Our new camera is awesome

Six Things About Jill

1. Jill has always dreamed of being a rockstar. Sometimes I catch her in the shower singing at the top of her lungs, usually Kelly Clarkson or High School Musical songs.
2. Jill is very clean and organized. She has to wipe down grocery carts and restaurant high chairs with antibacterial wipes. And Jenna's clothes are organized by size and type (pants in one drawer, onesies in another and jammies in another. Secretly, I love it.)
3. Recently Jill has become quite the photographer. She loves to snap photos of everything, especially Jenna. I really enjoy coming home from work when she shows me her latest slide show.
4. I leave for work at 4:30 in the morning. Everyday Jill asks me, "Did you say good-bye to me this morning?" And I always say, "Jill, I say good-bye to you every morning." Obviously her grunted response that early in the morning is not coherent.
5. Jill says she loves surprises but anytime I plan something she asks, "So, what are we doing?" I always say, "Do you really want to know?" And of course, she says "No."
6. Jill is a really good writer. In fact, she's helping me write this right now.

Six Things About Jake

We've been "tagged" again but this time, I'm writing six things about Jake and he's writing six things about me.
1. Almost everytime Jake sits down to eat he says "I love food," especially if eating any form of bean: refried, baked, chili, etc.
2. Jake is not afraid to show his emotions and cries often, mostly while watching "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition."
3. Jake is a saver. When in high school, he always went out to eat with his friends, but never actually ordered anything. A few weeks ago I asked him if he wanted some new shirts. "No, I want a house." He also recently told me that he is going to start putting away $15 every paycheck for a plasma. Which leads me to....
4. Jake is goal-oriented. I always catch him looking at dream homes (mostly in Ohio). And he often says, "When I build our house it's going to have ....." Before we were married I called him to come over but he declined because he had homework. I gave him a hard time about it until he said, "The reason I work so hard in school is so I can get a good job and my family doesn't have to shop at D.I."
5. Jake LOVES anything with a remote control i.e. cars, helicopters, plasmas. He is very much into electronics and toys and even subscribes to a Tower Hobbies magazine.
6. Jake LOVES Jenna. It is very cute to watch him play with her and he is definitely the more favored parent. It's easy to see why....

Today I went to Kohl's and found some awesome deals on stuff for Jenna. I bought five shirts, a pair of pants, a sweater and a skirt for $23. I couldn't believe it. I was finding things for 70, 80, even 90% off! I got one shirt for $1.00! I love days like that. I could have bought so much more but I had to restrain myself. So after picking out a gazillion things, I put everything back that was over $4.00. Because, you know, that's expensive! But the most exciting thing of all today is that Jenna let go of the coffee table and stood on her own for about 15 seconds! Jake and I were clapping and cheering so hard and she was laughing and squeeling too but I don't think she had any clue what was going on. I couldn't get to the camera in time but hopefully there will be other opportunities soon! Jenna is really into books right now and I've found her several times turning the pages and "reading." I hope this means she will enjoy books throughout her life. I try to read to her often, especially at nap and bedtime, and it's funny how she has developed clear favorites. Among others, she likes "Chicka Chicka ABC" and "Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You?" but she does not care for "Pigs Can't Fly." She pushes it away and looks for a different book. I love her little personality!

Christmas Festivities

Christmas was not just a day for us this year but a whole weekend! We started out at Jake's parent's house on Saturday where we enjoyed going shopping, ear candles and a great ham dinner. (Don't ask about the ear candles!) Jenna had a bad night so we left pretty early on Sunday, which turned out to be a pretty low-key day. In the evening, Jake's brother Tim and his friend Will came to visit us for the first time and it was really fun to show them our new place. Jake and I watched "Christmas with the Kranks" and geared up for more holiday fun on Monday and Tuesday. Monday night we headed over to my parents house for our traditional Christmas Eve snack-fest which always includes Li'l Smokies! Jenna wore her special Christmas jammies Aunt Missy sent and Jake and I had fun playing "Santa" even though Jenna had no idea what was going on. We were so excited for her to open gifts this morning that we forgot to give her a bottle! She didn't seem to mind. She was pretty focused on some curling ribbon. She did rip the paper off one gift and didn't really understand why we cheered her on because we usually tell her NOT to rip paper. After getting cleaned up, we headed back over to my parents for some traditional cinnamon rolls, basketball, football, and lots and lots of cookies and goodies. My Grandma Brooks came over and it was nice to see her. We really appreciate our parents being so generous and making Christmas special. We love this time of year and our dragging our feet as we head "back to life, back to reality" (that's a song.... I don't know who sings it but it always pops into my head after a vacation....)

