Thanks Giving

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. So, since we already cooked our Thanksgiving dinner (we weren't sure what Tyler would be working this yr and he had a day off ) I am going to go ahead and share what I am thankful for a little early.

This year has been one of the best years of my life. I have so much to be thankful for! Having Tyler come into our lives was truly the best blessing we could have ever asked for. He is such a wonderful father and husband and is so full of compassion and love for us. Every one of our children brings so much joy into our lives. Children are the best gifts that God can give a man and a wife, and I am so blessed that he loved and trusted me enough to bless my life with 4 of his children. Tyler and I have been discussing a lot lately about how many more children we would like to have. It is so nice to have a husband who loves children the same as I do, and desires to add more children into our lives. We decided that in around a year from now if things are financially sound in our lives we would like to talk about having another baby. We realize that people thing we are crazy, but we don't care. :) We just both know that when our family is complete, we will know and right now we don't feel like our family is complete yet.

Being a stay at home mom for the last 18 or so months have been the most rewarding times of my life. For the first time as a mother I have been able to watch my children grow every day, at every moment. I have been able to be here for the bumps and the bruises, and to love and console and to watch the teeth come in and watch their first steps. Being a mother is such a wonderful thing.

I am also thankful for my mother and my father. Without them and their guidance in life, I might not be the mother that I am. I might not have appreciation for the little ones in my life. I am thankful for my mothers love of cooking, it is one of the things she passed on to me....because I do so love to cook. Cooking and food represent happiness to me (yes, I know that this isn't necessarily a good thing lol). My father is a very wise and spiritual man.  He has given me so many Priesthood Blessings throughout my life and I remember being so emotionally touched at each and every one of them. The Spirit of the Lord flows through my father very freely.

Savannah pointed out to me this morning that she will be in middle school in 2 years. At first I disagreed, mostly because I didn't think that there was any way possible..and then when I thought about it I could not believe that my little girl will be in middle school in just over 2 years! She brings  smile to my face when I see how loving she is with the babies. She is always doting over Jackson or Layla and loves to come into my bedroom in the morning and get her first smile from Layla. Jackson is so attached to Savannah as well. Every night he starts out in his own bed and by midnight he wakes up and I can hear him saying "Nanny, please" and then I hear Savannah wake up and say "Well, come here sweetie" and then Jackson tottles into her bed and cuddles up with her. She has been begging me to move Layla's crib into her room so that she can have Layla in her room too. I don't think she understands that Layla wakes up at night and isn't easily put back to sleep like Jackson is.

Carter is my most destructive child so far. He gets his little feelings hurt so easily, and yet he is such a rowdy child too. He can have some bully in him so we have to try and keep it in check.  He likes to say "But, Bbbbut" when asked to do something, but he always does it and does a good job at it. He says that he is Layla's favorite brother, and I think I might agree. Carter is always able to get the biggest smiles out of Layla.  It's fun to watch Jackson and Carter wrestle around too, Carter is often the one being asking for help first. :)  He has tried to eat our pet fish before he really understood that they were pets. He tried to eat our clownfish once but he said that he was too fast to catch (he had just turned 4 I think) and then he actually did catch a neon goldfish and put it in his mouth and chew it up before he spit it out. Yuck. Everytime I think about that I get the heeby geebies. He is very explorative and mechanically inclined.
Jackson is a cry baby. We love him anyway. He is also a screamer. We still love him anyway. Jackson is doing so well with his ABC's and lives repeating everything we say. His vocabulary grows daily and he is pronouncing words so well! He is also my most lovable baby. He loves to cuddle and give hugs. If there is anyone sad in the house he is always saying "awww, cry" and he will give you hugs and kisses until you feel better. He has a big heart, literally and figuratively. ;)

I am still trying to figure out Layla's personality. She is strong willed, and has little fear, but is also very spoiled. She has just started exploring the house and getting into trouble. She has the biggest smile and is very relaxed and "chill" most of the time. She's such an angel.

