the jarvii

OuR aRiZoNa VaCaTiOn!!!

2009-06-11T09:35:00.010-05:00

It only took me 6 months...but I have finally returned to the blog! I do not even have a single good excuse for not posting the last few months...but I am back!

We had the best vacation last week! We loaded up the car and drove to Mesa, AZ! It was definitely worth the 20 hour drive to arrive at The Mannings!!! We haven't seen each other in three years - so it was so great to be reunited!
We saw Greg's office - and had our teeth cleaned and fixed... (only one of us had a cavity and it is not the author of this post...)

We swam and played games...

We shopped...

The boys golfed...

We also were able to see the Nielsons and the Schmids and it was great to catch up with lots of Ohio friends...

Mostly we just hung out and laughed!!! It was a total ...wait for it ... blast!
We had so much fun while we were there that we didn't take a single picture! (in Mesa)

On Thursday morning we headed north to Eagar and Springerville for the Sherwood (devon's mom's family) Family Reunion!

Chad and Jen and their girls came from Utah and it was so great to see them! Cousins are the greatest! The kids played and played and played!

The reunion was super fun! It was really great to see so many aunts, uncles, and cousins!
I did get some pictures at the reunion - and Greg and Kort came up to hang out with us too! Aunt Marla's family had so many fun activities. The kids especially loved the carnival on Saturday morning. There was even an obstacle course with an awesome rope walk. I was surprised to look over and see Hadley going across - with no fear! It was awesome! All the kids did it! I finally got brave enough to try... I went pretty slow and my hands were sweating the entire time - (I get my love of heights from my dad!) I was the most proud of Devon's mom - she did the entire obstacle course - and rocked it! Go Mom!!

Saying goodbye was the worst - after saying goodbye to the Mannings and Chad and Jen - Hadley told me she didn't want to say goodbye to anyone else! I was in total agreement with her!

We had such a great vacation! It was really fun to see so many people that we love! Thanks to everyone!

Here are some pictures from our trip! (I got some new photo software...can you tell...)

SnOw DaYs!!

2009-01-28T20:02:00.006-06:00

We have had snow, ice, and sleet over the last few days! It started on Monday afternoon - school was cancelled Tuesday, Wednesday, and just recently Thursday!

We rented Prince Caspian on Tuesday night and had a family movie night! Cayden has really been wanting to see Prince Caspian and he loved it! I think he watched it two more times before we took it back to the red box.

Today...Devon and Brandon took the kids and went sledding! It looked and sounded like they had a great time! When the twins heard before they went to bed that school was cancelled for tomorrow - they were excited to go sledding again!

We have been lucky this storm! The ice has been very minimal in our area- we mostly had snow and sleet. I was pretty surprised that school is cancelled tomorrow... the roads were mostly all cleared today.

It has been freezing cold! The temperature hasn't gotten much above 25 degrees! I heard that it is not supposed to be above freezing until Friday or Saturday! Super Fun!!

Rock Band

2009-01-06T23:55:00.000-06:00

Ok - I have figured out why people that sell "gaming systems" make so much money - take rock band...for example... it allows every person the opportunity to "be" in a rock band - you don't have to be able to sing, play the guitar, or the drums...just get a group of four people and rock out! We are a tiny bit ADDICTED to rocking out! Here are a few pictures and video clips to help you see what I mean! If you have not yet played this game...beware...you will love it!

Here is a very short clip - I thought I was still recording - but I must have stopped the recording - but you still get the idea

This is probably the all time greatest rock band drumming clip you will ever see... I know that you are all expecting to see Devon - since he is an actual drummer - but get ready to be awed! And by the way - you cannot see them... but it is Casie and Carlyn singing!

HaPpY 2009!!

2009-01-06T23:45:00.000-06:00

So... I have been marathon posting! The twins are back in school and it feels like we are in a more normal state of life. Since it is Tuesday night...Devon is playing basketball and I have spent the entire night uploading Christmas pictures and updating the blog. We had a really great Christmas break. (you can read through all the other posts if you want to...) I am very excited for the new year. It is funny how one day changing on the calendar creates such excitement. I love making new resolutions and thinking about all the things that will happen in a new year. I like thinking about birthdays and anniversaries - this year will be 10 years that Devon and I have been married! But mostly I like thinking that I will actually be able to accomplish some of the new goals that I have set for myself - that I can grow and become a little bit better of a person in 2009 than I was in 2008!

cHrIsTmAs DaY

2009-01-06T23:20:00.006-06:00

We had such a fun Christmas morning. I loved watching the kids faces when they opened each present. I think one of the best parts was how excited they were for people to open their gifts. Their school had a little Santa shop - so they bought presents for each person in our family. Hadley picked out the greatest present for Devon. She found a little purple picture frame...at the top in jewels it said - Diva - we were all cracking up. A few days later - I asked Had what made her pick out that present and she told me... because it almost said Devon! I thought that was so sweet!

The twins were very excited about the wii - the especially liked boxing - they got really into it!

here are Maren and Kurt rocking out!

Christmas Eve...

2009-01-06T22:19:00.009-06:00

I think that I love Christmas Eve as much as Christmas morning. I love watching the excitement build for the twins. This year was super fun! My sister, Maren, and her family came and spent the week with us from San Antonio. I felt really bad for them...they left the 80 degree weather of Texas to the 7 degree weather of Willard! It didn't get that much warmer the rest of the week...but they still acted like they had fun hanging out with us!

We had dinner and hung out at Devon's mom and dad's house. Granddad read the Christmas story and the kids interacted with the story. They paid their "taxes", found shepherd crooks (candy canes) and searched for a star...

Grammy always gets the cousins matching Christmas pj's... and this year she had them hanging up so cute!

Here they are lined up in front of their new pj's!

Here are some pictures of the cousins together...

the girls...(hadley's pants were the wrong size in the package...she was so great and wore her pink sweats)
the boys...
Barrett...

When we got home...Hadley and Cayden sprinkled the grass with reindeer food before bed...

When we were getting ready to say prayers...the twins saw Santa walk across the front yard. They were excited... and a little nervous also! Hadley was so worried that because they were awake - Santa would not leave any presents. We had to keep reassuring her that he would come back as soon as she was asleep!

Here is the tree before we went to sleep...it is my favorite part of Christmas eve...having the tree lights on and watching "A Christmas Carol" (the one with George C. Scott only) and "It's a Wonderful Life"... aren't we cute in our matching pj's?!?!

SaNtA

2009-01-06T22:08:00.003-06:00

At the ward Christmas Party...Santa made a guest appearance! The twins were very excited to see and talk to Santa. Cayden told him that he wanted a black and grey watch... and Hadley asked for a cell phone (yeah, right!) and an "nbc" (mp3) player! Barrett - as you can see in the picture - just wanted to get down! We really, really, really love this Santa!

Gingerbread Houses with Grammy!

2009-01-06T21:40:00.003-06:00

The kids had a blast with Grammy decorating Gingerbread houses. She had a house for each kid...and the middle of the table was filled with every kind of treat to decorate with...or just eat! It was fun to watch how different every house turned out. It was a great way to kick off Christmas break. Thanks Grammy!!

the jarvis boys...

2008-12-18T22:00:00.004-06:00

On Monday, when Cayden came home from school, he had a note in his bag from his teacher...but it was the good kind of note! She picked Cayden to receive the "teamwork" award for his class for the December Super Tiger assembly. On the note, there was a place to put why she had picked him - and she wrote "he is a great example to others." So - he got a RED paw on the wall at school! Go Cayden!!

Now...for the other Jarvis boy, Devon...he is my hero! Last night, I was washing a load of laundry...all of the sudden there was a loud noise - and the washer stopped spinning! It is important to know that it is an old washer...passed on lovingly to us by Devon's aunt and uncle...but still - I really rely on my washing machine. I am not a girl that responds well to things breaking or not working when I need them to! So - I was a little stressed - and did not really want to think about buying a new washer the week before Christmas...
Next thing I know...Devon has the washer taken apart and has found the broken part. He found online how to take the motor off and replace the part! Today, he went and got the part (for a total of $9)- and right now as I am typing this...my washer is rerunning the unfinished clothes from last night! It even runs better than it did before! I feel like I fell in love with him all over again as I watched him fix a very important and favorite appliance in my house!

Barrett Gray Jarvis

2008-12-09T13:53:00.008-06:00

Barrett turned one on Saturday! It seems so crazy that he has been in our family for an entire year! He is the sweetest little man! He is walking all over the place - and always has the biggest toothy smile!

We had family over on Sunday for cake and ice cream - and Barrett took full advantage of having his own chocolate cake to eat!

beginning

middle

end

I didn't pay attention to how much cake he really ate...but at least he had fun doing it!

I was thinking back on the last year - remembering all the fun things that have happened...it is crazy to think of all the huge milestones that happen in the first year of life. He started rolling over, sitting up, kneeling, crawling, standing up, walking, talking, eating real food, drinking from a cup, getting teeth...the list could go on and on. I just feel so lucky to be his mom and to have him in our family. He adds such a happy spirit to our home. I love you buddy!

Here is a look back at his first year!

tHaNkFuL...

2008-12-01T16:32:00.005-06:00

So - I don't know if it even still counts to say that you are thankful for a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday - when it is two weeks past...but I feel like I haven't even had two minutes to update the blog!

We went to Dallas to spend the Thanksgiving break with my family! It was a blast! Two of my brothers and their families live in Dallas. My parents flew in from Florida and my little sister Maren and her family drove up from San Antonio! It was great to have so many of us together ...and really nice of Scott and Richard to host all of us!

