If You're a Dork and You Know it...

This video is from March, but I really wanted to post it because it is super funny. Jojo loves to sing and her nursery leaders taught her "If you're happy and you know it" at church one Sunday. We were bored, so John decided that we should sing a new version...

A Garden, Chickens, and Silly Girls

I haven't posted anything in...well...a long time. I've been meaning to for a while now, but life has been so hectic:

John's mom broke her leg a couple of weeks ago, we've been doing some work with our local community center to benefit the youth of our town, I got a calling as activity days leader in our ward, we're in the middle of remodeling our garage, our raspberries are planted (yippee!), but the water is still not connected to our parcel (not so yippee), and I've been chasing around the two cutest little sqidgets in the world.

Anyway, I am finally posting pictures of some of our summer activities for you to enjoy.

Our garden is planted and growing...except the zucchini, which never did sprout. I can tell you--I sure felt like a total gardening failure since everyone talks about how easy zucchini is to grow. But I guess someone has to be willing to take everyone else's overabundance of zucchini; that's going to be me this year.

Our chickens are laying! We bought eight (supposed) pullets in February and after a couple of months found out one was a rooster. A few weeks ago one chicken flew over our fence and we are pretty sure she got eaten by a raccoon...little Doris now sleeps with the fishes [that is from Disney's Meet the Robinsons, in case you didn't know...I named her Doris posthumously just because of that]. So we now have six laying hens (Gloria, Lulu, Bernice, Gertrude, Hilda, and Mosie), which means we average about 3 eggs per day. They are starting to pile up a little since we don't eat that many eggs.

We have been having very warm weather lately and Jojo is loving it. She loves to play outside, especially in her little pool. The lady who does storytime at the library taught her how to "paint" with water and she has insisted on "painting" our fence every day since. She loves to dress herself, too and she comes up with some pretty imaginative combinations...we're still working on the smile.

Lucy is growing like a weed--and the weeds in our garden seem to grow faster than I can pull them out. She is a little over 20 lbs and, according to the nurse, "well above" the top of the growth charts. She loves to roll around and talk to us...and drool; there is a lot of drooling. She is finally getting interested in solids...sort of. I keep trying because I am ready to stop nursing so much (no surprise--she eats a lot). My patience is improving, at least that's what I tell myself.

John has been busy with work and a variety of projects. Next week hay season will be more active and he will be gone a lot of the time until work slows down again in the fall. Not so fun, but the girls and I will have lots of time to play and do crafty things.

As for me, I've been dabbling in a few of my areas of interest, although I can still only play a few hesitant chords on the guitar and I'm still perfecting my crusting buttercream recipe (I can only make so many cakes before my family gets tired of them).

One of my favorite things lately has been reading the Doctrines of Salvation volumes by Joseph Fielding Smith (compiled by Bruce R. McConkie). They are AMAZING! I have learned a lot and gained a greater testimony of the truth of the gospel. You should read them; they are great.

I will try to post again in a while (notice the vague terms and illusory promise there) :)

Pictures of Our Latest Adventures

Jojo is a great big sister. She loves to hold Lucy and tries to help her all the time...sometimes she loves her TOO much, but we're working on that :)

In February, we got eight baby chicks. They are getting so big. Jojo loves to watch them run around. Right now they are living in our garage with their heat lamp. Once it warms up, they will be big enough to live in the coop that we built for them.

Jojo got her very first haircut last week. I felt so bad cutting it since it took so long for it to grow, but she can see a lot better now without her hair always in her face :)

Jojo got a Mrs. Potato head for her birthday, to go along with her Mr. Potato Head. She enjoys wearing their accessories on herself.

Jojo's birthday was last month and she had a ball opening her presents.

Update

Well...it's been a long time since I've written on here. So much has happened in the last few months...in February we found out we were expecting again, but in April we lost the baby and I had to have a D&C the day before we were supposed to move from Rexburg back to Washington.

