We partied like three-year-olds :)

January 31st, 2009 by Mariah

Tyler’s Chuck E Cheese birthday party finally happened. It was a week late, but we did it!  My boy has been feeling much better and so we rescheduled his birthday party for 1 week later. The Hussey’s, the Douglas’, the Reeve’s and the Bucks (Mom included) partied hard at Chuck E Cheese.

This was the perfect party for Tyler. He could run from game to game, he could play on the slide and in the tubes, eat pizza, drink soda, and go back to do it all over again. He had a blast. It was loud and it was wild ~ it was perfect for Tyler!

After the kids played and we all had pizza, cake and did presents, the Reeve Family challenged the other grown ups to a Dance Revolution face off. There were several adults who were not up for the challenge and bowed out before they could be embarrassed beat at the game. But Laurissa, Dave, Jordan and Mariah rocked it out!  It was shameful and embarrassing but oh, so much fun!

When the night was over and it was time to leave, Tyler was sad. Daddy and Mommy tried to explain that he could pick out a prize before we left. But all he wanted to do was to go back and play. We quickly picked out a package of Chuck E stickers and we were on our way home. My baby was so worn out that he kept shaking his head back and forth just to stay awake. We got home and he played for a minute or two, went up to bed and crashed! I think, if he could remember back, he would say that this was his BEST birthday ever! We’ll see what happens next year.

Posted in Birthday, Life in Idaho, The boys, Thoughts by Mariah, Tyler || 1 Comment

Tyler’s 3rd Birthday

January 24th, 2009 by Mariah

Well, the day is done. It has been such a happy day but such a sad one as well! My tiny, sweet, first born son has turned three. He had the stomach flu and a high fever for two days before his birthday, so we weren’t sure how he would be feeling. We prayed and prayed. God is good. He answered our prayers and Tyler felt good for his birthday!

The day started like any other, at about 6:00am. My sweet boy is a morning person. I am not sure where this came from. Mommy, Daddy and Brother all like to sleep in. But that’s Tyler - he is his own person. Unique in every way! Tyler will happily choose a salad over a hamburger any day. He loves cars, animals (especially dogs) and he love, love, loves to run around and race.

Usually our morning goes something like this: 5:30-6:00am Tyler wakes mommy up. We head downstairs, I turn on cartoons and lay down on the couch. I am in and out of consciousness for the next 2 hours. When I do finally give up hopes of getting some more sweet sleep, it is usually because Tyler has poked, tickled, or pinched my nose for the 10th time and I have lost all hope. Yet every day I try. Maybe someday!

Tyler’s birthday morning was a bit different. He still woke up at 6:00am. I was so happy to give him his good morning hug and happy birthday and not feel him burning up like the previous 2 days. We headed downstairs and I had full intentions of continuing our normal routine game. Mommy tries to go back to sleep while Tyler tries to wake mommy up. But, as I prepared the couch with a snuggly blanket, Tyler looked at me with is bright blue, doe-like eyes and said, “Mommy guess what? It’s Tyler’s BIRTHDAAAAY!” I smiled the best smile I could in my semi consious state. “Yes, my love, you’re right. Happy birthday.” Needless to say that he guilted me in to staying awake.

* Even at 6 in the morning, he wakes up ready to run!*

He and I had two and a half hours of alone time together. We played cars, we raced, we played Gator Golf, and did pretty much anything Tyler wanted to do. At about 8:30 we went upstairs and woke up Daddy. Then Brother.

*We watched Kung Fu Panda (jumped on the couch) and Tyler wrestled with Brother*

We didn’t go anywhere or do much since he had been sick. We kept the day pretty low key. Tyler got to open his presents and we had cake and ice cream. Nana came over for spaghetti dinner. Tyler had a Lightning McQueen and Mater birthday cake. He loved it! He got Silly Six Pins, a remote control Pluto dog, a computer game and two matchbox cars. We had asked him before shopping for his presents what he wanted. His only request was a yellow car and a green car. So he got both colors that he asked for.

As the night was ending and I tucked Tyler into bed, I asked him if he had a happy birthday. He said that he did. I asked him what was his favorite part and he said that it was ice cream and his yellow and green car. What a sweety!  I am so thankful to be Tyler’s mommy and to have celebrated his third birthday the way we did. We had a great family day together! Happy birthday Sunshine! I love you so much!

**Spaghetti face!**

For the coming year, I pray that God will bless you with wisdom. I pray that you will grow in your knowledge and love for God. I pray that you never loose your sweet demeanor and your love for everyone! You are getting so big, but I pray that you don’t think you are too big to still call me mommy. (Mom is not acceptable!) I pray that you know how much you are loved and are always secure in that knowledge. I pray that you will know that Mommy and Daddy will be together forever and I pray you never doubt or wonder about that. I pray that you and your big brother stay close and that you continue to look up to him. He loves you so much! And I pray that you love your new baby brother or sister without feeling like you are being replaced. You are loved. There is no one like you in the whole world! No one with your smile, your laugh, your likes and dislikes. No one who loves puppies, or cars or dirt and snow as much as you do. You are the most special Tyler in the world. Your family loves you. And God loves you. My prayer for you this year is that you don’t grow too fast but have another year of “firsts.” You are my sweet boy and mommy loves you!

