Mr. Loveable

This is CJ. I have been enjoying him so much lately. He really is the essence of innocence. He makes me want to be a better person. He is always happy and smiley. He is just so sweet.

Lately, I have been trying to be better at enjoying the little moments. Partially because life has been so crazy lately. Anyway, it has really made a difference in my parenting. It makes me appreciate my kids more and be more loving and patient with them because I stop to see how wonderful they really are. Emma Jane has been doing the funnest thing lately. Whenever she is across the room, I will bend down and open my arms out wide and she will run across the room as fast she can and leap into my arms.

If you have a moment, I would love to hear of any moments you have enjoyed lately.

CJ Uncut

Man, I love this little boy. So happy! He and Emma Jane play so well together. Court was just poking his belly during the video. Emma Jane wanted in on the poking, so she decided to poke his eye. I guess that's one way to get in on the action. It didn't even phase CJ--what a saint!

Dumbo and doughnuts...

This is CJ's costume for next year, but Emma Jane really likes elephants, so we let her try it on. Now she wants to wear it everyday.

We'll do anything to make the time at the store easier.

Always in Need of a Bit More Patience

Has anyone perfected being patient yet? Because if someone has, please help me. Patience is something I struggle with daily. Especially with the kids. Emma Jane threw me in front of the bus at the grocery store yesterday. I was so frustrated with her. She was not her normal pleasant little self. This other little girl took over her . A girl that stood on things in the cart. A girl that took things from off the shelves and threw them. A girl that would not eat her cheerios that her lovely mom gave her but would take hand fulls and throw them all over the store. This girl also took the things out of the cart and threw them. I was flabbergasted. Unfortunately, the little girl from the store returned today. That is when I decided Emma Jane needed a nap. Now, Carl and I get to figure out how to discipline a one and a half year old. Fun . Fun. CJ the smiler.

Sweet Emma Jane, where have you gone?

Good Ole Alabama

So, when we went to go work on our house the other day, this was in our neighbor's front lawn. Yes, those are the skins of Raccoons drying out!!! I guess I am glad we don't live in our house yet because I wouldn't have wanted to see them clean those raccoons. And yes, I am sure they found them in their backyard. And, yes, I am sure they ate them for dinner. Don't you just love the South!

Little Miss Muffin

Emma Jane is too funny these days. She is constantly making me laugh. Lately, she has become such a little mommy. It is so cute. She got this stroller from my parents. She pushes it all of the house. She'll rock her baby by wrapping it in a blanket, bouncing it, and saying "shh, shh, shh, shh." It is so cute to watch. It just goes to show how attentive kids are. They watch everything you do. It really makes me want to be careful of what kind of example I am setting.
Also, Emma Jane is getting so talkative. She says like 10 new words a day. She just loves to repeat anything you say. This is the latest one- "pan-cake". That is the first thing she says in the morning. She will sign "food" and then, say "pan-cake". Also, she loves saying "May-bull" (our dog). It is like her favorite word right now. So fun.

Goofy Girl

Rocking the Baby

Putting the Baby to Bed

Walking the Baby

Zoo Mania this Week

Okay, so I went a little crazy at the zoo this week. First off, I got a zoo pass. Woo Hoo! Love the passes. The zoo is like 15 minutes away, and it will be less than 10 minutes away when we move into our house. Double Woo Hoo!! And, Second, I went to the zoo twice this week. The first time was with an awesome ward playgroup and I repeat an awesome playgroup. (Sadly, I did not take the camera with us). The second visit was with Carl and Nana. My mom came up for a few days. So, so fun. If I died, Emma Jane probably wouldn't care too much if she could have her Nana. That is how much she loves her Nana. She is attached at my mom's hip the whole time she is here. Thanks mom for coming up.
Also, crazy story...at the zoo, we were looking at a monkey enclosure. Anyway, Emma Jane had her face up against the glass. Well, all of the sudden, this monkey swings off from a branch about 6 ft away, and lands right in Emma Jane's face and starts showing its teeth, growling at Emma Jane. It was crazy! Its face and Emma Jane face were both touching the glass. That monkey would have eaten Emma Jane alive! It was crazy. Seriously, I think the monkey had rage problems because it did it twice. I was so grateful for the glass...because mama hen would have had to take care of that monkey and I think the monkey might have won that fight.

Emma Jane looking at the Sea Lions. She loved watching them perform.

Carl trying to get Emma Jane to like the birds in the aviary. They would land on her, and she would get so scared. She would try to push them off of her.

Carl loving on the birds in the aviary.

Carl and Emma Jane mining at the Jem mine at the zoo.

Emma Jane and I petting a goat at the petting zoo.