William Michael

love this happy little boy!!!

  I have a son, a wonderful son. I love him and I always know that he loves me. He hugs me, he kisses me, and he says...'love you Mom'

give me five serious little guy!!!

His proud daddy

love you

 

  Michael is my first born. ( my second pregnancy) so extra special when one fears miscarriage early in the years of marriage and motherhood. He was born on April 26th 1977, six days after I finished teaching for the year. He was a breech birth, and consequently the first of four sections.

my chunky monkey

Michael, named William Michael for a long line of Williams in both of our families...can be easily summed up as a gentle caring child. He was quiet, and happy go lucky. Three sisters did bring out some stubbornness as he worked to deal with them. He loves his sisters, although he'll forever remind me that he did want a brother.....three brother-in-laws was the best we could do.

sisters rock!!

I owe him two other apologies, sort of. First for giving him a sister on his second birthday. I wonder if it would have been okay if it had been a brother. Second, and heaven knows I've apologized enough for this....our enthusiastic Michael Jordan fan asked for a trip to Chicago when he was probably 11 or 12. being the fun parents  that we are we got a travel agent friend to make us a fake ticket....I'm sorry that it wasn't real Michael.....I hope that you'll forgive us before we die.

Your very own birthday!!!!

I'm sorry...best I could do with that wish!!

Michael set the bar for sports in the family....a great basketball player and soccer star. To this day he plays basketball when ever he can, and as a teacher he has volunteered many hours to coach both sports.
He did well in school with a great passion for English literature. However after a two year church mission in France he returned home to complete an education degree in French. He now teaches core french  at the Junior High/ high school level. He can often be found working on his eternal novel.

love this missionary photo...Samual the Lamenite

Proud of my missionary

Michael....you are a wonderful man. You are an example to so many young people. I remember as a teen having a conversation with you about peer pressure. Many of your friends were trying alcohol, drugs and when I asked you how you handled these temptations you quite simply answered...Mom, I always want to be in control of myself. Those people are giving up that choice.
When your mind is made up...you don't waver.

I have to speak to you as a husband and dad. First, thank you for the sweetest daughter-in-law. I love her as a daughter. She is perfect for you, and I love the love that you openly show to her. Treasure her Michael. Make her your top priority, and listen to her as your equal in being the parents that you have become. Fatherhood makes you glow and that is so visible in your little girls. They have changed you deeply, and they will bring you more joy and blessings than you will ever be able to handle.
Also treasure your priesthood...it is a gift from your Heavenly Father and a power to bless you and your family.

I love you deeply Michael for the gentle loving son that you have been to me. Your most important roles are as a husband and a dad. You have witnessed miracles, and you have felt the spirit direct your life. This is also how you raise your family, with unconditional love !
So grateful to call you my son.

More favorite photos....

Favorite cousin, Annie

Buddies

Love of his life

So saucy...and so cute

engaged

the lovely couple!!!

Hardest day for daddy
so proud of you

Miracles in our hands

Beautiful family

love my sweet clown 

Kathryn Leigh

Christmas 1978 and here I cuddle my almost two year old,Michael while pregnant with his birthday present Kathryn Leigh. Gosh I do look so young ! Yes this is Kathryn's turn and indeed she was Michael's birthday present. Even though I was scheduled to have yet another c-section Kathryn had different plans and she commenced labor pains in the early hours of April 26 1979...her brother's second birthday.

He was certainly smitten with her, as were Bill and I . As years unfolded he did become quite vocal that I certainly had ruined his birthday forever. I said it would give him practice for when he'd have twins!!! ( a mother knows) You were perfect in all ways ( even if your beautiful curls took years to grow! )

Kathy was a delightful addition to our small family and with her came years of laughter, and good times. I'm realizing as I write how lucky I've been to have the happy babies that I have had and Kathy was no exception. She was a busy, happy baby....loved attention...and often stole the show from her shy big brother.

my adorable clowns

 

happy happy happy

 

the Family Four

 

 

Kathy is living the life that I dreamed about. She nurtured her biggest loves in life...children and cooking. She did her share of babysitting while growing up, and was a real people person with any of her part time jobs. Undecided at the end of high school she followed her interests in the kitchen and studied to be a chef.....and a natural she was. Not long after she dated and married her eternal mate, Jeff...and motherhood naturally followed soon after. She has been able to be a stay at home Mom and is a talented creative mom at that. She's balanced much more than some and has five beautiful perfect children to show from this.


young love

  

My First Beautiful bride



My first pregnant child

Kathy grew up following the sports of our family choice...soccer and basketball and she was a star with both. ( Must have mom's genes) She studied piano ( as her siblings) but she developed a more natural passion to play. I am so proud when I've seen and heard her play at church and other places. She has been a wonderful big sister to her younger sisters,and this will give her help with raising her three daughters and two sons.

