Beckwith Bunch

Welcome to my new blog

You can find me here: Living Full on Life

Not Quite Ready Yet

My launch date goal for my new blog was Valentines day. I'm close, but not there yet. I'm sorry! My new goal is April 1st. Please check back then. I sure am enjoying this brain-stretching process! Happy Valentines Day!

Transferring Blog...

My new blog is under construction. Please check back here on Valentine's Day for the link to the bigger and better Beckwith Family blog. Thank you for all of your support and love...I hope to be able to give back more...

Wants vs. Needs

We decided to follow some good advice and give our children something they want, need and something to read for Christmas. Anna was asking for many, many things and so I said, "Wait Anna, you already told me you wanted those Frozen dolls, now you are telling me you want something else." She replied, "But Mom! Frozen stuff isn't something I WANT! It's something I NEED!"

Smart, smart girl.

Ode To Lizzie

My little girl is 12! She has been eagerly awaiting this day for...12 years! No, I'm kidding, it just seems that way. This last year of waiting to be twelve has been torture. Twelve means the following things for Lizzie (not in order of importance): She gets to wear makeup and dangly earrings, she gets to babysit other people's children and go to the Young Women's program at church for girls ages 12-18, and she is old enough to go to the temple. All such wonderful and exciting things!

So what is Lizzie like at 12? Today I got to introduce her to the other girls in the Young Women's program at church. I got two minutes but could have taken an hour to describe this incredible daughter o' mine. So here I go...

Lizzie. Sweet Lizzie. Twelve years ago you were born 7 weeks early. You weighed 5 lbs 10 oz. Your birth was induced because you were dangerously anemic. (A blood incompatibility.) Seconds after you were born you were placed on my chest, next to my heart and I was allowed to hold you for what I think was less than a minute. I was totally smitten by your tiny perfection. Then you were whisked away by the huge team of doctors and nurses that were waiting to take care of you. You were given a blood transfusion and then spent a month in the hospital to grow and to learn how to breath and eat. You were the sweetest little thing, though you looked like a giant in the NICU with all those other preemies. (Some who weighed less than two pounds!) That month of waiting for you to come home was probably much like the last month has been for you waiting to turn twelve! It seemed to last for an eternity. Every little thing was a celebration, when you ate by yourself, when you breathed by yourself, your first poopy diaper...

Finally, you came home to parents who welcomed and loved you from the very first time they layed eyes on you, and to a brother who was somewhat dubious about this little thing that had come to take some of the attention from him. Thankfully he overcame his doubts and within minutes accepted you enough to give you one of his binkies, a gesture of true love from a 14 month old! Though he is your biggest tormentor, you have been friends from that day on.

You were the perfect second baby. You were very content to watch the world around you. Part of that was because with Sam as your big brother, there was hardly a dull moment. I love this picture of you with our first pet, Kevin. Even with a cat on your back you were content, contemplative and quiet.


You have always loved to lay on the ground and soak in the world. There were many times I actually found you face down in the grass or sand doing your observing. (The first time I found you face down scared me to death!)

You have always been observant. You are the first one in our family to notice beauty and to point it out. When you were about three you noticed an interesting way that the lights would shine on the back window of our van when we drove anywhere in the dark and you called them, "Dancing Plates!" I hope I remember until my dying day your delighted tone each time you saw them. You have also always been VERY creative. You beautify and enrich the world around you.

Lizzie saw real potential in a wet car window and some random leaves laying around

Your creativity also enriches and beautifies the world for William and Anna. When you play with them, the possibilities for entertainment, nay, enchantment are endless! Seeing you play with Anna, while you were dressed up as the fairy queen, Elianna, is always a treat (Technically, since I am a grown-up and grown-ups can't see fairies, I couldn't really see you). You are delightful around children. You have a wonderful caring and nurturing nature. You can coax a reluctant Anna to clean her room better than anyone else in the family! (I call this your powers.)

Your creativity is also exhibited in your art. You are an incredible artist, and have won almost every art contest you have entered. You use your art to delight your siblings, to praise and uplift. I am so thankful you inherited this gift though I feel sorry that you don't have much time to cultivate it.

Speaking of talents... You have been given so many gifts! You are very bright and do well in school. Schoolwork is easy for you and you rarely have to try to get good grades, but you also have a good work ethic so when things get a little challenging you rise to to occasion. You know you can do hard things and you do them all of the time!

You are an amazing dancer with real heart. You started Irish dancing at the age of 5. You are so good at it. I remember years ago before one competition (called Feis) I had been encouraging you to practice daily. You went to the feis and got seven medals! As we were leaving with the medals clinking around your neck you said, "See mom! I don't need to practice!" You have also recently started ballet and are doing very well in that too. Your goal for dance is to be a part of B.Y.U's Folk Dance tour team when you go to collage.

You love to dance so much that you dance everywhere we go and even when you are supposed to be doing other things! (cello practicing) The following is a video we took a couple months after you started to play the cello. You've got the moves even when you are just messing around!

You started to play the cello when you were eight. You have talent but are not quite as passionate about it as you are about dance. You make beautiful music when you feel it. I love to listen to you play.

Your other passions include: horses, ice cream, reading, and playing with your friends. You are exceptionally friendly and kind and can make friends anywhere you go.

Lizzie, age 9 making friends with another competitor during her first triathlon

You have been friends with Rachel and Danielle Saxey since we moved here nearly 10 years ago. I have enjoyed seeing your creative play through the years. Not only are you guys friends but you are business partners as well. You have had what seems like thousands of lemonade stands, a pie selling fundraiser, and two summer day camps for neighborhood children.

