The Christmans

"Five Live Bongos"

2012-01-30T14:39:00.000-08:00

Our book activity for the day came from:

We were really excited for this activity! Clair was a big help in locating all the bowels and spoons we could use. Caleb even loved the activity... he mostly liked chewing on the spoons as you can see but is was defiantly a winner activity.

We also used the opportunity to explore what the different bowels sounded like while using different spoons. Clair and I really had fun listening to how the bowel sounded when it was turned right side up verses upside down and what happened if we put our hand on the bowel and when we didn't touch the bowel.

Another activity I wanted to do but Clair wasn't interested at the moment is listening to different music while we painted or draw and talking about the different music and how we can show it on paper. That will be for another day.

Family Funnies

2012-01-29T14:46:00.001-08:00

*Clair counting to twenty: "one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eighteen, nineteen, w-teen, (baby-babble)-teen, twenty! Mom I did it!"

*We were driving in the car and Clair says, "Dad, I snowman." We turn around to find a straight pretzel sticking out of Clair's nose.

*Driving again, this time with the window down. Clair yells, "WA-HOO!" We look back and her arms are straight up like she is riding a roller-coaster ride and her hair is flying straight back.

Colors of the Rainbow

2012-01-29T14:33:00.000-08:00

Clair and I have been reading a few different books about the emotions we have. She is really into being funny and has started identifying when she is scarred. We recently read a book by Dolly Parton about being a rainbow and how each of us feel different ways and that is totally normal. The most important thing to know, however, is that although we might not be able to control how we feel we CAN control how we act!

Lately, I have been trying to find activities to do one on one with Clair that are more structured. One idea I have had is to read a book and then do an activity based on the book. This was our activity based on another emotions book "ABC Look at Me" by Roberta Grobel Intrater.

First we used the camera on my computer to take pictures of our different emotions...

(It helped that she could see me making the face with her. Playing in the computer or the mirror is one of our favorite things to do- she thinks it is really funny)

here is our happy face:

scared face:
surprised face:
angry face:
sad face:
silly face:

We then printed off the pictures and cut them out, stapled them into a book then decorated the cover and wa-la our own emotions book with our adorable faces :)

Clair bear and Caleb buddy

2011-11-13T17:54:00.000-08:00

Clair has started calling Caleb, "Buddy." She will get so excited to see him, come over and squeeze his chubby cheeks and say "Buddy!" All lovingly. Her favorite activity lately is putting these hats on that she and Caleb received from their uncle when he went to Peru. I think Clair likes it so much because she can actually put it on by herself. Caleb has started experimenting with his mouth. He started blowing bubbles and they are so cute! He gets all proud of himself too.
Clair has also started trying to dress herself. This is how I found her the other day after nap time. She has two different pant legs on. I don't know how to convincer her that there are two holes in one pair of pants because you only need ONE pair of pants at one time :)

Jason and I did a "Walk for the Blind." We ran the whole thing. It was so much fun to do as a family on a Saturday. It was with a group of students that are in his same program at school. They are called the "Optic Nerds" as in the candy with glasses.

This is how you eat a snicker bar (according to Clair). First you bite all the chocolate off. Then you suck the carmel off. Once that is all done you hand the gooey messy what-ever you've made to mom to finish it off.

These videos are some of Clair's favorite to watch over and over... because, they are of her :)

A Happy Halloween

2011-11-02T09:59:00.001-07:00

We started out the evening with a spooky dinner of mummy dogs, skeleton veggies, and spider eggs.Then we got dressed into our costumes. My sister and her husband were dressed as Captain America. We went as Peter Pan, a pirate, Tinker bell and a little lost boy... with a pumpkin bib.
We went trick-or-treating around the mall and hit a couple houses on the way home. It was fun and Clair loved it! She would say, "Knock! Door! Treat!" Then when she was offered the bowl of candy she would touch ever piece to see which one she really wanted.
Aren't they the CUTEST!!!

Halloween Party for Toddlers

2011-10-30T20:10:00.000-07:00

We had a toddler halloween play date with a couple of Clair's friends. Not very many friends could come but is was still so much fun.

We started out the party by decorating sugar cookies with edible markers.

We played pin the nose on the pumpkin. When we told them that these pieces were the pumpkin's nose Clair attached it to her nose... her little friend tried to follow her example.
We also played a ghost hunt. (it is kind of like an Easter egg hunt but instead of eggs we hunted suckers that were turned into ghosts).
After the party Clair was very ready for a nap. So when she fell asleep my handsome man woke up to keep me company. He helped me clean up the party mess. He was being so adorable I couldn't resist taking pictures of him. Notice his cute little chubby belly poking out.
Today Jason carved our pumpkin so that we could cook our dinner in it. Clair didn't want to have anything to do with sticking her hands in the pumpkin and ignored Jason trying to coax her into trying it. Instead she carried around the spoons and sang to us.
Woops, I put these pictures out of order... oh, well :) Here is Caleb trying out the bouncer for the first time. He loved it! He got a little frustrated because our door ways aren't wide enough so he would hit the side every time he tried to move.
A little while later after Caleb had fallen back to sleep I heard a bunch of boom, boom, booms coming from upstairs. I ran to the stairs and found this...
Clair had found the box of hand-me-down shoes I had been going through and was throwing them down the stairs.

Today Jason and I was working on getting our pumpkin dinner ready. I turned around and found our princess like this. Oh, what fun little moments we have in life!
Here is our pumpkin as it came out of the oven. We didn't cook the rice long enough before so we ended up having to scoop out the broth and rice and boil it some more then dump it back in. We took out some of the liquid too because we didn't want soup. I highly recommend dinner in a pumpkin. It was surprisingly good and even Jason, who normally doesn't like squash commented that the pumpkin was really good.

Women are Loved and Important

2011-10-18T05:40:00.000-07:00

I know that what I do at home for my family is the most important thing I could be doing right now.

I love this message:

Women of Church Have Great Positive Influence

Wonderful Life

2011-10-14T09:08:00.000-07:00

I really do have a wonderful life. And here is what it is filled with...

I have been using Dora time as a quick break for me to get ready for the day or study my scriptures. One morning I laid both kids down to change their diapers during Dora. I left to wash my hands and I came back to find both of them laying in the same position and both sucking on their hands. Cute!
It rained! And when it rained it rained really really hard. It happened to be the same time Jason went on a quick run to the grocery store. And it just happened to rain when he decided to go with the stroller and both kids. Ha, ha they were so wet. Jason had droplets coming off his nose. Clair loved it and little Caleb fell right to sleep. I don't know if you can see it, but there is a nice little puddle of water down by Caleb's feet.
Great Grandma Larson sent Clair a beautiful piano book of Children's songs that are illustrated with pictures from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Clair loves it. We turned on the CD that comes with it and danced around. She loves turning the pages and looking for all the animals.
My sister had a birthday, shout HURRAY! It is so fun to be close to her. We surprised her for a birthday breakfast of cheesy waffles, bacon, and scrambled eggs, yum! Caleb really liked the candle.
We stayed for church and a birthday dinner at her in-laws. Here is the gift I made for her. An apron out of a button up shirt. I added the flowers to make it more girly. I got the idea from here: Shirt Apron Grandma sent us a package. Clair loved it. Here is Clair trying on a monkey costume she found in the box. She didn't want a picture but I took one anyway.

Caleb enjoyed the monkey costume too. Here he is scooting on his back to get to the mask.

And, I don't know how this happened... one minute he was laying by me on the blankets on the bottom right corner of the picture then he was over against the desk swiping at the cord hanging down. Wow, I was really impressed. (notice he still has the mask)

This is grandma's box after Clair went through it :) It was a lot of fun.

Here is my new busy book. It is called "Let's Sing" I am making it for Clair's birthday next month.

this page is "The Wheels on the Bus" You can turn the buttons wheels, the ribbon wipers swipe back and forth, the light folds out and in to go on and off. And the people come out of the bus to sing with.

5 little monkeys jumping on the bed. the bed covers make a pocket that the monkey are stored in. The phone piece comes off and so you can call the doctor.

This is the "old lady who swallowed a fly" Clair was so funny with this page because she got really excited to sing it and wanted to do it over and over but wouldn't put the animals in her mouth. she would hand me the animal as we sang and wanted me to have them disappear. I didn't laminate the pieces yet (wanted to try them out on Clair first before I made them permanent, but because of that a few of the pieces have gotten a little wet from drool so I will have to reprint the characters.)

Homemade Activities

2011-10-07T08:37:00.000-07:00

No money, what do you do? What else... get creative :)

My creativity has involved trying to figure out something I could do to earn some extra money. The only problem is I don't know what to sell these for and where do I sell them?

Well, they have been fun for me and Clair to play with even if I never get to sell them.

This is our magnet scene with animals. The right is a hand drawn version and the left is the final version that I did on my computer. Clair loves these little animals and tried putting the bird in the beehive. She carries them around the house and I use a cookie sheet for her to play with them in the car.

This isn't a selling idea, just a fun creative moment we had with brown paper bags and masking tape. Our own little town for the little people.
This is one idea of many I have for busy books. The first page (1, 2 buckle my shoe) isn't finished I am needing to get an eyelet gun so that I can make it look professional to then have it so you can lace the shoe. On the 3,4 page there are finger puppets of the Three Little Bears that Clair likes to play with when we open the door.

Yep that is what I've been up to other than being mommy and wife and trying to keep house. Those pretty much take up all my time :)

Jason- Has been working like crazy going to school. I am so proud of him!

Clair- Is loving life. She loves the water and the park. Friends are always welcome. The other day she brought me a little snake and said "sss" then a lion and said, "roar." Then she held up the fox and said "no swiping!" (it is off of Dora)

Caleb- is rolling over! yep and starting to reach for toys. His laugh is priceless and we try to get him to do it as much as possible. He is holding himself up so well. I'll put him in the saucer and Clair and him will sit there and play with the toys. Oh I love my little angels.

I want to be like Peter Pan...

2011-09-12T09:35:00.000-07:00

Jason turned on a musical version of Peter Pan for Clair the other morning before he left for school. It is a version done as a play. (It is the only Peter Pan on Netflix if you want to watch it). Clair loved it. I took this video during it. It is a part where Peter's clan and the Indians become friends and do an indian dance. Clair started running around the room waving her arms like they were doing. After the movie she started asking if she could fly. So I flew her around the room. She wanted Caleb to fly too. So I carefully flew him around the room too. Wow, I didn't think she would like it at all. I am tickled that she enjoyed it this much :)

(P.S. Please don't mind the soggy diaper... it was before I had a chance to get her dressed in the morning)

Clair's Idea

2011-09-08T07:01:00.000-07:00

So I can't put rubber bands in Clair's hair anymore or they end up like this...

Houston Activities

2011-08-24T05:25:00.000-07:00

so, I put these pictures in backwards so you get to see what we have been up to most recent to when we first moved in... I don't have ALL the pictures we've taken but here are some highlights.

On Saturday we celebrated our last weekend with no responsibility. We went to the beach (sorry no pictures) and an Astro's home game. I had never been to a professional base ball game and it was so much fun. I was super surprised at how much Clair enjoyed it too. She would stand up on the rail and would yell and clap with every one else. She danced to the songs and enjoyed a hot dog (you have to have a hot dog at a base ball game!).

We finally got a washer and dryer! Laundry day was huge but it was worth waiting to get our own. Now we can do the laundry every day if we wanted... Clair was so excited at our new toys that she just had to help. She got a little distracted taking the clothes out and putting them into the basket when she found a sock. She then tried to put the sock on.
BLUE BELL ice cream is the brand everyone here buys. As you can tell we like it too :)
Caleb is growing up so fast. He is determined to be apart of everything when he is awake. In fact right now he is trying to balance sitting on my lap while I type. He doesn't want to be left behind. He is starting to smile and talk. Oh, I just love this little man!
I love our back porch. This is when it still had boxes piled everywhere from moving in... now it is all clean and the perfect play place for little Clair to ride her car, eat a popsicle, and feel the heat. We have really enjoyed marking up the walls with chalk.
This is after swimming in our apartment's pool. We came in and watched a movie and had popcorn. We are trying to start to teach Clair to swim. Right now is learning to be okay with our face in the water. Jason was having her jump to him when she asked for him to move aside. She then jumped into the water thinking that she had, had enough practice. Jason let her go all the way under before grabbing her hoping she would learn her lessing and know she needs him around still.
This was at our ward party. The first time Clair actually got in the pool without coaxing and actually liked it.
This is my wonderful family. We are a happy family and enjoying our many many blessings.

