The Things Mothers Do for Love

You wait, you plan, you anticipate, and you endure 9 long months to bring this beautiful little miracle into the world; you have dreamed about their sweet little baby smell, kissing their tender cheeks, and wrapping them in a warm blanket and holding them close. You have wondered what their personality is going to be like, how you are going to help mold them into what Heavenly Father hopes for them to be, and you have listened to the barrage of advice you have received (often unsolicited). You think you are well prepared when the baby comes; you have read the books, the nursery is set up and well stocked. You think you are ready for the baby's arrival, but there is one thing you are never ready for, something the books can't truly prepare you for, the immense love that engulfs you, consumes you, completely washes over you, the first time you  look down at your baby's face.

In that one moment, your child captures your heart; you look into their sweet eyes, and you know that you would risk life and limb to protect this child from danger.  You would run into a burning building, scale mountains, cross rivers, and in my case....

...go down the mother of all slides to prove your love!

Yes, that's right folks, I, the one who hates heights with a passion, the one who asked if a crane could come lift her out of her husband's submarine to keep from having to ascend the spiral staircase, the one who refused to even set foot near the Swiss Family Robinson treehouse at Disney, the one who prayed the entire time climbing up the tree in high school (why did we have to do Project Adventure again?!), the one who used to have recurring dreams as a child about falling, and the one who avoids roller coasters like the plague, took on the Mother of all blow up slides.  People, we are not talking small, we are talking 21 feet of blow up slide fear!  Why would I even attempt such a feat of foolishness?  The answer is simple, Braden.

He looked at me with those blue eyes of his and those adorable dimples, and said, "Mama, will you please go down the slide with me?"  Inside, I was thinking, 'Are you nuts?  You want me to do what?  Don't you know I am terrified of heights?!'  Did I say any of this though?  No.  I looked at his hopeful, trusting face, and said, "Yes, I will go down the slide with you, but I sure hope you know how much I love you to do this!  I don't really like heights, but I will do this out of love; we will be brave together!"  (pep talk more for me than him)

Just in case you forgot, here is a picture of the massive slide (picture does not do it justice)!  We're talking  21 feet people!

Well, as the story goes, Braden and I approach the line for the slide, my fear mounting, and pile in with the rest of the anxious children waiting for their turn on the slide of death.  Despite hoping and wishing, we finally reach the front of the line and are informed it is our turn to ascend the mountain of fear.  As we get closer, I frantically realize that the only thing between me and falling are some pathetic (and I do mean pathetic) plastic filled with a dowel maybe 2 to 3 inches wide and some straps to hang onto along the way, and hang on I did!  Most of the children were merely placing their feet on the steps (if you can call them that) and putting their hands on the walls as they ascended.  I thought, 'You know they put these straps here for a reason, and I intend to use them!  I feel no need to look brave!'  So, with my heart racing, my hands tightly grasped around the straps (more like hanging on for dear life), and my feet placed on those pathetic steps, I began my journey of fear.  I was doing fairly well, besides the constant praying, until I made the mistake of looking up; I realized what a terrible mistake that was immediately, when I was consumed with the dreadful feeling that this climb was never going to end!   'I was going to be on this thing forever!!!  Why did I do this again?!  Oh yeah, Braden.  Focus on Braden! Focus on Braden!'  So, that is what I did to help me get to the top; I said things like, "Braden, you can do it!  Keep holding on; we are almost there!" Don't you love how mothers have to fake bravery sometimes?  Well, we finally did get to the top (21 feet later), and I breathed a sigh of relief; that is,until I looked down the slide!  I thought, 'We have to go down there?! Well, we have gotten this far; we can't stop now!'  So, I sat down at the top of the slide, put Braden on my lap, laid back, wrapped my arms around his body, pushed forward, and screamed and slid all the way down!  And what did Braden say when we were done with our ride of terror?

"Mama, I didn't like that; it was scary!"

You think?!

Well, at least he knows he has a mother that loves him, because I am willing to do it all baby:  run into fires, scale mountains, cross rivers, and even take on...