Thanksgiving morning we drove downtown to run in the turkey trot! My mom and dad were so nice and walked with the twins and Barrett. Over 35,000 people participated in the trot! It was madness! Devon and I ran with Scott and Maren. When we reached the starting line - the race was already 30 minutes in! My parents were in the very back - since they were pushing a stroller - and I think the race was over an hour in when they passed the starting line!

It was fun to run through downtown! It brought back a few memories. When I was in high school - They Might Be Giants came and did a New Year's Eve concert - my dad, being the good sport that he is, took me and some friends to a club downtown to see them! We ran past the club during the 5k! The twins had fun walking with Grandma and Grandpa and their cousin Lydia. When we finished the race - we went back and met up with them. Cayden and Lydia really wanted to run - so Devon ran the last mile again with them! Cayden was so proud that he ran in the turkey trot! Hadley was content to walk - and even persuaded Grandma to rub her legs at each mile marker! Then she convinced Uncle Scott to carry her on his shoulders the last mile! Barrett pretty much slept through it all! (I know... he is such a hard baby!)

The rest of the break was very relaxing! We had a great time hanging out with everybody. My nephew, Jacob was baptized on Saturday - and it was great to be there for that!

I feel so grateful for all of the wonderful family that I have!

25 degrees and a chance of snow...sounds like 5k weather!

2008-11-15T15:39:00.006-06:00

Devon and I ran a 5k together today! It was so fun! (The last time we did a 5k together was a few months after the twins were born...and we walked it with the stroller!) It was very cold! The temperature was about 24 degrees when we left the house this morning. When we were lining up to start the race... it started snowing! (just flurries - no blizzards) A few minutes into the race we warmed right up!

We didn't actually cross the finish line at the exact same time (I beat Dev by 6 seconds...oh yeah!) - but we got a picture at the finish line to show that we did it! I know for all the hard core racers - this isn't a great time... but for me - I was proud of my time! It is my first 5k since before Barrett was born! The best was running it together! I think it was one of our most fun dates!
This is Garron - he's 12 - and he beat us by about 10 minutes! He was also in my primary class a few years ago! It was fun to see him at the race - he is part of the Willard running club - I wish I would have taken a picture of the back of his shirt - all the kids in the club were wearing them - it says "Our sport is your sport's punishment" - isn't that funny ?!?

So...even though it was super cold - it felt great to run again!

Another Cleaning Product Shout Out...

2008-11-10T23:01:00.006-06:00

So...technically an air freshener is not a cleaning product...but it makes your house smell great! These are the best! They have a ton of different scents - each air freshener has two scents that alternate. I love, love, love them!

The other new thing that I have found ... the toilet cleaning gel - I am undecided on these. I bought the original scent - and I think the citrus would be better. Devon thinks it makes the bathroom smell like someone is burning incense. They don't turn the water blue...but the toilet bowls seem cleaner - so we will see. Has anyone else tried these??

Our FUN weekend in Cape Girardeau...

2008-10-31T01:44:00.009-05:00

We had the most fun weekend with Casie and Miah in Cape! The twins did not have school on Friday...so after Devon saw a few patients in the morning - we headed out! The drive was so beautiful with all of the changing colors of fall.

We went to Miah's game (he coaches volleyball at Southeast Missouri State) on Friday night. Since we had celebrated Halloween for a full week...we decided that it would be way more fun to see Miah coach than go trick or treating again. When we were getting ready to leave Casie's house - Devon decided that he did want to dress up for the game. Can you guess who he is???

He wore all of Miah's clothes - I guess Miah lost a bet with his players - so they dressed him in the sweet 80's running suit!

His team totally dominated the game and they won in three! They must be extremely well coached!!

We spent the rest of the weekend hanging out, staying up way too late playing cards, and laughing our guts out! We all had so much fun - we were sad to leave on Sunday - it went by really fast! Hopefully we can get together again soon! Thanks for all the fun!

Disco Party!

2008-10-29T22:25:00.006-05:00

We have been celebrating Halloween all week! The twins have already been TrIcK - oR - tReAtInG twice - and we are still 2 days away from Halloween! They have more candy than we need... and tomorrow they have fall parties at school - so there will be even more!

On Saturday night - Willard had "safe halloween" at the rec. center. We did a booth for the eye center- and Devon decided he wanted to have a disco theme! He had disco music blaring from his tent and we had a really fun time.

We had a Vampire, a Witch, and Mickey Mouse! Devon found afro wigs for us - but the best part of the night was watching Devon dance to the music! I even have a video for you all to enjoy...

PuMpKiN pAtCh FuN!

2008-10-26T01:02:00.004-05:00

The twins had their first field trip in Kindergarten! They were so excited - they finally got to ride the school bus! We went to a really fun pumpkin patch to spend the morning! I was a chaperone for Hadley's class- which was really fun! Cayden's teacher said he could come with my group - but he is my independent kid - and was happy to stay with his "own" class! It was so funny! So- I have lots of pics of Hadley - and only a couple with Cayden! Having them split up is something that I am still getting used to! The kids went on a fun hayride out to the pumpkin farm to pick a pumpkin.

Hadley had a hard time picking the perfect pumpkin! She searched and searched... but she finally found the one that she wanted.

All the kids in her class thought it was so fun to find the smallest pumpkins! It was so cute!

After they picked the pumpkins - they came back and painted them!

They had a fun swing set - Hadley loves to swing!

There was this cute little train made out of barrels! The kids thought it was the best ride ever!

Here is one of my only pictures of Cayden from the day - he is the third from the back! When it was time for lunch - all the classes were laying out blankets to sit and eat - that was when Cayden came and asked me if he could eat lunch with me! So - maybe he still needs me a little! As soon as lunch was over - he was right back with his class again! (I am definitely not complaining about this - I am glad that Cayden is confident and independent!)

I think one of the best parts for me was not riding the bus! They only have room for a few parents to ride the bus - so I was happy to volunteer to drive my own car (I am not a huge fan of the yellow buses)! As much as my kids loved riding the bus - I was more than happy to get in my car and jam out on the drive home!

Happy Birthday Devon!!!

2008-10-25T23:55:00.008-05:00

I have been very absent from my blog the last few weeks! I feel like I have been busy - but I don't really know why or with what! So - I am doing some catch up blogging!

Last Saturday (the 18th) was Devon's birthday!

The twins were very excited to put up streamers and blow up balloons! They even found a birthday crown for their dad! Since we were going out for dinner - we had Devon blow out his candle in a Reese's peanut butter pumpkin!

We only put 1 candle - to protect his health! Devon spent his first 5 birthdays in the hospital with extreme asthma attacks! (I know - his parents should get a medal) Luckily for us - he is much better!

I am so lucky to be married to such a great guy! He takes such good care of me and our family! He is a great dad and makes our kids laugh all the time!

Happy Birthday baby! I love, love, love you!

Barrett is standing!!

2008-09-30T18:13:00.003-05:00

I have been very neglectful of Barrett's newest accomplishments in my blogging lately! But...he has started (in the last week or so) standing on his own! It is so funny because he gets so proud of himself. He also doesn't fall very often - because he starts doing squats until he is low enough to just sit! I got this funny video of him today -

He loves my wooden spoon right now - and carries it with him all the time. He is also cutting his top 4 teeth - so he has 6 teeth now! He is almost 10 months old - and I can't believe how fast time continues to fly by- he adds such joy to our home and family!

Cleaning Product Shout Out!

2008-09-27T10:28:00.004-05:00

I wanted to give a quick shout out to my new favorite cleaning product...

Lysol's Dual Action Disinfecting Wipes!

I love to try new things when they come out - some are not as great as the commercials make you think...

but these wipes lived up to the commercial and more!

One side is rough - so it helps you not have to scrub so hard to get left over breakfast, lunch, and dinner off the table and counters!

I love, love, love these wipes! So - go buy them and try them!

They are definitely worth the $2.93!

Super Tiger

2008-09-24T21:28:00.003-05:00

Today was the first SUPER TIGER assembly at the twins' school. They have one every month to recognize different accomplishments in the school during the month! They give all kinds of awards and get to cheer for each other. And...the whole school wears matching shirts.

(I know ...it is all very exciting!)

The twins were very excited - to the point where Cayden could literally not sleep last night - he woke up every hour to ask me if it was time for school!

Each of the "specials" (P.E., music, art, computers, etc.) gave an award to the best class of the month - Hadley's class won 3 of those- and since she was the helper of the day - she got to go up in front of the whole school and get the award for her class. She thought that was awesome!

Here she is getting one - sorry the pictures are a little fuzzy - I was at the back of the auditorium.

Each teacher gets to give 4 awards for the class. One for academics, one for most improvement, one for teamwork, and one more - that I cannot for the life of me remember...maybe character?!? They call it "getting a paw" (because we are tigers...)

Cayden and Hadley both received the academic paw from their teachers. I am so proud of the twins for being two of the only readers in their kindergarten classes! Hadley's teacher has her read to some of the other kids in her class - which - as you can imagine - she loves to do!

Here they are standing up when the principal asked all the students who received academic paws to stand up!

(Their teachers were nice and let them stand together!)

This is the wall where they get to post their paw!

Here is Cayden's paw... Here is Hadley's paw...
It was fun to see them having so much fun during the assembly! They were both rocking out doing the tiger cheers that they learned! I am so glad that they both are doing so great at school and that they love going everyday! I miss having them at home - but it is easier knowing that they are having such a great time! (and, I am not going to lie... it is fun to get some things done while they are gone everyday!)

Way to go my Super Tigers - I love you both!

Called to Serve...

2008-09-22T18:22:00.003-05:00

My little sister Ann got her mission call!!!

She is going to California - San Fernando mission - spanish speaking!

She leaves so fast - she enters the MTC on the 29th of October!

While I am sad that I won't be able to see her or talk to her for 1 1/2 years...I am so excited for her! She is going to be such a great missionary! She is such a hard worker - very dedicated! I know that she will be such a great addition to the San Fernando mission!