Too cute to be a nasty witch

seeing eye to eye with Jimney C



First dollhouse...built by Grandad D

 

Loving her cousins

 

Yes we shared some cakes...pink soccer field/basketball court !!
she never complained

 

super big sister and even babysitter sometimes

Yes Kathy, as my oldest daughter I couldn't ask for more fun in a baby daughter, and a big sister. You are a very accomplished woman in my eyes. As I said you are living my dream to be with your children,and to be raising them in the gospel. As much as this is the toughest professional, it is by far the most honorable and eternally rewarding. You may not be rich to the things of the world but you have the most precious treasure in your beautiful Fab Five. As we grow older we more deeply come to see the value of our families. Love them with all your heart and you will abound in limitless blessings as you age. I know this with all of my heart and soul

 

Love these five so dearly!!!!

Michael did get a special gift on his birthday, as did I

Christmas on the stairs

 

Sisters...my beautiful daughters

PS   love this giggle

 

 

 

PS....

 

 

 

 

This was a PS in my draft box...nothing but two pictures...but oh they tell a story...our sweet Cooper making his own beach of gorgeous floury sand on the dining room floor

What else could a mother do but take pictures

 

 

 

 

Karen Elizabeth

Good morning again,

   It's a beautiful sunny Saturday morning. I would normally be at the Temple but this permanent cough that arrived just before Christmas has curtailed a few events of my past ten days...including  my Christmas. Won't go there. Before I start my Karen chronicles I will thank Laura for updating my family pictures for me. Much appreciated.
  Now as I begin to write my next chapter on my children I will thank Karen for organizing me. She is sooooo so good...no... better than good....amazing at coming here and purging and organizing. She arrived this morning and did some magic to my basement. I'm excited for my next garbage day to arrive!!
   This is just one of Karen's many talents and it's because she has vision!! She sees potential and she sees what needs to be done!
     Karen has been a teacher to many children long before her university training. She had such an imagination as a young girl. She could play with any of her toys for hours, especially her Barbies. Of course she had to have a teacher Barbie. A huge leap in her imagination was to organize the summer fun club...I'm not sure if she was 10 or 11 when she started but organize she did..

always the photographer

The summer fun club was for kiddies in the neighborhood....kids loved it and parents did too. I can't begin to describe what they did but it was a summer school extraordinaire. They even designed t-shirts one year. I believe that she did it for two if not three years. By popular demand!!

Karen is third in our family, and the middle of the three girls. As she grew older she often emphasized her place in the family....ah my 'middle child' She was born on May 6th  1983...and Michael cried to hear that he had yet another sister. It didn't take him long to love her dearly!!!

welcoming baby sister Laura

Karen is now a mother of one of the happiest babies around. In many ways that's how I remember her as a baby and a toddler

happy happy happy

 

Little Olivia

 

excited and happy

 

She says that I wasn't the best with hairstyles and clothes and maybethat was her insentive to always look amazing. I did my best and I still uphold that she was adorable.

 

love those eyes

 

modelling a suit made by Nanny Durnford

Karen followed her older siblings and excelled on the soccer fields and on the basketball courts. My worst summer of soccer was when the coach made Karen his goalie. She wasn't too thrilled with the decision but this little team player was an amazing goalie. She made sure that it was only for one season. She played with many great groups of girls, but one group stuck together into high school, and her Dad stuck with them too as coach.

Karen had lots of friends through her  growing years with sports, church and school. To this day she meets with her elementary school buddies quite frequently, and enjoys as many of them start families together.

her very best friend....she still has him

loving their aunt and uncle

 Besides being an awesome first time Mom, Karen excells as a teacher. While still in the classroom as a substitute she is in high demand. Many principals would love to snatch her up!!

lesson plan??? loved her journals

Karen is a hard working girl. She shone in school,she held part time jobs through high school and university and with each of these gained a wonderful reputation for being the person everyone enjoyed being with, and always calling friend. She is also an adored aunt KaKa and is so dear to her nieces and nephews
Karen married Brandon Bing, and they completed their Education degrees together.

 

A fabulous bride

 

 Thank you Karen for being the little princess that you are...with such a love for life, and always ready to find the good in others. Thank you for developing your natural talents to work with children...you have blessed many already. Thank you for being someone that listens, you don't realize how much you have helped me in these past years. I'm grateful to be the mom of such a beautiful person, inside and out.  Love you Mom

 

roller skater

pianist

beloved auntie



believer

Karen and Brandon Bing

 

A few more cuddles