Welcome to our World

I lost my wedding ring. Yeah, see that in the picture? The ring my husband saved up for while he was still in college & I was on my mission. It's gone. The last time I saw it was the day we left for Utah to spend Thanksgiving with Dan's family. After combing the house & the van (including taking apart the bathroom sinks), we've given up. We were sick about it (still are). I convinced Dan to just buy me a fake one even though he said I needed a real one because diamonds are forever. I said I didn't deserve another diamond. He said he didn't think I would loose another one. We couldn't find a fake one small enough for my finger anyway. One night when my parents & our family were eating out at the mall my dad saw me looking at wedding rings at Kay Jewelers. Somehow I had failed to tell my father about loosing my ring. After recovering from the shock, he told me his father had given him his mother's engagement ring. I went to my parents...

Isn't it obvious we're crazy about this guy? Happy Birthday, husband of mine.

A time to take a picture of the frig before clearing it off to begin again... a time to visit the dentist & shock the world at your bravery for the promise of going to Wendy's & seeing Sister Johnson afterward... a time to show off your new tooth brush after your 1st ever trip to the dentist with a GQ flare... a time to discover the yumminess of yogurt... a time to get your first black eye (from crashing into your big sister's window seat)... a time to be adorable. And Dan & I get fresh starts with new callings at church as well. Dan is moving up from Primary to Sunday School teacher after being there for 4.5 years. I am moving from Primary to Young Women's after serving there for almost 9 years. I was kind of hoping for a 10-year pin or something. lol. I could not be more surprised or pleased to be the new YW President with the best counselors & secretary ever. The girls are great, especially the Laurels (ages 16 to 18), who I get to spend the most ti...

Well, it came a week after I wanted it to (& Dan had been praying for it to), but better late than never! Happy New Year's to us! Danny experimenting. Danny noticing snow up his mitten. Danny telling Daddy about the snow up his mitten. I don't know why that cracked me up so much. Kaelah was so funny about rolling off the bushes into the snow. She was giggling & having a good ol' time. I'm so grateful my big girl loves snow. She even got to go sledding at preschool. And Michelle enjoyed watching. She is the perfect little sister. These pictures were taken January 3rd. I thought the auto setting was on... I kind of like the artsy feel, though.

The pediatrician & I couldn't believe it was time for Michelle's 9 month & Danny's 18 month check-up already. On December 30th my suspicions were confirmed that Danny only weighs 5 pounds more than his little sister. He still has 5.5" inches on her, though. With Michelle weighing 20 pounds & still mostly nursing it is no wonder I can eat all day every day! She is a super crawler... ...and is pulling herself up constantly. (Here she's wearing a dress I wore as a baby.) She also has fallen in love with Daddy's hats. She loves it when he & I wear hats & when she gets a turn too. Michelle is also great at initiating peek-a-boo games, transferring objects from hand to hand, separating mom from dad, banging objects together, saying syllables, feeding herself, watching objects fall, & showing separation anxiety. And her big sister adores her still, yet, & always. Kaelah gets a big kick out of dressing alike. Danny doesn't have a ...

I truly adore photo greeting cards. They all get the royal treatment by hanging on the refrigerator for as long as possible. I did notice this year, however, that the percentage of cards without a letter to go with it made me kind of sad. I can't complain since I didn't write a Christmas letter either... until now. January began with the blessing of Danny J. here at home. I love our ward/congregation. There are so many neat people that I was happy to share the special event with. With the close proximity to our traveling for Christmas I forgot to send out invitations. I suppose our middle child might already be used to this kind of forgetfulness. By February I was finally willing to announce our pregnancy with Michelle online with the only good pregnant belly picture we took. Now that everything has turned out okay I have to laugh because it might be difficult to convince Michelle she isn't adopted. In March the big day arrived. I woke up on a Saturday morning at t...

We are so blessed.