Creating Healthy Habits

I found this today and really loved it! I am trying to work hard to create healthy habits in my life and in my families life. Changing our habits sure is hard work and requires so much motivation!!!

Thanksgiving Fun

This year we spent Thanksgiving with Courts family. I brought my camera and video camera and still somehow ended up not taking any photos or video footage. Over the weekend I did at least snap a few on my phone.

Thanksgiving day we had lots of fun eating and hanging out at Courts sister Jamie's house. Her and her family just moved back to Utah and we are so excited to have them back and living only 20 min away from us. Court, his dad, brother, and brother-in-laws went to shoot guns later that afternoon. They had a a great time and of course Court came home wanting to buy a gun of his own (no thank you!!). The kids all had a blast playing with their cousins! 10 kids under the age of 9 got a little crazy at times, but it was sure fun (9 out of the 10 grandchildren are actually under the age of 6!!!). That night our girls spent the night with their cousins, boy were they excited!! We don't do sleepovers with friends unless it is an emergency... So they have only had about 2 sleepovers ever. They all slept together in a little playroom under the stairs.

Court and I took J-man and the baby with us and headed up to Salt Lake to my Aunt Wendy's house to see some of my Waterlyn extended family. We planned just to drop in and say hi for a little while but we were all laughing and having such a good time talking that we didn't leave until after midnight.

On our way home we decided to stop by Toys R Us since we were out that way and check out some of their black friday deals. I stayed in the car with the kids while Court ran in. He found what we were looking for pretty fast, but then realized he would have to wait in line for at least 2 hours to pay for it, the check out line wrapped all the way around entire store!!! So he put the items back and we headed home. The wait wasn't worth saving 20 bucks!

Friday I took the baby and Courts mom and sisters and I shopped all day. Normally I am not a big fan of black friday shopping or shopping all day, but it was really fun and a nice brake from my older kids. We went to Target, lunch at Rumbi Grill, and then shopping at Fashion Place Mall. Court kept the other 3 kiddos and boy was he brave. Court and his brother-in-laws and dad took all of thd kids to lunch, Cabelas, and Sports Authority. The boys (grown up boys) all came home with remote control helacopters.

Saturday us girls got up early and went grocery shopping for the lunch we were making for the Ronald McDonald house. We did this as a family service project and it was a great experience!! My girls loved helping make the lunches and really enjoyed doing this. I am so grateful places like this exhist for families in need. I have such a soft spot in my heart for children who are sick and their families. I am so grateful to have healthy children!!

Saturday we got a sitter for all the kids and all the adults went out to dinner. It was lots of fun to go out kid free and enjoy each others company!!

Our Thanksgiving was teriffic and we loved spending time with our family!!!

Made me smile...

This morning as I shuffled the girls out the door to school I watched them walk to the bus stop like I do every morning, but today they walked all the way to the bus hand in hand. Man this made me smile and made my day! I LOVE that my girls are not just sisters, but best friends. They fight like an old married couple, but they love each other so much and it shows! It's little moments like these that remind me why I love being a mom.

Hi, my name is Brittany and I am a list maker...

I have a problem...

I make lists for EVERYTHING!

You name it chore lists, grocery lists, goal lists, Christmas lists, future home lists, food storage lists, etc...etc... Making these lists helps keep me on track (sometimes) but it also often times makes me feel defeated because I am constantly falling short in accomplishing my "lists". Life as a mom to 4small kids is most of the time just plain craziness. There is always something going on and someone needing something. Like usual I didn't even come close to finishing my to-do list yesterday. This always frustrates me because I really do TRY! I need to work on rolling with the punches more and realizing that I can't be a perfectionist. If you saw my house you wouldn't think that I am a perfectionist because there is always a mess somewhere, but really I am, I expect way too much out of myself. I have realized that part of my problem is that when I do something I like to do it WELL and when you have a busy life sometimes you just have to do things quick! I am going to try and be better about this(try).

Yesterday after feeling really discouraged that I didn't get much done on my to-do list I decided to sit down and write out what I had done throughout the day. So here it is...

1. did the girls hair/got them out the door to school
2. got J-man dressed
3. got the baby dressed/changed her diaper/nursed the baby
4. changed at least 8 more diapers throughout the day
5. nursed the baby every 3 hours throughout the day
6. had personal scripture study
(working towards finishing doctrine & covenants before the end of the year)
7. cleaned J-man's room with him/made his bed/put his clean clothes away
8. made J-man lunch
9. sent some important emails
10. worked on my Christmas surprise for my parents
11. took out the trash
(like walked the bag to the trash outside,yep I am counting every little thing I did)
12. unloaded the dishwasher/then re-loaded it
13. clipped J-man's fingernails (gross I know)
14. paid a medical bill
15. took the girls to gymnastics
16. started the girls on their reading
17. cooked dinner- garlic-lime chicken.rice-a-roni-.corn bread.mandarin oranges
18. planned all of our meals for December & printed a "meal calendar" aka- LIST19. went to the 8pm yoga class at the gym *ME TIME FINALLY*
20. clipped coupons/wrote my grocery LIST21. popped a bag of popcorn and watched 30 rock with Court
22. looked for tile online
(we are getting tile in our kitchen & bathrooms, HALLELUJAH)
23. sorted the dirty laundry into bins in the laundry room
24. blogged (my only form of journaling)
25. got ready for bed and hit the sack around midnight

I'm sure I did more then what is on this list, but this was everything that I could remember. It sure made me feel better at the end of the day to see what I had accomplished. There are SO MANY DAYS when I feel like I have gotten nothing done, but this list proves that even when my to-do lists aren't getting done as quickly as I would like, I am still accomplishing things!

