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#1 - Daniel is now crawling hence the video at the bottom. He is getting faster everyday and it looks so darn cute, he especially loves to crawl to his mama!

#2 - Sarah is officially fully potty trained!!!! She was potty trained with #1 and at night time from the first week we started but #2 has always been an issue so we had pull-ups. We finally ran out and now she has no choice to go in the bathroom. THank Heavens!!!

#3 - I should have brought the camera with us Saturday. We took the kids roller skating for the first time. Megan and Joseph were a bit nervous and they were all excited. Sarah did great, it was like walking for her, I don't think she fell once! Joseph and Megan were getting good at the end but it will take a couple more times of going for them to really get used to it. They still had to have me or Brent to hold onto when they wanted to go out on the wood floor, on the carpet they did great. There was no way Brent and I were going to put on skates!

#4 - Enough with this snow already!! We have had sooo much snow it is ridiculous, good thing kids don't care as much about the snow as us adults, because they love to go out and play in it. The 3 of them went out and played for almost 2 hours last week, when it was warm enough! It has been fun for them, not for us!

#5 - Daniel is FInALLY sleeping through the night! I have not been one of those lucky mothers to have a baby sleep all night until they are 8-12 months. I don't mind getting up in the middle of the night and feeding them and having that precious cuddle and bonding time but around 7 months I am done! Finally physically exhausted so, I let Daniel cry the other night for about 30-40 minutes then remembered that his crib was still high enough that if he stood up he could go over the side, so after hearing him keep hitting the crib, I went in there and put his paci back in, held him for about 10 minutes and he was out. Every since then he has slept from about 10-11 to 8-9. I am giving myself this week to sleep until I have to get up and then next week I will be getting up early and exercising. Exciting huh?!?!?! (actually I am excited!)

#6 - I am also just about done nursering. Since he loves the bottle lots me than me and keeps biting me, I am down to 2-3 times a day for a couple minutes, pretty soon it will be once then I will be done. Kind of Bittersweet.....

These are some pictures of them playing outside

Notice the snow bank taller than Sarah?!

Sarah all dressed up ready to go out

what's going on????

Here are a few things that have been going on in our lives lately:

* from previous post, Brent's grandmother passed away and we went back for her funeral this past weekend. She was a wonderful woman and we will miss her songs and her feisty attitude. But we know she is in a better place and able to be more herself now!

*Brent's siblings all came for the funeral, they haven't all been together since 2002. It was like a little family reunion. His sisters, Stacy and Misty, flew in on Saturday and stayed with us that night, then Sunday his brother, Todd, flew in Sunday and we all caravaned down to their hometown together. Along with his other 2 brothers, Jason and Chad and his parents, plus a neice Holli and her adorable baby Mateo, it was a good get together at his parents house, not to mention all the other family that came for it, some of whom I have never met.

*I brought back our camera and video camera and didn't take many pictures and now of course, am kicking myself!

*Brent was called into the Bishopric, 2nd counselor. He was in the High Council for a year and now this. We knew it was coming so it wasn't a complete shock, just a little sooner than expected. I know he will do a great job. He has a strong testimony, he is organized, he has a great deal of compassion and love for people and he follows the feelings of inspiration he receives. I am so proud of him for being who he is and being willing and able to serve the Lord in this way.

*Many people have asked if I will be released from being primary president, my response "I hope NOT!" I love my calling and really don't see any complications with the two callings. The stake president said it was up to the Bishopric and their inspiration. I have been in primary for 5+ years and it just feels right. My patriarchal blessing actually says I will work with the youth in the church and when I was set apart as the president in primary, the blessing that I was given actually said a few parts from my patriarchal blessing. It was an amazing blessing and I know it came from my Heavenly Father.

*Megan is getting to the age where she likes to sit and listen to adults talk, she loved listening to us this weekend and it was great to hear her laugh and have a good time with us. She is such a wonderful sweet girl! Surprisingly she does not like to read very much, she is a FAntastic speller and gets 100% just about every week but doesn't like to sit down and enjoy a good book. She would much rather play that read. (as with probably most kids!)

*Joseph has discovered the fun in video games. He got a DS for Christmas and we have a wii, received a wii fit for Christmas, plus the Nintendo at his grandparents. He is turning into a good game player but now we just need to limit the time on them!

*Sarah is still her spunky little 3 year old self. Everyday she says or does something to keep us laughing. She put all her Polly pockets in our shoes last night for their beds. This morning we needed a few of the "beds" to wear to school, she wasn't to happy with us but said "OH Whatever!" all exasperated.

