a baby and you, next to me, bottle feeding spiderman. You comfort your brothers when they are sad. In fact, instead of me, it is usually to you that Jacob goes when hurt or wanting to be loved.





4. Hearing you sing in primary and sacrament meeting is one of my favorite things. When I first came into primary this year we were learning the song, "I know that my Savior loves me." As I listened I heard a beautiful, clear voice above all the others and I realized it was you. It brought tears to my eyes and made me understand that you truly do know Jesus Christ lives and loves you. You have a talent and I hope to see you continue to develop it.





5. I'll always remember these last few weeks in clogging because they are your first. I can tell that you truly love it! Your face lights up and you have so much fun. Really Kenz, I think you're a natural. You make me want to hop out there and join you.







6. I love the emotion you show whether reading stories to me out loud or watching movies. You often will read your favorite parts of books to me and laugh as you read (so far you've only shared funny parts). If a movie is funny you are always laughing along, loudly and if the movie is sad I'm sure to look over to you and you'll have tears in your eyes. Recently you were watching the movie Quest for Camelot where the girl was singing about following in her father's footsteps. Her father had died and you were crying and you turned to me, embarrassed, and said, "I just can't help it Mom. It's so sad that her father died." Kenzie, I'd never want to change that about you. It's what makes you who you are. My young women's leader, Sister Anderson, who your middle name came from, is just like that and it's part of what makes her so special to me.


I hope you two know how much you are loved and I hope you have a wonderful b-day.


Love,
Mom