**Here is Tyler all tired out from his birthday**

Posted in Birthday, Life in Idaho, The boys, Thoughts by Mariah, Tyler || 2 Comments

The Ultimate Compliment

January 22nd, 2009 by Mariah

Today I took both of the boys for haircuts. Brandon dreads this ritual and Tyler loves it. Brandon begs not to go and Tyler begs to go!  How different they are! There were two stylists available at the same time so the boys got their haircuts together. Tyler’s was quicker than Brandon’s. He is almost 13 and has taken quite an interest in his looks. His hair had to be just right. Not too long, not too short. Anyway when he was almost done, the stylist asked Tyler what he thought of his brother’s hair. Tyler responded - “He’s handsome just like Tiger.” Yes, that’s right. Tiger is our dog. Ty loves his dog so much. If you knew the relationship between Tyler and Tiger then you would know.. He just gave Brandon the ultimate compliment!

Brandon wasn’t all that happy to be compared to the dog. But he understood the love behind the comment.

Posted in Thoughts by Mariah || 1 Comment

Winter Retreat

January 20th, 2009 by Mariah

I just got back from my youth group winter retreat in Cascade Idaho. It was so much fun that I wish it lasted longer. On the way there we had a freeze off, which is basically where we rolled down all the windows in the car (at 9 degrease Fahrenheit) for like two minutes. Once we got to the cabin, the snow was so deep it was up to your knees!

Inside the cabin there was a siting room and to your left a dinning room and a kitchen to your right. There was also another room to your right which was where the boys slept. They said we were like sardines. Our sleeping bags were going from wall to wall and there were ten boys sleeping in that room(but me and another kid where on different couches) And by the sitting area there were stairs. Up the stairs was where the girls slept. It was a lot of fun. We stayed up until one thirty and got up at like seven something.

That night we had an introduction to the study we were going to do. It was about faith and how faith affects you.The gospel means good news so the bible is Gods good news. Faith affects our actions after receiving the good news. Now that is only the short version of the long story but that study really spoke to me. It is one of my favorite parts about the trip.

The next day we woke up and wanted to get out and go play in the snow. Finally we were able to, and all of us went to this sledding mountain. It was the biggest sledding mountain I had ever seen! It was so much fun. By the second time going up it you were worn out it, was that big! We were there for about 4 hours then after, we ate (which was at like two) some of us went back to the cabin (I was among those who went back.)

Afterward we all hung out and played in the snow again much later (after the rest of the group had time to warm up again) and then came inside and had dinner and played card and board games. Later, at midnight, it was lights out and the next morning we woke up, packed, had breakfast and cleaned the cabin. Then we hit the road!

We got back at about three thirty and I was pooped! But I had so much fun! I think that the entire youth group grew closer. I had so much fun i can’t wait till we do it again!

Posted in Brandon, Life in Idaho, Thought by Brandon || 2 Comments

Anxious

January 19th, 2009 by Mariah

My baby boy has only 6 short days until he is a big THREE year old!  We have been preparing him for this and telling him all about our plans for him on his birthday.. Cake, ice cream and a Chuck E Cheese birthday party. He is really excited and can’t wait for Saturday to get here.

Today after his afternoon nap he was playing a preschool game on the computer. He stopped mid game and sighed. He asked me, “Hey mommy.? How are you today?” I told him I was good and asked him how he was doing today. He said, “Not weawy (really) good.” When I asked why, he answered “Because it’s not my birthday yet.”

I would say that he is going to have a lot of fun on his birthday this year!

Posted in Thoughts by Mariah || 1 Comment

The Father of Lies

January 10th, 2009 by Mariah

Recently I received an email from a dear friend. She and I talk about the shared experience of loosing babies. My friend lost her precious baby girl, Hope, 5 days after she was born. And of course, I lost Riley after less than 3 months of pregnancy. My friend and I have such different circumstances, yet we have found that in grieving our children, we are so much the same. I feel like God has put this dear woman in my life for a very great reason! She has insight that sometimes I don’t have. Sometimes I have insight that she had not yet had.

In my friends email she mentioned hearing of a family who had lost their baby from a full-term stillbirth. It happened to be a couple that she was very close to from CA. Anyway, in her email she shared that the father of the still-born baby, who is a Christian; now is making statements quite reasonable for an angry parent of a dead baby. This father is stating that it is Satan who steals, kills and destroys. This poor grieving father believes, (at least now in his anger) that his baby’s death had nothing to do with God. That God was nowhere in these circumstances. I ask for prayer for their family!

My friend asked me in her email what my take was on all of this in regards to the death of Riley. Here is what I told her and what I truly believe..

