Zoo Day!

Jessica and Jocelyn watching the tigers

The girls thought the flamingos necks looked like snakes!!

We had such a fun day at the zoo with our friends! Jocelyn was very excited to see Jessica, ride in the wagon and have a pinic! She was happy to see the animals too, I think! It was a very chilly day, so the girls stayed warm with a blanket. When we were watching the chimpanzees, Jocelyn said, "Mommy, his bum looks gross!" Yeah, I have to agree with that. From then on, she had to talk about animal bums and things that come out of them. It was embarrassing, but what can you do?!? When she told Grandpa and Uncle John about the zoo, she talked about how big the rhino poop is. I think she was truly amazed by it. Ha ha. Anyway, enough about that! We had a great day today!

Big girl bike and ABQ wind!

The other day we went for a walk around the neighborhood. Jocelyn wanted to ride her tricycle, which she hadn't been on for probably five months or so! Well, she definitely grew in the past five months b/c she is way too tall for it now! So we thought we'd check out bikes for her and we ended up getting her a little pink one! We picked it up today and of course, she wanted to try it out! We knew it was windy, but thought we'd give it a shot. Not a good day to learn how to ride a bike! I couldn't see anything because my hair was blowing everywhere, had sand in my mouth (yuck!) and the wind kept taking Jocelyn and her bike speeding off...which she did NOT like! So hopefully we can give it a shot another day...preferably a calm day!

Sticker tattoo??

Jocelyn was in her playroom being all quiet, which means she is up to something! She came into the living room and had lined these stickers all the way from her finger up her arm!! Pretty creative, but we're worried that means she'll want a tattoo or something when she gets older! Hopefully we are just being paranoid!

Little Gym

Here is Jocelyn at her Little Gym class. I'm sitting in the lobby filming through the window! Sorry this is so long. We don't have the tools on my laptop to cut it down! Grandpa, this is for you! :)

Our daily dose of entertainment....

Jocelyn got a small scratch on her cheek so we put some neosporin on it. A couple hours later, she comes up to me and says...

Joc: "Mommy, is my scratch all better? Is it gone?"
Me: "Yes, it looks all better"
Joc: "Well, then we have a small problem, Mommy! You have GOT to get this cream off of me!"
I wish I could have videotaped her saying that. It was SO dramatic!! :)


I have been meaning to write about this too. We have a GPS in our car and it talks and tells us where to turn, etc. Well, after spending a few days in Utah and being very worn out, Jocelyn got a little sick of the GPS lady! She started having arguments with her every time we got in the car...

GPS: "In .3 miles, turn right."
Jocelyn: "We are NOT turning right LADY!! Nope! Not today, Lady!"
GPS: "Exit left in .2 miles"
Jocelyn: "NO! We are not going to exit left, Lady! Mommy, tell her we aren't going to exit left!!"

Every time, she would put up her hand to tell her to stop. It was very entertaining! Never heard of someone arguing with a GPS!


One more thing... I have been watching Jocelyn's friend, Bryson, lately and usually Brianna is over here playing too. Jocelyn has been enjoying the role of the little protective mommy when she has her friends over, so Bryson gets an ear full most days! I guess Bryson and Brianna had a little tiff over a toy or something and Jocelyn took it upon herself to fix it! This is what she said,
"Bryson Paul!! (she got his middle name from his mom, not me!) You need to be nice to my friend, Bri!"
Then she looks at me and says, "Mommy, I will handle this!! Just let me deal with it!!"
OH goodness! That girl! :)

My little teenager...so she thinks!

This is how Jocelyn talks on the phone!! Obviously she has seen me trying to multi-task and talk, so she is copying me. It is pretty funny! She also uses her hands to talk and emphasize her stories! :)

More Easter pics...

She's not too sure about the marshmallow sucker!


She fell asleep with her head in the Easter basket!


Okay! I am ready to hunt for eggs!