I need to add to the list of things that have not been working properly:
My CELL PHONE!! For some reason, people can't hear me. I bet there is some gunk up in there or maybe it's really broken from all the times I let Jenna play with it and bang it on the coffee table. I do not know what else could possibly break. I think we're going to get a camera on Saturday, which I am very excited about. Yesterday I called Best Buy because the $50 gift card we were promised hasn't arrived yet. I called them on November 28 (the day our washer & dryer arrived) to tell them that the delivery guys scratched the top of our washer when they cut the plastic off. We were told a gift card would arrive in 10 business days as compensation. Great. Well, it's been three weeks. I was told yesterday that the gift card had not been sent out yet and that it would take another 7-14 days. The man who helped me was very polite and I tried to be nice too, which is why I prefaced my outburst with, "I know it's not your fault but....." He wasn't really able to help me because he was just the poor guy answering phones and everyone he needed answers from was out of the office for the day (it was 8:30). So I'm calling back today and you better believe I'm going to get $75!! Seriously.

I know we've all had songs stuck in our heads but have you ever had a word stuck in your head? For some reason, for the last couple of weeks, "Peep toe slingback" keeps replaying over and over in my mind. Jake and I have been watching "What Not To Wear" quite often, and in my quest to be more stylish I have been looking for some pumps but come on! I can't stop thinking those three words! Jake and I have made a joke out of it. Every time we hear a fashion word, or when Stacey London says "empire" (om-peer) Jake and I turn to each other and say "Peep toe!" It such a funny word. And since I've been shoe shopping a lot lately, I make a mental note every time I see such a shoe. Sometimes I even shorten it to PTSB. I need to stop.

Now for some non-psycho news... Jenna has a new trick. She will stick out her tongue when I ask her what a lizard says. Also, last night she kept looking toward the door and saying "dadadadada" as if she were wondering when he was coming home. I was wondering the same thing, especially after he called to say he had to work overtime. He got home two hours late! Normally, I wouldn't have minded so much but because Jenna didn't sleep ALL DAY it was definitely a "Put-her-down-early-and-get-me-a-pizza-so-I-don't-have-to-do-dinner" kind of day.

New toys for all!

Last night Jake and I were lounging in our jammies on the couch, searching the internet for Christmas gifts when we heard a knock at the door. It was about 8:30 and I figured the only people knocking on our door that late would be our neighbors. We're pretty comfortable with them, so I didn't bother to go throw some jeans on. But, no. It was our BISHOP. I was so embarrassed. But he was coming to bring Jenna a wooden rocking chair that looks like a little bear. He made it himself and it is SO cute. Jake and I were floored. He was delivering them to all the little kids in our ward! It was the nicest thing ever and made us feel so good. We are saving it for Christmas morning and Jenna is going to love it. And, when I apologized for being in pajamas, he said "I wouldn't expect anything more this time of night." What a great guy.

We've had a few major things break or not work properly this month including, but not limited to, our camera (which Jake said we can replace before Christmas. Yeah!) our car (which Jake said we can replace sooner rather than later. Double YEAH!) our garbage disposal, our garage door (both of which have been fixed) and our computer. Our computer has been going downhill for a while now but when Jenna finally got to it and pulled the X button off, we knew it was time. We're looking into an apple computer. Jake's computer-guru cousin said apples never get viruses and I used apples in school and really liked them. So, we've got a few major purchases coming up but instead of looking at the huge cost these things will be, I'm going to be excited (man, I use that x more than I thought!) about all the new toys. So hopefully, I will finally be able to post pictures of my cutie little Jenna.

