Catching WAY up

(We didn't mean to have Kenneth and Dal wear the same color, but Dallin spit up and that was close by)

(This pic is a little old, probably 4months old, but SO funny. Jade did it)

Okay so it's been forever since I last posted anything. I have so much catching up to do it's not even funny. Where should I start? Okay I'll start with the usual, the children.

Ashlyn: Ashlyn is now the proud loser of two bottom front teeth! I know, shocking she's old enough to be losing her teeth. But here we are two dollars poorer and she's two dollars richer. She also has four more loose teeth. We LOVE asking her to say words that begin with "sh." lol. Yeah. That's right. We pick on our children. Anyway she loves showing everyone. She is doing quite remarkable in school and likes her teacher. She has friends at school and church and has adjusted well. She is very smart. And honestly is one of the most beautiful 5yr olds I've ever seen. EVER! Sorry I don't have a posted pic yet, but I will soon. She is still super tall and looks older than she is.

Jade: Jade is completely potty trained!! We got that finished up in October. YAY! It was a beautiful moment. Jade is still extremely narrow as ever and tall. You probably wouldn't recognize her. Her hair is so long now and she talks like a big girl. Most ppl confuse Ashlyn and Jade's voices on the phone. She is still our biggest tease. We continue to work on numbers and letters and all that fun stuff. She catches on quickly, the problem is her stubborn personality. lol. Everything has to be her idea. You can just imagine our fear of her teenage years. She's a happy little girl and has also made friends at church. She keeps us on our toes with her little adventures around the house. And of course we still can't keep Ashlyn or Jade away from Dallin, not that we would. They just love him SO much. They are both very nurturing. This morning I heard Jade talking to Dallin and she said, "Baby I'm you're best friend." It melted my heart like butter. It was just so sweet. Hopefully that will last a long time!

Dallin: Dallin will be 10 months old next week! Time has gone by so fast. He was 4wks old when we left for TX and now we are soon aproaching his first bday. He crawls everywhere. He's pulling up on his knees and if we had more carpet he would probably already be pulling up to a standing position. He has his two bottom front teeth, (his were coming in good when Ashlyn lost hers. Funny to watch). He has the sweetest smile ever. Every night when I tuck him in I always whisper in his ear, "Good night baby. I love you." And for the past like 3 months after I say that he will grab my shoulders and pull himself closer to me. He hugs me! I'm not even kidding. It's the sweetest thing on the planet. I love him so much. I already feel that he and I have a strong relationship, it's very special. He is a very layed back baby. He's down with whatever. He is a lot like Jade was as a baby. They also resemble one another the most.





Kenneth: Kenneth is staying busy with work as usual. He's doing well and enjoying his job. He is now serving as the Secretary in Elder's Quorum. He plays bball every Tuesday and enjoys that. He is ready to take up running again. He has been going back and forth with working out at the gym. They started doing it together as a company. His family will be coming to TX this year for Christmas with the exception of one sibling who just had a baby. So we are looking very forward to that. He hasn't seen them in awhile so this will be nice for him. He is such an amazing husband and provider for our family. I truly appreciate the things he does for us and the sacrifices he makes for us. He is the love of my life.

Me: My life seems to have changed so much this past year. First I was uprooted from the only place I've ever lived. Then I lived in a horrible apartment. Now we are in our house and have been since Sept 6. We LOVE the house and the kids do as well. It's the perfect place for us. We are anxiously getting ready to paint and decorate.

My first calling here in Texas was as the Laurel Advisor. I was happy to serve the YW and was so nervous when the Bishop asked to see me and Kenneth about 4wks ago. He told me I was being released, (my first emotion was sadness, and pleading in my mind please not primary) then he told me it was because he had another calling to extend and that it was a big one. My next emotion, OH CRAP! I immediately knew what it was then. I am now serving as the Young Women's President. I so did not see that one coming! As scared to death as I was I am really loving it. The girls are so great. I love them so much. I had so many fears, and still do have a few, but things are going well. I have an amazing presidency. My sister-in-law (Sarah) is serving as my first counselor so that is tons of fun! We just recently had a Friday and Saturday stake girls camp, (they had Trek this past summer and the stake still wanted them to get together). They learned quickly how crazy I am. Enough said. I'm really looking forward to the wonderful experiences I'll have and the relationships I'll gain with these extraordinary YW. I was praying for spiritual growth just before I got the calling, if this doesn't do it I don't know what will. lol. But I do know that this is why we moved to Texas.

The family is happy to announce that we will be visiting South Carolina on December 28-January 5! I cannot wait to go home. It will be so amazing to drive around and KNOW where I am and where I'm going without using my GPS. lol. I cannot wait to see my family and my little neice and nephews born just before we left. I miss everyone so much. It's so hard knowing that my friends back home are pregnant and living life and I'm not there to help and to live it with them. It sounds like I died, but you know what I mean. I miss everyone. I also really miss Bo*jangles and La Brascas. I'm looking forward to eating that wonderful unhealthy goodness. I look forward to seeing everyone very soon!