Ann - I am so glad that you are my sister! You are such a great girl - thanks for being such a fun aunt to my kids - they are for sure going to miss seeing you! We will be praying for your success - and we promise to send lots of letters - (and treats - since you are staying in the states!) Congrats and lots of love! :)

Hair Bows

2008-09-21T23:00:00.002-05:00

I made these!!!

So - I am not trying to brag - because I know that many people can make much cuter and more intricate bows than these...but I was really excited to make these for Hadley.

These are my first bows to make by myself! It was so fun to find cute ribbon - and I saved a ton of money making them myself. I bought the alligator clips from Sally's for $4.99 for 100 - and I found all these cute ribbons at Hobby Lobby for $.99 a roll!

girls weekend - and my new computer...

2008-09-16T21:39:00.012-05:00

I am so excited to have my new laptop! Devon got it for me! It is green and super cute - it matches my kitchen! Now I can blog all the time - and not have to wait for Devon to bring home his laptop!

This weekend I went to St. Louis with Devon's mom and his sisters for a girls weekend! It was great! We headed up on Thursday morning and stayed until Saturday night! Jen flew in from Utah and we had a blast!
We shopped, ate out at fun restaurants, and stayed up late - laughing and crying - mostly joyful tears! We also went to Time Out for Women - which was great! It was so fun just to be together! I love them all so much - it was great to have a few days to refill our spirits! Here are some pics of all of us together! (Barrett and Brock came along for the fun also!)

The other great part of the weekend was running into my long lost friend - Jill! She and I worked efy together long ago... she lives about two hours away now - so hopefully we can see each other more often! It was so fun to see her! She is such a great person!

in my next 30 years...

2008-08-30T00:01:00.006-05:00

So today I am 30!

I am not loving the idea of no longer being in my twenties... but what can you do about it?? nothing! I guess everyone is saying that 30 is the new 20 so I should take comfort in that - but it is not really working - there is something about my age starting with a 3 that seems so weird!

It is my golden birthday though...30 on the 30th!

The song by Tim McGraw - In My Next Thirty Years... has been going through my head for the entire month of August - (feel free to listen from my playlist while you read...)and it has actually led me to do some real thinking about the first 30 years of my life - and what will happen in the next 30!

(so in the words of Tim McGraw..."I think I'll take a moment - celebrate my age, the ending of an era, and the turning of a page"...or here is some more personal history)

I was born in Salt Lake City - the third child - first daughter to Richard and Janice Phillips. My parents did not have health insurance when they had me - so I was paid for in full by them - I am pretty sure that is why I am their favorite! We lived in Utah until I was five - I even started kindergarten there - but a few months after I turned 5 - we moved to Plano, Texas! So - Plano is the home that I have always claimed! We lived in Hanover Park (just outside of Chicago) IL for three years (3-5 grades) - but the rest of school was spent in Plano - I was a Plano East Panther - graduating class of 1996! I can take some comfort in knowing that most everyone who graduated with me has already celebrated their 30th!

After finishing high school - I headed for BYU- (go cougars!!) I double majored in elementary music education and elementary education and graduated in 2001! I loved my time at BYU - I made so many great friends and had some fun jobs - I worked efy for 2 summers ('98 and '99) and also worked at Hogi Yogi - (I don't think there is a more Provo job than Hogi Yogi)! I also met, fell in love with, and married my best friend- Devon in 1999! (see the previous post for more about that...)

Once Devon and I graduated from BYU - we moved to Columbus Ohio - (where we knew no one...) to start Optometry school at The Ohio State University - (go bucks!!) We loved living in Ohio - we became diehard Buckeye fans for life and made many great and life long friends there! I taught kindergarten until the twins were born in 2003. They were born just a few weeks before Devon's finals and a month before his first set of boards - good timing right?!?! When Devon graduated in 2005 - we decided to move to his hometown - Willard Missouri - so that he could open his own practice here!

In 2007 - we had Barrett - our sweet little baby boy - who is getting bigger everyday!

There are so many wonderful memories from the first 30 years of my life! I know that I am truly blessed! I have made so many great friends - I have such a great family - immediate and extended!

There are so many things to come in the next 30 years- even as I have been writing this post I have started getting more excited and less depressed - blogging is such good therapy!

Nine Years!!

2008-08-24T10:44:00.005-05:00

It is crazy to think that we have been married for NINE years today!

Here is a little remembering - (for my own personal history...)

Devon and I met the first day of spring classes at BYU in 1997. He had just moved back to BYU after his mission - I had just finished my freshman year and decided to stay for spring and take a couple of classes. We both moved into the same ward - our apartments were right around the corner from each other. (Alpine #13 and Squire #6) We became friends right away! We had lots of fun that spring - and he was pretty much my best friend - we stayed up talking lots of nights on the stairs outside of his apartment.

It took us a few years...but we both finally figured out that we had so much fun together that we didn't need to keep dating other people...we should probably just date each other. Since we were already best friends - it didn't take us too long to decide that we wanted to get married. We both were already committed to work efy in the summer of '99 - so we decided that we were going to wait and get married at the end of the summer! Devon finished working the Calgary session on Saturday - got to Dallas on Monday - and we were married on Tuesday, August 24, 1999 in the Dallas Temple!

It has been a great adventure! In nine years we have...

lived in 3 states - Utah, Ohio, and Missouri

finished lots of school - BYU (me and devon) and Ohio State (devon)

had 3 kids - Cayden, Hadley, and Barrett

bought our first home

opened our own practice

watched the twins start kindergarten

and many other things...

I think the best part for me is knowing that I still have so much fun with my best friend! I still get excited when he calls me from work, or when I know that he is on his way home, or when we get to go on a date! He is still the person I want to be with the most!

I feel so lucky to be married to him - I love the life that we have together!

I Love you Devon (crazy 8's) - Happy Anniversary!

First Day of Kindergarten

2008-08-19T20:43:00.007-05:00

Today was the first day of school! It is so crazy that the twins are old enough to be in kindergarten! They were both so excited! When we were putting them to bed last night - Cayden said he was tired but that he was probably too excited to get any sleep! They both did fall asleep and... we were all up and ready to go bright and early this morning. Cayden knew for a week or more what he wanted to wear to school for the first day... Hadley was a different story! She changed her mind everyday - sometimes lots of times in one day - but this morning she finally decided on her plaid shorts and her brown shirt! It was so fun to watch them get dressed and ready for the day!

I think that Cayden was most excited about his backpack - he didn't even want to take it off in the car. His teacher is Mrs. Peterson! She is great and Cayden loves her already. She showed the twins around the school during kindergarten screenings - so he knew her a little bit already -the best was that when we went to the school last night for meet the teacher - she came right up and said "hi Cayden" - it was a big deal to Cayden that she remembered him! He came home so happy and had such a great day!

Hadley started getting nervous about a week ago - she kept asking me what she was going to do when she missed me. I knew that when she got to school and was busy - she would probably not even think twice - but it started getting me a little bit anxious! Hadley clicked with her teacher right away - Mrs. Hambey - she gave Hadley a big hug when we walked through the door this morning! Hadley relaxed right away! She didn't even look up when I left the room!

I was still a little bit anxious when Devon and I left the school! I wasn't crying or anything - but I just wanted to know that the twins were going to have fun and be happy! I wanted to fast forward to 3:30 - and see them and know that everything had gone great! But.. I found a way to make it through the day with just Barrett - we ran errands, went to lunch, and did some shopping - (I really suffered through the day!)

The twins came out of school with smiles! They talked the whole way home about all the fun things! Then they were both ready to crash...I guess the excitement of the day wore them out! But - they can't wait to go back tomorrow!!

Here's what Barrett did during the first day of school...

Florida

2008-08-14T22:00:00.001-05:00

We have really been home from Florida for about a week now - but between a funeral and getting ready to start school - my blog has been neglected! We had such a great time in Florida visiting my mom and dad! They were so great to us! Devon stayed for about 5 days and the kids and I stayed for 10! It was so nice to relax and be with my family! Kristen and Ann were home so the twins and Barrett loved spending time with their fabulous aunts! I think I took about three thousand pictures while we were there - I am working on a slide show - but that will have to be in the next post!
The weather was so nice while we were there! The days that we went to Disney were so perfect - it rained a little each morning - which cooled off the rest of the day! The days at the beach were also really beautiful! It was a little cloudy which made playing in the sand even more fun - without the sun blaring down on us!
I asked the twins what their favorite parts of the trip were - here are some of the answers...
flying on the airplane
Disney, Disney, Disney
the BEACH
sleeping with Aunt Kristen's tiger
swimming in Grandma and Grandpa's pool
getting shark water guns at Grandpa's work
feeding the baby alligators
seeing the really big and old tree
watching grandpa lead the music in church
Grandma's homemade pizza
Grandpa's chocolate chip cookies and his Mickey Mouse pancakes
the list could go on and on
When we were leaving to come home - Hadley and Cayden were both in tears in the security line to say bye to everyone - I think I was too worried about getting three kids and our carry on luggage and the stroller all through the security line and making it to the plane with everybody - but it was definitely hard to leave!
Thanks mom and dad for such a great vacation! We love you lots and miss you already!

I did post some (ok lots) pictures of Disney and the beach in the next posts!

The Beach

2008-08-14T21:35:00.000-05:00

We loved the beach in Florida! The twins loved the ocean - they loved jumping the waves, playing in the sand, collecting sea shells along the beach, and just being outside all day! Barrett spent most of his time in the shade of the pack -n- play, but we did let him play in the sand for a little bit - he did not like the ocean - I think the water was colder than what he was used to! I think the twins could have stayed for days and days at the beach!

