tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73972853065735435122024-02-20T17:54:24.396-08:00The Owen ObserverDianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10815535691744406405noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7397285306573543512.post-5253815806959748272023-01-01T16:18:00.001-08:002023-01-01T16:18:10.291-08:00Highlights of 2022<p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li> In January, I completed my alternate route to licensure and earned my teaching degree. I began substitute teaching for Orchard Farm School District on Tuesdays and Thursdays while JoceLyn was in preschool.</li><li>In February, we had a few snow days with some pretty heavy snowfall. By the end of the month, it had all melted and we were back at the zoo.</li><li>In March, we signed the big three kids up for a Harry Potter night at the rec center. We'd been listening to the HP books, so they were very excited. JoceLyn got to go on a date with Mom and Dad to get hibachi and ice cream.</li><li>For Spring Break, we took a drive to Jacksonville, FL for Jason to check out Complete Health who had given him a job offer. We stopped in Nashville, Chattanooga, Jacksonville, and then headed down to Orlando. We visited the beach, swam at the hotel pool, and then took the kids to Universal Studios Island of Adventure. Then, I dropped Jason off at the Orlando airport so he could fly home and I drove the entire 14 hours back to St. Louis by myself with the kids.</li><li>In April, we said goodbye to Abraham, our grumpy old man, and smelliest love. We miss him terribly.</li><li>Also in April, I started a long term substitute ELA teaching position at Orchard Farm Middle School. It was an excellent experience for me.</li><li>My friend Megan and I bought Hamilton tickets for the same night. Jason went with me and it was everything I hoped it would be!</li><li>In May, Jason and I took a trip to Jacksonville without the kids to go house hunting. We made an offer on a house in the Julington Creek neighborhood that fell through. So, when another house in the same neighborhood came on the market the next week, we put an offer in and got it!</li><li>We sold our St Charles house a couple weeks later. The weekend it went up for sale, we had zero people come look at it. Finally, a couple asked if they could come see the house on Sunday. As we drove away, I said a prayer that they would love our house. I was then told that the minute the woman walked into our house, she started to cry because she loved it so much. Theirs was the offer we accepted.</li><li>Ezra finished up flag football and RoxaBelle finished soccer. All the kids finished school, and I did too! I cried and cried on the last day of school and decided then that I would apply for teaching jobs in Florida.</li><li>In June, we spent our last remaining days with as many Missouri friends as we could. Our ward held an open house "farewell" for us and everybody came to say goodbye. The house got packed up, and we moved into Tim and Gwen's house for a few days. Jason, Liam, and Tucker drove to Jacksonville while Ezra, RoxaBelle, JoceLyn, and I stayed behind so they could perform in their dance recital. Once the recitals ended, I signed the papers on our house, and drove to Atlanta in one day, then on to our new house in Saint Johns, FL.</li><li>In July, our moving truck FINALLY arrived with our things. We spent The Fourth with our new friends, The Allphins. We took many trips to the beach and the pool; we even went down to Merritt Island to Uncle David's house.</li><li>After not hearing back from my first job interview, and not receiving another job interview, I drove by a school one day and got the impression that THAT was the school at which I needed to teach. So, I went home and put an application in. They called me for an interview the next day, then as I was driving home from the interview, they called to offer me a job and I accepted.</li><li>In August, I flew my mom out to watch the kids so that I could go to the week and a half of teacher in service days. Then, school started and I was in my own classroom! At Liberty Pines Academy, Liam started 6th grade, Ezra started 3rd grade, RoxaBelle started 1st grade, and I started teaching 7th and 8th grade ELA. JoceLyn started preschool at Roots Academy.</li><li>In September, Emily and Nic came to visit on Labor Day. We experienced our first hurricane (school was closed for three days!). Liam started cross country.</li><li>In October, my sister, Katy, came to visit! We met her at David's house, then went to the beach and out to dinner.</li><li>In November, we got hit by another hurricane and my sister, Amy's, flight was cancelled. :( Ezra started flag football. Jalene and Val came for Thanksgiving.</li><li>In December, Ezra's football games started and his team was undefeated! He is excited for the rest of the season. Liam and I went to see the school play, "The Matchgirl's Gift". RoxaBelle performed in the 1st grade Holiday Jingle concert. JoceLyn performed in her preschool Christmas program. I competed in the staff vs students volleyball game. My parents came to visit for a whole week over Christmas. Jason's Dad and Susie came to visit over New Years. </li></ul><p></p>Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10815535691744406405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7397285306573543512.post-91333815267318623542021-12-31T14:15:00.004-08:002021-12-31T14:15:29.866-08:00Highlights of 2021<p> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Highlights of 2021</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-3464cb37-7fff-f6f6-abce-ad341a2fee20"><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We started “One on One” time with our kids. Each kid gets one night a week where they stay up for 30 minutes after bedtime to spend time with Mom and Dad. We’ve made a lot of special memories drawing pictures, playing games, watching shows, doing trivia, and just talking and laughing together. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In January, my mom came to visit me for a whole week for my birthday!</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In February, we had two weeks of snow days, which was a bummer (for me) since my kids had just gone back to school in person!</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">March was Spring Break where we played with friends and went to the zoo!</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism in the Spring.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In April, Jalene and Val came out for a visit over Easter weekend. We spent time coloring eggs, hiking, and watching General Conference.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ezra played flag football for the first time and loved it! He’s actually pretty good!</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In May, we started the month by visiting the dinosaur exhibit at the St. Louis Zoo.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Then, over Memorial Day weekend we flew to Las Vegas for the first time in too many years as a whole family. We celebrated JoceLyn’s third birthday in Vegas with 54 close family members. It was also the first time all six of us Elton siblings were together in many many years. I was also able to see my friends: Jessica, Brenna, Rachel, Rebecca, and Adina while we were out there. It was a wonderful trip.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When we returned to STL in June, we started our summer of many trips to the pool with our summer pool pass!</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">RoxaBelle and Ezra performed in their dance recital and did an amazing job!</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Liam and Ezra did summer sports camps through Orchard Farm: track, baseball, soccer, and football. Ezra won an award at football camp for being the best listener.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My best friend from college, Ashley, came to visit. We had not seen each other in 12 years!</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4th of July in our neighborhood was the BEST as usual. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We took the family to Meramec Caverns with our friends.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I painted the kids' bedrooms FINALLY!</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Liam turned TEN and celebrated with his friends at the pool’s dive-in movie.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In August, Ezra turned 8 and celebrated with a birthday at the park, plus another visit to the dinosaurs at the zoo. We gave him a pet fish for his birthday which made him SO happy!</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ALL of the kids started school this year which was a big deal.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">RoxaBelle turned 6 and wanted to celebrate with a trip to the mall. She adores Kindergarten and I’m pretty sure all of Kindergarten adores her, too.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In September, Ezra was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. All of his grandparents came out to celebrate and we got to go to a Cardinals vs Dodgers baseball game, too!</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I went to Nauvoo for a leadership training with Sister Bingham and Sister Johnson. The next day, Sister Johnson attended my ward and came to my primary. She complimented me and it was honestly one of the best days ever!</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Also in September, we lost our minds and bought a puppy, a mini aussiedoodle named Tucker Pupperson. He’s pretty great.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In October, I finally went on the St Charles Ghost Tour with my besties. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The kids had a multitude of Halloween celebrations and activities.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In November, my friend Natascha, who I had not seen in several years came through St Louis and I was able to meet her family. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I passed my final test to become a certified Secondary English Language Arts Teacher.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thanksgiving was spent with our Missouri family and was loud, chaotic, and everything a Thanksgiving should be.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In December I started a job working as a substitute teacher. I work on the days that JoceLyn goes to school and it has been so much fun.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Christmas with just us and our kids was happy, happy, happy. We are counting our blessings and singing praises to our God for sending the gift of His son.</span></p></li></ul></span>Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10815535691744406405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7397285306573543512.post-6672511975087730922019-02-15T13:57:00.000-08:002019-02-15T14:23:05.662-08:00Owen Family Update 2018We have finished our first full year living in St. Louis (St. Charles), MO. Our family has grown and our lives are moving forward. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRld7VPI6aXaFpwnDCfJXmB2xNz5NhyhuviGP4ZcJgoISHGN43M6lrpXn-Q0JVT9vM5b2Skzo0mVHazkzYIBDfzEV7Cbpit7ZdtBPL3Wevis2b5ya1jzF1SR7r1inGu8jSkap43r1Q4VI/s1600/IMG-7051.JPG"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRld7VPI6aXaFpwnDCfJXmB2xNz5NhyhuviGP4ZcJgoISHGN43M6lrpXn-Q0JVT9vM5b2Skzo0mVHazkzYIBDfzEV7Cbpit7ZdtBPL3Wevis2b5ya1jzF1SR7r1inGu8jSkap43r1Q4VI/s320/IMG-7051.JPG" /></a><br /><br /> Liam finished the First Grade this year on the A Honor Roll, Outstanding Citizenship, and Second Place in the school Science fair for his grade! He rides the bus to and from school, which is only about 1.2 miles away, but he loves the independence and I love the convenience. He has a handful of friends his age in our neighborhood and has enjoyed being able to walk to his friend’s house to play, ride his bike around the neighborhood, and participate in nerf gun wars. He turned 7 years old in July and we had a fun “Backyard Bash” for him complete with water balloons, squirt guns, corn dogs, and cupcakes. So far, he has remained on the A Honor Roll for Second Grade and has enjoyed his newfound reading skill by devouring book after book. His favorites are the Magic Tree House series, I Survived series, and National Geographic early reader books. He builds and creates worlds in Minecraft and with his Lego sets, still loves cats more than anything, and is learning to beat his dad in chess. We are continually impressed with his knowledge and passion for life.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdWPRf3VUoynam7MWVqaxFlvDUm1pjZYXecm1blMvjM95_hDXfnh5u5GK91mIyWYTa2bhC1ckWfkyn6VuyAvEjyBSKhGZpbK5OwcsWK_CMiCl3sUHskBNPxfbkgQ1boVhqw5U_A5XVEYA/s1600/IMG-7131.JPG"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdWPRf3VUoynam7MWVqaxFlvDUm1pjZYXecm1blMvjM95_hDXfnh5u5GK91mIyWYTa2bhC1ckWfkyn6VuyAvEjyBSKhGZpbK5OwcsWK_CMiCl3sUHskBNPxfbkgQ1boVhqw5U_A5XVEYA/s320/IMG-7131.JPG" /></a><br /><br /> Ezra finished his first year of preschool completely exceeding expectations, but due to Missouri age requirements, he is doing a second year of preschool. He continues to be our sweet, sensitive boy. When I came home from the hospital after having JoceLyn, he sat and cried in my arms with me for a few minutes. He has such a big heart and is a good friend to anyone he meets. Because of this, his social life has exploded. He has been invited to lots of birthday parties and his teacher says the other kids in his class have started to follow his lead when it comes to play time. He still loves Star Wars, but this year has also adopted a passion for dinosaurs. We have viewed every Jurassic Park/ World movie, every dinosaur show on Netflix, and checked out every dinosaur book we can find from the library. He says he will be a Paleontologist when he grows up. He also had a blast learning to play basketball in a six week rec class this Fall. He has the exuberant energy of a puppy which we have yet to figure out how to channel into something more productive than jumping on our furniture. He is an excellent big brother to his two little sisters and we love his love.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD_cO0GbSIueJNY_30rNmbkEVdaqkPF2qWAyjzwX_Jmgrgn8thR170v9zBEs59UibeCeR6A1pCPOTiT6PpNeudpkr5lwl3oeT2rO5cf3XHcjmW9mOyLIF9jXldYtN5OPmuQbqlzPKuqVA/s1600/IMG-6739.JPG"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD_cO0GbSIueJNY_30rNmbkEVdaqkPF2qWAyjzwX_Jmgrgn8thR170v9zBEs59UibeCeR6A1pCPOTiT6PpNeudpkr5lwl3oeT2rO5cf3XHcjmW9mOyLIF9jXldYtN5OPmuQbqlzPKuqVA/s320/IMG-6739.JPG" /></a><div>
<br /> RoxaBelle has grown by leaps and bounds this year. She is extremely independent. At the beginning of the year, I introduced her to potty training and soon realized I needed to step aside and let her take the lead on it. Once I did, she was potty trained in two days. It was lovely having no diapers to buy for a few months before her baby sister arrived. She surprised me by quickly warming to the idea of a new baby in the house. She began telling anyone who called her “Baby”, “I NOT a baby!!!” She also has not taken to any nicknames, nor can we use her middle or last names. If I slip up and call her RoxaBelle Berlin, she yells, “I NOT Berlin!!! I RoxaBelle!” She was very upset this Fall when both of her brothers got to go to school and she had to stay home. So, we enrolled her in ballet/tap class at a local dance studio and she has completely blossomed into a very avid dancer. I am looking forward to continuing to watch her learn and grow, especially now that she’s a big sister.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglaBlOEbHRWqsSBeeb2k3H9QfLR7exR2pTZVHfN7_-RnFLTzz80yE6epS93-HlfcETsCEgZTMulhuLCGRXaB0IvggpTOd3D-Gfllt5UIOrIqYbNX6jfToDF6kss88n_nON0BBGEjZ6Zsk/s1600/IMG-5981.JPG"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglaBlOEbHRWqsSBeeb2k3H9QfLR7exR2pTZVHfN7_-RnFLTzz80yE6epS93-HlfcETsCEgZTMulhuLCGRXaB0IvggpTOd3D-Gfllt5UIOrIqYbNX6jfToDF6kss88n_nON0BBGEjZ6Zsk/s320/IMG-5981.JPG" /></a><br /><br /> JoceLyn’s birth was scheduled and calm compared to all of her siblings. It was, all things considered, very uneventful, which is perfect. I had so much anxiety throughout her pregnancy. I was plagued with thoughts of: “how can I possibly be blessed with four healthy, uncomplicated babies?!” I was certain something would go wrong. So, when she came screaming into the world, I cried and cried tears of relief… and then threw up. She came home to a very hot summer, but proved to be a welcome addition to our noisy, chaotic lives. Her siblings adore her, her parents can’t get enough of her, and she steals hearts everywhere she goes. She is growing far too quickly, but will always be considered our baby.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvMrh715UDdFI6qZQbGSvVln4iYMkoiyTEhhEak5-lPa7_f8RniXp8vAUg0QZT2a8axgi1Sr7IL7Rs1YjewtZvPcwhZe_KUBS5vGtgVygvE0h8AXb1kQxCh86UaytL7tqMoPVGjsIyKXA/s1600/IMG-6391.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvMrh715UDdFI6qZQbGSvVln4iYMkoiyTEhhEak5-lPa7_f8RniXp8vAUg0QZT2a8axgi1Sr7IL7Rs1YjewtZvPcwhZe_KUBS5vGtgVygvE0h8AXb1kQxCh86UaytL7tqMoPVGjsIyKXA/s320/IMG-6391.jpg" /></a><br /><br /> Jason switched jobs from Express Scripts to Edward Jones in June. While the transition came at a chaotic time in our personal lives, it has been an excellent professional move for him. His work environment is a lot less stressful, he enjoys his coworkers, and feels confident in his work output. A happy husband makes for a happy wife (and vice versa). Besides being a great company to work for, they are also very family focused. They hosted a Take your Child to Work Day over the summer, and Liam enjoyed being able to go to work with his dad. Then, in September, Edward Jones rented out Six Flags for their employees and families. We enjoyed a free lunch and our kids’ first time at an amusement park together. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKhQdqCZ7MeYMc93DlJG9FJ5p-NPuwPnDqbx7obgE45i_imAzpCqMbyWMBX1f8eYIGX_yn1aMt37I0Mtkl8XIBfoUlekpmLpxoE_xZC1GBz0poGBLpwJzngTENsLu_pGyFeRF4Rw7hoVI/s1600/IMG_7355.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKhQdqCZ7MeYMc93DlJG9FJ5p-NPuwPnDqbx7obgE45i_imAzpCqMbyWMBX1f8eYIGX_yn1aMt37I0Mtkl8XIBfoUlekpmLpxoE_xZC1GBz0poGBLpwJzngTENsLu_pGyFeRF4Rw7hoVI/s320/IMG_7355.jpg" /></a><br /><br /> As for me, I have enjoyed making new friends here in Missouri, exploring new places with my kids, reading new books, and adapting to my new role as a mother of four. Missouri is beautiful and interesting. St. Charles is historic and also extremely haunted (as I’ve learned through my excessive reading). I continue to try to find time to focus on me, while still being the best mom I can. I understand that this is a season of my life, having all of these young kids at home, that is hard and wonderful, terrible and great, and I will never have these years back again. I am trying to hold that perspective and indulge while I can.</div>
Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10815535691744406405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7397285306573543512.post-6973183049441902272017-07-03T12:40:00.001-07:002017-07-03T12:40:01.056-07:00If Only the Walls Could Talk<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A couple weeks ago I had to say goodbye to one of my favorite places. The place I called home for almost three years. We did a lot of living in this place. Oh, if only the walls could talk, what would they tell you?<br />
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They would tell you of the time we first walked into our new home with a rambunctious three year old Liam and his toddling little brother and how Little Liam ran from room to room saying, "Oh! New house! Thank you Mom! Thank you Dad! Thank you new house! I love it!"<br />
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They would tell you how much I loved my one story house, and not having to trudge up and down stairs with my little children following like ducks. How I didn't have to worry about them tumbling down any stairs.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoeSPu1zIVKLc5lKiDPDWExFaAZ9J2dB_m-V-I2ViWObDm-V4uhhpwUNLK0X2XTYS9h5sk-SRmPVxwY0iFzXXMfeE0-j-M9dWS-X2wyReYFPNM9kgnSHoXzvJoM4q0bDPNL1xZYYFPgTI/s1600/19718731_10101377904899568_811302826_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1136" data-original-width="852" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoeSPu1zIVKLc5lKiDPDWExFaAZ9J2dB_m-V-I2ViWObDm-V4uhhpwUNLK0X2XTYS9h5sk-SRmPVxwY0iFzXXMfeE0-j-M9dWS-X2wyReYFPNM9kgnSHoXzvJoM4q0bDPNL1xZYYFPgTI/s320/19718731_10101377904899568_811302826_o.jpg" width="240" /></a>They would tell you how many meals I made in my tiny little kitchen with the adorable white cabinets and the large counter that I used to cut fabric for quilts as well as roll out cookie dough to cut and decorate with my little ones.<br />
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They would tell you how much my little boys loved to pull up chairs to that big counter to make their own oatmeal in the morning for breakfast!<br />
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They would tell you how after dinner, the boys would run circles around us in the kitchen space until they were worn down and ready for bed.<br />
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They would tell you how my baby Ezra grew up and became Little Liam's best friend.<br />
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They would tell you how Liam went off to preschool and Kindergarten from this house.<br />
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They would tell you of our excitement when we learned we would have a third child and our overwhelming joy when we learned it was a GIRL!<br />
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They would tell you of that little girl and the love that surrounded her arrival. They would tell you of her first smile, her first laugh, her first step, her first words...<br />
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They would tell you of the friends we made and the play dates we had! They would tell you of all the little friends running from room to room screaming and laughing and jumping on beds.<br />
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They would tell you of lightsaber fights, squirt gun wars, and endless games of tag and hide n seek.<br />
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They would tell you of the wonderful women I am privilged to call my own dear friends, and the Sonic drinks that were shared and the conversations that were had and the bonds that were formed.<br />
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They would tell you of Christmas family breakfasts, birthday parties, Easter egg hunts, Halloween outings, and other celebrations with the people we love.<br />
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They would tell you of the fires that were built in the fireplace when it <i>finally</i> grew cold enough outside to light a fire.<br />
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They would tell you of family cuddles and back scratches that cost a quarter.<br />
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They would tell you of the movies we watched and the popcorn we shared.<br />
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They would tell you of our beautiful backyard where the children spent hours playing make believe and sports and jumping on the trampoline.<br />
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They would tell you of the laughter we shared and the tears that we shed.<br />
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They would tell you of the prayers that we prayed and the decisions we made.<br />
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They would tell you of the food, of the love, of the friendship that was created in this house.<br />
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They would tell you our story.<br />
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Now it's time for the next chapter, and as we turn the page and move away, this house holds a special place in my heart. I hope these walls hold and protect its next family as well as it did for mine. I hope to fill my next home with just as much love. Oh, the living we did in this house... if only the walls could talk...Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10815535691744406405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7397285306573543512.post-37461295125203811202014-02-08T12:10:00.002-08:002014-02-08T12:10:20.107-08:00JanuaryJanuary of 2014 dawned cold and bleak. Apparently the coldest it has been in this part of the country in over 25 years. Fabulous. Please note my dripping sarcasm. I am so homesick for the Southwest United States at this point that I just want to throw things at people back home who are sharing pictures of themselves on hikes at Red Rock or at the park in their cardigan sweaters while I am here in Oxford perfecting the art of layering clothes and basically becoming a hermit. Okay, positive thoughts. January, here we go!<br />
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Ezra turned five months old and became even cuter than the previous month. We can hardly stand it. We also started sleep training and he is now successfully sleeping through the night! Which makes us love him EVEN more. His hobbies include: eating, sleeping, squealing, eating, laughing at his brother, and eating.<br />
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We drove to Memphis to see a Memphis Grizzlies game with some friends. It was a blast, but I forgot my camera, so now we have to go back and do it again!<br />
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I turned 26, and was showered with gifts and chocolates from my family. The best of which was this bench that I fell in love with at an antique store which doubles as a toy chest which makes my living room adorable and which my husband went back and got for me when he realized how badly I wanted it! We also got to go eat some hibachi sans kids for dinner one night thanks to our awesome friends!<br />
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Liam and I made a cake for my birthday!<br />
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But it turned out terrible...<br />
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Just kidding... we just hate to have messy fingers in this house. 'Tis a tragedy. We invited friends over for a playdate to help us finish the cake. It surprisingly is very easy to get people to come to your house when you tell them you have a need for someone to eat your birthday cake! It was a fun time.<br />
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The rest of the month we spent inside. We read lots of books.<br />
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Ezra became a giant from eating so much, so we bought him a big boy car seat. He was pretty stoked about it! Liam likes to hold his hand and give him toys to play with, so now Ezra doesn't mind being in the car as much! Awesome. Too bad the only place we go nowadays is the grocery store and the library.<br />
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So, that's about it. Kind of an uneventful month. Jason has gone back to school and the boys and I are still hunkered down at home trying to keep ourselves entertained. We love you all and hope it is warmer where you are and there are more indoor activities where you live! Hugs and kisses from Mississippi.</div>
Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10815535691744406405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7397285306573543512.post-10420409386265256062014-01-08T14:10:00.003-08:002014-01-08T14:10:53.806-08:00An Owen Christmas in Oxford<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I know, I know, I know! I am behind in my blogging AGAIN! I know y'all have been on pins and needles to know how our Christmas went! We had our Ward (church) Christmas Party which consisted of a special Christmas message, singing by the Primary children, a visit from Santa, and then some DELICIOUS (and free) dinner which consisted of Red Beans and Rice or Jambalaya, or both, if you prefer. I had never tried Jambalaya, but it was so so so good! Liam was pretty excited to get a candy cane from "Tanta."</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ezra wore his Christmas jammies to dinner because it was past his bedtime.</td></tr>
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The cold weather drove me to lock myself and my children inside for most of the month, but I have gotten very creative with ways to keep Liam occupied.<br />
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FINALLY, Jason got on break from school, hurray! So, to celebrate we went to an Ole Miss basketball game and then out to eat at Buffalo Wild Wings. It was a blast and we were all very excited to have a few weeks to spend with our "Daddy!"<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The boys watching the game.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My goofball at BWW.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ezra chillaxin in his carseat (for once.)</td></tr>
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I was determined this year to make stockings for our family. I was also determined to teach myself machine embroidery since my mom's talents are no longer readily available to me. So, I worked hard, practiced, ripped lots of seams out, but finally had a finished product that I LOVE!!! Do you love them, too?<br />
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We actually didn't have too much of a problem keeping Liam from UNdecorating the tree. He did, however, find creative ways to REdecorate the tree. Whatever keeps him happy, I guess?!<br />
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I decided to make sugar cookies for Liam to decorate. I thought it would be a fun activity. Liam thought it would be MORE fun to put frosting on the cookies, lick them off, and then start over. So, then I decided he and I should take most of the cookies to neighbors to prevent future sugar highs! We got them to the neighbors just in time for our very first Tornado watch. It was a very scary storm, but we all cuddled together in Liam's room and got through it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mmmmmm, SUGAR!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liam's decorated cookies.</td></tr>
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The Sunday before Christmas came, and we got our boys all dressed in their Sunday best and enjoyed a beautiful day of church services and a relaxing day at home with our family.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cutie patootie pantses.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWeUqpSoZDpPNqaykASC0v0vNUZQkz8uNyz4P0RFZFq95mOfRRNaq85FOPM2Zs3waryTodkVqFobFnnDKVCEgIyOYuKtTGQ0cfrVqVERZSTDzG4y3WOfgMQ-Jlu7NJTWJVjAiI43Djcms/s1600/DSCN1080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWeUqpSoZDpPNqaykASC0v0vNUZQkz8uNyz4P0RFZFq95mOfRRNaq85FOPM2Zs3waryTodkVqFobFnnDKVCEgIyOYuKtTGQ0cfrVqVERZSTDzG4y3WOfgMQ-Jlu7NJTWJVjAiI43Djcms/s1600/DSCN1080.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love these brothers.</td></tr>
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On Christmas Eve, we went over to our friends' house for pizza and then Jason and I put the kids to bed and watched Elf. In the morning we opened presents. We had LOTS thanks to our gracious family who mailed us so many gifts this year! We had some very happy little boys!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP33BRHZPxB51iPSCpJh6Q1Boalblu5lhCDkyyHbVHgofgk0TKACVrgJqWxAfehcmgKbzGIhmGI0q9MCBye434UeOrFSJkiJuLmlRCHCVZsu4AtzgtGfdVHUrA44v5Q_NUSt3iC6ewXaI/s1600/DSCN1087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP33BRHZPxB51iPSCpJh6Q1Boalblu5lhCDkyyHbVHgofgk0TKACVrgJqWxAfehcmgKbzGIhmGI0q9MCBye434UeOrFSJkiJuLmlRCHCVZsu4AtzgtGfdVHUrA44v5Q_NUSt3iC6ewXaI/s1600/DSCN1087.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ezra with his stocking.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liam with his new toys!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisdv164dk8r5AJFKMbugxdMX4CWI40d4alyOiTNTiuOXUUl6baMt2xqF8BV9pLcaxjtglDV7E4DRevXi2_LkA0KEPoxWje1SZN4OVZ9Q9MFPvWrQZ3IDDO837OryRiMjVSLVGPUgy_leg/s1600/DSCN1101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisdv164dk8r5AJFKMbugxdMX4CWI40d4alyOiTNTiuOXUUl6baMt2xqF8BV9pLcaxjtglDV7E4DRevXi2_LkA0KEPoxWje1SZN4OVZ9Q9MFPvWrQZ3IDDO837OryRiMjVSLVGPUgy_leg/s1600/DSCN1101.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Toy Story sheets for Christmas?! SWEET!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNX5oDMsMtqyzvme3Q3I9Cha-vJyIvXOyxuGVD4LD8tQia5Sc2eyZQgkwwbxp3cSFXIziOJt4T71N-n7xDMowu1ritsY2gOyfCSk6TdP37ZZ1sgzYKaPr1Uv4Z4LHqmwtzL3ezgyj4yRY/s1600/DSCN1105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNX5oDMsMtqyzvme3Q3I9Cha-vJyIvXOyxuGVD4LD8tQia5Sc2eyZQgkwwbxp3cSFXIziOJt4T71N-n7xDMowu1ritsY2gOyfCSk6TdP37ZZ1sgzYKaPr1Uv4Z4LHqmwtzL3ezgyj4yRY/s1600/DSCN1105.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liam got a kitchen set for Christmas and enjoys making meals for his Mama and Daddy.</td></tr>
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We were grateful also for the time we were able to spend celebrating and learning more of our Savior. I spent the month reading the New Testament and gained a better understanding of the life of Jesus Christ. I am so grateful for Him and all he has done for me.<br />
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Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10815535691744406405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7397285306573543512.post-83275882577707241132013-12-10T13:42:00.000-08:002013-12-10T13:42:00.731-08:00Beginning of the Holidays<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixgaCDEEGD4K8m2mMXeFHnxC0LAl7IvUDTmZfl30LCLzGiAOcEBsWIgb18Js9BYAmCVUmci9ZIU6EiGsNITr7lSJa6FS51hvND8rCJDn04BM8CNUgl0WnEJ9Xj5_wtOh46ziSQqgqm5eo/s1600/DSCN0864.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixgaCDEEGD4K8m2mMXeFHnxC0LAl7IvUDTmZfl30LCLzGiAOcEBsWIgb18Js9BYAmCVUmci9ZIU6EiGsNITr7lSJa6FS51hvND8rCJDn04BM8CNUgl0WnEJ9Xj5_wtOh46ziSQqgqm5eo/s320/DSCN0864.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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So, the leaves changed colors and the weather cooled down and everything was marvelously beautiful for like, a week. And then the weather took a turn for the cold and then the colder until this Desert Rat Mama secluded herself and her children inside. Which resulted in boredom, which resulted in creative play, which resulted in Liam walking around like this:</div>
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Which resulted in me feeling less of a mother, so I decided to engage Liam in some productive activities such as baking and helping me around the house. Which resulted in this:</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liam put the groceries away for me. This is the outcome of my pantry.</td></tr>
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Luckily for all of us, we have Holiday activities to keep us warm and boredom free! For Thanksgiving this year, we got together with a few of the other small families, couples, members, and missionaries from our ward for a dinner at the church. I made a turkey, sweet potatoes, and mashed potatoes with gravy as my contribution. It was a busy day of cooking and made me miss my sister, Maggie, who used to help me cook on Thanksgiving! We met at the church at 4:00 and had a very casual meal. Liam got to run around the gym with his buddy Ross, and our friends' daughters Reagan and Katelyn. Liam is especially fond of 7 year old Katelyn and followed her all over the church. Now whenever I mention that we are going to church Liam excitedly asks, "Dinner?!" And then I have to explain to him that we will not be eating dinner every time we go to the church.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liam and Katelyn</td></tr>
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A few days later we got out our Christmas tree and decorated it as a family. Liam was absolutely delighted! He loves the "lights" and in the morning when I have not had a chance to plug the tree back in he shouts, "OH NO! MOM! LIGHTS!" until I turn his beloved Christmas lights back on.<br />
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The following Monday, Oxford had a Christmas parade! At night! I insisted that Jason take us down there and I am so glad I did! The weather was beautiful (thank goodness) and it seemed like the whole town was either in the parade or watching it! The Ole Miss Marching band performed as well as the two high school bands and the two middle school bands. There were lots of other trucks and parade floats covered with lights and Christmas decorations, lots of candy was thrown, and Santa Clause arrived with Mrs. Clause at the very end! It was so fun!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liam in awe of the parade, holding tight to his Candy Cane!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Santa and his reindeer.</td></tr>
