Emily at 6 months

Yesterday Emily saw Dr. Edwards (our pediatrician) for her six month checkup. And not to our surprise her weight, length and head circumference are all in the 90-95th percentile. It continues to amaze us that she has food allergies because she is certainly getting enough nutrients! She has rolls of fat on her legs. Her cheeks are so kissable and you just want to hold her dimply hands and arms all the time!

Emily's latest achievements include rolling every which way and getting up on her hands and knees and rocking. Soon she will be crawling, maybe...maybe....because she can roll to anywhere she wants to go and she's fast. She has also started eating solids. This has been kind of fun because I have to make sure everything she eats has no additives. Instead of eating the store bought baby cereal I have learned how to make my own--grind up brown rice in the wheat grinder and cook it like Cream of Wheat. So far she has eaten applesauce, bananas and tonight she ate asparagus for the first time. She was a great example to her older siblings since they are kind of picky about vegetables.

The stats:

Age: 6 months

Date: August 11, 2011

Length: 27.5 inches

Weight: 18 lbs. 5 oz.

Head Circumference: 43.75 cm

We love you so much baby Emily! And feel so blessed to have you in our family.

Stewart Falls

I've been in a hiking mood lately. It seems to hit me every year around July. Two days ago, Mike and I climbed Bells Canyon in Sandy City for our anniversary. The kids were jealous we went hiking so I talked with some people and did some research for family friendly AND dog friendly hikes. Stewart Falls up Provo Canyon seemed to be a top pick for a lot of folks. It's not hard to see why.





We saw this mushroom or toadstool. I should google it to find out which it is. But too tired after carrying our 20 pound chunky baby up and back on the hike. (Mike carried the backpack AND Michaela part of the way, so I can't really complain. Oh, AND he held on to Chewy's leash.)

Michaela says the mushroom is Tinker Bell's house.

Here's what a lot of the hike looks like. So gorgeous.





At the top we plopped down to eat our gourmet dinner of peanut butter sandwiches, carrots and apples.

The kids were saying they were still hungry, so Grandma pulled out her homemade trail mix. The kids ordered up. Jake didn't want pistachios, but Michaela did. He wanted the Brazil nuts. Caleb only wanted cashews, but not the dried fruit. Chewy just looked on wondering what all the fuss was about.

The waterfall.

P.S. Mike did come along. He took all the pictures with his handy dandy smart phone that takes really good picts. I'm still not seeing how a smart phone improves his firefighting job performance, but hey, it takes good pictures.

Havasu July 2011

Sigh…I’m writing this as we drive away from Lake Havasu, Arizona after spending 5 fun-filled, sunny days with Mike’s family. We swam, wake boarded, innertubed, swam some more, slept in, ate, swam and ate some more. Thanks to Mike’s Aunt Kathy, we got to stay in her waterfront lake mobile home. Thanks to Mike’s parents and his other aunt, Sherrill, we ate delicious food.

Here are some trip highlights:

Caleb kneeboarded for the first time (see video in Smilebox slideshow below)! Kathryn kicked Mike off the innertubed when he pretended to balance the tube when he was really trying to make his wife fall off. During this vacation, they also settled the debate that the term “cookies in the parking lot” is indeed an Idaho regional colloquialism and not a phrase Kathryn made up as much as her husband tries to say it is. And this debate was only settled after Mike used his trusty little “gotta have” smartphone to research the phrase. (Someone still needs to convince me how a smartphone helps a firefighter improve his job performance, so therefore, it is worth the extra monthly expense. Just sayin’.)

Emily did great, such an easy going infant. Cooed and smiled at everyone. Jake and Michaela enjoyed tubing, driving the boat with Grandpa and playing in the water with Aunt Sherrill. Kids got to play with Uncle Joey and Uncle Brandon and Brandy (Brandon’s girlfriend). Chewy nearly drowned going after a duck 100 yards out on the lake. Okay not really drowned, but scared us a little when we couldn’t find him for a few minutes and then saw him trying to get back to shore when he heard us calling for him. Dog is part fish, methinks.

On the way home to Utah, we stopped and visited with Uncle Matt, Aunt Buffy and kids in St. George. The only thing that could have made the trip better would be having Grandma and Grandpa Hasert at the lake. Fortunately, they were able to stop and see us a few days after we got back to Utah on their way home from Minnesota.

We are now getting back into a regular routine, dreaming of the next time we get to go again. Love to all!

