It's Snowing! It's Snowing!

Zachie loves the snow.  This has been such a fun afternoon.  He just stands at the window and watches as each flake drifts past his view.  When we go outside he just stands there and laughs. He loves the snow!!!!   I hope it sticks around for a while instead of teasing us.

Our Beautiful Temple

We love to visit the temple together.  Recently, a new visitors center was opened so we thought we would check it out.  It was really great.  Right when you walk in a huge statue of Christ greets you.  The sister missionary there came over and turned on his dialogue.  Zachie was in awe for a good 3 minutes before he could move again.  I was in awe too.  Having the statue standing right in front of you, seeing the prints in his feet and hands so plainly, and then hearing this gentle yet powerful voice is almost overwhelming. It was great to see Zachie point to Jesus and President Monson (also life size but in picture form) and be able to tell us who they are and then give them loves like he has known them forever.  The temple is such an amazing place, I am grateful we have one so near.

 

 

 

 

Broccoli and an Ultrasound

Zachie is finally starting to eat green foods again.  He is now in love with raw broccoli…as long as there is ranch involved.  I only give him one chopped up piece at a time, because he shoves every single bit in his mouth.  This means that he is constantly asking for more.  I won’t let him eat pure ranch dressing so he knows he has to have some kind of food to dip in it.  While broccoli is a total achievement for this little dude, he still will not eat a large list of green things, unless they are disguised in other things.

Greens He Will Eat:

Broccoli

Greens He Will not Eat:

Peas

Green Beans

Avocado

Zucchini

Cucumber

Celery (which is hard to eat anyway so I completely understand)

So, I hope this list starts to shift a bit, but until then I will continue to cook like a mad scientist.  Everything we make lately contains some kind of veggie that wouldn’t normally be in it.  Neither of us minds so I am pretty sure this will continue indefinitely.

Another accomplishment (yes that is what I am calling it) for Zachie…He drinks milk out of a cup.  Now this might not sound like some big thing but IT IS!!  We stopped giving him milk in a bottle in November, ever since then he has refused to drink it out of a cup or anything but a bottle.   He finally gave in and has been drinking milk nipple free for two weeks.  What a stubborn boy! 

Now for ultrasound news. We had an ultrasound this morning and saw our beautiful little girl.  She has a full head of hair and big chubby cheeks.  She has a entirely different face than Zachie so maybe she is going to look like a cute little Jesse. She did have some big lips going on, but that is hard to tell since she is so squished in there.  She looks huge to me but is only 5 pounds 11 ounces, which is still half a pound bigger than what all the books, websites, and blah blah blah say the baby is this week.  Zachie was such a tiny guy I have been preparing for this tiny little girl but she might not be!  

The Well Needed Update

So, I figured it was about time to update this blog of ours.  It would be really sad if I didn’t update until this new baby joined our family but it is happening today so WOO WHOO!

Our lives have settled down a lot since last year (thank goodness!).  Of course, this is not going to last long since we will be welcoming this little girl into our lives in a month.  We are so excited to meet her and see how Zachie reacts to the whole experience.  We hope he will shift his overly protective attitude of me over to little miss.  I think I would be happy if he totally ignored her, then he could just continue with his everyday routine uninterrupted.  Mostly, we just want them both to feel loved and to be happy. 

Jesse:

Jesse is really happy working at Sprint.  He works with great people, is close to home and enjoys what he does.  He does not have much to complain about right now.  He is super excited to meet this little girl.  She will be daddy’s little princess if he has any say in it.  He really does not get a say but I do hope she becomes his snuggle bug. Jesse was releases from his calling as ward missionary and is now in full daddy calling mode.