"It's (not) beginning to feel a lot like Christmas..."

For some reason, it just doesn't feel like Christmas. My tree is up, I've got an apple cinnamon Glade plug-in plugged in, Sunny 102.3 has been playing Christmas carols 24 hours a day since Thanksgiving and the weather has finally dropped below 65 degrees. But, I don't know, it just doesn't seem like Christmas! Maybe it's because we won't be with a lot of our family members. Jake's sister and her family are staying in Florida. And my two sisters are staying in Ohio. And for this reason, Christmas is a love/hate holiday. I love giving (and getting!) gifts, but it's a family holiday and for the past two years, we haven't all been together. I wish everyone (all 17 on my side and all 14 on Jake's) could line up in the hallway from youngest to oldest and walk single-file into the living room then sit around the tree while our dads and grandpas pass out gifts. I guess it's time to start our own traditions with Jenna but I guess deep down I was really hoping one of those traditions would be walking down the street to spend Christmas with cousins.

The Best of Times, The Worst of Times

The Warriors game on Friday night against Miami was so exciting. The Warriors were down by at least 10 the whole game and at one time, as much as 23. I feel sorry for those who left early because the last 4 minutes were the most exciting. I don't know what happened but the Warriors were on fire!! They came back to win it 120-113. I have never screamed so hard in my life. And Shaq really is huge. Even from far away, his feet looked giagantic.

But a few people there kind of ruined it for me. A very, very large group of junior high kids were sitting directly in front of us and were quite possibly the most obnoxious bunch of kids ever. I only hope I wasn't like that as a 12 and 13-year-old. If I was, sorry Mom. They kept standing up, wrapping tape around their wrists (with the help of one of their chaperones!), fighting over seats, flirting, and wearing very large balloon hats that ended up right in Jake's face. My brother finally told them to sit down. Also, a guy behind me kept saying the F word, so much that it really started bugging me. Typically, I never would have said anything to a large, gangster-looking man but two things crossed my mind: 1) I've been told several times that I need to be more assertive and 2) Why should I have to listen to that??! So, the next time he said it, I just turned around and gave a look like, "Excuse me?" He didn't look at me but the two girls sitting with him saw and told him. Then it was every other word out of his mouth. I told myself, "The next time he says it, I'm going to ask him to stop." Two seconds later, I mustered up the courage to turn around and in my nicest voice ask, "Would you please stop using that word? Please." He looked at me like I was the stupidest thing he ever saw and said, "What?" like what I was asking was so ridiculous. And the lovely girl next to him said, "You're at a basketball game, girl. Get some ear muffs!" I just turned back around. I heard them call me a few things and then it got really bad. He kicked my chair a few times while the we were all chanting "De-FENSE!" but basically was screaming profanities the rest of the game. My brother said I made it worse by saying something and that I just have to ignore those things. But why? Why should I have to put up with that? And what about being more assertive? I was just so upset by the whole thing. So much that I couldn't stop thinking about it even after the game ended. Those people were so rude. What great examples they were to the junior high kids in front of us.

The rest of the weekend kind of stunk too and I felt bad for Jake because it was supposed to be his fun birthday weekend. Jenna is either feeling the effects of her flu shot or getting another tooth but she was up most of the night Friday night. We didn't go to the temple on Saturday morning like we had planned and Jenna was so grumpy and miserable that I had to call Jake to come home from his cousin's playoff football game Saturday night. We got home from Fremont around 10 p.m. and then had to give talks yesterday. I do think those went pretty well. But now I'm just looking forward to Christmas and our anniversary. Hopefully we can have a more enjoyable anniversary weekend!

Happy Birthday Jake!

