The Jared-Laurel Thing

The Last Quarter...and Beyond

2012-01-03T15:32:00.051-05:00

Okay, first of all, it's just sad to have to even say that I haven't covered the last quarter of the year.

Moving past that, I have to consider the fact that if I show nothing from these months, then the blogbook, which is our little family history, will be missing a lot of events. And, might I add, the reason I haven't blogged is because of those many events!

Soccer
In September, we signed Isaac up for soccer with a nearby HOA league. I (Laurel) checked the box indicating that I'd be willing to help out, if needed, as an assistant. Two weeks before the first game was scheduled to take place, we were a little surprised that we hadn't heard anything from the coach. Then I got the phone call: I was the coach. It totally took me by surprise, but it was SUCH a fun experience! We all learned a lot and it really wasn't as bad as I expected (commitment-wise). Here are some of our favorite shots from the season:

Noah was a good sport about being a spectator, but he's looking forward to being old enough to play next season!

Halloween
I think we celebrated it three different times. That's the way they do holidays here.

SPOOKY!

But we don't mind.

Ellie tried to go it alone. Enough waiting already!

But dressing up and alike is something I & N do all the time!

Running
We all attended the Wildhorse Stampede in October. I did the 5K and the boys did the 1K. Hopefully Jared will finally enter and win it next year! It was a pretty chilly morning, so the odds were in our favor. My friend Aubrey & I tied for second place! We had a good time running together. We still do. We're signed up for a half marathon in March (my first)!

Ellie had a good time, too, even though she skinned her nose in the parking lot.

It was Isaac and Noah's first race.

I was so proud to see each of them cross the finish line!

Mom's Visit
It was so nice to have my Mom come and visit around Halloween and Isaac's birthday. We had a blast with her. It's funny, but the best memories were made just hanging out.

Of course the boys got new swords and shields. They bonded with their Grandma.

She even bonded with Ellie.

Ellie can only be bonded with for so long, though.

We all missed her immediately after she left.

Captain America
(a.k.a. Isaac the 6 year old). He woke up to presents from family members.

This kid loves Captain America.

He even went to school that morning with his turkey disguised as Captain America.

He came home with a crown and a cupcake ring. He got to do his homework with Grandma, who's waaaaay nicer than Mom.

And then there was the party...
I really need to set a limit on how many friends Isaac has! I think every party I plan sucks a good month out of my life expectancy, but this one was probably closer to a year. It was CRAZY. But so much fun. Loud, chaotic, exciting, dramatic fun. So much fun that there are hardly any pictures. And now Isaac has just about everything that has anything to do with Captain America.

Thanksgiving
Like I said, just one thing after another. This year we hosted for the first time ever. And, unless we have more people next time, perhaps it will be the last time. So much work! We were too busy to get any pictures, so here's some random Noah-entertainment instead.

Rain is something we were VERY grateful to finally get. It's just too bad it came after a freeze that killed the garden.

We're also grateful for Ellie's cute word/sign understanding. Communication is beautiful!!

Handel
A wish I've had for several years is to participate in a production of Handel's Messiah (I know, I dream BIG). Well, I finally got to fulfill that this past December, and it was amazing, if I do say so myself. And that's not because I was in it. I was seriously so thrilled to be there, for every practice and every performance. I hope to do it again this year. Again, no pictures of that. Here's what Isaac looked like after his last day before Christmas break, when they all went to school in pajamas and watched The Polar Express.

Isaac was very serious (and sensitive about it) that he had applied to be one of Santa's reindeer and had been chosen out of thousands. He kept trying to get me to contact Santa Claus about this, even on Christmas Eve. It was a little disturbing.

Christmas
Once again, we got spoiled for Christmas! We enjoyed having Noelle come and visit again, this time for the week before Christmas (last year she arrived on Christmas night). She's such a good guest--she never minds our messes and she always does the dishes!

Christmas Eve involved a treasure hunt, some presents, a marshmallow gun fight, some stories, some caroling...

...and, of course, Ellie antics.

Isaac gave an awesome book to his dad. He made it at school.

Christmas morning was quite exciting, as you can imagine.

Ellie had opened presents before and gotten in trouble for it, so we had to coach her to open stuff at first.

It didn't take long.

After stockings, one present, crepes, and church, we came back and picked up where we left off.

Ellie had to put on her new dress right away, over her clothes.

Isaac helped his sister and brother (get their presents over with) so he could open his!

Jared got just about everything he asked for, and more!

Yes, someone's still obsessed with Captain America (even if the costume didn't have a prayer of being big enough).

We'll call them his "stretchy pants," or his "recreation clothes."

I have to admit, it was really fun to have surprises for everyone.

And even though Ellie loved her doll and clothes, when her turn was over she climbed up to the piano for a little background music.

The week went by super fast and we all felt healthier and craftier for having been with Noelle.

More Visits
That's right! Just when you thought it couldn't get any more exciting, we got to go to California for more celebrations with the Laneys! The day after Christmas we all went to the airport together (poor Noelle was perched on the luggage in the back, always uncomplaining). We said goodbye to Noelle and hello to all the nice people on the plane who entertained our children. All of Jared's siblings were together for the first time since (I believe) 2004. We ate way too many naughty things and had lots of good times. We even got two dates to the movies while we were there! Folks, this is a real treat. Ellie enjoyed being the center of attention, especially when she was movin' and groovin'.

Isaac and Noah enjoyed hanging out with all their long lost uncles and aunts.

And, of course, Grandma & Grandpa!

It didn't hurt that there were a TON of presents for them, either.

We had a great quick trip and now we're trying to adjust to normal life again!

That is SO Isaac!

2011-09-22T17:51:00.005-04:00

Well, I was already going to share these two pictures from this past week:

Isaac's masterpiece from Sunday School, where he was supposed to draw what he'd say in a prayer, what he's thankful for ("my family") and what he might ask for (his very own army with the "I" symbol on each person and swords of varying lengths--he pointed out that feature to me).

And this is an example of how he does his schoolwork. He doesn't just write "M" by the M words like the instructions say; he tries to sound out in his mind how to spell the entire word...and does a pretty awesome job!