I'm not going to stop making lists, I CAN'T(help me!!! j/k) but I am going to scale down my lists, make them more realistic, and not be so hard on myself!

p.s. J-man told the baby the other day that he wanted to marry her! It was so, so, so cute. He just adores her. He said it in the sweetest little voice too, totally melted my heart!!!

Say it isn't so...

Dear baby E,

I can hardly believe you are 3 months old already! These past three months have gone by way, way, way too fast. You have brought so much love and peace into our home. We all absolutly adore you. Not one of your siblings have been jealous of you at all. They each are completely in love with you and are constantly holding, snuggling, and kissing you!

Last night I was up really late, I just couldn't sleep, I held you in my arms and just starred at you. You are truly breath taking. You have such tiny, femanine features. Your eyelashes are incredible. They are so long and thick that they don't even look real! And your hair is so dark, thick, and silky. Everything about you is so precious! I am so grateful for you sweet girl, you are truly a gift from above!

You are still pretty tiny, exactly 11 pounds when I weighed you today. Although I'm not sure how accurate that is since I weighed myself and then again with you in my arms. You are long and skinny. You have the cutest little body, yout so petite!! The kids love your tiny little bottom.

You are very alert now and love to smile. You smile with your whole body. Whenever you smile you crunch in and pull your legs up. It is so cute to see how excited you get when we talk to you. You are cooing now too and it is so much fun. You are so cute when you get "talking". Your daddy loves to go back and forth with you cooing! I really need to get this on video.

I just cant get enough of you, I could hold you all day!! The house has become quite a bit more messy since you came along. Snuggle my beautiful babe or clean house??? I pick you!

I love you to the moon and back!
Love,

Mommy

Lunch Date

I had lunch at the Elementary School today with my favorite 3rd grader!! J-man thought it was so fun to eat lunch with the big kids. I truly love being a mom and getting to do things like this. Life is all about the little moments that make us happy :).

Attitude of Gratitude

Wow, 2 posts in one day, I'm on a roll! My post earlier was actually done from my phone, while in bed, feeding the baby!!! My hubby bought me a new phone last week for my new job. I really thought having Internet on my phone at first was silly, but WOW it has seriously come in handy. I get so much done while I am nursing (LOL)... scripture reading, checking emails, keeping up with my calendar, etc... etc...

I will be starting my new job in a few weeks. I am excited and nervous!! I am going to be assisting the owner of a salon downtown. I am extremely excited about the opportunity to learn from such an amazing stylist and salon owner. It is a perfect schedule for me since it is just 2 days a week, 8 hours total. I know everything with juggling the kids between Court and I, etc... will work out, it's just a little nerve wracking thinking about adding something more to our already busy schedule.

The past few days I have had the 'Holiday's' on my mind quite a bit. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the Holiday's but normally I am not thinking about them much in advance. This year I am especially looking forward to the Holiday's because I want to do my best to make them memorable and special. I want to have a fun Christmas for my kids, but more importantly I want the Spirit of the Season to fill our hearts and home. I have learned so much this year about what is TRULY important in life after the sudden loss of my brother Jake. I feel like I have a broader perspective on life and more Eternal goals. My brothers death has been the biggest trial I have faced in my life (and I have had my share of not pleasant trials in the past) and the grief that has followed his death has often been very overwhelming and painful. The past few months I have felt and recognized the Lords hand in my life on such a deeper level. I would have never chosen loosing my brother for me to learn these lessons and to grow closer to my Father in Heaven and Savior Jesus Christ, but I am so grateful that something positive has come out of such a tragedy. This Holiday Season I want to teach my children the TRUE meaning of Christmas. I want to teach them what it means to be Thankful, Charitable, Joyful, and Christlike. This year I am excited for the service our family is going to give and we can be an instrument in the Lords hands.

I have lots of ideas of how our family is going to GIVE this season and I am excited to see it all come together. I am working on putting together a fundraiser in my brother Jake's name as well, I am still working on all of the details, but I know with the help of family and friends it will be an amazing way to honor my brother on our first Christmas without him.

The girls just got home from school and I can hear them playing downstairs with J-man, so that's my que to get off the computer and go enjoy my children :). I promised the girls a Thanks Giving craft today, I have no idea what we are going to do, but we'll come up with something!!

ps- Before I forget for journaling sake, J. decided to eat his yogurt this morning with a medicine dispenser. It was quite funny. I was feeding the baby in my bed and he kept bringing me my "medicine" in bed. Pretty creative way to eat yogurt if you ask me!

This crazy thing called Life...

Wow life can really get crazy at times!! We had one CrAzY day at our house yesterday, it just seemed like the day just flew by and I don't feel like I accomplished much. Little J-man followed me around ALL day. I love spending time with the little stud miffin, but sometimes he makes it hard to get things done.

Last night I ended up taking all of the kids to the library to do homework and get books. I thought... "this will be perfect, the girls can so their homework, J.  can look at books, and the baby will sleep in her car seat." HA!!!!! Crazy is what I get for thinking that was a perfect plan! J-man didn't want to hold still and look at
books for longer then 5 minites, Lex forgot her homework sheet, some of Mac's homework even had me stumped (sad I know), and the baby got fussy right when we got there! Well, live and learn, right? I wont be doing that again alone with four kids!!