Disney World

2008-08-14T20:34:00.011-05:00

We spent two days of our Florida trip at Disney - we went to Hollywood, Animal Kingdom, and, of course, Magic Kingdom. It was so much fun! The twins loved seeing all the characters and riding most of the rides.

Hadley did not like Tower of Terror - and so it took her sitting out a few rides to get her courage back! She did love all the little kid rides - like the magic carpets, the flying dumbo, and the teacups! She was most excited to meet the princesses again - and loved seeing Tinkerbell fly across the sky in the night show at Magic Kingdom.

Cayden was my super brave boy! He loves roller coasters (like his dad) He even rode the new Everest Ride at Animal Kingdom - when he got off I asked him if he wanted to ride it again and he said, "not right now - I am a little dizzy!" But then he kept talking about how awesome it was!

Barrett was great - he rode around in his stroller all day and was so happy - he even cut his first tooth the first day we were there!

I think I took a million pictures, but here are some of the favs!

Rodeo...

2008-07-25T22:30:00.000-05:00

Tonight our ward had a rodeo to celebrate the 24th of July (yes - I know that it is the 25th). I can honestly say that it was my first rodeo - and it was lots of fun! So - here are some pics from the fun!

The sack race - I loved that the twins raced right next to each other - I think Cayden could have passed Had at any time - but he stayed behind her!

The tug of war...can you find Devon and Granddad??

Cayden was loving the horses and games in the arena

So - remember this is my first rodeo - I don't know the names of everything, but...they had a contest where three guys got on each horse, rode around 3 barrels, and got something from each barrel to bring to the finish - Devon's teams horse did not want three riders - this is a picture with all 3 on - but it did not last! I am pretty sure that all three guys are going to be sore tomorrow from being bucked off the horse 3 or 4 times!

Barrett with Granddad - watching Devon get thrown off the horse - over and over...

Is there anything better than watermelon?!?

Cayden and Hadley - loved the horses - they probably would have stayed all night petting the horses!

Tan Lines

2008-07-24T20:42:00.003-05:00

The past few weeks I have been cracking up at the tan lines on my kids -it is so funny to look at when they are showering or getting into their pj's-

Cayden's hair is all bleached out - and he wants it to be long - so no buzz cut yet this summer.

Hadley's top rides up all the time at the pool so she has a half tan back! It is so funny!

I don't know if you can tell from these pictures - but Barrett's are the most hilarious! He swims with a rash guard so he gets a total farmer's tan - he also gets tan lines around his chubby rolls - which I think are so cute and funny - I tried to stretch his arm out so you could see where the sun could not get through the chub!

For Hadley...

2008-07-23T23:00:00.001-05:00

We love to go to the Springfield Cardinals games! For three summers Hadley has been terrified by the mascots. She literally shakes and hides when she sees them - even if they are three sections away from our seats! We have talked to her about the mascots being people with costumes on - and all other forms of reasoning with her. But - every game without fail she loses it when she sees the bird or the dog! (Cayden loves to give them five and runs to find them at the games.)

So - tonight was a monumental night in her life... she came back from getting a drink and going for a walk with Devon and Cayden and she showed me pictures on Devon's phone of her with Louie (the bird) and with Fetch (the dog). She was super excited for me to look at how brave she was!

Then it got even better! Fetch came walking down the aisle right next to our seats - and she was literally jumping over seats and people to get out to the aisle next to Fetch - she was hugging him and talking to him - then she let him pick her up while we took pictures!

hugging Fetch

letting Fetch pick her up!!

So this one is for Hadley - my super brave little girl! I love you!

Key Lime Pie

2008-07-21T22:52:00.000-05:00

It is my favorite time of the summer in Springfield! For the month of July (and July only) the Andy's Frozen Custard has the mix-in of Key Lime Pie! They blend an entire piece of key lime pie - crust and all - into vanilla custard - and you get a delicious treat! It's one of those things that I think I could actually eat everyday the entire month of July...but I am showing pretty good restraint so far! We'll see how the last few days of the month go - I may feel that I need to eat it more often since it will be gone for another year! So - if you are ever in Springfield during the month of July - you too can enjoy the best treat in the world!

American Gladiators

2008-07-14T19:57:00.002-05:00

Tonight - after dinner - Devon turned on the TV to watch "American Gladiators" (great show..right??) We were making carmel corn to take to a family in our ward - so Devon put Barrett in his little chair in front of the TV with the twins. It was so cute to see the three of them together! Who knew American Gladiators could hold their attention?!? Cayden kept telling us that he wanted to try all the contests - so who knows what stunts he is going to try building in his room this week - I will have to keep a close watch on what he takes into his bedroom! Anyway... I snapped a few pics of the three together watching TV (I know - Mother of the Year!) Barrett was mostly watching Cayden and Hadley laughing - but it was still super cute!

I love pictures of my kids from the back - I don't really know why! Can you see Barrett's head down at the bottom??

Such focus - they are not TV addicts or anything...

Barrett loves to smile when the camera comes around!

Barrett and Brock

2008-07-08T21:15:00.005-05:00

I forgot to put the cute pictures of Barrett and Brock from the weekend on my super long last post. We always get pics of them when we are together - they are getting more aware of each other - which is fun to see.

Taking these pictures was so funny - we laughed about the "photo shoot" - we had laid a blanket down on the kitchen floor while Casie and Miah were packing to leave. When I stood over them with my camera they were both totally hamming it up for the camera.

A really long post...

2008-07-08T00:30:00.010-05:00

So - it has been three weeks since my last post - but it doesn't feel like it has been that long... I was downloading pictures from my camera to my computer and there where over 100 - so I guess we have been doing some stuff - here is my brief (I'll try) summary of the last few weeks!

The twins had "jumpstart kindergarten" during the month of June - they loved it! They had "safety town" which I think is about being safe ... but who knows :) ! At the end there was a graduation - which if you read my blog you might remember how great preschool graduation went for Had - but she did great - she was really proud of herself for running up and getting her diploma!

We have been spending all of our free time in the pool! I am so glad that my kids love to swim - because I love it! Barrett is doing so great in the pool. He will float around for about an hour before he needs more attention. Then he takes a good nap so we can keep swimming. We are so lucky that Grammy and Granddad let us swim whenever we want to!

We had a really fun 4th of July. Both of Devon's sisters (and their families) were here for the weekend. It is so fun to see them and hang out! Devon's mom had her traditional 4th of July breakfast - complete with her delicious biscuits and gravy! We had a "Jarvis Family Eye Center float" in the Willard parade (4th year in a row!)- we went with a Hawaiian theme this year - and threw out mini beach balls! They were a big hit! We let the kids throw out candy as usual - which I later found out was actually outlawed in this year's parade - but no one said anything to us about it - and what kind of parade doesn't let you throw out candy?!? We had a fun time on the float and the weather was beautiful!

After the parade we headed back to Grammy and Granddad's. Grammy spent all afternoon filling water balloons for the kids - we played water balloon toss - and then the kids had a boys vs. girls water balloon fight! Devon, Brandon, and Miah were hilarious with the fireworks show! I think they had even more fun lighting them than we all had watching the show! We also let the kids do sparklers - a first for the twins - Hadley played with one - then she was done - but Cayden was brave and even did two at a time! It was a really fun day!

Barrett - 6 months old

2008-06-16T16:19:00.002-05:00

Barrett reached the milestone of 6 months old! It is crazy to think that he has been in our family for 6 months! He has been a little grouchy lately - which is weird because he is always the smiliest, happiest kid! He is teething and had a little bit of a cold - plus he had his six month shots - and all of that combined together made him feel lousy! But - today he has been smiling all day - so I think he is finally feeling better! He is still off the charts for his height - 30 inches long!! His weight dropped from the 90th% to the 70th% - but he is definitely not starving!

We had to move him to a normal carseat - the carrier was getting too small for him - but he loves sitting up more in the car - he can see the twins better!

Sitting is his new favorite thing to do - he is getting pretty good at it! We still stay close - he tips over at any second! We are so lucky to have him in our family! He brings such a sweet spirit into our home - you can't help but smile when you hold him! I love you Barrett boy!

Nauvoo - Day 3 (a week later)

2008-06-13T15:37:00.004-05:00

I know that it took me a week to post the last day of our trip...but here it is! Finally!

We took the kids to the Wilford Woodruff house so they could see where he lived! They thought it was cool - and they were able to sign the book for all of Wilford Woodruff's family - they also told the sister missionary giving the tour that they had the same birthday as Wilford Woodruff.

We went to the Nauvoo brickyard and learned how they made all the bricks - then all the kids got their own brick - I think it was supposed to be one per family - but the Elder teaching about bricks couldn't resist the sweet faces of our kids...

After the brickyard - we saw the show Just Plain Anna Amanda - which was the best show! They pulled Cayden up on stage at the end of the show - he was a little shy - but did great! The kids met the actors from the show after and thought it was so fun! There were twins in the play - so I took a picture of Cayden and Had with the twins!

I thought this was a funny picture of Hadley and Kylie sandwiching Sydney - I can't tell if Sydney thinks it is funny or not...

Here is the whole group at Carthage Jail. It was great to be there together as a family! We had such a great time! Thanks to Grammy and Granddad for all the fun!

After Carthage, we headed home! We found a ferry crossing that would take us across the Mississippi River - it was fun!

Nauvoo - Day 2...

2008-06-05T21:26:00.011-05:00

Today was such a fun day! Grammy and Granddad were so nice - they watched all the grandkids this morning so that we could go to the temple. I haven't been to Nauvoo since they dedicated the temple - so I was really excited to get to go inside! It was so nice to be in the temple with all of our brothers and sisters. The temple is so beautiful - it was such a great way to start the day.