THEN I got a letter from his teacher about what a happy, eager-to-learn child he is. Does anything make a mother more proud? If only he'd act that way at home...I guess he's all tired out from being good all day.

And now, for good measure, a few quotes from Little I:

"Noah, you're not yet worthy to say a prayer in Conference."
When asked why he was so smart, he humbly replied, "Because there's a school inside my body. That's even a smart way to say it."
"You look like a crazy lady when you shake your head around. Yeah. Like that. That's Crazy Lady."
When asked if he was a hot pepper, "No. I'm good and cheesy and ice cream-like."
Feeling grateful one day, "Sinks are everything to me. If they don't have a sink...too bad, so sad, your dad."
After a very silly bedtime story, he asked, "Daddy, what part of that is true?" Jared quietly laughed, "I don't know..." and tried to exit the room. Before he could close the door, Isaac retorted, "Then why did it come out of your FACE!?"
After calculating how many months, weeks, days, etc., we'd all been alive, Laurel discovered she had long passed the 10,000 day mark. She wondered, "10,000 days old! What did I do??" Isaac's swift addition to this was, "I hope you haven't done ridiculous things."

The Reunion, the School and the Floor

2011-08-29T15:36:00.027-04:00

Great title, right? ahem.

SO! We went to Utah in July.

By way of the Four Corners.

Here's some of the highlights...

Bonding with Bob & Tiffany, Grandma & Grandpa...

Ellie's contemporaries

Noah is an eating machine.

We got to see some of our favorite people and catch up. Too bad we don't have great pictures of everyone we miss so much.

Isaac loved hanging out with Tanner and Max. I wish we could have them all grow up together! On the other hand, this little gang did get into some trouble....

Their talent included fighting some bad guys. They did a great job.

Ours was a song we made up about the reunion.

Bobbie bonding

At Mom's we stayed up late playing games and laughing so hard it hurt. Mom & I got to hike together thanks to Noelle's super-babysitting volunteerism.

OF COURSE we went to Thanksgiving Point. It's still beautiful. You have to roll down the hill. It's tradition.

Ashton inherited some of his mother's skillz:

He even danced for us at the top of the Vista Mound Garden.

It was fun to have Danny spend the entire day with us there. We wore him out!

We went to the Children's Discovery Garden and had a blast.

SO too much fun.

The next day we went to Thanksgiving Point's Farm Country.

The boys have been wanting to ride these ponies for...a couple of years! Ellie was very jealous.

Ellie did some last minute bonding with Uncle Danny.

Jared had to fly back to work the following week, so I stayed a few more days and then took up the exhausting task of driving home with the three young'uns. We had a few side-of-the-road-potty-breaks-because-"I-didn't-have-to-go-back-there-yet," and several wrong turns and a lot of false feelings of going the wrong way...but somehow we made it. So that's one thing I've never done before that now I know I can do.

THEN! Isaac went to Kindergarten, as if he could just go ahead and grow up all of a sudden. Sheesh. Pre-K was a great transition--he'll be at the same school, just for longer and with a different teacher. His teacher's a sweetheart and I am way excited for him to have her.

Like some kind of frazzled, forgetful mother, I neglected to bring the camera at the beginning of the first day. I got him coming out, though. First we had to wait.

That's my big guy! He is now the only kindergartener who bikes home. I trot behind him with the stroller and it seems to work well. Waking up early has been the hardest thing, but it's only an hour earlier than we're used to.

Jared thinks he should skip to 1st grade since he already reads and adds and subtracts. What do you think?

Finally, WHAT? We're still working on our house? Yep. But, as far as flooring goes, we're nearly done! Thank goodness for skilled people. Who are honest. And don't laugh at you in your face when they see that your DIY was done all wrong. It was an expensive lesson to learn, but we're proud to have experienced it...in a humble sort of way.

We were so needlessly sleep-deprived. Now we're really happy with the results.

So far we've been able to do the laminate just fine.

ONE MILLION TIMES BETTER, can I just say it? It should all by done by Saturday night.

Welcome to Our Mess

2011-08-12T07:52:00.003-04:00

If you've been by our house lately, you'll know it's seeing some rough times. Our living room has looked like this for weeks.

While the kitchen/bathroom/utility room were being tiled, we were living and eating in the family room. Of course Isaac put those empty boxes to use! What else would he do?

And Ellie thought Box Man was hilarious.

It has been great to have the kitchen back, and all-improved with a great tiling job.

Now we just have to re-stud our floors upstairs so the guy can come back and tile the bathrooms. Do you see why I'm afraid to take a shower? This is Jared's handy work.

Where Did the Summer Go?

2011-07-25T18:08:00.009-04:00

Apparently I've been too busy to blog. It's true.

I really should be scraping up flooring because tomorrow is the installation of our new tile. We're still recovering from new carpet upstairs and soon we'll be tackling the living areas ourselves. Oh yes, and the house is ours now (and the bank's). Pretty exciting stuff.

But I do have something to show for this fleeting summer we're having.

It started out with a HUGE yard sale we hosted. It was a multi-multi-multi-family event, very well-supported and a lot of fun to participate in. Honestly, I felt like my only real contribution was saying "yes" to having it at our house.

Hmm, what else did we do? We ate S'MORES (of course!)

Don't pretend you don't try to get every last bite.

We had visitors! Mama & Papa Laney

In their typical poses:

Sadly I don't have any more pictures of them from their visit, but we had a great time. We took them to Rudy's, Sea World and the Alamo.

Some things never change. Our Sundays still usually look like this:

Ellie has been working on being like her mother in two ways. 1) The "Hair in Your Face" look, and 2) Those crazy facial expressions.

This is the most classic Ellie pout ever caught on film.

Noah has been working on this look for a while.

However some things do change!

Ellie's Cuteness Skills are still growing faster than the national debt.

Can you tell I like this girl?

And she finally decided to WALK!

Last, but not least, we went on a road trip. More to come on that.

Parade of the Pre-K

2011-06-20T08:17:00.017-04:00

One of the perks of military life is Pre-K. Isaac had a great experience during the eight months he attended Pre-K at the elementary school down the street from us. He'll be going there in the fall as a Kindergartener.

