He's Smiling!

I keep trying to get a picture of it - but you'll just have to believe me: Jacob is smiling on purpose. There were always the little smiles that seem part of digestive pleasure or some heavenly dreams that babies enjoy, but he's started looking at me when I talk to him and smiling. I'm so anxious to show him off to family, but our plans are still in the air with trying to get everything ready for a buyer.

No real news on that front - We found out that Idaho State University in Pocatello has a program to help hospitals by allowing students to do their clinical hours at their own hospital, study with on-line courses, and go to campus once a month. So, really, once the house sells, we'll just be looking for an opening.

Beyond that, it's just windy as normal, and we woke up with snow covering the ground (always a possibility in Wyoming!). I'll try to get some pictures soon.

Birthdays

We have some big "Happy Birthday"s to send out:

Happy Birthday to Grandma Vickie - We so enjoyed your visit last month. Thanks for taking the time to come and see us - Hope you had a special day!

Happy Birthday to Uncle Ben - We love your calls and letters - You put a lot of effort into keeping in touch, which makes you and your family seem a little closer. Have a great b-day!

Happy Birthday to Cousin Vincent - This is the big #3 - I hope you get lots of cake and fun gifts from your wonderful mom and dad - the three of you mean so much to us - thanks for always coming to visit when we go to mom's house!

The Exodus

Gabe is so funny - Here's a picture of his lovely napping pose...
This is Jacob's "Mommy's Frog Prince" outfit. The hat's too big and came off as soon as the pictures were done. I don't know if you can sell but the feet are webbed and so cute, as is the little darling wearing the outfit.

Well - In case you haven't heard our big news - We're moving. I'm sure you're thinking - Where to? Well, so are we. We've narrowed it down to Idaho and we're looking at a few different schools and the areas that surround them. We have started spreading the word that we'd like to sell our home. We're offering it at a price that we think will sell quickly and then, we'll just wait and see. We may have some crazy "in-between" time where we'll be living with my parents until we get a place. We may also go somewhere just to get residency for a time.

The Idaho relatives have been tons of help - Thanks a bunch!

As you can see from the picture, we have boxed up a lot of stuff and sent it out to the garage and I (with all the ecstacy that comes from the big change) have labeled each box and cataloged them in a nifty excel spreadsheet. This is in hopes that our house will look bigger with all our crap out of here. And any time I can arrange it, I have been trying to get rid of crap we don't need and either send it to the Thrift Store or the junk! It has to get the ok of my favorite Pack Rat first - and he keeps finding reasons to keep things "just in case".

So, we'll let you know...

Happy Birthday Jonathan and Aunt Shayla!

While we don't have a picture of Aunt Shayla's birthday, here's the dinosaur cake that Jonathan wanted this year. It's actually a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting that I tried to dye brown for the dirt (but I ran out of red and it looks more like the mud that Garrett puts on the sheetrock downstairs), so I decided it was sand, instead of dirt and covered it with green coconut grass. It was yummy! Our next door neighbors came over and helped us eat the cake.
This is some of Jonathan's b-day presents - his new clothes (Thanks for the website Aunt Jenn!) and a Transformer's backback from his little friend.
We love Jonathan and are so glad that he's been part of our family for the last four years. And we are glad that Aunt Shayla lets us share her special day! Happy 28th! You are truly a blessing in our lives with you and your family's wonderful examples and fun movies!

March Activities

Well, we've been busy doing construction on the bathroom. We (as in, mostly Garrett) replaced the tub insert, the toilet, the linoleum, the sink faucet, the bathroom mirror (adding a cabinet). Everything looks really nice. The boys had in the worst, because we gated them into their room so they wouldn't get into all the nasty stuff that Garrett was using. But they were creative and sat in their buckets (buckets that hold all the toys you see in the background). Gabe can get all the way in, and Jonathan gets stuck. And our growing little boy is dreaming of all the great things he's going to do or about how great his mommy and daddy are!This is Sunday - Jacob's first time going to church. Don't they all look so handsome!
Garrett was holding the baby Sunday night and I took his picture. Although both pictures here are with his eyes shut, he really is opening them a lot. If we could just get rid of the thrush and move on, I think his eyes would be open more.

Interesting Personality Test

This was kind of interesting and fun. If all of the eight desserts listed below were sitting in front of you, which would you choose (sorry, you can only pick one)!

1. Angel Food Cake
2. Brownies
3. Lemon Meringue Pie
4. Vanilla Cake With Chocolate Icing
5. Strawberry Short Cake
6. Chocolate Cake With Chocolate Icing
7. Ice Cream
8. Carrot Cake













Once you've chosen one, scroll down and read your what psychiatrists would say about you (according to an email I received).










1.. ANGEL FOOD CAKE -- Sweet, loving, cuddly. You loveall warm and fuzzy items. A little nutty at times. Sometimes you need an ice cream cone at the end of the day. Others perceive you as being childlike and immature at times.

2. BROWNIES -- You are adventurous, love new ideas, and are a champion of underdogs and a slayer of dragons. When tempers flare up you whip out your saber. You are always the oddball with a unique sense of humor and direction. You tend to be very loyal.

3. LEMON MERINGUE -- Smooth, sexy, & articulate with your hands, you are an excellent caregiver and a good teacher. But don't try to walk and chew gum at the same time. A bit of a diva at times, you set your own style because you do your own thing. You shine when it comes to helping other s and have many friends.

4. VANILLA CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE ICING -- Fun-loving, sassy,humorous, not very grounded in life; very indecisive and lacking motivation. Everyone enjoys being around you, but you are a practical joker. Others should be cautious in making you mad. However, you are a friend for life.

5. STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE -- Romantic, warm, loving. You care about other people, can be counted on in a pinch and expect the same in return. Intuitively keen. You can be very emotional at times but a true person in every way. You like to do things for yourself and help others learn about themselves.

6. CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE ICING -- Sexy; always ready to give and receive. Very creative, adventurous, ambitious, and passionate. You can appear to have a cold exterior but are warm on the inside. Not afraid to take chances. Will not settle for anything average in life. Love to laugh.

7. ICE CREAM -- You like sports,whether it be baseball, football, basketball,or soccer. If you could, you would like to participate, but you enjoy watching sports. You don't like to give up the remote control. You tend to be self-centered and high maintenance.

8. CARROT CAKE -- You are a very fun loving person, who likes to laugh. You are fun to be with. People like to hang out with you. You are a very warm hearted person and a little quirky at times. You have many loyal friends. You were meant to lead and teach others. A wonderful role model.

Quote from Faust

Someone sent me this quote today and it was good for me to hear, so I thought I'd pass it along. It comes from a talk entitled "A message to my Grandaughters" from the September 1986 Ensign:

But, my dear granddaughters, you cannot do everything well at the same time. You cannot be a 100 percent wife, a 100 percent mother, a 100 percent church worker, a 100 percent career person, and a 100 percent public-service person at the same time. How can all of these roles be coordinated? Says Sarah Davidson: "The only answer I come up with is that you can have it sequentially. At one stage you may emphasize career, and at another marriage and nurturing young children, and at any point you will be aware of what is missing. If you are lucky, you will be able to fit everything in." (Ibid.)

Doing things sequentially—filling roles one at a time at different times—is not always possible, as we know, but it gives a woman the opportunity to do each thing well in its time and to fill a variety of roles in her life. A woman does not necessarily have to track a career like a man does. She may fit more than one career into the various seasons of life. She need not try to sing all of the verses of her song at the same time.

The Book of Ecclesiastes says: "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven." (Eccl. 3:1.)