Corban is 4! And some pics of Brynn, too.

It's been a fun couple of weeks around here. Corban turned 4 last Friday. I can't believe how fast time is flying by. He has always been a fun, good, loving kid. Heavenly Father has truly blessed me by giving Corban to me.



And Brynn...she's growing up so fast--almost 9 months old. She crawling everywhere and pulling up on everything. Corban walked at 9 months and I don't think Brynn will be too far behind him. It's fun being a Mom to these 2 punks!

We went bowling for Corban's birthday and then out for pizza. It was a blast and Corban got an orange bowling ball so all was right with the universe. Grandma Jensen, Aunt Brenda, Sean, Kraig, Kyleigh, Doms and Logan celebrated with us. Then just a couple of days ago we went to Chuck E. Cheese with Parker and Kip (Their birthdays are this weekend!). My Mom watched Brynn and my friend Jami and her son Coleman met us in Orem and I think everyone had a good time. Thanks everyone for making Corban's birthday special!

Corban Goes To School and a Chunky Girl!

Well, the past week has been a busy one. Corban started preschool! I can't quite believe he's that old, but he loves it and is excited to learn new things. He knows most of the kids in his class, but there are a few unfamiliar faces. The preschool is only 2 houses away and so he can just walk there. It's perfect. Here's a picture of his first day. I thought it would be neat to take first-day-of-school pics in the same spot every year. This is by the maple tree in the front yard of our house.

In other news, Brynn cut her first 2 bottom teeth! They are quite cute but are really, really sharp! She had a tough time getting them through--a fever and a bright red rash on her face. Thank goodness they're through! She's also started crawling. She's pretty uncoordinated and it's so cute! But she gets where she wants to go and she's pretty proud of herself. Brynn is an amazing and sweet girl.

So, Brian had an interesting day yesterday--his pharmacy got robbed! A woman gave the tech a note saying she had a gun and she wanted Oxycontin. The other pharmacist on duty gave her the drugs and she walked out. No one ever saw the gun, but the fact that she threatened that she had one is scary enough. The police still haven't caught her. Seriously, I can't think about it too much! The thought of Brian being hurt at work is almost more than I can handle!

Apparently I don't kill all plants afterall!

After much discussion and noticing that our hydro-seeded backyard was never going to be green and lush, Brian and I decided to finally finish the yard with sod and some plants and trees! Our landscaper was able to come out and lay the sod and plant some stuff. I don't know the names of most of the plants, but they are thriving and that's all I care about. I'll try to post some pictures:

Obviously this is the before! Actually most of the work had been done by the time I took this picture. Scott and his crew brought in lots of equipment and had smoothed everything out and planted the trees and perimeter plants. The only thing missing was the sod! Lovely, lovely sod!

Isn't is just beautiful? Lush, green, wonderful grass! I love it! Brian hates it! Well, that's not completely true--he likes it except when it needs to be mowed! I'm proud of him, though. All we have is a cheapy push mower and he hasn't upgraded to a self-propelled one yet. I really thought he'd be down at the Home Depot picking out a nice new riding mower after one mow with the push one. He moans and groans when it needs mowing, but he does it! And then he gets all sweaty and smells like freshly cut grass! Yummy! But I digress....



On to the garden...what? Charloe has a garden? But I thought Charloe couldn't make anything grow? I know, I know. I'm barely able to keep houseplants alive. But I decided to put in a little garden this year. Scott (the landscaper) left a little spot for me way in the back and I planted (with some help and lots of advice from my Grandpa Parkinson) ....drumroll please...1 cucumber plant, 1 roma tomato plant, 3 rows of carrots, 2 rows of broccoli, 2 rows of radishes, and 1 pumpkin plant. And amazingly all of them have survived. In fact, the radishes have grown, been picked, and been eaten! They were lovely and tasty. Now I can't wait for the carrots! Here's some before and some right now pictures:

Anyway, I'm kind of proud of it. It's not much, but it's alive and it's growing!

