Dickie Jo's

We like to try out new restaurants if we decide to go out to eat and Dickie Jo's was our latest adventure.  This place is so incredibly good.  Jesse is a huge fan of shakes so he tried the Banana shake.  I think he drank about 1/4 of it, poor guy.  Once Zachie tried it the straw didn't leave his mouth until it was gone.  And once it was gone Zachie was in agony, he just couldn't get enough.  

Their burgers are like homemade burgers but way better than I have ever made them.  They had lots of fun french fry flavors too.  We had the truffle Parmesan and it was amazing.  

I don't have any more fun pictures but I should have gotten a picture of their walls.  All along the top of the booths are mirrors.  If you know Zachie you know how much he likes mirrors.  He was dancing, watching himself eat and loving being there.  We generally don't like to go to restaurants because Zachie has a twenty minute limit and it takes longer than that to get your food, but this place was perfect.  We will definitely go here again.  

Zachie and the Box (sounds like a children's book title)

We got an amzing deal on little misses new car seat and even better it came in a giant box!!!  Zachie immediately wanted to check out his new hang out.  His main box activities were going in and out, opening and closing the flaps and making goofy faces at us from the depths of the box.  Here are a few glimpses into the wackiness. 


Look at that face, makes me laugh every time.


Ah what a great little man.


Oh No!


Are you guys still there???



I am a little thinker...


Here is a short clip. It is not the most exciting but hey we were playing most of the time and didn't want the camera to get in the way.  It is also dark, sorry.

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!!!