*Daniel is growing and growing. He loves his brother and sisters and gets excited to see them. He is also a momma's boy but sometimes he just wants dad to hold him and walk with him. He is getting up on his hands and knees more often and he loves to squeal. I am considering, for a number of reasons, weening him from nursing. It is a tough decision.....

These are just a few of the things happening in our lives, I could go on and on, but I will spare you all......until another time :)

Grandma Leonard

We lost a wonderful woman today...she was amazing and will be Greatly missed, we were so thankful to have her in our lives, We Love You Grandma Leonard!!!!

January 1, 1998

It was January 1st 1998. I don't remember who's idea it was to go spend the day downtown and hang out at the mall in Salt Lake City. We looked around for awhile but being broke teenagers we didn't buy anything, except a pretzel or two I think.

So we ended up sitting on a bench watching people walk by.
Previously we had seen some guys going up an escalator and we were going down, we looked at them, they looked at us, we thought they were cute.

So those same guys walk past us, they look at us and we look at them, smiling, a little flirting look. Then one of them said "Hi" and they walk out the doors and start across the street.
I don't remember all of who said what but I remember the "Let's go after them" "WHAT?!?" "They are to old for us" "We're bored, let's try and go talk to them?!"

So we briskly walk out the door in time to see them rounding the corner of Temple Square. "Let's cut them off on the other side!" We all take off running through Temple Square to cut them off.
We see them across the street getting into the car, "What do we do now?!" "Walk past them and say hi" We are so embarrassed. Somebody is saying "let's just go back to the mall."

I remember feeling nervous excitement. We walk past, they see us, we say hi, they invite us to lunch. They tell us they are going to the Olive Garden, I think they asked directions....? We run to our car and Finally after 20 minutes find the restaurant.

We go in, sit down and are seated half way across the room. A couple of them come over and talk to us, tell us they are from out of town and that they are members of the Church. We don't believe them....how could out of staters be members? Naive...us.

We agree to meet up later, hang out, go to a movie. The next day is the same, more hanging out, a movie, Ensign Peak. It was so fun, we thought we would never see them again. During one of the movies me and Brent talked most of the time, Dr. Doolittle, I don't think we saw any of it.

We exchanged #'s. They left to come back to Iowa......He called me the day after he got back....I had tried to call him but had the area code wrong.

We talked everyday after that, he flew back in February and March, I came to Iowa in April, he came back in May and proposed, June I came to Iowa again, July he came to Utah, August me and my family drove back to Iowa, September we were married.
12 years later, 4 wonderful kids, and I wouldn't have it any other way.....it was all so meant to be. I Love you Brent!!!

p.s. sorry no pictures, digitals cameras weren't back then and I haven't scanned any, I will have to soon so you can see how Brent still looks as young today as he did then!

p.s.s I am considering going private, if you are interested in keeping up, leave me your email

p.s.s.s the same day we met was the same day he decided to go back to church and become active, just hours before I met him. What a day!!!

Merry Christmas!

Birthday, Activity, Pictures, Etc, Etc.

Sarah recently turned 3 the day after thanksgiving. It was a long awaited day. Here is my poor, poor attempt at making a cake at my in-laws. It fell completely apart in the back so I tried to disguise it. It was Yummy though. I made the frosting with chocolate and powdered sugar and it was MMMMMMM. I am no cake decorator though.

Sarah didn't care what it looked like she just wanted to eat the frosting.

Blowing out the candles

Now she is going to stick her finger in it

Sarah didn't sleep so well the night before so she had a nap on her birthday. When she woke up I told her now she was 2 again, just to tease her since she has been so excited to turn 3. Now just about every day she asks me if she is still 3.....maybe I shouldn't have teased her?!

It turned out to be a fun day and she got what she asked for, Barbies!

Cheese!

We recently went to a nursing/rehab center to sing Christmas carols for our last of the year primary activity. It went pretty well, it was a good experience and I think the kids had fun.

We also took our Christmas card pictures and here are some of the attempts at getting a good picture. I will post the one we picked after I get them sent out.

This last one was my favorite (but not the one we picked), Daniel was telling us he was done and screaming. It was sooo funny.

Megan's glasses

I had a feeling Megan might need glasses for quite a while. I got glasses when I was in 4th grade and my eye sight is terrible. I showed the kids when I could see the oven clock clearly and I was pratically right on top of the oven. Megan couldn't see the clock clearly from in our family room so that was my first clue. So we took the kids in last weekend to have their eyes checked and sure enough......glasses are needed. So we got them a couple days ago and she loves them and she lookes adorable and now she can see!!!!





our big cat Winnie, she loves to sit like this and the kids think it is so funny!


and just a cute picture of little boy