I made it

Hey everyone, Karie here. I finally figured out how to post. Nice to be reading about everyone's adventures. I love Denver. Pictures above are from our camping trip in the mountains. So beautiful. One of Lane's many owies and our house of course which I like, but there is a lot of wasted space. I could totally do without the huge vaulted ceilings and put in two more bedrooms upstairs. Finally got some good pics of the kids. Hey. Great family town and you'd be surprised how many large non-mormon families are here. Anyway...Wish we would be here longer. I am already in suspense to find out where we will go next year...at least if it will be overseas or not. Anyway, the pregnancy has been interesting. Anyone else feel like number three rips you apart? Oh well, count my blessings. So, the shopping has begun for this spoiled little girl already. A boy would be so much cheaper. Still exciting. The transition to full time mom has also been. . . interesting. Ofcourse the boys had a rough time but I think it was mostly my fault for not sticking to some type of schedule. Anyway, about the time I was ready to break, I put my foot down and now with the routine things seem to go much smoother and we are all happy. . . for the most part. I'm totally missing having friends. No one here I really feel any desire to "bond to." There are only a couple my age in the ward but no one that can relate. They are all settled and secure if you know what I mean. Well, Rachel J, if you're out there we need to get together. You should only be an hour or so away. That would pump me up a bit.

Toodles, Karie

Giving birth was not nearly as hard!

Okay, I can say that giving birth, for me, was not nearly as hard as walking away from Eden's kindergarten classroom without her yesterday! I had a hole in my heart the entire day and couldn't wait until 3:00. (What am I going to be like when she gets married!) Today was a little better but still not easy. Everyone told me how much freedom I would have when the kids went to school but no one told me how hard it was to send them there!


Besides that it is good to read about you all and to hear how you are settling into your new life. We are all doing well and enjoying Nebraska. Omaha is like the nations best kept secret. There are tons of wonderful family oriented things to do and everything is a ton less expensive so you can afford to do them. Who would have thought that here in the middle of nowhere there would be so much to do! So we are really enjoying ourselves. Austins first rotation has been Inpatient at the hospital and has been quite an overwhelming learning curve for him but he is starting to get the hang of it and enjoying himself. Luckily we have been able to see him every evening except for when he has been on call, although he just got called to the elders quorum presidency and so we might see him a little less now. Anyhow, Hope just turned one last week and her #1 goal in life is to either stand on top of the table or go fishing in the potty ( and with three older sisters leaving the toilet open, she succeeds quite often!) Anyway, if I can figure this blog thing out I will post some picts, if not oh well! Talk to you all later!

Joni

Update

I am happy to report that Sunday went really well. We were so blessed b/c James actually got to sleep during his call shift, then finish his talk in the knick of time. I was so nervous up until right before I spoke, then had that old familiar calm come over me, and (sigh) didn't even cry at all until right before I was done. Also, there was a musical number but James still had JUST enough time for his talk. So it went GREAT... well, that is if you don't count Charlie yelling out the "S" word during the sacrament.

Honestly, and I tried to explain this to James, I think it's hereditary. We don't swear at home. I only every so often swear in my pillow, so I don't know where he learned it. BUT, that's kinda my point.. he didn't! It's totally hereditary. We come from a long line of truckers and farmers and I think it's just built in to his vocabulary! He hasn't said the other bad word he used to say in a long time and that one was way worse, so that's good ;)

Dillon started a British Soccer camp yesterday... SO CUTE! These real British soccer players come and do the cutest camp for them and Dillon is WAY into it! He's on team Scotland and he's learning, not only the rules and game of soccer, but all about "toad in the hole" and "Bangers and mash" and all that funny British stuff. Tomorrow they are supposed to come with crazy hair or a crazy hat for "Wacky Wednesday." Then Friday is the World Cup and closing ceremony. I love having a little boy in sports. Its as fun as I always imagined it would be! And isn't he CUTE??!!



(That's the Hospital where James works in the background. James watches from his office on the third floor when he gets break time)



K - only one more thing. Can those of you who have personal blogs (or family blogs) send me the links in an email - or you can post them here - so I can add the links onto this blog? That would be super. Kami, Rachel J, and AnnMarie I have yours. THANKS GUYS!

