My Children

I have been blessed with the best children in the world! I want to tell you about them.

Nicole: She is my oldest and my only daughter. We had a lot of fun when she was growing up. We loved to shop, go to chick flicks, and get pedicures. She has had her struggles. When Nicole was in grade 10 she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Its been 5 years since she was diagnosed, and she is doing great with it. Nicole wasn't your normal teenage girl. I heard horror stories of mood swings and such, but Nicole never had them. Maybe it was because all of her best friends from grade 8 on were boys (Ethan, Marshall, Adrian). A year after Nicole graduated from high school she decided to move to Edmonton to go to school. It was so hard to see her go. I knew she needed to, but she was my best friend. I'll be honest I cried. It was hard to let my baby girl go.  Nicole is now married to a wonderful man; Carter Peterson and they have a very handsome and smart 9 month old son named Jack. Nicole is a wonderful mother and wife. When she was only 28 weeks pregnant she was diagnosed with severe preeclampsia. It was so scary to see her so sick. She was in the Lethbridge hospital. They were not equipped to  deal with a baby that little. They flew her and Carter to Edmonton where a few short hours later she had a c-section. Jack was born weighing in at 2 lbs 9 ozs. Its scary enough to have a brand new baby, but to have one so little was really scary. After she was released from the hospital, she spent every single day their holding her precious little boy. After 70 days in the NICU Jack got to go home. Nicole is my hero. I look forward to when she is living closer so we can do all the things we use to do.

Ryan: Is my first born son and my only redhead. Right now he is serving a 2 year mission for our church in Boise Idaho. He is my worrier, always has been. I remember watching a tv show with our kids about tornados. Ryan was convinced every time the wind blew it was a tornado and asked where we should hide. Ryan was born with my ears. They stuck out. When he was in kindergarten he was visiting with his grandma and grandpa Atwood. He was working in the garden with grandma. It was right around Easter time, and Ryan said to my mom that he knew how Jesus felt. She asked him what he meant, and he said that Jesus had people making fun of him and they were mean to him. Grandma asked him if people made fun of him, and he said yeas. She asked why and he said it was because of his ears. Later that year he had surgery to fix them. Ryan is a great big brother. Ryan and Tyler loved dinosaurs! When they were little they had at one time over 200 dinosaurs. In fact when he was three he said he wanted to be a palaeontologist. I had know idea what that was, so I asked him. I think he's changed his mind. I miss Ryan, somedays more than others, but I know that he is doing exactly what he should be doing. I look forward in seeing how much he grows and learns when he gets home.

Tyler: Is my quiet boy. When he was little he said all of the normal things babies and toddlers say, but when he turned 2 it stopped. We tried to bribe him to say words, but that did not work. I knew he understood us, but he decided that talking was over rated. When he turned 3 he started to talk again. Tyler still is a man of few words. He only weighed 7 lbs when he was born, but boy he did not stay little for long. I remember him pushing furniture around like it was a piece of paper. I still don't think he knows his own strength. Tyler is very loyal, and is very loving and kind. I cannot believe that he is graduating this year. Where has time gone. You know up to last year he always came in to my room and gave me a hug goodnight, I miss that. Its so fun to see him with Jack. He talks to him like he is a grown up. I can't wait to see what Tyler does with his life, I know its going to be great!

Max: He did not want to leave the womb. I was in labor with him for a week! He was such a sweet little boy. He did have a temper though. If we said no to him he would fall back on his back and scream. For those who know him its probably hard to believe, but its true. When he was little he loved to go next door to watch movies with his gramma and grampa Martin. I knew where I could find him. I remember watching Max when he was 3 making  foul shots one after another, it was so much fun to watch him, he loved and still loves basketball. He is such a loveable young man. He is so willing to help where needed without too much complaining. Jack loves his Uncle Max. Max will sit down and play with him and is so comfortable with him, he's a natural. Max makes me smile! Max doesn't have a lot of close friends, but those who are lucky enough are very lucky, because he is very loyal. Whatever Max decides to do in his life he's going to be great!

Justin:  He is my baby, and always will be. He has a real sense of humour! I think he must have been about 3 when we had a neighbour that had two rottweilers. This one day they were loose and roaming around. They were not nice dogs and my kids were afraid of them. I had called the dog catcher to tell him and he was on his way over. I got my other kids off to school, and I set Justin up watching tv in my room while I showered. While I was in the shower he came screaming in saying that the dogs got the dog catcher. I told him to leave the bathroom so I could get out of the shower. I quickly rinsed my hair threw on my robe. I went into my room and opened the blinds. I asked Justin where they were, and he looked at me and said jokes! I could have throttled him. That is Justin in a nutshell. You never know if he's joking or not. When he was 6 he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. I was more upset than he was. He looked at me and said Heavenly Father won't give me more than I can handle (so true!). He is my little casanova. He had his first girlfriend when he was 5. Justin loves basketball and football and is fun to watch. I look forward in seeing what he does with his life, I know its going to be great!

My children are my everything! I have been blessed to watch them grow into wonderful people. I have always tried to make it to every performance, or game they are in. Some people think I'm crazy, but I am their mom! I can't imagine not wanting to go, even when its -30 and snowing. I hope and pray my children know how much I love them, and I wish I could protect them from all of the hurts of this world. I know that I can't, but what I can do is make a home where they feel safe, and where they know they are loved.