Playing Outside

Just some pictures I took of our sweet boy while playing outside today. He loves to go outside and sit on the grass and watch for cars. But it's just a matter of time until he decides he wants to walk to his grandparents' house. Lately he just takes off running down toward their house. He knows how to get there and could probably get there all by himself if we let him.



Making his getaway!




Mama caught him and took him back inside...poor kid!

Animal Sounds

Tent, Cars & Cookie

Yesterday we were cleaning out our basement and found our tent, so we decided to set it up for James to play in. He just loves it! He has been playing and reading books in there. What fun!


James LOVES cars lately. Great-Grandma Gibbons gave James some little cars, and Uncle Josh got out a big basket of his old Hot Wheels cars, and James has been in car heaven! That is his favorite thing to play with - and his favorite thing to do with them is to line them up. He discovered a quite ingenious place to line up all of his cars...



Last night while Daddy was at work, James and I visited my family. I don't think I ever mentioned that James FINALLY says Grandma's name - except he won't call her Grandma. We decided that maybe he was confused, since we live with his Great-Grandma and I call her "Grandma" all the time, and we were calling my mom "Grandma" when talking to him - too many Grandma's! So we referred to my mom as "Jukie" one day (that is a long-time nickname of hers that we all call her) - and it stuck! He now knows her as Jukie and even says "Jukie" quite often! My mama is happy. Last night he was calling her from the other room, and he yelled "COOKIE!" It was pretty funny. We are wondering if it's going to stick....and my parents will be known as Ba-Pa and Cookie. Pretty original, right?

Here is James and his "Cookie," after he soiled his clothes and had a bath - we had no clean clothes for him so he wore a t-shirt of Josh's home. Pretty cute.

"Awww, Mom...just put me to bed! I'm sleepy!"

Mothers Who Know

Happy (late) Mothers Day to all the mothers out there! I am so blessed to not only have an amazing mother who is one of my best friends and who has taught me so much about life, the gospel, family, love, motherhood...etc. etc. etc. (and who inspired me to want to be an amazing mother), but to also have an amazing mother-in-law who I get along with so well, who has taught me so many things about motherhood and service and love. Not to mention my two beautiful grandmas who I look up to so much - I am blessed to be able to live with my Grandma Glenn right now, and I love being with her and laughing with her and learning about her life. My Grandma Gibbons is amazing and just keeps on going and going, despite her age - writing her autobiography, serving in the Church, and being the amazing matriarch of a family of now over sixty people! What amazing women these are. I'm so grateful for Mothers Day when we can celebrate motherhood - which sadly seems to be more and more overlooked and looked down on in this world, but if you ask me it is the best job in the world! I'm so grateful for my sweet little buddy boy who made me a mother.

I am so grateful for "mothers who know" and I am striving to be that type of mother myself. I truly believe that "there is eternal influence and power in motherhood." This talk by President Julie B. Beck is so inspiring and empowering to me as a mother. This is really one of my favorite conference talks of all-time, it is truly inspired and I think all mothers should go read or re-read it, it is wonderful!

"Mothers who know do less. They permit less of what will not bear good fruit eternally. They allow less media in their homes, less distraction, less activity that draws their children away from their home. Mothers who know are willing to live on less and consume less of the world’s goods in order to spend more time with their children—more time eating together, more time working together, more time reading together, more time talking, laughing, singing, and exemplifying. These mothers choose carefully and do not try to choose it all. Their goal is to prepare a rising generation of children who will take the gospel of Jesus Christ into the entire world. Their goal is to prepare future fathers and mothers who will be builders of the Lord’s kingdom for the next 50 years. That is influence; that is power.

"Who will prepare this righteous generation of sons and daughters? Latter-day Saint women will do this—women who know and love the Lord and bear testimony of Him, women who are strong and immovable and who do not give up during difficult and discouraging times. We are led by an inspired prophet of God who has called upon the women of the Church to “stand strong and immovable for that which is correct and proper under the plan of the Lord.” He has asked us to “begin in [our] own homes” to teach children the ways of truth. Latter-day Saint women should be the very best in the world at upholding, nurturing, and protecting families. I have every confidence that our women will do this and will come to be known as mothers who “knew” (Alma 56:48)."

My Mama & I

My awesome mother-in-law

My sweet Grandma Gibbons

My Grandma Glenn & I

Me & the handsome guy who made me a mother!

Homemade :)

Our New Toy

This morning we got a new toy in the mail...our new Canon Rebel SLR camera!! We are SO excited! I have been interested in photography for awhile now, and I just take so many pictures (especially of the little man) that I thought I should just get a more professional camera and actually learn about photography. So I've been saving up for a little while for this camera. So earlier this week Jonathan said let's get it now, so it will be here by Mother's Day. I was so excited! We ordered it from Amazon.com a couple of days ago, and it got here this morning. We definitely have a ways to go before we really know what we're doing, but we have already had so much fun playing around with it and figuring out how to use it! I also need to learn more about photo editing. I'm so excited :) Here are some of our first shots that we took today (can this kid get any cuter? seriously):

So happy for Cheryl and Dave!

I just am so excited that I had to post and congratulate my best buddy Cheryl on the new addition to the Athay family! Amelia Claire Athay was born on Tuesday, May 5 at 10:43 am. She was 7 lb 7 oz and 20 inches long. I haven't seen pictures yet, but I talked to Cheryl and both she and baby are doing great. Her husband Dave is in the Navy and is away for six months, and I so wish I lived closer to Virginia so I could hang out with Cheryl and Amelia! Anyway, we're so happy for you, Cheryl! Love you!

And, for your viewing pleasure, a couple of classic Jen and Cher pictures from high school.

Wheeler Farm

Today we went to Wheeler Farm. James wasn't sure about all the animals, but quite enjoyed chasing the ducks and the geese and "quacking" at them. What a beautiful, sunny day!

Puddle Splashing

This weekend Jonathan's family came into town for the wedding of one of Jonathan's cousins. It was so fun to see the family! James had the most fun stomping through puddles outside during the wedding luncheon. Good thing Uncle Benjamin was there to get it all on camera!