Hello Again

2011-08-18T10:15:00.000-07:00

My laughing moment for today...

We had just returned from the park and was heading to the bathroom to take a bath. I quickly ran upstairs to get Clair a new diaper. When I cam downstairs this is what I found...

We have locks that keep the lid on the toilet down but evidently I forgot to secure this one. It reminded me of this...

I sure love my Clair. Her climbing has really gotten me panicked though. I find her into all sorts of things and on top of all kinds of furniture. Luckily she hasn't had any yucky falls.

We are now living in Houston Texas. Jason starts Optometry school on Tuesday. We have been here exactly two weeks. The heat is still wiping us out. I take the kids to the park across the street at 8 in the morning and go run for a 1/2 mile then come back to play at the park. We can only stay until 9 before the heat gets to be too much; and even then both the kids and I return home dripping with sweat and needing a bath. I feel like we are on vacation with the pool out our front door and palm trees around the park. Everyone we have met has been awesome. Moving has made me SO grateful for the church. I am grateful for the automatic friends it creates. Already we've had friends over, gone to others for dinner, and been to a ward party.

POSITION: Mother, Mom, Mama

2011-07-13T10:04:00.000-07:00

this is not a real job posting... my friend sent this to me and it made me smile. Hope it does the same to you!

JOB DESCRIPTION: Long term, team players needed, for challenging permanent work, in an often chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call. Some overnight travel required -- including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities. Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties are also required; frequently, on very short notice.

RESPONSIBILITIES: The rest of your life. Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5. Must be willing to bite your tongue repeatedly. Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat -- in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf. Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers. Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects. Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks. Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next. Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices. Must always hope for the best, but be prepared for the worst. Must assume final complete accountability for the quality of the end product. Responsibilities also include, floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION: Virtually none. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you.

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE: None required, unfortunately. On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.

WAGES AND COMPENSATION: Get this! You pay them! Offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when they turn 18, because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent. When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it, and wish you could only do more.

BENEFITS: No health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered -- however, this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth and free hugs for life, if you play your cards right.

time flys

2011-07-09T17:12:00.000-07:00

i am writing this while holding the "super spy"(aka Caleb). so if there are type-o's please forgive me. caleb received this title from the bible caleb who jason views as the super spy for moses. We laugh and joke that he spys on us when he is sleeping because his eyes twitch open... then when we look at him they close.

little caleb is one month today! where does time go? He is doing awesome. it is fun to watch him work his neck, arm, and leg muscles. he is so squirmy trying to see the world around him. I am so excited for when he starts smiling. he has broken into a couple grins (i think from gas bubbles) and he is so handsome! He is also starting to stay awake longer. this is fun most of the time, the only problem is when it is bed time and he is wide awake.

there have been a couple of hard moments with the two... like when jason is working and i am in the middle of putting clair to sleep when caleb wakes and needs to be fed. those moments are hard i just have to remind myself that it always turns out just fine. i have been so spoiled to have so much help from my wonderful mothers. i honestly don't know how i am going to do it without them when we move to texas.

Happy!

2011-06-15T12:11:00.001-07:00

Wow, mommy of two. I LOVE IT!!! My life's purpose has just doubled and I am so HAPPY! Clair is loving being a big sister. She has had a little bit of a hard time adjusting to me not being able to hold her all the time (especially going up the stairs) but is getting much better. She loves little Caleb and calls him "my baby." Her favorite thing is when we put him on her lap and his little arms touch her face. She has only gotten a little rough when we try and take him away. She'll then squeeze him a little too tight trying to keep him. I have been so proud of her and her acceptance to this new thing in her life.

Little Caleb has been a real trooper. He is such a sleepy baby which has made trying to feed him a little frustrating but that is really all I have to complain about so life is awesome.

My wonderful Jason has been working so hard at EVERYTHING. I really don't know how he does it. I am so grateful for him and his love for me. He is so handsome and sometimes I really wonder how I ever got so lucky. Right now he is working on organizing a charity extreme run for orphans in Ecuador through Gugelman Photography and a non-profit organization Dando Amor. It is called Hurdle for Hope. You can look at details and even sign up to help out and participate at hurdleforhope.org. My awesome husband also took these pictures for me. Isn't he amazing! :)

Clair was wanting to play dress-up and then sing songs. In this picture we were singing the eensy weensy spider...

Caleb Allen Christman

2011-06-11T12:38:00.001-07:00

The story...

After hoping and hoping that he would come early (at the beginning of the week) and nothing happening I finally decided it was okay. Thursday was a busy day and so we were hoping he wouldn't come but Wednesday night I started having contractions. It was after Jason got home from a class in Idaho Falls (11:30pm) that they started getting really painful. I got up and walked around, ate a snack, and got a drink to see if they would stop. Instead of stopping they got a little worse. I woke Jason at about 2:00am and told him I thought it was the real thing. He handed me his i-pod where he had an app that would keep track of the number of contractions, their duration, and the time in between each. He then rolled over and went back to sleep. The contractions started coming every ten minutes and lasted that way for an hour then they went to being seven to eight minuets apart. Jason woke up at 4:30 to check on me. I was trying to hold out until five before I called the Dr. Jason ended up calling him and made the report that it was okay to head up to the hospital. We left the monitor to our sleeping princess with my parents who were wide awake and so excited. When we got there the poor sleepy nurses hooked me up. I am so grateful for those nurses! Luck would have it that once I was hooked up I would stop contracting... At my doctors appointment the day before I had been dilated to a four now I was a 6 so they let me stay. I made it through the IV and received the epidural. around 11:00 the Dr. broke my water. Just after one I was ready to push. I pushed three sets of three and there he was. It was so different from with Clair. I think the difference came because I knew more what to expect, and more of what it meant. Caleb only cried when they pinched him to make sure he was breathing and again when they bathed him. I was extra numb from the epidural and so we stayed in the room for a while until I was able to move and get off the bed. During the wait time both our moms came to say hi and Clair came to meet her little brother. She got so excited and wanted up on my bed to see the baby. She kept saying baby over and over and was so excited to hold him. She then got really hyper from her excitement so she didn't stay long. Later that night we had both Jason and my family come over for a double birthday party for my mom and little Caleb. We enjoyed lemon ice cream and danish puff. Both Caleb and I were doing well enough that we were able to leave on Friday afternoon to go home from the hospital. We are still all doing great.

Happy Moments

2011-06-07T10:21:00.001-07:00

We have been keeping busy with lots of happy moments. Here are some random pictures of the last few weeks...

Jason did a Duathlon in Rigby. He came in third place!

We bought a toddler bed for Clair. She was so excited to help put it up and even more excited when she was able to play on it.

We took the Memorial weekend to go to the Craters of the Moon. It was very... rocky :) but cool in that way. We felt very lucky that when we were out hiking it only sprinkled and when we were in the car or a cave it rained harder.
Clair is liking to finger paint and do artsy things more and more.
This is just a cute picture taken at a random moment. I don't even remember what we were doing...
We went to BearWorld. It was really neat. There were a lot of bears and it was so much fun to watch Clair and here her try to immitate us saying the animals names: Moose "moo", Buffalo "booboo", bear "br." The baby bears were our favorite to watch. So clumsy and cute :)

My friend threw a baby shower for me. It was so much fun to see some of my good friends from high school and from the ward we use to live in. They were so supportive and made me feel very special.

No baby yet but we are thinking he is going to come pretty soon... I am due next week and so I guess by then he doesn't have much of a choice :)

Clair Bear

2011-05-27T14:11:00.000-07:00

My little baby is growing up and it is so much fun to be apart of that. Clair is now 18months old!

favorite food: noodles and corn on the cob

favorite song: wheels on the bus

favorite book: Huggy Buggy goes to School

favorite toy: marble works, dolls, bikes, and push toys

favorite activity: going on a walk to the park

favorite friend: Zorro (my parents dog)

favorite word: no

moments that I look forward to throughout my day:

- when she asks my grandpa to push her on my grandma's wheelchair

- when she reorganizes my mom's cupboards

- when we arrive at Jaon's parents and she starts yelling "Hello" and waits for anyone in the house to answer her

- when she says thank you and gives me her winning "I know I am cute" smile

- when she cuddles her doll and pretends to put her to sleep

- when we say it is time to pray and she folds her arm or when there is food on her plate and she sneaks some while we are praying

- when she mimiks what I say and the actions I do when we sing songs

- when she sleeps

- the knock on the door when she has woken up from her nap

- when she tries to put on someone elses shoes that are too big for her

- when she blows kisses and tries to say "I love you."

I feel so blessed to have this little friend in my life. She has taught me so much and I look forward to so many fun adventures with her. I am excited to watch and experience this next adventure with her as she gains a new friend in her life. Sometimes I hope that the baby will just wait so that I can cherish every last moment of just having my little Clair with me. At the same time I am SO excited for this new spirit and the greater purpose to my life and the opportunities of loving and learning that come for all of us. I know without a doubt that Heavenly Father loves his children.

Thank you Heavenly Father for my many many wonderful blessings!

Quite Book

2011-05-17T11:47:00.000-07:00

So here is the quiet book that I made for Clair. The cover isn't complete and I still have a couple pages I want to add but I am pretty proud of how it has turned out so far!

1. Heavenly Father Loves Me. I am going to attach a picture frame on the front and print out different pictures of Clair and family members that she can take out and look through then put back into the pouch.

2. My Name is... Sorry it is hard to see... this page has two rows of velcro where the letters can stick on. Clair doesn't understand the concept of spelling yet but loved sticking the letters and cards to the velcro and then taking them off to put back into the bag.

3. Getting Ready for Sunday Paper Dolls

4. Fix my Hair with hair clips and bands

5. Tie my Shoe. She didn't get into this one at all... eventually maybe :)

6. Time for Church. Spin the hand

7. Home to church. Slide the beads back and forth like cars. ( I did have a paper car that I was going to put on the ribbon but it was too big to make it go anywhere so I just did beads)

8. Word of Wisdom. I cut through his mouth so that Clair would have an easier time sticking the food into it. The bag on the back of the page catches it and makes it easy to get to.

9. I can be Reverent Puzzle.

Most of the pictures I found on line and played with them on photoshop until they looked how I wanted them to. The pages are all 8X8 and laminated. The bags that hold the cards are just sandwich bags that I used velcro to stick to the page. This makes it nice because I can take the bag off and hold it for Clair if she is having a hard time getting her hand into it. Next time I think I'll use freezer bags because they are more hardy. I didn't think of punching holes into the pages after laminating them and I found it to be almost impossible. In fact I finally just had to bend the page enough to cut diamond shaped holes with scissors. All the pages are held together with ribbon so I can add pages easily. I want to use the metal rings and so I can take pages out if more than one child wants to play with the book but I haven't been to the store to find those yet.

Month of May

2011-05-16T11:06:00.001-07:00

I know this month is not over yet but I thought I'd write about what we've been up to lately anyway...

Jason-

working hard like usual. His big plans this summer are to do a marathon, a duathlon, and a triathlon... so he has been training a lot. He is such a wonderful husband I feel SO blessed to have him in my life! His birthday was on Friday and was able to get off work! We spent the whole day as a family and it was fabulous!

Jill-

I have been staying busy with the Clair. I have started a couple projects which I'll have to share pictures of as soon as I get them off my camera. I made a quiet book for a church activity for Clair. I have wanted to do one for a long time but sewing one intimidates me so instead I scrapbooked one. I have to admit I am REALLY proud of how it turned out and have more ideas coming of other ones I want to do for the car.

Clair-

Is 18months on Sunday! She is saying so many words and has surprised me by understaning so much more than I expect her to. I decided to start practicing giving her choices (she throws fits when she isn't given a choice or given warning of change...). I decided we all like being in charge of what we are doing and I feel so bad for poor little ones that just get picked up and made to do everything. So I started one day when she wanted to run across the street when it was time to go inside. I asked her if she wanted to walk to the house or have me carry her to the house. I'm not kidding my smart little girl looked at me, turned around and walked to the house! Ever since that experience life has been so much nicer. She has started imitating putting on make up after watching me and loves to sneak cereal out of the cupboard and feed it to my parent's dog. :) We love our Clair SO SO much!

