Sending our smiles to all of you!!!

Laurel, Nathaniel, and Grant

2010-12-02T22:31:00.002-05:00

Laurel is so excited. Nathaniel is curious and wants to try out this new toy. Grant is a little trooper having put up with a lot in his first 5 days.

Grant Comes Home from the Hospital

2010-12-02T07:19:00.003-05:00

Family Pictures

2010-11-29T21:43:00.003-05:00

Baby Grant is born!

2010-11-29T09:11:00.003-05:00

Grant was born with or developed a pneumothorax at birth. They put in a chest tube to allow the lung to expand. He is responding well to treatment but is in the level 3 NICCU.

Paul Millsap 11 points in 28 seconds vs. Heat

2010-11-15T22:24:00.001-05:00

This will probably stand as the most amazing 28 seconds of the year.

Nathaniel Walks

2010-08-06T22:56:00.002-04:00

8 Month Olds Compared

2010-07-05T23:39:00.003-04:00

Here is a look at Laurel and Nathaniel having similar experiences at 8 months old.

Mamas Don't Let your Babies Grow up to be Cowboys

2010-04-04T22:58:00.004-04:00

Nathaniel may have a future in Rodeo...you be the judge.

I'm Sneaking This on Here...

2010-01-29T00:12:00.002-05:00

This is a cute video, even if Heather doesn't want me to post it. Enjoy.

Recent Photos

2010-01-24T20:43:00.003-05:00

Heather says these photos are random so let me explain. First is Laurel and Heather at Blue Springs State Park. This is where you go to see the Manatees. Our Haney family was in town for Christmas and that was something everyone enjoyed. The second is Nathaniel and me looking our best at the Methodist church Christmas program in Apopka. My manager at work and his wife attend church there and were helping with the program. Heather's brother Michael and his wife Kimberly went with us and it was an impressive performance. The third picture is Nathaniel being held by Heather at the ward primary christmas party in December. The last picture was taken at Carlon's (my brother) house in Henrieville at Thanksgiving.

We are doing well. Nathaniel is rolling back to front. Laurel enjoys helping take care of her baby brother. Especially doctoring him with the doctor set she received at Christmas. Heather just finished framing our diplomas from graduate school and we placed them on the wall in the loft. I have been preparing the exterior of the house to be painted. Tomorrow I will be driving around Florida for work evaluating effects of the freeze on the orange crop.

Halloween in our garden

2009-11-08T19:48:00.006-05:00

Our little "yadybug"

Mommy caught me between cries.

We have enjoyed dressing to a theme the last few years. This year we dressed Weston as a garden gnome, me a potted flower, Laurel as a ladybug and Nathaniel as a caterpillar. It was one of the hottest Halloweens I can remember in here in Florida. The mosquitoes went right along with our theme. They were thick and hungry. We attended the ward trunk or treat and chili cook-off. It was alot of fun.

Groucho Marx Family

2009-10-18T19:58:00.005-04:00

Nathaniel's Blessing

2009-09-27T19:06:00.013-04:00

Nathaniel was blessed by Weston today. It was a special day for all of us. It was neat to dress him this morning in preparation for the blessing. He was smiling and cooing as I was telling him about this special day. If only these little ones could talk. I'm sure they could tell us amazing things. We are grateful for this peaceful little guy in our lives and look forward to many years of joy.

Nathaniel is usually a serious kid, so it was fun to capture this smile.

We thought this picture was funny because he looks like he is going to left hook someone. (Don't mess with me and my mommy!)

One proud sister!

Laurel gets a BIG girl bed

2009-09-23T22:19:00.003-04:00

Laurel woke us up after climbing out of her crib 2 mornings in a row. The 3rd morning she didn't make it out so smoothly and tumbled to the floor. Weston decided there would be no more of that, and that he was going to set up her toddler bed. We had the bed, but couldn't figure out where the hardware was to go with it. So while we prayed and searched for a few days, she slept with her mattress on the floor. She is excited about the bed, however she had several nights in the past week where she woke up screaming a few times during the night. The past 2 nights she has been sleeping really well and I (mommy) am really grateful for that! She's also been doing really well to go potty. She would be a full-on big girl if we could just get rid of the pacifier for good.

Life in the past month

2009-09-02T22:13:00.006-04:00

Here's our "Little Man" at one month old. It was a sad day last week when his hair already started to fall out on top. We'll see if it takes him as long to get his hair back as it did Laurel. I hope it stays dark but Laurel's didn't.

He is becoming more alert everyday. We are so blessed to have him in our home.