In April they had a big celebration for Fiesta Days, which we attended. His classmates are all so sweet! They're a pretty close bunch.

Noah and Ellie enjoyed themselves at the party, too.

The teachers are really good with the kids. They have lots of fun. After the food the kids began to sing and dance to all kinds of fiesta songs they'd been practicing. It was so fun to watch.

The were singing back to back, belly to belly....

I loved her face when she got to be Isaac's partner.

Matthew is Isaac's best friend. He would never think ill of anyone, especially of Isaac. Unfortunately for him, Isaac is a bit of a crazy when he's getting into a song he likes. I caught this right after Isaac accidentally and unknowingly bumped him during his exaggerated motions of one of the songs. Matthew went, "Ow..." and then realized who he was standing by and forgot about it.

Next they lined up and marched in a Fiesta Parade around the halls of the school so all the big kids could coo and cheer for them. Here they come...

Ms. Valadez is the best! I hope she's still there for Noah in a couple of years.

I love Isaac's face as he went by us.

Isaac had a TON of crafts he started bringing home from school right from the beginning. I don't know how they fit it all in because they have only 3 hours each day. But he developed quite a collection, most of which made it to his walls.

I got in the habit of taking his picture with them each week.

He was grateful to find that he could be crafty, even though his old ma doesn't take much time to do such fun stuff at home.

Before school ended, his class had a Luau, which we attended.

Everyone calls Noah "Little Isaac Laney"--except John, who remembers that Noah likes to be called Robin Hood. Besides, as Noah says, "I'm not little!"

There were lots of games and treats, music and dancing. E's favorite part were the leis, which she now claims as her own and puts on whenever she sees them.

On the last day of school, when they lined up outside, the teachers made it very clear that they would be walking in as Pre-K and walking out as Kindergarteners. They thought that was pretty nifty. Isaac's going to miss his class; I will miss those 3 hours of quiet. But Noah's happy to have him at home more and none of us will miss the rush of walk-running to school in the heat. Besides, all-day Kinder will come way too soon for us all.

E Turned One!

2011-05-26T18:15:00.022-04:00

I am about a month late, but Miss Ellie had a birthday! The year has really flown by and she's been an absolute joy in every stage.

Newborn

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

January

February

March

April

We celebrated by going to Sea World that day and we had a garden-themed birthday that evening. Pizza is her favorite food (already)!

The missionaries joined us.

Everybody blow!

And here's a sampling of some of the many cake pictures we snapped...

Then her tray suddenly crashed to the floor and the magic was over.

Opening her 2 presents...

This little lady has a lot of spunk. Sometimes she'll "bust a 'tude." She has even begun giving these hilarious looks which I haven't caught on camera yet. They are of high-quality, though (like Noah's crusties).

This was they day she came home with a blue paw because of all the tests and immunizations she was put through at the hospital. She handled it very well and did not get frustrated when she had use of only one hand.

She pretty much knows she's in charge around here. But don't tell her brothers that; they're both sure she's in their care!

They are just ninos trying to release their wiggles

2011-05-01T22:22:00.009-04:00

Laurel got a new haircut

Happy feet

Happy eyes

Our kids are always doing their own thing

Who doesn't like a wheelbarrow ride on Easter?

The grass is not as comfortable as she would like

They say it says in the Bible not to wrestle your neighbor, but we haven't found that part yet.

El Capitan & Other Short Stories

2011-03-23T18:37:00.010-04:00

This is my special way of catching up.
El Capitan
Jared is no longer 1st Lieutenant Laney; he's been promoted to Captain (hooray!). And if he's seeing a Spanish-speaking patient, he hears, "Si, mi capitan." I was unable to make it to the ceremony (frowned upon), but hopefully by the time he's up for Major they'll give me more than a day's notice! Anyway, CONGRATULATIONS, HONEY!

Rrrrreally?

Ever since he turned 3, Noah has been rrrreally worrrking on his Rs. He is rrrreally making grrrreat prrrogress. Each time he says a worrrd with an R in it, it's verrry much emphasized and quite corrrrect. No morrrre baby talk for Noah (or as he likes to be called, "Isaac No. 3")!

Wow, I bet that was annoying to read.

'Two Teeth' No Longer
Ellie is finally getting more teeth (sad! but okay)--three more! This might make weaning a much higher priority. Yikes.

Sweet!

Isaac picked out the most beautiful, giant roses (looking a little droopy here, but they have since been watered and they perked right up).

I was spoiled on my birthday again. Then the next day was Saturday, so Jared made it even better...what a great day! We ended with delicious salmon barbecue and a Snickers cake.

My big surprise was a new camera, so as soon as I got the battery charged and a memory card in it, the boys tolerated my playing with it. They were still in their pajamas.

Stinkin' Hot
I've said it before: I don't know how we'll survive the heat and humidity that's coming this summer. But I'm pretty excited that we just got season passes to Sea World--that should help. We even blew up the pool today because it was so hot.

Ellie watched in amusement.

The Road Trip (finally!)

2011-03-08T14:16:00.028-05:00

It's time to document our migration. Way back in September, we left a great place: close to nothing but beautiful trees and bodies of water; not far from some of the most fascinating historical sites. We knew this day would come, so we didn't cry (much). We said goodbye to our friends from church. Then we had one last "cousins party" with Camille and Brian. Man, it was great to be close to them!

Goodbye, Sweethaven!
The morning before we left was beautiful and misty. We had to say goodbye to these wonderful folks; then they took a picture of us on the porch. We look forward to visiting again one of these days.

We spent a long time getting out of there; I didn't think we left the place clean enough! And then there was the challenge of getting everything to functionally fit in the cars. That took a while, too.

Howdy, Granny!
We headed for the hills, accidentally going the longish way, and made it to Granville, Ohio the next morning to visit Grandma Betty. She loves visitors! She's all alone out in the country, confined to a wheelchair. She seems to be as well as she was the last time we saw her, though.

We've written letters back and forth with Grandma Betty since our 2008 visit.

Nauvoo--Still Our Favorite Place!

Isaac suddenly finds himself in Nauvoo...
and Ellie looks so young here!

