Catching up with Utah

While in town for a wedding, we got to visit some favorite people we have missed since moving away. We visited our old ward in Springville, and caught up with former roommates and mission companions. It was a treat to see everybody.

Heather!!

The Rogers

Nauvoo Sisters #1

Nauvoo Sisters #2

Nauvoo #3

Nauvoo #4

Hopefully it won't be another 2+ years before we visit again.

Newest Heaton

Welcome, Camille, to the Heaton family! We got to travel to Utah a few weeks ago to witness Christopher and Camille's sealing in the Oquirrh Mountain Temple. It was gorgeous, and we had a wonderful time. They were too cute to watch, and I am so happy for them. 

And I'm sorry that I didn't get any pictures of just the two of them. Good thing that wasn't my job! 

The REAL Thomas

Over the weekend, we got to go to Chattanooga, TN to meet somebody very important in our lives. It was AMAZING! Joshua and his cousins had a blast, even though he might look less than thrilled in some pictures...It was so much happiness that his smiles just couldn't keep up. 

  

We got to watch Thomas drive in and out of the station, and to ride the Blue Ridge Missionary Line. It was fun to ride the train, and go over bridges and through a long tunnel. What a day to remember!

Thank you

     I hurried off to the grocery store last night with no kids to pick up a handful of things I had been needing. It was 9:45 pm as I strolled my buggy to my car, and started loading up. It was quite dark, not much light from the parking lot lamp was reaching me. I was trying to hurry, and looked up in time to see a man, bulky and a little older than me, walking towards me. Well, he was walking past my car, and then noticed that I was there, dropping bags of groceries into the back seat.
     "Let me take that for you, when you're done," I heard him say. Thank you so much! I had three more bags to get, and then I passed the buggy on to him. He took it and rolled it to the cart drop for me. As I was pulling out of the parking lot, I felt really grateful that there are nice gentlemen still out there. I appreciated it. It was late, and dark, and I was rushing to get home to my family. And I just thought that was the nicest thing. Thank you again.

Easter!!

     Easter is one of my favorite times of year. Trees and gardens are blossoming, The sun is shining, and the weather is mostly pleasant. And Easter is a time when I can reflect on the blessings I have in my life because of Jesus Christ. He was crucified, and suffered the Atonement for my sins. Then, on that first Easter morning, He was resurrected, conquering physical death. I know that He lives. I am thankful for the gift that He has given me, that I may live again as well. I love Easter because it reminds me of the very real miracle of the Atonement. Jesus Christ offers a way that I may be forgiven of my sins and mistakes so that I, too, can be found spotless before God. I also love that the meaning of the days is not as commercialized as one of my other favorite holidays centered around the Savior. What a blessing that we can reflect on the gift of Life when everything is awakening from a wintry slumber.
     Please visit mormon.org/easter to share your feelings about the Lord Jesus Christ this Easter weekend, or to be uplifted by others' testimonies.

Living Prophets

This weekend is a general conference for all members and visitors of our church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We are Mormons. It's an occasion when we are blessed to hear from our Prophet, and the other inspired leaders of the church. Feel free to tune in, and be uplifted, as we reflect on the Savior, Jesus Christ, and His teachings. I know Jesus is the Christ.

Show me them Pearly Whites

Joshua had a great first visit to the dentist. All healthy! What a relief for a boy who eats candy as quickly as he finds it around the house!

so stylish

Don't you wish we could all be this stylish?

Feeling Lucky?I

Irish greetings from our family.

Best o'luck to ya in 2012!

6 month and swallowing

Caleb turned 6 months, and has started to eat rice cereal. He has the funniest shudder reflex as things slide down. We're still just experimenting, instead of getting any nutritional needs met. Still nursing strong.

Caleb also rolls both directions, and explores everything with his mouth. He rocks on his knees and scoots backwards but isn't quite crawling yet. He loves to watch his big brother, and has the biggest smiles when I fetch him from his crib. He's a joy, and is a nearly 20 lb splashing giggling inquisitive little guy.

January 2012

Guess who started doing big boy things. Still a work in progress but working on it.

And we took our first trip to Zoo Atlanta. It was fabulous.

December 2011

December was busy but fabulous! And very smiley.

Rocket Day

Hanging out with Cousins

And visiting with Santa

November 2011

A few highlights of the month include:

A special day for Caleb

More Joshua bumps

Learning all sorts of new ways to play with trains (this picture is more remarkable than it looks when you consider how exact the timing is to catch such a quick boy balancing!!)

We had a fun time hosting a murder mystery dinner with some friends from church. We were so impressed that everybody dressed for our Masquerade Ball. The events of the evening uncovered a secret love, family dysfunction, envy and jealousy to shock, betrayal and ego. Needless to say, fun was had by all!

For Thanksgiving, we got to spend time with the Heatons in Kiawah, South Carolina. We love visiting the beach, and playing in the sand. We got to ride bikes and spend hours and hours with people we love.

It was a wonderful trip, full of eating, shell-hunting, catching up, playing in the surf, eating, building sand castles, riding bikes, eating, playing games, trains, eating, visiting, and did I mention eating fantastic food? We built a Polar Express sandcastle, which turned out great and impressed Joshua quite a bit.

October 2011

We took a quick trip to Alton, Utah for Grand-Pa Heaton's funeral. We got to meet lots of cousins, and spend time thinking about how happy Joshua's great-grandparents were to be reunited on the other side of the veil.

Caleb met his second cousin, Kaleb Heaton (son of Brent, son of Ray, brother of Terry, father of Benjamin). I hope these boys will get to know each other better someday.

Caleb starts to smile big and beautiful, and we had some fun with cousins. We got to spend lots of time with Amber (pronounced "Hamer" by Joshua), Brooklyn and Lydia when they came to visit. We went for a weekend in Elijay, GA with the Wombles and Heatons. We also got to visit the Georgia Aquarium with Grandma Heaton and the girls.

We took Caleb on his first camp out with the Mullins crowd, and Joshua had fun dressing up in his Halloween costume for "tent-treating." Joshua and Isaac were both dragons, Niklas was Micky Mouse. Levi was an awesome pirate (but I don't have a picture of him!!).

For Halloween, we wandered the neighborhood with some friends, and had a great time. Joshua was a dragon, Caleb - peas in a pod. Benjamin and I were hippies this year.

This is me...trying harder

In harmony with one of my goals for myself, I am going to keep better record of the events in our home. So I will be posting highlights of our recent holidays when I get the chance during the month of January. Hang on tight, it might be a quick ride. While you wait, here's a family picture we took this afternoon after church: