Pictures

Allie, Emily, Joseph and I went kite flying yesterday. I think Allie's neck started to hurt from staring at the sky because she just laid down in the field to watch her kite.

Joseph sat in his car seat to watch and Emily played with his feet.

He's such a happy boy!

Baby feet.

Emily found dandelions in the field. I wonder what she wished for. Allie's helping Emily learn to ride her trike.

Allie is such a happy helper and is always ready to try something new. She did a great job mowing the yard.

Emily loves to lay with Joseph in his play gym.

Joseph in his church clothes.

Isn't he handsome?

Emily helped herself to the cake.

Perfect Wife

My wife is perfect. I am so blessed to be married to her. She is the quintessential daughter of our Heavenly Father. She possesses the all of the most admirable qualities a wife, mother, and daughter should. Above all, she is my best friend and I am grateful every day that I get to start and end my day beside her. However, we argue a lot - or so Haley thinks. Last night while saying our family bedtime prayer Haley prayed that, "Mommy and daddy would not fight so much." I opened my eyes during the prayer when I heard that and so did Laura. She had a perplexed look on her face and I was trying to think of an arguement we've had. After the prayer Laura and I asked Haley why she prayed for such a thing. We asked her to give an example of our arguing. Her response revealed a lot about Laura. She said, "Daddy, you and mommy argue a lot about who is going to help. You say 'I'll do it' and mommy says 'No, I'll do it' and you say 'No, I'll do it, you rest' and mommy says 'No, I'll do it, you rest." Laura and I had a good laugh. I was happy to know that that was the extent of our arguing. I go to work and support our family and Laura stays home with our four children. Yet, when I come home she asks me what she can do for me. She wants to know how my day was. She is so selfless. She always puts others before herself. The good news is that our children pick up on that. They see us serve one another and I hope that when they grow up and get married they will argue about who is going to rest and who is going to change the 100th poopy diaper of the day. You see, Laura changes diapers, prepares meals, cleans house, and does a myriad of other things and I work. I work from 4:00AM - 8:00AM or 12:30PM, depending on the day. When I come home I want to help, but Laura wants me to rest. We argue about who is going to make my grits, eggs, and bacon. We argue about who is going to take Haley to school. We argue about who is going to carry the basket of laundry down the stairs. We argue about who is going to unload and reload the dishwasher. We definitely argue about a lot, but I'm grateful that it is not arguing, but pure and simple selfless LOVE. Laura, I love you. Go rest!

Sunset and a Storm

It doesn't storm very much in Utah except for snow storms. When we do get thunderstorms it's a real treat because you can watch the storm move across the valley. Tonight's storm is especially pretty. Not only can you see the rain coming down in sheets all across the valley and mountain ranges, but it's being illuminated by the sunset. It main the rain look orange! The pictures don't do it justice, but it gives you an idea.

You can't hardly see the mountain behind the houses because of the clouds and rain. You can see the rain really well in this one. (below) The sun setting at the end of our street.

Haley's Art

Haley has only improved as an artist in the last year. She definitely has an eye for detail and sees the world with an artist's eye.

I would call this piece contemporary art perhaps. She actually made it on the computer and Brent and I were able to save it. I'm frequently amazed at her work. She puts a lot of effort into her pictures. She colors for hours everyday. Currently she is illustrating a story that my sister wrote for an English class.

I think when we move I'm going to create a gallery wall in her room. I'll frame some of her best or favorite pictures and we'll accent them with some special lighting.

I keep wondering what Haley will be when she grows up. She's so talented in many ways. Someone suggested that she could become a famous public speaker after she gave a talk in front of all of the children at church during their sharing time. Most children, when asked to present a topic, stand at the podium with their parents or a teacher, but Haley practiced hard and didn't need our help at all. She stood very confidently at the front of the room in front of 50+ kids and told her story. She never ceases to amaze me!

Thank You Bubo!

I have to share this picture with my Bubo.

She bought these "Be Happy" pajamas for Joseph and last night I happened to get a picture of him smiling in his new PJ's. I think his smile could brighten anybody's day! Thank you Bubo!

Updates

On Saturday we took the training wheels off Haley's bike and she learned to ride without them. It was a funny and inspiring experience watching her. First of all, there were other neighborhood kids riding their bikes in the couldesac across from our house, so when Brent got the training wheels off, Haley took the bike from him and says, "Okay, I'm going to ride over there with them (the other kids)." She didn't have a moment's doubt that she would be able to hop on and immediately ride her bike without those training wheels. Of course, Brent and I let her think it was going to be that simple too. Haley spent all day getting on and falling off her bicycle, and as some of you know, she can be a bit of a drama queen. But each time she fell off, she didn't exaggerate her injuries. She cried for a moment, then got on and tried it again. I was so proud of her determination, we all were. By the end of the day Haley mastered riding her bike. She was so proud of herself and so excited to be able to ride her bike, she snuck out at 8 pm that night and rode it in her nightgown.

Joseph hung out in his swing while we watched the girls ride their bikes. He really enjoyed himself.

At Joseph's 2 month check up he weighed 12.5 pounds and is 24 inches long. He is a very smiley boy. He's always cooing and smiling. This is a picture of him in his church outfit. Too cute!

Brent and Allie had a nice birthday. Brent never cares much about his birthday coming around or any other holiday for that matter, but he did turn 30 this year. My sister Katie made Brent his own cake, butter cake with chocolate frosting, Brent's favorite!

Emily and Joseph

Allie and her new make up with Haley close beside her, ready to try it on. Grandma and Papa,

Just so you know, you bought Allie "TWISTER" for her birthday. I'll explain next time I talk to you, but she loved it. We played as a family last week and it was hilarious. It's been good for the girls, teaching them left from right.

Katie also made Allie's birthday cake. It says, "Happy Birthday Allie Alligator". Allie has had a fascination with alligators and other creepy crawly things lately, so she had an alligator cake for her birthday, which she loved. All the alligators were made out of frosting, so they were lots of fun for Allie to eat.

Hopefully I have redeemed myself today as a daughter, grandaughter and even great grandaughter. We miss everyone and are excited to see you soon. For those who haven't heard, we are officially moving back to Alabama this summer. HOORAY! We can't wait to see all of you, and yes, Brent and I have already discussed taking a trip to Floriday so Great Gran, Bubo, Aunt Ann, Uncle Scott and Aunt Kelly can hold our newest baby, Joseph.

Joseph today

This is Joseph today. He'll probably look different tomorrow. He was very good boy last night and only woke me up once at 4:15 this morning. He's also a good eater. He takes 5-6 ounces of formula every 3 hours and that's in addition to nursing! He's getting some meat on his arms and legs. He's not smiling much, mostly in his sleep, but he's a happy baby and is content most of the time. He loves to ride in the car or be pushed around in the stroller. Now that the weather is warmer, Joseph, Emily and I walk to pick Haley and Allie up from school. We're all having a good time together!