Laurel loves her little brother and likes to be up close and personal with him. I am glad that she loves him but it doesn't always make it easy for Mommy. I never know what she may attempt to do with him, so I have to keep a close eye on her. She is not always aware of unsafe situations for the baby, like jumping on the bed next to his head or covering him with the blankets. I know she wishes he could play with her more. She is very attentive to his cries and noises often stating, "Did you hear that?" Which is generally a signal to me that she is headed in his direction to "help him out". It will be fun to see how they grow together and play as time goes on.

Laurel helps Grandma Helen make a blanket for Nathaniel

It was so nice to have my mom here for 2 and a half weeks. It sure made the transition to 2 kids so much easier. In fact, it has been easier to go from 1 kid to 2 than it was from 0 to 1. It may sound crazy, I know, but I never knew how rough the recovery was after Laurel's birth until I had Nathaniel. Let's just say it's nice to have energy to get out of bed and get dressed in the mornings.

Grandma is Here!

2009-08-01T22:29:00.005-04:00

We're so glad to have Grandma Helen here. Laurel is glad to see her and has been asking her all kinds of questions. She spent a long time holding Nathaniel and visiting. Heather and Nathaniel are doing well. It was a good day.

It has been an interesting experience to be the primary caretaker for Laurel the last few days. I always try and remember how important being a mom is and how demanding it is but to do it for a few days by myself was enjoyable and a good reminder. Heather does an amazing job. For example, when Heather packs the diaper bag Laurel never wants for a healthy snack, entertainment, or remedies for any inconvenience or emergency. When I pack it its pot luck.

I'm excited to have a son! Nathaniel Weston is his name. Nathaniel means "God has given" which is certainly true. He's named after four great men we hope he will become like, namely: his uncles Nathan and Daniel; Nathaniel Bumppo, my favorite literary character from the Leather Stocking Tales; and Nathanael, one of the original apostles (see John 1: 47-49 below).

John 1:

47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!

48 Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.

49 Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.

Baby Brother is Here!

2009-07-31T21:47:00.007-04:00

Thursday I came home about 10:30 PM and Heather was having contractions. I told her to go to bed in hopes they would go away and we could continue our plan to deliver our son next week when Heather's mom will be here (now shes coming tomorrow). As it turns out he came into this world at 5:28 AM this morning, July 31, 2009. I only slept 1 hr last night but I'm doing okay. Laurel stayed with our good friends Matt & Trena Nalley. They live just around the corner and we really appreciate them. Everything went smoothly. By 7:30 AM we were in our room with the baby and all was well. I picked up Laurel later and brought her to the hospital at 2:30PM. My boss Alan from work and his wife Rita were there. Laurel didn't know what to think of baby brother and mommy in a hospital bed. She didn't want to interact with him at first but by the end of the day she spent a good amount of time peering into his bassinet wanting to see him. When Laurel and I pulled into the garage tonight she said, "I'm tired, Daddy" and, " I'm happy to see baby brother."

As a side note you may be wondering why I am referring to him as the Brother of Laurel rather than by his actual name. Well, thats a story for another blogging session. Perhaps tomorrow. Meanwhile here are the pics...

Wabasso Beach

2009-06-28T22:53:00.002-04:00

We enjoyed a short getaway to the Atlantic coast a few weeks ago. It was great.

Pandemic Vacation

2009-04-14T19:47:00.004-04:00

Only slightly overstated in the title, our vacation has been a life experience. Laurel contracted a 2 bucket disease from her cousins and then passed it to Mom, Dad, and Grandpa. (She is still sick). Luckily it's only the 24 hr flu for adults. As I lay prostrate on Aunt Eileen's bathroom floor the other night waiting for the other shoe to fall I reflected on the choice I made to come to Earth and experience life. I felt gratitude then, and joy 2 days later, having experienced a rapid ascent to feeling extremely well. The contrast was significant and refreshing. Now we have a lot of vacation left to enjoy. W

Daddy Daughter Day

2009-04-03T22:28:00.004-04:00

Heather had some things to do so Laurel and I had a fun day a few Fridays ago. We washed the car and pulled out some rubber plants. I was surprised how into washing the car she was. It was intense concentration--serious business. A lot of fun for me. W

Laurel's Favorite Book

2009-02-07T23:18:00.004-05:00

(Warning: may take a while to download).

You guessed it, another captioned clip of Laurel identifying things, this time from her current favorite book. She loves this book. It's a claymation picture book Heather bought in grad school. For me this is high quality entertainment and a fun way to archive Laurel growing up. Enjoy. W

What Fruit is It?