Not just a lactivore anymore!

Since Brynn is almost 5 months old, we decided to try some cereal last night. I wasn't sure if she was ready or not, but thought we'd give it a go anyway. The first bite was pretty traumatic and she spit it out. I tried another bite and she ate it! Every time I'd put the spoon to her mouth, she's open up and eat another bite. She loves oatmeal cereal! Granted, it did have apples and bananas in it! lol She's getting so big and is still so cute! Isn't she beautiful? We sure are enjoying her.

Growing Up

I know, I know...my kids are still really little. But there is a small part of me that is really sad that they are growing up. Corban is 3 and a half and Brynn is almost 5 months! Time is absolutely flying by. My sister-in-law Brenda warns me all the time about how fast kids grow up. They just sent their oldest son, Brandan, on a mission and Sean will be a senior in high school this fall. Brenda says it wasn't very long ago that they were just little boys. It scares me that they're growing up so fast! Just slow down!

A talk that I really enjoyed in the last conference was the one given by Elder M. Russell Ballard. I watched it live and have read it many times in the Ensign. It's called "Daughters of God" and it's amazing. He says, "It is crucial to focus on our children for the short time we have them with us and to seek, witht help of the Lord, to teach them all we can before they leave our homes." I have taken this counsel to heart and am really trying my best to teach Corban and Brynn everything they need to know. The scary part is that I am realizing everything that I DON'T know! I need to get my act together and learn for myself and then teach my children. I understand that it's my responsibility to make sure my children know what they need to know before they leave. I also know that while it seems like I have plenty of time to accomplish this, that time flies by!

Corban learned how to ride his tricycle this week. We bought it for him last summer, but the pedal broke off and he would never ride it without the pedal on. Thank goodness for Grandpa Reed who can fix anything! He fixed it and now Corban is zipping all over the driveway. He's a great kid!

Brynn happens to be my favorite daughter. She is the cutest little thing. She is such a pleasant baby and is content just laying on the floor on her blankie chewing on a toy. Brynn likes to laugh and visit. She is a total joy.

So, something creepy happened to me the other night. I was up feeding Brynn and at about 4:15 am I heard a loud snap from the garage. My heart skipped a beat until I remembered that Brian had set a mouse trap! We caught a mouse and I heard the snap! It was yucky...but no more mouse in our garage.

After 2 visits to the dentist in the past week, I can say that I have no cavities! I had 5! but they have all been drilled and filled. Last week wasn't so bad--I enjoyed the nitrous oxide for the first time. It was wonderful. Today wasn't so fun. Scott (our dentist) couldn't deaden my bottom teeth. He started to drill and it would hurt so he would stop and give me another shot! I had 4 shots today and finally just told him to hurry up and finish with the filling. It hurt--not excruciating, but it hurt. And tonight my jaw is pretty sore. Hopefully it will feel better tomorrow. Boo on cavities!

Our first Family Home Evening

As members of the LDS church, we're supposed to have Family Night every week. Since we just have a couple of little kids, I didn't think too much about it. But, in the last month, Brian and I have really gotten serious about making sure that our kids grow up with the right example. We have had family prayer faithfully. We read the Book of Mormon every night with Corban and Corb says his prayers every night before he goes to bed. I want to make sure that my kids know everything they need to learn from me--So, having said that, we had our first Family Home Evening tonight. I found a book called "52 Weeks of Family Night" by Tamara Baggett. It's geared for young families and it's perfect for us. Short lessons, suggestions for songs and scriptures. It's great!

Tonight we learned all about missionaries. Brandan (our oldest nephew) is serving a mission in California and we talked about him and what he wears and what he does all day. Corban said he wears a black coat and a tie! And that he talks about Jesus all day. Pretty close, huh? Then we read D&C 4. The classic missionary section. We sang "I Hope They Call Me On A Mission" and then Corban wrote a letter to Brandan. Then Brian gave family prayer. It was a nice time. It's a good feeling to do what I'm supposed to as a parent. We're definitely not perfect and there will be weeks where we don't have FHE, but Heavenly Father knows that we're trying and we are!