By the time we were done at the library it was late and we were all hungery. Court met up with us after he was done with scouts and we all went to iceburg for some burgers, fries, and shakes. Lex was not minding and we kept warning and warning her that she was going go loose her icecream, well once she disobeyed again we had to follow through on her not getting her icecream! Man it is so hard to not give in to your kids. Court and I are working really hard on following through on our punishments, somehow we have to teach our kids that they cant walk all over us :).

So there you have it, another day in the life of the Jones family! Being a mom is hard work, but I wouldn't trade it for all the money in the world!!!

Funnies

On Saturday night we were coming home from Courts grandmas funeral and we stopped off at a grocery store to grab a few things. By this point all of the kiddos had passed out except little miss Lex, our 6 year old. I stayed in the car with the kids while Court ran inside. Lex and I were talking and she turns to me and says...."Mom, do you know what I am best at? And I said what Lex? She replys..."I am best at having fun!" Then she says..."Do you know what I am second best at....being naughty"!!! Oh man I sure got a kick out of this! It was especially funny because of how true of a statement that can be :)

An Elect Lady...

Courts grandmother, Norman Jones passed away yesterday. She was such a wonderful, loving, kind person. She had a heart of gold and I am so grateful to have known her. She had one of the strongest testimonies of the Gospel and was always finding ways to share her testimony with us. I am not great at checking my email everyday, so I didn't see this email from her until just a few minutes ago, I am blown away that she sent this letter to her entire family just one day before her passing, what a beautiful gift to leave all of us! I will miss her dearly, I thought of her as my grandma too and loved her so much. I am so grateful for the wonderful example she has been in my life and for all that she has done for Court and I.

Dear Family,
I know you’ve heard this or read it before, but I am impressed that I should remind you of it again. I’m sure you have noticed that the world is getting to be a pretty wicked place. All of the prophecies that have been made up to this date by prophets have been fulfilled, and there are not many left to be fulfilled. That tells us that the second coming is getting closer and we need to be prepared. My one big regret is that I didn’t study the scriptures more diligently when I was young. I have realized that the scriptures I memorized when I was younger I can still quote, but now that I am old, when I try to memorize different ones, it is almost impossible. I’m having too many senior moments and my powers of concentration are not good.

I want to remind you what President Benson told us about 25 years ago. He said, “I feel certain that if, in our homes, parents will read from the Book of Mormon prayerfully and REGULARLY, both by themselves and with their children, the spirit of that great book will come to permeate our homes and all who dwell therein. The spirit of reverence will increase; mutual respect and consideration for each other will grow. The spirit of contention will depart. Parents will counsel their children in greater love and wisdom. Children will be more responsive and submissive to the counsel of their parents. Righteousness will increase. Faith, hope, and charity – the pure love of Christ- will abound in our homes and lives, bringing in their wake peace, joy, and happiness.”

These promises - increased love and harmony in the home, greater respect between parent and child, increased spirituality and righteousness - are not idle promises, but exactly what the Prophet Joseph Smith meant when he said the Book of Mormon will help us draw nearer to God. If there was ever a time for us to draw nearer to God it is now. President Benson asked, “Do eternal consequences rest upon our response to this book? Yes, either to our blessing or our condemnation.” You can read all about the Book of Mormon in this month’s Ensign.

I want to tell you that your Dad/Grandpa was here with me a couple of days ago. I was washing the north window in the computer room and had taken three of the windows out and washed the fourth one on both sides. When I tried to push it back in place, it jumped out of the track and I struggled to try to put it back in. My arms were giving out so I said, “Weston, come and help me!” Immediately the window just jumped in to the track and I know I didn’t put it there. Several other times when I tried to do something and was not able to do it, I called on him to help me and he did. I know he is not far away and that gives me comfort. I love you all and hope and pray we will all be together throughout eternity.

Love,
Mom/Grandma

PS. I don’t have the e-mail addresses of some of my grandchildren. I don’t want to leave them out, so will you forward this to them. You can read the names of the ones I have sent this to in the address place.

Fall Break...

We love Fall break at our house! I am so excited that the kids have today and tomorrow off of school. It's nice to have a break from the daily routine of getting up early, school, homework, etc... The kids all slept in this morning which rarely happens. So far today the kids are lounging around in their pj's and watching the movie Spy Kids. Later we are going to do a few chores, run some errands, and then find something fun to do as a family. I sure love my kiddos and love having sometime to just "hang out" as a family!!

First hair cut

Oh my goodness this little beauty just melts my HEART!! She is still so tiny and I LOVE IT! All of my other kids have gotten big so fast, it is nice to have her feel like a newborn longer. Well although she isn't growing super fast her hair sure is!! Being a hairdresser I just couldn't take it anymore. Mullets just aren't cute on anyone, not even darling baby girls. She was seriously growing a LONG mullet and last night I had to cut it. I wish I would have taken a before picture. I cut at least a half inch off the back and then trimmed up around her ears. It looks so much better. I can't believe she is barely 7 weeks old and already needed a hair cut! She definitely didn't get her hair from me... she can thank her daddy for her long black hair (and LONG black eyelashes)!!!

Bad blogger...

I have not been so great at blogging lately, I think it has something to do with being a mother of FOUR children and adjusting to life with a newborn ;). I don't want to forget all of the "little moments" in my life, it's not hard to remember to blog about the big things... holidays, birthdays, etc... but I want to remember all of the great little things that happen in day to day life. I am going to try REALLY hard to write down the sweet things my kids say, things that make me laugh, and even the moments when I want to cry!

