Don't eat that Cafe Rio!

Also on a side note I have lost 15 pounds since my 6 week checkup in November. *pat on the back*

Christmas

We really enjoyed Christmas time this year. We tried to emphasize to Jack that Christmas is Jesus's Birthday. Jack was also "escited" to know that Santa would be stopping by his house. Christmas morning he comes and and just stares at the tree for a minute with no expression, then he looks over at me and asks "Santa?"
Earlier in the season I took Jack to Cal-Ranch to pick out what kind of tractor he would like for Christmas. We looked at tractors with lights, and buttons, and sounds, and trailors, and moving wheels, and big tractors. I thought we had picked a pretty good one out with lights and sounds and a trailor and it was pretty big. As we are leaving the aisle he sees this old Model G tractor. "No MOM!! A GRANDPA TRACTOR!!" It was love at first sight, he wanted a tractor just like Grandpa Miller drives. Not huge, no lights, no sounds, no bells and whistles.... just like Grandpa. And he couldn't be any happier with it!

December Continued...

Funny little Luke.

The hat was another attempt to get the scratching to stop.

Dan has been doing the electrical in the basement. Jack asks Dan "dad, make a basement?"

Jack and Ellie

I just think these two are the sweetest cousins ever created.

December

You are probably shocked that I am updating the blog... I have nothing better to do with my time. December 26th I had surgery to remove an ovarian cyst and my right ovary. Can I just tell you how wonderful it is to have family that takes such great care of us? Mom and Dad Miller were so great to let us stay the night on Christmas Day and then to tend the kids, and again help me out this weekend. And my mom came this week to help at home, so basically she doesn't let me do anything but play on the computer, which is nice so I can heal. Where would we be without our moms and moms in law? Jack has been having issues sharing gram this week. "put Luke in bouncy??" or if Luke is having a bottle Jack insists on sitting on the other half of gram's lap. Poor Gram.

So lets see what happened in December:
We put up the Christmas tree. "Oh boy! Mom Christmas! Escited Mom?"
Jack's eyes alight with the wonder and magic of Christmas, those bulbs burned bright all month. Diane (mil) one day got out a little nativity for Jack to look at and play with. He knew who Mary was and also Joseph. Grandma asks "who's this?" Jack shrugs.. "the baby."
Luke is becoming more and more aware of his surroundings. He had his 2 month checkup and weighed in at 13 pounds. He is a healthy little guy.
However he is insane when it comes to scratching himself. I know babies do this a lot but this kid is CRAZY! whenever he is tired, hungry, sad, waking up he is scratching his head or pulling his hair. His poor head got so bad that I've recently been putting socks on his hands to help. He is looking much less like a cat scratching post lately. Boy does this kid love the bouncy. Best invention EVER.
We went to visit Gram and Papa in Utah for a week. It was really fun to see family and to have a family dinner together. One night we went to the Spanish Fork Festival of Lights. It was really cool, Jack was all over that! However with all the lights we were thinking a seizure might be on the way!
My two cute boys! In their matching Christmas outfits.
Jack was "SO ESCITED"to hold Luke all by himself. He did a good job.
My mom and dad have a ridiculously huge play on horse for the kids. But they love it, it looks just like Papa's horse Butter. We also got to go watch Papa rope, its always a good time. Dan took the week off (mostly) and he helped my Dad drive propane truck or paint or do heating duct work. Im sure there was a lot of Mt. Dew and Jerky involved. ;) We also got to go to a yummy shrimp dinner at Grandpa and Grandma's house (I know how lucky and I 2 shrimp dinners in one month!!) Jack loves his cousins, Ellie and Jack just run and play and laugh, they are so cute together, Im glad Jack is over the shyness and Ellie doesn't have to hold his hand and lead him away to play anymore!

Luke's Blessing Day

The first Sunday in December we blessed Luke Richard. It was a wonderful day spent at church and with family. I love that my husband is worthy to hold the Priesthood and to bless our children. He gave Luke a wonderful blessing. I appreciate all the love our family has for us. Our house is smaller but it was fun to have cousins run and play and to eat together. Mental note for next time to have a baby in summer it would make it much easier. My dad also bore his testimony, it was very touching to me. He mentioned how he noticed in our home we have pictures of the temple or how we are trying to do what is right by reading our scriptures. Just little things around that he noticed and it made me feel good inside and made me want to try to continue to do what is right, makes me wonder how my Heavenly Father feels when we are keeping his commandments. (Side note: Thomas said I looked like Mrs. Claus... haha)

November

Doing more tummy time together. Jack is always wanting to know what Luke is up to. And if there is any drool Jack is the first to clean it up. I've been asked how it is having 2 kids. I'd say its just fine, but of course it does take more time to accomplish anything. And the thought of going anywhere might talk you out of going altogether.
We celebrated Dan's 30th bday!! OLD MAN!! My mom refers to him as a gadget man, and of course he wanted a new gizmo for his birthday. So the loving wife I am was up at 4am buying a kinect on a thanksgiving day sale. We couldn't leave Jack out so for an even funner bday for dan he got Once Upon a Monster Sesame Street kinect game. Lucky Dad! I am sure you can see the enthusiasm.
Luke getting so big at 2 months, sitting in the bumbo chair. I love the bumbo, for all those in child bearing years I would totally suggest it.

We did Thanksgiving dinner with Kara and Aaron, it was a lot of fun. Then Kara and I hit the black friday sales at walmart at 10, childrens place at 12, jcpenney at 3. It was brutal, but totally worth it. Walmart was insane, I totally was crushed in the wake of insane people getting video games... but I get the one I wanted after some bartering with other people.

Halloween

This was the first year we carved pumpkins. It was pretty exciting, Jack was pretty concerned about the mess the pumpkin was making. And he wasn't really sure about the the slime. But once it was all said and done and a candle lit, it was really neat. On a side note, I wish I would have taken a picture of the finished pumpkin, it was really sad looking! We will have to work on our pumpkin carving skills this year. And this is what Luke was doing during all the festivities...
Dan is pretty stirct on what is acceptable for a boy to be for Halloween, he says nothing Lame or feminine or girly.... So I thought ok how can i do something MANLY! What is more manly than a mountain man?
Jack was pretty excited about the toy gun. And just look at that little bottom, how is a guy in his long johns not adorable?
And again what Luke was doing during all the fun...

October 2011

Here are a few pictures from October:
Jack helping Luke with his tummy time.
Jack is finally brave enough to be hung upside down, Dan really had to work with him so he wasn't a scardy cat. And now what is more fun than being hung upside down by your toes and having daddy blow raspberries on your tummy? One day while Luke was napping in his crib this is how I found Jack, with his reading lamp on and just reading a little of the Book of Mormon to Luke.Looking back to October it is crazy to think how little he was. Luke is still a great easy going little fella, he likes to eat and he likes to sleep.

Jack the Tractor

Wade, Grandpa Miller, Jack

Daddy and Jack

As many of you know Jack loves tractors... shocking i know! Anyways my mom recently asked me why when he is pretending to be a tractor or playing with tractors he doesn't make the normal tractor sounds like boys do like vroom rrrrrrrr brrum brum... you know. I told her because to him all tractors sound like the old 1950's John Deere tractors that he drives with Grandpa Miller and with Daddy... All tractors say "bbbbbrrr Pop Pop... Pop Pop... bbbrr Pop Pop Pop Pop......"

My mom just laughs every time he being a tractor, he is very vintage you know!

Jackisms

I just don't want to forget these:

outlets are called pluggers

snaps are snappers

Mom go to hobsibal? (hospital)

In a coupa days....

Haun the Sheep (shaun)

Mom play on homputer? (computer)

(doing electrical with dan) Mom, make a basement?

These ones are from the past but I still love them:

Shonun (lotion)

jack really tawerd (tired)

it really ouchy

actually

I know I am forgetting a lot, if you know any can you comment them? thanks

Work Party

Last night was dan's work party, it was a lot of fun. We got to see Santa and get a present and candy cane and eat yummy dinner and cake, and play a present exchange gift with the adults (how did I end up with the BYU cougar gnome?? dan says we'll use it for target practice) and then we went bowling, Jack LOVED bowling, it was super fun, he had a lane all to himself. When Santa visited all the children he asked them to go up on the stage and sing jingle bells with him. So Jack actually went up, but Santa was one the right side of the stage with all the kids singing, and Jack was all by himself on the far left... thats as close as he was getting by himself, it was pretty funny. We were just excited he actually went up. He wasn't scared of Santa when he visited him with Dad, and he actually smiled at him.
So that night for our prayers it went like this:

Dan: Dear Heavenly Father
Jack: Dear Heavenly Father
D: Thank thee for the gospel
J: Thank thee gospel
D:Thank thee for the prophet
J: Thank thee prophet
D: Thank thee for the fun party
J: Thank thee fun party
D: Thank thee for our family
J: Thank thee Santa.....