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Ezra suddenly decided he wanted to be bottle fed this month. So, we worked out a new feeding schedule with each other, and he now breastfeeds at night and drinks formula during the day. I also started him on some baby cereal and he is doing a pretty good job learning how to eat with a spoon, though it is tough work! Liam likes to sit next to me while I feed Ezra cereal and with a concerned look on his face asks, "EW! Mom! What's that?! Ewwww!" I guess it doesn't look very appetizing. This results in Ezra laughing at his brother which causes him to choke on the cereal. Sigh. These boys!<br />
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Ezra is now 4 months old and SUCH a joyful baby! He has discovered his hands which are now constantly in his mouth and he is starting to reach out and grab things. He still punches himself in the face most of the time, but he is very determined! He had his 4 months check up yesterday and weighed in at 16lbs 8oz! The NP said he is right at average height and a little over for weight, but that makes a good combination. She also remarked that he looks perfectly healthy! So, of course he decided to come down with the little virus that Liam had today, but it doesn't seem to be affecting anyone too terribly. We are looking forward to Christmastime here in Oxford. Jason will be all done with exams this Friday, so we will get him all to ourselves (for the most part) for seven weeks! Woo hoo!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Four months old with a big smile and pretty blue eyes!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chompin on that fist!</td></tr>
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Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10815535691744406405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7397285306573543512.post-9422335543571635732013-11-18T12:17:00.001-08:002013-11-18T12:17:41.813-08:00Brothers<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBNPHeeX-2sYqGnmjTLshVWBgmW1eiFPXEi4x5pQei2OLnwnibqs658tgyX1YeKMfskWh_hvv0qgKrmATeX44lUx6iQst8G5owfkwFN0YxqTogLWwF9vLuZj_Ygy28uzFfT9RFMkoTZpI/s1600/i00043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBNPHeeX-2sYqGnmjTLshVWBgmW1eiFPXEi4x5pQei2OLnwnibqs658tgyX1YeKMfskWh_hvv0qgKrmATeX44lUx6iQst8G5owfkwFN0YxqTogLWwF9vLuZj_Ygy28uzFfT9RFMkoTZpI/s320/i00043.jpg" width="320" /></a>A lot of people ask me how Liam "does" with Ezra. Since nothing really monumental happened last week, I thought I would write about my sweet boys.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdUxxcMD0ggMWbO3EHIw5TKr_NSdhfNZyKMzV_tmdk5w1KolGcJULDOp0cypps4_WA5YYP-uMSvMH-oA8C5eOW7kLpx1tvIk_zRsO1yzBO32ZF9sn1xaNPLld1UyjvImij2zx3dhwnrcc/s1600/i00080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdUxxcMD0ggMWbO3EHIw5TKr_NSdhfNZyKMzV_tmdk5w1KolGcJULDOp0cypps4_WA5YYP-uMSvMH-oA8C5eOW7kLpx1tvIk_zRsO1yzBO32ZF9sn1xaNPLld1UyjvImij2zx3dhwnrcc/s320/i00080.jpg" width="320" /></a>I was constantly concerned how Liam would react not being the entire center of my universe. He loves older kids. LOVES them. And older kids love him, because he will literally do whatever they want. It's ridiculous. I thought Liam would make an excellent little brother, but I thought he would be less than thrilled to have a helpless infant taking Mom's attention away. So, when we brought Ezra home from the hospital, my focus was Liam. I tried to keep him away from Ezra, asked him to not touch, made sure he was taken care of, etc. I basically built a barrier around Ezra and didn't want Liam near him. You know, germs, poking eyes out, that sort of thing were my reasoning. Things got chaotic pretty quick because we had a week to pack up our entire house and move out. Inevitably, Ezra was left alone on the couch. I was standing in my kitchen and I turned around in time to see Liam curiously climb onto the couch next to his baby brother and look at him closely. Then, the most amazing thing happened. Liam's face broke into a huge grin and the only word to describe the joyful look on his face was: recognition. He RECOGNIZED Ezra! He then sat down next to him and had a long conversation with him in his jabbering Liam language. My heart was bursting! Even thinking about it now, months later, it brings tears to my eyes.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZMMOSFgtcWQMeGUD_2hPShL8hm5bRnWUpaqeWr1G8_B8V_eTlapEVMRP7hE1RnhPK5TnsAmzQeKnuGyuX9J7aQ-rA3MJ-eG1Jq4G1eMM-KkMTWcSe7mUbo1L0OGDL7K_j2UuqDg-PCjY/s1600/i00082.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZMMOSFgtcWQMeGUD_2hPShL8hm5bRnWUpaqeWr1G8_B8V_eTlapEVMRP7hE1RnhPK5TnsAmzQeKnuGyuX9J7aQ-rA3MJ-eG1Jq4G1eMM-KkMTWcSe7mUbo1L0OGDL7K_j2UuqDg-PCjY/s320/i00082.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
Of course there are moments when I need to feed Ezra and Liam needs me and I need to ask him to wait and there are tears and tantrums, but for the most part, Liam absolutely adores this kid. He brings him toys, shoves the binky into his mouth, holds his hand in the car, and calls him "brotha".<br />
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Ezra, in turn, absolutely loves Liam. Whenever Liam is holding still long enough for Ezra to catch sight of him, he bursts into the biggest smile! Now that he is getting bigger, I can see that same look of recognition in HIS eyes when he looks at Liam. I know they were meant to be brothers and the reason they recognize each other is because they were friends before they even came down to me!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjslODfK2v-IsrUOdwmOUoa9no-C989F363VVtnta18Q1WG6Avi_izIPw_1exfkQQDw1DvLvFrczHLk_sjiubmv3rcwX2gGzNNTtv-sDM4f69Btc6OxnlwVwn_kBsrW8ApQQz25Al5Im98/s1600/DSCN0786.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjslODfK2v-IsrUOdwmOUoa9no-C989F363VVtnta18Q1WG6Avi_izIPw_1exfkQQDw1DvLvFrczHLk_sjiubmv3rcwX2gGzNNTtv-sDM4f69Btc6OxnlwVwn_kBsrW8ApQQz25Al5Im98/s320/DSCN0786.JPG" width="320" /></a>They must have been such good friends in Heaven! I know as they grow up that they will fight, scream, and maybe even get in fist fights (agh!), but I know that they love each other. I hope they always love each other. I am so glad they are so close in age, and I wouldn't trade it for anything!<br />
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Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10815535691744406405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7397285306573543512.post-2041734552164860752013-11-13T09:37:00.003-08:002013-11-13T09:37:47.794-08:00Halloween and the Beginning of NovemberThe week of Halloween was very busy schoolwork-wise for Jason, so we didn't see much of him until the 30th. So, on Monday, Liam and I carved our pumpkin all by ourselves. Note to self: next year buy a smaller pumpkin! Liam had crayons and stickers for his pumpkin while I toiled over the oversized pumpkin I had picked out. They both turned out super cute and we sat them out on the porch, but then we never had a chance to light them! On Halloween it rained so hard, my pumpkin filled with water and we had to throw it out. Note to self, again: next year buy a smaller pumpkin!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liam was not thrilled about the insides of the pumpkin.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My pumpkin and Liam's pumpkin. An homage to Liam's recent obsession with cats.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liam refining my handiwork.</td></tr>
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On Tuesday, the 29th, we took Liam to Jason's favorite restaurant, Chik-fil-a, for a Superhero party! If your child was dressed as a superhero, he/she got a free kids meal. It was fun to steal J away from studying for a night to eat some food. Liam made a very convincing Clark Kent, if I do say so myself! He also got a balloon and a superhero mask. I got a milkshake which they thought would be fun to dye purple.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liam was super stoked about the balloon he got!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clark Kent</td></tr>
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The next night, the 30th, our church held a Trunk or Treat where we line all of our cars up and pass out candy from our trunks. First we had a Chili Cook Off. I let Liam come to the food table with me, where he bypassed all the Chili, grabbed a bowl, and started filling it with as much cornbread as his little hands could hold. Funny boy! Liam was a cowboy this year, which he called his "Woody" outfit. I bought the hat, sheriff badge, and kerchief in a $5 cowboy kit from Walmart and he loves it! We practiced all month on how to say "Trick or Treat" and he does a pretty good job except it sounds like, "Treats Treats!" So, just skip the tricks and hand over the good stuff! He was pretty much in shock the first car we went to and they put candy in his bucket. Needless to say, he didn't say Trick or Treat at all that night, but he managed to breathe out a few "Dank yew"s. Ezra was dressed in a dinosaur costume, but as it was his bedtime, he slept through the dinner, and cried through the Trunk or Treat, so I didn't get any pictures of him, but I did take a picture of him in his Halloween shirt the next day. On Halloween, it rained and rained all day long, so we decided against trying to go trick or treating that night. It made no difference to Liam who now gets a "Treat Treat!" from his Halloween pumpkin when he eats his dinner.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sheriff Liam</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He did NOT want his picture taken! I was literally chasing him around with the camera!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ezra, on the other hand, loves to have his picture taken.</td></tr>
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November started and the weather turned cooler and the leaves have started to change into brilliant shades of red, yellow, and orange. We took advantage of the weather and went to the park a few times. We tried to venture out and find new parks, but I think we still like Avent park the best!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liam thinks he is big enough for the big boy swings!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiZRJrOrForp-46Hpp-aOevPjp_nHxTbvByKf1gFTaqYjR6n2iQjNY7n6AwoDFfkZYOK-x19YFElrClv3JhndCxyftd4T1klFY3fmX38TotnJJij7SigodfBvxPdY6yi-rjVEG8zutbV0/s1600/DSCN0842.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiZRJrOrForp-46Hpp-aOevPjp_nHxTbvByKf1gFTaqYjR6n2iQjNY7n6AwoDFfkZYOK-x19YFElrClv3JhndCxyftd4T1klFY3fmX38TotnJJij7SigodfBvxPdY6yi-rjVEG8zutbV0/s320/DSCN0842.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ezra snoozing away in the stroller.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beautiful fall leaves.</td></tr>
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Ezra is now 3 months old! This past week he has been discovering his hands. He chews on them whenever he remembers that they are there. He has also started practicing to stand up on my lap which he thinks is HILARIOUS! He can be starting to cry and I'll just stand him up and he immediately starts smiling. He is just too cute! Now if I could just convince him to sleep through the night...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ezra Dean ~ 3 months</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chewing on his fist.</td></tr>
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<br />Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10815535691744406405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7397285306573543512.post-29052733056887114902013-10-27T13:20:00.000-07:002013-10-27T13:20:01.695-07:00A Day in the Life of Grandma B!We got our family picture preview and I have to say, I think Liam stole the show! That is one photogenic child!<br />
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Two weeks ago, we did our normal thing, of going to story time and on a play date and then staying in on Game Day Saturday! Oxford, MS is known for their tailgating for Ole Miss games in "The Grove", where basically they pack THOUSANDS of people into this itty bitty little field and they drink and celebrate all day long until it's time for the game and then those lucky few who have tickets head to the stadium while others gather around their flat screen TVs to watch the game. In the days and hours leading up to game time it is almost impossible to drive anywhere or do anything normal. Thus, I stay inside with my boys. We play with Play-Doh, watch movies, Liam drives me crazy, and then finally Daddy comes home and we watch the game together.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Grove at Ole Miss</td></tr>
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Grandma Bello came to visit us on Monday. We cleaned the whole house before she arrived by shuttle right to our doorstep! We picked Jason up a little later and went out to eat at Ajax, a BBQ restaurant on the Square. On Tuesday, Grandma and I took the boys shopping for some cowboy boots for Liam. He is going to be a cowboy for Halloween, but needed his own boots (so he didn't have to wear Daddy's). Not only did we find an adorable pair of boots, but we also found light up Lightening McQueen sneakers, which I don't think Liam has taken off his feet since! We then went out for Sushi for lunch and spent the rest of the day at home.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liam stealing Daddy's boots.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liam cleaning the house for Grandma's arrival.</td></tr>
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On Wednesday we took Grandma with us to storytime at Square Books Jr, where Miss Jill reads a story and plays her guitar and sings with the kids. She is SO much fun. Definitely worth a trip to Oxford. We did a little shopping on the Square and then took the boys home to nap. We picked Jason up later and went out to eat at the Tacky Shack, a personal favorite of mine. On Thursday we drove by the cemetery, but didn't stop (will write more on the cemetery later), then went to St. Peter's to pick out a pumpkin. Liam had fun going to different pumpkins and pretending to grunt and strain to try and lift it of the ground. Until... he found the littlest pumpkin at the pumpkin patch, which we decided to take home with us (along with a GIANT pumpkin the size of Liam). We then went to the park and then picked up some fried chicken on the way home.<br />
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On Friday we went to storytime and a puppet show at the library. They gave Liam a little cup of popcorn and then we headed to the grocery store. Liam could barely keep his eyes open on the short drive home and then REFUSED to take a nap. Actually, he fought sleep the entire time Grandma was here in an apparent effort to spend as much time as he could with her! Even not going to sleep until after 8 and then waking up before 6! He was a major grump by the time Friday night hit. Absolute hysterics, let me tell you. So we cleaned him up, put him to bed, put the baby down, annnnnd Jason took me on a date! We went to the Rib Cage on the Square. It was a miracle we got a table so fast since it was another game day weekend. We shared a meat platter and then hit up Burger King and Sonic for some dessert. It was awesome getting to spend some alone time with him, especially since I don't get to see much of him nowadays!<br />
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On Saturday we stayed in, Jason took the car, and Grandma got bossed around by Liam all day while I washed and folded the laundry. Today we drove to Memphis to drop Grandma off. I decided to tag along for a change of scenery and boy did Ezra think that was a terrible idea! This child HATES his carseat with a firey passion. We made it to Memphis, ate lunch at Corky's BBQ, dropped Grandma off, tears were shed (mainly by Liam), and then made it home to Oxford. I was so relieved to be back home. It really is starting to feel like home and even after only spending an hour in Memphis today, I have to say I am so thankful we ended up in this sweet little town! I am grateful that Grandma Bello came to visit, to talk, to play with my boys, and to eat way too much food with me!<br />
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Y'all let me know when you're fixin' to visit now that you've had a glimpse of what your week (and menu) would be like!Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10815535691744406405noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7397285306573543512.post-26971703895350228042013-10-14T12:44:00.000-07:002013-10-14T12:44:29.272-07:00Swing SwingOn Monday, Ezra had his 2 month appointment. I really loved Liam and Ezra's pediatricians in Vegas, so I was really nervous that I would not like the random doctor I chose for this appointment! However, he was awesome. Also, he had never met anyone from Las Vegas! We waited for a long time, and Liam would not stop playing with the drinking fountain in the waiting room. They finally called us back and weighed Ez, who came in at 13lbs! Then the doctor came in and poked and prodded my little man, which was FASCINATING to Liam. He pointed to all of Ezra's body parts for the doctor and was especially excited when it came to look at Ezra's "EARS"!<br />
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The nurse came in to give Ez his shots which is always so sad to see, and it made Liam sad, too. He told me "crying crying" as I calmed his little brother down. We then got to the car, and as I went to open Liam's door, he pressed the button that locks the doors, so it got stuck. I then had to slam the door, to get it to relatch so I could unlock it again. Little did I know, Liam's finger was trying to open the door and I slammed it inside. :( Liam and I then sat in the parking lot and cried with each other for a minute. I felt so bad that I then bought him some fries and took him to the park. Good news is, his finger is fine now!<br />