...THE MOTHER OF ALL SLIDES!!!!!  

(all 21 feet of it)

Oh, the things mothers will do for love!

Our Resident Cool Man

Hello, my name is Braden, Mr. Cool to you!

Yeah, that's right, I'm cool!

Need another look? I know, you can't believe how one person can contain so much coolness and studliness in one body, but you see, I can't help it! Being cool is a gift, and baby I've got it!

Now, if you will excuse me, my partner Taylor and I need to go perform; when you are as gifted as I am, you are obligated to share your talent and coolness with the world!

First, we are planning to dance onto the field, and then shake it like nobody's business; they won't know what hit them, and my crazy mama will of course snap pictures like mad! She is my biggest fan after all, and who can blame her?!!!

And what do you give to your biggest fan, a quick wave and a flash of the dimples; oh yeah, I've got her eating out of the palm of my hand!

Long Time, No Blog

I can't believe it has been so long since I sat down at the computer to blog, over a month!  Let's see, what I have been up to in that month plus?  Where do I begin?   

I guess first I should begin where I left off, Emma's 3rd birthday.  Here are pictures of the family Princess Tea Party we had; you can tell she is in absolute heaven.  From the time she woke up until the time she went to bed, she was the Birthday Princess!  We ate off of the girls' tea set, wore ring pops on our fingers, ate finger foods and cupcakes made to look like tea cups filled with pink lemonade (sorry didn't get a decent picture), and we decorated the kitchen with balloons, flower shaped garland, and a vase filled with flowers we had fashioned out of tissue paper.   I decided that just because it was only a family party, it didn't mean I couldn't go all out!  It seems like such a waste to only go above and beyond when you are having invited guests; isn't the birthday girl or boy more important than the guests anyway?! 

Well, next there was Spring Break/Vacation; we drove up to Virginia to see my brother-in-law and sister-in-law John and Ashley.  What made the trip even better was that Rich's parents, Fred and Linda, flew in to Virginia as well.  We spent Friday through Monday in Virginia: going to Jamestown, going to the movies, getting rained out for some plans, getting to see my Uncle David, Aunt Becky, and my handsome cousins, and playing A LOT of Wii!  Tuesday morning we all got up and drove to Myrtle Beach to spend some time at Mama's beach house, and I can't tell you how wonderful it felt to go home!  I am and always will be a Carolina Girl!  While in Myrtle Beach we squeezed in as much fun as we could; we went to Huntington Beach State Park, Broadway at the Beach, Dixie Stampede, and of course I had to hit the outlet stores before heading back (had to pick up a few presents for my little niece due to make her grand appearance next month).  We also spent a lot of time just hanging out, playing games, squeezing in more Wii, and making wonderful memories. 

Okay, now for the rest of the time; we have been busy having our wonderful friends the Eichorns come visit, throwing a Digornio House Party (supplies and pizzas supplied by Digornio), sewing skirts, putting up new playground equipment in our backyard, which the kids call "the park", picking strawberries, coupon clipping, followed by picture taking of all the deals to be had, Easter Egg Hunt attending, celebrating Easter, going to the baby shower for my sister-in-law Amanda, playing referee to four crazy, but cute children, being entertained by the same children and their antics, dealing with all four children getting sick at the same time (we're talking need a trash can close by sick), and all the other day to day comings and goings in the Maseda House. 

Here are just a few of some of the pictures I have taken in the last month (It really is just a few; I take tons of pictures!):

The Big 3!

My sweet and sassy princess turns 3 today; I can't believe it!  I also can't believe how crazy I am about this child!  There is no one else like Emma, and that is what makes her so stinkin' cute and loveable!  She is creative, imaginative, spunky, sassy, stubborn, smart, loving, fearless, and crazy!  Emma's mind never stops and neither do her antics!  Our home would sure be a boring place without Emma and her constant entertainment!  I am grateful that three years ago, Emma chose to grace us with her beautiful presence!

(Just in case you were wondering, Emma is the baby in this picture.)