Baby-

Seems to be doing awesome. Keeps mom up most of the night. I don't remember having as much trouble sleeping with Clair. I go in for my 36 week check up on Thursday and then get to start the weekly visits! I have been kind of hoping he comes early but knowing that it really is best that he comes on time. We are waiting to decide a name until he is born. We have a couple we really like and will do what we did with Clair and see which one seems to stick once he is here. We are really excited.

We are all doing great and enjoying every moment we can. The gospel is true!

What's for Dinner?

2011-05-05T10:51:00.003-07:00

I started compiling meals that we enjoy as a family and realized I don't have very many.

I would like to branch out and I need your help. I have tried looking on line but it is so overwhelming to know what to try and if it will really be worth it in the end. If you are willing to share I would like to know what meals you enjoy cooking or are your family favorites?

Changing Plans

2011-05-02T11:51:00.000-07:00

We always laugh and say that it is amazing the turn of events that happen to get us to where the Lord wants us to be. Well it has happened again, here is the story...

After Jason was accepted to a number of Optometry schools we finally decided on Southern California College of Optometry. We liked the weather, we were close to my aunt, we were close to Disney Land, we were close to the beach and surfing (which is Jason's new goal to learn), and there was cheap airfare from Idaho Falls to Long beach for convenient trips for us and family. It seemed perfect and we were content.

One day we were checking up on the apartment we were suppose to live in and suddenly found out that because of our second child they would not let us live in a one room apartment and the two room apartment had a waiting list of two years! This was a huge blow. We'd been counting on this housing because it was subsidized through the school for optometry students and was conveniently just down the street from the school. We started looking into other housing arrangements only to find that there was nothing as close and cheap. We realized we hadn't looked into a lot of things that we should have. Student loans and scholarships were going to barely pay for anything. It was very frustrating and scary.

Out of the blue Jason had an idea to call one school he had been accepted to and see if it was too late to be given an interview. The school was the University of Houston. When Jason called we were surprised to hear that because of the amazing student Jason is they wouldn't need to interview him and put him first on the alternate list. Just like that! Then it was a frustrating game to decide- do we decline SCCO and just wait for Houston? What if we don't get in for this year? Do we wait a year and get that much more behind?

Then my sister got married... to an awesome young man from HOUSTON TEXAS! We were able to talk to his parents and siblings about the area and the school. This helped a lot but we were still struggling because our minds had been set on California and going that far away from home was hard.

We decided the best way to settle our minds and answer a lot of questions was for Jason to go for himself and see the campus, the area, and talk to professors. Jason and his dad took a weekend and was given a special tour from the school. During that time Jason was told that he had been accepted, given a scholarship, and they had waived the out of state tuition fee!!! We also found out that there was a special PHD program for research that Jason has been wanting to do. He was told that he would most likely get into it. If he does then it adds a few more years of schooling but they would pay for it and pay him for the research he did. It was amazing, a huge answer to prayers. We decided that the difference in tuition, cost of living, and housing made it silly not to go to Houston rather than California. A new perk was also that my sister was living there too and we were reminded of several cousin's of Jason's who live there also.

So now our plan:

1. work for the summer and save money

2. have a baby and family support during the transition

3. move to Houston in August, and live there for then next big chunk of our lives.

I am grateful for our family support during this time of decision. We feel so blessed!

Challenges at Church

2011-04-17T11:54:00.000-07:00

Having an ALMOST 18month child is a little challenging when it comes to trying to enjoy church. Especially when church falls the same time as nap time. She can't be left at nursery but she won't stay put during classes. This morning seemed more of a challenge than usual. Jason has been out of town. It is funny because I usually get Clair and I ready for the day but for some reason on Sunday trying to do it without Jason is hard. Maybe it is because I want to look nice and on every other day if I don't have time to do my hair nice I just pull it back. To add on to everything else I think Clair is cutting a tooth because she has been extra whinny with a yucky runny nose and drool everywhere. The only reason I still went to church is because a quote that my in-laws have on their fridge kept running through my head:

"be where you're suppose to be, when you are suppose to be there."

So I went, stood in the hall most of sacrament meeting. Stood in the hall all of sunday school. Finally Clair couldn't take it any longer. I think if my stuff wasn't still in the room where class was going I would have left early. Clair ended up finding the stairs to the nursery she started crying and banging on the door. Before I could get to her the door was open and a place mat with a snack was being prepared for her. I wasn't going to let her go because of the runny nose but it felt so good to be welcomed in and Clair was happy so we stayed.

Coming home and thinking back I feel like I didn't get any spiritual boost for this coming week. I just felt frustrated. A friend told me once that during the period of having young children church isn't for you. It is to teach and show that even though it is hard and isn't the funnest thing they could be doing it is where we are suppose to be. It is setting that example and pattern in their life.

I know that even though I am not sitting in Relief Society and feeling the spirit there I am doing what I am suppose to be. That is, I am where I am suppose to be, when I am suppose to be there and one day that will pay off.

I love my little Clair and am so grateful for the chance I have to test my testimony and have it grow as I teach her.

Moved in and Sister Married

2011-04-14T12:18:00.001-07:00

Our trip back to Rexburg was great. We were able to leave on a Monday afternoon (in time for Clair to take a nap) and arrive at my parent's home Tuesday afternoon. The truck was unloaded and our beds were up and ready to use by time dinner was on the table. That goes to show you how excited our families were for us to be back.

The rest of the week was spent as we tried to help with my sister's wedding. We all just kept saying to ourselves- everything will work out! It amazes me how stressful things can get even when you've tried to make it simple. Things keep getting added and by time everything is done it is more work and prep then we could have imagined. I am glad to announce that everything did turn out, and it turned out wonderful.

When people arrived for the open house there was a photo area set up with random props that guests were able to dress up and then take their pictures that will later be put into a scrapbook for the bride and the groom as their sign in book. It was a cute idea.
Clair LOVED the treats. I decided it is too much trouble to try and dress her in fancy clothes because then the whole time I am worried about her getting anything on them... although the dress looked adorable on her.
My sister calls her husband "Superman" so to surprise him she had a friend make a groom's cake and decorate it as superman. It was super impressive! The tie and boutonniere even matched his tie and boutonniere!

And here they are... the happy couple cute as can be now married and off on their new adventure.

For an update on us...

We are going to be staying in Rexburg until August. We just had a new opportunity open up to us and instead of moving back to California we might be moving to Texas for Jason to start optometry school. Jason is going to Texas to tour the school and look at living cost before we make a defiant decision. We are just amazed at the crazy turns life can take you. We are so grateful for prayer and personal revelation!

A Catch Up

2011-03-31T21:26:00.000-07:00

So this is really behind... but here is my 28 week baby bump picture. Our little man is quite active. He loves kicking Clair when she is sitting on my lap. I have been feeling awesome, other than the normal pregnancy woes of not being able to sleep, sit for very long, or stand for very long. My back only hurts if I am not careful of how much I bend over to clean or pick up Clair during the day. I have to admit, I have hardly noticed this pregnancy. Clair keeps me pretty busy.

On Sunday some sisters from my ward here in Woodland threw me a surprise baby shower. I feel so blessed. They have been such a wonderful support to me, even when they knew I was here for only a short amount of time. I am so grateful for their friendship.

This is Clair the next morning coming out and discovering all of baby brother's gifts. She has a mean look on her face because I caught her off guard with the flash. Ha, ha she loved looking at his books and holding the stuffed animals.
On Monday we made a spontaneous trip to Montara Lighthouse where there is a hostel. We were in luck that the day before they had an opening for a private room where we could stay. It was amazing! Listening to the waves crash all night long, watching the sunset over the ocean. Hiking around...

This was the view from our bedroom window!!!

We spent all Monday afternoon and most of Tuesday playing in the tide pools and walking along the beach. Clair took every opportunity to throw the rocks into the water.
It was super windy!

Clair also enjoyed chasing the seagulls. Well, walking towards them. She couldn't go very fast on the sand with the wind blowing against her.
We have started packing. Jason is running a 1/2 marathon this weekend. On Monday we pack the truck and head back to Rexburg. Wow!

Come Listen to a Prophet's Voice...

2011-03-27T14:07:00.000-07:00

Today in Relief Society we studied the talk by Elder Ezra Taft Benson given in Febryary 1980. It is called "Fourteen Fundamentals in Following the Prophet." You can read the whole talk if you like- it is really good!

1. The prophet is the only man who speaks for the Lord in everything.

2. The living prophet is more vital to us than the standard works.

3. The living prophet is more important to us than a dead prophet.

4. The prophet will never lead the Church astray.

5. The prophet is not required to have any particular earthly training or credentials to speak on any subject or act on any matter at any time.

6. The prophet does not have to say "Thus saith the Lord" to give us scripture.

7. The prophet tells us what we need to know, not always what we want to know.

8. The prophet is not limited by men's reasoning.

9. The prophet can receive revelation on any matter-- temporal or spiritual.

10. The prophet may be involved in civic matters.

11. The two groups who have the greatest difficulty in following the prophet are the proud who are learned and the proud who are rich.

12. The prophet will not necessarily be popular with the world or the worldly.

13. The prophet and his counselors make up the first Presidency-- the highest quorum in the Church.

14. Follow the prophet and be blessed; reject them and suffer.

These fundamentals were spoken of twice this last conference (November Ensign pages 11 and 35). When I was reading them and thinking about them before this lesson I wondered if my testimony of the prophet was really my testimony or if I was just going along in life following the path of least resistance and believing was just the easiest.

Today I felt a small burning in me as I listened to the lesson and I know that was a confirmation that I do know that President Monson is our prophet. Heavenly Father's mouth-piece for us today. I am so grateful that we are blessed with a prophet who has been given the athority and direction from God. I am so excited for this conference and to be able to recieve what the Lord is needing me to remember and learn.

FAMILY HOME EVENING IDEA:

In relief society we were asked how we teach our children about the prophets. One sister shared a family home evening they had this last week and I thought it was such a cute idea. I want to remember it and use it with Clair when she is older.

The mom sat behind the couch and played "Heavenly Father". Their three year old played the "prophet" and the dad and baby played the "people". Their daughter would stand on the couch and lean over to hear what God asked her to tell the people. The mom told her to tell the people that they needed to read their scriptures and say their prayers. She then would jump off the couch and run over to her father and baby brother and tell them that Heavenly Father says they need to read their scriptures and say their prayers. She would then run back to the couch and ask what else the Lord needed her to say. It taught her that prophets really do talk to God and then tell us what God

Lioness at the Gate

2011-03-17T12:33:00.000-07:00

LIONESS AT THE GATE

At the gate of the home

Stands a vigilant figure

Ever watchful and careful

She is guarding the gate.

Overseeing what enters

Her perspective eternal

For herself and her family

She is guarding the gate.

With a sense of what matters

She will safeguard what's precious

She will nurture and foster

Ever guarding the gate.

Even as the Redeemer

Who is holy in Israel

Bids us enter his kingdom

Through a strait, narrow Gate,

He employeth no servant

since no one can deceive him

For he only is holy,

He who keepeth the gate.

(2 Nephi 9:41)

On Saturday my stake had a Relief Society conference and this was the theme. This poem was shared and it has given me so much to think about so i wanted to share it.

I know that because of the covenants I have made with my Father in Heaven and the gift of the Holy Ghost that has been given to me I have the power to know what to allow in my home. I have the power to protect and safe keep my family. It is my responsibility to watch and help my husband keep our home a safe place full of love with a clear goal to make it back to our Father in Heaven. I know that Jesus Christ has made it possible for me to do this. His is the perfect example and has shown me what is important and what my focus should be. I love my Savior and I know that he loves each of us. Enough that he is personally going to watch that gate to keep us safe.

Cardboard Desk

2011-03-09T13:49:00.000-08:00

I've been wanting to buy children's furniture because I think it is so neat when a child can be independent and sit up to their own desk on their size chair. I was able to get this little chair from my grandparents and then had a brilliant idea to use a diaper box for a desk. I just cut up on side taped the rest down and Ta-Da a desk for Clair. It is fun watching her use it. It usually ends up as a hiding place for the crayons and paper I leave out for her to use; or the desk ends up tipped over and used as a reclining chair. Either way it is fun to watch Clair and see how grown up she is becoming.

