April 14, 2013

Brecklyn turned 14 this week!  I really can't believe my beautiful strong, determined baby is 14!  Brecklyn has blessed my life in so many ways.  She brings peace, joy, perspective, hope, and beauty into our family.  She is an awesome big sister  with all the skills that a big sister needs to be perfect-hair skills, nails, a fun miniature doll house, and incredibly creative mind and spirit.  Her sisters love to just come up into her room and see what the latest projects are.  Brecklyn loves life in all its forms-from her little puppy, to her ducks, to the plants lining her window.  She loves to capture portraits and beauty that she sees everyone in about every medium available.  She is a gifted, insightful, and clever writer, and talented artist, and a budding food connoisseur.   She loves sunshine, bare feet, and a raining "reading" afternoon.  She is quickly becoming very fit and health conscious and her body is really responding.  Her arms are ripped, her face lean, and she looks awesome in cute jeans!  Breck is probably the most giving person I know.  As a splurge on her birthday she decided to eat the cupcake the YW group had brought her.  She saved it for a special moment when she could savor it and that night I found next to my bed a tiny sliver that she had managed to keep herself from eating.  She wanted to share it with me because she knows I have a real weakness for sweets.  That is the essense of who Brecklyn is.  Kind, honest, beautiful, grounded, mindful, and wise.  She is also hilarious, witty, and confident.  I love her so very very much.

 True to Brecklyn's form, she had an entire schedule written out for her birthday that included things like pedicure for herself and the two little girls, enjoying some sunshine and Bball with Landen, reading time, jewelry making, a leisurely bowl of cream of wheat and soy milk (her choice) for breakfast while listening to a happy birthday song, etc...  We enjoyed going to the nursery to drool over flowers and herbs, she went out to lunch with Craig, and we enjoyed asparagus, black bean burgers, mangoes, and (of course) chocolate cake for dessert! 

 Capriel is really working hard at doing own hair and outfits of late.  When I questioned her reasoning behind this particular outfit she responded, " The shirt has flowers which matches the flowers on the dress, and the pants are brown like the dirt that the flowers grow out of!"  How clever!  Once, explained, I could certainly see the connection. 

 I've been spending too much time trying to determine a paint color for my peninsula and the new baking station.  I've also been wrestling with a broken washing machine.  We are dying for our washer!  

Craig performed all week in the Michael McClean's allegorical Oratorio of "The Garden"  He assumed the role of the Millstone and did a wonderful job.  I've never seen someone who more closely resembled a millstone in my life!  J/K  Honestly, he sang beautifully and the kids can't stop singing the snake song!

Craig also tried out our new rototiller and was in heaven.  I about couldn't get him to stop tilling to come in for lunch or soccer games.

A couple of Things Rhyse said that I found funny:  She got a piggy bank from Landen recently that she loves and calls her "money pig."
When we were at "The Garden" performance she leaned back and whispered to me, "Mom, that guys a little bit fat."  During the same performance I was trying to get her to keep her finger out of her nose at which she responded, "  I'm just trying to put the gunkers back in."  Also, as we were watching
The Garden, during the snake/Satan scene  I had to do some explaining to help her understand Satan and why he was bad and mean and wanting to hurt others.  After a minute she said, "I was like Peyton(how she says Satan)  a little last night."

During this same show I looked over to check on a couple of the kids who were a couple of aisles away and discovered Landen (who is 12 I might add) twirling his shoe around on her finger like a spinning bball.  To understand the gravity of this you have to realize that Landen wears only 1 pair of shoes 24/7 with the exception of bed and church.