2008-12-13T16:41:00.005-05:00

If you've talked to us lately you know we try to get Laurel to talk to all of you. She's usually too shy when people are around so we're posting her talking here. In this clip we are identifying the fruits on our kitchen poster.

You know you're an adult when...

2008-12-02T21:40:00.006-05:00

You ask for laundry shelves for your birthday. Washers and dryers in Florida are generally found in the garages of the homes. I thought it was strange when I first moved to Florida (but I guess we don't have to worry about our dryers heating our already hot/humid dwellings that we pay megabucks to keep cool). I told Weston that we could purchase our home if he would agree to build me laundry shelves. He agreed..... and now I finally have them. With our crazy lives it has only taken 2.5 years! For the past 4 months we have been fighting the ants in our garage. They are horrible. I think they are lured in by the food that is sometimes found on Laurel's clothes. They seem to have eaten numerous holes in our clothing. It drives me crazy. We started using the shelves Nov. 22 and we are ant free!!! The laundry shelves may be a solution to our problem, but with time we may find there is another cause (washer defect?). Those ants have really been bothering me, so when Weston asked me what I wanted for my birthday I was already prepared with my answer. He spent the weekend of my birthday working on them. He did the finishing touches during the Thanksgiving break. I am so proud of my handy, intelligent husband who knows how smart it is to listen to my qualifications and then create my vision. Thanks Weston!!!

Laurel's "pretty" dress

2008-11-30T23:38:00.002-05:00

I caught a sewing bug and decided to sew this little dress for Laurel. I found the fabric for $2 a yard, the pattern for .99 and figured I couldn't go wrong. It was a fun project. Laurel has enjoyed wearing it and says "preetty" when she has it on.

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-30T23:03:00.006-05:00

Hope you all had a Happy Halloween! We are only 2 months behind on blogging, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to blog about Halloween. It was fun this year to take our little "tiger" trick or treating for her first time. We always enjoy dressing up with a family theme for Halloween to attend the ward trunk or treat. We were zoo keepers this year. It surprised me how many people thought Laurel was Tigger. I purposely put a pink bow in her hair because I knew she would be called a boy by those who didn't know her, and she was. I found costumes last year for under 5 dollars so had the choice of a tiger costume or a monkey. She absolutely cried when I put a monkey costume on her in September however, she enjoyed wearing the tiger costume and would say "rah" when we asked her what the tiger said. We're in trouble if her opinions are that strong at such a young age.

Laurel had a great time obtaining candy and relished in the fact that she had a whole bucket full. She took piece by piece of candy out of her pumpkin bucket saying "num num num num". She then handed each one to me and said "tenk tu" (thank you). Good thing I'm not an older brother or sister and that I give candy back.

Universal Studios

2008-11-30T21:50:00.012-05:00

Weston's work had a party at Universal Studios in October. We had a great time. We hope you enjoy these pictures. Laurel waiting for Daddy to get off the Simpson's ride. Parent swap is a nice convenience however, I felt like a selfish parent as Laurel waited. We tried to limit the parent swap rides.
Laurel loved the Curious George water park. We didn't hit it until the end of the day so she didn't get much time to play there. I was concerned about her getting too cold. I wished I would have let her play there longer.

Laurel's all time favorite of the day was meeting Barney. She doesn't watch his show very often, but she couldn't get enough of him that day. I can't quite figure out why her shirt was pulled up in every picture we took of her with Barney. It really isn't a short shirt on her. We may need to teach Barney a lesson on modesty. Maybe next time.

Mommy, you're really frustrating me...

2008-09-28T23:27:00.003-04:00

Lemon Meringue...Soup?

2008-09-28T19:34:00.002-04:00

It seems only fitting that a food scientist has a blog with a recipe or two on it especially one containing citrus (since Weston works for Minute Maid). We tried this recipe per a co-worker's suggestion and enjoyed the interesting flavor combination it contained. It was so simple to make, refreshing, and addicting (and maybe a little weird, too) that we wanted to share it with all of you. Hope you will try it and enjoy it like we did. Let us know what you think!

