Spring Time

OK. Sorry it has been so long since updating all of you. So much has happened since the last entry. Spring is HERE!!! And we are all elated. The winter was really harsh here. All the locals say it was the worst in years. Of course it would be on the year we move here. And it didn't end until early May, which is about a month late. Us Florida people had a little bit of a hard time adjusting. But. YAY, the warmth is back. Something pretty awesome about living out here is we are experiencing the seasons. As apposed to Florida where it is one season all year, HOT, it is such a drastic change here from season to season. So we are all enjoying watching the "stick trees" as we call them change to beautiful leaf and flower covered trees. And all the flowers are in bloom. The birds are singing and everyone in the neighborhood are having their yards put in. It has been dirt lawns since we moved here. So needless to say, it is absolutely beautiful here!

Toby is getting so big. It is so amazing to watch him grow. He is now talking in full sentences and he knows all of his colors and shapes. He can also count to ten. We are so impressed with how much he is retaining. He loves his sister and loves to give her hugs and kisses. This does not mean that they always get along by any means! But it's so cool when they do. Some of his favorite things to do right now is draw outside with sidewalk chalk, swim in his new pool, play in the grass, go to the park, paint, and play with his trucks. Oh I almost forgot. He still loves TV. We all just think he is the coolest thing and we have so much fun with him.

Cora is becoming quite the little person. Boy does she have a temper and she is so independent. She has discovered temper tantrums and she uses them. I have to say though, she is still pretty cute when she does it. Unlike Toby, when she throws her self down on the floor to kick her legs she does it with the greatest of ease. Just like a little girl. She is as sweet as can be. Her vocabulary has grown to six words; Mama, Daddy, Nana, ball, milk, and baba. She runs everywhere now. She kind of has to to keep up with Toby. She wants to do everything Toby is doing and she gets very jealous of Toby/Mommy or Toby/Daddy time. She is getting so big too. She is getting tall. I think someday she might bypass her brother. I hope, though, for his self-esteem that she doesn't. Some of her favorite things to do right now are playing outside in any way, shape or fashion. It doesn't matter what we do outside, just as long as she is out. She wakes up in the morning and usually goes straight for the door. She's our little outdoors girl. She loves to take rides on Nana's wheelchair and she absolutely loves her blanket. She carrys it everywhere she goes. It is so different having a little girl. They are different in every way. And we are just thoroughly enjoying her.

Christian and I have hit some hard times, but it is to be expected in any marriage I think. The important thing is we are working through our trials and growing spiritually and emotionally together and seperately. Our bishop tells us that if we can get through this time together we will have a way of communicating and a level of trust that most married people dont get to experience in their marriage. So we are both looking forward to the end of this particular trial. We both feel that Grand Junction is just a stepping stone and not a place to setlle. So we will be moving on to another place. We're just not sure when and where.But we both have come to understand why we are here.

Christian is doing well at work and I would hope so with as much as he is there. We are adjusting to that as well. The kids are beginnig to understand that Daddy works a lot and we are just grateful for the times we get to spend with him.

I, for those of you that don't know yet, am 4 1/2 months pregnant. We are due on October 15. I had some problems early on and in to the second tri-mester. I developed a sub-chorionic hemhorrage which is basically a blood clot that develops between the uterus and placenta and can be fatal to the baby. It was touch and go for about three months, but our strong little one made it through and the threat of miscarriage is gone. So my belly is growing and so is he/she. We find out the sex on June 13. We are kind of hoping for another girl for several reasons. But we'll just be happy with a healthy baby. Hopefully no eczema, reflux, torticollis, etc. I finally made a friend and she lives right behind us and she has a little girl that is 6 days younger than Toby. So we play with them all the time. I was overjoyed to finally meet someone and become fast friends. I also just recently received a calling at church. I am on the enrichment committee again which is always fun. And I have also started working on my genealogy. I really enjoy that. I have been baking and cooking up a storm lately. I make fresh bread every few days and the family is loving it. Toby and Cora love to help Mommy in the kitchen. That's what I have been doing along with helping my mom wherever she needs it. She doesn't like me to talk about her condition much, but she is being her normal upbeat, positive self in spite of her decling condition. She is truly an inspiration to me on overcoming physical trials. We all just are trying to enjoy her and are grateful for every moment we have left with her.