Braden (and Rich's) Leprechaun's Trap

Here is the Leprachaun Trap that Braden and Rich made together; it was a school assignment for Braden, and a LOT of fun for Rich!

I think it turned out really well, but that poor little leprachaun isn't going to know what hit him if he tries to steal the gold (a.k.a. rolos)!

Kiss Me, I'm...

Irish,

and Scottish, and Cherokee Indian, and English, and German, royalty that is (cool, huh?), and a little African American mixed in there for good measure. 

I, like most Americans, am a mutt; today however was a day to celebrate my Irish heritage, and celebrate we did! 

For the first time since we have lived here, we decided to venture to downtown Savannah for the second largest St. Patrick's Day Parade in the nation. 

Rich took the day off, we decked out in green garb (nothing too crazy), packed up some snacks, got the chairs ready, and set out, but not before taking a picture of three of our four children all dressed and ready to go.

(Yes, we did fix Emma's wig after taking this picture.)

Dreading the idea of trying to fold up a double stroller and four chairs, and load them and ourselves onto a shuttle bus, and then have to walk several blocks to the parade route, only to have to do that again to return home, we decided to chance it and just drive to Savannah in hopes of finding room in a parking garage; luckily the plan worked.  Next on the agenda, lay claim on a choice piece of land along the parade route. 

After walking for a few minutes, we found a space, and set up camp; of course now we only had two hours to wait for the parade to start!  Yeah, the natives started to get restless; in fact after Emma started to do this

Rich decided it would be a good idea to take the kids for a walk down to the park to look at the fountains and make the time go by  faster.

Once at the park, our little screamer got quite the attention, being stopped by several other parade goers wanting to take pictures of the cute little girl in the wig; if only they could have seen the cute little girl ten minutes before! 

Once the parade began, Brooke, our other little princess, got her fair share of attention too.

First the women in front of us moved Brooke's chair in front of them, so she could have a front row seat to all of the festivities.  Then she got candy from another little girl who was in the parade, and she received two green necklaces, one from a woman in the parade, and another from a firefighter in the parade.  A man in the parade, dressed in Civil War garb, yelled at Brooke,  "Oooooo nice crown princess!", and she bumped fists with a guy riding a motorcycle in the parade; not to mention the pictures that were taken of her.  Brooke was definitely not hurting for attention today, which being the princess that she is, ate it all up!

Colton, being the true ham that he is, also smiled and waved at the woman behind us; he loves attention, and he already knows how to work that charm of his!

The rest of us enjoyed the festivities as well, but maybe not the cold!  We will definitely bring more blankets and heavier coats next year; yes, there will be a next year (but only if Rich takes the day off again)! 

(waiting for the parade to begin)

(in front of the "green" fountain)

My Two Little Characters

These two are quite the characters; sometimes it is fun just to sit back and listen to their conversations.

Here is such a conversation, which took place tonight over supper.

Brooke: I want to marry someone that is smart and crazy and has the priesthood.

Daddy: Do you think I’m smart?

Brooke: I can’t marry you daddy!

Daddy: I know, that’s gross.

Braden: Why is it gross?

Brooke: I just want to marry someone like Daddy.

Braden: You want to marry someone that has a bald head?

Brooke: Noooooooo.

Braden: When I marry a girl, she better have some hair!

Needless to say, Rich and I both got a good laugh!

One of the Best Meals

Last night Rich and I had an in house date night, which we are going to try to do more of; dates cost so much once you have gotten a babysitter and paid for whatever activity you have chosen for the evening, hence the in house date nights.  On the calendar for last night was dinner, dancing, and a movie; I had the movie ready, the  snacks were bought, and Michael Buble was all set, all that was  left was dinner preparation. 

On the menu for the evening:

Steak

Salad

Spicy Shrimp Stuffed Baked Potatoes

and

Trifle for dessert

With the food finally ready, we were all set for a night of fun and romance, and I was ready to do pizza and a movie next time; there is something to be said for someone else preparing your food.  Of course when your husband tells you it is one of the best meals he has ever had, it makes it worth the effort, but I'm still thinking pizza should be on the menu for our next in house date!