Well, I haven't posted in a long time--but nothing exciting has happened, so I guess it's ok! Corban and Brynn are just growing up. They are both so much fun and I'm so glad to be their mama.

Corban is completely potty trained! Hooray! As soon as I left him alone about it, he decided to do it on his own. He's only had one accident--he was watching "Wonder Pets" and wet himself a little because he didn't want to miss the show. Do you think he watches too much tv? lol

Brynn is growing up so fast. She's almost 4 months old! Time flies! She smiles all the time and has recently started to squeal. It's cute. She is definitely a momma's girl. She tolerates Brian for short periods of time, but when she wants me, it has to be NOW! Brian had her while I was in Primary yesterday. She started screaming as he was pacing the hall waiting for me to come out. It was kind of funny. As soon as I took her, she quieted down but she was mad at me. She wouldn't look at me or smile. She was really mad!

Not much else is going on. We're all healthy and happy. Brian got a new calling a few weeks ago--he's the finance clerk. That's Brian's ideal calling--he doesn't have to prepare a lesson, and it's a detail oriented job. Perfect for Brian.

There are a couple pictures of the kids. We went to the zoo last week with Jami, Coleman and Kip. We had a great time. Grandma Reed kept Brynn and I think they had a good time too. Brynn got a new church dress--isn't she pretty?

My favorite things...

I've been tagged by Jami to list my favorite things. Here are my top 5 in no particular order.

1. Corban
2. Brynn
3. My XM radio--Seriously I LOVE this! I never have a weak signal and there are over 100 channels to choose from. Sometimes I pack up the kids to go for a ride just so I can listen to the radio. It's great!
4. DVR. The best TV invention ever! I can fast forward through commercials--hooray!
5. My bed. It's so comfy and warm and I love it.

Here's Corban's favorite things:

1. Brynn and Mom
2. cheese noodles
3. Bug Juice
4. grandma's house (Jensen and Reed)
5. playing at the park

Here's Brynn's favorite things:

1. Mama
2. Brother Corban
3. formula
4. the ceiling fan
5. a clean bum

That was fun! I tag Valerie!

Some pictures of little Brynn

Living my wonderful life...

So, I started thinking today about how absolutely blessed I am. Heavenly Father has blessed me in so many ways and I don't appreciate most of them. I'm grateful for being able to stay at home with my children. And I'm especially grateful for a husband who wants me to stay home. My life is pretty wonderful and I need to acknowledge this fact more often. Brian works hard so that I can stay home. I'm lucky that I can do this and not have to worry about if I can go grocery shopping or buy Corban new shoes. Thank you, Brian! I love you.

Corban is the most wonderful little boy that I have ever met. And I'm not just saying that because I'm his mother! He's handsome and polite and always willing to help. He's just 3 years old, but he acts a lot more mature in some ways. He's so smart and is always asking questions or just making random observations. He loves his sister--he absolutely adores Brynn. In fact, he told me today that he wants to marry her someday. Isn't that adorable?

Brynn is just wonderful. She is a good eater and a good sleeper. We're down to getting up just once in the night and I can definitely handle that. She smiles all the time and loves to just lay on the floor and kick and talk. It has been so easy to welcome her into our family. I can barely remember what it was like without her here. It's so much fun to watch her "wake up" and notice new things. She is perfect.

So, life is pretty good for me right now. We're all healthy and happy. A mother really can't ask for anything more than that.

Brynn's blessing

We blessed Brynn this weekend. It was a fun weekend with lots of family around for support. All of my family was here (except for my Dad). Jeff & Megan, T'liese & Joe, and Micah made the trip up from Phoenix. It was so much fun having them here. Mom and Merrill and the boys drove down on Saturday. We just ate and visited and wrestled with Corban and held the baby. She is such a good baby.