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Father's Day

Mike had to work today, Father's Day. After church we headed up to the fire station so the kids could give him their cards and gift. The kids all picked out cards and signed them all by themselves. Michaela's way of signing her dad's card was by scribbling all over it and drawing a large spider because she knows how to draw circles and lines, and so drawing spiders are her favorite thing. She likes to draw them and hold it up to Mike and ask him, "How many legs does he have, Daddy?" He will guess and then she will add some more and ask again. This continues until she can't squeeze anymore legs on her "spider." Michaela adores her father. When she wakes up in the night afraid, she asks for him. And I try not to be hurt when trying to comfort her and she turns her back and says, "I want Daddy." But I wouldn't really have it any other way. I want our girls to have a man in their life they feel completely safe with and can lean on. Someone they hold up as a standard when it comes time to choose to marry and not settle for anything less that what they had growing up. A man who will sit patiently while his daughter tries to comb his hair and say, "Daddy, you don't have much hair." And then pretends to wash it, smooth it out and shave him. A man who will lay on the ground and play Star Wars figurines (although I don't think this is a taxing thing for Mike, I know he is more than happy to patronize them in this activity). A man who will lay down the law when needed, a man who knows when his children are lying and insist they tell him the truth and gets it. A man who loves his wife, and treats her with more respect than anyone else in his life, never complaining about all her idiosyncrasies. A man, even though deathly tired, will stay awake in bed listening to his wife's worries and concerns, and lie and say he is happy to hear about them. A man that makes them laugh, always. A man who will never let his family go hungry and will forgo little luxuries so that his children can have certain things. A man who relishes in pretending to be the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus. A man who makes you feel like everything will be okay when he hugs you and holds you. A man who isn't perfect, but is the perfect husband and father. That is the kind of man I want our girls to look for when they are choosing a husband. A man just like their dad.

It is no secret that my childhood had some very unhappy times. And because of certain happenings, I often found it difficult to believe that my life could be happy, stable and secure. I learned to be an independent, hard working, don't rely on anyone kind of person. That was how I could protect myself. If I didn't rely on anyone, then they did not have the power to bring me any unhappiness. But then I met Mike. And I had to let go. And it was scary for me. However, I am grateful I did. Marrying him was the BEST decision I have ever made and will probably remain to be the best decision I have ever made. The nine years we have been married have been the happiest of my life and it is all because of him.

Happy Father's Day, my love.

Our goings and comings

READER ALERT: Lengthy post!

It's hard to believe, but school is O-U-T! I'm glad, too. Our last 8 weeks have been crazy busy. With two kids in soccer our Saturdays were eaten away with watching tough little Jake's and gazelle Caleb's soccer games. Lots of fun but very busy. It's nice that soccer and school is over so no drop off or pick up to worry about. Caleb will continue with piano and I decided to enroll him and Jake in an art class this summer. One of our neighbors is offering killer deals on art classes and we just couldn't pass up the opportunity.


Jacob has done well in preschool and soccer this year. He still remains our cute cuddly monkey. He is such a good kid and quietly observes that I don't realize how much he knows and understands until one day he just pops out with stuff. Like writing his name. His preschool teacher had been working with him, but he would never write for me at home. But one day, he pulled out a piece of paper and wrote it. Lately, he's been drawing our family. His latest rendition was with all of us holding light sabers. Not surprised.

Michaela and I have begun to find a new rhythm or cadence, if you will. She has her own mind and that tends to present some interesting challenges between us. For example, cleaning up is her least favorite thing, but it is the one thing that would make me jump over the moon if she would decide to do it happily and quickly. But the two antonyms to those words is what she chooses instead. However, I have found that she loves to be my big helper (most of the time) and when I praise her and cuddle with her more she tends to be more compliant. Wouldn't it be nice if each child was sent with his/her own instruction manual? Because this trial and error thing with each child is very difficult!

All three older children have been taking swimming lessons, too. We decided to do private lessons and we have a great instructor named Jamie. She's very good with the kids. Caleb and Michaela are a little more cautious, but Jamie has been patient and encouraging and it seems to be paying off. Jacob doesn't need encouraging. You have to constantly watch him because the child has no fear--he plunges, he splashes, he dives. I worry most about him because he insists he doesn't need a life jacket when the water is five feet deep. I still scratch my head that he is the one with epilepsy! He has reached the year anniversary without any seizures, by-the-way. Wonderful!

Emily is growing like a weed in spite of still showing some allergic type reaction to her formula. Her stools (pardon the too much information) are runny and mucousy, but contain no blood. The doctor suggested we just keep her on her current formula unless blood reappears and/or she becomes fussy. She is drinking a lot of formula and if she didn't have allergy issues I would normally start her on baby cereal to keep up with her hunger, but the doctor asked me to wait for a while.

The biggest accomplishment for me and her is she is sleeping 10-11 hours straight at night. GLORY HALLELUJAH! Considering all the other kids were six months old before they did this, this is amazing. I am ever so grateful. This last week she seems to be getting frustrated and discontent with just laying on her back to play. She is rolling to the side and arching her back, just so close to rolling over. Then it will be crawling. She is quite active, a lot like Jake was. He was miraculously crawling before he learned how to sit up, and I would not be surprised if Emily is that way, too.

Mike is still working extremely hard. It seems I say this every post, but I could not ask for a better husband. He takes his role as provider very seriously and I am ever so grateful for him. He is the man of my dreams and my best friend. He is my rock. He is my balancing steady force. I love it when he comes home. We all miss him when he leaves, but we always feel his presence and the security he provides to all of us.

