Pictures Out of Order

Dallin's 1st bday (Feb 2011)

My sweet Ashlyn

The new cut!

Jade's 3rd Bday (Jan 2011)

I got my haircut!! (March 2011)

Catching WAY up

(We didn't mean to have Kenneth and Dal wear the same color, but Dallin spit up and that was close by)

(This pic is a little old, probably 4months old, but SO funny. Jade did it)

Okay so it's been forever since I last posted anything. I have so much catching up to do it's not even funny. Where should I start? Okay I'll start with the usual, the children.

Ashlyn: Ashlyn is now the proud loser of two bottom front teeth! I know, shocking she's old enough to be losing her teeth. But here we are two dollars poorer and she's two dollars richer. She also has four more loose teeth. We LOVE asking her to say words that begin with "sh." lol. Yeah. That's right. We pick on our children. Anyway she loves showing everyone. She is doing quite remarkable in school and likes her teacher. She has friends at school and church and has adjusted well. She is very smart. And honestly is one of the most beautiful 5yr olds I've ever seen. EVER! Sorry I don't have a posted pic yet, but I will soon. She is still super tall and looks older than she is.

Jade: Jade is completely potty trained!! We got that finished up in October. YAY! It was a beautiful moment. Jade is still extremely narrow as ever and tall. You probably wouldn't recognize her. Her hair is so long now and she talks like a big girl. Most ppl confuse Ashlyn and Jade's voices on the phone. She is still our biggest tease. We continue to work on numbers and letters and all that fun stuff. She catches on quickly, the problem is her stubborn personality. lol. Everything has to be her idea. You can just imagine our fear of her teenage years. She's a happy little girl and has also made friends at church. She keeps us on our toes with her little adventures around the house. And of course we still can't keep Ashlyn or Jade away from Dallin, not that we would. They just love him SO much. They are both very nurturing. This morning I heard Jade talking to Dallin and she said, "Baby I'm you're best friend." It melted my heart like butter. It was just so sweet. Hopefully that will last a long time!

Dallin: Dallin will be 10 months old next week! Time has gone by so fast. He was 4wks old when we left for TX and now we are soon aproaching his first bday. He crawls everywhere. He's pulling up on his knees and if we had more carpet he would probably already be pulling up to a standing position. He has his two bottom front teeth, (his were coming in good when Ashlyn lost hers. Funny to watch). He has the sweetest smile ever. Every night when I tuck him in I always whisper in his ear, "Good night baby. I love you." And for the past like 3 months after I say that he will grab my shoulders and pull himself closer to me. He hugs me! I'm not even kidding. It's the sweetest thing on the planet. I love him so much. I already feel that he and I have a strong relationship, it's very special. He is a very layed back baby. He's down with whatever. He is a lot like Jade was as a baby. They also resemble one another the most.





Kenneth: Kenneth is staying busy with work as usual. He's doing well and enjoying his job. He is now serving as the Secretary in Elder's Quorum. He plays bball every Tuesday and enjoys that. He is ready to take up running again. He has been going back and forth with working out at the gym. They started doing it together as a company. His family will be coming to TX this year for Christmas with the exception of one sibling who just had a baby. So we are looking very forward to that. He hasn't seen them in awhile so this will be nice for him. He is such an amazing husband and provider for our family. I truly appreciate the things he does for us and the sacrifices he makes for us. He is the love of my life.

Me: My life seems to have changed so much this past year. First I was uprooted from the only place I've ever lived. Then I lived in a horrible apartment. Now we are in our house and have been since Sept 6. We LOVE the house and the kids do as well. It's the perfect place for us. We are anxiously getting ready to paint and decorate.

My first calling here in Texas was as the Laurel Advisor. I was happy to serve the YW and was so nervous when the Bishop asked to see me and Kenneth about 4wks ago. He told me I was being released, (my first emotion was sadness, and pleading in my mind please not primary) then he told me it was because he had another calling to extend and that it was a big one. My next emotion, OH CRAP! I immediately knew what it was then. I am now serving as the Young Women's President. I so did not see that one coming! As scared to death as I was I am really loving it. The girls are so great. I love them so much. I had so many fears, and still do have a few, but things are going well. I have an amazing presidency. My sister-in-law (Sarah) is serving as my first counselor so that is tons of fun! We just recently had a Friday and Saturday stake girls camp, (they had Trek this past summer and the stake still wanted them to get together). They learned quickly how crazy I am. Enough said. I'm really looking forward to the wonderful experiences I'll have and the relationships I'll gain with these extraordinary YW. I was praying for spiritual growth just before I got the calling, if this doesn't do it I don't know what will. lol. But I do know that this is why we moved to Texas.

