Damon's 4th Birthday

Damon has been anxiously awaiting his 4th birthday!  And this year, Easter fell on his birthday!  I wonder how many times that will happen in his lifetime, or if it will ever even happen again.  He thought it was pretty cool. 

 

He was very excited to open presents after we woke him up.  Kelton and Natalie even decided, without my prompting at all, to use their own money that they earned doing jobs to buy Damon a birthday present.  Well, Kelton got carried away with the spirit of giving and had to be reigned in.  He bought Damon three presents and wanted to get more.

 

Nate and I got him a scooter, new clothes, 2 Disney Planes airplanes, a Hotwheels monster truck, a train car, and a sock monkey (that I made).  Kelton got him 3 Planes airplanes and Natalie got him one.  (Can you tell there was a good sale on those?)  G-ma/pa Webb got him two Hotwheels helicopters and a Bubble Guppies board game.  G-ma/pa Burgess gave him a Planes track set with a set of mini planes.  This kid loves toys and was so excited about all of them!

Here he is with all of his new Planes and his helicopters.  (One of the planes, Dusty, he had already bought a month or so ago.)

New clothes--oh, so handsome!

I didn't get input or give options for Damon's cake.  I know he likes Ninjago and knew it would be an easy cake.  I know that Cole, the black ninja, is his favorite, but I tried to get him to pick a different favorite so I wouldn't have to frost the whole cake black.  No such luck.  The black ninja is the favorite.  I debated buying the black "spray paint" for frosting, but decided to just go the route of dying it black.  I started with chocolate frosting to make it easier, and really, it wasn't hard at all.  The taste wasn't affected by the coloring, and it didn't even turn our mouths black!

Happy boy, before church on Easter morning with his birthday cake.

I know I have mentioned how much I love his cute little face.  But I do.  It shows his personality so well.  These pictures are all pretty much the same, other than his expression, and I couldn't choose my favorite.

I still can't figure out what he kept looking at up there.

He wanted to take a picture with his "Cole hat" that he got for Christmas.

Rob, Tina, Christian, and Grandma Trish (Tina's mom) joined us for Easter/birthday dinner.  It was fun to have all of them over.

And yes, chocolate cake with black frosting is messy.

Unless you are Kelton.  "Mom, look at my messy face..."

Arie looked like someone had punched her in the eye.  Which.... would not be entirely improbable around here.

Damon was lucky enough to get two bonus presents from Rob and Tina and Grandma Trish.  Rob and Tina gave him a Switch N Go Dino.  It's like a transformer that goes between a dinosaur and a car and has lights and talks.  He of course loves it.  Grandma Trish gave him a monster truck that goes on its own after you give it a push.  He really liked playing with that too, once he got the chance.  Kelton confiscated it shortly after it was opened.

That night, Damon was having a hard time sleeping.  He has such a good daddy.  Nate got up with him and calmed him down and even went and layed down with him so he could go back to sleep.

We are so happy to have our wonderful, sweet Damon!

Easter

I don't really do Easter dresses... not because I am opposed to them, but I just usually don't think about it.  But this year, it just so happened that I got both girls new dresses right before Easter.  They both looked so beautiful!

 

I love Easter.  Easter celebrations may be a bit overshadowed by other holidays.  But everything we are, everything we want to be, everything we do, everything at all, would mean absolutely nothing without the events surrounding Easter.  We would have no happiness and no hope and the very reason for our existence would have become void.  Again, I love Easter and my Savior Jesus Christ for giving us the chance to become everything.

Egg hunt

As always, the kids were super excited about our Easter egg hunt.  This year, we were actually in Gilbert on Friday and part of Saturday because Nate's niece, Marissa and her husband went through the temple and were then sealed, along with their little boy.  But we did our egg hunt on Saturday afternoon when we got home. 

 

We usually have the kids take turns finding their eggs, but this time, we hid them all together.  Then we told each one how many eggs they could find and what extra stuff to look for, like one chocolate bunny each.  I think they enjoyed it.

We made it almost all the way through without Arie finding us.  :)  But as soon as she did....