After the temple - we took everybody and went on a wagon ride through Nauvoo - my camera battery died during the ride so I didn't get very many pictures.

In the afternoon we went to the outdoor "Pioneer Pastimes" area. They had clothes, games, and other fun things for the kids to play with. We had a blast - all the kids dressed up in Pioneer clothes and played! They had cute log cabins for the kids to play in that had all kinds of fun things!

We stopped by the Nauvoo Bakery - the kids were excited to try a cookie!

We also went to the Family Living Center - which was really cool - It was in an air-conditioned building - so it was pretty great all by itself. They had so many things to do - we learned how the pioneers made bread, weaved rugs, and made rope. They had lots of other things that we didn't have time to do - maybe tomorrow we can go back.

We went to the "High Hopes and Riverboats" show next! It was a funny show! Right as the show was starting we were surprised to see Devon's cousin Vincent walk in with a group of kids on a church history tour - Megan and Tyson were there with the group - so it was really fun to see them! The show is at the Visitor's center - which has all the statues of women in the back garden. I love seeing those statues - I can remember going with my mom to see all of those statues and they have a special place in my heart. The kids all had fun running around - after sitting quiet for an hour during the show!

We had such a fun day - I am sad that we only have tomorrow left - but it will be fun to do more tomorrow!

Nauvoo - Day 1...

2008-06-04T22:00:00.006-05:00

Devon's family is having a reunion in Nauvoo this week - so we are here! We drove up today - a 6ish hour drive from our house. (we did not actually make it in 6ish hours - we had to stop to feed Barrett and there are outlet malls along the way...)
When we got here - most everybody was already here - we did beat Carlyn's family - but they had a funeral to go to before they could come - so they have good reason to get here later! We were so excited to see everybody - especially Chad, Jen, and their girls. We haven't seen them since last summer- so it is great to be all together again! Hadley was really excited to see Kylie, Taylor, and Sydney - so was Cayden - but he is ready for Carlyn's boys to get here... I guess that Barrett and Brock (both 6 months old) weren't playing with him enough! :)
We got here in time to eat dinner and then go to the "Rendezvous" show tonight! They let all the little kids sit in the front rows for the show - which "seemed" really fun to Had until all the senior missionaries filled up the front singing and dancing - she did not like being that up close and personal - so Uncle Chad saved her and brought her back to the adult row!
Before the show - while we waited in line - I got a few cute pics of the cousins together! I will have lots more pics to post tomorrow when we have a full day to sight see!

It is swimming time again...

2008-06-03T14:01:00.001-05:00

It is finally warm and sunny and the pool is open! The twins were so happy to be back at Grammy and Granddad's pool! We are so lucky that they let us swim whenever we want! - Thanks!

Here are a couple videos of the twins at the pool.

Barrett tried out the water in his new float - he wasn't too sure about all of it - but I think the water was still a little cold for him. He fell right to sleep after getting out of the water!

Wednesday

2008-05-30T13:36:00.005-05:00

So - it took me until Friday to have time to post - but we had a really fun day on Wednesday! (It is the day that Devon doesn't schedule patients!) We got tickets to see Noah - the musical - a new show in Branson! It was fun - they had all kinds of real animals that walked through the theater to the ark on stage. The twins loved it - it was almost three hours long - but it was still fun!

After - we decided to stay and walk around Branson Landing - the weather was perfect and the twins love the water show on the river. Hadley decided that she wanted her picture taken by every flower bed in the city - so I had to post a few - but I probably have 15 pictures of her kneeling next to flowers in Branson! By the end of the night, Cayden was jumping into every picture to bug her!

Cayden is really into air guitar right now- so I got a video of him showing off his skills during the water show - it is dark - but he cracks me up!

Preschool Graduation

2008-05-23T12:43:00.004-05:00

Last night was preschool graduation for the twins!

It was kind of a crazy night. Hadley decides to be scared or shy or whatever the right word is at the weirdest times! She has no problem dancing in front of a ton of people at her dance recital - but last night she completely freaked out! She was so excited all day for graduation - it was all she could talk about - then we get there and when they call for all the kids to line up - she burst into tears and wanted nothing to do with it. So- Devon and I took turns trying to convince her that she would be sad to miss the whole program. She refused to sing any of the songs - but she finally did go up on stage (only with Cayden) to get her diploma - and of course had a great big smile on her face! Who knows??

Cayden sang all the songs and did a great job! He led all of the students onto the stage for the songs! He wanted to watch the video when we got home - then Had was sad because she wasn't in the video! Devon did record her crying and throwing a fit - so she could remember her graduation night - isn't he nice?!?!

Getting their diplomas

(I was really proud of Hadley after all the drama - puffy face and all - she still put a smile on for the camera!)

The twins had the greatest preschool teacher ever! Mrs. Elliott was their teacher for both years and the twins loved her! They are going to really miss her!

After the ceremony - I can't believe how big they are!

tagged by jen...

2008-05-20T15:50:00.001-05:00

How to play this game of tag. Post these rules on your blog. List 3 joys, 3 fears, 3 goals, 3 current obsessions/collections, 3 random surprising facts about yourself. Tag 5 people at the end of your post by leaving their names. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

3 joys:

my kids and my super cool husband
summer time
the peace the gospel brings me

3 fears:

leaving the doors unlocked
spiders in my house
not remembering all the funny things my kids do that bring a smile to my face

3 goals:

not getting stressed about how clean my house is...(we'll see)
going through and reorganizing all the closets in my house
painting my room and the twins room

3 current obsessions/ collections

the color green
blogging - (i copied casie)
flip flops - i cannot wear anything else in the summer!

3 random surprising facts about yourself: ( this is the hardest category for me - i am pretty boring)

in high school i thought my eye doctor was cute - i guess it must be something about the profession that i like... :)
i went on dates with two of devon's roommates - before i ever went out with him
i love the movie "Back to the Future" and i can still quote pretty much the entire movie

5 people i tag:

kortney
amy s
amy e
maren
connie

Our weekend -

2008-05-19T14:18:00.011-05:00

We had such a fun weekend! Devon's Uncle Doug and Aunt Dixie were here - so Casie and Carlyn and their families came to Willard for the weekend.

On Friday night we went to the Springfield Cardinals game! We thought with all the kids it would be fun to sit out in the lawn - that way the kids could run around without bugging anybody! The weather was so beautiful - until the sun went down - then it got pretty chilly! But, we had lots of blankets and sweatshirts - so we were ok! They always do a fireworks show after Friday night games - so all the kids (except Had- who is terrified of them) were excited to see the fireworks! Of course the game went into extra innings - 12 - but we stuck it out for the fireworks - which were worth the wait! Here are some pictures of our night...

The whole group...

Me and Devon - we never get pictures together anymore!

Had and I - with Casie's pretty face behind us...

Barrett - in the little tent we made to keep him warm

Cayden and Marcor with Fetch - Cayden loves to find the mascots at the games!

Me, Casie, and Carlyn with Fetch - good times!

Every time Casie comes - we take pictures of Barrett and Brock together - since they are only a few weeks apart - so here are the most recent pictures!

They were so cute together - while I was taking the pictures they were both smiling and laughing - so cute!!

A to Z about me...

2008-05-14T21:26:00.002-05:00

A- Attached or Single? Attached, almost 9 years - this August
B-Best Friend? Kortney - we live parallel lives across the country from each other... (devon is my best friend that I live with)
C-Cake or pie? Cheesecake - which has cake in the name - but is kind of pie-like also...
D-Day of choice? right now it's Wednesday - because Devon doesn't schedule patients that day- so we get to see each other.
E-Essential Item? my swiffer sweeper-vac - if you do not have one- it is seriously the greatest thing ever!
F-Favorite color? it varies - but probably brown - it seems to be a prominent color in my wardrobe
G-Gummy bears or worms? bears?
H-Home town? Plano, Texas!!
I-Favorite indulgence? Andy's frozen custard - when they have key lime pie - yummy!
J-January or July? not January - since moving to Missouri there have been terrible ice storms and always in January - so ... July - it is the best month for the swimming pool - we love to swim!
K-Kids? 2 boys - Cayden 5, Barrett 5 months and 1 girl - Hadley 5
L-Life isn't complete without? my family
M-Marriage date? August 24, 1999
N-Number of brothers and sisters? 3 brothers and 3 sisters
O-Oranges or Apples?Apples - i am not a fan of peeling oranges
P-Phobias? that my doors aren't locked - i probably check ten times before i go to bed
Q-Quote? Live. Laugh. Love.
R-Reasons to smile? hearing my kids all laughing together
S-Season of choice? fall - i love the changing colors - but spring runs a close second
T-Tag 3 people: Casie, Jen, and Heather
U-Unknown fact about me? i love, love, love n'sync and wish they would get back together again - i went to their concert when i lived in ohio - me and two other teachers from my school and all the 12 and 13 years old girls in columbus!
V-Vegetable? i love them all - but roasting them is my new favorite way to eat them
W-Worst habit? my diet dr pepper - i really love it!
X-Xray or Ultrasound? Ultrasound - it is always the best part of being pregnant
Y-Your favorite food? cheese dip with chips and salsa from El Charro
Z-Zodiac sign: virgo

Barrett rolling over - the video...

2008-05-12T20:22:00.005-05:00

So - every time I tried to video Barrett rolling over he would just laugh and smile at the camera. Then when I would put the camera down - he rolled right over! I guess he must really like to ham it up for the camera! Anyway - this video is super short because I could tell he was about to roll over - so I turned the camera on just in time to catch the event! It still takes him a minute to smile after he rolls over - I think he has to reorient himself and make sure he is still OK!

Roll over, roll over...

2008-05-09T20:57:00.008-05:00

Tonight Barrett rolled over!! We were so excited - we were all clapping and cheering - and I think it might have scared Barrett a little - but then he broke out into a huge grin!

