Angel Face

Isn't this the sweetest little angel face?!

Little Sari is growing before our very eyes.

Love you baby girl!

A June Riddle

"Who came with summer to this earth

And owes to June her day of birth?"

With ring of Agate on her hand

Can health, wealth and long life command."

Give up?

None other than this little June bug...

Wasn't she adorable? And still is!

In the event you need a few hints

as to who this little darlin' is...

Today, June 1st, she is 27

Graduated from USU

Was an amazing missionary

Has a great love for family and friends

Has a creative flair and an eye for design

Loves to have fun and sprinkles it wherever she goes

Is determined, dedicated and loyal,

tenderhearted and compassionate

Is partial to chocolate cake

Answers to the name of "Becky-boo"

Blogs under the name of "Bloom"

appropriately named

since she has blossomed in to an

exquisitely beautiful,

talented, amazing woman.

A woman in full bloom.

Wouldn't you agree?

And so dear daughter, we are grateful

for you today and everyday.

We are wishing you a year filled with

bushels and baskets of happiness...

the kind of happiness that blooms again and again...

reminding you of how much we love you!

Happy Birthday Honey!

Tarry, Tarry....Meet Miss Sari

Sari Montoya

7 lbs 5 ounces

May 31, 2010 10:17 P.M.

The Woodlands, Texas

Although technically Monday was Memorial Day, for us it was Labor Day.

Stacia's labor day. Sari tarried a bit longer in heaven than we

had all planned (7 days longer) and she tarried along the labor route

a bit longer than we had hoped (more than 30 hours) but was she ever worth the wait!

Her mommy was amazing. Her daddy was too. What a great team they are!

They labored at home for hours and hours....

They labored at the hospital for hours and hours....

Even without any sleep Stacia amazed us for more than 22 hours with her

ability to handle labor au natural. Stacia was tough and sweet and kind

every minute of every hour! However, the picture below is at about 21 hours

and you can see her beginning to consider the benefits of an epidural.

And so after a quick little visit from the anesthesiologist the smiles

came more often and much, much easier! I think Stacia may now believe

that epidurals are a girls best friend (right behind attentive husbands, of course)!

Abraham never left her side.

However, Sari still tarried for another 8 hours!

("Sari, sari - please don't tarry" should have been the chant of the day)

but finally she made her debut!

Our first peek at her confirmed what everyone had predicted all along...

...a headful of beautiful silky dark brown hair. Stacia and Abraham were smitten

from the minute they looked into Sari's big, bright, beautiful eyes.

Eyes that seriously never closed. She calmly, peacefully,

serenely looked about for hours and hours.

As you can see, they called "Grandma Hollie" right away and described

every exquisite feature of this sweet little angel face.

We all wanted to snuggle this precious bundle fresh from heaven.

Nonna Great

...and Proud Aunties!

Even the nurses couldn't help themselves.

But who could blame them? Sari is absolutely beautiful and

looking at her almost feels like catching a glimpse of eternity.

Welcome to the world little one!

Thanks for letting us be your welcoming committee!

It was such a wonderful privilege!

Singin' in the rain

Guess who celebrated their first wedding anniversary on Saturday?

And what a celebration! That rainy morning we joined

Stacia and Abraham at the temple and despite the

Texas sized thunder storm it was a beautiful day.

Nothing but sunshine in these happy faces.!

It was a bit of a double celebration. As you can see, we are also

anxiously awaiting the "any day now" arrival of Stacia and Abraham's

sweet little bundle of pink. Nine days and counting!

Wouldn't you say they are "glowing?" (And growing!)

Happy First Anniversary! We Love you!

No crumpets for us

Although it may appear that this blog is solely about celebrating the birthdays in our family, if tea cups could talk, they would tell you that simply is not the case. It's just that this time of year someone has a birthday everytime we turn around - some weeks before we can even turn around! If you browse through earlier posts you will see that recently there have been lots of candles to wish over, ribbons to tie, and people to celebrate. Oh, and no crumpets for us lately - we've been having lots of birthday cake with our herbal tea!

Isn't she lovely...

Today this happy, adventurous, mischievous, kind, compassionate little

girl (with a darling infectious giggle) turns 25 and we are in awe!

We love Janie for those sweet little girl ways of years gone

by but we especially love her for who she is today! Can't wait

to love her for who she'll be next year - a new mom.

(Undoubtedly she'll be fantastic)!

We love Janie for her very self - not because of what she does.

(Although she does amazing things)!

We love Janie for her heart and soul - not for what shows on the surface.

(Although she couldn't be more beautiful)!

Yes, in every way possible she is lovely!

(And even though her giggle has grown up it is still darling and infectious)!

And so today Janie, on your 25th birthday, we wish you more than

happiness. We wish you a year - no, a lifetime - of dazzling joy!

(And because you are our daughter we know all about dazzling joy).

It's the kind of joy you give us every single day!

We love you birthday girl!

A Basket Filled...

with lots of love and birthday wishes for

this egg-stra special little boy

whom has become this extra special man!

Dallen was a 'wise beyond his years' child. As a little boy

we'd often see him in a moment of quiet and catch a

glimpse of the man he would one day be. As he grew we

would watch him in specific situations and Larry and I

would say to each other, "He is going to be such a good man."

We were right!

And so, Mr. Dallen, thanks for being such a GREAT man and for

blessing our lives in so many ways. Our love and admiration for you

continue to grow with every passing year but our wish for you

today remains exactly what it's been since your very first celebration...

Happy Birthday to You...

...Little Boy Blue!

"A little boy is the only thing God can use to make a man"

And what a man he is! A wonderful man. A priesthood man.

Yes, 'Brandolino'

we celebrate today as your special day but it is our special day too!

We've taken a thoughtful walk down memory lane reminiscing 23 years of

love, gratitude and more blessings than we could ever begin to count

-all because of YOU!

Happy Birthday!

Higher than the sky AND deeper than the sea!

Birthday Cake and Frosting

As parents, we try not to encourage instant (or early) gratification. You know, if your favorite part of the cake is frosting, what do you eat first...the cake or the frosting? Do you delay your gratification and save the frosting for last? Or are you all about the good stuff first - instant pleasure and not a minute later? Maybe you neither savor nor splurge but calmly enjoy your cake and frosting together? On more than one occasion, we have had this conversation with our kids. They have heard all about the noble merits of "saving the best for last" or "doing the hard things first." That being said, you might imagine London's surprise when Larry and I suggested that we actually celebrate her birthday one day early.

"Are you serious? Do you mean I could open birthday presents and everything?" she carefully clarifyed.

"Yes, birthday presents and everything!"

And so that is exactly what we did.

The reason for this lapse in our usually encouraged "delay of gratification" was this: Following a long standing Kendrick family tradition, London would be baptized on February 21st, the actual day of her birth. She and her cousin, Gavin, who is nine days older, were planning their baptismal service together. Extra special! London was more excited about getting baptized than any other child I have known. Not wanting to diminish her enthusiasm for this sacred occasion, we were hopeful that by celebrating London's birthday and her baptism separately, on different days, we would prevent the fun and excitement of party, presents, cake and candles from overshadowing the eternal significance of her baptism day and confirmation. London was only too happy to oblige our suggestion of progressive celebrating. As you can see below the birthday celebration was fun. We loved celebrating our Lady London and the eight years worth of blessings that she has added to our lives...but her baptism...well, it was delicious. Eternal "frosting" on her birthday cake!

(But, of course, we'll save that for last)!