We have some big plans for this summer. We are all traveling down to Tucson in June to visit my firend Kathleen, who just had her third baby, and our friend Gail. Christian is driving down and back but he is flying out of Tucson to Sacramento to visit his daughter Tori and his mom and sister. This will be our first experience with separate vacations, but we have to do it this way due to the cost. Toby is so excited to see his cousins Josh and Jake and Christian is overjoyed to see Tori. I wish we could all go see her. We are hoping Christian will bring some new pictures of Tori home and I will put them in my next blog. From talking to her on the phone and email though, she is doing awesome. She is graduating third grade and she just turned 9. Wow! 9. She is as sweet as can be as usual and we all miss her so much. Her love of cats is still as strong as ever and she is of course a Hannah Montana girl. We love you Tori and can't wait to see you again. We are also expecting a visit from my niece Taylor for about two months. I am looking so forward to seeing her as well.

That's about all for our little family for now. I will update again soon. Sooner than the last time.

The Beginning

This is my first blog page so I have a lot to catch everyone up on. We all just recently moved to Grand Junction, CO. Wow! What a change from sunny South Florida. It is COLD here. But absolutely beautiful. Since we have been here, it has snowed most of the time. We have done a lot of fun things, though, like car trips to visit Colorado National Monument, Denver, Salt Lake City and Powderhorn Ski Resort (we went sledding there). There is so much to do out here. We are also living in a much bigger house now. Its brand new and it has a garage and a lot of room. It's a very nice change from living in a tiny apartment.

Toby and Cora are trying to adjust to the change in climate too. Toby hates the cold. We get him all bundled up and go outside and about 15 minutes later he is saying, "I'm cold. Go inside. Please!" We have done some fun things like going to the Dinosaur Museum and Kidzplex (which he loves). He is such a great boy. He is so calculating and inquisitive about how everything works. He has the mind of an engineer. He also has learned great manners. He says please and thankyou all the time. We are super proud of that. He loves to play, with his toys and sometimes with his sister. They have a love hate relationship. And, unfortunately, he loves TV. We try to discourage that, but he resists. He had his second birthday before we left and it was lots of fun. He is amazing and we love every minute we get to spend with him.

Our little Cora is pretty awesome too. She just turned one on February 3rd. I can't believe how fast she is growing. She took her first steps on Christmas Day and has been off and running since then. She is in to everything. Her favorite thing to do right now is throw her pacifier, toys, clothes, etc. into the toilet and the bathtub. She is a pistol. And boy does she have a temper. She yells at us all the time and she is extremely independent. Dont you dare try to help her because SHE CAN DO IT HERSELF! She is very in to feeding herself right now and attempting to undress and try new clothes on. I can just imagine what she will be like when she gains complete control of her body. She absolutely adores her brother, in spite of his pushing and hitting. She just keeps coming back for more. It is so neat to see how completely different they both are.

Christian is enjoying his new job. We are all trying to adjust to hardly ever seeing him anymore. His job is very demanding and it's pretty hard work, but it seems to be a really good job with lots of opportunity. He just graduated truck driving school and he passed with flying colors. We are all very proud of him. He is a bonafide truck driver now.




We also got the chance to have Tori come visit us at Christmas time. It was so great having her especially because it was so strange being away from family and friends during the holidays. She was really hoping it would snow while she was here and we were all so excited for her that it did. She is growing in to such a beautiful girl. She is so sweet and she loves spending time with her little brother and sister. And she was so willing to help cook and clean and help with the little ones. Tori, if your reading this, we all love and miss you so much.





I think that catches everyone up enough for now. I will make more entries about me and Halloween, our visit from my extended family, our last visit to the beach and some other interesting things. I am also going to make an entry of mostly pictures to see the kids growing through the years. Until the next time.