Catch Up

 It was about last March, Jon and I started talking about moving.  He loved his job, but the probability of his job being able to continue to pay for our families needs was not likely.  Since before we were married, when talking about where we'd like to live permanently, the Mid-West was always the answer.   So, we began fixing up our house to sell it.  We listed it the beginning of June.  It was sold by the end of August.  Jon started a new job in South Eastern Iowa (still in Probation and Parole) the 1st of July.  We found a nice little rental property to live for now in a rural area.  We love the school and the area.

Since I wrote last... We each have had a birthday. Henry is now 3 1/2, Eliza is 6, Maren turned 8, and Emiline turned 2. 

We are getting to know the people in our town and at our church.  The girls are making friends at school.  I think the only thing preventing us from feeling completely settled is that we are renting.  We have plans to purchase a home in the area as soon as what is available and what we basically need comes up for sale.

(On the left is a picture of the girls first day going to school 2013-2014 school year.)

The Girls get to ride the bus to and from school each day.  It is really nice that they are the last ones to be picked up and first to be dropped off each day and the bus stops right in front of our house.  It has been an exceptionally cold winter for this area.  We have had many snow days so far this year.

Eliza has lost her first two teeth (both front bottom).  She was so upset about the tooth fairy taking her teeth that we ended up telling her the the tooth fairy is really just a game adults play with their children.  This made her feel better that when she wants to see her teeth they are available.

Halloween 2013 Maren dressed up as Cleopatra and Eliza (wanted to be a mustache but got scared that kids might make fun of her and so settled on) a pirate for their school parties.  We stayed home from trick - or - treating to hand our candy.  We did make it to the Nauvoo Pumpkin Walk though.  They had hundreds of Jack-o-lanterns carved and many on the shops handed out candy.  It was fun to walk up and down the main road to see all of the many jack-o-lanterns. 

 On Sunday, November 3rd, Maren chose to be baptized by her father as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  Since her baptism we have had the opportunity to feed the missionaries several times.  Their visits have helped her to see even more clearly the choice she has made and how that choice has and will continue to bless her life and the lives of those around her.

I am so grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the path that being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints puts me and my family on.  There is so much joy that I receive from the knowledge that my family has been sealed to me for time and all of eternity by men who have authority and by keeping the commandments and the covenants I have made.  Being a Mother is the best "job" in the whole world.

Who is who?

The kids and I were having fun looking at old photos this morning.  It got me wondering if our friends and family would be able to guess which one of my childrens' 12-14 month picture in the bathtub is which child.  So ...

 

Is it easy to tell?  Is it obvious who is who?

 

As for an update on our going-ons:  Maren earned all "A's" on her 3rd quarter report card.  She is now off until the Monday after Easter for Spring Break at school.  All month Maren and Eliza have been taking swimming lessons twice a week.  They enjoy it and seem to be learning. Maren can float on her back if she has help up.  Eliza can put her face in the water without tears.  These are both big accomplishments, and we are proud. 

 

Henry is a sweet boy and loves "cars crashing", having books read to him, and does not want to be potty trained. Emiline has found her attitude. She knows what she wants and knows how to get it. She walks and crawls equally as often. She is my child that giggles when being put down in her crib for a nap. She is a good climber and can go up and down the stairs well enough that I don't have to worry to much. Emiline turned one in January.

 

We are trying to work on a few projects around the house that have been neglected.  We have finished demolishing the downstairs bathroom and replaced the broken board by the stairs.  We are hoping to refinish the deck and repaint the house this summer.  I guess we'll see what we can get done. 

 

We are looking forward to Easter and spending time with our cousins.

The Holidays

We have had a great couple of months.  November was busy.  Maren got a fashion designing stencil book for her birthday. 
She and Eliza spent a lot of time designing and coloring clothes. 

Emiline learned to pull herself up and has been trying to get the balance thing down while holding on to things to take steps.  Then for Thanksgiving we took advantage of the nice weather and traveled to Levan to see Grandparents. 

The Maren, Eliza, and Henry loved going out to help Grandpa feed the animals.  The big girls loved playing in the creek.  Grandpa built a swing from a tree limb that hung over the creek and a temporary teeter totter.   The Girls spent a lot of time outside playing.  Henry spent every minute we would let him outside.  We enjoyed seeing Andy and his lady friend, and Rebecca with her little boy.    We had a nice visit. 

 On our way home we had to visit a old favorite hiking spot of Jon and Sunny's. It was in the parking spot here that Jon proposed to Sunny. The kids enjoyed the first half of the hike up to the waterfall and Emiline slept the whole trip up and back. (For those who Henry has a harder time opening up to: This picture is my Henry.)

When we got back we put up the Christmas tree and spent as we could getting ready for Christmas in one way or another. Henry moved into a big bed and gave up the binky. He is doing great and feeling very big. He has started showing a stubborn streak when it comes to asking nice for things. He was refusing to say please for anything. After a lot of tears and a lot of time not getting what he wanted he is beginning to see that one little word opens up a lot of opportunity. 

We had a great Christmas!  The kids loved the books and toys.  Henry only asked Santa for candy, so he was a super happy boy.  Emiline got a few books and a toy dog that wags it tale.  She loves stuffed animals so this was a winner.  A friend of ours was getting rid of their train table so we adopted it and the kids all enjoy it.  Emiline likes tearing it apart. Maren and Eliza like to help build it back up and Henry loves playing with it.  We are so grateful for it.

During the School break the flu bug made a stop at our house and I think all of us tasted the effects of his visit.  Luckily we got a fairly mild case.  So we spent a lot of time reading books (a excellent read is "The Message" by Lance Richardson) and playing with new toys.  Even though we were sick we were able to make it outside for a snow day before school started again.

 We tried to make a snowman, but the snow was not sticking together well.  This angry snow blob was as close as we were able to get.  (He has an icicle nose.) We made snow angels and I pulled the kids around the yard in the sled for a bit. 

We spent New Years Eve having Pizza and playing board games with the kids.  Then Jon and  the two littlest kids went to bed and Maren and Eliza and Sunny stayed up to watch movies and Time Square celebrate the coming of the New Year before heading to bed.  Yesterday was Maren's first day back to school.  She is looking forward to Friday since they are having a show and tell and a game day.  We are glad to be getting back into a routine and glad to welcome in the new year.  We hope 2013 is a great year for all our Friends and Family.