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On Wednesday, we went to the park again with a few of our friends. We love this park! The first time I took Liam, I literally had to drag him home. We play in the "Tot Lot" side, which has a giant castle complete with secret tunnels and a slide, two digging sand pits with tractor diggers, musical pipes, a schoolhouse with actual chalkboard, a train, a helicopter, a bouncing tire, an alligator, swings, and a table with checkerboard on top. Around the playground is a fun nature walking trail that we have done a couple times with our handy dandy double stroller. Okay... I'll just show you too many pictures now.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tractor digger</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The helicopter</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liam driving the train. In front of him is the schoolhouse, to his right is the statue of liberty, and you can also see the bouncy tire thing.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The musical pipes.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swinging with his buddy, Ross.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeuy6_jFmIDvjW9etbNGfDdsksGI6H0TZ9608awv6NXaxaIVzrYt0bIVkFMd9z9zNJQHxOFUQWvCwhh64XlVj51d8LBzgrhrJZydnR0GJgjo5BEfkHvsQSjeh3tPwmGMD72vI1z7Cj1bU/s1600/DSCN0706.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeuy6_jFmIDvjW9etbNGfDdsksGI6H0TZ9608awv6NXaxaIVzrYt0bIVkFMd9z9zNJQHxOFUQWvCwhh64XlVj51d8LBzgrhrJZydnR0GJgjo5BEfkHvsQSjeh3tPwmGMD72vI1z7Cj1bU/s320/DSCN0706.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the slide of the castle.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh yeah, Ezra was there, too. He also loves the park... I think.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl8HFEJo45X_lS-zI338nW4tzUiZGhqrqWJOVJys7Mw2EB_VMdENgsF494JBc6AJ0getFaKQ5MTkiOumB4DDWZ5czgRYfg4Iv3hFGOb86nA0VliJ7u7h6VJQcejk8zAYF_SqQNy_eHmo4/s1600/DSCN0658.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl8HFEJo45X_lS-zI338nW4tzUiZGhqrqWJOVJys7Mw2EB_VMdENgsF494JBc6AJ0getFaKQ5MTkiOumB4DDWZ5czgRYfg4Iv3hFGOb86nA0VliJ7u7h6VJQcejk8zAYF_SqQNy_eHmo4/s320/DSCN0658.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the nature trail.</td></tr>
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Jason had a big statistics test on Wednesday which he was super worried about and he studied so so hard for! And guess what? He rocked it! he got a 93! We are so proud of him and all that he is doing. Thursdays are laundry day. This means I let Jason take the car to school and Liam and I pop popcorn and do loads and loads of laundry all day while watching movies. I've been rewatching Harry Potter, starting with #5, which is pretty fun. On Friday, I decided to take both boys to the grocery store with me, so I wouldn't have to go on Saturday which was a game day for Ole Miss, which means it's impossible to go anywhere! The fun thing about being in the South is that people will stop you and talk to you. I had a lot of people stop me and tell me what a good job I was doing with my two well behaved boys.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimdqwrWlWE3Ix2wS8NB7PeQn9eDwmESkbAhNz6qFvjqEox09KRg0czHBr81kFbWYtZzZsJSrEDD704Ga1-QleeYQCmj-xZ6xVIJibF_c6Nw3XfTstfCPb85sUIX-os2cXYYQAN9EfmCq0/s1600/DSCN0711.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimdqwrWlWE3Ix2wS8NB7PeQn9eDwmESkbAhNz6qFvjqEox09KRg0czHBr81kFbWYtZzZsJSrEDD704Ga1-QleeYQCmj-xZ6xVIJibF_c6Nw3XfTstfCPb85sUIX-os2cXYYQAN9EfmCq0/s320/DSCN0711.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liam and Ezra sharing popcorn and watching Harry Potter.</td></tr>
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On Saturday, we took family pictures at Rowan Oak, which is William Falkner's home. I am looking forward to seeing the finished product! On Sunday, the bishop came over to visit with us, and then we had the missionaries over. I baked two loaves of pumpkin bread which turned out Ah'MAZing. In fact, I can't stop eating it. Here is the recipe: <a href="http://www.chef-in-training.com/2012/09/easy-pumpkin-bread/">http://www.chef-in-training.com/2012/09/easy-pumpkin-bread/</a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfX5m_DV3UjZOETa6V0F12QhtcxoQ6zBPCEA1GbBkVXq-YmDNLA07aAJCQlm4zuP1liJ7cmaBmaLGgMo5blqcRyhjWqB5xQTgCn_XgvdBENBb7KfM7mw2QiWCcbX_P3posjXH3Ze079U0/s1600/RSCN0710.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfX5m_DV3UjZOETa6V0F12QhtcxoQ6zBPCEA1GbBkVXq-YmDNLA07aAJCQlm4zuP1liJ7cmaBmaLGgMo5blqcRyhjWqB5xQTgCn_XgvdBENBb7KfM7mw2QiWCcbX_P3posjXH3Ze079U0/s320/RSCN0710.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ezra takin a snooze on Mama.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSU1TaBGzvUYsSU2f_v_p5QgZq3QZWAT_aJbC5BOXINUdv4v_dchL0ZGbz0Fnsbd0E6jOBZBk7Q0eh2OjgVwy8Sh_ktvjbu4Flu5kII1rb28Lgy_VE4AGlyCmFeAfpVMbSlB6tDXk_wyk/s1600/rowan-oak-front-view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSU1TaBGzvUYsSU2f_v_p5QgZq3QZWAT_aJbC5BOXINUdv4v_dchL0ZGbz0Fnsbd0E6jOBZBk7Q0eh2OjgVwy8Sh_ktvjbu4Flu5kII1rb28Lgy_VE4AGlyCmFeAfpVMbSlB6tDXk_wyk/s320/rowan-oak-front-view.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rowan Oak</td></tr>
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<br />Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10815535691744406405noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7397285306573543512.post-39290464392908056112013-10-07T14:30:00.001-07:002013-10-07T14:30:33.964-07:00Mississippi!I promised my sister that once I got to Mississippi I would be much better about updating my blog. So far, I have not upheld that promise. Sorry, Katy! I am trying to make up for the last month of not blogging now.<br />
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I guess we would begin after Ezra's birth. Lucky for me, I got to go stay at my parents' house while I recovered and Jason "got" to finish packing up the house and then "got" to drive our car for three days to Oxford with no screaming children in the backseat! Liam, Ezra, and I all shared a bedroom for 3 weeks, which was kind of a pain in the behind and we didn't get much sleeping done. However, Liam managed to get Grandma and Grandpa wound very tightly around his little finger very quickly, which meant he got to eat cookies and candy whenever he wanted, rearrange all the cupboards in the kitchen, interrupt all of Grandpa's phone calls, and jump on Grandma's bed. Ezra got to be cuddled whenever he so much as made a peep and I got to relax and recover much more quickly than I would have had I been home on my own. We were so grateful for our fun time at their house and we were sad when it was time to leave, but we missed our Daddy WAY too much!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-nGT7NHRP0RYw_5uTjZE7GEhAD1fOBjWrA8AqVtM1v8zwC2oEzL6hYJoOuSK4N7ZIxocGHU6esxX5t66SAQgxVxXuLxRIyTL6PAF4jphnYnpU1a8Mq8CQYIoazUzNBvXdNyEsV1buOKA/s1600/i00053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-nGT7NHRP0RYw_5uTjZE7GEhAD1fOBjWrA8AqVtM1v8zwC2oEzL6hYJoOuSK4N7ZIxocGHU6esxX5t66SAQgxVxXuLxRIyTL6PAF4jphnYnpU1a8Mq8CQYIoazUzNBvXdNyEsV1buOKA/s320/i00053.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liam watching baseball with Grandpa.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-hjdaLFj2WNt3oJKzQLVxUDUX-6Vbx_uhjsRHo9ur_dFmkA8D2Z-Ln1KW9gW4eeb_PczciWy0AeltfXCrpgAk5EEUa7zt4LUMyHRHeaAoZV3mL_ywcSWRCP5iu4YypJm9vL21Hz7OgBU/s1600/i00088.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-hjdaLFj2WNt3oJKzQLVxUDUX-6Vbx_uhjsRHo9ur_dFmkA8D2Z-Ln1KW9gW4eeb_PczciWy0AeltfXCrpgAk5EEUa7zt4LUMyHRHeaAoZV3mL_ywcSWRCP5iu4YypJm9vL21Hz7OgBU/s320/i00088.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liam liked to water the plants for Grandma while she sat on the porch with him.</td></tr>
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Before Jason left, we blessed Ezra at the church with as many of our family as could come and with our beloved bishopric from Mission Hills ward. While the boys and I were still in Vegas, we got visits from my sister Katy AND my sister Maggie who wanted to snuggle Ezra before he moved across the country!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG_mLIVbP8i4gjtokekEa_in11ES5Mfusi9cxbMfddsAr8Pi_g22cETCKreKNJOIcMWPTTTfgtm9SPI5kit0xBbdHyDSRSy4aIO3YI8k12wo3wHV-xWAp5rYslaKV1VK0Vx9YSlAMXiEw/s1600/i00067.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG_mLIVbP8i4gjtokekEa_in11ES5Mfusi9cxbMfddsAr8Pi_g22cETCKreKNJOIcMWPTTTfgtm9SPI5kit0xBbdHyDSRSy4aIO3YI8k12wo3wHV-xWAp5rYslaKV1VK0Vx9YSlAMXiEw/s320/i00067.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So many cute cousins with Grandma and Grandpa!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1s5c4rmUTzYXXrIlPfTPg0koGzYv0tpQxEUIdCEntOR3EkRJLWeHVS_SWjjhVPDfUETmgWz3YFyKbil6sBXUpMrMt_DLWWB7T8AykJeM09RhTNWwk8KowoG5UWCPRfOVznVG7n-7ed4/s1600/i00064.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1s5c4rmUTzYXXrIlPfTPg0koGzYv0tpQxEUIdCEntOR3EkRJLWeHVS_SWjjhVPDfUETmgWz3YFyKbil6sBXUpMrMt_DLWWB7T8AykJeM09RhTNWwk8KowoG5UWCPRfOVznVG7n-7ed4/s320/i00064.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ezra's blessing, with Gma and Gpa Bello and Gma and Gpa Elton.</td></tr>
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Before we knew it, it was time to get on a plane to fly to Tennessee! Luckily, "Pa" (Grandma Elton) came with us! Boy did I need the help, with two babies, two carseats, a stroller, a suitcase, and two carry on bags!!! Liam did great on the airplane. Each time the plane took off, he wanted to pat pat on his lap and then raise his arms and "Blast Off!" (Little Einsteins rocket style). We barely had a 45 minute layover in Charlotte. We made it to our tiny airplane on time to board. It was the kind of plane where you had to walk outside to the plane and then go up the stairs. As I was checking the stroller outside, I turned around to see a line of people forming at the bottom of the stairs and my two year old climbing up the steep steps of the plane all by himself! It was a funny moment. Ezra also did great, but he got to be held all day long, so why wouldn't he do great?!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPuikH_bj8eDG4QdnxNNUosXHq-inl14rj3tXv7oJpV_bGG-J-z5s1JXIsCpAxHUSmzhjBVXnWEiD5oUfwnrzH4Ku2UdDvJVKu7DQMTVWJ3Qnb0X6i6M7aeqZTQlmtFypC1GNHWQUaJxo/s1600/i00124.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPuikH_bj8eDG4QdnxNNUosXHq-inl14rj3tXv7oJpV_bGG-J-z5s1JXIsCpAxHUSmzhjBVXnWEiD5oUfwnrzH4Ku2UdDvJVKu7DQMTVWJ3Qnb0X6i6M7aeqZTQlmtFypC1GNHWQUaJxo/s320/i00124.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liam insisted on sitting in the window seat on our second flight.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKrSQuFGqj9nXfpUcf6v7rICczjQqqnF8gTEkQwjle18ZagsHHZW4_2yi5ct_AsME4UxsYuwrkIbGQXelXp6UByKGd2NBOn0WgLoyFqO1ad9QKYj1I77n1EdCqTWYT7vjM2hyadU8EB-g/s1600/i00123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKrSQuFGqj9nXfpUcf6v7rICczjQqqnF8gTEkQwjle18ZagsHHZW4_2yi5ct_AsME4UxsYuwrkIbGQXelXp6UByKGd2NBOn0WgLoyFqO1ad9QKYj1I77n1EdCqTWYT7vjM2hyadU8EB-g/s320/i00123.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liam fast asleep on our first flight.</td></tr>
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Jason picked us up in Memphis and we were all so excited to see our Daddy!!! We ate at Corky's BBQ in Memphis and then drove an hour South to Oxford, MS,our new home! My mom stayed with us for the next 4 days and was a huge help to me as we got settled in our house. We unpacked boxes, washed clothes, found places for everything, hung curtains, and cooked food. It was a lot of work! That Saturday, my mom watched Ezra while Liam, Jason, and I went to our first Ole Miss football game. It was a lot of fun and a great introduction into Southern football culture.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPyWWToj9RZay3yqkoFx6qgM1Ux0j6O63j-Rcw3j791tAwbKQjxDbT3xEAo87-KQRzeC-x99Ox5b_yfNOLmf4q_l78Oy6pKaRAq9lSp0oePbay1Dt7fLt1OnweoeyFaCaJLcJQWftjxiI/s1600/i00128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPyWWToj9RZay3yqkoFx6qgM1Ux0j6O63j-Rcw3j791tAwbKQjxDbT3xEAo87-KQRzeC-x99Ox5b_yfNOLmf4q_l78Oy6pKaRAq9lSp0oePbay1Dt7fLt1OnweoeyFaCaJLcJQWftjxiI/s320/i00128.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was a long walk to the game. Luckily, someone stopped and gave us a ride.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB7jWu5S4alz_68p5ZbdmBsSBwM-tk7arh2rljR-jgelo69_R_P8GE4LuwkZ-_kQv1wo79BaVa4GXllZ7VxCw1Xy29LHjI1RnymoySF2SKHIK85SCmVoH_8AL_VKdWxobkdtVIimzpBWE/s1600/i00130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB7jWu5S4alz_68p5ZbdmBsSBwM-tk7arh2rljR-jgelo69_R_P8GE4LuwkZ-_kQv1wo79BaVa4GXllZ7VxCw1Xy29LHjI1RnymoySF2SKHIK85SCmVoH_8AL_VKdWxobkdtVIimzpBWE/s320/i00130.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At his first ever football game!</td></tr>
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My mom left me and I was so sad! Some girls in my new ward were getting together that night and invited me over, so I didn't feel so lonely. It was fun to make some friends so quickly! I spent the following days orienting myself to Oxford, discovering parks, the library, and finishing getting the house set up. I am finally feeling settled, and I am very happy to be here. I will try to be better about updating the blog so I can share our adventures with you in more detail. Here are some pictures to tide you over in the mean time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDdnqrB5GCKqolq9T7tjXuhb-Q67xG1wtBO20-3QjfYqH9poFXwgJk_njrlkuzwCA7GC1gDYI57yT12sWmdQFpNjWwtPJ2D98Pi4lDHmtRgFpWljL5upK_tEovn4VlAgDQv5SyXHfE0SQ/s1600/i00145.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDdnqrB5GCKqolq9T7tjXuhb-Q67xG1wtBO20-3QjfYqH9poFXwgJk_njrlkuzwCA7GC1gDYI57yT12sWmdQFpNjWwtPJ2D98Pi4lDHmtRgFpWljL5upK_tEovn4VlAgDQv5SyXHfE0SQ/s320/i00145.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We're always so happy when Daddy comes home! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxjymQ7zgf3hOsh5jyB3JKUXIOFXoKx5kJV8db66RUmd8ra6hO6ktyUkPI3HMNzMQxCRPTzWqPM_-8uPBtJni18c9A1vws_Ku_I7Q5yKsWC0s367T8YKlj_BXMZCHdp0FCQp5dQPmGpAk/s1600/i00151.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxjymQ7zgf3hOsh5jyB3JKUXIOFXoKx5kJV8db66RUmd8ra6hO6ktyUkPI3HMNzMQxCRPTzWqPM_-8uPBtJni18c9A1vws_Ku_I7Q5yKsWC0s367T8YKlj_BXMZCHdp0FCQp5dQPmGpAk/s320/i00151.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liam is a good big brother.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYCHXu4DvpZhKwACfs-von7LpgGJ0vkrRNXpPIAyA4kmGzrNgy_hMpcuNjADx8D98pJbsaerlVyrvqJ9iJTtr8o4OuiG986ddBHHwM3JMldMTiJGFC4nYrS_JXmJAvo6_OaOT1XH5CSeI/s1600/i00169.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYCHXu4DvpZhKwACfs-von7LpgGJ0vkrRNXpPIAyA4kmGzrNgy_hMpcuNjADx8D98pJbsaerlVyrvqJ9iJTtr8o4OuiG986ddBHHwM3JMldMTiJGFC4nYrS_JXmJAvo6_OaOT1XH5CSeI/s320/i00169.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liam's first bike! In his pretty green front yard.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGbOqkW_dNYKV7hHCCeRKZy7AGaBAeyG9aH1ZFRwqvXi003nH_cioZHhVjdAntT2nAHNYYFOAP5hkNIHHSyIwfuGQZae-Q1H1kCBNxiHNyXr8cCuLJTp6VQz1zw3DkadHU4biQbEbnthE/s1600/i00225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGbOqkW_dNYKV7hHCCeRKZy7AGaBAeyG9aH1ZFRwqvXi003nH_cioZHhVjdAntT2nAHNYYFOAP5hkNIHHSyIwfuGQZae-Q1H1kCBNxiHNyXr8cCuLJTp6VQz1zw3DkadHU4biQbEbnthE/s320/i00225.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ezra is getting so big and is learning to play with his big boy toys.</td></tr>
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<br />Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10815535691744406405noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7397285306573543512.post-2345028368743015912013-08-27T13:41:00.000-07:002013-08-27T13:41:20.464-07:00Ezra's BirthAs many of you know, I had an emergency C Section. However, not very many people know why, so I thought I would share Ezra's birth story.<br />
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I had my first contraction around 4:30 in the morning. I timed my contractions for an hour before waking Jason. J's first question was, "What do you need me to do?" to which I replied that he needed to wake up and get dressed while I called my mom. His second question was, "Can I go for a run?" To which I replied, "No honey, I need you to be here in case my water breaks." Seriously. If you want to have a hilarious conversation with someone, just wake J up from a deep sleep. Anyway, I then called my mom so she could come tend Liam while we headed to the hospital.<br />
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My mom arrived around 6:30a and we jumped in her car to drive to the hospital. By this time my contractions were about 3 minutes apart and very painful. When we arrived at the hospital, we had to go in the emergency room entrance and park very far away due to the early morning hours and an absurd amount of construction in the parking lot. I somehow managed to walk with Jason all the way from the car up to the third floor maternity ward. It was 7:00a which meant a shift change for the nurses which meant an unnecessary wait time for me. I overheard one nurse say to the other, "Yeah, that girl thinks she's in labor." She was lucky she wasn't close to me at the time because I would have punched her in the face. They FINALLY checked me at 7:30a and found I was at a six, fully effaced, with contractions only about a minute and a half apart.<br />
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This is when I started to lose track of time because my contractions became SO painful. With Liam, my contractions were painful, but not unbearable, and I received an epidural early enough where I really felt nothing. This time, I was FEELING it and I was screaming. I never scream. Ever. I was screaming. And begging for my epidural. Around this time, my sweet Sister-in-law Karalyn arrived. Karalyn is unable to have children of her own and has always wanted to see a live birth, so a few weeks earlier I had invited her to be there. Besides my mom, she was the only one who knew we were even at the hospital. So, she arrives and I am screaming. And they can't find the anesthesiologist. Seriously. He was MIA and I was about to murder everyone until he was found. Lucky for everyone, the anesthesiologist heard my screams from the hallway as he was on his way to a C Section (which would have left him indisposed for 40 minutes). He came in and gave me my epidural, no questions asked, didn't even have my bloodwork back to know if it was safe, wonderful, sweet sweet man. I am prepared to pay him the exuberant amount of money that I'm sure I owe him because my insurance sucks.<br />
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Immediately after I received my epidural, Dr. Juarez arrived. Now for a quick aside about how wonderful THIS man is. He has been my doctor for 3 years and we have gone to the same church for about two. I have been able to get to know him and his sweet wife and it has made me love him even more. He has the most wonderful bedside manner of any doctor on this earth. He is calming and reassuring even when he is breaking terrible news to you. I had had my weekly check up with him the Thursday before I went into labor with Ezra, and I asked him if he would be on call that weekend (he was not on call to deliver Liam). He thought for a moment, and said, "I'm not on call, but I don't know what I'm doing this weekend. Let me write you a note to give to the hospital letting them know they can call me." So, I had this wonderful note which astounded the labor and delivery nurses, but it got him there to be with me.<br />
