So Long, Farewell. . . . Part 2.

I tagged along with Lucy to her Kindergarten party at the end of the year. So much love and hugging! Lucy is such a loving, sweet girl. She made some wonderful friends, and she's called them several times since the move. She is a loyal friend and a tender heart!

 And these two ladies are the very best! Ms. DeMolet and Mrs. Threatt were the best Kindergarten team ever! Lucy has called the both and chatted on the phone. They just adored Lucy and were the best teachers I could have asked for. They boosted her confidence, believed in her, and helped her see greatness in herself. They were fun, creative, and so loving. We are incredibly grateful that she had them as teachers!

Miss Anne is one of the best things going at Pinehurst Elementary. She loved to see Lucy's fun hair every day and had the most loving personality. Every kid who walked through her door knew that they were cared for. She was so sad when she heard we were leaving. She wrote down her address, email,, phone number, everything! Lucy has chatted with her a couple of times since we left. She really made PES a special place!

American Girl Doll Christmas!

You got your very first American Girl doll this year!! You named your Bitty Twin Lizzie and for the first few days toted her everywhere, playing with Caroline. 

Lucy, Growing Up

Lucy, you did such an amazing job at the Primary program last week! You memorized your part, spoke clearly, and looked confidently out at the congregation. We were all so impressed. You are growing up so quickly and so well! Part of that is that you are sleeping in underwear! It is remarkable how quickly you have succeeded with this. You simply decided it was time, and it worked! At first we only tried on the weekends, but you got the hang of it so quickly that we went for it soon after. It is wonderful and such a sign that you are growing in confidence as well. We love you!

Kindergarten Lady!

You are one happy kindergartener! You have Mrs. DeMolet and Mrs. Threet as your teachers, and you adore them. You also have Ariel, the guinea pig, Noodle, the cockatoo, and Myrtle and Yertle, the turtles. And so many new friends!! There are 3 other kids from church in your class, which is really wonderful. You had to wait 2 extra days to start school because of the staggered Kindergarten entry that Pinehurst Elementary uses. It makes for a calmer first day, but waiting until Wednesday was miserable for you! You were raring to go! Though it has only been a month, you have learned so much already! Your reading is really taking off, and you are so responsible, doing your "homework" in afterschool before I pick you up. The biggest challenge is being SO tired. You only get about 20 to 30 minutes of rest at school, and Mrs. DeMolet says you almost always fall asleep. She lets you sleep longer than anyone else, but by 6:00 every night you become a different person. You howl and moan and stomp and give far too good of a "stink-eye" for a 5 year old. I dread the teenage years to be honest, you've got the angst down pat.
  We love you so much Lucy. You are so bright, sensitive, and kind (when well-rested :) ) You give the strongest hugs and have a beautiful voice. Mrs. DeMolet is so lucky to spend so much time with you at school!

Gearing Up for School!

You are so grown up! In just a few months you will be starting kindergarten! I can't believe it. You go back and forth between thrilled and terrified. I know you are going to love it and be wonderful. I pray every day for a teacher that will love you, see your potential, and tenderly help you grow and learn. Vass-Lakeview Daycare was a great place for you in that they were doting, loving, and kind. But, they did very little to help you in reading, writing, etc. You are on the cusp of reading and I think with a few consistent reading lessons this summer you will be reading on your own before Kindergarten. You write really well and are very bright and articulate. And oh, the love you give the world Lucy. You are such a bright spot. When you feel happy, everything is right and exciting and wonderful. If you get too tired or hungry. . then things quickly go quite the opposite. But, you love so so much. You kiss and hug and cuddle. You pray every day that Daddy's headaches will go away for the rest of his life and never come back. Then you pray for anyone else in the world that has headaches, that they will go away and never come back. You just love so much. You have a wonderful friend in Eden Young, our backyard neighbors. You two are hilarious to watch. We got you walkie-talkies and you just love being able to chat together. She doesn't have any brothers or sisters and her parents said you were a God-send. They are wonderful neighbors, kind, faithful, and fun. You and Eden are best friends. You love playing My Little Ponies together, and have swapped ponies under the backyard fence. You also love to play with Eden's microphone and you two sing "Jesus" songs together. You also once broke into, "I'm sexy and I know it." That's another thing about that daycare--they listen to the radio too much!!! 
Overall Lucy, you are just such a delight. Last night you and I got to go to a ballroom dance show with Grandma Lulu and Lindsey. It was awesome! You were enraptured with the dancing gowns. I have so much fun talking to you. Our neighbor Dawn said the same thing--she just loves talking to you because you are so enthusiastic about everything. That is a fantastic trait and I hope it sticks around. We love you Lucy!!

