Mighty Mud Mania

About a month ago I heard about the Mighty Mud Mania festival in Scottsdale. I guess they have been doing this for like 35 years and I had never heard of it. We went to Savers and bought some grubby clothes and old shoes to wear and met up with Grandpa and Grandma McWhorter and Alec for the day. They hold the event at Chaparral park in Scottsdale. It is an all day event full of lots of fun activities. They have an obstacle course for ages 6 and younger and another course for ages 7-17. The courses include things like climbing through tires, crawling through a mud puddle under a net, sliding down into a giant mud pit etc. etc. They also had an area that was strictly just for getting muddy and playing in the mud. The kids and I hopped into the mud zone and within seconds we were covered. Not just with muddy water but actual chunky sand filled mud clumps. It was so much fun Deke and I had a blast right a long with the kids. People everywhere with buckets and a volunteer spraying hoses to keep the mud flowing and hose everyone off. They had brought in tons of sand and had an area strictly for making sand castles and creations which Avery enjoyed. They had another section that had misters and all sorts of playhouses for the kids to play in. There were homemade slip and slides down a big grass hill complete with dish soap to make the kids fly down them. Poor Avery got going down to fast and forgot to hold her head up at the head and face planted into a pool of bubble, water, grass, and mud mixture it was hilarious. Hunter did the course for the 7-17 year olds. They organize it in heats and each heat has three kids racing each other in their age bracket. It was so fun to watch Hunter race through the course and cheer him on from the side. The kids had such a blast we loved it. It was totally free and had so much to do and enjoy. They had live music and hydration stations where they handed out waters and vitamin waters to everyone for free to keep everyone hydrated. The Scottsdale fire department brought out one of their trucks and hosed people off with the big hose at the end. Deke had to take a comb in and help the kids comb the sand out of their hair in the shower. We were cleaning mud out of their ears and other small crevices for like two days. Now that we have done it we will definitely make it an annual event it was so much fun, if you haven't been you have to go check it out.

Could those cheeks get any chubbier?

Seriously, they are amazingly, deliciously chubby. The skin just sort of oozes and you can't help but want to munch on them. She is definitely our chunkiest baby yet. People are always saying how cute she is, then they add, "look at those cute cheeks." I will never forget going with Nalene for one of the 3D ultrasounds. The ultrasound tech did a close up on her face and both of us started cracking up because we couldn't believe how chubby her cheeks were. You could tell on the ultrasound. They are so softy and we love to kiss them.

The story behind these shoes...

My sister Kimbre and I have always been able to talk and never run out of things to say. I love our conversations. We talk about our joys, our struggles, and our journey through life. Over the last couple of years a major concept that kept coming up for both of us was faith. We were both going through some very difficult times in our lives. Though the circumstances were different the concept of applying faith was the thing that both of us were struggling with. One day I was at a store just browsing and came across a display of black gift bags with the word Faith written on them. I had a thought come to my mind and quickly grabbed two and brought them home. A couple weeks later Kimbre was in town. We drove over to Target and in the car I pulled out the bags. I told her that I had thought about something an exercise of sorts that I wanted us to do together. We talked about how we were both working on increasing our faith in certain areas. I told her that we were going to go inside and find an object that represented the thing that we were waiting and hoping for in our lives. Then we were going to put it in our Faith bag representing turning it over to Heavenly Father and then having faith. We would hold onto each other's bags until this thing had come to pass and then we would give it back along with a letter that we had written to one another. For me it was having faith that I would ever have a child again. As we walked into the baby section I could feel the tears coming up in my eyes. Tiny little onesies, soft fuzzy blankets, small little church dresses etc. etc. etc. I started to remember why I usually avoided this section. Being so close to things that felt so far away and that I wanted so desperately emotion was high. I started to question myself at why I had felt like this would be a good idea and wondered if I actually believed in what I was doing. I reminded myself that sometimes trying to walk forward wanting to believe something can happen is a step towards having faith that it will happen. Thinking of wrapping a tiny little baby in a warm blanket, I thought for sure my choice would be a blanket for my bag. Then I saw a tiny pair of flip flops hanging on a rack. On the top of each sandal was a coral pink crocheted flower. They were so sweet. So tiny and feminine and sweet. "OOhhhhh, Kimbre look" I said as I picked them up. My heart burned with the desire to have a pair of tiny feet to put them on. This is what I want for my bag I said. Then realizing that I most likely would have another boy I found a cute blue pair with a surfer look to put in the bag as well. Feeling my heartache and longing rise to the surface I wondered again why I was doing this. Then it was Kimbre's turn. She found something that represented the thing that she was and is still waiting to come to fruition in her life. Then we bought them, put them in the bags and took each other's bags. About a year later I got pregnant with Emma. At my baby shower Kimbre and I were both distraught when she told me that they had looked everywhere and they couldn't find the bag anywhere with the little shoes. Months went by and I had forgotten about them when one night a package came to the door. I was sitting on the couch with Em in my arms when Deke brought the package over. Totally oblivious to what might be in it I opened the box as little paper hearts flooded out onto my lap over Emma and I. Then I knew. Barely able to see through the tears I reached down and picked up a little pair of sandals with pink crocheted flowers. Then a letter from my sister expressing her love and happiness for us. A letter to Emma that touched my heart about Kimbre's love for her and joy at her arrival. Then I just sat and cried. What do you know I did have a girl. It was June, the perfect season for sandals and their size was just right. They fit her perfectly. As I put them on her little feet I was so grateful. I felt Heavenly Father's awareness of me in both the huge desires and the small details. There were tiny feet now filling those shoes and the tiny feet belonged to our daughter. My daughter. His daughter, that he has so amazingly sent to my home to love and cherish and raise. That day at Target I wanted so badly to be able to know that this would come to fruition in my life but I didn't. All I knew was my desire for it to happen and my faith that Heavenly Father could make it happen in my life. I am grateful for his tender mercy. I know with all my heart that Kimbre's desire will be fulfilled as well. I look forward anxiously for it to happen. I feel warm inside thinking about her time of joy. I love her so much.

