Wonderful March!

Oh joy! is anyone else enjoying the beautiful weather?! This month has been pretty wonderful! Mike turned 5.... Yes 5! He had a good birthday I'm assuming because he was pretty happy. On his birthday, he went to school, wore the birthday badge (which is a big deal in his class), took cupcakes for the treat at school which to his specifications had worms on them, came home, had a short rest and then got to open presents from Steve and I. He chose to go to McDonald's for dinner (blah) and had fun running around the play place there, then we went to visit grandma and grandpa bean to take them some cupcakes. Mike got to spend some time playing don't break the ice with grandpa and then it was time to come home. So not really exciting, but he was happy and that's what was important :). He was really excited when we got home and there were a few messages on the answering machine for him.

We planned a birthday party for the Saturday after his birthday and it was a lot of fun. Thankfully not all the kids he invited could come! He made a list of 19 and I think we had 10 able to come. I'm glad there were not more... I failed to realize how crowded it can get in our house. The kids played a version of musical chairs where they just had to sit down when the music stopped... i was a little afraid of injuries with chairs, a balloon crab walk race, and a catch the caterpillar's scarf game before we opened presents.

(Mike was so excited about the presents he was given)

After we opened presents it was time for cake, but where was the cake? Steve had hidden it and then the kids had to go on a treasure hunt of sorts to find it. It was really fun, especially at the end when they had to do the hokey pokey for the last clue which included aunt Becky and aunt Jennie getting into it :) Steve was hiding in our pantry trying to eat the cake and the kids thought it was pretty fun to chase uncle steve who was carrying a cake.

(the hunt begins! )

Mike had so much fun and was exhausted after everyone left... and so was I!

I am so thankful that I have Michael! He is always such an adventure!
I love hearing his imagination going wild with the stories he comes up with for his cars or spacemen. He loves to ask questions about everything, loves to play in costumes, and sings at the top of his lungs especially with "follow the prophet"! Mike is sometimes very sensitive and thankfully pretty loving of the people around him. He is so excited about this summer and t-ball. hopefully swimming lessons too, but we'll see, Steve wants to teach him.
He has come a very long way in his life... that's kind of weird to say, but it's true! he's come from being little scrawny boy at 5lbs 6 oz to a tall for his age 42lbs and 4ft 1 1/2", I know he's not huge, but I can't seem to keep clothes that are long enough on him! Mike has now started to get ready for Kindergarten... hip hip hooray! he's memorized almost all the sight words and is starting to understand the concept of sounding words out. He loves reading and asking questions, especially the question "what kind?" which can get a little frustrating when he asks it in about strange things. He still struggles somewhat with language skills like comprehension and expression, but that's just part of PDD (pervasive development delay) that most preemies have. He tries really hard to please his teachers, his family, and Heavenly Father. He loves primary and even (sometimes) sacrament meeting. Michael loves pizza, hates tomatoes, and enjoys scaring his mom(sounds a bit like Steve). MY BOY IS SUCH A JOY!

We still celebrated the birth of our little Joshua Jay and were really thankful for a thoughtful neighbor who somehow knew it would be a difficult for our family and brought us a pie. It was a wonderful surprise and a blessing I didn't know I needed. Josh is still a big part of our family, it's sometimes disappointing that people (family, friends, whomever) act as if recognizing that will bring us a lot of pain, but it's just the opposite. When people intentionally act as if he was never here it tears my heart open. It helps to hear that others still know his name and use it and remember that he is and always will be part of my family, that they don't just skip over the memories that involved him, and it helps when others realize that any tears that are shed are not because of excruciating pain, but because we love him so very much. To put it in a simpler way, I have a missionary in the field. The difference between me and a mother of a 19 yr old missionary, is that I don't get letters, or a phone call twice a year. Two years will be up, but my son will probably not be coming back to me, but he will still be serving and do the Lord's work. I do get perks though, I get to have that little piece of heaven in my home always, I get to feel his spirit near every once in awhile, and I know he is always safe where he is.

My boys came into this world in a way I never expected... together. They are separated now, but not forever. Michael still asks questions and talks about Josh. We still go out to the cemetery to visit every once in awhile and enjoy the peace that is felt there. I worry that memories will fade as Mike gets older, but I've been very comforted by the Lord in knowing that our family is sealed together. We've just got to make it back to our Father in Heaven too :) We are so excited that our little GIRL (we're having a girl in July) gets to have time with her older brother Josh in a perfect beautiful place!