This past Sunday we blessed our baby girl. It was such a special and spiritual day. This was the first time that all of my family has been together since my brother Jake's funeral. For weeks before the blessing I was feeling so anxious about what this reunion would feel like... I cried just about everyday thinking about how difficult life is going to be without Jake being at the special events in our life. I have had a difficult time admitting to myself that Jake is really gone. It has been four months exactly since I last saw my brother. I haven't lived at home in over ten years, so going months without seeing my family feels so normal to me. The idea that I have to wait my entire life to see my brother again is sometimes very overwhelming. I prayed and prayed that Jake's spirit could be with our family this weekend and that he could be with us. Heavenly Father most definitely answered my prayers, I know that Jake was with us and it felt so comforting to know that Heaven really isn't that far away.

Friday night I surprised my mom with a girls night out. I had called all of her sisters and their daughters and we went to Cheesecake Factory. My mom had no idea that they were all meeting us there and it was so fun to see how surprised she was. We had a great girls night out laughing and talking! We actually got quit a few looks... my moms family is LOUD!! I love being able to go on girls nights out with my mom and sister, I wish we lived closer and could do these more often.

Saturday Court and I went to Costco and ran a few errands to get ready for the Blessing while my mom watched the kids. WOW, I forgot what it is like to run errands with just my hubby and me. Latter that afternoon we took all of the kids to see Captain America at the dollar theater. Everyone really liked the movie, J-man feel asleep on my lap half way through the movie and before I knew it I was asleep too! Darn it, I really wanted to see the ending! I guess I will have to wait for it to come to redbox. Later that night my mom and I went to the airport to pick up my dad, he had lots of work at home and couldn't come until then. I am SO GRATEFUL he came despite the fact that he had to turn around and drive home with my family the next day. It meant so much to me that he made sure he was here for the blessing no matter what.


Sunday Court blessed our baby girl in Sacrament meeting. She looked so beautiful in the long white dress my mom bought for her. It was so wonderful to be surrounded by so many family and friends! I am constantly amazed at how truly blessed we are to have so many wonderful people in our life who love and support us through the good times and the bad. It was a beautiful sight to see a large group of men who worthily hold the Priesthood surround my baby girl and give her a name and a blessing. I am so grateful for the Priesthood and the wonderful blessing it is in my life. While Court was giving the blessing I thought of my brother Jake and tears just started to fall from my face, immediatley I felt an overwhelming feeling of peace and could see Jake's face with a big huge smile on it in my mind, it was so comforting to know that we was there with us and that his spirit can still be with us during these special moments in our lives. After the blessing we came back to our house for dessert. It was truly a wonderful day and I am so grateful to have had so many people we love so much to share the day with us!

Dear Baby Girl...

Dear Baby Girl,

I can not believe you are 6 weeks old ALREADY! Time is flying by so quickly. I just want to keep you my precious newborn baby as long as possible. You are the sweetest, cuddliest, cutest baby!!! Your dark black hair is getting so long I think it's about time for a trim! How crazy that at only 6 weeks old you already need a hair cut :). I get stopped EVERYWHERE I go and people's first comment is always, "LOOK at ALL that hair". Your dark hair and beautiful skin sure get you lots of attention, not to mention that you are a litle beauty.

You are still so tiny and I am loving it! Your sisters and brother got big so fast that I felt like I blinked and the newborn stage was over. You are barely 9 pounds and still seem so tiny to me. Your 0-3 month clothes still drown you and you mostly still wear newborn clothes. You are so much fun and I am LOVING every.single.minute with you!

Love,
Mommy

love this...

I ABSOLUTELY loved President Uchtdorfs talk from the Relief Society session of General Conference. What an incredible talk! I LOVED how he stressed to us women that we need to be more patient with ourselves and rejoice in our "small successes". I think often times we don't pat our selves on the back enough, we work hard and although things might not always go according to OUR plans, that doesn't mean that we aren't being successful in our endeavors. Having a sweet newborn at home has really helped me to stop and smell the roses! There are so many things that I WANT to get done... decorating, gardening, cleaning, etc... but none of those things are as important as me being a good mother. It is FAR more important that I take the time to snuggle, hold, and talk to my precious baby then to have a perfectly clean house! I am so grateful for this amazing talk given by this AmAzInG man, what a blessing to have the Gospel in my life and the opportunity to hear words from our Prophet and leaders.

You can watch or read President Uchtdorfs talk here... www.lds.org

love pinterest!!!

(click on this red button to see my pinterest!)

OH MY GOODNESS, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this website!!! I can't believe I haven't heard of it until now!!! I surf the web ALL THE TIME (too much) looking for fun decorating-photography-party-holiday... ideas, I have HUNDREDS of pictures saved to my computer of ideas I LOVE. This website allows you to "pin" things you have found on the web to a virtual pin up board that saves the website, etc... so that you can refer back to it later. UMMMMM, it is awesome and I am totally HOOKED!

I found this great chair on one of my cousins "pin up boards" and I have the PERFECT chair to do something similar with :). I definitely wont get to it for a-WHILE, but it's saved for when I do! First I have to FINISH all of the other many projects I have started (I like to start projects, but often don't always finish them, I am working on this)

Here is my TO-DO list before my family comes for baby E's blessing...

1. Paint last coat on changing table/baskets
2. FINISH painting, distressing, and glazing kitchen chairs
3. Finish Halloween garland with kids/hang up outside
4. Decide on "menu" for after the blessing get together/buy decorations, plates, etc... (pink & brown theme)
5. Paint last coat on front door/ re-attach kick plate
6. Touch up paint in Kitchen
7. Have new family pictures taken
8. Order birth announcements/blessing invitations
9. Have upstairs carpets cleaned!!!
10.***BUY baby E's blessing dress & shoes, make flower/bow & bracelet***

re-designing!

