New Blog

I have a new blog.  I will keep posting pics and updates on this one, but my new one is more like a journal/mom stuff.  I find myself needing to write down things I am learning--it's therapeutic.  So that is what the new blog is for.  And hopefully I can pass on my "wisdom" (ha ha) to other moms and give them some advice.  Check it out:  http://juliasdailyjournal.blogspot.com/ or just click on the "New Blog" title above.

Kids Really Can Sleep Anywhere....

So we had the missionaries over last night to show us and some friends of ours the "Better Way to Baptize" video.  It was a great video of how to share the gospel with our friends and acquaintances.  I really did enjoy it and the kids were so good and listened the whole time.  But it ran into bedtime as I knew it would.  As soon as Mark left to take the missionaries home, I got to work putting the kids to bed.  I got the kids down, finished the few remaining dishes and then sat down on the couch with my computer for a few minutes.  Next thing I know, here come little footsteps down the stairs.  Joseph has this knack for stalling bedtime for hours.  Well last night he wanted Buzz fruit snacks.  I told him he could have them if he got in bed.  Usually he says ok and jumps in bed and then falls asleep and I never get the "chance" to take him his fruit snacks.  Well that didn't work last night.  He wouldn't get in bed.  So then he asked for chocolate milk--same results.  I wasn't in the mood to fight with him, so after a few failed attempts of trying to coax him back in bed, I just ignored it.  Wonderful mother aren't I?  Anyway, Mark got home about 20 minutes later and I told him I thought Joseph was still on the steps.  Mark told him to get in bed, but got no answer from Joseph.  I knew he was still there because I never heard him go back upstairs.  This is what I found.....

Trying to Catch Up

 I have no idea where the past two months have gone. This whole year has just flown by so far. We have had a ton going on and I probably should have dedicated a post to each one. But instead, you are getting the condensed, picture version. McKenna celebrated her 9th birthday on May 4th. I can't believe she is 9 years old! She is such a sweetheart and such a huge help to me. She loves taking care of the babies and they love her to death! Then Mark celebrated his 31st birthday on May 14th. He was so excited because I got him a radar detector. I thought that might be a good idea seeing how his speedometer hasn't worked in ages. We really can't afford a ticket! :) McKenna took 2nd place in the 3rd Grade science fair. She pulled iron out of cereal with a magnet. She loves science and had a blast doing the experiment. She gets all those science smarts from her daddy. Ok, what else? Oh, Mark has now been the bishop for two years. He was called on June 8th, 2008 so that is a cool milestone. And today we went to Jacob's kindergarten graduation. I will spare you the details of that chaotic, unruly, unorganized event and just tell you how proud I was of Jacob! He is such a smarty-pants. I don't know what to do with him! Tomorrow (the 11th) is the last day of school and I haven't figured out what in the world we are going to do all summer. Any ideas of the inexpensive variety would be greatly appreciated!!! Kaitlyn's last day of preschool was actually last Friday. She was sad, but so excited to go the new school in the fall. Plus, grandma and grandpa took her up to Charleston on Saturday, so she didn’t have much time to be sad. She swam, shopped, played on the playground, got Baskin Robbins and McDonalds and got whatever she ordered from Grandma's kitchen for dinner. She even got to visit Grandpa at school and learned how to run the heart-lung machine. She got new shirts, socks, dresses, flip-flops, an Ariel microphone and coloring books. SPOILED!!! She got back yesterday and I am glad because I sure missed her!

We had a fantastic barbeque at our house on Memorial Day with some awesome friends! We had ribs, hamburgers, hotdogs, watermelon, chips, potato salad, and homemade ice cream. It was a great party, but I was so busy enjoying myself that I forgot to get my camera out. The weather here has been unusually hot for June. It has been 80 degrees at 8:30 in the morning when I take my kids to school and into the 90's during the day.

Well that is a short summary of a very hectic last few months. Here are the pics which say it a lot better than I do. I know I have missed a million things like Lora's baby shower and Mother's Day and Katy's program and field day for McKenna and Jacob. But I got what I could!

Happy Birthday Joseph/Happy Easter

Easter Sunday was a busy one at our house. (I know, I am about a month behind on updates--sorry!) Not only was it Easter, and General Conference, but it was Joseph's 3rd birthday as well. We had a fantastic day celebrating both. The kids woke up that morning and ran in to show us their Easter Baskets. They were thrilled with what the Easter Bunny had brought! They ate candy and played with their new things while Mark and I watched conference. Afterward, Mark's parents and grandmother came over to celebrate with us. We made ribs for lunch (we don't do traditional Easter meals around here) and while they were cooking, the kids had an Easter egg hunt. After the dust settled from that, we ate, blew out candles, ate cake and opened presents! Joseph is obsessed with Lightning McQueen, so that was his party theme this year. I can not believe my little boy is already 3! He is a sweet boy and is so lovable! He just walks in the room, puts his arms around my neck and then asks for a kiss and leaves. He loves to help me put clothes in the washer and dryer and fold towels. He thinks he owns the DVD player and every DVD that we have to go in it. He makes me smile! Happy birthday Joseph--I love you!!!