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So, Dr. Juarez arrives after the epidural and he checks me. It was no surprise to me that I was fully dilated and effaced. He broke my water and said we could begin pushing. He then took a seat by my bedside and never left me. In my mind, Ezra would arrive within the hour. After two hours of pushing, it was clear this baby was not budging. Basically, with each push he would move down, but once the contraction ended he would go back up. Dr. J was not sure why it was happening (it could be a number of reasons). He then told me that he could try forceps or we could move ahead with a C section. I told him I trusted him with the forceps and we went ahead with that. All this time I have been losing a LOT of blood. More than normal. Also, right towards the end, Ezra's heart rate would start to drop and then go back up, so we needed to get him out quick.<br />
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Suddenly there were an extra 7 people in my room. I was introduced to someone who was a respiratory therapist "just in case", a NICU nurse "just in case", and a bunch of other scary "just in case" people. Then they brought out the forceps. Terrifying. If it were not Dr. J, I would never have agreed to them. On my next contraction, Dr. Juarez began working with the forceps, but lo and behold, baby Ezra was NOT coming out. Dr. Juarez put his arm around me and told me we would need to move ahead with a C section. I immediately began to cry. I was tired, I was scared, I didn't want a C section, but I knew it was the only way to get my baby here safe. Jason then asked Dr. Juarez if he would join him in giving me a priesthood blessing. Like I wasn't crying enough?! Without hesitation, Dr. Juarez agreed and he and Jason lay their hands on my head and gave me a blessing of comfort and health. It was truly amazing to me that Dr. Juarez not only stayed by my side throughout this whole process, but that he was willing to use his Priesthood to comfort me when I needed it most. Click here to learn more about the <a href="http://mormon.org/faq/purpose-of-priesthood">Priesthood.</a><br />
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It was then time to rush me into the OR. Again I was surrounded by a gazillion nurses I didn't recognize. They pushed my bed down a hallway into a very cold room, hauled me onto a table, stripped me down, pulled a curtain over my face, started explaining to me what was going to happen, and then... there was my favorite anesthesiologist again! Whose name is Dr. Kim, by the way. Dr. Kim starts explaining to me all the different types of drugs he's about to pump into me and that's when everything sort of gets hazy. I am very aware of where I am, I am shaking uncontrollably from all the meds, I've stopped crying, and all I want to do is go to sleep. Suddenly Jason is by my side talking to me and then even more suddenly, I hear a baby crying! All of the nurses start exclaiming, "He's perfect! So perfect!" ...and he was!<br />
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They held him up so I could see him, then cleaned him up, swaddled him, and brought him to me. I remember being so happy to see him, but I also think I started asking him why he had caused me so much trouble to get him here.<br />
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They then took him and Jason away and I promptly fell asleep. Yes. I was lying stark naked on an operating table with two men sewing my insides back into me, and I fell asleep. I do remember trying not to fall asleep, thinking how it was a strange place to fall asleep... but soon Dr. Juarez was waking me up and saying goodbye. The nurses then hauled me from the table back onto a bed, which promptly made me throw up. Bad idea. Apparently if you throw up or admit to being nauseous, they will not feed you for another 12 hours. They don't even care that all you've had to eat that day was a granola bar and some ice chips. They then wheeled me back into my room where I was greeted by a smiling/crying Karalyn and my sweet husband oohing and aahing over my baby. The nurse asked me if I wanted to hold him and my illogical, drugged up mind almost told her no because I wanted to go back to sleep. I did manage to tell her yes and I got to hold my sweet Ezra in my arms, feed him, and talk to him.<br />
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Most birth stories that are shared seem to be about everything going right. How a woman gracefully has her baby in a tub of warm water while being massaged by a doula or at home in her bed surrounded by everyone she loves. But boy am I glad I was at the hospital that day. I am grateful that Dr. Juarez spent over 4 hours by my side (which was the talk of the day around the nurses' lunch table apparently). I lost a lot of blood. My placenta tore. And, Ezra was facing "sunny side up" which is why he would not move down. It terrifies me to think what would have happened if I had been at home. I know many women who prefer this, so I am not bashing it in any way, just saying it's not for me. I would not recommend a C section, but I am grateful my baby came out so healthy and "perfect". Not everything always goes as we plan it, sometimes we have to adjust our plans to make everything turn out just as it is supposed to.<br />
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<br />Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10815535691744406405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7397285306573543512.post-7564554936318020122013-07-03T11:42:00.000-07:002013-07-03T11:42:11.682-07:006 Weeks and Counting!In six weeks and two days, my Sweet J will set out on the road with our dog, Abraham, and his good friend, Erik. It will take them about 3 days to drive all the way to Oxford where they will meet our moving truck at our new home in Mississippi! Liam, Baby, and I will stay here with my parents until baby is 4 weeks old, and then we will fly out to Memphis, TN where Sweet J will pick us up and take us to our new home in Oxford.<br />
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We are getting excited and anxious! We are mostly anxious about not knowing when our sweet new baby, Ezra, will arrive. It is hard to be organized and have a plan when such a big event could come any day!<br />
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Last month, for Father's Day, we took Liam to the circus. I made J and Liam matching bowties so they could dress up for the occasion. Liam loved it, but it was a lot for such a little guy to take in! And a long time to sit still!<br />
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Liam has also been taking a gymnastics class this summer and it is fun for him to be able to get all his wiggles out! Although he might like the fact that they give him a sticker after class better than the actual class, haha! He is growing and learning so much, it is fun to be around him.<br />
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Other than that, we have been packing, packing, packing, getting ready for baby, selling things we don't need to bring with us, and trying to stay cool amidst this horrifying heat! It is hard to explain to Liam why we can't go to the park when it is 117 degrees outside, but we have been watching lots of movies and even took him to see his first movie at the theaters: Monsters University! He was very well behaved and watched the whole thing. He's basically a Disney movie buff.<br />
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<br />Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10815535691744406405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7397285306573543512.post-1689617258548039832013-05-07T14:47:00.002-07:002013-05-07T14:47:42.972-07:00San Diego!!!When Jason and I first started dating and then every year after we got married, we liked to go down to San Diego at least once a year. Ever since Liam has arrived, we have planned on going to San Diego at least three different times and EVERY time something has come up a day or two before the trip that has prevented us from going. So, we finally tentatively decided that when we sold our house we would take a little bit of time and money to go down to San Diego with Liam. We picked a date, tentatively booked a room, didn't buy tickets, and hardly told anyone we were going since we were afraid that once again we'd have to cancel our trip! So, the day came, we loaded up the car, loaded up Liam, and Jason went to get his wallet which he found and which we soon realized, was missing his credit card. But, fear not! It was still at the restaurant we ate at two nights previously, so after an hour delay we were finally on the road!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not sure about all this sand...</td></tr>
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Our first stop, after the hotel, was the beach! Liam was not thrilled about getting back in the car and was very skeptical of all that sand! However, once we took him out to the water, he was SO excited. This little boy loves water. Liam went out into the ocean over and over again and was shivering like a little leaf he was SO cold! But, he didn't want to leave! It was pretty cold and windy, so finally we bribed him with a warm bath and some pizza and headed out to dinner. Sleeping in a hotel with Liam proved to be difficult the first night and we got very little sleep. We took Liam to the buffet for breakfast and he picked out his own cereal, you know those cute little boxes of cereal? He was thrilled! However, he got impatient waiting for me, so he got down a bowl for himself, plopped down on the floor of the dining room and tried with no luck to pour the cereal into the bowl all by himself. It was pretty cute.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liam pointing to the Gorilla, who made sure to show me his "good" side.</td></tr>
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Then it was off to our next adventure, The San Diego Zoo! It was mine and Liam's first time at this zoo and Holy Cow that is a lot of walking!! Especially when you are six months pregnant and running on very little sleep. If you've ever met my son, though, you know about his love of ALL animals. Seeing his face light up when he saw a REAL LIVE monkey for the first time made the whole trip worth it! He got pretty sad when we wouldn't let him hold any of the animals. He would coo and talk to them and reach out his two little hands, palm up in a very inviting manner for them to be cuddled, but we decided it probably wouldn't be a good idea. Especially with the giant gorilla.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liam was just as thrilled about the statues as he was about the actual animals.</td></tr>
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After about two hours, we left to take a drive so Liam could catch some zzz's in the car. We got some food and then went to the hotel in hopes he would take a rest there (which he did not). Then we headed back to the zoo to take in the last of the important animals, like the giraffes and the panda bears! When we got to the panda bears, there was a big crowd standing around watching the Mama and baby panda chow down on some bamboo. It was really quiet as everyone seemed to be pretty awestruck when all of a sudden, Liam very loudly exclaims, "AWWWWWWWW!" ...and reaches out his hands to cuddle them. Such a sweet boy! So, we went and bought him a little stuffed Panda at the gift shop which he was able to cuddle and rock in his arms to his hearts content. We then went back to the hotel where we got a good night's sleep. Well, Liam and I got a good night's sleep, but unfortunately my pregnant snoring kept Jason up.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Note, the elephants in the background, but Liam just really wanted to go play with the elephant statue some more!</td></tr>
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The next morning I took Liam to the hotel pool even though it was still freezing cold, and then we headed back home. The ride home was a lot harder for Liam because my Nook had run out of batteries and so he could not play any of his cool apps and of course toys and books would not cut it! However, we made it home safe and sound and now we have some wonderful new memories of San Diego.Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10815535691744406405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7397285306573543512.post-81295840833532299472013-04-05T13:17:00.000-07:002013-04-05T13:17:10.343-07:00Changes: Baby #2, PhD's, and MississippiOh, how many times have I told someone that I think I am a country girl trapped in the Southwest? However many times I said this, though, I never truly believed I would actually ever LIVE down South. I thought maybe one day I would be able to walk the streets of Memphis, attend a country music festival, stuff myself at a craw fish boil, and maybe stand on a beach with my toes in the Atlantic ocean. But, LIVING in the South never really crossed my mind as a reality. Until a few weeks ago when Jason got that life changing email inviting him to attend the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) for four years in order to earn his PhD in Business Management. Previous to that email, my mind had been in New Mexico, Washington, and maybe even in Indiana. I was floored and knew my world is about to get rocked.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liam and the soon to be Dr. Owen</td></tr>
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Even before we received confirmation that we would be moving across the country for four years, we were delighted to learn that we would be having a second child! We got this news in December and soon after went in for an ultrasound to see how far along I was. The ultrasound revealed... nothing, and we were sent home with the news that we should expect a miscarriage in the next couple weeks (Christmastime, of course.) After much crying and worrying, no miscarriage ever occurred and I found myself back in the doctor's office looking at a new ultrasound with a small white bean on it. When the heartbeat was found and sounded over the speakers I could not believe it. I have NEVER been so happy to hear a heartbeat! On March 21 we found out we're having another little boy whose name is still to be determined.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can not wait to have another cute little boy around to brighten my day!</td></tr>
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The amazing part of all of this is that it will ALL be happening in August. All of it. Baby is due August 16th. Jason needs to begin his drive across the country August 16th. We're in the process of selling our house to investors who will let us rent the house from them until, you guessed it, August.<br />
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How am I feeling about all of this? Depends on the day. Excited, apprehensive, nervous, happy, sad, scared, you name it! Frankly, I just wish it were October already and my baby was here and we were all there and on with our lives. It will be a grand adventure for us, that is for certain!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Easter egg hunting with Mama</td></tr>
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<br />Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10815535691744406405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7397285306573543512.post-17313953386161816192013-02-02T13:59:00.000-08:002013-02-02T13:59:14.942-08:00January 2013January was a fun month for us. Everyone finally became healthy again and the weather became warmer again! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liam enjoying apples dipped in peanut butter and Nutella! Yum!</td></tr>
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Jason continues to write essays, fill out applications, and stress about getting into a PhD program. He has also started a Calculus II class to help prepare him better for a PhD program and because he just doesn't have enough to worry about already.<br />
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I turned 25 which seems to be a good age to me. I mean, I don't feel much younger or older than 25, so I think I will just stay 25 from now on! My mom babysat for us on my birthday and Jason took me out for dinner to Geisha, my favorite hibachi restaurant. We then went home and watched the Rebels beat San Diego State at San Diego State. Thanks for the awesome birthday surprise, Rebels! The following week my friends, Aubrey and Katie took me out to get a Pizzookie (pizza cookie) from BJ's and it was delicious! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMjnekhMFlRkDQ5FisHZAJGWVkjcdCJ3HjbrknQXUG7o9I1Hf8BsTz3oH13CEprJ9tu0_SOSE504omu0vHlMfrzmLc30d-GofMo61jo-9O5vSz_JhKNbL-CUb-tJw8JJ4qdacQaIiATw/s1600/DSCN0050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMjnekhMFlRkDQ5FisHZAJGWVkjcdCJ3HjbrknQXUG7o9I1Hf8BsTz3oH13CEprJ9tu0_SOSE504omu0vHlMfrzmLc30d-GofMo61jo-9O5vSz_JhKNbL-CUb-tJw8JJ4qdacQaIiATw/s320/DSCN0050.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liam practicing his ball skills for his future stint on the Runnin' Rebels team.</td></tr>
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Liam has been associating things this month. For example, when he has a sippy cup of water, he periodically walks over to our water dispenser, pretends to fill up his cup, and then resumes drinking. He also likes to throw TRASH away now which is much better than throwing away our favorite toys. He steals tissues in order to "wipe" his nose. He figured out how to open doors. He brings me his shoes and jacket when he wants to go play outside and he can show me where his nose, eyes, ears, and belly button are! Basically he's the smartest one year old I know. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My little adventurer playing in the dirt.</td></tr>