I have wanted to change up the color scheme in my house for quite while now. For YEARS we have had dark furniture and lots of black and red. I was SOOOO ready for a change! Now RED happens to be one of my favorite colors for decorating... I love how it is bright, Cheery, and lifts my spirits, so I couldn't get rid of it. But all of the dark has to go!!! I've started to re-do lots of my decor... it's been fun to see what a little spray paint can do and it is much cheaper to buy some spray paint rather then get all new decorations. Here are some picture frames that I re-painted, it was a quick project and I love the new look and colors!

Before:


After:

20 Ways to Make a Good Marriage Great

I saw this on another blog today and wanted to share! I think it is such great advise :) I LOVE my husband so much and I am so grateful to be married to my very best friend. Our marriage is far from perfect, but we love each other and that is what matters most. I am so grateful to have married someone who shares my same values. We have been through THICK and THIN together and with the help of our Father in Heaven I am positive we can make it through just about any trial (although I could SERIOUSLY use a brake from trials, we have had our fair share of BIG trials over the last few years)


by Richard W. Linford

1. Night and Morning Prayer … to say thanks, to ask for help in your marriage and family, to worship together.


2. A Weekly Planning Meeting … to discuss the calendar, talk over needs and problems, decide priorities and next steps.


3. A Daily Phone Call or Personal Conversation … to say “I love you,” to touch base, to discuss the day, to show you care.


4. A Weekly Date … to a favorite park, a concert, the library, the gym; or staying home for a candlelight dinner, a game, or a mutual hobby.


5. Patience Regardless … of missed meals, tardiness, forgotten favors, a thoughtless remark, impatience.


6. Daily Service … helping with house or yard work, mending a piece of clothing, taking a turn with the sick baby, fixing a favorite meal. (Write it down. Do it!)


7. A Budget … to tie down income and expenses, help set financial goals, and give you control over your finances.


8. Listening … not only to what is said, but also to what is meant.


9. Regular Attendance … at church—and where possible—the temple.


10. Daily Scripture Reading … to learn the gospel, to receive inspiration for yourself and your marriage, to become more like Jesus.


11. Working Together … caring for a garden, painting a bedroom, washing the car, scrubbing floors, building a piece of furniture, writing a poem together, team teaching a class.


12. Forgiving Each Other … always learning from each other, trying a different way, being the first to make peace.


13. Courtesies … like saying please and thank you, not interrupting or belittling, not doing all the talking, continuing the niceties of courtship.


14. Soft and Kind Words … of tenderness, compassion, empathy.


15. Learning Together by … reading to each other, discussing ideas, taking a class.


16. Respecting … opinions, ideas, privacy.


17. Supporting Your Spouse’s … church service and righteous goals.


18. Caring for Your Spouse’s Family by … enjoying their company, praying for them, serving them, overlooking differences.


19. Occasional Gifts … such as a note, a needed item—but mostly gifts of time and self.


20. Loving with All Your Heart. “Thou shalt love thy wife [thy husband] with all thy heart, and shalt cleave unto her [him] and none else.” (D&C 42:22.

Nine Years Old!

Dear Mac,

I can NOT believe you are nine years old. It seems like just yesterday you were my tiny newborn baby girl. Baby E. is the exact size right now that you were when you were born and now you have grown into this beautiful girl. How can it be possible that you are this old already?

I can remember the day you were born like it was yesterday. I was so excited and so nervous to become a mommy! The night before I had you I prayed and prayed to Heavenly Father that you would come SOON. I was 39 weeks pregnant and so ready to have you in my arms. Daddy and I were living in suburb of Chicago, although it was fall it was still so hot and humid during the days. I woke up the day I had you and the bed was wet. Daddy was golfing with friends and I was so embarrassed to call and tell him that I wasn't sure if my water had broke or not. I called grandma Kelly and she said to go to the doctor because she thought it sounded like my water had broken. Dad came home (after he finished the last few holes, not cool!) and we headed to the Doctor. Sure enough they did a quick test and it was amniotic fluid. Then they sent us straight to the Hospital!

As soon as we got the news that you would be coming that day we started calling all of your grandparents and aunts and uncles. Everyone was SOOOO excited for your big arrival, being the first grandchild on both sides is pretty special! Grandma Kelly REALLY wanted to be there when you were born and I REALLY wanted her there (I was so scared for the labor and delivery). Papa Ron called the airlines and tried to book her a flight with a buddy pass they had. I guess Papa was in such a fluster that he wasn't very polite to the airline worker when he was trying to explain what he needed done. After a few arguments with the airline they refused to let him use the ticket that day and put his name on a "watch list", hahaha... so funny because he is normally not like that at all. So Papa Ron called another airline and booked grandma Kelly on the first flight available from Denver to Chicago. Daddy's friend Cade and his wife Leslie picked grandma up at the airport when she arrived. Since they weren't sure if I was close to delivering you yet they were speeding down the highways and streets of Chicago to get grandma there in time. AMAZINGLY she made it to the hospital a few hours before you were born.

For my first baby your delivery was pretty smooth, 10 hours from start to finish and no complications. Even though my water leaked I never ended up going into labor, so they had to brake my water and start my labor with pitocin. You were 7lb. 8oz. (exactly average) and 21 1/2 inches long (you were tall). You were so beautiful and we were instantly IN LOVE with you. My whole pregnancy I wondered and wondered what you would look like. Your dad and I look so different from each other that I was so curious to see what traits you would get from each of us. Throughout my pregnancy I had several dreams about a beautiful, dark haired baby girl. Then when you were born you looked just like the baby in my dreams.

