Celebrating the Beginning

Tomorrow is our 7 year anniversary. Here's some memories of how it all began:

Joel and I first met at our ward's Family Home Evening. It was a still life/fruit drawing activity. I was in the library (the U of U's) studying and then I looked at the time had the random thought, "I should go to Family Home Evening." So I did.

I was a few minutes late. Being shy, I looked around to see if there was anyone I knew to sit next to. There was I guy I knew, that kinda had a thing for me, sitting next to an empty chair. I sat there. I was not interested in this guy, so I turned and started to chat up the guy on the other side. That was Joel.

Joel, too, went by himself for no apparent reason (other than to meet girls, of course.) We talked. After FHE he acted all interested in the where the dorms were and what they looked like. So I invited him back to my place. We stayed a few minutes and then he invited me back to his place. (He didn't tell me then, but he wanted to show his roomate how easy it was to meet a girl and bring her home, so he needed me as proof.) We talked more. He said that he thought the perfect date was dinner and then a movie, so you could get to know the person and then cuddle up if you were interested or if not, you could sit back and watch the show. I remember sitting under the tree in the backyard, where there was this stone bench, and just talked. I got the feeling that he wanted to kiss me, but I thought maybe I was misreading his vibes, I just met the guy for heaven's sake. (He told me later that I wasn't wrong.) I thought he had a really nice smile. He was wearing a hat, so I wasn't even exactly sure if I'd recognize him if I saw him again.

That Sunday I was sitting at church with my roomate, Mandy Yeager, and that same guy from FHE came to sit with us, poor fellow, and Joel came and crouched in the aisle next to me to say hi and chat before church started. Then he took his seat in the stand, where he was sitting with the choir. That was nice so my roomate and I could chat and take a good look at him. He called me for our first date for the upcoming weekend.

As I said before, Joel had made it clear that dinner and then a movie was the way to go. I told myself that I wasn't going to kiss him because I didn't even know him to like him. He would have to hold my hand first. But it was just a date and I didn't like him. Before going too far driving in his car I decided that I liked him. Okay, but no kissing, he needed to hold my hand first. NO KISSING, MORGAN. HANDS FIRST. WHY ARE YOU LIKING THIS GUY ALREADY, YOU DON'T EVEN REALLY KNOW HIM? DON'T LIKE HIM YET!

Yeah, I liked him. So then came the movie....nothing...NOTHING!!! The movie ended. OUCH! Who tells a girl your expectations and then doesn't perform. So I told myself I like him and felt rejected because no moves were made. Geesh, good going. Just get me home. I set myself up just to be rejected so quickly.

We were play fighting back to his car, when he suddenly picked me up and ran to the car. When his put me down, he kissed my cheek. I was stunned! What?!?! Did he really just kiss me? But, you didn't make a move? Still stunned.

We went back to his house and then walked to the grocery store to get some ice cream. While walking he held my hand. Check. :)

I don't remember our first kiss. Is that bad? Who kissed who, who knows. But we were with each other, day in and day out, every day, since that first date. It's just history from there.

Happy 7 years, Joel! I love you seems to fall short in the way I feel, but I cannot think of anything better, so, I love you.

Are We Ruining Him For Life??

"When I kill an animal, first I'll saw off its legs so it can't run away."

"I need a gun in one hand and a saw in the other so I can kill it and drag it by its ears."

"Did you know that I told the baby chick, 'We are going to eat you soon' ?"

-Jack, age 3

The pig we were raising for friends met its end on Thursday. Jack eagerly waited for the mobile slaughter to come. As soon as the truck pulled up, Jack was out there with the guy from getting the pig out of the horse trailer (why the pig was in the horse trailer is another story entirely) to the hanging of the skinned, gutted, pig halves in the truck. After the pig was dead, Sage, Charlotte and I joined Jack to stand 2 feet away from the guy working and gawk. From start to finish was 30 mins, and it was morbidly fascinating to watch. I would ask Jack occasionaly how it was going, and Jack would enthusiastically say GREAT!

The funny thing to me is that after we watched the pig slaughter, we went to preschool where Jack was totally grossed out by the gluestick he had that was a little dirty and had little bits of old projects still stuck on it. He made a disgusted face and threw it in the garbage. Are we ruining him for life?

Just Different

I'm sitting in front of the computer but I'm just thinking, so I thought I'd jot my thought down, no particular reason, just because...I apologize in advance for the meandering and incohesiveness this post will take.

I love Joel. He sometimes surprises me how awesome he is. And no, that isn't meant to be a put down in any shape, way or form. He is a good daddy that loves his kids, but then sometimes he just blows me away how awesome he is. Like tonight, he did a simple but totally awesome FHE lesson. He does that. I usually get more complicated with the lesson, with print outs and games, but then Joel does it his own way and it is just so, so, well, perfect.