Lemon Soup
1 ( 48 fluid ounce) can chicken broth
2 egg yolks
2 egg whites
1 lemon, juiced
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup uncooked orzo pasta (Weston says you may use cooked rice for the orzo pasta. I used really tiny star pasta. The key is something that is small and that will cook rapidly.)
Directions:
1. Pour chicken broth into a large pot, and bring to a boil. Add orzo pasta, and simmer for 10 minutes, until tender.
2. In a medium glass or metal bowl, whip egg whites to medium stiff peaks. Stir in egg yolks and lemon juice. When the pasta has finished cooking, gradually ladle about 1 cup of the soup into the egg mixture while stirring gently. This will heat up the eggs so they will not be shocked by the boiling liquid. Pour the egg mixture into the soup pot, and stir until well blended. Season with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.
This recipe was found on http://Allrecipes.com

Laurel's first recital

2008-09-25T19:41:00.005-04:00

Laurel has taken interest in our piano and climbs up on the bench to play daily. I came home from Young Women one Wednesday night and when I asked how the night went, Weston told me he had given Laurel her first piano lesson. I was curious to know how that had"played out". He said he had taught her to focus on playing just one note at a time. I chuckled to myself when the next day she was back to playing her multi-note pounding music. She loves to pound out a few notes (more than we would prefer to hear together) then gracefully (thus far) turns the page of the Children's songbook to a new song. I must say that in this picture she looks like a natural at the piano and maybe someday she will be. Her Grandma Johnson would be proud! Thanks Mom for the beautiful piano which enables us to enjoy the gift of music in our home.

The fourth picture is....

2008-09-25T19:15:00.002-04:00

Okay, so my sister-in-law did the following on her blog: Open your pictures file, go to the fourth folder, and then the fourth picture. Post the picture and write a little bit about what was going on! She did it and came up with a picture of her little boy Jace and my daugher Laurel. When I did it, it was a picture of her son Jace and me. I don't know much about this picture or the story behind it, except that I can guess that it was probably taken during the holiday season after Jace was born. I debated whether I should even post this picture because of how anticlimactic it is but because of the coincidence that my fourth picture is tied to her I will post it.

Clearwater Beach

2008-09-21T16:31:00.005-04:00

This last week we took our second annual trip to Clearwater Beach so Weston could attend the International Citrus and Beverage Conference. We stayed on the beach at the Sheraton. As you can see Laurel loved the beach. She hadn't been to the ocean since she was 3 months old and this was the first time for her to experience the water.

Just a little about me....

2008-09-14T22:55:00.006-04:00

I saw this on my sister-in-laws blog and thought it would be fun to do....
A. Attached or Single? Attached
B. Best Friend? My husband
C. Cake or Pie? Cake, but I love peach pie
D. Day of choice? Friday
E. Essential Item? Dishwasher
F. Favorite Color? Maroon, Navy Blue, and Forest Green
G. Gummy Bears or Worms? Gummy Bears
H. Hometown? Payson
I. Indulgence? Brownies
J. January or July? January, it's too hot in July
K. Kids? one girl, Laurel.
L. Life is not complete without? My loved ones and the ability to contact them
M. Marriage Date? Dec. 14, 2002
N. Number of brothers & sisters? 4 Brothers
O. Oranges or Apples? Oranges, of course!
P. Phobias? Ambulances, needles
Q. Quotes? "With God anything is possible"
R. Reasons to Smile? I have so many blessings
S. Season of Choice? Fall
T. Tag some Peeps! I always hate this question.....anyone.
U. Unknown Fact about Me? I get goofy at night when I'm tired.
V. Vegetable? Green Beans
W. Worst Habits? Getting Angry
X. X-Ray or Ultrasound--X-Ray. Yay for swallow studies as long as I'm not drinking the Barium! Y. Your Favorite Food? Pizza Pockets
Z. Zodiac Sign? Sagittarius

Tropical Storm Fay

2008-08-20T22:46:00.002-04:00

There's always a lot of hype when a storm comes through. They closed the schools and work for some people. Kind of like snow days in Nebraska. It was indeed a storm--rain and 30 mph winds. I guess it would be a hardship if you were looking for C batteries at Wal-Mart. At least it cooled off a little. There's been an eerie calm and the sky turned orange/gray yesterday evening. We tried to capture it with our camera but it didn't do justice. We do take it seriously, though, because of the tornado risks and the thought that the big one could be coming. We are grateful to be safe and well.

Green Meadows Farm

2008-08-20T20:28:00.011-04:00

After spending too many weeks doing the same things over and over we decided to visit a petting zoo. Laurel loved it and Mommy and Daddy did too. She was able to get in the pens with the turkeys, ducks, pigs, chickens, and goats. She rode on a horse, train, and hay wagon. We all took turns milking the cow. I'm not sure if that makes us country folk or city folk, but it was great fun.

2008-08-20T19:26:00.000-04:00

"Mommy, what kind of animal is she?"