Easter dress

Jocelyn was hilarious when we were shopping for an Easter dress this year. I had the hardest time finding a dress I liked and it was literally last minute shopping when we finally had to just pick something! Jocelyn was as picky as I was, which is scary! We were at Gymboree and she went around the store saying, "Mommy, it has to be fancy. That's not fancy enough!" Finally she decided on the green one! I love her little sandals! :)

More of Jocelyn and Aiden

Jocelyn is making sure baby Aiden's present is safe!!

Looks like he likes it!!

She really adores her baby cousin!

"Baby Aiden is MY cousin!"

I think I heard that statement about a hundred times this weekend! Jocelyn is VERY proud of her new baby cousin and lets everyone know! It is so cute! We went to Utah for Aiden's blessing this weekend. We had a great time and it was sooo nice to finally see Aiden! The first time Jocelyn held Aiden, he started crying and she said, "Um, I think he is scared of me!" Later while I was holding him, he started crying and she told Myrica, "I don't think my mom is very good with baby Aiden!" It was so funny! Anyway, here are a few pictures. I have to run some errands, but wanted to get some up here! I'll write more about the weekend later!

SIDE NOTE: UNFORTUNATELY I HAVE BEEN FORCED TO REMOVE THE PIC OF JOHN AND JOCELYN. I WAS THREATENED BY MY BROTHER! UHHHH! I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS BAD, BUT OBVIOUSLY HE HAD A DIFFERENT OPINION!!! LOVE YOU, JOHN!

Hoots

There is a new place in town called Hoots. It is a 7000 sq. foot building that has a bunch of the inflatable slides, rock walls, etc. for the kids to play on! It also has a HUGE jungle gym that is so much fun! Parents can climb on all the equipment too! This is definitely Jocelyn's new favorite place! Beats Chuck E Cheese hands down! Although she does love seeing Chuck E. and giving him hugs! :)

Ash, you need to come back and visit now that this place is open! The kids would have a blast! :)

I need to get rid of that book!!!!

I have been informed I need to marry Santa Claus!! Jocelyn LOVES "Twas the Night Before Christmas" and we are still reading it at bedtime...in March!! I keep forgetting to hide it!

Tonight, we were reading that book before bed and Jocelyn said, "Mommy, I think you need to marry Santa!" I told her that I married Daddy, so I can't marry Santa. She turns to Graham and says, "Daddy, maybe you should marry someone else!"

She really does ADORE her daddy, but maybe the thought of all those toys is a little too tempting! She's hilarious!

SURPRISE!!

Jocelyn has been so entertaining lately! The other day, she was riding her motorcycle..yes, she's three and she has a motorcycle and it is motorized! Anyway, she was riding it around the house and she drove up to me and this was our conversation...

Jocelyn: "Mommy, I'm going to the store. What would you like?"

Me: "some pink lemonade, please."

Jocelyn: "Okay! What would you like to eat?"

Me: "uhh, surprise me!"

So she drives into her playroom and comes back with a drink. She hands me the drink, walks over by the couch, curls up in a ball, JUMPS up and says "SURPRISE!!" It was SOOO funny! I guess I didn't think about telling a three year old to surprise me with something to eat! :)

President Gordon B. Hinckley

Today was President Hinckley's funeral. It aired on t.v and I was able to watch it. It was such a beautiful tribute to an amazing man. The Church put together a video on his life and included in that was his testimony that he gave at Conference in
2006. I am so moved by his powerful testimony and the example he has been to me all these years. I will greatly miss his sweet spirit, his sense of humor and his wonderful guidance. He was truly a man of God.


"I hope that all of you will remember that on this Sabbath day you heard me bear my witness that this is God's holy work. The vision given the Prophet Joseph in the grove of Palmyra was not an imaginary thing. It was real. It occurred in the broad light of day. Both the Father and the Son spoke to the boy. He saw Them standing in the air above him. He heard Their voices. He gave heed to Their instruction.