Okay, can I just say PERFECT? The timing, I mean. No crowds! The place was ours! The weather was beautiful! Camelot. No, better: Nauvoo (ha ha)!

We did the Community of Christ (RLDS) -owned stuff first. The Red Brick Store is the only place you can buy anything in Historic Nauvoo. After the tour, we enjoyed some Red Brick Store Root Beer outside.

That night we saw the missionaries' production of Rendezvous in Old Nauvoo. Afterward, the boys got to meet the cast and try on some of their hats. Those missionaries were all so sweet! I think they missed their grandchildren, so they projected all that love to my kiddos. We even got some nifty souvenirs (in addition to the usual freebies you make or see how to make)!

It was still a lot of "learning, " even if it was fun, so Isaac and Noah used every opportunity to be their usual crazy selves between buildings.

Ellie had her first fever that day. She was still her usual sweet self, though.

Isaac's favorite place was the printing press because he got to work it! This is where "mind your p's and q's" comes from, by the way (I always wondered).

We walked and walked. Nobody really minded. The pioneers walked longer.

There's a lot to do and learn at the Family Living Center. I can't remember what Noah's doing here. Isaac made a rope (we all helped hold and spin).

The very rocking horse that John Taylor went back for. His son, Joseph, was so sad when they had to leave it behind that John went back over the frozen Mississippi, risked being caught by the mob, and retrieved it for him.

While we were there, we swam, attended the temple...and the family-friendly buffet. At one point, Jared's LAPTOP fell off the roof of the car while I was driving and this nice couple followed us halfway to Carthage before they could get my attention and give it back. It still works, by the way. Can you say "count your blessings"?!

A great shot at Carthage: in the room where Joseph and Hyrum Smith were martyred.

Adam-Ondi-Ahman
We finally got a chance to see the Missouri sites!

It was a beautiful, quiet place (until we arrived).

We sat down on a blanket together and discussed where we were, using the scriptures.

We enjoyed being there as a family. It was a little bit like being in the Sacred Grove in New York a few months prior: standing in holy places with our children, as close as we can get to being inside the temple with them while they're small.

Haun's Mill
This was quite an ordeal. To make a long story short, this involved taking a wrong turn, getting Jared's car stuck in a ditch, having to call AAA, Laurel getting lost on the way to and from the real Haun's Mill site without cell reception, a tiny bit of a disappointment at what's left of the site, a lot more waiting as the tow truck blew a tire on the way over, and, in the end, having Jared's car pulled safely out of the ditch with no harm done. It could have been a boring time. It could have been a frightening time. Instead, it was a fun, memorable and faith-promoting experience. Of course, that's because we did a lot of praying!

This is basically all there is to see there at Haun's Mill. It was once a community of Saints when a mob came and massacred nearly all the people. Isaac Laney, Jared's great great great grandfather survived being shot many times (the amount varies depending on which account you read) and just kept running.

Farr West
This site was in the middle of nowhere. It's hard to imagine what it was like back in the day.

Isaac was (is) going through a "bag" phase. He liked to be in charge of his bag and what he was going to wear the next day. Before bed most nights he'd do strange things like this:

Liberty Jail

It's kind of hard to smile after thinking about how much suffering went on here.

Independence Visitors Center
The missionaries were so patient with us here! It was a really nice place with lots of cool displays and interactive things, but at the end...that's where the fun stuff is! The boys were in heaven.

(And this was across the street. We could've toured it...but we weren't really interested).

More Driving

This is what we did in the car ride a lot of the time. Especially toward the end. There was lots and lots of driving. Many movies were seen. We even watched General Conference along the way.

Jared was pretty excited to eat at his first Waffle House.

Texas
When we finally got to San Antonio, we lived in "temporary housing" on base for about 10 days. We were so busy getting Jared started at in-processing and looking for a house that we didn't take any pictures there.

A Place to Live

We found our house by chance. After looking all day with a Realtor and without hope, we passed an LDS church and decided to try looking in the adjacent neighborhood on our own, hoping for a sign on the lawn. Nothing. Then we went over to the church, where there was some activity from a ward's mid-week meetings. I sheepishly got out and asked if anyone knew of any houses for rent in the area and boom! I was landed immediately with the phone number of a bishop from their stake who happens to be a Realtor. I called him and told him what we were looking for and he said he had just the thing. We went over to see it after dinner and it was the first time we felt good about a place in San Antonio! Nothing else we saw afterward could compare, so the next evening we filled out the application and we were moving in just a couple of days later. Luckily, we sat by some super-awesome folks at church who volunteered to watch the boys on move-in day (thanks, Kate!), so all went smoothly.

The "un-loaders" were pretty lazy and refused to put anything back together except the beds (good thing I've got this mechanical mind, ha ha). The "unpackers" were a huge mistake. They basically cause the most chaos possible with your household goods. It was such a mess! We still have some ... um ... piles leftover, but it's getting better every day.

As soon as we could, we started painting. The last renters had a strange color scheme going on, and Jared preferred to chocolate it up. And now the question has arisen: will we buy this house?

Snow Day in San Antonio

2011-02-23T14:34:00.004-05:00

You wouldn't know it now, but we did get snow here! We thought we left that white stuff behind in Maryland, but Jared woke up to this:

He took pictures because he thought it might melt by the time we got up. Then he braved the roads to get some extra work done at the office even though everything was canceled for the morning.

The snow was still there when we woke up, but the boys went out in their pajamas anyway, just in case the sun was planning on ruining the fun too soon.

These are terrible pictures, but you can see that we had a great time. We made a snow volcano, attempted snowballs, jumped on the snow tramp, got to know our neighbors that are never home, and had our other neighbors over for some wild times before we all got too hungry to keep playing.

Decemberween

2011-02-12T14:36:00.018-05:00

I'm still making my way back in time. Since this blog will eventually be made into a book, it's only fair that I cover the biggies for us.

Isaac's birthday party back in November
He had a bunch of new friends join us on a beautiful day at the neighborhood park for "Boot Camp." It was crazy fun, not just because the kids ran wild through all the games and contests in the obstacle course, but also because it's been a while since Isaac's had so much to-do for a party. I think the presents were the most overwhelming part, but he didn't mind. :)

Again, I love his face when everyone's singing to him! Jared had fun playing while decorating the cake. Isaac may look dirty, but it's his camo paint. I think our birthday present to him that day was not doing his hair. You're welcome, pal!