"This is for the baby calf and you too." "Just who do you think you are?"

Splash! Splash!

2008-08-14T21:55:00.003-04:00

We finally did it... and I'm not just talking about updating this blog. We took the advice from many of you and finally bought Laurel a pool to splash in on our back patio. She enjoys swimming and is quite the confident little girl in the pool (a little too confident for Mommy's liking). She follows me to the garage, finds her dirty swimming suit and carries it into the house. It's as if she feels there may be a chance to swim again if I see her suit. Hey I guess you do what you can when communication is limited, right?

Laurel's 1st Birthday!

2008-06-22T20:41:00.005-04:00

What's a party without balloons? Friday afternoon Weston and I decorated the house with streamers and balloons. I wanted Laurel to have at least one helium balloon. So we got her a mylar balloon. She loved playing with it as we walked in the store and then all the way home in the car. The store was in such a hurry with another order that they didn't take the time to curl the ribbon on the balloon. What's one balloon?! On the way home I tried to curl the ribbon with my nails, but it just wasn't working. I got the scissors out to curl the riboon when we got home and you guessed it, mommy ruined Laurel's new friend. I felt so bad. Laurel dragged the popped balloon all over the house while Daddy went and got Laurel a new one. Surprisingly, she wasn't too interested in the new balloon. Moral to the story, don't worry about appearances.

Laurel didn't quite know what to do with her presents at first. She needed a little (lot) of help to get the idea. The kids were so funny, they said "pretend it is Christmas". Kids are so funny. I know Laurel loved having them over. She was so excited to see everyone that came through the door. We were blessed to have many friends come to celebrate with us.
Laurel really enjoyed her cake. She was cautious at first, but really dug in once she tasted it.

2008-06-22T18:15:00.000-04:00

Proof that Laurel has hair

2008-06-19T22:11:00.000-04:00

I put Laurel in the tub and couldn't resist the urge to make her hair stand up. This is for all of you who have said our baby doesn't have hair... it's there.

Our latest project

2008-06-15T22:05:00.000-04:00

Weston has been working really hard to finish the shelves in our closet. It has been so nice to have more organization. No more metal Florida closets!!! I'm glad I married a useful man!

Laurel is walking!!!

2008-06-03T21:56:00.001-04:00

Laurel started walking at the beginning of the month. I love having a walker. She is pretty good to follow me when I say come on. I think she just doesn't want to be left alone.

"Dada? Dada?"

2008-06-02T17:02:00.006-04:00

I have cracked up this week watching Laurel chat on the "telephone". She rarely gets to push buttons on the real phone (for fear she may really call someone). When she does find the phone she is delighted and wants to push all the buttons, of course. Thankfully I hear them beeping before she's called China. She gets extremely upset when mommy doesn't let her complete the call and use her jibberish. I finally got tired of hearing her scream after taking the phone away so I substituted it with the DVD remote. She immediately held it up to her ear and said "Dada? Dada?" I said, "say hi to Dada"--she waved her little hand. I'm glad to see she is using her imagination already. If it can be held up to her ear, she is currently using it as a phone and begins chatting...I'm sure she has observed me chat on the phone....Monkey see...Monkey do.

Anyone for a swim?

2008-04-22T21:23:00.002-04:00

Laurel got ready to go for her 1st swim at our neighbor's pool.
We lathered her up with sunscreen and put her coverlet on.
She doesn't like to wear her sunglasses...not a big surprise :). She likes to play with them, though.
We went to the pool and it was cold. We were in just long enough to take these pictures before Laurel started to shiver. We will go back another day when it is warmer. Our neighbor had turned the solar panels on, but the pool still needed some time to warm up. Better luck next time. We might go again this weekend.

Happy Easter!

2008-04-08T22:12:00.000-04:00

We were able to go to Tallahassee for Easter. Weston had Good Friday off so we decided to see the state. We camped at a KOA and had an enjoyable time. These are some of the pictures from our trip.

Indian Mounds, Governor's Mansions and Museums

2008-04-04T12:33:00.004-04:00

Laurel enjoyed taking some time out of her stroller to push it herself. She is close to walking, but not there, yet.

A Tin Can Trailer. This was interesting to see. It is like an old fashioned RV. We saw this at the Florida State History Museum.
Florida State Football Stadium. It looks like a castle. This is for you Brian!