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We went as a family to see Disney on Ice because Jason got free tickets and it was at the Thomas and Mack Center which is where we go to watch basketball games. As we were walking up, Liam was getting excited and telling us, "Ball!" But, when we got inside and instead of a basketball court, there was an ice rink and giant castle, he kept asking, "Ball, go?... Ball, go?" He was super confused, but I think it was somewhat entertaining for him as well. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj94lzQjHAClaZPEfEoZikXdKIMWZv9HITgMEFU8QZpOny4bP_bIJRND3ASWdhiJ_TT0vCy6q6KUr__s74K8qRRYG7KvRUdqU2wqf9thwqfGszWh6vZyh96c_84KVbGGdcY_Rl6bgSvXgo/s1600/DSCN0024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj94lzQjHAClaZPEfEoZikXdKIMWZv9HITgMEFU8QZpOny4bP_bIJRND3ASWdhiJ_TT0vCy6q6KUr__s74K8qRRYG7KvRUdqU2wqf9thwqfGszWh6vZyh96c_84KVbGGdcY_Rl6bgSvXgo/s320/DSCN0024.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Super confused at Disney on Ice.</td></tr>
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Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10815535691744406405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7397285306573543512.post-80851928102463094522013-01-19T19:49:00.001-08:002013-01-19T20:16:19.164-08:00The Year 2012 in Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGQGK-KAW_fpR7vpBxm-moXc1M91_nK0Jv2Ty5DAUku8_534MHCdOLDWHr6-jvwDyxffqHOIMIBen0vziNOhz9wtheAIaJa_MJOfYLMh2bwYxNMTs1xDcVDCH6gJYyf4nz7rwztw324c4/s1600/S6303687.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGQGK-KAW_fpR7vpBxm-moXc1M91_nK0Jv2Ty5DAUku8_534MHCdOLDWHr6-jvwDyxffqHOIMIBen0vziNOhz9wtheAIaJa_MJOfYLMh2bwYxNMTs1xDcVDCH6gJYyf4nz7rwztw324c4/s1600/S6303687.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO76ufzw01YD-aCF-nmtvwKsdh4xMss4WVWkmdLofihfjMvAvGTBIq0MuKQlEnO8mI_b5pHfGCSwewMalElYgPZsShft_fRVypMb_HrTZy-BFZYZElsssI8fDoYLlV4KPEus5OQQ57mA4/s1600/398377_779725072778_529631998_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO76ufzw01YD-aCF-nmtvwKsdh4xMss4WVWkmdLofihfjMvAvGTBIq0MuKQlEnO8mI_b5pHfGCSwewMalElYgPZsShft_fRVypMb_HrTZy-BFZYZElsssI8fDoYLlV4KPEus5OQQ57mA4/s320/398377_779725072778_529631998_n.jpg" width="276" /></a><span lang="">I say this every year, I know, but I really would like to get better at updating this blog. So, I'm going back through 2012 and it was pretty uneventful, other than the fact that Liam grew from a little baby into a walking/talking cutie pants. I will do my best at covering the big events from 2012.<br />
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The year started off with a very important event, the birth of Liam's cousin, Hannah Pauline Rich. This is significant because just a few weeks later, Liam and I would begin babysitting her Monday through Friday from 7a-3p while my sister taught school. <br />
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In February, I came to my breaking point with Liam not sleeping through the night. He was still waking up every 2-3 hours and I couldn't handle not sleeping anymore. I went to the doctor basically in tears and she recommend the book, <u>Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child</u> by Dr. Weissbluth. This book completely changed my mind about letting my baby "cry it out" and even gave tips on how to ease into it. After about a week to ten days, Liam was only waking up ONCE a night and I felt like a new woman! Two months after that, when I weaned him, he began to sleep the whole night. 12 HOURS. One of the things the book teaches is that if you put a baby to bed earlier, they will sleep later. I used to put Liam to bed around 8, but once I started putting him to bed closer to 6 he slept 12 hours through the night. I could seriously go ON about how incredible this book is, but you should probably just go read it.<br />
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We started babysitting Hannah in March which kept me nice and busy with two babies on my hands. Liam was SUPER jealous of Hannah right away, but after awhile the three of us settled into a good routine. <br />
<br />In April, Jason got put on a permanent contract with UNLV for his job, which meant we could breathe a </span><span lang="">sigh of relief about his job security for the next few years. Woohoo! Liam also started standing up, but wasn't </span>interested in crawling, walking, or being mobile in any other way. He was pretty content with an array of toys around him and a Baby Einstein video on the TV.<br />
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When the summer began, I had the opportunity to go to Girls Camp with my church again as the Camp Director. We stayed at a cabin in Duck Creek, sang songs, learned about God, played games, made crafts, acted silly, and had a great time. I missed my baby boy something fierce, though, and was glad he was in good hands being taken care of by his Daddy and my sister (Hannah's mom). </span><br />
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Liam began to scoot in the summer. I call it his "monkey scoot" because he literally looked like a little monkey using his arms and legs to scoot along on his butt. He spent most of the summer absolutely filthy because of this. He also loved to go swimming in the neighborhood pool and in his baby pool in the backyard. </span><br />
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In July, we finally got our backyard landscaped with grass, trees, honeysuckle, and flowers. What a difference it made! Liam loves playing in the backyard, now, and Jason and I spent a few summer evenings out there sipping lemonade and talking about our day.<br />
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Also in July we went to the Elton Family Reunion at Zion Ponderosa Resort near Zion National Park in Utah. We camped, swam, hiked, cooked, ate, talked, laughed, played, read, and had an awesome time with our family. It also rained a lot while we were there, so we were a bit damp a lot of the time. Luckily our tent stayed warm and dry. Liam was not used to sleeping in a portable crib or having Mama and Daddy in the same space as him while he slept. So, around 2 in the morning each morning he would wake up, see us lying there and insist on curling up in our sleeping bags with us. He would then lay there in between us, talk and talk and talk and talk and then LAUGH and talk and talk and talk some more. It was possibly the cutest thing I have ever experienced, albeit very tiring. He would eventually fall asleep and somehow simultaneously kick me out of my sleeping bag in the process. Needless to say, we have not been camping or on any other kind of trip since. </span><br />
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After the reunion, ANOTHER cousin was born, Charlie McGregor Elton and we were so excited! It was also time to celebrate Liam's first birthday! On his actual birthday, Jason took the day off work and we took a day trip to the nearby Spring Mountain Ranch. It was about 20 degrees cooler and we picknicked, played in the grass, and took the tour of the Ranch House. About ten minutes away is Bonnie Springs, so we took Liam to the petting zoo there. While he seemed to enjoy it, it was unbearably hot and we didn't last long. We then took our birthday boy home to open his presents. It was a fun family day.</span><br />
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That Saturday I threw a birthday party for Liam so that all the family and friends that wanted to celebrate with us, could. We rented out our neighborhood clubhouse so that our house would not be destroyed. I made some super cute monkey cupcakes, decorated with monkey decorations, and provided a banana split "bar" for the kids. I blew up balloons which Liam and the other kids loved playing with and then he opened all of the presents that were so generously given to him. It was a fun party for a sweet little boy. </span><br />
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In August, Jason started getting some really bad headaches that didn't seem to go away, so we decided to forego our yearly trip to San Diego and instead get an MRI done. It was then revealed that Jason had a "brain tumor" Jason went to the doctor alone and came back with this diagnosis. (I should have gone with him.) After some swift googling, the "tumor" which appeared on his Pituitary gland, didn't seem to be somethng we should worry about. While I was googling, Jason was telling his entire family and some close friends that he had a brain tumor. I had not told anyone as we had a follow up appointment with Jason's ENT in a week, and I wanted to wait until we had further answers. So, unfortunately, the information spread like wildfire, and soon we had too many people concerned about this "tumor" and I was frustrated that Jason had told so many people and Jason regretted saying anything. Long story short, we go to the follow up appointment (together this time) and it turns out it is a cyst, not cancerous, and is probably not an issue. By this time Jason's headaches were long gone and we had to go back and do damage control. Jason will now have bloodwork done to be certain there is no concern, but we are pretty sure there is nothing to be concerned about.<br />
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In September, we started babysitting Hannah again and they had to get used to each other all over again. Hannah was crawling by this time and insisted on following her big boy cousin EVERYWHERE which Liam found exasperating. However, they have since gotten used to each other and sometimes even play together! </span><br />
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<span lang="">In October, we did all the normal Halloween activities. We carved a pumpkin, which Liam was too grumpy to care much about. Liam had a super cute Batman costume, which were actually jammies from Walmart and a homemade cape by Yours Truly. He looked uber cute in it! We took him to our church's Trunk or Treat where he ate copious amounts of candy corn and stayed up way too late. On Halloween, we took him Trick or Treating to about 5 houses, which he was fascinated by. He wanted to hold all of the candy in his hands and not put it in the bag! He got to eat a piece of candy before bed and then Jason and I stayed up to watch Clue.</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIpq5CF49NG_9XjsBKN9OQe-eR1kUme25bxaed3GUNVikihtGSxrdAqpbKmNZVIlsqJbNytTln5mkG_y4UCpH5i7ePnTVUzQ6OSJf1k7agBnPIAy1Bdxp1P0xub__XlaKHr75hDtB6-rw/s1600/S6304195.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIpq5CF49NG_9XjsBKN9OQe-eR1kUme25bxaed3GUNVikihtGSxrdAqpbKmNZVIlsqJbNytTln5mkG_y4UCpH5i7ePnTVUzQ6OSJf1k7agBnPIAy1Bdxp1P0xub__XlaKHr75hDtB6-rw/s320/S6304195.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Liam (on left) and his friend, Will</td></tr>
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<br />In November, Jason's sister Karalyn was able to adopt her first child! Italia has been with our family since birth, but she officially became Liam's cousin and it was a very joyous day for everyone! Italia and Liam are close in age, so it is fun for them to now be able to grow up together.</span><br />
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<span lang="">This year we bought four season tickets to the UNLV Rebel basketball games. Two for us, one for my dad, and one for Jason's brother. It has been a blast going to the games and Liam loves going to watch "Ball!" It is also fun to be able to see my dad so much.</span><br />
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<span lang="">My sister, Maggie, and her family came to stay with us for Thanksgiving weekend. The whole family was here (aside from my brother, Pete's family, who camps for Thanksgiving each year). We were all spread out at three different houses so we split up the cousins based on age/friendship rather than who they belonged to. The cousins loved it and we were able to get our cooking done without whining about wanting to be with "such and such" cousin. We then convened at a church for the whole dinner. I think the head count was around 30. We held dinner in the gym where Liam found a basketball and would not THINK of doing anything but play ball (and not eat one thing). After dinner, several games of basketball were played and the cousins put on a play for us. We ended the night by going to Jason's mom's house for some (more) dessert and more family time. </span><br />
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December was, unfortunately, a month of sickness for our family. It began with me getting the Stomach Flu which was TORTURE for me to be away from my sweet little boy for a day, but I didn't want to get him sick. Jason began studying for the GMAT which we decided he should take this year instead of next year. We managed to keep him somewhat healthy until after the test, which was a great blessing, except he did have a cold. After the test, Jason then got the stomach flu. On Christmas Eve, poor little Liam got the stomach flu! On Christmas day, we had Jason's mom and stepdad and his brother, Jared over for breakfast and we all opened presents together. This turned out to be pretty overwhelming for Liam, who was pretty over it after just a couple gifts. Later we went over to Jason's mom's for dinner and then spent the rest of the evening at home. </span><br />
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Liam and Hannah both started walking towards the end of the year and it is so cute to watch them waddle around my house together. Jason has been applying for PHd programs for this coming Fall and I have simply been trying to keep my sanity (ha!). We are grateful for all the new friendships we have forged this year and for all the friends who have been there for us through it all! We hope you all have a wonderful new year!</span><br />
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<span lang=""><br /></span>Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10815535691744406405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7397285306573543512.post-36952041382288586622012-10-01T20:23:00.000-07:002012-10-01T20:23:08.711-07:00"Hey""One of the great discoveries of parenthood is that we learn far more about what really matters from our children than we ever did from our parents." -Boyd K. Packer<br />
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It is easy as a parent to forget what really matters as we go throughout our day just trying to keep our head above water. We look forward to nap time, when we'll be able to get things done, except we instead fall onto the couch in an exhausted heap and look at the mess around us. It's easy to lose sight of what's important as we carefully draw out a budget and plan a grocery list. We try our best to keep dirty dishes in the dishwasher and messy hands out of clean hair. It's easy to forget what matters when we worry about folding laundry and mopping the floor.<br />
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It's times when we forget that our children teach us. <br />
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Today while I was doing the dishes, I stopped for a moment to go check on Liam who was quietly sitting on the back patio. I look out and see him fold his arms, bow his head, and say, "Hey." <br />
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Love filled my heart as I was reminded of the love of God, the love He has for us, and the time we need to spend each day bowing our heads to speak to our Father in Heaven. To thank him for what we have, thank him for our children, and put all of our trust into His hands. My son may throw multiple tantrums each day, he may not be able to walk, he may not be able to talk, but my son knows how to pray. Today he reminded me what is really important. My son taught me what really matters.<br />
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Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10815535691744406405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7397285306573543512.post-62186800048329613142012-01-20T09:40:00.000-08:002012-01-20T10:35:17.838-08:00The Best Advice I've Received as a New Mother<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis3B5NTu04foHgv04GJlssPovzTJUapKErd9U0IUDx2Et1j5Ms3K5_zb5jvYFUarSFxXxsGnAcmiUx7oqi3nlHVxdj_PvJrEgveRvFBQQhTq68gel9NLoZCf7HuhlvPlErP9gE-g4MLRc/s1600/photo.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis3B5NTu04foHgv04GJlssPovzTJUapKErd9U0IUDx2Et1j5Ms3K5_zb5jvYFUarSFxXxsGnAcmiUx7oqi3nlHVxdj_PvJrEgveRvFBQQhTq68gel9NLoZCf7HuhlvPlErP9gE-g4MLRc/s400/photo.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699784499078547458" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>When you become a mom, everyone has advice for you. Whether they are a man or a woman, whether they have children or just know children, and whether it is solicited or not. You become quite adept at smiling politely while thinking in your head, "Oh, please shut up." Because the truth is NOTHING can prepare you for how your life will change. How you wake up<br />one day and discover that you no longer do anything for yourself, that you are suddenly thrust into a world that completely revolves around this new 6lb bundle in your arms. A bundle who somehow dictates how you will spend every waking minute of the rest of your life. <div><br /></div><div>I am a young, confident, and independent woman. Well, I was an independent woman. And I was proud of that! I was proud of the fact that I had a job and I was well educated and I had a few talents. I have been an Aunt since I was 7 years old and by the time I found out I was pregnant my siblings had blessed me with 23 nieces and nephews! "A child?" I thought, "piece of cake." The child I got has completely disarmed me. He has brought me to tears, he has made me feel incompetent, and has brought me to my knees in prayer almost daily. He also has warmed my heart, made me smile and laugh, and brought me closer to God. In saying that, the best advice I have received may surprise you.</div><div><br /></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhulnLb-wtuGWYvQTNT_1kT2s_Rj_itmJNM50qPoF_f5c32g7ZtmHWIPkkC8A18WHcW3cd2exQZ-21zcsiPsmk8PrhqGamiy1cymT2Imq3K4bPb-78-6OTkJdk9XA2PqUxL-xU-1mIZf0E/s320/294550_709495673058_23709871_35313275_685926484_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699778121715089330" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></div><div>Liam was only a couple weeks old when I read in a magazine advice that a woman had written in suggesting that no matter what, every day you need to get ready for the day. That means, no being lazy in your pajamas all day long. But, to actually shower, brush your hair and get dressed! Why, you may ask, is this so important?