From Mike : My Mom

Just like clockwork. Halloween ends, November begins, and I filled with a deep sadness. I wish, in some ways, it was different this year, but alas it is the same. Four years ago today my mom passed away. While I don’t think about this everyday, I do think of my mom at least once each day. The sadness of those initial days, weeks, and months is not there anymore. Yet, somewhere in my mind and in my heart lies a sincere longing to see her again. There is a part of me that is gone and I will never get it back again. However, if there is anything that I have learned over the past four years, is that I am not unique. We are all going to suffer losses in our lives, disappointments, pains that cut deep – we will all go through the refiner’s fire in one way or another. The Savior’s Atonement wasn’t simply for our sins, but was also for our suffering. He loved us so much that he was willing take our pains upon His shoulders. I can’t tell you how grateful I am for that. That being said, November 14th is a day for me and my four brothers. It is a day that we can feel sad, that we can cry, and that we can feel sorry for ourselves and our loss, and no one can deny us of that.

My mom was the best mom in the world, but I may be biased. I miss being able to see her. I miss being able to tell her about my life. I miss the comfort that only she could provide. I am sad that she can’t be here to see my sweet little Caitlyn grow up. I am sad that Caitlyn won’t know her grandma in this life. If I only had five more minutes to tell her how much I love her, but I know that would not be enough. I wouldn’t let her go.

Five things I loved about my mom:
1). She was the most intelligent person I have met.
2). She could make your worst day better in a matter of minutes.
3). Although somewhat reserved, she always had friends.
4). She could make the best school lunch bars
5). She was an example.

I am going to hold my family a little tighter tonight and maybe I can force a hug out of Caitlyn. Just as I did last year, as I put Caitlyn to bed I will tell her stories about her wonderful grandma Cathy. I love you mom.

Post for Mike and Paul

So since my father in law threatened to disown Caitlyn and me and never speak to us again if I didn't get a new blog update, here it is. Life has just been crazy around here and the only time I can get on the computer is when Caitlyn is asleep and that hasn't been very often lately. I have a new hatred in life, yes I said hate - daylight savings time! Seriously this used to be the best when you would get an extra hour of sleep. Oh no, not with kids, they just wake up an hour earlier and are cranky all day long. I'm not sure when Caitlyn will adjust but it better be soon!! So that is my complaint for the day I have many others but that would be getting all political and they say that is not polite to talk about so I won't, just in case I offend anyone!! My happiness and fun times still mostly come from my wonderful family. Caitlyn is such a funny little girl and does the craziest things all the time! She is officially walking now and just cruises everywhere. It took her awhile to start but once she did there was no stopping her. Other than that there is just the normal craziness around this house. I am getting excited for Christmas, it should be so much fun this year with Caitlyn. So here are some fun pictures of my favorite girl!

Our little girl at the pumpkin patch. She was so funny and tried to pick up all of the pumpkins. She got a little one but she keeps dropping and throwing it because she thinks it is a ball.

This is at the pumpkin patch where she decided to drive the tractor. Since she's not quite big enough for that we did get her a big girl car seat that she can face the front in, she is in heaven!!

Our crazy girl who loves to climb into her toy basket and play in there. Oh and as you can see she is working on a mouth full of teeth, another thing I don't like at all, teething!

Happy Birthday Baby!!!

I really can't believe that my little baby is a whole year old. Last year this time I had no idea how much my life was going to change and how much happiness our little girl was going to bring to our lives. It has been a very difficult and challenging year, especially the first 6 months when Caitlyn's favorite thing was to cry and never sleep. Yet, it has been the best year full of so many happy times and I am amazed at how much love I have for this little girl whose smile can warm your heart and make you forget all that crying and cranky times that she seems to have a lot of. This has been a crazy weekend full of parties for our little princess. Saturday was her first party with her little friends in the neighborhood. It was a princess themed party and Caitlyn had a ton of fun, until the other kids tried to play with her toys. She is an only child that is still grasping the concept of sharing. I will post all the pictures from the party later, I only have an hour while Cailtyn is asleep to make sure I get this post in. Then on Sunday we had the Richards family party which was a party all about Caitlyn and brought to you by the number 1 and the letter C. The party was so much fun and Caitlyn entertained the crowd like no other. That girl is hilarious when she gets around people. She knows hat she is cute and will milk it for all it's worth. She loved opening her presents and was not so happy when her cousin Ben tried to help her with the wrapping paper. Let's just say that she all ready has the look of death down, her poor future husband doesn't have a chance! The most exciting news of the day was that Caitlyn took her first step!! Yeah!! I was so shocked and happy. She was just standing there with her presents and then she stepped up onto one of them. We got it on video but I have no idea how to download it onto the computer. Mike had to get the fancy HD camera and it won't work with our old computer. But she did it, so hopefully it won't be long now. She wants to walk so bad and it will make her life so much easier, mine harder but that is alright it has to happen sometime. So in honor of her birthday here are 12 fun facts about our little roo-bear:

1. Caitlyn has now mastered 2 1/2 words - Dad, her very first word - Ball, which she says for everything and I think is the cutest thing ever - and Mom - that is only a half a word because she only says it when she is crying or I am not here to hear it.

2. Cailtlyn's favorite foods are Eggo's and veggie rice, rice with a bunch of vegetables in it, I try to be healthy to make up for the 4 Eggo's a day.

3. Caitlyn's favorite shows are: Backyardigans, High School Musical 2, Shrek 2 - she thinks donkey is funny, and Baby's First Signs. As a disclaimer, she only likes the songs in most of those shows and one episode of Backyardigans (eureka) - she is already opinionated and picky!