The family is happy to announce that we will be visiting South Carolina on December 28-January 5! I cannot wait to go home. It will be so amazing to drive around and KNOW where I am and where I'm going without using my GPS. lol. I cannot wait to see my family and my little neice and nephews born just before we left. I miss everyone so much. It's so hard knowing that my friends back home are pregnant and living life and I'm not there to help and to live it with them. It sounds like I died, but you know what I mean. I miss everyone. I also really miss Bo*jangles and La Brascas. I'm looking forward to eating that wonderful unhealthy goodness. I look forward to seeing everyone very soon!

New Pictures!

So Dallin is getting SO big! On June 14 he rolled over for the very first time. It was awesome because I was sitting right in front of him when he did it. I'm just loving him! And my girls are So great! We are still having an attitude problem with Ashlyn, but I'm praying. lol. Anyway, enjoy the pictures and I hope to be taking some new ones soon, probably this weekend. Have a great Independence Day everyone!

Okay the picture is a little fuzzy but still SO cute. Jade swimmin'.

Is this a mischievious face or what?

What a big boy!

I went to a luncheon and came home to find EVERYONE asleep, (Dallin is in his crib which is beside our bed).

I LOVE this picture of Ashlyn. I think she is just SO beautiful.



Everyone has to have at least one of these pictures. Sorry your tub is pink Dallin, it was Jade's and I didn't want to buy another one just to have it in blue, you'll grow out of it in no time.

Random Pictures

G.G. and Dallin after his blessing Feb. 21, 2010.

I told Jade to smile, she had other plans, but Brooke listend well.


Okay so he's pretty much the CUTES little boy ever! If only I could stop Jade from sharing her girly toys with him.

Jade posing for the camera.

Ashlyn is in LOVE with her baby brother. She's the best big sister ever! She burps him too. It's great!

They had so much fun taking these pictures!

Again, I can't keep Jade from sharing her girly toys. He really doesn't seem to mind though. Don't worry, I won't let this become a habbit, (sorry about the pic, I couldn't get it to stay rotated).

Jade at the Easter Egg Hunt at church here in Beaumont, TX.

CRAZY

Well we've made it to TX safely. I have SO much to blog about and so little time to do it. There are so many things to catch up on. I have SO many pictures to post! Kenneth surprised me the other day. He came home from work and after dinner went to his truck and when he came back inside he brought in with him a new computer, printer, etc. and a GPS (for my lack of sense of direction). He's the best, and not just because he bought me something. It's been So great being together again. I feel like my world has been sown back together again. I was really starting to lose it. I'm still trying to get the kids back on their routine. We had SUCH a great one before and then after we sold the house and moved in with my mom things got a little off track, but now they are WAY off! Little by little we're getting closer.

Okay so about TX. I live in the best area! The mall, Target, Bed Bath and Beyond, Hobby Lobby, Babies R Us, Toys R Us, Kohls, Ross, Pier One, The World Market, Wal*Mart, Kroger, the movie theatre, our bank, and a little putt putt place are ALL around the block from our apartment! The whole street on both sides is lots of shopping centers. I know, I am in SO much trouble. lol. I am also in trouble because there are SO many One Way streets here. I get confused easy enough, sure lets go ahead and make it more confusing. Thank goodness for the new GPS. Our ward here is really nice. There are lots of young couples here with children and if you know Kristina Tuttle Cash, she will be joining us here soon. What a small world! I can't wait! There is another young new couple from SC that just moved here too. I don't know her and her fiance, but I've seen her around at church at Stake things. What's up with all of us South Carolinians moving to TX? Beaumont for that matter. Who's ever even heard of Beaumont, TX? I surely hadn't until the job offer. I did very well the day we left. I cried while saying good bye to everyone, especially my Grandmother. She told Kenneth she would try to stay alive long enough to see her great grandchildren again. That was a dagger to the heart! Her bday just passed. She is 89yrs old and just as funny, sweet and beautiful as ever. Love her! I haven't broken down yet emotionally. I think it's because everything is still new to me and I feel like we're on vacation in a VERY small condo. lol. I'm sure the first time I get lost somewhere or the first holiday I miss it will hit me, and probably hard. I do miss everyone, don't get me wrong. I'm just still having fun experiences. That and I'm sure Heavenly Father is still uplifting me, but I'm nervous about when and if that will wear off. We shall see.