This is Barrett's four month picture- I finally got it
scanned in... then I found this picture of the twins -

I was cracking up at how much Barrett looks like Hadley. Their faces are so similar! We have been saying for the last month or so how much Barrett is starting to look like Hadley - but after comparing these two pictures... I guess it's pretty much a done deal!

Had's Dance Recital

2008-05-07T19:35:00.006-05:00

Well - I know that it has been forever since my last post...but I do not know where April went - and I cannot believe that we are already 7 days into May. Anyway - it is good to be back!!!

Last night was Hadley's dance recital! It was great fun! This was her first recital to do ballet and tap! She was excited to get to dance in two songs instead of just one! She did great! I think the most exciting part for her was getting her first trophy! The first two years you only get a ribbon and a medal - so year three is trophy year - and she was super pumped!

Cayden is a good sport about dance! The class is every Tuesday for 1 hour and parents are supposed to stay - so Cayden gets to go to dance every week too! It is definitely not his favorite hour of the week! But - he cheered on Had during the recital last night!

For the tap dance - the girls danced around lollipops and sang about planting a lollipop tree in their back yards - first year tapping is "really great!" Luckily, we have wood floors and the taps on her shoes would ruin the floors - so no practicing at home! :)

This is Had with her dance teacher! Miss Patrice is the greatest! She is so patient and Had loves her!

Well - here is a brief catch-up on what's been going on - since I have neglected my blog ...

The twins had their kindergarten screenings last week - everything went great! They had fun touring the school and meeting some of the teachers. The principal wanted to talk to me and so she handed the twins some books to "look at" while we talked. After a few minutes she realized that the twins were actually reading the books she gave them - and it cracked her up - she said she thought they were going to be just fine entering kindergarten. The main thing she wanted to talk about was her "twin policy" - they are always placed in different classes - I am fine with it - I can see goods and bads to both situations - so I said whatever the school's policy was - that was what we were going to do. I think it will be weird at first for them - but they will adjust!

Barrett had his four month check up and shots (at the beginning of April) - and he just keeps on growing! He is 18 lbs and 28 inches long! They said he is average for a 9 month old! His weight is in the 90th percentile and his height is still off the charts! He keeps getting more and more fun! He loves to laugh - especially at the twins! They try everything to get him to crack up!

The Office is almost back...

2008-04-08T17:29:00.010-05:00

I am super excited for the return of The Office! Here are a few favorite quotes to enjoy...

Stanley..."I wake up every morning in a bed that's too small, drive my daughter to a school that's too expensive, and then I go to work to a job for which I get paid too little, but on pretzel day...well, I like pretzel day."

Dwight..."Here's my card. It's got my cell number, my pager number, my home number, and my other pager number. I never take vacations, I never get sick, and I don't celebrate any major holidays."

Kelly ... "Now I want to see Love Actually again, but it's at the bottom of the queue! Oh no, what do I do? What I do, is this. I go online, I go click, click, click. And I change the order of the queue so that I can see Love Actually as soon as I want to. It's so easy Ryan. Do you really not know how Netflix works?"

Ryan..."Yeah, I'm not a temp anymore. Which means at my ten-year high-school reunion, it will not say, 'Ryan Howard is a temp.' It will say, 'Ryan Howard is a junior sales associate at a midrange paper supply firm.' That'll show 'em."

Crazy Missouri Weather

2008-03-31T16:54:00.001-05:00

The other night it started raining really hard around 10:00pm. All of the sudden it was hailing - it only lasted seriously 30 seconds - but it sounded like all of the windows in our house were going to blow out! It was crazy - the twins were out of bed in 2 seconds. So we decided to let them go out and see the hail. We could not believe how much there was after 30 seconds. Our deck was covered! The gutter drain filled up and overflowed! Devon put his Mountain Dew can out to give perspective as to how much hail there was. He also filled a cup - it looked like really good crushed ice for a drink (notice the mt. dew can again)... Devon's mom called after it ended - and we were both cracking up because Devon's dad had filled up a cup with the hail also! Like father, like son I guess! We did not actually use any of the hail as ice for a drink - (in case you were wondering!)

So - now it is Monday and we have had another crazy weather day! It started this morning with thunderstorm warnings - and took a turn to tornado warnings and watches! The sirens started going off and we ended up at Devon's mom and dad's house (because they have a basement)! They take good care of us! Things calmed down - so I took the twins to school and on the way to pick them up - it was a total downpour. The radio was telling people to not be on the road unless they had to be there - a bus tipped over because of the strong winds! I had to drive like 20 mph the whole way! But - like all weather in Missouri - by the time I walked out of school with the twins the storm was gone! Fun times!

Hadley and the camera...

2008-03-27T15:58:00.003-05:00

Hadley got the camera the other day and took these pictures of herself. She was so excited about the yellow flowers that she got from Aunt Yvonne - I guess she wanted to document herself with her "beautiful flowers!" She was in the car - by herself waiting on me - and must have found the camera in my diaper bag!

I was cracking up when I saw them on the camera - because Devon used to take pictures of himself on every roll of film - of most everyone's cameras! Back in the day when there were rolls of film - that was a long time ago!

Barrett and Brock

2008-03-25T17:30:00.003-05:00

Casie and Brock came to visit this past weekend. It is so funny to see Brock and Barrett together! Can you believe that they are only 2 1/2 weeks apart?!? Barrett looks like a monster baby next to Brock!

I love this picture- it looks like they are snuggling together! Maybe they can remember each other a little bit still - who knows? Barrett looks even bigger - because Brock has his legs tucked up.
I think it is so fun that Barrett has a cousin so close to him - on both sides of the family. My sister Maren had a little boy- Kyle about three months before I had Barrett. Having cousins close in age is the best. It makes family reunions and stuff even more fun.

Easter

2008-03-24T22:42:00.005-05:00

I am actually really proud of myself that I am getting Easter pictures up the day after Easter - instead of next week! We had a fun Easter- celebrated over several days! The twins had an Easter egg hunt at their school on Wednesday - and since I am "mother of the year" - I forgot my camera! It was flooding outside - so they had their hunt inside - which made hiding the eggs a little more challenging for their teacher... Each kid got 25 eggs - that was a lot of candy to bring home between the two of them - 50 eggs!?!

On Saturday, Devon's Aunt Yvonne had an Easter dinner at her house - with an egg hunt for the little kids! It was even dry enough to have it outside! The twins had fun- and found lots of eggs! Cayden was especially excited about the eggs that had pennies!

Since we already had a bunch of candy before the Easter bunny had even come to our house - the Easter bunny decided to bring new art supplies to the twins! They love to color and write - so we threw out all the broken and dried out crayons and markers - and all the well used and loved coloring books - for new ones! We also found some cute matching Easter outfits for the kids! Cayden was so excited to have something to match Barrett! He has been wanting a matching shirt with his brother for a long time! Hadley was excited about her dress because she could "twirl" in it! Barrett was exited about the cute socks that match his sweater vest that his Aunt Casie bought him! (really it was me that was excited - thanks Case!)

I think the best part was hearing the twins talk about Jesus being resurrected. I am glad that they know why we celebrate Easter! All the eggs and new clothes are fun - but the true reason to celebrate is the life and gift of our Savior.

Soccer

2008-03-21T20:11:00.008-05:00

The twins had their first soccer game last night! It was so much fun! They had quite a crowd there to cheer them on. Granddad, Aunt Carlyn, Aunt Casie and all the Missouri cousins came to their game. They are playing on a team with a few of their friends from school.

It was a little cold and windy - but Barrett was a trooper - her cheered on Cayden and Hadley in his stroller behind a blanket!

Hadley was more excited to run to all her cousins on the sidelines - so we had to remind her to stay on the field and go for the ball. She also had a turn to play goalie for one period. She was so excited to tell everybody that she touched the ball. She had one really great stop - (a few more got passed her- Uncle Kurt will have to help her out)
Cayden is # 7 - of course - it is his favorite # because of Teddy Ginn @ Ohio State. He ran up and down the field and had a huge smile the whole time.

Tagged...the world's longest tag!

2008-03-20T12:11:00.004-05:00

I haven't posted for almost two weeks - I guess my life has been pretty boring lately! But - I saw that I was tagged by Casie... so here goes

If money, time, and babysitting were no object, where would you go and with who?

I think that I would go back to Finland - it was so beautiful there and I would love to spend more time there. I guess I would take Devon and the kids with me :)

When was the last time you cried?

I am like Casie- I cry all the time (just ask Devon). I cried last night in our Relief Society meeting.

5 things you were doing 10 years ago-1998

1. I was in my second year at BYU
2. I moved into the blue house - the greatest house at BYU
3. I worked my first summer of EFY
4. I fell in love with Devon
5. I went to Missouri right after Christmas to meet Devon's family - including his brother Chad, who had just gotten home from his mission - he says that I ruined his homecoming!

5 things you were doing 5 years ago-2003

1. Watching the Buckeyes beat Miami in the National Championship!! GO BUCKS!
2. I was huge and pregnant with twins!
3. I gave birth to Cayden and Hadley on March 1st
4. I tried to stay out of the way and keep our new babies quiet while Devon studied and took his first set of boards and started his third year of Optometry school.
5. I was pretty sleep deprived - the rest of that year is a blur...