Auburn California

2011-03-07T12:46:00.000-08:00

I realized that I've been posting a lot about hiking... This is our favorite thing to do right now on the weekends. We are able to get out of the house and other than gas it doesn't cost anything to enjoy a whole day in a beautiful place.

Saturday we went and hiked under Auburn California's Forest Hill Bridge. It is the highest bridge in California, third highest in the United States, and the ninth highest in the world. The bridge was originally built to go over a dam that was never built.

Some fun facts about it:

~ The bridge measures 2,428 feet from one side to the other

~ It is more than 730 feet above the American River

~ The bridge was built from each side outward, meeting int he middle.

Pretty amazing! It was amazing to see up close and drive over when we were done with our hike.

The water was so inviting. If it had been any warmer we would have at least taken off our shoes and socks to put our feet in it.

Clair and her friend loved throwing rocks into the River.

The Struggles

2011-03-02T19:16:00.000-08:00

There are a just a couple things I wish I had known before having a child:

1. When transitioning to solid foods bowl movements change and can be VERY difficult!

2. Communication is frustrating when you both know what you want but can't explain it in a way the other understands.

3. Knowing what you want and then having what you want actually happen isn't easy.

Jason and I have been trying to make some calls with our parenting and I am just realizing more and more that even when I know what it says in the 'text book' it is still hard to know what to do.

Clair is getting more and more opinionated which is SO MUCH FUN! I love that she knows what she wants for a snack. She knows what book she wants to read and where to go on her walk... at the same time because we are still working on communication tantrums are starting to show up. I am really trying to step back and decide if what we are getting frustrated about is really worth it. Sometimes it is just the fact that I am trying to rush her when she has her mind set on doing something at that moment. A lot of the time it is because she is tired and needs something but she doesn't really even know what it is- just that she isn't getting it. And other times it is because she just doesn't understand the rules yet (like no playing in the street).

Patience I guess is a virtue that is needed in all stages of life and I will be continually tested to make sure I don't forget it. I take a lot of comfort in the fact that Heavenly Father knows Clair and knows what she is thinking and needing. He loves her so much! So when I go to ask Him for help I have no doubt that he will be there with comfort, strength, and suggestions.

A Brand New Monday

2011-02-28T09:47:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday! It is sunny and there are buds starting to show on the tree outside my front door! so life is full of shining hope. Tomorrow starts MARCH! Wow! That means we only have one month left here in northern California then it is back to watch spring all over again in wonderful Rexburg.

We have honestly loved it here in Woodland. The people have been the key factor I think. We have felt so much love and are still being asked if we are really going to be leaving. Someone tried bribing Jason yesterday at church asking if he'd take money to stay, ha ha. Jason's answer, "um, yes we would."

Heavenly Father has sure blessed us in many ways and has taught us a lot about ourselves and our weaknesses through this adventure.

Happy Presidents Weekend

2011-02-22T11:29:00.000-08:00

This picture wasn't part of our weekend activities but is SOOOO adorable that I just had to share. Jason let Clair try on his glasses. Clair of course thought she was the coolest and most grown up baby ever and gave me the cutest smile. (it kind of reminds me of a little mouse with her front teeth showing). And I don't know why she is wearing socks on her hands...Saturday we went to Napa, CA and went hiking and walked around a beautiful German winery. I didn't know Napa was a wine town. It was so beautiful to drive through all the hills covered with the vineyards and to drive past all the beautiful buildings built to process the grapes. This one was our favorite and that is why we stopped and walked around.
Our hike was amazing. It had been raining a lot and so the hike Jason really wanted to do was flooded and really muddy... but it was still stunning and so peaceful.

There were so many different kinds of trees. The red bark tree and the weird shaped moss covered trees were our favorite to look at.
Sunday night we drove to Santa Clara where I have cousins doing an internship. We attempted to roast marshmallows in the fire place outside their apartments. Clair's favorite part was laying on her belly and sticking her fingers into the warm hot tub and swimming pool.
On Monday we went to Point Lobo. We tried to get there to enjoy the tide pools but we were a little late. We still found some amazing things. Some of those things included finding star fish, crabs, fish, muscles, sighting whales, otters, and Clair favorite- birds. We really did see whales!!! it was amazing and so super lucky. We saw the spray in the middle of the deep blue and then a black tail come up out of the water and back in. We were in awe. Jason and Brady (my cousin's husband) were like little boys climbing all over the rocks.

Our cousins had passes to the monterey bay aquarium so we snatched the opportunity and used their tickets to end our trip of the ocean with the aquarium. Clair loves the fish and we were really impressed with how the place was set up. There was even a play area for infants and toddlers where they were able to roll around on a waterbed type thing and feel the waves, play with play fish in water, etc. It was amazing an we learned some pretty amazing things.

I didn't know that the gender of sea turtles were determined by the temperature of the incubation of the eggs! If the sand is a warm temperature then the batch will come out pretty even of male and female but if it is too cold or too hot then there will be majority of one or the other!

Now we are back to another week. Time to do laundry, clean house, and make dinner. The gospel is true!

thoughts about homeschooling

2011-02-18T11:05:00.001-08:00

My homeschooling/public schooling study has been so interesting up to this point. All of my reading is making me realize more and more that God created us all different for a reason. There is DEFIANTLY not a RIGHT answer to it all!

The only problem I find with researching these kinds of topics is people's emotions get so caught up in everything. I guess that makes sense... it just makes it hard to really get any hard facts.

I started with my first concern- socialization... I was given a slap on the hand for even asking. There are so many different ways to homeschool. And parents really do get to decide how much their children get to "get out."

Some parents homeschool because they want full control of every move their child makes. (Personally, and this is MY opinion, I don't think that is a good reason for them to keep their children home.) These parents obviously wouldn't want their children to have free range on their social interactions.

Some parents homeschool because they want their children to learn in a "free" environment away from peer pressure, the need to fit in, drugs, sex, etc. There were a lot of arguments of children needing to be exposed to those things to know what the world is really like. (Personally and again MY opinion I don't think children have to have drugs offered to them or feel like they don't fit in if they get a good grade to come out well rounded and understand what the world has to offer them.) A lot of these parents encourage their children to discover what they like to do. They help their children get involved in community activities, community sports, classes at a public school if the school will allow it, etc.

So really, again, socialization is not a concern unless the parent doesn't allow the child the opportunity to be social.

I have found a book called, "The Relaxed Home School" by Mary Hood, PHD. I was really impressed how she presents her views and the way she has home schooled her children. She doesn't come out and say that once you've read this you are going to feel dumb and silly for even thinking of sending your children to a public school. She also doesn't say that public school is totally wrong. She just says that her philosophy of education is one where it makes more sense to homeschool her children. I think that is key!

Before I graduated I had to write my philosophy of education in the mind set of an educator (I studied Early Childhood Special Education). As of a year ago this is what I wrote:

My Philosophy

I believe all students can have an equal chance to an education and a love for learning. A love for learning comes from dedicated and loving educators who can see the capabilities of their students and continually strives to find the ‘best practice’ to fit the needs of those children.

A successful classroom is one where there is excitement and motivation coming from the students because the teacher allows them the opportunity to discover. When things are taught the “why” is stressed just as much, if not more, as the “what.” A successful classroom also allows errors to be made and learned from and success is celebrated.

I believe behavior, both positive and negative, is a way students communicate. Students should always be treated with respect. Options should be provided where there are multiple outlets for expression of emotions. The educator should be the example and model the benefits of taking care of oneself for the learners.

To be successful in teaching and learning, inclusion has to be considered. I believe inclusion does not only encompass letting all students have opportunities to be apart of a general education classroom. Inclusion includes sharing cultures, ideas, feelings, and knowledge. It is about bringing everyone together in a more understanding group where respect and an open mind to new things is valued.

To be a successful teacher I have to be willing to collaborate with those I will be working with. That includes parents, colleagues, and my students. I have to be teachable and open minded to new ideas and strategies. Professionalism is key in all I do and say.

Now I am thinking that I need to write one in the mind set of a parent and my philosophy of education for our family. Of course Jason and I will be working together to create this but I am so excited to think about it. I think that will really help me with how I help my children interact with life and people from day to day.

Another valuable thing I realized while reading this book and reading other articles is how all the "subjects" mesh together in life. I've always known this but because of my education as a teacher I have been taught to see science as science and math as math. But when Clair and I find a prickly seed pod on our walk that is science, and we don't find just one! We find 2,3,4... that is math. We take a picture of it and scrapbook it making it art. We write a letter to parents telling about our discoveries that is writing, reading, communicating. All with one thing- a prickly seed pod! When I bake in the kitchen I follow instructions, measure, sometimes make guesses. I come away with Jason saying I'm a chemistry pro :). We make hypothesis all the time and learn what floats and sinks in the bath. Even Clair who is 14 months is learning so much just by being exposed to animals at the zoo, people at church, different weather outside... I love it!

All this makes me want to go back to school and study things that I purposely avoided or did just to jump through the hoop. I wish I understood what Jason is working on at work and could really remember what I learned in 9th grade about cells. I wish I knew what kind of tree Clair is fascinated with to explain to her more and help her make connections. I which I knew more about how my body works and where things are located so I can understand a little more why that part of my body hurts or why I get sick.

Ha, ha all this makes me so excited! At this point in my life I am not going to a public or private school anymore... but I DON'T HAVE TO STOP LEARNING! I, in a way am a homeschool student.

What do you know about the Gifts of the Spirit?

2011-02-17T11:38:00.000-08:00

I need some help. I get to speak in Sacrament Meeting this coming Sunday on the gifts of the spirit. I am realizing more and more that there is so much about the gospel that I have yet to understand. This topic is one that I have never really studied before so I feel like it is a little over my head. I am studying some talks and have an okay outline but I would like to hear your input and your testimony on this subject if you are willing to share...

What to learn

2011-02-16T13:23:00.001-08:00

I have been enjoying being a stay at home mom SO MUCH! It took me a while to get use to the not so busy/homework every second of the day schedule. Now I am starting to miss having something to study and learn and keep up on. I have been trying to learn how to cook, bake and budget and that has blessed our family a lot. I feel like I am loosing the skills I learned in school about learning though so Jason and I are starting a new thing. We are both picking a topic that we want to have an opinion on. We are then going to research as much as we can and teach each other what we are learning in the process.

Jason's topic is global warming. It has been so neat to learn more and talk to people and find out different resources to look into and why they have the opinions they do.

I have decided that what I want to research is the pros and cons of homeschooling vs. public schooling and the different techniques of homeschooling. I have been so surprised at how many families here homeschool their children. I have always been blessed to live in areas where the schools are great and so I always thought homeschooling was depriving your child of social interactions... but I am learning a different perspective. I would love to hear any thoughts you have!

Last Week

2011-02-14T11:24:00.000-08:00

I am catching up from Last week...

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 5, 2011

Sacramento had what they call their "Free Museum Day." Most all their museums, the zoo, and a couple parks were free to public. They had free transportation you could take around to all the places. We were so excited because all we would have to pay for was our transportation to Sacramento. We soon discovered that these days are CRAZY! So many people. So the waits were a little long. It was almost like we were at Disney Land waiting for the best rides ever... We did make it to two museums and after that decided to go to the zoo and the park another day. The two musems we went to were the Govener's Mansion and the Railroad musuem. We forgot to take pictures at the Govener's mansion and only took a couple at the railroad musuem. We were too excited about what we were learning. We couldn't resist our cute Clair though... can you imagine having FOUR children the exact same age! I kind of thought it would be fun (to adopt) until I watched Clair play in this mirror. Then I realized Jason and I would be running EVERYWHERE trying to keep happy, keep track, and enjoy four excited babies. Whew one this age is good for me to enjoy right now.

Old Sacramento was so much fun to explore. they had people dressed up and acting like they lived 'back in the day...' Jason went and played this game- yes it is suppose to be a gambling game but don't worry they weren't betting anything but the chips they held. Jason ended up winning the jackpot!