Jake turns 25 today! It's weird to think I've known him since he was 18. (Not much has changed... hehe!!) We have a really fun weekend planned to celebrate. I guess it actually started last night when we both got haircuts. Nothing too drastic.... although, I did cut bangs! Love 'em! Jake only had to work until 10:30 because of his company Christmas luncheon. Nice that it fell on his birthday! Tonight we are going to another Warriors game. We have been following their season and are really into it now. They play Miami tonight so we'll get to see Shaq! Tomorrow morning we're going to the temple then in the evening we are going to Jake's cousin's section playoff football game at the Oakland Coliseum. The only not-so-fun part of the weekend are the talks we have to give on Sunday. Ugh. We have a good start on them so we don't have to stress too much over the weekend.

So, following my sister's lead.... I'd like to dedicate this blog to my husband on his birthday. (My brother-in-law's birthday is today as well). I am so grateful for Jake and appreciate his constant positive attitude. He is always finding the good in people, even when it's difficult. He worked extremely hard when he was in school and has carried that work ethic into his job. Even though his job isn't his dream one, he gets up every morning at 3:30 with a willing attitude and drives over an hour to work so I can stay home with Jenna. And as soon as he gets home, he takes over as "Mr. Mom" so I can have a break. He always makes sure to ask me how my day was and really listens to what I have to say. I tease Jake a lot about being so cheesey and goofy but really.... I think it's great that he's comfortable sharing his emotions and being himself. I hope he has a great day today.

I did it to myself yesterday and I did it to Jenna this morning. It was bound to happen. I had pinned her to my lap with my left arm across her chest and used my left hand to keep her hand still. She was so squirmy, though. Then it happened. I cut her thumbnail too short. Little droplets of blood came oozing out as she cried in pain. And I know how painful that can be because, as I said, I did it to myself yesterday. Now anytime I press that finger I get stabbed with the memory of my carelessness. Good thing Jenna's nails grow faster than mine.

She's Gone Country...

For some reason, I had this song stuck in my head the other day. Thought I'd share. Too bad I couldn't find "That Ain't My Truck." Hehe!!

Update

Well, we're finally moved in to our "dupe" as Jake likes to call it (a.k.a. duplex). It is a life-changing experience. Seriously. I never knew having two extra cabinets in the bathroom or more countertop space would make such a difference in my life. We also got our very first washer and dryer thanks to Jake's grandma. (It was her wedding gift to us.... three years later.) I washed everything I could on the day they arrived. I was washing bath mats and the boppy (individually!) and a small load on the delicate cycle - loads I never would have done previously at the cost of $1.75 each. Those quarters are precious. I always crammed everything I could into one load. A couple days ago when Jake took a load out to the dryer (in the garage) I almost slipped and asked if he needed quarters. It is so nice not to have to make trips to Save Mart to "buy" a roll. And Jenna is loving her new room and Jake is loving that he doesn't have to tiptoe around in the morning so as not to wake us up. So we are really enjoying living here and are also really enjoying our neighbors who are in our ward. The bad news is that our camera is completely dead so I can't take pictures of our new place. This irritates me because I had video on it of Jenna cruising around the coffee table. I guess a new camera will be our Christmas present to each other.

Wal-Mart is a necessary evil. I try to avoid going there, especially around the first of the month when it's even more crowded, but sometimes I just have to because they always have low prices. (Always). Sometimes their prices are even better than Big Lots. I can buy an 8x10 picture frame for $2, Christmas ribbon for $1.63 and a bath rug for $4.96. But what bugs me is that there is always someone in front of the store, right next to the employees taking a smoke break, who wants my signature for some cause or another like saving the farm land. Then there's those who block the aisles while they talk a mile a minute in Spanish. I need to learn how to say, "Move." One day, I got a check (coupon) in the mail for some formula from Enfamil. It was for $7. I gently folded it up, stuck it in my coupon book and a few days later went to Wal-Mart. I went up to the check-out stand with all my items and handed the lady the check and of course, it wouldn't go through. I looked at the four people in line behind me and immediately started sweating. The checker tried a second time and then called her manager when it wouldn't work again. The manager also tried twice and by this time I'm pulling out one of Jenna's burpies to wipe the sweat from my face. The manager told me it wasn't going through because I had folded it and they couldn't enter it as a coupon for some reason that I can't remember now. $7 off!! And I couldn't use it. I was so frustrated. I swore I would never go back. But... Wal-Mart traps me with their low prices and unfortunately, I just can't stay away and today I bought a ficus tree and a door mat for our new place. Oh, well.