When Jack was first born, and even admittedly still now, it was sometimes hard for me when Joel didn't do things with the kids in a way that I would have done them or how I think they should be done. Like how to discipline, or how to soothe a child. Or even how to play (more what constitutes play). (This was a realization for me because I never considered myself controlling or inflexible, wanting things just-so.) I spend every waking moment with the kids, and of course, I do things the way I do them because I think it is right way to do them, and of course since I do it a hundred times a day, the kids being my only 'job', my most important one at that, I must be better at them. Better is not even the right word for it. They are my department. It is what I studied in school. They are what I devote my entire day to, day in, day out. I guess I felt that I knew what I was talking about and somehow my opinions were more correct. How I do things is the 'norm' and the correct way of doing them. He just comes in and just ruins our routine. But I've come to understand that doing it differently is not better or worse, just different. And that's okay. Just different. I have my strong points, but so does Joel. He sure does a lot of things in the parenting department (and well, to be honest, every other department I can think of) better than me. He can blow me away of how brilliantly he handles a situation or comes up with the most creative, perfect, solution - things I totally would never think of myself. And I've found that I don't know it all. (Gasp!) That is precisely why there are two of us, so we can learn from and play off of each other.

Joel, thank you for being an great dad to our kids. Thank you for taking time to teach them how to work and do the things you can do. I learn so much from you.

Little Miss Sunshine

(First fishing trip, March 2010)

I've been wanting to write about Sage for a long time. I was planning to do it when Sage turned 18 months back in January, but it never happened. And now, she is 21 months, and I feel that I've been neglecting to document her achievements and how much we utterly adore her.

This girl has really grown up and is the cutest, funniest, most independent beautiful girl. She is a talker and has SOOOOO many words. She has nice manners, always saying thank you. She is very clear about what she wants and doesn't want. She wants to do EVERYTHING herself, and gets mad when you try to help, yet isn''t afraid to ask for help. She still wants to do everything that Jack is doing, but definitely has her own independent thoughts. She is a girly girl that loves animals, babies, bags, clothes, shoes, and loves to to be adored. At the same time, she is a tough girl, loves playing in the dirt, jumping in puddles, working with tools and on cars, and is able to stand up for herself. I love that she is not a push-over.

The fact that she HAS to be sleeping with her arms around at least 4 stuffed animals makes me laugh. I love that the faster she tries to run, the more her hips shake and arms flail, but her speed doesn't change one bit over her normal walking speed. I love her sweet little voice saying "Ew gross" and her voice even makes whining sound cute (though not less annoying). I love that she dresses herself, usually getting Jack's clothes to put on (Jack says he's fine with that). I'm just totally in-love with this gorgeous girl, with the peaches-and-cream complexion, gigantic dimples, and striking eyes.

Sage, you make me melt. I love you.

Angel Baby

(click collage to see Charlotte at 4 weeks pictures in larger scale)

Angel baby strikes again...She went to bed at 9:30 last night, woke up at 5:30 (yes you read right, 5:30) to eat, and slept until 9:00. I did go in every 10 mins to make sure she was still breathing and the baby monitor was working. Wowzers! This is the first day that I haven't taken a nap.

First Scripture in Primary

The Flip Side

In the past week we have experienced the not-so-fun side of our lifestyle choice. We have had 3 turkey chicks, one chicken chick and one chicken die. Finding them made my stomach churn. Not so sure I'm tough enough to be a real country girl.

Singing Mishaps

(Easter 2010)

My mom and I have a shared trait, that is now obvious that Jack has inherited...

As much as I enjoy music, I have such a hard time understanding the words that are being sung. I ALWAYS hear the wrong words that lead for funny interpretations of the song. You only realize your mistake when you are singing your heart out and the person sitting next to you gives you the strangest look...Jack's has started small, we'll see if he grows out of it, but it just makes me giggle.

I Am A Child Of God: "Feed me, guide me..."

Baptism song: "Jesus came to John the Baptist...And was baptized by a virgin..."

Embarrasing Admittance

If you have seen me today, I'm sorry that I looked like a stick in the mud - I was! Now, please don't laugh (but if you do, your in good company.)

It has happened only a handful of times in my life...the first being in 7th or 8th grade when we were living in Australia. I called my mom to take me home early and all the teachers and office people who saw me tried hard not to laugh in my face. When my mom came she didn't even try to hide her laughter. Even yesterday when I called my mom to tell her, she again burst out in hysterics. Mind you, it is very funny to see me, but it is painful.

What is it you ask? I can't move my neck. It is stuck. Moving it hurts bad. So I have to turn my entire body around to see next to me. Thankfully this time it got stuck in an upright position. Yes, it doesn't always...For some reason or another I get muscle spasms in my neck. There is a technical name for what happens, but I don't recall. This started Friday night, but today was by far the worst day. It goes away after a few days (or up to a few weeks, I've heard).

So if I looked a little awkward and have a sour look on my face, please don't take it personally. Give me a few days... :)

1 week old

So, I'm a little behind. But I think I have a good excuse :)

Here is little Charly, when she was 1 week old, which was a few weeks ago...Charly is an angel baby. She is a good sleeper, very content, a good eater, is gorgeous, and we could not be any more blessed. I really just want to hold her and kiss her constantly. And so I do :) And she loves to cuddle back, so we make a good team.

Jack and Sage are both still so sweet to her. They love to hold her, and whisper sweet nothings into her ear. (Don't get me wrong, they totally are testing the boundaries, and then some, to make sure the rules are still the same even though the family dynamics are different. A lot of tears, defiance, and my temper raging, but it is hard to write about it now, seeing that it has been a WONDERFUL morning.)

Charlotte, my little peanut, it has almost been 3 weeks into it, but, girl, you are a very welcome part of our family. My heart and eyes are brimming with love and overwhelming emotion. I am blessed.