Joshua Hawkes' Name

Here is another amazing story that I wanted to share.

For a long time, I had the impression that there was a Joshua who would be born to our family someday. Near the end of this pregnancy as we were discussing different names, none felt right to me besides Joshua. I just wasn't sure what his middle name should be. As we prayed to know which name was right for him, I decided to look over our family history and pedigree charts. I came across a short history of my great-great-grandfather, Joshua Hawkes, and felt very impressed reading about this great man. I wished there was more to the history, especially a photo, but I knew that this was the name our son should have.

Incidentally, the original Joshua Hawkes is the father of my great-grandma Effie, whose piano I inherited (see story that follows).

After Joshua was born, I sent out a quick e-mail to family and friends with some pictures and information about our new baby. One of the friends I e-mailed replied that she, too, was a descendant of Joshua Hawkes! She later sent me an e-mail with a lengthier history as well as this photo attached. I was so touched by the tender mercies of the Lord. He is aware of my family. I am also so thankful for this special baby that was sent to our family. Someday I will learn the reason why he in particular was given this name. Also, someday our Joshua will meet his great-great-great-grandfather.

Joshua Hawkes with his first wife, Mary Williams. We are descendants of his second wife, Sarah Ann Smart.

Joshua Hawkes, born 2009

The Piano

This is the story of a very special piano and bench. Years ago, the piano belonged to my great-grandmother Effie Hawkes Brown. She died three years before I was born. When my parents were married 40 years ago, they aquired the piano, but without the bench. I grew up in a home filled with the sound of music from this piano, and I have always loved it. It is nothing fancy, and was usually out of tune, but its sound has always brought back fond memories for me. I remember dancing in circles while my dad played lively tunes on it, hearing my sister become quite accomplished at it, and hearing it accompanying countless family home evenings and violin lessons. I learned to play on it, and often found solace in playing music in my free time. Soon after moving to our home in Provo, my parents decided to buy a Clavinova keyboard and the old piano was moved to the basement. Soon after Brent and I married in 1998, we lived in my parents' basement apartment and I could play it again.

When we moved to our first house in 2000, my parents said that if we could move the piano (and if it could survive a move!), we could have it. I was thrilled! It was a bit scary getting it moved, but it somehow made it. It never had its own bench to go with it, so we improvised with a garage sale piano bench for a few years before that broke, and then an IKEA stepstool. We had it in our living room in our Spanish Fork house for 9 1/2 years before listing that house for sale. Around that time, my parents were offered another family heirloom piano, my Grandma Jo's. Grandma Jo is Grandma Effie's daughter, and she passed away in 1990. When they moved it to their house, they noticed that the bench that had sat in front of it for so many years actually matched Great-Grandma Effie's piano-- the one that is now in my house! I was so excited to see this bench again, as I remember it fondly from my Grandma Jo's house, but was even more excited to realize that the wordwork on it exactly matches my piano!

So, after several decades, the original bench has been reunited with its piano. Also, the needlework on the bench was done by either Grandma Effie or Grandma Jo-- we aren't sure which-- so it is that much more special. If anyone reading this knows who did the original needlework, would you let me know? I would love to have a more complete history of this piano.

I recently had it tuned, and the tuner explained that although it really isn't worth anything, it is a fine musical instrument and well built. It just needs its key tops replaced and its wood refinished. It does, however, have tremendous intrinsic value as a family heirloom, one that I feel so blessed to have in my home. Now two of my own children are taking piano lessons and playing the very same piano (and sitting on the same bench) that five generations of my family have played. What a gift!

The bench with its original needlework

The bench and piano, together again

Joshua

Joshua turns 4 months old tomorrow! His first year is going by way too quickly! He is such a sweet baby boy. He lights up every time he sees me, which always makes my day. Joshua enjoys playing Pat-a-cake, being tickled, and his toy gym and swing. He is definitely social and loves interacting with people and being held. He is finally able to be outside now that the weather is nice and is enjoying that, too. But the best part is that he is only waking up once or twice a night-- miracle of miracles! (It is amazing how sleep becomes such a huge priority when you are seriously deprived of it)
3 months old
Almost 4 months

Resting with Daddy

Matthew

Matthew is so intelligent and creative. We are in awe of the creations he makes. He has a great talent for music and plays the piano any chance he gets. He is also a great help at home and very sensitive to the feelings of others.

Matthew likes to combine different Lego sets and create epic battles.

Lord Vladek's castle

Valentine's day

Christmas morning

Matthew was so thrilled to finally get his brother here!

For Halloween 2009, Matthew wanted to be Link from the Zelda video games (no, he's not Peter Pan or Robin Hood). He made the shield completely on his own.