Deja vu

I hated junior high. It was an awkward, random two years thrown in there between elementary school and high school where I was trying to figure out who I wanted to be. I was so glad to get to high school and start the next phase of my life. So why does it feel like I'm in junior high all over again? Once again I feel like I'm in an awkward, random stage in my life and trying to figure out who I am and where I belong. I'm not a teenager but I'm not a mature, 30-something adult whose established and done having kids. I'm stuck between two worlds: sometimes I act and feel like I should be going to Young Women's but I find myself in Relief Society, wanting to have something in common with the other ladies who are all at least a decade older than I am. I guess this phase, like junior high, just has to be endured. I hope it doesn't last two years.

Blah blah blah

I think Jenna is beginning to feel better. She didn't wake up at all last night, her nose has been a lot less runny and she has taken really good naps today. I checked on her this afternoon and found her like this, with her silky blanket square tucked underneath her. I wonder if her legs will fall asleep??

I'm feeling a little better, too. I think that was the shortest cold I've ever had (three days). I hope this was just a seasonal thing. Jenna and I went to the library today and got a few books. One of them is a lift-the-flap counting book and Jenna was laughing out loud at it. It wasn't even that funny but for some reason, she got a kick out of it. I hope that means she'll have a good sense of humor. Today is going to be a long day because Jake had to drive to Mammoth Lakes which is about 6 hours away. That is a lot of driving. So I'll probably go to my mom's to beat the boredom, which is what I'm attempting to do now by writing about a bunch of nothing.

P.S. Amy, would Glenn rather listen to this song?? Hehe!

It snot fun

Jenna has her first cold. I knew something was up yesterday when she slept for three hours after church. Then last night, she woke up every 20 minutes (I think because she couldn't breathe!) After rocking her back to sleep, she woke up again with a poopy diaper. I gave her some Tylenol and she slept until 1:45. I didn't get her until about 2:30 because she wasn't crying, just complaining. I rocked her back to sleep again and she slept until 7:45. This morning, she had huge green boogers and I tried to suck out as much as I could but she hates to have anything near her face, so it's a challenge to keep her nose clean. My sister explained green snot versus clear snot and how green snot is not a good sign. I'm happy to report that I think her snot has cleared up! We'll see how the rest of today goes. She has her 9-month check-up coming soon so I hope she's over this by then. I also need to take her to the eye doctor because I think she's inherited my lazy eye. I'm sure they have some more advanced technology than when I was a kid so she doesn't have to wear glasses her whole life. On a lighter note, Jake and I are moving! We'll still be in Turlock but we are moving to a really cool duplex. It's older but it's clean. It was some new windows, (including one in the bathroom, which I'm very excited about!) new tile in the bathroom, a new oven, new blinds, washer & dryer hook-ups and a one-car garage that is really deep. It also has a big front yard, small backyard, and storage galore. And we will have TWO bedrooms! And a linen closet! And we will be able to open the bathroom drawers all the way without hitting the door. It does have brown carpet and a pink countertop in the bathroom but I don't care. Some other great things about it: It's only $50 more than what we are paying now for a small one bedroom, our next door neighbors are in our ward as well as the people who live across from us, it's on a court, and it has TWO BEDROOMS!! We will post more pictures once we get the keys. You can see our front door in the picture here. We got such a sweet deal on the whole thing. I guess if we have to be stuck in Turlock, then living here will make it a little less painful. Hehe!!

The Great Tupperware Discovery

Because Jenna can crawl now, I have a hard time getting things done when she's awake. She is everywhere and into everything. I had been putting her in the highchair, with toys or Cheerios, just to keep her contained. But I finally figured it out: Tupperware. I don't know why I didn't think of it before! She played for almost an hour while I made dinner last night. The bottom drawer in the kitchen is now hers, complete with measuring cups, an empty foil tube and all my plastic containers. She was also cracking us up during her bath. She was literally flipping around and crawling all over the tub. She is such a little clown now.