We saw the Indian Mounds in Tallahassee. It was interesting because I always thought they were burial grounds. That is not always the case, only some of the mounds were buial grounds. When we were driving to the burial grounds, we started to laugh because there was a sign that said "Burial Ground Drive" and below it another sign that said "Dead End". It cracked us up.
The Florida Governor's mansion. It wasn't open for tours on that day. I think Governor Crist is out following Presidential canidate John McCain. He is always in the background when McCain is speaking somewhere.
Laurel and Weston looking at a Gristmill in the Florida State History Museum.

Cranes' Roost

2008-04-01T21:59:00.002-04:00

The beginning of March, we went to Cranes' Roost park and let Laurel feel the grass for the first time. Surprisingly, she didn't seem to mind it and enjoyed moving around. She was happy to be out of her stroller. We had a nice day with the family. It was a beautiful evening when we left.

No more monkeys sitting on the bed!!!!

2008-04-01T21:23:00.007-04:00

I was reminded of this picture from Laurel's bad Valentines when she toppled off the bed yet another time last Sunday night. I vowed I would not repeat that experience after the first time and I didn't, Daddy did. He fell asleep "watching" Laurel while I was on the phone with my mom. All of a sudden I heard a loud thump and Laurel was on the floor. Weston woke up with a "huh? Oops!" She didn't make a sound. She was just fine. We really lucked out.

Tagged!

2008-03-04T18:44:00.002-05:00

10 years ago:
I was a freshman at Snow college living my first time away from home with a nocturnal roommate and trying to decide what I wanted to be when I grew up. I was taking chemistry, spanish, music 101 and a few other "general ed" classes. I had a friend who had just left school for his mission that I was writing (nothing serious :o) . Little did I know that I would meet Weston in a couple of months. I was focused on school and meeting new friends.

5 things on my list to do:
1. Figure out how to fix my Cutco knife.
2. Cut out fabric for YW tomorrow night.
3. Write a talk in Spanish for church on Sunday.
4. Find my Talk Tools book and catalog.
5. The never ending load of laundry.

Favorite Snacks
1. Chocolate Covered Pretzels
2. Red Vines Licorice
3. Brownies
4. Breadsticks
5. Pina Colada Yoplait Yogurt
Based on that list, you wouldn't know that I prefer salty snacks over sweet ones. I don't usually have these snacks in my house, but brownies and breadsticks are definately comfort foods for me!

5 things I would do if I were a Billionaire
1. Buy a bigger home when my family grows.
2. Travel back to Argentina to see my friends there.
3. Spend more time with extended family. Go home for more family events and possibly move closer to home.
4. Take my family to see the world.
5. Save some money and donate to a good cause.

3 bad habits
1. Remembering things my husband has done that have bothered me and revisiting them when I'm upset. I don't always forgive and forget as well as I should.
2.Not knowing my limits and then getting upset when things go beyond those limits.
3. Exaggerating details when I tell stories...

5 places I have lived
Eureka, Payson, Ephraim, Logan, UT; Marshall, MN; Lincoln, NE;

Jobs I have held
pizza delivery driver, cleaner, cashier, research assistant, speech language pathologist, mommy ; )

Things People Don't know about me
1. I love to look in people's mouths and think being a dentist would be awesome!!!
2. I used to jog to relieve stress. You wouldn't know that by looking at me now.
3. You can catch me singing to the Carpenters on a Rainy Day or Monday.
4. I've eaten many unique pieces of meat including fish eyes, and chicken feet and I would do it again. Cow tongue is one of my favorites much to my husband's dismay.
5. I was a bride who wore tennis shoes that literally had cold feet (sleeping in a trailer in Utah December) the night before my wedding. My husband was nervous I was going to run before we were married. Despite all my fears, my wedding day was the happiest day of my life.

We're scratchin' in the dirt....

2008-02-26T16:33:00.003-05:00

This may be hard to believe if you live outside of Florida but planting season is here!!! We have planted our 2nd garden. The plants are about 5 inches tall. We have beans, peas, tomatoes, squash, and cantelope. Hopefully, we learned a few things from last year, like how not to over fertilize in our sandy soil. We didn't have a very high yield last year, because of the overfertilization. (The plants expended their energy on becoming huge and not productive). Not thinking about political correctness, Weston compared it to infertile over-fed Americans and fertile under-fed Africans. We also had a problem with mold that we never saw in Utah. It is amazing how different gardening can be depending on where you live. We are looking forward to having some yummy vegetables. Weston wants to plant strawberries in the fall. I hear they require quite a bit of upkeep, that I'm not sure he's up to. We read on an email that one of you sent about putting wet newspapers down to control the weed growth. I'm looking forward to trying it out. We saw a black snake out there that slithered between my legs while we were preparing the dirt for planting. We haven't seen him again, I don't know if the newspapers would be a deterent or invitation for him to come back. I hope it is a deterent, or I may not be back out to the garden for awhile. We're not too fond of snakes. I hope he doesn't like tomatoes!!!!