Our transportation home from Sacramento was the train. This was our first time riding a train so we were very excited. It was really comfy and we got our own table. Clair loved that and climbed all over it.
MONDAY FEBRUARY 7, 2011

Jason had a day off so he made special plans for us to enjoy every second of it. First we got ready...

Clair is just starting to love to wear her hat and her glasses. We were so impressed that she kept them on for pretty much all our ventures. She was so proud of herself.
We started the day at the Sacramento Zoo. The animals were out, making lots of noises, and moving around. It was so much fun. The Zoo isn't really big but they did have a hyena (Jason's favorite) and Anteaters (Jill's favorite) and a wooden statue of an orangutan (Clair's favorite). Clair was able to touch a snake and we loved hearing the howling monkeys talk to each other. Jason saw the ostrich and the zebra face off. The baby tiger was so cute, and we watched the gorgeous flamingoes protect their territory. Yep, we were impressed.

Next we went on a hike. The first sign we saw was this one...
If you didn't know the background to where the hike took you you would be very confused. This hike is called Old Salmon Falls. Years ago there use to be a waterfall and an old LDS gold mining town. Eventually it was decided that area was a perfect place for a dam. Building the dam ended up flooding the town and making the waterfall disappear. So now the sign makes sense. The description of the hike says to come explore an old mining town that has now been flooded... we had to laugh at that because you can't explore the town, let alone see where it use to be. Now it is just a beautiful lake.

We ended the day by stopping at the Sacramento Temple and letting Clair get the last of her wiggles out. She loves the fountains. She could sit there for hours watching the sparkling water.
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 11, 2011

A friend from my ward and I started a Park Play Group. This week we did finger painting with pudding. It was so much fun to watch the kids goop on the pudding and spread it around and explain what they were making. Clair, to my surprise, didn't want ANYTHING to do with the stuff, not even on the end of a spoon! I think it was mostly because there was the playground right next to us and she wanted to go play.
I was pretty proud of myself for coming up with this simple and free idea for an apron. This is a plastic bag that you get from the store. I cut the handles and used one to tie around the neck and then cut the side of the bag between the other cut handle and used that to tie around the waste. I then flattened the front of the bag and wa-la a waterproof apron (or pudding proof in this case). You can also tuck the front down and make a pouch.
This video is from our hike to salmon falls. Clair is signing and trying to say bird.

Look-a-Likes?

2011-02-09T21:20:00.000-08:00

Jason says that Clair looks a ton like me... not just now but my baby pictures and her. He found some pictures to prove it. I thought it was really cute so I decided to share them.

Gift of Gratitude

2011-02-06T13:55:00.000-08:00

Today our Relief Society lesson was on the Gift of Gratitude. Usually when this is the subject for a lesson the story of the ten lepers come up. Today was no exception. When we did talk about it a neat perspective came to me that I'd never really thought about before.

When Christ was walking there were ten men who had leprosy. When they saw Christ they came and asked him to heal them. Leprosy is a disease that slowly degenerates the tissue and deforms the body. Those who had this disease were shunned by their family, friends, and the community. Christ told the Lepers to go to the priests and they would be healed. All ten of these suffering outcasts had the faith to be healed. Only one of the ten came back to Christ and showed his gratitude for the miracle. Christ then made the comment, "Where there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?"

I honestly don't think the other nine lepers were not grateful for what Christ did for them. They could have been so overcome with excitement and the joy of being able to return to their families and their life that they just forgot about thanking Jesus. I don't think Christ loved them any less than the one either, but we do know he was disappointed. This lesson that he teaches is a great one for me. Sometimes I find myself so caught up in daily duties and responsibilities. Or I am enjoying moments so much that I just forget that I should be outwardly thanking my Heavenly Father. I give thanks when I say my prayers but I need to work on expressing that gratitude out loud to my God who has given me everything and who is allowing me to enjoy such a wonderful life. I need to tell Clair where our blessings come from. I need to tell others the help I received through my Savior when I am given compliments.

I love this quote from President Monson...

"We can lift ourselves and others as well when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought and cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude. If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues. Someone has said that “gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.”

Thomas S. Monson "The Divine Gift of Gratitude" November 2010 Ensign

I know that the more I work on expressing my gratitude I will realize what more I really have to be grateful for. It is just amazing isn't it. I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

A Thursday

2011-02-04T13:13:00.001-08:00

Yesterday was a very long day... First of all I woke up thinking it was a Friday... then my creative "what to fill up a day with juices wouldn't flow." I tried being creative and making a musical instrument. But Clair is only 14 months so the entire activity kept her attention for maybe five minutes. Clair also started her new hobby at reorganizing everything. This is what it comes out to be like. The cupboards are bulging the floor is covered and I have a very happy baby going from one side of the house to another with items who are about to find a new home. I am very grateful we didn't bring a lot of stuff with us. It makes clean-up time really nice!

Yesterday was a bit of a success for me... I finally made yogurt. I've been wanting to try this for a while (ever since I read on someone else's blog that you can do it). It was a lot easier than I thought... once i figured out which side my candy thermometer was C and which was F. Woops to my first batch.
I call it a success because Clair looked like this while eating it. Mmm, Mmm so tasty!
Clair also had her hair cut for the first time by me, mom. It is a bit scarry to take sharp sissors to my squirming child's face and attempt to cut the wisps in front of her eyes. But it worked and isn't she cute!

Pure Yummyness

2011-02-03T10:10:00.000-08:00

So I finally had a random craving... we finished our dinner and suddenly I wanted cornbread really really bad. Jason had just gone out to lunch with his co-workers at a restaurant that he says has the best cornbread he has ever tasted... so my sweet and thoughtful man called them up and ordered me cornbread. It was pretty amazing! I think the black dots are poppyseed but I'm not sure.After picking up the cornbread we drove by our bishop's house. He has a loaded lemon tree in his front yard that he invites anyone who wants to come and pick from. We helped ourselves and picked a bag full. We came home and juiced a couple to make yummy homemade lemonade. The smell is just amazing. Like being emerged in the candy lemon heads.

This is a random picture and it is horrible because of the lighting and the angle in the bathtub but I had this idea and it worked so well I just had to share it. I have wanted to decorate the bathtub with all those cute wall stickies you see int the store. I decided to make my own. I got plastic sheet protectors and drew on them with permanent sharpie markers. I then cut them out got them a little wet and wa-la they stick to the bathtub perfectly. Jason thought I had drawn right on the tub with marker! This picture is of the five little frog song that I found on-line then traced. I would like to get colored permanent marker and color the pictures. Clair loves playing with them! One downfall is when they get wrinkled they don't stick to the side of the tub... so don't get too attached if you are going to allow your child to play with them :)

Lately

2011-01-31T12:34:00.000-08:00

These pictures aren't in any particular order. I just thought I would show what we have been up to lately.

Jason was craving ice cream cones for his ice cream the other night so we decided to see how hard it was to make them... not hard at all! It would defiantly help to have a cone shaper but they turned out really yummy and that is really all that counts, right?

One of Clair's new hobbies include stacking blocks. I'll find random stacks around the house. This one was just inside the bathroom door.

Clair received a play tent for Christmas and it came with a long tube. She has just started to want to play in it and it is so much fun. It is even better when Jason comes home and plays with her!

We tried our friend's granola recipe and it is awesome. Jason insists on it for breakfast every morning.

Clair and I made a coin drop out of an old yogurt container. All we did was cut a slit in the top. She gets so proud of herself when she can get the coins through the slit.

Another hobby of Clair's is to climb in a basket we have that holds all our church related books. I am not exactly sure why this is so much fun but she is sure cute when she does it.

As you already know we are having a little boy but here is one of the ultrasound pictures along with a 20 week tummy picture.

Jason is still commuting to and from work everyday on his bike. He really is my hero. The other day it was so foggy that he came home completely soaked as if it had been pouring outside. His eyelashes were even dripping! He loves the challenge and being able to brag about it *wink wink*

These are pictures of a walnut grove that he passes on his way to Davis. Doesn't it look neat with all the fog! He took a lot more but they wouldn't upload, sorry.

This is the part of UC Davis Campus that Jason Sees. There are a TON of bikers!!!

This is Briggs Hall where Jason's lab is.

And here is my awesome man's lab. He is learning so much.

We're having...

2011-01-24T21:18:00.000-08:00

Our trip to Rexburg was really nice. it was Crazy to walk out our door Thursday morning in Woodland to SUNSHINGE and then go to bed that night in Rexburg with SNOW. Clair loved being with family again. We were able to do a lot of fun things, one of them being an ultrasound.

We were not sure if we would be able to know the gender of our baby because we had to do the ultrasound 1/2 a week early from the date the doctor recommends. So we were really excited during the ultrasound to find out we are having a BOY! We are super excited. Jason is calling him his "MAN CHILD" We have only been able to think of girl names and so we are now trying hard to brainstorm boy names. Any ideas for one syllable boy names?

Perfect Day at the Park

2011-01-19T14:52:00.000-08:00

When the days are sunny they are usually warm enough to go climbing around on the playground. It is so much fun to be outside. Clair is so cute when we go to the park. As soon as she sees the playground she starts kicking her feet and making loud happy sounds and doesn't stop until I have her out of the car. We enjoy it even more when we are able to go with some of the other moms in the ward who have children that Clair can follow around. I am so excited for summer

This is such a fun video of Clair on the swing but it is side-ways, sorry :)

The Marsh Estuary

2011-01-17T10:43:00.000-08:00

our saturday was spent exploring a marsh estuary called the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary (estuaries are bodies of water usually found where rivers meet the sea). Wow, it was really different from anything we'd ever explored before. The fog was crazy thick but we decided it made it feel even cooler.

things we learned:

- this estuary is one of the largest estuaries of the west coast

- it encompasses roughly 1,600 square miles

- provides drinking water to 22 million californians

- irrigates 4.5 million acres of farmland

it was pretty cool and was so much fun just to stop and listen and hear all the animals that live there.

Our Darling

2011-01-13T08:31:00.001-08:00

Oh, I just love this little girl so much! Every day just gets more and more fun as her independence and ability to express herself increases. Here are some recent pictures...

Her dinner time routine includes eating what she wants from her plate, spreading it on the table, asking to get down, getting cleaned up, then ends it by wanting to be on daddy's lap to enjoy his food.

She loves playing on her bed. Jumping on it, rolling off it, laying on it, and unmaking it...

In her pj's. This is her new smile. Ha ha, I think it is to show off all her cute teeth.

and bath time is a new favorite. Whenever she hears water she comes running to the tub (or waddles with more determination)

Happy 23rd Birthday to Jill!

2011-01-11T20:07:00.001-08:00

I am 23!!! I don't feel any different. But I do feel very loved.

Yesterday we celebrated by enjoying a yummy dinner of tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwich. We had yummy orange sherbet delight (layered orange sherbet and vanilla ice cream) ha, ha notice how cute Clair is when Jason took a turn eating the dessert. Those cute pleading eyes. Jason got me the most beautiful and the happiest boquet of flowers. They smell so good and brighten up the apartment so much!

Woman at the Well and the Sacrament

2011-01-09T14:01:00.000-08:00

Today we had a lesson on the Sacrament. Our wonderful teacher shared the scripture passage in John 4:4-14 of the Woman at the well.

Through the whole hour I was trying to figure out how this story went a long with the sacrament. It came to me in little waves of insight and filled me with so much gratitude to my savior. I would like to share it with you...

Picture Christ sitting in at a well while a woman comes to draw water. Jesus asks her to give him a drink. The woman answers "How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? For the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans."

I ask this same question even today. I am not perfect. In fact there are many things that I am working on and need to improve. I am just like this woman of Samaria. Yet Christ still asks me... "Serve me, feed my sheep..." I find myself asking many times, why me? How is it that me, little Jill, who is still trying to figure things out can be asked to do all these things of someone who is perfect?

Jesus answered and said unto her, "If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water."

What is the Gift of God? Who is Jesus Christ that is asking me to do these things? What is the living water? These questions are all linked and in a way answer each other. We read in John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." God's gift to us is him loving us enough to know we would struggle here on earth, that we would need help to get back to him. His gift is providing us a savior, his son, Jesus Christ. Jesus is our mediator the person who loved us so much he sacrificed himself to allow us a way to be cleansed from our mistakes and be worthy to make it back to our father's presence. In Nephi's vision of the tree of life he learns that the "Living water" is the love of God. When I think of what Christ is trying to teach this woman I think of the gospel and the joy and piece I have that never go away... in a sense I really am filled always because of the knowledge of the plan of happiness and of the sacrifice of my savior. I have already partaken of this living water and I have made covenants through baptism to remember what it means.

