The Bear of Love aka:Kolbie

What a weekend! Greg put in a new dishwasher (I helped) and we didn't end up in divorce court (this is a miracle, we always fight when we do home improvements). We went and saw WALL E as a family. I liked it, I thought it was funny. And most important: KOLBIE GOT BAPTIZED!!!!!

I cannot believe that my youngest child got baptised! I am WAY too young to say that!! Anyway, Kolbie (as usual) was amazing.

She planned the entire program. She called and asked Grandma (sort of) to play to piano. She asked her Aunt Stephanie to conduct the songs. She picked: I Love To See The Temple and I Am A Child Of God.

Her cousin Mason gave a speech on Baptism. He did an amazing job! I was going to get a picture of Mason and Kolbie but I forgot (of course). He did a great job. He sat right down in front of Kolbie and talked to her about baptism, what it meant and how important it was. I cannot thank him enough, he did a great job and he made Kolbie feel special. After Kolbie was baptized my Mom and Dad gave a speech about being Confirmed and The Gift of the Holy Ghost. They were great (as usual). I am so grateful that my parents could be a part of the program. With Dad being sick, he get confused easily, he also forgets things so I was happy that he and Mom were able to contribute to the program.

After Greg and I had Katie, we thought that we were done having kids. In fact, if you were to ask us we would have told you that we were DONE HAVING KIDS!!! But then, the Spirit gave both Greg and I the feeling that we weren't done having kids, and then Kolbie became part of our family!!! Looking back, I can't even believe that I ever felt that we were all done. I have a friend that was given a blessing after one of his children were born with severe disabilities and was told that this baby was going to cement his family together. He told me after I had Kolbie that she would be the cement of our family. I know that he's right.

Kolbie was blessed with a genuinely happy and grateful personality, and I have learned and continue to learn so much from her. My Mom said in her talk at the baptism: if you only get 2 hugs from Kolbie when she sees you, she usually upset with you. Kolbie is very affectionate. Almost every night I fall asleep snuggling with Kolbie. Kolbie is also a caregiver. She HATES that I'm sick, but she takes such good care of me. She has literally held my hair back when I've been throwing up -- this just shows me how much she loves me because she has a weak stomache. She is always asking me how I feel and if I need anything. Kolbie thinks about other people before she thinks of herself allot of the time (she is a kid). She takes good care of me! My Mom and Dad call her: The Bear of Love (Bear is one of Kolbie's nicknames), there's a funny story that goes along with that name, but it completely describes Kolbie.

Kolbie is a very good friend. Her best buddy is Annie Smith, and they have been friends for almost their entire life (we have pictures of them playing as babies). Aly talks about when Kolbie was over when she was a baby, she dropped pancakes down to Annie from her high-chair. Annie and Kolbie are about as close as you can be without being sisters. Chuck and Aly joke about Kolbie being their oldest third child! We feel the same about Annie.

Kolbie is a great sister. She truly loves Chris and Kate with all her heart (even though she is yelling at them as I write this). She wants the best for them and even cries for them when they get their hearts broken. Sometimes she can be a little devil with Chris and Kate too. She does things to make them mad on purpose, then turns around with that little devil smile on her face. She knows what she's doing.

Kolbie is beautiful. Honestly, Kolbie was the most beautiful baby I'd ever seen. She was just beautiful!!!! The doctor and nurses even commented on how beautiful she was (one even told me that they're supposed to comment on how beautiful every baby is, but Kolbie was the most beautiful baby she's seen). Now that Kolbie is growing up she is still one of Gods most beautiful creations, in my opinion (along with Chris and Kate). Boy, that last line sure sounded corny, but it's true! Kolbie is my wild child when it comes to what she wears. But no matter how wild (ugly) her clothes can be she looks beautiful!

My favorite thing about Kolbie is she is always telling us she loves us. Every time she leaves the house she yells "I'm going to .....'s house. I love you Mom!!!" That makes me smile every time I hear it!!

Kolbie is so many of the things that I hope to be one day. I wish that I could tell someone I love them as easily as she does. I wish that I could smile as often as she does. I wish I could love the little things as well as Kolbie does. I wish that I could make friends the way Kolbie does. I wish that I was a happy as Kolbie is all the time.

Kolbie is the cement of our family, we all learn so much from her, and I can't imagine what life would be like if she weren't with us. Sometimes I get mad at her, and her room is NEVER clean, and she sneaks food downstairs when she shouldn't, and she tries to get out of being in trouble by batting those big beatiful eyes at us, and she blames everything on her brother, but she sure keeps us all going. I love Kolbie so much. She completes our family!!