Batter's Up

Miles is moving up in the world of baseball and graduated from t-ball to coach pitch this year. He was just as enthusiastic, if not more, than last year and really enjoyed the season. Scott did an amazing job coaching his team and all of the boys made so much progress. The highlights for Miles were when he hit a home run (not really, they only let them run 1 base at a time in coach pitch no matter how good of a hit, but he was the last batter and so they just had him keep running all the way around and he really and truly thought he had hit a home run), when he got to play against his cousin Andrew's team, and of course the treats after each game. The highlights of the season for me were every time Miles would wave to me from base, watching him in ready position when someone was up to bat, and watching Scott coach.

Brynn decided she wanted to give Softball a try this year and she did fantastic. She loves playing catch and doing batting practice with Scott in the backyard and it shows. She played first base most of the season because she was one of the strongest at catching and throwing the ball. She had a great time playing and can't wait to play again next year.

WubbaNub

"Baby Sweep", "Other Blanket", "Uh-oh" - these are all nicknames for each of the kids' comfort item when they were little. We have now added another comfort item to the mix, Ryan's WubbaNubs.
A WubbaNub is a binky that is attached to a little stuffed animal, providing both something soothing to suck on as well as something to snuggle with. Not to mention they are a whole lot easier to keep track of since they fall into every nook and cranny like regular binkies tend to do and they are much easier for little hands to grab and put in their mouth on their own.
Brilliant idea, right? Tell that to Scott who was the developer behind Ellie's weighted Binky which was pretty much the same concept in a less fancy package. When Ellie was in the hospital as a baby she loved her binky. When she got her trach she couldn't create as much suction and so it was harder for her to keep her binky in when she was falling asleep (the doctors were all amazed she could suck on the binky as well as she did). As she would start dozing off the binky would drop out of her mouth and she would wake up crying. After sitting and holding the binky in her mouth while she fell asleep Scott and the nurse came up with the idea to roll up a burp cloth and tape it to the binky to stabilize it in her mouth while she was swaddled on her side. It worked like a charm and from that day forward Ellie preferred her weighted binky when sleeping. It also helped her before she had developed the dexterity in her hands required to pick up something as small as a binky. She was able to grab the rolled burp cloth and pull the binky to her mouth when she needed it.

It wasn't until after Ellie was gone that WubbaNub binkies started gaining popularity and showing up in stores. I always got a lump in my throat when I saw them thinking how perfect they would have been for Ellie. So when Ryan started fighting his swaddle at a couple months old and his busy hands were keeping him awake I was thrilled to have a reason to introduce him to the WubbaNub. He instantly took to it and soon it was the only kind of binky he was interested in. We started with the giraffe and soon his doggy joined the party. When the Giraffe wore out and the binky fell off he was replaced with Elephant and the most recent addition of his monkey might be Ryan's favorite WubbaNub yet.
Ryan's philosophy when it comes to WubbaNubs is the more the merrier. Even now that the giraffe and dog have lost their binkies Ryan still likes to have them around to snuggle with. He gathers them all in his arms and gently tickles the palm of his hands with the arms of the animals as he falls asleep. It reminds me of how Mason used to tickle his hands with his baby sweep. Much like when Miles used to drop his blanket out of his crib and yell Uh-oh until we came and got it, Ryan has a very distinct and angry yell/cry that lets us know he has lost his WubbaNubs and he won't be settling down until they are back in his crib with him.
We'll see if the brand name of WubbaNub sticks or if Ryan develops his own nickname for his beloved animals.

Ryan vs Bobba

2 Weeks

It has become a pretty trendy thing to take monthly pictures of your baby with some type of object to display their growth through their first year. I thought this was a fun idea and decided to document Ryan's monthly growth next to Bobba the dog. All I have to say is this concept is easier said than done. I think the pictures will speak for themselves how our monthly photo shoots ended up going (or not going at 10 and 11 months), but it is still fun to look back and see how Ryan has grown over a year.

1 month

2 months

3 months

4 months

5 months

6 months

7 months

8 months

9 months

12 months

Cooking Up Some Birthday Fun

Last, but not least, we wrapped up our crazy birthday season with Brynn turning 8. As always - when there's a birthday, there's a party. Brynn decided that for her birthday party this year she wanted to have a cooking party "because cooking is one of my talents." Gotta love that girl. She pretty much planned the whole thing and I just helped get supplies and execute it. She wanted a pizza birthday cake which she bakes and decorated on her own and it turned out cuter than anything I could have whipped up. For the party she wanted to decorate aprons, make pizzas for lunch, make snocones and cotton candy with Grandma's machines, and decorate cookies. It all sounded great to me and I didn't really factor in the amount of sugar consumption it involved until the actual party when girls started turning away cake and cookies because they had had enough treats. This party confirmed one thing: 8 year old girls are so much cuter and calmer than 8 year old boys and doing parties with them is actually fun and not just complete chaos.