The kids updates are as follows:

Ashlyn is almost five and the BEST big sister EVER! She loves her little brother. When he cries she is there ready with pacifier in hand. She is very helpful with feeding and burping him. Though I do have to get on to her about picking Dallin up when I'm not in the room. She won't walk with him, (any more) but she sometimes doesn't quite have his head supported the way I'd prefer. Scary. I know. She is a wonderful big sister and huge helper. However we are still having issues with the attitude. I know this probably will not go away until she's like engaged but still. Today's attitude problem went as follows:

Me: Ashlyn are you picking up your toys like I asked?
Ashlyn: I am not going to clean up my room. I am not going to help you. I am not going to listen to you.
Me: Ashlyn listen to yourself. Do you hear how rude and disrespectful you sound? That's NOT how you talk to me. You just lost your toys.

For some reason she didn't see that one coming. As far as Jade goes we are still just as cute as ever! Seriously it's hard to resist her charms. She is the BIGGEST tease ever. She too LOVES her baby brother. She really enjoys putting the pacifier in Dallin's mouth, even when he's fast asleep and doesn't seem to want it, she will shove it in. Poor Dallin. She will also take the paci and put it in her mouth backward (with the nipple of it hanging OUT of her mouth) and run. She knows she isn't allowed to do it so of course she does it anyway. Oh that girl is gonna give me gray hair and soon too I can feel it. I've been working at being more consistent with her. I got really slack with both of the girls while Kenneth was away. I am paying for it now! They are protesting hard, but I'm not pregnant or recovering any more and they are astonished at how fast I am! lol. Jade is talking SO well. I wish y'all could hear her. She's still stubborn so don't ask her to say anything because it has to be her idea, but I did get her to say the prayer at bedtime tonight. It took a LONG time to get her to repeat what I was saying, but when she did it was the sweetest sounding thing ever. She and Ashlyn share a room and we put Jade in a big girl bed as soon as we moved here. Lots of adjustments, but she's doing quite well.

Dallin is smiling at us now. I love him so much. I can't explain it, but the love you have for your son really is different. Not more or less, but different. I am loving it so much. He is now 7wks old. He is such a good baby. He goes to bed around 10 or 11pm and won't wake up again until 5 or 6am. Occassionally at 4am but usually 6am. The thing that really gets me is that it's been this way for several weeks. He was born a sleeper that's for sure. Then again I have also worked hard at keeping him on a schedule so I will take credit for most of it. He is so layed back and easy. Too bad he'll soon be following the rebels that are his sisters. I just want them to be close and to be friends like me and my sibblings. Dallin was a bit on the small side after all of the feeding issues but he is quickly advancing. His cheeks are "puffier" now and he is filling out quite nicely. He is SO tall! He has the longest fingers EVER and I'll be sure to post pictures soon.

Well this is a short novel so I'll stop here. We love and miss everyone back home. Please keep in touch everyone.

Heavy Thoughts

I finally did it! I finally got a car/minivan. I will never forget the day that Kenneth suggested that our next vehicle be a minivan (Ashlyn was a baby at the time). I told him I would NEVER drive one and that I was too young to be behind the wheel of one of those things. LOL. Boy am I eating my words now. Let me be the first to say that I LOVE this Odyssey. The purpose of our new car is for me and the kids to be able to get around without having to worry about the car cranking or stopping etc. and for us to have a safe way to travel to Texas. Ah, Texas. The place that will take me away from all that I have ever known. From my roots, the state that I call home and the family that I want to spend eternity with, that I was raised with, that love me. This may be melodramatic for some, but I am not the wandering type. I love where I am and I'm with the ppl I love and that love me so why go any where else? That was my way of thinking. I haven't been thinking at all about how real it is that I'm moving so far from my family. I haven't been thinking about not being able to call up my nearest and dearest friends to see if they want to bring their kids over to play, or have a girls night. I haven't been thinking about my new neice and nephews that will grow not knowing who Aunt Heather is or my older neice and nephew who will miss me, but especially my children. I haven't thought about all of the bday dinners for my sibblings and their spouses that I'll miss out on. Or Mother's Day and all other holidays I will miss. My mom gives the BEST hugs, I'll miss those a LOT especially on those hard days. My sisters. Oh my sisters! We are so close and I'll be out of the picture missing everything. My little sister is a new stay at home mom. Who will she hang out with and run to when she's going stir crazy or needing help? Who will Wendy and Matt play "Hand-n-Foot" with until 4am? My girls won't be able to visit Aunt Amy and Jade will REALLY be asking where Uncle Matt is now! When Amy and Matt expand there family where will I be? When Dallin starts showing his personality and growing who will I show it to and who will get just as excited as I will? I haven't cried yet because I haven't allowed myself to think about the hard stuff so that I can avoid the feelings and tears. Well now I'm lying because while writing this I began to cry and honestly admit that I still am. I know it sounds really dramatic, but please bare with me as I "spread my wings and grow." I don't know what is in store for us in TX, but it's obviously important that we go. Otherwise we wouldn't have sold our home in 7days, we wouldn't have found the perfect apt., I wouldn't have found a reliable vehicle and the buying process would not have been SO easy. I wouldn't have recieved all the help that I have and I wouldn't be having the wonderful experiences that I have. I KNOW that this is what our family is supposed to do. Of course I could just tell Heavenly Father no thank you and that I'm going to stay here with my family where I'm comfortable. It would be REALLY stupid, but I could do it. But I won't. I know that we are going to gain experiences in our life to teach us and help us grow. We will face trials, and we will be prepared for them because of these experiences. I know all of this to be true. And more importantly I know that my Father in heaven will be there all along the way holding my hand and my head up. Now I just have to think of a way to not break down completely infront of my children after saying good bye to my family. If they don't cry I can probably manage it. But if you know me and you know how sensitive I am to feelings and emotions, then you also know that the rest of my family is the EXACT same way. Hmm. Maybe I should have my brother-in-law Jim drive the car away until I can gather myself. I'd hate to wreck my new car because I couldn't see through all of my glossy tears. I don't see a cop having pitty on me for that one. Well enough of the crying and drama for now. This is what is on my mind tonight.