Happy 1st Birthday Janie and Harrison

I can't believe how quickly my babies went from this.........

to this.............

They have gotten so big so quickly I can hardly believe it. Those two little rascals were only just over four pounds at birth and barely that when I brought them home. One year later and wow! You would never know they were preemies. At their 12 month check up, Janie weighed 18lbs 12 oz and 30 inches. Harrison was 20lbs 12 oz and 29 1/4 inches long. We celebrated their birthday in Charleston and made a nice long weekend of it. It was a much-needed break for us as a family, and a blast for the kids at the birthday party. The babies were so entertaining eating their cake. They each had a birthday cupcake and Janie devoured hers and even tried to eat the candle and paper. Harrison was only interested in the icing and eventually started eating the plate. Janie was given Harrison's cupcake after he was done and she ate that one too. That's my girl! We had to bathe them before we commenced with the presents. They were actually completely uninterested in the presents, and the other kids opened them all. We had such a fun time. I didn't want to post a million pictures, so I made a video of them. Hope you enjoy!

Where to start?

There has been a lot going on in our household lately, but most of it is just everyday life. So there is not too much excitement to blog about. But I will give you a rundown of our last couple of months. The first thing I will say is that we were all extremely saddened when Mark's grandaddy passed away on February 11 following open heart surgery. He was 80. It was such a terrible day and Mark was with him when he slipped away. Mark had been visiting him every night after things were calm here. He would help me get the kids to bed and then drive to the hospital to visit him although grandaddy was unconscious. I know it meant a lot to Mark to be there during his last moments even though it was tough at the same time. He had a beautiful funeral two days later. We all miss him terribly. He was really the only grandpa I had a relationship with as my own grandparents died when I was young and lived half way across the country. The hardest part for me was having to tell my children. They took it pretty hard. And at the end of the graveside service when they were covering the casket up with dirt, Kaitlyn kept asking me what they were doing to the "cookie man." She had seen his body earlier and knew he went to live with Jesus, but she still is young and couldn't grasp the whole burial concept. But onto happier things so as to not make this entry a downer..........


On Feb 12, there was snow in Savannah.! Unbelievable I know! Mark and I were at a High Priest Valentine's party that night and someone came running in announcing that it was snowing. It really was beautiful and we haven't been to Utah to see snow for over four years, so it was great! But it was even better that it melted a day later and we didn't have to worry about all these southerners who have never seen snow before attempt to drive in it! Also at the party, Mark and I kicked butt at the newlywed game! We only missed two questions! I usually avoid playing those games and being the center of attention, but people always want to see the bishop participate in things like that so it forces me to get over myself and just do it. But I must say that I really did have a lot of fun, so maybe I won't be so hesitant next time.



What else, what else? Well Harrison thinks he is a big shot because he pulls himself to standing and cruises around all the toys and furniture. He did biff it once though as I was changing Janie's poopy diaper and he was shaking the back of the dining table chair. I told him to stop because he was going to fall. He grinned at me and then about four seconds later went crashing straight back, pulling the chair right on top of him. He freaked out, but besides a bruise and small bump on his forehead, he was totally fine. I'm a bad mother and had to giggle a little because it was kinda funny to see! Janie has finally started to show an interest in pulling up but hasn't quite figured it out yet. She is getting close though. But she has gotten four teeth up top so now she has six. That's a record for any of my kids at 11 months old. For McKenna, it's the most dreaded time of the year for parents: science fair project! I have put Mark in charge of this one since he is the science geek around here, so hopefully my job will just be the board. That, I think I can handle! I am attempting to potty train Joseph but he sure is stubborn. He doesn't want to go--he wants to wear a diaper. So until it's his idea to go, he will probably still be in diapers. Little stinker! Jacob is in the middle of taking tests for the gifted program next year. I have yet to figure out what to do with that boy and all of his smarts. One of his stories he wrote was submitted to the Georgia Young Authors writing contest as the only representation from all seven kindergarten classes at his school. We're excited about it! Kaitlyn is busy as ever. She loves preschool and went to Tybee Island beach with her class this week. She, unfortunately, was one of the kids that got pooped on by the seagulls. It didn't phase her though as she just took off her jacket and continued on having a great time. One of the other kids got pooped on twice on the head and the teacher got it down her back. So Kaitlyn was pretty lucky I'd say. I am including a picture of Kaitlyn helping in the kitchen. She LOVES to help cook and was begging to help at grandma and grandpa's house one night. Well Mark and I had bought shrimp for his mom to fry, so there was really only one task that needed to be done: peeling shrimp. She sat up on that counter and peeled every shrimp that grandpa de-veined. She loved it! She cracks me up!



The weather here is finally starting to turn to spring. It was 75 degrees 3 days in a row this week. The kids have had a blast playing outside. I bought them kites the other day so now we are just waiting for a bit of wind! Today is a bit rainy, but it is still pretty warm so I can't complain. I actually love it when it rains!