Guess Who is Smiling!

Mr. Luke!

Family History

As some of you know I am my ward's Family History Consultant. And I am in a rut. I really have been struggling for the last year or so with finding a way to magnify my calling. I really do want to do my best and do what I am supposed to be doing, not just having a calling and not doing a thing about it. I've done a little work with teaching indexing and a youth fireside, and a couple fifth Sunday lessons on indexing and New Family Search. But the thing is I don't know what to do from here. I am having a hard time coming up with ideas of how to help those in my ward, or even to get them interested and motivated.

So this is what I want to know from you: What do you wish your Family History Consultant would do for you? What questions do you have? Do you feel like you want to do something but don't know where to start? What would you like to do? How would you feel about having a consultant in your home teaching you and helping you research?

Which Brother is Which?

Jack, Gram and Luke. Just being happy.Luke 1 week old!First Family Picture! Dan's too cool for Halloween shirts so he is being trendy in his Mac shirt :)Gram took us to a fun pumpkin patch to pick our pumpkins. It was really cute, tons of pumpkins, a little maze to go through, they all had a lot of fun, Dan was in the car with Luke.
Finding a pumpkin for Luke. Jack is so wonderful, I just love him to bits.With Gram and Carol and John.
Jack is spoiled and got to ride in the wagon. Thanks Sina for finding this fun spot.Luke Richard getting acquainted with his namesake Papa. I think Papa loves him, what do you think?My beautiful baby. At his 2 week checkup he was 10 pounds 6 ounces! He is a good eater! Luke is a very calm baby, he hardly ever cries, he sleeps well, and eats well, and is generally content. Jack is so in love with his little brother. He is getting better about being soft and knowing what you can and can't do with a baby. He loves to play with him, or around him. He is always concerned about his whereabouts, or if he cries he is the first to locate the "paciieefier", if he cries more, you can hear jack consoling him saying "whats wrong Luke? whats wrong Luke?" He loves to bounce him softly and sing rock a baby. When we first took Luke to visit Grandma and Grandpa, Jack was very concerned that we might leave Luke with Grandma, and let me tell you that wasn't happening, he was going to make dead certain he came home with us. On the way home in the car one day Luke was crying and Jack kept telling him over and over "Its ok Luke, its ok Luke, almost, almost (as in almost there)." He is the sweetest big brother to the sweetest little brother around. I love them both. Before I had Luke I was concerned about how could my love grow to love another child as much as I love Jack? Well let me tell you its easy, and it just happens, its a silly concern.

Happy Birthday Jack!

The day we came home with Luke from the hospital was October 1st! Jacks Birthday!! It was a fun day and so nice to be home to celebrate with him. He has grown up so much and is such a good little boy. He loved his cake and was totally excited about his birthday party. I had been telling him for weeks that his birthday was in a couple days. We had baked his cake and froze it earlier and wrapped his present and put it up in the closet to wait. I'm glad I was prepared. So the morning of his Birthday Gram tells him Happy Birthday Jack!! And he says.. no in a couple hours... Later Dan told him Happy Birthday! And he said no in a couple days... I guess I really had been telling him that a lot. Here is our beautiful boy..



It was so fun to have grandparents come to celebrate. Most of Jack's favorite people.



It was really cute, while we were eating cake and icecream Luke was in his bouncy and Jack thought it would be nice to let him have a taste of icecream. It was so cute to see him try to share his goodies. Also Jack ate the frosting off of his cake then had gram switch cakes with him so he could eat her frosting too.
After we had cake and icecream it was dinner time (i know a little backwards). Dan lit up a fire in the firepit and Dan, Gram and Jack cooked hotdogs on the fire and burned boxes and wrapping paper. It couldn't have been a better time for Jack. Happy Birthday my sweet Jack Jack I love you very much.