24th of July

This is the morning of the 23rd, right before Mike took the kids to the park. Liam either ate or slept all day so he stayed home with mom. Savannah loves her little brother and is constantly begging to hold him.

Savannah and Brett went on the swing ride and had a blast!

Emily went on the twirly ride with Haylie and Alex.
Mike, got his face decorated too! He said the kids were begging him to do it, and he let them choose what to put on his face. Somehow, I don't think the kids had to do much convincing. :)

Brett chose a Dragon!
And Emily got a beautiful flower. Savannah didn't want her face painted. Every year we let the kids get a painting on their face, and every year there are tears when they have to wash it off. They wish they could keep it on longer.

Mike took the kids to the Bountiful Fireworks that night with my parents and sisters.

Savannah loves her Papa.

Cute picture of my mom and Brett. My dad brought glow sticks and the kids had fun playing with them.I love this picture of Haylie!
Happy 24th of July! I hope everyone had a great one!

Grandma Meeks

My beautiful Great Grandma Meeks passed away last Friday. She was an amazing woman, and I feel so blessed to have known her and to have had her in my life. Her funeral was yesterday, and it was so neat to hear everyone share their memories of her. There were so many people there, so many whose lives she had touched. I can only hope that I can be a woman like her. Below is a picture of my Great Grandma, my Grandma Durtschi, my mom and Savannah and I. It was taken last March. I feel so blessed to have had her with me for so many years! She lived to be 89, and up until 7 months ago lived independently in her home in Midway. I am so glad that she didn't have to suffer long once she started becoming really confused with Alzheimer's. I am so grateful for the knowledge that I have that I will be able to be with her again one day. Love you Grandma!

Fishing with Dad

Savannah didn't fish, but was entertained with a stick. :)

Emily caught the one and only fish of the day.

Mike took the kids fishing up to Mill Hollow for the day. They were so excited to go, and even though only one fish was caught they had so much fun being in the mountains with their Dad. They keep asking when they can go again. Thanks Mike!

Here is a really good story that came to my mind.....

In the faint light of the attic, an old man, tall and stooped bent his great frame and made his way to a stack of boxes that sat near one of the little half-windows. Brushing aside a wisp of cobwebs he tilted the top box toward the light and began to carefully lift out one old photograph album after another. Eyes once bright but now dim searched longingly for the source that had drawn him here.

It began with the fond recollection of the love of his life, long gone, and somewhere in these albums was a photo of her he hoped to rediscover. Silent as a mouse, he patiently opened the long buried treasures and soon was lost in a sea of memories. Although his world had not stopped spinning when his wife left it, the past was more alive in his heart than his present aloneness. Setting aside one of the dusty albums, he pulled from the box what appeared to be a journal from his grown son's childhood. He could not recall ever having seen it before, or that his son had ever kept a journal. Why did Elizabeth always save the children's old junk? he wondered, shaking his white head.

Opening the yellowed pages, he glanced over a short reading, and his lips curved in an unconscious smile. Even his eyes brightened as he read the words that spoke clear and sweet to his soul. It was the voice of the little boy who had grown up far too fast in this very house, and whose voice had grown fainter and fainter over the years. In the utter silence of the attic, the words of a guileless six year old worked their magic and carried the old man back to a time almost totally forgotten.

Entry after entry stirred a sentimental hunger in his heart like the longing a gardener feels in the winter for the fragrance of spring flowers. But it was accompanied by the painful memory that his son's simple recollections of those days were far different from his own. But how different?

Reminded that he had kept a daily journal of his business activities over the years, he closed his son's journal and turned to leave, having forgotten the cherished photo that originally triggered his search. Hunched over to keep from bumping his head on the rafters, the old man stepped to the wooden stairway and made his descent, then headed down a carpeted stairway that led to the den.

Opening a glass cabinet door, he reached in and pulled out an old business journal. Turning, he sat down at his desk and placed the two journals beside each other. His was leather-bound and engraved neatly with his name in gold, while his son's was tattered and the name "Jimmy" had been nearly scuffed from its surface. He ran a long skinny finger over the letters, as though he could restore what had been worn away with time and use.

As he opened his journal, the old man's eyes fell upon an inscription that stood out because it was so brief in comparison the the other days. In his own neat handwriting were these words:

Wasted the whole day fishing with Jimmy. Didn't catch a thing.

With a deep sigh and a shaking hand, he took Jimmy's journal and found the boy's entry for the same day, June 4th. Large scrawling letters, pressed deeply into the paper, read:

Went fishing with my dad. Best day of my life.

My sweet and talented sister Jenny took some pics of Liam. We want to use one for his birth announcement. I just can't decide which one! So, let me know what you think - please!

Liam

On July 1st at 1:54pm Liam Scott Neeley was born. He weighed 7lbs 5 oz and is 21 inches long. Making him the biggest baby out of the 4. We are so happy to have him in our family. Here are a few pictures!

Brett with his brother. He was so excited when he came into the room and wanted to see him right away. Such cute boys.

Emily walked into the room and instantly started to cry. She was just so happy to see her little brother finally. She later told me, "I just didn't think Liam would be that cute! But he really is so adorable."
Savannah wanted to be right by mom and couldn't give Liam enough kisses. She kept coming up and kissing him over and over again.

Here he is on his way home from the hospital. I can't believe how teeny tiny he looks in the car seat.

I had to put this picture up to show off his hair in the back - he has tons of it! I know in a few weeks it will probably all fall out, but it sure is cute!
He is such a sweet little guy. And he, like the others loves nothing more than to cuddle up on his daddy's chest.
A big thank you to everyone who wished us well, and especially to our families for being there for us. We appreciate you all so much!