Brittney:

I am big as can be and very uncomfortable.  Sleeping is my least favorite activity but very needed.  I am nesting like crazy.  I swear I go through one nesting phase and then two days later I decide it never happened and it all needs to be done again.  I have been doing as many projects as I can because I know I will not want to be doing them after baby.  I’ve made a giant felt board and fun things to put on it, completely reorganized the house, sewn some fun things, and still have a big list to go.  I had better get a move on!  The wonderful women in my ward threw little miss and I a great baby shower.  She is going to be one styling little girl.  I got a crazy haircut that I love, love, love!  I still have not taken a picture of it but maybe I will one day. 

Zachie:

Zachie is one growing guy.  He is getting taller and taller.  He is a great listener most of the time and loves to give big hugs.  He sleeps in his full size bed until about 6:30 every morning then crawls in with mommy and daddy.  We all get up around 7:30 and are promptly instructed by Zacheroo to go make breakfast.  He leads us into the kitchen and climbs into his booster seat, patiently waiting for food.  Or, if he is having a really good morning, he dances in front of the dishwasher until we have a breakfast picnic on the kitchen rug.  He is very good at independent play.  He is still in love with his toy story figures.  Instead of playing with all the different toys in his room, Buzz or Woody are moved around the room and play at all the different play areas.  He still gets very serious while he reads a book or plays, so much fun to see.  He laughs aloud at all the funny parts in movies.  We frequently rewind just to hear him laugh again.

Zachie is one wonderful kid.  We are so lucky to have him in our lives. He brightens our day and pushes us to be better each day.  We cannot wait to hear what he has to say, and actually understand it!  He is very opinionated but we do not always know what those opinions are.  Yeah for toddler years!

Little Miss:

She is growing perfectly.  What a mover she is, I think she is awake much more than she is asleep.  She never kicks just stretches until my belly can’t stretch anymore.  We get to have an ultrasound on Wednesday, to see how she has grown.  We are really excited to see her and how big she is.  I will be 35 weeks, so we will be able to see all her little features.  Big NEWS…She will come join us on APRIL 5^th!!  We still do not have a set name.  We did but then we changed our mind and now we have a few favorites- Emmeline, Abigail, Elizabeth, and a few others. 

    

Christmas Blessings

I am filled with so much love and gratitude this Christmas season.  We have received blessing upon blessing.  It is quite overwhelming and joyous all at the same time.  We are blessed to have wonderful friends and family who love us.  I am thankful for this each day.  When we were sealed in the temple two years ago, we moved to Sherwood.  This town has been an idyllic place to start a family and grow friendships that will last us forever.  Our ward could not be more kind and caring.  They welcomed us into the ward the day after we were married and have been a shining example of love and friendship ever since.  

We have been blessed with a steady job.  Jesse is working at Sprint and is excited to go to work each day.  He is learning new skills and gaining more knowledge.  He enjoys being able to help people and this is a place that he can do that.  I am grateful that our lives are slowing down from their frantic pace and become predictable and boring.  

We have been blessed by caring friends and neighbors who have left many surprises on our doorstep.  I cannot express the overwhelming joy each gift brought to my heart. I have had more tears brought to my eyes in the past week than in many months. You have given me the spirit of Christmas in abundance.  Thank you for acting by the spirit and sharing the spirit of giving.  

We have been blessed to hold wonderful callings in the church this year.  Jesse is a ward missionary.  He loves going out each week and visiting families as well as joining the missionaries for some testimony filled lessons.  We have seen a wonderful young man accept the gospel and be baptized recently.  This brought back so many memories.  We are blessed to be a part of his life and to be able to share in the joy and wonderment the gospel brings.  I have been the teacher for the Valiant 8 class.  What a great experience that has been.  I had 12 amazing kids, nine of which were boys!  That is a lot of 9-year-old boys in one tiny room each Sunday.  I have had the opportunity to see them change, to see them dive into the scriptures and yearn for more.  I have watched as they gained self-confidence and made decisions to stand for what they believe in, to stand as witnesses of Christ.  They are amazing and I will miss them very much next year.  