5 things you were doing 1 year ago-2007

1. I found out I was pregnant - big surprise to us!
2. I went to Girl's camp - i was a few months pregnant, but we had a blast!
3. I found out that Casie was pregnant - and our due dates were three weeks apart - and we both were having boys!!
4. I went to a Phillips reunion - all my family was there! It was a blast!
5. I gave birth to Barrett Gray on Dec. 6

7 of your favorite hobbies

(all things I love to do - but I don't really get to do most of them these days)
1. making cards
2. running
3. blogging - a new fav
4. baking cookies - not such a healthy one but- I am trying to perfect a huge chocolate chip cookie - that is soft - especially around the edges - we'll see
5. playing with my kids - even more I love to listen to my kids and hear their conversations
6. playing games - rook, skipjack, and golf
7. being a mom

5 favorite foods

1. cheese sauce, chips, & salsa from El Charro
2. anything mexican
3. my mom's lasagna
4. hillbilly nachos from Downtown BBQ
5. the new black bean and chicken recipe from Casie - which I think she got from Jen :)

5 places you've been

1. Finland
2. Russia
3. Canada
4. Florida
5. Texas (my old home sweet home!)

5 favorite memories

I agree with Casie that this is a hard one - I have lots more than 5

1. my grandparents 50th wedding anniversary - we had a big reunion with all the aunts and uncles and cousins at Brighton camp in Utah
2. the night that Devon proposed
3. my wedding day - being with all of our family and friends
4. finding out that we were finally pregnant - and it was twins - Devon laughed all day long
5. The day Devon graduated from Optometry school
* 6 The births of my kids - not so much the birthing part- but getting to finally hold and snuggle with them

5 people you wish you could meet/see again:

1. My Grandma Rosa - she died when I was 13 and I wish I could talk to her now as a grown-up
2. My Grandpa Phillips - he died when my dad was 12 - so I never knew him at all
3. My Grandpa Ensign - he lost his thinking powers towards the end of his life - but I can remember him telling stories and jokes when I was little and I would love to hear them again.
4. My Grandma Ensign - when I was at BYU she was my home away from home - she cooked for us and tended to our every need - she was the greatest.
5. I guess any other ancestors - I would love to know what their lives were like - and what advice they could give me.

Ok - that was really long - but fun to remember - I tag: Kortney, Heather, Maren, Sharon, and Amy S.

Barrett

2008-03-07T14:53:00.002-06:00

Three months old...

2008-03-06T23:28:00.002-06:00

I cannot believe that Barrett is three months old today. It seems like we were just barely bringing him home from the hospital. It took so long to get pregnant with the twins - and then when we did get pregnant - it was a whirlwind - going from no kids to two. But - with Barrett it was the complete opposite. We weren't planning it at all. Then suddenly he was coming and I was so happy! I do not like being pregnant - and the twins were probably very neglected during those nine months - When we went to the hospital (on Dec. 5) I was excited and nervous to labor - since the twins were c-section - I had no idea what to expect. Then the whole day went by - and by the next day (Dec. 6) the doctor decided to do a c-section. I remember being so tired. The doctors were talking to me and I kept falling asleep. The next thing I knew - he was here and healthy! All the sudden - nothing else mattered. I had this beautiful, healthy baby!
I knew that I wanted to name him Barrett! That name has a special place in my heart. It is my Grandma Rosa's maiden name. She was an incredible woman. My grandpa died when my dad was 13 - she raised two boys by herself - and she never let them feel sorry for themselves. Then she was diagnosed with cancer. She didn't ever complain - or ask why hard things had to happen to her. She was always fun - she had fun ideas for everything. She taught all of us to play poker (that's probably frowned on) but we loved her for it! She always had ice cream at her house - and if she didn't have it - she would give us money and send us to the store to get more!
Barrett is also my dad's middle name. I am lucky to have such a great dad! I can remember him taking me and my friends to a concert in downtown Dallas on New Year's Eve - because none of our parents wanted us to go by ourselves - so he volunteered to take us! He stayed there the whole time and actually acted like he enjoyed it! I had early morning seminary and he would come in to wake me up each morning (which was never pleasant on his end) and then he would mix up orange juice for me to drink before I left. There are so many memories of how much he did and still does for me. I think when I first told him that we were going to name this baby Barrett he thought it was a last name - but hopefully he likes it now that there is a sweet face to go with the name.
Barrett's middle name is Gray - we love the Buckeyes - need I say more...
So - there is a lot behind his name - but so far he lives up to it! He is so sweet! I don't know how our family felt complete before he was born - because he is such a part of us now!
I love to watch him smile and laugh - I love to go in his room and watch how peacefully he sleeps - I love how great he is when I drag him around on errands, taking the twins to school, or anywhere else we have to go - I love his chubby cheeks - I love how noisy he is when he eats - I love how he cries when he wants his diaper changed and then smiles as soon as you lay him on the changing table - I love how he loves to have his back arched and his head back - I love how he goes to bed around 9:00 and doesn't wake up again until 6:30am!
Three months doesn't seem very long - but it has changed our lives completely! We love you Barrett!

The Cupcake Cake Pan

2008-03-06T15:12:00.002-06:00

I had so many people ask me about the cakes that I made for the twins birthday. I wish I could say that I hand crafted the cakes - but... I found this cake pan and it makes the rest really easy! Wilton makes the cake pan - I found mine at Target.

Smiles and Laughs!

2008-03-03T20:33:00.004-06:00

I feel so lucky to be a mom. I took these pictures the other day of Barrett. He was smiling and laughing and it was so fun. I couldn't resist showing all the cute little faces he made! He is the sweetest little boy! I feel so lucky to have him in our family. He especially loves his dad. When Devon gets home from work - Barrett smiles as soon as he can hear Devon's voice. He cuddles up as soon as Devon picks him up! It is so cute! He also loves the twins. They love to go in his room in the morning and talk to him until he starts laughing and smiling at them. Cayden was laughing when I dressed Barrett in this outfit. He said it was a "bear" shirt for our little Barrett. It is sad that he is not so much a newborn anymore - but it is so fun to watch his little personality develop. I sometimes feel pretty overwhelmed with the responsibility of being a mom -but when they smile at you - or cuddle with you it makes it all worth it!

Happy Birthday Cayden and Hadley!!!

2008-03-02T19:53:00.003-06:00

The twins turned 5 on Saturday!! I cannot believe that they are five years old! It seems crazy that they are so big! We had a fun weekend. We decided to start a new tradition in our family of celebrating "birthday eve" - so the party started on Friday night. The twins really wanted to have pizza and a movie night to celebrate their last day of being 4. We went to Pizza Inn and then went home to watch a movie. Cayden really wanted a cookie monster as his birthday eve treat. (a chocolate chip cookie with an ice cream sundae on top) So, I made cookies and then we put 4 candles in each of the cookie monsters and said goodbye to being 4! It was a fun night!

Then the real celebration began Saturday morning! I decorated the house to make it a little more festive for the twins! They were excited to wake up to balloons and streamers! They played with the balloons all morning. All that Hadley wanted for her birthday was to get her ears pierced and a pedicure. She cracks me up. So, she and I went to the nail salon - where she became the center of attention. All the ladies wanted to talk to her about her birthday and she was loving it! The girls doing her pedicure wanted to paint her fingers to match - then they added flowers and little beads to her thumbs and big toes! She loved every minute of it.

While we were at the nail salon - Cayden and Devon went golfing (we were so lucky to have such beautiful weather). Cayden got a new golf club and was very excited to get to test it out with his dad.

After nails and golfing, we went to the mall to get Had's ears pierced. I kept telling her that it was going to hurt and I thought she would change her mind - but she was so tough! She did not even cry! The lady piercing her ears had to remind her to breathe in between ears - but it went great! She loves having her ears pierced and cannot wait to be able to change out the studs for "sparkly ones."

After all this excitement, we came home and had cake and ice cream with Grammy and Granddad - and opened a few more presents! It was quite the weekend! We had fun - but I was totally worn out by Saturday night! Good thing their birthday only comes once a year! I did a slide show of more birthday pictures - so you can see all the fun for yourselves!

Cayden and Hadley's 5th Birthday!

2008-03-02T19:51:00.001-06:00

Happy Birthday Kortney!!!

2008-02-25T23:16:00.003-06:00

Today is Kortney's birthday!
(By the time this posts it will probably be tomorrow, but...)

Because we live across the country from each other - we have to communicate through the telephone. Which works ok for us because we are never at a lack for things to talk about on the phone - we usually get off the phone because the kids need us - not because we are actually done talking! So - since I can't go to her house and take her out for her birthday - here is my

"Ode to Kortney"

(This will most likely be dumb to everyone else - so feel free to stop reading at any point!)

It's fun to have a friend that you instantly click with - it is even better and much more rare if your husbands click also! We always joke that we are living the same life in two different places. When one of us has a problem - the other one has usually just barely gone through the same situation. So- it is nice to always have someone to talk to that understands the stress of your life.

I was remembering all kinds of funny things today - so I thought I'd list some classic Jarvis/Manning moments - please to enjoy...

* Playing rook into the middle of the night -
* Playing rook when I was pregnant with the twins and my belly was so big that I played leaning over the chair???
* The rook notebook - I think the girls were ahead, right?
* Learning to play Skip jack - which kind of replaced rook - then watching Devon and Greg make a skip jack board .
* Pig Mess - (what is that exactly???)
* Stopping at every gas station to find the perfect ice and diet coke!
* Going to Kirtland for youth conference and driving the Kron mobile!
* Going to Cincinnati and driving through the ghetto to see where Greg did his rotation - and I had to go to the bathroom so bad!
* Ohio State football games - need I say more...
* Watching Brother Kron dance Footloose at the stake dance :)
* Laughing our guts out over any and everything... (even when Greg and Devon thought we were dumb - we knew that we were truly funny)
* Watching Greg and Devon climb the playground tree at the Polaris mall.
* Getting the "Ditto" jitters!
* Driving to Mansfield for potato chips!
* "Enjoying?" the aquarium in Cincinnati
* Listening to the vocal stylings of Greg and his award winning song - "Let me be Your Dentist"
* All of us appreciating how hard Greg works!
* Swoobs
* Making cards - every month... (man dates to Long John Silver's)
* The "A.L." dance off
* Salty hamburgers - (Greg we know that it was first BBQ of the summer)
* Devon, Greg, and Scott dressing up for the ward Halloween party.
* Tuesday night basketball retro night - complete with socks, wristbands, and headbands - all matching of course.
* The boys trying on the awesome tight white Guess jeans at the outlet mall!
* P. F. Chang's to celebrate boards
* Eating out at every possible place in Columbus.
* Watching "Extreme Home Makeover" on Sunday nights and crying - (Devon and Greg cried too - even though they might not admit it...)
* Greg telling a story (which I can't remember all the details about) - something about a little kid's heart and then pretending to laugh to cover his tears.
* Sunday night hangout - treats of every kind

There are a million more memories ... too many to list! I am lucky to have such a great friend! I miss living close - but that's how it goes. At least we can talk - and maybe actually get to see each other again...

