Managing Time!!

So I figured out why I have such a hard time keeping this blog updated. I think I have a problem managing my time. I think I need to set aside time once a week to make myself sit down and do this (even if I don't have pictures). That is another problem by the time I download my pictures then it has been so long since things have happened I figured that too much time has passed. Well anyway I just thought I would let you know that I am trying my best!! I am not even sure if anyone is even reading this anymore, but if you are thanks for sticking with me.

So an update on the family, Jared is working lots still in between jobs and have to work both of them, so it makes him extra busy. Also Jared and his brothers are having a book signing in Seaside this weekend. When he found time to help write a book with his brothers is crazy to me. Jared also has a new calling, he was just called as a Ward Missionary. These pictures are from when we went on a hike on Bridal Veil Falls

Lexi is coming to the end of her 1st grade year and is excited already about next year and being a second grader. She has lost two teeth and has a bunch of other ones that are loose. In school she was complimented on her handwriting skills and how well she can write. I was really proud of her. Lately with every one's birthday coming up in our family, she has been saying how it is not fair that she has the last birthday in the family. We try to explain to her that we all have to wait a whole year for out birthday's and she does too. Lexi also had her 1st grade music program. Where she got to play an instrument and sing for us.

Spence just had a birthday a couple of weeks ago. He is now a 4 year old!! He is such a big boy and helps me out during the day while Lexi is in school. He was so excited to finally turn 4 because his cousin Billy who is 5 weeks older then him turned four and kept telling Spence that he was 4 and Spence was only 3. So he was really happy to say that he was 4 also. With it being his birthday he got to stand up in front of everyone in Primary for the first time to have them sing Happy Birthday to him. He was so excited about that and told us all about it after church. Another funny thing about his birthday is when I asked him what he wanted for his birthday breakfast, he told me he wanted Captain Crunch with Crunch Berries. I told him he could have anything and he said that is what he wanted. He is so silly!! He had two parties and cakes, one with friends (Scooby Doo-my sister Michelle decorated that cake, so talented) and then a just our family party.

Bella is grown so much lately. She has started to say or attempt to say words for things. She has also successfully taken a couple steps all by herself. She is still really wobbly, but gets real excited when she does take steps. I have seen her take 6 steps all by herself without help. She is growing up so fast and will be turning one here in a couple weeks. She is such a happy baby and loves her sister and brother. Church time is really hard on Bella, it is during her nap time and she will not fall asleep for us at church so we end up walking the halls or trying to make her happy enough to stay in class. I hope this ends soon so that it will be better at church. Just this last weekend with it being so nice we decided to take a trip to the beach with the kids. Bella had her first official trip to the beach and she loved walking on the sand and didn't mind the water to much either.

As for myself not much of an update just trying to get through each day and keep the kids healthy and happy.

I guess that is an update for now.

7 C's Books

Okay - shock of all shocks, but I (Jared) am actually blogging this post on Patti's blog. She declined to write this for me, so I had no choice...
:-)

Anyway, I wanted to let those of you who did not already know that two of my brothers and I wrote a book. It has been published, and is due for National Release on June 3rd. If any of you want to take an advanced look at it, click on the 7 C's Books link under Patti's links (on the lower-mid left hand side)

The book is called Dead Reckoning and is a Sci-Fi (semi Space-Opera) novel.

The book is available for preorder from our website for any interested in doing so. We will be having a book launch party out in Seaside, OR coming up soon for anyone interested in an excuse for a beach trip.

Thanks all, and I hope all is going well for all of you. I had been accused by some of not letting people know about it, so I figured I would cheat and post it so none had an excuse to not know...

:-)

Talk to you all later.

OMSI Trip

We took a trip to Omsi during Spring break. It was a mad house while we were there, but still fun. The kids really enjoyed it and we got a membership, so that we can go back often. They liked looking at the dinosaurs that they had on display. They also enjoyed playing in the ball area and lots of other things. It was Bella's nap time, so she slept most of the time. Something else that happened during spring break was it snowed. I captured a couple of pics with the kids outside while it was snowing.Billy and the kids outside by the dinosaur

Billy (cousin), Spence and Lexi watching the T-Rex

Lexi and Spence doing a puppet show

Bella tired and wanting to sleep

Lexi and Spence outside while it was snowing

This is what the cars looked like. Didn't really stick.

Happy 8th Anniversary!!

Jared and I celebrated our 8th Anniversary this last month. We didn't get any pictures, but I just wanted to say how much I love my husband and what a great man he is. We got a babysitter for the night and went bowling. We hadn't been bowling since Lexi was a baby and we use to do it all the time while we were dating and after, but just didn't get a chance. That was really fun and harder then I remember it being. It took a lot of muscles that I don't use that often I guess. Then we went out to dinner at "The Roadhouse". That was really good also. Then we took advantage of having a babysitter and went to Fred Meyer and walked around and pick up a couple of stuff. It has been 8 wonderful years and I look forward to many more years. I thought I would share some pictures of what we looked like 8 years ago on our wedding day. Sorry they are scanned in and not too great of quality.