Isaac's creativity unlocked
School (pre-K) has been great for Isaac. In addition to his learning things I thought I'd already taught him, he's finally doing crafty things there! I'm not too keen on keeping every scrap of paper he comes home with, but we try to take a picture with him each week holding his creations. These are from December. If you look closely, you'll notice the gingerbread man has four arms and a strange candy loincloth...and Rudolph's nose is green and his mouth is tied closed with a bow.

Getting excited about Christmas

Grandma Toni did the Twelve Cards of Christmas for the boys, which they loved. Each one had a different message and usually was accompanied by a certain special something.

Isaac's not the only one coming home with crafts (thank you, Nursery)!

And nobody can pull off Christmas socks that are 8 times too big for him like Noah!

The Night Before Christmas
Too bad we didn't get digital copies of our awesome rendition of the nativity with the Smiths (Noah was the best little sheepie), but we had a lot of fun with them. Then we came home and opened the traditional one present each. Noah's was this awesome hat and some crazy light up shoes that he couldn't stop running around in and exclaiming about. He was so very happy. He even slept in them.

Isaac had to set up his new racetrack right away. We had a lot of fun playing before bed. Needless to say, it was a late night.

Christmas Morning
Yes- we had one, too!

Noah and the shoes

We again got spoilt for Christmas! Nothing unusual about these pictures--except that we're in a new place with an extra babe. Just good times, good memories, and fun stuff.

Isaac and his new hat as well as a CTR ring

It was also fun to see Ellie dig in. (You all know you love my pajamas in every picture...almost as good as Jared's argyles with basketball shorts...).

Noah had to put on his new uniform immediately.

Noah got this awesome Curious George collection with CD and Isaac was in heaven! This is what we found the next morning instead of the usual shouting and pretending. It was silent, except the CD player.

An Interview, a Song, and Some Clapping

2011-02-02T21:14:00.003-05:00

The Best Gift We Got

2011-01-29T21:03:00.018-05:00

Well, here it is, folks. You've been waiting for it. It's time to report on our awesome week with Noelle (Dec 25 -Jan 1)!

She brought many gifts! Among them was a bag of hand-me-downs for Ellie (thank goodness--that girl was growing out of everything). And, of course, some fantastic costumes from Aunt Bobbie, which are used almost daily around here.

We had us a good old time with Aunt Noelle. She even volunteered to take the camera (and most all the pictures) to nearly every event! Which is why she's not in all of them....

Family Night at the gymnastics gym was fun. We live in an exceptionally social/fun ward where the fun never seems to end. One guy is a gymnastics coach, so about 10 families from church were there, some people showing off, some people learning something new, and every person having a great time. Everybody got to learn to do a back flip (except Noelle already knew how). I've always been afraid to do a back flip.

I love that Ellie even poked her head out for this picture with her aunt. She reminds me so much of Baby Noey a quarter of a century ago! The guys were excited to have matching uniforms (like Dad's) after Santa came. Then they started "training" with Noelle each night. What better person could you find?! She's capable, she's upbeat, and she's creative.

Sea World was the next adventure. Noelle was our excuse to go!

Take a look at my half a face: that Shamu is one WILD kiddie ride!

There were lots of things to see/ride, but we really put a lot into watching some of the many shows. We most enjoyed the dolphin show, the Sesame Street show, and the 3D Polar Express. Since it was the week after Christmas when the memory of the holiday seems like a blur, having Sea World be full to the brim of all things Christmasy was, for me, the perfect remedy! Christmas did not have to be over! Especially since, with Noelle visiting, the celebrating had just begun!

Remember the Alamo? What a cool place to actually go and visit!

It was a little boring holding our place so we could fit into the next tour discussion room, which was really fascinating and totally worth the wait. But, meanwhile, our kids entertained the Japanese tourists and we even played "finger swords."

"Come and take it!" I like that line. No wonder Texans have so much pride.

We didn't get photo documentation of all the good times with Noelle...the running, the singing, the eating, the movies, the planning, the puzzles and games, the quoting, the cooking, the free-pass-to-the-gym-ing, the volleyball social...but everyone was VERY sad when she had to go. What a dirty trick to have a week go by so quickly!

Thanks for coming, Noelle. What a great gift!

(I have since adjusted to--and recommitted to--doing my own dishes again.)

The Pirate Party

2011-01-19T18:38:00.008-05:00

Noah had his first real birthday party when he turned three. We all had a lot of fun!

Everyone got all piratey with tattoos and bandanas.

Say "aarrgh!"

There were clues to find the treasure and lots of games along the way.
The version of musical chairs we played was interesting...

So was "Pin Yer Treasure on the Map"--it's a good thing pirates really cheat a lot.

The birthday boy was no exception...

And of course, a treasure full of favors.

I loved watching Noah's face while everyone was singing to him

This was a lot of fun to make. Mostly because I'm not crafty and it's an unfamiliar feeling to create something so fun!

We were so excited to have new friends come over and celebrate with us. What a great day for Noah (and Isaac)!

This One

2011-01-13T16:57:00.006-05:00

has a great chuckle

loves her parents
adores her brothers

is a paper-shredder, list-eater, hair puller and face-scratcher, given the right opportunities

will make you weep for forgiveness if you take anything from her

crawls backwards

takes a paci (whoa!)

does the airplane

is 8 months old now
got her first tooth on her 8 month birthday
and has been greatly neglected on the blog...until now.

We love our E.

I'M THWEEEEE!

2011-01-10T15:53:00.006-05:00

Noah had his birthday on Sunday. He's so excited to be three!

He had a great day. Isaac has enjoyed all of Noah's presents just as much as Noah. I love that they're close enough in age to be best pals.