The Things Lucy Says!

You crack us up Lucy. Sometimes you mean to, but often you don't. You have such a little voice, but love to use big words. . .even if you don't know what they mean! You also have some big thoughts.
The other day we were listening to "Scripture Scouts" your new favorite tape (that we listen to over and over and over every day to school and back) and it had a song about how we have hands like Jesus does. Suddenly I hear you pipe up in the back,
"That would be terrible!"
Me: "What would be terrible?
"If we lost our hands."
Me: "Yeah, that would be terrible."
"The house would be covered with crawling hands!!!"
Me: Laughing hysterically and calling Dad to tell him.

Some backstory: Last Halloween there was a car at the trunk or treat that had this battery-powered disembodied hand that had a motion sensor built in so it would start crawling around if anyone came close. It seriously creeped you out. You mentioned it for weeks, and apparently it still comes to mind sometimes!

You are loving your ballet class. Miss Tessa, your teacher, told me a very nice story the other day. She said that when she was explaining to everyone that she was not going to raise her voice anymore, you raised your hand and asked, "Is it because Jesus doesn't like it?" She was so touched. I was so proud. You talk about Jesus with such confidence and tenderness, I think you really grasp that He is important, special, and loves you very much.
The other day you went with me on my weekly grocery trip and you decided that you were going to wear sunglasses and be "Miss Lilo" a famous actress and I was your special helper. So, I was to get your door, and call you ma'am and hold you hand in a very special way. You used the word darling alot and had wonderful manners. You have such a bright imagination and can stay in character for an impressive amount of time!!

St. Patrick's With Lucy

We walked to downtown Pinehurst and enjoyed a very warm St. Patrick's Day--complete with a hat and green cheeks. We also had green scrambled eggs of course!

And this probably wasn't on the same day. . but any day is a good day for this:

Lucy at Five!

The Big Five Year Old!!

Your birthday was overshadowed a bit by the whole family being pretty sick, so we will have a proper celebration later. But, we did have a triple birthday celebration with Grandma and Grandpa Reynolds since they never get to be around for your birthdays. They were in town for Isaac's birthday party.
We love you so much Lucy!! You have such a bright imagination and are full of love for everyone. You love coloring, dancing, pretending to read (and you are starting to really read now!), write letters to people, and hug and kiss your Mom and Dad. You are the best cuddler!! You have had a great first five years!!!

Lucy Updates

It has been far too long, but it is a new year, and I am determined to capture more memories and moments of you wonderful kids. This week--it is your turn. 
Some big changes have come into our family since the last update. This biggest change is that I have started teaching full time so you have started full time preschool/childcare. It has been a real adjustment for all of us. There have been many tears on my side as I've dropped you off, and many tears on your side at night as you ask me, "Is tomorrow a pre-school day?" It has been a real challenge. At first you were at a school called Cybered. It was a great facility, but they weren't exceptionally attentive to you, and it was fairly pricey. We switched to a childcare facility at Vass-Lakeview Elementary School--my alma mater! You now go to "school" every day in the same rooms where I went as a little girl! They are so loving and wonderful there. Miss Hardy and Miss Francis hug on you every day. I'm grateful you have such loving people to take care of you every day. I would love to be home with you, but this is what I have to do right now and we are all trying to make the best of it.