Your birthday is so special not only because we get to celebrate the day you were born and joined our family, but we get to also celebrate the day we became parents. Your daddy and I love you SOOOOO much and are so grateful that Heavenly Father sent you to us. I can not believe you are nine, the time has gone way to fast. I sure hope that time can slow down! You are such a precious, sweet girl and you make our home a better place. You are a darling big sister to your two little sisters and brother. You always watch out for them and you love them so much. I am so proud of the wonderful girl you are becoming. You LOVE school, love to make friends, always have a big smile on your face, and you are so outgoing and friendly!!

Here are NINE things that I LOVE about you...
1) Your love for your family
2) Your testimony of the Gospel
3) Your imagination (you talk about wanting to be an author one day)
4) Your kind heart
5) Your beautiful long brown hair (I always wanted long hair as a little girl)
6) Your relationship with your sister (It is precious to see the friendship you two share)
7) Your excitement for things
8) Your willingness to still hold our hands, give hugs and kisses, and snuggles
9) Your ability to light up a room with your infectious personality


Happy birthday gorgeous girl!!!
I love you so much!
Love,

Mom

2 Weeks Already?

Dear Baby E,

I can't believe how fast time is going by already. I took you in for your two week check up yesterday, you have already grown an inch and a half (I'm having a hard time believing that one, maybe there measurements were a little off) and you weighed 7lb. 7oz. (still smaller then any of your siblings were at birth)! You are just so precious and perfect. It is such a joy to have a sweet newborn baby in our home. You are so peaceful and make everyone in the family so happy. Your sisters absolutely ADORE you and want to hold you every chance they get. Your big brother adores you too, although his attention span isn't quite as long. He will ask to hold you and then a tell me a minute or two later, "Ok get her off me now".

You have had your daddy wrapped around your little finger since day one! He is so cute and sweet with you. I love being able to see this side of him. He loves you so much and loves to snuggle and hold you. At night when the big kids have gone to bed he and I fight over who gets to hold you! You love to snuggle right into his chest!!

I truly love being your mother and I feel so lucky to get to stay home with you and your siblings. I love that the sound of my voice calms you down instantly and that you love to curl up on my chest and go to sleep. You smell amazing, if I could bottle up the newborn smell and save it, I WOULD!! More then likely you will be our last baby, I thought that I was going to be totally okay with the idea of not having anymore kids, but ever since you arrived the thought of never getting to have a new baby again has made me a bit sad. Knowing that you will probably be our last has made me want to enjoy every second with you even more. I truly have a hard time putting you down, I just want to enjoy cuddling and holding you as long as possible.

So far you have been a pretty good sleeper for a newborn. We have had a few rough nights, but other then those few you are sleeping really well and only getting up once or twice. You are so sweet and such a good baby, I really don't mind getting up with you. I enjoy the quiet time to hold and nurse you. You always eat and go right back to sleep.

Just a few weeks before you were born I was having a really hard day. I had a lot on my mind and I was really grieving over the loss of my brother Jake. I remember walking down the hall and feeling the most peaceful and calm feeling come over me. I could feel your sweet spirit comforting me and telling me that everything would be ok. I am so grateful for that tender experience with you before you were even born. It is such a privilege to be the mother to 4 of Heavenly Fathers choice spirits.


I love you more then words,
Love,
Mom

She is here!!!

Baby E. 61b. 13oz. 19in.




Our sweet baby girl joined our family just a little over a week ago. She is so precious, perfect, and cuddly. I SERIOUSLY can't get enough of her!! I really can't believe I had such a hard time deciding to have another baby because she is just a little piece of Heaven right in our home. This pregnancy was so challenging for me with being in school full-time (literally 40 hours a week), the death of my baby brother, and then my mystery bug I got in Mexico that ended up lasting about 8 weeks. I have never been more of an emotional wreck in my life. Having this sweet spirit fresh from Heaven in my arms has been so spiritual and healing. During my labor the spirit was so strong... I could feel the presence of my sweet brother Jake and I know that Heavenly Father allowed him to bring her to me. I can't even describe what peace it has brought me to literally FEEL my brother with me just minutes before I gave birth. I completely believe in life after death, I know that our family is eternal and that we will be together FOREVER, death does not change that. It has been very healing to finally cry HAPPY tears for the first time in months. This precious baby is truly a gift!!

Study Space...

I have a to-do list that is at least a half mile long, but some how I have now gotten on this kick of feeling like I need a "Study Space" in our house for my girls. I can't believe they will BOTH be in full day school this year. I just want a clean, organized space where they can do there homework quietly without distractions. Our house isn't super big, so I've been brain storming about WHERE I can do this in our house. I've considered the kitchen (but it's too small), the playroom has lots of room, but then they would be distracted by toys, etc... So I've decided to make a space for them in Courts office. He does work from home a few days a week, but he is rarely working out of his home office during the time they would need it for homework, plus there is this random little alcove in there with nothing in it :). Once I get all of my baby projects done I am going to get to work on this space for the girls, plus the office could use some major organzing, we have been avoiding this room since we moved in 6 months ago! I am hoping to find a great desk in the classifides for cheap that I can paint cute :)

(I would LOVE to do something like this picture, but space and budget just wont call for it, looks like I am going to have to get creative)

Oh Baby!

My very sweet Aunt with Tammy Eggen Photography did a maternity/family photo shoot for us the other night! She is so talented and it was very fun to capture this time of our life in photographs. If you are looking for a TERRIFIC photographer in Utah or Salt Lake County I highly recommend her!!! She is very affordable too :)

Waves of Grief...