One Sunday afternoon, he decided to make up his own cookie recipe, altered from another recipe he found. He even included Cool Whip in the ingredient list! The only part I helped him with was when he said we ran out of salt (alarms go off in my head!). He had measured out the salt in cups rather than teaspoons! Luckily, we were able to catch it before the recipe progressed too much farther. They tasted like snickerdoodles and were really pretty good.

Matthew with his 2009 Pinewood Derby car.

For his 9th birthday, Matthew went with his dad, Uncle, and cousin Jordan to Legoland in California. For this Lego fanatic, it was a dream come true!

Matthew with his 9th birthday Lego cake

On his first day of third grade, about a week before we moved out of our house in Spanish Fork. Brent drove Matthew and Elizabeth 40 minutes to school in Cedar Hills that first week!

Rachel

Rachel loves to be a little mommy. Everything she says and does is just plain cute. Her smile just lights up my day. We feel so blessed to have her be a part of our family.

At the Museum of Church History's children's exhibit, enjoying the baby nursery. She was in heaven with all the babies to play with!

A real baby is fun, too.

Rachel has an adorable bunny hooded towel. She had just gotten out of the tub and was looking so cute, I had to take a picture.

Any time Rachel can get her hands on anything teeny, she is fascinated: legos, Polly Pockets, beads, jewelry, Battleship...

I was more focused on getting a picture of her cute hair that Sunday than worrying out "choking hazards".

Here Rachel is lying next to Joshua under his toy gym.

This is so priceless. She was not happy about taking a nap one day, and later I found she had fallen asleep in her basket of dirty laundry!




Another time, she fell asleep at night reading a kitten board book.

Emma

Emma had a special birthday this year: she turned five the same day as Easter and General Conference. She also had her first birthday party with friends the Friday before. Since she is pretty obsessed with horses, we had a pony-themed birthday party. The girls got to wear pony "manes" (we ran out of yarn for the tails we planned to make) and made magic wands with plenty of flowers, ribbons, and glitter glue. They also played pin the tail on the donkey and all sorts of fun pony games outside. Even though it was cold and overcast, they had so much fun running around outside and it helped to channel their energy.

Cupcake time

Everyone gathered for pictures and presents

Elizabeth and Emma hunting for Easter eggs outside. It was cold! Emma absolutely loves to wear her "cowgirl" boots anytime. As you can see, she also gets pretty creative in her choices of outfits.

On her actual birthday, we held Easter dinner at our house with my family and served Emma's pony cake in between sessions of General Conference. It was one crazy day, although looking back, there were lots of great memories. We all had a wonderful day.

Emma with her stuffed pony from G&G W.

Her main present was a Madame Alexander doll. One of the first things she did with her was accessorize her hair and change her clothes.

Emma and Rachel enjoying their new strawberry and cupcake PJ's

Rachel and Emma getting ready for her party

Emma also had her first "real" haircut shortly before her birthday (not counting an emergency repair session when she was mischevious with scissors as a toddler!). It is so much easier to work with now.

Elizabeth and Emma decided to try on each other's clothes. It was so funny. Rachel was just thrilled to be dressed up.

Elizabeth

Elizabeth is such a sweet girl. She has a natural ability to take care of her baby brother that is amazing to me. She is also very enthusiastic and loves life in general. I cannot believe she is seven already! She is growing up way too quickly. We had so many cute pictures of her from her 7th birthday and other times that I thought an Elizabeth blog post was in order.

Elizabeth and Joshua dressed in their Easter outfits

On her 7th birthday, opening up her gift cards from G&G

Elizabeth's cupcake-themed birthday party was so cute. I think I had just as much fun with it as the girls did! They made cupcake cards and bags, played freeze dance and twister, decorated their own cupcakes, and generally had fun being hyper.

Elizabeth received perfect gifts for a 7-year-old girl: a glitter ball, diary, porcelain tea set, a game, and a movie. From us she received a new bike that she got to pick out.

Elizabeth with her cousin Ashlyn

Emma, Elizabeth, and her friend Claire

Emma spent her own money to help buy Elizabeth a "sequin purse" she was hoping for at Kohl's. These close moments of sisterhood make it all worth it. :'-)

The craft table

The day before her party, Elizabeth had her first real haircut. She had wanted to grow her hair out forever, but it was getting to difficult to brush through each day. She was not happy going into it, but loved the way she looked at the end!

For the 100th day of school, Elizabeth was assigned to make a poster of 100 of something. Borrowing the idea from a box of Kix, she glued 100 pieces of Kix cereal onto a drawing of an ear of corn. It turned out pretty cute.