"It was the resurrected Lord who was introduced by His Father, the great God of the universe. For the first time in recorded history, both the Father and the Son appeared together to part the curtains and open this, the last and final dispensation, the dispensation of the fullness of times.

"The Book of Mormon is all that it purports to be—a work recorded by prophets who lived anciently and whose words have come forth "to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations" (Book of Mormon title page).

"The priesthood has been restored under the hands of John the Baptist and Peter, James, and John. All the keys and authority pertaining to eternal life are exercised in this Church.

"Joseph Smith was and is a prophet, the great Prophet of this dispensation. This Church, which carries the name of the Redeemer, is true.

"I leave you my testimony, my witness, and my love for each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen."

President Gordon B. Hinckley
April 1, 2006, Sunday morning session of the 176th Annual World General Conference

Ballet!!!

Jocelyn started ballet class! She LOVES it! We thought about joining the ballet class at The Little Gym, but decided to go with a studio so we could enjoy an actual recital. She is still attending gymnastics class at The Little Gym, so we are very busy with all of her activities now!

The day of her first class, she was complaining about her stomach hurting and I was thinking, "Great! Her first class and she's not going to even go in!" Then we went outside and she saw a hot air balloon and was happy after that! I think she might have just been nervous or something! I was so proud of her, she went right into class even though I could tell she was a little apprehensive! She stood there for about two minutes, not sure what to do and then they started jumping for their warm up! She was sold! :) It was so cute how hard she tried to stay up with her teacher! I was really impressed with how well she did! They are just starting their recital routine, so she's not behind which is nice. Anyway, I LOVED watching her! I probably had a smile on my face the whole class b/c it was just soooo cute!

Here are a few pictures of her in her ballet leotard and skirt. She wants to wear those ALL the time! She insisted on taking pictures with her new horse, Smores! :)

More Aiden pics!

Aiden Christopher

I am an AUNT!!! Even better, my nephew is ADORABLE! John and Myrica have had a VERY long week! Her contractions started on Sunday and they've been in and out of the hospital a few times before the were finally admitted! Poor Myrica! Goodness!

They went in to the hospital Wednesday bright and early (ONE A.M!) and she was dilated to a two, so they were sent home! They went back Wednesday around three and she had dilated to a seven! She got the epidural and Aiden's heart rate dropped, so around 8:30, they decided to do a c section. Aiden was born at 9:19 p.m. and he was 9 pounds, 12 ounces and 22 inches!!! WOW! He is the cutest little thing and he has a head full of dirty blonde hair!

John is a VERY proud daddy! He told me that every time Aiden is crying, he will go over to him and start talking and Aiden will stop crying and look for him! How adorable is that?!?! The whole time Myrica was pregnant, John would talk to him, read scriptures to him, and pray into her belly! So he definitely knows his Daddy's voice! The nurses had to tell John not to talk to Aiden for a minute b/c they needed him to scream to check him out! How funny! I think John holds Aiden every single chance he gets...hopefully he'll put him down sometime before Aiden starts college! ha ha!

Everyone is doing well and expected to be home on Sunday! Love my little nephew and I haven't even met him yet! :) Jocelyn is VERY excited and tells everyone, "Baby Aiden is MY cousin!"

Big day for Jocelyn!!

Today has been such a good day! I wrote last week about Jocelyn going to Sunbeams. Well, this week she was asked to give a talk in sharing time. I had no idea what to expect b/c she's never had to do anything like that before! Every week, a different class is in charge of saying the prayer, scripture, article of faith and then a talk at the beginning of primary. This week was the Sunbeams turn and they were SO CUTE! We worked on Jocelyn's talk with MiMi last night and found some pictures that we could hold up to go along with it. Jocelyn was soooooo tired last night and didn't want to practice, so I was a bit worried that she wouldn't want to do it infront of all those kids and teachers!