The sacrament then comes into play very nicely. I partake of the sacrament every week to recommit to living the covenants that I have made with my father in heaven through baptism. I take it to show that I am still willing to take upon me the name of Christ, to always remember Christ, and to keep the commandments.

I, like the woman of Samaria am not perfect, but Christ is still asking me; and so far in my life I have already said yes, I will draw that water for him, I will serve that person, fulfill that calling, write that note! I might be little me, just Jill... but I can do hard things and with the gift of God anything is possible!

Going back in time...

2011-01-05T09:08:00.000-08:00

We are trying to save money by not spending it when we don't have to. This sometimes makes me laugh because it reminds me of living in the olden days when...

there were no cars:

Jason has been riding to and from his internship which is a 13 mile bike ride! He does this mostly so I can have the car during the day if I need it. My hero!

No washers and dryers:

We have been so spoiled to not pay for laundry. I was blown away by how expensive it was $2.25 for one load to wash and another $1.00 to dry. We attempted to wash our clothes in the bathtub like Jason did on his mission... I don't know how much longer that will last.

Dirt floors:

I forgot our dust pan, ha ha, silly me. So I've been using a handy dandy piece of copy paper which has been doing its job perfectly.

Making everything by hand:

It is so much cheaper, and healthier to make your own food. Although I do understand time is money a lot of the time it is just worth spending the money. Because I have the time, I have been making my own bread and noodles. I just learned how to make my own bread crumbs and croutons. My next project is tortillas, applesauce, and salsa.

Oh, the olden days. It will be these days that I will forever cherish!

The Organ

2011-01-05T08:56:00.000-08:00

meet my new friend the organ... well the friend I am soon going to get very acquainted with. I've been wanting to learn to play the organ for about a month now and the perfect, yet very intimidating opportunity just opened up. I am going to attempt to learn a piece called 'The Lord Bless You and Keep You' by John Rutter for our ward choir. I am announcing this so that I will really get myself to do it. It is intimidating because I have only watched my friend Kelsey work the organ while I sat in the choir seats... How does she do it? All the key boards, the foot pedals, the fancy knobs along the sides? Luckily on LDS.org they have a really neat set up of free lessons on how to learn the organ quickly so you can start playing right away. I think it will take a lot more work than I would like to think but here it goes.

I Want to be a Missionary Now...

2011-01-03T10:19:00.000-08:00

Do you remember the Children's song?

"I want to be a missionary now. I don't want to wait until I'm grown. I want to share the gospel while I'm young, For I have a testimony of my own.

I want to tell my friends about our church and the happiness it brings to me. I'll tell them how the gospel was restored, Tell them how the Book of Mormon came to be.

Then I can be a missionary now. I don't have to wait until I'm grown. I'll live each day the best that I know how, And they'll see I have a testimony of my own, A testimony of my very own."

We went to our new ward on Sunday and were overjoyed to be met by so much love and acceptance. So much acceptance in fact that they didn't even wait one Sunday before they had read our names into the ward and called us into the bishop's office for callings. We are now ward missionaries!!! To be honest this scares me. I have always dreamed of what it was like to go on a mission and have always been excited to one day have that chance. I am still excited for this neat opportunity to fellowship those who are in our ward and who are working with the missionaries right now, it is just way out of my comfort zone... but that is what the Lord does right? He always gives us callings to make us grow and as soon as we are comfortable he calls us somewhere else where we are uncomfortable again.

If any of you have any ideas or pointers on how to get to know our neighbors we would sure appreciate the inspiration. It is a lot different here from Rexburg and we are trying to figure out how to go about it when their life styles and home life are so different from ours.

2010-12-31T15:17:00.001-08:00

I never thought I would be saying this but here I go... We have now moved to California! Jason is doing an internship in Bio Chemistry Research for the next three months.

We also have the internet now so hopefully I will be able to keep this blog a little more up to

date.

For now we wish you a Happy New Year!

New Family Pictures

2010-12-12T16:33:00.000-08:00

Travis Gugelman, our great boss did a new picture for us before we take off on our next big adventure. it turned out great! Our daughter just gets cuter and cuter.

(Pictures Coming) Internet dumb

July & August Update

2010-08-30T09:06:00.001-07:00

Clair and I have been doing lots of experiments in the kitchen. I have had a lot of fun trying new and old recipes with butter, egg, and milk powder to make mixes for cookies, pancakes and other things. We have also been making our own noodles and started making bread... still working on that one :) Clair loves watching me measure and mix and she thinks the clean up is the best because she gets to sticks her feet in the warm soapy water while I wash up.

Jason has been doing a couple triathlons this summer. This last one was the Rush Tri here in Rexburg. He got 12th overall and first place in his age group!!! He is so awesome!

Jason just accepted an internship in Davis CA. We will be moving there in January.

In July we took a week off and went down to Southern Utah and hiked around Zion's National Park, Bryce Canyon, and Cedar Breaks. If you ever hike Kolob Canyon and see the little Larson Cabin along the trail you can say you know who it belongs to... Jason's grandpa helped his father build it. Clair was awesome even when it was so yucky hot. She ended up being the main attraction and had tourists taking pictures of her, Ha, ha great times!

Clair is 9 months- crawling everywhere, crusing along the furniture. She has four little teeth and one two more on the way (teething hasn't been too bad just sleepless nights and swollen gums).

Little Darling

2010-06-21T20:32:00.000-07:00

Clair is seven months tomorrow! She likes feeding herself applesauce with the spoon and drinking warm water from a cup. She has mastered the art of tummy turning and going backwards. When she gets herself in crawling position she will rock and when supported will move her hands. We are really trying to get her to crawl before she walks but she is happiest walking with help or standing with furniture help. She enjoys pulling things out of tubs, going on walks, and when dad gets home. Her hair is getting long enough on the top that a little ponytail can be done with her hair going straight up. She is sleeping most of the night and loves her naps (most of the time). Her toothless grins are priceless and we do anything to get her to laugh. When she is upset she babbles "dadadada" and when she is hungry hums.

She is our little darling!

2010-04-30T21:07:00.000-07:00

Oh, the weird typing at the beginning of the last post was Clair's input... she was helping me by playing on the keyboard.

Happy TWO Years Together!

2010-04-30T19:59:00.000-07:00

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Hitched for time and all eternity on April 18, 2008

We've laughed, cried, been silly and serious...

enjoyed adventures and enjoyed staying home.

seen miracles and been a part of them.

and we are still very much in love!

and excited to see what will be next...

I'm a Graduate!

2010-04-28T09:16:00.000-07:00

Dr. Seuss said, "Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened." I am so grateful for the wonderful experience I have had going to school at BYU-Idaho. The most important thing that I have learned is that it does not matter what I go into or what I do I can always seek for help and guidance from my Heavenly Father. Whether I am a teacher or a mom I can council with my Heavenly Father and He will guide my footsteps. I know that if I stay close to him then it will always work out.

I have learned and grown so much in the last four years and I thank all those who helped with that. I also want to thank my support group-- my family. I could never have done it without my best friend and supportive husband or my wonderful parents and siblings who helped with Clair and cheered me on.

Now I can say... Yipee! I did it.

The main event.

2010-03-12T07:56:00.001-08:00

oh, the wonders of the internet.....since this doesn't work great...here's a link to my class website, its got some new picture of clair up in her gallery.

since I know clair is the reason people look at our blog, here's a newish picture... more on her later, but for now just know that she's cuter everyday and she's almost mastered the rolling over onto her tummy, she hasn't quite figured out what to do with herself from there...but she's pretty proud of herself...

Ice Fishing

2010-03-09T19:42:00.000-08:00

Our friend took Jason ice fishing!!! It was our first time having fresh fish and it was quite the adventure cooking and eating it.

We fried it up in lemon juice and spices. When it was done the skin peeled right off. The little bones were frustrating but it tasted really good!

This was Clair's face when she was watching us cook it.

Clair's Blessing

2010-03-09T19:33:00.000-08:00

Clair was blessed on the 10th of January. She is such a sweet spirit and we know Heavenly Father loves her very much.

Here are two of her blessing pictures. Jason does such a good job!

Daddy Daughter Time

2009-12-09T10:47:00.000-08:00

Good children's literature appeals not only to

the child in the adult, but to the adult in the child.

~ Anonymous ~

My girls...

2009-12-07T14:10:00.000-08:00

....are adorable. I am so lucky!

Meet Miss Clair

2009-11-24T15:10:00.000-08:00

Jill and Clair are both doing great! Clair was 6 lbs 2 ounces. 18 inches, born on Sunday.

Clair Eleanor.

2009-11-24T14:58:00.000-08:00

She's here! We feel so blessed! Grateful! Happy! Lucky! The more I study chemical, physical, and biological systems, and now watching this new baby I know what a miracle life truly is. There is no way that a baby is only a mass of specialized proteins, DNA, and water, there is a beautiful angel soul in this little girl. She is so precious. We all are, really. :)

Update

2009-11-19T08:16:00.001-08:00

just a quick update...

Baby is not here yet she is technically not due until tomorrow so we can't complain too much :)
We have narrowed our name list down to four names and have one we are leaning towards more than the other... we are waiting to see what she looks like.
I have amazing teachers and have been able to finish my online D&C class early and get all my work in for my math methods class. I only have two classes to worry about and have been able to get everything done early that I possibly can.
Jason just completed another triathlon and was amazing! It was all done inside so it was really different, but he loved it.

Life is amazing and we are both very happy, healthy and and couldn't ask for more! The gospel is true!

Square Photography

2009-11-04T18:08:00.000-08:00

Jason is making a blog for pictures that he has taken. If you want to check it out the link is on the side under Photos By Jason with the link called Square Photography. He would love to hear your thoughts and comments on the stuff he is doing.

Enjoy! He is amazing!!!

37 Weeks

2009-10-31T13:31:00.000-07:00

Wow, time is going so fast! We can officially say that the baby could be here any day now. We have started going in to visit with the doctor once a week. They were worried because I was measuring small so we were able to get another ultrasound. The ultrasound showed a very healthy baby... alive and kicking :) We are both excited to have our little bundle in our arms where we can watch her kick and not just feel her.

Here is another tummy picture... probably the last one (*sniff sniff* ha ha I am so excited to be done with the big tummy thing!) This picture was taken last week at the 36 week mark.

The Pig

2009-10-22T12:50:00.000-07:00

piglets are so cute!

but the swine flu is not cute at all!

Jason woke up Sunday morning complaining of aching all over. We dismissed it as being sore from doing the triathlon the night before. Later that day he took a two hour nap which is very unusual. Usually he refuses naps because he says they make him cranky. When he woke up he felt hot and had a headache. Again we just dismissed it...

Monday morning after throwing up his breakfast we took his temperature. Sure enough he had a fever. Still not wanting to admit defeat Jason tried going to classes. That night he was exhausted, dizzy, and had a very sore throat. We got him tested for the flue and the test was positive.

So he is on medication, wearing a face mask all day and night, drinking lots and lots of liquids, and when I am home he locks himself in the other room. It is frustrating to be int he same house and not see each other. He also carries around lysol spray and germ-x and as soon as he leaves a room or touches something he sprays it and before he enters or touches anything he uses the germ-x. I love my Jason so much, it makes me very sad to see him so miserable.

For those of you who are worried about me, don't :) I am on medication to catch it now that i've been exposed and am getting a shot today... yeah. I am feeling great and praying hard to stay well.

BABY UPDATE-

Tomorrow is my 36 week mark! Four more weeks to go. It has gone crazy fast and I am so excited. We still don't have a name picked out and at this point we will probably just take our list and wait to see what she looks like.

The A-Maz-INg Jason!

2009-10-19T08:52:00.000-07:00

So two weeks ago Jason came home and excitedly told me he had signed up for a triathlon! I was super excited for him and asked, "When is it?" "In two weeks..." My first reaction was, "um, don't you need to train for these types of things..." No worries this amazing man started getting up early in the morning to run, swim, and bike before he got ready for the day.