To finish off her birthday Scott and I took her out to dinner at none other than Red Robin, which is a much bigger deal now that the closest one is clear down in Provo instead of right down the street like it was in Omaha. 

Paige, Maggie Glahn, Brynn, Kristi Bushman, Rachel Hale, McKella, Kennedy Hale, Andlie Allen, Addi, Ashlyn Embley

8-year-old Brynn

• Brynn can be extremely shy in new situations and has been know to duck her head or hide behind me when talked to by someone new. But give her a little time to get comfortable and make and friend and she becomes a completely different person. 
• When in a comfortable environment, like at home, she can talk up a storm. She often tells me, "I talk a lot when I'm excited." which is very true. 
• Still is extremely nervous around dogs and pretty much any other animal. She is slowly developing some better coping skills and handles situations when dogs are around better. 
• Is a Social Butterfly and loves her friends dearly. She can make friends with just about anyone given a little bit of time.
• She is a picky eater but is trying so very hard to like new foods. Still isn't a big fan of meat or veggies, but lives off a diet very high in different forms of bread and cheese. 
• She is generally a peacemaker in our home. She is a wonderful playmate for Mason and Miles and is like a second mama to Ryan. She is so responsible and mindful of other people.
• She continues to be a great little athlete and does well at any sport she tries. In the last year she has tried out swim team, tennis, soccer, volleyball, basketball, and softball.
• She is doing well in piano even though it doesn't come as easily for her as other things. She has to use a lot of GRIT and mental toughness in the first few days of practicing new pieces when it feels very difficult for her. She is making great progress.
• This girl LOVES music. She has created a playlist of pop songs that she loves to listen to while she does her jobs or anytime we are in the car. She loves to sing and dance.
• Brynn still has a pretty significant fear of the dark and being alone. Having her bedroom downstairs in our new house has been hard for her and she keeps a night light and reading lamp on in her room all night. Even then it's not uncommon for her to end up in our room during the night. 
• Is starting to allow me to do cute braids and twists in her hair without pulling them right out. 
• Is a great reader, but does not have a passion for reading the way Mason and I do. She prefers to read books that she can finish in one sitting to long chapter books that she loses interest in before she can finish them. She does enjoy listening to longer audiobooks. 
• Brynn doesn't really ever throw fits but she is a world class pouter when she is tired and doesn't get her way.

Ryan's Baseball Birthday

Ryan is ONE! When I think back to where we were a year ago I cannot believe how much our life has changed since Ryan joined our family.  Of course there is the obvious change in that we packed up our life in Omaha and moved 1000 miles back to Utah. But the changes I am talking about are the changes not as easily seen. Ryan brought the sound of laughter back into our home. He has reminded us of how wonderful life is and has helped us relearn how to look to the future with hope and happiness. I am so grateful for Ryan. He saved our family. He saved me. I can honestly say I have not taken a single moment, day or night, of the last year with him for granted.
Obviously we think this little guy is pretty awesome and wanted to celebrate his birthday. There's no doubt that Ryan's favorite thing in the world is balls so I decided a baseball party would be very fitting. We invited my family over for a ballpark birthday dinner where we had our own yummy concession stand. Ryan is definitely a fan favorite of all his older cousins and they were all swarming him with love and attention on his big day. It was fun to see how excited they all were for him to dive into his smash cake and open presents. This boy is going to have quite the fan club as he grows up!

My boys

Team Murray

1-year-old Ryan

• His hair keeps getting blonder and his eye keep getting bluer. Scott still argues that he is our cutest baby.
• He has Eight teeth. Four on top and four on bottom.
• He is a mama's boy and if he can see or hear me wants to be right by my side or in my arms. If I so much as turn in the direction of leaving he will quickly let me know that is not okay.
• The only person who trumps mom is Grandma Nancy. Ryan absolutely adores his Grandma and demands her undivided attention whenever she is around.
• Ryan has been much slower than my big kids on reaching different milestones, but he is still right on track and continues to grow and develop more each day. He currently loves to climb up stairs and go back down with a little bit of supervision. He will climb up on anything he is able with the fireplace being his favorite climbing spot. He can stand up in the middle of the room independently and is a very stable stander. He has started taking 2-3 steps here and there and no doubt will be a full fledged walker soon. 
• Ryan is not much of a talker in the formal sense and still doesn't have any clear cut "words". But he is always jabbering and is very good at communicating with his own language full of "Erss", "Iss", and "pthhhh " (his tongue spitting noise) which one version clearly means ball and the other version means I want that. He also has a sweet little "hi" noise accompanied by a wave. 
• He is also very vocal (aka very LOUD) when he doesn't get his way. We are already dealing with little mini tantrums and I am scared to think of what 2-year-old Ryan will bring to the table next year. 
• He is a very poopy baby and poops 17 times a day - give or take a few.
• Ryan has actually turned into a pretty good sleeper and consistently takes two naps a day and for the most part sleeps through the night. 
• He LOVES balls. Soccerballs, Basketballs, Baseballs - he likes them all. If he sees a ball he will start with a very loud and excited "Pthhhhh" with his tongue. 
• He also loves his WubbaNubs and can almost always be found with on close by if not in his mouth. 
• Ryan is a good eater and will eat pretty much anything we give him. He prefers eating real food over baby food and LOVES drinking out of straws, not sippy cups.
• Ryan is completely adored by his older brothers and sisters. 
• He is a Troublemaker with a capital T. He gets into anything and everything he possibly can.
• He despises having his diaper changed or getting dressed. Every single diaper or outfit change is a full on wrestling match with him. 
• Ryan is a water baby and loves bath time and swimming at the pool. 

