Happy Birthday, my Tara

Twenty-three years ago, I gave birth to a beautiful girl.
Only Heavenly Father knew how much she would change my world.

Three months after she was born, our great journey began.
For three years she melted everyone’s hearts in Deutschland.

Life for her couldn’t get much better, playing in the Oklahoma rain.
But soon it was cut short because her Daddy had to go fight Saddam Hussein.

Back to Boise she went for six months, to live with family, it was bitter cold.
Grandparents gushed over how she was the best behaved three and a half year old.

Soon, she became a big sister, wanting to be just like her Mommy and breastfeed.
In Texas she received 1st prize for a drawing at school. That’s my girl, yes indeed.

After returning to Idaho, she explored soccer, jump-roping and swimming.
Brimming with talent, junior high and high school brought track, volleyball, art and singing.

Excited to move on, it was then time to go to college; BYU was her choice.
Does she know I cried all the way home from Provo? But soon there was a reason to rejoice.

She met a righteous, worthy companion there during her first days away from home.
“Jonathan Evans is his name, Mom, he’s from Canada and wants us to make a life of our own.”

Then it was time for her to receive a precious gift from God above.
Sweet Ethan Patrick Evans brought to her life celestial love.

Now her journey continues in California where there is waves and sunshine.
Dearest Tara, you have been so blessed, know that everything will be just fine.

Love you lots and lots!! Mom

Happy Birthday Tyson!

Happy Birthday Tyson!

Hope you had lots of fun and gots of loot.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAD!

About 1 Year Old

About 10 Years Old

About 19 Years Old

Dad and Aunt Nancy, summer of 2009

Dad and Katherine, June 2009

Happy 67th Birthday!! We Love You!!

Happy 17th Birthday Tausha!

On January 21, 2009 Tausha May Huston turned 17 years old. She wanted to hear the story of when she was born, so here goes:

Sometime before you were born, we acquired a little gray kitten. This kitten had a wild-like behavior. It was so wild that when we put the kitten out in the back yard, it would instead start climbing on the screen door. It would get about halfway up and meow and meow until we brought it back inside. (The importance of the kitten will work in the rest of the story in a bit.)

When Mommy was pregnant with you, before you grew too big, the doctors had known that you were in a breech position. So Mommy made an appointment to have the doctors turn you around. One doctor stood on one side of Mommy's belly, another doctor stood on the other side of Mommy's belly. They began to push on you in opposite directions. There was plenty of fluid for you to spin around in, but because you were soooo stubborn (even before you were born!) you would not budge!! (Whenever Tausha hears this part of the story, she beams a happy smile and has a look of victory on her face!) Since you were breech, we scheduled a planned C-section.

Mommy had to stay the night in the hospital the night before the surgery. On the morning of January 21, 1992, in the town of Fort Sill, Oklahoma, in an Army Medical Center on the Army military post, Daddy was to meet Mommy at the hospital bright and early so that Daddy could be in the surgery with Mommy. As the morning came and the minutes passed, Daddy was not showing up. Mommy was so worried. Mommy tried to call the house to try to see if Daddy was still there and the phone was busy. Mommy kept trying to call Daddy and the phone kept being busy. Mommy began to wonder if maybe the wild kitten had knocked the phone off the hook and that Daddy was still sleeping. So Mommy called someone that worked with Daddy to see if he could go by the house and knock on the door and/or windows to try to wake Daddy up.

Daddy ended up coming to the hospital right when Mommy was being wheeled to the operating room. Daddy got to sit by Mommy's head while the doctors cut Mommy open to get you out. When you were born, the nurses wrapped you tight in a blanket and gave you to Daddy. Daddy then brought you up by Mommy's head and showed you to Mommy. When Mommy saw you, Mommy said, "Oh!! My litte baby!!!" Mommy then gave you kisses.

After you came home with Mommy and Daddy we loved you so much. Your sister, Tara, loved you so much too! You often would have a hard time getting calm, so Mommy would put you in a baby swing, give you your binky (which was so big it almost covered your mouth and nose!) and then turn on the vacuum and put the vacuum in the corner of the room. You would then fall fast asleep!

Your skin was red when you were born, but eventually your skin turned normal.

(Picture to be inserted here of Tausha when she was a baby!)

(We ended up not keeping the kitten because it peed on your Daddy's big green bean bag, which he was not very happy about.)

Tausha, you are a beautiful daughter of Heavenly Father and we are glad you are in our lives.

We love you!! Love, Mom

P.S. Tausha requested shish kabobs and artichoke (her favorite food) for her birthday. Here are pictures of her birthday dinner (a few days past her birthday) on Sunday, January 25, 2009.