He has grown so much! These three years went by so quickly for me:

I Made That Up Myself

2010-12-19T20:47:00.004-05:00

My apologies to anyone who wanted a detailed summary of our lives since we moved; I hope life will slow down by the New Year, but by then we'll have more recent reports to make. That is, if Christmas doesn't kill me. I like these Texas folks, but their Christmas is almost too busy! I kind of miss being so far away from people that they didn't bother to be too festive (or obligate us to be the same)...perhaps I'm a grinch, but I found myself complaining of all the NOISE tonight. Don't worry my head did not a'splode. Meanwhile, here's a glimpse of our day:
Isaac & Noah Soccer

Special Delivery/Swinging Legs

Sentimental

2010-11-20T22:13:00.006-05:00

I'll be the first to admit it: I'm sentimental. Very sentimental. On Monday Jared and I will have been married for SEVEN YEARS and I can't believe what I've gotten away with since then. Sure, there's the fact that he's awesome and that he puts up with ME...but today I discovered something else: I have kept stuff for way too long. The sentimental stuff.

I don't know what to do with it. It's like I'm throwing away memories if I get rid of it; but keeping it isn't doing anyone any good. Much of it I've kept since I was a child, thinking I'd give it to my little girl, if I ever had one. Now that I have one, I realize that I probably won't give it to her (she probably wouldn't want it anyway). Good old Amberie, a former roommate, told me once to take a picture and let it go. So that's what I did. I just want my parents and sisters to know how much each music box, jewelry box, statuette and figurine meant to me. Their love was the reason I've kept everything for so long, but I took a picture and I'm letting go.

Now, what to do with the wedding dress?

(Sheesh, how silly is this post?)

Visit from Grandma Toni

2010-11-12T16:47:00.008-05:00

Still catching up, my mom came out to visit the day after Jared left for COT. The last time she came was just in May, but this visit was very timely and helpful.

Of course we took her to picnic at the swimming hole.

We even visited the local buffalo farm at Morris Meadows.

The only really big thing we planned to do was go to Washington D.C. on the day of the Restoring Honor rally. We knew it would be challenging. It was.
It wasn't as packed where we were right by the Lincoln Memorial...we found out soon that this was because there were no speakers facing us. We didn't dare try to navigate the throng with the stroller, though, so there we stayed and strained (our ears).

Ellie, of course, exceeded all expectations.

But this was not an uncommon sight.

They were grateful for every opportunity to act like monkeys.

It was more of a sacrifice than anything, but it was really cool to be there and to see so many different people all together, caring about our country. Not a lot of kids; we were hailed by many as "brave." I think we were.

On the bus ride home, Ellie fell asleep in my arms, a rare moment. Poor girl. We were all so hot and thirsty and tired...and then there was rush hour in DC.

This was a "before" shot. We were so excited to be going! You don't really want to know what we all looked like afterward. Oh, those poor people at Pizza Hut on the way home....

Anyway, there's a look at Mom's visit. We were so happy she could come and help and play with us!

Catch Up: The Beach

2010-11-09T07:24:00.011-05:00

The first exciting thing we did while Jared was gone waaaay back in July was go to Assateague Island and finally see the Atlantic Ocean. The boys had never been to the beach. It was so nice to be invited by good friends (whom we miss very much now) and just have a ball.

Crazy little thing called sand

Not tired.

Noah was way more into the sand than the water on the "fun" side of the island. That was where the crazy waves were. I even got a chance to forget the kids on shore and be a kid again myself there. I forgot how much I love swimming in the ocean!

Isaac enjoyed both sand and water.

On the "calm" side of the island, this poor sea turtle was about to lose a fin...and from Noah's face, you'd think he was losing one, too. I obviously had a good time, though.

Warm ups

Ellie and her new friend spent their time in the tent (genius)!

Isaac is one of "those" kids when pictures are being taken...he's totally distracting to those around him. But we do love these girls! Little angels, I tell you.

Between the two of us moms, we had 6 kids, two of which were newborns! It was so nice to have Lauren come with us to help. She's a cool young woman and a hilarious traveling companion.

On the day we arrived home, they are a bit more sunkissed than we'd planned. I didn't know sunscreen could be so tricky with little 'uns.

That evening, Brian (and Camille) came up and visited one last time. They are always so much fun (and so helpful...Noah was determined to disappear under the pew during church the next morning)!

The swimming hole was our closest "beach" and we had countless picnics there.

This was supposed to be a picture...

Where are we?

Half a Decade

2010-11-04T08:12:00.005-04:00

Happy Birthday to Isaac! We love this kid. He's thoughtful, grateful, hilarious, brave, smart and...sick today. Still, he went to school yesterday, and reported on how special it made him feel every time his birthday was mentioned. He came home with a crown, but without much of a voice.

In the morning he opened his presents, each of which he was extremely thankful for. This may have been his favorite:

"Just like Dad's!"

Noah had a good time with the presents while Isaac was at school yesterday. Check out all that camo!

He became progressively sicker throughout the day. I didn't get a picture at dinner--he was lying in the booth half the time anyway. Despite it all, he told me that this was "the best birthday ever!" We look forward to a soldier party for him on Saturday after the Air Show. Hopefully he feels better by then. We love you, Little I.

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-30T17:34:00.005-04:00

From...

Lois Lane...

Batman...

Superman...

Lex Luthor...

...and of course, Cat Woman!

Last Hike

2010-10-22T12:15:00.009-04:00

Well, we're here! And San Antonio is hot, even in October. While we get organized, here's a quick look back on the day the movers finished with us. We were left alone with an empty house and looking forward to seeing Jared that night. We had some time, so we decided to go on one last hike to the lake. We're still a little nostalgic about having lived there.

Looking for bad guys....

Ellie ended up falling asleep because the boys dawdled so long.

Isaac insisted we keep this turtle (we didn't).

Soon, soon, impatient ones. I will get to the visitors, the goodbyes, the road trip and the Texas first impressions.

That Little Sucker

2010-08-30T13:01:00.004-04:00

It was late. We had been up since five and out in the sun all day among thousands of others at the capital. Isaac had had a run-in with poison ivy. Noah had had a violent and loud meltdown at Pizza Hut on the way home. They were both tired and very dirty. A bath and a shower were desperately needed. Noah was shrieking nonstop; Isaac tried to stay in the car, jumping out of his seat to the floor and falling back asleep. Nothing short of a miracle could help me bathe these two without losing my mind. And that miracle came...in the form...of..."Washy."