Baby Dallin Update

Dallin is now 2 and 1/2 wks old. Wow those two wks were like counting down to your wedding day, (the longest wks of my life)! So the mastitis was horrific and then Dallin decided he didn't want to latch any more and he and I would both get very frustrated and it was horrible. Needless to say I am now pumping. That electric double breast pump is the greatest thing in the world! The inventor of the breast pump is going to heaven. lol. While Dallin and I were going through our nursing trials he quit gaining weight. He didn't lose any, but wasn't gaining so I'll be taking him to the Dr. office for a weight check on Thursday. I've been giving him formula and breast milk. I started drying up so I don't make enough every feeding time to fill up his tummy. He eats 4oz! I thought at this age they only eat about 2oz, maybe he's having a growth spurt and trying to catch up on his weight. After giving birth we women are pretty hormonal, but I must admit that I don't think I have EVER cried so much. It was hard without Kenneth while I was having such a hard time. My mom has been great, but we really do NEED our husbands. Huh, they do serve a purpose! JUST KIDDING! I can't wait for next weekend to see Kenneth and finally be together with my whole family. So...it's time to brag on my boy. He is the BEST baby ever. The boy is a sleeper. Heavenly Father has taken mercy on my soul and given me a baby that is well tempered amid all the trials I'm facing. He is just so content all the time. Well, feedings are sad because he always gets a tummy ache after eating and burping. I'm not sure if it's because he gets breast and formula milk, or if he's just sensitive, I'm not sure. I'm considering changing his formula. We shall see. He's so sweet and cuddly and I am just really enjoying every moment with him. His sisters are so in love with him. Of course Ashlyn thinks she's a big girl and that means that she can hold him whenever she wants no matter if I'm around or not. Scary! We had to lay down some serious ground rules. Jade goes to him all the time and rubs his face or head and says, "Hi baby!" or "Hi Dallin!" Oh I wish you could hear her say it, too cute. He's very patient with his big sisters, well for now anyway. I love his LONG fingers and the way his hair comes to a natural mohawk (sp). He loves the pacifier and takes it SO well. He looks like three different ppl to me. He looks JUST like Kenneth. He makes faces that remind me of my older brother Jesse, and of Kenneth's little brother Kevin. He is one handsome fella. I think his hair will continue to lighten and he will be a blondie like his father. We are so in love with him!

We are currently looking to buy a new, used minivan. We found one we like and they are transferring it to Cola from Atlanta. I can't wait to test drive it. If I love the way it drives and feel like it's right we will buy it asap. My current vehicle will NOT make it to TX, muchless down the street. lol. I'm excited about getting a newer car. It surprised me with how excited Kenneth is about it, especially a minivan, but he is. We have looked at the Toyota Sienna XLE and the Honda Odyssey Touring and EX. We LOVE the touring, but it's the most expensive, so we're sticking with the EX. We like the Odyssey more and found a good deal on one, lets pray it works out. Well he just fell asleep so it's time for me to put him to bed and get some sleep myself. I'll update again when and if I have some time.