Jenny's Blog

Moved In

Yesterday I drove from Mesa to 43rd and Happy Valley for Caden to go to Preschool, hoping during that hour and a half we could go into our house. We had to kill a little time after pre-school but finally at noon we got the all clear that it was ours and we could enter. Ella and Caden were pretty excited. Ella wasn't with us when we first looked at it so she thought it was really cool. We got moved in really quickly. We rented a 24 foot truck this time and loaded all our stuff into it, my van, and my dad's truck and it only took one trip. The kids love having a pool, they were already constantly begging to go swimming while I was trying to unpack today, and Jeremy went in this morning and will get back tomorrow. Depending on how busy he was, if he gets any sleep we'll be going it alone to church. We have gone to a different ward every sunday for the last two months. It's going to be a little different not being able to choose where we go, but good to finally settle down.
I'll have to post more later I am running out of steam.
talk to you soon.
Jill

Speaking in church tomorrow AHH!

I know there is never a good time for these things, but they didn't even ask us until Wednesday! Plus, I've just not been feeling myself these days - you guys know how it is! I have no desire to stand up in public all puffy and huge, probably will be sweating and my brain just does not work. I've gone over my talk a few times now, and it never comes out the same. I'm pretty sure it makes no sense either. Just gotta trust that God won't let me lead people astray or accidently say something really stupid and offensive!!

James is on call tonight so he'll be speaking after working all night, poor guy. Have you all had to speak already? Have you all recieved callings? So far no callings, but James has substituted on the piano for one auxiliary or another every week he's actually been able to make it to church and been assigned to do a special musical number next month. I taught RS a few weeks ago, but no official calling.

Since my last post we've done 4 weeks of swimming lessons and had my brother and sister here for a visit. Dillon does soccer camp next week, then kindergarten evaluations, and the school starts! It's coming so fast! We went school uniform shopping last weekend. When he tried on his uniforms and put on the cute little backpack I nearly lost it. Can this really be happening already? I thought it was ironic too that this is the first year that neither James nor I have been in school at all, but Dillon starts kindergarten!

Hope you're all doing well.. I could really really use a girl's night. I've met some really nice girls in the ward and stuff, but haven't found that girlfriend "connection" you know? I know it's only been a couple of months, but with the baby coming and everything, it would be nice to have that one (or 12) really close friend that you know you could call for anything! Kami - if only you were like 20 minutes closer!! ;)

I have a doctors appointment next week. Maybe I'll post again then! Toodles.

Here's the link to my personal blog (for pictures and more rambling ;)
Jenny's Blog

Move in Day Tomorrow

Hey everyone,
Guess what, we are actually going to move into our own house and quit mooching off of our family. Tomorrow we move out of our in-laws with all the stuff we brought here (which is a ton). Then on Friday we are moving in the rest of our house from the mini storage. Jeremy and I are very excited. Ella is scared, she has already moved once and gotten settled into her cousins house and likes having her here to play with all the time. Plus she is going to miss their ice machine, she says. So for her it is like we are moving twice, and she worries about everything. So we will see how smooth of a transition this will be for her. Caden is easygoing about everything but sometimes Ella's fear rubs off onto him. And Taylor, has been great but has started getting into everything. I am a little worried he is going to climb onto this built in desk in the loft of our new house, then look over the side wall and come crashing down to the first floor. It makes me cringe when I think about it. I am going to have to rig a baby gate to keep him out of there just for that purpose. Hopefully we all do ok.
Anyway it seems like the dog days of summer flew by this year, we were always busy. Hope everyone is doing well, and that the whole year isn't full of mad long hours at the hospital for our husbands. There has got to be a few easy rotations somewhere right, or maybe we can just get lucky and have an unofficial vacation while the doctor they are precepting for is on vacation. I'm jealous of you if that has happened.
Well life is good just a little out of control every once in a while.
Talk to you girls soon.

Jill

Thank goodness for different rotations

Hello girls! I just wanted to say hi to everyone. Things have been so good hear. I can't believe how much calmer and better my life seems when Brett is around. We just had my three brothers, there girlfriends ( one being Amy's sister), my sister and two of there friends. It was a fun time, but kind of hectic. Amy, I love your sister. It was so fun getting to know her, and Shane and her look cute together. Also one of my good friend Ashley Landreth came down and one of my other friends, Shaunee Williams came and did a triathlon, so I got to see her. Anyways, it is always so fun see old friends. If any of you want to come to SUNNY San Diego, please feel free to come here. I also thought I would let all of you know I updated my blog spot. I think I got you all emailed about it, but just in case you didn't here it is www.brettbanksfamily.blogspot.com Also if any of you have blog spot let me know your address and let me know if it is okay to add you to my blogging friends list.
Well, I hope everyone is feeling a little more settled in. It been two months yesterday that all of our husband graduated. Crazy, huh. Love ya all, Kami