She found an egg!!  And opened it and started eating the candy as fast as she could because she was sure I was going to take it away.  (which I didn't, but that's usually how things work around here)

Arie Kait the Cute

This little girl is so much fun.  She is still really little, but she is getting so big!  She is now 18 months old.  She's at the point where she is talking a lot and will try to repeat words if you ask her to.  She can say all of our names: Naa-lee (Natalie), May-mon (Damon), and Kel-kee (Kelton).  All of us love how she calls Kelton, Kelkie.  She loves to sing "Let it Go" from Frozen, which I'm sure has nothing to do with the fact that the other kids never stop singing it.  While none of the words other than "go" are distinguishable, her tune is right on and most people would know what she is singing. 

She loves to watch TV.  Bubble Guppies is her favorite.  She often brings me the blu ray remote and sweetly says, "Buppies!"  Problem is, I have to tell her no a lot, or she would be watching it all the time.  Then she screams.  Two year old tantrums are beginning, but luckily, she comes out of them quickly.

There are lots of other cute, adorable things about Arie, but I will just let the pictures speak for themselves.  And yes, I quite often snatch her up off the ground and squeeze her.  I'm glad she's patient with me.

She makes this face all the time.  Usually it is more exaggerated and you can see her bottom teeth and her eyes get bigger.  It is so funny.

Month of March in Pictures

I love these two little girls.  And they love each other a lot, too.  This past little while, Natalie has gotten really good at taking care of Arie without being asked.  She will sometimes get up with her in the morning and get her something to eat.  One morning, she even changed her diaper, which I discovered after finding her diaper on backwards. 

 

Arie is a daddy's girl.  She loves him so much.  I think she is the first child I've had who will often times refuse me in order to have her dad, or she will cry if I have to take her from him.

Kelton loves to read.  I taught him how to read shortly before he started Kindergarten, and he has gotten better and better at it.  His reading level is somewhere around 1st-2nd grade.  I love listening to him read and seeing him excited about it.

And yes, my kids are still crazy.... Just in case you might be wondering.

I love this sweet little face.

In March, sock monkeys kind of took over my life.  We decided to make these as a craft at camp, but I needed to figure it out first.  Each of my kids wanted me to make them one, so I did.  I made four for our camp fundraiser auction that is coming up soon.  And I think I have decided to keep making them to sell.  We'll see how that goes, since they require a little bit of time to make and a decent amount of hand sewing.

They are just so cute!  I am saving this one for Arie's 2nd birthday.

These guys were so happy to finally get their monkeys!

This month, Kelton and Natalie both received the Student of the Month award for their classes. 

Kelton and his teacher, Mrs. Vaterlaus (kindergarten)

Natalie and her teacher, Ms. Ramirez (3rd grade)

Bat Baby!!

We used the money my Grandma gave the kids for Christmas to renew our long-expired zoo membership.  The kids always love the zoo.  Arie was very fascinated by the animals.

Grocery shopping with mom... always a lot of fun... for all involved.  :)  These shopping cart cars save my sanity.  And sometimes drive me insane.  Damon calls them "go-carts" and it makes me smile every time. 



Great Grandpa Webb

At the end of February, Nate's Grandpa Webb passed away at 97 years old. 

 

Natalie had a very special relationship with her great-grandpa.  She loved him sooo much.  Great-Grandpa lived with Nate's parents for the last few years of his life, so Natalie was able to spend some time with him.  Whenever we couldn't find Natalie, we always knew she was in Great-Grandpa's room.  She would choose spending time with him over playing with her cousins.  She would spend hours in there with him every time we came to visit.  She loved to talk to him, read to him, draw him pictures, and most of all, she loved taking care of him. 

 

About a year ago, when his second wife, Cheryle, died, Natalie sat right next to him during the funeral.  Afterwards, he told Natalie, "the next time you see me, I will be dead."  I guess this is a line he would tell people often.  Natalie happily responded, "then we can be friends in heaven!"

 

We did get to see him many times after that.  And thanks to a spur of the moment trip to Snowflake, with the main purpose of me being able to scout out our girls camp site, we were able to see him right before he passed away.  I was so grateful we (especially Nate and Natalie) were able to see him so shortly before he died.  I think it made it easier for Natalie because it made it seem more like she got to say goodbye.  As we were about to walk out the door to leave Snowflake, Natalie and Great Grandpa were about to do a puzzle together.  He was asking Nate's mom where they could put it together and she told him we were leaving right then.  He said a disappointed "oh."  Natalie gave him a big hug which made him smile. Natalie said "It's okay.  I will see you soon."  It was just five days later that he died.

 

This picture is actually from last March, so it is a year old.  But I couldn't find another one.

 

 

We went to Snowflake for the funeral on March 8th.  Natalie was okay, but pretty sad.  She understands that she will see him again, but she misses him now.  I asked Natalie to smile and this was the best I could get.  She told me she didn't feel like smiling.

 Our family.  Arie was napping at my parents' house.

Grandpa Webb's living children, and spouses. 

On the right side of the picture is our little Kaitlin's grave.  You can see her small headstone just to the right of everyone.  She is right there close to her great-grandparents.

Here is his obituary:

Maurice Eugene Webb
(September 13, 1916 - February 22, 2014)

Maurice Eugene Webb of Snowflake, Arizona, died February 22, 2014 at the age of 97. He finally used up all of his 9 lives – he should have died at least 8 other times in his life because of injuries or illnesses! He leaves behind 4 living children: Eugene Webb, Keith Webb, Patricia Larson & Joyce Brimhall, all of Snowflake, 3 sons-in-law: R.H. Larson, Dennis Wilkins and Chris Brimhall, 3 daughters-in-law: Mary Webb, Pam Webb and Rita Webb, 41 grandchildren, 35 grandchildren-in-law, 139 great-grandchildren, 6 great-grandchildren-in-law, 4 great-great-grandchildren and numerous step children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife Luella Ballard Webb who died in 1977 after 39 years of marriage, 3 children: Barbara Webb, Steven Webb and Janet Wilkins, and his 2nd wife Cheryle Sandall Webb who died in 2013 after 35 years of marriage. His posterity at the end of 2013 numbered 241!Up until the time of his death, he read constantly, climbed stairs dangerously, and he could name all of his grandchildren and most of his great grandchildren. If he couldn’t name them, he could at least tell you who they belonged to. He was pleased to be in several 5-generation pictures. Reese was born in Pinedale on September 13, 1916 to Jonathan Henry Webb and Della Ray Webb and was the 5th of their 10 children, all of whom preceded him in death but two brothers, Jay Webb and June Webb. Reese was raised in a happy home, with his parents taking in several cousins to raise as their own and had happy memories playing with cousins and friends in the Mesa/Lehi/Apache Junction/Pinedale/Lakeside areas. He had a beautiful singing voice and performed many solos. He was taught by his mother and aunts to dance very early, and was known for sweeping many ladies and young ladies off their feet on the dance floor. He was also famous for his donkey call. He loved to visit with his future mother-in-law, the widow Julia Ballard, while his future wife Luella Ballard curled her sisters and friends hair before the dances. He knew that his future wife would be as good a cook and friend as his future mother-in-law. As a young man, he played many baseball games, but during one fateful game, he threw the ball from centerfield to home plate and suffered a severe injury that resulted in osteomyelitis in his right arm. The doctors at that time wanted to amputate his arm, but his Dad told the doctors that he had lived a good life so they should do everything they could to save the arm. He had many careers throughout his life: bus driver, welder, mechanic, saw-mill worker, log truck driver, partner in Webb & Sons Sawmill, finance manager, big machinery operator, carpenter, town councilman, member of the irrigation board, beaver rancher, cattle rancher, custodian, sprinkler salesman, landscaper, long-haul truck driver, tractor driver, sheep rancher and hay farmer, but the most important work he did was within the walls of his own home. During all of this time, he served in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a Counselor in the Bishopric in Vernon, Snowflake Stake Clerk, Ward Clerk, missionary, Branch President (during his mission in Bogalusa, Louisiana)and Home Teacher, but his favorite church calling was Nursery Leader. He also loved to give quarters gifts for special occasions. His children remember their happy home life. They didn’t take many vacations but were always working together and playing together. They were raised in a home where love, service and the Gospel of Jesus Christ were taught by example. A viewing will be held Friday evening, March 7, 2014 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Pioneer Park LDS Chapel in Snowflake, Arizona. An additional viewing will be from 10:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. Saturday, March 8, 2014 in the Pioneer Park LDS Chapel in Snowflake, Arizona, with the funeral servicesbeginning at 11 a.m. Silver Creek Mortuary in Taylor, Arizona handled the services.