Anyway - Happy Birthday to Kortney - you're the greatest - I love you!

Branson

2008-02-18T17:17:00.005-06:00

We took a mini family vacation last week to Branson. There was a doctor there that needed a fill-in because his wife had a baby - so Devon worked and we partied.

We stayed in a three bedroom condo and the twins were excited to stay in different bedrooms. They each wanted to have their own bed and their own room.
After getting tucked in (several times) Hadley finally fessed up that she really didn't want to be in a room by herself. I guess they have been sharing for so long that it wasn't as fun as she thought it would be to have her own room. So - we moved her into the other bed in Cayden's room! He was NOT happy about it. It was kind of opposite of what normally happens with them. I would have guessed that it would have happened the other way around. But - they are always surprising me!

One of the most exciting parts of the trip for the twins was getting to eat mini cereals! We had a kitchen - I took them shopping for things to eat for breakfast and lunch. They could not agree on a cereal - so I showed them the mini cereal boxes and you would have thought it was Christmas morning! They could not wait to pick and eat the cereal for breakfast! I had to hide them for a couple of days at our house before the trip! Now I have a new treat to buy them! It's always nice to find new things that excite them - or that I can use as leverage!
The very best part - (besides the cereal) was swimming in the pool! It has been a cold and icy winter! The twins have missed several days of school because of ice storms! So - swimming was great! The pool was empty both times that we went - they had the whole thing to themselves! (Which is actually how they are used to swimming - since we swim all summer at Grammy's!)

The whole trip was a great break from the dreariness of winter! I know that I have three kids and we have been married for almost nine years - but sometimes things like this make me feel like a grown -up! It probably sounds dumb, but it is something that I would do with my mom and dad - so when I am the mom on a trip it is funny to me!

Me and Dev...

2008-02-16T17:09:00.003-06:00

My friend Heather tagged me! So here goes...
1. What is his name? Devon Paul Jarvis
2. How long have you been married? It will be nine years this August! How fast time flies when you are having fun!
3. How long did you date? Well... that gets complicated - we dated for a year, but spent two years before that dating each other's friends.
4. Who eats more sweets? I think Devon - he has an addiction to peanut butter cups
5. Who said “I love you“ first? Devon - he kind of blurted it out in the car one night - we were talking about marriage- and I wanted to know why - so he finally admitted how much he loved me!
6. Who is taller? Devon
7. Who can sing better? Devon - especially when he joins Alicia Keys at the end of "No One" - You should hear him belt out those riffs with her - it is classic!
8.Who is smarter? Devon - but he says me
9. Who does the laundry? me!
10. Who pays the bills? Devon
11.Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? we switch it up
12. Who cooks dinner? Mostly me - but Devon is king of the snackmaster - just last week he made homemade corndogs and lots of other great foods!
13. Who drives? Devon - mostly because he thinks I don't drive well- and my accident in his parent's driveway helps his position.
14. Who is more stubborn? Devon - and he agrees!
15. Who kissed who first? Devon kissed me - at the blue house in provo! I had to wake up my roommate Becca and tell her because I was so excited!
16. Who asked out who first? Devon asked me out - but he knew the answer would be yes!
17. Who proposed? Devon - he gave me a t-shirt with his picture on it - and the caption said "I'm going to marry this guy!" I know - you are all jealous that you don't have your own t-shirt!
18. Who wears the pants? Devon - I'm sure he thinks it's me, but we both know the truth!

It's fun to remember all of the beginning moments in relationships! I'm sure that it is boring for other people to read - but this was fun for us!
Now I get to tag some people - so I tag Maren, Connie, Casie, and Sharon.

Grandpa's Hat

2008-02-09T18:07:00.000-06:00

I was so excited to get pictures of all my kids wearing Grandpa Sherwood's cowboy hat! Grandpa is the ultimate cowboy! Cayden was especially excited to get to wear a real cowboy hat. The one that he has is now not good enough - he says it's just a "dress -up" cowboy hat - not a real cowboy hat. I was glad that grandpa told Cayden that real cowboys do not wear boots to church. Some of the little boys in his primary class get to wear boots to church - and he wants to wear his cowboy boots to church also -which I am not a fan of. So - coming from Grandpa I think he is ok with it now. I guess we'll see. See what happens when you move to a small country town - your kids want to wear cowboy boots to church.

..and to the republic...

2008-02-09T16:21:00.000-06:00

To understand this little story you have to know that we live in Willard - but the twins go to preschool in the town next to us - Republic...
I was driving them to school and they were telling me what they do during circle time. They do the calendar and read a story and say the Pledge. I didn't know that they had memorized the pledge - so I had them say it for me while we were driving (we have a 20 minute drive to school). I told them how great it was that they knew the whole thing because they would probably say it in kindergarten too. And then Cayden says...
"Mom, next year when we're in kindergarten, we'll have to say Willard instead of Republic."
I was totally cracking up! His brain is always going a million miles a minute -

The Cape

2008-02-04T16:50:00.000-06:00

This weekend we went to Cape Girardeau to see Casie, Miah, and baby Brock. We were very surprised and excited to see Grandpa Sherwood (Devon's grandpa from Arizona) - who came for Brock's baby blessing. It was fun to get a picture of the babies with Grandpa, Granddad, Devon, Miah, and Brandon. Before we left, we went to see Southeast Missouri State University (where Miah coaches volleyball). You can't tell in the picture, but there is a water fountain under the twins - which they thought was super cool!

Barrett

2008-02-04T04:31:00.000-06:00

I have not sent out very many pictures of Barrett - so sorry if it seems like I am posting a bunch of pictures! I love when babies get where they smile and look at you - instead of around you! Barrett was laying on his stomach smiling and laughing at me! It was so cute! He is the happiest little boy! (except when he is hunrgy- he goes from sweet to grouch in half a second!)

Cayden and Had are so good with Barrett. They always want to hold him and kiss on him. It seems like they were just barely little - but when I look at this picture I can't believe how big they really are.

I love this picture because you can see all of his fat rolls on his legs.

The Kids

2008-02-02T22:53:00.000-06:00

Here is the latest pictures of the kids. Cayden and Hadley will be turning 5 on March 1. Barrett Gray (Go Bucks!) was born December 6. We love having him in our family. Cayden likes having a brother around, and Hadley is learning that it's not as bad as she thought being the only girl.

Cayden and Hadley (and Mom and Dad) are happy to be the only Sunbeams to have memorized all 13 Articles of Faith in 2007. Now that they are CTR 5, we've started over and passed off 1-4.

The Jarvii

2008-02-01T18:38:00.000-06:00

I started this blog before Barrett was born - so needless to say I am now finally getting it up and running. I am terrible about keeping in touch with people - I hope that doing this blog will help me with this. So, here is a quick update on our family...

Devon and I have been married for 8 years. After finishing BYU in 2001, we moved to Ohio, where our wardrobe changed from blue to red! (we still love BYU) When Devon graduated from Ohio State in 2005, we moved to Willard Missouri (Devon's hometown) and opened Jarvis Family Eye Center.

Devon is busy running his practice - most days he really likes it! One month after the office opened, he was called as first counselor in our Bishopric - so now we see him even less! The few hours not spent at the office or the church are spent as the president elect of the Willard Chamber of Commerce, one of the only members under 70 of the Willard Lion's Club, attending health advisory meetings at the high school, and most importantly and never missed - Tuesday night basketball!

I am loving being a mom. The twins, Cayden and Hadley, were born in March of 2003. We timed their birth to happen just in time for Devon's finals and first set of Board exams. I can't believe that they will be 5 and starting kindergarten this fall. Barrett was born in December and I forgot how much fun it is to have a baby to hold! This year they put me in the Relief Society presidency - so I am attending Relief Society for the first time in our marriage. It was weird at first to not be in primary - but I am enjoying it.

Cayden is the older of the twins by 20 seconds (he is very proud of that). He loves anything that Dad loves and would dress just like Devon everyday if he could. He attends preschool and really likes writing. He loves to write notes to people and is getting pretty good at spelling. He is definitely a boy - he loves swords, pirates, wearing his Ohio State clothes - especially his Teddy Ginn jersey. We are trying to teach him that he can still be nice to people wearing Michigan clothes!

Hadley is our princess. She loves everything girly! She is in ballet and tap class and loves the sound of her tap shoes! For Christmas she got a pedicure spa kit - and always wants to paint her toes and anyone else's that will let her. She likes to boss Cayden around - and most of the time he lets her. She also attends preschool and comes home everyday with a new plan for a get together or party with the other girls in her class. She knows the name of every person in our ward, and tries to learn the names of every person she encounters.

Barrett is our newest addition! He is about 2 months old- and already getting so big. He is a great baby - maybe it just seems that way because there is only one this time - but I think he really is great! He brings a whole new level of fun to our family.