"That little sucker just saved your life!"

It stopped the tears. It talked and sang to each of them. First, Noah in the tub upstairs and then Isaac in the shower downstairs.

What Isaac had to say:
"Mom, do you know what Washy did? He made me want to take my shower. I don't know how that works. It's a mystery. He must be a magic frog!"

Thank you, Washy (and thank you, Mimi)!

One Crazy Camping Trip

2010-08-07T11:41:00.020-04:00

In July we went to the pageant in Palmyra. It was a quick, fun, challenging, fulfilling trip. We set up camp and headed to the show. I didn't bring the camera, but the pageant was awesome. After seeing the Manti Pageant, I wasn't expecting anything too great, but it was very impressive. Isaac kept saying, "this is so cool!" whenever he recognized a story. Noah said things like, "Did Jesus drink his cup all gone?" Ellie watched almost the whole thing, skipping her evening nap altogether. You know those effects are special!

I hadn't been camping in a decade, so it was interesting to go again. With kids. I decided I like hotels and was glad we'd only be there one night....

I can't believe we thought we could all fit in this itty-bitty tent! It was rather crowded, to say the least.

Mud River rose considerably during the night from all the previous day's rain, so we had to watch the kiddos closely as we packed up to go.

Watch out for the 'skeeters! Wet wood, muddy table, but grateful for yummy yogurt.

Isaac had a good time.

Of course the sticks were their favorite part.

Little Lady was a very good sport. She slept through the night very peacefully, unlike some of us.

Packing up after a dirty, mostly-sleepless night. We went for the Church History sites the following day.

Up we go.

Some unfriendly-looking types on the footpath

There's a smile!

It's a pretty little hike to the top.

Noah gets some inspiration...

He feels the Spirit!

A view from the top of the Hill Cumorah. You can see the fantastical stage. The green area is the audience's seating.

Going down again....

There were tears on this trip, believe it or not.

The coolest thing about the Smith Family Farm tour? These are the original bricks under which Joseph hid the plates at one point.

Path to the Sacred Grove

Walking through these woods together was the closest thing we could possibly have to being in the temple with our little family. It was very cool, very undeniable, almost tangible.

Taking a rest after a long walk. There are a lot of paths to take there!

Isaac's excited to be in front of the Grandin building, where his parents were engaged by interesting tours while being simultaneously mortified by their children. Wise, old missionary couples had tootsie rolls and that helped for about 2 minutes at a time. Then Noah interrupted a testimony with "ribbit-ribbit, hop! hop!"

The boys were getting restless of sightseeing by now.

Isaac at the Peter Whitmer Farm

Noah has to do it, too.

Then we drove home; I had a renewed appreciation for that place (home), let me tell you!

Way Back in July

2010-08-05T14:53:00.010-04:00

So...I went to the beach and the camera didn't make it back fully functional. Yikes, this is camera #2 in our days of poverty. Sorry, Jared!

But, to keep my promise of more posts, here's what we looked like last month.

The boys thoroughly enjoyed dressing up for the Fourth.

We celebrated with the Shannahans and had us a ball.

We discovered that snakes aren't the most exciting fireworks. But the type of firework we brought was apparently too exciting for Noah and he started screaming like a mad man. Snakes had suited him just fine, although it was widely agreed that it was about like watching dog poo catch on fire.

My little lady was, of course, the life of the party.

And Isaac & Noah had a great time playing with all the other kids.

Bye Bye, BBH!

2010-07-27T14:41:00.004-04:00

Jared & I have worked our last days at BBH, so it's time to say goodbye. I'm going to miss that place. For me, it was the most effective way to get that "Baltimore Bond" that I never thought I'd have when I moved here. I know I'll always keep the folks there in my prayers. It's a facility for dual-diagnosis patients: mental health issues along with addictions. It was always a fun challenge to teach there, whether the topic was schizophrenia or diabetes.

Perfect hours, amazing people, getting teaching experience, decent pay, and a boost in self-confidence are among some of the benefits I received while teaching there. And you know what they say: the best way to learn something is to teach it...so I learned a lot, too. Goodbye, friends, and good luck. Never, never give up!

Noah & Ellie

2010-07-26T15:23:00.003-04:00

My sons amuse themselves by adding "tuba" to most anything. And they've never even seen my Dad with one! But Ellie, like me, was just tired of it this day apparently. :)

Stop Your Whining

2010-07-24T21:58:00.003-04:00

Did I get your attention with that title? Well, despite the record-breaking heat and the departure of the spouse this morning, I thought I'd write a little reminder for everyone (well, for me). This is NOTHING compared to what the pioneers went through. Happy Pioneer Day, everyone!

My sons are both named after Mormon pioneers, ancestors on Jared's side. One lived through the Haun's Mill Massacre, miraculously. My daughter is also named after a pioneer: my grandmother.

What an awesome lady!

I also consider both my parents to be pioneers.

And when it comes to teaching missionaries Armenian, so is my little sis:

But let's get back to the Days of '47 folks. How did they do it?! When I got hot today, I went inside to air conditioning. When I said goodbye to my husband this morning, I knew I'd see him again in a few weeks. The people who went west said goodbye and knew it would probably be forever in this life.

Still, it is hard to say goodbye for what will be the longest separation we've ever had.

We'll miss the Daddy.

Many Posts to Come

2010-07-22T16:01:00.003-04:00

Jared's heading to New Hampshire this weekend. I'm going to be a lot more faithful in blogging because he'll be there 4 weeks, then he's going to Alabama for 5 weeks, and then we drive across the country all together. But we don't want Daddy to miss a thing.
Here's Ellie (& Noah) earlier this month:

Eleanor's Newborn Pictures

2010-06-21T15:28:00.009-04:00

Katie spent SO much time with us and Ellie pooped multiple times during those precious naked baby shots...thanks, Katie!