I shared this on my brothers memorial page this morning...

He Came For Us... by Michael G. Facer

When Jesus Christ was on the earth so many years ago,
He taught our Heav'n-ly Father's plan for children here below.
He came for us; He died for us--All to fulfill our Father's plan.
On Calvary, Gethsemane. He sacrificed that we might live again.

Through parables, with simple words, He said, "come, follow me,"
That we might now have joy on earth and live eternally.
He came for us; He died for us--All to fulfill our Father's plan.
On Calvary, Gethsemane. He sacrificed that we might live again.

That Easter morn, disciples ran to see where Jesus lay;
And there they saw a miracle: The stone was rolled away!
He came for us; He died for us--All to fulfill our Father's plan.
On Calvary, Gethsemane. He sacrificed that we might live again.

I was thinking this morning about how greif comes in waves. I googled a picture of waves on the beach, when I clicked on the picture it took me to a blog of a mother who recently lost her son, she shared this song on her blog. As I was reading the song I really pondered the line that says.. "He sacrificed that we might live again". I have an UNSHAKEABLE FAITH that if we will follow our Savior, we WILL live again. I KNOW that Jake is not gone, his spirit lives on, he is on the other side, working, serving, and teaching those that did not have the knowledge of our Heavenly Fathers plan here on earth. I KNOW I will be with Jake again, that our family will someday be whole again. The last few weeks I have done pretty well, but today not so much, grief most definitely comes in waves and today, for me the tide is very high, but I know if I lean on the Lord for comfort and depend on him that I can get through today and all of the hard days to come. I LOVE YOU JAKE, I MISS YOU TERRIBLY, I WISH I COULD GO PICK YOU UP AND SPEND THE DAY WITH YOU... I WISH HEAVEN WASN'T SO FAR AWAY!!!

Me, Myself, and I

Today I had two Doctors appointments, one this morning all the way downtown and then one this afternoon. Court was so sweet and knew how BADLY I needed a break from the kiddos after being sick for 3 weeks. He offered to stay home for the day and let me have the day to myself! I left around 9am this morning and didn't get back until 4pm this afternoon. As much as I would have rather not had Doctor appointments fill half my day, it was a GREAT much needed break.

After my first appoitment I headed down to Gateway Mall for a little shopping and then had lunch at Jason's Deli. I really wish I would have had a good book with me because I could have just sat in that booth quietly alone for hours! Maybe I am weird, but every once in awhile I just love an "alone" day. I don't mind one bit getting lunch by myself or shopping, I find it really relaxing! I wish I would have thought ahead and could have spent the afternoon at the Salt Lake Temple, as I drove past it I thought to myself, "darn it..why didn't I think of that, that would have been a terrific way to spend my day alone". Next time, FORSURE!

After lunch I headed up to a Salon my friend works at downtown to say Hi and check out the place! It was fun to chit chat for a little bit and catch up!! As nice as it is to be done with school and a stay-at-home mom again, I have to admit, I was a bit jealous that she is already in a salon and starting her career! I am REALLY missing doing hair and interacting with clients!!! Once my baby is at least a few months old I may look at working one day a week to keep up my skills and get some more hands on experience.

I finished up my day meeting with my OB. It really was great to FINALLY get to meet with the actual GI specialist this morning and then get to follow up with my OB this afternoon. We still don't have answers to exactly WHAT is wrong with me but we are trying out a heavy duty antibiotic and are hoping that cures whatever strange bug I have. If that doesn't work then there will be more tests and such from there, but I am HOPEFUL that the medication will work. My pregnancy is basically considered high risk from here on out and truly it makes me feel so much better that they are being overly cautious. The baby is measuring small, but her heart rate and amniotic fluid look good, which really calms a pregnant mammas nerves! I will have a full ultrasound Saturday to make sure that everything is ok with the baby!

It really was a great day and so nice to finally be getting some help with whatever is wrong with me!!!

We're Rich!

Last night we decided to take the kids to a movie since it was a Holiday. We ALWAYS take the kids to the dollar theater because for starters it's cheap, the kids don't care, and we usually wait so long to see movies that they are almost always at the dollar theater or already on DVD by the time we get around to seeing them. Well the movie we wanted to see was only in 3D and those make me really sick. So we decided to check out what was playing at the regular theater. The kids have been dieing to see Kung Fu Panda 2, so we decided to spend the big bucks and take them to the BIG theater.

I was doing the girls hair and our 8 year old, Mac, asked what movie we were going to, I told her Kung Fu Panda and she immediately replied, "but, that's not at the dollar theater"! I told her that we were going to the BIG theater, she then then said to me, "You mean the RICH theater"??? Hahahaha, I sure got a kick out of that one! She was thrilled to be going to the BIG movie theater and couldn't believe that we wern't going to the dollar movie.

We will still be sticking mainly to our trusty dollar theather, but every once in awhile it's fun to go to the "Rich" theater :).

18 days straight!!!

AHHHH, I have been sick with this "mystery bug" for 18 days straight!!! I can safely safe I AM LOOSING MY MIND :). My Doctors office is closed today because it's the Pioneer Holiday here in Utah. I was up ALL NIGHT last night, I think I got a total of 3 hours of sleep. I called the Doctor on call this morning to see what I should do. Like usual, THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO TELL ME. I really am trying to be patient, but this is getting sooooo rediculous. I have been to the hospital twice already for IV's and to run tests with no results. They only want me to come in if I can't keep fluids down and luckily I am AT LEAST doing that. Call me CrAzY but isn't a 34 week pregnant woman who has barley been able to eat a thing in 18 days and has lost 8 pounds a cause for CONCERN??? I am REALLY hoping that I can actually see the GI specialist tomorrow and get some answers (instead of just another "consultation"). If not I am marching me and my pregnant belly to the hospital and demanding that they run MORE tests!!!