Chewy is loving our warmer weather. He has worn pathways in our yard as he has to see what everyone is doing in the yards next to us. I paid for some dog behavior training this next month--I was told Chewy could be taught to stop digging in our yard! If the trainer can work that miracle, he is my Moses. Look for our June post to see how well it has gone....In spite of his little shortcomings, I do love him. There are nights when I can't sleep and Mike is gone, that I curl up next to Chewy and it seems everything is okay because he just lets me lay my head on him and go to sleep. I wasn't ever sure if he would be the type of dog to be very loyal--he is just so friendly to everyone. But this last year as he has grown and matured, he has become very obedient to me and Mike. Whenever I leave, he waits by the door. When Mike comes home in the mornings, and Chewy has been outside for his morning pit stop, he anxiously waits by the door, scratching so gently, but urgently wanting to let Mike know he's glad he is home. When I open the door, Chewy rushes to Mike, wiggling all over, nudging Mike's hand, "Hello! Hello! I am so glad to see you!" he seems to say. Whenever the fence gate is left open, he doesn't leave. He really is the perfect dog and we are so glad we found him.

In upcoming news:

We are excited this summer to go to Lake Havasu again. We love it there and love to be with Mike's family.

Caleb will be having surgery to fix his umbilical hernia on Tuesday. He seems to be less worried about it than he was last December. Time has allowed him to ask a lot of questions which has helped him to relax. He attended a children's surgery class and I was impressed with how well thought out it was.

Next school year may be a little crazy. Our elementary school does a Spanish Immersion program. This is where the students are spoken to only in Spanish by their teacher 50% of the time and in English the other 50%. I wasn't sure if I wanted to enroll Caleb, but after a lot of consideration, I decided to. It is a much more rigorous program than the traditional curriculum. But Caleb needs to challenged. The idea is that he should be able to speak pretty well in Spanish by 6th grade and take advanced language classes throughout junior high and high school and even college level courses before he graduates. The principal stated that research shows students in these types of programs tend to do better in school because their brains have been more challenged. The students are taught how to work harder. That work ethic alone makes the program worth it to me. It was very frustrating as a junior high teacher to have to "dumb down" my curriculum because students didn't know how to study or complete homework. And then as a college instructor, having students still struggle with assignment completion. Having a good work ethic will help Caleb succeed in all areas of his life, not just academically. I'm excited for this opportunity for him. It will be an adjustment at first, but I think it will be worth it.

I've been asked to teach the 14 and 15 year old Sunday School class in our church. I am excited for the opportunity--a little worried about how I am going to manage on the Sundays having Emily with me when Mike is working, but my mom is always a great help whenever I need her, and my students will probably love to hold her and keep her entertained during class.

Phew, I didn't realize how much has happened in the last month with our family! If you have made it to the end of this post, congratulations! We are truly blessed as a family and love our austere little life. We do have our challenges, but we have our faith, our friends and our family that help us get through them. And really what more do you need?

Caleb's Birthday, Easter and Baby Blessing

Caleb Michael Kessel turned 7 years old this last month. I think he had a good birthday. He invited 7 boys (I think) and two girls from his class at school. And every one of them showed up. He has such a great group of friends and I feel so blessed to live where we do. And he wanted another Star Wars party. People keep asking me, "Oh, is he still in the Star Wars phase?" Let's clear up the confusion. Caleb has never nor ever will be in a Star Wars phase. This boy wants to one day attend the Jedi Temple to study to become a Jedi. In fact, I think when he leaves for college he will probably bring along his Build-a-Bear that is dressed as Obi-Wan Kenobi. He is after all, Michael Timothy Kessel's progeny.

One of the things he really wanted was a pinata. And Daddy did such a great job at pulling the pinata up and down when the kids tried to take a swing at it. My sides started hurting from laughing. They also played "Clone Trooper Says" and "Limbo." We ended the party with a Star Wars ice cream cake of course.

Here are the TWO pictures I have of his party. I had taken at least 20, but I tried to adjust some of the camera settings and somehow I deleted ALL the other pictures.



Diane and Tim were able to make a visit, too, to help us celebrate and to meet Emily for the first time. Tim and Mike spent two straight days putting together the swing set Diane, Tim and Mommy and Daddy bought for Caleb's birthday. The kids spend as much time as they can on it. They love it. Thanks, Grandpa and Daddy for your hard work! Michaela sure enjoyed being around her Grandma. She even fell asleep as Grandma was reading to her.

We had a nice Easter filled with the traditional egg coloring, hunting and celebrating.


We blessed Emily on May 1st. Nice day. Two of my brothers and my parents were able to come. The cousins had a great time playing together.



We are so richly blessed: four wonderful children and a supportive loving extended family on both sides. Thanks to all of you! We love you!

Parent Payday

Often when Caleb and I say, "I love you," to each other, the other will counter with, "Oh, yeah, well I love you to the universe and back." It started when we read the book "Guess How Much I Love You." Today, when Caleb said our little phrase he mused, "Ya know. It's weird. Everyday there's this feeling like I love you more than I did the day before." Awww.....Love that boy!

And just so my head wouldn't get too big, tonight when I was threatening Michaela to get to bed she stomped off and said, "You're such a mean mommy. I don't love you."
And such is a typical mom's day!