The triathlon was on Saturday and here are some pictures from the event:

The Support Group-

Me and Jason's sister Ana

Our brothers Peter, Riley, and Brian

Our cute moms

Jason's Dad

My sister Julie and her boyfriend Nate

And it starts...

Here is Jason doing the mile run

The four mile bike ride (going up 2nd E. to Poline Rd. and back to campus)

Here is the support group waiting for Jason to come back by on his bike.

Jason was speedy on his bike. By time he passed us and we drove back to the Hart building on Campus Jason had already done his eight laps and had finished the triathlon.

Jason finished the whole thing in 28 minutes! His goal was about 30 so he was super excited. Nice job Jason!

Tummy Time

2009-10-02T07:16:00.000-07:00

Here is a tummy picture for all of you who keep asking :) As of today I am 33 weeks pregnant. So far I don't have much to complain about. Jason will tell you that I am starting to be forgetful. I can't see my toes anymore and struggle doing up my shoes. My clothing options are getting slimmer and slimmer and I am having some pretty crazy dreams. Other than that I am feeling just dandy. I am very grateful to be in school right now because I think I would be going crazy with nothing to do but just wait for the baby.

Speaking of baby, she is already making her mom and dad laugh. Jason will have conversations with her and she will kick and stretch almost answering him back. She really likes to lean to one side of my belly which makes my tummy odd shaped. When ever I get frustrated with something she starts to move more almost trying to kick me out of my selfish mood. We love her so much! We are still trying to come up with a name we really like... our list is getting longer ha,ha :) Any ideas on short names that don't start with the /k/ sound?

And It Begins...

2009-09-17T09:41:00.000-07:00

Not long ago the homework load,
Did Helen little harm.
She walked to school with one notebook,
Tucked in her little arm.
Homework increased until the girl,
Had no choice but to pack,
Binders and texts into a sack,
She strapped onto her back.
When her spine curved, and her back crooked,
Her shoulders apt to sag.
So Helen took to pulling books,
In a wheeled luggage bag.
As Helen grew, homework did too,
And fourth grade marked the start,
Of pushing homework to and fro,
In a large shopping cart.
Soon tractors towed her homework load.
Still Helen found no luck.
Now forklifts hauled her homework home,
And next a pick-up truck.
But still the work load grew and grew,
And the truck overran.
Sixth grade saw Helen driving home,
In a U-Haul moving van.
Helen’s homework load reached its height,
When school closed in the fall.
For teachers assigned so much work,
Kids couldn't move at all.

I had to laugh when I found this poem. This is Jason, the amazing man. I can't even pick up his backpack this semester and he packs it up along with his laptop and rides his bike! He is my superman. I was talking to a friend and we just don't understand how to do it all. School would be wonderful if all we had to do was go and participate in class... It is all the reading. How do you read 50 pages a chapter and two chapters a class period and be expected to remember everything?

I am learning some pretty neat things this semester. Most of my classes are application before student teaching. I get to do a case study and work with a real child and their family. I am so excited to actually start doing what I have been learning about the last couple semesters. I am also working in a kindergarten class. I get to teach the math lesson this Friday :) I am excited to try some classroom management strategies and see if they really work. How do you explain "design" to a kindergartner?

Here is a good luck to all of you who have just started school too or have been going to school or just feel that life is overwhelming.

Donald L. Hallstrom, “Seeking a Balanced Life,” Ensign, Aug 2003, 52

Principles of Balance

Leading a balanced life can be difficult for any of us. There is not an exact pattern that works for everyone, and even our own blueprint may change during different phases of life. However, seeking balance—giving adequate time and effort to each of those things that really matter—is vital to success in our mortal probation. There are certain fundamental responsibilities we cannot neglect without serious consequence.

What are the essential poles of our lives? I wish to suggest four: our love for Heavenly Father and His Son, our care of our families, our service to the Lord, and our life’s temporal work.

Love for Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.

Care of our families.

Service to the Lord

Life’s temporal work

Three Guides
Regular self-evaluation is critical to seeking a balanced life. There are three valuable sources of help to show us things “as they really are, and … as they really will be” (Jacob 4:13) in our lives.
Promptings of the Spirit.
Scriptures and the words of living prophets.
Regular communication with a trusted friend.
Yes, You Can Do It

The Fair

2009-09-04T15:16:00.000-07:00

Fun times at the fair!!! We stopped by last night to view the judging that was done in the photography section. Jason had entered seven of his prints and he did awesome!

Categories that he entered:

1. Colored Girl Portrait- 1st place

2. B&W Boy Portrait- 2nd place

3. Colored Group Portrait- 3rd place

4. Colored Boy (group)- Honorable

5. Colored Boy- Honorable

6. Colored Girl

7. Woods- this one he had entered a picture from the Redwoods it was the only one entered in its category.

With all his snazzy ribbons he won $51. What can I say, :) my Jason is AMAZING!

Breath of Fresh Air

2009-09-04T12:20:00.000-07:00

Our quest for mice is over! Yeah! After seven mice we went twenty-four hours without a catch and decided to dig in and start the cleaning process. We pulled everything out of each room and filled holes and cracks and cleaned the walls and carpets. Our house is now all in order and feels wonderful. It was a good excuse to do a real deep clean. Thanks to our parents it didn't take forever to get it done.

Our Surprise

2009-08-28T12:57:00.000-07:00

It all started two days ago when I found some droppings. We didn't really think that there were really mice and as we searched the house we were even more confused. There was nothing chewed on and there were no more droppings that we could see.

Last night we came home and Jason when to unload his stuff in our spare bedroom. He called for me to bring a cup with something or a box with a lid that he had heard a squeak. We searched the room and finally heard it again under the couch. Jason pulled the couch away to reveal this:

The little mouse had gotten itself stuck in our spider trap. It is sad that they are so cute with their beady eyes. They wouldn't be so bad if they weren't so dirty and destructive. So we took this guy out and went out to our living room to sit on our couch and talk. As we were sitting there we saw a streak of grey jump across the doorway of the second bedroom. Ugh more! We quickly went and shut the door we heard it in the closet and made a barricade across the closet door to try and trap it. Thus this movie...

Well just when we thought we got it it found a hole in our barricade and in a flash it was gone. I say a flash because our eyes barley registered that it had gone by. We guessed it went under the couch so we quickly emptied the room of everything except our desk. We lifted the couch up on its side to see if we could hear it in the couch. We found a hole in the bottom where the could get in. We then heard chirping and scuffles IN THE WALL!!! the only outlet that the cover won't fit on had been behind our couch and the mouse had gone into the hole! We didn't want to trap it in there because if it died our whole house would stink really bad. We decided to set out a spider trap with food on it to lure it out. Jason set one out right under the hole and one by the couch. Later we found it trapped in the trap. The trap by the hole had been pushed away from the wall and it was in the one by the couch. We set the traps again and went to bed. We slept well last night considering all the excitement. When we woke up Jason found two trapped in one of the traps. There must be a nest somewhere.
We went to the temple, which was much needed. I felt so dirty in our house and even though I was so hungry I didn't want to get the food out because the counters and everything felt dirty and gross. It didn't help that we had to tear everything out of the bedroom and into our living room to find the mouse. So I felt both cluttered and dirty After the temple we went to get disinfectant for me and door guards and more traps to fix up our house. After Jason fixed a couple sneak holes under a door and set more traps he left for work. I was working on a project at the kitchen table. The second bedroom door was closed and we hoped that had trapped the mice. Suddenly I saw a flash of grey out of the corner of my eye! Now they are in the main part of the house- frustrating! We think they are getting through a hole in the bathroom that could lead around to the second bedroom.
It is good that this is happening now... our house has been smelling musty for a while and I could never seem to make it leave, now I know where it has been coming from. The second bedroom was also where we were starting to put our nursery together... I am glad we found the mice and are going to be able to fix the problem before the baby comes. Although I really wish we didn't have to worry about mice at all.

The House of God

2009-08-25T12:40:00.000-07:00

Jason took this picture of the temple and I just love it.

I love the temple and the peace and love that I feel when I go.

It is neat to think our Heavenly Father loves us so much that he blessed us with such a wonderful gift, a place to go and be truly close to him.

“Let us be a temple-attending people. Attend the temple as frequently as personal circumstances allow. Keep a picture of a temple in your home that your children may see it. Teach them about the purposes of the House of the Lord. Have them plan from their earliest years to go there and to remain worthy of that blessing.”

( Howard W. Hunter, “Exceeding Great and Precious Promises, ” Ensign, Nov. 1994, 8.)

Getting over the Fear

2009-08-21T13:25:00.000-07:00

I have had this fear ever since I can remember of loosing control by fainting. I think it started when i was really little and my wart was torn off my hand and started bleeding everywhere. After that I fainted after being poked with a stapler in my 7th grade English class and then fainted in my 9th grade PE class after watching a movie on eating disorders and finished the rest of my high school with at least one incident in each grade. I soon became so scarred of fainting that my body started panicking at the sight of blood then at the stories with blood until I can't even think about pain and blood without getting a bit light headed and needing to lay down or leave the room. I have been really nervous about getting pregnant because of the stories I was sure would come. I have avoided talking about being pregnant so I won't find myself in a situation where stories of other's experiences were shared. My philosophy was that if I didn't know about any of it I wouldn't be able to imagine it and make it worse than it really was. These last couple of months I have come to realize that i am completely backwards. It started with a talk at church were we were told that we would be shown our weaknesses and so they could become our strengths. Then in the visiting teaching message this month it talks about being educated and how when we are educated we are filled with light and leave the evil one. It hit hard with me that when I am educated there is no reason to be talked into things or scarred of what i don't understand. I then realized the monster never goes away by me running from it. So now I have decided to turn around and pounce on the monster before it gets me. I have to say it is a lot harder than I thought it would be but I am so excited to one day be able to sit down with friends and hear all their stories without getting squeamish and to be able to help my children when they get cuts or shots or other things and not faint.

So this is how I am doing it... I have rented movies that not only tell about the ordeal of having a baby but shows everything. My new philosophy: if I know all about it then i don't have any excuse to make a big deal of things that aren't a big deal, but are natural and normal. Jason is being the most amazing support, he is so patient and wonderful, I don't know if I could do it without him. It has taken me a week to watch one video because i have to keep turning it off to calm myself but it is getting a little easier.

I know the gospel can help us in any situation we are in. I love my Heavenly Father and I know he loves me!

Corn, Jason, and a Mystery

2009-08-20T15:13:00.000-07:00

Our first garden... this is our amazing corn

Not bad if you ask us

It is amazing to me at how tall it is.

They say it is ready when the tassels turn brown. We went to check on them and the tassels are missing on some of the ears... they look like they were cut off.

Someone could write a book about that: The Mystery of the Missing Tassels...

Isn't my sweety cute :) I asked him to take a picture of the corn before i forgot. It took longer then it should have. Come to find out he had set up his tripod and had taken pictures of himself with the corn to make me smile. I love my Jason!

Huckleberry Picking

2009-08-18T13:57:00.000-07:00

We have always heard about the yearly activity of huckleberry picking but had no idea that we could do it so close to home.

Between the seven of us we were able to find a really nice patch and after picking constantly for four hours we collected over three gallons of yummy huckleberries.

These are our hands after picking. It looked like they were all bloody.

Huckleberry Muffins

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
1 cup huckleberries
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
4 Tablespoons margarine, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup syrup
Preparation:Combine sugar and huckleberries. Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, beat together eggs, milk, vanilla, margarine, and syrup. Combine the two mixtures, using a fork to stir. Do not over mix. Fill well-greased muffin tins, three-quarters full. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 20 to 25 minutes. Yield: 12 muffins

you may substitute your favorite berries in this easy muffin recipe. Feel free to add your favorite nuts.

Romantic Surprise

2009-08-18T12:35:00.000-07:00

I have been getting a little bored of our same routine and so I decided to mix things up a bit...

I surprised Jason by putting a blindfold on him as soon as he got home from work then directing him to sit and wait while I did the finishing touches...

Isn't he cute!?!

When everything was ready I led him to the doorway of our romantic night out.
On the floor was a fancy dinner ready for us to enjoy. We sat on pillows to make it even more different.