John's parents were able to come down to Rexburg to help us move, which was a great blessing, and we lived with them for about two months until we were able to close on a house of our own in June. We have been busy remodeling our little place and we love it!

A few weeks after we moved into our new home, I was able to finish my last semester of school online and I graduated in July. Yay! It is such a relief to be done with school and focus on other things for a while.

In June we found out we were expecting again and so far, everything is going well. In a few weeks we will have our 20 week ultrasound to find out the gender of the baby and then we will be heading down to Rexburg for John to complete one more semester of school.

Life is busy...but great!

This semester has brought a lot of changes in our lives. With both John and I in school full-time and working part-time, as well as getting ready to move in a couple of months (and with Jojo to take care of), it seems like there aren't enough minutes in the day to get everything done. It helps that I really enjoy my classes and like my co-workers (it would be even harder to get up at 3 AM if I didn't!). I am most excited to be learning about nutrition and about maternal & pediatric nursing this semester and John is enjoying his welding lab. However, I am counting down the days until July, when I (hopefully) will finally be a college graduate--and December, when John will graduate. Even with all of the stresses that come along with balancing school, work and family, I wouldn't have it any other way.

P.S. I haven't had much time to keep in contact with everyone, so I hope you are all doing well and enjoying life!

P.P.S. I would put up more pictures, but we left our camera at my parent's house over Christmas and I haven't had a chance to get it back yet.

New Year's Resolutions

This is the time of year that we all take to reflect on our lives and make goals to improve ourselves. I think it is easier to keep these resolutions when we are accountable to someone, so I am going to share mine...here they are.

1. I am going to exercise at least 20 minutes every day of the week (except Sundays).

2. I am going to attend the temple at least once a month.

3. I am going to index at least 50 names every week.

4. I am going to write in my journal every day.

5. I am going to chose to be optimistic about life and about other people by thinking of something I am grateful for or something I admire about someone instead of focusing on the things that are lacking.

6. I am going to stick to a family budget and review and revise it with my husband every month.

7. I am going to participate in weekly family home evenings every week.

8. I am going to bake a new recipe every week, and post it on this blog if it turns out well.

Merry Christmas!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas today! John and I spent the day with his family. It was the first time since I can remember that I didn't go to my Uncle Don's for Christmas, so I felt a little sad, but we had a great holiday anyway. Jojo had a blast tearing up wrapping paper and playing with the remnants of everyone else's presents. However, she ignored the books and little toys that were actually for her. I was so happy to get an amazing cake decorating set from my mother-in-law. I have been coveting this set for quite some time, so I was delighted to actually get to have it. But more than the great presents, I am grateful for my Savior and the amazing blessings that He has brought into my life. To me, Christmas is a time to reflect, to repent, and to rejoice because He was born and because He still lives.

Babies

As most of you probably know, John and I have been trying for another baby for quite some time now with no success. The last few months have been LONG and at times, very disappointing. It seems like nearly every couple we know is popping babies out left and right and at times--I admit--I get a little jealous. Lately, however, as I have read a little bit in the Old Testament, I've realized two very important things: one, my situation isn't unique (or every very difficult compared to some), and two, the Lord always keeps His promises. Someday (hopefully sooner rather than later) I will get to hold another beautiful baby in my arms and know that they are mine forever. Until then, I just get to learn patience (daydreaming about baby names that I like helps). Hopefully, this wait will help me to appreciate what a miracle and blessing each little life really is.

Laundry

Jojo has become much more mobile in the last few weeks, and as her mobility has increased, so has her curiosity about whatever it is that I am doing. She recently decided that she needed to help me put away our clean laundry...

Chocolate Cookies + Babies = Messy

A little while ago, I was trying to get a few things done in the kitchen and I needed to distract Jojo. I decided to give her a chocolate cookie to eat while I finished up my chores (not my smartest moment). Here is the result.