We have been blessed to have the gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives.  The perspective that his teachings give us leave us with no fear of, possibly, any circumstance.  We saw this financially throughout the entire year.  We know the blessings of tithing are real and worth it.  We have seen little to no money come in for months yet our bills are always paid.  We have been blessed with food and shelter.  We have learned what is needed and what is wanted, but not necessary.  We have learned what really matters.  Paying a full tithe brings more than just financial security; it brings stores of knowledge that help us in every part of life.  

Most of all, I have been blessed with my testimony.  That is the gift I would like to give most to my family and friends.  Material possessions only last so long but the peace and joy that a firm testimony brings are endless.  I know that my Heavenly Father loves me.  I know that he is aware of my sorrows, my struggles, and my joys.  I know that he is there with me through all of them.  I know Jesus Christ suffered and died for me that I may repent and live with him again.  I know that if we follow the teachings of this gospel we will find more peace and joy in this life than sorrow and suffering.  This does not mean nothing bad will ever happen to us, but that we will be able to see our way out of it.  We will be able to have hope.  Someone once asked me how I could know these things.  I know these things because I witness them in my life every day.  I know these things because I choose to live the gospel of Christ.  I know I would lose this knowledge the minute I chose otherwise.

We are grateful for all those around us.  We feel very loved this holiday season.  We wish everyone a MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!    

Fun With Cousin Alexis

Crystal, John and Alexis all came to visit this Thanksgiving.  It is always fun to see them and see how much Alexis has grown and changed.  She is 2 now!  Last time we saw them Zachie was just starting to crawl and Alexis was perfecting her new walking skills.  They had a lot more fun together this time.  We hung out at Gramma's house a lot while they were here.  We played games and just had fun watching Zachie and Alexis explore.

Their favorite place to play

One day, Crystal and Alexis came to our house to visit.  Zachie really likes it when friends come over.  He immediately shows them every one of his treasures and of course points out Mommy and Daddy.  After the formal intros to our home are over playing can commence.  We brought out all the toys and watched as they each found their niche for the day.

Alexis decided shopping for groceries and taking pictures were her ventures and Zachie wanted to play music and read.

Self Portrait-compliments of Alexis Horne

It was really nice to see all of them.  We hope now that they are in the states it will be more often.  

Happy Thanksgiving

In honor of this wonderful month of thanks we would like to express all the things we are thankful for.  Over the last year, we have learned a lot and are still seeing many changes in our lives.  We have grown closer as a family and are ready to welcome another wonderful spirit into this world.  We would like to say our lives are boring.  Nothing big happens, no sudden changes occur, we do not live extravagantly.  This is just how we like it.

Brittney:

I am grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ.  With an eternal perspective I can look at any challenge we face with hope and peace.  I am grateful that we have such a comfortable home and are able to welcome others into it.  I am grateful for the amazing friends we have made here and for their influence and example.  I am grateful for my wonderful husband and all the hard work he does.  He is always there when I need him and is one of my greatest examples and friends.  I am grateful for Zachie and his wonderful spirit.  He teaches me to be more forgiving, accepting and loving each day.  I love them very much.  

Jesse:

I am grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ, the joy and the comfort that it brings in our lives. For a Heavenly Father who knows, and loves me enough to hear and answer my prayers. I am really grateful for my wife, who always has an eternal perspective and keeps me focused on the things that matter the most. She is also a wonderful mommy who teaches Zachie to have that same eternal perspective. Of course, I'm grateful for our little man, he is always happy to see me and knows how to bring a smile to my face. As mentioned above this past year has seen it's share of ups and downs and I'm grateful to have these two by my side. I am extremely grateful for our many close friends. I'm thankful for this land that we live in and all those who have helped make the country great. Brittney thinks I'm writing a book so I'll let that suffice for now. 

Zachie:

We think Zachis is grateful for Mommy and Daddy, he never wants to leave us so that kind of confirms it for us.  He is also grateful for electricity and a television that he can watch all his favorite movies on.  He is grateful for his two best friends Anna and Avrie.  He gets so excited when we mention them let alone go see them.    He is also grateful for all his grandparents especially the kitty.