On Sunday morning we got ready and went to church. Brian was really nervous to give the blessing, but he did a wonderful job. It was a really thoughtful blessing and I think everyone could really the Spirit. Brynn is a special girl and she has a lot of family who really love her.

After church everyone came back to our house for dinner. Brian's parents (Bert & Sandra), brother and family (Kraig & Karen and kids) and sister (Kendra and daughter Ashley) were here too. We had quite a houseful and luckily plenty of food. It was a nice day. My Aunt LeeAnn and Uncle Len also showed up. LeeAnn even pulled an Aunt Pearl--so funny!

We had an empty house by 5 pm. It sure was quiet with everyone gone. Thanks to everyone for making the weekend special. We appreciate all the love and support you give our little family. We love you!

My new laptop!

Hooray! I'm typing this post on my very own brand new Dell laptop! Brian was unusually generous this year for Valentine's (and Mother's Day and my birthday! lol) and bought me a laptop! It finally got here today and since Brian is at work, I set it up all by mysels (as Corban would say!) So now I won't feel like I'm neglecting my kids by going into the office to check my email--I can just check it on the couch. Isn't technology amazing?



I know that the "anonymous" poster kind of freaked some of you out--I hope that you will all still read and comment on the blog. I feel it's as safe as you make it--I just won't publish specific identifying information. So, please read and comment.

Take care.

Here I Go!

I'm finally getting around to blogging for the first time! I never thought I would do this, but since I try to keep up with so many people, it's probably a good idea. Thanks to Jami for forcing the issue!

Mostly I will use this to update about Corban and Brynn. They are a lot more exciting than anything I can do! I love being a Mom even though it's the hardest thing I've ever done.

Corban is growing up fast. He is 3 and loves to test his mother every single day. He is finally potty trained (hallelujah!) and finally likes wearing his big-boy undies! Corban is so smart--about 8 months ago he learned to write his name. Apparently it's very unusual for a kid to be able to write his name at 2 years old. He's a good boy who really loves his new baby sister.

Yep, we got a new baby sister in January. I was 37 weeks along and I went to church by myself because Corban was sick. After Sacrament Meeting was over I started walking to Primary and my water broke! Thankfully I was standing up and so I didn't leave a puddle anywhere! I rushed home and Brian and I hurried and packed. We stopped in Gunnison and Dr. Judy checked me out. My blood pressure was high and the doctor thought I might have to have a c-section. I told him to let me just lay there for awhile and it would come down! I actually willed my blood pressure down to a safe level and we hurried up to Provo. (I had to go to Provo because I was attempting a VBAC and I couldn't do it in Gunnison) We dropped Corban off at my Mom's (without shoes because we had been in such a hurry to leave home, we forgot them) and went on to Provo. I was contracting about every 5 minutes and they were starting to get pretty painful. We made it at about 7:30. The contractions were very painful and I wasn't dilating. It was frustrating. I finally got an epidural at about 1 am. The epi relaxed me enough that I dilated to a 10 in about 20 minutes. Luckily I didn't feel a thing! At 2:15 I started pushing. The doctor (Dr. Dewey) turned off my epidural so I would know when to push. It was so hard! I hadn't eaten anything since before church (about 15 hours) and I was exhausted. By the end, I just gave up. Dr. Dewey performed an episiotomy and used forceps to get Brynn out. The pain was excruciating. At 3:42 am, Brynn was born. She yelled for a couple of minutes and then she settled down and just looked around. She was 5 lbs 9 ounces and was 17 inches long. She was so tiny but she was perfect. She was born on the 7th of January and we came home on the 8th. It's been quite an adjustment going from one kid to two, but it's been good.

We are trying to get into a routine. It's pretty hard. I bought Corban his own alarm clock today in the hopes that he will stay in bed until the first number is 8! It's probably just wishful thinking, but maybe he'll do it!

Well, this has gone on longer than I thought it would. I hope to keep up with my kids' lives pretty regularly, but you guys will probably have to help by reminding me!

The start

Here you go Charloe... I did it for you. Now get to work. -Jami