Random Photos (from February).

Sweet boy with praying hands. Melt my heart.

Stetson got this new peddle car for his birthday. He challenged my Jeep and me to a race today. But then he said "You'll probably win because you drive really fast."

Homemade valentine's for Sonnet to hand out at school. (That ring is a giant eraser!)

My favorites.

Almost done with our hike and the kiddies were both tired!

Nate carved our initials in the tree in our front yard. Cute.

At the St. George Parade of Homes.

Stetson was here.

This Rocks.

We drove out to Knob Hill and hiked around the rocks this afternoon. The weather was beautiful and it was so fun!

 

A Name.

Our kids have unique names. We like it that way.

When Sonnet was a baby, we got lots of interesting comments about her name. Most people would associate it with Shakespeare or ask if I was musical (sadly, it’s an emphatic no to the latter).

Sometimes I say her name, and people ask me to repeat it, like they have no idea what I said. I usually say “Sonnet. Like a poem.” That’s my short explanation. Most people get it after that, but quite a few think I said “Sonic” (like the burger joint? Or maybe the hedgehog?). I just laugh.

My slightly longer answer for how we chose her name is that I am a writer and an avid reader, and we were looking for something different, but meaningful, that started with an S (so there’d be alliteration between her first and last name, because I had that growing up and I liked it), so Sonnet is where we landed. (We also considered Story (again because of my love of words), Sadie (because our first date was to the Sadie Hawkins dance!), Sydney (because we were obsessed with the show Alias at the time), and Sage). But once I suggested Sonnet, Nate was sold.

I don’t mind that I have to repeat her name to strangers sometimes. I love that her name is different, but not made up. I love that the chances of her meeting someone else with the same name as her are very slim. And as time has gone on, the name has taken on an even deeper meaning for me…

I always considered a sonnet to be a work of art, a masterpiece. I mean, read Shakespeare for example, and you just have to marvel at how he put words together in a specific form, over and over again, to create the lines that have captured human kind for centuries now.  It’s extraordinary talent.

I love poetry. But I decided long ago that I’m more content reading it than trying to write it. I don’t think I’ve ever composed a Sonnet worth sharing in all my years… except for my daughter...

I look at her as a strong, smart, kind, almost 9 year old girl, on the cusp of young womanhood, and I am struck with the utter miracle that she is. From the time she was born, everything about her has seemed magnificent. She was my first baby, and there is something so special about your first baby meeting her first milestones. The first laugh, the first roll, the first steps, the first day of school, the first time she does something really brave all on her own, the first time she makes you stand back and marvel at what she has become, either because of what you did, or despite it.

It takes a lot of work to be a mom, to raise a child, to turn a tiny perfect baby into a good, moral, happy individual, capable of acting with integrity all on their own. We’ve still got a lot of years to go, but I consider Sonnet my first masterpiece. No matter where she goes in life, I will always see the infinite beauty and talent contained in my baby girl. She will always be a work of art. One of the best things I’ve ever created. My Sonnet, my gift to the world.

Stetson Turns 4!

My cutest little boy turned 4 years old today!

He wanted donuts for breakfast, so off we went!

Then we walked by a kids hair cutting place and Stetson said he wanted to go in. (Usually he hates hair cuts, so I figured I'd oblige). I guess he wanted to look good for his big day! :)

Then I made him take a million pictures because, cuteness!

  

He really wanted to go to an indoor bouncy place for his birthday. So we took him and Sonnet and his little buddy Stella and they jumped their hearts out for two hours...

Then we went home to get ready for his party. He wanted a "Paw Patrol" theme, of course!

We had both sets of grandparents, Uncle Hayden, and lots of friends over for pizza and cake!

Stetson mainly wanted cars for his birthday and he loved all his presents!

My parents got him this peddle car!

Grandma made this cute "garage" for all his cars.

Sonnet gave Stetson a bag that she decorated with $1 in coins from her piggy bank. I just thought that was so nice of her.

We all wore green all day because that's Stetson's favorite color. It felt like we partied all day and it was so fun to celebrate our little boy!

 

This kid is smart, observant, witty, and kind-hearted. He's tough and strong and sweet and tender. He makes us laugh all the time. He likes things to be in order and he likes quiet time. He loves to ride his bike, play board games, read books with Mom, go camping with Daddy, and he is convinced that he can never own enough Matchbox cars. He's always asking questions and he remembers everything you say. He's determined and brave and just plain good. We love him so much.