Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Update -

Here is a extra long update of our lives in the past month...

May has been an extra busy month for our family. We made the decision in April to move to Lawrence Kansas as Christian was offered a job there. Due to cost of living, it was definitely the right decision as hard as it was to leave a dear ward and friends that we truly loved.

Christian, I and the boys started driving for Kansas on May 6th. Wow I can't believe that was a month ago!! It feels like 2. We've done so much in that time. We took 2 days to get to my home in Idaho with a stop in La Grande, Oregon and also in Nampa. It was so good to see Grandma and Grandpa although we didn't stay very long. We then stayed in Idaho for almost a week and really enjoyed our stay there. I loved the pictures that I got with the boys and mom and dad and Grandpa. Mom was able to take some really good pictures of the boys smiling. We really cherish those pictures!

On that next Friday we drove to Pleasant Grove by way of Smithville Utah. It was so good to stop and see Amber and the 2 girls that were there. We missed Kaylee who was in kindergarten. I was reminded just how fast kids can grow! We spent the weekend in Pleasant Grove with his Aunt and Uncle. We even visited Kimberly and Joe in Provo. Christian was so happy to find out there was a In-n-Out in Provo which was really good!!! We then started our drive on Monday. Tuesday late afternoon we pulled into Kansas. For the most part the boys did okay in the car. The last couple of days, I fed them on demand, if they cried I fed them and then would try to play with them before they fell asleep again. Maddie had her doggie bed in the front seat but would not stay on it and was always on either my lap or Christian's as he was driving.

The boys recently passed their 4 month old birthday. I can't believe they are getting so big.

Here are some tidbits about the boys:

Patrick
  • Rolled over for the first time on May 27th from his stomach to his back. We clapped so hard that it scared him. Now he does it on a regular basis.
  • Probably weighs 13 or 14 lbs. His rolls of fat are so cute!
  • He loves to scream and jabber when he's happy
  • One of his new things is that if he is fussy and you put the pacifier in, he'll pull it out and play with it and then start to fuss again. Or he'll turn it around and suck on it backwards.
  • Loves to play with toys and they go right to his mouth
  • very ticklish under his neck - I've got him to giggle often by tickling there.
Payden
  • Weighed almost 11 lbs about 2 weeks ago. It is so good to see him filling out.
  • He is a vicious kicker and Christian has given him the nickname of Payden's pistons.
  • He is our little observer and will just watch and watch you. He loves to stare at his older brother Patrick.
  • Also very ticklish under his neck and loves to smile.
  • Just started grabbing for toys that are hanging from the play gym and pulling them to his mouth.
  • Giggles from time to time.
Our belongings finally arrived on May 26th and Christian's mom was able to help me mark off boxes when they brought everything in. There was no way that I could have done it myself and keep 2 babies happy and fed. We have been so grateful that she has been able to help us unpack and organize the house. The first couple of days were a little busy as I maneuvered around boxes to feed and play with the boys but we finally are moved in. We attended our ward for the 2nd time yesterday and it looks like it will be a good ward. Probably 90% are younger couples (lots of babies and elementary age kids) and then the other 10% are older and look as if they have been in the ward for awhile.

Christian's new job is really going well. I LOVE his new schedule. He is home by 4pm on two days and then home by 5 on another. He only has 2 days that are "late nights" and is home by 7. So much better than his last job when he was lucky to be home by 8pm. I'm so happy that he has a job that he loves!

This past Saturday Christian and I enjoyed our first date together as "parents." It was so good to get out and be by ourselves. Christian's mom had packed us a dinner for us and we found a park on the Internet and used our GPS to get there. Definitely something we'll remember for a while. It was right on the banks of the Kansas River here in Lawrence. We even met the state bug of Kansas, the ever-present mosquito. Consequently we are finding more and more bug bites as the days progress.

And lastly here are some pictures from our trip -

Here is Payden with his Great Grandma Packer


And here is Patrick with Great Grandma Packer


Here are both boys with my parents , their Grandma and Grandpa


Here is a picture of our 2 boys next to Hyrum. He is my sister's boy who is 1 month older and weighs 16 lbs. Isn't he cute? Payden was checking out his brother's ear.


Here is a picture of our new town home in Lawrence, Kansas..


Here is Christian's mom feeding both babies. I was busy crossing off boxes for the moving company.

1 comment:

Carli W. said...

Wow! What a crazy month! I'm still sad I missed seeing your adorable boys, but I'm happy all went well on your way to Kansas. What a cute townhome! It sounds like you're doing really well keeping up with your two boys and husband's busy schedule. You are an amazing mother and wife, Valerie. You're an awesome example!

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