</div><div><br /></div><div>You may not leave your house all day long, so why would you need to be dressed? Because, it is something you do for YOU! Remember YOU? That young, confident, and independent woman that you used to know? That woman that used to go anywhere and do anything with no boundaries? In order to feel like YOU again, you need to get dressed. </div><div><br /></div><div>It makes you feel good, it makes you feel clean, and sometimes it can even make you feel awake! Reiterate... sometimes. You might not be able to sit down to dinner without one arm wrapped tightly around that cute baby; you might not be able to jump in the car and go without first changing a diaper, packing a bag, and wrestling a child into an inconceivably heavy car seat; and you may not be able to chat with your girlfriends on the phone without shouting over a baby's wailing. But, you CAN get ready for the day. And in getting ready for the day, you will feel a little bit normal again. Notwithstanding, spending ten minutes of your baby's nap time slowly curling your hair can be very therapeutic. </div><div><br /></div><div>Feeling normal will help you remember to smile back when your baby squeals at you, it will help you remember that this baby will not always be a mewling infant, and it will help you remember that you can DO this! So, moms, get off the computer, go pull on some jeans, find your hairbrush, and swipe on some mascara, because I promise, you will feel 110% better and if you do nothing else today, you will feel like you did something productive.</div>Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10815535691744406405noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7397285306573543512.post-38927176003002442542011-12-28T15:00:00.001-08:002011-12-28T15:33:31.454-08:00Liam's First Christmas<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdWGh-wOe7DDVEQ7_GEYjVc_aTrvDZvD06i_2-XqoIkGrvRly4UnEDhFmarMKhXlG_mBM-Bgto513J1VqAPOFVCcYe_EpsHK0HPxCNKCzHm4RKudPH6OCE2Ut97apYy2E7XzJa397z8aE/s320/S6303150.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691318914191801026" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /><div><div style="text-align: left;">On Christmas Eve, Liam turned 5 months old!!! We could hardly believe it. Unlike most parents who are "so sad to see how fast their children grow", J and I are ECSTATIC that Liam is getting bigger, interacting with us more, and obtaining his own little personality. It's much more fun than the colicky infant we brought home from the hospital. While the colic is over, the teething has begun. Ugh. So, we get what sleep we can before our poor baby wakes up screaming and arching his back in pain. We were hoping for his two front teeth for Christmas, but did not get them, so we continue to wait patiently. Anyway, back to Christmas.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTS5Zn8bAEwStI_JOIzc1OFOJdoSlhZQsYnnr9d4rawLcEIYE1sjRXZ64bPFwPpi9InELOdc0QvVzx8S_-icBt6ZFWZJhCYni42mGCUE2GquFwSzfCbDjO8LG5GldoxqRWFFcNSd5NFug/s320/S6303169.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691318922224246258" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></div><div>Christmas Eve was spent with my parents, my Uncle Mike, my sister Amy, her husband and 3 girls, and my brother Pete, his wife, and their 8 kids. Liam was bombarded by cousinly love. However, when I tried to take a picture of my sweet nephew Oliver playing with Liam, he immediately played dead so you're going to have to take my word for it. Liam loved the attention (for the most part) and a good time was had by all. We spent the evening at my sister's house where her girls told the Christmas story and Emma sang a ROUSING rendition of Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer. Then we took our overly exhausted baby boy home.</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5wwMh9n1JEes6R0KEDjWyZ-kir9zKJ2fRImBISA2sFuGBKDxA5nDGLsp6TJtMP90w6eHp8Xar-fIm69-3ksrWNUUDnDW3ZfRzLfqrqOh_5_gK8N906q7G-h-hxORrgBMIORo2KVK9hgk/s320/S6303172.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691318924513309234" /></div><div>Liam woke bright and early Christmas morning to open his presents. Can you just see the excitement in his face???</div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH-tOI4w0XpAx06Ck9HBaUx9v2QWXJ_Axi5_676kKY0hPc-cCrp_qkzlj4hIahlYjaBUwCeAOoH3taBHqtPEDWDOfCCK4CtIDkD0SvoV8cuRoM-3h7nejsGA_rdq2JlhKCluDcFr3W7jU/s1600/S6303179.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH-tOI4w0XpAx06Ck9HBaUx9v2QWXJ_Axi5_676kKY0hPc-cCrp_qkzlj4hIahlYjaBUwCeAOoH3taBHqtPEDWDOfCCK4CtIDkD0SvoV8cuRoM-3h7nejsGA_rdq2JlhKCluDcFr3W7jU/s320/S6303179.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691318939616028978" /></a></div><div>The truly exciting part was eating the wrapping paper. After opening our stockings, we went to church where I took part in singing in the choir for the Christmas program. It was a lot of fun and Grandma and Grandpa Bello came to hold Liam for me. Afterwards, we loaded up all of our gifts and went to J's sister's house for a brunch of cheese on toast which is Owen family tradition. We opened presents while the babies took naps (sort of took naps, I should say). We had to take Liam home for a real nap before heading over to J's parents for a BIG Christmas dinner with loads of family members to boot. It was a wonderful way to spend Christmas and I think we wore Liam to the bone, tired. As a disclaimer: this did not mean he slept through the night... Ah, well.</div><div><br /></div><div>Hoping your Christmas was filled with just as much family and love!</div>Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10815535691744406405noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7397285306573543512.post-36136272182197739372011-12-14T12:00:00.000-08:002011-12-14T13:43:37.266-08:00The Owens 2010-2011: Two Years in Pictures<div><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>A lot has happened in the past two years, so in order to catch everyone up. I think I will SHOW everyone what has happened rather than bore you with my ramblings. So here is the past two years of the Owen family in pictures!</div><div><div><div><div> <img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 213px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686078123201785362" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFQy0MyKINyU4xaotZkWb1HzHvfa6E8-aX1zt8TklruAfn1SJj2mSJdo98xnq5X8mIbws7udlXkFZyORcivcHJQhGjSIQO3c0lAMxfNGuHhJEOpaivCSs1k_Ec8mAukZWwAhq6XdhZckc/s320/22552_563128923198_23709871_32922485_5138785_n.jpg" /></div><div> In January of 2010, I turned 22 and celebrated with a trip to Skyzone with my work family, Memphis Barbecue with ALL my friends, and then Sweet J got me FRONT ROW tickets to the Lion King! Which was amazing. What an amazing hubby. </div><div> </div><div>Also, Jason changed his major from Econ to Sports Administration. I was still studying Sports Management, but we were in two completely different colleges.</div><div> <img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 214px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686079922752015282" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNZRqU0I1zu9JlUSd-Xup-VAxCbUpfZ59UtlGFtHSFgy4ZD9gveGTcZcZ3a9JgwCV4Svedv2B1hnXHop8tmM3J8DISBWyQcY7z2x1u_G_EbcZ1nPuGSSQJTb2urgdhxkax2UEdfamAnOA/s320/26607_569399152608_23709871_33101404_2036302_n.jpg" /></div><div>In February, we continued our tradition of going to San Diego for the San Diego State vs UNLV basketball game. We stayed at Lowe's on Coronado island and had a great time!</div><div><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 214px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686080286931262562" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPwl5WgpXY0eKv_chqrxOe1jrjr3jlkdm6zfR3uJPnRma8P-SWxW_ooOb15HFDDYKxzMPCqGJUacIFU6bVjcpNSePNlMvf3_2nk_rc1K_c90xeKXJgId8R9UUewcyQoJROD0R-wSda-3U/s320/26607_569399322268_23709871_33101437_982593_n.jpg" /></div><div>March consisted of work, work, work! Which I enjoyed immensely. I was working as the Aquatics Graduate Assistant at UNLV's rec center, so I supervised 20-25 lifeguards, organized swim lessons, and oversaw the maintenance of the pool. Jason continued to work at the US Attorney's office, but envied my job SO much that he decided to apply for a GA position at the rec center as well. </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> <img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 214px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686081336167411858" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiITwqqeOe10xfoAlWQjQ5zP8h6aSOSIqvASI7ZYn0oQgZtbAvzk6_2h8HL3aTGQUoIFcT3dbcyVXrkiRHn7UNj6_vX3RF9TveiO5PMi88QOzQ1jdydNt7404jyRHNcmadRSUJ3PKaNBDI/s320/30108_579894295258_23709871_33449012_6433679_n.jpg" /></div><div> In April I went to my first NIRSA (National Intramural and Recreational Sport Association) conference in Anaheim California! It was a BLAST and I got to hang out with all of my awesome coworkers!</div><div> </div><div> <img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 214px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686082634087459330" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhosVTXoSK5cj-Ra-hbjc8pb-w8kZl87xbGKXyqWZzIbrqazQv00v0CvgbK8_9Jr3hA3Ze4nZIT1Kjdf0aWr2TQ2KxsFtUcF7YBTEBbH_DEHFXsd9FF8W7JYdBdp3TIswq4XDvTAbBXR_I/s320/30108_579861705568_23709871_33447949_8197293_n.jpg" /></div><div> In May, I returned to the city of my heart: Alicante, Espana! (To hear more about my previous adventures there, please visit dianejelton.blogspot.com). </div><div> </div><div> <img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 214px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686082814342356626" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtGRbR1MR3EZU_IjmFYvBmVauIbpsP_uva1BlEtDB2sZ3Lji1jV1OZQyWGalwX2G4l5rzI1fK0P0F6H1IDF2ejOGe0XUbsqOhYbAUnAZQUvhv18rCAxGwKWYDEu5zf9ueQy6ExPaSz4ug/s320/30108_579861700578_23709871_33447948_6360795_n.jpg" /></div><div> Oh, and Jason came too!!! Looking back, he says he has never been to a prettier beach. The Mediterranean is beyond compare and I recommend EVERYONE visit it someday.</div><div> </div><div><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 214px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686082812251354258" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7R1XkWWD56xgyHoxWqG2QD5YQNKpIG6pZbah_uewhbGkEjspV0zPIvTi2XYhdDkBEALV5giPMYxJtC6MOALIThRusdP7ol4PCPEFf-oYVdgex9k6V7aw7NPHvC6xAUmbImrH9qAyoFyY/s320/30108_579864589788_23709871_33448170_1841585_n.jpg" /></div><div> </div><div>Then, we proceeded to travel around Europe with Jason's dad. We visited Italy, Austria, and Germany, but in the end, decided Espana is still EL MEJOR!!!</div><div> </div><div> <img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 214px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686086280118122114" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqxNGViNkZF0ZXaCfaK-g8ee_JA_YAfwk8a75Ul_u7gkyIbZlBGoHcN0_dLcQGCgnLPDBbQ1TrUxfeWdzRjcgXo-0zJubyhEIwlZkVxfmEI70tUlmg9PP9Cok9j5nZejpdvxO8tNZv-DM/s320/37468_585290141938_23709871_33631864_8082325_n.jpg" /></div><div> The summer consisted of everything a summer should consist of: Baseball with my adorable nephew, Girls Camp with my ward,...</div><div> </div><div> <img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 214px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686086284334072402" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ZF9Nv7wUjJKuxCbyx1sCalo_kaFuYKaUQLpUN0_I_wPJylUXo4GC0y1HGkRwL639tmmHPWUIogivtQWO_BuXo4uW_BPCoIwH81WqTuwy5f9KYMyqGY1Axoo1iT2Mnutbxi8m9dE6mvI/s320/38649_588322140788_23710947_33728613_2395250_n.jpg" /></div><div>Disneyland with good friends</div><div> </div><div><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686086297806820146" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp4eCP_lqpJtjRuMhLtDtZEhlzxZmHXCKcpESNugfbz8x4DlH6lC4Rz1Ki4v7aqnPzg6anJjlktOaf8uFbiVHSlLbe8yv4q8mZNMQBzBY0WHpJDOIlgabJD9vGVIeR0dcQ-JWlSh22Xzo/s320/47017_597736314708_23709871_33985114_6867606_n.jpg" /></div><div>Quilting</div><div> </div><div><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686086296208871858" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbf7gcbIe9hGk54synwd2mfHHSgwXtsPJNCrQL8keyxkmPuakDU2QTZWNNUd_9ITPehO7C996jMuRXX8mR0dQOjrMSbOeLpBCzaZt3V9-0BaO_Cr4Zf98ZWDeSpvyIUEmtKpivD9DEpNA/s320/41166_1381959229172_1237686885_30915015_4640815_n.jpg" /></div><div>Elton family reunion</div><div> </div><div> </div><div><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686086283812072306" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB9-tHT6bvb9ilK5EOPENegQVCfogNCmoBuYo-5LShXxPcX7ydDQLhac2wQEHYi06HQ9ATCrbJi4-yX3ADiq_HCi-6kq3sKnTg0jsZc7d3kJt3chqz0qFWSmdsR9QxeMckGh1OO6c8qv4/s320/37980_846577699558_21705237_45940551_5645559_n.jpg" /></div><div>And canoeing with my (and Jason's) work family! (Yes, Jason started working at the rec center with me, and no it did not destroy our marriage, haha!)</div><div> </div><div> </div><div> <img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686087711346898114" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQmcUPtO0RFeeuLF3jSflJ2R1ISjz3BpV3j1rW90giJqX1hHJKdivwLpMGH0vlej_w7Zx8qVoVxSjGo4EBaGVtegCvTANwKeRHc0vC0N8I7KQ_YzYnGsAj-f_cgm-B_LskwrNxjp2Lxjo/s320/61529_863642666228_21705237_46481678_5412091_n.jpg" /></div><div> So, the last year of schooling for both us began in August of 2010 and our obsession with the Rebel basketball team continued... </div><div> </div><div> <img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686089431220163074" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_5uGOa9-dKmB_UN_eYBfcAFrKqFehT4IP1Pvv88wpajzjQ_XlWKLS3gLS2H9FGzrXjcExGDy24dLlVyisNoqVaJIls8EyuqPCxSqP23ThrDYBJovsWErv66vytZdvVJPRUVMcsOZ5A98/s320/149802_606100358098_23709871_34149461_7223168_n.jpg" /></div><div> Jason and I both went to Recreation conferences in the Fall of 2010. Mine was in San Francisco and I went with my Campus Rec Other Half, Whitnie Kimball. Jason went to Memphis. I would post a picture of his trip, but he only took pictures of the barbecue which was the only thing he was really impressed with anyway.</div><div> </div><div><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686089438418478930" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB98GbsjZNCp12_AzBuk5YlLrlYfCx5lxKkU-_1LyDKfRvgx2sgkpzIBQqEWjeTAxfVVPItpqqvbVoW9x-Mbra3rFZEZondoWP_t8QhNKKDwGsNRzpTCHHdzRTRfp-_pr0mzJsOl0X5t8/s320/148550_609688128178_23709871_34206187_3544056_n.jpg" /></div><div>Thanksgiving dinner was with the Elton clan in 2010 and as you can see it was a HUGE affair. We had to take it over to the chapel in order to have enough room! But in the end, everyone fit and everyone was STUFFED (With 3 turkeys, 30lbs of mashed potatoes, and much more). The morning of Thanksgiving, I got some very exciting news that I wasn't able to share with Jason until that evening:</div><div> </div><div> </div><div><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 198px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686089437465322498" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUeq2S25ZiOuOyx4LZ2XwtIodexstbs_dRDfhITKhGm-k-h82Ow112tpglHujOz8TOHP-UhEzHglD80ZwMjY2JEGWCL1cZPVR1CM8bL2eFkVs1DumKqHeP18lUaNeVSac3NcJVvTOW3fc/s320/198754_628107380848_23709871_34549927_3822650_n.jpg" /></div><div> </div><div>That's RIGHT!!! I found out a baby was coming!!! (Disclaimer: This "picture" is quite a few weeks later when the little peanut had developed.)</div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> <img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686091865620631010" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijdidlgbUvmPmRsKNuBu8I2JhSIMs7U-HxSvhIim-bu9xg61byvn2KXb2o7awF_nny3cCKOt828mtexjqlOrcxioYhsyQYGFuCJAKm8v8MWcadiMoh0yo0ZFwEqQTB5sgUzNi7kt_GmvE/s320/163716_612723390488_23709871_34264057_8243528_n.jpg" /></div><div> Christmas was super exciting as we shared our news with everyone in our family!!! What a hard secret to keep, right?</div><div> </div><div> <img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 234px; height: 320px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686092814798245346" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiS8-Dbp6HvlcuAlzoMuyOjgLx1RkrPj2_gwGVOqc78ndrtJ8UAX1g7sUvXC7dXar0hnTyJSU870NPySSUV1ZiellUdTAsli76idxxEjsbJFnA5T_hyphenhyphenK-KvEOa__nwMQDvJV7GsqRFP9s/s320/264451_681525011488_23709871_34974010_5434481_n.jpg" /></div><div> As I continued to grow, J and I were very busy! We not only went to San Diego for our annual basketball trip, but we also went up to Provo to see my sister and her family as well as to go to a BYU vs UNLV basketball game as BYU would be leaving the Mountain West conference in 2011. We both continued to work hard at the rec center, but school proved difficult as well as I finished up my professional paper and Jason worked on his research. I'm grateful that I was not very sick during the pregnancy and somehow was able to muster enough energy to do everything that was required of me!</div><div> </div><div> <img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 240px; height: 320px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686094495387151282" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw9WL303d1jNeiOko8-EG3-iST-ZSlUFGFqdaAz0k5Aj8Z2Q7rGwMg5tk9nFwlfdNu2SpZzbrCwPr6gtiNQSIw4HKmyk6UZBXyYtV2bBYeCzRlMiMEuZvJ5O_1uTsqBS6oUMOKqGc09Bg/s320/225854_1618667481681_1686234568_1094061_626738_n.jpg" /></div><div> And then... WE DID IT!!! We graduated with our Master's degrees (with Liam in tow). Jason graduated with a Master degree in Sport Administration and I received my Master of Science in Sport and Leisure Services Management! Jason began a full time job at UNLV's rec center overseeing the University's Physical Exercise classes as well as the rec center's marketing. I took a part time job teaching swim lessons in Boulder City while I finished my assistantship and my pregnancy.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div> <img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 240px; height: 320px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686095774846242066" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMPJv_WEI-F-DocF5pAZ64FaxeVjS_i70bkFyk3lIs2DJRx3z2-BFHmDWUOFLFsz3WQQDRmp__x1P2jfBHBBYJAnflSLKekbkYJbsKt8Fblt50TX89_q6tC9ygFSqD2zGQ4DN_P7Vrlcc/s320/IMG_0268.JPG" /></div><div> Then, Sweet J and I became parents and our lives have never been the same ever since! Liam was born July 24, 2011, 5lbs 10oz and 17in long.