Well that about sums it up for us. I did get released as RS secretary this past Sunday, so for the moment, I am calling-free. But I have a feeling that living with the bishop is not to my advantage in a situation such as this. We'll see. Also I had two of my wisdom teeth extracted last Tuesday. I was supposed to have all four done, but it took the Dr over 2 hours to do my lower left one. There was a big hook on the root and it didn't want to come out. So they only did the ones on the left and I will go back later for the other two. It might be a while though as I am still recovering and poor Mark missed work all last week to take care of me because I was in so much misery. I am feeling a bit better, but my face is still a little swollen. Blah! Also, I am trying to get things planned for my babies 1st birthday. I can't believe they are almost a year old! I can't get over how fast this past year went. But I am excited for their birthday and think it will be so fun to celebrate two at once! Mark is doing well and is as busy or busier than ever. He works so hard at work and at church and home. I don't know how he does it, but I am grateful that he does. I also took the liberty of changing Mark's cell phone number, so if any of you need his new number, let us know and we'll email it to you. I hope everyone is doing well. Hopefully my next blog entry will come soon. Maybe the babies' birthday party.......

I haven't fallen off of the planet.....yet

Contrary to popular belief, we are alive! My life has been beyond crazy busy and blogging took the brunt of my slackerness. There is no way I can go back up and update since I lost blogged, so I will just give a quick summary. Mark made it home from Portugal and has started his job here. He really enjoys it and I love having a happy husband come home from work rather than the grumpy one who used to hate his job. It is fantastic! He officially graduated from Georgia Tech in December and now has his Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering from the 4th ranked Engineering school in the country! Not too shabby by my book (you can tell I am not proud of him at all!!!). We had a great Halloween and WAY too much candy as usual. We go to our trunk-or-treat as the bishop does need to be at the activities. Then we went through part of our neighborhood on Halloween just to be neighborly and meet new people, and then we also went to my in-laws and all the family around there. Like I said, too much junk!

Thanksgiving was a great holiday and always seems to be one of my favorites. Laura came down with her family from DC and we helped cook the feast we had at my in-laws house. We also went Black-Friday shopping at midnight at the outlets on Hilton Head. It was crazy, but fun for just the two of us to spend time together and get away from the kids for a bit.

My most amazing husband who detests chick-flicks, took me to see "New Moon" the night it opened. Friday, not the Thursday midnight junk--he does have his limits!!! Loved loved loved it so much more than "Twilight" and it followed the book so much more closely.

Christmas was fun and hectic and insanely busy! We had so much going on the months of November and December that there wasn't an open space on my calendar. Many nights we had 2-3 events going on at once. That got a bit tricky! We always have Mark's family over for our Christmas Eve dinner and it is so much fun. We ate on my China and had a big feast and sang Christmas Carols before everyone left. One of my most treasured Christmas traditions I think! The kids had a blast opening gifts Christmas morning and loved what santa brought them. It was a tough year for Santa, but the kids didn't seem to notice!

We also said goodbye to Zach as he headed to the MTC on December 30th. Not going too far though as he got called to the Provo, Utah Spanish Speaking Mission. So all you Utahns out there, keep an eye out for Elder Lowther and give him a big hug for me if you see him! We also got to watch Zach baptize his girlfriend Cassandra over Christmas break. It was a beautiful Baptism and the spirit was so strong! McKenna was brave enough to sing a duet with Zach and they did awesome! I was so proud of her for getting up in front of everyone. She is starting to come out of her shell a lot more!

We spent New Year's here at home with some friends of ours, Seth and Leigh Ann and their daughter Reilly. We put the kids to bed, except McKenna so she and Reilly could play, and we ate chocolate fondue with apples, bananas, oreos, pineapple, marshmallows and strawberries. We played Wii for a while and rung in the New Year then went to bed!

Everyone seems to be doing well around here. McKenna is really loving school this year so that is such a relief to me. Jacob loves Kindergarten and is flying right through the work they give him. He is not challenged at all, so I have been working on getting him up to 1st grade for part of the day. Kaitlyn couldn't be happier at Ms. Sheri's pre-school. Everytime I go to get her she says "ah mom, I don't want to go." Joseph stays home with me and is crazy as ever. He cracks me up and I love spending time with him. He is completely OBSESSED with Lightning McQueen. Obsessed I say! Janie and Harrison are getting so big. It's hard to believe they were these 4 pound little runts such a short time ago. They will be 10 months next week and are learning so much. They both army-crawl still and get up on all fours and just rock back and forth. They sit up now, but can't get into sitting position by themselves yet. Although, yesterday I found Harrison sitting in the middle of the floor and no one had put him there, so he has done it once! They obviously are still a bit behind in some things, but nothing to worry about as they were 2 months early. I haven't taken them for their 9 month doctor's appointment yet (I have been a month behind since Utah), but Harrison has to weigh a good 20 pounds, and Janie probably around 18. They're chunks!!!

I know that I have probably bored you, but I hope you enjoyed the pics!