There were pictures of us all over the room along with the lights dimmed and swing music playing softly in the background to set a more romantic mood.

After we ate we went to the hiking spot that we first realized we really really really liked each other. We climed to the top of a hill and watched the sun set.

I love my Jason so much and i am grateful for the opportunities to show him how much I appriciate him and all that he does for me.

YELLOWSTONE

2009-08-18T12:15:00.000-07:00

Yellowstone: the grand adventure

Nothing is better than being with Jason and enjoying the outdoors!

Jason and his brothers

I hope you find joy in the great things of life- but also the little things.a flower, a song, a butterfly on your hand...

Summer

2009-08-14T13:41:00.000-07:00

I keep meaning to post but I forget to bring pictures to work (that is the only time I have the internet) so I decided I'd go ahead and give an update of us and add pictures later...

We are LOOOOOOOOVING summer! Jason doesn't leave to for work until eleven'ish and so we have been enjoying spending mornings together. It is the first time in a long time that we have been able to have mornings where we get to sleep in and be a little lazy...

We are enjoying haveing a yard to take care of. We finally got rid of our lovley weed bed (Jason did an awsome job!) and our sunflours are getting really big. Having our own garden is really fun. Our friendly neighbor has given us a lot of tips on how to raise our garden just right. Our corn is doing awsome and when I go out to check it I can already taste it yum, yum.

I have been working on campus part time. I feel very blessed to have a job, but sometimes I feel completely useless. Most of the time I sit for four hours with nothing to do hoping that some lost student will wonder into the video veiwing and decide to watch something :) Just so I can feel like I am really needed. I have been able to read a lot of books, which is something I haven't done in a really long time. I won't go off on my list, but if anyone has any suggestions on a good book I would gladly take it.

Jason and I are working on making a documentary of His grandparents. We went and interviewed them the other week. It was so much fun. We are now going around and interviewing their children about them and getting fun stories. It is a great way to do family history.

My tummy is getting bigger and now people can actually tell that I am pregnant. We have been trying to think of names but I don't know if we will decide on one before she comes. We really like the names Juliana (the names of my sister Julie and Jason's sister Ana put together), Eleanor (the name of Jason's great aunt and his mom both of them went by Ellie I think we would have our baby go by Ella), Tatiana (my middle name), Evelyn... those are the top ones on our list for right now. Any votes?

I am now working on studying for some state tests that I will be taking right when school starts to get my teaching certificate. I am also working on putting together my senior portfolio. Fun stuff!

Jason just got back from a work trip to Virginia City with a bunch of kids who are going to be seniors in high school. He is amazing and I love him so much! Yesterday I came home from enrichment to find him disinfecting the counters. He had finished the laundry done the dishes and vacumed the whole house. Wow! He is my hero and I am so grateful for his love.

We are so blessed I am just amazed. I look around at all the things we have. We didn't buy any of our furneture. It was all given to us as our family and friends were moving or getting new furneture. We have a working fridge, a microwave. We have an amazing bed that is so comfortable with lots of pillows from our wedding. We have a car that not only works but fits all of our needs when we travel. We have carpet that is soft. We have a vacume to clean our carpet when it gets dirty. We have windows that lets in beautiful pure light from the happy sun. We have good healthy bodies. We have families who are so suportive and there when ever we need them. We have food and ymmy running water! We have work and the opportunity to learn. I really could go on and on... It makes me feel so loved when I know that we have been blessed with so much. At first I was a little ashamed of everything we have been blessed with. I grew up thinking that when you were first married you should be sleeping and eating on the ground... I almost didn't want to invite others over because I didn't want anyone to feel bad. I am learning now that we are not blessed with things for us. We are blessed with things for others. We aren't the only ones who can enjoy our home, others can come over and feel safe and loved in our home. And if ever something came up where we were prompted to share our blessings that is what blessings are for, to bless... :) I don't even know if I am making any sense. I know that my Heavenly Father loves me and I am so grateful for that knowledge!

We are Having a Girl

2009-07-31T12:07:00.001-07:00

It's a Girl we are very excited!

She is very flexible. Here she is with her legs crossed and bent clear over her head.

Here are her legs, again, over her head
And here is her cute profile.

She is always moving and it was fun to see her doing sumersaults and moving on the screen instead of just being able to feel her.

My weekend...

2009-07-20T19:28:00.000-07:00

So this is what I've been doing for five days. :) don't think I was on vacation. (though it was awesome) If we were going to photograph a wedding in new york we were going to do it right. so we had all the equipment we could think of. we didn't think about the fact that new york is a foot traffic, subway, sometimes taxi town, and we would have to haul everything around with us. haha. so i played pack mule. but it was great. our flash, soffbox, 4 cameras, tripods, 30 gigs of memory, 2 reflectors, 6 lenses and some other stuff, travis carried it too. Ryan and kimberly were great, and the wedding was perfect. Im sore and tired. post more from New York later.

Jason in NEW YORK

2009-07-17T17:43:00.000-07:00

Yes, New York City. I'll just update you on his first day... He left on his fun adventure with his boss Thursday morning at six am. They drove to IF and flew to SLC then flew straight to NY.

They flew right over the Statue of Liberty!

They rode in a limo around town because it was less expensive than a taxi...

And they have three broadway plays schedualed around a wedding at the Manhattan temple (which is the whole reason for the trip).

Jason is amazing and I love him so much. This is an awsome experience for him and I thank his boss for inviting him to go.

I posted these pictures that I found on the web just to make things more exciting. The pictures Jason will post, about what he is experiencing, will be a lot more exciting!

We're having a. . . .

2009-06-30T09:33:00.000-07:00

BABY!! :) and goodness am I excited about it!

They couldn't quite tell the gender of baby bump, but we got cute pictures!

Mother's day and spreading the news...

2009-05-28T08:44:00.000-07:00

It is a little past mothers day but I couldn't skip it. Jason spoiled me by surprising me with a laminator of my very own!!! Yeah, I just can't wait for all the little crafts I get to do now :)

After church we went to Jason's families house to give his mom her mother's day gift... ha ha we felt so sneaky.

This was Jason's idea (he is so amazing!). We bought aprons and had the words

"GRAND"

MOTHER

embroidered on them.

Their faces were priceless as they opened up the gifts and got the double meaning. Everyone is so excited which makes us even more excited. Yeah for good news!

EXCITING NEWS...

2009-05-12T09:12:00.000-07:00

Baby baby baby baby baby baby...

We are going to have a baby!

November 20th

We just told our families and I will update soon to let you know the fun way we announced the news.

Message From President Hinckley, from Clawson's blog. Thanks!

2009-05-04T09:23:00.001-07:00

David Archuleta Concert

2009-04-24T17:00:00.000-07:00

Jason's work had a work party and we all went to the David Archuleta Concert in IF. For those of you who might be like me and not know who this was he got second place in American Idol and is LDS.

It was a crazy insane concert with tons of li

ttle girls who were all dressed up with shirts and face paint saying "I Love David." A group in front of us even used sharpie markers to write on their faces!!!! Every time someone caught a glimps of one of the stage crew or one of the performers that worked with David a huge screamin

g wave would sound and everyone would start going wild to try to see what they were screaming about :) ha ha.. it was a good experience...

David Archuleta is really a good singer and it is really

neat that he is LDS. Here are some pics that we took:

This was the front of the line. People had starting sitting out at seven in the morning!

Here is Jason and I. OH, aren't we cute :)

Here is David singing. Sorry he was moving and so he is blurry.

Wonderful Brothers

2009-04-24T16:49:00.001-07:00

Here are my wonderful brothers!!!

My brothers are amazing and I love them soooooo much!

They came over to spend the evening with us and we played the train game and made taco popcorn.

Here is Brian with the train cars built across his face...

Here is Riley... his hair is really long right now...

P.S. Anyone interested in trying taco popcorn here is how you do it:

Need:

popcorn kernels

popcorn popper (an air popper works the best)

butter

taco seasoning

What you do:

pop the popcorn and spread the butter on it like you would do normally when making popcorn. Use the taco seasoning instead of salt and sprinkle it onto the popcorn. You can experiment to find the right amount of butter and taco seasoning to match your fancy.

This is funny

2009-03-15T16:44:00.000-07:00

Click here:
The Big Red Button

Jason and the Hot Wheels

2009-03-13T08:28:00.000-07:00

We borrowed the hot wheel cars from Jason's parents to have when we were babysitting. I don't think Jason suggested it for them though :)...

When we got home he wouldn't go to bed until he had built this:

Night Wonder

2009-03-13T08:17:00.000-07:00

You don't have to be tall to see the moon. African Proverb

Wisdom is as the moon rises, perceptible not in progress but in result. Chinese Proverb

There's a web like a spider's web
Made of silver light and shadows
Spun by the moon in my room last night
It's a web made to catch a dream
Hold it tight 'til I awaken
As if to tell me my dream is all right

Traditional Folk Song

Here is the moon and a planet on a crisp clear beautiful cold night.

I was talking to my dad who loves the outdoors. He was outside and told us to go out quick and look at it. He wanted Jason to take a picture, so Jason did. Wow it was amazing!

Yellowstone Get Away

2009-03-13T08:04:00.001-07:00

We went and stayed with Jill's family in Yellowstone Park. It was a lot of fun.

We watched Planet Earth...

This was our room that we stayed in.

Here is Dad Allen happy as ever :)

We were trying to climb the walls...

More pics from our trip to the Redwoods

2009-02-11T19:43:00.000-08:00

Sorry this has taken me so long to update! Here are more pictures of our adventures in the Redwood Forest.

Redwood Trivia: A Redwood tree's bark is fireproof and bug resistant. However because of all the undercover there are a lot of fires which will eventually find holes in the bark and hollow out the tree. The neat thing is a Redwood tree can be completely hollowed out and still live!!! That is why they live so long... usually they die from falling over before they die of old age.
Redwood Trivia: A Redwood root system is actually very small and pretty close to the surface. They can grow really strong and tall from lacing their roots with the surrounding trees to make a secure net to hold themselves up.

Jason enjoyed commanding the waves like Mickey Mouse in Fantasia
Can you see the cyclopes holding Jason in his fists?

Jason's favorite pictures are when he can capture light through leaves or branches of trees.

Redwood Trivia: Redwood trees produce thousands and thousands of seeds. Only 90% ever make it to the ground and out of the 10% that do very very few ever survive to maturity. Most Redwood trees that do survive grow from the strength and protection of a parent tree. The Parent tree will grow a knob on the side of itself where a young tree will sprout. Even after the old tree is dead and gone the young tree will still gain strength from it's parent tree's root system.

Yes, a Big-foot museum... Too bad January is considered off season so it wasn't open :)
This picture was taken from a very very talented Jason who stood in the middle of the road with his camera late at night and left the exposer on his camera open for almost a minuet to make it look like day time.
This is one I took of him standing in the road... Good thing the traffic wasn't busy :)

Our Trip to to the Redwoods- The Hostel...

2009-01-01T19:17:00.000-08:00

I was a little wary of staying here. It sounded like a place were there would be a lot of strange people. But I was wrong.

The hostel was like a do-it-your-self-hotel. When you entered you took off your shoes. We stayed in a private room but most rooms had a couple bunk beds for lots of people. It was just a big house. You could do what ever you wanted, you just had to be polite to the other people and clean up after yourself. Even for breakfast... everyone did their own dishes. The people were really nice too. On Monday night we stayed up and talked with some other visitors. It was really nice.

This was our room.

This was the view from our room window and the patio.

The beach was just across the highway. When we got there we were just in time for an amazing sunset.

Our Trip to to the Redwoods- The first night...

2009-01-01T19:11:00.001-08:00

Rim Rock Hotel

This was a nice and cozy little hotel. We were drawn to this hotel by it's web site.

It turned out to be nice with pretty little fake flowers outside the door and pretty red flowers to decorate for Christmas.

Our Trip to to the Redwoods- On our way...

2009-01-01T18:22:00.001-08:00

There wasn't much on the road but it was still an amazing view.

The fog was amazing. We really enjoyed watching as one set of trees would appear through the fog and then dissappear in time for another to appear as we drove

Wow! when we got out of the fog this is what we saw. Little towns that looked almost abandoned. The rain was making everything so green it was amazing!