A peace in my soul

Last weekend we finally headed up north. Up to see our boys. It has been since Feb. 2009 almost sixteen months since we last got to visit them. When I got pregnant with Emma I was restricted to no travel over an hour away. Finally we could go and I felt like we could not get there fast enough. Being there in the pine trees and the quiet I can feel them so close. It is beautiful and still and I can reflect. When we got there Deke and Hunter got out and instantly started kneeling down and picking the weeds from around their grave. Then Hunter and Ave so quietly and reverently walked around and gathered weeds, pinecones, and pine needles from off of the surrounding graves. It pricked a very tender part of my heart as I watched my little ones serving their brothers in such a sweet way. Hunter talks about them a lot. Sometimes he cries for them and a part of me feels like my heart is literally breaking at his pain. Tears streamed down his little cheeks as he asked us when his brothers will come back. Tears were fought as we calmly tried to explain to him that we didn't know when we just know that they would. What faith in us and what we are telling him, what faith in Heavenly Father this little six year old has had to have going through this trial with us. Hunter has always been a sensitive kid, he is a very deep thinker and just loves people. I know he misses them deeply at times. It is hard not to be able to take the pain away from him. As I knelt down on the grass holding Emma I felt healing. There are still days that I miss them so much, I feel so incomplete, a part of me is missing and empty. However, today those once achy arms hold a warm snuggly ball of chub. My tears fall on a beautiful head of dark hair. Big blue eyes look up at me questioning what is wrong. Emma has not taken away the pain or filled the void that will always be there until they are in our arms again but she has helped us heal. For the first time in a long time...my soul is at peace. The impression came to me that Ethan and Dylan were feeling so much joy for Deke and I that we had been able to have such a wonderful pregnancy and now had Emma. I felt as if they were sharing in our happiness. I feel like they probably helped her get ready and helped in sending her to earth to be with us. The image of the three of them in heaven together, her big brothers excitedly preparing her to come be with Dad, Mom, Hunter and Avery touches my very core. I can feel their joy. I can feel that they feel happy that Deke and I are doing so well and are patiently applying faith as we wait for them. I know they know the depth of our love for them. We are moving on...not from them but towards them as we continue through the path that is our life. Expanding our family and continuing to add all its little members so that when we are with them again there are no more "empty chairs." Right in this moment as I sit here holding her, next to them... my soul is at peace.

Reunion time

Every year we look forward to our Adams family reunion. It celebrates the life of my Great Grandma Adams. Usually we all arrive on Friday and everyone camps for the weekend. This year however we held the reunion at one of my uncle's homes. They have around fifty acres up north on Great Grandma's orginal property. The property is so beautiful, it has a creek running through it, there are horses, llamas and all other sorts of creatures, an orchard, a barn with a hayloft, and a beautiful meadow. Deke and I had so much fun visiting with cousins that we had not seen in a few years, eating yummy food and taking in the gorgeous weather. The kids were absolutely fascinated with playing in the hay, hanging out by the creek and having so much space to run and play. The guys played their usual game of "old guys" versus "young guys" football I guess now that Deke is 30 he is officially part of the old guy team.Part of the reunion every year is a raffle. Everyone brings items either homemade or bought and we all buy tickets and put them in for the items that we are interested in. It is always fun to see what different people win or sometimes the gag gifts that people end up with. Avery of course wanted to put all her tickets in for a pair of decked out flip flops of course to feed her shoe need. Hunter won a couple of Tonka trucks and a slinky. I won some cute hairbows that my cousin Brittany made. I loved watching the kids play around in the hay. They jumped in it and threw it in the air and jumped off of it and hid in it. They found a baby bird up inside the hayloft and climbed up and down the ladder all day. Emma was passed from arms to arms and in her true mellow nature just slept and then smiled at whoever was taking their turn holding her.

At night the kids all crammed into our tent which they loved but was extremely squished and looks totally uncomfortable. However I think that they were all so exhausted that they probably didn't even know the difference. Always lots of fun.

Cute kids

Trying to get a picture of all three of them looking is not an easy task. It really doesn't matter though because no matter how you slice it, these three are just plain cute.

Baby kisses

I love when my babies "give me kisses" even though they are actually only rooting around looking to nurse I love that they give those sweet little open mouth kisses. Then if they manage to get close enough they will latch on to your cheek or chin and start sucking, it cracks me up. I just love kissing and holding Emma, she is such a cuddly baby. I know that Heavenly Father knew how much I needed to have that snuggling with a little one again. How much I have longed for it. I seriously need to work on putting her down more but I can't help it I just love to hold her, stare at her and laugh at every silly facial expression she makes. I love having a baby in the house, it feels so good.