Firsts

2010-06-14T21:30:00.020-04:00

Ellie's first lullaby:

First day home:

First visit:

First time at Medieval Times for Isaac:(he said it was too long)

And Noah:

(he only stopped covering his ears to clap)

Poor Ellie:

First Master's:

First time in Philadelphia:

Right before I's first trouble with police:

First Philly Cheese steaks (actually purchased and eaten in Philly)

First time this blessing dress was used (made from my wedding dress scraps, thanks to Mama Laney!)

First sibling bonding moments:

First month old:

First 5K postpartum and pushing a stroller and alone without encouragement and first time winning something...(but not the first time Juliana has beat me at something!)

One Week Sneak Peek

2010-05-17T17:11:00.006-04:00

We had a fun time when Katie came up to take pictures of Ellie last Friday. She sent us these two to get us excited...and it worked!

Mothers, Brothers, and Babies

2010-05-07T20:34:00.009-04:00

Look at those long toes!

Hugs from Noah

First look at the new sis

"Don't mess with my sister!"

Excited to meet the newest addition

Lookin' good all cleaned up!

Eleanor Leah, born at 4:40 pm 5/6/2010. 8 pounds even. 21-1/2 inches long.

Doesn't she look good for just having a baby?!

Lucky!!

2010-04-27T21:10:00.005-04:00

I'm less than two weeks from my due date. I may resemble a duck when I walk, I may wince when I change positions, my heart rate may double by the time I reach the top of the stairs...but I AM SO LUCKY. Check it out.
This was my view while making rolls the other day. Perfection! Beautiful day, yummy rolls on their way, two boys playing happily (and tirelessly) with rocks. I approve.

Isaac wants to be tied up. This could be a workable solution for time-outs.

We finally got a visit from some of our favorite people from Kenya. What a blast!

But this made our week:

I'm so glad Jared entered that drawing! We don't actually even know Rachel, but we've been blogstalking her for a while. Because she makes us laugh. Get your Mr. T bookmark by clicking on Rachel Says So in our bloglist! You won't be sorry.

The Look of Trouble

2010-04-17T15:58:00.002-04:00

When Noah is in trouble (or even if he thinks he is), it's not hard to figure out. All you have to do is look at his face. If he's covering it, he might just be doing something naughty...or thinking about it. Of course, he's not the only one who gets in trouble. I believe Isaac's exact words to me just four days ago were, "Mommy, I am so disappointed that you got a ticket." Yeah, me too!

Springtime Happenings

2010-04-08T15:23:00.031-04:00

After watching the snow melt and acknowledging our birthdays, we knew spring was really on its way. This involved some fun times:

Hanging out with the Poseys
It had been so long! Lots and lots of fun all rolled into just a few hours.

Isaac's Crazy Fashion Sense Strikes Again

Need I say more?

Cherry Blossom Festival
We headed to D.C. for this famed event on April Fool's Day for a preschool field trip.

The Potomac is kind of brown.

Making some great faces

Don't be deceived; they didn't actually sit very much!

Noah enjoyed walking along the wall, trying to keep his balance.

Isaac, looking reflective.

Isaac took this picture of my belly...

Dalynn took all the good pictures!

George Mason's hat and walking stick (as well as his lap) were a source of much entertainment during our picnic.

Our picnic view was quite nice.

As we sat in traffic on the way home (which was much more tolerable than usual), Isaac started taking pictures. "Noah, make a cute face," and this is one of the keepers.
Easter
We have to include the egg hunts. First, a good portion of the 973 eggs at the Dunns' house made their way home with us.

I really didn't expect them to be so ambitious! This is a first.

We have been talking about and saving for light sabers for months now. Imagine Isaac's delight when he and Noah got one to share...
and another one each in their Easter baskets. Of course there was a battle soon after.

It reminded me of the good old days of growing up as a Brough kid. We were always doing this!

I had to remind them the were out there to hunt for eggs!

General Conference
We've looked forward to it and it did not disappoint! It has been so nice to read other people's thoughts on some of the things they learned. Since I felt like I was shushing a good part of the time, I would love to hear about your favorite parts of Conference and what was most significant to you.
Between sessions on Saturday we got a short hike in the woods to a new landmark--"the chair"--where, of course, two little ones had to get some pictures and were too tired to go any further.
It's okay to have fat guy in a little coat in your head when you look at these pictures. It's rather amusing to me, too.

Lamb Day with Preschool
Most of the sheep on the farm here have had their lambs now. It has been so much fun seeing them grow. So we had preschool here Wednesday and learned about sheep and lambs.

We saw the newborns with their mothers in the barn. One ewe was particularly loud (she had triplets and was always hungry).
Katie the sheep dog was brought out to meet the kids, much to their (and her) great delight.

She did a wonderful job of rounding up the sheep so we could see all the playful lambs up close.

When it was time to go, Noah got on Richard's tractor and completely ignored me while I beckoned him to the gate. Of course, I had to go back and get him from his happy world of imaginary farming.
San Antonio
It's where we're going to live when fall comes! We will SO miss Maryland (well, not the taxes, hahaha)...but we are very excited to try out the Texas life.

Hot Hot Hot
It has been incredibly warm for April recently, but it has allowed us to do things that make me feel like a good mom again (and I need that). Like yesterday after grocery shopping we had a picnic down by Gunpowder River, where we splashed and had a perfect time.

I love spring!

Behold!

2010-03-27T16:15:00.003-04:00

Oh, how they make me laugh! I knew something was going on in the laundry room. Noah does everything Isaac does now. This is sometimes a little scary. Isaac has been banned from going around the railing on the front porch and jumping off, but it's too late. Noah's already there.

For the Unbelievers

2010-02-22T17:44:00.002-05:00

See? Told you.

Pretty dang big!

29 Weeks.

Too much snow!!!

2010-02-15T12:12:00.003-05:00

My Utter Silliness

2010-02-15T11:23:00.004-05:00

Yes, I know she doesn't care yet. But she will. Besides, everyone else got one (even the neighbors)!
On another note, we've discovered balloon swords are awesome. And now we have a bunch of balloons and a pump and directions...and Isaac and Noah are in heaven. Who knew that would be such an ingenious V Day gift?
Oh, and yes, I am this big. Actually, bigger. A guy at work yesterday asked me if I was having twins and even added "it look like it...." Three more months to go!