Ayezlyn

This is Miss Ayezlyn. Her first birthday was this week so we spent the day celebrating yesterday. She is a good little baby. We don't get to see her very often because she, her parents and her sisters live in Tulsa, which is a two hour drive from our house. Ayezlyn is my husbands' little sister's baby girl. My husband's sister, Erin, is a great mom. The first time I met her she was pregnant with her daughter Makayla and I thought she was one of the most beautiful women I had ever met. It's a lot of fun to watch her interact with her three girls.



Aren't they beautiful? We went to dinner after the party and the two oldest girls, Jaida and Makayla, wanted to ride home with Uncle Ryan and Aunt Dena. They sat in the backseat and asked us questions like "What do you want to be when you grow up?" and Ryan and I just stared at each other. That is such an easy question to answer for those little girls, so full of hopes and dreams and ambition. While Ryan and I are half grown and still have no idea what the idea of being "grown ups" really means.

Jaida is going to be a singer when she grows up. She is in the choir at church and loves to sing. She is eleven and starting to act and feel like a teenager. I wish she would hold out a few more years.

Makayla is six. She is going to be an artist when she grows up. Or a singer. She would also like to be a mom. She loves her sisters, her cousins, and especially her Nana.

Sitting in the backseat Makayla asked "Dena, how old are you?"
"I am 23 years old" I responded.
She paused for a moment, crossed her arms and said,
"Ha! My Nana is older than you!"

:)

I love those girls.

Cameron

This is little Cameron. Isn’t he beautiful? He is my newest nephew. I have been looking forward to his arrival for a very long time now. My sister had her first child in 2002. Jenna was the first niece I ever had (though, she’s not the oldest, anymore). And Cameron won’t be the youngest for long. My brother’s wife is due any day now with their second child, Weston. It is so fun to see my family growing. And the best part is watching the joy on parents’ faces when they get to see their grandchildren. I can’t wait to see them overjoyed to watch my kids run and play. We still have a few years ‘til that day comes, though. Here is Cameron with his big sis, Jenna.






Jenna was so excited to find out she was going to be a big sister. She had been begging her mom for years for a little sister. Before the ultrasound that showed Cameron as a little boy, my husband and I would pick on the poor girl. She would fight us so hard. She was determined that the baby was a girl, and we would not convince her otherwise! But she was just as excited when we found out he was a boy. And now that he’s here, I have never seen her act so lovingly toward another child (which is really saying something! She is one of the sweetest, most loving kids I have ever known).

What else can I say about Cameron? He is a little over a week old now and I have yet to kiss his little face. I came down with a virus the day before he was born and even though I was fever free after he got here, I was so careful to not touch his face and to always wear a mask around him. Hubby and I are preparing to go see him now. I cannot wait to kiss his sweet little face and whisper how much I love him in his ear!

I have waited so long for his arrival, it almost seems as though he cannot be real. My sister and her husband had tried for quite a while to get him here. It’s so strange to think that he was such a vague notion nine months ago. We were so excited to meet him, but we had no idea who he would be then. Now that he’s here and we can hold him and love him, it’s hard to imagine life without him. And he’s not even two weeks old yet. I can’t wait to see who he will grow up to be. Will he be a musician, like his daddy? Or a writer, like his mommy? Or maybe he will be a dancer like his sister. Or a farmer like his Pop. Maybe he will blow us all away with the things he will be. Maybe he will be nothing like the rest of us, and that will be ok. We love him, and he will love us. And that’s all that matters in this entire world.

I want to...

It has been over a year since I have blogged. I want to write more. In fact, I want to do so much more. I have been working hard this year to achieve my goals and realize my self worth. It has been hard and I have not made much progress. But this year, I vow to not give up.

For starters:

I want to write more.
I want to get out of the teller line.
I want to take better care of my husband.
I want to read more.
I want to lose weight.
I want to figure out a way to be my own boss.
I want to spend more time with my family.
I want to save more money.
I want to make more stuff.
I want to be better at keeping my house clean.
I want to be more assertive.

I want I want I want.

But really? It just feels good to “want to” again.