*Sorry for my pity party, I am just so frustrated and I want to feel good again!!!*

Nesting...

The nesting stage sure is in full swing for me! In five weeks or less this little babe of mine will be here. I can't believe it!!! I am technically not due for 6 more weeks, but since I have been induced with my other three, my Doctor went ahead and scheduled me to be induced with this baby as well.

I am beginning to feel some anxiety about being ready for this babies soon-to-be arrival! My to-do list is a MILE long!!! With being so sick and the kids out of school for the summer, my list is coming along very slowly. Hopefully this next week I can get some energy to really start cracking down on the things I NEED to get done.

With every other baby we have had their name picked out way in advance, but with this one we are still struggling to make a decision. We have narrowed it down to 3 names. I think we are going to have to see this little one to make our decision.

We are very excited for our new baby girl to get here, but nervous to be parents to FOUR CHILDREN!!! We are 99% sure that this is our last baby, so even with being uncomfortable in this last stage of pregnancy I am trying to enjoy the feeling of having a sweet baby growing and moving inside me. I love feeling the baby move, feeling close to her, and already falling in love with her even though I haven't met her yet. It is a beautiful blessing to have the ability to bear children. I am sad that this chapter of pregnancy and new babies is coming to a close in my life. As difficult as pregnancy can be, it is such an amazing gift to be a mother and have the privilege of having your child grow inside your body. I will in many ways miss this sacred stage of my life and will forever cherish my pregnancies with each of my precious children.

Thank You!

I haven't had the chance to reply to all of the comments, emails, letters, etc... that I have received since my brothers passing. But I just wanted to let all of you know who have gone out of your way to let me know that you care how much it means to me and my family. I feel incredibly blessed to have such a huge support system of family, friends, and even people I don't know personally who are praying for my family. Your prayers have LITERALLY been felt and are holding us up in our time of need. I truly believe in the POWER of prayer and have never in my life had the privelege of truly "feeling" the prayers of others in my behalf. Many blessings have come despite this tragedy and our family is incredibly grateful for those tender mercy's

Sincerly,
Brittany Waterlyn-Jones

Be Happy!

This last month has been so strange and so hard. I haven't felt like myself and just can't seem to get out of this "funk" I am in. I know that I have very good reasons to not exactly be super chipper, but truth this, this spot I am in is really starting to drive me crazy!!! I am the type of person who thrives on being productive and lately I just can't seem to muster up much energy to get a whole lot done. I finally got most of the upstairs tidied up today, thanks to my awesome neighbor keeping the kids for several hours. Hopefully tomorrow I can get the energy to tackle the basement, it really is beginning to look like a BOMB has gone off down there!

A few days after Court and I got back from our trip to Cabo I came down with some really WEIRD bug and I just can't seem to shake it. I wont go into details, but basically EVERYTHING I eat makes me extremely sick and this has been going on for two straight weeks now. I am loosing weight (not good when you are pregnant) and have been to the hospital twice for IV's and to monitor the baby. My Doctor has me working with a specialist to try to figure out what the problem is, but so far the hospital has run tons and tons of tests and they can't figure it out. My fingers are crossed that we can figure this out quick because I am going CrAzY!!!

Despite how difficult the last month has been, we have had some fun and are all working hard to stay positive. Our family has had some very spiritual and sacred experiences since my brother Jake's passing that have brought us so much peace. There are still MANY days that I burst out in tears, mostly in the quiet moments when my mind has the chance to think about him and try and wrap my head around the idea that he really is gone. At least every other day I find one of my children crying and when I ask them what is wrong, the answer is always that they miss their Uncle Jake.

Loosing my dear Grandmother this past November and then my baby brother has at times been a very heavy burden to bear. My grandmother lived a long happy life, her passing was shocking, and so sad, but I have felt content in knowing that it was her time. When your baby brother dies at just 20 years old, that same comfort of, "it was his time", just doesn't exist. When I focus on the feeling the spirit and leaning on Heavenly Father for answers, I do feel peace in Jake's passing. But the peace doesn't take away the pain, it only eases it. I know that as time passes the grief will not be so heavy, but life for my family will forever be changed and that is hard to come to grips with.

I REALLY am doing my best to focus on all things HAPPY! When I have moments of sadness in missing my brother, I try to think of fun memories with him and all of the positive he brought into my life. For future proof to myself that we really are focusing on happy things at our house, here is a list of fun things our family has done this past month...

*Cabo trip with my hot hubby
*4th of July fireworks with our neighbors
*Swimming with the kids
*Girls started tennis lessons
*Kids lemonaide stand
*Church playgroups
*Dinner with Gramie and Grandpa Jones for Courts b-day
*Date night out with friends for Courts b-day
*Renewing our Temple recommends
*Playing on the slip-n-slide in the backyard
*Swinging on the swingset
*Riding bikes and scooters with friends around and around the cul-de-sac
*Checking out books at the Library
*Ikea for lunch and the kids playland
*Started getting the nursery ready for our baby girl
*Lots of feeling the baby move in my tummy (kids sure love this)


***And I almost forgot, our 3 year old, J-man is finally potty trained! One day he just decided he was a big boy and he's been in big boy underware ever since (tender mercy from Heaven during this challenging time)

(My 7 month preggo belly)





ALL in ALL, we are trying our best to be positive and have a FUN SUMMER!