This random entry, years after the last entry, landing on a day at the beginning of a new year, may appear to be connected with the dreaded New Year's Resolutions that so often (though good intentioned) get forgotten and lost in the hustle of living a day at a time. But in reality this entry has nothing to do with the new year and absolutely nothing at all to do with a resolution, for I know how weak I can be. HA! The truth? Guilt is to blame. For realz. Like the full blown, monster, momma kind. My kids were looking through the printed blog books from years gone by tonight. Ebony was looking for a while and then asked, "Where am I?" My last entry was on her birth! How did I lose site of the memories that would continue when I suddenly found myself outnumbered? Have I communicated to my 3rd and 4th beloved children (yes, there is a 4th now who is unknown to the blogging world) that they are less loved? How dare I send such a message, even as unintentional as it was?!
So, though I am not resolving to do better, I would like to pick up and continue the story. For what a story it has been! I will go forward and maybe back a little as I try to pick up the pieces and puzzle out what life is for the Cronins. If for no other reason than to provide those precious memories for my children.
As a recap (in case I never do go back) I will tell you that life has been good to us. We have traveled, loved, moved, grown our family, trialed, laughed, cried, worked, played, survived and thrived. One day I hope to go back in detail. To review the pictures of the past would be good for me. But for now, a brief recap.
Ebony Pearl was born (as evidenced by my very last post) 7 years ago. What a playful delight this girl is in our lives. A bit of a tease with looong eyelashes and dimples. She loves people and play. She loves a good tease and a good joke. She is smart as a whip and quick at a task. Did I mention she loves people? This girl makes friends everywhere she goes ranging in age from babies on up. Age doesn't matter to her! She has adopted a widower in our ward and just loves the man. She runs to give him hugs when he walks by our house, sits with him at church when he is alone, and genuinely loves him. She has even nicknamed him but for discretion sake we will keep that hush hush.
In 2015 Chad and I felt impressed to make a change in our lives. We wanted to and didn't want to all at the same time. Chad went to the temple to try and sort the inner conflict and felt very strongly that if we didn't make a change it would "be detrimental to our family". So, though we loved Cache Valley, our jobs, our neighbors, our friends and our home; we began to consider what "change" might look like. To make a long story short, it ended up looking like a move to Idaho Falls at the beginning of 2016. Which meant job changes, community changes, and changes to our entire lives as we knew them. It took me about 3 years (I have declared several times that I must have reached old age and was too old to move) but I feel at home, love my life here, and feel as though my family has all acclimated. And the blessings! There have been so many!
One of those blessings arrived on March 2, 2017 in the form of a folded baby girl. I say folded as she truly was folded. McKinley Marie Cronin had everyone fooled and was breech. That girl's diaper changes were hilarious for several weeks as instead of assuming the typical fetal position of infants, her feet would flip up by her ears in the world's greatest toe touch! This girl is a delight. She is the most social antisocial child ever. LOL Meaning of course, it depends on how she is feeling. She is such an articulate young child and her expressions and phrases and way of describing things are astounding, impressive, and at times hilarious. She may be a funny one like her dad. She gives the best hugs... full body panda bear hugs, that wipe every care away and the best part is, she gives them freely. Recently this girl has taken to making "recipes". Some of them turn out better than others! But I will never forget the experience of the love I felt as I ate a homemade cake from scratch inspired by this girl and helped by her sister Ebony. It was a little reminiscent of fruitcake but I mean, it was made by a 7 and 3 year old and was in cake form, was edible, and was made for me for my birthday! Was any other mother ever more loved?
Jaedyn has grown up. For real. When she dressed as a zombie for Halloween in 6th grade I felt like I had arrived. HA. Officially crossed over from adorable princess to disgusting preteen. LOL She is a very responsible 12 year old. She has taught her sisters what it is to give of yourself, to have compassion when someone is hurt or sad, and to share. Most little children struggle to share I think, but mine never have. I credit that entirely to Jaedyn. She loves order. I often can find her off by herself organizing a shelf or cleaning a drawer... even if they don't belong to her. I find it sweet, as I appreciate order as well!
Lilia loves to read. period. Nothing else to say. HA ha. There is a lot to say, but if I had to sum it up to one thing, that's what it would be. She got many amazing presents for Christmas this year but she cuddled a book set all through the present opening and it totally warmed my heart. Lilia still smiles with her whole being. She is happy and sweet, works hard in school and oh my goodness does that girl love her teachers! And they love her!
Last year in February, Lilia got to go on her parent vacation. We like to take one child at a time, every few years, on a big trip so that we can focus on them, share the time, make memories, and have a special thing they can call their own. Jaedyn went to Hawaii with us when she was 6 1/2. Lilia came to Costa Rica with her dad and I, and G-ma and G-pa Boyd when she was 8. That story will require a catch up post. But I love this tradition. It makes sharing a trip very doable, realistic, enjoyable, affordable, and special. I hope she will cherish those memories.
Covid hit the states shortly after we returned. At least that is what we were told at the time. There has been so much information, so much misinformation, so much political motivation, so much distrust and so much change during this time. But there has also been a lot of family time, a lot of reaching out to others, a lot of love and kindness, a lot of relying on one another, a lot of joy at the simple pleasures, and A LOT of gratitude for what used to be taken for granted. It has stretched everyone in many ways both heartbreaking and happy. There is a lot of unknown. But I have faith that we are held in the palm of His hand and we will find a way to be better through this!