We Believe!

Jake and I went to the Golden State Warriors game in Oakland last night and it was AWESOME! We drove to his parents house then rode BART over to the coliseum. They played the Cleveland Caveliers and it was a very close game but... the Cavs won (I'm secretly happy about that!) It was fun to see LeBron James (pictured at the top of the key. It's him, I promise!) We are going to another game against Miami for Jake's birthday.

Love and Jelly Shoes

I was going through Jenna's shoes to see what was going to fit her now and I came across these shoes my sister had given me. I remember when my niece wore these shoes and now she is eight. I got to thinking about how fast time goes and how I just really miss my family.

Daddy's #1 Fan

Jake got his guitar out last night and when he started playing it, Jenna crawled over to him and plopped herself down in front of him. She started waving her hands and kicking her legs like crazy. It was so funny.

Tagged

So I guess I've been tagged. I think I have to come up with 6 things about me. Here's what I've got:

1. My family, both immediate and extended, is everything. My world revolves around them. I would do anything for them.
2. I am a little o.c. when it comes to cleaning and organizing. I will alphabetize, color coordinate and label whenever I can. And when I'm cleaning or organizing, I am in "the zone" and, as Jake knows all to well, can not be disturbed!
3. I have a lazy eye and have been wearing glasses since I was three. Sometimes I like to cross my eye on purpose just to freak people out.
4. I have a secret desire to be a rockstar a la Kelly Clarkson. When I was little I used to stand on the fireplace and sing toothpaste commercials.
5. I watch "The Bachelor" religiously.
6. When I was a senior in high school, I flew to Switzerland with the lady I babysat for (she visits her family there every year and needed help with her 3 kids on the plane). My parents came, too and we drove to Germany, Austria and France.

I think I'm supposed to "tag" a few others? I pick Jen Wheat and Melissa.... if they want.

Friday, I felt like Superwoman because for some reason, I had a lot of energy and motivation to get things done. I put Jenna in the stroller and rolled her out to the car so I could clean out all of the used wipes, diapers, credit card offers and other junk mail, puzzle pieces, sweatshirts and the clothes I bought for Jenna three days ago. Then I washed, folded, and put away two loads of laundry, made the bed with clean sheets, started my first attempt at crockpot cooking, paid our rent, read a chapter in my library book and went for a walk to the park with Jenna. Whew! Why can't I get that many things done everyday? My crockpot dinner turned out great. I cooked pork, potatoes, carrots, celery, apples and even threw in a bay leaf! It was very yummy. Yesterday, we volunteered at the elementary school down the street for a community service called "Friends and Families for Schools." We had a lot of fun raking, sweeping and pruning with our ward. Tonight I am making potato cheese soup - another attempt at making something other than pasta, burritos or chicken. And, of course, Jake is really loving this new interest I have in cooking. Tomorrow? Gingersnap Pot Roast.

Jenna is all over the place now. When I lay her down to change her diaper, I have to have the diapers and wipes ready and give her something to hold, otherwise she's flipped over, crawled her naked booty across the room and standing up at something before I know it. Her favorite thing to pull up on is a Leap Frog learning table someone gave us. We are really having fun with her. She cracks up when Grandma plays hide-n-seek with her and loves to bite the head off of her new baby doll.

Pumpkin Pie

Today is November 1st and it was 72 degrees this afternoon.
I guess California's good for somethin'!

Crushed

So, the bank program in Ohio that Jake was hoping to get into is not going to work out. The program, which trains recent college grads, was cancelled. The company recently had to lay off quite a few people because of how the market is now and therefore could not justify hiring so many for the program. I am completely crushed. I hate being so far away from my sisters and their families and we would also really like to move into a house but that is a very difficult thing to do in California. We've done everything we can to move out there and it just feels like Ohio broke up with us. Maybe it's just a timing thing. Maybe we're supposed to move to Texas.