My Space?!!!!

2008-02-26T16:24:00.003-05:00

So, I've been freaked out with myspace lately. I'm going to sound really old, but as a young women president I've become curious to see what our youth are faced with. It really scared me to see how much garbage is on there. There are so many of our LDS youth who use it. It really impressed the importance of teaching values and standards, especially at home. I think about Laurel and shudder at what she will face as the world becomes increasingly more wicked. How grateful I am for the gospel and the teachings of our prophets "to guide us in these latter-days!"

Getting Bigger!!!

2008-02-26T16:11:00.004-05:00

I crawl, I climb stairs, and can walk with help. Watch out mommy, you never know what I will get into next. I was freaked out the other day when I saw Laurel had climbed 3 steps. She crawled off the bed on Valentines day. It gave me a big scare. She "unearthed" a tooth and a half that weren't visible before and took her first trip to the dentist at 7 months of age. She just started to clap her hands today for the first time and has started to say "bababa and dadada"in the past week.

Yum, Cookies!

2008-02-13T15:05:00.004-05:00

We had a 3 year old little boy and his family come over to play games and eat chocolate chip cookies. The little guy felt like sharing his cookie and fed Laurel 1/4 of it when we weren't watching. Laurel wasn't quite sure what to think of it. I had to capture this picture of her first taste of chocolate. It was pretty comical.

Donkey Riding!!!!

2008-02-13T14:52:00.002-05:00

Heather's brothers convinced us to take a donkey ride before leaving Utah. Heather's stepdad owns 3 donkeys. "I can't imagine how Mary must have felt riding all those miles 9 months pregnant on a donkey. Thank goodness for cars and modern medicine."-- Heather.
Heather's brother Nathan wanted to dress up in a robe on Christmas Eve and go knocking door to door looking for room in the inn. We're not sure he would have made it home that evening. Someone would have felt sorry for him. We got caught in a snow storm on the way home from the family Christmas Eve party and it was cold out.

All the friends BIG and small

2008-02-13T14:43:00.002-05:00

Weston's childhood friends get together every year for a Christmas party. Most of them live in Cedar City. This is most of the gang and their small children. Hopefully, we will see a few more kids added to the group next year.

Christmas with the Johnson Family

2008-02-13T13:37:00.007-05:00

Laurel and Isabella who is Weston's brother's baby. She is 3 months older than Laurel and was an expert crawler. It was fun to see what we could look forward to seeing Laurel do shortly.

We enjoyed seeing Grandma and Grandpa "J" at their house this time. It was nice to be home in Panguitch.

Calling Uncle Brian

2008-01-29T23:01:00.001-05:00

One of the highlights of Christmas was talking to Uncle Brian on the phone. He is serving in El Salvador. You could tell he has a love for the people there. He seems to be doing well. It was funny to hear his newly aquired latin accent. Technology is such a blessing.

Christmas Eve Party 07

2008-01-29T22:56:00.000-05:00

We went to the annual Christmas Eve party where Laurel was able to meet all the cousins and extended family. Jace was so cute to play with and be so kind to his little cousin Laurel. We had a great time with the family.

Merry Christmas!!!

2008-01-29T22:46:00.000-05:00

We had Laurel's 6 month pictures taken just before Christmas in her Christmas dress. This was the precursor to see how it might go. Not too bad for an amateur on the spur of the moment while Daddy was at work. It was tricky, because Laurel wasn't sitting up by herself, yet. She was crying by the time Mommy was finished. We got some cute pictures though, and the professional ones were nice, too.

"Blogged down"

2007-12-19T16:44:00.000-05:00

Laurel in front of our Christmas tree.
Sorry, We've been "blogged down" with Christmas preparations, so our updates have been scarce, but we hope you enjoy the updates below...

Our 5th Anniversary!!!

2007-12-19T16:31:00.000-05:00

We went to Red Lobster for our anniversary. We enjoyed every last bite of the dinner, reminisced about the past, and were really thankful Laurel kept herself entertained while we ate. It was a memorable evening! Looking forward to infinite years together!

Friends at Florida Hospital East Orlando

2007-12-19T16:10:00.000-05:00

We took at little trip across town to visit Mommy's friends where she used to work. It was fun to see all the gang (minus Laura) and catch up. Nikki brought her little guy, Grant, and when Laurel saw him, she almost pulled his nose off. Oops!! Sorry Grant. You sure are a cutie!