4. Caitlyn's new favorite thing is to see how many things she can fit into her arms and then try to crawl with them. I think it is funny and just watch her and laugh forever. She also gets very attached to one thing for the day, like a roll of fabric, and then moves onto something new the next day. Notice the cracker in her mouth also, she couldn't figure out how to eat it without dropping something - the trials of life!! :)

5. Caitlyn loves to sit in the love sac and just lounge back and suck her thumb, it is the cutest thing ever. This is when she was sick so it wasn't so much fun. Ever since then she likes to lounge and watch a little bit of her show - only about 5 minutes, because she still has a very short attention span!!

6. Caitlyn loves to climb! Anything and everything, mostly the stairs but she has moved onto new things like her chair and the love sac which helps her get onto the couch and the side table which is her favorite place for some reason. She is crazy!!

7. Caitlyn makes the funniest faces ever. I love it!

8. Cailtyn has an fascination with hair. She loves to pull it and bury her face in it. Mostly it is my hair but we got her a few dolls and she loves their hair now, which makes my head very happy!!

9. Caitlyn has the best smile in the whole world. She can make even the worst of days better with just one little smile!

10. Caitlyn loves her Dad!! Rightfully so, he is the best dad in the whole world and he loves her more than anything and loves to play with her and make her smile!! Some of their most favorite games are: push Caitlyn around in her car, Plinko down the stairs with all the balls, Tidal wave whenever they come home and she is in her car seat, and get thrown into the love sac.

11. Caitlyn loves animals. She loves dogs, cats, horses, and pretty much any other animal. She wants them to just come and sit by her and not really move and then she is happy. She is funny and is very careful about touching them at first. It takes her awhile to warm up to most things and then she has no fear.

12. Caitlyn is the cutest, happiest, funniest, craziest, most loved, opinionated, stubborn, unique, feisty, lovable, picky, fun loving baby in the whole world! At least in my very biased opinion! We love our little roo and can't imagine life without her. She has made everything more meaningful and worthwhile and we love her more than words could ever describe. I never realized that life could be the crazy and difficult and wonderful and happy all at the same time. I wouldn't trade it for anything!!

11 Months: A Day in the life of Caitlyn

I would like to start off by apoligizing to everyone for my lack of blogging, leaving comments, and any sort of communication in the last month. It has been a crazy busy month, but I will explain more about that later. Right now is time to focus on our favorite subject, Caitlyn, and all of her many adventures of the last month. She is growing up way to fast and it makes me sad to see how big she is. There is really no way to describe this little girl, so I'll let the pictures do the talking and take you through a day in the life of our Caitlyn-roo this past month:

Eat Cereal with Dad

Sit way too close to the TV and watch HSM2


Debate whether to climb the stairs while mom isn't looking


Get stuck in an awkward position


Take a drive around the family room


Play with Clifford in the Lovesac


Get ready for Lake Powell


Perfect new standing skill


Play with toys in tent


Be cute


Fall asleep and get ready to do it all over again



We are so lucky to be blessed with our sweet little girl!

Perfect 10....

10 months?!?! That is just crazy! Only two more months and my little baby will be a whole year old. It just doesn't seem possible to me. But it is and our little Rouske just keeps getting bigger and smarter and more mischievous every day. She has a few new tricks that she has learned in the last month or so. She now does this scrunched face thing and breaths really fast out of her nose. I haven't been able to get a good picture of it yet, she usually does it when she is not happy that I have taken something away from her. Another new discovery is how to shake her head NO. I don't know if she knows exactly what she is doing but she likes to shake her head as she is crawling along. Sometimes though, she will be crawling somewhere she shouldn't, usually near the stairs, and I tell her to come to me and she looks at me, shakes her head and then keeps on going. Those are the times I think she understands more than she is letting on. She is becoming an entertaining little girl. I love her personality and that it comes out more and more everyday. She loves to laugh and make funny noises and than laugh some more at herself. My favorite is when she will just be babbling away and then start laughing like she just told the funniest joke ever. So here are some more fun pictures, just because I know everyone loves them so much:

A rare picture of Roo sleeping, funny thing, I sleep the same way with my leg up like that and Mike always made fun of me about it. I love her smile in the second picture while playing with Dad.

Playing in the "forbidden zone" by the stairsand front door, only Dad lets her do that, and that is why he is the cool parent and she loves him more, which I really don't mind at all!! Caitlyn has also learned that if she puts things in her mouth she can crawl with them, I think it is hilarious. She loves the free toothbrush from the dentists office when I had to go. She didn't love the dentist office as much, she had a major meltdown!!!

Caitlyn's tent that she loves to play in, how does such a little girl make such a giant mess. Oh, another fun thing she does is yell into cups and stuff to hear her echo, she is a smart one!

One of her new favorite games is to crawl behind the couch! Mike refers to those PJ's as her prison outfit, a very pink fashionable prison! Caitlyn in her pool with all her friends. I am a lazy mom so we rarely go outside and play. She loves to lean against things now!

Playing Blinko on the stairs with Dad. He would throw the ball up and try to hit Caitlyn on the way down, she thought it was funny. At least the ball was soft so Mom didn't freak out too much.


Caitlyn also loves to hang out on her chair in the front yard while Dad waters some of the plants. She also learned how to stand up on her chair and Dad didn't like that Mom had to get a picture of it first before saving her from potentially falling on her head.

She loves my sunglasses and they often keep her entertained in stores. She was wearing her Red Sox gear in support of her Dad and the fact that they moved into first place.