I am very thankful for my brothers and sisters as well. We, unfortunately, still aren't very close, but I love each and every one of them so much. It's strange to be starting my own familiy traditions here, so far away from what I'm used to. It's hard to be cooking thanksgiving dinner here, alone, when it used to be our family's most favorite holiday together. My mom cooks a magnificant thanksgiving dinner. Turkey, Salads, Pies, Breads, Rolls, desserts.  You name it, it's the best. Thank you mom for those wonderful thanksgiving memories.  It was very hard last year to be here while they were doing the family BINGO party around Christmas time.  I've missed it for 2 years in a row now :( Well, I send my love to you Jackie, Jared and Spencer and hope your families are doing well.

I am thankful for the love and support of all my other family members as well. Grandpa's, Grandma's, Aunts, Uncles and all alike.

Love,
Jessica

Report Cards!

Well, today the kids brought home their report cards and I'm very proud to announce that Savannah made the all "A" honor student list. She is so great at school and really does try her best and enjoys learning. Carter's report card isn't about "A"s but is "I", "P" and "M" which is slightly irritating because it "I" meant "introduced", "P" meant "progressing", and "M" mastered. Well, I find it hard to believe that Carter is only "progressing" at jumping on 1 foot. First of all, I can watch him jump on one foot all the time (lots of times in a row) and second of all...JUMPING ON 1 FOOT. Seriously, this is why I am sending him to school?! I can teach him to jump on 1 foot at home! Some of the other skills for Carter included: Balance on one foot, kick a ball (SERIOUSLY?), Gallop (isn't that for horses?), and skip. The more and more I think about this absurdity, the more and more I get upset. I don't know...maybe Junior Kindergarten wasn't such a good option for Carter, maybe we should have put him into regular kindergarten. I intend on talking with the teacher about my concerns on parent teacher night.

I have been extremely sick lately and haven't been sleeping much so it's become harder and harder to keep up with all the kids. We went to the hospital the other night because I couldn't breath. I was sent home with breathing treatments, cough suppressants, and inhalers. It's been 2 days of medicine to help with coughing and I have slept sooo good! Thank Heaven for medicine!

Our new household routines are going so well! The kids are waking up on time and getting ready when they are suppose to and things aren't so chaotic anymore. The dogs are being taken out for potty times, rooms are getting clean and beds are getting made! YAY for routines! Carter decided that he was a big boy and wanted to take a shower every morning just like Savannah and it's so cute to see him get all excited to get out of the shower and do his hair. He's such a big boy. He even likes to use some of Tyler's cologne. :) He says that his friend Jase always smells so good and that he wants to smell good for the girls too. Such a cutie.

Savannah has started to notice boys too. UH OH! She told me yesterday that all her girl friends are "dating" in her class and she didn't understand why she wasn't allowed to "date" or have a boyfriend because she was pretty sure that "Dakota" really likes her. LOL. I told her they didn't even know what dating is. :) Its funny how things in Elementary School don't change. Savannah still sings the same recess songs that I sang and they play the same games, and have the same silly rhymes. Oh to be young again.

We recently got some terrible news in our family that my grandfather, Frank is suffering from a very serious form of cancer and they don't expect him to live more than a few months. My heart is very heavy for my mother and the pain that she must be experiencing in hearing this news, and I am very saddened at the thought of losing my wonderful grandfather. My grandfather Frank is truly a wonderful man. He has an awesome smile and he can be very funny. With every one of the grandkids as babies he rubs their chubby little cheeks against his rough face because it always had a day or two growth on it. Some babies loved it, and some babies would SCREAM...either way...he loves loving on those babies. He has been enjoying life in Glenwood, Utah in the home that his mother lived in and the home that he grew up in. It's a very pretty home in a very lovely little town. I do so love my grandpa and hope that he is able to die without pain and can embrace the journey that is in his path and will live for all eternity in the presence of our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.