Happy Pioneer Day

I know this isn't celebrated much outside of Utah but it is our version of "statehood day" and a pretty big deal. Last year our neighborhood started doing a Patriotic Parade the night before the 4th and this year we switched to the night before July 24th. It was a lot of fun, I had a hand-me-down from Aunt Camie that Baby J wore- what would a parade be without cheerleaders. Big J and his buddies we the lawn mower brigade. We all had a great time, and got to be at the park for hours...the first time (since she's cared) that she didn't pitch a fit when it was time to go home - success!!

Her first plane ride
On the Concord bridge where the first shots were fired
Below deck of the USS Constitution
coming up for air (I would NEVER make it in the Navy)
Showing the very stylish bowling shoes

Family Reunion in Boston

Baby J and Big J visiting the t0-scale replica of the Mayflower
Resting on the "water boat" (whale watching boat) after Jenelle (and others) experienced some seasickness. She is not a good aim. Thankfully the restrooms had hand blow-dryers...Yes, I actually rinsed my clothes in the sink (you didn't really think I'd sit in that all day)!? Sorry, but no whale pictures - they weren't out that day.
Big J trying to fly - Real men wear pink...especially when you forget your jacket, luckily Mom had bought herself a souvenier!
Firing the canon at Plimoth Plantation
Candlestick bowling - quite the entertainment in the East and we LOVED it. Waiting for someone to splurge and build one in Utah - we'll be first in line (you must also note the fashionable shoes)

VACATION!!

Catching up stinks - I'll try not to make this terribly boring! We spent a week back east (Boston) for a family reunion and had the BEST TIME!! This was Baby J's first plan trip - she mostly did ok. She was required to sit in the coveted window seat since we brought her car seat, but we had to close the blinds...as we took off she looked out for a minute then stared a panic "fall, fall, scardey me...". Other than that she fared quite well.

We saw everything from the pilgrims coming to America to the NEW State House. I especially enjoyed the historical and war sites because I knew how much Ken always wanted to visit them, he was such a history buff and would have been in his element as we learned the inside stories about some of our country's history. I think the pictures that I've included will tell the story best. I had hoped to mail out a slide show but it was requiring a login for everyone who wanted to view the pictures - so this is our very abbreviated version.

God Bless America!

Oops - more than a month!!

So much for my plans to keep up on this and be sure we're updated...I was better at sending out family-wide emails~I'll try to be better!

Jenelle took 2 spills in a row - must be a toddler thing! First she got tripped up on a treadmill then she tripped or misjudged a step on the sidewalk. This is the result - scabby nose - and this was several days after! Didn't bother her at all except that one of her friends must've touched it, anytime I asked if her nose was ok she got mad and said her friend's name. If someone asked me what happened to her nose she would crinkle it up and make a funny face, she knew they were talking about her. What a ham, though!

Everything is going well for the J-Team... Big J is in the last few weeks of school and busy with orchestra concerts, final projects, and even a dance coming up. He earned his Star rank in Scouts last month - getting closer to Eagle! Baby J is cute as ever, but I think I say that all the time. She jabbers a LOT (I knew she'd catch up...to her mom) and has the cutest expressions! I sometimes get sad watching her, realizing that she is my last baby and won't be like this forever, wouldn't be a bad idea to video tape her 100% of the time...but when she sees the camera she stops and says "Cheese!" so the cute thing she was doing/saying is forgotten - we need hidden cameras. Someday I'll figure out how to add video to my blogs, I'm sure it's simple. She practices her tantrums about once a week but I think having a "mature" mom helps... for some reason it's easier to just slide through, change the subject/distract her, or ignore the tantrum completely - even in public (although I do try to finish up and get out to avoid bothering others).

Not much else going on - getting ready for summer, so much that needs to be done. Keeping in mind that I haven't had a summer 'break' for several years - pregnant, newborn, sick husband - so I should feel like I've got all kinds of time and energy to get everything done...we'll see...ask me in September what I've accomplished.

That's it for now...I'll try to remember to do this more often for my posterity!

Wish I'd taken the video camera!

I often comment that Big J and Baby J rarely act their age (teenager and two) but when they do - LOOK OUT!

Tonight was one of those thrilling nights in a 2-year-old's life where you think you've never been happier and never been more upset! This was our first return to a swimming pool since last summer and it was a blast. After a 10 minute struggle to convince her that this was not a bath/shower to be taken in the nude (although she did have on her water shoes as she ran around the locker room) I was able to get her into a swim diaper and one of her cute new suits. Once we hit the water there was no stopping her - she giggled and squealed at every little thing and about jumped out of her skin when Big J jumped off the diving board...too bad there weren't a bunch of 13 year old girls there to prove the "baby sister = chick magnet" theory! She was thrilled to be in the water and so much fun to watch - I wished I had taken the camera cuz I'm sure it won't be quite the spectacle next time...

Speaking of spectacle - we had to get out at some point... as I tried to get dressed she kept running through the locker room and trying to go back into the pool- at least twice I barely grabbed her before she went into public view (I wasn't quite decent...not sure what would have happend if she had gotten any further). By the time I was dressed, she still refused to undress (remember the struggle to get the suit ON?!) so we headed out - swimsuit and all, she wouldn't even let me wrap her in a towel. Well...she thought going to get big brother meant in the pool (which she kept calling "shower" as she headed toward it) and didn't take it very well when we headed OUTSIDE! I know, I know, she's TWO...I probably don't need to say any more but I will. She did everything in her power to avoid the car seat - screaming bloody murder the whole time she was arching her back and twisting around. Keep in mind that she's still very wet (and by now, so am I-again). I'm sure people in the parking lot were ready to call DCFS before we half forced, half coerced her in. WHEW - so we listened to the screaming all the way home and even there she refused to let me get her in jammies, I think it was her way of flaunting her TWOness. Now I'm exhausted but wound up!



Tuesday was the 3 year anniversary of the day that Ken and I were sealed in the temple to be husband and wife forever. I chose to make it a quiet day mostly on my own at the temple after a part day at work. Nothing significant, just another "first" to get through and I did ok - didn't miss him anymore that day than I do any other day. I am so grateful we had that blessing 3 years ago.

TGIF (almost)!