You are starting to learn how to read! You can read the BOB books all on your own and love to pretend to read books. You carry around your scriptures, and even brought your Book of Mormon to school with you. When I asked you afterward how that went you told me that you showed it to everyone and "they all felt the Spirit." What a great missionary.
You are such a funny lady. You dance and sing and make the funniest faces. And I've never met anyone who loves a good back tickle like you. One night Isaac was asking you to come play with him, but I was tickling your back, so you went to the top of the stairs and in a pronounced Southern accent announced, "I am having a back tickle!" It was hilarious. The other day you told me that Emma was "being ugly." The Southern accent is starting to make its mark.
You have also started ballet, and you LOVE it. It is wonderful to watch you. We are thinking of switching you to another school that takes the process a little more seriously. You seem to really like it and I figure that if we are going to invest time and money in it, I'd rather give you the best experience possible. I think you could be really good at it. And they offer adult classes--I've always wanted to learn ballet!
You love being a little girl. You often tell me that you do NOT want to grow up, you just want to stay a little girl forever. Sometimes I wish I could freeze you at this age too! But, I know that there are wonderful experiences ahead as you get bigger too. You got lots of My Little Ponies for Christmas and your first American Girl doll. For awhile you were carrying her everywhere, but that has sort of faded. Not much doll play around here. We were hoping to be in our new house by Christmas, but it didn't work out. You mention in every prayer that we can stay together and find a house of our own. Hopefully that will come true by the end of the month! At least Daddy is down here and we are all together as a family. It has been a stressful nine months living apart and dealing with so much change. I am so proud of you, Isaac, and Emma and how well you have handled so many challenges. The Lord has blessed us a great deal.
I love you Lucy. You make me laugh all the time. You love going out to dinner and ask constantly for ice cream. The other day you told Isaac that the two most important parts of the body are the vagina and the brain. Isaac corrected you: "Lucy, you don't need a vagina to live." It was hard not to laugh out loud listening to you two. We are trying so hard to love you, accept you, and remind you often that you are good, smart, kind, and wonderful. Sometimes I worry that you don't feel that about yourself. We love you so much Lucy. The Lord loves you. You will grow up to be a wonderful woman.

Goodbye Cybered!

You didn't have a great experience at Cybered. This was your last day with your teacher, and I can't even remember her name! She didn't reach out much to you, even when you were having a hard time with the transition. We moved to Vass Lakeview Childcare and have had a much different experience! They love you so much, hug you every single day (multiple times) and are so excited to see you. They might not be as much of a "school" as cybered, but they teach you that you matter and that is what matters most!

Happy Summer!

Eating ice cream and playing in puddles. . .life doesn't get much sweeter!
Collecting the candy tossed during the Pinehurst 4th of July parade!

Playdough snakes and dragons, oh my!

This is pretty much where we have lived all summer. You have learned to swim all by yourself, and jump into the deep end with courage and style!

Lucille Ball isn't the only funny Lucy!

Lucy,


You crack me up. The other day I was brushing your hair in the bathroom (you HATE that part of your life) and suddenly I heard a funny little "toot toot" sound coming from the general vicinity of your bum. I smiled and said, "What was that?" With an impish grin you shrugged and said, "It was a little woodpecker!" Then you lifted your finger as if you had a small bird pirched there and said, "See, this is my little woodpecker" and you started petting it. It was hilarious! You are really clever and creative.


We had an absolutely fantastic time on the Disney cruise. You met princesses, ate ice cream, had chocolates waiting on your pillow every night, and thoroughly enjoyed being with Daddy again. This seperation has been hardest on you in some ways. Sometimes I've found you just crying because you miss him so much. It is pretty heartbreaking. But, you certainly enjoyed him on the Cruise! The last night you two stayed up together and rode the aquaduck waterslide over and over together from 11:30 to midnight. You've talked about that ever since the cruise. I am pretty certain that was the highlight of the whole trip. Of course, twirling with princesses was a pretty big highlight too.


On the last day of the cruise, you tied your blanket like a cape and flitted about, announcing that you were Tinkerbell and were there "to make all your dreams come true." Unfortunately, my dream of getting back on the boat for another month didn't come true. I guess you didn't have enough pixie dust for that one.


Another time when I asked you which swimsuit you wanted to wear, you said you wanted the one that has stars and stripes (like an American flag) "because God bless America!" What a crack-up. I am hoping to get you into a preschool soon, I am sad that you haven't had anything really all your own. Isaac has played sports and done some homeschooling clubs, but you haven't had anything steady. I am not sure how much longer we will be down here in NC, but it could be for several more months. I'm hoping to make the best of it. We are all learning alot about patience. Sometimes you really strain mine. You get awfully angry and say some pretty mean things to all of us. I have found ignoring the bad behaviors as much as possible and pointing out the good stuff, helps alot. I have a feeling that things will get much easier for all of us when we are back together as a family. I love you Lucy, you are a wonderful light in my life.

Lucy Catch Up!