Josh and Katarena Wedding

On May 12th Scott's little brother, Josh, got married. Back at Christmas time Mike asked me if I would be willing to help Kat plan a simple wedding since she didn't really have any support from her side of the family and was feeling pretty overwhelmed. Planning a wedding is definitely not my forte and I felt like any of the other Murray girls was far more qualified, but being the only local sister, I was more than willing to help in any way I could. Kat was so easy to work with and wasn't picky about anything but just so grateful for our help. With the help of Whitney we created and printed some simple but nice invitations for them. I volunteered to make the wedding cake. Brynn was a great little assistant and loved helping me frost the cake. She was very proud of our finished product which was far from perfect, but overall turned out nice. I guess you get what you pay for. It was fun getting to share that experience with Brynn. I remember when I was younger helping my aunt Marilyn make and deliver wedding cakes and I loved it. The week before the wedding I found out that there would be no photographer because there was no budget for it. I went to work finding an affordable option I could help provide for them because I felt like everyone should have some nice pictures of there wedding day to look back on. I found a girl who lived in our old ward in Orem who was just getting started in photography who agreed to do pictures for next to nothing. The pictures she got were simple but turned out very nice.
Linda worked so hard planning all the decor. On the day of the wedding Vance and I were able to help set it all up, but she gets full credit for how beautiful and nice everything looked.
Josh and Kat had a beautiful ceremony in a church followed by mingling and refreshments with their family and friends in attendance. It was a small and simple affair, but I loved seeing the smiles radiating on their faces and the love in their eyes as they looked at each other.

Ellie Day 2017

As Ellie's birthday approached this year I didn't have anything that was really grabbing me as what I wanted to do to honor Ellie's life like I have in the past. Initially, I was excited to participate in the Running with Angels 5k again now that we are here in Utah, but when I went to register and saw the total at checkout I felt strongly that there was something else I should be using Ellie's birthday money for. A few other ideas came and went but none of them stuck and pretty soon Ellie's birthday was right around the corner and I still didn't have any clear plans of what to use her birthday money for. Surprisingly I was completely fine waiting and knew that when the right thing came along I would know - and that is exactly what happened. The week of Ellie's birthday several situations arouse with family and friends and I was able to use my time, energy, and resources dedicated to Ellie's birthday celebration serving them and helping them in their time of need. While I might not have come up with an official theme for Ellie Day this year, I felt a very strong personal emphasis on family and knew that serving them was the best way I could honor Ellie. .

This year Brynn and Mason took over the design and creation of Ellie's traditional cupcake cake and they totally nailed it! My mom also got new Ellie shirts for everyone since all the kids have outgrown theirs from two years ago but still love to wear them. We went and visited Ellie with her cake and balloon at the cemetery then we had our Hale family dinner at the All-Together Playground to celebrate Ellie's birthday. It was a simple but wonderful evening enjoying time as a family.

One of the things we were able to do in Ellie's honor happened the day before her birthday when our dear 4p+ friend, Brooklyn, ended up back in Primary Children's for back surgery. In January Brooklyn had a magnetic rod put in her back for her severe scoliosis. It has been a horribly difficult recovery and she has experienced one complication after another and had several repeat hospital admissions and surgeries since. As soon as I heard Brooklyn was back in the hospital I knew I needed to go see her and Sarah. I asked the kids to think of what we could do to cheer Brooklyn up and they all decided they would like to go to Build-a-Bear and make a stuffed animal for her. It was so fun watching the kids as they decided the soft and fluffy bunny would be perfect and dressed her in a cheer outfit because Brooklyn wants to be a cheerleader.  Brooklyn's excitement when I gave her the bunny was so wonderful. She snuggled with her bunny while Sarah and I chatted and showed it to everyone who came in her room. I care so deeply for this little girl and am so grateful to be close enough to get to see her occasionally.