Transitions

I apologize in advance for the long long post.  So much has changed and we have had a hard time keeping in touch with everyone.  Our phones get little to no service and drop calls constantly.  Hopefully we'll get it worked out soon.  We're in Missouri! We made it! It has been an interesting move since the last year has been spent in transition. We are happy to have a home again and to be somewhere for a while...even if its only for a year.

I have much to report on so I guess I'll start with the present and move backwards. This small Missouri town came with a little shock but we are getting used to it. There are many sporting missing teeth, mullets, scantily clad obese people, bad grammar and language, smokers, and other forms of classiness (or lack there of). Walmart is certainly the happening place in town. We have been entertained at times just by people watching. Ya ever heard of peopleofwalmart.com (don't visit if you haven't)?  It's kinda like that... We've already met a lot of awesome people though, and I really do think we'll like it here.

We were able to enjoy the 4th with ward members at the Bohn's home. We swam and had a bbq and got to know some new friends better. We came home in the evening and were able to see the city fireworks from outside our apartment with a large group of neighbors. They also put on their own show in our parking lot.  Fireworks and rednecks are kind of scary but entertaining. Apparently no type of firework is illegal here.  Only one went the wrong way towards the apartment.  Glad it only knocked some pictures off the walls.

It has been stinkin hot and humid here and there are a plethera of creepy crawly things I can't name. It is enjoyable to be in a small town, and it is certainly beautiful here with lots of rolling hills and tall trees. We are close to a few state parks we are looking forward to checking out.

We are so glad to have our friends, the Allreds, here as Jordan's coresident and family. We have also enjoyed our ward so far and are grateful for the support system the church offers. They have been very kind. Jordan was called as a counselor in the YM's Sunday along with Aaron Allred. Looks like they'll get to spend plenty of time together. Jordan has enjoyed his work so far. I think that he has been to work every day since he started minus the fourth when he had only a phone consulatation. He and Aaron are going to all of the "call" right now so he is basically on call all of the time. Hopefully it will be less when they are able to split it and as they get faster with more experience.

Brynlee and I are still working on getting settled and ready for the baby. We've been able to play a little here and there as well. She has been so funny lately singing all of the time.  Occasionally, she sings primary songs, but mostly she makes up random songs and then says, "Did you like that one mom?"  When she's not singing, she is beatboxing (thank you Uncle Luke). She makes me feel like I live in a musical. 

It looks like our new baby is doing well. It's good to have a OB picked out and I took a tour of the L&D in the hospital here. We also had another ultrasound which brought a lot of peace of mind that everything looks good. It was fun to get to see her sweet little face in 3D as well.

 

The belly a month ago...its sigificantly bigger now

 I think all ultrasound pictures are a little scary, but so fun to get to see her little face!

We are grateful to finally be mostly settled. With much help from my family (thanks again guys!), Jordan and I packed up one of our vehicles and my parents Suburban with most all of our earthly possesions and headed to Missouri minus our Brynlee who my mom was kind enough to keep for a few days.  It was a tight fit but we made it! Because there "must needs be opposition in all things..." we had a break down and set back in St. Louis. We are grateful that we broke down in the city and not in the middle of Kansas somewhere. We emptied the Suburban did a little furniture shopping and headed back to Colorado to get our cute stinker.

Bryn got to play with lots of friends while we were away...I don't think she really missed us.

While we were in Colorado we got to go to the temple with Luke for the first time and spend some time with Jason, Andrea, Aliyah, and Joshua.

We got to enjoy swimming and relaxing at my parents for a while. Gramie and Papa also had a backyard campout with the two girls. They (the girls) had a blast...as for the grandparents, I think they survived :).

Our move from Utah went fairly smoothly. We miss being close to Jordan's family already. We are so grateful for all of the help from Jordan's siblings. Brynlee asks all the time to play with cousins...especially Hawsey, Sage, and Mya. Before we left we were able to some fun things I never blogged about.

The Saturday before Mother's Day we were able to do the Susan Komen Breast Cancer 5K in SLC. It was nice to be able to do something in memory of Jordan's mom. We went to breakfast and to the zoo with Rob, Jamie and Haws afterwards. It made for a long day for my pregger self, but it was so fun.

We also went to Torrey, UT area with Jordan's sister Shawna and their family for a little mini vacation.  It was so fun and very beautiful!

We were also able to visit what's left of the home Jordan's grandpa grew up in. Crazy to imagine a bunch

of kids in that little house!

Whew!  That's all I have for now!  Hopefully, now that we're kinda sorta settled, I'll do better keeping this up!

Dr. Day's Graduation

So, I realize I'm behind once again.  I really need to post pictures from Easter, our trip to Torrey, and other fun pics, but these pictures are on the computer already and I'm thinking about it at this moment so here are the pictures from last weekends graduation ceremony.  Thanks to my fabulous dad for the awesome photography!

We are so excited to be done and to be looking forward to a paycheck!  We appreciate all the love and support from our family and friends!  Congrats to Jordan for all of his hard work!  It was so fun to see some old friends in Iowa as well.  We're grateful for the Moore's allowing us to stay with them.  We had so much fun catching up with our old neighborhood and especially seeing Libby and Brynlee play again.  Hopefully I'll post some pics soon!

