my oh my

Well...with they busy semester, I DIDN'T blog. I guess better late than never. So, here it goes.

I really can't remember much of the past few months. I was really on autopilot. Here are a few highlights.

* Lilly started crawling, standing, and talking. Of course her talking is minimal she is really starting to repeat words. She loves attention and knows how to get it. She is very laid back and needs to be with her sister around.

* Callie is VERY stubborn and at times hard to manage, but I absolutely love how out of nowhere she will say "I love you Mom" She is soaking everything up and turning into a beautiful little girl

* Jake finished his classes with A's. I have to admit I didn't even know if he would finish :-S, but he always said have I ever not finished a class yet....well needless to say he was right. Jake also shot his first NE deer and has been working hard at work.

* I also finished my classes with A's (barely :)) and somehow got through the craziness of being a band and choir teacher. I am still recovering and have come to the realization that I have to learn how to pick and choose my activities. I have to say being a stay at home Mom has never seemed so appealing. Don't get me wrong I have always really wanted to stay home with my kids, but financially it isn't possible. Because I get to experience both being a working mom and a stay at home mom, I know there are different stresses. Right now I would prefer the stresses of a stay at home mom :)

Christmas has come and gone and I can say while I really enjoyed being with family I didn't anticipate it like I have in the past. I absolutely use to LOVE Christmas...the decorations, smells, gifts, service, etc. I just didn't have the time to soak it all up. However, we did have a WONDERFUL holiday. Christmas eve, we went to Bridgeport. We had lunch with my Grandma Ann and then while the boys went hunting, the girls spend all afternoon in the kitchen. It was really fun cooking and seeing Callie help.

That evening we went to Grandma Sharon's. She had really good soup and of course gifts. The thing I love about my Grandma Sharon is she gives homemade gifts (they are the best kind) I got slippers and my grandpa made me napkin holder. The girls each got a knitted sweater and beanie hats.

Christmas Day didn't start with such the band I would like. I was SOOO excited to watch Callie open her gifts, but instead of an excited girl, I got a grouchy one who ended up throwing up. She feel back asleep, but lucky woke up feeling much better. Even though I had to wait a couple hours, I really enjoyed watching her BELIEVE. The girls were spoiled...with clothes, games and toys. Jake and I were spoiled with pots and pans, cutlery, gun cleaning kits, knife sharping kits, cologne, a red coat, camera, hunting license, etc. etc.

I think I got the biggest kick out of Jake...he said "The girls have more presents in one year than I got in 10 growing up." I have to admit that we are blessed and with that said, I really enjoyed helping other families out as well. Service is a wonderful thing and the gospel is even better. I can't imagine what life would be like without the knowledge I have today. Until next time....

Life in the fast lane....

Well summer has come and gone and we are adjusting to work, school, and daycare. For the most part everything is going smoothly. My master's classes aren't as demanding as I was anticipating, so that is good. The girls continue to grow and Jake and I continue to grow as parents. Callie is nothing short of a challenge, but love her and are grateful for her sweet spirit in our home. Lilly is the smilest little girl and is very big for her age. At her 6 month appointment she was 28 1/4 inches long and 18.3 pounds. She is wearing the same clothes that Callie was wearing at 14 months.

Here are some highlights from the last couple of months.....

August- we drove to AZ. It was good to see the fam, but VERY exhausting. I wouldn't exactly call it a vacation. On the way home, Callie had to go to the bathroom at least once an hour. I have to admit it was somewhat humorous having her go on the side of the road, BUT it did add driving time to our already long journey. I enjoyed reading and got through three books. I guess that made the drive a "little" longer for Jake.

-We had attended the Frickey Family Picnic

-I went back to work: this was very hard for me to do, but I must say this year of teaching is much easier. I also have noticed I have way more energy. This is probably because I am not pregnant. I have more time to reflect on what I truly enjoy about teaching and more time to ponder how I can grow as a teacher. The only downside is I can't seem to get caught up. I have so many things I want to do and so little time to do it.

-Jake and I started college again: As I mentioned earlier my classes aren't that bad and I really enjoy learning. Jake on the other had would prefer the classroom setting (our classes are online), but he is doing well.

Sept:

-Labor Day weekend we went down to Denver to visit Jake's sister and attend a Youth Temple Trip. I was very grateful that Jake watched the kids so I could do an endowment session before the baptisms. I really needed this time for my spiritual needs. It gave me time to reflect on my blessings and feel the presence of the Lord. I realized that sometimes we make life harder that it needs to be. The Lord is ALWAYS waiting for us to let him into our lives, we just have to be willing to do so.

-My sister-in-law Liz gave birth to a baby girl the same day and decided to give her baby up for adoption. This experience has obviously sparked some emotions and hit home for our family, but I am grateful for Liz's selfless sacrifice to give her daughter a better life with a Daddy and Mommy. Children are gifts from God

-Callie also loved visiting her cousins. The day we left, her babysitter told me she was "talking" on the phone to Tatum and Bodie. Tatum let Callie sleep in her bed that Friday night. It was so sweet to watch. I'm glad we live close enough to Becca and Warren that Callie can have a relationship with her cousins. After all...she does pray for them every night.

-Callie got throw sick on the 9th and I had to leave work in the middle of the day. I am so lucky to work for a school that is family oriented. People covered my classes and I was able to leave 15 mins after the phone call. Callie threw up four times in an hour and once more after drinking chocolate milk, but was just fine the next day.

-We attended my brother Tyler's football game against Mitchell in Bridgeport on Friday the 10th. My dad grilled pork steaks and we had an nice family dinner before hand. It was a great game even though the Bulldogs ended up loosing.

-Lilly has been fighting a fever the past three days. I think she may be teething, but even if she is not, I hope this is short lived. She is usually so happy, but has been very fussy lately.

Well...until next time!