Farmington, New Mexico

Five Things About Farmington, NM

1. Three Rivers come to a junction there
2. It's in the Four Corners Area
3. It's known for Baseball tournaments
4. It has a River Fest
5. That's where we'll be living for the summer

Justin got an internship with BHP Billiton, a mining company. We're excited to move out to the middle of nowhere and enjoy the summer there. Justin's Grandpa has a cabin about an hour away so hopefully we'll get to spend time with more family. And, Justin's mom and grandma were raised there so we'll get to see some family history sites.

March Madness

March was a very busy month for us, between being sick and traveling, the month really did seem to be "March Madness"

Ten Great Things We Did:
1. Visited Friends and Family in Idaho*
2. Built a Snow Fort
3. Built a Snow Slide
4. Helped Wallace the Leprechaun find his missing gold
5. Went back to Logan for the first time since the day we were married**
6. Enjoyed a visit from the Ostlers
7. Peeked at the new BYU-Idaho Center
8. Bought a bookshelf
9. Enjoyed a family dinner with three sisters
10. Found an Internship

*Oh how we enjoyed our trip to Idaho. Food for the soul....that's what it was. It was great to spend time with Mary's family (all growing like weeds, I think by next year, Emma will be taller than me). There is something about getting away from day to day things and just spending time with those who know you best.
Most people wouldn't put Rexburg, Idaho at the top of their dream vacation list, but that's where it is for Justin and me. We were trying to find excuses to stay longer in Rexburg. I think that's where "home" will always be for us. There simply is no other place on earth like it, and I think our hearts will always ache for it.

**On our way back to SLC, we saw a sign for Logan. Jokingly, Justin said, "We could go to Logan." About twenty miles later, Justin said, "What do you think?" And I said,"Let's do it." So we took a quick detour to Logan and spent the night there. It was so much fun. We hadn't been back since the day we were married there. We didn't get to do all the fun things we wanted to do, but who knows maybe another weekend, we'll just hop up there and do all the things we would have liked to do.

Calling All Mothers....

I have a problem. Gracie is a light sleeper. She tolerates some noise, but I have a 2 yr old. We have random outbursts of joy, anger and frustration periodically while Grace is trying to take a nap and she does not go back to sleep once she is awake. I try to do quiet activities with Katie while Grace is sleeping like reading, painting, coloring, etc...Weather permitting, I go outside with Katie and take the monitor. However, at some point, I have to do laundry and dishes....

I guess what I am trying to say is what do you seasoned mothers do to juggle it all? How do you keep toddlers quiet while babies are napping and still manage to get housework done? I don't like parking her in front of a movie, but at some point I have to tackle household chores...Any words of wisdom?

PS please don't just say "and this too shall pass"....I already know it's passing way too fast and I grieve over my girls getting bigger every day, but we have to have clean dishes to eat off of and clothes to wear, at least clean ones on Sunday.

Climb Every Mountain

When I lived in Rexburg, Idaho, I came to love these little flowers. They are called crocuses. Each Spring, they were the very first little flowers to poke their heads out of the snow. They always seemed to convey so much with their simple beauty. Persistence. Endurance. Cheerfulness. Gladness. Resilience. Perseverance. Hope.

Since Gracie was born in August, I have been going through a succession of growing experiences. I don't know if I have ever been stretched this much before. I have cried many times in the last six or seven months, but I feel as if the clouds are parting and I'm reaping blessings in the sunshine.

I think I've been wrestling with postpartum depression, possibly seasonal depression, maybe both. I've never been to see anyone professionally for a diagnosis so I'm not really sure what my defect is... the severity of my case is mild whatever it is so I haven't been in to see anyone. However, this period of growth has been the first time in my life that I have struggled to be a happy person. That has been really hard for me. Being happy and seeing the brighter side of things usually comes naturally for me, and to feel so blue and down was a significant trial to me. It really tried my faith.

BUT I have come through. I didn't let go of faith, and it brought me through. The last three weeks, I have felt so light and cheerful. And through all these trials, postpartum depression being only one of them, I have seen such wonderful, beautiful blessings come into my life. And I am stronger now. The Lord has taught me such wonderful things. And I am truly grateful for these mountains I have been climbing because they are bringing me closer to HIM.

Meet Katie

Katie: Mommy, I counted all Gracie's toes by myself
Me: Oh you did. How many does she have?
Katie: 39


Katie: What's your name?
Me: Jill
Katie: What's daddy's name?
Me: Justin
Katie: Those are old people names


Katie: I need some handsome
Justin: YOu need what?
Katie: some handsome
Justin: What's handsome?
Katie points.
Justin: OH you want a hand squirt (sanitzier)
Katie: Yeah, handsome--a squirt


Katie: Can I have some Jello?
Me: I don't have any Jello
Katie: We can make some
Me: I don't have the stuff to make it. I'm sorry
Katie: We can go to the store and buy it
Me: We don't have the car today. Daddy took it to school
Katie: We can take the bus


Katie: Mommy, what is that?
Me: Pears
Katie: Ooooo. I want two and three.
Me: Actually these are for Grace
Katie(Not missing a beat): Actually, there are for me, Mommy.
Me: No, these are for Grace, you already ate yours
Katie: Those are probably for me.
Me: No these are for Grace
Katie: I need those pears
Me: These pears are for Gracie
Katie: She doesn't like pears. I can have them. See?

You know you're a pathetic cook when...

Tonight Katie was pretending to bake pizza. She reached inside the cardboard box she was pretending was the oven and then yanked out her hand and said "ow! I got a burn!" then she turns to me and says, "It hurts bad."
I guess she's watched me cook too many times....

My House is a Disaster

Song for a Fifth Child


Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing, make up the bed,
Sew on a button and butter the bread.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I've grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,
Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye loo.

Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo

The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew
And out in the yard there's a hullabaloo
But I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo
Look! Aren't his eyes the most wonderful hue?
Lullabye, rockaby lullabye loo.

The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
But children grow up as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

-Ruth Hulburt Hamilton

When Upon Life's Billows You Are Tempest Tossed

Good News: I got to do something I have never done before yesterday. I got to ride in a cop car.

Bad News: Someone broke into our car and ripped apart the front of the car trying to steal our cd player among other things. Luckily we don't keep too many valuables in the car. Our battery pack thing and the cd player were the only things of real worth taken...besides brand new jumbo package of paper towel rolls.

Good News: the police caught the guy who did it, and we got our stuff back minus the paper towels rolls. I am strongly considering to tell the police to go back to the guy's apartment and get my paper towels. 7$ is 7$.

Bad News: Our insurance won't cover the damage because our deductible is too high so we'll be paying a couple hundred dollars out to repair that which was broken. Hence the reason I want my paper towels back. If I'm going to pay 176$ just to fix the window, I want my $7 worth of paper towels back.

Good News: The church is still true.
Bad news: The thief doesn't know it.