On our wedding day!

Looking toward our future!!

I absolutely love this picture. We have a big one of it on our wall.

This is us on our Honeymoon. Yes, we both have changed a lot!!

New Job again and Easter

Well okay, so I did forget. Oh well at least I do it like at least once a month. Well things have changed yet again. Jared has a new job. I know what you are thinking he already had a new job, well he got another promotion. I am not sure of the actually title, but he is now over a bunch of IT sites and will be traveling some, but when he is not traveling he will get to work from home. There will be a lot of traveling at first to get things set up at these sites and then we are hoping not too much after that. Right now he is still working his other job and this one, so it has been super busy around here. With him just starting his job and I have only had one occasion so far to deal with him being gone. I think I did OK though.

Now for an update on the kids. Lexi has lost her second baby tooth and thinks it is the best thing in the world. Spence is seems is becoming such a big boy and helper lately, I am really loving that. Bella is crawling all over the place and is loving that. She is also doing this new thing where she will stand up next to the furniture and then let go and just stand there without holding on to anything. She gets so excited when she does this and starts waving her hands like she is waving. It is so cute, I will have to try and get video or at least a picture of her doing it.

As for Easter we had a great one. Lexi decided that she really wanted matching Easter dress with Bella. So I told her that we would try and see what we could find. So I tried Burlington Coat Factory. And I found matching Easter dresses for the girls they looked adorable. Then we also found Spence the cutest vest outfit. Check out the picture below. We were in a rush to get to church, so I didn't get that great of pictures of the kids in there outfits. Oh well such is life. Also the day before Easter we had our annual Easter egg hunt with my family. The kids really loved that of course and we had a great time having a BBQ afterwards.

Bella at the Easter egg hunt

Spence looking for eggs

Lexi climbing a play structure to find eggs

Lexi, Bella and Spence before church

Lexi and Bella in their matching outfits

Spence looking like a little man

Lexi with her missing teeth

See I didn't forget!!

Sorry no pictures again, but just thought I would give you guys a quick update on what is going on. We finally got moved in, but still living in some boxes. Just haven't found the time to get them all unpacked, between cleaning the old place and sickness and doctor appt. I haven't had too much free time. We went to our new ward this last Sunday and it is really different from our old one in Aloha. The youth including YW and YM are like 3 active, that is crazy to me coming from a ward that had such a big youth. The primary is fairly big, though not as big as our last ward. It will just take some getting use to. I noticed in the ward there are either older couples or younger couples with younger children. But the ward seems very friendly and I am looking forward to getting to know new people. The move went pretty smooth for the most part we had a bunch of family helping and a few friends. Thanks all those that helped it is amazing how much stuff you have when it is all in boxes!! During the move Lexi lost her first tooth and was so very excited about that. So the tooth fairy visited her at the new place. Lexi is adjusting to her new school and loves riding the bus to and from school. Previously being like 3 blocks from school she hadn't had that experience yet. Bella just had her 9 month appt. and she is still like 5 lbs smaller then Lexi and Spence were at this age. Though I don't mind. She also as two teeth on the bottom that she got a couple of months ago. Spence is doing well is coming up on his 4th birthday and is getting really excited about it. He also was pretty excited about being in the same class as his cousin Billy at church. Another thing that Spence loves is the fact that he has his own room (Lexi and Bella are sharing a room now). We are really enjoying our new place and Jared only be 10mins away and can come home for lunch sometimes. I guess that is it for now. Hope this finds everyone well.

We are Moving!!

I know I haven't blogged in like forever and there is really no excuse except for being busy and just not finding the time. And then every time that I thought I wanted to blog I was overwhelmed with trying to catch up with everything that has happened since Thanksgiving, so I will just say we had a great Holiday season and enjoyed our Valentine's Day!! So to get to the point of why I wanted to blog was to let those of you that don't know that we are moving. Jared is moving to a different building in his company, which is over in Gresham, so the commute would be a bear if we stayed out here. So we decided to move to Gresham!! Jared new job is basically what he is doing now, but with a bigger place, people under him to help and a pay raise. Today was his first day in Gresham and this weekend we will be moving over to that side of town. We had our last day at our ward this last Sunday, which was very sad. We have lived in this place for 5 years and it is hard to move on. Lexi will have her last day of school at her old school on Thursday and hopefully start her new school next week sometime. Lexi was sad about leaving all her friends, but now is excited to meet new friends and go to a new school. We also found out that the place we are moving to is in my sister's ward, so that is exciting also. Spence isn't having too much of a problem with moving, he just wants to make sure that everything is going with us. Sometimes he will ask randomly if certain things are going with us like, "Is this fork going with us". Jared and I and even Lexi thinks it is funny. Bella has no idea what is going on and probably will not be affected until we actually move into the new place. I am excited to get out of the place we are in and move into a bigger place. So I guess that is it for now. I am really busy packing and getting ready to move, so I might not blog until after the move. I promise my Farmington Ward friends and all my other blog readers, I will try and do better at blogging so you know what we are up to. We will miss our Farmington friends!!