Laurel and JessicaLaurel and Kaci

Well, the other day.....

2007-12-19T16:04:00.000-05:00

We had Weston's co-worker Ray, his wife Amy and their baby Alyssa over for dinner. The girls enjoyed "chatting" while we ate. It was fun to see the 2 little ones together, chewing on each others' toys and using all the vowel sounds they know. We had a lot of fun.

Little Caesarette Augustus

2007-12-19T15:56:00.000-05:00

"And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed"(Luke 2:1). Weston wrapped Laurel up like this in a blanket and I couldn't help but get the garland down. A Laurel wreath would have been more fitting, but this was all I could find at the time. It reminded me of years ago when my little brother Nathan was the cutest Caesar Augustus in the ward Christmas play.

Festival of the Nativity

2007-12-19T15:42:00.000-05:00

We went to the Festival of the Nativity at the chapel across from the temple. It was wonderful. There was singing in the chapel. We enjoyed the music and struggled to keep a straight face through a couple of the songs. It sure made the evening fun. People brought their nativity sets aquired from all over the world and displayed them. It was a fun evening and made the warm season feel like Christmas. The cultural hall was decorated with a huge tree and there was a live nativity. Below are some of the nativity sets that we found interesting.

A tiny nativity
A corn husk nativity...this was taken for Weston.
A nativity painted on rice. It had to be the smallest one we saw. We also saw a nativity made out of potatoes. They had crafts for the kids and a manger dress up, they also had "Joy to the World" and other church videos playing. The church was beautiful. We didn't stay for the Christmas devotional, but that was later on that evening. Everyone got a cookie as they left. We look forward to going next year and bringing a few friends with us.

Let me have some!!!

2007-12-19T15:12:00.000-05:00

Daddy was drinking and Laurel kept reaching, so he let her try it. Not too bad for a first try, just a little wet down the front. She had a smile after she was through and then reached for more.

Peeeeeek

2007-11-29T17:52:00.000-05:00

A BOO!!!

Double Trouble

2007-11-29T17:40:00.000-05:00

Mommy doesn't like me to suck on my thumb and fingers. I like to sneak them in my mouth every chance I get. Look at this trick Mommy! It is my thumb and toe at the same time!
Mommy says, "AHHH! Get them out of there!!" Mommy has been trying to stop me from birth. Aunt Eileen says she's fighting a losing battle, since she, my Grandma Helen, and their brothers all sucked their thumbs. Mommy forgets I'm already an expert. Remember those pictures you have of me in your tummy with my thumb in my mouth? She is still bound and determined not to have a thumb (or toe) sucker.

Bath Time

2007-11-29T17:28:00.000-05:00

Laurel peeks through the towel after her bath. She enjoys kicking and playing in the water. I can't wait til she can sit up because she gets pretty slippery in my hands in the tub. She likes to reach for her temperature duck, which floats away as her hand gets close, then she is really on a mission to get it. Hold on tight Mommy!

Posing 11.24.07

2007-11-27T16:39:00.000-05:00

This is one of my favorite pictures of Laurel. People often tell us she looks like the Gerber baby. Others say she has pretty eyes. This picture seems to capture her features. I think she's beautiful...but then I'm the mommy.

Rocking?

2007-11-27T16:34:00.000-05:00

Daddy Time

2007-11-27T16:30:00.000-05:00

It must be Wednesday! Daddy gets to spend one on one time playing with Laurel while mommy goes to Young Women.

Tickle Time

2007-11-27T16:10:00.000-05:00

Laurel has the cutest smile and loves to be tickled. I think I enjoy seeing her smile as much as she enjoys the tickles.

Feeding Time

2007-11-27T15:58:00.000-05:00

Laurel has been eating rice cereal and stage 1 foods for about a month now. She likes carrots, beans, and peas. She didn't seem to like squash, but we aren't giving up on that, yet. We started spoon feeding her when she quit sleeping as well through the night. She was waking every couple of hours to eat which was a change for us. She seems to enjoy eating. We don't usually give her the spoon.

Citrus Tower

2007-11-27T15:21:00.000-05:00

We went to the Citrus Tower in Clermont November 17, to see the orange groves. It was only fitting since Weston works for Minute Maid. Most of the groves are gone and have been replaced by houses and shopping centers. Weston took time to point the limited groves out to Laurel. We enjoyed the lookout from all sides. The view was amazing!!!