One of the things I appreciate most about you is your desire to do what is right. You are very honest with others and with yourself which will help you in your life in so many ways. You announced this summer that you plan on serving as a missionary for our church. You will be an amazing missionary (whether you go to Ireland or not!) because you have a huge heart. You love others so much you want to share with them what has made you happy. You love God so much you want to serve him by serving his children. You have an amazing testimony of prayer (having had experiences seeking and gaining answers to prayers). Dad and I are so proud of the efforts you are making to develop your own relationship with your Heavenly Father and to gain your own testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that God is proud of you too. You are an example to all of us.

Lizzie, I am thankful every day that you are my daughter. You are a gift, a treasure. I am the luckiest of mothers to be able to watch you grow. You are turning into such a lovely young woman inside and out who will one day be an incredible, beautiful woman and mother. Thank you for the efforts you are making to develop your mind, talents and spirit. Thank you for the joy and enthusiasm for life you bring into our family. We love you sweet girl! Happy 12th Birthday!

Lizzie, Joie de Vivre

Lizzie through the years:

Age 1, discovering the joys of bathing

Age 2

Lizzie on her 3rd birthday

Age 4

In Lizzie's World- Age 5

Lizzie, age 6 with her pal Pebbles the lovebird

Age 7

Lizzie, age 7 with her replacement pet Katie (Lizzie was allergic to Pebbles)

Age 8, on Lizzie's baptism day

Lizzie's 8th birthday party. Rock climbing!

Age 9 wearing her favorite, "This Is My Lucky Shirt"

Lizzie's 10th Birthday. Inside the box: Schleich animals

Lovely Girl, age 11

12th Birthday fun at movie, Big Hero 6

So We Don't Forget

The link to Sam's DC trip: http://americanheritagedctrip.wordpress.com/

The Canary in the Coal Mine

A few weeks ago I mentioned to Grant that I felt like we needed to refocus on our relationship and spend some quality time. He had been very busy and pulled in a thousand directions and so had I. He agreed and with gratitude said that I was like the canary used in coal mines. The canary detected harmful levels of methane or carbon monoxide. Sadly, the super-sensitive canary died when things got too toxic. Thankfully at that point the level wasn't deadly for the humans...yet. I thought the connection he made was nice. I thought Grant's willingness to make changes even nicer. The fact that I don't die when things get a little busy, I thought the nicest of all.

A Random Sample

Awhile ago William said, "Kung Fu Panda really has a lot of good lessons in it. Like how it teaches you how to build a rocket."

Anna complained to me that it is getting annoying that everywhere she goes (preschool and primary) the boys all want to sit by her and she just wants to be by herself. I said, "Well, it's just because you are so cute and nice!" She said, "Well, then I just want to be not cute like you, and then the boys won't want to sit by me!"

This week I presented at book club. The topic of discussion was man/woman marriage and the same-sex marriage debate. I was a nervous wreck about leading a discussion about this since I don't enjoy politics, current events or conflict in general. I also feel very weak when it comes to debating or discussing high emotion topics. My heart rushes, my voice quivers and my knees go weak. Not to mention the discomfort of my brain going blank. I was also very nervous because I knew there would be some people present that felt very differently on the topic than I do. Well, the discussion went quite well due largely to the great turnout and many thoughtful people who wanted to discuss this topic in a civil and caring way. I felt good knowing that I had done the leg work necessary to make this topic personal. I could finally discuss it with my own words and not just quoting someone else. I could speak with passion and authority because I had read and prayed and pondered. I spent hours reading articles and books and although it was still not my favorite way to spend my time (I'd rather be reading food blogs), I am glad I did it. It also made me very grateful for the LDS church's stand on man/woman marriage. It makes so much sense to me and in my heart of hearts it just feels right.
https://www.lds.org/topics/family-proclamation

Now for a fall recap: (I'm hoping to do a summer re-cap, maybe in February when I am really longing for some warm weather.)

-William started soccer and fell head over heals in love with the sport
-Sam had to skip cross country this fall because he has Achilles Tendonitis
Anna got a princess canopy for her bed
-Sam loves long boarding
-Anna started dance and is taking it with her friends Mary Anderson and Kate Funk - she loves it
-Charlie treed one racoon one night and then a few nights later treed four in one fell swoop
-Lizzie is enjoying doing activities with her friends on a regular basis. I took four girls to an indoor trampoline park and then to Pizza Pie Cafe and she spent Halloween night with friends
-We had a wonderful hike up the canyon and enjoyed just laying around in the mild autumn weather surrounded by fall colors
-Rebecca watched William and Anna for us while Grant and I had a day date. She carved pumpkins and made Halloween cookies with them. She is such a fun aunt!
-We took William to his first BYU football game. It was fun for Grant and I, but a little boring for William
-Lizzie had a dance competition: She placed first in two dances, fourth in two other dances and second in another.
-Sam made the J.V. Basketball team
-Grant and I only had one child at home to take Trick-or-treating. Sam went to a party, Lizzie and William went trick-or-treating with friends. It was a strange night for Grant and I and Anna missed being with her siblings
-William had his first piano competition and loved every minute of it. See it HERE
-Sam and Lizzie had their first friend vacation. They went to Lake Powell with the Sessions family and had an amazing time
-For Halloween the children dressed as the following: Anna, a ballerina fairy; William, Harry Potter; Lizzie, the Cheshire Cat; Sam, didn't really want to dress up
-Lizzie started Ballet. She takes a class every Thursday from 8-9 pm. The head of the Folk Dance department at BYU advised her to take some whole body dance (Irish is really just from the waist down) to train her in a more well-rounded way. Lizzie's dream is still to dance with the BYU Folk Dance team.