This morning I asked Jocelyn if she was excited to give her talk and she said, "yes! In the microphone!" We got to primary and she sat up in the front, ready to go. Let me say, the parents all come in the primary room and will help their child say their parts. Anyway, the prayer and the article of faith went well, but when it was time for the scripture, the little girl got nervous and didn't want to do it. I was thinking, "oh boy! That's going to be Jocelyn!" Well, I went up there to help her and she marched right up to the microphone and she did SO WELL! I whispered the talk to her, line by line, and she said it all! I actually got teary eyed b/c her little voice is just so sweet!! I can't believe my little baby is to the point of giving "talks" in church!! AHHHH!

Here is her talk...
"Heavenly Father has a plan for me. I lived with Jesus and Heavenly Father as a Spirit child. I chose to come to earth and follow his plan. I came to a family and received a body. While I am on earth, my parents and teachers will teach me about the gospel. Because of what Jesus did for me, I can live with Heavenly Father again."

I'm so proud of my girl!! :)

A new year, a new class....

This year at Church, Graham and I are teaching a primary class together. We have the CTR 7 class which is 6 year olds who will be turning 7 this year. They are really cute! We have a huge class! Eleven kids! WHOA! Of course, there are only two girls and the rest are very energetic boys! Last year, I taught a class with all boys, so I was hoping for some balance this time!!

Oh! Jocelyn is in Primary now (instead of nursery) because she is three! Her class is called Sunbeams! I feel sorry for the two guys who teach b/c there are 13 sunbeams!! That is just crazy! Not all of them come every week, but still! Anyway, for some reason, Jocelyn has not wanted to go to nursery the past few months. She was doing so well and then they put new teachers in the nursery and she would have a meltdown if I tried to drop her off in there! Poor girl. Actually, poor Mommy! She would cry out, "BUT MOMMY! I LOVE YOU!! PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME!" Talk about a guilt trip! Like I said, I taught a class last year too, so I didn't have time to argue with her, so she would end up coming with me to class. It was pretty funny though. At first, after she had decided she didn't want to go to nursery anymore, she would start pleading with me to let her come with me when I started getting her dressed for church. Soon after, she would start SATURDAY NIGHT! Don't know how she knew it was Saturday b/c I sure wouldn't tell her, but every Saturday night, "Mommy, I don't want to go to nursery! I want to go to your class!" UHHH! Well, this didn't give me hope for the new year and her big girl class! She has the NICEST teachers, but for some reason, she doesn't like them. They always try to talk to her in the halls and get her to go to class, but she just ignores them! Well, they told me that those teachers would be moving up to Sunbeams from nursery! GREAT! I was hoping for a fresh start (only b/c she doesn't like them! I think they are great teachers!).

So! Last night at Church they had a "Pajama Party" to let the kids meet their new teachers. Jocelyn and I bought her adorable, new pajamas and I told her all about it. She was VERY excited all day UNTIL we got there and she saw her teachers! UHH! So she ended up staying with me half the night! I was joking with one of the other teachers and said, "Would you like to adopt Jocelyn into your class?!?!" I was teasing, but she said "YES!" and took Jocelyn! Now, this would be great news, but she teaches the ten year olds! Somehow I don't think this will work all year! :) But Jocelyn went to class with her and was completely happy! UHHH! Kind of makes it even more frustrating b/c I know she will go with someone, but not her teachers!!

Anyway, the good news is, with a lot of help from the primary leaders, JOCELYN WENT TO CLASS TODAY!! WOHOOOO! I didn't think it was going to happen!!! Graham and I were sooo excited! I know it doesn't sound like a big deal, but trust me....for us, it is! :) The Primary President is awesome and she checked in on Jocelyn and when she was crying for me, she distracted her and let her be the "big helper"!

Keep your fingers crossed for next week!!! AHHHH! :) Good thing we love her so much!

Christmas pics