I feel like God had a plan in Riley’s short life. I don’t feel like it was Satan who “took” my baby. That gives him too much power. I don’t feel that he is more powerful that God. Riley’s days were ordained. Written in His book. Although so extremely sad for me in my mortal state, I know that God has and had a plan in it all. And Riley is living in His glory everyday! Worshiping Him, never knowing the pains of this life. Never having sinned. Never knowing cold, sickness, sadness or pain. All that my precious baby knows is what it is like to see our Savior’s face. I will never wonder the faith of my child. For I am certain of where he or she is. And I am certain I will meet my baby one precious day!

Now, after pondering the above senario, today I got an email about a family in our church. The wife was pregnant and was expecting very close to my due date. She had a miscarriage today. Boy did those old emotions start flowing when I heard this! The pain! How my heart hurt. It was like I lost Riley yesterday. The tears began to flow. As they do even now as I write this. But the tears were not only for myself. They were for this poor mother. It caused me to ask myself, Will I be on the other end this time? Last time it was Heather Erwin, a friend in our homeschool group, who carried her baby to term (around the same time as I was due) and now enjoys holding and loving her sweet little girl everyday, while I morn the loss of Riley. Now will it be me who carries and ultimately births a healthy baby, while this other mother morns the loss of her child? Will she look at my growing belly at church each week and wish it were her? Will she see my baby, when born, and experience the hurt all over again - realizing that this is what her baby may have looked like? Would it have been a girl? A boy? I know I went through those emotions (and sometimes still do) when I see Rebekah Erwin.

In the little time I have had to process this information, I feel so equipped to pray for this mom and her husband. I know EXACTLY what it is like. I know what she is going through and what she will go through. May God bless me with the ability to lift her and her husband up in prayer. I pray He will give me words to minister to her broken heart! But above all, despite and in spite of the hurt, to know it was Him who had a plan. It is not Satan who takes away. He is the Father of Lies!  May this family not be decieved! It is our Soverign God who gives and takes away. I pray that they would be covered in His love. I pray that they would be united in their marriage and in their grief. And I pray that this whole situation, as hard as it is, would be used for His glory!

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will leave this life. The LORD gives, and the LORD takes away.  Praise the name of the LORD.”  Job 1:21

Posted in Pregnancy, Thoughts by Mariah, loss || 2 Comments

Catching Up

January 3rd, 2009 by Mariah

Well, I haven’t been all that great on updating what is going on with us. Things have been so hectic around here. But hectic in a good way!! Where do I start??

We found out in late October that we are expecing a baby!  Yah Who! This news was not a surprise, as having babies has pretty much been all that I can think of since loosing Riley. I have had many moments of sadness thinking of the pregnancy milestones that I will be missing and have missed with Riley. But God is so good. He has blessed us with another baby and the joy that He has brought to us with this news, helps to make the sad times more few and far between. I have been reluctant to post about this pregnancy because of loosing Riley. Not that we didn’t call and tell the world - but I didn’t want to endure blog posts like last time. So we have waited, and waited. It seems like forever. But now here I go.. Commiting it to black and white. YES we are having a baby. We are due July 23, 2009

Here in Idaho we have been getting a TON of snow. I have no idea how many inches, but It was a lot! The boys loved every second of it. They had snowball fights with Daddy and took turns on the sled. I can not say that I am a fan of the cold here in Idaho.. And I am not sure I ever will be (Hey, I’m a California girl!) But my kids sure do have some great times out in that snow. I like to look at it, but not so much be out in it.

This year, I had the privilege of making Christmas sugar cookies with the boys. I fondly remember making them with my grandma when I was little; but I have always been too intimidated to do them on my own with my kids. This year I got brave. It was so much fun!  I made the cookies and the frosting from scratch. Brandon helped me to cut out the shapes and bake the cookies, and both he and Tyler happily helped decorate the cookies. It was a lot of fun. But cleaning up sprinkles for 5 days afterward wasn’t all that fun. Funny, I don’t remember that from when I was a kid!

Christmas came so quickly this year! We all got an amazing gift this year. Mom/Nana came to Idaho PERMANENTLY to live. We have so enjoyed having her here. I am not sure who is more excited - the grown ups or the kids. There is one thing that is for sure.. She is loved! Her “little green house” (as she likes to call it) is really nice!  She made all the choices for flooring, cabinets, carpet and tile. And the place looks amazing!  It’s warm too

Then there was Christmas. This year Shaun and I made a commitment to scale it down when it came to presents, for each other and for the boys. Funny thing - we didn’t miss the way we have done it in the past. None of us could think of a single thing we wanted and wished we got. Our morning was low key, and we were able to focus on the real reason for Christmas. The celebration of our Savior’s birth. We had the Hussey family and Mom over for a big turkey dinner. It was a great day!  I couldn’t have asked for anything more.

Well, for now you are caught up.. We are still here and I will try to be better about posting what’s up with the Bucks.. Peace out!

Posted in Brandon, Christmas, Life in Idaho, Mom, Pregnancy, The boys, Thoughts by Mariah, Tyler, baking, snow || 2 Comments