A move to North Carolina has put a major pause in my journaling for you guys. But, back to business! It has been a busy couple of months. We are living with Grandma Lulu while Daddy gets his private practice up and and running in Vienna. Every time you pray, for the last few months, you have prayed that we can stay together. I am hoping that prayer is answered soon! The other day you said a long, sweet prayer about wanting Daddy to be with us, asking that we can move back to Virginia and have fun with Daddy. I had to fight tears after you finished. This has been hard on you. You are such a tender, loving little lady Lucy. I am ashamed to admit how many times I've lost my patience and hurt your feelings. I am determined to do better.
We've had some fun adventures here, though. We go to the pool almost every day and you LOVE it! You have learned to swim, basically teaching yourself. You started with some arm floaties, but then took them off and started treading water and hopping along and now you can swim! Yesterday you swam across the deep end all by yourself! We have a great time at the pool, playing dolphin and jumping in over and over and over.
You also love having a little nightstand by your bed. It has become quite a little treasure spot for you. There are so many funny little trinkets and things in there. Under your bed is also a hiding place. Your pet stuffed bunny, bunira, sleeps under there, along with other stuffed animals and prized possessions that you want to keep safe.
It has been an exercise in patience working with you and potty training. Some days you do really well, but sometimes you don't pay attention at all and have several accidents a day. It really tries my patience.
But, hands down, you are the best cuddler in the family. You just cannot get enough tickling. Your arm, your belly, your back, your legs. You are a major ticklebug. But sometimes you get so squirmy it is hard to tickle you!
I love you so much Lucy. You have such an active imagination, playing kitty, puppy, dolphin, or mermaids. I love our conversations. Lately you've been talking about the resurrection alot. You gave me some dress-up jewelry and told me I could keep it until the resurrection. So generous. And you were making up songs about Jesus and how we will be happier when we die because we can live forever. You make up wonderful songs and I LOVE to watch you boogie. You shake your little hips and show off your funky moves. It is very entertaining.
You are a wonderful girl, Lucy. It breaks my heart when you say that you think you are dumb, or stupid, or the worst daughter ever. I am sad to think that you might feel such things about yourself. I think you are fantastic, and I am going to do a better job helping you know that.

Baseball Games and Tea Parties

The Warriors

Record: 2-1

(as of the writing of this post)

Isaac is having a fabulous time playing baseball. Much to our chagrin. . . he likes it more than soccer. Ouch. Still, the coach is wonderful and kind and besides melting while watching him play, we love it.

The Fan Club.

We can be very noisy and Isaac loved it. He hit a triple this game and I'm pretty sure it was because of my "Hit it hard! Hit it level! Hit it hard, hit it level and run like the devil!" Not sure the devil can actually run or that I should encourage devilish behavior. But, hey a triple is a triple. Way to go IKE!!!

Pizza Cafe

Mediocre Pizza+Cheap+Kid-Accessible Buffet within Parental Eyesight=Favorite Place in Pinehurst, NC.

TEA PARTY!!!!!! (not that kind, Glenn Beck was not invited)

Lucy made the invitations for the neighbors. Grandma supplied the costume jewelry. I made the mini-muffins, fruit salad, and stylishly sliced cucumbers. The lemonade was a group project. It was a roaring social success.

Lucy on the Move

This picture doesn't really capture it, but you walked into the door one night trying to get to the bathroom and it left quite a mark. It was really swollen and after this picture it started to change colors. It was quite the eyeshadow job.

Party at the Pizza Cafe. This is our favorite place down here with Lulu. All you can eat pizza? Perfect.

Tea Party with the Baker girls. You were so excited! You colored some invitations. Isaac did the menu, and I made the mini-muffins, the lemonade, fruit salad, and cut some very fancy cucumber slices. Everyone dressed up and had a really wonderful time. It is so wonderful to live next door to these great girls!

We had a great time at the Malcolm Blue Farm Bluegrass Festival. Facepaint for a buck! And for 3 dollars you each got unlimited jumping on the moonbounce. And we got to watch these awesome border collies do their cool herding tricks. You were asleep in the car before we got out of the parking lot. That is a sure sign of success.

Lucy Adventures

Enjoying the moon bounce outside Ben and Jerry's Free Cone Day!
And enjoying the main attraction:

The "Worm Whisperer" at work. You love finding and digging up earthworms and can locate them in masses! And still look cute doing it. . .

Saying goodbye to the Hiatt family before they take off for Singapore for six months:

Abby, Emma, Lucy, Anna, Ike, Aaron, Jonothan