</div><div> </div><div> <img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 240px; height: 320px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686096712247510754" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRURT_BjG4ziK8Nf6X-i_RvOX4k2kt4_CWR-1yDQfWuRhdQbeqRijf6O-XQWozXofIVWDZ1bX4X2y-cfSuFEjPcRGkO_hIxkq73YG6ICKy6NHIdFP9rzaPpj3i21ue_pIx0GebBrC7t6A/s320/photo.JPG" /></div><div> The first couple months were difficult. Liam had a tongue tie that needed to be clipped, then became extremely fussy, crying for four to five hours every night. </div><div> </div><div><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 240px; height: 320px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686096707971456130" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeniCwB6QI7t49Kh8PBbFYoUGWCkIkaVn2VOJboJOmEaPEwyZNvLNVIZ9IkromiSAtHMfzjecrf1ZRgoX-SUp1BeGktYifXVwLX8fv-VuDcBkP63HGLX3_J0kI9pO_L2-Mxa5cI9ziV8w/s320/Photo0572.jpg" /></div><div>But we slowly learned that Heavenly Father had sent us this gift to teach us love, and most of all, patience. And that He would not have sent us Liam if he did not think we would be the best parents for Liam. So we continued to love him with all our hearts!</div><div> </div><div> <img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686098810597746898" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1yWAxIQ-9F32v8yrk0AbFj9r7_epa1higWFeW47DpUBAIhldpb5zTcwHb5qXfxDPICi2rtWKd0JJheO-GRX1gVGlZu6FxJZTh7UKIKAVyU8_R4rwE600MCDlQ1FntYgNoVKk5DPk4y9U/s320/381793_721636936868_23709871_35412004_2023858010_n.jpg" /></div><div> And Liam continues to grow and grow everyday and we continue to have WAY too much fun being his parents.</div><div> </div><div> <img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686099799916679250" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0fKgnZiTPXLvBHzlsZJqe6FE5D6OX_I_N-qLv-ZOy7Og6GwL7XXIEUFnRAJU_IHY9bxSIeaD4WAirgGRIVBHEcTblAMRWDQXM9gL8leq_vnSJycIrkYVJOicfSc5G3Xt8vtplOAoaObk/s320/386622_746106953758_23709871_35522217_1457917655_n.jpg" /></div><div> We are SO excited for Liam's first Christmas and to begin a new year together as a little Owen family!!! </div><div> </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10815535691744406405noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7397285306573543512.post-79522458008929189052009-12-27T13:05:00.000-08:002009-12-27T14:24:03.565-08:00The Year of the Owen - 2009I realize that many people have now jumped on the blogger bandwagon, so I feel that now is a good time to update everyone on what has been going on with myself and my darling husband, Jason, for the past year. <div><div><div><div><br /><div>Spring 2009 was mine and Jason's last semester of our Bachelor's degree programs. It was one of the hardest semesters for both of us, but the one where we learned the most as well. I took 5 English classes to finish up, including a British literature class with a professor who had studied with a scholar at Oxford who had studied under J.R.R. Tolkien himself and a Jane Austen class where we devoted our time to planning a ball for our final exam. I would tell you a little bit about Jason's last semester, except he is downstairs playing Call of Duty. We also traveled to San Diego in the Spring to watch the Runnin' Rebels be defeated by San Diego State, but we enjoyed having that time to spend with each other. Here is a picture of my Jane Austen class at our ball:</div><br /><div></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420039412898430402" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifgae4vHP9k-6mN1KzhbJKCPAvDfa-avv2gZYltVcmC89Atco_yVnKqBs0VDtftIhqyQ_NLF9rIiknuM3IrDDkasXmLwvXbEe4c_5_lli5vrj0kad0Y3ZzlyKjbbVtPMX8RJV8A_tch5s/s320/May2009+041.jpg" /><br /><div>Jason and I graduated on May 9, 2009. I graduated in the morning and sat through my 3 hour ceremony where the President would not shake our hands for fear of contracting<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnXEpw4vFPlQIu-fLNChyphenhyphen7hdnzIS7JOgWvq6dyeB7PhtHfKJi5VF3v97G0BZc_jXrbm8eOjCVgQWoEodU-rCatnJ0U4zRYxIhyphenhyphen-sKx8Gd_wtrUj5xvrbRtqbxhVE333LWFyU45XuJS5vA/s1600-h/May2009+065.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420040826396450546" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnXEpw4vFPlQIu-fLNChyphenhyphen7hdnzIS7JOgWvq6dyeB7PhtHfKJi5VF3v97G0BZc_jXrbm8eOjCVgQWoEodU-rCatnJ0U4zRYxIhyphenhyphen-sKx8Gd_wtrUj5xvrbRtqbxhVE333LWFyU45XuJS5vA/s320/May2009+065.jpg" /></a> swine flu, then I gave Jason the graduation robe we were sharing and we sat through his 3 hour ceremony where the President of the university would not shake their hands for fear of contracting swine flu. We then got together with family for a nice dinner at Memphis Championship Barbecue. </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>After we got married in 2008, Jason and I had moved across the street from Valley High School into a 600 sq foot apartment. Although we loved the ward we were in, the apartment proved to be too small and the police were in our neighborhood much too frequently. So, in March of this year, we called upon our step-brother-in-law, Eric, to help us find one of those wonderful foreclosures that were popping<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLAWPKaL0CYeqmkQvc3rc8E4UeeKjA1833tvsUwzISpcNWRj1xju5A4HukVvAbbgzoOtEbs1ZXAQcSVwsj5s2KiQEvanzLds1HKe9xigngJTTUXCjYBEHtWLCObumkzpuu8LFDTOsAQZI/s1600-h/Fall2009+033.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 214px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420041583484176418" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLAWPKaL0CYeqmkQvc3rc8E4UeeKjA1833tvsUwzISpcNWRj1xju5A4HukVvAbbgzoOtEbs1ZXAQcSVwsj5s2KiQEvanzLds1HKe9xigngJTTUXCjYBEHtWLCObumkzpuu8LFDTOsAQZI/s320/Fall2009+033.jpg" /></a> up around town. In April, we began to make offers on homes and our second offer was accepted! In May, we moved into our two-story, 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom, 1600 sq foot home. AND, our parents happily came over and dropped off all the junk Jason and I had stored at THEIR houses for the past 8 months of our marriage. AND, my sister Amy decided to drop off Emma's crib and changing table for us to put in one of the rooms. No, this is not an announcement, but a wonderful way to scare family and friends when giving them tours of our home. Anyway, the house just needed a little bit of cleaning up, and while there are still light bulbs missing in some places and scuffs on the wall, we are still paying less than we would have been paying in rent. Not to mention, the president offered us money this year if we bought a home! So, we look forward to that extra "income" in our tax return. </div><br />Also, notice the little red car in the driveway? Jason bought himself a graduation present, a RED 2009 Honda Fit. I was getting sick of the double exhaust on his Nissan and we were also trying to do our part in boosting the economy ;)<br /><br /><div>So then the summer of 2009 began. Jason continued to work his IT job with the U.S. Attorney's office and I continued my student job with UNLV's Student Recreation Center while I submitted many applications elsewhere. I filled out about 25-30 applications and finally received ONE response back. The company was a home inspection company and they offered me a part time job as a secretary with a promise of going full time later on. Without any other options, I accepted the job and began my first ever "desk job" that didn't involve running around a recreation center. In the meantime, Jason was preparing for Graduate School at UNLV and was taking a Calculus class in the evenings to fulfill the requirements for the Master's in Economics program. The class was difficult and the teacher was hard to understand and Jason came home grumpy many nights that summer. I loved my new job, at first, but then I realized the true meaning of micro-management. I began to butt heads with the Boss's wife who was also an owner of the business and I came home grumpy many nights as well. Back the recreation center, a lot of things began to change in the professional staff and I found myself having to step up and take initiative with some of the things going on, including a couple large basketball tournaments. At one point, I ran into the Director of Recreation and he asked me what I was doing with my life. I admitted I wasn't sure. He asked if I wanted to go to Graduate School, I admitted I wasn't sure. AS I walked away it dawned on me that he may have been alluding to something more so I went home and sent him an email about how unhappy I was with my new job and if there was anything he could suggest for me to do. He immediately set up a meeting with me and offered me the position of Aquatics Graduate Assistant, on the condition that I could get into Graduate School and become certified as a lifeguard all by early August. I remember leaving his office in a daze. I talked with Jason and he was SO excited about it, so I contacted the English program and began to call around to find a lifeguard certification class. That's when I got the bad news that it was too late to apply to the Master's in English program and that I hadn't taken the correct entrance exams for the program. Graduate Assistants, however, are required to be admitted to a program and not just the Graduate College. After moping for a couple days, Jason told me I needed to try and look at other programs. What was I good at? The only thing I could think of was my background in recreation. I contacted the Director of the Recreation Management program and within two days I was admitted. I put in my two weeks notice with my other job (very happily and much to their surprise). I also began to swim at the pool and the lifeguards taught me what I needed to know to pass the requirements for my certification class. Within two months I had completely changed the direction of my life. Jason completed his Calculus class and had to take a proficiency exam. He was able to pass the exam and be admitted to the Economics program and before we knew it, we were both on our way to school to begin Master's degrees. </div><br /><div>On August 8, 2009, we celebrated our 1 year wedding anniversary. Our brother-in-law, Craig, was able to get us a room at Loew's in Lake Las Vegas. We first went to dinner at Texas De Brazil, a Brazilian steakhouse, and then spent a relaxing evening at the hotel. In the morning we spent a couple hours by the pool sipping on lemon water, and then checked out of the hotel to go get some lunch off the dollar menu at Wendy's. Afterwards, we went to Lowe's (the hardware store) and picked out a tree to plant together in the backyard. It was nice to be able to spend that time together after our busy summer that we had had. <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420042570860628930" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheuJIiw-pzyckq6-bqiwRukdhGdLa3kTgHUMuFIxKUOW-3rjLe4XJmsfKInMtKuTqcMJa9HZHHOVUXjP7Q4xuOpJU9vC7bAjrweqKV4e5YeAN5zXIKT_cORClmlMpVHtfxHzKoVcbqfks/s320/HouseAndAnniversary+018.jpg" /></div><br /><div>Also in August, Jason underwent surgery to clear his sinus passages. He has suffered from sinus infections for years and his ENT recommended this surgery to not only straighten his deviated septum, but to clear out what he described to be the most clogged sinuses he had ever seen. The surgery went well, but Jason found the recovery to be more difficult than expected. However, we had him back on his feet again by the time school started.<br /></div><div>Our Fall semester proved to be difficult beyond measure. Halfway through the semester, Jason began to suffer from severe anxiety that led to breathing problems, IBS, and an overall inability to focus. I found my Rec Management classes to be more challenging than I had thought and also had to deal with many new situations in my new position at the Rec Center. In October I certified to become an LGI, which allows me to teach lifeguard classes as well as first aid and CPR. Observing the instructors for my LGI class, I realized how much they loved their jobs and how passionate they were about what they did. It gave me a newfound energy and love for recreation, which sounds really corny, but I was able to understand that this is what I love to do and it's something that works in many diverse settings. In November, I had the opportunity to travel to UCLA and attend a NIRSA conference for students who plan to pursue careers in recreation. Again, I realized how much the professionals in the field enjoy their jobs. I began to encourage Jason to look into a field that involved sport and exercise because I know that is where his true passion lies. Jason ended up not enjoying his Econ classes as much as he had hoped and is now deciding whether or not to continue on the path to a Master's in Econ, or to look into something he may enjoy a little bit more.</div><br /><div>Our Winter Break has been a bittersweet one as we have many decisions to make for our future. Also, a couple weeks ago, my sweet Aunt Joyce passed away after an 11 year battle with Alzheimer's. My dad named me after Joyce (it is my middle name) and I have always felt of her dear spirit. I decided to attend the funeral with my parents and my sister, Maggie, and I was able to learn even more about Aunt Joyce through the stories that her family shared. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were spent visiting family after family. I have 3 siblings and my parents here in Vegas, and Jason has 2 siblings, 5 step-siblings, and his parents here in Vegas. So, it was a very eventful Christmas weekend even though poor Jason is sick once again. I am glad to have him, though. I know he loves me so much and would do anything for me. </div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420043836481254226" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY-Qn1VLNnssgm4mkR1Du_dRkNx3msQNCBYxW6WjO6fPMSev3zyaweaXRA10dYe1GxzTm4pX3vOeasVaqPTSJ1MYcRHlro-OzopMqU0oAOX0BG1Cr0lztgwFLtT7v_wL0uvQz-5-7lL7A/s400/Fall2009+029.jpg" /></div><div>I look forward to many more years ahead in our life together and we wish all of you a happy new year!</div></div></div></div></div>Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10815535691744406405noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7397285306573543512.post-53435318775574614552008-12-05T15:34:00.001-08:002008-12-05T15:37:05.523-08:00Abraham<div style="text-align: center;">The newest edition to our family: <br /></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3vJUKO6w1m6apY6mWuWUxWy8UKPtnRQUgjfIoOhPR94MQ4ZIgs9fAZJTouT6Ud73YBVshEfFjtKo81YuVo6HEsLyB6MQ9OBved3q0kc1sbopN1sY0opswnPkqeFdtht6Th-VugHhPs2s/s320/Abraham+034.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276453761854753874" /></div><div style="text-align: center;">His name is Abraham and he has been such a joy to have in our lives!</div>Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10815535691744406405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7397285306573543512.post-34249991516115983512008-04-15T16:25:00.000-07:002008-04-15T16:55:31.837-07:00Basketball and Love, the same thing, right?<div>Unlike when most people first meet, there <strong><u>were</u></strong> fireworks when Jason and Diane met. Of course, they were emitted from the Thomas and Mack center, but, hey, they were fireworks nonetheless. It just so happened that the two had many mutual friends. These friends sat by each other at the basketball games, and bam, Jason and Diane were thrown into each other's lives. They sat by each other at every basketball game of the season, and after a few games, they actually began to notice one another.</div><br /><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5189618320757091154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcusImVYjx1nJ9GCoIB3FZbHFhPmMIvx3rBxyP0d9Nxzc5qNd1w_0-rLdQnJGuCOR3XV79hle0CDdY8t86XA4GRBs0quwNC1y4W44pgNRRn3Ty6OzjtlMfCoZBdvyVlMRN4n4o-67TsnY/s320/FallSemester07+099.jpg" border="0" /></div><br /><br /><p>After that, Jason and Diane just kept running into each other. Mainly because Diane worked at the gym on campus and Jason worked out at the gym on campus. Soon, Jason was staying at the gym longer than usual and Diane was placing herself at the front desk around the time she knew Jason would be coming by. They would sit and talk, but neither asked for a phone number. Finally, New Year's Eve came along. Diane, determined to get a New Year's kiss, sent her number to Jason via the world wide web. Jason was ecstatic to receive the number, and called her almost immediately. However, their paths never crossed that night. Then, the texting began. Slowly, through text messaging, Jason found out that Diane was not your run of the mill basketball fan, she actually knew a thing or two about life. Diane found out that Jason was really a real boy who had a plan for his life. (She had never met one of those before.) Finally they made plans to meet up.</p><br /><p>The First Date:</p><br /><p>The day for Jason and Diane's date arrived and Jason was dying. Literally. He called his mother and she took him to the doctor. He was informed he had severe acid reflux and he needed to change his diet. As his mom dropped him off, she suggested he cancel his date. He looked at her and said, "No mom. You don't understand, I have to go on this date." So he went. They went to a little Thai restaurant. Jason had to leave the table, and the restaurant, about three to four times. Diane ate alone while Jason sat and listened to her talk, at least, when he was at the table too. Diane ate quickly so that Jason could get home and get to bed. When she got home, her parents asked how it went. She smiled real big and said, "I think it was one of the worst first dates I have ever been on, but oddly enough I really enjoyed myself and I can't wait to see him again!"</p><br /><p>After the first date, both Jason and Diane were confused as to whether or not they were actually dating, or just spending alot of time alone together. They attempted to watch movies, but would only end up talking through them; including the three hours of The Patriot. Finally, on the sixth date, they went to the movies with another couple. In the middle of the movie, Jason told Diane to stop being difficult. She looked at him, put her hand in his, and asked if that was better. It was. The seventh date, the two stood at the Bellagio fountains with their arms around each other, and they finally figured it all out. The rest, as they say, is history. </p><br /><p></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5189623440358108002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXZRtbzHWrM9utsghkIq4FO-mHqm8N3xteLGZafTLWZHhCW0s_tmbP_5t94o1kTQNXj42yKlDNT5yZKl6Xztr_58SvODXJNwyHIw24XkvmsMf2CVfWuOaInasuUV-BBrD5v0LzTxIA2No/s320/SpringSem08+081.jpg" border="0" /><br /><p></p>Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10815535691744406405noreply@blogger.com2