In other news... tonight Jake and I were looking for flights (to Cleveland) and suddenly the bed started shaking. I said, "What are you doing?" and he immediately answered, "That's an earthquake!" We called his parents who live in Fremont and asked if they were okay. His dad said he was sitting at the computer when he heard a sound like the front door slamming. He said things shook pretty hard and he was about to get under his desk when it stopped. It lasted about 12 seconds and we learned that is was a 5.6 and the epicenter was in San Jose, just minutes from Fremont. The fault line runs right through Jake's parents' backyard! Jake showed me a website that documents all the earthquakes in the Bay Area and I was amazed to learn that there are tiny earthquakes every day. Sometimes ten times a day! Here is the link to the site: http://quake.usgs.gov/recenteqs/Quakes/quakes0.htm

Summertime fun!

This summer was so busy but SO fun! It started in June when Jake graduated from California State University, Stanislaus. Somehow, between working two jobs and a new baby, he graduated Cum Laude and was invited into Beta Gamma Sigma, a business honor society. Also in June, my sister, Amy, and her family came to California for two weeks. They started off in Disneyland with my parents then drove up to Modesto for the rest of their visit. I was getting ready to return to work for a little bit so it was nice to have my sister here for extra support. The next group to come was Jake's sister Stephanie and her three kids. They came from Florida and stayed for seven weeks visiting friends and family. While they were here, Jake's nephew Donovan was ordained a deacon and his niece Shawna was baptized. A few days after they left, Jake, Jenna and I flew to Ohio for three weeks for my niece's 8th birthday and baptism and my other niece's 7th birthday. Jake also tried to find a job and had a few good leads but nothing came up while we were there. We had so much fun going to a Cleveland Indians game, enjoying "Pizza/Movie Night" with the cousins, jumping on the trampoline, going to the zoo, pulling Brooke's teeth, braiding hair, watching "Fat March" and just hanging out. Soon after we got home, Jake's brother got married and Stephanie got to come out again. Jake's brother, Jeff, also flew in from Tennessee. It was his first time meeting Jenna and Jenna loved him! Jeff was able to come with us to the beach when we took Jenna for the first time. She hated it! But we loved the dutch oven cobbler Jake's parents made! A few weeks later, my sister, Melissa, and her family came out for a week. They hadn't been back in two years and it was my nephew's first time to California. We had fun shopping, going to the pumpkin patch, shopping, sitting in the spa with the kids and shopping! So now we'rejust wondering...... what's next??!!

In a funk

I've been in a funk the last couple of weeks. I don't even do much scrapbooking anymore because you need at least a couple hours to make it worth it and I know that as soon as I get all set up, Jenna will either wake up from her nap or eat all my paper and stickers. Jake suggested taking a class at the University a few blocks away and that sounds like a good idea. I'd like to take a cooking class or maybe sewing because I don't have any skills in either area (poor Jake!) I've also thought about taking a few classes in the evening to work toward a Master's. I don't know what I'd get it in but I just kind of miss school (except the tests). Michael's Crafts also offers classes like cake decorating so that's a thought, too. I did join the ward choir and I'm really excited about that. We are learning a really pretty song for Christmas. So if anyone has any ideas for a hobby, feel free to share!

About Us

After I graduated from BYU-Idaho, we moved back to California where we both grew up. Jake finished school at California State University Stanislaus and graduated Cum Laude in June. He is now working at Pella Windows in Livermore, CA. I was working at The Modesto Bee but when Jenna Elizabeth was born in February, I decided to stay home. She is the best baby and is SO CUTE (because she looks just like her dad!) She spoils us by sleeping 12 hours at night. She just started crawling and pulling herself up on things. It is fun to watch her grow and learn. We are excited for the upcoming months and the possibility of moving to Ohio where my two sisters live. But for now, we are just enjoying our little family and homeworkless evenings!

So, we're jumping on the bandwagon. Seems like everyone is blogging these days. It's been fun discovering blogs of some of our old friends and it's a great way to keep in touch. We look forward to hearing from everyone!