Missouri

Thanks for all of your prayers!  Jordan was offered a position in Missouri for a 3 year residency and he took it.  We will be in a small town called Farmington for the first year and then St. Louis for years two and three.  We're excited for a new adventure.  I have to confess though...I've enjoyed Utah more than I'd ever thought I would.  We've never lived separate from, but close to family until now and it's really nice!  We will surely miss it!  My cousin Kellie and her family live in the St. Louis area and we are excited to have some family close there as well.  I have also enjoyed having temples so easily accessible here in Utah.  Excited St. Louis has one!

I don't know a whole lot else about St. Louis (except for the arch), but we really enjoyed the midwest during our three years in Des Moines.  It will be nice we can continue on with Jordan's training without waiting a year.  We are in the hunt for renters again for our townhome in Ankeny.  We have lots of lookers so we're hopeful we'll be able to seal a deal soon.  We have awesome neighbors/friends that are managing and showing the house for us.  They're terrific!

We got to go to the circus a while back with Jordan's sister, Shawna and her family.  Finally have pictures available to post :).  We're missing Landon in these pics, darn it!  Too bad we can't get a normal face out of Brynlee either!  We are also headed out with them soon on a short mini vacation to hopefully a little warmer weather a little further south.  I'm afraid they might be sick of us and ready to ship us to Missouri early! 

Jordan and I were able to enjoy the Sunday morning session of conference at the Conference Center.  I loved conference (as usual).  I especially loved Elder Christofferson's talk on adversity.  I think that we could relate to Elder Brown's feelings as a cut back currant bush over the nearly 3 weeks we were looking for a residency.  So grateful for a loving Gardner who knows what's best for us.  Check out the talk here.

We actually had a residency prior to conference, but the talk definitely meant a lot to us.  Prior to that, we receive a lot of comfort from reading Elder Uchtdorf's talk "Continue in Patience."  Here's the shortened version in a video:

Not much else is new for us.  Brynlee's excited to get to be a big sister and I'm getting fat.  Jordan's busy with clinic and enjoying the last few weeks of his 20's! 

Catch Up Time!

I feel bad that I haven't kept this blog up better over the last little while.  It is hard once you get behind and I struggled blogging about certain things.  I need to get it over with and get caught up so I can use the blog for what is for...keeping you all updated!  I am going to start at the most recent and work backwards.

JORDAN PASSED BOARDS!!! Hooray, that is my very happy news for the day!

We are currently living in South Jordan, Utah.  We are expecting a little girl in August!  I just had my ultrasound last week and she was facing my back perfectly enough that the ultrasound tech had a hard time getting and good profile pics or I'd post one.  The best one I can find that's not scary looking is this cute little foot.  It was wonderful to see that she seems to be healthy and all is ok.  Brynlee is so excited for a sister and we think two girls sounds like too much fun! 

Unfortunately, Jordan didn't 'match' for a residency so we are praying that something comes available.  There is a shortage for his class and there's potential we may have to wait a year and try again.  All of your prayers are greatly appreciated!  We are eager to know where we will be living in only a couple of months but we are learning a great lesson in faith and patience.  We've been blessed in so many ways and we really have no reason to complain.  We're confident it will work out just the way it's supposed to.  We have missed living close to Gramie and Papa and Aunt Nat, but Brynlee has had so much fun getting to know cousins better and Jordan and I have loved being close to his family.  I have especially enjoyed having all my great sisters in law close by.  They are fabulous! 

Brynlee has been doing gymnastics with some of her cousins and loves it.  We both look forward to Tuesday mornings!  I should have been taking pictures and I will repent!  She has been potty trained (completely!) for a few weeks now.  It was a challege to get it all the way done, but she did it!  We are thrilled!  She is getting so grown up and amazes us by what she says.  I have to be ever so careful what I say because she is such a sponge and has a bit of an attitude.  She loves dresses (but they must flare out when she spins) and dancing.  She changes her outfits at least 4 times a day and we must have music playing continuously.  I have taken pictures since I got here, but apparently I stole Natalie's camera cord and left mine.  Bummer.

Brynlee and I got to take a trip to Colorado a few weeks ago and Brynlee enjoyed seeing Aliyah and we got to meet her new cousin Joshua. He's a cutie pie!  It was good to catch up with Jason and Andrea and spend sometime with Gramie and Papa and Natalie. 

Christmas was so fun with Brynlee.  Most of the 'pictures' we took were actually video and I'm not patient enough to upload them.  She still asks if she can have things for Christmas.  It was fun for her to take part in a nativity with my family and our family friends. 

She enjoyed making/eating Christmas cookies!  I learned that there is no such thing as too many sprinkles!

On November 21, Jordan's mom passed away from the effects of metastisized breast cancer.  Because we knew it was coming, we were able to go out a visit a few times before her death.  We are grateful for those moments and the time we were able to enjoy her on this earth.  She was a remarkable woman and wonderful mother.  The more time passes, the more we realize how much she did for us individually and for the family as a whole.  We miss her terribly and are so grateful for the gospel and especially the sacrifice of Jesus Christ that assures us that we can be with her forever.  We actually left Brynlee home in Colorado for the funeral so she enjoyed Thanksgiving without us.  It was our first trip away from her and we really did miss her!